Monday Musings, November 16
Hi Friends,
I sure hope you are well.
I have been so excited to share this story with you. Heaven knows, we all need to hear stories of good people doing good things! Fair warning, it’s a wee bit longer than most of my musings, but stay with me here.
So, if you have been a reader for any length of time, you know that my sweet dad is suffering from the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
When dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 6 years ago, mom was convinced that she would be able to take care of dad in their home. About a year ago, it became painfully obvious that, in spite of hired caregivers and the help of my husband and me, not only was mom’s health and safety being put in jeopardy but that dad would be safer and better served with specialized memory care.
Mom quickly developed a routine of spending the days with dad in the memory care unit, until Covid hit and in March dad’s building was put on lockdown, putting an immediate end to her visits.
Fast forward and this past week, dad’s room was moved. As mom was trying to figure out where his new room was, she asked the nurse what he would see if he looked out his window and her heart was filled when she realized that they would see the same thing from their respective windows. Then her heart soared when she realized she could see dad’s window from her window. She commented that she had never felt God’s hand as much she did right then.
That evening, as she was going to bed, she looked out her window towards dad’s room. This is what she saw.
I still can’t look at that image without my eyes filling up! This Alzheimer’s journey has been brutal, there is no sugar-coating it. But…and it is a BIG BUT…we have been incredibly blessed by so many people we have met along the way. At the top of that list is Emily, who I am confident is responsible for this little note. Emily took a few minutes out of her very busy day to print this off her computer and tape it to dad’s window because she has witnessed the love between my parents and knew it would lift mom’s spirits.
Right now, in the U.S. we are so divided between red and blue; it is so hard for us to look beyond those labels and see love and goodness. For so many reasons, this little sign is a symbol of love and kindness in a world that desperately needs both.
O.K….let me dry my eyes and get on with the rest of the musings.
Some of these links may be Amazon affiliate links and I may earn a small commission off of the sale of these products to help defray the costs of operating this site, but the price you are charged is not affected. You can see my full disclosure policy here.
Before we get to wrapped up (see what I did there!) in holiday preparations, let’s take a minute to attend to these 6 Home Maintenance Tasks we should do in November.
Speaking of holiday preparations, it is not too late to print off the Ultimate 2020 Holiday Planner.
I have made this delicious Tomato Jam several times. I absolutely love it! The flavor is outstanding, and its uses are not just limited to cheese and crackers. I love it on turkey burgers as well as ground beef. I have also dolloped a tablespoon full over a bowl of beans…..as well as on hot dogs. My favorite is using it on waffles for breakfast, or when I want a quick snack. I also find myself just eating it solo right out of the jar. Thank you for such a versatile recipe…Excellent!
a lovely review from Andrea about our Spicy and Smoky Tomato Jam
Don’t forget to enter the drawing for the Knit Tote bag!
Knitted Gift Ideas and Printable Gift Tags
Such a fun Christmas doormat.
And this Advent Calendar!
These Pickled Cranberries will get made this week. Some will be shipped to my brother who absolutely loves them and others will be gifted to friends.
I will save a jar of the pickled cranberries for our Charcuterie Board the day after Thanksgiving.
I am forever looking for ways to maximize and manage my small freezer space and was tickled to come across these Prepworks Food Storage Pods. They come in a variety of sizes. I have purchased the 2 TB, 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes. While I have used all three sizes, I have definitely used the 1 cup size the most often. When I make soup, instead of freezing the whole container or freezing individual serving sizes in smaller containers, now I just use the 1 cup tray.
Once frozen, I put the 4 soup-cicles in one ziplock bag, which frees up so much space in my freezer. I also use them to freeze 1 cup sizes of soaked, but not cooked beans. We eat a lot of beans, but I avoid the canned beans. Prior to these foodpods, I would soak a whole pound and divvy 1 cup portions in individual ziplock bags or 1 cup container, which definitely worked. But now, I can freeze 1 cup portions and keep 4 of 1-cup servings in 1 ziplock bag instead of 4, reducing waste and freeing space in my freezer.
These Holiday Lifehacks may come in handy over the next 6 weeks.
OK, my friends. I am going to try to finish sewing pillows for the guest room…it is coming along nicely. Wait until you see the lovely bed skirt I made this past week!
Many hugs,
Thank you for sharing that lovely story about your dad and mom! God definitely used Emily to not only bless your mom, but also YOU and those who have read your post!
Blessings on your week,
Linda
Aw Linda, There is no doubt that we have felt God’s hand and his love throughou this difficult journey. And I am so proud of my mom and so thankful those around us that I want to share their stories…I know we can all use some kind stories these days.
Blessings back to you , my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Hello Lynn,
I love this story about your mom and dad. It’s wonderful!
hugs, Laura
Aw, thanks Laura. It surely has been a tough couple of years, but we have met so many great people to guide us and give us support. We know we have been blessed.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Hugs,
Lynn
That window message is so beautiful, Lynn! What a thoughtful caregiver to surprise your mom with such love. Thanks for sharing that story.
You are so welcome…figure we could all use some signs of love these days!
Thanks for stopping by today.
Hugs, Lynn
Thank you, Lynn, for sharing the story of your parents and the act of kindness and love you witnessed. We all need it and am inspired to pass on and look for acts of love and kindness in my own life.Happy Thanksgiving!🧡🤗
Aw my dear friend, you are one of the kindest people I know. There is no doubt you are one of those who brightens the days of those around you on a regular basis.
Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving.
Lynn
Lynn,
Such a sweet story about your Mom and the sign in your Dad’s window. There are such good people in this world and when I read stories like this my hope for humanity flourishes amid these times of such unrest.
Warmest regards,
Kitty
Hi Catherine,
Like you, these little acts of kindness feed my soul, which lately has been in dire need of nourishment.
Wishing you and wonderful day, my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Dear one,
I am so very sorry about your father. My dad had it as well and at about the same period of time, we decided my mom was not going to be able to take care of him anymore, so we had to move him to an memory care home. Hardest thing we have ever had to do. So, my heart goes out for you and your family. That is a blessing that your mom can see his window and there are thoughtful care givers. Keep the faith and take care.
Hi Leslie,
I am meeting more and more people who have lost a parent to this particularly vicious disease…please accept my sympathy. That move to the Memory Care Center flat out broke my mom’s heart…even though she knew in her head there was no other option. And truly, it worked great until Covid. These caregivers are, without a doubt some of the best, kindest people I know. It does take a special person for that career.
Many hugs to you and your mom…
Lynn
Hi Lynn, that is a beautiful story. I lost my darling Dad in July after a seven year struggle with Alzheimer’s. It is brutal and cruel. That sign must’ve made your mom’s heart sing. Kindness is everything. Thank you some sharing the story xx
Oh Kathryn,
My heart hurts for you and your family. It is quite a sad but noble fraternity, that as Alzheimer’s caregivers, we belong to. There is no ‘good’ disease, but there is something particularly vicious about Alzheimer’s.
And kindess is everything! You are so right.
Wishing you kindness today, my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Blessings to you as we celebrate this time to be grateful. What wonder Full version your parents have. Happy Thanksgivng from my home to yours
Hi Barb,
Thanks for your kind thoughts. My parents truly did have a wonderful love story. While in some respects, their wonderful love makes this situation all the more difficult, it also helps mom to look back and realize how blessed she has been.
Wishing your family a lovely Thanksgiving as well! It is a good time to really count our blessings.
Hugs,
Lynn
That msg was to have said….what wonderful love your parents have
Gotcha! Thanks
Many blessings to you and your family as you deal with Alzheimer’s. My mom had it and it was definitely a struggle for my dad and I at times, but it made me really appreciate the many memories we had shared. I thank you for your blog and many ‘crafty’ ideas as well as your outlook on life. I pray for Papa’s comfort to wrap you in His love in the coming days.
Sharon
Hi Shay,
Sadly, we are both members of the large fraternity of Alzheimer’s caregivers. And yest, those memories are so important, luckily my mom has so many wonderful memories of her 60+ wonderful years with my dad. These memories keep her going.
I am sorry for your loss and hope your dad is doing O.K. Thanks for the prayers for my dad, we feel each and every one of them.
Hugs,
Lynn
I absolutely loved this post! So happy for your mom. What a kind thing for
Emily to do. So much love. This was a very touching story. Thank you!
Thanks Pamela,
Little gestures can have huge impacts! The sign is still up; we see it each morning when we walk and our eyes still fill up with gratitude.
Have a fantastic day, my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Lynn,
The love story your parents began to write created your family and all that is precious. Praying for strength and happy memories for your Mom and your family.
love from Wisconsin,
Lisa
What a beautiful way to think of their love story. Truly, my brother and I and our families continue to be blessed by the love my parents showed for each other. Thanks so much for your prayers. We are a truly blessed family with wonderful in-laws and grandchildren…so we will get through this!
Many hugs to you my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
I’m not crying, you’re crying!
What a beautiful share. Thank you.
I didn’t know your family was suffering with Alzheimer’s. My sisters and I are currently awaiting results from a brain scan that mom had a couple of weeks ago and bracing ourselves for some type of dementia diagnosis at the least. I know God will provide the grace and strength necessary to care for her through whatever may come, just as he is for you and your parents. Bless you, friend. 💙
Thank you, also for all of your creative inspiration.
Oh Renee, I am praying for a good result for your mom! But, if the diagnosis is dementia/Alzheimer’s, please do let me know. I will be so glad to share what we have learned from our experience.
Prayers, Lynn
This brought tears to my eyes, Lynn. So hard for your Mom I’m sure. What a sweet thing for Emily to do! Oh, and I love those containers! Jan in MA
Hi Janice, it is so tough, no doubt about it. We remind ourselves that as tough as it is, it would be even more difficult with the Emilys of the world who find small moments to do kind things.
Thanks for popping in, Janice. It is so good to hear from you.
Hugs,
Lynn
Dear Lynn,
Thank you for your beautiful emails and the posts that people have done. A very moving story about the note posted by the aged care nurse on the window. I work part-time in aged care and agree that kindness is crucial.
Hi Jill, you are one of the many angels on earth who work in aged care! Truly, there is a special place in heaven for caregivers…thank you for what you do.
Many hugs to you, my friend.
Lynn