Deborah Joy Phelps

When Deborah Joy Phelps writes about food her story takes us beyond measurements, spices and herbs.  She stirs in the flavor of the cook’s personality.

Deborah Joy, now on the good side of 60, is an artist when it comes to meeting new people and truly connecting with them.  Her contact is immediate and spontaneous.  This is probably due to the fact that she loves people and is genuinely interested.  Since she is authentic and engaging in her interaction, people tend to show their genuine self with her and let down barriers.

Adding the essence of the cook to the recipie brings a special flavor beyond food.

WorldYWCA Board and Guests

What an amazing, competent, dedicated and inspiring organization the YWCA is!   Did you know that

• The YWCA is active in 127 countries.
• Their programs touch over 25 million women and girls.
• When women are empowered to become leaders whole communities are enriched.

We were privileged to receive the WorldYWCA Board in our home.  This Board is a wonderful example of an  inter-generational and inter-cultural body, and one that functions effectively.    Members come from 22 countries, each bringing unique talents and experience.  A number of them are still in their twenties bringing new views to complement those of other ages.

It is important for our personal age-esteem to keep such inter-generational contact active in our own lives and to reach out  and work with others of diverse ages toward a common goal.   My commitment to the WorldYWCA not only expands my knowledge and enhances my understanding of other cultures while helping to improve lives,  it also boosts my age-esteem!   I love being an ambassador for the WorldYWCA.

I love the message of the Blueberry Star in the previous post.  We don’t  have to travel to foreign places or meet celebrities to discover life’s messages.   The star on a blueberry reminds us that miracles surround us.  We need only to be tuned into them and relish in  their beauty to find courage  and joy in each day.

This is one of Dorothy Oliveau’s  picture poetry messages.  She wrote them for her friends throughout her later years.   She was a very talented woman who managed to find the beauty in each day no matter what was happening in her life.  – A wonderful role model of AgeEsteem.

• The next time you eat a blueberry, take a moment to discover its beauty.
• Enjoy its aroma and savor the taste.
• Remember that blueberries are one of the healthiest foods for keeping your mind alert.

By Dorothy Oliveau

The Blewfield Clan

What a wonderful time post retirement seems to be for the cousins at the reunion in Paducah.   Everyone seems to be developing or focusing on genuine  interests.  And varied they are!

• Suzanne, who still works part-time in a law office  is submersed in the family genealogy and can trace her branch back to the Mayflower several times.  She is now writing a book about it.
• Bill, who is a retired professor and Fullbright Scholar, lives with poetry and has one of the best poetry resources, www.unf.edu/mudlark/
• Doreen complements working part-time as a mentor to student teachers with her passion for theater and acting on the local stage.
• Don “recycled” to become a pastor and acts as interim minister to congregations.  He also lives his passion as a cookie creator at the local bakery.
• Rose and David sold their house and now live in a motor home to experience new places across the nation.  Rose is a writer and David a photographer and using these passions.
• Gerard focuses on renewable energy and is sought out as an expert to speak and advise.   He also volunteers on clean water projects in Africa.
• Jeanie continues to nurse ailing birds, something that she has always done and is not ready to leave.  She loves what she does.

And this is just part of the cousins!

It is never too early or too late to develop your interests and passion.  It is an important aspect of personal age-esteem to love what you do.  It is a real elixir to building confidence and feeling vital.

When I told friends we were headed to “Paducah”, they thought it was an exotic island or a joke.

Actually it is neither.  Paducah, Kentucky is hometown to two cousins.  We were going there to meet up with the Blewfield clan of cousins.   As children growing up in the Midwest, we spent a week each year with cousins in LaPorte, Indiana.  We swam, boated, had hamburger eating contests, and played from dawn til dark.  It was a highlight of summer.

Now 60 years later we still look forward to being together. The Cousin’s Reunion has become a tradition with a different person taking on the organization every two years.

This year a conversation revolved around benefits of being older.  -  Especially living our passions, investing time in work and activities we truly love and that build our confidence and age-esteem.

• We feel vibant and involved in new ways.
• People seek us out.  Our strengths are recognized and sought after.
• We are involved in amazing activities that give meaning to our lives.
• We are more tolerant and understanding, no longer sweating the small stuff.
• Our lives have greater perspective.

AgeEsteem will become even more important with the current demographic  predicted to continue well into the coming centuries.

• One out of every ten persons is now 60 years or above; by 2050, one out of five will be 60 years or older; and by 2150, one out of three persons will be 60 years or older.
• The older population itself is ageing. The oldest old (80 years or older) is the fastest growing segment of the older population. They currently make up 13 percent of the 60+ age group and will grow to 20 percent by 2050.
• The number of centenarians (aged 100 years or older) is projected to increase 14-fold from approximately 265,000 in 2005 to 3.7 million by 2050.
• The majority of older persons (55 percent) are women. Among the oldest old, 64 percent are women.

Source: Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat

To read more:  United Nations Program on Aging

Salute to Dr. Norman Borlaug

During this week of celebrating older persons, I would like to honor Dr. Norman Borlaug, a man who has marked our world and inspired many though he has never sought praise.  I was privileged to serve on the Board of Legacy® with him.  Dr. Borlaug was a true AgeEsteemer.   Even in his nineties he worked for what he believed to be most important – feeding the world as a means to promote peace.

Dr. Borlaug, a scientist and recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize,  developed a type of wheat that is credited with saving up to 1 billion people from starvation.  He was known as the father of the “green revolution“, which many experts say averted global famine during the second half of the last century.  More on Dr. Borlaug

Many older people inspire us and lead us in new directions.

Who would you like to honor during this week of celebration?

“Ageing is a development issue. Healthy older persons are a resource for their families, their communities and the economy.”   WHO Brasilia declaration on healthy aging, 1996.

Older people  increasingly play a critical role – through volunteer work, transmitting experience and knowledge, helping their families with caring responsibilities and increasing their participation in the paid labor force.

This is the 10th anniversary of Older People’s Day being celebrated by the United Nations and many countries of the world.  Let us salute the older people who are doing so much to make this world a better place.