I  needed quotes to inspire me after yesterday. It took me a while to find one.

You can’t use up creativity. M. Angelou. Yea, but I misplaced it.

Find out who you are and do it on purpose. D. Pardon. I didn’t like who I was yesterday.

To be contented – that’s for cows. D. Vreeland. I liked their milk.

Each day, start with what you most want to avoid. Me. Today, it’s correcting yesterday’s work.

Live the life you imagined–Thoreau. I didn’t imagine this life.

White hot and passionate is the only thing to be. R. Dahl. I was passionate about naps.

We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things. H. Kelleher I did them wrong.  

Make it happen. M. Jordan. Make what happen? 

Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing. B Murray. I made more errors.

If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away. S. Hawking OK, I can do that again.

#alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver #endalz #dementia

Painting by Carol Hosler

Almost daily, we sit with L and talk about friends. Soon, L opens her mouth to eat and we ask if she’d like a treat. Then we ask to brush her hair, massage her, apply moisturizing cream. She always says yes.  I believe she wants Dad to come back.

When I say goodbye, she says OK. Her short-term memory won’t recall this visit. Even so, I believe she’ll feel better for a while. I believe she knows Dad will be back almost every day. I believe, and fervently hope, the repetition of daily visits strengthens synapses in her brain to recall me, feel my love, sense I’m close, and keep her safe. My synapses enrapture and enliven my love for her regardless of her everchanging cognitive capacity.  #alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver #endalz #dementia

Laura Davis wrote THE BURNING LIGHT OF TWO STARS to share how she reconciled with her mother who betrayed her when she was 27. As Davis cared for her 80-year-old-mother with Alzheimer’s they shared unconditional love. The caregiving is exquisitely revealed.
A memoir of the author’s journey to care for her mother, who had betrayed her decades earlier, led them both to reconciliation and unconditional love.
#alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver #endalz #dementia

Caroline was Lynne’s neighbor across street. Both teachers. Loved talking about work, sons, and anything education. She was such a fun neighbor and friend. I miss her as a neighbor, fellow teacher and friend. We share names & photos with Lynne.

#alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver

I had warned Lynne I’d be gone for my surgery. She heard me. Yesterday I rolled up my pant leg to show her my incision and steri-strips. Her head slumped to look, mouth dropped open, & eyes went wide. She reached out to Carol. Did she feel my pain? Did she want to care for me? How much does she understand when I talk as if she’s an adult fully hearing and understanding to some degree what I am saying? #alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver #endalz #dementia

My push-me voice fought my surgery. YOU LEFT HER. I told her. WHY NOW? Got to heal it. WAIT TIL SHE’S GONE Waited years. SURGERY OVER. GO No, Health first PUSH THRU IT TODAY Groggy, pain, unstable. SHE’S ALONE. Others visit. VISIT TOO SHORT. Give me time.

#alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver #endalz #dementia

Your most important relationship is with your inner voice.  The Guardian

From Allison Savage: We were friends in high school & FB allowed us to reconnect. Her laugh remains with me all these years & her kindness was memorable as a new student to 10th grade. I’m sending you love & peace. Lynne smiled at her name.

#alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver.

Nancy & Lynne’s BFF. Nancy is an extraordinary caregiver. The video highlights Nancy’s creative, contagious spontaneity uses Lynne’s hand on Nancy’s knee & Lynne’s tattoo of a frog to generate laughter for Lynne, Carol & me. #alzauthors #alzheimers #caregiver #endalz

I was on a team of Alzheimer’s caregivers which met with legislative aides to advocate for expanding resources and numbers of guardians. Each team member had a personal story.  And 1 aide worries about his mother with dementia. She lives alone in Vietnam #alzauthors#caregiver