Some years ago while I was lugging a large duffle bag from one end of the Honolulu airport to the other I had a realization. They make suitcases with wheels! It seemed like everyone in that airport knew this except me. By the next time I flew on a commercial airline I had purchased a small, just the right size for the overhead compartment, suitcase with a telescoping handle and wheels. These days I use a wheeled laundry cart to bring groceries and other goods from my car to my apartment. Sometimes having the right item makes life a lot easier.
Along these lines a friend of the Mullis Center, Lori Stokes, recently recommended the “Trolley Dolly” to us. Here is what she had to say. “I live in a condo with lots of stairs between where I park my car and my front door. I need to hold onto the banister when going up or down, so was really struggling when I had groceries or other things that needed to get from my car to my house. A friend found the Trolley Dolly on Amazon, I ordered it, and it has truly been one of the most helpful things I’ve ever purchased! It is designed specifically for transporting things up and down stairs, and enables me to hold onto a banister with one hand and hold onto the cart handle with my other hand, taking two heavy grocery bags down the stairs with ease!”
Thanks to Lori for this helpful suggestion.
Shopping with the convenience and pleasure of seniors in mind brings me to one of my all-time favorite establishments, the Vermont Country Store. I’ve been purchasing items from the VCS catalog since long before I was a bona fide senior but their inventory is especially relevant to those of us with elder status. Items like clocks with big numbers or long-handled toenail clippers may make life a little easier for some of us old-timers but one of my all-time favorite purchases from the VCS is my scrubby sponge that swivels at the end of a long telescoping handle. It is perfect for cleaning the bathtub or other hard-to-reach places. When I lived in the woods I used it to clean bird poop and sap off of my large outdoor windows.
Other VCS items have a nostalgic charm seniors may appreciate like old-fashioned holiday decorations, glassware, and toys. You won’t find the latest fashions at the VCS but you might find a breezy muumuu, chenille bathrobe, or brand of cologne that reminds you of your grandmother.
Do you have a favorite item, gizmo or gadget that other seniors might find useful or enjoyable? Let us know by leaving a suggestion for Island Seniorat info@mulliscetner.org. We may use your suggestion in a future article.
Vermont Country Store https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/.
