It’s May and I have been enjoying the sunshine and the smell of fresh cut grass!! This is absolutely my favorite time of year.
We have many things to celebrate in May- the week of May 12th is National Small Business week. Maine-ly Elder is proud to be a small business serving seniors in our communities for over 15 years. I started MEC out of my love and passion for senior citizens and I am so happy that I get to work with others that share that same love and passion!!
Most importantly, May 11th is Mother’s Day! I know a lot of you, like me, are mothers and we work hard to be great moms to our children. May 11th is your day, a day to relax and enjoy yourself and hopefully get a little pampering! I hope you enjoy your day and always remember being a mother is a blessing, it’s not always easy to balance all we have to do, but it’s always worth it!!
Happy Mother’s Day!
~Denise
]]>It looks like spring has sprung and we are all happy to see it!! I never thought I would say this, but bring on the mud season! It certainly beats snow! One thing is for certain, I don’t think I have ever seen the pot holes as bad as they have been this year. I nearly lost my car in a couple of them!
It has certainly been a busy spring for us here at Maine-ly Elder Care. I would like to thank you all for picking up extra shifts when asked. We really appreciate your extra help! The business to business showcase in March was a great success. There was a great turn out and we made lots of community contacts.
I am starting to think about my garden this year. I have decided to have a smaller garden this year. I am going to try to have a couple of raised beds instead of the big garden we usually have. I certainly love the fresh vegetables, but it is hard to find the time to devote to a garden. I will let you know how this works out.
Easter Sunday is this month and I can’t wait to gather with family and friends! I hope you all have a blessed day!
Happy Easter!
~Denise
]]>February is behind us and now onto March. I wonder if it will stay true to the old adage “in like a lion, out like a lamb”. I know this girl is certainly ready for spring!! This is the time of year when I start to declutter my house. I clean out the closets, and the cupboards and when the nice weather arrives I am ready to enjoy it! It really drives my husband nuts, but there’s something freeing about getting rid of things I don’t use or just take up space.
One of my favorite holidays is this month….St. Patrick’s Day, I like to celebrate with the old fashion corned beef and cabbage. Some of my favorite memories are about St. Patrick’s Day, my grandmother was Irish and always celebrated this special holiday. I can remember it like yesterday; she would pick me up from school, both of us sporting our “Kiss me I’m Irish” buttons, first stop- McDonalds for my special Shamrock shake. Supper was corned beef and cabbage. Now, I do the same with my children. Oh I love traditions!!!
I will leave you with this Irish saying: “May the sun shine all day long, everything go right and nothing wrong. May those you love bring love back to you, and may all the wishes you wish come true!” ~Irish Blessings
Happy St.Patrick’s Day!
~Denise
]]>February is a month to go RED to raise awareness about women and heart disease. Heart disease is still the number one killer of women in the US, so be sure to check out our blog this month on things you can do to prevent heart disease in your life. Also, be sure to tune in to 93.5 True Oldies on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm, to listen in on myself and Steve Colella talking about Aging With Grace. We will be offering lots of good information about Aging!! I am a firm believer that 40 is the new 20 (I really need to believe this now that I am over age 40) and 60 is the new 40! Promoting healthy aging is important at any age, you know the old adage ” an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”
Make this month your month to take care of you and your heart!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
~Denise
]]>Bring on 2014! I am so excited to be starting the New Year with such an amazing team of caring, inspirational individuals here at MEC. The holiday party was a great success and a great time!! Spending time with all of you is by far one of my most favorite things to do. I enjoyed every minute of talking, laughing, sharing and singing with everybody who came. Please take some time to read the Heartbeat of Homecare this month, I blogged about the holiday party and just how much I am thankful for each and every one of you!
I am looking forward to a new year filled with a renewed, simple appreciation for life and relationships…..we were all suddenly reminded of just how precious life can be, when our coworker and dear friend Sandra Tibbetts passed away suddenly on January 7th. Sandy will be fondly remembered by her easy going nature, her caring heart, and bright smile. I will surely remember Sandy for her kind heart and her care and concern for others. When we lose people we love suddenly it is an abrupt reminder that life is precious and we need to embrace and appreciate this moment because it’s really all we have…..we are not promised tomorrow. So, for me, for this year, I will try to embrace life more and I hope you all do too.
Thank you for all your caring and the difference you make in the lives of not only the seniors you serve, but all those relationships you make along the way. Here’s to a year filled with special relationships!
~Denise
]]>Tis the season to celebrate Christmas time – one of my favorite times of year, a time for reflection, gratefulness and looking forward to the mystique of a brand new year. I always take time at the end of each year to reflect back on the year. One word always comes to my mind and that is gratitude, such a powerful word that can turn any negative situation into a positive one.
Even when I am feeling defeated by the world, I always turn my thoughts to gratitude for whatever is happening. I always try to remember that in all things there is a lesson. I may not like it, and it may not have the outcome I want, but it is a lesson. And that is something to be grateful for. So, when you feel like you have been defeated, think about gratitude, embrace the lesson and learn from it. After all, if we never went through bad times, we would never be able to appreciate the good times!
One thing I am certainly grateful for is the amazing team of caregivers here at Maine-ly Elder Care. We are fortunate to have each of you provide such an important service to seniors within our communities, Thank You!
Merry Christmas to you and your families and Happy New Year!
~Denise
]]>It has been a wonderful fall thus far and it’s time to start looking forward to winter adventures- snow shoeing, the holidays and hot cocoa on cold days. With the holidays coming up, I am thinking about Thanksgiving- one of my favorite holidays. I can smell the turkey cooking now, complete with stuffing and all the fixings. I love gathering with family and friends around a table of great food and conversations…..and a piece of pumpkin pie for the finale of a great meal. I hope each and every one of you stop and remember what a blessing you are to the consumers you serve each and every day. I am sure you are part of a lot of people’s thankful prayers around the Thanksgiving table. I know that you all are part of mine. Without you providing the service you do, seniors would end up in a different setting other than HOME. There is no place like home to celebrate the holidays!! Thank you for enabling the seniors you serve to enjoy their holidays at HOME!
I am so proud and blessed to be able to work with such great caregivers here at Maine-ly Elder Care. The work you do every day enables the seniors in our communities to live independently at home and enriches their lives- Thank You!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Denise
]]>Fall is upon us and this is my favorite time of year!! Warm days, cool nights, apple picking and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Fall wouldn’t be complete for the Stevens’ family without pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Halloween will be here soon, be sure to check out our Halloween safety tips. October is also breast cancer awareness month and domestic violence awareness month, Maine-ly Elder Care is having a ribbon campaign, so come in and get your ribbon and your picture to support these great causes!
A local church will be giving away turkey baskets for Thanksgiving and has chosen Maine-ly Elder Care to receive five turkey baskets for consumers. If you have a client that would benefit from one of these turkey baskets, please call the office and let us know.
Don’t forget to go apple picking, the weather has been wonderful and it’s a great family outing!
In closing, I just want to say that I am so proud and blessed to be able to work with such great caregivers here at Maine-ly Elder Care. The work you do every day enables the seniors in our communities to live independently at home and enriches their lives- Thank You!!
Happy fall!
~Denise
]]>Hello All!
Its harvest time and I couldn’t be more thrilled! The fall season is certainly a traditional time of year in the Stevens’ household. It’s the time of year when our family comes together to harvest fruits and vegetables from our garden. We have harvested blueberries, onions, jalapenos and beats so far. We had a late start this year with all the rain and we certainly aren’t the best gardeners, but it’s worth the labor and it is definitely a family affair. We were blessed with a visit from our oldest daughter and granddaughter this summer and my granddaughter helped us in the garden. Now it’s time to start canning. My yearly tradition is to make salsa with the tomatoes, onions and green peppers from the garden, so let the canning madness begin.
I hope you all enjoy this fall season of beautiful fall foliage, pumpkin carving and Halloween!
In closing, I just want to say that I am so proud and blessed to be able to work with such great caregivers here at Maine-ly Elder Care. The work you do every day enables the seniors in our communities to live independently at home and enriches their lives- Thank You!!
Happy fall!
~Denise
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