Celebrating in North Carolina – The Perfect Place to Celebrate a 2/3 Century Birthday!
As you may remember, this year my theme is 26! It’s 2026 and my birthday is February 26, so I’ve been celebrating the 26th of every month. October 26th is my 66 and 8 months, which equals 66.6667 or my 2/3 Century Birthday!!
As you can see from the pictures, this area was like a Fall Foliage Fairyland! We hiked along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the tree colors were spectacular. This trip was also special because I went with Matt, Stella, and their new little dog, Lola.
October 26th is also National Pumpkin Day, so we enjoyed some pumpkin-flavored hot drinks and treats. The town was appropriately decorated for the season.
I know that most people don’t celebrate 2/3 Century, but it’s a very fun milestone! Now I officially feel like a wise elder. Looking forward to seizing many days ahead and celebrating 66 3/4 on November 26th – Thanksgiving!
Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team led by friend, Diane Scott
I’ve done a lot of fundraising over the years. In fact, I used to think my friends probably wished there were a way to “unsubscribe” from my emails or mark my fundraising emails as “spam.”
While it’s true that plenty of people don’t respond to my fundraising emails, I don’t take it personally. Those who do respond, whether with a donation or a note of support, fill my heart with gratitude.
This year, rather than creating my own team, I joined my friend Diane’s team. I admit it made things a lot easier for me! I didn’t have to stress too much about the responsibilities of being a Team Leader, namely, trying to get people to join the walk.
Ironically, I had a few friends join our team without any pressure from me!
This year, my friend Dennis even flew out from Minnesota to walk with me! My housemate, John, and my friend Ken also surprised me by joining us.
John, me, and Dennis with our flowers
At the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, participants carry a colored Promise Garden flower representing their personal connection to the disease:
Blue: Someone living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
Purple: Someone who has lost a loved one to the disease.
Yellow: Someone supporting or caring for a person living with the disease.
Orange: Someone supporting the cause and the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
White: A symbol of hope for a future without Alzheimer’s.
I, of course, carried the yellow flower in honor of my Mom. I’m back in California this week, enjoying another visit with her.
Boulder’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s – October 10, 2026
The walk started on the CU campus on a beautiful, sunny day. Speakers from the Alzheimer’s Association shared encouraging news about the fight against this disease.
Overall, the day was inspirational and heartwarming for a number of reasons.
Since my Mom was diagnosed, I’ve often felt helpless. I can’t stop this disease from progressing, and I wish more than anything that I could.
But I realized that, even though I can’t control what happens to my Mom, there ARE things I can do. By participating in this walk, I’m:
Helping fund research toward better treatments and, someday, a cure.
Raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and the importance of brain health.
Receiving support from friends and family.
Deepening connections.
Hearing stories from others who’ve been affected by the disease.
Finding hope and feeling inspired about the future.
I may not be able to change my Mom’s diagnosis, but I can keep showing up, supporting the cause, connecting with others, and celebrating the good things in life along the way.
And that sounds like a pretty good way to Seize the Day!
If you’ve been following my blog you know that in 2026, I’ve been celebrating the 26th of each month. On August 26th, I celebrated National Popsicle Day with Mom, and I’m with her again for the September 26th celebration of Save Your Photos Day.
Celebrating National Save Your Photos Day with Mom looking through her original photo album
Capturing Mom’s Smile
Every time I visit, I experiment with different and new activities, hoping Mom will get excited and get that big smile on her face. Last month, I bought a turntable and found the Tijuana Brass Whipped Cream album that we played a lot in the ’60s and ’70s. Mom didn’t recognize either the album cover or the music. Come to think of it, maybe it was Dad and my brothers that were so enamored with that album.
But when we started looking through her old album she proclaimed what a cute baby she was! She actually is quite cute at age 90, too, so I had to shoot a video to capture that smile:
A Trip Through Time
There was baby Mom, childhood Mom, teenage Mom, and eventually Mom dating Dad. I’ve known her my whole life, of course, but it’s still fun to see photographic proof that she had an entire life before I showed up.
Best of all, Mom was excited to look through the album with me. She recognized and remembered the names of even her parents friends. It’s interesting that this early period of her life is what she seems to remember most. She often seems to wake up thinking her parents are still alive and that her home is in Villa Park, Illinois, a place she hasn’t lived at for over 70 years.
We lingered over the pictures, and she talked about them as we went. I loved watching her enjoy those sweet glimpses of her younger self. I especially loved the early pictures of her with my Dad. They were such a beautiful young couple.
Finding the Joy
A friend recently sent me Courtney Martin’s essay, “The 7 Stages of Elder Care.” One line especially stayed with me:
“The other thing you might remind yourself is that even the most painful of journeys have awe and meaning and intimacy within them.”
That afternoon with the album felt like one of those times. The challenges are tough, but they make the good days so sweet and meaningful.
Save Your Photos Day is a nudge to make sure our pictures don’t disappear into an old box—or the mysterious depths of our phones. I’m glad I saved Mom’s album. I’m even gladder I took it out and shared it with her.
I don’t know what our next visit will be like. This one was lovely, and I’m putting it in my own mental photo album.
August 26 is the day, and when I discovered this important piece of information, I immediately decided that Mom and I needed to celebrate. Not only is it celebrated on the 26th (which is my theme number for 2026), but I already have a cherry dress! (I celebrated Cherry Dessert Day on May 26!)
Life has been pretty heavy lately. A cherry popsicle seemed like an excellent antidote.
My original plan was ambitious. I thought we could make homemade cherry popsicles with some of the residents at The Preserves. Michele and I experimented with cherry yogurt and imagined a charming little popsicle-making activity where everyone could participate.
Well…that was the plan.
Let’s just say that homemade popsicles are considerably more complicated than I’d imagined. The recipe book that came with the kit included recipes with at least five ingredients. I thought it was as simple as putting cherry juice in a mold, but…no. We tried putting yogurt in the molds, but that ended up being both messy and not very tasty.
So we pivoted.
Instead of making popsicles with the residents, we bought popsicles for the residents.
Sometimes my Carpe Diem adventures are simply going to the grocery store.
And everyone was perfectly happy.
A Difficult Season
The popsicle celebration came at the end of an especially emotional couple of weeks.
Mom’s health and cognition have been declining, and there have been some scary and difficult days. She’s had moments of confusion and fear that have been heartbreaking to watch.
That’s part of why I came to Los Angeles earlier than I had originally planned. I wanted to be there for Mom—and for Michele, too.
I spent most days with Mom over those two weeks.
When I’m there, I know my presence gives her a sense of security, and she is generally calmer.
That doesn’t mean every day is easy. There are still times when she’s frightened or doesn’t understand what’s happening. Other days, she’s simply exhausted and sleepy.
But there are also moments when everything seems to come together and she’s happy.
And those are the moments I’m savoring.
Old Friends and New Memories
The popsicles weren’t the only sweet moments I’ve had with Mom lately.
One of my favorites was helping her reconnect with her childhood friend, Rolly, over FaceTime.
They hadn’t talked in years.
Watching them see each other again was incredibly special. They were both so happy to hear one another’s voices and catch up.
I wish I could have recorded the call, but Mom was using my phone, so I’ll just have to remember her laughs.
Life Doesn’t Stop for Hard Times
In the midst of everything happening with Mom, I’d had a weekend getaway planned. Mom had been doing better, so I decided to carry out my plans for a weekend in Santa Rosa.
Somehow, I packed three wonderful events into one weekend.
I spent time with my friend Shirley.
Shirley with her new Squirrel finger puppet at The Grey Squirrel Manor in Windsor, CA
I attended the wedding of the niece of my longtime friend Jack.
Jack and me at his niece’s wedding.
And then I got to experience something completely different: the joy surrounding a brand-new baby, born to another of Jack’s nieces.
A wedding.
A new baby.
Old friends.
A childhood friend reconnecting with Mom.
Popsicles with a memory-care community.
All of these things happened within the same few days. Happy tears welled up during the joyful moments. Maybe when you’ve been carrying sadness, the tears are already there, waiting for any excuse to spill over—and happy tears are the best.
Alzheimer’s is sometimes called “the long goodbye” because we slowly grieve so many losses while the person we love is still with us.
But maybe that’s exactly why I want to savor the joyful moments in the midst of the grief.
The Gift of Saying Goodbye
There have been days when Mom has desperately wanted me to stay. Leaving her has been heartbreaking on those days.
There have also been days when Mom has been surrounded by kind staff and familiar residents and has felt secure enough for me to leave without tears.
On Thursday, the day I was flying back home, she was sitting happily with her friend Debbie. They held hands and vowed to support one another.
That made leaving a little easier.
I’m also deeply grateful that Michele is nearby. Having someone who loves Mom and can be there when I can’t is an enormous comfort to both of us.
Carpe Diem, Even When Life Is Hard
Now I’m back home, slowly catching up with all the email and stuff I normally do when I’m here in Colorado. Celebrating my grandkids’ birthdays, cleaning my house, and (most importantly!) catching up on my CarpeDiemDay blog post!
I talked to another friend today who was feeling restless about aging and worrying about some recent health scares.
I told him, “I have a goal to find joy wherever I am and whoever I’m with. And that works pretty well, even when life is hard.”
Maybe that’s what these past few weeks have reminded me.
Finding joy doesn’t mean ignoring the grief or pretending the hard things aren’t hard.
It means noticing the joy that’s right there beside them.
Sometimes it’s a wedding.
Sometimes it’s a new baby.
Sometimes it’s hearing your mom laugh with a childhood friend.
And sometimes it’s a cherry popsicle on a hot day.
I’m going to do one of those easy blog posts… light on words, but I’ll let the pictures and smiles do the talkin’.
Winning 1rst place for my age group at the Arvada Summer Breeze 5K!June visit with Mom out in the courtyard community herb garden at The Preserves of Woodland HillsHosting a Summer Potluck Poker Party..…And winning! (Well… Will and I decided to split the pot rather than go to the end, but I had more chips.)Hiking with Cathy on National Flamingo Day! (After our weekly estudio de español leyendo *El Hobbit*Celebrating June 26th – National Food Truck Day with a Breakfast Picnic with J.J.Getting a Surprise “Squeeze the Day” Greeting Card from Matt & Stella in the mail! June 26 was also Tropical Drink Day so this was very topical as well as tropical!Celebrating my son-in-law, Chris’s 43rd birthday with an outdoor dinner around their cute firepit.
Another thing that I enjoyed listening to the audiobook Theo of Golden. Highly recommended!
How about you? What have been some of your fun summer moments? What are you looking forward to this summer?
Aging Adventurously Day with friends and family at Chautauqua Park, Boulder
When I first heard about Road Scholar’s Age Adventurously Day, I knew I wanted to participate. After all, that’s what this Website is all about! Seize the Day, Age Adventurously… Pretty much the same thing! And it’s even a quirky holiday, just like Carpe Diem Day!
Originally, I planned to hike Royal Arch in Chautauqua Park. Then my ankle started bothering me, and I switched to a gentler hike on the Mesa Trail. As often happens, some of my plans changed, but adapting is a big part of aging adventurously.
One of the things I love about adventure is that it looks different for different people.
My daughter Megan, son-in-law Chris, and granddaughter Reneya chose to tackle Royal Arch. Other friends joined me for a more leisurely hike through the beautiful meadows and forests of Chautauqua. We all met afterward for a picnic lunch, stories, laughter, and shared goodies (including my signature banana-walnut chocolate chip muffins!)
Honoring Dee – Now on the Ultimate Adventure
The hike itself was wonderful, but the real reason this day felt special was Dee O’Malley.
Dee passed away on May 25 at the age of 93. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Dee before. She was one of those rare people who made everyone around her want to live a little bigger, love a little deeper, and say “yes” to one more adventure.
Most of us think of adventure as something external—a trip, a hike, a new destination. But Dee’s answer taught me that adventure is really an attitude. It’s the willingness to stay curious. To keep learning. To keep connecting. To keep saying yes, even when life becomes uncertain.
Adventure can be climbing a mountain.
Adventure can be learning Spanish.
Adventure can be making a new friend.
Adventure can be singing with a perfectly imperfect voice.
Adventure can be starting medical school in mid-life.
Adventure can be playing the piano for a memory care community you’ve grown to love.
Adventure can be facing the end of life with courage and curiosity.
The Age Adventurously Day Movie
To honor Dee, I created an iMovie slideshow from our day using “Climb Every Mountain” as the soundtrack. The music is special because it was Dee’s favorite song. The perfect song describing climbing mountains, literally and metaphorically! The recording features my mother and my son Scotty singing while I accompany them on the piano. Three generations, making music together, imperfectly but joyfully.
The movie has photos and video clips from our Chautauqua adventure today, an adventurous shot of my friend, Cathy (who wasn’t able to make the hike) and a few clips of visits with Dee and my mother.
I love how it turned out!
Connection, Learning, Growing, Sharing.
As we shared lunch under the trees, I felt grateful for my friends and family. I felt grateful for Dee and all the wisdom, humor, and adventures she shared with our family.
I know there are adventures still to come, mountains still to climb.
And some day, when I take that ultimate adventure, I feel grateful that Dee will be there again to lead the way.
Some people bring joy wherever they go. For me, Patsy is one of those people.
So when my lovely friend Patsy texted to say she’d welcome a visit from me, I immediately started looking at flights. She mentioned that her son, Chris, would be home in St. Augustine for the month of May, and she asked how my mother was doing. Patsy and I keep up with each other on Facebook, and I’ve always admired how engaged, curious, and tech-savvy she is. I had missed my visits with her, and when Patsy extends an invitation, I do my best to say, “YES!”
This year my theme is 26. I’ve challenged myself to have 26 adventures and to celebrate the 26th of every month. When I discovered that a May 25–28 trip would fit perfectly into my schedule and include my celebratory May 26th, it felt meant to be.
Even better, May 26th happened to be National Cherry Dessert Day. Naturally, I took that as a sign to buy a cherry-print sundress and matching jewelry for the occasion!
Patsy is like the cherry on the top of an ice-cream sundae
It seemed fitting that my May 26th celebration would revolve around cherries, because Patsy herself is like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.
She has a gift for making people feel welcome, valued, and loved. Time spent with Patsy is like that sweet cherry you savor. While the cherry sundress was fun, the real treat was getting to spend time with her.
Patsy and My Mother – So Much Alike
One of the reasons I’ve always felt drawn to Patsy is that she reminds me so much of my mother.
They are both warm, kind, charismatic women who light up a room. My mother was popular with the boys as a young teenager, and, not surprisingly, so was Patsy. They were both young brides married to military men, and both embraced the adventure of raising growing families.
As my mother’s dementia progresses, I sometimes feel as though I’m slowly losing little pieces of her—her stories, her memories, and parts of the personality I’ve known all my life. That’s one reason my friendship with Patsy means so much to me.
Of course, no one could ever replace my mother. But learning about Patsy’s life and hearing her stories helps fill a space in my heart. While I am losing pieces of my mother’s memories, I feel fortunate to be gaining pieces of Patsy’s. Every conversation gives me a deeper appreciation for a remarkable woman and for the generation she represents.
Patsy’s Biography
During this visit, I had the opportunity to learn more about Patsy’s life. I knew she had been recording her memories and stories with her daughter, Bonnie, and I loved getting to read the finished biography.
That was especially meaningful because I’m working on my own life story this year through a MyStories subscription that Matt and Stella gave me for Christmas. Listening to Patsy’s memories and reading her book reminded me how important it is to preserve our stories—not only for ourselves, but for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
Beaches, Games, and the Best Adventures
Biking to the beach with ChrisBeautiful Beach WalkPlaying poker with the Blakeslee Family
I also feel incredibly grateful to Chris for sharing both his mother and his family with me.
This short trip included a bike ride to the beach, good food, and an evening of poker and games with Patsy’s family. Beaches, games, and family are three of my favorite things, so it was hard to imagine a better combination.
What made it even more special was being welcomed into those family moments. Chris and his family make me feel like an honorary member of the group, and I appreciate every minute of it.
I’ve learned that the best adventures are spending time with people you treasure, listening to their stories, sharing laughter, and creating new memories together.
My May 26th celebration included sunshine, beaches, bicycles, poker, and family. But the best part (the cherry on top!) was Patsy—and that made it unforgettable.
One of my goals in 2026 is to celebrate the 26th every month. Today, Hug a Friend Day was a perfect day to celebrate by attending an amazing, original play: “Mom and Baby are Doing Great.”
Amalia Adiv, the daughter of my dear friend, Rebecca Ritter, wrote and performed the play. Knowing Rebecca and Amalia made the play extra special for me. I could just imagine how proud Rebecca must be.
And wow… it was one of those rare performances that makes you laugh one minute and tear up the next. My favorite kind.
The play is currently in “workshop” mode—which, as someone not in the theater world, I assume means it’s not finished yet. Honestly, it felt completely polished to me, though feedback was being collected in the form of sticky notes.
Amalia, a new mom, shares her childbirth experience with such honesty, vulnerability, and humor that you can’t help but be drawn in. Anyone who has gone through childbirth will immediately connect—but even if you haven’t, you’ll walk away with a much deeper appreciation for what mothers experience (physically, emotionally… all of it).
Me, Rebecca, and Miriam
Hug A Friend Day
Seeing Amalia on stage was especially meaningful because I’ve known her—and her sister (Miriam)—since they were little girls. Rebecca has been one of my closest friends for over 20 years. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of many gatherings with their family over the years.
There’s something really beautiful about watching someone you’ve known since childhood step into their own and create something this meaningful.
Rebecca played an important role in Amalia’s play: Mother of the mother. You can bet she got a special hug from me.
Diane, me, Mary
Friends Diane and Mary joined me for this original performance. I felt lucky to be able to both watch this special play with girlfriends who were also mothers and then hug them!
I can’t think of a better way to spend Hug a Friend Day.
One of my goals this month is a simple one… but also kind of bold.
I’m writing a letter to Virginia Evans… and hoping she’ll write back!
Virginia Evan is the best-selling author of The Correspondent, the book I recently devoured (well, listened to… while walking… and also late into the night when I should have been sleeping 😄).
I’ve already shared my thoughts in my Goodreads review, but that didn’t feel like enough. This book practically invites you to write a letter.
If you’ve read it, you know why.
The protagonist, Sybil Van Antwerp, is a devoted letter-writer—including to authors. And now here we all are, a bunch of inspired readers, probably doing the exact same thing. I’m pretty sure that Virginia Evans is being absolutely inundated with fan mail right now.
Still… I’m sending mine anyway.
And yes—I’m including a stamped, self-addressed envelope and even an extra card. I know it’s a long-shot, but I’m hoping for a reply from this now-famous author!
This little project has me thinking a lot about letters in general—and how meaningful they can be.
Last year, while cleaning out my mom’s house, I uncovered a treasure I didn’t even know existed: a stack of love letters from 1954 between my mom and dad, written before they were married. Reading them felt like stepping into a time capsule.
Written April 23, 1954
My Mom wrote this letter 72 years ago today!
I also came across something I had completely forgotten about: a letter I wrote to my dad for his 71st birthday, encouraging him to write his life story.
And he did.
It made me realize—letters aren’t just communication. They’re catalysts. They capture a moment, but they can also create something new.
At the very least, they’re a way to create connection, give recognition, or tell someone you’re thinking of them.
I love all the wonderful ways we can communicate these days – text messages, IMs, social media, email, video-chat, and, of course, phone calls!
But, there’s something fun about good old-fashioned snail-mail! Partly, that’s because I get to seal my letter with my special Carpe Diem stamp!
And if I’m really lucky… I’ll hear back from Virginia Evans. 😊
Normally, I wait until May to come back from my Snowbird Adventures. April has such unpredictable weather in Colorado. We have snow one day and sunshine the next.
This year, I’d heard that Boulder had a much warmer winter than usual, and I wanted to be sure I didn’t miss all the Spring flowers that have such a short time for their peak blooms. Pearl Street in Boulder has such a beautiful, colorful assortment of tulips! The early return was the right decision. How fun to be able to enjoy this rainbow of color on a sunny Spring day!
April Joys – Lilacs in spite of snow
The lilacs in my own garden are always late bloomers, but the very fragrant lavender blooms are popping up in all the neighborhood walkways.
Lilac bushes still fragrant despite an April snow
True to form, Boulder did get an April snow last week. However, unlike other years, this one wasn’t heavy and the beautiful and fragrant lilacs survived. I’ve learned that rather than fret about snow, it’s better to savor the Spring flowers.
This year, one of my projects is going to be to try and capture the lilac’s scent using this enfleurage technique I found on YouTube. Wish me luck at capturing that sweet smell.
April Joys – Friends
One of the most joyful things about being home in Colorado is the opportunity to reconnect with friends in person.
Hiking South Mesa Trail with Mary
Since I’ve been back in Colorado, I’ve been enjoying getting back on the trails. Admittedly, April can still be a little cold for my overly-sensitive body. That being said, Mary and I were able to get in a beautiful morning hike at South Mesa Trail before the cold front came in.
For many years, I got out for morning runs even on the coldest winter days. Now I get to enjoy winters in snowbird spots like Florida, California, and Mexico. When I get back to Colorado in the Spring, it can be chilly, but it gives me a chance to bundle up a little and see the mountain scenery without the frigid winter temperatures.
Spanish Meetup at Ozo’s on Pearl Street
And today brought a different kind of joy. My friend Cathy and I attended a Spanish Meetup at Ozo’s on Pearl Street. What a fun way to spend the afternoon—practicing español with new people who are just as enthusiastic (and imperfect!) as I am.
Cathy and I have also been reading El Hobbit in Spanish together. She’s an advanced speaker, so I benefit from every conversation we have. Language learning is so much more enjoyable—and a lot less intimidating—when you’re doing it with a good amiga.
April may be unpredictable, but maybe that’s part of its charm. Tulips and lilacs that don’t last long but bloom through the snow, and friendships that are best enjoyed face-to-face—all reminders to pay attention while these moments are here. Spring doesn’t wait, and neither should we. So I’m soaking it in—the colors, the scents, the smiles—and reminding myself, once again, to carpe diem in every season.
