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Helter Skelter.
Here and there,
words abound,
they're everywhere.
Some words, good,
others are not.
I should have
been a brave
soul, as this body
wastes away from age.
Life takes it's course,
of all I know.
Which isn't much,
compared to others,
in this strange life,
for I will sleep
a thousand times
before this life is done
and others in this
land of ours,
will enjoy the evening Sun.
Whew!
I feel better now,
so I suppose,
my work on this mess
is now done.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

The weathered and layered face of Mount Mercou looms in the foreground of this mosaic from the Curiosity Mars rover's Mast Camera. Made up of 21 individual images the scene was recorded just after sunset on March 19, the 3,063rd martian day of Curiosity's on going exploration of the Red Planet. In the martian twilight high altitude clouds still shine above, reflecting the light from the Sun below the local horizon like the noctilucent clouds of planet Earth. Though water ice clouds drift through the thin martian atmosphere, these wispy clouds are also at extreme altitudes and could be composed of frozen carbon dioxide, crystals of dry ice. Curiosity's Mast Cam has also imaged iridescent or mother of pearl clouds adding subtle colors to the martian sky.

> “Community Choice” Is Getting Renewable Energy to Millions || by Alejandra Borunda : Reasons to be Cheerful

> Is Your Living Room the Future of Hospital Care? || by Julie Appleby : Kaiser Health News

> The World’s Northernmost Town Is Changing Dramatically || by Gloria Dickie : Scientific American

A time in life
to rethink the plan.
The road, well trod,
we took; woman or man.
It matters not,
what was said
or how well you planned.
When the Lord decides
your life will change
every which way it can.
You have little control
in this World, ours.
Accept life as it is,
as life is measured in
hours, minutes of time
as the Sun will
still set, once again.

When there are days of love,
there will be no days of sorrow,
for all of the days of yesterday,
will be back again, tomorrow.
Yesterday has gone away
and today will be the morrow.
Look thee back, on those days,
finding the memories to borrow,
making this life a better one,
of happiness, without the sorrow.

For want of a word.
For a want of more time.
Why in the World
must my words rhyme?
If words are hard,
or just sublime,
why must they rhyme,
time after time?

The sunlight chases the shadows,
laying deeply hidden,
away from light and will
stay there, in place, until
disappearing from our sight.
Shadows cover the flaws of
the Earth. Flaws here since
the day, God gave birth.
He provided the Sun, Sky
and the Universe, sayeth I.
Long may thee and all your
offspring, whomever they be,
live long and healthy lives.

To write again these words to you,
brings satisfaction in what I do,
for these words, which are here,
will remain on paper, as I disappear.
Written words, as a writers craft,
brings forth meaning from the chaff.
Are the words confusing? I will ask,
for writing thoughts is my task.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

On May 26, the Full Flower Moon was caught in this single exposure as it emerged from Earth's shadow and morning twilight began to wash over the western sky. Posing close to the horizon near the end of totality, an eclipsed lunar disk is framed against bare oak trees at Pinnacles National Park in central California. The Earth's shadow isn't completely dark though. Faintly suffused with sunlight scattered by the atmosphere, the inner shadow gives the totally eclipsed moon a reddened appearance and the very dramatic popular moniker of a Blood Moon. Still, the monstrous visage of a gnarled tree in silhouette made this view of a total lunar eclipse even scarier.

Photo by Chirag Upreti

Long-distance caregivers are more common than you think. Generally speaking, it’s common for seniors to live in one part of the country while their families live and work elsewhere. Regardless of what keeps you apart, caregiving can actually be more than doable by remembering these few tips.

Technology is your friend.

Technology has made the world smaller in many ways. With a plethora of electronic gadgets and internet connectivity available these days, it’s now so much easier to connect with loved ones from afar, making tech an invaluable resource when it comes to long-distance caregiving. Many devices like tablets are senior-friendly with easy-to-use interfaces and features like larger screens. These gadgets can then be leveraged in many ways, such as using video chat to check in on your senior loved ones’ well-being or even attend their medical appointments virtually.

As a bonus, there are countless deals on tablets from trusted brands like Apple, Lenovo, and Samsung (to name a few), making them great investments that won’t put a huge dent on your own household budget.

The Senior List suggests loading your loved one’s phone or tablet with some senior-friendly apps, like Pandora, Zoom, The Weather Channel, and MediSafe Medication Reminder. Thanks to some easily accessible tech, your loved one will have support and entertainment at his or her fingertips.

Help is available for those who ask for it.

Probably the biggest challenge of being a long-distance caregiver is not being physically present to take care of tasks. However, there are, of course, ways around such a hiccup. In fact, the National Institute on Aging points out that there are countless professionals in any given area that provide a plethora of #local">services, ranging from house cleaning to meal deliveries and so much more.

While you may not be around to keep a close eye on them, you can also keep tabs on them through neighbors, friends and even
tracking devices like location tracking or medical alert systems.

It goes without saying that it’s more than prudent to take advantage of these resources. Not only will this ensure that all your loved ones’ needs are taken care of, but alleviate your worries as well.

Your time is the greatest gift.

Last but definitely not least, the best gift you can give your loved ones is a simple one, and that is your time. This can also be a challenge with your own minutiae of daily living. It’s important to check in on your loved ones with a phone or video call to make sure that they are safe, comfortable, and healthy. Even more important is routinely visiting in person, not only to check on current conditions but also to provide the comfort of your presence.

You can give the gift of time in other ways, as well. You already do so when you research services that benefit them and care facilities, as well as when you educate yourself on their conditions and, by extension, repercussions. Ditto when you take care of their bills, sit-in on medical appointments, and the like.

Indeed, caregiving for a senior loved one from afar will be hard. However, the main thing you can do is to improvise and leverage the right resources. So bear these tips in mind to provide the right kind and amount of loving care to your senior wards—without putting an undue burden on yourself, too.

Photo via Pexels.com