Mary Spilsbury Ross was born with the creative gene starting at an early age reciting poetry, dancing, making up plays, and singing with her sisters. She has had an exciting life, onstage and off and surviving multiple cancers. In a telephone interview, the vibrant octogenarian speaks of fitness and health, shares her passion for the arts, her latest novel and future projects. Mary’s introduction to dance began at age six. “My grandmother, bless her heart, took my two sisters and me to a Christmas pantomime, Babes In The Woods and I was smitten,” she remembers fondly. “As the final curtain ..read more

Barry Casson is, indisputably, a man who gets the most out of life. At various points, he has toured abroad as a musician with the likes of Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, published thousands of news photographs, brought important stories into people’s living rooms as a television cameraman, created highly acclaimed movies, started Vancouver Island’s first film school and taught several generations of performers to play drums. These days, as an author and public speaker, Barry is harnessing his passion and lifetime of experiences into inspirational talks and presentations based on his new book, H ..read more

As I write this month’s column, I’m busy sorting out hundreds of details for our upcoming 55+ Lifestyle Show on March 21st in Victoria. My amazing staff and I have organized over 20 of these events. Many details are actions or processes we repeat from show to show, but there’s always new things that pop up, requiring a decision and some extra effort. Life is like that. Anyone expecting to reach their later years and just coast… is in for a big surprise. You see, we just aren’t built to do nothing. When a space or vacuum shows up, our ... The post Thrive Beyond 55 – March first appeared on INS ..read more

I had my first Icelandic ‘What A Country’ moment even before touching down in Iceland. The air sickness bag on Icelandair, instead of a dry, boring sanitary notification, introduced the Icelandic word ‘Loftslag,’ explaining it meant ‘climate, being one of the things that is a surprise to every visitor to Iceland.’ I love learning new words in the language of the country I’m visiting, although I’d never had an air sickness bag provide me with such important vocabulary. What whimsy! What cleverness! That first morning (all North American flights to Reykjavík arrive in the morning) was overcast ..read more

This beguiling and intoxicating city creates an atmosphere of excitement combined with a little mystery, due to its multiple layers of history. Buenos Aires, Argentina stands waiting to be explored and explore I did! I couldn’t wait to start peeling back the layers to see what could be found beneath it all. The city’s remarkable architecture abounds with a fusion of Colonial, Baroque, Neo-Gothic, Art Deco, Art-Nouveau and a sprinkling of French and Italian thrown into the mix. The structural designs here are definitely eye-catching. Historic sites and monuments are spread across this sprawlin ..read more

Jazz has been America’s cultural gift to the world for a little over 100 years. The improvisational art captured on record for a century is Victoria-based traditional jazz pianist Toni Blodgett’s inspiration and passion. She has travelled the world playing the music she loves, and this year she will be celebrated as one of a handful of Legends of Jazz at Victoria’s Hermann’s Jazz Club for her long tenure at the venerable venue. Toni grew up on a wheat farm in tiny Elrose, Saskatchewan. It took her a long time to figure out what she wanted to do with her ... The post Toni Blodgett: Keeping Jaz ..read more

Exercising outdoors is a treat, but you need to be aware of potential threats. While you may encounter aggressive dogs when you’re outdoors, note that they aren’t necessarily vicious. It’s inaccurate to predict a dog’s aggression based on breed alone. There are two types of aggressive dogs: the frightened dog and the dominant dog. Most dogs are just frightened and bark as a warning. They’re nervous about your presence and worried about themselves, their property or their owner. These dogs are more an annoyance than a threat and usually won’t attack unless ‘spooked’ by sudden loud noises (scre ..read more

BEING BOLD REVISITED People talked to me about their bold moves after I wrote a column about being bold in the May 2022 issue of INSPIRED magazine. Richard Wong sent me an email and suggested that he could talk about the boldness he had incorporated into his life after he retired. Once upon a time, Richard was a government employee dealing with finances and contracts, but now he is retired and creating art and teaching others how to create art. “Oh well, you probably think, he must have been talented from birth.” Here is the story: Richard retired and, like ... The post Living on Purpose firs ..read more

In our post entitled “Improving Caregiving Through Technology”, we discussed how a significant number of caregivers use technology-based interventions to support care recipients, from making appointments and keeping in touch with relatives to tracking health conditions. By using technology such as mobile applications, caregivers can help track retirees’ health and well-being and do so remotely. ... The post 4 Digital Tools That Help Boost Senior Holistic Wellness first appeared on INSPIRED ..read more

As we head into February, we are reminded of the many loves in our lives… people, pets, places and even possessions. This year started out with some big changes for me. One of my dearest friends passed away at the end of 2022. It left a hole in my heart and my social calendar. As ... The post Thrive Beyond 55-February first appeared on INSPIRED ..read more