Wednesday Medley

1. During Red Ribbon Week a red ribbon or rubbery silicon bracelet is worn to remind others to live drug free lives and honor the sacrifices of all those who've have lost their lives fighting the war against illegal drugs.

Do you have family members or loved ones in law enforcement? Wearing any memorial ribbons or bracelets?  No family or loved ones in law enforcement and no red ribbons or bracelets. I have several pink bracelets, however, since October is breast cancer awareness month and I do have a family member that is a survivor and many friends who have fought the battle. 

2. There isn't an International Day for October 30th.

What is your suggestion for a new national or international day?  Pumpkin Spice Flavored Everything Day! (Yes, I am that obnoxious person who actually loves everything pumpkin spice flavored.)

3. On this date in 1938, Orson Welles performed his radio play of H. G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds. Some people understood it to be an actual news broadcast of a Martian attack though there were disclaimers throughout the show.

Have you witnessed an example of people behaving to the contrary in spite of warnings?  I probably have, because as a whole, people are quite gullible. The only thing I can think of right now is the people who know they are in the direct path of a hurricane and decide to "ride it out" and expect rescue personnel to put their lives in risk to save them. 

Bonus question: Did you listen to or do you stream radio shows? Listen to books or prefer reading?  No, to radio shows in either format and I prefer reading a book to listening to one. 

4. Happy 80th Birthday, Grace Slick!

She sang with psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane and later reincarnations Jefferson Starship and Starship.

All rock 'n' rollers over the age of fifty look stupid and should retire. — Grace Slick.

Is pop music solely the domain of younger artists?  I don't think it has to be, but I do think the older artists are much "cooler" when they are themselves rather than trying to appear younger.

5. Tomorrow is Halloween. Any fond memories of Trick Or Treating or escorting little ones while they made the rounds?  I don't really have any standout memories from my own childhood, but I certainly enjoyed the years my husband's aunt and her two boys would come to our house and we'd all go out as a group. Those were very fun times. Favorite costume? My cowgirl outfit. I still have it. Maybe little Leah will wear it one day.

Bonus question: As an adult, have you attended a Halloween party or fancy-dress ball? Sexy? Or spooky?  I've been to a few and I've always gone with the spooky or (more likely) funny costume. 

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.  Well, we finally had the training about intimacy in the nursing home. It answered a lot of questions, but I do not feel any more comfortable than I did when I shared this post. What I can tell you is that basically, if your loved one becomes engaged in an intimate relationship in the dementia unit (or any part of the nursing home), you have no say in the matter. The nursing home's only obligation to you is to keep you informed. As long as the resident can express consent and is deemed "competent" (and trust me, their idea of what that means and your idea of what that means are likely two different things) they have rights and those rights are to be respected...and catered to...even if, in my opinion (and that of others) it infringes on the rights of other residents. 

The example we are to throw at anyone who asks is Sandra Day O'Connor. Her husband had dementia and while in a nursing facility he acquired a girlfriend. O'Connor's public response was that he was in the throes of a disease and that was part of the disease. She couldn't hold him to the ties of a marriage he couldn't even remember. She gave the relationship her blessing. That was her and not everyone feels that way. I know I don't. My marriage vows included the words "in sickness and in health...till DEATH do us part." As a Christian, I hold myself to those vows. Dimentia is a sickness and we're to honor the marriage even then. To me, this whole debate is just one more step on the slippery slope.