Today I am grateful for my Anthem Authors Meeting, we only had nine attend, but we all read something. I am grateful to know such talented, interesting and really nice people.

Today, I am grateful for my new Hanukkah gifts, I love them. A cuddly throw, a beautiful big bag, (to carry books) a sweet smelling soap, and a picture of my granddaughter and her new husband. What more can anyone ask for?

Today, I am grateful that my Chronic Fatigue has eased up to the point that I can function again.

Today, I am grateful for my husband, who did so many errands yesterday and today did paperwork all day, my family who continue to call long distance at least 5 times a week. I am very blessed!

Today, I am grateful that the winds stopped, and the sun came out. Even though my Fibromyalgia body hurts, I’m smiling.

Today, I am grateful for all the good friends I have made on line. And those who chose me because they believe in my vision for Adopt A Caregiver.

Today, I vow that I will write to all the people who have emailed me at my blog, or bought my book and I will send thank you notes to many of them. I won’t do this today, but will do it over the next few days.

What are you grateful for?

What do you want to happen?

Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver. Tell them your friend Helene sent you.

If you don’t know how a caregiver feels, read my book, Behind The Mask.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

I know this is a hard time of year for most of you. It must seem like everyone else is out shopping, having a good time, making a big family dinner; and there you are home alone. I’m so sorry, I know what it’s like to stand in your shoes. I’ve been there, and although my husband’s diagnosis was changed in 2000, I still feel for all caregivers. Only someone who has stood in your shoes, can feel your pain.

If you can, try to take a few minutes, some part of the day, and just sit and watch the outside, or meditate for five minutes, or take a coloring book and crayons and color outside the lines. Write down three things you are grateful for, start a journal, write a letter to your self. Tell yourself how wonderful you are, what a admirable person you are, tell yourself that you are strong, that you can handle whatever comes along.

Start a memoir, write about the good times; or use a recorder and just talk about your life. Someday your kids and your grand kids will see you as you were, a young person, with your dreams and your goals and your passion. They will admire you and look up to you, see how much you have contributed in your lifetime.

I admire you, and I hope that one day my vision for Adopt A Caregiver will become a reality. Someday we might have an Adopt A Caregiver day to celebrate all caregivers.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver, and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

This is a slow time of year for reading blogs I’m sure, so I will spend some time formulating my plans for Adopt A Caregiver. I will share them with you, because they are so simple in my mind’s eye.

Everyone lives in a community, everyone needs to know who is a caregiver, and take some responsibility to see that somene will write to them, be their friend, share their life with them and help them out by just being there. All it takes is an email. Encourage the caregiver to write, to vent, to talk. Many of these people are so alone, and even with a wonderful attitude about life, they are still alone.

In the next couple of weeks, I hope to write to all those courageous men and women  who have written to me and shared their story, or just told me that Adopt A Caregiver is a noble and worthwhile effort. I will not let you down.

At some point, I’d like to talk to Mayors, builders of homes who have Directors of Activities, clergy, teachers, councelors, therapists, assisted living directors, national organizations, anyone who can help me impliment my Adopt A Caregiver plan. It’s not that hard. I need to make everyone aware.

You must stand in someone’s shoes before you can understand what they are going through, and I can help explain that, either by talking to the group, or they can buy my book, Behind The Mask. We all need more compassion. Smile, be friendly, don’t look the other way.

Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

I thought I could get back to knitting and I started a hat, a red hat for my husband, but so far I haven’t done any knitting. It will have to wait until I get back home. I used to take my knitting with me, but too much to do in California and all the kids and grandkids to see, so I’m content to leave my knitting at home.

It’s that year end time also, and I have to go thorugh all my drawers and papers in my office and start throwing out. I have a pretty big office, and the more space I have, the more I collect.

I’m going to pack now. See you when I get home on Sunday.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Adopt A Caregiver. Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Tell them your friend Helene sent you.

There are caregivers in your community, I’m sure you know one, or know of one.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue makes a lousy day of it, I sat in my lounge chair most of the day. Sometimes I just can’t keep my eyes open, but I can’t sleep. Not a lot of fun, especially if everything is hurting.

Enough complaining.

I want to wish my family and my friends a Happy Hanukkah. Enjoy being with family. Hopefully we will get to California either Friday or Saturday. Whenever we can.

Adopt A Caregiver, give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

We can go on Thursday, not a real problem, just a tad disappointing.

There are more important things in life, aren’t there? It might be a good time for me to catch up on things here at home. Maybe get some knitting done, write some comments on other blogs which I like to do. And check myself on Facebook, seems there is never the eough time to do that.

I also want to write to all the caregivers who wrote me recently, I’d like to catch up with them. Tell them my plans for Adopt A Caregiver will be moving along in the coming year. I have just about finished writing up my vision/goal plan; I might even put some of it up here next year for all of you to read.

The story I wrote last week is now posted on our Anthem Authors website. www.anthemauthors.com if anyone wants to read it.

I wrote to a few of our brave heroes whereever they are. I thank them all for keeping us free.

Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

We are supposed to leave for California on Wednesday, but if the weather is bad, we will have to wait a day or two. But we will go..

I sent my book Behind The Mask to the Writer’s Digest Self Published Book Awards contest. I received a nice letter and certificate from them today. I didn’t win, but the letter included the the Judge’s commentary, telling me what they liked and how the book could be improved. I received a four out of five for structure and organization, grammar, and cover design. Thank you Writer’s Digest.

The sequel to Behind The Mask, will be Adopt A Caregiver. That is my life journey now. I hope to improve the quality of life for the caregiver and get them some real people support. I wish I had the time to write to all the caregivers I know. I hope between now and the end of the year, I can at least write one email to each and every one of them.

I’m working on Adopt A Caregiver, trying to write it all down on paper, and iron out the kinks, so that everyone can hear my plans. They aren’t a secret.  I am passionate about my subject and I feel that ther coming year will be great. I’m looking forward to it with joy, encouragement, and interest.

Every day, there is something new, something different. To all of you who have shared your stories, I thank you. To all of you who don’t want to talk about it, I suggest and encourage you to write it out. No one has to see it but you. Try to find one time during the day that you can do something for yourself, even if it’s taking a bath, or listening to music you love. There is always something to be grateful for. So many people will be facing the holidays alone and depressed. I wish for them something good each day.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Adopt A Caregiver, tell them your friend Helene sent you. It is the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing.

Our neighbors are our friends. Our community is made up of blocks of homes, neighbors all. And every community has caregivers. Look around you. Listen. Try to find one.

Adopt A Caregiver, give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Tell them your friend Helene sent you. Such a nice way to help support caregivers who are so busy helping others in their household. Think about what they are going through. Put yourself in their shoes for a few minutes. Think of ways you can help. Send an email.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

I will be more compassionate this year. I will try to stand in someone’s shoes before I make any judgements, comments, or decisions. I will look at the whole picture and not the narrow piece I see before me. You must look at a person, listen to a person, before you know what that person is going through.

This new year, I hope to be a loving, giving, interesting person and writer.

I want to make Adopt A Caregiver something that every one understands. I want to make my dreams and visons come true. I want to help caregivers, I want to wipe away some of their tears. I want to take away the stigma from Alzheimer’s Disease, and I want everyone to pitch in and help whenever they can.

It only takes a few minutes to write an email to someone who is weary, alone, and depressed; worried, and afraid of the future. Someone who is caregiving 24/7.

Every community (school, church, synagogue, social club, where you live, where you work is a communty) has caregivers within that community. It might even be someone you know. You can help.

Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver, and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Now I’m going to watch the 50th Anniversary tape of the Baltimore Colts playing the New York Jets; the first overtime game, which was played in New York City. And Howard and I were there, rooting for Unitas, and all the Baltimore players.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

I have my year end letters to go out, and this year I was selfish, the letter is mostly about me and my year with publishing my book, Adopt A Caregiver, and starting my  Adopt A Caregiver journmey. Would like to get them all out before we leave. Some people I keep in touch with all year, some just a few times a year, and the rest once a year. One year I typed up 13 pages, they complained it was too long, one year I did about 6 pages, and they said it was too short.

I have an Anthem Author writing assignment due Tuesday, and I haven’t started that yet. We have a get together on our block on Sunday. All the neighbors on our block are invited, isn’t that a wonderful idea? All communities should work this way.

So is give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver; tell them your friend Helene sent you. I also want to write to all my caregiver friends and just say hello, I’m thinking of you. I admire and bless them every day.

Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy, be grateful for eveything you have and stay healthy.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene