WOW...It's been over a Month!

Hello Everyone! I've been working at Silverado Senior Living for over two months and my life is incredibly full, leaving little time to blog. For starters, along with a new job, caring for Mom while she recovers from hip surgery at a skilled nursing facility and for my stepdad, Jack, who is on hospice at home (although doing remarkably well now) keeps me busy for about 17 hours a day. Then there's Bindi Sue, our puppy (pictured here), who keeps me laughing! She spends her day with Gary and I take Vanna dog to work with me. And I'm still serving on the Board of WomanSage, a wonderful organization (see link on my web site) for women at mid-life. I had the pleasure of coordinating the WomanSage spring luncheon in May where I met one of my favorite authors, Joan Anderson, who wrote the best-selling memoir, A Year by the Sea. She spoke at the luncheon and I was totally captivated! With luck, I will someday get to attend one of her retreats at Cape Cod.

Spent a week in Orlando at the annual conference of ALFA - Assisted Living Federation of America and heard two fantastic speakers there - William "Skip" Miller who has written some excellent books about sales (my favorite is Proactive Sales Management) and Chip Bell, an expert in customer service. Loved every minute of the conference and can't say I've ever said that about any of the gazillion conferences I've attended in the past.

Congratulations to Jenna and Phil Palisoul who were married in May. Their wedding was a spring highlight for Gary and me because we partied at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club with Jenna's parents, Laurie and Barry Booth, and our other good friends, the Towersey's and Coluccio's. Ya gotta love a wedding reception where you walk in and are immediately served mai tais instead of champagne!

My favorite movie so far this year is Sex & the City. I think I watched one or two episodes of the TV series and thought I might not like the film. I went with six other women and we started with cosmos beforehand, then ooooohed, ahhhhhed, laughed, cried through the movie and clapped at the end. Afterwards, more cosmos. What can I say? The word of the week is "Dante." If you've seen the movie, you know why.

Check out Silverado's "new" web site: www.silveradosenior.com
It's an excellent resource for anyone dealing with a loved one who has memory impairments.

Gotta run...it's Taco Tuesday at Las Golondrinas here in our office complex. Tacos beckon.