Rhea Zakich, age 88, touches human hearts as an author, speaker, workshopand seminar leader, and creator of the world’s popular communication gamethe UNGAME (1973)—5 million sold and still selling. Her dramatic story ofthe UNGAME has been told on TV and radio programs as well as in majornewspapers and publications such as Readers Digest, Redbook, andPsychology for Living. Rhea resides in a Christian Senior Community in SantaAna, CA where she teaches Bible study, serves as editor of the Newsletter,and plays ukulele in Sing-Alongs for residents. During the past 40 years,Rhea has lead hundreds of workshops, seminars, and retreats (over 500 bynow) on topics such as Prayer, Discovering Your Purpose, and Inner Healing.She has written two spiritual autobiographies, the most recent is He CalledMe Rhea.I invite honest sharing of feelings and experiences in anatmosphere of love and acceptance. - Rhea ZakichConnect with Rhea:Email: [email protected]: http://rheazakich.comBooks: Everybody Wins-The Story Behind the Ungame (1979) He Called Me Rhea: My Journey from Feeling and Dealing to Healing(2019)

Catherine Hiller is inspired to write against the grain. In her current novel, Cybil Unbound, (her 10th book and 6th novel), she delicately characterizes an older woman and her new-found sexuality. Catherine believes the capacity to fall in love can strike at any age. "It is a rare depiction about sexual adventure in a woman's later years. Cybill is 42 when the book begins, 72 when it ends." An award-winning writer, Catherine’s pioneering work has been challenging social mores for decades. What she writes about is known in the real world and her descriptions seem to pose a philosophical interest. She seeks to find a language to describe our sexual emotions and is always on the quest to discover new ways to express things. Catherine asks: “Monogamy vs non-monogamy - can we be monogamous throughout our entire married lives?”  Her last novel, The Feud, is about women competing in the workplace, and the book Just Say Yes: A Marijuana Memoir, was groundbreaking. A section of it was published in the New York Times, which also interviewed her about it. Hiller graduated summa cum laude from Brooklyn College and got a PhD in English from Brown University. She has lived in Brooklyn and Greenwich Village. She now lives with her husband in Westchester County and Sag Harbor, NY. She has three sons, two granddaughters and a dog.  "Fiction can show us life's possibilities." Connect with Catherine:Email: www.catherinehiller.net Substack: The Pleasure Principle: Savoring Life After Fifty  https://catherinehiller.substack.com/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Hiller

Taru Fisher coaches women to make aging fearless, fulfilling, and fun. She encourages women to fully respect their own aging process and be vibrantly visible. Taru is a certified NLP Health Practitioner and NLP Coach specializing in aging. She also is a Healer Certified Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor and a provider of Health and Wellness Coaching and Medical Cannabis Education. Taru’s coaching practice is called Seasons of Life Coaching. She writes a blog and newsletter, teaches workshops online, and is writing her autobiography. Taru describes herself as “an irreverent, wise Elderwoman with a quirky sense of humor.” Connect with TaruEmail: [email protected]: www.tarufisher.comNewsletter: http://bit.ly/3XeX6lKCall-a-Crone: http://bit.ly/3GEKV1h for a free 45-minute virtual session Facebook: https/www.facebook.com/seasons.of.life.coachingHealer.com

In her role as a certified Death Doula (also known as an End-of-Life Doula orDeath Midwife), Julie Iverson is passionate about providing non-medical,non-judgmental, holistic care and support to individuals and their loved onesas they navigate the challenges and transitions of aging and dying. Sheeducates them about options available before, during, and after death.Drawing on her expertise as a certified Geriatric Care Manager, Julie’sspecialty is being an advocate for families and a liaison between health careproviders and families. She offers her services through her company, Agingwith Care.Connect with Julie:Email: [email protected]: https://aging-with-care.com

Sara Gilfert, 94, lives in Ohio. She comes from a family that was populated with teachers and preachers. While she began her college education in journalism, a chance workshop on fiber art caused her to change her major and she became a fiber artist and teacher. Since 2003, she has owned her own hand-paper-making studio, exclusively harvesting the white fiber from the inner bark of the mulberry tree to create art. Loss of vision and hearing has affected Sara’s ability to continue with her art. Her daughter, Susan, a librarian, encouraged her mother to join a writing group. She focuses on her own life and writes about her personal experiences. During one session she wrote about her aging cat.Previously active in community affairs, Sara continues to attend meetings when possible. Her words to younger listeners of this podcast are, “just keep moving”. She studies Pilates with an instructor 3x/week. Surrounded by family she feels supported and involved in life.“As we age, it’s important to just keep moving.”

Ashton Applewhite has been speaking out about aging and ageism for over 15 years. Her 2016 book, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, radicalized the present anti-ageism movement. Since then, Ashton has continued her blog, Yo, is This Ageist?, co-founded the Old School Anti-Ageism Clearinghouse, and is in high demand to speak at various venues from Ted Talks, to universities, to community centers, to the Library of Congress and the United Nations. Her numerous honors and recognitions—local, national, and world-wide-- acclaim Ashton for being inspiring, a trailblazer, an influencer, and a game-changer. Connect with Ashton:Email: [email protected]: https://thischairrocks.comBook: This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism

Connie Zweig, PhD, is a retired Jungian-oriented therapist and coauthorof Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winningbook, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work onthe Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Itwon the 2022 Gold COVR Award, the 2022 Gold Nautilus Award, the 2021American Book Fest Award, and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for bestinspirational non-fiction. Her new book is Meeting the Shadow on the SpiritualPath: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is awife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shiftfrom role to soul. Connect with Connie:Email: [email protected]: https://conniezweig.comConnie’s books:The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul,Meeting the Shadow Romancing the Shadow(novel) A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet RumiMeeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for AwakeningThe Inner Work of Age:https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASINw/1644113406?tag=simonsayscom

Beth Truett, MDiv, BS, believes in serving. It comes naturally to her and has guided her career path over the years. Her earliest memories are of lunches with the Ladies’ Aid Society. After a lengthy corporate career where she was committed to mentoring women, she worked at Chicago Lights, then Oral Health America. Both organizations needed to reignite or start a program for older adults, and she concentrated her efforts there. Oral health is crucial to total health, influencing both diabetes and heart health. But, it is difficult for most older persons because it isn’t covered by traditional Medicare.When she retired from Oral Health America in 2019, Beth wasted no time in moving towards her interest in gerontology, receiving her gerontology degree at Concordia University. Today she serves as a consultant and project leader with the Center for Gerontology at Concordia. Beth is determined to help eliminate the implicit bias of ageism. Through the Center for Gerontology at Concordia, she is leading an initiative with  the National Center to Reframing Aging, (led by The Gerontological Society of America.) “Connecting men and women to opportunities in retirement is critical to mitigating social isolation and loneliness. - Beth TruettConnect with Beth Truett:Email: [email protected] or Text: 708.271.2834 

Diane Valletta has moved from passion to passion throughout her life. Her mother, who died at 93, was her role model. She had a passion for activism and service. The same is true for Diane, whose desire for service has spanned her entire life. From Women Employed to NAWBO (National Association for Women Business Owners), Diane has served on numerous boards. “I’ve been invited to sit on the boards of the organizations I get involved with because they feed my desire for service. And, since my family all live in the eastern part of the United States, my fellow board members become my midwestern family.”Since leaving corporate, Diane’s main work has been to help entrepreneurs win awards, and organizations win grants, by interviewing them first, then focusing on the right words that lead to winning nominations. She also writes marketing materials and edits articles and books.“Dreams don’t become reality unless you visualize them first.”A news junkie and longtime member of Unity Chicago, Diane’s view of life is inspiring and thoughtful.Connect with Diane:Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-valletta-531167/

A former nun, teacher, relationship author of The Marriage Plan: How ToMarry Your Soul Mate In One Year Or Less, owner of Jordan De-Laurenti, Inc., atraining and contract management company and a small business columnist for the Dallas Times-Herald, Aggie has published numerous articles, blogs, and is author of A Woman’s Voice Should Be Heard: My Journey from the Convent to the Battle for Equality.Aggie’s life changed when, in 1967, she was offered a fellowship to the University ofNotre Dame while still a Catholic nun. The women at Notre Dame were far less conservative than she. The church was changing. The feminist movement was gaining speed. She heard a speaker who said:  “Men are the action makers, women are the receptacles.” This started her transformation and desire to make sure that women were treated as equals to men. She left the convent in her final year. Aggie’s goal is to reach daughters and granddaughters with her work. She talks with largegroups of women, urging them to get out the vote, to vote in legislators who will stop thedecline of access to abortion. At 85, Aggie is proud of her age and has no plans to stopthe work she loves.It’s women friends who will keep us going.Connect with Aggie:Website: https://www.aggiejordan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aggie-jordan-ph-d-693b9538/Book: A Woman’s Voice Should Be Heard: My Journey from the Convent to the Battlefor Equality.

When lightning strikes, where do you go to avoid injury? If you live in the United States, you likely have easy access to a safe building or car. In fact, fewer than 20 people die annually from being struck by lightning. But for people who live in the developing world, the risks of injury or death are magnified because they do not have access to safe locations.  Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, age 74, an early pioneer in emergency medicine, is dedicated to saving lives through public education and building engineering.   She is Founder and Managing Director of African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage from lightning across Africa, and is active internationally with many other lightning safety programs around the world.  Dr. Cooper emphasizes:  It is impossible to prevent lightning; WHERE you go is much less important than WHAT YOU DO, which is take action.Lightning is the most common climate threat to life across the globe. Connect with Dr. Cooper:Email: [email protected]   website: https://ACLENet.org

Sheree Clark is a Midlife Courage Coach whose varied forks-in-the-roadinclude: university administrator in student personnel; owner of anadvertising agency; TV show host; author; health coach; raw vegan chef andmore. Through her Talk Series for Midlife Women, weekly blogs, privateFacebook group for Midlife Courage Warriors, Midlife Summer School—alongwith individual and group coaching—Sheree encourages women to releaseregrets, set boundaries, be visible, act courageously, and create legacy—asthey navigate the long continuum of midlife.Quote: It takes guts to live the second half of your life for yourself.Connect with ShereeEmail: [email protected]: https://fork-road.com

E. Beverly Young speaks her truths about gender and race prejudices in the workplace and larger society. She entered professional policing 50 years ago, one of few women in a male-dominated field. During her 26 years in uniform, Beverly achieved the rank of Lieutenant and become a certified police instructor for police training academies throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  Beverly earned her doctorate at age 60, supplementing field experience with academic inquiry.  In 2014 she formed her own company, writing evidence-based training curriculum for police departments. Beverly is also a prolific writer who confronts racism head on, with honesty and levity. Through blogs and books, Beverly voices her observations about society’s hypocrisy and discrimination against gender and race. Her new podcast, Help Me Change the Narrative, is coming soon.  People might see me as a woman of color with some age on her; instead, I want them to see my accomplishments, what I am capable of doing.Connect with BeverlyEmail: [email protected]: https://ebevyyg.comRecent book: Social Change is More Than an Oops!

KC Henry’s roots are in eleven generations of Ohioans including her five siblings, four adult children and spouses, and 10 grandchildren. “Forgiveness and enjoyment of each other is what makes a family this size work.” KC creates room for consulting with non-profit organizations--drawing on her extensive experience in equine therapy--as well as for a relatively new venture as a potter. Divorced after 28 years of marriage, KC loves the freedom of single life to choose how she wants to live. This includes moving into a step-down retirement phase making room for more international travel and time with family and friends. “I’ve loved all that I’ve done,” says KC, “I am a lucky person, and I am so grateful.” Relationships, career, freedom, and new learning are central to my life. - KC HenryConnect with KCEmail: [email protected]

Berry Dilley’s areas of interest cover movement, dance and mindfulness, teaching,creativity, as well as health, disability services, and quality of life for elders. She hasdegrees in dance, sociology and counseling and more recently trained in SomaticExperiencing to help people who have experienced trauma.Berry grew up on the east coast and moved, with her son, Steve, to Athens, Ohio, in1971, to teach in the theater department at Ohio University. She remarried and madeAthens her home.The 1970s was the time of the Feminist Movement, the EEOC and Title 9. Berry andseveral other young women in Athens joined the movement and founded their owngroup, Feminists and Faith, which has been active for about 45 years now."There’s a tendency to have friends who are the same age. It’s important tocultivate friendships with younger people who bring excitement, vitality, and newperspectives." - Berry DilleyIn the late 1990s Berry became acutely aware of the needs of those with disabilities,learning first hand while caring for family members. In 2002 she went to the mayorabout making the city more accessible. In 2004, the Athens City Commission onDisabilities was created.Now as Berry is aging, she is more aware of what older people need and want. Shejoined a community group which is now focused on becoming AARP Age FriendlyAthens County. Because of her membership with this group, Berry began visitingcommunities, new to her in Athens County and meeting people whose life experiencesare very different from hers to discover what their needs and wants are, oftenquitedifferent from hers. A common issue seems to be having someone to oversee one'scare when needed.The biggest issue Berry faces is who will be her 24/7.

Quote: Art has always been my friend. Today I participate in ‘Yarn Bombing’ projects.Ingrid Roze is a multi-faceted woman with many interests. Her parents came from Bulgaria and Latvia. Each found their way to Venezuela in 1948 where they met and married. It was there that Ingrid was born and remained until she was 12 when the family moved to the United States. She became a child psychologist. and primarily worked with Spanish- speaking communities and Arabic and Moorish cultures.Instead of private practice, Ingrid chose to work in public service, mostly in schools. She found a profession that she adored, becoming a psychologist because that's how she always thought. The insight was there before she chose psychology.  Art was always Ingrid’s friend. She went to the High School of Art and Design and returned to tapestry, knitting and crocheting after she retired from her profession.Today, Ingrid participates in yarn bombing - crocheting roses for national and international projects on women’s reproductive rights and women’s freedom. Two examples are: “Roses to Stop Violence against Women” which is mounting 1 rose on each tree in the longest avenue in Mexico. Another, called the Liberty Crochet mural, is an image of the Statue of Liberty - substitutes the torch she’s holding for a uterus with the title: Freedom to Choose. Ingrid, herself, posts crochet hearts everywhere she travels because “it throws a net of love over the world. Only love can drive out darkness Only love can drive out hate. Hate cannot drive out hate”.

Connie Goddard has reimagined who she is for her entire life. One thing remains constant: her love for writing and for history. Connie lived in Chicago for most of her life; she writes about the city's history, that of the Dakotas where her family is from, and New Jersey, where she now lives. Industrial education programs in all three places are the subject for her current major project: a book called Learning for Work, which will be published next summer by a major academic press.A few years after receiving her Ph.D. at age 60, Connie joined the Peace Corps, where she taught English to children in Romania. Afterward, she resettled in New Jersey and taught at a community college; there she had an opportunity to teach English and history to incarcerated men, an experience that inspired her book. From 1980 until 2009, Connie wrote for many national publications and worked as an administrator and adjunct professor at several prominent Chicago-area colleges and universities.  As a scholar, Connie is primarily interested in schooling during the Progressive Era, particularly the work of Chicago's Ella Flagg Young and her colleague John Dewey. Both were leaders who changed the way people thought about schools and the meaning of education. Connie claims that, though they worked together over a century ago, their insights remain pertinent today, especially as our society is rethinking the necessity of a college education for all.Today, Connie cares for her husband and utilizes a room at the back of her house where she concentrates on work that totally involves her. She doesn't anticipate ever running out of projects: as a volunteer, they include heading education programs for her local branch of AAUW and raising money for Covenant House, which offers assistance to homeless youth in her community. “I do not anticipate ever running out of projects involving research in the areas I am interested in.”Connect with Connie:Website: https://ConnieGoddard.comEmail:  [email protected]

Terri  Banner Fitzsimmons hails from British Columbia. She has been in the field of education most of her adult life, as a teacher of all grades, Sociology Professor for twenty years, director of an Independent Study Program, helping adults earn their diploma. Author of 5 books, she won many awards, including being recognized for initiating a girl power group, developing innovative career strategies, and her work for United Way, helping parolees find employment.  She has worked with various Indian Reservations, homeless shelters, and the Cal-Works program at a local college.All this after losing everything in the Paradise CA tragedy. “I had to lose everything to gain everything.”CONNECT WITH TK:Website: https://www.tkbanner.com/Email: [email protected]

As a therapist and writer, I support women who struggle with real problems to bolster their agency. - Dian GreenwoodGrowing up in the basement of the courthouse adjoined to the jail in South Dakota, Dian developed an affinity for people who struggle against the odds. As a therapist, Dian has specialized in alcohol abuse and, currently, focuses on difficulties faced by women over 60. These experiences, among many, are gist for Dian’s successes as a writer who knows how to “take risks with my characters. They are not always likeable, but they are real.” Dian’s debut novel, About the Carlton Sisters (2023), will be joined by three new books in progress—stories of immigrants and of women’s friendships.Connect with Dian:Email: [email protected]: www.Diangreenwood.comAbout the Carlton Sisters (2023/spring, She Writes Press)https://thebigsmoke.com/us/author/dian-greenwood/

Cheryl Keen, EdD—scholar, activist, Quaker—has always tried to follow her callings which personify commitment, connection, and community. As a pioneer in significant movements--peace education and justice, service-learning, and progressive higher education--Cheryl job-shared seven leadership positions with her husband, Jim. They are parents/grandparents to one biological family as well as three ‘made families.’ They have always lived communally because “ethically, I need to share the space that I have.” Now in the new chapter of retirement, Cheryl relishes “just letting myself be in the moment, enjoying hours of unscheduled time, never feeling bored.” In the midst of gardening, singing in choruses, remodeling their home for safer living on the first floor, traveling, playing with grandchildren, and managing a ‘green condo community' in Florida, Cheryl is trying on new identities. She is exchanging her colorful business jackets for garments better suited to her flexible lifestyle.Connect with CherylEmail: [email protected] w/ L. Daloz, J. Keen, & S. Parks, (1997). Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World.Cheryl & Jim, founders of the Governor’s School of Public Issues and the Future of New Jersey (GSPINJ) news article: https://gspinj.org/the-founders/

Meet Beige. Beige is reliable, practical, sensible, and safe. Beige doesn’t put up a fuss; it follows the rules, blends in, doesn’t want to stand out. Now meet  Liz Kitchens. She is more of a magenta. Magenta is rich, dynamic, loud, sometimes garish, and not easily overlooked. While that does not exactly describe Liz, she is the author of Be Brave, Lose the Beige: Finding Your Sass After 60. It focuses on women’s empowerment issues. Magenta is a metaphor for how we live our lives. There are 35 maxims in the book that help women take back their sass. Liz conducts workshops and seminars on creativity, is a writer, author and blogger. "Women have a biography as long as the veil on a wedding gown."Connect with Liz:Email: [email protected]: https://BeBraveLosetheBeige.com

Author of more than a dozen books, Noelle has appeared on national and international radio and television, been interviewed, quoted or written about in dozens of publications and has spoken on the subject of appreciation before audiences in the U.S., Canada, England, The Netherlands and Australia.Noelle did not come into her own until she was in her mid-thirties. Life growing up was difficult. She says she was a pessimist and reached out for help from therapists, read books and worked hard to gain confidence in herself. Today she is on the go all the time. “My life feels like a wonderful, full life. Competitive sports have helped to build my confidence,” she says. Competing as a ballroom dancer (and, yes, starting at age 70 and winning), has been a great confidence booster for her. “Physical activity is important at every age - don’t stop, adapt to the level you are supposed to work at.”"Happiness is a result. Curiosity means you are learning and learning brings joy. " CONNECT WITH NOELLE:Contact: [email protected] Newsletter, "A Note From Dr. Noelle Nelson," Podcast: Up! Uplifting, Inspiring, Practical - provides skills to use appreciation's powerful energy to improve our lives.Facebook: stories about older people who are leading rewarding and fulfilling lives on Meet The Amazings BOOKS:The Longevity Secret: How to Live Happy, Healthy & Vibrant into Your 70s, 80s, 90s and BeyondPhoenix Rising: Surviving Catastrophic Loss: Fires, Floods, Hurricanes and TornadoesThe Power of Appreciation - The Key to A Vibrant Life

Born in Athens, Greece, Esther Gandica came to the United States, on her own, on a Fulbright scholarship in 1967.She was born in 1949. Her parents lived in Salonica, Greece, which had the largest Jewish population at the time, outside of Israel. The family spoke Ladino, a form of archaic Spanish. Esther is a Sephardic Jew. Her father’s family did not survive the war. Her Mother’s family survived by hiding. She grew up speaking French and 5 other languages.Esther is flexible. She consciously keeps herself from falling into patterns. She avoids habitual living. It was easy to leave her full-time position doing special chemistry testing related to thyroid disease so she could make time to be with her children. After they were born she reimagined her career and went back to school to earn a degree in accounting. This allowed her to work part time and stay at home. Esther always liked the idea of learning new things. She is a perpetual student. Esther and her husband both taught in universities and are now retired. Health challenges have changed the active lives they enjoyed together. She is learning to be active on her own.Intriguing and joyful, Esther Gandica lives life to the fullest.I never want to slow down. I have to keep moving fast. Life has so much to offer. -Esther GandicaCONNECT With Esther:[email protected]

 Dr. Val and Byrdie are co-founders of Boom Home Medical, a “lifestyle brand that makes home medical products.” Dr. Val, a public health and preventive medicine physician, and Byrdie, a literary agent turned health care leader, recognized that home medical equipment is outdated, inconvenient, and a sightly embarrassment. Designed for both attractiveness and function, their products allow women to care for themselves with dignity. Consider middle-of-the-night peeing. Their company’s first product is Loona--a bedside urinal with a feminine design that fits the female anatomy. “It’s the most elegant solution to relief, anytime and anywhere.”  Their next product line will be pleasingly designed incontinent pads for beds and sofas.  Every category of consumer goods is handsomely designed and technologically sophisticated. Why not have beautifully designed medical equipment for our homes?Connect with Val and ByrdieEmails: [email protected]; [email protected]: https://boomhomemedical.com

This cross-generational pair—Phoebe 76 and Erica 43—believes that younger women don’t hear enough from older women about what it looks like to keep “living out loud…and contributing actively” during the later decades. Why should women accept the cloak of invisibility when they continue to be curious, inventive, and full of light? Their feature documentary profiles eight professional women over 70 who continue to work. They also co-produce a podcast that features conversations with inspiring women over 70 who refuse to stop contributing to society because of their age. Through their work, Phoebe and Erica expose and challenge major 'isms' such as sexism, racism, and ageism. Connect with Erica and PhoebePodcast: Work While You Have the Light on Apple PodcastsDocumentary: https://www.workwhileyouhavethelight.com/Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Living through the unimaginable - caregiving her son from his diagnosis of carcinoma at age 13, and through a 2nd diagnosis at 19, completely altered the trajectory of Allura's life. Her son died at 20.  Even before that, Allura’s brother, with whom she was very close, also suffered from cancer and died on her son’s 18th birthday. Her marriage crumbled, and she was left with her grief and younger son, Eli. Allura chose to see these tragedies from a positive point of view. She believed there must be something better ahead for her.  “As we expand the heart we expand our capacity for love and growth.”While her son was ill, she began creating healing products, continued her practice of meditation, and became a full-time healer and coach. Today, Allura works with women with limiting beliefs to increase the life force energy, clarity, and power within. She believes every woman has something special within her. Allura has been a meditation teacher since the 70s, studying with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his trained teachers across the globe. Now a Master Healer, she works with Quantum Goddess energies, is certified in several modalities, and has created more than 150 Divine Healing products to help us through this intense transitional time.Allura is also a writer, editor, and speaker.Connect with Allura:Email: [email protected]: www.divinehealingenergies.comProgram: Ageless Goddess Coaching System

“There will be junctions where it will be important for you to ‘just let it happen.’ We ourselves are many people at the same time.”Deanna Berman is an interior architect working with the bones, geometry and structure of 3-dimensional living and working spaces. She believes it is important to connect historic images with contemporary ones and says, “The old and new inform each other. You need to know both worlds.” Most importantly, it is how people wish to live and work in the space. When the architecture already exists, she asks, “What obstacles am I working around, what can I simplify, how can I make the whole thing flow better?” One of the most exciting parts of her work is when people ask her to think differently.This work feels like a constant journey to her which allows her to explore new projects and think differently. At 85 she intends to continue to work for as long as she can. She does not think about her own aging and yet, has modified how she thinks about work to fit who she is now. This is not an easy time we’re living in right now. Nurture yourself, hold on to your spirit.Connect with Deanna:Email: [email protected]

[spp-player]Roxanne Lorch, age 85, from Cary, NC, is a full-time artist with a studio in DurhamNC who exhibits her work in juried shows and wins awards. Roxanne was amongthe first women to work in commercial design and graphics (who was not asecretary) and then in sales. In 2001, Roxanne became one of the original 17members of The Transition Network (TTN) and currently is on the steeringcommittee of TTN-Coast-to-Coast (TTN-C2C), a nation-wide chapter that addressesthe interests of older women in transition. She thinks she “might possibly be theoldest first-time bride in history!” Now widowed, Roxanne resides in an Over 55retirement community where she engages fully with people and activities. She co-founded Thriving in Place (TIP) so neighbors can help neighbors."Women over 70 are still going through transitions and we can still makegood decisions for ourselves."Connect with RoxanneEmail: [email protected]: www.roxannelorch.com

Playwright, director and collaborators for 50 years, Terry and Carolyn fearlessly tackle lesbian and feminist themes. They are thrill-seekers. While Carolyn is married with children, the pair seize every opportunity they can to work together. Terry moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1974 and founded Lilith, a women's theater collective, which she led for five years. Carolyn, the engine that pushes 'things to happen' joined her there. In 1981, Terry and Carolyn wrote a play about lesbians from a lesbian’s point of view: Dos Lesbos: A Play By, For and About Perverts. It inspired and was published in Places, Please, 1985, the first anthology of lesbian plays.In January 2008, A Coupla Crackpot Crones premiered in New Mexico. “Terry wrote on LillithTheater.com: The Crones’ feminist sketch comedy and improvisation have graced the New York International Fringe Festival (2012), the Santa Cruz Fringe Festival (2013, Women on the Way Festival and the National Queer Arts Festival, the University of Redlands (CA), and various venues in New York, Oregon, and California.  In 2016, the Crones toured Mexico, performing in English and Spanish in Mexico City, Oaxaca, and San Miguel de Allende.”  In 2014, they produced a play about Eleanor Roosevelt and her lover, Lorena Hickok, drawing on 2,336 letters Eleanor wrote to Hick.  HICK: A Love Story, The Romance of Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt won awards at the New York and San Francisco Fringe Festivals. In 2019 Exit Press published One Dyke’s Theater: Selected Plays by Slightly World-Renowned Lesbian Playwright Terry Baum, edited by Carolyn Myers.During the pandemic, Baum and Myers, as Lilith Theater, produced several ZOOM productions:  HICK: A Love Story, Divide the Living Child, Immediate Family, and Eve in Therapy. "We have the same values, we laugh a lot and unconditionally support each other."Connect with Terry:Email: [email protected]: www.LilithTheater.comWebsite: www.Terrybaum.blogspot.comBook: One Dyke’s Theater: Selected Plays, 1975-2014 by Terry Baum. Edited by Carolyn Myers Available at Amazon.com

Celina Edelstein lived in New York, was married and had a son. They divorced while their son was young. With a background in chemistry and a love for science, she sought a job in research. Angelo, a research doctor, offered her the opportunity to help him open a research lab. Together they wrote grants, studied molecules that carry cholesterol and cause atherosclerosis and thrombosis and published research papers. He became her professional mentor and they worked together for 44 years. Angelo’s wife died and, some years later, after they closed the lab, Angelo and Celina discovered they cared for each other and eventually lived together for seven years." People live through tragedies - they make a life and create careers." - CelinaCelina is a Holocaust survivor and had worked since 1963. This is a story of resilience, reinvention and a remarkable woman who found a path that filled her with passion, purpose and love.Connect with Celina:Email: [email protected]

Joyce Klowden Porter, 73, has been an actor in 60 films, taught college for 30 years and is a non-fiction author. She recently won several awards for the film, Stairs, and continues to act as roles become available.Joyce’s late husband, Paul, gave her occasion to learn many things in relation to his multiple illnesses. Her book, Mastering Senior Life: Thriving and Surviving, is a testament to her resilience and care-taking. In the book she offers tips on how to enjoy your senior years to the fullest and learn ways to protect your family. Joyce also shares important information relative to Medicare, insurance, mobility devices and so much more. Her creative imagination enables her to think outside ordinary convention and find new ways of coping.Make the most of what you can do while you can do it. - Joyce PorterConnect with Joyce:Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyce-porter-901aa12/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086241203346Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Senior-Life-Thriving-Surviving/dp/0999511610Website: http://www.joyceporter.com

Francesca James, age 71, from Ingelwood CA, is a full-time intuitive wellness coach and energy healer. After a life-threatening bout with cancer, Francesca gave up high-stress work as a successful Black woman in white corporate America to connect “more deeply with my inner world.”  This journey inspired her book, Resurrecting the Muse: Woman’s Guide to Rising Above Societal Conditioning.  These are Francesca's three non-negotiables. #1. "I am unapologetic in my Blackness," which includes teaching white people about unconscious bias and racism in her class on ‘Deconstructing Racism: Moving from Discomfort to Action.' #2: Listen to and trust your intuitive voice. #3: Honor and nourish your body as a temple.Connect with Francesca:email: [email protected]: francesca-james.comBook:  Resurrecting the Muse: Woman’s Guide to Rising Above Societal Conditioning

As a voice coach, singer, and songwriter Barbara McAfee’s mission is to ‘midwife’women’s voices. “Tell me your story about your voice” is Barbara’s invitation tohelp aging women break the sounds of silence, express new sounds for healing,and experience singing for the joy of it. Her original music taps into jazz, gospel,and folk roots. In 2007, Barbara founded the Morning Star Singers, a volunteerchoir that sings for people facing illness, end- of -life, depression, or grief. She isthe author of Full Voice: The Art and Practice of Vocal Presence.Connect with BarbaraEmail: [email protected]: https://www.barbaramcafee.com

Edwige Gilbert is French. As founder of New Life Directions, she guides women to reinvent their lives and create fresh starts driven by a purposeful vision. She is passionate about women taking care of their bodies and allowing themselves to feel sexy even as they age. “It is vital that we eliminate stress from our lives and not feel victimized by our age. How are women to age gracefully if age is constantly demeaned?” It comes down to believing in yourselves, in turning stress into success. As a transformation guide she teaches older women to get in touch with their bodies. Edwige asks you to create a vision of who you want to be. What keeps you young is your life purpose, your ability to be excited and interested in keeping your life spark alive, all while experiencing Joie de vivre.Coco Chanel said, “Check yourself in the mirror and take something off.” Dressing is about sophistication and elegance, harmony and balance, finding your personal style. Embellish what you already have. Your appearance should be in sync with who you are. Honor yourself. Allow your mind to create your reality.  There is no expiration date on taking care of your health, your body. You can love your body and be sexy as you age. - EdwigeConnect with Edwige:Email:  [email protected]: https://www.newlifedirections.com/

Crowned Ms. Senior World 70’s for 2023, Debbie Watts’ mission is to empower women, especially as they age. Debbie’s talents as an author, educator, playwright, songwriter and performer, and producer of film and stage plays prepared her to enter the world stage at age 70. Currently she can be seen at the historical Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville where she performs historical interpretations of Nashville suffragists. Through her columns, music, stage plays, stories, and public appearances, Debbie encourages women to create their best possible life in the later decades.Connect with Debbie:Email: [email protected] (seniorworldpageants.com)Cheerleading's Debbie Mathis: Where Are They Now? - Lipscomb University (lipscombsports.com)Debbie Mathis Watts. The Ryman Diaries-Reflections and Recipes (2000, Amazon).Information on how/where to purchase your CDs, incl. Music City’s Lady of the Keys

Connie Kiosse is a complex woman. A deep thinker whose life has taken many twists and turns. A lover of women’s literature and the authors who write them. She is always questioning how to use the artifacts of her past and asks, “Art and words - how do they fit together?”Born of immigrant parents, life was a closed book, until at 18, Connie broke free and the world began to open up. She wrote her 1st story in high school and titled it Trapped. Once she tasted the freedom of life, Connie fell in love with writing, travel, culture, books and the women’s movement. Always trying to understand who she was and where she belonged, Connie started many types of groups, her favorite being reading groups and discussion groups with women who, like her, liked to do a deep dive into understanding life.We never get over people who touch us - it’s a connection we never lose. - Connie KiosseCONNECT WITH CONNIE:Email: [email protected] Group: Women Aging With Wisdom & Grace discussion group which meets at Women & Children First Bookstore.  Contact Connie if interested. 

Anne fell in love with nature as a young girl spending summerson her grandparents’ farm in north Georgia. Often alone with“nothing to do,” she read books and made friends with theinsects, plants, snakes, and trees. After several decades as anenvironmental justice advocate at the national level, Anne‘retired’ in 2007 to serve as a full-time volunteer. She uses herpolitical savvy to promote clean energy and to protest againstfossil fuels and plastics. Anne’s passion for growing organicgardens and planting trees is in honor of her granddaughter andall children. Her bumper sticker reads, “One generation plants thetree, the next generation sits under it.”I feel a deep moral responsibility to speak on behalf ofspecies who have no voice, that most humans cannot hear. - Anne WhiteConnect with Anne:Email: [email protected]

A true Renaissance woman, Kathryn Grody is an actor, playwright and activist. She wanted to act since childhood. While born in Los Angeles, she recognized that living there was a cosmic error and never felt at home until she moved to New York City.Well-known in regional theater, on and off-Broadway and, most recently for her 1-woman show, The Unexpected 3rd, a Work in Progress, she is the recipient of numerous awards. Kathryn always tries to see the humor in life. And, she doesn’t buy into stereotypes, recognizing that neither the past nor the future are real. She cautions not to miss the present. She is thoughtful about her own aging. Having had her children in her late 30’s, Kathryn never thought about aging until she bent down to pick her grandchild up from the floor.   "As theater artists we can help people look at what is hard to see, or affirm what has been unseen." Connect with Kathryn:Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci-XojJr1oU/

Karen Egoff realized at a young age that she has extra gifts. She didn’t know what to do with the energy she felt from others until she became a young woman. Through practice, Karen has learned to manifest healing energy and help relieve aches, pains and chronic conditions in those she works with. She believes in natural, spiritual lifestyles, especially yoga and meditation. Older people benefit from these practices. They tend to hold emotion within their bodies, especially in the joints. Aches and pains should not be ignored and can be healed. Karen works with crystals and earth elements that are crucial to our bodies’ well being. Other modalities include Reiki and Craniosacral therapy.“Yoga helps you through trauma and is life-transforming. Breathing opens up your nervous systems and improves sleep.” - Karen EgoffKaren helps others experience self-care through her online workshops, yoga classes and meditation circles.Connect with Karen:Website: https://mysoulbalance.com/What’s App: https://call.whatsapp.com/voice/dlgNff5y6XO41as11oKwloLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=false&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAAZH4NcBpymWEqDmbJy5WHqoFM9Ucg3TfS4&keywords=karen%20egoff&origin=RICH_QUERY_TYPEAHEAD_HISTORY&position=0&searchId=8f8f7911-cc2c-42cb-bcd7-c828aaa01980&sid=Z9g

Sara Paretsky is a lifelong reader of crime fiction. She developed her social conscience early on, realizing that women were so often represented in negative ways, and so often invisible. Years later when she began to write crime stories herself, she turned the tables on how women are depicted through her well-known series of books featuring V.I. Warshawski, a tough, intelligent private detective from Chicago.Among her readership are many women who insist on their right to speech and to take up space in a room. V.I. resonates with women readers, allowing them to find their own voices and feel valued and respected. From Sara’s first book, Indemnity Only, to her most recent novel, Overboard, V.I. Warshawski has relentlessly fought for social justice.The bottom line is that Sara hates to see anyone suffering. Overboard is about for-profit nursing homes and the extremes some will go to for the money and power they can bring. Sara wants to entertain readers yet raise issues of white-collar crime which, inevitably, carries with it political overtones. Prone to depression, what keeps Sara going isn’t some pollyannaish approach to life. She wakes up each morning, gets out of bed, puts one foot in front of the other and believes the day will follow. You might find her singing as she writes today. “Singing lessons, she says, are like meditation. You can’t think about anything else while singing”. " The core issue for me is abortion rights and the right of women to make their own decisions." - Sara ParetskyCONNECT WITH SARA:https://saraparetsky.com/

Dr. Robin H. Miller is a general internist and integrative medicine expert who founded and directs Triune Integrative Medicine in Medford, Oregon. Dr. Miller came close to quitting medicine altogether until, several decades ago, she completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona with Dr. Andrew Weil. She has written multiple medical books, including Healed! Health and Wellness for the 21st Century, with David Kahn. Dr. Miller has been an advocate for women’s health throughout her career, including supporting victims of domestic violence. Her books for women include: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Mid-life and Beyond (with Janet Horn) and, most recently, Invisible or Invincible: Your Choice. Dr. Miller is also a producer and multi-media expert bringing health advice to the larger public.Connect with Dr. Miller:Email: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/DocRobinMillerBooks: (available on Amazon or through Triune Integrative Medicine)Healed! Health & Wellness for the 21st Century: Wisdom, secrets, & fun straight from the leading edge (with D. Kahn), 2017.Invisible or Invincible: Your choice. 2022.The Smart Woman’s Guide to Mid-Life and Beyond: A no nonsense approach to staying healthy after 50 (with J. Horn). 2007.Google: Robin H. Miller Health Smart Tips (Sharecare.com; RealAge.com; Lifescript.com)

Bold and vivacious herself, Diane’s 2nd book: Too Young to Be Old: How to Stay Vibrant, Visible, and Forever in Blue Jeans: 25 Secrets from TV's Jean Queen shows women how to face life with unfailing optimism and be risk-averse. As she reached her 60’s, Diane found there were no jeans in the marketplace that fit her well. She created her own brand and took them on the Home Shopping Network. One hour later, she sold 5,000 pairs of jeans. The DG2 brand of jeans are a favorite of women everywhere.5 years ago, Diane experienced breast cancer. The experience changed her and she began to ask, “What does my visual story say? She believes you set the dial on your own visibility meter and you decide if your dial setting changes as you get older.Connect with Diane:Website: https://DianeGilman.comDiane’s Books:Too Young to Be Old: How to Stay Vibrant, Visible, and Forever in Blue Jeans: 25 Secrets from TV's Jean Queen Good Jeans: 10 Simple Truths about Feeling Great, Staying Sexy & Aging Agelessly  

Helen Shiller, age 75, was a six-term alderperson in Chicago’s poor and oppressed communitieswhere she advocated for radical changes to police misconduct, poverty, and racism. Starting inthe early 1970s, Helen’s activism took a page from the Black Panther Party’s 10 Point Program.Fifty years later she concluded her book---Daring to Struggle, Daring to Win: Five Decades ofResistance in Chicago’s Uptown Community—with the Party’s 10 Point Guide to Action. Uponleaving the City Council, Helen teamed up with her lawyer son to create the West Side Centerfor Justice. She loves this stage of her life and finds great joy in metal welding.Connect with Helen:Email: [email protected]: Daring to Struggle, Daring to Win: Five Decades of Resistance in Chicago’s UptownCommunity (2022). See www.womenover70.com > Books By Women.

Joyce Feustel earned three degrees: BS in English Education, MS in Health Education  and MA in Health Services Administration.While pregnant with her first child, she was elected to the County Board of Supervisors. After her daughter was born in December 1980, she remained on the county board but resigned from being executive director of a mental health advocacy organization to focus on being a Mom."I love people Connecting through conversation is the best way to understand how to help." - Joyce Fuestel The most consistent thing throughout her life is that Joyce Feustel loves to talk. Joyce spent 17-years in sales. She’s become deeply involved with Facebook and LinkedIn and on those sites feels able to use all of her talents. She interacts comfortably with Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. Since 2013, she has spent full-time with her business, Boomers’ Social Media Tutor. Joyce rarely thought about her own aging until recently her knee started bothering her. Oh yes, she also has momentary memory lapses. Other than that she is part Millennial, part Boomer. She loves to work, contribute and be involved. CONNECT WITH JOYCE:Personal: [email protected]: [email protected]: https://boomerssocialmediatutor.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycefeustel-socialmediatrainer/

Kimbeth Judge has been writing her entire life. At age 4 she was already fascinated by adult behavior. Understanding human nature has preoccupied her ever since.Putting words to paper enables her to make sense of what she thinks she sees. Her mother encouraged her to use her imagination, her father to stay level headed. As a result, her books include a certain playful pragmatism. Her first book, Mothers and Others is a compilation of short, amusing life stories. Her novel, the Flipside, a struggle between romance and reality.When Kimbeth became a widow, she realized she had no idea how to be in this life on her own. Quite naturally, she began writing about her experience. While her 3 grieving children and their families were supportive of her, she recognized the need to learn her new widowed type of survival from other widows. She invited several to participate in what became a book project. Some wrote individual chapters that are now integral to Kimbeth’s latest book: Becoming A Widow, An Anthology of Journeys from 2 to 1. It will be launched on Amazon January 28. Imagining what you're going to do next is stabilizing.CONNECT WITH KIMBETH:Website:Email: [email protected]: Mothers and Others The Flip Side Becoming a Widow: An Anthology of Journeys from 2 to 1

Dynamic duo, Opal Lee, 96 and her granddaughter, Dione Sims, 54 are relentless in their fight for freedom. Opal’s activism started as a home school counselor in South Fort Worth, TX. Opal believed that “access to information and resources is what helps us do better” and she fought hard for all children to be educated and fed.Opal joined the movement, started by the late Dr. Ronald Meyers in 1999, to influence the United States government to make Juneteenth a national holiday. She had worked since the 70's to make sure Fort Worth celebrated Juneteenth. In 2007, Opal started a local Juneteenth museum. In 2014, Dione Sims, joined her grandmother in the pursuit of freedom through her nonprofit, Unity Unlimited. She manages the local and national Juneteenth campaigns and Opal’s urban farming project. Dione believes in the power of Juneteenth to bring people together to talk about the real issues facing our country.  On June 17, 2021, Opal Lee saw the fulfillment of one of her dreams. Flanked on all sides by congressional and community leaders, she witnessed President Joe Biden sign the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, the bill that made celebrating freedom from slavery a law. Opal has received three honorary doctorates. She was named 2021 Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning News editorial board, the 2021 Unsung Hero of the Pandemic, Fort Worth 2022 Person of the Year and most recently was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She currently serves as the honorary chair and major fundraiser for the future National Juneteenth Museum. “Working together is how we get things done. Our differences aren’t made to separate us.” Opal LeeConnect with Opal and Dione:Unity Unlimited: [email protected]

Catherine Johns found her way to an early career in broadcasting. She thought she went to college to become a nurse. There was this guy in her dormitory……how many stories started out that way in the ‘60s? “You have an amazing voice. You should be on the radio”. So she auditioned for the campus radio station and was hired. She started in smaller markets and ended up in Chicago, anchoring the news at WLS.  Catherine learned from some of the best in the business: Larry Lujack and Fred Winston. By the time the station changed to a talk format, she was hosting her own show.Catherine became very interested in speaking and soon transitioned to become a trainer in communication. She discovered she loved it, but had to overcome being worried about how she looked . She felt challenged by people looking back at her. Years later, Catherine’s expertise is in working with clients to help them gain more confidence when speaking. The many skills she’s developed throughout her career make her a successful and knowledgeable speaker.  People believe you have to be an extrovert to shine. Introverts can shine, too, with a softer energy. You can be like the sun or be like the moon. - Catherine JohnsEmail: [email protected]: Show Up & Shine: Simple Steps to Boost your Confidencehttps://www.amazon.com/Show-Up-Shine-Confidence-Charisma/dp/0989618706/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2SW1LOCSB71FU&keywords=show+up+and+shine&qid=1672848562&sprefix=show+up+and+shine%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1Speaker: https://www.catherinejohns.com/book-me-to-speak/

Dr. Susan Weininger, age 78, is professor emerita of art historyat Roosevelt University, Chicago, where she was Chair of theDepartment of History, Art History and Philosophy.She concentrates on art from the first half of the 20 th century,delving deeply into the lives of artists in order to betterunderstand their work. For example, Susan is an expert on thelife and art of Gertrude Abercrombie whose work she curated fora museum and published a catalogue and later published a book.Currently she is working on a book of a private collection and iscreating a retrospective for artist Don Baum. Susan notes that“not everyone can keep doing what they love doing; I am blessedto keep my mind alert on this track.” As a lifelong educator,Susan connects with younger people as a docent with the IllinoisHolocaust Museum.By studying the lives of specific artists I can better understand their art.-Susan WeiningerConnect with Susan Weininger:[email protected] Abercrombie, 2018, Gertrude Abercrombie, Susan Weininger — KARMA (karmakarma.org)