Tag Archives: books

August 15, 2026 · 1:32 pm

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias audiobook version is now available

If you’ve been following The Memories Project for awhile, you may remember that a story about my father’s dementia experience is included in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias. This week, the audiobook companion version was released.

I’m not usually a huge fan of audiobooks but I have to say that these stories really come to life when you hear them spoken aloud. My story is called “French Toast.” You can purchase the audiobook version from your favorite retailer. Below is where I found my story but the chapter/track numbering may vary depending upon your preferred platform settings.

All of the stories are excellent and worth listening to; here are some of my favorites:

  • The Clock with One Hand
  • The Lady in the Mirror
  • The Bird
  • Talking Potato
  • The Bear
  • The Pianist
  • My Valentine

I like the fact that the collections spans the wide spectrum of experiences once can have on the dementia journey, from frustrating to heartbreaking to humorous. I typically focus on the negative aspects of the disease, so I was pleasantly surprised when my humorous story was chosen for this collection. It’s a reminder that humor can make a difference even in the darkest of times. I could have shelved the incident that inspired “French Toast” and never shared it beyond family, but something prompted me to submit it to a Chicken Soup for the Soul callout. And now all of these years later, almost 15 years after my father’s death, this little story now has the opportunity once again to put a smile on weary people’s faces.

Looking for more audio-based dementia content? Check out The Chicken Soup for the Soul podcast. A recent episode focuses on dementia care.

Book cover image courtesy of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

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March 1, 2026 · 1:35 pm

A reminder to slow down … from the dog

This weekend I got what turned out to be a funny reminder to slow down. Yesterday I was knocking out a bunch of household chores and was intent on getting the bed made before lunch. I was making ramen for lunch and had some leftover beef broth from making soup earlier in the week that I wanted to use instead of water to make it extra tasty.

Murphy, my senior dog, also enjoys a bit of Brutus Bone Broth with his meals, a special formulation for dogs with supplements for joint health. I keep the broth containers, which come in similar carton containers, on separate shelves in the refrigerator after opening so I don’t accidentally give Murphy my broth which has sodium and seasonings like onion and garlic in it.

Welp, you can probably figure out what happened next. Yesterday in my rush to have all my chores done before lunch, I started the ramen while distracted and let it cook while I made the bed. [First mistake.] Murphy was extra excited in the kitchen and getting underfoot while I was making lunch, so I shooed him out. [Second mistake.] I got the bed made and ate my lunch and then got ready to feed the dog that evening.

And when I opened the refrigerator, I was surprised to find no dog broth. How is that possible, it wasn’t near empty yet ….

Ruh-roh. That’s when my eyes saw the container of beef broth, still sitting on a lower shelf. I had accidentally used the dog’s broth in my ramen.

I probably turned a little green around the gills while I dug the dog broth carton out of the trash. My first concern was if the broth was gluten-free, as I’m a celiac and strictly follow a no gluten diet. I breathed a big sigh of relief when I saw those two magical words “gluten free” on the label. That was followed closely by two more welcomed words: “human grade.” Scanning the limited, whole-food ingredients, the dog-formulated broth was probably healthier than the broth for people. The joint supplements were also fine for people.

I’m fine and can laugh about the whole situation now, especially Murphy trying to give me a sign. He was probably wondering what yummy treat I was making him with his broth! Fortunately I had another container of dog broth in the pantry, so he will not go without. You would think the author of Slow Dog would take some her own advice. It’s a good reminder that being intentional requires daily practice.

As a caregiver, of course, it’s even more important to not be distracted when preparing meals to avoid allergies or drug interactions. Your and your loved one’s well-being is more important than when the bed gets made. Lesson learned and noted!

Looking for more caregiving tips? I’m participating in the The 17th annual Smashwords Read an Ebook Week sale. Get the e-book version of The Reluctant Caregiver for half off through March 7, 2026.

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January 18, 2026 · 3:41 pm

AlzAuthors now part of the All Home Care Matters family

In case you didn’t hear the news, AlzAuthors is now officially part of the All Home Care Matters family.

I’ve been fortunate to be part of the AlzAuthors community over the years and had the opportunity to share The Memories Project blog, my personal essay collection The Reluctant Caregiver, and more recently, poetry. I look forward to this new chapter and supporting the mission of sharing the work of authors writing about the Alzheimer’s and dementia experience. In addition to showcasing books, AlzAuthors hosted a podcast and a film festival.

AlzAuthors celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. I’m grateful to all of the volunteers who donated their time and talent to build and grow such a wonderful organization.

You can read more about the transition on the All Home Care Matters website.

For those who have contributed to or have used AlzAuthors as a resource, the website and its helpful content will remain available. Stay tuned as new opportunities to share and connect become available.

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December 12, 2024 · 8:46 am

Give the gift of books

When I was cleaning out my parents’ condo, I came across so many books! I’d donated many books to the local library over the years, so I couldn’t believe how many books were still left when I did the final cleanout. Most of the books belonged to my father, who had a deep interest in WWII history, as he lived through the bombing of his hometown of Belfast when he was a child.

Reading was my father’s passion. He was a voracious reader and always had a book or two on his nightstand or coffee table. He sparked my love of reading, and some of my happiest childhood memories are Saturday afternoons spent with Dad in the library. I still enjoy physical books, but I do most of my reading now via e-books. It’s just more convenient and I’m at a point in life where I want to downsize, beginning with my possessions.

With that being said, books can make wonderful gifts this time of year so I want to let you know about Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale. I’m a participating author in this sales event so you can get e-book versions of The Reluctant Caregiver and CBD for Caregivers for half off from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1, 2025. Use the code SEW50 at checkout.

Digital books can make ideal gifts for those who live far away or for last-minute gift ideas. If you are gifting a book to a caregiver, you may wonder, do caregivers have time to read? It really depends upon the individual circumstance, but reading can be a source of respite, a way to whisk away to another world, even if one only has time to read a page or chapter at a time. A great resource for books that are curated by and for dementia caregivers can be found at AlzAuthors. Their collection includes everything from memoir to self-help to children’s books.

Speaking of children’s books, my tale about my senior rescue dog, Slow Dog, is also still available.

Murphy posing with his book.

Hope you get to enjoy the gift of a good book this holiday season.

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July 1, 2024 · 10:00 am

Summer reading recommendations for caregivers

It has been sweltering in Atlanta for the past month, and summer just began. When it’s too hot to be outside for long, I’m going to turn to one of my favorite pastimes that often gets pushed to the side: reading. I read all day as part of my job, but reading for pleasure is something that I wish I did more. My Kindle is full of books I haven’t started yet, and I have plenty more on my wish list. Reading is something that makes me feel close to my dad, and I feel I inherited my love of books from him.

I could write a book about the many amazing books available for dementia caregivers, but here are my top recommendations:

I’m honored to have “At the Crossroads,” a poem about my father, included in Poetry for the Dementia Journey: An AlzAuthors poetry Anthology. This new collection was published in June and is available on Amazon. Check out AlzAuthors for a large and impressive library of books that inform and support dementia caregivers.

I’m participating in the Smashwords Summer/Winter sale. Get the e-book version of my award-wining collection of personal essays, The Reluctant Caregiver, for half-off (just 99 cents!) during the entire month of July. Enter the code SSW50 at checkout.

If you’d like to honor the memory of dementia awareness advocate Wendy Mitchell, who died earlier this year, consider one of her books. One Last Thing is aptly titled as her final work. Somebody I Used to Know is her best known and highly acclaimed book.

Finally, another shameless plug: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias is a wonderful collection that captures the highs and lows of the dementia caregiving journey. I’m honored to have a story about my father, “French Toast,” included in this edition.

What books are on your summer reading list?

For more suggestions beyond books, check out my Caregiver Product Recommendations page, with a list of products that I used while caring for my parents.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Image created by Microsoft Copilot.

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June 2, 2024 · 9:00 am

Poetry for the Dementia Journey: An AlzAuthors Anthology available now

I’m excited to share that Poetry for the Dementia Journey, an AlzAuthors Anthology, is now available.

A poem I wrote about my father, is included in the collection. “At the Crossroads” is about the week I spent with my father in a hospital in Albuquerque in the last month of his life. He was in a medically induced coma so I spent many long hours looking out the window of his room.

I’ve found that beyond personal essays, writing poems about my caregiving experiences has been healing for me. Writing poems encourages me to distill memories using concise language and experiment with perspective and voice.

I had a chance to review an early copy of the book and was so moved by the poems people wrote about the dementia experience, from a myriad of perspectives.

To celebrate the launch of the collection, AlzAuthors is hosting a reading on Monday, June 3 at 4 p.m. ET. I’ll be participating, so I hope to see you there. If you are not able to attend live, the session will be recorded. You can access the Zoom link here..

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May 8, 2023 · 8:00 am

Consider sharing your caregiving story

I had a great time at the Atlanta Writers Conference Book Fair. It’s been awhile since I’ve attended a conference in-person. It’s always inspiring to see so much creativity on display.

To that point, I met several caregivers at the Book Fair who shared their personal caregiving stories with me. If you are on the fence about writing about your caregiving experience, I would encourage you to try, even if it’s in a personal journal and not for public consumption. Doing so can be a cathartic experience. You may find that you do have lessons to share that would benefit other caregivers. If so, there are many self-publishing platforms available, in addition to the traditional publishing route.

Understandably, while you are an active caregiver, you likely will not have time to work on a book project. I scribbled down notes, quotes, scenes, anything that I thought I might want to revisit in written form later. Sometimes having a bit of distance can help in framing an experience in a balanced way, but capturing those visceral images in real-time was important for me. I published The Reluctant Caregiver 2 years after my mother’s death and 6 years after my father’s death. Of course if you’ve been following my blog from the beginning you know I began The Memories Project within weeks after my father’s death. At the time I thought I would mainly be writing about my father’s journey with Alzheimer’s but then my mother fell ill. By the end of my caregiving journey with my parents, I had a variety of experiences and lessons to share.

No doubt you will too.

[To give you inspiration, check out the recording of Poetry for the Dementia Journey, a poetry reading event hosted by AlzAuthors. At about the 37-minute mark, you can hear a poem I shared about my father.]

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March 5, 2023 · 2:15 pm

Celebrate Read an Ebook Week

It’s Read an Ebook Week. While I’ll always love the feel of pages in a physical book, I do almost all of my reading using my Kindle. It’s just more convenient for my lifestyle.

If you are an electronic book fan, this is a great week to take advantage of special deals. I’m participating in the Smashwords promotions. You can get The Reluctant Caregiver and CBD for Caregivers for just 99 cents today through March 11. Note: It looks like the promotion is so popular that the Smashwords website is experiencing some technical difficulties. If you get a broken link, check back later.

If you are looking for a digital children’s book, you can get Slow Dog for just $2.99 on Amazon.

Happy Reading!

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November 13, 2021 · 1:12 pm

AlzAuthors Caregiver Appreciation Month Book Sale and Giveaway

As many of you know, I am a member of the AlzAuthors group, which has grown over the years to include a diverse and impressive membership. I love how the AlzAuthors library represents so many varied genres, from memoirs to self-help to children’s books. We have non-fiction and fiction books that focus on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. We have books for those living with dementia and books for their caregivers and other family members, such as grandchildren. Much gratitude to the organization’s leadership, who have tirelessly worked to encourage the group to grow in membership and outreach.

In honor of Caregiver Appreciation Month, AlzAuthors is hosting a book sale and giveaway. The promotion runs through Nov. 17. It’s a good time to stock up on books that are heavily discounted, some even offered for free. These books can make thoughtful gift ideas for the caregiver in your life.

You can get the digital version of my award-winning collection of personal essays, The Reluctant Caregiver, for just 99 cents.

Please share the giveaway information with fellow caregivers.

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July 10, 2021 · 10:44 am

The Story You Are Living Is Bigger Than You Know — Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s

“Right now, you may only feel the weight of its burden rather than the weight of its significance, but one day you will look back and realize everything you have learned from this experience.”

So true, can’t wait to read this book!

The Story You Are Living Is Bigger Than You Know — Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s

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