Out of China: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and Me

My husband was very concerned about the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the very beginning. I didn't want to talk about it! That was back in January. We had ordered visa's for a trip to China and we were to leave next week...March 19th. Tickets were purchased and we were making plans from a side trip to Bali. Needless to say, we changed our plans. As we all know, this disease is about to change more and more lives. It certainly has had an effect on ours. And the beat goes on.

My son and his wife plus our grandchildren live and work in China. Thankfully they are back in the states now.

We are grateful that they are out of Shenzhen and living temporarily in their condo in the Portland, Oregon. But the battle they had getting here was not easy. Getting out of the China without contracting the Coronavirus disease was the big victory. It was very much a worry for all of us.

Chinese back street. by b

I cannot tell you the full story because I honestly do not know it all. But from our end, this is what we saw.

When Chinese New Year came around, one of the
granddaughters went away with a group of her classmates to go skiing. The rest of the family went to Thailand for a break. It seemed as normal as their life can actually seem to us.

They were all good and then all "hell" broke loose. The Coronavirus reared its ugly head in Guangzhou to spread across China and the family was spread to the four winds.

My son flew to New York City on a job related trip.

My daughter-in-law and our oldest granddaughter went back to China. But the youngest was still in Switzerland.

And China shut down...period.

A couple of days later he youngest granddaughter got off the plane from her trip and was held in quarantine because she had caught a cold on the trip. Even though her mother was at the airport to meet her, they could not connect immediately. The experience scared the child half to death.

They live in very large city that bustles as only China can and suddenly the streets were totally empty. My daughter-in-law who was alone in China with the girls said it felt like Chernobyl must have felt after the nuclear accident there. Total isolation and all that entails with the two girls was mind bending.

Fast forward a week or so. After hunting down plane tickets, they caught the "last plane out". They left the dogs with an ayi (Chinese "auntie") and came to us in Arizona. My son came here from NYC so he met them at the airport. We just hugged the stuffing out of each one of them and breathed a sigh of relief. In spite of colds and exhaustion from stress, they were fine-ish. Sorta! We were elated at the miracle of having them all under our roof. It was wonderful. They were with us a few days before they returned to Portland.

Then reality began to sink in as it continues to do to this day. The girls continued with online learning because they had already begun in China when their school did not reconvene after their bread.  Teachers teach at a distance and the girls are spending endless hours learning on the computer discovering what would have taken a short time to learn in the classroom.

With each news cast we are beginning to wonder if this is the new reality of life for the foreseeable future.

It is not apparent yet if they will ever go back to their home in China. Eventually someone will have to go to to Shenzhen to direct the move to their next job. (Yes, there is a next job.)

The reality is the girls may never connect with their friends again. In the meantime, my son who is school head for Avenues of New York Shenzhen school and my daughter-in-law who is working for an international school in Shenzhen are now working from home. All day, 5 or 6 days a week.

After the shock wore off, we are all back in step with what is real now. They have gone back to Portland where they own a condo. We remain in Arizona doing what we do. All is well...almost.

My daughter-in-law broke her knee skiing on Mt. Hood but other than that....sigh. We are beginning to be a little jumpy as you can well imagine!

But, life goes on and what is, is! I feel very grateful at this particular point in our life. They are healing and we are fine. Life is good!

Enough already! Any drama in your life?

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Do You Think that News People and Government Leaders Should Have a College Degree?

Note: A reader said that she did not get the point of this. So here is what I am getting at. We all can benefit from education however we get it. But when we listen to and are influenced by the news media and politicians, we need to be careful about who we follow.

I am such a pusher when it comes to education it is a problem sometimes. Being educated changes a person in so many ways I think....

But why? Does it earmark people as very smart and give them status? Maybe so. However, even an average person can excel in college and I think, many even come out with a more meaningful degree of knowledge and understanding. Studying does that. 

Some of the best informed people are not educated formally. But they are well read and well rounded people. In the end education can come in many forms. Letting ones self be challenged in their beliefs is what counts. 

But in service of our country as a Congressional Member, one expects an expanded knowledge that comes from a challenging and well rounded education. It is a big and important job.

I would expect the same thing of the news media that guides our information. These are the people that are having more and more influence on our view point so believing what they say should, I think, be based on their education and life experience. Just being able to talk fast or read is not enough.

The most poignant memory of college is a class I was required to take called Comparative Religions. That class taught the basic tenant of religions from throughout the world. I graduated from a small college in Oregon...Eastern Oregon University.

See, I had been raised in a very small community and the only show in town was our Methodist Church. We managed with a shared minister from nearby. One of our regular speakers was a Pentecostal minister that taught 8th grade in our local school. He was a lovely man and his daughter was my best friend. I played the piano for church services.

Had it not been for that college course that let me know that there are many religious beliefs and even Christian denominations I would have follow a very conservative path. I learned that all religions share the belief that people can be good.

But I can tell you the first day of class nearly brought me to my knees. I remember the professor coming outside to comfort me. He explained to me that he was not there to change my beliefs. He was there to educate me about the world.

It hasn't been until the last part of my life that I truly understood that opening ones eyes is what education is all about. Being thrown into the midst of people with different ideals is hard but necessary.

I suppose that people that attend a college of like minded people miss that opportunity. A religious college, for example, attracts people that have the same religious education. An unchallenged belief system leaves a person with a very narrow view.

Not finishing that education leaves your belief system unchallenged. It is the challenge that provides the breadth of knowledge that we need in a reasoned thinkers.

I am a "liberal" in the terms used to describe a political view today. I sometimes get sidetracked and forget that every issue, as I was taught, has many sides.

If I feel very strongly about something, that is the time that I need to educate myself on what is not seen or understood. The more strongly I react the less I know and understand. A knee jerk reaction does not make me proud of myself.

I am not a lawyer. It could be that all of those lawyer/congressmen have spent so much time arguing for issues they really don't believe in that they don't know right from wrong anymore. Those people are very educated. I realize that. But I watched Face the Nation this morning and listened to a senator evade answers and even the truth. He was slippery and deceptive. He was very "lawyerly".

The news media is not perfect either but I would expect that the talk show hosts would have an education and be speaking from a basis of knowledge. People that are not well informed depend on them to be truthful. In a recent Facebook post I found this. I did check to see if it was correct. The three gentlemen at the bottom the page are Fox employees and have varying degrees of education but all three did not finish their degrees.

Lessons learned today tell me that even people that are educated have managed to discount all of the other voices as less than worthy of notice. So, in the end, education is not enough and never will be. There is so much more.

What do you think?

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Statistics on Colleges US Representatives attended

Looking Back at 2010: Global Warming and the Grandma's Litter Patrol

Note: I wrote this post in 2010 because I feel so strongly about the influence we have on our children and I have never understood people apathy toward cherishing our Mother Earth.  I am reposting it for your enjoyment.

Note: The is the post mentioned in the blurb about this blog on the Senior Lifestyle blog award website. I thought it was worth reposting. These two grandsons are now 7 and 9 years old.

I really don't know where else to begin teaching our children about the necessity for keeping our earth clean. They need to know that it will mean a better life for them and their children.

That is where my beautiful grandsons come into the picture. I want to teach them that it can be the simplest things that make the biggest impact. And believe me they are listening. They are at the age between wonder and delight.

Last week we were taking care of our grandsons for a few days. Every visit to Grandma's house has to include a trip to a nearby park. The little green place is full of nooks and crannies and bridges and water.  It is also full of people playing basketball and enjoying a Sunday afternoon picnic. It is a well used and sometimes abused green space.

When we visited the park this last week, we were trying to see if the tiny pond with a creek running through it might have fish or frogs. The water skippers were busy with their big shoes on their feet skimming across the water. But search as we might, we didn't find any fish. Grandma the oldest said someone threw a pop can in the water! The the smallest asked What's that white thing Grandma?

I can honestly can say that I had a feeling of visceral disgust as I looked at garbage in our little park's water. I think that our children should only see clean water and shining skies. This was one of those moments when you wish what happened hadn't but also knew that now was the time. The lesson had begun. The choice was about action or inaction. Did I want them to think that someone else would take care of it or did I want to find a way for the three of us to take responsibility for our environment? For me, there really wasn't a choice. All I needed was a rake, a pair of rubber gloves, two little boys and a big plastic garbage bag.

Two Little Boys

A Rake

And a Garbage Bag

We climbed down the bank to the creek, through the bushes. I raked the garbage and Brayden held the bag. After we were done, we put everything in the bin...that is where it should have been in the first place I said. The lesson was over.

Hopefully, in some small way what we do can help. It doesn't matter if global warming is caused by us or by mother nature. The fact is, humans are having an effect on the world. How could we not? When did we forget the message about global warming was simply about keeping our own backyard clean?

But, even more importantly, are we forgetting to teach our children and grandchildren about how we can prevent the destruction of Mother Earth because we are so caught up in why Mother Earth continues to get warmer and warmer? Please quit messing up my Earth.

Do you think the why is as important and what we can do?

Have a wonderful day.

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The Trouble With "Stupid"

English: Albert Einstein Français : Portrait d'Albert Einstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." Albert Einstein

When I was a young woman I happened to be in the Smithsonian when it was celebrating Albert Einstein's 100 birthday. It was 1979.  As I stood before the exhibits, I wondered how such a smart man could have struggled so with school. I was a teacher and I began to wonder about how I taught and what I was missing.

I am always inspired by such an awesome intellect. While I have no idea how physics works, I do know that Einstein's did spend time thinking about things that I understood. One website described him as "humble, likeable, kind, played violin and could talk to anyone. " ...and he was very quotable. He said:

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

I fell a bit in love with Albert Einstein back all those years ago. But I had not thought about him lately. Then this morning a friend sent me this cartoon in an email. Read the quote and tell me if you understand why he was saying it. His mind did not work like everyone else's did. When he was put in the classroom with material that fit everyone else, he did not succeed. He was a fish that could not climb a tree. When he talks about education he is speaking from personal experience.

Stupid is not a word I use lightly. I don't allow my grandchildren to use it ever. When the urge to swear that word outloud comes to my lips, I remember that the person I am getting ready to blast may just be different and might even be a potential Einstein. Like the fish that tried over and over to climb the tree, that person probably has not been put in the water yet.

Sadly enough, what we believe about ourselves is a self fulling prophecy. If we were told or shown that we are less than worthy, it was hard not to believe it.

Luckily Einstein managed to overcome school. They thought him retarded but his stubborn nature won and he did not buy it...not in the end. Eventually he swam in a very big ocean. We can all be thankful for that.

Any thoughts?

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"I want to do what your doing," she said.

Elena with Carole's goats, age 12

Earlier this summer I wrote about the most important investment my husband I had ever made. It turned out it was not about money or mutual funds or retirement plans...not that we didn't take advantage of all those things... but that was not it. It was the investment we made in the lives of our children.

You need to understand that I was told from the time that I could understand what "work" really was that I needed to get an education or I would end up having no choices. My father said going to college was the only way to avoid doing the things I might hate.

That guidance somehow changed the way I saw the world. Education became my bell-weather for so many judgements made for myself and my family.

Today one of my grandchildren checked into her dorm room at a college here in Oregon. She is bright and strong willed. As we were shopping for school clothes the other day she said that her goal was to be like us. She wanted to have the money to travel and see "everything" like we had.

That is the other side of being educated. That learning opened door for not only us but for our children.

As I said earlier this summer in that post, the best investment we ever made was the upbringing and education of our children. She is the next generation. And it remains important to get an education. If she has children I hope she remembers to pass that gift on as it is being passed on to her.  She will find that what she sows, so will she reap.

So, the beat goes on. Family grows up, leaves home, finds new traditions and lives of their own. And those of us that invested in them will benefit from what they learn and do in so many ways. It is all good.

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Note: The notion of education has changed a lot in the last few years. The ways that young people can arrive at their goal can are varied. Traditional college education is not the end all be all anymore.

Related articles

• Did Your Charmed Childhood Include a Trip to the Dump?

NYT's: A Retired Educator's Thoughts on California Judge's Tenure Ruling

Teachers union (Photo credit: kevin dooley)

The New York Times carried an article today talking about the California judges ruling that "teacher tenure laws deprive students of their right to an education under the state Constitution." I have some thoughts on the subject.

I have lived on both sides of the fence. I was a classroom teacher that belonged to our union and my husband was a teacher turned a high school principal and a district personnel director. The question of tenure came up over and over during our careers. Ny husband found that walking the line between finding and keeping very good teachers while working to get rid of those that failed would drive most men/woman to drink. It was very frustrating. But it is also true that before tenure was initiated in Oregon, school boards and administrators abused their power to fire at will so they could hire better coaches or rid themselves of people that cost them too much of their budget. Abuse of power versus inability to replace bad teachers turned out to be a hotly contested argument.

Early in my husband's career he was working in Hermiston, Oregon when all of the teachers-coaches were fired in one fell swoop. A collection of men that saw themselves as powerful, gathered in the back of a local grocery store and decided that all of those coaches needed to just go away and they did. The school board colluded with the men and supported their decision. On a Monday morning an English teacher, art instructor, math teacher, etc., lost their jobs in the classroom because the baseball, basketball, football and track teams were not quite good enough. It was mid 1960s.

In this particular case the teachers sued the school district and supported those fired teacher for a year as the suit was resolved. They could not work during that year. It was difficult for the district teachers to make a sacrifice in their income but they felt strongly enough about the issue to give up what they must. We were young and had small children and trust me, that year was not easy for us.

The teachers won and now in the state of Oregon a coach's contract is separate from his teaching contract. In fact, today many coaches are not teachers at all.

There were school districts in the state of Oregon that simply got rid of anyone that was too experienced because they cost them more than they wanted to pay. They would pay a beginning teacher a lot but the pay scale did not go anywhere. Even with tenure, reaching a point in that school district where you could move up the pay scale even a little was very difficult. Before the teacher was awarded tenure they would be dismissed. The decisions made in cases like this were at times capricious and unfair.

We also saw cases after tenure became a law in the state where even mentally ill teachers were very hard to dismiss. In some cases it would take years. In the mean time students were in those teachers classrooms. I have been in a classroom as a substitute where the teacher was using the same material they created when they were a student teacher 15 year before. The students were disinterested and out of control. Plans of assistance and mentoring usually did not work because teachers are not made in college or in the principal's office...teaching is a talent or a gift. You cannot fix something that is not broken but is simply the wrong tool.

People shy away from education even when that is what they should be doing because it is a very hard job. Even though teachers are paid to work certain hours, I can assure you that most teachers work unpaid hours every day of the school year. 

So you can see that it is not easy to find a way to be fair and reasonable. One would hope that the people in control of the educational system would be honorable. Taxpayers and money can make those people do some bad things. Very like companies that fire people just as they were getting ready to cash in their retirement, security for teachers would simply go away.

We don't want bad teachers that "deprived children of their constitutional right to an education". On the other hand we do not want public employees like educators to be left to hang in the wind. I have been there and trust me, it is not a happy place to be. 

It is just a thought!

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Buy a House with Your IRA? Secrets No One Told You About

One of the most important aspects of enjoying your retirement is being able to pay for it. A majority of American's retirement savings are in the forms of 401(k)s and IRAs. Unfortunately many of these retirement accounts lost money in the past 5 years. One of the reasons for that is because typically IRAs are comprised of a small blend of stocks, bonds and mutual funds that are chosen by brokers.

What most people don't know, is that you can use the funds in your IRA to buy almost anything you want, and the income you earn from these investments is tax-free or tax differed. The big secret here,is that these types of IRAs outperform typical IRAs and 401(k)s and have lower yearly fees.

To get started with this type of investment strategy you simply need to convert your IRA or 401(k) into a Self Directed IRA. Then you can take the funds from your Self Directed IRA and literally write a check to buy investments.

Here are some of the things people are investing in using their IRA funds:

1. Gold and Precious Medals – This is one of the easiest ways to see at 30% annual return in your IRA. Sometimes you can even hold the gold or silver in your own home and have it still be part of your IRA assets.
2. Local Businesses – We recently met a restaurant owner who said that one of his investors was his sister who used money in her IRA to start the restaurant. Every month the profits form the business go straight into her IRA
3. Rental Property or Vacation Homes – Property prices are set to rebound and you can easily buy inexpensive properties where the rent gives you income to your IRA. With a combination of rental income and the rise in home prices, you could easily see a 10-25% return on your investment
4. Foreign Currency and Property – Its very easy to buy a small vineyard in Italy and a bank account full of Euros using your Self Directed IRA. You can have your dream home and have it pay you income!

There's a good chance you didn't know this was possible. That's because most bankers and financial advisers don't want you to know about it. They make money every time to buy or sell a stock that they recommend, and if the stock goes up they often take a fee as part of the profits! Bankers don't make money when you make a loan to a small business or a college student, or buy a house on the beach.

If you're at all interested in learning about how to do more with your IRA and turbo charge your retirement, or are just curious about what sorts of things you can use your IRA money for, read the FREE guide on Self Directed IRAs found at HoldYourIRA.com

I strongly suggest spending the next 10 minutes seeing what your options are.

I am an affiliate for HoldYourIRA.com, not because I am an expert on finances because I know a lot of you are trying to make smart decision about IRAs and Roth IRAs. I think the more we know the better we are at making those smart choices.

How Early Should You Start Planning for Retirement?

Planning for retirement is often but on hold because Boomerang-kids are returning home during the period of time when parents need to speed up their retirement savings. I thought this article was particularly appropriate after writing the segment about the subject. Later Life is an organization providing educational workshops for future retirees. They had this to say about retirement planning. b+

Many people wonder when the best time to start planning for their retirement is. Some people think that the fact that we pay into a pension from a young age is enough, but few people realize that we should really up their efforts in planning for retirement around ten years before we’re due to stop working. This gives us sufficient time to prepare our finances and assess our options. Retirement is an exciting prospect; after all your hard work over the years, you finally get the chance to relax and spend more time with your family and friends, take up new hobbies, and enjoy yourself!

When should you begin...
 

As mentioned, some of us may pay money regularly into pensions and savings account, but then make no forward planning, and others may not have saved at all. When you reach the ten year mark, it’s time to assess your finances and begin to keep an eye on those all important funds. Think about the money you’re spending, and create a budget for yourself. Perhaps set a monthly or weekly budget, and check your bank balance on a regular basis.

Everybody sometimes underestimates how much they spend per day, especially on a food or clothes shopping trip with a debit or credit card! If you have Internet access, why not set up an Internet banking account? You can then check your account at your own leisure instead of waiting for your bank statement or going into your local bank, and transfer money across to your pension fund or savings account.

If you’re able to make more cut backs now, you’ll benefit yourself in the future. Pensions are usually a minimal budget, so saving now means that during your retirement you’ll have the money to still go on holidays and enjoy days out. You’ll certainly have lots of free time on your hands, so why not use it?

As retirement draws closer…

If possible, a few years before your retirement clear any debts to take away that added pressure during your retirement. Perhaps consider downsizing your home, or changing your vehicle to one that is more financially practical. Not only will both of these be cheaper for you, they may be more realistic as you enter into retirement.

How about also cutting down on your workload or work hours? Retirement is such a different way of life, that many retirees consider it a difficult adjustment - some feeling bored, or at times worthless. No longer do you need to be up early, work from nine until five and make your way home through rush hour traffic. You now have no obligations and are free to live a life of leisure! It’s best to ease yourself into retirement so that it’s not such a shock to the system. 

Use your final year wisely

It’s important to seek advice from a financial advisor in the last year of your working life. Not only can you gain valuable information and guidance, it allows you to make a plan for you and your finances in your retired life. Make sure that you have also informed the appropriate organizations of your retirement date. These may vary from the HMRC, who will help you to gain any benefits you may be eligible for, to applying for pension credit if you have been on a lower income.

A lot of people also find help in the form of retirement courses extremely useful. These courses, which can sometimes be organised through your place of work, can help you prepare for your upcoming change both financially and emotionally.

The trick to settling into retirement quickly and happily really is in the planning. Giving yourself plenty of time to prepare will  take away any extra pressure that you can definitely do without once you stop working.

TED and Mothers: Philosophies Worth Sharing

TED Talk

I subscribe to the TED Talk updates on my email. I don't always watch them but when I do, I am inspired. The brightest and best people are chosen to speak for 15 minutes on a subject about which they are passionate. But it is not only what they say, it is how they say it.

Note: The acronym TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Information on the organization is here.

Today I received an email telling about a talk by Ken Robinson on a topic called "How to escape education's Death Valley" (link). It is worth your time to watch. This man is not only very smart but he is also killer funny.

Robinson was talking about children and their education but it seemed to me that his information applied to all people. This is the thought that caught my interest. It speaks to why I believe that we all make our lives what we will. Here is what Robinson had to say about creativity:

.....that human life is inherently creative. It's why we all have different résumés. We create our lives, and we can recreate them as we go through them. It's the common currency of being a human being. It's why human culture is so interesting and diverse and dynamic. 

Funny Mothers Philosophy
But there is more. I belong to a group of writers over at Generation Fabulous. This Mother's Day we shared stories about our mothers as teacher. One of my favorites was Quotations from Chairman Mu. The mother quoted here is hilariously quirky and seriously funny. Here are a few:

Somebodies mother!

• Never call anyone “sir.” And “madams” run brothels, so don’t call anyone that, either.
• Always tell a person if she has lipstick on her teeth, but never tell her if it’s something she can’t fix—like a run in her stocking. (— NOTE: ACTUAL USEFUL ADVICE HERE.) 

• “All you need in your handbag is a wallet, keys, tape and a stapler. Wallet for money. Keys to start the car/open the front door. Tape to clean lint off clothes, and stapler to repair torn hems.”

My Philosophy
I know I should be very wise by this time in life but unfortunately some days are better than others.  Here it is:

Life it too short to do what is not necessary. Water it if it's dry, throw it out if it's dead and goldfish don't like soap! As for the fish...well I just threw that in because if the goldfish dies, I will be the one that has to throw it out.

Have a wonderful day.

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Messing Around: What Teens Get About the Internet that Seniors Need to Know! @TheAtlantic

National Geographic: How to take lanscape photos.

There is a lot we can learn from our grandchildren...especially when it comes to technology. We have known since forever that, when we could not figure out the cell phone or computer, all we need do is call a young person and they would teach us what we needed to know.

But that is not all. It could be that we are only scratching the surface.  Teens get it that the online world can enrich our lives. Even though most adults think that their teens only like the social part of cyber space. But parents may be surprised to know that those same teens know about the internet that sparks their imagination and gives them opportunities direct their own learning.

That is why I thought that The Atlantic article, What Teens Get About the Computer, might interest you. This article reminded me that, when we reach a certain age, we are more like teens than we are like professionals. We need to be free to learn, grow and use our imagination but we do not need a calendar filled with more things to do.

The article spoke about a busy stressed college bound child that wanted to learn to play the guitar...just because it might be fun and their friends were doing it. The parent was up for buying lessons and driving the child across the city to find a wonderful teacher. However, the teen didn't want another thing to do on their schedule (sound familiar?). They just wanted to play guitar. They thought it might be a fun way to spend time with new friends. The parent had forgotten about the joy of simply figuring things out on your own. Here is what the author said:

...my daughter wants to mess around with the guitar and the Internet and pursue some interests at a pace that doesn't feel like the relentlessly scheduled pressure of school [i.e.jobs] and structured activities...the Internet [can be] a lifeline for self-directed learning and connection to peers. 

The joy of doing something a little or a lot just because I want to is one of the great freedoms of being my age.  Self-directed learning is a big part of my life. If an interest connects me with my peers, so much the better. Like the younger teens, those of us that are older teens know that friends are very important too.

Self-directed by YOU
There are so many possibilities out there.  For example, Senior Planet published an article on their website about Open Education courses for FREE...no obligation, no pressure, no cost, probably no timeline. The post is called Learn All You Can: Free (click here for the list). Senior Planet sorted out the very best. This is a good thing for obvious reasons:

Open Education...some professors are deathly boring and/or their lectures are mired in procedural info that you don’t need, so we’ve done some browsing and listed the 10 most interesting, engaging and user-friendly courses.

If you want to mess around with art or even wonder about what a class in Intro to Psychology might be about, give it a go. They have links to classes called Darwin and Design, String Theory...., Elementary French and even one called Financial Markets.  Really, there is something for everyone.

However, if you are not up for a college class and really would prefer to fritter around with your guitar, just type how to play the guitar in a search on YouTube. There is a whole wealth of information and how-to videos on just about any subject out there waiting for you. The internet is your lifeline for self-directed learning. Have fun!

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Montessori for Dementia revisited...more links and information!

Remembering to Close the Gate

Have your ever gone to the basement to get a can of tomatoes and could not remember what you where doing in the basement?  It is a very common thing.  Remembering where we are going and, more importantly, why we went there can be a challenge.

I am personally never going to know if I am getting worse in the memory department because I have left my glasses, purse, credit card and phone in seven states and Canada!  I am a very absent minded person. I have always been this way so how will I detect a change?

This whole conversation brings us back to the post from yesterday talking about Montessori for Dementia and how that program helps people with diminished memory regain part of the knowledge they have lost.  It seems to me that if you are a spouse dealing with this problem, you might be well served to begin leaving clues that help both you and your partner remember stuff (a big scientific word) and things.

We were talking with friends at lunch today about how we gave ourselves clues for remembering what needs to be done.  Things can be left in small sorted piles on the stairs so you can put them away when you go up or down stairs...desk items, notes, memos about phone calls...towels, clothes and shoes...you probably have your own system but you know what I mean.  My friend then said that she does that.  When she goes upstair to get pink thread she will pick up the laundry to put away then wonder what she came upstairs for in the first place.  She now recites a mantra....pink thread-pink thread-pink thread-pink thread...all the time she as she is putting things away.

Montessori methods probably are more a part of our lives than we can imagine.  For example, patterns for mundane tasks we do on a daily basis are very helpful.   Have you ever left your card behind at the ATM?  I bet if you asked the people inside your bank how many times customers leave their card in the machine in a month you would be surprised.

If we could all share how we are coping with those things that are problems for ourselves or someone we love, it might help someone else.  Be sure to revisit August 3 blog post.  Or visit Montessori Methods to to Treat People with Dementia for information on this subject.  You might also read "So simple, it's genius.(Cameron Camp, director of The Myers Research Institute usage of Montessori approach for people with dementia)(Interview): An article from: Nursing Homes. There are also a number of books available that might help:  Books on Montessori Methods for Dementia.

I think I am done talking about this for a while.  Pass the word by a Twitter post or on your Facebook account.  Who knows, someone might need a little boost.

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A Must Read: The Little Old Lady Stays Put article on #Montessori for #Dementia

I want you to go visit The Little Old Lady Stays Put: Other Voices: Montessori for Dementia. LOL post quotes a letter written to a woman that is living with a husband that is suffering from the early stages of dementia citing a program that uses Montessori for Dementia patients. 

Montessori teaching methods was developed by Italian Maria Montessori in 1900 and is an education method based on the principle that children can teach and guide themselves to learn if they are given manipulatives that provide a pathway leading to the knowledge they need to acquire. This type of education has been used widely in recent years and students are receiving a wonderful education while being both physically and intellectually involved.

As I understand the program as it is applied in the case of dementia, the key is to provide physical clues that assist the patient complete tasks and games thus helping them retain and relearn skills they have had in the past.


 In an article written for Human Kinetics they had this to say about dementia patients:

The most important message is that people with dementia are still people—there is a person behind the dementia.... People with dementia need an environment that places the information they need into the environment (such as directional signs, information about when loved ones will visit, templates that provide directions to help them complete an activity and reminders about things they need to do). When you take this supportive environment into consideration, and create a world where they have roles, routines, and activities that are created at their level of ability and suited to their needs and interests, you find a normal person who wants to be engaged in life. Always remember that a person with dementia is a person with a past, a present, and a future. The challenge is to create a purposeful, meaningful world where the person with dementia can enjoy each day with dignity and hope for a better tomorrow.

I know that as we age dementia or Alzheimer is a worry that lingers in the back of our minds...the thought that we or someone we know may suffer from memory problems and emotional disabilities is just unthinkable.  But it does happen.  You know that I think you need to be armed with the best information possible.  Here is just one piece of the puzzle.

The person that wrote the letter to The Little Old Lady is a Canadian educator working for DementiAbility Enterprises Inc.  Take a look at the article and then look at the articles on Montessori for Dementia in the Google search.


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Do you act dumb so you will fit in? Retirement!

We live among a group of well read, highly educated people...but I often get the feeling that they are hiding their light under a bussel just so they will fit in.  Have you found that to be true with your friends?

For example, a lady I have lived close to for 5 years was the head of the Home Extension Service in her state working at her state university.  She seldom talks about her former life so I found this out by pure accident.  Last night we were talking about how she began pursuing her doctorate after she retired.  Are you impressed by that?  I know I am.

Jan and her Husband Hugh!

So tonight when a few friends had a wine tasting party, I began to think about how those of us that actually love a really good bottle of wine were put to the test.  I cannot help that I have tasted and judged whether I like or don't like a lot of wines. Tasting wine is a hobby. It is a part of my life experience.  The ridicule resonated in the group of people and the first prize was given to a bottle of blueberry wine. It was a lot of fun, we laughed a lot and the woman that won the prize with a $1.95 bottle of wine from Safeway was delighted.  You see, she said, you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a really good bottle of wine!  I just smiled.  I don't agree but I did care.

The connection between good wine and an accomplished person is evident.  You can smirk at the best and discount the value of work, quality education and aging. The person or the maker of the wine knows. And there will always be people that recognize the quality of the work and the bottle of wine.  That is all that matters.

Being discrete is okay but please, when you meet me, let me know who you are and what you have done. As Popeye would say "I yam what I yam".  Don't hide it.  And I love a good bottle of wine and an accomplished person.

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Vietnam...Selling to the Tourist from Hanoi to Sapa

Well, campers, out here where the rubber meets the road things are always happening. You can read the travel books about Vietnam till the cows come home but until you have actually have the shoe shine man take your shoes away from you you don't know a thing.

Hanoi

I have aways found that no meant no in most languages. However, in the far east, the shoe shine guys are polishing your shoes as you walk down the street...even in China. No has no meaning for them.  I have pulled my foot away many a time and have even walked around with shoe polish all over my shoe because I didn't escaped totally. 

In Hanoe I did not get away. My shoes were polished and even re-soled as I looked on helplessly. My feet were slipped into slippers and I leaned against a building waiting for the guy to finish. When the calculator came out and the price was quoted I gasped. Doesn’t 50,000 Dong sound like a lot to you? I told my family they would need to bury me in those shoes because they were so valuable! Then I realized I had spent a whole $2.50 more or less. The Dong is 21,000 to each $1. WOW!

We took a night train to Sapa (north of Hanoi very near the China border) and stayed there for 3 nights.

The Hmong people live in Sapa. They are a separate culture from the Vietnamese and treated as less valuable citizens in the country. 

During the Vietnam War the Hmong people worked as spies and many of them still speak perfect English.

The government educates them to a lesser degree. The women are sent in to town once a week to sell to tourist. They sell silver pieces and linen.

When speaking to them one on one, I realized they do not think of themselves as "Vietnamese" at all.  

They are a very cheerful people leading a difficult life. they are managing to survive even though tourists are not an easy. They have learned to sell their wears using the "dripping water torture".  It seems that they are very successful at wearing tourists down so they will buy what they do not know they want.

We were staying in a boutique hotel called Sapa Rooms. It was an old French villa converted. It was not elegant in any was but we could lounge inside a heated restaurant area with windows looking out in every direction. No other restaurant in the area was heated so it was very luxurious. One felt a bit like a caged animal as the Hmong women stood in groups and watched our every move. I could only smile as they descended on everyone that stepped out the door. We discovered right away that timing was everything in this dance with the Hmong women. Escaping was not easy!

It was a shock to us for the first few hours. Of course, as with most of the places we visit, it takes us a day or two to get the hang of things. In this case we only stayed for three nights and one of the days we took that long walk I talked about in a previous post.

I did manage to get some beautiful blue textiles and a piece of the native garb they women wear from our guide's mother and another vendor in the same section of the market place.

The people harvest, prepare the hemp thread, weave the fabric and dye it a beautiful indigo blue.  Women's hand's are permanently colored from the dye. On our hike we saw dye vats and the fabric hung to dry outside the huts. Was I awed by the beauty and uniqueness of this world? You bet I was. When you walk the trail and hear the gentle hopeful voice almost begging you to share your wealth, you just have to be humbled and amazed.

We are now on the island of Phu Qoc in the Sea of Thailand just south of Cambodia.  I will post more tomorrow. We are well, the food is wonderful and we are loving this vacation.

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