Reducing Dementia Risk Archives - Page 4 of 5

My sister Peggy and me reminiscing during a recent visit. (talking cloud) Me and Peggy laughing and having a great time.

Reminiscing Brings Joy to the Human Experience

Posted on January 1, 2022December 26, 2025 by seniajean

The most famous song to be sung at midnight on December 31 must be “Auld Lang Syne”, by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. I wondered how a Scottish poem became a New Year’s Eve tradition in America.
The New Year’s Eve festivities taking place in New York City’s Times Square were televised for the first time in 1943. Guy Lombardo’s dance band was performing live while the TV viewers waited for midnight. Lombardo decided to close out his New Year’s Eve performances with the song “Auld Lang Syne”.
The audience loved it. He made the song a New Year’s tradition. This yearly television exposure encouraged Americans to adopt as their own, the custom of singing “Auld Lang Syne” to bid farewell to the old year.

Sleepy kitties taking cat naps. clockwise top left: Timbre, Xox, Uma, Ari.

Is Cat Napping good for you?

Posted on December 1, 2021September 28, 2022 by seniajean

I have never been much of a nap-taker. Even when I am feeling sleepy, if I lay down and try to nap, daytime sleep evades. Interestingly enough, I usually do not have any trouble falling asleep at night. My occasional bouts of insomnia are usually due to a book that I find too interesting to put down.

It may be a genetic thing. My sister is also not a nap-taker, and my daughter never willingly took a nap when she was little. My husband easily takes naps, and I must confess that I am a bit envious of his napping ability.

While on our trip north to Canada, we spotted this bronze statue, '5 Children in a Tree' bronze statue while taking a walk in Ephrata, PA. where we stayed in an adorable AirBnB.

Grandparents benefit from being with Grandchildren

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

The St. Croix River in northern Maine divides the United States and Canada. The International Avenue Bridge connects the two countries. On August 9th, we sat in our car on that bridge for nearly five hours – along with hundreds and hundreds of others. Like us, they had been waiting a long time for the border to re-open.

Dancing Away from Dementia

Posted on May 1, 2021April 14, 2026 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.

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.

Wayne holding a glass of apple juice and a delicious apple on our front porch.

Can Apples Help Reduce Dementia Risk?

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

Along with the joys of being with family, this season up north offers the splendor of spectacular fall foliage and juicy, crisp apples. I love apples. One of the traditions that my husband has established with our grandsons is to hike a nature trail that has a lot of wild apple trees. They produce smaller apples, but the boys like them well enough. There are numerous deer who roam the area, and the ones they don’t eat, they feed to the deer. It turns out deer also love apples.

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.

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…

Senia and Wayne backing up for better memories

Backing up is good for your memory

Posted on February 7, 2019March 9, 2025 by seniajean

In this modern, computerized society of ours, warnings and advice about backing up computers and tablets have become fairly common. I had to learn the value of backing up my photos and documents the hard way. It happened back in the 90s when personal computers were becoming more and more popular. I can still remember…

Find a sense of balance in your busy life

Posted on October 2, 2017October 13, 2022 by seniajean

In order to find a sense of balance in our busy lives, it is first important to define what balance actually is. One definition is a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.