Alzheimers & Heart to Heart Blog Candy - WOW!

Walk, NO RUN - over to Carolyn King's blog and check out the more than super awesome Heart to Heart Blog Candy. Really, I mean it - there's over $800 worth of handmade items and papercrafting supplies and resources available to win - FOR ONE PERSON. Go check it out and see how to enter this AMAZING Blog Candy giveaway by doing what we all love to do - papercrafting - a card for an Alzheimers Caregiver. You have until 9/26 to enter.

I think most, if not all, of us have been touched by Alzheimers Disease in some way - whether directly through a family member or other loved one, or through a friend whose family member or loved one is experiencing this sad disease.

For me, my maternal Grandma is struggling with this disease, and my Mom is her legal caretaker. My parents uprooted themselves, and moved a few hours away from their local children and grandchildren (some of my family already lives many states away) to take on this loving and sacrificial yet daunting and heart-breaking task. My Mom shared that she and my Grandma had talked, years ago, about who would care for my Grandma should the need arrive. I am pretty sure neither of them expected Alzheimers to play a major role in Grandma's caretaking needs. Luckily, my Grandma remains is generally good spirits, and readily accepts that people she doesn't recognize are her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I'd like to share some of the things I know about
the amazing woman my Grandma is...
♥ Grandma is in her early 90's
♥ She is a breast cancer survivor for I think about 20 years now
♥ She has 15 children - 13 born, 1 miscarriage, 1 stillbirth
♥ She outlived her youngest child, my Uncle Curtis
♥ She lived the hard life of a farm wife
♥ She lived with a husband who dealt with mental illness & alcoholism
♥ She was a nurse for many years
♥ She loves to dance, even still today!
♥ She met her second husband at a dance hall (I think she was in her 50's then)
♥ She has 48 grandchildren - 24 boys and 24 girls
♥ She has over 70 great-grandchildren and several great, great grandchildren
♥ Her name is Klementine
♥ My Darling Klementine is one of her favorite songs
♥ She loves roses, especially red ones
♥ Her favorite color is red
♥ She loves having her own box of chocolates
♥ She is of Polish descent and sometimes still prays in Polish
♥ She loves her Catholic faith

Here's a scrapbook page I did a few years ago. That's me and our three (long before our two in Heaven came along). Grandma was already living with my parents, but the Alzheimers was in it's earliest stages and she still knew who we were. She doesn't now.

WE LOVE YOU GRANDMA/GREAT-GRANDMA!