Victoria in Full Bloom
Ah Victoria! Her harbour crammed with watercraft negotiating their space on sparkling water - close-hauled sailboats skimming by kayakers, water taxis mindful of landing float planes – and all those birds! And this trip – a new sight for me – a duck purposefully walking along the edge of the road – and on the safe side yet – facing traffic. Despite the gorgeous weekend weather that made it terribly hard for all of us to come indoors, some 40 people gathered at Chapters on Douglas to talk about aging well and to celebrate the role models. Have a look at the photos (click that blue square on the right hand side) to see Dorothy and Ida, two of my role models who were interviewed for the book, as well as other role models being celebrated by their friends.
The Book Tour is Launched with Panache!
Last night about 200 people came out for the Toronto launch of “You Could Live a Long Time: Are You Ready” at the University of Toronto Art Centre. The crowd included some 50 smart, sassy seniors. There were two people over the age of 100 and about a dozen Role Models who had been interviewed for the book. Sporting their Role Model buttons, the seniors reminded us that life, like good wine, can get better with age. Check out photos from the evening to get a sense of the fun. One guest called it “an enchanting evening”, another “inspiring”. The book’s publisher, Thomas Allen, announced that book sales have been so good they are already reprinting. This is a remarkable response since the book has only been in stores for the past week or so. We are leaving for Victoria and the next launch will be on Sunday, April 11 at 2 PM at Chapters, 1212 Douglas St.
The Snowballs are Growing
Each time an interview is published or broadcast, I receive feedback including terrific examples illustrating the book’s advice. I feel as though I’m pushing small snowballs off the edge of the hill and watching them roll along, growing ever larger as they gather story upon story. Here’s a sample after Erin Anderssen’s article "The key to aging well: Laugh it up" was published in The Globe and Mail, on Friday April 2, 2010.
Exciting Updates!
I’m being given some terrific media opportunities to discuss the book. Peter Mansbridge interviewed me for his program One on One and Susan Pigg wrote an article for the Toronto Star titled “Age is just a stage in her long life.” Upcoming events include TVOntario’s The Agenda with Steve Paiken and CBC’s noon hour phone-in show Ontario Today. You can check these out by clicking on Media.
Website Launch
We’re launching You Could Live a Long Time: Are You Ready? with events in Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver, London, Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal and Halifax. These Recognize Our Role Models events will launch the book and acknowledge and celebrate our role models. We are putting into action the book’s message: We have a lot to learn from our elders. Many of the role models interviewed for the book will be coming to the nearest launch, and others are bringing their own role models who are over the age of 75. All the role models will be given a button to wear that says “I’m a Role Model”.