Cross Posting From Alzheimer's BLOG

I just posted an update on Gregory and my journey with Alzheimer's Disease. If you want a snapshot of where our life had landed check here.

http://mhorvichcares.blogspot.com/2014/09/fall-204-update.html

Update

If you only have been reading this BLOG, you know that more of my energy has been going into my Alzheimer's BLOG as Gregory's condition worsens.

His condition has really plummeted since Christmas and during the first week of January got to the point of his needing care that was more sophisticated than I could deliver at home.

In four short days of chaotic activity, which under the best of conditions is amazing and these were not the best conditions, I was able to find a space for him at one of Chicago's best Memory Care Facilities. He is calm, seems content, and so far is making the adjustment smoothly. For more information visit: http://mhorvichcares.blogspot.com

Yes, my creative writing suffers as the risk of Gregory's Alzheimer's. But I am pleased to announce that my Alzheimer's Blog
http://mhorvichcares.blogspot.com
just went over 20,000 hits since its inception in June 2010.

A Writing Transition

I have been pondering the transition away from this writer's BLOG. I find that most of my time, energy, and creative forces are directed towards being a 24/7 caregiving partner for Gregory and therefore my writing has focused on our Alzheimer's Path.

I am in the process of reviewing my manuscript called GYROSCOPE: An Alzheimer's Love Story which documents the path Gregory and I are walking, and will begin to seek its publication.

I am almost ready with a second "slim volume of poetry" which I will self publish and make available through Amazon.com and Lulu.com. I will post more information when it is available.

So while I am not closing this BLOG, I will not be posting as often if at all for a while. The risk I take by doing this is loosing my readership but hopefully you will check back periodically to see IF there is anything new and that you will check my Alzheimer's BLOG at http://mhorvichcares.blogspot.com

Meanwhile, thank for following and hope you have a great summer 2013!

Fondly,
Michael

Wow, just realized that 13 days have passed without my posting. And yet there is still a loyal following, checking in for new posts. To my readers, THANKS. I know that an apology is not necessary but I will give one anyway.

You all know that my life partner of over 35 years, Gregory, was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer's Disease approximately ten years ago. http://mhorvichcares.blogspot.com

For these last ten years my life has continued to evolve but most often in the direction of being Gregory's caregiver; running two lives (his and mine;) learning how to cook (someone has to do it;) getting our finances, wills, trust, medical issues in order (get these things out of the way while you still can;) and trying to live life as close to normal as the big "A" allows. 

I'll also mention that while I haven't been in any operas, we are still involved in tech rehearsals as a way of getting free tickets, Michael's Museum has taken a lot of time, we get out to a lot of theater and events, our social life and friends abound, I continue to write every day, etc.

I mention all of this to explain that instead of posting here with my personal writing, most of my writing has been about our life with Alzheimer's. It provides me with a way to share our life with family and friends as well as others who are dealing with loved ones who have been living with Alzheimer's. It also is a way for me to process what I am going through as Gregory progresses with this disease. 

So be sure to check not only this place, where I am going to try to post more often, but also visit the Alz BLOG at the above link. P.S. Love getting your COMMENTS.

Evanston Writer's Workshop

Wow. This weekend was spent at a conference sponsored by the Evanston Writer's Workshop. It was their second annual writer's conference and it was a hit! I came away feeling renewed, I learned new things to help me with my craft, and was able to reconfirm myself as a writer.

Deb and Amanda organized the conference accounting for every detail, provided a comfortable setting in the form of the Winnetka Community House, found amazing people to share their knowledge of the craft and art of writing, fed us well, and were generous with the "freebies" including a tote bag, book, journal, etc.

It was good seeing the people I knew from attending the Workshop sessions during the year as well as making new writer friends. It was the year anniversary since I met my new friend Pat and it was great sharing the experience with her.

The presenters were so supportive. Cherry Adiar, New York Times Best Seller romantic suspense writer, adopted me and I her. She opened for me a new challenge of "plotting," the possibility of writing fiction and helped me see how I could achieve academic and business "left brain" activities in a creative "right brain" kind of way. She made us all feel that we could be successful and accomplish whatever we put out minds to.

Several publishers, including Tera, Dawn, and Kelly listened to a "pitch" (brief explanation) of my current work and were very supportive, offering concrete suggestions and reinforcing the importance of the writing I am doing on love, hope, and Alzheimer's Disease.

After a hiatus from writing because of the work of getting Michael's Museum up and running, I am excited to be back to working on my writing and continuing my efforts at getting my manuscript published.

Writing Less

I seem to be writing less about general things as I write more about Alzheimer's Disease and Michael's Museum. Both of these are taking a lot of time and effort from me, both a labor of love but also a drain. Carmen, the current opera in which I am appearing at The Lyric Opera of Chicago, makes me sound like a prima donna doesn't it, is also taking time and love but that will end by my birthday on March 27th. This just in time to celebrate not only my 66th birthday (which I think I would prefer to let quietly slip by) but also the first anniversary of my mother's death. And this will take time and effort. I yearn for some empty time away from what I know I would end up carrying with me anyway. No escape. Will need to do some work on this.

HINT FICTION: Alzheimers

He was pondering the medicine chest.

"Toothbrush?" I answered unasked.

Right. More pondering.

"Toothpaste?" I answered unasked.

Right. More pondering.

Where will this disease take us?

Word count: 25

"In The Table" & "On The Wall"

Last night Gregory and I were featured artists at Jan and Jake's "In The Table Gallery." Jan wrote a wonderful BLOG about the event and instead of trying to do the job as well as she did, I have posted the link to her entry:
Jan's BLOG: "Nexus"

Dedicated to Gregory

As I lie in bed about to go to sleep at our favorite time, 11:11, with the rabbits, cow, horse, and Madonna looking down on us from the markings left on the concrete ceiling of our condo, tears remind me of the other night when I apologized for having been so impatient with him. He responded, "Michael, I do not expect you to change, just be here." This story is dedicated to Gregory, he is not a victim of Alzheimer's Disease, he is a hero. His calm demeanor continues to shine through the language loss, the confusion, the misunderstandings, my impatience. This story is dedicated to Gregory. I love him so and now for sure … More Than Ever!


BE SURE TO VISIT MY OTHER BLOG: Michael Horvich Cares About People Who Care About Alzheimer's Disease

Happiness

“Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and author (1884-1962) 

Happiness. A “by-product” of what? I find it difficult to wake up in the morning with a smile on my face, like my cat does as she opens her eyes each and every morning and purrs just to be awake. Life is a scary place out there. Religion seems to be helping fewer and fewer people. The food industry continues to pull the lamb chop wool over our eyes with false and misleading information if not downright lies. Politics and government continue the rhetoric and the race for the next election while doing little. Greed seems to be the bottom line of most financial endeavors. There is less oil with which to drive and more oil on the loose with which to kill aquatic animals and fish. People continue to do things to each other that range from nasty to evil.

So if happiness isn’t the goal, and sometimes it seems like it’s not even an option, of what is it a by-product? How about the possibility that one has to do the best one can do given the situation and the conditions we are faced with? How about the possibility that there is a lot of good out there that while not highlighted in the newspapers should be noticed and acknowledged? How about one act of faith, or one act of kindness, or one act of caring? How about an “I Love You” or a “Thank You” as often as possible to those around you.

Perhaps the by-product is how we perceive the “stuff” of our life and how we choose to think about it. How we choose to react to it. Can we not take things personally? Can we continue to be optimistic in the face of difficulties. Can we be grateful for what we have rather than obsess on what we do not have? Is our life half empty or half full?

Perhaps the best we can do is to be grateful for what we have (because it could get worse) and to know that in one minute we could have NOTHING, i.e. enter the great hooded, scythed Angel of Death. Perhaps the best we can do is realize that we already have happiness because it exists there inside of us and the choice is ours to acknowledge it or not. Perhaps the best we can do is act as though we are happy every morning just to see the sun rise, like my kitty does, and behave throughout the day as though we were happy? Then maybe one day we will wake up and realize that Happiness is ours.

Alzheimer's Disease Facts

A report from the Alzheimer’s Association released this week, says the number of Americans age 65 and older who have the disease will increase from 5.1 million today to 13.5 million 40 years from now. 

HERE IS A SITE YOU MIGHT LIKE TO VISIT

The Alzheimer's Foundation