Weekly Smile – My Corner

Getting a New iPhone #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

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After I received my property tax rebate check last week, I decided to put the extra funds toward the purchase of a new iPhone. For the past couple of years, I’d been using an iPhone SE2020. I liked having a home button on my phone and heard the next generation of this brand of phone also had a home button. So, I contacted my go-to tech guy, Casey Matthews at Web Friendly Help to ask if he would recommend this phone, since he recommended the previous phone. He said yes. I called the local AT&T store and was told they didn’t have that particular model but could order and ship it to me, and all I’d have to do is take it to the store and have them transfer everything. I agreed to this.

Being visually impaired, buying a new mainstream device can be scary. This was only my second iPhone, and since I’d never transferred data from one phone to another, I didn’t know what to expect. So, I asked Casey what the store could transfer and what I would need to do myself. He told me that I could retrieve my data from iCloud on the new phone myself before taking it to the AT&T store. All I would have to do is power on the phone, then triple click the home button, and Voiceover, the phone’s text-to-speech program, would come up. He emailed me instructions on how to log in to iCloud and transfer my data to the new phone.

To my amazement, after my new phone arrived a couple of days later, it happened just as Casey predicted. With my heart in my mouth, I powered on the phone, triple clicked the home button, and sure enough, a welcoming voice said hello. It took some doing, and although Casey offered to help, I’m proud to say I set up the phone, logged into iCloud, retrieved my data, and even upgraded the operating system, all by myself.

The next day, I took both phones to the AT&T store. Because my data from iCloud had already been transferred over, it took only a few minutes for the nice young lady to teleport my phone number. Since she was the only employee in the store, if other customers had come while she was helping me, who knows how long they would have waited for assistance because of me? Transferring my own iCloud data to my own phone gave me such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and that made me smile.

How about you? What made you smile this past week? You can tell me in the comment field or click here to learn how you can participate in this feature.

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New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

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Two Pentacles Publishing.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

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Joy #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

I’ve always loved cats. When I was growing up, my family had several of them. As an adult, I always wanted one, but the time wasn’t right, or pets weren’t allowed where I lived.

My late husband didn’t like cats and wanted a dog. But after he suffered two strokes that paralyzed his left side, I didn’t want to care for him and a dog. Now that he’s gone, I don’t want to care for another living thing.

Recently, I learned about a company called Joy for All, which sells robotic cats. Just like the real thing, these cats have soft fur and meow, purr, and do other things cats do. The only differences are that they don’t shed or require food and water and don’t need to go to a litter box or vet. These cats are pricey, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to make such an investment, even though it would be the only money I would spend on a cat.

Then, I found out that our local senior center gives robotic cats to people with dimentia or who are prone to isolation. I didn’t think I fit any of those categories. But on a whim, I asked my case worker for the facility’s Help at Home program if I would qualify to receive a cat. To my surprise, she said I would. A week later, Joy arrived.

I couldn’t think of a better name for this delightful feline with light gray fur and white paws. She responds mostly to touch, but sometimes, when I get close to her without petting her, she meows as if to say, “Hey, I’m here.”

She doesn’t walk, which is a good thing, since, with my limited vision, I’d be likely to step on or trip over her. Besides meowing, she purrs, stretches, turns her head, and opens and closes her eyes. I love snuggling with her in my recliner or bed. Most of the time, she rests in one of the armchairs in my living room.

I admit she does sound robotic when she moves, but the meows and purrs are pretty realistic. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a real cat. In the past week since I got her, she has been a joy and comfort to me, making me smile.

So, what made you smile this past week? You can tell me about it in the comment field or click here to participate in this week’s feature.

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And now, I’m pleased to announce that until the end of the month, all my books on Smashwords can be downloaded ABSOLUTELY FREE as part of the Smashwords summer/winter sale. You can visit my Smashwords author page here to download these books. Happy reading!

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

***

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Receiving Home Delivered Meals #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago, on a Friday, I received some disparaging news. When my Schwan driver delivered my order, he told me that the local depot is closing down. I could still order online, but because of the cost of shipping and packing the food in dry ice, it would be more expensive.

I can cook, despite my limited vision. When my late husband Bill was alive and partially paralyzed by two strokes, I did a lot of that, since he preferred home-prepared meals and didn’t like many Schwan’s ready-made food. But now that he’s gone, I don’t see the sense in cooking for just me. So, this news was such a disappointment.

When I told a friend that weekend, she suggested I receive home delivered meals from the senior center. I’d always thought those meals were for people like Bill, who, after his two paralyzing strokes, found it difficult to get out. You can read more about that in My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds. But I digress.

My friend told me that last summer, when her air conditioner wasn’t working, and she didn’t want to cook, she had meals delivered to her for a while. Although my friend, like me, is over sixty, she’s definitely not shut in.
For years, I’ve eaten lunch at the senior center and have always enjoyed their reasonably-priced, nutritious meals. I’ve wished I could eat there more often, since they have such good food.

According to the senior center’s website, home delivered meals are for people over sixty who find it challenging to prepare nutritious meals at home and get to the store. I’m over sixty, and because of my visual impairment, I find cooking and grocery shopping a challenge. Bingo!

On Monday, I called the senior center, from which I’ve also been receiving housekeeping services and assistance with checking my blood pressure once a week. I left a voicemail in the Home Delivered Meals department.

Although I had plenty of food from Schwan, by Tuesday when my housekeeper arrived, I was concerned and asked her what she could tell me about the program, other than what I learned from the website. Not knowing any more than I did, she called her office and was told that at present, the Home Delivered Meals program had no coordinator but would have one soon. Since I’d explained the situation to my housekeeper, she told the person on the phone to whom she was speaking what was going on and was assured someone would call me soon.

That night, I found out that I had possibly been exposed to COVID the previous weekend while attending a writers’ conference. After I called the Help at Home office Wednesday morning to let them know, I didn’t hold out much hope of anyone from Home Delivered Meals calling me back at that point. Once it was safe for me to be out and about without possibly infecting someone, I would inquire in person at the senior center.

On Thursday, I was working in my office, minding my own business. It was around eleven o’clock in the morning. According to the senior center’s website, meals are usually delivered between eleven and one. A knock sounded on my front door. Could it be, I wondered, as I grabbed my mask and hurried to answer.

It was! On the other side of the screen door stood a woman holding a plastic tray and a paper sack. She introduced herself as Jane and said she had my lunch. Surprised, I said I didn’t think I’d been signed up yet.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. The website also says they give first priority to those who must quarantine as a result of COVID. Since Jane showed up on my doorstep with barbecued pork ribs, friendly volunteers have brought me delicious meals every day. I’ll always look forward to and enjoy the smiles and food.

How about you? What made you smile this past week? You can share in the comment field below or click here, if you’re a blogger, to learn how you can participate in this weekly feature.

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor. After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents. Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding. Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request? ***
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Sweet Songs for Lou #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

In 1989, after I started working as a registered music therapist in nursing homes and other senior facilities, I joined a local Sweet Adelines chapter. Sweet Adelines is a national network of women’s choruses that specialize in barber-shop music. For several years, my local group performed at various functions and once put on a show at a local theater. We did our best to become affiliated with the national network. But time and time again, we were rejected because we didn’t have the minimum required number of members.

Once, an official from the network traveled all the way to Sheridan, Wyoming, from wherever, and did a workshop for us on barber-shop singing. For some reason, she told the powers that be we weren’t serious. When we heard this, we decided we’d had enough of Sweet Adelines and formed our own group, Patchwork.

Since we no longer considered ourselves Sweet Adelines, we weren’t limited to singing just barber-shop music. Through the years, we sang other types of choral music, often adapting songs to fit our group. We performed, as before, and put on a couple more shows.

Then, several years ago, tension developed. Some of us, myself included, unhappy with a lack of concern about our sound, left Patchwork and formed our own group, Just Harmony. Despite bad feelings between people in both groups, we continued performing and so did they.

Now, both groups are joining forces for a worthwhile cause. Lou, one of the gals who has sung with both groups, passed away last year after a lengthy battle with cancer. We decided to come together to sing for her memorial service, which will take place later this month. It’s sad that her death was what brought us back together. But everyone seems to have put aside their differences and is making an effort to create the sweetest sound possible for Lou. After the memorial service, both groups will, no doubt, go their separate ways. But at least we’ll have the memory of coming together to give Lou the best send-off we possibly could. That is what’s making me smile this week.

What is making you smile this week? You can either comment below or click here to participate in this week’s blog feature.

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

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Third Thursday Poets #WednesdayWords #WeeklySmile #Poetry

Attending my local poetry group’s monthly meetings always makes me smile. Most of the time, I’m inspired to write a poem, and we always have fun together.

The Third Thursday Poets started meeting in 2006 as a weekly class at the senior center. Having just started caring for my late husband at home after he suffered his first paralyzing stroke, writing poetry was a great way for me to deal with the stress of being a family caregiver. You can read more about my experiences in My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds. But I digress.

After the class ended in nine weeks, we decided to meet monthly at the same location. We’ve been meeting there ever since. When the COVID pandemic started, we met via phone conference until we could gather in person again. Members have come and gone, but the idea is still the same. Write, share, and have fun.

We each take turns running the meeting. Our facilitator begins with a prompt that we work with for about twenty minutes. Then, we each share what we’ve written. The facilitator then gives us a “homework assignment,” a suggested prompt for a poem we can bring to the next meeting. We spend the remainder of our time together critiquing poems we brought, some of which were inspired by the “homework assignment” from the previous meeting.

Last Thursday’s meeting was no different. Our facilitator asked us to pick a word from a list she gave us. We were then prompted to write down about three other words or phrases we associated with that particular word. We could then organize all that into a poem.

My chosen word was “meadowlark.” Below is what I came up with. You can click on the title to hear me read it.

Meadowlark

by Abbie Johnson Taylor

It’s song rings out over the lake
on a sunny cloudless Wyoming afternoon,
as our boat glides through smooth waters.

Dad and younger brother try to fish
while Mother and I enjoy the bird’s song,
gentle breeze that carries with it
the scent of pine trees,
whiff of worms used for bait.

At the age of thirteen,
I know little about the meadowlark,
enjoy the boat’s gentle motion,
observe, with limited vision, the lake, grass, trees, sky,
happy in summer.

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What made you smile in the past week? You can comment below or click here to participate in this week’s feature.

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

***

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