A message from Philippa Kafka: There are some amazing older women out there!

I received a message from Philippa Kafka one of the contributors to Women Confronting Retirement: A Non-traditional Guide.

Philippa is really impressive. She is still restoring houses and doing something called kickbox and zumba. There are some amazing older women out there! From Philippa:

Your comment made my day! Thanks so much. I am now 76, my husband, 62 (he retired with me) and we have been retired ca 10 years.

My last publication was in 2005, but I seem to have lost my desire for scholarship. I am working on my memoir in a most desultory fashion. I began editing, reviewing, judging submissions for a feminist journal in 1998, before retirement. I love it.

Yes, we are still restoring/upgrading houses, my husband, seven days a week, myself only a few hours at a time.

I kickbox twice a week, the oldest woman, by far, in the class. My husband is generally the only male in the class every time. I also do zumba twice a week, but a few older woman are in these classes because women love to dance and jump around at any age. Again, my husband is generally the only male in the class. I believe that the older we get the more we should be physically active. I jump into the air more and higher with every "high" call than the teacher even in order to attempt not to limp slowly like the majority of my age cohorts and younger. My legs feel like steel rods.

Your garden is lovely. Our last iris here in the CA project just wilted, but our roses here are beautiful, and the roses in NV(our primary home) were spectacular when we left.
Here's some pix. The rose garden pictured is in our NV home.
Enjoy your retirement to the fullest!!!!!

Best, Phillipa