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Fit at 50: Live in Love

Advocacy & Activism, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Thoughts, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Thanks for reading my “Fit at 50” series of posts, written for the benefit of long-term caregivers. Hopefully I’ve validated some aspects of your experience, and encouraged positive path(s) forward. The New Year is a good time to set an intention and take a first step. Please share with any friend who is also in […]

Fit at 50: Live Strong

Advocacy & Activism, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Thoughts, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

I noticed this fall 2020, after a full season enjoying and working in the garden, that my hips and back could use a daily strengthening program, to help me last longer in the garden, and to support my physical fitness for life in general.  I purchased a few books and I read about others over […]

Fit at 50: Live Pain-Free

Advocacy & Activism, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Thoughts, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Living pain-free before and after 50 is my motivation to start a daily practice now at age 48. In the process of losing, gaining, losing weight, 2015-2018, I began noticing left sacroIliac (SI) joint pain waking me up between 2-5 times each night.  I lived with this situation for several months, then I researched Integrated […]

Fit at 50: Live Light

Advocacy & Activism, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Estate Management, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

At any age, living light is a nice goal. At mid-life, most of us have experienced significant ups and downs, and acquired some baggage – spiritual, mental, social, emotional, physical, and/or material. The holiday season offers a great time to consider how heavy we feel, and how we might change this feeling for the better. […]

Fit at 50: Hope, Balance, Strength

Advocacy & Activism, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

It’s been 12 years since I lost my mom Margaret to FTD, and 10 years since I founded MaryMac Missions, to be a witness to the dementia-caregiving experience – before and after caregiving, and to create different and better experiences for care-partners and the people they care for, each day of life. The next few […]

Love your neighbor… Begin to know who they are.

Announcements, Annual Reports, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Inquiry, News, Programs: Memory Café in the Garden®, Programs: Support Group, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

This is my first post in nearly a year at MaryMac Missions. I became unavailable to write here with so much happening at our home, Rest.Stop.Ranch Respite Retreat Center and Accessible Gardens in Topsfield, MA, USA. Since my last post, we published the 2017 MaryMac Missions Annual Report. A copy was mailed to 2018 donors […]

Collette and John Hanlon Enjoy Fish Tales

John Hanlon of Rowley ~ Age 54 ~ Passes 3-19-18

Advocacy & Activism, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, Memorial, News, Programs: Memory Café in the Garden®, Programs: Support Group

“S/he died too young…” Is this before age 100? 85? 65? 45? 25? 15? Is “too young” before we’ve had a chance to say the Four Most Important Things (Ira Byock) to our friend or loved one: 1. I love you 2. Thank you 3. Forgive me 4. I forgive you Is “too young” before […]

Dementia Friends, Topsfield, MA

Dementia Friends in Topsfield MA!

Advocacy & Activism, Announcements, Celebration, Contemplation in Action, Dementia Caregivers, News, Survivor's Mission

On Monday, December 18, dementia friends and advocates from Topsfield, North Andover, and Manchester gathered to learn more about the Dementia Friends global and national movement, and how we can better serve and support people with dementia in our towns. The 2-hour information session was provided by Beth Soltzberg of Jewish Family & Children’s Services […]

2016 Annual Report ~ Read it and Celebrate!

Advocacy & Activism, Announcements, Annual Reports, Celebration, Dementia Caregivers, News, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Our 2016 Annual Report tells a story of increasing community involvement and support from individuals, couples, families, local community groups, and the state of MA Department of Developmental Services. It’s great to witness the actualization and positive changing of the vision I started with in 2010. I remain open to listening to community members on […]

Dementia Friendly Topsfield Year-round Begins with a Memory Café

Advocacy & Activism, Dementia Caregivers, Events, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Survivor's Mission

Dementia caregivers age 8-88+ (and survivors of dementia-caregiving) are welcome year-round to join us at our Topsfield Memory Café which will be hosted at least once-a-month outdoors in our beautiful wheelchair-accessible garden at Rest.Stop.Ranch, or indoors at the cozy and warm wheelchair-accessible Trinity Church. Come alone, as you are, for socialization, information and networking with […]