Category Archives: Friends

Change is Hard

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The fire started in the kitchen which is often the case in apartment living for seniors who for a variety of reasons find the kitchen to be less manageable as they age.

The fire started in the kitchen which is often the case in apartment living for seniors who for a variety of reasons find the kitchen to be less manageable as they age.

I know a woman whose home was damaged in an accidental fire. The fire started in the kitchen which is often the case in apartment living for seniors who for a variety of reasons find the kitchen to be less manageable as they age. Independent living including the regular tasks of housekeeping can create fire hazards as we age. In this case, cloth items were on top of the stove. While emergency personal were taking her out of the apartment for a medical need, the stove was inadvertently turned on resulting in the fire which started while no one was at home. Continue reading →

Small Furry Friends

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Although I could never imagine myself living with a dog of any kind, I can see that for my brother, his small but lively dogs are a very bright threesome in his life and a real necessity for this season.

Although I could never imagine myself living with a dog of any kind, I can see that for my brother, his small but lively dogs are a very bright threesome in his life and a real necessity for this season.

Having a pet requires a decent amount of dedication and commitment, but seniors sometimes find that pets are extremely beneficial friends and just a pure bundle of joy. The companionship that his trio of little dogs provides motivates my brother to get more involved in daily activities and socializing.

Most fascinating of this threesome is Augustus Valentine.  He is a lively Yorkshire Terrier that could jump almost to the top of the small fence enclosure that held him close to his teammates on the patio when I came for a visit.  As I inquired about his name, I learned that at first glance, he just looked like a little guy named “Gus”.  Believing that name was too casual for his special breed, the name was formalized on the spot to…… Augustus Valentine. Continue reading →

Marriage

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It is beautiful to see and hear from lovers who are still devoted to one another after 50 years together.

It is beautiful to see and hear from lovers who are still devoted to one another after 50 years together.

My son in-laws parents celebrated 50 years together today as family, friends and coworkers gathered to congratulate and honor this much-loved couple. We heard the same songs that were part of their original wedding ceremony and ate a copy of the wedding cake that was part of their first special day together.  I for one enjoyed looking at all the posted pictures of Paula and Jim’s family over the years.

All three of their sons have families of their own now, and each one was introduced including all the children which included new baby. Continue reading →

A Heart Song

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Find a place to “sing your heart out”… and when no one’s around, there’s always the shower.

Find a place to “sing your heart out”… and when no one’s around, there’s always the shower.

Remember when you were in a choir or glee club? It was all about singing a message with others using music as the communication vehicle. Whenever music is involved, be it singing or playing an instrument in a band, I think the participant is the real beneficiary. Add dancing or choreography and you had your whole body involved!

I always loved rehearsal… even more that the performance because I got to sing for a longer period of time. In the days and nights that followed, the music was going through my head while I was just doing every day activity. Continue reading →

Get a vision

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In search of a vision for the future………… after my last day in over, I found a great book by Randy Alcorn

I wonder what heaven is like?

This week I attended a funeral, an occurrence that is more frequent than ever as my years increase. For my friend Gail, the final weeks were very difficult because of illness and it hit me once again that “nobody is getting out of here alive!” I don’t think that anyone looks forward to the process of dying for the simple reason that we are all wired for living and nobody looks forward to any kind of pain and suffering.

It got me thinking…. I wonder what heaven is like? Continue reading →

No Time to Waste

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boarding 24 additional hoarse for weekend riders in the area.

Her husband and adult son were the type of men that quickly turn anything they like into a business, so these days they are boarding 24 additional hoarse for weekend riders in the area.

Flexibility and change are NOT the usual character traits I see in my peers. But exceptions are to be found. While caring for tiny babies on Sunday in church, I met a women whose moved to Minnesota from Florida. Who does that? I was intrigued.

Turns out they started in Minnesota and then moved to Florida. They were not golfers so found it hard to connect with new people and a summer there….. well, she referred to it as the two showers a day season. Hot and humid was the norm. Continue reading →

The MAN Cave

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I thought... make it a “workshop” so the men at Glendale Place could have there own space to work on projects they enjoyed?

I thought... make it a “workshop” so the men at Glendale Place could have there own space to work on projects they enjoyed?

I found a room in our garage that was designed to be a workshop, but it was empty except for a few things that were being stored. Recalling some conversations in the beauty shop with former clients, I remembered the whole discussion about husbands not wanting to leave their homes for apartment living. The thought of giving up their garage space was just too much! Continue reading →

Different & Interesting

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picking up shells on the beach

Dream retirement lifestyle of picking up shells on the beach. My reaction was nausea!

“Role Models” are everywhere.  For a long time, I have looked around for people who are older than I am… people who are doing something different and interesting.  My thinking began back in the 80’s when I heard about an article in Readers Digest which was highlighting the American Dream retirement lifestyle of picking up shells on the beach.  NOT!!!!!!!! Continue reading →