I fooled her and startled the star

Posted on August 7, 2017 by admin

 

Ann for I fooled her and startled the star

I fooled her and startled the star

I fooled her and startled the star.

We were on holiday. We reached Ottawa. Loved the place. Favourite spot: the grand, unbelievable library, inside and out, of the Parliament buildings. This is an absolute Do Not Miss!!!

I spotted a poster for one of our all-time favourite performers. I snuck away and got two tickets. I secretly arranged for our travel partners to look after the kids. They, the kids, were very young then.

I got Ann ready. She bugged me about where I was taking her. I was stolid. I kept the secret.

At the theatre, I actually covered her eyes and walked her through a very curious, amazed and amused crowd. I signalled the hush-hush procedure so no one would speak the name.

I even got her into our seats – right up front. She was aching, visibly, to know who the heck it was I’d taken her to see. Finally the house lights went down.

And the star band leader, husband of the singing star, ambled onto the stage.

“Oh,” my wife squealed. “It’s John Dankworth.”

John stopped dead. He glanced out, toward us, it seemed. Then he carried on, picked up his saxophone, and began to play. What a thrill.

Then he played the real star onto the stage: Cleo Laine. CLEO LAINE. And JOHNNY DANKWORTH.

Only the two most brilliant artists in the world.

Starstruck!

And! What! A! Performance! They! Put! On!

Cleo can break you heart when she sings “London Pride,” or “Streets of London.”

Not to mention what they do with Shakespeare.

John Dankworth was only THE band leader of his day; and he did amazing film scores. (Well, at least one that I saw. It mesmerized me. “Putting on the Ritz.”)

Needless to say, I was in Ann’s very good books for the rest of that amazing trip. And, well beyond.

This is how we were…before Alzheimer’s.

I am eternally grateful that I was able to treat Ann with this forever memorable concert. We were transported. To some unknown heights. The memory still gives me shivers.

(Shirley Bassey can do that to you too. Remember “Goldfinger?”)

OK. Feeling a little nostalgic? And me writing on Friday that I’ve had no holiday for years and years and years. Nor a concert for several. My last concert was a treat from our son, who took me to hear Hall and Oates. They done good.

Both concerts could be considered a holiday in my books. So refreshing.

So bring on the music, it sustains life.

Don’t forget to check out my tribute book to Ann, “Chasing a Butterfly.” Go to: Amazon.ca –   goo.gl/nexsF4  Friesen’s  –  http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS
#caregiver    #dementia   #Alzheimers

ENJOY YOUR DAY.

Cleo Laine for I fooled her and startled the star      Cleo Laine

CREDIT: Permission pending
https://au.audionetwork.com/composer/biography/dame-cleo-laine_109

 

Posted in Alzheimer's, Care Giving, Fooled You, Fooling, Humor, Memoir, Memories | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No Holiday for Me

Posted on August 4, 2017 by admin

***HEY FOLKS:  Pictures are back. Whoop-eee!!!

 

No Holiday for Me

H. W. Bryce

Work day calls, work day grows,
Late to home, nobody knows
Where the time went, it’s totally lost;
It’s not coming back, pay the cost.

Early to bed, early to rise,
Overtime calls, no surprise,
Taking care of one’s own parent,
Time in Hospital, must pay rent,
Meetings to go, days go by,
Life goes by in circles, though you try.

Years happen, routines repeat,
Can’t keep up with all the tweets,
Now count decades, hectic living,
Stress and strain unforgiving.

Haven’t had a break for thirty years,
It’s been work, work, work, duty, careers,
No break in there, no break at all,
Too much to do, always on call…

So, no…no…no break at all…
What do you call that? Hol— Hol— hol—
“Holiday?” Yeah. No holiday for me.
No break, no time, no holiday – for me.

I think the Grinch has stolen my time
’Cause I don’t seem to have so much as a dime
In time, as life has taken me over
And choice is a trampled clover.

No holiday for 30 years

For me,
Sickness happens, happened to my wife;
Guess what folks, no more life
For me, for her in society,
No more time for piety,
No time to breathe, never a rest,
Must be brave, fight on is best.

It can happen to you, any old time
You’ll find yourself in a never-ending grind,
You’ll want to scream, you’ll want to run
Because life has now no more fun.

Oh fatigue of course takes over your life
When it’s work, work, work and that’s your life,
And you will see your life as a great big stink—
But you are far stronger than you think.

And so it was, no holiday for me,
Thirty years on but still I see
High value in the service of love,
In going far beyond and above.

I think the Grinch has stolen my time
’Cause I don’t seem to have so much as a dime
In time, as life has taken me over
And choice is a trampled clover.

No holiday for me.
No holiday for me.

—

To check out my book Chasing a Butterfly, go to:

Amazon.ca –   goo.gl/nexsF4

Friesen’s  –  http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS

#caregiver    #dementia   #Alzheimers

ENJOY YOUR DAY.

Posted in Alzheimer's, Care Giving, Dementia, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Full circle: Circle of life

Posted on July 31, 2017 by admin

for Full Circle: Circle of Life

Full Circle

Circle of Life

from Gael Schwalm Fisher of Ontario
(mostly her words, she said)
With her permission

My Dearest Sara Jane Elaine…

One day I will repeat the same things twice…
I will repeat the good old days and stories I have told you so many times.
I will forget special occasions…
I will need you to be my eyes as they grow old.
I will need your hand to hold…and as we cross the road.
I will need you when I cry for no reason…
I will need you to love me and Accept me just the way I am.
I will need your advice when I can’t understand…
This is the “Circle of Life”…
and I know you will always be not only my Daughter,
but my Best Friend.,
I Love YOU and Thank You in Advance…
XO XO XO XO XO XO XO

—
FULL CIRCLE

H. W. Bryce

Before all this, I mothered you.
I took care of all your needs.
Before all this, you looked up to me,
You always came to me for help…

I remember you, a little girl,
So sweet, blue eyes and hair with curls.
(I-I remember…)
You fell down and hurt your knee
And came to me to kiss and cure

Your tears disappeared right then.
And often through the years
You shared your thoughts, your hurts, your needs,
And always gave me love…

I’m sure I remember you…

What was I saying, dear? I can’t recall…
Except to say, I think, love was all,
All we ever needed, all we need now…
I think that’s right…please take my hand.

I seem to forget a lot these days…
I even sometimes lose my way…
Funny how you’re always there…
Ha ha. Aren’t we the pair?

“It’s quite all right, Mother, dear,
I’m here. I will always be here for you,
I promise you that. I see you have a scrape
There on your arm. Let me kiss it better.
There you are. Right as rain again.

“Let’s get you ready for your bed now.
Give me your arm, we’ll get that blouse off…
That’s it. Other arm. Good. Now your nightie.
All set now Mom. Pillow plumped. Good night.
Yes, I will sit with you, in case you need me.

“I’ll be here, my dear, I’ll here,
Don’t you worry now, I’ll be here.
Be at peace now, God rest your soul
Go to sleep now, I am here.

“Good night mother. I love you.”

(Written in haste, as life happens, hastily, rough and ready.)

Photo credit, find the photo here: goo.gl/nivpai

Amazon.ca –   goo.gl/nexsF4

Friesen’s  –  http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS

#caregiver    #dementia   #Alzheimers

ENJOY YOUR DAY.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Alzheimer's, Care Giving, Dementia, Love, Memory, Poetry, Remembering | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

There Is No End Date Set on Love

Posted on July 28, 2017 by admin

for No End Date

 

There Is No End Date Put on Love

There is no end date put on grief,
No limit placed on loss,
You can grieve, long as you please,
Take your time to find your ease…

There are ways that you can do this,
There is no limit put on tears.
You can as usual carry on
And nurse your grief till final dawn.

No end date to grief and sorrow –
But, no end date to love and care,
Or kindness, hugs or kisses,
No stale date on filling wishes!

There is no end date set on love ,
The limit goes beyond above.
Feel free to hug your heart out,
It will help to win this grievous bout.

Nor is there any limit set on faith,
There you can always find relief;
No end how strong that you can be,
No limit how far that you can see.

There is no limit put on heart size,
Nor the width and length of hugs.
No grief can kill resilience,
You will shine again, with brilliance.

No end date to grief and sorrow
But no end date to love and care,
Or kindness, hugs or kisses,
No stale date on filling wishes.

Amazon.ca –   goo.gl/nexsF4

Friesen’s  –  http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS

And for further interest, you can visit:
#caregiver    #dementia   #Alzheimers

ENJOY YOUR DAY.

Posted in Alzheimer's, Care Giving, Dementia, Grief, Grieving, Loss, Love, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Am No Friend of Dementia

Posted on July 24, 2017 by admin

 

for I Am No Friend of Dementia

http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/08/10-ways-to-prevent-alzheimers-disease.php

SORRY FOLKS. SOMETHING HAS GONE DREADFULLY WRONG WITH MY SYSTEM.
IT SIMPLY WON’T POST PICTURES TODAY.

I Am No Friend of Dementia came about because,
on the internet I was asked to join Friends of Dementia.

I Am No Friend of Dementia

H. W. Bryce

I am no friend of dementia,
I won’t give it a capital d,
In fact I am his sworn enemy
For what he’s done to my family.

He always goes back upon his word
And he’s never been true to me;
He’s cancelled everything that’s fun,
That’s no way for a friend to be.

It is an unforgiving sin,
A crime how he can be sublime,
How he seduces innocence,
Mistreats the people all the time

I am no friend of dementia,
For dementia’s mean to me,
He’s broken all his promises,
There is no faith in him to see.

He says he’ll lead you safely on,
That he’ll take good care of you,
But when you take that path with him,
He proves himself untrue.

Oh he’s taken his eraser
And he’s rubbed out my breakfast time,
And then when I thought it was dinner,
He up and turned around upon a dime.

There on my slate of mem-o-ries,
He has changed it all around;
He’s rubbed out all important dates,
And he’s left me feeling tied and bound.

So I am no friend of Dementia
He’s a double-dare, twofaced cad—
He even fools the intelligentsia—
He’s made everyone think that I am mad.

The trouble with dementia
Is dementia is demented.
I wish he’d get out of my head,
But I fear his presence is cemented.

Don’t trust him, he’s a bully
In the very worst possible way,
He scatters your life to the wind,
And he’s no longer welcome to stay.

http://www.jkp.com/uk/how-we-think-about-dementia.html

(Click for picture. Things aren’t working right today.)

I want to have some peace now,
I sorely need to get some sleep.
If I could recall where the bed is,
I’d fall into it in one big heap.

So I am no friend of Dementia
Every time I want to go somewhere, 3
He deliberately blocks my way
It’s really quite too much to bear.

And when I need to remember a name,
He fiddles around with my brain;
And all of his dang’rous suggestions
Are totally, altogether in vain.

Every time I get an idea,
He scatters the pieces away,
And he blocks my way when I chase them,
So the idea can’t form and stay.

He’s a misery, a thief, and a cad,
Not capable of being a friend;
He stole the fun out of my life –
Oh how I wish that he would end.

He’s seduced all of my friends from me,
Turned my family against me,
And you say make friends with Dementia,
While I feel like I’m in a storm at sea.

Well I am no friend of Dementia,
Dementia can go straight on to Hell,
For he’s turned my life inside out now,
And now I live my life all pell-mell.

Yes Mr. Dementia,
Go straight on back to Hell.

In support  of Chasing a Butterfly: A journey in poems of love and loss to accaptance
Available at:

Amazon.ca –   goo.gl/nexsF4

Friesen’s  –  http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS

And for further interest, you can visit:
#caregiver    #dementia   #Alzheimers

ENJOY YOUR DAY.

Posted in Advocacy, Alzheimer's, Care Giving, Dementia, Poetry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nine Markers for Alzheimer’s

Posted on July 21, 2017 by admin

 Nine Markers for Alzheimer’s

Thurs Jly 20, 2017

This morning’s news on CBC:

The Nine “markers” of possible impending Alzheimer’s disease:

Less children’s education

Hearing Loss    [and thus leading to isolation]

Hypertension

Obesity                        [and thus leading to diabietes]

Smoking

Diabetes

Depression

Physical Inactivity

Social Isolation

The medical cost is way beyond the horizon. So is the suffering.

9 ways to reduce your risk

: in short, smarten up your “lifestyle” and live more healthily.

Also, from personal experience, watch those pills the doctor prescribes. One of them sent me on the path to contracting Alzheimer’s. Worst part? I was starting to accept that as my fate. Once I got off the pill, I recovered.

So keep that old body moving and the brain busy.

Excuse me now. I have to race to my computer and think up another poem. Then walk off all that exertion. Working on stamina.

Go to: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/dementia-prevention-1.4213239

 

Posted in Advocacy, Alzheimer's, Care Giving, Memories | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Upon Turning 31,776 Days Old

Posted on July 17, 2017 by admin

 

picture for Upon turning 31,776 days old

Upon Turning 31,776 Days Old

I long to see the homestead,
The place where I was born.
I long to walk my childhood ways,
To see the flowers growing there
And breathe the forest air…

I do not know what drives this longing,
What brings this melancholy air,
But I think oft (and so often) now
Of all my yesterchildhood days,
And I miss the child’s free playful ways.
I feel some strange force is pulling,
And it’s hard to not obey.

–I know not what hidden force it is
–that drives me to this obsessing state……

Be it heaven or be in heal,
This cannot be the final bell.
I pray that I may carry on
In my own exotic way.
I pray the spirits are not calling,
I have so many reasons yet to stay.

But upon turning…

But Hark! I hear a life force calling,
And this call I must obey.
So I shall carry on for now
As if the finite were not there;
I shall make and follow plans
And live with spirit bare,
For life of course is for the living
And the living I will dare.

No more maudlin thoughts allowed,
No more bringing down,
Only building up and living on
With new vigour and with zest,
And if with gloom I’m ever pressed,
THAT will I put down.

I am resolved now. It’s not a bucket list,
Nor even is it just a dream,
It’s a plan, and to hell and damn
If anything will stop me now.
My mind’s made up and I will stop
At nothing, if only for her sake—
A promise made is a promise kept,
I will live, put paid to that living debt.

And for all the while in the past I slept,
The putting off is now put off
And I will fulfill my plan!
Now this part of life becomes the jam
Between the slices of my life.
Beat the drum and play the fife.

CREDIT: I, Padraic Ryan, Creative Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lafleur_Homestead.JPG

Amazon.ca –   goo.gl/nexsF4

Friesen’s  –  http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS

And for further interest, you can visit:
#caregiver    #dementia   #Alzheimers

ENJOY YOUR DAY.

Posted in Alzheimer's, Books, Care Giving, Dementia, Memories, Poetry, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments