Memory Walk

Alzheimer’s is a progressive and fatal brain disease. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is FATAL. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, it accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s HAS NO CURE. But treatments for symptoms combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. There is an accelerating worldwide effort to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing.

In Alzheimer’s disease, as in other types of dementia, increasing numbers of brain cells deteriorate and die. This makes it so our mind may think slower and not remember things. Those cells are also there to help hear, smell, make our muscles move and our organs function. Alzheimer’s affects more than just your memory!

This horrible disease is affecting more and more people, younger and younger. This is why I chose to join in on the Memory Walk. Here are a few pictures.

I'll stand by you - The Pretenders (with lyrics)

Most of you know I work at an Assisted Living Home that specializes in Dementia and Alzheimer's. I love my job because I LOVE my residents. I literally will do ANYTHING for them. THEY ARE MY LIFE! This song is how I feel about them.

My very good friend e-mailed this to me on a day when I really needed to read it. 

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be, but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count...

Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life anything you wish.

Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

Most importantly, if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn a lesson in life each day you live.

By Unknown

Happy Birthday to Me!

Please help me make a difference...

Today more than 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. In addition, 78 million baby boomers are approaching the age of greatest risk for developing this fatal disease. Alzheimer’s is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States today.  Now is the time to ACT to end this epidemic!

This year, to support those affected by Alzheimer’s, I’m participating in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® to raise funds and awareness to fight this disease.

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research, and funds I raise will go directly toward supporting their efforts.

I know I can make a difference with your support! Will you consider making a donation? It’s easy to give online by following the link below.

www.memorywalk2010.kintera.org/manh/cassib

Thank you in advance for your time and generosity – together, we can help end Alzheimer’s!

It has been awhile...

I have been horrible at blogging.  But this is some of what I have been doing.

Bowling is starting to become one of my favorite things to do.  I am a horrible bowler but I have fun doing it.

Hanging out in Cambridge.  This is me as I am walking past Harvard.

I went to another Red Sox game but did not take pictures.  :-(

Canobie Lake Park.  Look how big his hand is.

And of course hanging out at the beach!  I can never get enough of that.

WTF!?!

My friend Danielle went and got Subway Sandwiches for her family 2 weeks ago at the Subway in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.  When they got home her son Mason opened up his sandwich and this is what he found...

I knife wrapped inside his sandwich.  She called the store obviously freaking out.  They said sorry it was an accident.  How do you accidentally wrap a knife that size inside a children's 4 inch sandwich?  Did you not notice the random long sharp piece hanging out of it?  Seriously WTF!?!  I will never eat at subway again!

Think Outside The Bottle!

I have always loved this song!

Easter times...

When you live in the New Hampshire, have no family around, live alone, and love the residents you work with...what else would you do around holidays other than hang out at work?

I dressed up as the Easter Bunny!   again...

Did a little dancing.

Hung out with handsome boys...

Had ugly pictures of me taken...

Scared my friends.

And hid the Jesus egg so it could be found!

I am living the Dream!!!!!!

Better late than never...right?

A few weeks ago I went to Boise, Idaho.  And yes...I am just now posting pictures.

I took this picture as a joke for my friend Danielle.  "Does she not have anyone to take a picture of herself for her?"  Then after I took it I laughed out loud to myself.  I also bought those sunglasses in the awesome Reno Airport.  By awesome I mean not at all awesome.  I had a 4 hour layover.  I did a lot of people watching.

I was climbing shelves and digging through boxes trying to find a certain something to sale.  I ended up falling and hurting myself.

I got bored and Caleb wasn't finding me very amusing.  So we decided to go to the Old Idaho Penitentiary.  Ok...I decided and made Caleb and my Dad go with me.

This is how small solitary confinement was.

Of course I HAD to go to Spoon Me!  And once again I made Caleb and my Dad come with me.

This is a horrible picture.  But I LOVE Spoon Me!

I did go down to Utah and was able to see my good friend Amy!

All in all...it was a great trip.

I don't know where thoughts come from. They just appear!

Things to think about: 

You have to go through the worst of the worst to get the best of the best!

Everything is OK in the end, and if it is not OK then it is not the end.

Be your own kind of Beautiful!

How are you able to give love to others if you don't like who you are?

Life is not supposed to be a big bowl of cherries. And unfortunately, this will not be the hardest trial in your
life.

It takes work to make it work.

It takes no time to fall in love, but it takes years to know what love is.

Not everything in life is going to make sense right now.

It is hard to pull your foot out of your mouth when your head is up your ass!

Ear Candy

This is Diane Birch!  She is my new ear candy obsession.  I posted a few videos so you can fall in love with her too.

I will admit...

I have been told many times I am stubburn, and I know I am.  I never thought is was a problem until the other day.  I realized that I need to not be so stubborn and accept help from others...or objects.  Here is my story:

I had somewhere I needed to go.  I had never been there before and I had absolutley no idea where it was.  But I had an address.  So I put the address in my trusty GPS and I was on my way.  Well...my GPS told me to take a right.  Me being...me...I thought it must be wrong and I chose not to listen.  I don't know why I thought it was wrong.  I had no clue where I was or where I was going but I figured I knew better.  Of course my GPS kept telling me to turn around but I figured if I kept driving it would eventually find a different route that I liked better.  But it kept telling me to turn around.  So I took a street that I thought looked like it might take me there. (Remember I had no idea where I was or where I was going.  How in the world would I know what street to take?  But I am stubburn)  So after a few times of me taking random streets that I thought would take me there I decided to listen to my trusty GPS.  So I turn around.  And of course it is taking me back to the original turn it told me to take.  But then...I see a road that maybe might get me there faster...so I take it.  HA HA HA HA...well...I should have just listened to my GPS.  Because I ended up doing this 4 more times and in the end just had to turn around.  So finally I followed me GPS and I made it there.  What would have taken me 20 minutes ended up taking me an hour.  All because I am so stubburn that I could not accept help...even from an object.

After I left I decided to chronicle my ride because there was some pretty...interesting things.  So on my way home I took pictures through the window while driving.  This is not a good idea.  It is not very safe.  But I did it any way.

The road I was on was a dirt road out in the middle of no where.  I was afraid someone was going to attack me and throw me in the woods and no one would find me.

I could just tell from the houses and lawn ornaments that there was quite a few Hillbillies leaving out there.

When I got on a normal road I felt safer.   I also realized why I love New Hampshire.  Because it is BEAUTIFUL!

Yes...that is a logging truck.  NEVER in Utah would I have had the chance to follow a logging truck.

Just a house that caught on fire.

This is a cemetary that I drive by about 3-4 times a week.  I can't wait to walk around it as soon as it is warm out.

The famous (or maybe not so famous) Welcome to Hillsborough sign!

I took a picture of me because if I died because I was being unsafe by taking picutres while driving...I wanted people to remember what I looked like.

Good times!  Good times!