Those kind readers that have been around a while will remember that my Mother struggled with Alzheimer’s disease for about five years, prior to passing out of this earthly realm in March of this year. I have written about her struggle and how it impacted our relationship and family several times, and if you are interested you can see those posts at this link.
Alzheimer’s/Dementia
Observations on my mother’s struggle
She’s Free
A permanent tribute to my Mom, after her long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
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2014 in review and Happy New Year!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog, which was the perfect nudge for me to create a look back at the year that has just passed. My blog stats are nothing to write home about, but certainly more than I ever could have hoped or imagined when I started this blog in September of 2013.
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Come see me over at The Sisterwives today!
I am beyond honored to be featured today on The Sisterwives, a place created by nine incredibly talented women to share stories of darkness and light, despair and hope, and to let us know that we are not alone.
Please drop by and read I’m not gonna miss you, and then stick around and browse the amazing stories they have gathered thus far. ❤
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I’m not gonna miss you
Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to Glen Campbell’s final music video with the comment that she found the song comforting. I do too, but…click the link, I’ll wait.
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Change…the only constant
Where do I begin?
Oh, how about with the change in the look of my blog? I felt the need for a cleaner, simpler look. And of course, I spent many hours playing with themes and theme options, rather than writing my Retirement Test Ride (RTR) planning posts…more on that in a bit.
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How on earth did we walk away?
I typically spend my Saturdays with my Mother, who is 87 and has dementia, and lives in a lovely assisted living facility nearby. This Saturday, I took her to a local charity event created to raise funds for local High School kids who cannot afford to buy their own dresses, tuxedos, hair styles and makeup for their Senior Prom. Mom didn’t completely understand the concept, but she enjoyed the featured speaker, who happens to be my yoga instructor, and the fashion show, featuring beautiful girls in colorful dresses with their handsome escorts in suits and tuxedos. After the event, we went and had a nice lunch, and walked around our little historic square until she was tired and ready to go home.
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Better late than never…Summing up 2013
All over the web, people have been sharing their wrap-ups of last year, and plans for this New Year. I really enjoyed reading the 2013 Roundup from Lily in Canada, with her witty responses to a questionnaire that came from tumblr, so although it is already the second week of January, here is my 2013 summary:
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From pack-rat to minimalist – can it happen?
I come from a family of pack-rats. My parents both kept EVERYthing; useful, sentimental, or not. My only sibling has those tendencies. Over the years, I have teetered from pack-rat to minimalist, and moving every 5 to 10 years helped swing me away from the family tradition. Yes, I still have my high school yearbooks, boxes of pictures, and full disclosure, I have been known to get sentimental over a t-shirt. But the times, they are a-changing. I read a great article today on this topic that struck a chord with me; you can find it here: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/sample-living-with-less/
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Changing Perspectives
Originally, I thought I would create a blog solely as an outlet for the multitude of emotions related to my mother’s struggle with aging and memory loss, and my struggle to deal with the sea change caused in my life by becoming her caretaker. Watching the changes in her has reminded me that life is so fleeting, and while I am consumed with my job and caretaker duties, I also need to find my purpose, my true north, and decide how to live the rest of my life before it’s too late.
curvyroads 