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DCG Living Hx Mobile Museum and School

Announcements, Celebration, Contemplation in Action, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, Memorial, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Each week, the new DCG (dementia-caregiver) Living Hx (history) Mobile Museum and School travels from Topsfield Rest.Stop.Ranch Caretaker’s Cottage to Concord, NH’s Havenwood Heritage Heights’ campuses “Havenwood” (serving independent, home-care, assisted living, and skilled nursing residents) and “Heritage Heights,” (serving independent residents and those receiving home-care). Each month, a new interactive exhibit featuring an artifact from […]

Save the Date: 3/18, 10am – 3pm: Grow Spring! EXPO

Announcements, Celebration, Contemplation in Action, Events, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Look for the “Rest.Stop.Ranch Respite Retreat Center & Accessible Gardens” educational & interactive 8-foot table exhibit, at the Emerson Center or Gould Barn on 3/18.  Learn & experience the therapeutic activities we offer at our Seasonal (April -October) Memory Café & Sunday Strolls programs, for people with disabilities and care-partners, specializing in Alzheimer’s/dementia-care. Our “Dementia-Care Musical Theatre” integrates horticultural, […]

April 1, a Weekly Memory Café Begins, Saturdays, 10a-12p 

Contemplation in Action, Events, Funding Awards, Healing Grief & Loss, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

We support families impacted by long-term-care, in an inclusive, friendly, judgement-free, and joy-filled indoor/outdoor environment, once-a-week, Apr-Oct. 1.  Our Dementia-Friendly Garden/Memory Café program will welcome visitors with dementia and their care-partners on Saturday mornings, from 10am – 12noon, April – October. 2. We hope the increased options for visiting will enable more caregivers and loved ones […]

Transforming Two Seeds of Discontent, since 2010 

Contemplation in Action, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

This past week I was interviewed by my undergraduate alma mater, University of Rochester, in New York State, for their Rochester Review alumni magazine.  Once again, thankfully, I was indirectly invited to become crystal-clear on what I and we’ve been doing since 2010, and why.  I was able to articulate that it’s really two seeds of discontent, […]

8-week Self-Care Series Pilot

Contemplation in Action, Healing Grief & Loss, Inquiry, News, Programs: Support Group, Research, Survivor's Mission

We are 4-weeks into an 8-week Caregiver Self-Care Series Program up in Concord, NH at Havenwood Heritage Heights, a Continuing Care Retirement Community for people over age 62. The program was marketed via flyers and a campus newsletter.  It was offered as a free activity for any caregiver on the 600+ person campus who wished to join either […]

Pinned by Daughters of the American Revolution!

Celebration, Funding Awards, Healing Grief & Loss, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

When Wendy Renda contacted me by e-mail, from the Brigadier General James Brickett-Old Newbury Chapter… I hardly believed it… Every year we select someone who has done outstanding work in their community and I am happy to report that you were chosen this year. We would like to recognize you and present you with the […]

Rest.Stop.Ranch Caretaker's Cottage, When Pigs Fly

FTD Boston North & Other Younger Onset Caregivers – Monthly Support Group Begins Jan 12, 2017

Contemplation in Action, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Programs: Support Group, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Friends,  Please contact me with questions and share with people who may benefit: NEW ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SPONSORED SUPPORT GROUP: Topsfield Younger Onset Caregivers Group Meets 2nd Thursday of the Month, 6:30-8pm at Rest.Stop.Ranch Caretaker’s Cottage (the home of Mary E MacDonald and Karl R Ackerman) 202 Haverhill Road, Topsfield, MA 01983 Free-of-charge and Open to […]

Funeral for a Forty-four-year-old Friend

Contemplation in Action, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Reflection, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

This Monday and Tuesday I attended a wake and funeral for a forty-four-year-old friend, I had not met before, who ended his life. I was present to support the surviving members of the family, to pray for the deceased, and to pray for my contemporaries, in mid-life, who are struggling with personal pain and unremitting […]

Mary and Edith at the MA State House, Front Steps, 5/11/2016

ALZ Advocacy Day @ MA State House

Announcements, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

We were there, today… we wore purple and listened to speakers speak about their dementia-related stories and the MA legislative priorities: Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Project Act (S.1196/H.2057) Alzheimer’s Public Awareness Campaign Continuing Medical Education for Physicians (H.3384) Alzheimer’s Care Training for Elder Protective Services Workers (S.360/H.516) We also tracked down our local representatives (Topsfield) in the […]

U.S. Suicide Rate Report & Rest.Stop.Ranch Support

Announcements, Healing Grief & Loss, News, Research, Survivor's Mission, Trauma Recovery & Renewal

Friends, A mid-life crisis due to most difficult dementia-caregiving is what I experienced in 2007-2008. The crisis caused me to found on April 19,2010, MaryMac Missions LLC, as a single-person social enterprise, to raise awareness, educate and support other caregivers experiencing difficulties with dementia-caregiving. Most of these “other caregivers” are mostly women and mostly middle-age. […]