Lady Links

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Sunsets are incredibly beautiful, yet no two are ever exactly the same.  What we see in a sunset on any given evening depends on how the atmosphere refracts the sun’s rays along with the type and arrangement of clouds that reflect this light to the ground.

What that means is that each sunset is unique….the circumstances are never the same to produce an exact replica of what we’ve seen before.  That’s how our visits to our dear friends are…those ladies in our community in various stages of cognitive decline.  Their circumstances are similar, but each dear friend’s level of cognition requires a visit that is tailored to her specific situation.  The Lady-Links consider the uniqueness of each dear friend as something that makes her special…that’s what makes her an individual…that’s what makes her the person she is, able to enjoy the activities that she specifically likes.  Visits to all of our dear friends are awesome…but no two are the same.

Some dear friends enjoy music at their visits.

Some dear friends enjoy making crafts at their visits.

Some dear friends enjoy playing cards at their visits.

Some dear friends enjoy playing games at their visits.

Some dear friends enjoy creating cards at their visits.

Some dear friends enjoy looking at things (Show and Tell) at their visits.

But all enjoy the love and laughter that makes each visit an occasion of joy.

All visits are inspiring, awesome, enjoyable, and special.  Just like a sunset…unique, yet similar to others.

If you have a friend or loved one with cognitive decline, we hope that each sunset you see will remind you of the opportunities you have to bring joy in unique ways into that person’s life.

Sun and Sunglasses!  Yes, Summer has arrived, and the Lady-Links celebrated the arrival of summer by making a cute “sun with sunglasses” craft for our dear friends.  These were packaged with an appropriate label…a sun with sunglasses, of course….and delivered with lots of laughter about how to prepare for the hot days ahead! We laugh because there’s no real way to prepare for Texas heat!  Take a look at some pictures taken last summer when the Lady-Links got together outside with masks and with social distancing to make a summer craft to send to our dear friends.  (We weren’t allowed to meet inside due to COVID regulations).  Remember those days?

Thankfully, we are past the COVID restrictions, and could meet inside this year with plenty of air conditioning to prepare and package the craft.

Prior to COVID, the Lady-Links found many opportunities in the past to visit with our dear friends while making summertime crafts. Celebrating the seasons, even a hot one, is something we always do.

So…put on those sunglasses and sunscreen, and step outside (for a few minutes) and be inspired to be the “sunshine” in the life of your friend or loved one in cognitive decline.  Have a conversation about what everyone did when we were kids to keep cool in the summer heat.  You’ll stir up some memories in each of your lives which can lead to a great time of sharing.  Just be sure to do your sharing in the air conditioning!!!!

 

 

Most of our time as Lady-Links is spent visiting our dear friends, those ladies in our community in some type of cognitive decline, engaging them in activities that they enjoy.  However, there is much that goes on behind the scenes to make our efforts successful.  Part of that is in the type of crafts we choose if we are doing a craft visit with our dear friends.  We opt for the peel and stick variety rather than those that require glue.  However, there are times when a bottle of glue comes in handy!  A case in point was with crafts that were mistakenly ordered.  Rather than let these cute “bug” patriotic crafts go unused, some of the Lady-Links got together to assemble them and to have fun in the process!

After all the work in applying glue to each piece was done, we were thankful that long ago we made the decision to use the self-adhesive foam peel and stick pieces for the crafts we do at our visits!!!

Other craft repairs include affixing magnets, re-attaching pieces, and packaging our crafts to send to our dear friends in our continuing care residence.

The Lady-Links are willing to do whatever it takes to bring love and laughter into the lives our our dear friends…. and in this case it took a little elbow grease and some glue!!!  Thanks Lady-Links!

 

The Lady-Links know how to have fun!  We met on two separate occasions to make paper flowers to send to our dear friends, those ladies in our community in various stages of cognitive decline.  We had a great time together as we always do, plus we knew that the results of our efforts would be a creation that would delight our dear friends.

Our community is blessed with an active group of artists who generously give of their time in teaching various art classes to residents. One of these artists has taken a special interest in our work with our dear friends and has helped us with several projects including this one…teaching us to make paper flowers from used computer paper that was destined for the recycle bin and/or from grocery bags. We are so thankful for her talent and creative ability but, most of all, for her compassion for our mission of bringing love and laughter into the lives of our dear friends.

As detailed as this project was, we knew how to add plenty of laughter making it a very special event.

It took almost two hours to complete these flowers, but we each managed to create a masterpiece among all the pieces of paper!

Each flower is different, although the instructions were the same! Realizing that, we can make a connection to what we see as we visit our dear friends.   We value the friendship of each dear friend and know that although cognitive decline has much the same pattern, it can affect each one differently.  As Lady-Links we take the time to get to know each dear friend and find ways to relate specifically to her that she finds meaningful and enjoyable.

A bouquet of paper flowers, each with its own design, makes a beautiful arrangement…especially when it’s made and sent with love.

Red, White and Blue!  Those colors represent our country, and what better way to inspire an appreciation of our history than to spend time together making patriotic crafts?

We are approaching several important patriotic holidays and observances, so the crafts that we make at our visits will reflect that theme.

Naturally, as we’re making these crafts, memories were shared about events in history that were meaningful to us.  We talked about Colonial Williamsburg and how it actually is a living-history museum, helping us to understand life during the founding of our country.  We talked about Mount Vernon, home of George Washington.

We shared stories of visits to Washington, DC  and the important monuments, buildings and museums there.  As we approach Memorial Day, we are reminded of those who gave their lives for our country so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.

We are blessed to be living in our great country.  Making patriotic crafts is an enjoyable way to engage in conversation about our nation’s history and what that means to us today.

The crafts that we make will be sent to our dear friends in our continuing care residence, helping to inspire them to share their own special patriotic memories.  God Bless America.

What were your school lunches like when you were a child?  My mother must have really loved tuna fish because that was her main choice for a sandwich when she packed my lunch.

For most of my classmates, a sandwich of peanut butter and jelly was the favorite.  So…..as you read this….what memories of your childhood school lunches are coming to your mind? Here’s some of mine:

• Having a Roy Rogers lunchbox.  Before that, I had a brown paper sack.
• Separate tables…one for the girls and one for the boys.
• Occasionally going through the cafeteria line to buy a plate lunch.  I loved fish sticks!  Remember those?
• Having 7 cents to buy milk every day…My parents insisted that I had milk at every meal, even at school.
• When we finished lunch, we could go outside and play.  My girlfriends and I brought jacks to play with on the smooth concrete porch near the cafeteria.

The value of talking about our childhood experiences when we visit our dear friends, those ladies in our community with some type of cognitive decline, is that they can usually remember things that happened years ago.  Short term memories are the first to go…but long term memories can often be accessed with some prompting.  It’s said that “The first in is the last to go.”  What that means is that our early memories are often the last to leave us when we have cognitive issues.

School lunches can be a starting point for memories of other experiences of our years in primary or elementary school.  Most of our dear friends can relate to something that is said and will join the conversation.  Here are some ideas:

• Learning to Read …My school used the Dick and Jane series.  Remember Spot?
• Playing on the Playground…I loved to climb on the monkey bars.
• Art Classes ….We did finger painting and made paper mache objects. Such fun!
• Paper Drives…We brought newspapers from home that were tied in bundles with string.
• Valentine’s Day Parties…We gave valentines to each of our classmates and ate heart-shaped sugar cookies.
• Talent Shows…My girlfriends and I sang “Be Kind to Your Web-footed Friends.”  That is a silly song, but we thought we were really “cool.”
• Transportation…My friends and I walked together to school.

The object of any of this is to engage our dear friends in conversation.  Most of our dear friends will contribute a memory of their own after we share ours in a concise way.  As the cognitive issues became more severe, some of our dear friends weren’t able to share a memory but they were able to smile or laugh appropriately when we shared ours.  They were engaged, even at that.  Whether actively engaged or passively engaged, conversation can stimulate brain function and helps our dear friends keep connected to those around them.

 

Sharing and Caring.  It’s what the Lady-Links do.

The Lady-Links look for ways to interact with our dear friends, those ladies in our retirement community in various stages of cognitive decline.  We’ve found that playing Uno is a great way to enjoy a visit together, plus there are benefits as well.

There’s something special about playing a card game in our adult years that we used to play as a child.  It brings back wonderful memories, many of which involve a favorite grandparent spending time with us, teaching us to play games like Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid or Canasta.  Such positive emotional stimulation affects our attitude, and the effects can last even after the card game has ended.

Uno, as well as other card games, can stimulate the brain helping with cognitive function.  Uno keeps the mind active, boosts concentration, and promotes hand-eye coordination and tactile stimulation.  In addition, Uno improves recall of numbers and colors, direction of play, and rules.

When playing Uno with our dear friend, we occasionally give “prompts” that will help her play successfully.  We only give “help” when needed.  We maintain the rules of the game, but at the same time, we slow the pace of the game and give verbal directions such as when a card is played that requires a reversal of the direction of play.

Skills of shuffling and dealing the cards will decline as cognition worsens, but there’s still many benefits to being part of a group that can engage in an enjoyable game of Uno.  The fun, social interaction is what’s important, and Uno provides all that and more!

Remember when we were kids how much fun we had coloring?  Well….coloring isn’t just for kids anymore!  Adults are enjoying coloring more than ever…studies show it brings a calmness and a sense of creative purpose…and when you’re a Lady-Link and you combine the benefits that coloring brings to you plus the benefits it will bring when your “masterpiece” is in the form of a “thinking of you” card that is received by someone you care about….well what could be better? Our cards were colored with love and laughter, designed for our dear friends…those ladies in our retirement community who are in various stages of cognitive decline.

The Lady-Links met on two separate days to enjoy coloring cards with flower designs that were created by one of our community’s resident artists.  We laughed, we shared stories, we reminisced, and we colored to our heart’s content!  A special treat was when our resident artist made a surprise visit to see what fun we were having with her cards!

She encouraged us to have fun, be creative, and enjoy the moment!  We did, knowing that this was a special opportunity to relax and be “a kid” again.

Coloring the cards was such fun, and the preparation ahead of time helped our events go smoothly.  We made flower labels for the envelopes so our “flower theme” would be complete.

Since we were making a “thinking of you” card, we wanted to have ideas available for the message for the inside of each card. Every Lady-Link chose her own encouraging saying, making it personal for her dear friend.

The results were amazing….flowers in every color imaginable, each adorning a very special card with a message of encouragement.  We know that our dear friends will enjoy them.

Lady-Links….we color because we care!

What a joy it is for the Lady-Links to be able to resume some of our friendship visits and have fun working on projects together, in person!  At this visit we made cards to send to those in our retirement community who need a cheerful reminder that someone is thinking of them. We talked, we laughed, and we had a great time making these colorful cards.

To make the cards easy to assemble at our visits with our dear friends, we organize the supplies in such a way that each person can contribute to the completion of the design.

The supplies were a combination of self-adhesive felt flower parts from a craft store with a computer generated “Have A Nice Day” printout which we made into a sticker using a sticker-maker machine.  Only one part of the flower required gluing, and we did that prior to the visit.

As a result, the flower cards were easily assembled and the love and laughter flowed freely!

It is wonderful to be able to make in-person visits again and continue to strengthen the friendship bonds around a table!

Have A Nice Day

“Children are great imitators; so give them something great to imitate.”

As Lady-Links we make every effort to ensure that our dear friends, those ladies in our community in various stages of cognitive decline, feel valued and appreciated.  We’re adults….so we “get it”…. every card, every craft, and every communication with our dear friends is done with their sense of self-worth and dignity in mind.  We truly care about our dear friends and consider them just that…friends who are dear to us.  That sense of caring is a part of who we are as Lady-Links and, because we do care, we look for ways to encourage others to care as well.  What better place to start than with our own grandchildren?

For two years, my granddaughter has designed, painted, and created cards for me to use to send to my dear friends.  She knows that the recipients of these cards are ladies who have difficulties in the way they are able to think and remember things.  She sees my desire to want to give each of these dear friends an individually created card that they will enjoy because I value their friendship and want them to have something special.

She combines colors and designs that she thinks they will find pleasing, and she does her best to create a card that they will treasure. This labor of love that we accomplish together is part of a mindset that all of us at Lady-Links hope to impart…that every person deserves to be treated with respect and kindness regardless of cognitive ability.

We as Lady-Links don’t think that we’re great.  What we do think, and actually know, is that the concept of showing kindness and respect to everyone is what is great. We love our dear friends and are looking forward to resuming our in-person visits with them soon.  In the meantime, we will continue to send special cards with our love and include a touch of a granddaughter’s love as well.  A great way to share a great concept!

Lady-Links:  Linking Love and Laughter with Life