Using Humor in My Caregiver “Lessons” …
My life is ever-evolving. At almost 80 years old, I’m a comedian. That’s right…I make audiences laugh. Right through the tough topic I’m talking about—Alzheimer’s—the disease that’s been the uninvited guest in my husband’s and my life for the past 15+ years. Here’s how my speaking goes…. Following the event host’s intro, I gingerly go…
The Critics Have Spoken…
David Quiroa, Exec. Director of Cranston Dept of Senior Services says: “On Tuesday, September 24th in collaboration with the Cranston Public Library and Blue Cross Blue Shield of R.I. we were honored to host a local author, Colleen Kelly Mellor. I have to say that this presentation by Ms. Mellor has been by far the most…
A Yard Quilt of Memory
When one is younger, she (I give the preference to “she” because I can’t speak for men) doesn’t really consider memory, because she doesn’t have many memories in her cognitive vault. She’ll build them over a lifetime, with some being wonderful and some (hopefully not too many) painful. My friend, Jackie Damian, once spoke about…
Paul Wesley Gates and Colleen Mellor Marry After 33 Years
Mark Patinkin, a top journalist at Rhode Island’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Providence Journal, interviewed me and wrote up Paul’s and my story about our wedding this past December 16, 2023. He found our story intriguing—the kind in which others would be interested. We were 83 and 78 years of age and we’d been together in an…
Don’t Let Them Tell You (Caregivers) Otherwise:
A Caregiver’s First Duty and Commitment Reflecting over this past year, I am mindful of how very fortunate Paul and I have been. My decision to place Paul in a long-term care facility was a wrenching one; I was so very afraid; I wanted him safe but I didn’t want him staring at institutional walls…
Lose the Shame: We’re All in This Together
Our society straight up amazes me. I see young female celebrities (so-called “influencers”) strutting about with their “bubble breasts” popping out all over; their pumped up lips pursed in inviting manner, while “Clothing optional” seems to be the rule, meaning they seemingly have no shame in exposing their nether regions. The only thing covered is their every move…
I Know Them When I See Them
We were at the little clam shack we frequented over the years, when we biked the 14 mile route from one picturesque town to this other. You see, I always needed a carrot—an incentive to get me through the rigors of the long bike ride from Barrington to Quito’s in Bristol was that. Now that…
How to Thrive on a Cruel Journey…A Ghost Ride on a Darkened Road…Tears of Thanks…
Recently, I spoke to an audience in Charlton, Massachusetts on “How to Survive and Even Thrive with a Loved One with Alzheimer’s”. First off, Charlton is definitely “out there,” a rural community dotted with farms, wide acreage, rolling hills. My talk was scheduled for 6:00 PM. I was accompanied by a former student, Amanda DiLeone…
The Road Less Traveled: Becoming Caregiver to Caregivers
I never thought, at my age, I’d become an advocate for caregivers and Veterans. How’d it happen? My personal experience that saw me felled by a disease that affects or will affect millions in the future—Alzheimer’s. Now–understand: I’m not even the person who has the disease. As wife and sole caregiver to my husband diagnosed…
Hitting My Stride as Caregiver to Caregivers
It’ll be my first really big speaking venue. Masonicare, a 245 unit senior living community in that lovely seaside town of Mystic, Connecticut, has commissioned me to speak before their residents who range from independent living, to assisted living and memory care. How’d they hear about the woman (me) who tells how to survive and…
