"Alone, we can be washed away.

Together, we stand strong!"

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   Laurie Powell  

On Friday, March 12, 2010, Laurie Powell, a Wise Older Woman, made her transition from this life. Having battled cancer for over a year now, it was after the winter holidays of 2008, after she, Nancy and I returned from our month of October in Spain together, that she began this final journey.

Over the last 5 or so years we shared wonderful WOW! travel experiences. Cruising the ocean blue, riding limos, airplanes, a submarine, fast trains, subways, buses, taxis, or in a car – we would travel. Laurie and Nancy, the best of walkers and hikers, were patience personified as I sometimes struggled to keep up.

From the coastal hills and islands of Central America along the western Caribbean to the hills, valleys and plains of Spain all the way to the Mediterranean ; in Galveston, New Orleans, and Little Rock - I was privileged, honored and blessed to share travels and women’s retreats with Laurie and other WOW!

The time together was much too short. Laurie’s energy and vitality overflowed. She shared her enthusiasm and love for God and all creation in everything she did and every place she went, while helping others or while just having some fun. She truly lived her beliefs and made life exciting for those around her. A memorial service for Laurie was held March 18, 2010.

-- Georgia Phillips

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Fort Worth WOW!

Wise Older Women!

Out to Lunch!

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The Alaska cruise is history.

Anita Wright and Nancy Garland in front of our ship, The Westerdam of the Holland Cruise Line. The ship was smaller than some visiting the area, but big enough for us to get lost several times the first few days of the week-long cruise.

Nancy is standing in front of Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska. The turquoise color in the glacier tells there is great depth there.

This totem pole, at least 30 feet high, is located in Sitka, Alaska, where the movie, The Proposal, with Sandra Bullock and Betty White, was made. Totem poles tell stories or commemorate special events.

Anita Wright, our photographer, is standing on the balcony of our cabin while the ship is in Glacier Bay. We spent most of a day there, moving so close to the glaciers that you wanted to reach out and touch them. The beauty was breath-taking. Early that morning a U. S. Park's Service boat brought a naturalist and a Native American from the Klingot tribe to spend the day on board. They told stories and pointed out views of special interest, adding so much to our understanding of the people and the area.

Typical view of Alaska while we were there near the end of June--beautiful beyond measure.

Since it was summer in Alaska, the snow melting made spectacular waterfalls that rushed from the top of the mountain to the sea below. While we were there, the temperature during the day ranged from the 40's to low 60's and we had about 20 hours of daylight.

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Nancy and the boys, Teddy and Bear

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Beginning in our fifties, but with even more intensity as the decades follow, we mull over the questions: Where have I been? Where am I now? Where am I going? We examine  not only those things that have meaning in our lives, but also the meaning of our lives. --Maria Harris

To get treated properly, we must first treat ourselves well. Our “no” must mean no! We’ll teach ourselves how we wish to be treated. We’ll wake up to better, healthier possibilities. I want to imagine brighter, more intelligent contexts for my life. I want wisdom, the attribute that age enhances. For some reason, this task of awakening wisdom makes me anxious—it asks me to move out of my comfort zone. --Marsha Sinetar

Wise Older Women!
by Glenda Bradley
(And yes, I've got permission!)

We are wise older women,
we have learned many things.
We are wise older women,
we can cope with what life brings.

We are wise older women,
we are smart and we are strong.
We are wise older women,
life won't keep us down for long.

We are wise older women,
we can be tender--we can be tough.
We are wise older women,
we keep on going when times get rough.

We are wise older women,
and we know what we don't need.
We are wise older women,
all you people best take heed.

Chorus:

We say what we think.
We feel what we feel.
We know what is fake,
and we know what is real.

We are wise older women,
and we are a special breed.

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BOOKS NANCY'S READING:

"Among Us Women," by Joan Lerner is about three women of different ethnicity and generations whose stories are intertwined in a provocative novel that chronicles their empowerment, (particularly in the right of choice). Finalist, 2009 Book Bundlz Book Pick Contest.
Joan Lerner is a retired interior designer who is a past president of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers as well as having served on the national board of directors of the 42,000 member organization. Go to her web site: www.amonguswomen.com

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Have a book you recommend? Let me know what it is and we'll add it to the list.

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Another way to support this website and the newsletter is to make a contribution. Any and all amounts help! Mail your donation to WOW! Wise Older Women!®, 100 Lorenz, #907, San Antonio, TX 78209

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