Strategies to help retirees recall and remember people, places and things.
From time to time, Alex goes through a phase where he revisits his past. For example, this week, he has been pulling out old books and handheld electronic games and enjoyed spending time reading and playing these former favorite activities, finding them interesting again. While I’m not thrilled that he strews these books and game all over the floor in this rediscovery process, I’m pleased that he’s entertaining himself with what he already has. It’s nice to see him engaged in books and games that he had put away for months, even years. Included in these books he’s been re-reading lately are his old homeschooling textbooks, especially his math books, which isn’t surprising since math has always been his favorite subject. In addition, he’s also been playing several electronic games, including Deal or No Deal and Jeopardy. I’m sure that his reawakened interest in watching the Game Show Network probably has motivated him to pull out his own home versions of these games so that he can play along as he watches them on television. Unfortunately, these reminders of the past have a negative aspect. Along with the pleasure they bring Alex, he also becomes a pain in obsessing over past incidents. This week, we’ve had to listen to him complain again about previous obsessions: his typewriter, the computer game Monopoly Junior, and people’s voices. Although after his summer of basically self-imposed silence, we like hearing him speak again, we wish he’d talk about something he likes instead of things that bother him. For him, rambling on about when he got his typewriter in 2002, and how he hates Monopoly Junior because it’s a low scoring game, and how he doesn’t want to keep track of people’s voices [in his system where he assigned points for volume and pitch of voices] appears to be his attempt to banish demons through his own form of talk therapy. Listening to his repetitive diatribe is tiresome, especially when he becomes really agitated and needs us to write down his grievances and repeat back what he’s said in some sort of reassurance. Needless to say, we’ll be delighted when he gets past this form of revisiting of his younger years. With all these reminders of his past, Alex has started a new activity that is actually nostalgic for me. Our cable company offers several channels devoted to various types of music through a program called Music Choice. I often have Music Choice playing on the television as background music when I’m grading papers, doing laundry, or working on the computer. Recently, Alex seemed to find my listening to Music Choice interesting because he would come running to the television when he’d hear songs that he liked and/or were familiar. While I like to listen to a variety of music, flipping between the True Country, Today’s Country, Solid Gold Oldies, ‘70s, '80s, Pop Hits, and Soft Rock channels, Alex tended to drop what he was doing when he heard country or '80s songs. Music Choice offers Alex an added bonus in that they list the title of the song and album/CD, the artist, and most importantly for him, the date the song was released. Since Alex is a country music fan, I wasn’t surprised he wanted to come listen when he heard Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, or Shania Twain, all favorites of his. However, his sudden interest in '80s music, the songs of my young adulthood—when I was his age—intrigued me. This past week, he’s opted to listen to Music Choice for hours at a time, and he’s become a devotee of the '80s channel. For me, these songs are nostalgic; for Alex, most songs are new. As the familiar tunes of Fleetwood Mac, Hall and Oates, and Lionel Richie play, I find myself humming along to those songs I played repeatedly when I was younger on albums, then cassettes, and later CD’s. One evening, I heard Alex’s voice while he was listening to Van Halen, and as I approached the room, where I could tell he was dancing around from the thumping sounds on the floor, I could figure out that he was singing the lyrics, “Might as well jump, JUMP!” When he looked up and saw me grinning at him, he quickly sat down, embarrassed that I’d witnessed his mini-concert. Not wanting to spoil his fun, I left so that he could once again enjoy the music, uninhibited. I hope he continues to find joy in the old songs, and perhaps music will soothe him so that the obsessions of his past will dwindle and fade away, allowing him just to dance. “God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” Ecclesiastes 5:20
Original smart watch, the electric company, Bruce lee meeting Jackie Chan? Take a trip down memory lane, what do you remember?
Original smart watch, the electric company, Bruce lee meeting Jackie Chan? Take a trip down memory lane, what do you remember?
This half term, our regular Story Cafe for the preshoolers and their families, was based on the book "and the train goes..." by William Bee. I was recommended this by a friend whose son loves it, and now I know why! It's about a train and all the passengers that are travelling and the text sort of makes you read it in the rhythm of a steam train! As usual we started off by introducing families to the Rainbow Cafe concept - it's just a relaxed and informal family workshop designed to encourage a love of stories, and to inspire families to use stories in lots of different ways at home. Then we read the story. I asked the children what they thought you might need to go on a train journey - a ticket of course - so I gave all the children a ticket at the start of the story. As I read the story, I pull several props out of my story sack at relevant points and the children and their parents join in with the noises. Story Props - For "and the train goes...", I put together a story sack of props. This included little train tickets, a clock made from a paper plate, my old wooden station and some passengers, a parrot puppet and a cup and saucer. When we get to the bit about the ladies on their day out, I produce the cup and saucer from my story sack and pretend to slurp a cup of tea just like the ladies on the train! Story Activities - when we have finished reading the story, children and their families go off to make their own story props to take home and use to re-tell the story. We have brown paper "take-way" bags and stickers with the name of the book printed on them, for the children to take home in what they have made - the children always like to decorate the bags too. I put out a selection of open-ended materials, old cereal box card, lolly sticks, glue, sellotape, tissue paper, toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes and coloured pens and pencils. I also always put out some colouring sheets related to the story. Children and their families made train, train tracks, carriages and station clocks... After this we break for a drink and a chat. Then we all get together on the carpet again for a re-telling of the story (or sometimes a related story). This time we re-read "and the train goes..." and everyone joined in with the train noises. I also set up a story related "Communication Friendly Space" - this time it was some pieces of wooden train track, some wooden trains and carriages all on a plain rug with a couple of train stories to look at. So if any of the children have finished gluing and sticking they can play and explore the story. Links to the Early Years Foundation Stage - Story Cafe links to all areas of the EYFS depending on the story chosen and the activities provided, but for this one child development outcomes include - Literacy - showing interest in books, listening to and joining in with stories, enjoying rhyming stories, predicting what happens next and how stories might end, interested in illustrations, linking sounds and letters, enjoying an increasing range of books. Communication & Language - listening and attention - listening to and enjoying rhythmic patterns in rhymes and stories, listening with interest to the noises adults make when they read stories. More train stories - if you love this story you might also like this selection of train stories - it's not an exhaustive list but does contain some really good ones... When I was small my favourite train stories were "Ivor the Engine". I loved the illustrations and the funny names of the characters and I always remember the one about the dragon called Idris who lived on the top of the mountain. I'm sure this is why I liked "and the train goes..." by William Bee - the illustrations are so detailed and remind me of those by Peter Firmin in Ivor the Engine. Do you have any old favourite train stories? For more story ideas and inspiration: Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/allaboutstories/ Blog - www.itsallaboutstories.blogspot.co.uk/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/itsallaboutstories
Basically ancient history.
A dose of nostalgia with some awesome things from "back in the day".
Working vintage Linden travel clock folds into a compact (2.75"square x 1.25"h) burnt orange faux leather case and unfolds to reveal a working alarm clock with gold glow in the dark hands. Positively old school alarm ring can be programmed in the back of the clock face along with the clock winding device (which must be done by hand).
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Hello and welcome to this little corner of the internet. We are four girls with a penchant for the best in life. As a result, you'll find here an array "of...
How cool is that? I made it all by myself, you know. Forgive me but I've been messing about with a vintage toy I found recently. And great fun it is too. In the age of complicated electronic toys and games, who would have thought you could get so much pleasure from something as simple as creating sculptures from bright coloured, interlocking, plastic octagons. They do say simple things amuse simple minds. Funnily enough though, what you could end up with is a very stylish object: a visual, light catching sculpture that would look superb on display in the window area of a modern interior. And your sculpture is, of course, infinitely variable for when you feel like a change. The toy is Octons by UK manufacturer, Galt Toys. I would guess this version dates from the 1970s. C'mon, don't pretend you wouldn't like a go too. (Added 27 June 2013) It looks like Galt Toys are still going strong today - and they're still making a version of Octons: Galt Octons
View-Master , since 1939, has been a device for viewing seven 3-D images (also called stereo images) on a paper disk. Although the View-Mast...
If you are under 55, you simply won’t understand…
From traits like quiet quitting to being the last ones to remember life before the internet, these are the surprising things characteristic to Generation X.
The digital revolution has claimed another victim: Reports on Wednesday said that Eastman-Kodak, the venerable film company that pioneered film and cameras as consumer products, may be forced to fi…
Old school cool.
Stay connected to family and friends by sharing the LittleThings that spark joy.
Former rap star Vanilla Ice was hauled off to jail last night after allegedly assaulting his wife for the second time. The 40-year-old, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, was arrested for domestic battery after his wife Laura Van Winkle made an emergency call to police claiming that he was hitting and kicking her
Original smart watch, the electric company, Bruce lee meeting Jackie Chan? Take a trip down memory lane, what do you remember?
these might take you back
