Dear Golden Readers,

I am pleased to report that a Singapore-based follower of Brain in a Jar has awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. She has a blog, too, called Frangipani Singaporenicum about her trials and triumphs while taking care of her mother who has early dementia. I like her blog because it connects me with people in my same boat but also, as a bonus, it connects me with my beloved Singapore.

The Versatile Blogger Award is the People’s Choice Award of the blogosphere. Here are the rules:

☑ Thank the blogger who nominated you.
☑ Share 7 random things about yourself.
☑ Nominate 15 fellow bloggers.
☑ Inform the bloggers of their nomination.
☑ Add the “Versatile Blogger Award” to your blog.

Thank you, Frangipani!

Seven Random Things About Myself

1. I can still speak some Swahili even though I haven’t been to East Africa in two decades. Guess that means I don’t have AD yet!

2. I’m going to be a step-grandmother at the tender age of 46. Yeehaw!

3. My father has been gone 42 days. We’re both still in the “bardo,” which lasts 49 days. What happens after that? Same old sadness just in a new phase.

4. I’ve written several articles for The Homeschool Handbook about talking to kids about Alzheimer’s disease.

5. I love to take naps.

6. I have three tattoos. 1) A heart for my husband. 2) The latitude and longitude of two places: Clark Air Base, where I was born, and the DMZ between North and South Korea, in honor of a friend who was murdered by another friend in Seoul. 3) And, finally, an Asian Mermaid.

7. People truly believe that I am a mermaid.  I wrote on this blog, after Beau died, that I was no longer mermaid. That the spell was broken. The fairy tale was over. But one of my best friends responding by saying, “Do you really think you’re not a mermaid any more?” The comment made me laugh because most people would say, “Do you really think you are mermaid?” Instead, she was questioning my ability to un-be one.

My blogger nominations (There are 6 as I don’t follow 15 blogs, yet.)

The KidsVT Blog Full of fun things to do in the Green Mountain State! Plus informative articles on parenting in this mad, mad world.

Awesomely Awake A field guide to living an intentional, creative and fun life with children.

Catalog Living A hilarious glimpse into the exciting world of people living in your catalogs. This blog slays me. Pure ridiculous escapism. It was nominated by Time Magazine as one of the top 25 blogs in 2011, so they may not get all pumped up about a Versatile Blogger Award from moi.

Barbara Ktyner Barbara has written a novel about losing a mother to AD. Her book is called, “Wait Here. Wait There.” I haven’t checked it out yet.

ElderSparks Improvisational Creative Play and Art Making for Seniors with Diminished Capabilities! What a great idea! So often we don’t know what to do with AD patients. Here’s some versatile help!

Depressed Copywriter Because there’s a lot to be unhappy about in the branding efforts of Corporate America. And because I am a writer with a wicked appetite for truth and irony.

The Award of Friendship

Yesterday, I ran into my GP doctor. She follows my blog and knows that Beau died last month. She asked how I was doing. I answered by saying that writing helps me a lot. She then said, “Your writing helps a lot of people.”

That comment was reward in itself. I’ll call it the Doctor Staats Award for Blog Meaningfulness. And get ready because one of you is going to win it soon.

Love,

Gal