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If Tomorrow Never Comes

Sky, Tomorrow

None of us like to think about losing a loved one, especially a parent. Only those who have gone through it before can fathom what it’s like. I do know what it’s like to almost lose both my parents and that forced me to think about them being gone. For some reason when I was […]

Stories from the Front Porch

rocking chair on the porch

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then porches of yesterday must have been the soul. It’s where babies were rocked, beans were snapped, fish tales were swapped and all the problems of the world were solved. Just thinking about a porch swing or some iron rocking chairs takes me back to my […]

Cluttering Collections v. The Horrors of Hoarding

Messy room

Well before Marie Kondo proselytized about the necessity of storing tee shirts in precise little rolls in her top-selling manifesto, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, a bounty of books had been published about the virtues of pruning possessions and neatening homes, complete with suggested systems for how […]

Velvet Hearts filled with Chocolate and Love

Valentine's Day Candy

Valentine’s Day meant a box filled with chocolates from the man who’ll always have my heart; and the candy store that is close to heaven. I think most of us have fond memories of a candy store. Most of my sweet confections came from the local variety store and I loved looking at all the […]

When Influence is Undue

Senior Scam

It’s human to be influenced by others — and often a healthy reflection of open-mindedness. And the power of influence when it helps snag a sale, win an election, or even make a simple decision is generally applauded. But problems arise when the influence is “undue” — when one person actually usurps another person’s free […]

Smelling My Way to Yesterday

Traditional American Breakfast

Just the smell of bacon frying and coffee perking can take me back to a cold November morning waking up in my Granny’s feather bed. I can feel the seven homemade quilts piled on me and the feeling of the cold linoleum floor on my feet as I headed for the kitchen where the most […]

Special Connections Make Life Wonderful!

Kitten paw, human hand

Our relationships are what make our lives worth living. Spending time with special people or even special critters can make all the difference in the lives of the elderly and ours as well. Thank goodness today we have innovative thinkers who are willing to reach outside a nursing home and create places that put older […]

Keeping Seniors Safe in the Kitchen

Pot boiling

Many families grew up with the kitchen as a focal point and central gathering place in the home. For many seniors who still live at home, they now prepare a meal for themselves alone. Kitchen safety is critical because the kitchen is a place where accidents often occur. When it comes to seniors and kitchen […]

Breaking Bread and Making Friends

Loaf of Bread

Meal time at an assisted living facility is about a lot more than nutrition — it’s about socializing! I loved helping out in the dining room when I worked in one. Many of the residents would come early to be seated so they could watch everyone coming in and avoid the rush of walkers and […]