Sunday, November 27, 2011
Grandchild sings Hallelujah
Young voice, full of heart. A direct connection between heaven and earth.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Now that we found love... let's prevent heart attacks
Heavy D, one of my favorite hip hop artists, passed away yesterday at the very young age of 44. Word is emerging he died from a heart attack. So in honor of someone who helped shape hip hop and rap in the late 80s and early 90s, and whose songs were positive, life affirming and great dance jams, I offer two things.
My favorite Heavy D and the Boyz jam
Not only is this a classic to which I've logged hours on the dance floor, it's a brilliant use of sampling - and in doing so - bridged generations.
Know the symptoms of a heart attack and how to prevent one
One of my very best friends, also in her 40s, but healthy and not overweight, survived a heart attack because she knew the symptoms. Read her blog post about her experience, which includes links to valuable information for women: Young women get heart attacks, too. Men, check out this information here on prevention and symptoms.
My favorite Heavy D and the Boyz jam
Not only is this a classic to which I've logged hours on the dance floor, it's a brilliant use of sampling - and in doing so - bridged generations.
Know the symptoms of a heart attack and how to prevent one
One of my very best friends, also in her 40s, but healthy and not overweight, survived a heart attack because she knew the symptoms. Read her blog post about her experience, which includes links to valuable information for women: Young women get heart attacks, too. Men, check out this information here on prevention and symptoms.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Playlist: Passing over into the Infinite
This is a playlist for honoring those we have lost, who have passed over into the great infinite. Many of the songs on this list are love songs. Feel them. They express the same feelings of love, life, longing, and loss that we experience with death. There are also songs of celebration. Feel them too, for while we grieve, we also embrace with joy the life and times shared, and the memories and spirit that lives on.
Passing over into the Infinite
1. Heavenly Day, Patty Griffin
2. Someone Like You, Adele
3. Blackbird, The Beatles
4. In My Life, The Beatles
5. Redemption Song, Bob Marley & The Wailers
6. I Shall Believe, Cheryl Crow
7. God Bless the Child, Jill Scott
8. Golden, Jill Scott
9. A Song For You (f/Christina Aguilera), Herbie Hancock
10. I See God In You, India.Arie
11. Many Rivers to Cross, Jimmy Cliff
12. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
13. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Marvin Gaye
14. Still I Rise, Melky Sedeck
15. Skylark, k.d. lang
16. Closer To The Sky, Michael Franti
17. I Shall Be Released, Nina Simone
18. Sail Away, Randy Newman
19. Into the Mystic, Van Morrison
20. Up Above My Head (I Hear Music In the Air), Ruthie Foster
21. Love's In Need Of Love Today, Stevie Wonder
22. As, Stevie Wonder
23. Bandy Bandy, Zap Mama & Erykah Badu
24. Salala, Angélique Kidjo Feat. Peter Gabriel
25. Hallelujah, Brandi Carlile
26. Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
And then there is this:
Monday, September 5, 2011
Fear of the A Word
Alzheimer's, that is. And Dementia. Losing our minds, literally.
Most people know memory loss is a normal part of aging. But the very real terror of the possibility of getting Alzheimer's is a bit of a secret among my women friends who are 50 and older. We joke about our memory gaps, in part to ease our fears. (CRS or "Can't Remember Shit" is a favorite acronym of mine). But it's not funny when we have to whisper to each other at a party, "What is her name again?" And then, "Yes! How could I forget that!" We commiserate, but secretly worry. Do I have IT.
Most of us are still working, in top form, at the peak of our careers. Yet we don't let on at work that we forgot a name, make detailed to-do lists, sometimes forget where we are going from one meeting to the next (my smart phone saves me), and that we didn't set up that promised meeting right away because we forgot to put it on the aforementioned to-do list. Is anyone noticing?
At home, we head into the kitchen, full of purpose, and then wonder why we walked into the kitchen once we get there. Oh yeah, to see what I need to get at the store. How could I forget, just like that? I have started repeating stories so often that I now try to ask people before I begin one, "Have I told you this story yet?" I'm only 55. I've always had a bad memory, but...
Each time someone our age is in the news with that dreaded diagnosis of Early Onset Dementia or Early Alzheimer's we collectively think, "Could I be next?" I was stunned when we learned of Pat Summitt's Early Onset Dementia diagnosis just this summer - the type that will lead to Alzheimer's. Summitt is the head women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee and the most winning coach in college basketball history, men's or women's. And she is only 59. She looked fine last season. She bravely came out with her story, and says she is taking medication and doing memory exercises with the hope of coaching for a few more seasons, with the help of her staff. News accounts say symptoms included missed meetings and forgotten plays. That's all?! What else did she and others notice?
Do men my age worry like this? I don't hear them talking about it if they do. It's true that women are diagnosed with Alzheimer's at a higher rate then men, but it seems to be a woman's worry. I know a few women with simple memory loss symptoms who have made appointments with their doctors or even at memory loss clinics just to be sure it is nothing more than age. No one has come back yet with the diagnosis of Early Onset Dementia or the "Big A." But we are worried, even terrified. We know more than one of us will come back with the dreaded diagnosis some day. Please. Not me. Ever.
Summitt's courage in going public is a wake up call to those of us worrying and wondering. To take those little lapses seriously. To not ignore if normal memory loss is getting worse and starting to interfere with how we function. To know the symptoms and get checked out.
An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. This figure includes 5.2 million people aged 65 and older, and 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. As we Baby Boomers age the percentages will continue to go up. (Source)
So it's okay to be worried, but we also need to be empowered with information. A great resource is the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Learn more about Dementia from them here and about Alzheimer's here. And here is a great list of symptoms of Alzheimer's that includes a comparison to normal memory loss.
Okay, I'm pretty sure it's just a normal aging memory thing after reading that list.
Pretty sure.
Most people know memory loss is a normal part of aging. But the very real terror of the possibility of getting Alzheimer's is a bit of a secret among my women friends who are 50 and older. We joke about our memory gaps, in part to ease our fears. (CRS or "Can't Remember Shit" is a favorite acronym of mine). But it's not funny when we have to whisper to each other at a party, "What is her name again?" And then, "Yes! How could I forget that!" We commiserate, but secretly worry. Do I have IT.
Most of us are still working, in top form, at the peak of our careers. Yet we don't let on at work that we forgot a name, make detailed to-do lists, sometimes forget where we are going from one meeting to the next (my smart phone saves me), and that we didn't set up that promised meeting right away because we forgot to put it on the aforementioned to-do list. Is anyone noticing?
At home, we head into the kitchen, full of purpose, and then wonder why we walked into the kitchen once we get there. Oh yeah, to see what I need to get at the store. How could I forget, just like that? I have started repeating stories so often that I now try to ask people before I begin one, "Have I told you this story yet?" I'm only 55. I've always had a bad memory, but...
Each time someone our age is in the news with that dreaded diagnosis of Early Onset Dementia or Early Alzheimer's we collectively think, "Could I be next?" I was stunned when we learned of Pat Summitt's Early Onset Dementia diagnosis just this summer - the type that will lead to Alzheimer's. Summitt is the head women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee and the most winning coach in college basketball history, men's or women's. And she is only 59. She looked fine last season. She bravely came out with her story, and says she is taking medication and doing memory exercises with the hope of coaching for a few more seasons, with the help of her staff. News accounts say symptoms included missed meetings and forgotten plays. That's all?! What else did she and others notice?
Do men my age worry like this? I don't hear them talking about it if they do. It's true that women are diagnosed with Alzheimer's at a higher rate then men, but it seems to be a woman's worry. I know a few women with simple memory loss symptoms who have made appointments with their doctors or even at memory loss clinics just to be sure it is nothing more than age. No one has come back yet with the diagnosis of Early Onset Dementia or the "Big A." But we are worried, even terrified. We know more than one of us will come back with the dreaded diagnosis some day. Please. Not me. Ever.
Summitt's courage in going public is a wake up call to those of us worrying and wondering. To take those little lapses seriously. To not ignore if normal memory loss is getting worse and starting to interfere with how we function. To know the symptoms and get checked out.
An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. This figure includes 5.2 million people aged 65 and older, and 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. As we Baby Boomers age the percentages will continue to go up. (Source)
So it's okay to be worried, but we also need to be empowered with information. A great resource is the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Learn more about Dementia from them here and about Alzheimer's here. And here is a great list of symptoms of Alzheimer's that includes a comparison to normal memory loss.
Okay, I'm pretty sure it's just a normal aging memory thing after reading that list.
Pretty sure.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Someone Like You
Adele performing the classic "Someone Like You" live at the 2011 VMA awards last night. The chance to see these stunning, live performances is what makes suffering through music award shows worthwhile. Last unforgettable performance was P!nk's "Glitter in the Air" at the 2010 Grammys
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