Posted 8-12-19 We all had a very nice time at the 75th birthday party Saturday morning. Mom was pretty alert and seemed to enjoy the festivities but she told me as I left she wished we wouldn’t leave. It is rare when I hear mom say a complete sentence that expresses her feelings, but that…
Author: Mark Applegate
How to Visit your Own Sweet 17 Loved Ones
Posted 8-9-19 Yesterday’s mini birthday party for mom was nice. We all gathered around and sang Happy Birthday to her (with her joining in) over a cupcake, likely the highlight of the time for mom. Our big bash is Saturday where over 20 will be there including friends and family. We will all be wearing…
Just Believe
Posted 8-8-19 on the occasion of Mom’s 75th Birthday Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter (Mark 5:21-43) 21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing…
Mom, the Green Thumb
Posted 8-7-19 My mom has a green thumb. Some would say that I should change the tense of the previous sentence since she is currently in the final stages of Alzheimer’s, but I don’t need that kind of negativity in the ole digital cornbread blog. The information is still “in there”, she just cannot access…
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Posted 8-6-19 I am a huge fan of symmetry, order and (good) habits. OCD is a term thrown around waaaaaaaaay too much in a way that is offensive to those few who truly suffer with it. I am not that. I do, however, find joy in the natural order of things and in routines/patterned living….
Stand By
Posted 8-5-19 One of my hats–my biggest hat— at my career with SeniorAge (much of Southern Missouri’s Agency on Aging) is that of I.T. Director. I fix computers, I set up software. I manage the server. You know…geeky stuff. Among the many responsibilities of this technical position is managing cell phones, often a headache of…
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
Posted 8-2-19 SignsThe 5 Man Electrical Bandlyrics as recorded by The Five Man Electrical Band in 1971 And the sign said “Long-haired freaky people need not apply”So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him whyHe said “You look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you’ll…
Laughter Truly is the Best Medicine
Posted August 1st, 2019 Have you ever thought what a God-given gift laughter and humor is? I have because it is a big part of my emotional baggage…my free-of-charge carry-on on the 747 of life. Do I say this because I am funny? I would love that to be the case, but I am generally…
Yosemite Stan, the Rootin’, Tootin’ist Patient North, South, East, and West of the Pecos…uhhh…errr…Mom’s New Wing
Posted 7-31-19 Mom’s new wing has all sorts of characters, many of whom have dementia, but dementia isn’t their most imminent threat to life and limb. One such fella I will call Yosemite Stan. This hombre is stuck in a wheelchair and is NOT happy about it. In fact, he is not happy about much…
Shark Week
Posted 7-30-19 This week marked the beginning of the 31st season of a pop phenomenon: Shark Week. Despite the fact that, on average, there are “only” less than 100 (verified) shark attacks WORLDWIDE with one fatality last year, we love to hate sharks. Mosquito Week, “celebrating” the organism responsible for killing 750,000 people worldwide, more…