Hello and welcome to a community for old(er) women writers and readers on Substack, hosted by Debbie. Please introduce yourself in the comments! I'll go first...
Hey Debbie. I am starting to like this “ land of the old “ as it does come with some perks but many changes too.
I came to Substack upon recommendation from a Friend who follows Nadia Bolz Weber. She sent me a prayer Nadia wrote called, All I can offer you on this Monday morning is this Shitty Prayer!” Loved this and so I joined.
I have made 4 posts so far under the heading “Thoughts From Over the Hill.” I also talk about aging and how it is personal to me and others.
I am 66 years old and have been married to my husband Steve for 45 years. We have 3 grown daughters and 5 Grands.
Keep up with the [B]OLD Women posts. I love them!!!
Hello, I'm always happy to find women in their 70's on the web! I'm also a writer of fiction as well as essays and other nonfiction.I'm considering how to become a thought leader about international aid responses that serve women's recovery and ascendence. I live, write, and garden in Oakland, CA. www.SusanBurgessLent.com
Thanks. We are indeed living in interesting times. I hope America doesn't become a pariah ruled by oligarchs. I believe women are the key to change that enables us to survive and thrive.
Hi Debbie. How great to connect with you on “elderstack”! I’m a 71 year old Canadian, formerly a lawyer who published my first book, a work of historical nonfiction, two years ago with a small independent publisher (more about that here: https://www.marshafaubert.ca/). I plan to continue writing (maybe even my own Substack but the field looks pretty crowded) but a complicated life has gotten in the way recently. I’m all about gardens, Great Lakes, justice, and my WWll obsession.
Hi Debbie, I'm "going on" 80 (July) and started writing Coming of Aging here on Substack a year ago because I realized I hadn't given any thought to the Buddhist ASD (aging sickness and death). Writing for me is a way of knowing, and it feels like skipping or dancing or pulling on a thread of sleuthing. Aging this way is a spiritual practice... one after another your attachments present themselves to be seen, listened to, accepted and released. A lot of forgiveness. With every post I feel free-er but that doesn't mean they are light duty. I like to go to the root, the heart, the guts of the matter. Great to find you here and looking forward to learning from you. I realize i didn't say more about me. I live on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest, with my cat and 2 tenants and a big garden and a small community. I've written two books, one a wild success, Your Money or Your Life, and one a sleeper (Blessing the Hands that Feed Us). I too had a podcast, What Could Possibly Go Right?
Hi Debbie. I’m 67, married for the second time after my first husband died in 2011. Our first few dates together were talking about our spouses (his wife had died too) and death in general. Not the usual ‘new date’ conversation, but fascinating! I have no children.
Having been a counsellor and trainer for much of my self-employed life, I’m also author of 2 books about grief and end of life planning.
I ‘retired’ about a year ago but have now come back to writing again here on Substack and am loving it.
I walk daily, do yoga 4 times a week, Pilates once, and ride my friends pony once or twice a week too. Generally I’m pretty healthy and grateful for it!
Hi Jane, welcome! I must admit that I read your recent post about “Manifesting Millions” and was both skeptical and rather amazed; can you write more about this for the dubious?? It sounds like magical thinking — but maybe it works! Sending all best for 2025.
lol! I know, I was like that initially too. Watch out for another post coming this week.
But basically I’d say it’s a consistent weekly opportunity to address one’s beliefs, thoughts and feelings about a lot of money.
With a spiritual basis too.
Joanna is quite wacky and not for everyone, but while she has one foot firmly in the esoteric, the other is equally as firmly in the practical world. Which appeals to me. Not sure if you took a look but just in case here’s the link. https://janedr--joannahunter.thrivecart.com/manifestmillions/
Hello Debbie. I am Sylvia, an 86 year old widow living in central France. It is deeply rural here. I share my home with a dog, two cats, and two hens. I also have two horses and a cat at a small private farm nearby. I care for these animals daily. My older horse is retired and I ride the younger one out regularly with great pleasure. I have 4 sons and 6 grandchildren who live in different parts of the world. One son and his family live nearby. I have recently joined Substack but have not yet posted here. I am writing memoirs about aging actively and adventurously. I enjoy watercolour sketching. I am in relatively good health and benefit from artificial hips and knees. Ongoing health challenges amount to no more than tendinitis and carpal tunnel. I am happy to have found this community and look forward to seeing how it develops as we share our experiences of aging.
Welcome Sylvia, how inspiring you are! Riding a horse at age 86 strikes me as quite remarkable, requiring both strength and flexibility! Your example reinforces my commitment to do much more strength training in 2025. I’ve been lazy and haphazard about that this past year… and I really noticed how much weaker I’ve become on our recent skiing trip in Japan. Onward!
Thank you for your comment, Debbie. I should say that horse riding takes many forms... I ride a horse I have owned for 10 years and whom I know well. We do not usually go out for more than 2 hours at a time, and we mostly walk. The old horse accompanies us at liberty as does the dog. However, you are right that the riding certainly contributes to my core and leg strength both of which are helpful at my age. But mostly I love being out in nature watching the seasons changing, watching the interactions of my animal companions and their responses to the farm and wild animals we meet along the way. The most adventurous last year was riding in the US Canyonlands area, Bryce, Red, Zion and the Grand Canyons. But all at a walk and riding as sight seers not sporty riding as we did in the past.
Hi Debbie. I'm enjoying [B]old Age! Thanks for creating such a welcoming space for other writers. I'm just getting started with your Substack, and can't wait to read more. I'm an author and musician. I've been publishing a weekly newsletter called The Hump Day Gazette for the last two years. The Gazette was born out of a need to lighten my own mood. While I often write about serious subjects, I include humor in my articles whenever I can. Laughter is the best coping mechanism for getting through the hard times. Thanks for the opportunity to share my work with you and your readers! https://jannazonder.substack.com/
I hope I'm okay to post this! I am a 33-year-old PhD student and psychotherapist from Manchester, UK. I stumbled across your Substack and was instantly hooked! For years, I have been interested in why research into social media and the internet more widely focuses almost exclusively on teenagers and young people. Research on older adults tends to focus on a deficit mindset and consistently forgets to acknowledge the role of older adults as content creators and trailblazers!!
Therefore, as my PhD research project I decided to investigate the experiences of older adults (aged 65+) on Substack and how this impacts their wider well-being.
Thank you for your wonderful and inspiring Substack!
Hi Nikki. I publish a weekly newsletter on Substack called The Hump Day Gazette. When you're looking for people to interview, I'd be happy to help. You can reach me at jannazonder@substack.com
Nikki, I was just about to leave a comment on your first post! Great idea to solicit help with your research on Substack. I'd love to learn more; you can contact me at my Substack email: debbieweil@substack.com
I'm 77! Imagine. I can't. My most recent Substack is about my very recent hip replacement (left) surgery. Please check it out at The Armchair Journalist, @nancy jainchill. One of the things I note is that the experience didn't make me feel old or older. Go figure.
Hello, My name is Phebe (Karen) Beiser. I’m 74 and married to a woman, Cathy, who one year ago was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I am her only caretaker right now. Have written poems & journalled about this, so far not on Substack.
I am brand new to writing in Substack — so far about the Election but soon to share more personal musings from my life.
I consider myself foremost a poet but co-authored a book with Rashma Kalsie in New Delhi, India. The book is The Buddha & the Bitch: 2 Women, 2 Worlds, 1 Practice (Hay House, New Delhi, c2018 with new and used copies available on Amazon). We tell the story of chatting via the internet, becoming friends in spite of our differences (she youngish, heterosexual, married, with a daughter/me oldish, lesbian, single at the time). Eventually I visited her (2013) and we travelled to South India to organize topics for this book we h inside us. The book tells about our journey from New Delhi to Pondicherry as well as our personal journeys as women writers, as spiritual beings, and inquisitive people. In 2018 I returned to do some promotion of the book and celebrate our success!
I am co-founder of the Ohio Lesbian Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now in our 35th year, OLA is the only LGBTQ collection of newspapers, flyers, records of the former Crazy Ladies Bookstore, artwork, buttons, photographs, personal journals, and more—all centered on greater Cincinnati & the region. After seventeen years in a church basement, we moved to an historic building in Over the Rhine area downtown. For more info, https://ohiolesbianarchives.org.
I “own” that I am now an Elder. I lost two women close to me in 2019–a partner Janice and a best friend Bev. I have been dealing with their passings ever since. Grief and loss have become important topics as I age and grapple with the reality of death.
Dogs are my close companions as well as an ornery tabby cat. They lighten my life.
Hello all! I am Shana, 70 years old, Blackfoot-German-Welsh ancestry. A Washington and Alaska person, the past 4 years I have been part of my Mom’s care team here in Texas hill country. I bought a tiny house and live blue in a red state. I write about trauma, resilience, and whatever is front and center in my life — most recently a trip to French Polynesia. I have two websites about my trauma healing work: organizationaltraumaandhealing.com and thetorchcollective.org. My Substack is Healing Circles. Very happy to have found you!
Just found this with reference to Elderstack! So cool! Think you already know me… I am 80 this year, I live in Southwest Michigan, I am a widow going on eleven years, have a guy friend, have five grandkids… all young adults, one of whom is gay. I write about the bits and pieces of life as I turned eighty, now as I continue growing along. I write about being active is the most important thing we can do to keep youthful and engaged no matter what our age! I’m forever a Pollyanna but adamant … don’t call me honey! Congrats to you, dear Debbie on having such a following… I had no idea about your podcasts! I will be there! Much love! ☺️🫶
Hi Debbie, I love what you're doing here. I have found Substack to be a fun and inspiring place to be at age 62. Wonderful to connect with writers of all ages here.
I write a Substack called Letters From Turkey Town, about love, grief and hope. I live in an RV and travel the US full-time. https://tinahedin.substack.com
I'm a sort-of retired high school English teacher (sometimes I sub), new to substack. I'm 66 with a b-day coming in Feb. I'm young and healthy and hope to continue in this vein. But I've noticed that somewhere, I crossed over into elderhood. My husband is ten years older than I and is aging differently and with more physical difficulty than I am. Not sure why. I sing in a Threshold Choir.
I'm a died-in-the-wool femininst, a student of archetypal psychology (master's degree) and I write a Substack called Modern Mythology, where I look at what's happeining now through an archetypal lens, because everything old is new again. Actually, nothing is old; we've seen it all before. It simply changes expression a little. The moment I saw this community a ping of recognition sparked in my heart: this is for me.
Hi Debbie and thank you for creating this space to connect with [B]old women who are courageously sharing our wisdom and voices at a time when we are not encouraged to do so. (Especially these days.) I'm turning 66 on November 30 and at the threshold of retiring from my career as a marketing communications writer. I took a detour 17 years ago from the for-profit world to work at a public university (from which I'm soon retiring) and to help other nonprofits raise more money for their missions. My Substack "This Much is True" is newly launched. I consider it my "sandbox" right now; a place to play and explore my emerging interests and newfound role as an elder with some time on her hands and something to say. I'm so excited by the prospect of joining a community of women who are finding, refining, and expressing their voices and "walking" beside each other during this chapter of our lives.
Turning 65 before the year ends. I write in an eco feminist tone about making the feminine visible as well Place. I believe we way we treat the earth and place often reflects patriarchy and the way women's bodies are valued. I work part time as a mental health doc in Australia. Currently I’m otherwise often in Kyoto Japan where my husband and I having a later life adventure after somewhat sort of impulsively buying a house one year ago. Pre-covid I travelled frequently to Paris and ran a women’s tour based around mindful-sensory experiences and the inner journey of midlife. Kyoto is about exploring aging and the spiritual preparation necessary to age and die (I THINK! ) I recently started on substack and would love to build more community here. BOLD is a great word for this stage. Bucket list. Finish and publish my books soon. Being poly creative and ADD its taken too long!
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb1d7636-a0e5-44ef-846d-a6df558eff16_1280x1280.png)
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/e_trim:10:white/e_trim:10:transparent/h_72,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb939748d-5d80-4d0f-867c-2ed252ac633c_1344x256.png)
Hey Debbie. I am starting to like this “ land of the old “ as it does come with some perks but many changes too.
I came to Substack upon recommendation from a Friend who follows Nadia Bolz Weber. She sent me a prayer Nadia wrote called, All I can offer you on this Monday morning is this Shitty Prayer!” Loved this and so I joined.
I have made 4 posts so far under the heading “Thoughts From Over the Hill.” I also talk about aging and how it is personal to me and others.
I am 66 years old and have been married to my husband Steve for 45 years. We have 3 grown daughters and 5 Grands.
Keep up with the [B]OLD Women posts. I love them!!!
Hello, I'm always happy to find women in their 70's on the web! I'm also a writer of fiction as well as essays and other nonfiction.I'm considering how to become a thought leader about international aid responses that serve women's recovery and ascendence. I live, write, and garden in Oakland, CA. www.SusanBurgessLent.com
Susan, welcome to Substack; how interesting!
Thanks. We are indeed living in interesting times. I hope America doesn't become a pariah ruled by oligarchs. I believe women are the key to change that enables us to survive and thrive.
Hi Debbie. How great to connect with you on “elderstack”! I’m a 71 year old Canadian, formerly a lawyer who published my first book, a work of historical nonfiction, two years ago with a small independent publisher (more about that here: https://www.marshafaubert.ca/). I plan to continue writing (maybe even my own Substack but the field looks pretty crowded) but a complicated life has gotten in the way recently. I’m all about gardens, Great Lakes, justice, and my WWll obsession.
Hi Debbie, I'm "going on" 80 (July) and started writing Coming of Aging here on Substack a year ago because I realized I hadn't given any thought to the Buddhist ASD (aging sickness and death). Writing for me is a way of knowing, and it feels like skipping or dancing or pulling on a thread of sleuthing. Aging this way is a spiritual practice... one after another your attachments present themselves to be seen, listened to, accepted and released. A lot of forgiveness. With every post I feel free-er but that doesn't mean they are light duty. I like to go to the root, the heart, the guts of the matter. Great to find you here and looking forward to learning from you. I realize i didn't say more about me. I live on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest, with my cat and 2 tenants and a big garden and a small community. I've written two books, one a wild success, Your Money or Your Life, and one a sleeper (Blessing the Hands that Feed Us). I too had a podcast, What Could Possibly Go Right?
Hi Debbie. I’m 67, married for the second time after my first husband died in 2011. Our first few dates together were talking about our spouses (his wife had died too) and death in general. Not the usual ‘new date’ conversation, but fascinating! I have no children.
Having been a counsellor and trainer for much of my self-employed life, I’m also author of 2 books about grief and end of life planning.
I ‘retired’ about a year ago but have now come back to writing again here on Substack and am loving it.
I walk daily, do yoga 4 times a week, Pilates once, and ride my friends pony once or twice a week too. Generally I’m pretty healthy and grateful for it!
Hi Jane, welcome! I must admit that I read your recent post about “Manifesting Millions” and was both skeptical and rather amazed; can you write more about this for the dubious?? It sounds like magical thinking — but maybe it works! Sending all best for 2025.
lol! I know, I was like that initially too. Watch out for another post coming this week.
But basically I’d say it’s a consistent weekly opportunity to address one’s beliefs, thoughts and feelings about a lot of money.
With a spiritual basis too.
Joanna is quite wacky and not for everyone, but while she has one foot firmly in the esoteric, the other is equally as firmly in the practical world. Which appeals to me. Not sure if you took a look but just in case here’s the link. https://janedr--joannahunter.thrivecart.com/manifestmillions/
fyi I am NOT endorsing this program… overt “selling” is really out of place on Substack—well, at least my corner of Substack.
Yes, you may be right about that. I am feeling my way here, being a newbie. Thanks for the feedback.
Hello Debbie. I am Sylvia, an 86 year old widow living in central France. It is deeply rural here. I share my home with a dog, two cats, and two hens. I also have two horses and a cat at a small private farm nearby. I care for these animals daily. My older horse is retired and I ride the younger one out regularly with great pleasure. I have 4 sons and 6 grandchildren who live in different parts of the world. One son and his family live nearby. I have recently joined Substack but have not yet posted here. I am writing memoirs about aging actively and adventurously. I enjoy watercolour sketching. I am in relatively good health and benefit from artificial hips and knees. Ongoing health challenges amount to no more than tendinitis and carpal tunnel. I am happy to have found this community and look forward to seeing how it develops as we share our experiences of aging.
Welcome Sylvia, how inspiring you are! Riding a horse at age 86 strikes me as quite remarkable, requiring both strength and flexibility! Your example reinforces my commitment to do much more strength training in 2025. I’ve been lazy and haphazard about that this past year… and I really noticed how much weaker I’ve become on our recent skiing trip in Japan. Onward!
Thank you for your comment, Debbie. I should say that horse riding takes many forms... I ride a horse I have owned for 10 years and whom I know well. We do not usually go out for more than 2 hours at a time, and we mostly walk. The old horse accompanies us at liberty as does the dog. However, you are right that the riding certainly contributes to my core and leg strength both of which are helpful at my age. But mostly I love being out in nature watching the seasons changing, watching the interactions of my animal companions and their responses to the farm and wild animals we meet along the way. The most adventurous last year was riding in the US Canyonlands area, Bryce, Red, Zion and the Grand Canyons. But all at a walk and riding as sight seers not sporty riding as we did in the past.
Hi Debbie. I'm enjoying [B]old Age! Thanks for creating such a welcoming space for other writers. I'm just getting started with your Substack, and can't wait to read more. I'm an author and musician. I've been publishing a weekly newsletter called The Hump Day Gazette for the last two years. The Gazette was born out of a need to lighten my own mood. While I often write about serious subjects, I include humor in my articles whenever I can. Laughter is the best coping mechanism for getting through the hard times. Thanks for the opportunity to share my work with you and your readers! https://jannazonder.substack.com/
Welcome Jenna and thank you!
Hi Debbie,
I hope I'm okay to post this! I am a 33-year-old PhD student and psychotherapist from Manchester, UK. I stumbled across your Substack and was instantly hooked! For years, I have been interested in why research into social media and the internet more widely focuses almost exclusively on teenagers and young people. Research on older adults tends to focus on a deficit mindset and consistently forgets to acknowledge the role of older adults as content creators and trailblazers!!
Therefore, as my PhD research project I decided to investigate the experiences of older adults (aged 65+) on Substack and how this impacts their wider well-being.
Thank you for your wonderful and inspiring Substack!
Nikki
Hi Nikki. I publish a weekly newsletter on Substack called The Hump Day Gazette. When you're looking for people to interview, I'd be happy to help. You can reach me at jannazonder@substack.com
Nikki, I was just about to leave a comment on your first post! Great idea to solicit help with your research on Substack. I'd love to learn more; you can contact me at my Substack email: debbieweil@substack.com
I'm 77! Imagine. I can't. My most recent Substack is about my very recent hip replacement (left) surgery. Please check it out at The Armchair Journalist, @nancy jainchill. One of the things I note is that the experience didn't make me feel old or older. Go figure.
Hello, My name is Phebe (Karen) Beiser. I’m 74 and married to a woman, Cathy, who one year ago was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I am her only caretaker right now. Have written poems & journalled about this, so far not on Substack.
I am brand new to writing in Substack — so far about the Election but soon to share more personal musings from my life.
I consider myself foremost a poet but co-authored a book with Rashma Kalsie in New Delhi, India. The book is The Buddha & the Bitch: 2 Women, 2 Worlds, 1 Practice (Hay House, New Delhi, c2018 with new and used copies available on Amazon). We tell the story of chatting via the internet, becoming friends in spite of our differences (she youngish, heterosexual, married, with a daughter/me oldish, lesbian, single at the time). Eventually I visited her (2013) and we travelled to South India to organize topics for this book we h inside us. The book tells about our journey from New Delhi to Pondicherry as well as our personal journeys as women writers, as spiritual beings, and inquisitive people. In 2018 I returned to do some promotion of the book and celebrate our success!
I am co-founder of the Ohio Lesbian Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now in our 35th year, OLA is the only LGBTQ collection of newspapers, flyers, records of the former Crazy Ladies Bookstore, artwork, buttons, photographs, personal journals, and more—all centered on greater Cincinnati & the region. After seventeen years in a church basement, we moved to an historic building in Over the Rhine area downtown. For more info, https://ohiolesbianarchives.org.
I “own” that I am now an Elder. I lost two women close to me in 2019–a partner Janice and a best friend Bev. I have been dealing with their passings ever since. Grief and loss have become important topics as I age and grapple with the reality of death.
Dogs are my close companions as well as an ornery tabby cat. They lighten my life.
Hello all! I am Shana, 70 years old, Blackfoot-German-Welsh ancestry. A Washington and Alaska person, the past 4 years I have been part of my Mom’s care team here in Texas hill country. I bought a tiny house and live blue in a red state. I write about trauma, resilience, and whatever is front and center in my life — most recently a trip to French Polynesia. I have two websites about my trauma healing work: organizationaltraumaandhealing.com and thetorchcollective.org. My Substack is Healing Circles. Very happy to have found you!
Just found this with reference to Elderstack! So cool! Think you already know me… I am 80 this year, I live in Southwest Michigan, I am a widow going on eleven years, have a guy friend, have five grandkids… all young adults, one of whom is gay. I write about the bits and pieces of life as I turned eighty, now as I continue growing along. I write about being active is the most important thing we can do to keep youthful and engaged no matter what our age! I’m forever a Pollyanna but adamant … don’t call me honey! Congrats to you, dear Debbie on having such a following… I had no idea about your podcasts! I will be there! Much love! ☺️🫶
Hi Debbie, I love what you're doing here. I have found Substack to be a fun and inspiring place to be at age 62. Wonderful to connect with writers of all ages here.
I write a Substack called Letters From Turkey Town, about love, grief and hope. I live in an RV and travel the US full-time. https://tinahedin.substack.com
love your stack; meant to include!
Good Morning Debbie, and well met.
I'm a sort-of retired high school English teacher (sometimes I sub), new to substack. I'm 66 with a b-day coming in Feb. I'm young and healthy and hope to continue in this vein. But I've noticed that somewhere, I crossed over into elderhood. My husband is ten years older than I and is aging differently and with more physical difficulty than I am. Not sure why. I sing in a Threshold Choir.
I'm a died-in-the-wool femininst, a student of archetypal psychology (master's degree) and I write a Substack called Modern Mythology, where I look at what's happeining now through an archetypal lens, because everything old is new again. Actually, nothing is old; we've seen it all before. It simply changes expression a little. The moment I saw this community a ping of recognition sparked in my heart: this is for me.
oops. Forgot the link: https://substack.com/@modernmythology
Hi Debbie and thank you for creating this space to connect with [B]old women who are courageously sharing our wisdom and voices at a time when we are not encouraged to do so. (Especially these days.) I'm turning 66 on November 30 and at the threshold of retiring from my career as a marketing communications writer. I took a detour 17 years ago from the for-profit world to work at a public university (from which I'm soon retiring) and to help other nonprofits raise more money for their missions. My Substack "This Much is True" is newly launched. I consider it my "sandbox" right now; a place to play and explore my emerging interests and newfound role as an elder with some time on her hands and something to say. I'm so excited by the prospect of joining a community of women who are finding, refining, and expressing their voices and "walking" beside each other during this chapter of our lives.
Betsy, can't wait to check out This Much Is True https://betsycraz.substack.com/
Turning 65 before the year ends. I write in an eco feminist tone about making the feminine visible as well Place. I believe we way we treat the earth and place often reflects patriarchy and the way women's bodies are valued. I work part time as a mental health doc in Australia. Currently I’m otherwise often in Kyoto Japan where my husband and I having a later life adventure after somewhat sort of impulsively buying a house one year ago. Pre-covid I travelled frequently to Paris and ran a women’s tour based around mindful-sensory experiences and the inner journey of midlife. Kyoto is about exploring aging and the spiritual preparation necessary to age and die (I THINK! ) I recently started on substack and would love to build more community here. BOLD is a great word for this stage. Bucket list. Finish and publish my books soon. Being poly creative and ADD its taken too long!
Bernadette, wonderful to hear from you. We are taking our first trip to Japan next month!
Thank you for this community:) travel to Japan is exciting. It;s such a gorgeous complex culture. Look forward to hearing of your adventures!