Celebration Magazine Blog
#CelebratingLifeAfter60

by Dave Friant Europe had always been on the list of possible “let’s give it a go” journeys. Experiencing different cultures and customs while eyeballing some noteworthy historical treasures did generate some interest. There was furthermore a curious enthusiasm about enjoying foreign delicacies served by waitstaff with delightful accents. Our offspring were anxious for us to tap into an overseas adventure. Our years on earth at the time (72 and 70) seemed to be spot-on for

by Tina H. Unwritten rules are everywhere: don’t wear white to a wedding, let people exit the elevator before you enter, and if someone pays for dinner, get the next one. My rule? "Vacation calories don’t count." No food is off-limits, and it’s guilt-free. Don’t ask me how; science and logic don’t apply in my article. The moment you close your packed suitcase, the universe shifts, and a nutritional loophole appears, lasting only until you’re home. With this loophole, I start

By Grace Glasscock The rumors are true; there is never a lack of food on a Celebration trip. Whether it is snack bags for your plane ride, hourly runs up and down the aisle of a bus with various treats, or a hearty meal in a new city, you will be begging us to stop feeding you by the time we get back to The SPOT. ​Before each trip, we warn our new travelers to prepare their stomachs for the endless amount of snacks they will be given. Without fail, we always receive innocent,

by Lillie Miller If you’ve taken a spring drive down a Texas highway, you’ve seen the long stretches of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and bright yellow coreopsis lining the roadsides. It feels like it has always been that way. But the reason Texas highways bloom each spring can be traced, in large part, to First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. In 1965, Lady Bird Johnson championed the Highway Beautification Act, advocating for the preservation of scenic landscapes along America’s

by Katie Butler Johnson Once we became empty nesters, my husband and I traveled the world. Since we had no digital camera then, we’d take dozens of rolls of film with us on trips hoping to cull some pictures good enough for a travel album. After we shot a roll and had it developed, we’d sit and squabble over which photos were album worthy. We made those albums for our tomorrows. Now that my husband has passed, those tomorrows are my todays and each album is like a gift from

by Alan Linq Brad Scott doesn’t overthink joy. He doesn’t dress it up, intellectualize it, or turn it into a five-step plan for a better retirement. He just…goes. Gets on the bus. Books the cruise. Buys the concert ticket. Follows the music. That instinct—simple and direct, has shaped a life built around movement, memory, and saying yes while you still can. Brad grew up in a version of Florida that feels almost mythical now, and fondly recalls his younger years. “I had the be

by Dr. Brian Nwannunu, Orthopedic Surgeon As the days grow longer and the flowers begin to bloom, spring offers the perfect opportunity to refresh not just your home, but your health as well. For many active older adults, this season is an invitation to get back outside, stay moving, and enjoy all that life has to offer. But if your knees or hips aren’t feeling as strong or reliable as they once did, you may find yourself hesitating. You’re not alone. Hip and knee discomfort

by Phyllis Jenkins My answer was always a firm “No”! For years, my husband, Dave, asked, “What do you think about going on a cruise?” No cruise for me. End of conversation. It wasn’t that I didn’t love to travel. I did. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. I did. But for me, it was a no-brainer. I didn’t know how to swim and had a childhood fear of water. But as our 20th wedding anniversary approached, something shifted. Maybe it was love. Maybe it was maturity. Maybe it was th

by Kim Marvel Having a bucket list is popular these days. As we navigate our senior years, sometimes we feel a sense of urgency to check items off our list. A fellow traveler once told us of the three phases of retirement: the “go-go” years, the “slow-go” years, and the “no-go” years. Most days my wife and I place ourselves in the “go-go” years. We anticipate slowing down eventually, but for now we like to pack up and head out. For years, an item high on our bucket list was v

by Jill Rumbley-Beam It’s time to celebrate travel! Last time I wrote about travel, I wrote about places I had been outside Texas. Have you ever travelled around Texas to visit some of the food festivals? Well, if you haven’t, you need to put these places on your calendar. Let’s go first to Mission Texas, the orange capital of Texas. The citrus festival is held in the last two weeks of January. While the nation is freezing to death in February, in Mission, they are

by Dave Friant It’s history! “Get up, get up, get outta here,” the signature home run call as described by former baseball player/Milwaukee Brewer play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker. Except for those couple days of frozen droppages from the sky, Winter 2025-26 was for the most part endurable. Paul Simon’s 1977 “Slip Slidin’ Away” hit single seemed to characterize the conditions for some, but most survived the dismal state of affairs without injury. It’s now time to dip

by Shanon Weaver Some couples collect souvenirs. David and Darlene Blair collect experiences—not stacked on shelves, but rather in memories. Mist rising off Niagara Falls. Mountains they never saw while growing up in Texas. The quiet joy of discovering, again and again, that the world is both bigger and kinder than expected. The couple met at Lamar University in Southeast Texas, both shaped by the same flat, humid landscape. “We’ve got pretty deep roots in Texas,” David says,

by Shanon Weaver Some people slow down when life changes. Jerri Caldronia bought a camper. That alone tells you something essential about her. Jerri is not especially interested in shrinking her life. Over the years, that life has carried her from Southeast Texas to a long career in education, from raising a family to building a new chapter in North Texas, and now into a season filled with travel, friendship, and the kind of adventures that still leave room for surprise. Jerr

by Mary Frances Hansen As we start a new year...2026, I want to thank all my readers who took the time to read my articles and for the compliments I received. I try and write articles that will inspire and motivate one another. We are to lift each other up and make everyone feel important and valued. Life is a gift from God. He has given each of us talents, and He gave me the gifts of Helps and Service. I am my happiest when I am extending my hand to help another person. As

by Stacy Allyn Dominguez Broadway! Just hearing the word conjures up images of timeless music, amazing dancing and the actors and actresses that brought great stories to life on stage. The Spectacular Follies is bringing back these golden memories in our tribute to the Great White Way when we present “Curtain Up! The Best of Broadway”. Broadway's history spans from 18th-century plays to modern musicals, evolving from Vaudeville/operetta roots in 1866, moving to Times Square i

by Karen Gibson, Denton County Master Gardener Association Now that the holiday season is behind us, there’s some time to focus on our garden tools. There’s a possibility that Santa brought you some great tools that we suggested in our Gift guide in the December issue. In any event, your tools need proper care to last through many gardening seasons. Winter is the perfect time for garden tool preventative maintenance. This includes cleaning and sanitizing tools, sharpening bl

by Mary Frances Hansen Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?? None other than our “shinning star,” who is a former Ms. Texas Senior America 2025, and now is the reigning Ms. Senior America 20266, DeeAnne Meece. What a privilege to interview such a talented and outstanding lady who touches many lives with her charm and abounding love for others. DeeAnne exemplifies the “positive image of aging” and her goal is to enrich and empower the lives of senior wom

By Patty Clark I was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to grow up. Now, at seventy-three, I’m hanging on for dear life. I should be writing a book What to expect umpteen years after expecting. I expect my glasses to be everywhere but my face. I expect to say “I’m fine” when clearly, I’m not fine, but fine enough. Though my furniture no longer bares scars, SpaghettiOs aren’t in my heater vents, and I no longer require approval, logic, or breathable fabrics. I made a mindful,

by Dr. Brian Nwannunu, Orthopedic Surgeon One of the greatest gifts of retirement is freedom; the freedom to travel, to explore hobbies, to spend time with loved ones, and to enjoy life at your own pace. At the center of all that freedom are two joints we often take for granted until they start to complain: your hips and knees. As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement, I spend my days helping people get back to the activities they love. One message I

by Lillie Miller Alice Ellison Pitts was an authority on Collin County genealogy. She was a researcher, editor, and self-publisher at a time when none of those roles were easy. Long before searchable databases, online family trees, or DNA kits, Alice was out in the field doing the work the hard way. She stored the inventory of her self-published books in the garage of her home in McKinney, turning her personal space into a hub of local history. In addition to the books discus