Good thing my mom and aunt read my posts.  They gave me a couple corrections to the cake recipe I posted yesterday.  I have now made the corrections so if you have shared the recipe, please re-share it with the update.  The most important update is that there are three cups of flour not two…and oh yeah, you have to add the eggs!

Since the very beginning of this program, I have been astounded by the generosity and kindness of people I have never even met. From the very first post I made on Facebook asking for all my friends to send cards for my grandmother’s nursing home, to the boxes of cards I now receive regularly, my faith in humanity has never been greater. When people come together for a common good a beautiful thing happens and programs such as ours are given life to survive. I have been in the armed forces, worked… Read More

I promised to send Grandma Lola’s Pound Cake Recipe that she shared and here it is: Ron 3 Cups Sugar 3 Sticks Butter (softened – use real butter) 3 cups Flour (bread flour is best) 6 Eggs 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp lemon extract 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup Sour Cream Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until mixed well. Add eggs and mix well.  Add flour and mix well. Add baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix well…. Read More

One of my favorite times in the Bring Smiles to Seniors program is when we have sent a batch of cards out to the schools and they come back with the students messages written inside. Most of our cards come from elementary age children, although we do have high schools and colleges involved as well. We have to read every card for appropriateness and it is very rare that we ever have to pull a card. When we do, it is usually because there is a message that may mean one thing… Read More

Vacation always reminds me of the importance of down time for the body and soul. In our daily lives we go and go and while we try and take care of everything and everyone we sometimes forget how important it is to take care of ourselves as well. No one can do that for us, so we must remember to do it for ourselves. This past week I did just that and had the pleasure of spending time in our 49th state, Alaska. On January 3, 1959 President Eisenhower signed a special… Read More

When I was in high school I was involved in speech and debate. As part of that effort I often participated in oratorical contests that were sponsored by the American Legion. One of the requirements of the contests were that you had to deliver both a memorized and extemporaneous speech based on a series of topics that would be drawn at any given event. For me, the memorization part was the hardest as the speeches were quite lengthy. As my grandmother and I would visit friends and shut-ins around town, she would… Read More

One of the hardest things about dealing with a loved one who has dementia is the moment when you see them for the first time and they don’t recognize you. You look into their eyes and search deep into their soul and try to come up with something, anything that will help make them remember. Sometimes you get a nugget, sometimes you don’t, but inevitably you get to the point where the memory is no longer there on the outside and you take comfort in the fact that somewhere on the inside… Read More

Growing up, most kids spent their time playing and hanging out with friends. While I certainly did my share of that, I also had the opportunity to have a different experience that led me to what we do today. My grandmother raised three children on her own starting in the 1940’s. No easy task given the time period and the situation. I was the first grandchild and lived in the same town as my grandmother, so naturally a bond formed between us that would last a lifetime. As a result, I spent… Read More