At 63 years old, I retired and relocated from California to Oregon with my husband, who was soon to retire. This would be the city we both live in for the rest of our lives and we would be closer to our daughter. And then the COVID pandemic began in earnest. Our move...
I feel like I beat the odds when I hiked the Mist Trail up Vernal and Nevada Falls in Yosemite National Park May 20, 2022. The odds? I figured the odds were against me because of my age - 86. I had had a total right hip replacement in October 2020. And I had not done...
I was raised in a privileged life. A happy childhood in a sylvan Denver suburb, a University of Colorado education, moving to LA where I followed my artistic curiosity and ending up working for Industrial Light and Magic – the Star Wars people. I met my future...
In January of 2023, I will make 74 years young and my 10th year involved in the dragon boat community. But I wasn’t athletic until the age of 63. I was the oldest of eight kids growing up and I had a lot of responsibilities put on me, so playing sports was out of the...
Shortly before Thanksgiving, my dear 92-year-old husband died under hospice care in our home. Now I am looking in the rear view mirror at a relationship that started when I was 23 years old and Jim was 42 -– 19 years my senior –– he was already widely recognized as a...
In 1980, a devastating diagnosis changed my life –– for the better. I had a physically taxing job in the photocopy industry held by few women at the time, while struggling on the home front in an emotionally exhausting relationship. When I found myself dropping...
“When I grow up, I want to be like you,” I said to my daughter, Cami. I was 80 years old. With those words, an amazing journey was set in motion that included travel, exploration, inspiration, transformation, and the creation of my first-ever business. My daughter...
For a long time, I didn’t know who I was, what I wanted to do, or where I belonged. Married for 33 years and divorced at age 70, I’m clearer now than I’ve ever been. And who am I? An author, a spiritual seeker, and a solo world traveler. No one was more surprised than...
My birthday had come and gone when I moved to Santa Fe in 2001, but the following year, a former student asked what I’d like to do for my birthday. I didn’t hesitate. “I’d like to celebrate being 66 by hiking somewhere beautiful.” “Great,” he responded...
Spot, the Wonder Dog, had been laid to rest. A marble headstone, “Spot, the Wonder Dog 2000-2016,” was erected in the back yard. My husband, DJ, and I made a pact that day. No more dogs. It just hurts too much when they are gone. All the joy of having Spot did not...