I now have eighteen monthly posts which I have written for SeniorHomes.com. Titled THE LAST STOP, the online blogs talk about Bob's and my decision to move to a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), our life living in our Cottage, Bob's death, my life as a single, and the many other details of CCRC senior living. My wish is to put these essays together into a book that lets people who are exploring senior living read what it is like from someone who is living it. Hopefully folks over age 62 who are considering a move as well as families of parents who are aging will be helped by reading my experiences, concerns, and surprises. I am currently working with an editor attempting to arrange this material into an engaging book. Wish me luck! My contract has been renewed to my liking and I will be continuing to write my monthly articles about life at Vi. Since I am hoping to put the articles into a book about The Last Stop or My Life at Vi I wanted to be sure I had the rights to use the on-line articles. The first contract I received from Caring was not clear about this, but now it is. I am going to try and share a bit about all my grandchildren and perhaps even the 6 great grand kids from time to time on this blog. Today it is Graham's turn. Graham, my youngest grandchild, graduated from Cherry Creek High School last May and is now in his second semester studying Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana. He helped me get this blog started and I sorely miss his computer help now that he is off at college. January is over. Nothing important happened that needed to be blogged. So here it is February and while there is snow and freezing temperatures across the country, it's sunny and 71 degrees in Denver. Happy Day!! I have decided, I think I have, to go ahead and try to reformat my articles for SeniorHomes.com into a book. I spent most of January researching self publishing. I wish that I did not have to go this route, but I do not have anyone pounding my doors down for me to write a book. I now have an editor helping me and she is committed to helping me turn my writings into a book. We'll see how this all works. SeniorHomes.com has been sold and the new company wants me to continue THE LAST STOP, however they have not yet sent me a contract that I feel protects my use of the articles I write for them. So the future of THE LAST STOP is somewhat uncertian. To be continued. Tomorrow is Monday. The holidays are over and life returns to normal. It's been a busy time for me with family, friends and celebrations.
I look at the back of my left hand and wonder what was I thinking New Year's Eve as I let some "artist" paint a tattoo. It did not disappear with soap and water as I expected and I now have a brownish ugly design on the back of my hand. I know it will eventually wear off, but I dread what my bridge playing friends will think when I go to the House of Cards on Tuesday. I could cover it with a bandage but that probably would be worse. I guess I shouldn't have inhaled so much peppermint oxygen at the visiting Oxygen Bar. I got an email this morning that my friend Liz finally died. Unfortunately she has been living at the Care Center for the last five years and I have been visiting her weekly until the last few months. Her dementia had been so severe she had no idea who I was and it was becoming so painful for me to visit with her that way, for I couldn't help but remember how she was cute, fun, and a great skiier. Thank goodness it is over for her. She died peacefully in her sleep. As I have for the past 26 year, I am with my family for the holidays. Other than a few tropical visits most all of our holiday get togethers have been in the house in Snowmass Village. Right now there are 15 of us crowded into a five bedroom three bath house. And then there are six more of our family group staying in a rented condo apartment. We're a busy group and each night we gather for dinner together. I prepared the first dinner, bringing meat loaf and potatoes ready to cook from Denver. Peggy and her group ordered in ribs, etc for last night's meal. Tonight Mark, the chief, and his family will be cooking. For this Christmas, unlike the previous years turkey dinners, Darlene has ordered a rib roast large enough to feed all of us. By tomorrow Darcy and Loren will have arrived.
It is interesting that all four of my children's families have aging grandmothers living on their own. All the grandfathers have died. In fact my husband Bob, Ray's father Gene, Mark's father Tom, and Rick's father Tom all died in 2010. Darlene's father and mother died many years earlier--much too early. So what are the women doing? All four of us are around the same age: old! Two of the grandmothers still live in the "family house" on their own in the same city that some of their children still live in. In both situations their driving is extremely limited so they are home a lot. Both have younger neighbors who have known them for many years and are very helpful. However, they both get lonely and depend on their TV's a great deal. Both are mentally sharp and able to care for themselves, however their tech skills are limited. One uses the internet, which for her is a great connection to the world. The third grandmother is equally as sharp as the others but has more physical limitations, uses a walker, and has live-in care. She is considerably more socially active then the others because she has someone to drive her where she wants to go. She is a card player, but limited in tech skills. She lives in the home that she and her husband bought later in life and travels to a warmer climate with her helpers when cold weather sets in. The home is in a very desirable location and has a swimming pool, so while she has no family living in the area, the family is eager to visit. And then there is me, in a senior living retirement community. I think my choice is the best, but the three of them would probably all disagree with me. I am writing this as a comment, not a judgement call. Isn't it weird that all three of us grandmothers to nine kids lost our husbands the same year? I often wonder if anyone reads this blog. I must admit I have a motive for writing it. It is my wish that someone who reads or enjoys this Blog will see my other work and will have some knowledge for me as how to get my monthly SeniorHomes.com online columns published.
I believe reading about my experiences in being over 80 and living in a retirement community would be helpful to others considering what to do with the rest of their lives. I also believe my experiences would help the baby boomers who are either planning for their future or helping their parents with their current choices. It is frustrating to want to get my thoughts circulated but not knowing how. Of course I am delighted I have the venue of SeniorHomes.com--The Last Stop by Margery Fridstein. I have a 12 month writing installment and plan to continue. If anyone that reads this can recommend more outlets, I am listening. DARCIE RAN THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON I am so proud of Darcie. This is the longest and the most famous marathon in the world. She had to raise money for charity to participate. She ran 26 miles in 40 degree temperature and lots of wind. And she made it. Hoorah! Darcie is one of my 11 grandchildren. My youngest is a freshman in Engineering at Purdue University and my oldest is married, a dietician, and a mom of a five and a three year old. They are all great kids and I am a proud grandmother of all of them. |
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