Category: Caregiving for parents

5 Reasons Why Snail Mail Rocks

5 Reasons Why Snail Mail Rocks
Email is so old school. Everybody instagrams facebook posts, texts, skypes, snapchats. But give me a second, here. I’ll give you 5 reasons why snail mail rocks. It can’t hold a candle to a cold-hearted text or a boring typed email. Chris, my foster son is in Georgia, with 5 weeks left of US Army basic training.... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
October 8, 2013 at 2:56 pm • 

Top 5 Ways to Turn 50

Top 5 Ways to Turn 50
Vacation is over, and Costa Rica was beautiful. But it’s time for a reality check. How about a new month, new season, and a new decade? The half century one if you know what I mean. The big 5.0. There are many ways to turn this chronological age, which is only a baby boomer number, right? I... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
September 5, 2013 at 12:06 pm • 

Summer Has a Start and Finish, Just Like a Race

Summer Has a Start and Finish, Just Like a Race
The shotgun blast that started summer’s race is long over, but the scream of back-to-school season is just as loud. I think I have all 13 weeks of astronomical summer to finish everything on my list, but if the first day of school marks its end, then “real-feel” summer is only 8 weeks and 3... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
August 7, 2013 at 6:10 pm • 
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5 Sure-fire Ways to Honor Your Parents

5 Sure-fire Ways to Honor Your Parents
Honoring parents at any age can be hard or easy as pie, depending on one’s perspective. As a caregiver for my parents in their late 80s, I am the filling between 2 flaky crusts: the “greatest” post-war generation and the millennial generation, of which my teen sons are a part. I try to make the... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
July 23, 2013 at 11:42 am • 

Martha Stewart Writes About Caring for Others--Maybe

Martha Stewart Writes About Caring for Others--Maybe
How soft is Martha Stewart’s post-prison heart? Could she really be caring for others instead of creating things for others? Recently the 71-year-old diva wrote a new book. Ho hum. But it is not a new book about antique china and complicated appetizers. Hmmmm. Martha wants to help those in their 40s on up to live well. And to give caregivers... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
July 16, 2013 at 10:03 am • 

10 "Best of" Spring 2013

10 "Best of" Spring 2013
Hello, summertime! Remember the significant spring? It was the time teenage boys became men. The time baby birds pecked themselves out of eggs. Cracklin’ good, but hectic and confusing, too. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” to borrow... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
June 25, 2013 at 9:53 am • 
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To Give and To Get: 3 Great Gifts for Mother's Day

To Give and To Get: 3 Great Gifts for Mother's Day
Do you feel pressure surrounding all things Mother’s Day? There’s an ironic tension for me to enjoy the day, but there’s the stress to plan for my family and give great gifts like there’s no tomorrow to my mother. My relationship with my mom who has Alzheimer’s Disease (ok, not officially diagnosed, but close enough)... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
May 9, 2013 at 10:33 am • 

Achieving a Balanced Life: Equal Likes for Broccoli

Achieving a Balanced Life: Equal Likes for Broccoli
There was a small victory in my house last week. You may think it very small in the fabric of family life. But it caused me to stand up and cheer. And to feel that life balance is achievable, like adding the right seasoning in a main dish, or leaning just so, on one leg,... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
April 25, 2013 at 8:18 pm • 

Responding to the Boston Marathon Tragedy: So Glad for the Guard and First Responders

Responding to the Boston Marathon Tragedy: So Glad for the Guard and First Responders
These are the size-13 boots of a citizen soldier. The new boots of a young National Guard enlistee who swore to support and defend the constitution of America from its enemies, both foreign and domestic. The kind of enemies that showed up yesterday and rocked our world. A world of thousands of Americans, runners, families, and spirited... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
April 16, 2013 at 6:04 pm • 
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2 Sure Signs of...Spring? Nah...Sprinter!

2 Sure Signs of...Spring? Nah...Sprinter!
Spring is playing a very good game of hide and seek, too good. Flurries and gray clouds give way to some shiny rays, but being outside–is still–not fun. Puffy winter clothes lay claim to the closet, instead of proper burial in the basement. This month, Sprinter measures our patience. It’s good to know that 2 sure signs... Read more »
By Carole Pye,
March 28, 2013 at 11:26 am • 
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    Carole Pye

    I’m a freelance writer married to thrill-seeking husband, Jim, and mom to fantastic teenage sons: Austin, (18) Trevor, (16) and volunteer foster son, Chris (18). I am also a proud caregiver for my parents, Bob, a WWII Army Air Corps veteran, 87, and Jean, his wife, 85. In between the shuttling and the shuffling of senior boys and senior parents, you can find me sitting still, enjoying a cup of steaming hot tea while pondering the next thing to do.

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