Dear Little Brain in a Jar that I Acquired at an Oddities Shop in Portland, I love you, tiny cerebellum/cerebrum/brain stem of mine. By finding you at Paxton Gate, I realized that exploring Bercaw history can be hilarious—-not all gloom and doom. In fact, meeting Andy Brown, owner of the emporium described as Martha Stewart…

Dear You, If memories create identity, who are you if you lose those memories? My cousin, also named Nancy Bercaw (as was our grandmother), recently found this letter (in her father’s things) that my father, Beau, sent to Santa a long, long time ago. (Talk about mistaken identities with all these Nancy Bercaws and Bercaw…

Dear Anyone Who Knows Someone Worried About Alzheimer’s, After my headache/panic attack/discombobulated trip to the ER on Sunday, I have a more heightened awareness and concern about what I might be forgetting.  I’m also increasingly sensitive to people commenting on anything that might have slipped my mind. So here’s a tip for pals of people…