Activities – Page 4 – Finishing Well In Life

Heidi Durschlag standing in a field of sunflowers.

Water Classes Help Reduce Pain, Increase Quality of Life

Posted on August 1, 2021October 19, 2021 by seniajean

My husband and I share our lap-swimming time slot at our neighborhood Y with a water aerobics class. A few lanes on one side are roped-off for swimming laps, and the rest of the pool is used by the aerobics class. It is usually a relatively quiet bunch of folks dutifully responding to whatever moves the instructor is making. One day while were swimming, music suddenly started playing and it began to get rather lively. Pausing to look around, I saw smiles everywhere as everyone was moving and bobbing to the music.

Wayne is taking a moment to 'enjoy the stretch' while pulling on his socks.

Stretching out a Longer Quality of Life

Posted on June 1, 2021June 19, 2021 by seniajean

Would the verb, ‘busy’ describe your day? Somehow, despite all the restrictions imposed on us since the virus changed our world, it seems we still can find ourselves amazingly busy. Too busy, in fact, to attempt to squeeze in a bit of self-care. Thankfully, there is a free, relatively easy activity we can do that can help you feel better and does not involve a large chunk of time: Stretching.

Dancing Away from Dementia

Posted on May 1, 2021October 1, 2022 by seniajean

When our oldest granddaughter was around two years old, her favorites things were strawberries, swinging, and ‘dance-dance-2’. The dance program was a video game that included a dance pad. The idea was to watch the TV screen and place your feet where the animated characters placed theirs. Some friends of mine and I discovered it when volunteering at our church’s youth group. Watching the kids play the game, we saw how much fun it was, and what a great form of exercise it offered.

Wayne pauses while writing a note to give me a smile.

Cards and Letters Bring Love to the Lonely

Posted on February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 by seniajean

You reach into your mailbox and pull out the mail and begin to absentmindedly flip through the bills and junk mail. But then you spot it. A colorful envelope, familiar handwriting. Checking the return address, you carefully open it up and begin to read. All thoughts of bills and junk mail float away as you savor the words.

Yard art that we have incorporated into our garden area.

Plan a ‘Victory Garden’ this Winter to help Fight Dementia

Posted on January 1, 2021October 1, 2022 by seniajean

With the holiday season behind us, it is time to consider, ‘what’s next?’ At some point during the gray and frosty days of winter, my thoughts turn to garden planning. It’s not that I haven’t already been giving my gardens any thought, it’s just that there are always so many other topics occupying my time during the holidays that my garden isn’t given as much attention as I would like. But, with the new year beginning to bloom full of hope and promise for a better year, I can focus more on this year’s garden plan.

Caring for our Thumbs gets a Thumbs Up

Posted on September 1, 2020September 1, 2020 by seniajean

When our son, Ryan was young, his favorite book was “Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb” by Al Perkins. We read it to him over and over, and over again. It is a fun, rhythmic read.

In fact, it became so embedded into my brain, that anytime the subject of ‘thumb’ is brought up, the line, “Hand, hand, fingers thumb, dum, ditty, dum ditty dum, dum dum,” rolls through my head…and then gets stuck there.

My neighbor Jackie and I show off our ‘litter-pick-up’ tools we take with us on our walks.

Reducing Dementia, One Benefit of Walking

Posted on August 1, 2020December 28, 2023 by seniajean

Weaving walking into our daily lives adds benefits beyond simple exercise. One of the marvelous things about walking is that it doesn’t require a lot of specialized equipment. If you have comfortable shoes, a hat, and perhaps a walking stick, you’re good to go.

Senia Owensby preparing to make a video about finding joy.

Unexpected Blessings during the COVID-19 Quarantine

Posted on May 1, 2020May 1, 2020 by seniajean

Now that we’ve reached one of the milestones of sheltering in place, I know that some restrictions are beginning to be lifted, others are still under stay-at-home orders. None of this is easy, but I’d like to share some of the strategies we employed in the days that my Mama could not get out and about as much due to dementia.

If possible, bring flowers instead of sending them.

Be the Valentine for your Loved-One with dementia

Posted on February 1, 2020February 5, 2020 by seniajean

Caring Makes a Difference
When a person has dementia, it means they are losing memories, not feelings. One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou is,
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Gratefulness May Lessen the Impact of Dementia

Posted on November 1, 2019December 28, 2023 by seniajean

“Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.” Edwin Arlington Robinson Several years ago, I came across a book titled: “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are” By Ann Voskamp. It is a compelling narrative that…