2025 Reader Survey Results Below Fitness and Health for the Ages: Building Strength, One Step at a Time Let’s start with a confession: I’m probably the last person who should be writing about health and fitness. My health journey has been full of ups and downs (I’ve lost 200 lbs and struggled to keep my weight under control). I’m far from having it all figured out. But when health topped the list in the survey you completed, I knew I had to tackle it—even if it meant bringing in some expert...
11 months ago • 5 min read
2025 Subscriber Survey What do you want to see more of in 2025? This is your chance to help me tailor the newsletter and website content to meet your needs better. Take the Survey Live Fully Now: What People in Their 70s and 80s Want Us to Know About Living I read an article this week about what people in their 70s and 80s wish they had done differently, and let me tell you, the advice is worth listening to. If we’re lucky enough to make it to their stage of life, we’ll have decades of wisdom...
12 months ago • 5 min read
2025 Subscriber Survey What do you want to see more of in 2025? This is your chance to help me tailor the newsletter and website content to meet your needs better. By completing this quick survey, you’ll give me valuable feedback on what’s important to you as we enter the new year. Whether you'd like more tips on aging, personal growth, or new resources, your input will directly influence what I share in the newsletter and on the website. Share Your Input I want to know what matters most to...
12 months ago • 1 min read
Photo by Mary Harvey Gurley In Five Years, Who Will You Be? Start Creating Your Life Today. Note: Tomorrow morning you will receive the 2025 Subscriber Survey. This is your chance to provide ideas and input for 2025 topics. Please take a moment and give me your input. Thanks. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw. The start of a new year always feels like a turning point. For me, it’s a time to pause and reflect on what truly matters. After...
12 months ago • 6 min read
Photo by Mary Harvey Gurley Live Like You’re Dying: A Roadmap for the New Year Happy New Year! I hope this year brings you the fulfillment and joy you deserve. As we enter this new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect and focus on what matters most. If you’ve been wondering how to make the most of your aging journey and the new year, I want to share a story that reshaped my life and could inspire a fresh perspective for you, too. A Moment That Changed Everything January 11 marks the 11th...
12 months ago • 4 min read
Photo by Mary Harvey Gurley What It Means to "Take Flight"as We Age I am spending New Year’s Eve with friends in Baton Rouge, soaking up much-needed Cajun and Creole vibes. This trip to the bayou was long overdue, and I’ve relished my time reconnecting with friends whose DNA ties them to Acadia. As part of my annual tradition, I’ll write down my challenges and worries from 2024 on a piece of paper—the struggles, regrets, and loose ends I’m ready to release. Then, just before midnight, I’ll...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read
Christmas at Santa Fe Square, Mary Harvey Gurley The 12 Days of Christmas: A Time for Rest, Reflection, and Renewal Christmas is tomorrow. Are You Ready? Chances are, you’ve been rushing around, trying to make the holiday perfect for everyone—cooking, wrapping gifts, and making plans with family and friends. It’s a joyful time, but it’s also exhausting. Before the big day arrives, I want to share a moment that shifted my perspective on this season. Growing up, Christmas was all about the...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read
Angels! by Mary Harvey Gurley What Are You Giving Yourself—and Others—This Christmas? Last week, I gave myself an early Christmas gift: a trip to New Mexico to photograph the crane migration at Bosque de Apache near Socorro, NM. Of course, being in the middle of December was inconvenient. My first thought was, I can’t possibly go then; I have too much to do for Christmas. And then I stopped in my tracks. I am widow with no children, no family commitments, and no puppy to care for... I can go....
about 1 year ago • 5 min read
Photo by Mary Harvey Gurley Let It Go: A Holiday Guide for Finding Joy in Imperfection I have been letting many things go this holiday season. With Thanksgiving being late, I think we all feel the “shortened” season. Since I’m going on a photography trip in the middle of the month, I’ve decided just to let go of several holiday tasks to reduce my anxiety. Recently, I’ve been walking around singing Let It Go from the movie Frozen. It’s my December theme song. Grab a coffee and listen to the...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read