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Welcome! I appreciate you taking the time to see if this is the right fit for you! Ageless Possibilities explores our collective journey as older women, taking care to notice what is around us, what matters to us, and what is inside each of us. Through my blog and life story workshops, we explore the events of our lives that have made us who we are, write with courage and curiosity about topics that impact us, and support each other as we journey north.

Why am I here?

  • I want to reflect on the past and the present as I transition into this new stage of my life with intention

  • I want to challenge the stereotypes we have been labeled with

  • I want to discuss issues that hold meaning for us

  • And, I want to explore the ageless possibilities that are open to us as we become wiser, speak our truth and live meaningful lives

I hope you will join me on this journey because I suspect my stories are your stories and I would love for us to row north together.

My Story

My name is Helen and I live on an island in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and pets. I will spare you the typical bio - because that really won’t tell you who I am! I also don’t share a lot of photos of myself because how I look rarely reflects how I feel inside and I am tired of how our society continues its obsession with body image. I expect that as you read my blog posts a picture of who I am will begin to emerge. Here are a few things about me to get us better acquainted!

The ONE thing you need to know about me is:

I consider myself an information broker and relationship builder. I have a passion for research, reading, learning, and ideas - and then sharing that information with you! And I love creating a safe space where we can write and share our life stories.

The FIVE things I need in life are:

  • SOLITUDE. I crave time alone and I am blessed with a husband who understands and supports that need. I often head off alone on weekend adventures or spend 2-3 weeks at our island cabin with just the dog for company.  And, every 3-4 years, I leave my husband at home and head off for 8-10 weeks of solitary travel to feed my soul. I have walked the Portuguese Coastal Camino, cycled through northern Thailand, rode a camel through the desert in Morocco and hiked the Asturian Mountains in Spain - all while travelling solo!

  • BOOKS. I have been a voracious reader since childhood. I mainly read e-books these pandemic days but I much prefer a large stack of books on my nightstand or coffee desk – preferably books with lots of pages, printed in a small font.

  • OCEAN. I can spend days walking trails in the Pacific Northwest but my heart feels most at peace when I can sit by the ocean listening to the rustle of pebbles conversing with the sea, being sprayed by pounding waves, and feeling the ocean breeze blow my worries away.

  • BIRD SONG. I usually hear birds before I see them and I continue to be awed by the resident birds in my neighbourhood – the shrill cry of soaring eagles, the morning song of chickadees, the collective honking of migrating snow geese, the drumming of flickers on our metal chimney, and the shrill whistle of the resident kingfisher living near our pond.

  • SOUNDS. I cannot tolerate noise but there are so many sounds that fill my heart. They include:

    • Gregorian chants

    • The belly laughter of young children

    • My dog’s sighs of deep contentment

    • Red-winged blackbirds introducing the return of spring

    • Purring cats

    • Stuart McLean’s voice

    • ‘Un bel di’ aria from Madame Butterfly

    • Rain on a tin roof

    • The sound of wind approaching through rustling trees

Ageless Possibilities acknowledges that it is a privilege and an honour to live and work in the traditional and unceded lands of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.