My Alzheimer's Journey
Part 69 - Friday, January 16, 2026
This is going to be a fun post, so please read all the way to the end. Don’t change the channel on me!
I ventured out in the cold (24 degrees Fahrenheit) this morning for a much-needed haircut and beard trim. Later, as I started researching important and fun things that happened on this day in history, I discovered that André Michelin (the tire guy) was born on January 16, 1853. André is rocking a really awesome beard in a photo I found. If I had discovered this photo before I had my beard trimmed this morning, I would have started on a quest to have an André beard.
On a more serious note, Martin Luther King was born on this day in 1929. I think this quote is very fitting for those of us suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the people who care for us, the researchers seeking a cure, and the healthcare professionals who treat us.
1949 was a big year for television. Networks started offering prime time schedules and numerous stations came on the air. Two stations began broadcasting 76 years ago today - NBC in Los Angeles and CBS in Washington, DC.
The last segment of today’s history lesson pertains to a place where Linda and I have spent a lot of time over the past four years. On this day in 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman decreed that 400,000 acres of land in the South would be divided into 40-acre lots and given to former slaves. The coast of South Carolina, especially the area around Beaufort, received many of these lots.
If you are still searching for something to get you out of the house this weekend, I have three excellent suggestions:
Volunteer Wailua Work Day - Kauaʻi, Hawaii (the focus is Mālama ʻāina - “to care for the land”) - high temperature will be 80°F and the low temperature will be 76
°F
You can party back to the 80’s in Madrid Spain tomorrow. Tickets are going fast.
Ice fishing is in full swing in Maine. My favorite place to stay is the Greenville Inn at Moosehead Lake (tell Jeff that Linda and I sent you). Be sure and have a beer at the Stress Free Moose Pub. You do not want to know how cold it will be this weekend.
The news this week has been overwhelming focused on ICE. As a distraction (my anxiety is triggered easily), Linda and I were able to sample Thrive Ice Cream. I am not a paid endorser (not yet, anyway!) for Thrive; but, their ice cream is super special. It is ideal as a meal supplement, snack, or dessert for Alzheimer’s patients because it is high in protein, high in fiber, and it has lots of yummy vitamins and minerals. Speaking of yummy - Thrive is awesomely good! Even Big Bit loves it.
Finally, I designed a new sweatshirt today. I am asking you to serve as my focus group. Please tell me if you love it or hate it. If you love it, please don’t be bashful about placing an order.
Today’s post is dedicated to all the hardworking caregiver’s. You have a very difficult job. I wish you strength, patience, and peace.