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:  conniegoddard@gmail.com

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: fitzsimmonsterri@gmail.com

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: greenwooddian@gmail.comWebsite: 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: Cheryl.keen@yahoo.comCo-author 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: bebravelosethebeige@gmail.comWebsite: 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: Noelle@noellenelson.com 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:egadinca@gmail.com

 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: valerie@boomhomemedical.com; byrdie@boomhomemedical.comWebsite: https://boomhomemedical.com