Mothballs In My Attic-new domain names

Mothballs in My Attic, www.mimabook.com and www.mothballsinmyattice.com has added new domain names that will get you to the MIMA website also as fast as can be. You can use www.alzheimersmemorybook.com which is the web address for Alzheimer's Memory Book or www.alzheimersresourcetool.com also for alzheimer's resource tool, or you can even use www.dementiamemoryresourcetool.com dementia memory resource tool, for contacting the Mothballs In My Attic website. Thanks!

Sharing a December MIMA Moment

Sharing a MIMA Moment

Sharing memories of the holidays and family are priceless
What are some things that are priceless to you?

Remember to visit.... Wasn’t it exciting when out of town guests came for the Holidays? ????? Where do you like to visit or who do you like when they visit you ?????

December

Mothballs In My Attic
December
The holidays in December are an instant uplifting experience. Each year is different and each year unique. Everyone has grown another year and thoughts are shaped differently, yet the inner feelings of the holidays remain constant and comforting. Depending on the little ones in your life, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighborhood children, the holiday season can take on a whole new meaning. We all can look back on holiday experiences as a magical time when gifts were definitely a part of the plan. December always hold a myriad of get together and parties and shopping and snow and fun.
It’s a time to decorate the house, prepare chex mix, bake cookies and fruitcakes and grandma’s favorite recipes. It’s the time to bring family close and experience the dynamics of your family. It’s all steeped in tradition that is passed on from generation to generation.
Remember a special relative that visited during the holidays. . Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk and see what comes forward with a step back to a day in December.......
Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and see where your mind travels.

The holiday card with money in it came from __________________________
The holiday gift I always wanted but never got was _____________________.
The best dessert I loved to eat during the holidays was __________________.

MIMA MOMENT*
Reflect back in December, remembering
Holidays, gifts and decorations * Make a hanging holiday decoration *
The Holiday card with money in it came from ___________________________________.
The Holiday gift I always wanted but never got was _______________________________.
My favorite dessert only served at Holidays was ___________________________________.
.
Excerpts from Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book
To order a book visit http://www.mothballsinmyattic.com/
*MIMA Moment ~ Mothballs In My Attic

Sharing a MIMA Moment in November

MIMA MOMENT*

Always set a place...
Keep your kitchen table as your focal point to gather

???? Remember your kitchen table and the many meals shared there ????


Excerpts from Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book
To order a book visit www.mothballsinmyattic.com
*MIMA Moment ~ Mothballs In My Attic

November

Mothballs In My Attic
November
The family and friends have gathered at the Thanksgiving table for a wonderful dinner. Certainly the coming together and the holiday table is as much a comfort as the food being served. But there is the before and after the holiday that means so much. The before preparation is spurred by anticipation. We set an exquisite table to engage the participants to share in the bounty. We lovingly prepare food in our longing for a tradition. Our recipes echo our ancestors, our tableware is retrieved and will recall the past. The dinner resonates of family and it doesn’t get much better than that.
The desserts are several and enjoyed. The dishes pile up and they represent scores of satisfied customers. The conversation in the kitchen washing and drying the dishes is priceless. A job well done. Retreating to the comfy couch with bellies full of turkey and stuffing and most important filled with family memories. Remember the feeling of Thanksgiving. Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk and see what comes forward with a step back to a day in November.......
Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and see where your mind travels.

Thanksgiving was spent at _________________________________.
______________________________was my favorite part of the Macy’s Parade
After the holiday dinner, ________________was always stuck doing the dishes.

October MIMA Moment

Sharing a MIMA Moment

Sharing your candy is the first step to a wonderful friendship

What are some things that make you feel good when you share?

ActivityDirector Column by MIMA

Activity Director Newsletter: Introduction to Section
This is our newest edition to this newsletter and our store. Cindy O'Neill of MIMA Publications has written a wonderful book called Mothball In My Attic and has agreed to allow us to carry it in our store. In addition to this, she has graciously offered to provide a short excerpt from the book to be included in this newsletter on a monthly basis. We feel that you will find her column to be useful for incorporating into your activity calendar. It is especially beneficial for Alzheimer's and dementia residents.
Words From the Author:
"This is a nostalgic book that contains fill in the blank ONE word answers that bring you back to your childhood. One word leads you to a myriad of feelings and sensations and conversation. I originally wrote this book for baby boomers and it is very successful in that venue. Along the way Mothballs In My Attic took a turn towards the medical field. I have sold to the medical field in various instances in over 40 states and Canada and Australia. I'm on several websites including my own selling the book. I'm on an activity planner’s website, a dementia website, and an Australian therapeutic recreation website and the therapeutic recreation website in the United States. Creative Forecasting, the premier magazine, has published a review for Professional Activity Planners. I will have a monthly column in the 2006 Creative Forecasting magazine. I have been reviewed in the Assisted Living Executive magazine published by the Assisted Living Federation of America and will have an article about reminiscing in the publication Vantage issued by the Alzheimer’s Foundation. I also have been reviewed in the August 2005 issue of Senior Focus publication published by the National Council on the Aging from their corporate headquarters in Washington DC."
-Cindy O'Neill, Author of Mothballs In My Attic
This wonderful book can be found at http://www.activitydirector.net/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=91

October
Directions: Use the column below to stimulate conversation and memory jogging. You can take parts of the fill in the blank sentences and expand on each question, example- Favorite Halloween candy? Expand by asking where did you buy your candy, where did you keep candy in your house, how much did you pay for candy, etc. Develop activities for your group or individuals to stimulate conversation with the paragraph below, ask what they did for Halloween, did they sew their own costumes, did they go out at night, etc. Engage conversation with the MIMA Moment and have groups share their answers. The column is what you make it and it allows you to design questions and programs to fit your needs. It’s amazing the myriad of sensations, visual stimulation and memory conversation leads to. Have fun with it! October Column: It takes the whole month but the anticipation grows. What to dress up as, where to go in the neighborhood and what route to take. Halloween day is always special to the little ones and grown-ups alike.. We prepare and have parties and send the goblins out to collect their loot. Whether it is Cinderella or a monster, each would collect their candy in all sorts of containers including pillowcases, plastic pumpkins or satchels. We were all happy and carefree. It was a challenge to pick the best route to maximize the most houses in a short amount of time. Of course you always ran into that house where the treat giver would want a trick. That always put us into a tailspin. We had a lot of ground to cover and although appreciate of the treat, we would warn others along the path which house to avoid. Like wise we always knew what house gave out the full size BIG candy bar and we’d shout it out to others along the way. The master plan was to trick or treat at that house in the daytime and then return at night hoping the treat giver would not take notice. It was always worth a shot. When curfew was called we would separate all the candy and categorize it and stack it into neat piles. We would compare it with others and some swapping and negotiating was in order. It was a magical time when people had their doors open and life was simple.Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk and see what comes forward with a step back to a day in October…Activity: Reflect back in October, remembering Fall leaves, brisk weather and trick or treating * Collect different color leaves on your walk Activity: Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and see where your mind travels.

My favorite Halloween candy was ___________________________________.
Cool air and leaves burning smelled like ______________________________.
We would put our carved pumpkin on the ____________________________.

September MIMA Moment

Sharing a MIMA Moment
Sharing your cubbyhole was everything you needed stored in a small space…
What is something very small but means something very big?

September MIMA Column

Mothballs In My Attic
By Cindy O’Neill
September brings the anticipation of the first day of school. It’s a scary and exciting time and a chance to re-invent yourself, a time to show your friends the new you. It’s the penny loafer or saddle shoes, the book bags, the coming together of friends and the realization of schedules and teachers demanding the most of you. We all endured square dancing in the gym, lockers that got stuck, mystery meat in the cafeteria, being late for class, gym suits and typing class. It was a time to experience cooking class and Home Ec., shop and auto mechanics.
Remember the wide-open starry eyes as you meandered down hallways searching for your friends, writing and passing notes when words could not hold themselves back. Part of school was the graffiti filled bathrooms that served as hang outs or the warm water fountains that were positioned way too low. Some teachers were the best, and there was the teacher you will never forget. The teachers we have come to know throughout our childhood will always be remembered. Remember your teachers and how they contributed to the person you are today.
Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk and see what comes forward with a step back to a day in September.....
Reflect back in September, remembering
First day of school jitters, new school shoes and teachers. *Thank a teacher today
Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and see where your mind travels.
My favorite teacher was _____________________________________________.
The paste at school tasted like _________________________________________.
My lunch was packed in a __________________________________for grades K-5.

Column based on Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book that contains over 220 questions within 12 chapters, poems and illustrations.
To order a book visit http://www.mothballsinmyattic.com/ or
send $14.95+4.95 s/h=$19.90
To: MIMA Publications, 173 Maple Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840

August MIMA Moment

Refresh yourself....
Picture a big tall glass of Red Kool-Aid and sugar
????? Remember ways you kept cool during the summer months ?????

August Column

Mothballs In My Attic
By Cindy O’Neill
The dog days of summer are in full swing. It’s hot but there are ways to cool off. The fire hydrant gets released and children are in the street giggling and dancing around. The ice cream man is ringing his bell and we run towards the truck while begging Mom for some coins for a cool treat. The ice cream man in his white uniform hops off his driver’s seat and opens the steel latches on the side of the truck. The doors open and close with such authority and the ice cream man reaches in through the cold vapors cascading down around him and retrieves the brown cow or strawberry shortcake, chocolate eclair or Italian ice. He makes change with his "steel belt" and within minutes we knew that the day was complete and we were happy.
Remember your ice cream man and the sound of his bells, the coins sweaty in your palm, your feet dancing on the hot tar pavement just waiting for the truck to turn down your street.
Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk.
See what comes forward with a step back to a day in August...
Reflecting back in August, remembering *Have an ice cream party*
Heat waves, keeping cool and ice cream.
Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and experience the places your mind travels.
We slept outside in our makeshift tent by using ___________________.
I would buy ____________________from the ice cream truck.
In the hottest month of the year, we would keep cool by ______________.
Sharing a MIMA Moment
Sharing a big pitcher of ice cold Kool-Aid refreshes all...
What other ways you can feel refreshed?
Column based on Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book that contains over 220 questions within 12 chapters, poems and illustrations.
To order a book visit http://www.mothballsinmyattic.com/ or
send $14.95+4.95 s/h=$19.90
To: MIMA Publications 173 Maple Avenue,%

Memory Jogging

Alzheimer's Notes
Encouraging Alzheimer's caregivers from someone who's been there. Written by Mary Emma Allen a b5media blog
Encouraging Alzheimer's caregivers from someone who's been there. Written by Mary Emma Allen a b5media blog
One of the activities I conducted in a nursing home consisted of jogging memories and reminiscing about family history. We used a questionnaire the acitivities aide and I discussed with the group and recorded their answers.
These were fun for the residents, who chatted among themselves as we introduced the memory joggers. These also can be fun for families to use with their family member with Alzheimer’s. I enjoyed writing down and recording my mom’s reminiscing for her family.
I’ve recently discovered a book that will aid in jogging memories, Mothballs in My Attic, by Cindy O’Neill at http://www.mimabook.com/ . This book uses words to bring back memories.
Cindy mentioned that it’s been used as a resource tool by activity planners in the medical field as well as caregivers for dementia patients. More information about the book and how it’s been used can be found on her site. You can check it out to see if it’s something you might find useful.

July MIMA Moment

DETERMINATION ~ Collecting enough box tops to send away for the prize.... What important thing were you determined to do, no matter what?

July Column

Mothballs In My Attic
By Cindy O’Neill
The celebration of the 4th of July starts with fireworks in every town and city. It’s amazing how we gaze in the dark sky to see the wonder of explosions. Imagine the whole scenario leading up to the nighttime wonderment. The Bar-b-Que gang all assembled, the back yard badminton game, the very competitive croquet game, the hamburgers and hot dogs, potato salad and all the fixins’. Watermelon seed spitting contests and running through the sprinkler.
Dusk settles in and we gather the blankets and prepare for the fireworks display. You lie on your back and as the test rocket shoots up, a hush circulates throughout the crowd. Then begins the sprinkling and array of colorful effervescence of each rocket that is sent up and erupts for display, and is now revealed. The booming after shocks makes the pit of your stomach shake, if only for a moment. It’s remarkable, but it’s only reserved for today. The ooh’s and aah’s are echoed throughout the audience and you know that this is something good. It’s Independence Day and that can mean different things to different people.
Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk.
See what comes forward with a step back to a day in July...
Reflecting back in July, remembering Wear something red, white and blue
Fireworks, BB-Q’s and Swimming
Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and experience the places your mind travels.
The family who had the best fireworks were ________________________.
The pool we swam in during the summer was _______________________________.
The best backyard BBQ’s I can remember were held at _________________________.
.
Sharing a MIMA MOMENT
Sharing the freedom of independence is an honor.
What does independence mean to you?

Column based on Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book that contains over 220 questions within 12 chapters, poems and illustrations.
To order a book visit http://www.mothballsinmyattic.com/ or
send $14.95+4.95 s/h=$19.90
To MIMA Publications, 173 Maple Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840

The Tea House Times

There is a wonderful newsletter that I had discovered and I want to share it with you. If you are a Tea Lover this is right up your alley. It's a beautiful color coated page after page turner with interesting articles and musings. I have an article that I will post soon that is in the July/August edition. If you would like the website, just click on The Tea House Times under the links to the right and enjoy.

June Column

Mothballs In My Attic
By Cindy O’Neill JUNE COLUMN
Graduations and Father’s Day highlight this month. Graduations reflect an ending of an accomplishment but yet special feelings associated with a new beginning. It’s the moving from one phase of your life to an open door to the future. Father’s Day holds many feelings that are personal and more reflective to a different place and time. Father’s Day can encompass the working Dad who spent many a night at the office, the fishing Dad, handyman Dad, sports Dad, the Mr. Mom Dad, the "like a Dad to me" Dad, the grass cutting Dad or the dearly departed Dad. It’s a feeling of your Dad or Pops or Father who sits in a favorite chair or a Dad who spends time in the garage with his favorite hobby. It’s the traveling Dad who comes home with treats in his pockets or the Military Dad who was missed for so long. Remember the smells and feelings and special moments that just pop up in your mind when you think of Dad. It’s right there waiting to be felt again. Whatever you are feeling, celebrate the man and remember a part of him, because he is a part of you.
Let the mothballs refresh your memory; enter your attic and open your trunk.
See what comes forward with a step back to a day in June....
Reflect back in June, remembering
Dad, Granddad and Graduations
Make a Father’s Day Card for someone you
Fill in the blanks with just one word, and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations, and experience the places your mind travels.
My father’s favorite chair in the house was ___________________________.
Grandpa spent most of his time _____________________________________.
My high school graduation ceremony was held at _________________________
Sharing a MIMA Moment
Sharing feelings of the family men in your life lends itself to recollections.
What are one or two things that your Dad taught you?

Column based on Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book that contains over 220 questions within 12 chapters, poems and illustrations.
To order a book visit http://www.mothballsinmyattic.com/

Mindfulness and Mothballs

<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Mindfulness and Mothballs:
What’s In Your Mental Attic?
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
mothball (môth bôl}
1. A marble-sized ball, originally of camphor
but now of naphthalene, stored with clothes to
repel moths.
2. A condition of long storage for possible
future use.
3. To store for long periods.
What's in your mental attic?
We mothball millions of memories, most of which will never be retrieved. Whenever we do remember something,
we are reinforcing the neural pathways in the brain. Think of it as keeping a jungle path cleared so we can traverse
it any time we choose.
Flexing our memories is a powerful way to develop brain elasticity. In addition, the more we skip along those neural pathways in random order, the more connections we are creating.
I've recently discovered a great way to systematically clear those vine-covered paths by answering questions that
inspire a bit of bushwhacking.
Cindy O'Neill got together with her sister, Barbara Iderosa,
to create a spiral-bound book of fill-in-the-blank questions designed
to spark memories and lead to conversation and connection.
The book is called "Mothballs In My Attic" and it is being used by activity planners, facilities directors, staff and volunteers who work with our growing aging population. It's become a simple,
valuable tool for those who need a structured--but enjoyable--memory
workout.
But you don't have to be old to benefit from a little brain jostling. This book is a fun centerpiece for any gathering of family members or the perfect catalyst for sharing among friends.

To be honest, I hesitated to read the questions at first, knowing that
they would certainly stir up memories of my childhood. That's great if you had a happy one, but not so great if you'd rather forget about, say, the time your grandmother tried to strangle you with a dishtowel
(she was suffering from dementia at the time).
What a relief to discover that, instead of stirring up the yucky
stuff, this little book actually highlighted some long-forgotten
happy memories.
I remembered some wonderful things about my grandmother, like the way she smelled, the songs she loved to
sing, and even details like the embroidered handkerchiefs she
always kept stashed in her purse and the way she read a certain bedtime story.
As the years pass, we tend to create an overall memory image--"good" or "bad"--but rarely can our entire
childhood or a relationship with one person be seen in such black and white terms. "Mothballs In My Attic" helped me gain perspective on a particularly painful time in my life and allowed me to paint a a more realistic picture of the way things were.
Instead of keeping our memories packed in boxes in our mental attic,
we can benefit from opening up the dustiest ones and airing things out. We're likely to find some delightful surprises while we're poking around.
Yes, mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment,
but there's a whole lot to discover when we look at the past in a
nonjudgmental way. We can use our memories--especially the
ones we've got packed in mothballs--to help us develop clarity and
compassion.


Cindy refers to these little strolls down memory lane as
"MIMA moments" in reference to the title of her book. But
I've got my own name for them. I like to think of them as "My, My"
moments. It's as though I have my grandmother standing
beside me (no dishtowel) and saying, "My, My...isn't that
something?"
Indeed, it is. And the closer we look--while suspending judgment--the more clearly we see it.
Poke around in your mental attic,and dig into those boxes packed
with mothballs. You're bound to have some "My, My" moments
of your own.

<><><<><><><><>
Your Secr*t Assignment:
Poking Around
<><><><><><><><>
This week, poke around in your mental attic and see what you've got buried in dusty boxes up there.
Here is a sampling of questions from the "Mothballs In My Attic" book to help you along...
"The funniest thing that happened on a car trip was ___."
"I shared my deep dark secrets with ____."
"I loved buying ___ from the ice cream truck."
"My friend, ____, had the best tree to climb."
"My mother always shopped at the____ supermarket."
Why not order this book for yourself--and your loved ones? It's a
fun way to connect with others at your next gathering.
Just go to:
MothballsInMyAttic.com<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Maya Talisman Frost/www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=410935 Stop by Maya's website to have a wonderful experience.

Awaken Your Senses

Awakening Awareness

It's not hard to be mindful.
It's just hard to REMEMBER to be mindful!
Awakening Awareness™
is a course designed to help you pay attention
to various triggers throughout your day
in order to get in the habit of being mindful.
If you're ready for a simple, fun and powerful way
to learn how to pop into mindfulness mode whenever you choose, just click on the Real World Training Link and you be directed to this wonderful web site.

Rain...Rain...
showers, fresh air and daffodils *Plant some flower seeds and watch them grow
The flowers planted around our house were ______________________________________
Smell the fresh scent, our clothesline was located _______________________________
I used a _______________________________as a marker for sidewalk hopscotch.

Sharing a MIMA Moment
Sharing your world with Mother Nature is a vast experience.
What are some of your favorite things to do in the Spring season

Mindfulness

My new friend Maya has written such a beautiful awakening of my book Mothballs In My Attic. Maya's web site is www.real-worldmindfulness.com and there are so many things to explore. If you check out the Friday ezine articles you can read what she wrote about Mothballs In My Attic. This is my first blog spot and i'm happy to share it with Maya Talisman Frost. Thanks Maya, you inspired me to start a blog spot.