Marion Agnew

So last night, I participated in a special signing and fundraising event at the Thunder Bay Chapters location. For every copy of my book that I signed, I gave an amount to the Thunder Bay chapter of the Alzheimer Society . For the purchases everyone made between 6 and 8 PM, the local store gave 15% to the local Alzheimer Society (at no extra cost to the consumer). It was fun! I signed some books! And I bought some things! And other people did, too! And we all raised some money for people in Thunder Bay who need support. Here's what it looked like from my side of the table. People came with stories, and I was extremely glad to have the Alzheimer Society present with lots of information about programs, communication, and even just lots of basics. I'm still processing other elements of the event. So more later. But yep, it felt pretty authory to be there and sign my name!

January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. This year I've been sharing resources , as I did last year . I have also shared my own excitement about the upcoming book signing-fundraiser event  (happening next week!) for my book, Reverberations: A Daughter's Meditations on Alzheimer's . Today I'm pleased to be able to pass on link to a site we all need, even if we don't yet know it. That place is  AlzAuthors.com . As their website says, Whether you are a caregiver, family member or living with dementia, you’ll find the help you need from decades of caregiving within –  memoirs, caregiver guides, novels, children’s books, and blogs  – plus the encouraging real-life experiences behind these works. I would add this: If you currently don't fall into one of those categories--caregiver, family member, or person with dementia--you will. Sooner or later, dementia will touch all of our extended families. And we all have a lot to learn.  One reason I began takin...

It's exciting to announce this fun event coming up in just a couple of weeks! It's a book signing! It's a fundraiser! It's an OPPORTUNITY to BUY BOOKS! I would never counsel someone who's trying to manage spending to buy books just "for a good cause." But if you're going to buy books or lifestyle items anyway, why not choose a time that benefits others as well as yourself? On January 29, from 6 to  8 PM, I'll be at the Thunder Bay Chapters, signing copies of my book, REVERBERATIONS: A DAUGHTER'S MEDITATIONS ON ALZHEIMER'S. For each copy of the book I sign that evening, I'll donate $5 to the Alzheimer Society (minimum $100). You can bring books you bought before--that's cool. You can buy a book that night and I'll sign it--also cool. AND ALSO TOO! You can raise money for the Alzheimer Society just by spending money that night between 6 and 8 PM. Just mention it to the cashier and they'll donate 15% of your purcha...

January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Alzheimer's is important. It's of course important to me, not only because I have personal experience with it (and wrote a book). It's important to all of us, because it's a disease the Baby Boomers can't escape and science hasn't yet figured out. It might be tempting to think, "Oh, medical research will take care of it," blah blah, "breakthroughs," "potential vaccines," "genetic testing." But don't think those things and turn away. While medical researchers accumulate knowledge, people continue to get dementia. And many of the rest of us pretend people with dementia don't exist or "should be locked away," or we think "isn't is sad they aren't themselves," and their spouse/child/grandchild is a saint, and hoo boy aren't we glad it's not us. Surprise! It is us--of if not us, it will be, or it will be someone we love. Even i...