We have learned much through our travels, visiting victims of this dreaded disease and placing Muttsys in their arms and talking with families and caregivers.
We have discovered some very creative ways to bring a little sunshine into their world and to pass the time in a more meaningful way, so we decided to share them with you.

• Fill a purse with small (safe) familiar items (perhaps some of their own things) so they can take them out and put them back in. Often they will do this for hours at a time.
• A man can have his wallet filled with credit cards or laminated pictures of his family (the size of credit cards) some dollar bills and credit card receipts like he may have had in the past.
• Don’t forget to put money in Mom’s purse too! I recall so well Mother accusing me of taking her money, so I put some bills back in her purse and she was happy.
• Large, brightly colored, lightweight beach balls are wonderful for playing catch and bouncing back and forth with them.
• Try to simulate in the most basic and simplified manner through projects and tasks related to their life-long activities prior to this time, professional and/or personal.

Often times these activities trigger a moment of reality because of their familiarity.  Watch closely. You may catch a smile!  Listen carefully when they talk to see if you can determine where they are in their lifetime.
I can remember Mother telling me to be sure that Daddy closed the barn door so the horses couldn’t get out. Since then, I have wished many times I had thought to get a big picture of a barn and horses and put it beside her chair.

• Surround their area (whether it be their chair or bed) with favorite items of clothing - shoes, hats, purses, whatever might be familiar to them.

If mom had a favorite apron or dress or if dad had some overalls, a sport coat or some boots, put them close by where he can see them.
If Dad had a favorite power tool he tinkered with or something he liked to work on, make it a piece of furniture in his area.

• Have pictures of close family members blown up to poster size to put on the wall with large names they can read.
• If you have a small doll crib or bassinet, place a baby doll in it and a blanket that can easily be wrapped and unwrapped. You will be amazed. Mothers never lose their instincts!
• If Dad was a golfer, put his golf clubs close by.

Lastly, if your loved one develops a fetish for doing something which is not harmful, if at all possible, look for ways to accommodate the behavior rather than ways to eliminate it. It doesn’t go away … and if it isn’t harmful and it doesn’t matter, help them do what they enjoy.
Mother always wanted to trim something with her scissors and for a long time, until it was no longer safe, I kept her busy trimming the fringe off all of the dishtowels and anything else she could trim. (She had always trimmed fringes to be sure they were perfectly even. I am confident there are no "uneven fringes" in Heaven these days!) This was her world and this was where she lived.
Try to create as best you can the world in which they live rather than try to make them conform yours.  We must go to their world and visit them because they cannot come to ours.
If you have discovered ways to make your loved ones’ hours more enjoyable, we would love to share them with our readers in our newsletter and on our website.

MEMORY QUILT

Our Memory Quilt is completed, thanks to all of you who took the time to send in a block to honor a loved one.
Each quilt block bears the name of the person who created it and the name of the loved one who is being remembered.
It was a very sobering experience to open the envelopes and carefully admire the blocks which we knew represented so much love and so much pain.
The quilt can be used for any size bed and pictures are available on the website.
We have planned a Silent Auction to raise funds which will be used to purchase Muttsys.
If you would like to make an offer for the quilt, please send your name, address and telephone number, along with the amount of your bid, to Amie’s offices either by regular mail or e-mail and we will register your bid.  Offers will be accepted through December 31, 2000.  We are planning another Memory Quilt for 2001, so if you missed this one, there will be other opportunities.

Thanks for caring and sharing.

If you recall, in our last newsletter I shared with you the difficulty I have had trying to erase the images in my mind of Mother during those last dreadful weeks and replace them with the good memories she worked so hard to build through the years.
I am determined to accomplish this task and once again I was able to do this when I retrieved her old suitcase from the storage closet to use for one of my trips.
As I pulled out the old familiar blue suitcase, I saw the initials, "HT" (for Harriet Torrey). As I began to put my things in it, I turned to our youngest son who was there visiting and asked, "Do you remember bringing in this suitcase for Grandma?" He smiled and said, "Oh, yes, I can remember always having to go out to the car to get Grandma’s suitcase and put it in her room." I told him some day maybe his son would carry that same suitcase for his Grandma and put it in her room.
It was a good memory for me and also for a grandson who, of all the children, felt the most cheated because by the time he could have enjoyed her the most, he remembers her asking who he belonged to.
We will continue to work hard as a family to replace dark memories with bright ones and we would like to hear how you are accomplishing that as well.

We are in the process of searching for a Michigan Director to take over the leadership of the Muttsy Mission in Michigan.
You may serve as the Michigan Director on a part time basis depending on the time you have available. We are planning to expand the Muttsy Mission into other states and because the Executive Director (currently serving as the Michigan Director) needs to focus her attention on other broad leadership responsibilities, we are in need of a Michigan Director.
We currently have volunteer State Directors for South Carolina and North Carolina and plans call for Indiana to be on board soon. This will bring us to a total of four states where the Muttsy Mission has a significant presence.
We are confident this endeavor will be a labor of love and we invite your calls for more information about the Muttsy Mission and the State Director’s position.

MUTTSY MISSION’S TV DEBUT ON ERIC SMITH’S "FROM THE HEART" SERIES

We were deeply humbled and honored when The Muttsy Mission was chosen to be featured on Eric Smith’s "From the Heart" series, Channel 7, WXYZ-TV in Detroit.
One of our supporters, Blanche Walters, wrote a compelling letter to the producer and, following a taping in early April at Georgian Bloomfield Heart-land Healthcare Center, the program aired in the Channel 7 viewing area several times during June.
I also met the man who gave his grandmother the Muttsy that inspired this Mission. It was an especially moving moment when during the program (and in her presence), I returned this original Muttsy to him.
If you would like a copy of this mini video, please send your request along with a $10.00 donation to cover the duplication and mailing cost.

My latest Gospel Music recording is expected to be available soon.
In addition to many of the old hymns, it also includes the song I wrote in memory of my mother, "If You Know How To Pray."
This song has a very special meaning, for I remember so well, regardless of how dark the days were or how big the problems seemed to be, Mother would always tell me, "It’s okay, Honey, just wait and see -- tomorrow’s a brand new day and everything will look better." So of all the things she taught me, I remember most vividly how she taught me to pray.
I trust this song will touch your heart as much as it did mine as I was writing it and as I sing it.
Other hymns on the tape include:

• The Old Rugged Cross

• Shall we Gather at the River

• Just a Closer Walk With Thee

• Amazing Grace

• It Took a Miracle

If you would like one of the new tapes, please send your request to Amie’s. A small donation is appreciated.
Tapes will be mailed as soon as they are available.

MUTTSYS

If you or someone you know would like a Muttsy for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s, please let us know
Muttsys are not for sale! They are a gift to your loved one with Alzheimer’s, from Amie’s, made possible through donations to The Muttsy Mission.

A special Muttsy Story from Cherrywood Nursing and Living Center, Sterling Heights, Michigan:
Dear Fran,
I wanted to pass on to you a nice memory. One of our ladies who received a Muttsy recently passed on.  Her family shared with us that she was buried with her Muttsy in the casket since it brought her so much comfort in life.

Best to all of you,

Karen