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Amie’s "Muttsy™ Mission" NEWSLETTER Table of Contents
EditorialM any exciting things are happening here at Amie’s. We have a wonderful website designed and maintained by Marguerite Borck, an experienced Webmaster who is also a member of Amie’s Extended Family. Marguerite donates her time and talent to Amie’s and we are deeply grateful to her for this significant contribution. Drop by and Sign the Guest book and leave a note. I would love to hear from you. You may also Email me at: MuttsyMission@aol.com If you have Email, please drop us an "E" and we will add you to our "Email Address List."As the end of Amie’s Second Year approaches, we want to share some of our accomplishments with you, which we are very proud of. Amie’s Volunteers have traveled nearly 2,000 Miles and placed over 1,000 Muttsys on the laps and in the arms of Alzheimer’s Patients in dozens of Nursing Homes throughout Michigan and South Carolina! In addition, volunteers also mailed or delivered nearly 100 Muttsys to private homes where families are caring for a loved one. We have many nursing homes on our Waiting List who have requested Muttsys for their Alzheimer’s Units, and we schedule their visit as funds are received. All donations remain within the State in which they are received and we are pleased to report that 80% of your donation goes directly to the arms and laps of victims of this dreaded disease. Stamp Collection. A special "Thanks" to all of you who have been so kind to share some of your special stamps with us for our Fund-raiser Stamp Collection. Amie’s Newsletter is distributed to Amie’s friends and family and others on request. If you would like to receive the Newsletter please send a note, give us a call, or send an Email message. MUTTSYS. If you or someone you know would like a Muttsy for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s, please let us know. REMINDER. 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. Back to TopA Letter To MotherNearly four years have passed since Mother left us to reclaim her memory and as all Motherless Daughters and Sons know, we never stop missing them and sometimes we really feel the need to talk to them. One of those times came recently while driving through the mountains on my journey to South Carolina. I needed to talk to Mother for there were things I had neglected to tell her while she was here and it seemed to be the perfect time. You see, I needed to tell her about those last few years and how painful they were and how much they hurt. And I learned years ago that I could tell my Mother anything and she would understand. Yet, when I needed to share with her, the greatest heartache of my life, she no longer understood. I pray that by sharing excerpts from this very personal letter with you, it may help your healing in some small way. Dearest Mother: I am winding my way through the mountains in West Virginia, on my way to South Carolina to launch another Amie’s in your honor. I’m not sure why I waited so long to write. It’s been over three years since you left me and maybe if I had written sooner, the healing would have begun sooner. First, Mother, I want to tell you how sorry I am that I didn’t know to do my homework on Alzheimer’s so I blindly stumbled through months and months of your care, doing the best I could, not understanding what was wrong that made you the way you were, and struggling all the while to keep you as you had always been. Perhaps I didn’t want to face the reality that someone so bright and so strong and so steadfast, could all of a sudden become so confused and unable to carry on a conversation with me or remember where we had been or who we had seen. I was certain there must be some way I could "fix" that, some medicine, some magic, something to make you better! I remember how much it hurt me to see your heart broken anew when I had to tell you your mother and father were gone, because you kept begging me to take you to see them. I’m sorry I didn’t comfort you as if it had just happened, because now I know that in your mind - it happened that very moment. But Mother, I want you to know that what you stood for and cherished most in life, your faith and belief in God, stayed within your memory the longest. For long after you went to bed at night, I could hear you praying for your children and grandchildren, by name, over and over again. And then I remember one night when you went to bed and your room was silent. That night I had to pray in your place. You cannot imagine the loss I felt when I realized I no longer had your prayers, they were forever gone and I was on my own! There is one final thing I want to tell you, Mother. As I sat on the edge of your bed, after you had gone, I had the strangest feeling come over me as though the Mantle had been passed. The shocking realization that I was no longer a daughter and that the only person in my life who had always loved me, unconditionally, was gone. It was a sobering reality that settled over me like a cloud in those moments, as I held my head close to your breast and wept. I felt completely alone. And I want to thank you Mother, for who you were and for your blood that flows through my veins. You were the Best! There, I feel better, Mother. These are things that I wanted to tell you for a long, long, time. (If you would like a complete copy of the letter, please let me know...as it is much too long to print in its entirety.) Back to TopMuttsy Mission Memory Quilt FundraiserOur webmaster, Marguerite Borck is also an avid quilter and has volunteered to head up our Memory Quilt Fundraiser Project. There is no time requirement for sending in the Quilt Blocks and no limit on the number of blocks you may send. The only limit is the size of the block - which must be 12 ½" x 12 ½" to form a 12"x 12" Block when finished. There will be a page on the Website dedicated to the Quilt Project, including pictures of the Blocks we receive. You may place the name of a loved one on your Block or send it along and we will place it there for you. Thanks for helping with this Special Fundraiser Project. We know it will be a very meaningful and coveted Quilt when it is finished. Blocks may be sent to Amie’s office. Back to TopFran's "Gospel Favorites" Tape Available"Gospel Favorites" tapes may be ordered from Amie’s. Suggested Donation: $5.00. Proceeds go directly to The Muttsy Mission. Back to TopAmie's Traveling Library"The 36 Hour Day" by Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins, is an extremely helpful guide for those caring for a loved one in all stages of Dementia. "My Granny" by Marsha Kibbey "Always Gramma" by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson Both of these books are truly insightful about little girls who learned to accept and continue to love their Grandma even though she is different now, because of Alzheimer’s. "My Father Forgets" by Lynn McAndrews is a first hand account of the problems encountered by a family caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s. These books are available for you to borrow, at no charge, simply by calling Amie’s office and requesting them. If you have a book that has been especially helpful to you and would like to donate it to Amie’s Library, send it along and we will add it to the list. NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE WITH A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS GOING TO THE MUTTSY MISSION ($15.00 Tax Included): "In A Tangled Wood, An Alzheimer’s Journey" by Author Joyce Dyer.. In her book, Joyce chronicles her Mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s and her own struggle with the brutal reality of the disease and watches painfully, as it unfolds. Back to TopBoard of DirectorsRandy Maiers, President Back to TopAlzheimer's AssociationEven though Amie’s is not formally affiliated with The Alzheimer’s Association, we strongly support and highly recommend their services to families of loved ones with Alzheimer’s. If you have a loved one with symptoms that you believe may be related to Alzheimer’s, you are encouraged to contact The Alzheimer’s Association which has a vast array of wonderful support services available to you and your family. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association, its chapters and programs: 9396 Rayna Drive 1,100 Cups of TeaEach time I place a Muttsy in the arms of an Alzheimer’s Patient and receive a hug and a smile, it’s like fixing my Mother a Cup of Tea..... so, I have now fixed her over a Thousand Cups of Tea with many more to go!
Fran Maiers Copyright © 1999 [Amie's Inc.]. All rights reserved.
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