All librarians and museum curators need to be trained in writing these sorts of letters...

When I was working in the comic store, we had an obsessive comic fan who was a shut-in who called us regularly. He was sweet, but we invented 'the bye-bye process' to politely deal with him on the phone.

Some things I've been paying attention to on Facebook, that I thought I'd share here

This Teacher Wrote Personal Letters To 100 Students After Nearly Losing One To Suicide

We never know what a difference some small act of kindness can be. A teacher, Brittni Darras, learned that one of her students had been saved while attempting suicide, and wrote her a personal note while she was in the hospital, and it really touched the student, who hadn't thought anyone cared. Because the signs of depression and suicidal thoughts are not always obvious, she then sat down and wrote over a hundred personal, hand-written notes to her various students, giving them a compliment here, or telling a story there, however she connected with each one. What a gift. We can all do small acts of kindness to help others who may be facing very difficult times.

An Amazing Village Designed Just for People with Dementia

I so hope this idea catches on!

At Hogeweyk, the interior of the security perimeter is its own little village—which means that patients can move about as they wish without being in danger.

Each apartment hosts six to eight people, including caretakers—who wear street clothes—and the relationship between the two is unique. Residents help with everything from cooking to cleaning. They can buy whatever they want from the grocery. They can get their hair done or go to a restaurant. It's those basic routines and rituals that can help residents maintain a better quality of living.

Click here for more on the concept of Dementia Villages. As the Gizmodo article points out, 1 in 3 seniors will die with dementia. 1 in 3. It's one of my greatest fears; I watched my great-grandmother decline with Alzheimer's for fifteen years. SHe was lucky; she was able to stay in her home, cared for by her daughter, my grandmother, but at cost--my grandmother outlived her mother by a scant two years, and while the official cause of death was lung cancer, I truly believe she gave all of her stamina and fight up trying to care for her mother, leaving her no reserve for herself. They said my grandfather had dementia, although in his case, I think he just didn't have enough oxygen in his blood, as he had COPD and emphysema for years, and would wander at the hospital with Sundowner's syndrome (when people act strangely after dark in unfamiliar surroundings) without his oxygen on. My grandmother was pretty sharp to a point, but she didn't know my mom all the time, or would fuss over things that weren't real. I already have issues with memory and so I have to admit, I worry about what will happen to me--especially without children or other close family members to care for me, if I should get Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. But speaking of dementia, if you are dealing with this in a loved one, be sure to read 16 Things I Would Want If I Got Dementia: A heartfelt wish list from a dementia care worker by Rachael Wonderlin, who works with patients with dementia.

Oh, and I don't know who came up with this, but I love it, so I'm going to end this post on a lighter note:



And this hit a chord, maybe because, I don't know, I managed to get hit by a car a few years ago while obeying all laws and walking in the crosswalk with the light:



Okay, I think I'm going to do some reading after I forage for a snack. I'm reading Meghan Telpner's UnDiet: The Shiny, Happy, Vibrant, Gluten-Free, Plant-Based Way To Look Better, Feel Better, And Live Better Each And Every Day!, so I guess it better be a healthy snack. :)

Want to be an elf?

Kids write Santa this year for basic needs instead of toys

Kudos to the folks at the post office who sort through the letters, identify the needy cases, and put into motion Operation Santa, where people get letters with the personal info removed and act as Santa's helpers to get the items for the children. There is a list of participating post offices at the Operation Santa blog. (The closest on the list to me is in Cincinnati, but I think I'll check with our post office to see if there might be something like it. It's hard for me to get to the post office, but I can do so on the bus.) Anyway, it's a chance to make a difference in the life of a child this year.

Via The DCist.

Plus, there's this I saw on the news:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I got this via e-mail; it's making the rounds

It's absolutely hilarious, especially if you are a woman. It seems to be a real letter, as posted on a blog by Wendy Aarons. And yes, I do use the Always brand of pads, and they do say that on the little sheets that you peel off to stick the pad on your underwear. I know, guys, too much information. :)

Thanks to D for sending this to me!

An actual letter from an Austin woman to Proctor & Gamble, this letter won PC Magazine's Editor's Choice Award in 2007 for 'Best Webmail Letter'--or so the e-mail claims.

An Open Letter to James Thatcher, Brand Manager, Proctor and Gamble:

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your Always maxi pads for over 20 years, and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core™ or Dri-Weave™ absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from "the curse"? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my "time of the month" is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call "an inbred hillbilly with knife skills." Isn't the human body amazing?

As brand manager in the feminine-hygiene division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from Aunt Flo. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy! The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in capri pants. Which brings me to the reason for my letter.

Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period."

Are you f******* kidding me?

What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness—actual smiling, laughing happiness—is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything "happy" about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlúa and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreens armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory. For the love of God, pull your head out, man. If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like "Put Down the Hammer" or "Vehicular Manslaughter Is Wrong"? Or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your accounting department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flexi-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending b*******. And that's a promise I will keep. Always.

Best,

Wendi Aarons
Austin, TX

No, I'm not going to switch. But I still found it funny. Maybe they can put different phrases on them like fortune cookies or Dove chocolate. :)