Skip to main content

Recommended

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat [Hardcover]
This book is written by a physician and geriatrician.  It is about a cat that lives on the Steere House Nursing and Rehab. Center in Providence, Rhode Island.  Oscar lives in the wing that houses those in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.  The thing about him is that he senses the end of life and is unfailingly there for dying and their families.
If you have experienced the heartbreak of caring for someone with dementia, or, if you have experienced evidence  for the souls of animals, you will not get through this beautiful story with dry eyes.

You can read about the ten signs of dementia in contrast to "normal" lapses in memory here.

Comments

  1. I'll check this book out immediately. Finding a new book to read was next on my list so this takes care of that.

    I've had personal experience with a cat knowing the end of life stage. They really know.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the information. Apparently, my memory loss is normal. So far, so good.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I have heard of this cat. This must be a bitter/sweet read.

    Gentle hugs,
    .♥.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think there are many cats (and probably other animals) who can sense when The Time is near. I don't know how they know, but they do, and so often, they will stay close as if to be of comfort.
    There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too have heard of this cat. What a blessing he is to give comfort to the dying.
    I was nervous about clicking on "here" but went anyway and think I just might be normal. Phew.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This book sound great.

    I guess I have a few things to worry about when it comes to memory, but then I remember that I taught the present progressive tense in my class this morning and did ok with that. My students even seemed to understand. If I can remember all this after retirement, I guess I must not be too advanced in my memory loss. Since I haven't thought about this tense since I retired, my memory must still work.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for adding the link about whether or not I have dementia. I can't remember if I have it or not.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I knew long before this list that I was demented. But I'm happy to now have a place to refer friends and family so they know I'm not just being dramatic.

    JUST being dramatic...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I appreciate readers' comments so much. You don't even always have to agree with me.

Popular posts from this blog

Updates

 On September 29, I had the closing on my condo. Everything that was not going to the buyers was out and packed in the ABF moving truck which had by the been taken over to the storage units. Don thought it would take him until Wednesday to finish packing the truck with the help of his son. It took him until late Thursday with Chris' help and mine. Kevin was supposed to help load as well but he was in a mountain bike accident and wrecked his shoulder the week before. That added driving him to doctor appointments to my to do list and dong some shopping for him plus jobs around the house that might need two functioning upper limbs.  We stayed with Kevin on Friday night after the closing and then had a suite in an extended stay place for the coming week. This was the worst possible time to have to get a room because the prices balloon during leaf peeping season if you can even find a room at all. But it was close to the storage units where we were working and it was dog friendly. We ju

Wedding

 Don and I drove to South Carolina to attend the wedding of my step-grandson, Will. Will Will and Katie The wedding took place on Dataw Island, a beautiful outdoor ceremony followed by a reception in the country club. We stayed in a tiny cottage in the historic center of Beaufort, rented from Vrbo. Since the wedding was at 5 p.m., we had time to explore the area a bit. I really like the low country scenery and historical charm. Sitting quietly in the curtained gazebo I was visited by multiple cardinals. They came to visit the feeder, not me, but I can always pretend! How I will always remember Will!

Rest In Peace

 In a summer that has been so wet, Sunday was a reprieve. The humidity dropped and the sun came out. It was a day that could have been special ordered by the family of a friend's husband. It was the day they had arranged his celebration of life ceremony set on the shore of Lake Champlain. I was not looking forward to the gathering, even couched as a celebration. This is a family fraught with relationship tensions. It turned out to be a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony. A Catholic priest gave a brief but meaningful homily and two Air Force members played "Taps" and presented the American flag to my friend. I am not a Christian, but I do know about Christ Consciousness. That priest's word's filled me with such a sense of peace and love. I hope it did the same for the family members and neighbors who attended.