Things family members/siblings can do to help the caregiver of an aging parent with dementia. 

Understand/Help. Make sure one sibling does not have to handle the caregiver burden all by themselves. It’s a heavy load. You might be unable to be there on a daily basis but you can give them encouragement, appreciation, and offer relief for them on some sort of a regular basis.

Take on a task short &/or long term. Think creatively…are there any long-term or short term chores you might be able to offer to help with. Yard work, cooking, house cleaning, doctors’ appointments, picking up prescriptions, errands, shopping. Perhaps, offer to do some of the legwork to help find suitable respite care, or offer to visit long-term care facilities and local agencies and gather information and paper work and then offer to help go over them and fill them out. (Even if the caregiver wants to, often times they cannot find the time to do this, especially when the patient cannot be left alone.) Don’t call and ask, just take the initiative. Your taking the initiative will mean more to the caregiver than you know.

Avoid criticizing your sibling, no matter what.  They may not be perfect at the job, but there is nothing more disheartening to a caregiver in the daily grind of the job than to hear fault-finding from a sibling who isn’t doing the work. If you think more help is needed, offer to give it, pay for it, or help find it. (Comments like, call me, let me know, or why hasn’t this or that been done are not helpful and can often be harmful to the caregiver. You should be the one making the effort to do the calling and checking in etc. the caregiver is more than likely sleep deprived, mentally and emotionally drained and can barely remember what needs to be done much less who needs to be called.)

Be a good listener. When one family member is doing the hard work of day to day caregiving, you can check in on a regular basis and let them vent. It costs you nothing and they need to be able to do this and not be made to feel guilty for venting. It requires no more than a patient attitude and the will to show your support by asking how things are going and then listening. This can be more helpful than you realize. Watching a parent decline on a daily basis is often heartbreaking. Talking about the emotions involved can relieve everyone’s stress. Ignoring the situation or talking to the caregiver about anything but the situation can be hurtful and can feed feelings of resentment…care giving is a lonely and hard job.

Share. Caregivers often feel left out like there is no life beyond the grind of numerous chores and responsibilities they face daily. They desire to be kept in the loop about what is happening outside the boundaries of their limited life. Are there things going on in the community or extended family that they might not be aware of? Is there some news or funny stories you could share? Caregivers often don’t get the opportunity to share in a lot of laughter or be involved in a positive environment. A thoughtful card, or a small token gift to let them know you are thinking about them. Perhaps a daily devotional or inspirational journal or book for no reason at all. Caregivers need to know they are thought of as a person with feelings, desires, and dreams and not just a caregiver.

There is no reason any child should feel useless in the face of a parent’s dementia, there are ways to be useful. You don’t need a special skill or expertise. What you can do is to put forth the effort to read and learn about what is needed, to willing extend yourself, stick with your efforts, and know that the time could be short and if you make the effort now you’ll be able to look back on this time in your life without regret. It might also prevent causing an unnecessary rift between siblings. Everyone can do something on a consistent basis to help. Sporadic one-time offers of help aren’t really that beneficial in the grand scheme of things. The caregiver needs to know they are not in this alone.

Avoiding contact because you feel helpless or because it’s difficult for you to watch your parent or listen to your sibling vent is the worst thing you can do, not only for the caregiver, but for you and your parent. Avoidance only causes resentment, regret, and family separation. Get involved. Regardless of the state of your parent’s dementia, they know if you visit them on a regular basis. You might not think so, but they do.

Shouldn’t The Same Rules Apply to Everyone!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Irish Blessing
May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go, and guide you in whatever you do – and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always.

Soulful Ramblings

Some days there’s just no sunshine to be found.
~D.A. Seko

If teardrops were gold, I would not need to work for a living.
~D.A. Seko

Even though you proved you were not worthy of my tears, I still cried.
~D.A. Seko

If loneliness could be measured in money, I would be a billionaire.
~D.A. Seko

Some day’s it would be worth all the money in the world just to have someone to hold you and let you cry. 
~D.A. Seko

Tears soon fade away, but the hurt lingers much longer.
~D.A. Seko

  

Where Has Common Courtesy Gone?

It never ceases to amaze me how people in todays society are so uncaring of others around them. They walk around in a “me” bubble and act as if the world is theirs and theirs alone.

Driving: When my dad taught me to drive one of the first things he lectured me on was being aware of the other motorist around me. Being a courteous drive makes the roads a safer place for all. I see virtually no driver courtesy on the roads today. Only rude, road rage warriors. Is it so difficult to look in your mirror occasional and move over when you see you are holding up traffic, or turn on a blinker, or  stop before blocking a drive where folks are trying to get out. Yes, there are times I am guilty of being a road rage driver also and those times are when the above happens and people show absolutely no consideration for anyone around them.

Crosswalks: When I enter a crosswalk and there are cars having to wait for me to cross I don’t dilly dally, take my time, stop in the middle of the lane to chat with a friend, or pull out my cell phone and carry on a conversation, or stand there digging in my purse for my keys.  I smile and trot across the drive being considerate of the people who have stopped to let me cross. In my world that’s just plan common courtesy.

Store Aisles: Please for goodness sake move your cart and your self to one side of the aisle. Do not place your cart in the center of the aisle and carry on a conversation for 20 minutes with someone you know oblivious to others around you. And do not glare at me and look at me as if I have snakes in my hair when I say “excuse me” and try to get around you after I’ve already stood there 5 minutes waiting on you to finish your conversation.

Store Clerks: Wake up people. You have a job. You get a pay check. Earn it! Don’t act like I’m an imposition to you because you have to wait on me. And for Christ sake a smile wouldn’t kill you. And please, put down your cell phone long enough to take care of the customers standing there staring at the sign over head that says, “Customer Service is our business.” yeah, right. Do you not understand the concept that without customers you would have no job! I’ve seen 80 year old ladies on a walker move faster than some of these so called cashiers and customer service reps.

Long lost are the simple words like, thank you, I’m sorry, please, have a nice day, yes mam, no sir and can I help you. Seems they’ve been replaced with words like, yeah, huh, what do you want, or a blank stare as if they have landed on some alien planet somewhere clueless.

Well, I’ve run out of steam so I guess I’ll get off my soap box for today. It just irks me how people seem to have lost any desire to be kind, courteous, and helpful to other human beings.

You all have a nice day now, ya hear. Thank you for dropping by. Come sit a spell any ole time.

Word of the Day

perspicacious

\ pur-spi-KEY-shuhs \  , adjective;
1.Having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning.
2.Archaic . Having keen vision.

Quotes:
You are perspicacious , know the ways of the world,and are more tactful than most men of your age.-- Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo


More perspicacious neighbors, the Paulsens amongthem, suspected that Joey also enjoyed being the smartest person in the house.-- Jonathan Franzen, Freedom


Use in a sentence:
Women in general are more perspicacious than men.  (LOL)


Origin:
Perspicacious is derived from the Late Latin word perspicācitās meaning "sharpness of sight."

Dictionary.com, LLC.

What’s New with Me?

It’s hard to believe yet another year has passed. Where does the time go? Why only yesterday I was thirty, right? I can dream can’t I?

As most of you know, my daughter, son-in-law, and grandbabies left at the end of September for a four-year stay in Germany. Yes, my heart is broken and yes, I have taken the time to throw myself a pity party, although quietly when I’m alone. I’m not one much for crying around others, doesn’t mean I don’t cry, I just prefer to let my pillow soak up my tears. I have to remind myself daily that God puts us where we need to be for His own purpose. I pray daily for the strength to face the loneliness that some days threatens to swallow me whole without them here. God has His purpose and I will endure.

I’ve traded my weekends of kisses and hugs, kickball, and playing make believe for weekends with my girlfriends. Of course, nothing can compare with, or take the place of, baby kisses and “I love you’s” that simply melt your heart. Okay, let me wipe the tears and I’ll continue.

Yes, I will be going to Germany. My plans are for May. I simply don’t believe I can withstand waiting any longer than that. I still can’t visualize little ole me in big ole Germany, but if that’s where God has chosen to plant my family then I will go. I suppose, I should have been more careful when I prayed for a little adventure in my life. Like my mom used to say, “Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it.” Actually, I’m looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing something foreign and new. I feel certain I will have stories galore when I return, so be forewarned.

January is also the month the writing course that I mentor for begins. I’m looking forward to renewing old friendships and making new ones. F2K is a free writing course hosted by Writers Village University. It’s a seven-week course designed for anyone looking to discover their writing talent, or for those looking to hone or rekindle their writing dreams. If you aspire to write, you might want to check it out by clicking the link above. We’d love to have you join us.

Between starting back to work next week, mentoring my writing group, and participating in my newest charity organization, Strong Southern Women, I should have no problems keeping myself occupied.

I would like to end my post today to ask for your prayers. Not only for myself, but also for all those who are hurting in so many ways in our country today. There are those who are losing their homes and jobs at such an astounding rate that it boggles the mind. There are those who are ailing and sick without the financial ability to get the medical treatment they so desperately need. If I were to win the lottery today, I’d most likely be broke before months end, because I could not help but hand it out hand over fist to help those less fortunate. However, since I do not see that happening I can offer up my prayers and ask that others do the same. Although, there may be days when it seems God is far away, do not despair, for He is still there. It is we who must seek Him on our own behalf and on the behalf of others. Prayer is still a powerful tool regardless of what some may believe. I will not let those who wish to dismiss God as simply an old fashion value, lead me into their abyss.

PS:

I just heard from the kiddos and they are all bundled up sick, so please send up a prayer for their speedy recover while you’re praying.

---

You can let me know you’re following my blog by clicking the Follow me button in the right hand pane.

I Live with an Alien.

 

Today, I would like to offer a little insight for those who have women in their life’s who seem to have suddenly metamorphosed into a completely different human being than the one they once knew. Well, before you go running to the divorce lawyer, or mark your dear old mom up as a loony old woman, or disown your sister because you think she’s lost her mind, let me give you a little peek into why she may seem to be less than that loving and accommodating individual you’ve always known.

If she’s approaching the age of 50 menopause or what is often referred to, and rightly so, as the change of life may be the culprit.
The simple truth is that for women going through menopause it’s much like stepping back in time and reliving those teenage hormonal years with a myriad of added complications.

Here is a glimpse of what the women in your life, whose disposition you no longer recognize, might be experiencing. For those women who are approaching menopause, or for those who have women in their life’s approaching menopause, be forewarned. If you have ever raised a teenager, some of these symptoms might sound familiar.

Let’s start with, combative, bitter, angry, rebellious, cynical, frustrated, emotional, temperamental, and cantankerous. Are you shaking your head in agreement? Do you recognize these symptoms in any of the women in your life? Now, add to that insomnia, decreased libido, urinary inconsistencies, anxiety, itching, dry skin, weight gain, night sweats, hot flashes, depression, forgetfulness, and body aches. Then there’s hair loss in places women don’t want to lose hair and hair growth in places were women should never have hair. It’s not any one symptom but an accumulation of a range of these symptoms all happening in conjunction that transforms your once loving, peaceful spouse, wife, mother, sister into what appears to be some form of alien being.

Oh, and let’s not forget, this is coupled with the already stressful lifestyle women struggle with daily. Things like taking care of an elderly parent, nurturing a relationship with children and grandchildren, keeping the spouse happy, the home running smoothly, all the while trying to stay on top of the other numerous demands on their time from the tons of other obligations that they can’t keep from saying yes to because it’s somehow expected of them.

Let me paint you a picture of a typical day in the life of a woman going through menopause.

You get up in the morning to go to work after getting a night of fitful if any sleep in damp sweat soaked PJ’s. You climb out of bed only to discover that when your feet hit the floor, your knees and joints feel as if someone has beaten them with a hammer during the night. You push through the pain to rush to the bathroom before your bladder gives way knowing you may just not make it and knowing if you don’t you don’t have time to clean up the accident, or you’ll be late for work.

You grab the pants you wore two days ago only to find that suddenly they no longer reach around your bloated belly. You continue to rush through your many morning chores while cursing because you can’t find any object in the house quite long enough to reach that annoying and continuous itch in the middle of your back, and you’ve already scratched her legs until they look like you and the cat had a fight. 

It’s 30 degrees outside, the heater is set on 70, because the rest of your family is cold, yet you feel like someone dipped you in hot molten lava and your clothes are sticking to you like you’ve been playing basketball for an hour under the blazing sun. You then somehow manage to make it through the day glad you weren’t fired because you nearly knocked the boss over fighting to get to the bathroom so you wouldn’t pee on the new carpet he had laid.

You arrive home only to realize that you forgot to go by the grocery store, pick up your dad’s medicine, and drop off the flyers for the organizational lunch you signed up for a month ago. You have maybe half an hour before your husband arrives expecting super on the table. Luckily, you put on a crock-pot of something yummy for supper, but when you go to check you realize you forgot to plug the crock-pot in. You frantically search through the cabinets hoping to find something more appetizing than crackers and cheese that can be cooked in less than fifteen minutes. Your husband arrives home none too happy to discover ham sandwiches for supper but willing to let it slid if you can manage to fit in a little “alone time.”

Inadvertently, you roll your eyes, which hurts his feelings, and you wonder why any man would want to be intimate with an oversized, sweaty, itchy, achy, wrinkled, hippo all the while crossing your fingers that you don’t pee on yourself for the tenth time today. You wonder how many Tylenol you’ll have to down to give you enough relief from your achy joints to be able to comply with his wishes. Need I go on, or are you getting the picture?

Some of you are probably thinking, well aren’t there hormone pills and tons of other medications women can take to help offset some of these diabolical symptoms. Of course there are. However, your woman then has to weigh the options of risking cancer, drug dependency, and suffering from the various other side effects that come with taking such medications. Frustrating decisions to say the least.

Menopause is real it’s not some made-up excuse so that women can go ballistic. You now have a heads up as to why the women in your life have transformed into a disgruntled ogre instead of the loving, easy going, joyful, good-natured individual you once knew. Remember her emotional and physical status is beyond her control and that in itself is exasperating. So what can you do? There are no easy answers, but you can try to be a tad more patient, appreciative, understanding, and sympathetic.

1. You can avoid some of the pitfalls and frustration by educating yourself about menopause.
   
2. Communicate, let her know you don’t think she’s crazy and your shoulder is there for her. Be certain to assure her you believe her when she says she can’t help how she acts.
   
3. Don’t take everything she does and says as a personal attack.
   
4. If she needs more alone time or time with her girlfriends or wants to start a new adventure, be supportive.
   
5. Offer ideas for doing things together and laugh with her and not at her. Sometimes laughter can be the best remedy for both of you.

With that thought in mind, here are a few things to make you smile.

Male menopause is a lot more fun than female menopause. With female menopause, you gain weight and get hot flashes. Male menopause - you get to date young girls and drive motorcycles. - Author Unknown

Warning You’re in Menopause if…

1.  You sell your home heating system at a yard sale. 
2.  Your husband jokes that instead of buying a wood stove, he is using you to heat the family room this winter. Rather than just saying you are not amused, you shoot him. 
3. You have to write post-it notes with your kids' and grandkids names and birth dates on them. 
4.  Your husband chirps, "Hi honey, I'm home." And you reply, "Well, if it isn't Ozzie friggin' Nelson." 
5. The Phenobarbital dose that wiped out the Heaven's Gate Cult gives you four hours of decent rest. 
6. You have to change your underwear after every sneeze. 
7. Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes, and you're barefoot. 
8. Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face. 
9. An "all-nighter" means not getting up to pee!
10. Your first reaction upon entering a store is to locate the restroom sign.

---

New Word for Your Vocabulary

Ineptocracy (in-ept-o-cra-cy) - a system of  government where the
least capable to lead are elected by the  least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded  with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

The Future

Food for thought!

Thanksgiving 2022

"Winston, come into the dining room, it's time to eat," Julia yelled to her husband.

"In a minute, honey, it's a tie score," he answered.

Actually Winston wasn't very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington .

Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its "unseemly violence" and the "bad example it sets for the rest of the world", Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be. Two-hand touch wasn't nearly as exciting.

Yet it wasn't the game that Winston was uninterested in.
It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey.
Even though it was the best type of Veggie Meat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce, and mincemeat pie), it wasn't anything like real turkey.

And ever since the government officially changed the name of "Thanksgiving Day" to "A National Day of Atonement" in 2020, to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims' historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.

Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting.
The unearthly gleam of government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold.

Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats - which were monitored and controlled by the electric company - be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.

Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family. Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment.
He had had many heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program.
And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort.

"The RHC's resources are limited", explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone.

"Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled.---- I'm sorry for your loss."

Ed couldn't make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines – for everyone but government officials.

The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn't want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.

Thankfully, Winston's brother, John, and his wife were flying in.
Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion.

No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids.

Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added "inconvenience" was an "absolute necessity" in order to stay "one step ahead of the terrorists."

Winston's own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022.

That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for "unequal scrutiny," even when probable cause was involved.
Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine. Almost.

The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact.

"A living Constitution is extremely flexible", said the Court's eldest member, Elena Kagan.

" Europe has had laws like this one for years..---- We should learn from their example", she added.

Winston's thoughts turned to his own children.
He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him.

Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner.
Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford.
She whined for a week, but got over it.

His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether.
Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism, or any of a number of other calamities were "just around the corner", but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility.

It didn't help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking anywhere within 500 feet of another human being.

Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13.

The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to "spur economic growth."

This time, they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.
Yet the family had a lot for which to be thankful, Winston thought, before remembering it was a Day of Atonement.

At least, he had his memories.
He felt a twinge of sadness when he realized his children would never know what life was like in the Good Old Days, long before government promises to make life "fair for everyone" realized their full potential.

Winston, like so many of his fellow Americans, never realized how much things could change when they didn't happen all at once, but little by little, so people could get used to them.

He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011 or 2012, when all the real nonsense began.

"Maybe we wouldn't be where we are today if we'd just said 'enough is enough' when we had the chance," he thought.
Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so.

(Oh, that could never happen in the United States………..or could it?)

~Author Unknown

Speak Up–Let Your Voice be Heard

Andy Rooney's commentary on prayer.

Folks, will this be the year that  we RE-TAKE AMERICA & CANADA

Andy Rooney says:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.  I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school  teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal?  It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts.  They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1.  So what would you expect – Somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in  Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome ....

But what about the atheists? Is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized.  We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.   If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs.  Go to the bathroom.  Visit the concession stand.  Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call.  One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights.  Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.  Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us.  And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long.  It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want.

It is time that the majority rules!   It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; You don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him.  That is your right, and we will honor your right;

But by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away.

We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"

God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada, despite all our faults, and we are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men that are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make 2011 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars. Keep looking up.

A Solution

This was shared with me from a friend and I felt the need to share it with you.

How to solve the Seniors Retirement problem and the growing Prison Inmate problem with one change....

Here's the way it should be:
Let's put the seniors in jail and the criminals in nursing homes.
This would correct two things in one motion:

Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.

They would receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical Treatment, wheel chairs, etc.

They would receive money instead of having to pay it out.

They would have constant video monitoring, so they would be helped instantly... If they fell or needed assistance.

Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.

A guard would check on them every 20 minutes.

All meals and snacks would be brought to them.

They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight/fitness room, spiritual counseling, a pool and education... and free admission to in-house concerts by nationally recognized entertainment artists.

Simple clothing - i.e.. Shoes, slippers, pj's - and legal aid would be free, upon request.

There would be private, secure rooms provided for all with an outdoor exercise yard complete with gardens.

Each senior would have a P.C., T.V., phone and radio in their room at no cost.

They would receive daily phone calls.

There would be a board of directors to hear any complaints and the ACLU would fight for their rights and protection.

The guards would have a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to, with attorneys available, at no charge to protect the seniors and their families from abuse or neglect.

As for the criminals:
They would receive cold food.
They would be left alone and unsupervised.
They would receive showers once a week.
They would live in tiny rooms, for which they would have to pay $5,000 per month.
They would have no hope of ever getting out.

"Sounds like justice to me!"

Germany Bound

Well, it is official. The kids are in Germany. It has taken me a few days to come to grips with the reality of it all. It was an extremely difficult day saying goodbye and watching the plane ascend into the heavens. I allowed myself the day to indulge in a self-pity  party. Every toy left behind, every piece of clothing, brought a fresh batch of tears. The quietness now is almost deafening.

What I will miss the most is their hugs and kisses, their child-like  wonder, their honesty, and their imagination. I think I smiled and laughed more in the past year than I have in my entire life. I am thankful to God and my daughter and son-in-law for the opportunity to spend the past year bounding with my grand children. They have renewed my zest for life and adventure.

I am now eagerly anticipating the opportunity to visit a foreign country, something I’ve never really had a desire to do before. Children have a way of making you see things in a different light. Their fearlessness and innocence have a way of seeping in and giving life new purpose, new meaning.

I will trust in God that He has placed them where He wants them to be. I will trust that He will give me the strength, fortitude and positive attitude to forge forward each day with a renewed spirit for this fragile, wonderful, adventure called life. I will trust in Him to watch over them and keep them safe.

---

Grandma Loves You!

---

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

An Easy Fix

From a senior citizen around 80 years of age seen in an article in the St. Petersburg , Fl. Times. 

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on: "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

The Fix

Sounds like a plan to me. 

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy.. Instead 

of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan":

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1. They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
   
2. They MUST buy a new AMERICAN Car. Forty million cars ordered - Auto

Industry fixed.

1. They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing

Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!!

 P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes..

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.

Age is Wisdom

• Old People are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem. Old People remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment.? They know the words and believe in them.
• It's the Old People who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.
• Old people believe the best things in live or still free
• Old people understand the wisdom of spare the rod spoil the child
• Old people understand that one night of enjoyment can possible ruin the rest of your life
• Old people understand that life is not always fair and when you’ve been dealt an unjust hand you can’t just quit
• Old people understand that wealth, happiness, and success is not just measured by the materialistic things you own
• Old people understand the value of good manners, respect, and common sense
• Old people are not useless burdens but a source of knowledge, gained from life experiences that can not be found in books
• Old people understand you must be willing to be accountable for your own actions and be ready to face the consequences

• Old people are not a drain on society to be push aside by the younger generation as out of touch, but a source of wisdom that could save them a lot of trials if they would only listen to their advice and accept that they know what they are talking about
• Old people understand that children should be taught at a early age, respect for human life, respect for authority, respect for country, and a sound knowledge that life and liberties are not a right but a privilege, which has been afforded them by the men and women who have given their lives and have suffered so that they may have the privileges afforded them today.
• Old people understand that life is not about what happens to us but about how we chose to deal with what happens to us.

Bible Quote

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Reflection

God Gave Me A Gift

God gave me a gift, the gift of life.
He did not promise it would hold no strife.
God gave me a gift, the gift of love.
He sent His Son from Heaven above.
God gave me a gift, the gift of prayer,
He constantly listens, He's always there.
God gave me a gift, the gift of hope.
He sent His spirit who helps me to cope.
God gave me a gift, the gift of choice.
In His infinite love, I now rejoice.

{published} (c)1991-Deborah Seko

Bible Quote

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.   In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Word Wise

 

adoxography

Noun
1. Fine writing in praise of trivial or base subjects; "Elizabethan schoolboys were taught adoxography, the art of eruditely praising worthless things"; "adoxography is particularly useful to lawyers"

Adoxography is a term coined in the late 19th century. It was a form of rhetorical exercise “in which the legitimate methods of the encomium are applied to persons or objects in themselves obviously unworthy of praise, as being trivial, ugly, useless, ridiculous, dangerous or vicious” – see Arthur S. Pease, ‘Things Without Honor’, Classical Philology Vol. XXI (1926) 27, at 28-9.

In modern writing, the term "Adoxography" is also used as an often humorous self-reference in writing, often in regard to humor columns or blogs.

---

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Adoxography 8/4/11

A Sad Day…

 

At the Ft. Hood Memorial Service...

It is a sad day when our Presidents does not respect, love, and honor this country enough to salute the Flag or honor our service members who have given their life for this very country ,by a simple jester of placing his hand over his heart.

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
-- Thomas Jefferson

 

'American' background and decor as opposed to
the new decor.