Author: Minich MacGregor Wealth Management

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few years ago, we came across a short Thanksgiving story.  Set back in the 1930s, the author is unknown, but we found it to be a great reminder of what makes Thanksgiving such a special day…beyond the buckled Pilgrim hats, football games, and tables groaning under the weight of all that food.  It’s called Porcupine Meatballs, and this year we thought it would be a good time to share it with you.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On behalf of everyone here at Minich MacGregor Wealth Management, we wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving! 

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Porcupine Meatballs
Anonymous

1933 was a hard year.  F.D.R. had been forced to shut down the banks, and the soup lines in Chicago were especially bad.  I do remember that.  Otherwise, the days all blended together in a gray fog of trying to get by; trying to maintain a little dignity while too many folks around us were losing theirs.  I think that’s about the time we started calling it “the Depression,” or maybe a little earlier. 

Next year, though, things looked up a little.  I moved north to Wisconsin to be closer to family, and I was lucky enough to get a job working for Mr. Nelson, who ran the local market.  The days got a bit brighter.  I can remember more of ‘em, anyways.  Especially Thanksgiving. 

That first Thanksgiving I was there, people came in to buy what they could: Potatoes, flour, lard.  Maybe an egg or two.  And those who could afford ‘em bought a turkey. (Usually a small one.)

The day before Thanksgiving, a boy came in.  Small and scrawny, he couldn’t have been more than ten, with the hollowed-out cheeks and slightly sunken eyes of one who rarely has enough to eat.  (A sight that was all too common in those days.)  He handed me a short list, then gazed hungrily at the last few turkeys on display, most already bought and paid for but not yet picked up. 

Mr. Nelson noticed.  “Does your mother want a turkey, too, Frankie?” he asked. 

“No, sir,” said Frankie.  “Ain’t got the money for that, and ma said not ‘ta waste a nickel.” 

“Well, how much do you have left?”

“Just nineteen cents, sir.”  The boy’s shoulders drooped.  “I been workin’, sellin’ papers on Sundays and odd jobs for Mrs. Stansbury other days, but….” 

I winced.  Nineteen cents was barely enough to buy one pound of an eight-pound bird. 

“Well, what are you planning to eat instead?” Mr. Nelson asked. 

“Just what’s in that basket there, sir,” said the boy, looking sadder still. 

“What?  No meat?” 

“Ma says we still have a bit of that chuck we bought last week.”

Mr. Nelson rubbed his chin.  “Tell you what.  You come back here first thing tomorrow morning.  I’ll have a surprise for you.  Alright?”     

The boy thanked him, though the sad look on his face remained.  After he left, Mr. Nelson turned to me.  “Poor Frankie,” he said.  “That chuck will be hard as old leather by now.  Wouldn’t be fit for pot roast, and a man should have meat on his table for Thanksgiving.” 

“Man?” I asked, wondering if we were talking about the same skinny kid who’d just left. 

Mr. Nelson smiled.  “I know that family.  Young Frankie’s been trying so hard to be the man of the house ever since his father died.  Now it’s time he felt like one.”

The next morning, Frankie showed up as ordered.  Mr. Nelson clapped him on the shoulder. “Do I have a treat for you, young man.” 

Frankie looked confused.  “Sorry, sir, I still don’t have the money for a turkey.  Or a ham.” 

“Not turkey, Frankie.  Better.”     

“Better’n turkey, sir?” The boy sounded skeptical.  I couldn’t blame him; I was skeptical, too. 

“Oh, yes.  Something almost nobody gets to eat at Thanksgiving.  A delicacy.” 

Now the boy looked excited.  “What is it?” he asked breathlessly. 

Mr. Nelson leaned down with a conspiratorial smile on his face.  “Porcupine,” he whispered. 

Frankie’s eyes went wide.  “Porcupine?  I ain’t never heard of anyone eatin’ porcupine.” 

“That’s because it’s so rare.  Normally, I keep it all for myself, but I’ve a little bit extra, which I am willing to sell to you on account of you being such a good customer.”     

Stooping behind the counter, Mr. Nelson produced a tray.  On it were twenty meatballs, each covered with a dozen brown spikes.  They were so pointed and prickly, for a second, I thought they really were made of porcupine!  But when I looked closer, I saw that the “spikes” were really just grains of rice standing on their ends. 

Now Frankie’s eyes were practically popping out of his head in excitement.  “Gosh, I never thought I’d get to serve my ma porcupine for Thanksgiving!  How much?”

“Tell you what, Frankie,” Mr. Nelson said.  “Porcupine’s what you might call an acquired taste; not everyone likes it.  So, you take these home and tell your sisters you’ve been working so hard, you were able to get porcupine this year, the last batch in the store.  If you like it, just give me a wink the next time you see me.”

“I will, sir, thanks!”

The boy left.  I looked at my boss quizzically.  “Porcupine?”

He laughed.  “Just some ground beef mixed with onions, rice, and tomato soup.  Quite good, actually.  His mother will know, of course, but Frankie and his sisters will feel like the richest kids in town.” 

Time went by.  To my surprise, Frankie turned up again the following Thanksgiving, asking if Mr. Nelson had any more “porcupine meatballs,” but this time, insisted on paying “full price.”  I smiled, wondering how long the ruse would last.  But the next year, Frankie came again.  And the next, and the next, and the next.  By then, even Mr. Nelson was getting puzzled. 

“Ain’t that odd?” he said.  “I know the family is better off now.  And turkeys are cheaper than ever.”  But Frankie continued the tradition each year, even through high school. 

The years passed.  Eventually, I went back to Chicago and lost touch with Mr. Nelson, but one Thanksgiving in the early fifties, I returned to visit family.  While there, I was told that my old employer was ill and bed-ridden.  After dinner, I decided to pay him a visit.  He welcomed me warmly, but I could see in his face how sad he was.  Age had forced him to retire, and his wife had long since passed away.  Looking at him now, he was more bone than brawn, gaunt and frail.    

“Can’t even celebrate Thanksgiving proper this year,” he grumbled.  “Too weak to lift the bird.” 

I tried to take his mind off of it, and we yarned about old times until he fell asleep.  Then I heard a knock at the door.  I went to answer it and saw on the doorstep a man in a naval uniform, his hat in one hand, a basket in the other. 

“Is Mr. Nelson home?” he asked.  I replied that he was, but had fallen asleep; could the man come back later?  “Yes,” he said, “but in the meantime, please give him this.”  He handed me the basket and a card.

I found Mr. Nelson awake and sitting up when I returned.  I set the basket next to his bed while he read the card.  His eyes widened with every word.  Then, he handed the card to me while he reached for the basket.  This is what it said:

Dear Mr. Nelson.  I heard you weren’t feeling too fine this Thanksgiving.  I can remember a Thanksgiving where I wasn’t feeling too fine either.  No dad, no money, and no turkey.  But that Thanksgiving ended up being the best one we ever had.  We were so grateful for something to eat!  That’s why we always ate the same thing in my house every single year after, and we eat it still. It reminds us how much we have to be thankful for in a way no turkey ever could.  This year, I thought maybe you could use the reminder, too…because I’m mighty thankful for you.  Your friend, Frank.

Suddenly, Mr. Nelson laughed.  For a moment, the years seemed to fall from his face.  From the basket, the scent of porcupine meatballs was rising.

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P.S. We did a little research and found that “Porcupine Meatballs” really were a thing in the 1930s!  The Library of Congress even preserved a recipe for them, which you can find here: https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.conservationreci00mobi_0/?sp=87. 

When a loved one experiences illness, cognitive decline, or incapacity, having the right financial planning tools in place can make a world of difference.

To help you prepare for these sensitive situations, we’re sharing a valuable resource:

Click to read: 📘 The Power to Care for a Loved One

This guide covers:

• How powers of attorney and other legal tools work
• The role of trusted contacts and why they matter
• Steps to put a financial care plan in place before a crisis happens

Key Takeaways:

• Early planning reduces stress and protects assets
• Without legal authority, even close family members may face roadblocks
• We can help ensure your financial documents reflect your current wishes

Taking the time now to plan ahead is one of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones. If you’d like to discuss any part of this guide or update your current plan, please reach out.

Warm regards,

In our experience, the older we get, the more we realize how much there is to be thankful for. This realization often prompts a desire to give back – to share our personal blessings with the world around us. 

For many, especially those nearing or in retirement (though not exclusively), charitable giving becomes a deeply meaningful goal.  It’s a way to enrich one’s life by positively impacting others. 

But while the spirit of giving comes from the heart, the strategy should come from the head. Just as different motor vehicles serve different transportation needs – a sports car for speed, a truck for towing, a mini-van for families — different charitable vehicles are suited to different philanthropic goals and financial circumstances.  Some are also more tax-advantageous than others.

Whether you’re just beginning to explore charitable giving or are an experienced philanthropist, it’s important to evaluate the options available – and periodically reassess whether your current vehicle is still the best fit.

With that in mind, here are four of the most common charitable giving vehicles, along with a quick overview of their pros and cons. 

Vehicle #1: Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)

A donor-advised fund is an investment account designed to support charitable giving.  You can contribute cash, equities, and even alternative assets.  All contributions are tax-deductible – up to 60% of your adjusted gross income for cash donations.¹ 

The primary advantage of a DAF is flexibility.  You can contribute now and decide later which organizations will receive the funds, all while benefiting from the immediate tax advantages.  Multiple individuals can contribute to a DAF, making it a good option for families seeking to pool resources.

However, DAFs offer only advisory privileges – not control. While you can suggest how the funds are used, the charity makes the final decision.  Additionally, donations are irrevocable and cannot be reclaimed.

Vehicle #2: Private Foundation

A private foundation is a legal entity created to fund charitable activities.  Unlike public charities, which may raise funds from the public, a private foundation is typically funded by a single individual, family, or corporation.

Private foundations provide full control over the investment decisions, grantmaking, and governance. They also offer the opportunity to create a legacy, as foundations can exist in perpetuity. 

The trade-off?  Complexity.  Setting up a private foundation requires IRS approval, annual filings, and the creation of a board of directors.  It is not a passive endeavor, but an ongoing commitment that requires time and administrative effort.

Vehicle #3: Charitable Remainder Trust (CRTs)

A CRT allows you to donate assets to a trust while receiving an income stream for a set period (or for life).  After this period ends, the remaining assets are transferred to a designated charity – which could include a private foundation.

This structure supports both your current cash flow and long-term charitable goals.  However, CRTs must be established with the help of an attorney and are irrevocable. They may not provide the same immediate tax benefits as other vehicles.

Vehicle #4: Charitable Lead Trust (CLTs)

A CLT is essentially the reverse of a CRT.  In this case, your chosen charity received regular payments for a fixed term, after which the remaining assets pass to your heirs, potentially free of estate or gift taxes.  CLTs can be useful tools for integrating philanthropy into your estate plan.

However, CLTs are complex.  There are two main types, each with specific tax implications and structuring requirements.  They must be carefully designed with legal and financial professionals.  Like CRTs, CLTs are irrevocable.

If you would like to explore any of these options further, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  We would be happy to discuss how charitable giving can support both your values and your financial goals.

¹ “Publication 526, Charitable Contributions,” Internal Revenue Service, https://www.irs.gov/publications/p526

Earlier this year, two dates came and went, largely unnoticed by Americans and mostly uncovered in the media.  But they are two of the most important dates in modern history — maybe all history. 

We’re referring to May 8 and September 2.  Victory in Europe Day and Victory Over Japan Day. 

They’re not given much attention anymore, but once upon a time, some of the biggest celebrations our country has ever seen took place on those two days.  The news that World War II was finally over sparked an unparalleled wave of joy and gratitude worldwide.  Now, in 2025, we believe it’s more important than ever that we remember those days, that war, and the men and women who served in it.

This year marks the 80^th anniversary of the end of World War II.  A war that saw America’s greatest generation storm beaches in Algeria, Sicily, and Normandy.  Swelter and suffer in steamy tropical islands like Guadalcanal, Peleliu, and Okinawa.  Risk their lives behind enemy lines in China and India.  Even defend U.S. soil in Hawaii, Oregon, and Alaska.

A war that saw 16.4 million Americans serve in some capacity.     

Today, eighty years later, there are fewer and fewer people still alive who celebrated those special days.  In fact, the National World War II Museum estimates that fewer than 1% of those 16 million veterans are still with us.¹  Less than one percent left to tell their stories.  To keep a living record of what they saw, what they accomplished…and why it mattered. 

This month marks another important date.  November 11.  Veterans Day. 

Of course, Veterans Day is for commemorating all those who have served, not just those in World War II.  But given that this year marks the 80^th anniversary of that conflict — and given how few of those veterans we still have left — we think they deserve special attention this year.  Whether it’s visiting the grave of someone who has departed, volunteering at the local VA hospital, or even just cracking open a book to learn more about their service and sacrifice, this is a chance for us to make their past an ever-present part of our future.  To truly understand and give thanks for the world we are so fortunate to live in.  A world we would not have without them. 

The veterans of World War II liberated towns from tyranny and rescued survivors from concentration camps.  They paved the way to greater equality for all Americans.  And the effort it took to support them turbocharged our economy in ways never seen before or since.  Ways that we are still benefiting from today.

As Father J.P. Lardie, a military chaplain who served in World War II, once put it:

One day, when the history of the 20^th Century is finally written, it will be recorded that when human society stood at the crossroads and civilization itself was under siege, [they] were there to fill the breach and help give humanity the victory. And all those who had a part in it will have left to posterity a legacy of honour, of courage, and of valour that time can never despoil.”²

We are so grateful for our veterans.  We feel so moved whenever we have the chance to work with them.  And we feel so humbled to be lucky enough to share the title of “American” with them.  We know you are, too. 

For those veterans who served during one of humanity’s darkest hours, we are especially grateful this year. 

General Douglas MacArthur, who commanded U.S. forces in the Pacific, famously said during his farewell address to Congress, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”  But most of those who fought with him have died. 

Now, it’s our job to ensure that they — and everything they stood for — never, ever fades away.

On behalf of our team, we wish you a safe and peaceful Veterans Day. 

¹ “Latest VA Projection Reveals Rate of WWII’s Fade from Living Memory,” The National WWII Museum, January 21, 2025.  https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/latest-va-projection-reveals-rate-wwiis-fade-living-memory
² “Father John Pilip Lardie, the Chaplain on the Motorcycle,” Bomber Command Museum Archives, https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/fatherlardie.html

Happy Halloween!  As you know, this season is a time for ghost stories and graveyards, vampires and zombies.  But have you ever wondered why so much Halloween imagery, whether silly or serious, is associated with the dead?  Why do kids dress up as the supernatural instead of, we don’t know, our favorite fruits and vegetables around harvest season? 

Well, Halloween as we know it is really a combination of several, much older traditions.  The three foremost, in our opinion, are the Christian season of Allhallowtide, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, and the Mexican holiday of Dia de Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” 

All three of which are very much about death — though not necessarily in a scary way! 

For all human history, people have been preoccupied with what happens to our loved ones after they die.  Are they still around?  Will we see them again?  And for most of history, people didn’t live very long.  War, disease, and famine were constant threats, meaning the idea of death was a constant companion.  Much of a person’s life was working just to ensure that their family name would continue after them…so that maybe, somehow, they would be remembered after they were gone. 

These questions and concerns helped pave the way for many of the various cultural traditions that would eventually shape Halloween.  For example:

Allhallowtide begins on October 31 and lasts through early November.  It is a period for remembering those who have died, especially martyrs and saints.  During the Middle Ages, children would often go from house to house on the final day of Allhallowtide and beg for money, apples, or sweets called “soul-cakes.”  This practice was called “souling”, and involved children chanting “a soul cake, a soul-cake, have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul-cake.” 

Samhain takes place on November 1, but celebrations in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales would often start on October 31.  According to Irish tradition, Samhain is a time when the boundary between our world and the “otherworld” grow thin — making it possible to communicate with the souls of our ancestors who have departed. Over time, many of the same rituals from Allhallowtide, like costumes, jack o’ lanterns, and souling were also practiced during Samhain.  (And some of them probably started with Samhain first before getting adopted by Allhallowtide.) 

Finally, Dia de Muertos traditionally begins anywhere from October 31 through November 6.  A combination of Allhallowtide and indigenous Mexican customs, the “Day of the Dead” is a celebration of friends and family members who have passed away.  It’s a chance to remember them by eating their favorite foods and decorating their graves while swapping stories and funny memories about their lives. 

So How Did Halloween Get “Scary”? In some areas of Medieval Europe, people believed the dead would use Allhallowtide as one last chance to get revenge on those who’d wronged them before moving on to the afterlife. Hollowed out vegetables — early jack o’ lanterns — were used as lanterns to ward off evil spirits, and people would wear masks and costumes so as not to be recognized by angry ghosts.  With Samhain, people believed that because the line between worlds were blurred, it was also possible to encounter supernatural spirits and faeries.  Many of the same rituals, like costumes, jack o’ lanterns, and souling were also practiced during Samhain.  (And some probably started with Samhain before getting adopted by Allhallowtide later.)  But at their core, both Allhallowtide and Samhain are more about commemorating the dead than fearing them.

Three festivals, all around the same time, all when the long day makes way for longer nights, all centered around those who have passed on.  Today, of course, the usual Halloween traditions are dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, telling ghost stories, and trick-or-treating.  Fanciful echoes of past customs and beliefs — and by practicing them, we are, in a way, still paying tribute to our ancestors. 

Reading about these origins made us ponder our own family members and ancestors who are no longer with us.  Some of them we knew; some we didn’t but have heard about.  But many of are just names and dates — assuming we know about them at all.  And that got us thinking: Between the scary movies and the endless replaying of “Thriller” on the radio, is there some other activity we can do that’s more in line with the original meaning of Halloween?  We think there is!

Genealogy has become an increasingly popular hobby in recent years, from DNA testing to learn where our ancestors came from to scouring digital archives to find out who we are related to.  We think that’s because, by gaining a greater understanding of where we come from, we can better understand who we are…and why. 

Given that October is also National Family History Month, we think spending time constructing our family trees and learning more about our ancestors, is in perfect keeping with Halloween!  By doing this, we are doing what our ancestors used to do: Commemorating and remembering those who came before us so that their memory never fades. 

If you are interested in learning more about your ancestors, the National Archives has some tips on how to get started:

1. Start With Yourself.  As they put it, “you are the beginning ‘twig’ on your vast family tree.”  Write down all the information you can think about regarding yourself.  Then do your parents, working backwards to your grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on.  Then, 2. Begin at Home.  Look for information about your ancestors in newspaper clippings, birth and death certificates, military service records, diaries, letters, scrapbooks, photo albums, and other documents.  Next, 3. Use Relatives as Sources.  Visit, call, or write to your older relatives.  Ask them what information they have collected, who they know, what they remember.  They are the easiest and most vital link to the past.  Finally, 4. Comb Federal, State, and County Records.  Archives are held at every level containing census data, tax records, marriage certificates, deeds to property and more — all clues to the names and stories of those who gave us our family names. 

Halloween is a time for sweets and spooky stories.  But at its heart, it’s about something more powerful: Preserving the memory of our ancestors and connecting with the past…so that one day, we will be remembered, too.  But however you celebrate the holiday, we wish you a very happy Halloween!