What's the story behind your latest book?
In September of 2009 my sister Elizabeth and I retired after running our cleaning/catering business for 37 years. We thought life would slow down and get a bit boring, boy where we wrong! Years before Elizabeth had agreed to be the Administrator of a living trust for an old family friend. Dot had been diagnosed with Dementia. She needed someone she could trust to take charge of her affairs. By November of 2009 we where knee deep in cleaning out Dot’s house and getting it ready for sale.
We had done this many times for our cleaning customers and though this would be a piece of cake. The first time we walked into the house we realized how wrong we where. Our organized retired school teacher had become a pack rat and hoarder. It took two very large dumpsters and months of hard work to finally complete the project.
Life finally calmed down in 2014. Dot had come to live with us for a time and the “Golden Girls” had settled down to quiet and boring. I got this great idea to write a book on our experience with the Dot Project. Writing had always been a passion of mine but, I put it off until I had the time to do it.
By January of 2015, I was still struggling with the book. It just would not come together. You are going to laugh at me but, I had a long talk with God about this. “I could use some help here!” Either I write this book or I trash the idea and go back to my gardening. On January 2, at 4:30 in the morning, I sat down at my computer and started to write. Hours later, I looked at what was on the page and was amazed. The book had taken on a life of its own. Instead of a book about the Dot Project, it had become a How to Guide for seniors.
I began to realize that many in my age group are going to face the same fate as Dot. It will fall to their children and caregivers to take charge for them. Cleaning out a house is not as easy as it sounds considering you have 60 years of memories and clutter to sort through. At first look, the job will seem overwhelming! Keeping yourself organized and on track is the challenge. “Making the Move” is designed to help you stay focus on the task in front of you. Hopefully it will keep the stress level to a minimum.
What is so special about the format of this book?
“Making the Move” was designed to be practical and simple. It was originally created in Word Doc. To be downloaded onto your computer. The reader can copy the blank forms, put them on a clip board and you are ready to organize the move.
You will get an idea of the books content by sampling the book through your e-book devises but, it may seem a bit confusing. It is for me, I’m old fashion and I’m not use to reading my books side ways. For a better understanding of “Making the Move” I invite you to my web-site. www.makingthemove.biz
In the future, I have plans to publish “Making the Move” as a soft cover workbook. Hopefully I can talk one of the Big Box stores to carry it.
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