Friday, November 14, 2008

Alzheimers and Books

Hoping to divert a knock down--drag out family feud at the dinner table one evening I *remembered* a suggestion from the book, The Anti-Alzheimer's Prescription by Vincent Fortanasce, M.D. Memorizing lists . . .
I looked at Ellis and said, "I'm travelling to France and in my suitcase I took... Anne of Green Gables."
Ellis looked at me as if I'd grown a third nostril.
Thinking he was stumped for a book title I said, "You could take The Bobbsey Twins."
Another weird look that said, "I can do this all by myself thankyouverymuch."
" Well then, think of one for yourself."
Krysta started hopping up and down"I know I know! you could take the very best book of all . . . the???"
Ellis obligingly said, "The Bible."
Krysta announced she would take the book she wrote . . . Cat Book by Krysta.
Jorgan decided on Dog-Catching for Dummies after fighting it out with Deanne who thought it should be Dancing for Dummies.
On to Deanne who settled for Ever After even tho she hasn't read it yet.
Back around to me . . . Five Little Peppers
Gun Digest
Happy Hollisters (I wish I would have bought that set when I had the chance.)
I Gave My Mother 50 Cents . . .
Jane Eyre
Kissing Kin
Lassie Come Home
Mickey Mouse
Nightmare Academy
Origami
Pollyanna
Quotes by Ben Franklin
Ramona the Pest
Stormy of Chincoteague (or is that Misty of Chincoteague?)
The Chronicles of Narnia
Uncle Tom's Cabin It took me a couple days to think of a title beginning with U That's why I have the Alzheimers book out of the library. =)
Vine's expository dictionary
Websters
Xylophone for Dummies
The Yearling
Zonya
By the time we got to Z we each had the whole list memorized since it was repeated over and over again. We are starting to think that one day we will come home and find that our books have taken over the house. We'll close the door and go find a new house because this one is full and over flowing with books.
I found this quote in The Strength of the Hills by Elswyth Thane. "There seemed to be millions of cartons to unpack during that first Thanksgiving time stay, many of them containing nothing but books--books I had had before I was married, books a recently widowed godmother had donated from her own shelves to the cottage, and a lot more that were just in the way in New York, or that we hoped to find leisure here to read again some day. Will thus bestowed upon me his entire sets of Chesterton, Wells, Conrad and the like, which left room on the New York shelves for our more recent purchases piling up on tables and even on the floor as they carried on their mysterious monthly multiplication. He points out that when he removes one book from a shelf the others maliciously spread themselves to fill the hole before another can be inserted, and we even entertain the idea that our library has pups when our backs are turned. It stands to reason that we couldn't afford to buy all the books we seem to own, but they must come from somewhere, and we don't approve of stealing so it isn't that."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey its great to see that you have a site!

Anonymous said...

A - Z... You did it! Good, fast technique for memorization from use of association with the alphabet.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed your quick thinking and story telling ability on your "Alzheimers unit".