Transitions With Jean - Columns

Last month, I lost my mom. After talking to many friends, I find that I’m not alone. Their usual response is something like, “I lost my mom X years ago.” And silence. We all have a hole in our hearts. It is like I joined a secret club that no one wants to be a member...

I love music. Anyone who has met me knows that. Music lifts me up. If you hear me singing, you might beg for mercy because I can’t carry a tune worth a darn, but it still brings me joy. My best memory is when I was about ten years old. My sisters and I used to do...

Dear Jean: A year ago, my wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Our plan is to keep her at home as long as we can. I try so hard, but once in a while, I get very frustrated with her. I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t get her to understand things sometimes. I don’t...

Dear Jean, A while ago, you talked about the importance of making an “advance directive”. I finally finished mine and put it in my safe-deposit box for security. I named my daughter as my health care agent. Should I give her a copy too? Answer: Yes, give her a copy....

“I need help getting rid of all this stuff and the sooner the better!” were the first words Yolanda said when I met her at the door of her half-empty house. She had just moved to a senior apartment, and she needed help clearing out all the things that were left...

This month I had a couple of customers tell me about frustrations they are having with their children. In the first case, when their adult kids came to visit over the holidays, the parents wanted them to go through their bedrooms and get rid of some of their stuff....

Sometimes I feel like I am turning into a jalopy. Yes, that is a word: “An old, dilapidated automobile.” I never really was like a souped-up Camero or even a sleek Jaguar. I was more of a Chevy Trailblazer –like the SUV I had in the ‘90s. It was functional, with...

This week, I had fun when two of my grandboys helped decorate my house for Christmas; they are 12 and 7 years old. What a treat for me.  Hopefully, they thought it was a treat, too. Like many of you, every Christmas decoration in my house has a history.  I’ve tried to...

Veterans: Today’s column is for you and your spouses. This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with David Holst, one of our County Veterans Service Officers. I asked what he would like to share with veterans. He has two...

Have you ever heard of the 80-20 Rule? It asserts that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.  Well, that wasn’t very clear, was it? Let me share some examples to explain better– 80% of the work in an organization is done by 20% of the people: consider your...