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.

I found a big round of cheese at our local grocery store.

Who Moved My Dairy Products?

Posted on July 1, 2021July 26, 2021 by seniajean

I had the oddest experience one day. I’d popped into a grocery store to pick up a few items. On my list were cheese, milk, and a dozen eggs. Inside the store, I immediately headed over to the ‘dairy products’ section hoping to get my groceries and move on with my day as quickly as possible.

Steering the cart around the aisle to the side of the store where the dairy products were displayed, I suddenly stopped short. Instead of cheese and milk, the cold cases contained lunch meat, hot dogs, and a variety of deli items. What happened? Was I thinking of a different store? It had only been a short time since I had been there and remembered…well…I thought I’d remembered buying cheese from that very spot.

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.

Encountering Grief and Going Forward

Posted on April 1, 2021April 1, 2021 by seniajean

As I sit down to write, I look out the window and notice how gray the day seems to be. The skies are gray and a bit misty as the rain drizzles down. The birds are not active – most of them have taken shelter in trees. I can spot the red feathers of cardinals peeking out under leaves – decorating the large beach tree in our back yard. Today’s weather mirrors the topic I am planning to write about. Grief.

I am getting ready to leave my house armed with my trusty water bottle. You can see I have added a rubber band around it to make it easier to take the top off.

Can De-Hydration Mimic Dementia?

Posted on March 1, 2021October 30, 2021 by seniajean

I recently read an article about the seriousness of dehydration. It can have severe effects – especially in older folks. Among other things, it cautions that dehydration can cause symptoms that resemble dementia. Unfortunately, it is not always obvious when someone is suffering from a lack of fluids.

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.

Jerry and Ilse Cauble holding a beer stein from Germany

Over the Rhine – from Germany to America

Posted on December 1, 2020December 26, 2020 by seniajean

I’d like you to meet Jerry and Ilse Cauble. I hope you enjoy their story as much as I did.
As a child, Ilse remembered that their family always had an Advent Calendar – which was first used by Germans – to count the days in anticipation of Christmas beginning in early December. She also recalled that the children were not allowed to see the tree until Christmas Eve. The room the tree sat in was closed off while her Mother decorated it festively with balls, handmade ornaments, and candles. Everyone waited excitedly for the moment when the candles were lit and the tree was revealed. The children were also excited about the pending arrival of a beautiful angelic figure with blond hair and wings referred to as ‘Christkind’, (whom they never actually saw) on Christmas Eve. Christkind left them presents such as a small sack of fruit and candy.

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.