A Delightful R&R Day

August 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Received a phone call from my granddaughter, “Mom and I are going out to breakfast, do you and Pop Pop want to come?” Of course we wanted to join them and we did. What a wonderful way to start our day.

After that I got a manicure, we did some errands at Coscto and Ralphs and the cleaners, and came home and put everything away.

Then I read. I read for hours. I am loving this book. I think each character could have his own book. It’s Penny Vincenzi’s new book and I don’t want to stop reading it. My eyes are tired, so I will stop and watch tv. with my hubby.

I’m still thinking about that lady I wrote about several days ago. Sorry I didn’t make time to stop and talk to her. I won’t make that mistake again. It’s just that everyone was waiting for me for lunch, but that is no excuse. I feel for her, being all alone, hardly able to walk, going into a store and then a restaurant. At least that is all I saw. But I wonder if anyone would be around to take her home. I hated the idea that she was all alone.

That’s how caregivers feel: all alone. If there is a caregiver in your community, email them, become a friend, keep in contact. Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Friendship.

Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Behind The Mask/Adopt A Caregiver

June 6, 2009 By 1 Comment

I published my secret jounal, Behind The Mask, because I thought it might help other caregivers going through the same kind of days and nights I was going through. The truth is though, Behind The Mask, is the touchstone for Adopt A Caregiver. Somehow, it was Bershert! Meant to be.

There are caregivers in every community. Where you live, work, play, go to school, golf, play Mah Jongg, Bridge social club, churches and synagogus. All those places are communities. Caregivers in these communities need our support and that’s how Adopt A Caregiver started.

All you have to do is look around your neighbohood, find that caregiver, send an email, and offer to be his/her friend. Explain that even though you never stood in their shoes, you are trying to help and that you will continue to stay, even if everyone else leaves.

Alzheimer’s isn’t contagious, yet caregivers are usually left alone after a long time of illness. I imagine all caregivers go through this. Please, it only takes a few moments, send an email, be their friend, encourage them to vent, to write about their experiences, to ‘get it out’ and please tell them you will not judge them; for you have not stood in their shoes.

That’s another reason I published Behind The Mask, so you could stand in the caregivers shoes for a little while and better understand the emotions locked in the mind of the caregiver.

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

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Thank You God

March 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I am not a religious person, I am a spiritual person, but in my book I kept saying, “Thank You God.”

I finally explained it by saying I’m so grateful for everything I have.

Especially today, we received good news about a diagnois that was getting a second opinion, and it’s been changed to a great diagnosis…Thank You God.

We all need good news sometimes, and there isn’t much around, but today, I am so grateful.

I’m proud of my Adopt A Caregiver program, and the good comments I get from friends and strangers alike. It’s such an easy thing to do. Listen to those around you, in every community there are caregivers. Offer to be their friend, send them an email. Be there for them. Think about standing in their shoes for a few hours, wouldn’t you want someone to support you in your time of need?

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

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Grateful List

March 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I love doing grateful lists. They are short, easy, and meaningful.

I am grateful that I was able to finish so much paperwork, (with the help of my husband) today in my office. I was getting bogged down, and feeling a little bit brain dead, and he took over and finished it in record time. I also got done much more than I thought I would today, and I am grateful for that.

Tomorrow, I have my day laid out for me. I am grateful to be able to think how to plan my day. I can’t do that all the time, not when the Fibromyalgia kicks in.

I will designate part of the day in my office, read and watch tv. with my husband, and I plan on making a nice dinner. Something that will be a treat for both of us.

We are leaving on Wednesday for California..We will be gone until the following Monday. I am grateful that we both can drive half way. And I am grateful that the kids and grand kids want to see us. It’s going to be a great trip, and we are going to look for places to live. I am grateful that we are able to even think about that at our age.

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

Be grateful for all you have, for all you are able to do and make tomorrow a good day.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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What to Learn From Behind The Mask

March 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Is there anything to learn from my book, Behind The Mask? Yes, by standing in a new caregivers shoes for a few short hours, you will get the whole gamut of emotions I went through for seven years. According to the comments I get, it has changed some lives; it has shown caregivers that they are not alone in their thoughts and their feelings.

Does it matter? Yes. How can you Adopt A Caregiver, if you have no idea what that means. How can you have empathy, understanding, be non judgemental, how can you be a caregivers friend?

After you have read my book, or a different book on the same subject, only then can you know how a caregivers feels, and what she/he gos through every single day.

In your own community, there is a caregiver. Reach out, support that person. 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

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Yesterday's Post

March 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sorry guys, I goofed. I had no idea when I copied and pasted my writing from Word that I would get all that gobbly-gook…I’m very sorry, and it won’t happen again.

Some hard things got taken care of today. The Salvation Army is coming tomorrow to pick up a load of things that we can’t use anymore. I finally got rid of some clothes, things I’ll never wear; things that don’t fit. So they are gone too. and that is a good thing. I still have the rest of my closet to do..maybe a little bit tomorrow.

But more importantly I still have the collection to take care of. Moving is such fun…

The best part of my day came late this afternoon when I decided I had done enough and my Fibromyalgia said quit now. So I did.

I found a whole briefcase full of letters from all my children when they were in camp, when I was working and they wrote me letters, and letters (and report cards that were my hubands) from my husband when he was traveling in Japan and Hong Kong. That was such fun and brought back so many memories. I’m glad I’m a pack rat. Now I can give those letters to my grandchildren and they can read about their parents when they were youngstes.!

Tomorrow is AA day. (Anthem Authors) and I will be acting as President, since our President has an appointment. I had four years of being President. (I founded Anthem Authors in February, 2000) I love this group. Go to www.anthemauthors.com and read some of our stories. Our website is just beginning, so bear with us as we grow and more stories go online

Tomorrow I will share something I received today from a friend, and I am determined to make Adopt A Caregiver a household word. I don’t care how long it takes, to me it’s more important all the time.

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

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Moving and Memories

March 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

As I said yesterday, I am working on the art. I also found something I wrote for Anthem Authors that is connected to the art and it is so cute, I thought I would share it with all of you.

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THE RIVAL

Helene Moore

The silence in the living room was broken by the sounds of wrapping paper sliding to the floor. Everyone sat up straighter. Immediately awake and terrified someone new was going to usurp their hard earned territory.

Who was this intruder? How large was he, how expensive? Was he going to take up too much room too much conversation? Buzzing nosily amongst themselves they craned their necks looking over or under each other trying to see this new intruder. Why was this happening? Weren’t they exceptional enough to stand alone without anyone invading their space?

Their mingled conversations grew louder sounding like a drum roll in a symphony. The sounds splintered, bouncing off the walls intense and angry. Sobbing sounds intruded into the room, as they heard the corrugated carton ripping open providing them with new fears about their future.

They held their breath, each offering prayers they wouldn’t be the one relegated to a less prestigious location.

The bronzes leaned heavily into their pedestals. The oil paintings flattened themselves into the walls. The glass and porcelain daintily hid their eyes. The etchings felt gray and blah, sure they would be the ones removed. The lithographs looked at one another, wondering if there were too many of them. The commissioned ones looked haughty sure they had a home for life.

As they looked around fully aware how crammed all the walls in the house were, they feared for their lives.

Wait, hold on, he’s coming out of the box. Who is it? The voices once again became shrill, then silent as they held their breath anticipating that first glimpse.

The sobbing stopped. The voices quieted and in awe they reflected on the beauty of this new piece of art. Surely they all belonged together in this house of lovers. No one would have to leave their home. Settling down they wondered where this new elegant piece of art would be placed. Hopefully somewhere near them.

(C) Helene Moore

I thought it was cute, I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Keep love and kisses in your life and remember to Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

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Moving Woes

February 27, 2009 By 3 Comments

Spending days going through my office, and wishing I wasn’t such a pack rat, but I am, and now I have to deal with it.

I’ve spent seveal days updating my files, never mind, throwing out papers. Funny, isn’t it? Not really. It’s a lot of work, and today, I think I finally made a dent in it, meaning I’m close to finishing this part of it.

Then, there are the pictures, the journals, my writing, books, recipes, office supplies…I keep telling myself, I have about four to six months before this move. And then I answer myself, saying it will take me that long to go through everything in my office.

I should take a break, and do my closet. That should be much easier, and faster to do. After all if something doesn’t fit, why should I keep it. I also have some dressy clothes from the 80′s, where am I going to wear them. I hate getting dressed up. The there are the things I hardly ever wear, what’s the sense in keeping them. Let someone else have a chance to wear them. I’m giving a lot of things to the Henderson Senior Center, they’ve been so wonderful to me and my new journey with Adopt A Caregiver. I just hope they find the room to store it all.

I’m finishing up my old journey, a themetic art collection. That is what is taking me so long in my office.

We had a realitor in today about our house, how depressing! We are in the worst market in the United States. Oh well, again, we aren’t putting the house up yet. My husband said it took him ten years to make me clean out my office, so even if we don’t move, it will be cleaned and cleared out.  (Which means, I’ll just start over collecting things.)

I am tired. I am grateful for so many things. Our weather is getting warmer, I have a good attitude, even when my Fibromyalgia is bad due to doing all the things around the house. Bending and lifting is not easy for me. But it needs to be done, so I’m doing it.

I’d love to hear from you, and I promise I will answer. So take care my friends.

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

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Fibromyalgia Night

February 23, 2009 By 1 Comment

Sorry guys, this is a Fibromyalgia night, can’t think, hurting all over and just feeling overall miserable.

However, I still wrote a few of my adopted caregivers an email.

So, 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

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Community Helps Community

February 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

When times are bad as they surely are now, it’s even more important for us to band together and help one another.

That’s what communities are for. To help one another in times of need.

Well, let me tell you something, caregivers are always in need. In need of a friend, someone to pay attention to them, to let them vent, to talk about their day, or what they wish their day could be like.

That’s why Adopt A Caregiver works. Because people do care about people.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver.

If you don’t know what it’s like to stand in a caregivers shoes, read my book, Behind The Mask. That is my secret journal I wrote during the time of my husband’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease in 1993 until 2000, when they changed his diagnosis. The journal saved my life and my sanity.

Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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