It's a Sign I tell ya! Memory Walk for Alzheimers

In every family there is a blend of personalities.  Sometimes it makes an eloquent cocktail other times it is a fruit smoothie.  Yeah, my family is the latter, and the exotic ingredient that gives this fruit smoothie its kick is my sister.

Karen is the one with the thick mane of hair, dazzling smile and bubbling personality.  She is also about the size of a Tic Tac. Flamboyant, she makes a statement simply by walking into a room.

She is the one who can't change the bag in a vacuum cleaner, totally ( and I mean totally) freaks out at the sight of a spider ( with the exception of the one on the back steps that she named Harry or something ... ), thinks the new stove is great, but fails to realize it can do more than cook Frozen pizza.  She is one of those gals that is rarely seen without her 'face on' , even asked me when I was in premature labor if she had time to put on some makeup before taking me to hospital. ( She does admit quickly that was a dumb question). She was also the one who backed the car up on top of a fence the first time she drove to school.("who put that fence there?" )

Think the TV show "The Nanny" and you got my sister.  Karen's catch phrase is " Have You Met Me?"

Karen is also the one who shoulders the most in the family.  She is now living with Dad,  and was the one who was there with Mom through the Alzheimer's.  (Yes, so was my Brother, but men handle things different).  

Mom lost her battle to Alzheimer on Sept 24, 2005.  Karen was there with her, and for the past five years has been struggling to come to terms with the lost, with the disease, and with the fear of one day one of us may develop it.  She is not alone.

Karen called me the other day, all excited.  She was looking for a way to commemorate the Anniversary of Moms passing, but really was at a lost for something unique.  Then she was asked about walking in a walkathon by her co-workers at the assisted living center where she works.

" they asked if I would be interested in a walkathon , I said sure... when?  They said Sept 25.  I asked what for? and they said it was the ALZHEIMER'S MEMORY WALK!!!  The day after the anniversary of Moms death!  It is a sign I tell ya!!" ( that the Irish Mom coming out ... everything is a sign)

But truly this IS a sign.  To be able to walk and raise money and awareness for the very disease that claimed our Mother the day after the 5 year anniversary of her death IS a sign.

To help raise money for this, now til September 15th I will set aside $1 or 10% which ever is higher from EVERY sale at Renagade's for this Memory Walk.

Won't you stop by and check out the variety of items and help by buying one or two things?  This just maybe the thing to help not only my sister come to terms with the lost, but you can help find a cure.  Millions of children of Alzhiemers patients live in fear that one day, we shall develop this disease that robs the mind, leaving behind the shell of a person.  A fear of everytime you forget something you wonder, "is it starting?"  Trust me, even for those of us whom may never develop the disease, the fear of it is crippling.

I am proud of my Baby Sister, and wish I could walk with her.  But she knows I will be there in spirit, as will our Mom.

We miss you Mom .... 111

www.bonanzle.com/renagade 




More on my raising and losing mom : http://renagadelife.blogspot.com/2010/02/half-irish-half-italian-all-love.html

Half Irish - Half Italian - All love

 I grew up in a mixed household. Yes, I am a half breed. Half Irish - half Italian. Proud to say second generation in this country.

But back when my parents got married, crossing the nationality lines was one of the things you where not suppose to do. And in the Boston area, mixing Irish into Italian bloodlines was…. Well…. a mortal sin that could cause the sky to fall and set off the apocalypse. But Dad was a bit of a hoodlum and fell for an Irish Miss from the ’wrong side of town’.

Now, normally that back then could set off an ex-communication from the family. But if they did that, they would have had to cut off some of his nine sisters as well. They looked at my Mom and figured they would grant permission because:

1. at least she talked ‘normal’, not like the guy my Aunt married. ( damn Irish Brogue !)
2. She wasn’t … (gasp!)… POLISH like that big eared guy one of the other sisters married.
3. She wasn’t already related . ( yes one married a cousin….had to get permission from the Pope for that one - BUT he WAS Italian so… hey)
4. She WAS Catholic. That is a plus!
5. Everyone knew their youngest son was bullheaded, stubborn, and a “hoodlum” anyway.
6.  She was what is called ‘Black Irish’ Dark hair, dark eyes, and could pass off as Italian. Heck, she looked more Italian than their green eyed son.
7. Most Important....Irish are known breeders. OK, the bloodline may be ‘tainted’ but out of 11 kids my grandparents only had 2 sons, the oldest son was not breeding many, so we got to keep the name going somehow.

Now if they can just get her to stay quiet about the Irish part, things would be good.

Well Mom did good on never speaking with a brogue, went to church, even dyed her hair darker to increase the appearance of looking Italian. And she cooked spaghetti once a week and could make the meanest antipasto around. But when it came to the breeding end….. Well she told us kids that never happened.

They had three children … myself the oldest, then five years later my sister, then five years after that my brother. Two girls and a boy and it ’only’ took them 11 years to have the first one and 21years to complete the litter. We were all ‘gifts from God’ , not sex, immaculate conception was the way we came to be, just ask her and she would tell you so. Wish she did…. Often…once we reached the teen years. That was her infamous ‘Birds and the Bees’ talk. “If God wants you to have kids, he will give you kids, and you don’t have to have sex….we didn’t”

Now if she told us that a young kids, we may have bought it. But as teens the theory just didn’t wash. As she came to realize we have figured out what actually ‘caused’ kids, the story shifted to “ We only had sex three times, hence the three of you.”

Now considering Mom was 31 when she had me and 41 when she finally produced the “prince” son, that put her pushing 50 when the ‘birds and the bees’ talks started. And it also meant at my age she had a 10 year old to deal with.

I look back now, and think no wonder when she started forgetting things, acting a little odd we didn’t catch it. Having to deal with three kids, the pressure to produce the crowned prince to carry on the family name, and having us all so late in life would cause any woman who wanted to have kids early a little nutty. And no, the three of us where not angels by any means. But what we missed was the onset of Alzheimer’s.

I was finally told about the confirmation of the disease , for some reason, the rest of the family didn’t want to ‘worry’ me, and living so far away, they could hide it for a while.

I was able to visit and say my ‘Goodbyes’ before she totally forgot me. Well she knew me, was just a little shocked to see me around again.

The good thing is she never lost her memory of my Dad, and loved having him beside her. They shared a special kind of love that knew no boundaries. Certainly not one of nationalities. And my grandparents saw it.

My mother passed away in 2005 a few days after their 57th Anniversary. She is thought of daily, missed always, but she is still with us. All of us have had strange things happen that we swear is “Mom” …Heck, she said she would haunt us and we believe her … why wouldn't we? We are immaculate conception children.

I miss you Mom…. 111