Lady Links

We were all eager for Spring to arrive!  With the record-setting winter our area experienced just a few weeks ago, we were looking forward to Spring more so than ever.

A frozen pond and temperatures of 2 degrees below zero are very unusual for our area.  We were “snowed in” only for a little while thanks to our retirement community’s quick response to clearing the doorways and sidewalks of the drifts that were quite high in many places.

The ducks didn’t seem to mind this weather and, we must admit, it was a beautiful scene as the snow fell and a “winter wonderland” appeared.   But after several days….we were looking forward to warmer weather and hoping that Spring will hurry up and arrive!  And, of course, it did providing the Lady-Links with another reason to celebrate!  Hello Spring!

We made crafts for our dear friends, those ladies in our community who are in various stages of cognitive decline.  In addition, we made crafts for those residents in our continuing care community too.

We included Easter crafts as well.  Our Lady-Links are willing to give of their time, resources, and efforts to continue to reach out to our friends, letting them know that we are thinking of them.  Wearing masks has become a part of our routine, but hopefully one day that  won’t be necessary.  Until then, we are happy to meet the restrictions that are in place to assure us of a safe and healthy environment.

We love getting together to celebrate our friendship bond with each other and with the dear friends and neighbors who will receive these cheerful, colorful crafts.  That’s what “community” is all about….caring for one another….and that’s what the Lady-Links do by “Linking Love” through their craft projects as they connect with others.

We are still unable to make in-person visits to all our dear friends due to continued COVID restrictions, but we’re finding creative ways to let those ladies in our community who have some type of memory loss or cognitive issues know that the Lady-Links are thinking of them.  Sending cards is a great way to keep in touch from a distance and to help celebrate special events such as St. Patrick’s Day!

Using a “sticker-making” machine is a quick and easy way to get the cards ready to assemble.  If you don’t have one of these, then rubber cement is our choice of adhesive.

Past celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day included making crafts.  The pictures below are from pre-COVID days, and we hope to return to these types of visits where we worked on crafts together one day soon.

In the meantime, we will continue to be thankful that we have dear friends that are more valuable to us than gold, and we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a safe and healthy way.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Lady-Links.

Reaching out to our dear friends is a way the Lady-Links help them dispel feelings of loneliness. This was much easier to do prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when we could make in-person visits to them, but we’ve managed to be successful in reaching out in some creative ways even from a distance.

A feeling of loneliness can come upon anyone.  However, most of us only experience it during short periods in our life.  During times of imposed social restrictions for an extended period of time, such as what we’ve all seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, attention needs to be placed on meeting the needs of those who might suffer extensive damage both emotionally and mentally as a result of such isolation.  For our dear friends, those ladies in our retirement community in various stages of cognitive decline, their rate of cognitive loss and socialization skills can be even greater without the personal visits we were previously able to make.  That’s why we’ve developed ways to reach out to them during this time of physical restrictions and lack of in-person interaction.

Here’s 5 Ways to Help Prevent Loneliness by Reaching Out to Others

1.  Send a Treat.  First of all, find out if there are any food allergies or concerns.  Once you’ve done that, then select something to send that your friend will enjoy.  We’ve sent chocolate chip cookies for “National Chocolate Chip Day” and a bag of chocolates for “Do Something Nice Day.”  There’s a National Donut Day (June 4), a National Sugar Cookie Day (July 9), a National Pretzel Day (April 26), and a National Banana Day (April 21).  In fact, there’s a “National Day” for just about anything you can imagine that would inspire you to send something unique to your friend or loved one.  Make it fun.  How about tying a bow around the banana you send for National Banana Day?  Don’t you think that would bring a smile or even some laughter when your friend receives it?2.  Send a joke.  Find some jokes that are appropriate and easy to understand.  We did just that…making a Joke Book to send to our dear friends.  However, if you don’t want to make a Joke Book, simply write a joke on an index card and send it to your friend.  Most of our dear friends weren’t able to read our jokes themselves…they had a spouse or caregiver who read them aloud to them.  We were told that our dear friends continued to look at the Joke Book for many days afterwards and to smile every time they held it or saw it.  Actually, we heard that the caregivers loved our Joke Book too and used it many times later as an engaging activity they could do together.3.  Send a seasonal craft.  We love making crafts, and some of the ones that are most appreciated are the ones that can be hung from a door handle or knob so that they can be seen easily. This is a reminder for our dear friends of what season of the year we’re currently experiencing. We find these ready-to-make crafts online and at hobby stores.  They are easy to assemble and result in such a colorful, cheerful product.4.  Send a small flower arrangement.  We picked our own…zinnias from the garden of one of our Lady-Links.  These colorful flowers made beautiful arrangements in small vases and were delivered on an “ordinary” day.  By that I mean that it wasn’t a birthday or a holiday…just an ordinary day when our dear friends were pleasantly surprised and so delighted that someone was thinking of them.  5.  Send a card or note.  Do you remember “Pen Pals” from your childhood…someone you would write to and then you would look in the mailbox every day afterwards hoping that they wrote you back?  Our dear friends love getting mail….we know they aren’t going to write back or even acknowledge our cards….but their spouses and caregivers let us know how our cards and notes are enjoyed day after day as they are loving held as if they are a special keepsake.  We write phrases like “Thinking of You” or “So Glad We’re Friends” or “Just a Friendly Little Hello from Me to You” or “Thinking of You Always Makes Me Smile” in our “store-bought cards” or in cards we make.    These cheerful words help our dear friends feel valued and loved which is exactly what is needed to dispel feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Reaching out to our dear friends is important to the Lady-Links because we know what a lifeline it can be.  We’re not going to let our dear friends go through this time of social isolation which can lead to loneliness without a “touch” from us, even if it is from a distance for now.  We’re committed to reaching out.  What about you?

Our Mardi Gras celebration was different this year, due to COVID restrictions.  The Lady-Links had a choice…be disappointed that we couldn’t have our usual party and community-wide dinner or be thankful that we had alternative ways in which to celebrate.  We decided to CHOOSE JOY and be grateful for what we could do, and not focus on what we couldn’t do.  We celebrated individually with shelf and door decorations, watching a local in-house television production on the origins of Mardi Gras, and by sending encouraging notes and cards to our dear friends.

The Mardi Gras program by way of our in-house TV studio was fun as the Lady-Links and our dear friends, as well as others in our community, could feel a sense of connection as we celebrated together via the airwaves!

Our dear friends enjoyed it all…even though it was modified so that we celebrated individually in our homes, but the JOY was there!

Some of our past Mardi Gras celebrations provide us with great memories.  We look forward to the time we’re past COVID and can resume visits to all our dear friends.

In the meantime, we are celebrating as best as we can with JOY, and finding ways to continue to bring love and laughter to our dear friends.

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Here’s a Valentine

Made especially for You!

The Lady-Links aren’t going to let the COVID restrictions stop us from making and sending valentines to our dear friends!  We’ve learned how to flourish in each “restricted” situation by following the guidelines for wearing masks, social distancing and by having an attitude that says “we’re going to focus on what we can do, not on what we can’t.”  As a result, the Lady-Links were able to make over 100 valentines to send to our dear friends, those ladies in our community in various stages of cognitive decline, as well as sending valentines to all our neighbors living in our continuing care residence.

We had two options for this big event….attending in person or what we call the “Linking from Home” option where the Lady-Link makes the valentines in her home.  There were 22 Lady-Links who attended in person and 17 Lady-Links who chose the “Linking from Home” option.  For those who attended our Valentine Event, there was much love and laughter shared during our time together.

These valentines will let our dear friends know how much we value our friendship with them and is a way of sending our love.

The Lady-Links have made valentines each year since we were first organized to share with our dear friends and other residents.  Up until this year, we were able to have activities that included our dear friends in the actual making of the valentines.  However, that’s not the case this year, and the Lady-Links came up with a plan to show how much we care even though our dear friends weren’t present.  We have fond memories of pre-COVID Valentine’s Day parties and activities, and thought a trip down our Valentine Memory Lane was appropriate.   Scroll below to enjoy some Valentine pictures before COVID.

To the Lady-Links, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to link to the lives of our dear friends and neighbors with love and laughter, even if it has to be from a distance.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With Love and Laughter,

Your Lady-Links Friends

Celebrating birthdays is important, regardless of circumstances, and the Lady-Links have a plan to make birthdays special for our dear friends.  Although we can’t visit and give an in-person party as we used to because of COVID restrictions put in place for our health and safety, there’s plenty we can do.  Like sending a “ton” of cards to help brighten each dear friend’s special day.

A Happy Birthday headband to wear on her special day adds fun to the occasion.  We’ve always wanted to be “Queen for a Day” so why not be a “Birthday Queen for a Day” each year!  Works for me!

Other gifts and surprises make the celebration complete!

Hopefully, one day the Lady-Links will be able to celebrate again in-person with our dear friends.  While we’re waiting, enjoy some pictures from a few of our past birthday bashes!

The Lady-Links look forward to celebrating birthdays with all our dear friends in a safe and healthy way because it shows we care!  Move over, COVID,  we know how to celebrate in spite of you!

The Lady-Links have started a concerted effort to send cheerful cards and notes to our dear friends, those ladies in our community in various stages of cognitive decline. It is a joy both to the Lady-Link and to her dear friend to be involved in this Mail Call effort since we aren’t able to make in-person visits to everyone at this time due to COVID restrictions.  It’s fun to create or to select cards to send, and we are told from the spouses and/or caregivers of our dear friends that they love getting mail!

According to an article in the New York Times posted recently on the internet, the average household receives about 10 personal handwritten cards or letters per year.  Yes, per year.  It seems that emails, texts, and social media have taken the place of a handwritten note.  I know from experience how I sort through my mail quickly to look for something, anything, with a personal message.  Those are the ones I open first and then put in a special place where I can read and re-read them often.  The feelings of being valued by someone who took the time to write a message carry throughout the day and even beyond, according to that same New York Times article.

Here’s a look at some of our creations.

Of course we use regular stationery and “store-bought” cards too.  All are good and show our dear friends that they are remembered, loved, and appreciated.  A short handwritten phrase is usually added such as “Thinking of You” or “Have a Nice Day” or “So Glad We’re Friends.”

When our dear friends receive mail from us, we are investing our time, effort, and sometimes money, into something that will become an item for them to cherish, making a memory that will be revisited often.  These “love letters” are just that…written words that are made up of letters created with love, making Mail Call a meaningful moment in each dear friend’s day.

The Lady-Links are doing everything possible to be good neighbors by following the protocols established by our retirement community during this COVID pandemic.   As we continue with our activities to bring encouragement to our dear friends in various stages of cognitive decline, we are careful to maintain social distancing and wear masks. Even with restrictions, we have managed to find ways to continue to be neighborly by sending crafts, gifts, cookies, flowers, candy, notes, cards and even a joke book we put together to our dear friends.

Being a Good Neighbor

But isn’t that what a good neighbor does?  When my children were little, we watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, a TV program that taught how to be a good neighbor. Part of the show’s theme song included these lyrics, “I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.”  With Mr. Rogers’ viewpoint in mind, we should all strive to be neighbors who are “wanted.” And when a crisis such as a pandemic occurs, what would you want a good neighbor to do?  Most likely to find ways to be neighborly no matter what and to make the best of the situation.

Making Each Day a Beautiful Day

Another part of Mr. Rogers’ theme song says, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood….So let’s make the most of this beautiful day.”  The Lady-Links have come to realize that COVID doesn’t prevent us from having “beautiful days” and “making the most of them.”  It’s our attitude that makes each day beautiful or not.  When COVID brought about so many restrictions to our activities, we could have stopped our program…but we didn’t. We decided to continue to be “good neighbors” and to “help make each day a beautiful day” especially for our dear friends.

So….we continue to look for new ways to be good neighbors that weren’t incorporated into our program previously since, before COVID,  we were focused mainly on in-person visits.  And, as good neighbors, the Lady-Links are coming up with some great ideas to help our dear friends make each day a “beautiful day” in their neighborhood.  We think Mr. Rogers would agree.

 

 

 

 

 

The Lady-Links have a plan for 2021 that will continue to connect to our dear friends despite the COVID restrictions that are still in place and probably will be for much of this year.  We have always kept our goal of bringing love and laughter into the lives of our dear friends, those ladies in our retirement community in various stages of cognitive decline.  That goal won’t change.  But we have learned that the way in which we connect has to change depending on circumstances.

You don’t have to physically be with someone to let them know you care.  There are other ways to connect and we’re planning on doing that in three ways:

Card Connections – writing cheerful cards and notes on a regular basis.  Remember pen pals?  Well, this is the 2021 version of that!

Craft Connections – making seasonal and holiday crafts to send that will help with celebrations.

Chance Connections – taking advantage of special days or “spur of the moment” events to create something fun such as a flower bouquet or a batch of chocolate chip cookies to add joy to an otherwise ordinary day.

 

The Lady-Links will continue to show they care by adjusting how they bring love and laughter into the lives of their dear friends. We can handle change because we know our foundation for why we began Lady-Links hasn’t changed.   As a result, we can say with confidence that we look forward to 2021 even if it is COVID style.

Happy New Year from the Lady-Links

 

Our plans were in place…we had 50 Lady-Links, trained, scheduled,  and making visits to our dear friends, those ladies in our retirement community in various stages of cognitive decline, engaging them in activities they enjoyed and could successfully complete.  From craft projects to music, from cards to games, from a book club to Show and Tell sessions, we were enjoying interacting with our dear friends on a weekly basis.

Then March 2020 arrived and our in-person visits came to a halt due to restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.  The Lady-Links immediately came up with a new plan…keeping in touch with our dear friends through sending cards or notes and with phone calls.

When we realized that the restrictions on in-person visits were here to stay for an unknown extended period of time, we revised our plans once again.  We Lady-Links would meet, following the requirements for being outside with no more than eight in attendance, wearing masks and social distancing to create projects we could send to our dear friends.  The first was our Posey Party…making bouquets of flowers from a garden of one of the Lady-Links.

This was so successful that we came up with other ideas…craft projects done outside, even in the Texas heat, because the requirement was that any meetings had to be held outside.  We even brought a tape measure to our events to insure we were maintaining the six-foot distance rule!

We did a cookie project…decorating sacks and filling them with chocolate chip cookies provided by our dining services staff…and sent them to our dear friends and to their husbands.

Finally, the restrictions were lifted regarding the outside requirement for group events, so we were able to move indoors but still had to maintain social distancing with eight or less in attendance wearing masks, and we had to sanitize the room after our use.  It was just in time because the temperature was rising!

Inside, over the next several months, we compiled a joke book, made seasonal craft projects, and even decorated bags to fill with chocolates for “Do Something Nice” day.  All to share with our dear friends to keep their spirits up during this time of social isolation by letting them know they weren’t forgotten.

All projects were accomplished while fulfilling all the COVID requirements, including sanitizing what we used!

We even developed a plan we call “Linking from Home” for Lady-Links who wanted to contribute by making a craft for their dear friends,  but who preferred to stay home rather than come to a group event.

Our last group event of this unusual 2020 year was to make 100 Christmas/Holiday ornaments to send to the residents of our continuing care facility.  We accomplished this by using our Linking from Home Lady-Links and with a group of Lady-Links meeting together, following all the COVID protocols.  It was a joyful project and a perfect way to end our year.

We’ve learned that plans can change, and we’re very capable of making those changes.  What doesn’t change is our commitment to bring love and laughter into the lives of our dear friends.  We’ve had a great year…COVID style regardless!