Tuesday humour…

My dear husband is the only one in this household to really understand this humour… I’m more of a classical and jazz kind of girl!! Enjoy  your day, wherever you are! 🙂

Contribution to a book about Suicide grief

I’m starting the week off with something other than dementia, a topic dear to my heart. Suicide grief is increasingly prevalent due to the rising rate of suicide, and I have been involved as a volunteer caring for people bereaved through suicide on and off for many years of my life, because of a number of personal…

Steve’s story

The following is a Facebook post written by Steve, a new friend if mine from Queensland who has younger onset Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinson’s. I have only had the pleasure of meeting him recently, and found him to be positive and incredibly proactive about living with his diagnosis, and with his permission I am publishing it…

First flush

First flush Like new love the first roses seem the sweetest That first flush of colour and scent matching the twang Our heartstrings beating frantically with new love Rapturously circling our brain and heart with wonder (This poem was inspired by the first bowl of roses from my garden this year, pictured above!)

The Cruelity of Dementia

Kay and I have followed each others blogs almost since we started writing, and have been able to offer each other a window into our opposing worlds. It has been informative, sometimes very painful, but most of all, insightful and inspiring. Her blog today covers a very important topic, the reason I wanted to reblog…

Advocacy and social media in action

A week or so ago, there was an article in the local newspaper about my local council rejecting an application by The Big Issue (TBI) to allow vendors to sell the magazine in our area, and in particular near the Burnside Shopping Centre. By the end of the day in which I had heard about it, I too…

Remembering a person with dementia

An online friend Kay Bransford recently lost her father to cancer and dementia, and wrote “While my Dad had dementia and some days he was a little less put together, he still resembled his former self, just a little tuned-out.” Whilst I do not know her or her family personally, we have been connected for a…

Living With Dementia: Personal Perspective Part 1

The University of Tasmania’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Understanding Dementia, is an 11-week online course that builds upon the latest in international research on dementia. It’s free and anyone can register. I have included some of the material directly from their website to remind you or advise you of this course. I believe…

Farewell my friend…

Last week, half of my dear friend Michael’s ashes were placed amongst his Australian family at Centennial Park in Adelaide, and I was privileged to be there for this final farewell… with Bagpipes lifting our hearts as we farewelled him. Life is different without him for the world of the living, and we are most definitely…

Simple Dementia wish list

Yesterday I attended a Policy forum at Health Consumers Alliance (SA) to have a voice as a consumer about policy wishes for the next election in South Australia. It was an interesting meeting, with excellent input from the organisation and other consumers. Mental health, the homeless, and aged and dementia care were well represented, as…

Imagine losing all of your memories…

Memories are a large part of our identity… Imagine losing all of yours. Recently I published a TED talk about false memories, and although I’ve not yet had the time or brain energy to process it completely, it might be of value to consider the impact of false memories on dementia, good or bad. One of these…

7 Cardinal Rules for life

I’m feeling a little tired today, as well as being very busy, but this really says it for me anyway. These 7 rules are great reminders for peace inside your heart… What you do and how you feel is really up to you.

Anyone for Beer?

            I’d have to say, a beer and a sleep might well be much more fun than writing about the Beer-Lambert Law!! No wonder life at school often seems so unrealistic and ‘useless’ to so many of the children attending… Yesterday, I decided on reflection that the subjects at school that have probably…