Overnight guests

Your overnight guests may need a few simple things to make them comfortable.

First, make sure they know where they will sleep and how to find the bathroom at night.  If possible, light their way; otherwise, provide a small flashlight with fresh batteries.

Be sure the bathroom has minimal supplies -- toilet paper, soap at the sink, a clean handtowel.  If you can, provide towels that have a different color and texture than others that might be in the bathroom.  You and your spouse probably know that one of you uses this towel bar, and the other one uses that bar.  But a sleepy guest at four a.m. does not, and won't want to wake you to ask.

Third, many people over 40 will probably appreciate a bed that has a headboard and a small mound of pillows in clean pillowcases.  I occasionaly have acid reflux problems and mild asthma.  At home, I sleep with my head and shoulders elevated on a small ramp of pillows.  I was recently offered a guest bed wth nice sheets and a good mattress -- set in the middle of the room, away from any walls, without a headboard.  I did round up pillows, but they skittered all over the floor as I tried to fall asleep.

Last, offer a capped bottle of water near the bed (if you can't provide a small pitcher of water and a glass).  A night table -- even a chair set near the bed-- and a box of tissues will also be appreciated.

Enjoy Your Blessings

I'm getting old. (Well, so's everyone who isn't dead.) I watch my friends losing mobility, having cataract surgery, using canes. So every time I can watch something beautiful, every time I can step up to a high curb, or run for a minute to catch my bus, drive my own car where and when I want, I realize that these simple pleasures may be denied to me someday -- and it's time to enjoy what I have now.

Sunsets. Smiles. Happy events in the lives of your friends and family. Beautiful music. Soft warm clothes. Clean freshly-bathed skin. Yummy food. An interesting idea.

-- Rachel Holmen