I have a sweet collection of memories of my mom, Nancy Varner. I didn’t always remember that I had one of the best mothers Heaven could provide. But I was a teenager once. The song “Your Momma Don’t Dance and Your Daddy Don’t Rock and Roll” was probably written
Author: debric5
Vitamins and Supplements for Older Adults When I was young, I avoided taking medicines, including vitamins and supplements. But with each birthday, I notice things don’t work as well as they used to. Now, my daily intake of vitamins could fill a small cabinet. Why is it that eating healthy
Looking For Stories As a newly retired person, I quickly fell into activities I rarely had time for in my previous years: jigsaw puzzles, an older adults’ workout class, and visiting people. I’ve become a memory collector, gathering stories from folks who have been around far longer than me. Three
My good friend, guest blogger Sandy Sieber, wrote about the small rewards of caregiving ten years ago when her mother-in-law was 99 years old. Today, Sandy babysits grandchildren, cleans for a family member’s business, evaluates homeschool students, writes homeschool curricula, and looks for small rewards in sharing her home with
Why Did I Say That? Recently, I emailed someone cheerfully saying, “I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.” She had recently lost someone very dear to her. Open mouth, insert foot. It is easy to toss careless words without considering where they may land. When life is going smoothly,
Confusing Song Lyrics: Who’s Lady Mondegreen? The art of mishearing or confusing song lyrics is a common phenomenon known as a mondegreen. Listeners interpret the lyrics of a song incorrectly, creating phrases that deviate from the original text. In 1954, Sylvia Wright introduced the term. She misheard the words
Sometimes, I read a story that touches me deeply and want to share it with my readers. I loved this story when I read it on Facebook. It reminds me of the Christmas gift exchange when I was a child. My story didn’t have the same ending, but I’ll save
The last two hundred years were filled with fantastic inventions. Looking back and looking ahead, I marvel at how technology and simple tools have changed. What would my life be like without some of these amazing creations? What did people do before Joseph Gayetty gave us “The greatest necessity of
Sometimes, taking small steps can make a huge difference. Have you heard these excuses? I’ve never been good at math. I’m too old to learn a new language. I can’t swim because I’m afraid of water. I could never give up soda. New technology is too complicated for me. Many
People frequently say, “What can I do for you?” or “How can I help you?” People rarely know how to answer that question. If you are an adult caregiver, keep a list of needs that can be met by friends, family, and neighbors who offer help. Here are a few