Life

Being a Caregiver in a Time of COVID: The tragedy that’s happening inside, and outside, of our nursing homes I haven’t seen my mother since February 18. As her primary caregiver, I used to see her every day. Not just to visit. But to feed her. And wash her face, and brush her hair, and to let her know she was loved through eye contact and hugs. But COVID-19 changed that. There’s a serious situation …

We moved into a new house recently, our forever home. We picked the house because it’s walking distance to the beach and our particular street is a hidden little enclave where the houses are very private because they’re surrounded by natural vegetation. But in the Florida heat and humidity, that spells B-U-G-S! I can’t even walk the dog without getting a ton of mosquito bites, but I hate those chemically-forward bug sprays so I made …

I’m generally a homebody but being forced to stay home during this pandemic has given me an impetus to simplify my life. With my gym closed (and the push-pull to get myself there), I start each day with a long walk, WITHOUT my phone. I use that time to just think, solve problems, and plan my day. It’s my form of meditation. I’ve found that by giving up some of my extraneous routines and focusing …

I’ve been planning my retirement home for several years. Once the kids left home, my husband and I became a bit nomadic and moved around several times as he explored second careers after his first retirement from the government. We generally lived in small apartments knowing that it was just a temporary home. So I dreamed of having a great forever home. I spent countless hours with home magazines and on Pinterest and decided to …

File this under “Things I’m not proud of but sharing in the interest of my fellow (wo)man”.  I think of it as me taking one for the team, the I-want-to-look-younger team. You might think 2020 is a cluster of a year, but 2019 was my year of the personal crisis. I always felt pretty good about myself. I ate well, exercised (sometimes), took care of my skin (sometimes), and did not feel my ripe old …

My mom is in a long-term care facility. My brothers and I are used to seeing her virtually every day. I have not seen her since February. This pandemic is real. It’s serious. And yes, residents of these facilities are at the greatest risk.  But there are some smart, safe ways to end the lockdown at long-term care facilities and allow us to see our loved ones. Residents of these facilities may not understand why …