Hats of Hope: Kaylee & Mom at Summer Trace

It all started with our friend, Sally B., who gives her mother-in-law a manicure every Wednesday when we are playing cards at Summer Trace. Several weeks ago Sally handed me a newspaper article she thought my Mom would be interested in. The article was about a young woman, Kaylee, who started "Hats of Hope" to make hats for cancer patients. Mom had me copy the article for Joan in Activities at Summer Trace. Joan arranged for Kaylee, with Hats of Hope, and her mom to come Feb. 24 to teach the Summer Trace knitting group how to make the hats for cancer patients using a Knifty Knitter loom. It was an incredible evening.

Our friend, Jan (above center), was there and helped Mom most of the evening while I took pictures. Then Jan showed me how to work with Mom on the loom! Two of Mom's speech student friends from the Aphasia Support Group were also there. They were all a great help! Enjoy the slide show below. (Click arrow at the end to restart it.) The two Butler Speech students (on the last slide) who helped that ending are Ashley Cofield and Elizabeth Stoner. Thank you girls!

Kaylee's Hats of Hope website is:
http://sites.google.com/site/hatsofhopeinfo
Kaylee was able to give the looms to Summer Trace to use due to the many grants and awards she has earned. Thank you Kaylee!

Other helping hands and friends.

God is so good! Mom had a delightful dinner guest at Summer Trace Monday night, Feb 16. Kristin, is one of the Speech students who works with stroke survivors at the Aphasia support group Mom and I go to on the first Monday of every month. Kristin and Mom have become friends and Kristin asked if she could come and have dinner with Mom.

I arranged for Mom and I to meet Kristin in the lobby at Summer Trace. Mom wanted her friend, Erna, to join them for dinner AND Mom wanted me to take a picture! Then I bowed out and let them enjoy their evening together without me.

After spending the evening with Mom, Kristin sent me the email below which was SUCH a blessing to my heart! Thank YOU Kristin!!! You are a total joy to Mom!

Betsy;
I had SO much fun with your mom and her friends tonight! They are all so sweet :) Your mom showed me the WHOOOOLE place- I kept saying, are you sure you don't want to sit down and take a little break? She insisted we keep going until she showed me everything! I really had a great time and am so glad I got to visit with your mom- she's adorable. Thanks for helping set it up! Hope to see you at the March 1st aphasia group meeting!!!
Kristin Simko
Butler University
Communication Disorders Major, Psychology Minor
NSSLHA President & Region IV Councilor
Epsilon Beta of Alpha Phi
Research Assistant- Babytalk Research Lab

New & old friends for Weds Card night Feb. 10

A new friend, Ralph, joined us for the first time for cards Feb. 10th. He likes to play Kings-in-the-Corner but we didn't have a table going for that and - since Charlie couldn't be there that night - we asked Ralph to play at the Euchre table. Phil got in on the last hand and he and Ralph won!

Our friend, Jan, stopped by which is always a real treat for me and for Mom. Linda came in to share a cat story which she knows Mom enjoys. It was a fun evening. My husband is my hero in this challenging world of Senior Caregiving.

Below is a slide show of photos for this post. For those of you who are checking this on your iPhone or your Blackberry: you may have to go to your computer to see the slide show below!

February 2010 Speech Students & Card Night

We had a GREAT Aphasia Support Group meeting this month. Mom really enjoys the Speech students who come to work with this group. Here she is with Katie (left) and Kristin (right). This was taken right before Mom got her hair cut. I love Mom's hair.

That same week we had quite a group for card night. First, we had a new friend, Jane (at right in the photo below). Kelly Potter joined us after she finished work at Summer Trace. With Kelly was her friend, Charlie. Then Peggy joined us (at left).

Kelly, on staff with Resident Services, enjoys helping Mom at Summer Trace and she is a great blessing to us!!!

Mom loved having "young" Charlie there. He had some great cards and some great plays. And every time he played a string of cards Mom would exclaim, "Oh!!!" In the photo below, Peggy had left and Mom's friend with a beautiful English accent joined us.

Phil, Helen, Bob and our "older" Charlie play Euchre. Charlie has moved down the street to Sunrise Senior Living, so we go pick him up every week for cards. He brought Bob a Ford hat for his birthday this week. Bob just turned 93! He and Helen have been married over 70 years!

Gary and Sally and their family share Wednesday evenings with us. Gary is wearing the GM hat Charlie brought him.