The Orchid Series
A collection of interviews featuring inspiring women over 75 years young. Curious, engaged, active, interesting. The sort of woman I want to be when I grow up!
Not long ago, Betty Nelson received test results from a physician. For a person this age, all looks fine, she read. Furious, Betty phoned the doctor’s office and scheduled an appointment to see him.
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At an Aspen dinner party, martini in hand, Chris Crowley chatted with an Exercise Science and Muscle Physiology researcher. This PhD showed Chris a graph of normal aging patterns in our country. According to the data, after age fifty, people tend to gain weight, move slower, and develop aches and pain. One man represented on the chart seemed to hold steady. He didn’t slide downhill as he grew older. The
When I seldom leave the house and yearn to see my adult kids, a routine comforts me. During quarantine, my husband and I wrap up our days and meet on the couch for a drink and the evening news. A little after 5 pm, Reed Clapp comes into our living room with his inventive bag of ideas for kids and parents and grandparents. Reed, or Mr. Clapp as he’s known
We all experience those periods when we sense a relationship is amiss. Or we know deep down we should make some changes on a personal level. But we look the other way, pretending not to notice, until we get a gentle shake or even a swift kick from the universe. And then—forced to act upon the precise issue we didn’t want to see, we set off in a direction we
Thirty minutes before heading to dinner at a friend’s house, I panicked. I had no hostess gift to bring. No scented candle or bottle of wine or fancy note paper. And, according to many etiquette experts, – and my mother – “a good guest does not show up empty-handed.” Like most of us, Kathy Terry had more than she needed or could ever use. She didn’t want more stuff and
Backstage, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Matt Logan crossed his fingers and glued his eyes to the tv monitor. He’d dressed the superstar entertainer and rigged all the hooks and ties and snaps in the right spots. All he could do now was watch and listen and hope the act went off without a hitch. Along with an Emmy-award winning producer and a Broadway and film actress, Matt founded Studio Tenn
People in their fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties are different from those a generation ago. Today’s individuals approaching “senior status” are healthier and more active. They are curious and want to continue to learn about the world around them. Four decades ago, Bernard Osher, and his foundation, began to lay the groundwork for a learning network targeted to “seasoned adults.” Now located on 124 college and university campuses, in all
It’s that time of year again…..Magazines and social media feeds are loaded with stylish and crafty ideas for us to buy and cook and wear and do. We decorate our homes and trees and yards, bake treats for neighbors and teachers and co-workers, and purchase and wrap way too many gifts. We succumb to the Christmas craziness and want the holidays to be just right. Thirteen years ago, a medical
I suppose I always think it is the older folks who get stuck, slip into a rut, and need to reboot their lives. Those people tired of their 9-5 commitments and finished raising their kids and wondering how much longer they have to find their passions. Or those who are just plain bored. And then I met Max Hawkins. From outward appearances, the methodical twenty-something seemed to live in a
One of the things I missed most about leaving Houston was my monthly book club meeting. Our group was much more than lively conversation, often on topics far beyond the book we were meeting to discuss. Book club prompted me to read books I might not normally choose and to explore topics I may not dig into on my own. It forced me out of my box. Parnassus Books,
