I'm just back from spending 4 days at our son Ralph's near Ottawa, doing 'grandma' duties.  Ralph was away for the week, and Lisa worked 2 day shifts at the hospital, so I had to be the before and after school grandma.  I managed just fine, except their house has stairs!  I had totally forgotten why I never do stairs...but the burning legs soon reminded me!  It has been awhile since I've done any Dr. Seuss reading, but it soon came back to me.....and I even got to help stitch a blanket and pillow for a mouse bed.  Jim manged fine at home without me.  He did mention that now we only have one doily on our dry sink, because when he was vacuuming one disappeared into the vacuum wand.  Another trip to the Dollar Store is in order!

I have once again been asked to be a guest speaker, this time at the International A Changing Melody Forum which is held in conjunction with the Alzheimers Disease International Conference in March of 2011 in Toronto.  Obviously I'm thrilled to pieces, but I'll be telling you more about it as time goes on I'm sure.
Our son Ralph stopped in for a quick visit yesterday with a special delivery item....a new Nintendo DSI...to replace my stolen one! lol  This is the new and improved version, complete with a camera.  So beware, I may not be exercising my brain, but trying to get a good picture of you!

My 50 thousand mile check-up

We are just back from an appointment with my neurologist Dr. Black at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.  She has now put me on Mirtazapine or Remeron to see if that helps with my anxiety issues.  Unfortunately I didn't do so well on my MMSE testing this time.  I'm down to 24 this time round.  This probably explains why I'm struggling with my pogo games lately. Oh well....as Dr. Black says...I'm holding my own! 

Processing Problems Again

I was very excited to be attending my first "Cooking with Chef Cortwright" yesterday at the 55+ Activity Center next door.  Cortwright is the chef who prepares the Meals on Wheels for the Napanee area.  He demonstrated how to prepare various dishes including Beef Wellington, stuffed tomatoes, baked zuccinni, breaded cod fillets, microwaved potatoes and liver and onions.  Then we all enjoyed a plate full of all the prepared foods, and it was absolutely delicious.  Unfortunately after 3 hours of sitting in the kitchen with the big fan roaring, the walk-in freezer and the two large fridge motors running, and listening to his running commentary, my brain had reached the saturation point and I was anxious to get home to my quiet space.
I had thought I might join the beginners exercise group, but I discovered they play music and it's an incredibly noisy environment.  I plan to check out the yoga class in two weeks, and see how that goes.  I have discovered though that I can volunteer once a month and help fold the 2500 newsletters with no problem!

OK...I must remember NOT to lose weight!

Weight Loss May Release Pollutants into Bloodstream

(Source: WebMD Health News) - There may actually be an unhealthy downside to losing weight.
A new study published in the Internal Journal of Obesity finds that blood levels of substances known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were higher in people who had lost weight compared to people who maintained or gained weight.
Persistent organic pollutants are stored in fat tissues in the body. But when the amount of fat is decreased – as through weight loss - they may be released into the bloodstream, where they may enter vital organs, such as the heart and brain. POPs have been linked to a wide range of illnesses, including type 2 Diabetes, cancer, dementia and heart disease.
Go to full story: webmd.com

Our Murphy Bed

Do you remember seeing a Murphy Bed in some of the old films?  Here's a little clip to refresh your memory.
I got this bee in my bonnet that we needed one, and I actually found a used one for sale near Ottawa.  Jim just finished installing it.  Ours looks like a maple entertainment center when closed. Now we're all ready for company!