A quote that encourages people to think positively about past events. It is often attributed to Dr. Seuss, but there is no citation to support this claim.  It means that instead of being sad that something has ended, we should be happy that it happened and cherish the memories we have of it.

The quote has also been attributed to Gabriel García Márquez in Spanish

According to a study by Bronnie Ware, the top five regrets of the dying are:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
    
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
    
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
    
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
    
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

A Social Security Buy-Back is when you repay Social Security for the benefits you receive. By doing this, you regain the right to collect later, usually in more favorable conditions. There are a few reasons why you might decide to do this. For example, if you were unemployed but now you’re working again.

One example is if you were unemployed, but now you’re working again. If you’re eligible for Social Security benefits, but you don’t need them right now, you might consider paying back the benefits you’ve already received so that you can get a higher monthly benefit later on.

True wealth is not about material possessions, but rather about financial assets that have not yet been converted into visible things. Spending money to show people how much money you have is the fastest way to have less money. 

So much of our perception of wealth is driven by what we see other people buying. Since we can’t see their bank accounts, that’s all we have to go on. But it gives us a distorted view of wealth. Some people we think are wealthy really aren’t; they just spend most of their income. Others we think of as less well-off are actually the rich ones.

 “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts” 

- Marcus Aurelius

The quality of your thoughts is directly proportional to the quality of your life.

If you have positive thoughts, you are more likely to be happy and content with your life. On the other hand, if you have negative thoughts, you are more likely to be unhappy and dissatisfied with your life.

Guard your thoughts and make sure that they are positive and constructive.

Free VPNs are not safe because they can collect and sell your data, use weak or no encryption, have limited resources and expertise, expose you to cyber-criminals, and slow down your connection. Free VPNs undermine your privacy and security rather than protecting them.

You should always think twice before installing a free VPN client.

Case in point: Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered and reported that over 360 million user data records have been leaked in a breach with the free VPN service SuperVPN. 

curated from: Hampton Lakes Newsletter dated June 2023

Hurricane Season

The 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30 (according to usgs.gov)

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.

Debbie's hurricane season tips:

1. Trim trees and bushes around your home. Put the cuttings out for pickup on Friday evenings after 6 pm for Saturday morning pick up.
2. Before leaving for a long time, put away patio furniture and small decorative objects that can be blown away.
3. Make sure your hurricane shutters are in working order. If you don’t close them before you leave, arrange for someone to do it for you in the event of a hurricane.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for hurricane season:

1. Know your evacuation route. Before or during a hurricane, you might be ordered to evacuate your home. Make sure you know the best route to take and have a plan in place for where you will go.
2. Store and collect supplies. Ensure you have enough food, water, and medical supplies for each family member to last at least two or three days.
3. Don’t forget your pets. Make sure you have enough food and water for your pets as well.
4. Download the FEMA mobile app. This app can help you find shelters and other resources in your area.
5. Protect your home. Trim trees and bushes around your home, secure loose outdoor items, and cover windows with storm shutters or plywood if possible.

You can find more information on how to prepare for hurricane season on the FEMA website or the CDC website or Palm Beach County Hurricane site for your local resource details.

Iguana Challenged?

The iguana company comes every Tuesday and Thursday. If you notice any iguanas, please make note of their location, and email hamptonlakespoa@gmail.com, so the board can let the company know. 

Need Help On A Community Issue?

Fill out the Community request form; otherwise, there is no paper trail. Calling and emailing etc. just delays everything! The form is in the clubhouse and below.

COBWRA Delegate Meeting Highlight

Curated from sources:

• (1) Hampton Lakes Newsletter PDF 05-01-23 issue
• (2) Hampton Lakes Alert email
• (3) Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Mentions

Approaching hurricane season

• Before the hurricanes arrive, please inspect your trees and trim them appropriately if needed to keep everyone safe .(1)

Bulk items on the curb

• If bulk items are not picked up on Saturday, they should be returned to the garage.(1)
• Check out Solid Waste Authority Bulk-and-Minor-Home-Repair

Unwanted Community Access

• Please do not let anyone in through the gate behind you. When you pass through the gate, stop so that it closes and prevents an unwanted car from entering the community. We had an incident like this a few weeks ago.(1)

Gate Fob

• To get a gate fob, please contact Paul B.(1)

Community Request Form

• Use the Community Request Form for issues. (1)

Committees

• Committy mission and members identified.

May Event Details(1)

Update on Reserves(2)

Mentioned by Debbie

"We had to borrow a total of $29,200 from our reserves to pay the insurance premiums which had increased by almost double.  In order to pay the reserves back from the operating account, we took the following steps, the first $10,000 was moved in February, the 2nd $10,000 was moved on Friday, April 21st and the final $9,200 was moved on April 25th.  It was done this way to ensure we left enough in the operating account to conduct day to day business.  The reserves have been paid back in full. "

Garage Sale(3)

• 2 dates per year for Garage Sales. 
• The next garage sale is tentatively scheduled for November 4th from 9am to 1pm.

COBWRA DELEGATES MEETING HIGHLIGHTS • April  2023

ARCHITECTURAL

Reviews applications to changes to homes (i.e. Shutters, Birdcages, Paint outside of home, Paint driveways, Solar panels, etc.

• Lorraine M (Chair)
• Debbie S 
• Linda B

Landscaping

Reviews applications to grounds of homes (i.e. Plant/remove plants and trees, etc.)

• Lorraine M (Chair)
• Gordon O
• Debbie S

Social

Plans fun activities for all to enjoy.

• Linda M (Co-Chair)  
• Mary M (Co-Chair) 
• Carol S
• Linda B
• Bonnie S
• Jackie H
• Donna G
• Carol M
• Carole Y
• Ann R
• Peggy R
• Lester F
• Maria Frederic

Grievance

 Forum for residents to resolve issues between neighbors; between residents and BOD regarding violations of governing documents.

• Robin R
• Jane S
• Dena G
• Peggy M

Lakes Pump Only

Monitors status of lakes and pumps. 

• Deb S
• Bill S
• Carol S

Newsletter

 Prepares and distributes monthly newsletter. 

• Dena G (Chair)
• Carol S

Clubhouse

Periodic (weekly) walk through the clubhouse to check its status i.e. thermostat, no water dripping, no damage, lights out, etc. Coordinates rental of clubhouse for private parties. 

• Judy S
• Robin R
• Carole M
• Craig E (in summer) 
• Mary M
• Linda M

Pool and Spa

 Monitors the pool and spa

• Robin R
• Craig E
• Paul B

Oversight/Light Maintenance

Oversees vendor workmanship (i.e. power washing sidewalks) as to how well the job was done and report to PM Co. Walks around and reports to PM Co. homes with dirty roofs, driveways, mailboxes, etc. This would free up PM to handle other duties.

• Paul B (Chair)
• Carole Y
• Carol S
• Linda C

Hurricane

Moves pool furniture into clubhouse, moves canopy, closes accordion shutters and reopens clubhouse after storm. Also assess any damage. This committee operates 6 months of the year during hurricane season. 

• Gordon O
• Craig E
• Mary M
• Chuck S
• Joe A

Sunshine 

Periodically checks on residents living alone or elderly if possible. Welcomes new homeowners/renters when notified and if possible. Acknowledges special occasions such as birthdays (with permission), anniversaries, and condolences. Informs of scheduled activities.

• Carol S (Chair)
• Ann D
• Ann R
• Ann S
• Marion T

Fining

 Forum for homeowner/renter to appeal a fine or other penalty imposed by BOD for violations of our governing documents and confirm or reject such fine or penalty. 

• Douglas C (Chair) 
• Jo K
• Keith E

Ad Hoc

Created for a specific purpose such as refurbishing the Clubhouse. May meet one time or several times until task is done

Detected a scam email from an email supposedly from a person known to you?

I went along engaging in an email conversation with a scammer. This just happened yesterday. It went like this:

But first: note these

• I am hiding contact info to protect the name/email of the person that the scammer pretended to be.
• I know the person that the scammer pretended to be, the person is my neighbor

Scammer email:

"Hi Do you mind if I ask for a favor? Thanks, XXXX."

My response:

"How can I help?"

Scammer email:

"I am sorry to bother you with this mail, I need to get Apple gift card for my Niece, it's her birthday but I can't do this now because I'm currently traveling and I tried purchasing it online but unfortunately, I have no luck with that. Can you get it from any store around you? I'll pay back as soon as I am back. Kindly let me know if you can handle this."

My response:

"Sure thing, give me some specifics!"

Scammer email:

"I am glad you could help. The total amount needed is $1000, $500 denomination ($500*2) cards. You can get it from any store around you like the Walgreen, CVS, Koger or any other grocery store and I need you to open the envelope of the card to see the inner card then take a picture of the card back showing the Pin numbers then have the cards sent to me via email attachment so I would forward it to her.

I owe you, "

I stopped the conversation. Then texted my neighbor about what had just happened. They confirmed their account was hacked sometime back, and they were aware of the email scam.

The RED flag, whenever you see this type of thing "take a picture of the card showing the Pin numbers then have the cards sent to me via email". Just walk away.

During the email exchange, I noticed that the initial email was sent from XXXX@comcast.com, while subsequent emails from the scammer came from XXXXy@hotmail.com. I checked the XXXXy@hotmail.com against a known email account of my neighbor (against our neighborhood directory) and noticed the scammer added a new character (notice the y in the email). This tells me that the scammer was able to hack the Comcast account but was not able to access the Hotmail account.