There are 3 things we know about change and the future: It is not going to be like the past. It is not going to be exactly the way we think. The rate of change can take place faster than we can imagine. In 1803, the British created a civil service position in which a man was required to stand on the cliffs of Dover with a spy glass. His job was to be on the lookout for invasion. He was to ring a bell if he saw the army […]
READ MOREDe Nile(denial) is a long river! One of the greatest realities is the fact that death is inevitable for all of us. We each have that moment when this reality hits home. It might be when our parents actually die, but the process usually begins when we see our parents begin to age and unable to keep up with their day to day routines. They lose things on a regular basis and forget to pay the bills. We might try not to make too much about it, but our minds […]
READ MOREby our Guest Blogger Julie Hall Spending time visiting your parents this summer? Here are 6 practical ways that you can assist your elderly parents. Help your parents protect all their assets. Know all the professionals they work with, i.e. CPA, financial planner, attorney, etc. Know the location of all your parents important documents. If the documents are in a locked cabinet or fireproof storage, know where the keys are kept. Have the important conversations with your parents about their wishes for the future, who will be their executor, […]
READ MOREBy guest blogger Julie Hall – “The Estate Lady” Many of us lug around our emotional baggage on a daily basis and never bother to “check” it. Maybe we don’t know how to, or maybe we just forget, so we end up dragging it with us wherever we go. It gets rather tiring, doesn’t it? In my business of helping clients sort through estates, after a loved one has moved to assisted living or has died, I see many children/heirs carry a lot of emotional baggage with them, to the […]
READ MORETAKE ACTION. If you are capable, take action. Enlist the help of friends and family who will support you when tell them you are moving to a smaller space. DON’T GO IT ALONE. Moving is difficult but you don’t have to do it alone. Find those that can give you tools, assistance, motivation, encouragement and information to help with the transition. Check out to see if there is a Senior Move Manager in your area. WHERE DO I START? Start with a target date for when you are moving and create […]
READ MORENearly everyone has a junk drawer. You know, that place in your house that has become a catch-all for the things that seem to appear from nowhere and have no other home in your house. Loose change, batteries, pizza coupons (probably expired), runaway marbles from your grandkids’ stash – the possibilities of what your junk drawer contains are endless. When you are in a rush to tidy up, the junk drawer comes in handy. You hide things there, intending to get back to them later. Well, it is time for […]
READ MOREYard sales can be pretty unremarkable, but several years ago I went to a yard sale that shifted my perspective. While on my way home I spotted a yard sale sign not too far from our house. I convinced my husband to come take a look with me. As we approached, I could tell this was no ordinary yard sale. The large, fenced yard was packed with stuff. 50 years’ worth of stuff. The owners of the house came out to greet us. They were elderly and bone-weary. As we […]
READ MORE(A powerful blog for those with parents who have not yet planned ahead) – “Promise Me”by our guest blogger Julie Hall An elderly mother says to her son, “Promise me you will never put me in a nursing home. It’s so depressing. Promise me you will never do that.” The middle-aged son says: Promise me that you will make plans now, so I won’t have to later under duress. Promise me that we will discuss this now, instead of at a time when it is either too late, or I […]
READ MOREHow does it happen? Nobody ever says, “What I really want is a house crammed to the gills with redundant possessions.” Yet somehow this is how we end up. According to Tish Oxenreider, author of “Organized Simplicity” and the blogger behind SimpleMom.net, “We are reticent to get rid of things because we believe our cherished memories are tied up in our things.” If we get rid of things, we’re saying those memories don’t matter to us. “ Not true.” Still the thought of paring down our things makes us anxious […]
READ MOREOde to the Gardener – Important Life Lessons by Julie Hall our guest blogger Not so long ago, I stood by my father’s side witnessing the ever-advancing damage of dementia. I knew deep inside that our time together was growing short from a cognitive perspective, but I never once took into consideration that he, himself, would be taken so quickly. Dad was a Master Gardener who dedicated his life to understanding the soil, composting, plant diseases and cures, etc. Dad volunteered 20,000 hours of his senior years teaching children in elementary, […]
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