My husband's 71st birthday was last week, and we used that excuse to go to St. Augustine Beach for a 3-day mini-vacation. We live in the "Vacation Capital of the World" (Orlando) so actually taking a vacation somewhere else is very rare for us.
Being away from home always makes us feel a little like "strangers in a strange land". Any time you change your familiar surroundings, it can be quite confusing. It's even more so when you're getting "on in years".
Whenever I'm away from home, in a hotel or visiting relatives, I consciously try to localize myself and locate "landmarks and signposts". Once the lights are turned off, I look around the room for slivers of light to judge where I am and where I need to go - when I need to "go" in the middle of the night. (But it's not easy trying to navigate by such flimsy constellations when you're half-asleep).
Well, for this trip, I got smart and took along my own "low tech" GPS ("GoPeeSystem) - a night-light - to make my trip to the bathroom easier and safer. Worked like a charm! So from now on, I'll just leave the night-light in my suitcase and be ready to go on a moments notice.
It's always a good idea to sit for an extra minute or two before getting out of bed (no matter where you are), and consciously ask yourself "Where am I and what day is this?" Those are little reality checks that can sometimes "bounce" unless you keep reminding yourself!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Losing it!
"Time to Remind" is my new blog and I know others are in this same boat. As we go through life, we lose all sorts of things along the way.
We lose our childhood innocence and eventually a little of our sense of wonder as we grow up; and then we start losing other things like: our homework, our car keys, and our virginity!
When kids come along, we also lose a lot of our freedom. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. With children comes a fulfilling sense of purpose as we learn to nurture and care for others.
But when the kids grow up and move out of the house, some parents lose that sense of purpose.
Having an "empty nest" always meant that my husband and I would finally have time to do new things, like: reading, traveling, taking some fun courses at the senior center, and actually having time to exercise mind and body. Now that I've almost got that nest emptied out... (one son keeps coming back frequently...), I'm getting concerned about the biggest loss of all.
We've started to lose the car keys again, and I dread the day when we lose our ability to drive the car. Once a grownup child decides Dad is no longer able to handle a car, we lose our freedom to go places when we want and there goes our independence. That's the greatest loss I can think of.
Before that time comes, it's time to figure out ways to remain independent. There are lots of helpful tools that work.
When I need to do important things, I've always used reminders. I'll tell you about some of them here.
We lose our childhood innocence and eventually a little of our sense of wonder as we grow up; and then we start losing other things like: our homework, our car keys, and our virginity!
When kids come along, we also lose a lot of our freedom. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. With children comes a fulfilling sense of purpose as we learn to nurture and care for others.
But when the kids grow up and move out of the house, some parents lose that sense of purpose.
Having an "empty nest" always meant that my husband and I would finally have time to do new things, like: reading, traveling, taking some fun courses at the senior center, and actually having time to exercise mind and body. Now that I've almost got that nest emptied out... (one son keeps coming back frequently...), I'm getting concerned about the biggest loss of all.
We've started to lose the car keys again, and I dread the day when we lose our ability to drive the car. Once a grownup child decides Dad is no longer able to handle a car, we lose our freedom to go places when we want and there goes our independence. That's the greatest loss I can think of.
Before that time comes, it's time to figure out ways to remain independent. There are lots of helpful tools that work.
When I need to do important things, I've always used reminders. I'll tell you about some of them here.
Cat Medication Reminders
Saw a Cat Lover's blog post about medications for an Elderly Cat:
Just as with a human who has to take daily medication, if your cat has been prescribed to take medications on a daily basis it is helpful to keep everything in one place as a reminder. You do not want to miss a day of any crucial medication as the system of your older cat is much more delicate than those of younger cats.
Posted 4-26-08
An automated phone or email reminder service is a great way to remember those important cat medications.
There's a very nice one available. Just Google OnCellRx and try the Free trial.
Just as with a human who has to take daily medication, if your cat has been prescribed to take medications on a daily basis it is helpful to keep everything in one place as a reminder. You do not want to miss a day of any crucial medication as the system of your older cat is much more delicate than those of younger cats.
Posted 4-26-08
An automated phone or email reminder service is a great way to remember those important cat medications.
There's a very nice one available. Just Google OnCellRx and try the Free trial.
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