For 15 years, Karen Allen (age 73), actor and director of stage and film,

and Sarah T. Schwab (age 39), writer, director and producer, have enjoyed

collaborating on theatre and film productions, notably addressing oft-avoided

discussions about dying and loss. Their award-winning film, A Stage of

Twilight—written and directed by Sarah and starring Karen—is a “grass-

roots awareness campaign for end-of-life care and decisions.” It raises the

difficult question: “Whose death is it—who has the right to decide when,

where, how, and with whom someone dies?” Karen’s directorial debut, the

award-winning A Tree. A Rock. A Cloud., is a short film about the “passing

of wisdom from an older man to a young boy.” In 2025, Karen will be

directing her first feature film, The Batting Cage, with Sarah on the

production team. This film depicts how two sisters reconnect after the death

of their sibling. In her upcoming third feature film, Crybaby Bridge, Sarah

approaches suicide through the genre of psychological thriller. Please meet

Karen Allen and Sarah T. Schwab—friends and collaborators who “reach for

the light” while pursuing what they love.

"Loss ties us together as human beings; we must learn to respect

time and cherish loved ones."

CONNECT with KAREN and SARAH

 Karen Allen Karen Allen - Biography - IMDb

 Sarah T. Schwab Sarah T Schwab - Biography - IMDb

WATCH A STAGE OF TWILIGHT

https://tubitv.com/movies/100026437/a-stage-of-twilight

WATCH A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD

https://tubitv.com/movies/100002111/a-tree-a-rock-a-cloud

For information to support the BATTING CAGE, Via Brian Long, producer.

Brianlong.blong@gmail.com

Sharon A. Brangman, MD, Syracuse NY, is a geriatrician who has been a leader in the field of geriatrics for over two decades.  Her focus is directly on the phenomenon of normal cognitive aging, concentrating on prevention. 

Dr. Brangman serves as Chair of the Department of Geriatrics, Director of the Center for Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and is a Distinguished Service Professor at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.  She has held leadership roles at the national level and was elected to the board of the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs in 2013 and served as President from 2015-2017.

" My goal is to help people maintain the highest quality of life throughout their lifespan. "



Dr. Brangman is a widely published researcher by the National Institute of Aging. 

In 2024, Dr. Brangman was elected to serve as a Trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation in 2023.

This episode is full of information to guide you in proactively caring for your brain health. 

Connect with Sharon:

Website:  https://mcknightbrain.org/brainworks/

If we are looking for what we enjoy doing, then, logically, we’re going to be good at it. Joyful thoughts spiral upward. We are on this planet to love and be loved, to be truly authentic.

Gail Sussman Miller, Inspired Choice.com, believes how we think, and communicate, is a key issue for leaders of organizations. She helps them manage difficult conversations, to listen not only to respond, but to understand. You can be kind and honest. She helps people see how they need to change to achieve their desired outcomes. An expert coach, focusing on communication, Gail has been serving clients since 2001. By integrating her beliefs into her coaching, she invites her clients to see through different lenses.

"It’s about the spirit and energy you bring to the conversation, rather than specific words."

As you listen hear her thoughts on:

• Wild Fit - a program based on anthropological nutrition and behavioral psychology for optimum health. Gail has integrated this knowledge and food choices as a lifestyle and finds it works for her on both a physical and spiritual level.
• Archetypes, based on the work of Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette and Carolyn Myss include our protective human ego (Victim, Saboteur, Wounded child, Prostitute - all fear-driven behaviors) and our Spirit, Higher Self, love driven behaviors. (Lover, Sovereign, Warrior, Magician - ways in which we deepen the truth of who we are.
• A Course in Miracles – helps us shift from a thought system based on fear to one based on love
• Headspace App - powerful meditation and mind training to keep joy present in our lives
• Tears - your body’s response to hearing what is true for you. 

Gail celebrates life through spirituality, gratitude and rituals. 

In her third career, Sally Duplantier, gerontologist and healthspan educator, founded her mission-driven company, Zing, to help older adults live as long as possible without chronic disease and disability. Through Zing, Sally offers Wellness Wednesdays, free educational webinars featuring experts on relevant topics. She is guest faculty with the Be Well program at Stanford University. Sally has added a research component to her mission--to

increase diversity in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s patients.

Connect with Sally:

Email: sally@myzinglife.com

Website: https://myzinglife.com/

Annie Korzen’s career dreams finally came true in her 80’s. At

age 83, she is a TikTok sensation with young fans who love her

wit and wisdom about living life as an older woman. Annie brings

her talents as an actress, writer, storyteller, and teacher to

TikTok and other performance venues as she speaks about life’s

serious moments. She also takes on ageism for underestimating

and underappreciating what older women have to offer. For the

first time in her life, Annie is being told that she is beautiful, and she

wears her age as a badge of honor.

Some people are overnight successes, and some people,

like me, just have to keep doing it wrong until they get it right.

Now I’m in my third act. -Annie Korzen

Connect with Annie Korzen

Website: www.AnnieKorzen.com

Email: annykorzy@gmail.com

www.TheMoth.org

https://www.tiktok.com/discover/Annie-Korzen?lang=en

As a queer, biracial woman, Jacqueline Boyd, BA, BS, CGCM,  has advocated for her community by offering services that address specific care needs. She is especially interested in how to provide people with continuing care in their homes. Her company, The-Care-Plan, guides anyone over age 18 to plan and coordinate care needs.

Jacqueline’s cool and service-oriented demeanor shows in everything she says. When she talks about quality of life it is evident that it comes from a place deep within her heart. She asks, “What is the role of comfort in care? In only 30 minutes, you will walk away with a wealth of information.

Connect with Jacqueline:

Email: jacqueline@the-care-plan.com

Website: https://the-care-plan.com

Office: 877-6WE-PLAN

Mary Isabel Azrael, age 78, from Baltimore MD, is a poet, editor, and teacher. She is the author of four books of poems, and in her 60s, wrote the libretto for an opera, Lost Childhood, which has been performed in Los Angeles, New York, and Tel Aviv Israel. Mary Isabel is publisher and co-editor of Passager Books and Passager, a national literary journal featuring the work of writers aged 50 and older.  When Mary Isabel’s husband left after 40 years of marriage, a collection of poems written during the following years resulted in a book, The House No House (2017). Mary Isabel collaborates on artistic projects with her life partner of 10+ years, John P. Wise, an abstract artist and designer. 

Ageism still exists in the arts. More than ever, we need the voices of older writers whose life experience offers much that's essential to our survival. - Mary Isabel Azrael

Connect with Mary Isabel:

Email mpazrael@aol.com

https://www.passagerbooks.com

https://www.dogbonearts.com

Bett Martinez has experienced more death-defying accidents than most in her lifetime.

An auto accident at 33, and again, later in life caused 2 serious head injuries, badly smashed broken legs and ongoing auto-immune issues. But Bett, who began to advocate for others early on, only dug in harder to find the answers that would help her walk again and manage the pain. 

Bett’s advocacy has taken many paths. She believes our society would do best if children of different ethnicities could learn to co-exist. Thus began years of working to bring Jewish and Arab children together.

As a veteran health care insurance agent, specializing in Medicare and long-term care protection, her interest in preparing for death has grown as she ages. She would like it if it were a  requirement for all people to create a thumb drive video that expresses their end of life wishes. She asks: “If you knew the date of your death, what actions would you take?”

Staying up to date and helping others keeps my brain straight – straight as can be given my age and complex health history. - Bett martinez

Research has led her to adopt Qig

ong, Tai Chi, acupuncture and herbs as a way to maintain her own hard won fitness. And now, she is turning her attention to advocating for relief for Alzheimer patients.

Bett finds answers through her unique combination of perseverance, research and purpose. 

Connect with Bett:

Email: well-being@pacbell.net

Website: http://possiblesociety.org/programs.html 

Bett’s website: bettmartinez.com

Soaking Retreat: Therma Qi-2024 at Palma Hot Springs, Ikaria Islands, south of Greece. Contact Bett directly for information

https://www.visitikaria.gr/en/useful/news/ikaria-has-the-secret-of-longevity#.Yzsdu3bMKUk  Author: We’ll Face That When We Have To…P.S. It’s Later Than You Think! The Case for Long Term Care Protection http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UCGCXMK

As a young adult, Joby Kennedy became fascinated with how different people cope with trauma. This led her into a clinical psychology career during which she worked with adults, some families and school children. She refers to herself as a generalist, serving in many settings with a wide variety of clients.

8 years ago, Joby retired. She thought music might be her way forward until she inadvertently set her childhood accordion on fire. Joby believes (as did Jung) that “synchronicity is a meaningful experience”. Still she craved music and soon was invited to sing in a local chorus.

“I get busy, then there’s a lull. I wonder what will happen next? Something always presents itself to me. If not, I will go and find it.” - Josephine "Joby" Kennedy

It is painting, however, that has her heart singing. She is currently working on a presentation entitled “One Heart, Many Paths”. Combining music and her own art, she inspires engagement by asking people to share the paths of their hearts.

And, she loves to dance.

CONNECT: 

Email: docjoby@aol.com

Fine Art America: Josephine Joby Kennedy@FineArtAmerica

Originally from the West Indies, Cynthia Barnett, Ph.D., from Norwalk CT,

retired at age 59 to pursue the question--Why Are There So Few Women in the

Sciences? Cynthia became CEO and founder of a non-profit program--Amazing

Girls Science-- whose goal is to ignite the spark in girls for STEAM (science,

technology, art, engineering and math). As a STEAM champion, Cynthia won the

Inaugural AARP Purpose Award and the Community Innovation and Leadership

Award for the Connecticut Technology Council. At age 79, Dr. Barnett says she

“leads a vibrant, purpose-driven life” with many new initiatives underway,

including intergenerational programs and robotics. She lives her life as a “thank

you.”

We need to catch girls at a young age to bring them into the sciences. - Cynthia Barnett PhD

Connect with Cynthia

website: www.amazinggirlsscience.com

Email: drcynthiabarnett@gmail.com

Susan Reed, PhD, age 70, has led a life of social-political action

since her teens. She campaigned for McGovern and later for

Obama; interned with the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union;

protested the Vietnam War; worked on social policy for equities in

aging and health; and continues to teach adult college students

about ways to be civically engaged. Susan is a person who feels

“responsible for problems” facing our city (Chicago) and country.

She finds other people to be activists with her--for example, the

Girlfriend Group, because “for me, political activism is social;

social action can be fun.” On the home front, Susan continues to

learn how best to support her two adult daughters and, with her

husband, plan for how to ‘age in place.’

" My goal is to help people be active citizens, especially

during really difficult times."

Connect with Susan:

sreed@depaul.edu

Born in Poland, Sara​ Levinson, 75,​ migrated to the United States in 1963 when she was 16. She traveled by ocean liner to Montreal and later moved to Chicago. She practices an open-ended thought process and has learned to go for any opportunity that comes her way.

As a young mother raising children, Sara picked up a Nikon camera that she had used earlier and began photographing images while her children were at school. She realized her skills needed upgrading and began attending workshops and taking courses on her own. Her specialty is portraits and as her children grew, she became more and more serious about her craft, learning how to process, develop and print her film. In the beginning, it was strictly black & white. She ​soon moved to color and digital photography and ​continues to edit and manage all aspects of the creative process.

Save the easiest places to travel for when you get older so you will never have to stop having amazing experiences. - Sara Levinson

Sara takes exotic trips to unknown remote locations. She uses her lens to witness diverse spiritual ceremonies and customs. She has also been touched by the plight of discarded widows. Especially moved by their circumstances, she plans to return so she can hug every woman she meets, a forbidden action in many areas.

A new project is called Beauty Past Its Prime and Sara is currently working out just how to bring it to fruition.

Diane Deaderick DeMartra, a professional who has worked in corporations, non-

profits, and higher education, devotes her passions and talents to “enlighten,

educate, and empower inner-city teen girls and young women, especially teen

and young, single mothers at risk of continuing the intergenerational cycle of

poverty and complex trauma that are rampant among women and children in the

Black community.” This is the mission of Just For You Girlfriend, the nonprofit

organization that Diane founded in 2017 and continues to lead. Having lived her

pre-teen and teen years in ‘the projects’ in Chicago, Diane understands the

environment where, without access to resources and support, many people “live

and die like they did in the projects--in abject poverty.” In 2022, Diane wrote a

book to pass on crucial life lessons and wonderful witticisms learned from her

own momma--Momma Wit: Words of wisdom, encouragement, inspiration, and

love. Diane lives each day with energy, enjoyment, and gratitude. "

Connect with Diane

Email: dddemartra@gmail.com

Website: https://www.justforyougirlfriend.org

Book: Momma Wit (available on website)

Wendy Green, founder and host of Hey, Boomer,! knows about personal transformation first-hand and coaches women to “live the meaningful, purposeful life they want to live.” Wendy left the world of corporate training to focus on women’s experiences of growing older—as a coach, podcaster, show host, and blogger. Podcast guests, along with members of Boomer Banter, talk about a range of topics such as family dynamics, gray divorce, changing relationships, feeling old, and the vital value of female friendships. 

 I still feel inside the younger parts of me. - Wendy Green

Connect with Wendy

Email: wendy@heyboomer.biz

Website: https://heyboomer.biz

Amy Temperley’s passion centers on Active Aging--helping older

adults stay social, active, and engaged. As a life coach and

consultant, and entrepreneurial business owner, Amy focuses on

helping 60+ adults find their passion and continue to live, laugh and

learn. Amy is co-founder and CEO of Aging Is Cool and most

recently, co-founder of A Mighty Good Time. She and her colleagues

follow trends in areas such as technology (e.g., augmented reality)

and brain health as they create more opportunities for older adults to

engage fully in life.

Connect with Amy:

amy@amightygoodtime.com

www.AMightyGoodTime.com

http://www.agingiscool.com

The Upgrade is a gateway for the best years of our lives

For years, women have been told by society to dread the second half of life, with no support available beyond expensive ointments and procedures promising to reverse the signs of aging. But thanks to Dr. Louann Brizendine’s latest book: The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond, that’s all about to change. Dr. Brizendine, bestselling author of The Female Brain and The Male Brain, Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Chair in Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and founder of UCSF’s Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic. delivers actionable, science-backed steps for preserving brain health. 

A Stanford Study affirms that people get happier with each decade of their lives up until their 90s. With compassionate and ongoing self-care we become more available to ourselves and others who need us. Diet, exercise, sleep and mindset all aid cognitive health. Dr. Brizendine shares intimate stories in a lively and upbeat way that emphasizes there is nothing selfish about paying attention to our bodies in order to be the best we can be. 

The Upgrade is a gateway for the best years of our lives - Dr Louann Brizendine

The Upgrade is the time of life where things get better. As your hormones change, the fluctuations that make things feel stressful float away and a new clarity takes hold. The hormone swings that helped you through childbearing and rearing are no longer needed. Your body chemistry adjusts to bring you calm, directness, and focus. You have time to focus on yourself again.

Why is grief so complicated and why does grieving take such a long time,

possibly never ending? In The Grieving Brain (2022), renowned grief expert,

neuroscientist, and psychologist, Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, offers new

perspectives on understanding love, loss, and learning. Complicated grief sets in

when we cannot move into the natural healing process. Our brains need to

learn how to process grief and grieving, to deal with the paradox of our loved

one who feels here, yet physically is not here. Dr. O’Connor offers hope for how

we can learn how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.

Connect with Mary-Frances O’Connor:

Website: www.maryfrancesoconnor.com/book

Book: The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love

and Loss (2022)

YouTube. There are several. Eg.,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLh1F41RsM8

5 Things You Should Know About Grief

Katie Couric Media

Learning from Grief and Loss (Video) 

PurposeCast

Twitter: @doctormfo

FaceBook: @maryfranceso

Instagram: @doctormfoconnor

LinkedIn: Mary-Frances O’Connor

Donna Chacko, MD, practiced medicine for 40 years, first as a radiation oncologist

and later, after retraining in her 50’s, as a family medicine doctor. While serving

people faced with poverty and homelessness, she learned that health involves far

more than the absence of disease. Donna’s professional experiences and her own

emotional suffering during a difficult first marriage led her to create Serenity and

Health, offering programs and blogs that teach us all the things we can do to have

abundant health. She also wrote a spiritual memoir (2021), Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s

Healing Journey, which is both memoir and instruction on being stewards of our

own health. Donna is at a new transition point which involves decisions about

writing a second book and living with her soon-to-be-retired second husband.

I came to believe that people who have ‘a faith’ can use it to gain an

abundance of health. - Donna Chacko MD

Connect with Donna:

email: dc@serenityandhealth.com

Website: www.serenityandhealth.com

Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (2021). Luminare. (Amazon; Barnes & Noble).

Before abortion was legalized by the US Supreme Court in 1973 (Roe v Wade), a

Chicago-based group of over 100 women--known as Jane--provided counseling

and illegal abortions for 11,000 women (1969-1973). Rev. & Dr. Patricia Novick,

age 75, was one of the original Janes. Patricia and founder Heather Booth are

among those featured in the illuminating film The Janes. In her conversation with

Women Over 70, Patricia dispels the public’s misconceptions about the Janes--

who they were and who they served. Patricia situates the single issue of abortion

rights in the larger context of social issues concerning justice, choice, privacy,

autonomy, and personal freedom. Now, 50 years later, the Janes have reunited,

and Patricia shares new information and ideas about ways to contribute to the

groundswell of activism. As older women, Patricia believes it is our job to be role

models for younger generations of activists.

Living in a democratic, pluralistic society means that humans have the

right to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives. - Dr. Rev. Patricia Novick

Connect:

pnovick@aliveltd.org

www.womenover70.com P. Novick episode #025; Heather Booth episode #039

The Janes (the film). On HBO and streaming on HBOMax.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund (media.office@ppfa.org)

Chicago Abortion Fund (chicagoabortionfund.org)

Nancy Watson’s entrepreneurial spirit has led her on different paths, always toward nurturing other people. Her 8-year long career as a teacher in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Chicago in the 1970s was interrupted by a 2-year stint as the contented owner of an antiques store.

Cooking became Nancy’s outlet for dealing with the demands of teaching, leading eventually to a large-scale catering business that she owned for 25 years. At age 60, feeling like she was aging out of that industry, Nancy opened a B&B in Southwest Michigan where she enjoyed connecting more closely with her clients. Now Nancy can be found on  Florida’s gulf coast where she lives happily with her third husband, David, engaging in cultural and social events, being physically active, and still offering her gift of food.

I love nurturing others, whether through teaching, antiquing, catering, lodging, or volunteering. - Nancy Watson



Connect with Nancy:

nsw29cook@gmail.com

Nancy grew up in Highland Park, IL  #SitDownAmerica

Karen Kalish’s career included school teacher, consumer advocate, business owner, and on-air TV reporter. She became a serial social entrepreneur and believes that to whom much is given, much is required. “Partners and collaborators are what make it work. No one nonprofit can do “it” alone and doing things alone is the weakest form of leadership”, she says. In this way the missions of the three nonprofits she created, all of which are still running today, had to do with academic achievement in low performing schools, race relations and discrimination. - Karen Kalish

 I don’t let grass grow under my feet. I have a growth mindset. I’m not retired, I’m reWired and have a next chapter.

At a Renaissance Weekend, Karen sat on a panel that asked, “Can You be Happy As You Age?”, and shares her answers in this episode. 

Philanthropy is where Karen’s interest lies today. She discusses what we need to think about when donating money to organizations. Her legacy? “Here lies Karen under the only stone she left unturned!”

Connect with Karen:

Email: karenkalish@gmail.com

Website: https://KarenKalish.com

"Today’s interview with Karen Kalish was – like so many others – fantastic. I remember her from her reporting days here in Chicago in mid-late ‘70s. What a dynamo. I start many days with a podcast and this one really knocked my socks off. Great choice." - Jill Stewart

At age 97, Joan Harmsen still thrives on helping others make life more meaningful and fun. As a young war bride, Joan traded the paradise-like environment of southern Australia for the hard realities of farm life in Minnesota. To alleviate disappointment and depression, Joan brought fun to her hard-working community--teaching tap dancing, championing girls’ athletic activities, and acting in community theatre. Joan’s husband died soon after they retired to Oregon. She adjusted to widowhood by earning a college degree at age 59 and teaching school for ten years. After being single for many years, Joan married at age 79 to a man 10 years older. Before he died at age 103, they had a marvelous time traveling to 4 continents. Joan continues her lifelong commitment to exercise regularly, eat healthy food, read and study. She pledges to “never give up,” and to “use whatever energy I have left for the purpose of doing good on this earth.”

You can adjust to any life challenge if you inject a little fun into it. - Joan Harmsen

Contact Joan:

joanhharmsen@gmail.com

Lois Wagh Aronstein has advocated for older people the majority of her career. First, when she initiated Project Reward through the Framingham Chamber of Commerce and then as the New England representative for AARP and in various capacities for 26 years.

"As a society we must understand the value of older people. We can design social structures in a way that plays down dependence and creates independence, but progress is slow..." - Lois Wagh Aronstein

What she learned from her work is that older people want to keep making contributions and feel valued. They have assets that are underutilized. Lois shares many stories that illustrate the change that occurs, physically and mentally, when their passions find opportunities to be expressed. 

Ageism is a very real threat to our culture. We must create opportunities for older people to stay independent, rather than expecting dependence. We have to change that view of older persons wanting dependency, when what they really cherish is continuing to contribute. 

Connect with Lois:

Email: LoisWagh@gmail.com

Sally Jean Fox’s 2023 book, Meeting the Muse After Midlife: A Journey to Meaning, Creativity, and Joy, tells her story of finding joy in being creative after 50, as she explored gardening, clowning, improv theatre, storytelling, and singing. Always keen on writing, Sally took up painting at age 69 and exhibited 30 paintings three years later. Although Sally now sees herself as an artist, she emphasizes that creativity is not just about producing art; rather, the “most creative thing we can do is design our lives, every day, to be engaging, expansive, and full of learning. As the head of Engaging Presence, Sally also coaches professionals to design their lives around what matters most to them and to share their stories.

Connect with Sally

Email: sally@engagingpresence.com

Website: Engaging Presence—Shaping Stories That Matter

https://www.engagingpresence.com

Book: Meeting the Muse After Midlife

https://www.engagingpresence.com/book/

For Phyllis Walden, life experiences offer abundant opportunities for learning.  Reading The Second Sex near completion of her doctoral program in Philosophy in the late 1960s reinforced Phyllis’ feminist perspectives. As a mentor and teacher in innovative college programs, Phyllis brought her daily practice of journal writing to the classroom. After retirement at age 57 from college life, Phyllis trained as a volunteer docent at The Field Museum in Chicago where she became an unanticipated expert on dinosaurs. For over 30 years, Phyllis is Tia (aunt) to her dear friend’s adopted daughters from Peru and China. She treasures her experience as a mentoring figure in their daily lives and as a member of this multi-cultural family. Phyllis’ love of travel took a new turn during the pandemic. She now enjoys learning virtually about Broadway musicals and world religions along with immersive travel to places like Provence, France. 

Aging is another learning project; what do I need to know now? - Phyllis Walden PhD

Connect with Phyllis:

Email: phyllis3632@gmail.com

At age 65, Jane Llewellyn (PHD, RN) decided to retire from her rewarding and demanding positions as Vice President of Nursing and as Associate Dean of the Nursing College at Rush University Medical Center. Why retire when she was on top of her game? Having survived aggressive breast cancer at age 43, with only a 20% chance to live beyond five years, Jane wanted to “experience more and enjoy life while I am able.” Thus began her new life as a world traveler--a temporary local--to exotic places in all seven continents. Jane says her favorite place is the next trip although she especially loved Antarctica and Africa. Jane’s continued involvement in health includes serving on the Board of a local hospital and on the Oak Park Action Team for End-of-Life Options Coalition--Compassion & Choices. She travels with and anticipates providing more care for her sister who has Alzheimer’s disease. Jane is writing her own extraordinary life story.

Life is short, take the trip, buy the shoes.

Contact Jane Llewellyn

jllewellyn@me.com

Ever since she came to the United States from Kobe, Japan, at 10, Lily Liu has devoted herself to living up to the role models she found in her grandparents, aunt and mother. Her grandmother raised her while her mother, widowed at 32, worked to support her children. Every Sunday was Mother’s Day because it was the only day her mother was off from her work. She came to spend quality time with Lily and her brothers and planned adventurous activities. Lily Liu took full advantage of the world her mother shared with her. 

Lily was a sought-after model as a teenager. Later, she gave her own three children the same opportunity when each was born during the years she owned her agency. Soon other mothers approached her to find modeling jobs for their children. Lily’s Talent Agency grew out of these early years. Lily shares how she became a model and how important it is to her to guide the talent she represents to excel, be professional, and pay it forward. 

Live your life to your fullest, but remember to take care of yourself. Don’t let others influence you to give up what you love. - Lily Liu

As president and founder of a 501(C)3 non-profit,  “Mentoring Artists Chicago” since 2010, Lily helps young performing artists in the Chicagoland area with monetary as well as financial awards. She is also the founder, owner, and manager of Lidi Real Estate L.L.C. since 2000 and invests in properties to rent, as well as sell, at the most opportune time.

CONNECT WITH LILY LIU:

Website: https://lilystalent.com

Email: lily@lilystalent.com

Martha Hansen knows what it’s like to age. What she didn’t know was that 7 Days at Sea would be the first play she wrote and self-produced. Or that it would hit, head-on, the sexuality of women at older ages, as well as bring her close up to illness, gayness, and the growing insignificance women experience as they age.

Martha says a lot of the credit for mounting the play goes to Kristina McCloskey who helped her with development. And, Margaret Knapp, who helped with structure and production and ultimately became the director. She couldn’t believe the support the theater community heaped on her and said she could never have come to this day without them. Not bad for a woman whose entire career was in science!

”I’m a big storyteller. I was such a wild child that I have a lot of stories.”

7 Days at Sea is enjoying a limited run in Chicago at the Edge Theater on Broadway. 

Connect with Martha:

Email: mjhansen613@comcast.net

Website: https://www.lightandsoundproductions.org/

As a child of the 1960s drug culture, Stephanie Raffelock dropped out of high school. Her return to formal education in her mid-thirties opened the doorway into examining her own life and providing platforms for other women to tell the stories of their truths. In her recent book, Creatrix Rising--Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women--Stephanie changes the last stage of a woman’s life cycle from the dried-up Crone to the blossoming Creatrix. Aging, she believes, “is a remarkable and noble passage.” Through telling her own and others’ stories, Stephanie offers a reflective guide to embody and celebrate the Creatrix in each of us. 

I am replacing the archetype of the Crone with the Creatrix--women with resounding voices who inspire us with their personal stories.- Stephanie Raffleock

Connect with Stephanie

• Stephanie.raffelock@gmail.com
• https://www.byline-Stephanie.com

Books by Stephanie

• Creatrix Rising--Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women (2021)
• A Delightful Little Book on Aging (2020)

Dr. Katharine Esty’s husband was seriously ill when she turned 80. It put her in a funk. Even hiking with her family, an ordinary event, sent her deeper into the doldrums. Katharine couldn’t make it to the top of a favorite hill during one hike and it (removed only) made her realize she couldn’t keep doing everything she did. 

She decided it was time for research. As a psychotherapist, Katharine knew what to do. She searched for a diverse group of people across the country in their 80s to interview: men and women, most were flourishing, primarily in a positive economic space; most lived independently, some in retirement communities and a few in nursing homes. She interviewed some of their children, too, to understand how family dynamics changed as elders aged.

“I was paralyzed with fear about aging until I began to feel, 'I can do this.' My picture of aging was completely out of date." Dr. Katharine Esty

The conclusion was very clear. The picture she held of old age was completely out of date. Her image came from her grandparents’ lives and that provided a grim reality. Some 11 million people are in their 80s today and this group is growing faster than any other decade. Her research revealed that, in part, people are thriving due to modern medicine and can continue to enjoy active, pain-free lives as long as they are healthy. Surprisingly, they are much happier. They stay involved, continue to learn, and have a purpose. This happiness is psychological and stems from having dropped regrets and striving in the rat race, as well as feeling gratitude for just being alive.

Connect with Katharine:

Book: Eightysomethings: A Practical Guide to Letting Go, Aging Well, and Finding Unexpected Happiness

Available at Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Eightysomethings-Transitions-Letting-Unexpected-Happiness/dp/151074312X

Sign up for her monthly newsletter: https://www.katharineesty.com/newsletter-subscriptions

Vicki Thomas, 76 is a life-long journalist, producer, writer and purpose-driven business woman.

She started her career as a media writer for a multi-state trade association, worked for ABC Chicago and, in 1988, started her own company. At 75, she realized it was time to do more and, with partner, Joyce Cohen, they created My Future Purpose, which fulfills her desire to help individuals harness the power of purpose. She believes “doing what fulfills you makes your days fly by”.

“Purpose gives us a sense of identity.” - Vicki Thomas

Vicki believes aging is an extraordinary process and wants to continue making a difference. She has no desire to retire and told us she intends to be carried out on a flip chart! And she knows about aging. Her mother recently turned 100. A very pleasant person, still, there is necessary care-giving that Vicki must provide.

Connect with Vicki:

Email: vicki@myfuturepurpose.com

Website: MyFuturePurpose.com

AudioSeries: I Quit, Now What?

In recognition of National Poetry Month, we bring you Joyce Sutphen.

Joyce Sutphen discusses her love of teaching and writing poetry, her attachment to rural life, and her decade-long experience living with Parkinson’s. Farm girl becomes college professor becomes Minnesota Poet Laureate. In her eight published collections of poetry, Joyce meets head on the challenges of living and dying, conveying beauty and peace, love and acceptance. Listen to Joyce’s reading of Crossroads about the second half of life, and How I’m Doing about her reckoning with Parkinson’s. Joyce has been heard to say, “I never want to know what the last line will be….”

Take-Aways:

• Follow the thing you love the most, using the means you have
• Body behaving badly—understand, accept, maintain it
• Poems tell us things in a language we didn’t know we spoke. They say things in ways we didn’t know we knew.

Contact information:

jsutphen@gustavus.edu

Joyce’s latest publication:

Sutphen, J. (2019). Carrying water to the field: New and selected poems. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press.

Connect with Gail & Catherine:

Facebook: facebook.com/womenover70

Website:https://womenover70.com

Email: info@womenover70.com

Joan Sotkin, 81, is the creator of 3 books and 5 audios and a financial coach whose approach is based on brain science. She is also the host of the podcast The Prosperity Show.  

“What you believe affects what happens in your life. Every decision has an emotional component.” - Joan Sotkin

In 1976, while living in Venice, CA, Joan gave away all her possessions and wandered for four years learning how to always follow her inner voice. While staying with her parents at Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, during a deep meditation, she heard: “Go buy a pound of tumbled stones”. She soon built a successful business selling crystals and minerals nationwide. Unfortunately, she never learned how to manage cash flow, went bankrupt and dedicated herself to honing her business and financial skills. After suffering from a range of physical problems for many years, Joan studied and adopted a range of alternative techniques. She is now remarkably healthy and vibrant. 

Today, Joan is a successful money and mindset mentor who guides people to uncover the habitual thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that affect their business and financial outcomes.  

Connect with Joan:

Email: joan@sotkin.com

Website: https://ProsperityPlace.com

Podcast: The Prosperity Show

Book: Build Your Money Muscles: Nine Simple Exercises for Improving Your Relationship with Money

Francine Russo grew up in New York - a lower middle class Jewish girl. Her parents felt strongly that her MRS. Degree was more important than getting her PH.D. She did marry, twice. Both husbands died and she was left to find Love After 50: the title of her latest book, which is a comprehensive and intimate guide to finding, keeping, and enjoying love after fifty, the best kind of love there is. Today she lives with Michael, her current partner of 6 ½ years. 

Francine has a PhD in English literature and is a successful journalist. In this episode, she offers many tips for aspiring magazine writers and is known for being ahead of the curve, finding trends to write about before others. At 75, Francine loves life and has many more articles in her to write. Watch for her next one in Scientific American, a story about a female archaeologist who learns about Viking women.  

 If you like someone and don’t hear back, there’s no harm in following up yourself - Perseverance gets you what you want, in work and in dating. -Francine Russo

Connect with Francine Russo:

Email:  francine.russo.email@gmail.com

Website: https://francinerusso.com/

Current Book: Love After 50: How to Find It, Enjoy It and Keep It

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=francine+russo+love+after+50&i=stripbooks&crid=U6TWK1J8OL7H&sprefix=Francine+Russo%2Cstripbooks%2C70&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_14

Cheri Boublis is Senior Director for Hospitality Services at Plymouth Place in LaGrange Park, Illinois, a model for active community living. Cheri collaborates with the leadership, residents, vendors, and the larger community to offer wide-ranging services for adults who choose a vibrant lifestyle. Choice is the guiding concept for most everything at Plymouth Place—design of living space, travel, dining, cultural programs, the arts, wellness, and more. Cheri says she is of the age that she could live at Plymouth Place, and she looks forward to doing so when she is ready for that transition.



Plymouth Place is the premium sponsor and host site for Women Over 70’s first, in-person Symposium on October 19, 2024. 

Connect with Cheri

Email: cboublis@plymouthplace.org

Website: Plymouth Place | Senior Living in La Grange Park, IL

For Agnes Loughlin, a former nurse and nurse practitioner, the path to internal wellness begins with awareness. She emphasizes being aware of how we direct our attention and energy to our thoughts and emotions and encourages us to use these powerful tools to create our inner desires.  Agnes describes how her own feelings of loneliness and disconnection for many years were masked by busyness, until she had an awakening experience at age 64. 

Always curious, Agnes is devoted to exploring multiple dimensions of spirituality and healing. She is certified in five modalities and as a life coach. As founder of Miracles in Wellness, Agnes speaks and conducts retreats and coaches individuals and groups to create and explore their own joyous realities. 

 We create our own joy as we become more aware of feeling love, connection, and aliveness in our relationships. -Agnes Loughlin

Contact Information

Agnes Loughlin, Joy Facilitator

Cell 773-791-9590

Email: agnes@miraclesinwellness.com

Website: https://miraclesinwellness.com

Free gift--Meditation to Embrace More Love https://mailchi.mp/f99c1fcdc0ef/meditation

Cindi Elstienfinds herself in a pretty satisfying stage of life. Having overcome both breast cancer and a recent debilitating bout of pneumonia, along with several other difficult issues, she weathered 3 weeks in the hospital and has come out stronger and feeling positive. Cindi believes your mental attitude is critical in the healing process. 

"I feel very young. I’m lucky to have found a passion I love." - Cindi Elstien

With Covid waning, she is now ready to fully get back to the business of helping people. A long career working in human resources, and for various insurance brokers, led her to open her own company, People by CFE in 2020. Her company provides HR consulting. As a licensed property & casualty and life & health insurance agent, she is qualified to review and recommend group health benefit plans that enhance total rewards for employees within an organization. She has relationships with insurance brokers who collaborate with her to make recommendations for the client and place coverages with the insurance companies.

Cindi Elstien is known for sharing friends and offering resources to mentor others needing help. Upbeat and generous, she easily interweaves professional and personal relationships. She believes companies must build a foundation of respect, cultural diversity, and inclusion.

Connect with Cindi:

Email: cindi@peoplebyCFE.com

Website: https://www.peoplebyCFE.com

“Brain-Boosting Nutrients are key to real-time, real-world approaches to maintaining and improving health.”

Dr. Patricia Walicke is a 40 year veteran in neuroscience. She earned her MD from Harvard-MIT Health Science and Technology program and her PhD from the Harvard Dept. of Neuroscience. Her primary area was Alzheimer's disease research under Dr. Robert Katzman. 

In 1989 she started a clinical neurology practice where participation in clinical research sparked a new passion related to the development of medications. Subsequently, she joined the biotechnology industry working to develop medications in several different areas.  

An important author of book chapters and papers, Dr. Walicke also holds 3 patents. Since 2017, she has lived in Sedona AZ, and maintains a small wellness coaching practice. Feeling that drug development had become complex and expensive she turned her studies to inexpensive interventions such as food, nutrition, and natural supplements.

Dr. Walicke is now on the scientific advisory board of Blue Lake, where she serves as an expert in beta-caryophyllene (BCP) and phosphatidylserine (PS) both found to support memory and brain function.

She also carefully monitors studies around the world to capture trends in dementia disease and Alzheimer's. Dr. Walicke is a strong proponent of the 6 Pillars of Memory approach advocated by Blue Lake and the use of their memory chocolates.

Connect with Dr. Patricia Walicke:

Website: https://bluelakeminds.com

Janie Petkus is an internationally renowned interior designer. She works in all aspects of design including architectural plans, lighting and landscape. Her love for this work oozes out of her. 

Janie’s mother, and Doris Day were both role models and inspirations for her to pursue this career. She served as President of the Illinois Chapter of the International Society of Interior Designers (ISID) and, later, was Vice-president of finance for the International Society.  She has participated in many designer showcases and housewalks over the years, all to benefit charities. Janie also had a show on HGTV for a number of years.

"Younger people keep your mind alive & alert." - Janie Petkus

But life has been tricky. Her beloved husband of 44 years, passed away suddenly of a rare disease at the age of 67. He was Janie’s closest friend for all those years and he deliberately retired young to become her partner in her business. The story of how she learned to be on her own, maintaining the business and her family, is one worth listening to. This is a woman who loves life, experimenting with new ways of being, and developing friendships with all ages.

Connect with Janie:

Email: janie@janiepetkus.com

Frances Fuller grew up in poverty. All of her books belonged to the state of Arkansas. Her mother had a 4th grade education. It is a wonder, then, that Frances became a writer and publisher and left a legacy in the form of an entire body of literature in Arabic, for Arabic children.

From an early age, Frances was a devotee of the American columnist, Ernie Pyle. Committing to a lifetime of missionary work in Lebanon and Jordan combined her two loves: the Christian faith and journalism. 

Initially, she worked with groups of Americans as their press representative, and reported to America what was happening in Beirut. Soon, she purchased a small publishing house and produced children’s curricula. On one of her furloughs home, she determined to teach others how to write so that the curricula could be produced in Arabic by Arabs for the Muslim world. That was when decided she had to know what the process of writing was in order to teach Arabs how to write. She earned her Master’s degree in English and then returned. 

Author of 2 books, we spoke extensively with Frances about her recent memoir.

Takeaways:

• Children thrive in uncertain circumstances when they believe in your passion for your work.
• Journalism is a tool with which to do many things.
• Life during wartime in Lebanon was chaotic, but manageable.

Connect with Frances Fuller:

Email: frances0516@att.net

Website: https://inborrowedhouseslebanon.com

Blog: https://www.inborrowedhouseslebanon.com/blog/

Books: In Borrowed Houses: A True Story of Love and Faith Amidst War in Lebanon

Connect with Gail & Catherine: 

Connect with Gail & Catherine: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Wo70AgingReimagined

Vinyls are Couch Covers: Improv & Long-Term Care Insurance!

Quote: Life can be so hard when you believe Medicare insurance covers you and it does not.

Gail Steingold is a go-getter whose life contains a lot of improvisation. From clinical speech pathology to long term care insurance, learning and laughing have been her constant companions. It makes sense when your work is serious and deals so much with feelings. 

When Gail transitioned to selling long-term care insurance she took up improv to satisfy her love of theater and performance. And, to reduce the frustration she feels because of the numerous misconceptions older people have about what Medicare covers. Gail will tell you the optimal age to get Long-Term Care insurance is when you are healthy and between 45-65. She is known for the depth of her knowledge of the everchanging LTC insurance marketplace. Her clients are the recipients of her experience, contacts and empathetic approach and commitment to designing a plan that meets their needs and challenges of the extended long term care event. 

CONNECT WITH GAIL:

Company: Burling Insurance Group

Website: https://www.bigltc.com/

Email: steingold@bigltc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-steingold-ms-ltcp-cltc-007b763/

For the last 32 years, Louise reinvented herself many times. After her husband died when she was 44, she realized she had never lived on her own. Two big questions arose: “Why am I here?”. “What am I supposed to do with my life?”. Through coursework, metaphysics and hypnotherapy, she slowly found her way. Always the extrovert, she learned to tone down her enthusiasm and take time to listen. Today she helps baby boomers who experience loss - of careers, of soulmates, and illness. 

Louise has had many titles in her life: Queen of Networking, Candy Lady, Lady Farmer. The one she cherishes most is Lady Lou, the Baby Boomer Babe. If she could, she would tell every younger person, “Be more awake - be aware of the possibilities.”

The future is wide open. I’m excited there are still so many discoveries to make and so many new ways to help people. - Louise Dewey

Connect with Louise:

Email: TexasLadyLou1@gmail.com

Text:    281-406-1092

Susan Stall, Ph.D. CREATIVE HOUSING OPTIONS for the MISSING MIDDLE

In 1985, sociologist and activist Dr. Susan Stall designed and taught a college course entitled Gender and the Built Environment: Redesigning the American Dream. Since then, her scholarship and activism have expanded to innovations in housing that center on affordability, design, and the capacity for community building. She highlights the ‘missing middle’--those who are neither poor nor rich-- whose housing needs tend to be ignored. Susan describes ‘age-friendly living’ options such as co-housing, cooperative housing, shared housing, and accessory dwelling units.  

stallsusan@gmail.org

www.oakparkcohousing.org

Elaine Soloway writes “because it’s therapeutic for me and can be helpful to others.” Although her stories are deeply personal, Elaine considers the themes to be universal. She tackles, for example, ageism, care giving, joint replacement, pet friends; housing options; Jewishness; solo living. She is proud of her adult children’s production of the TV series, Transparent--a fictional portrayal based on their family life--for shining a realistic and positive light on transgender. Currently, Elaine is writing opinion pieces along with hosting two book groups: unrecognized history of racism and Jewish Women Writers. Foregoing embarrassment, Elaine is learning to swim, speak Spanish, and play piano--aspirations from long ago. And she proudly owns her age--83.

" None of my secrets are so different from anyone else’s." - Elaine Soloway

 Contact Information:

elainesoloway@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/elainesoloway

www.elainesoloway.com  see Elaine’s writing--

• Books, available for purchase at Women & Children First Bookstore; and Amazon
• Op-eds
• Blogs

Jill Stewart honed her talents in public relations and writing for more than 20 years as founder and head of her own PR firm that was committed to “issues that matter.” She and her teams were there in the early stages of the AIDS epidemic and the end-of-life options movement. Most recently, Jill and her husband teamed up to produce a three-part series, Hidden History: Understanding the Origins of Racial Inequity.

In her second career as communications faculty at DePaul University, Jill has approached teaching professional writing as an essential skill for communications students to level the playing field in their career advancement. Turning 70 has gotten Jill’s attention – to being even more intentional about using her time, energy and resources in ways that suit her best. 

"Throughout my communications career, I have been drawn to promoting social causes." - Jill O’Mahony Stewart

Contact Information:

Email: jill@stewcommltd.com

Twitter: @jillostewart 

YouTube: Hidden History – Understanding the Origins of Racial Inequity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78PmjkSEpnw

Joy has always been a part of Beverly Pimsleur's life. Her extended family in Louisville KY loved to be together, to dance, sing and have fun.

She recognized the importance of language from a young  age and started learning French in high school. She met her husband, a French professor, on a blind date in her twenties and changed her plans about living in France in order to marry him, anticipating they would someday live there together — which they

did.

 She became fluent in 4 different languages and believes in the importance of teaching English as a 2nd language.

Paul was the creator of the Pimsleur Language Program. When he died at 48, Beverly, alone with two young children, returned to New York and, with a colleague of her late husband, continued to develop the business. Simon & Schuster eventually purchased the company. 

Life with her 2nd husband, Peter, was quite different. They moved to Nice for 12 years, where he died of a genetic disease. Beverly turned to tango as a release for her grief and dance became an obsession. With her children married, she traveled the world, dancing until she was 82. Her passions are multi-faceted and include cooking, traveling, writing and publishing. 

"I'm afraid I’m not going to have enough time for all the things I want to do."

Growing up with a schizophrenic mother, experiencing violence most of her young life, and surviving breast cancer all contribute to Lin’s mantra: Resilience | Decisiveness | Courage. 

25 different careers, first corporate and then entrepreneurial, made Lin unstoppable. And, today, she continues to be a trailblazer. 

“People fight change. I am always willing to pivot and change.” - Lin O'Neill

Lin pays tribute to her grandmother, the wisest woman she knew in her life. This woman saved her and helped her build the skills necessary to overcome her upbringing. Listening to Lin’s story of personal and professional accomplishment is a testimonial to women’s journeys.

CONNECT WITH LIN:

Email: Lin@ONeill.enterprises

URL: https://oneill.enterprises

Frances “Poppy” Northcutt gained national fame as the first and only woman in NASA’s mission control room working on the Apollo Program.  Poppy and her team designed the Return-to-Earth trajectory that took the Apollo 8 crew around the Moon and back to Earth. She worked on missions 10-13 and helped retrieve the Apollo 13 astronauts after their mid-flight disaster. After cuts in the space program, Poppy continued her advocacy for women’s rights as a felony prosecutor in a domestic violence unit. Now in semi-retirement, Poppy’s advocacy is focused on reproductive justice, as the attorney for Jane’s Due Process, providing legal services to pregnant teen-age girls. She holds leadership positions with NOW, nationally and in the state of Texas.

I’ve always been involved with something that has to do with an equal state for women.  - Frances "Poppy" Northcutt

Email: poppynor@gmail.com

Twitter: @poppy_northcutt

https://now.org/wp-content/poppy_northcutt.mp4  49 years after the passing of Roe-vs Wade.

Martha Holstein passed away on November 24, 2021. We are releasing her episode to honor Martha's lasting contributions to women aging.

Dr. Holstein, a vocal advocate for women aging, speaks both to individuals and the larger politic. She urges women to own their age—if you are old, acknowledge it. Live by your norms, not those for people far younger: Intergenerational conversations are important. Dr. Holstein raises awareness of how differentials concerning race, class, religion, and sexual identity affect the problems we encounter and the choices available for how we age and live. Individual solutions are insufficient; political-systemic answers are needed to remedy ills around aging, especially aging women. If we don’t accept and respect our age, how will we identify those problems associated with being old and work toward resolving them?

Watch: Martha Holstein: Own Your Age

Mbholstein360@gmail.com

Holstein, M. (2015). Women in Late Life: Critical Perspectives on Gender and Age. Rowman & Littlefield.

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Wo70AgingReimagined

Instagram: WomenOver70

Website:https://womenover70.com

Email: info@womenover70.com

Show: Women Over 70 – Aging Reimagined

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