Down Memory Lane

In my comfortable chair, in front of the window, at Barnes & Noble, I have done a lot of reading today. I found an excellent article in a news magazine that I want to share with you. I was glad to find it on-line; here is the link to Down Memory Lane. This narrative mirrors many of the stories written, and portrayed on quilts, at the Shelburne Museum's special exhibit.

Nancy Stearns Bercaw writes: I’ve come to the Round Barn to see “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece,” a national quilt exhibit about the disease. With my first glance, I realize that a lot of other people are unraveling, too — victims, families, friends and caregivers. In fact, 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and a new individual is diagnosed every 70 seconds, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Nearly 11 million unpaid caregivers, like Nora, assist those living with the disease.

The Shelburne exhibit features 52 heart-wrenching quilted tributes, each partnered with a statement from the artist and a piece of information about Alzheimer’s disease. The quilts are displayed so the accompanying facts are in chronological order — from diagnosis to death. It occurs to me that the Round Barn itself is the perfect metaphor for a disease that makes the mind spiral. The Shelburne Museum has put its own imprint on the exhibit by partnering with Vermont Public Radio and the national StoryCorps Memory Loss Initiative to share oral stories from local Vermonters who are living with the disease, and their caretakers.

This was a brief excerpt; please read the entire article. Also, read about my visit to the Shelburne Museum on Sunday, June 21st.