Erasing Parts of Your Brain

Every time I can't remember a name or a word, I wonder if it is the beginning of Alzheimer's. It seems that the more I try to remember something the more it eludes me. Sometimes, after a few minutes or hours, I will recall the word or the name. Many times I go through the whole alphabet to see if one of the letters will jog my memory. Other times, I look it up on the Internet and save myself the frustration of trying to remember something. I often wonder if having the Internet handy doesn't make my brain lazy knowing I don't have to remember, all I have to do is hit a few keys! When I mention my fears to others I am told, "Hey, the same thing happens to me. The older we get the more we forget!" And then I don't feel so bad.

Still Alice with Julieanne Moore (2015 Academy Award best actress winner) is a movie that shows the progression of Alzheimer's, even though this is happening to a young woman and it is a very rare form of the disease, I could see how she slowly began to forget things. She has a loving family that helps her along and a husband (Alec Baldwin) who loves her.The movie, which I thought would be very sad and depressing, isn't. It's mostly about a family dealing with Alice and how she deals with the beginning of Alzheimer's.

The disease is a scary one, almost as bad as cancer. I remember a neighbor who at a young age developed symptoms and would wander off into the neighborhood. Sometimes she was found miles away from her home. She was put in a facility where she became aggressive, violent and angry until her husband had her moved to another home and her medication changed. She lived for about fifteen years before she died, somewhere in her early 60's.

I've read where working crossword puzzles, reading, a good diet and exercise helps keep the disease away but once you have it, I have never heard of anyone getting better.

"No matter who you are, 

what you've accomplished, 

what your financial situation 

is -- when you're dealing 

with a parent with Alzheimer's,

you yourself feel helpless. 

The parent can't work, 

can't live alone, and is totally

dependent, like a toddler. As the 

disease unfolds, you don't know 

what to expect."

Maria Shriver

The Way It Was

Today, after mass, I cornered Ollie, a member of the Young At Heart group of Spirit of Christ Catholic Community so I could hear the beginnings of the group.  She mentioned that she and Fulva Pass are the living  founding members. I told her I had a picture from 1987 and she told me that the Young At Heart Senior Ministry began around October of 1978.  "Joan Kohut was the president and there were about 25 persons in the group. When a meeting was held with about twelve members, they were asked to bring a brown-bag lunch." It did not take long before "chefs" began preparing meals. At a past meeting, I met Jo Palozzi and she told me she prepared the first dinner by making pots and pots of spaghetti in her home to later bring to the church to feed the members. "Of course, it was a much smaller group than now," she said.

Ollie remembered doing a lot of recruiting, "If I sat next to a person who looked like a senior, I would start talking to them and invite them to the YAH group."  She laughed when she recalled the fun activities they used to do; a fashion show, a crazy hat day, a day at the horse races, and holiday themed activities. In listening to her talk, I figure that there must have been four or five presidents before I joined the group.

Touch Committe began when the group realized that many of the originators of YAH had passed away and no one seemed to remember them. As they remembered those who were gone, it slowly evolved to other
deaths in the parish. Caring Hearts began when a person she knew was in a nursing home and a few of the YAH members would go visit. When it was seen the joy brought to those being visited, it expanded to more than YAH members. The Crafts group began to make things for the nursing homes and continues to this day.
Baby showers for unwed mothers was another fun activity but the current group does not do it anymore.

Times have changed as the group became larger and she has seen the club evolve to what it is today. The roster shows about 400+ members. For nineteen years she put out the Newsletter and also wrote a history of the YAH group. There are a few copies of the history of YAH floating around and I hope to get a hold of one soon.

I mentioned that the photographs I have put into albums begin around the year 1987 to 2015.  I told her that I have about six thick albums of all the activities with Young At Heart. On April 16, 2015, my intent is to show a slide show with some of the pictures. I figure that before I became the photographer for the group in 2012 there must have been about six other photographers before me. Doris Thompson and Suzanne Fountain were mentioned. Both Ollie and I agreed that it is important to have a photo and written history of the YAH group.

Huichol

The other day, a friend sent me a slide show of an American couple who lives six months in Mexico and six months in the United States. As I watched the hour long slide show of beautiful and interesting pictures of Mexico, it brought to mind the many times I spent in Mexico and  I felt a sadness that I no longer traveled to Mexico on a regular basis. I also remembered seeing the work of Huicholes on my visits to Mexico.

How I admired the beaded figures on one of my visits to Mexico. I was told it was the work of the Huicholes and that they are Native Mexican Indians who are descendants from the Aztecs. I saw artisans in most of the states in Mexico though Huicholes are predominately in Nayarit, Durango, Zacatecas and Jalisco. These artisans work in yarn, beads, wood, and metal.

While in Ajijic, near Lake Chapala, a tourist area not too far from Guadalajara, I watched as a Huichol worked on placing tiny beads on a wooden mold until a beautiful figure emerged. Even though there were all sorts of animals, I purchased a few turtles to bring home as souvenirs.

Later, while in Nayarit, there was an open market of Mexican artists and again I saw the work of the Huichol. When I admired the beautiful work, my friend asked me which I liked, and I told her I liked the crosses. "I have a collection of crosses on my wall at home but these are pretty pricey." We continued looking at all the different works of art in the many booths. Later when we got to the condo where we were staying, she said, "Feliz Cumpleanos para mi amiga." She surprised me with the beaded cross I had admired at the open market.  When my friend came to the United States to visit me me, she again surprised me with another beautiful, beaded cross for my wall.

The one thing I was told by the artist was to keep the beaded work out of the sun because they use beeswax to stick the beads on and the art work could melt if placed in the hot sun!

Never, Ever Have a Car Accident

I know not having an accident is something that can be planned. If you are one of the unfortunate few, like I happened to be on that fateful day when a small Mazda truck plowed into me, your problems are just beginning! After fifty some years without having a car accident, when it happened to me, I could not believe it. In my mind I can still see the truck coming toward me as I tried to get out of the way. The actual crash I can still hear and that sense of moving uncontrollably across the street is still with me.

All right, the accident happened. I received a citation. The district attorney plead it down to a faulty light. I received one point on my license. I called my insurance. They sent an appraiser. My car was towed to the AutoNation Honda Collision Repair Shop. I rented a car, a 2015 Hyundi Accent. And then my headaches began!

Six weeks and my car is still not ready. Even though the insurance paid for a rental from Enterprise for thirty days my out of pocket expense came to $139. Included in that price is one extra day and  taxes. Gas for the rental car came to $31.00.  When the collision shop informed me that further damage was found I was told that another estimate would be needed. More calls to the insurance company. I was told that  the insurance covered my repairs and if there was a discrepancy between the appraiser and the collision company they would need to settle it between them. They could not extend my car rental agreement. It would take about another month to get my car back. My insurance told me that other than my deductible I should not need to pay anything further.

I found a rental car at Hertz for less than $21.00 a day but even the $288 for two weeks that I will need to pay makes me ill. If my car is not repaired, I will need to rent the 2014 Toyota Corolla for two more weeks.

When I returned the Hyundai at Enterprise I was told that I would drive the car back home and a non-hearing handicapped person would go with me and then he would drive the car  back to the office. When the fellow came out, he reminded me of  Eddie Redmayne in Theory of Everything. He got in the passenger side and I smiled and said, "Can you hear me?" I pulled on my ear. He shook his head. Made a sign as if he were signing. I said, "Oh, you sign?" I moved my fingers as if I was signing and he nodded. The ride from Enterprise to Hertz was quiet. When we arrived at the Hertz parking lot, I thanked him and he shook my hand. Evidently his hearing does not keep him from driving.

The end of my accident saga, I hope, will soon come to an end.

Pictures vs. Words

I have often wondered about which gives me a better understanding of a situation. Can words describe something better than a photo? What about the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words? Today, I finally understand how a picture shows reality while words lets one imagine the situation.

My car was hit over a month ago causing damage to the left rear side. I had named my car Jazzy because it was compact, sleek looking and to me looked jazzy. I hated to see Jazzy's side all mashed in but once the Honda Collision Shop got a hold of it, I had no doubt that Jazzy would be returned to me as perfect as a brand new car.

Yesterday I received a picture of what Jazzy looks like waiting to be repaired. It literally made me sick.
I do not know what the Collision place has been doing for over a month, but as far as I can see by the pictures, not much!

Now I am told it will be another month before I see Jazzy "as good as it was." There is not much I can do but call my insurance, call Honda Collision and call car rental companies. My advice to all drivers. Be very, very careful when you drive, be alert, and if you do have an accident, I would suggest not taking your car to Auto Nation Honda Collision because you may never see your car again!

If I had to describe what I was seeing in the photos, it would be: A junk yard with parts scattered around.
But does that really give the true picture?

A Memorial Bus

When a dear friend of mine passed away in December, many memories swirled around in my head. One memory was how he and his wife had traveled with me on a pilgrimages to the Santuario de Chimayo. Every year, for ten years, this devoted couple joined others to enjoy the three day trip.

After I stopped doing the pilgrimages, my friend would call me and ask me if I would consider doing another trip. I regret to say that I told him I wasn't planning any trips for the near future. And now he is gone. At his funeral reception I spoke to members of his family and suggested having a memorial trip for him to the place he so loved. Many agreed and asked if I would plan a trip.

In January, I began calling and e-mailing priests, the bus company, restaurants, hotels, and tours to get tentative prices of what a three day trip would cost. I could see that the prices had gone up from when I had arranged a trip in the past. I also figured a two day trip instead of a three day one and will discuss with both the widow and the priest to see which they prefer doing. To put the finishing touches on the journey, I need to know how many persons plan to go because this determines how much each person will need to pay. Once I come up with a price, I will call the places where we will be visiting to firm up the prices. For a trip in August, payment would have to be completed by mid-June.

The Itinerary is that we would travel to San Luis, Colorado to see the almost life size stations of the cross, to Taos, New Mexico for Native American dancing, to Chimayo to see and gather the dirt that for some is considered miraculous, to Santa Fe, New Mexico to see the Spiral Staircase, San Miguel Church one of the oldest churches in the United States, the Cathedral and the many outfits of La Conquistadora, and a trolley ride through Santa Fe.

The bus would be filled with my friend's family and those who knew him as we travel to those places he loved so much. Either a three day or a two day pilgrimage would be a nice remembrance for a wonderful, generous, kind and full of fun man.

Disappointment after Disappointment

How long does it take a collision repair shop to fix a car?  My car was hit by a Mazda pickup truck striking my rear left tire, smashing the left door, fender and bumper.  An estimator came out to check my car and sent his estimates to my insurance company.  My car was towed to the Honda Collision repair shop and I began driving a rental car. The collision shop would call me every three days to let me know how the repairs were progressing. Marcus and then Leah gave me favorable reports. All the calls sounded to me quite positive and as if the repairs were moving along. At one point, after my car had been at the shop for a couple of weeks, Marcus told me that further repairs would be needed. He told me not to worry, they would contact the insurance company and I did not have to do anything. When I asked about a completion date, it was hinted, because nobody could say for sure, that I might have my car fixed by the first week in March.

Today, the second of March, I called to find out when I might be getting my car back this week. I was told: "When they went to work on the body we found out the all the car was welded on to one piece of metal so now we have to put on a new roof to complete the repairs."  My first question was why did they wait until now to let me know something so drastic needed to be done? The response was: "We found out when we got to this part of the repairs. We will contact the insurance company to let them know."

I remembered when the estimator had looked over the car he had mentioned that it might be totaled, yet when he gave the report to the insurance company there was nothing about my car being totaled. He did mention that once the car was pulled apart, at that time they would know if further damage had been done because he was unable to see all the repairs at the initial estimate.

A feeling of helplessness has come over me. I am at the mercy of the repair shop. There is nothing I can do other than call my insurance to find out what will happen from this point forward. The person I was speaking to at the Collision place did say that the car might be totaled but it was up to the insurance company as whether or not they decided to total it. I placed two calls to the insurance company and left messages.

Six weeks later and I am about at where I was right after the accident. Makes me wonder why I was called every three days with updates on how the work was progressing. Now I wonder if any work was being done and the calls were a bunch of bull-shit!

This morning I spoke with the insurance company and was informed me that the estimator had been contacted on March 2 by the collision shop to come out to do another estimate. After the estimator sends in his report, the insurance company will know how to proceed. The insurance person  also said he did not know why it was taking so long to repair my car when it was supposed to be an eleven day repair.

The hardest thing for me is to sit and wait. Something like this makes it very difficult to trust and have faith that people work in a spirit of honesty and integrity. I certainly believe that the Honda Collision shop does not.

On March 4, 2015, I received a letter from the insurance company along with another estimate. The good news is that the car is reparable and the bad news is that no one seems to know how much longer it will take!