He Took Every Art Course Available in His High School as Well as Private Lessons
John Elder’s mother and other maternal relatives were visual artists. He took every art course available in his high school as well as private lessons, but freshman year in college changed his major from studio art to psychology. and only returned seriously to the field in retirement, taking advantage of the many offerings in the…
Read MoreIt Started With Her Wanting to Draw Her Three Daughter’s Portraits
Virginia Dale Clark Levy has always been interested in art, but became more interested when she was raising her three daughters and wanted to draw their portraits. Virginia attended Michigan State College, where she majored in Journalism. She worked as a reporter for the Lansing State Journal and the Bay City Times, before moving to…
Read MoreHe Had a Great Passion for Jerusalem
Thomas Fisher dedicated over 40 years to crafting “Jerusalem: The Golden,” a book born from his two Holy Land expeditions in the late 70s and 80s, which ignited his fascination with the subject. Alongside his literary pursuits, Thomas is an avid traveler and photography enthusiast, with captivating snapshots from his Limerick, Ireland journey. Before retiring…
Read MoreShe Won Many Local Art Show Awards
Helen Eliot was born in 1926 in Shanghai, China, to British parents. Her father was instrumental in establishing a modern postal service there. After his untimely death from complications related to surgery, the family headed to their California avocado farm but were captured by the Japanese and spent the rest of World War II in…
Read MoreHe Enrolled in an Art Class That Revitalized His Talents
Dr. James Butcher enjoyed a prosperous 35-year career in academic-clinical psychology before his foray into watercolor painting, a passion that lay dormant since childhood, when a teacher praised his artistic potential. Doodling during lengthy faculty meetings was his only artistic outlet for many years until his spark was rekindled in 2002 when he rediscovered a…
Read MoreCrime proofing your home
Seniors experience property crime thirteen times more often than violent crime. Burglary is the most common. (Interestingly, it typically occurs between noon and 4:00 pm!) The average loss is roughly $3,000, although that does not account for the emotional impact: A profound sense of violation and vulnerability. October is Crime Prevention Month. There are things…
Read MoreSenior move managers
Does your loved one need to downsize? Move? Does the prospect seem overwhelming? Perhaps not just physically, but emotionally too? Enter the senior move manager: Part mover, part interior decorator, part compassionate friend. These professionals take a holistic approach. They handle the physical logistics. They are also skilled at assisting older adults with the emotional…
Read MoreFrontotemporal dementia (FTD)
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an umbrella term for a cluster of conditions that makes up about 10 percent of dementia cases. It’s the most common form when dementia occurs before age 65. What sets FTD apart is a sudden and dramatic change. Often in a person’s behavior. But speech and/or movement abilities can be affected.…
Read MoreCaring as a stepfamily
The majority of us feel obliged to help an ailing parent (77 percent, according to Pew Research Center). But if your parent is okay and your stepparent is ill, then what? Should you help with caregiving? (Pew data indicate 56 percent of us feel obliged.) What if your parent also has health challenges and providing…
Read MoreManaging pain with music
Here’s a prescription for pain relief: the sound of music. Pain is very real. It is also a perception. How strongly we feel pain at any given time depends a good deal on our thoughts and mood. Music has a profound influence on both. Indeed, research shows that using music as therapy can reduce the…
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