Newsweek this week

Still hot and no rain - and none in the forecast. It's wonderful weather for the Riverbend Festival, and the crowds have been huge.

The cover story in this week's Newsweek is about Alzheimer's and the toll it is taking on those afflicted, their families and caregivers, the health care system, and finances. And I'm afraid "we ain't seen nothing yet"! We've seen first hand, with John's dad, what a terrible disease this is. We were so fortunate that there was enough money to see that he was taken care of properly, without devastating the family finances. Also, although John was the primary caregiver, Ed lived successively in an independent apartment, assisted living, and a nursing home. John had great support from his sister, even though she was miles and miles away.

One point this article makes over and over again is the necessity for all of us to have our paper work in order (wills, powers of attorney, durable powers of attorney, etc.) and to talk to our children about our wishes. We have the paper work done, and have generally talked with the girls. The sidebar in this article, How to Talk About Aging , specifically addresses having "the talk". I guess we need to do this sometime soon. Take note, girls!

Again from Newsweek: I rarely read the George Will column, because I almost never agree with him. This week was an exception. His piece this week Of Tulips and Fred Thompson is an interesting take on this man, especially from a staunch conservative. We had Thompson as senator from Tennessee for a while, and we were singularly unimpressed with him. I really can't believe he would ever be considered a serious candidate for President.

Countdown to the beach: 10 days!

Today's picture is the last in the series of Chimney Rock at the Mountain Ute Tribal Park.