“Our ageing population” is continually presented as a problem.

Excuse me? Ageing has its problems, but ageing is not a problem. Staying alive has rarely been seen as problematic!

The problem is that we haven’t figured out to deal with having lots of old people around – and how to deal with being old people. I grew up with old parents and an even older grandfather, so I was always aware that age happens. I wasn’t totally blindsided by it, but being old has its moments.

Possibly lots of moments. My mother lived to 93, my brother turns 85 this year and my sister is 78.

There’s no way of telling how long I’ll live, but the only sensible approach I see is the old chestnut: “dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today” attributed to James Dean (the author of the Pete the Cat books, not the 1950s actor)

Which is what this blog is about.

A few biographical notes:

As well as being a little old lady, I’m a writer, web designer, mother, artist, costumer, community activist, grandmother, gardener, independent curator, historical recreationist, science fiction fan and ailurophile.

I’m a graduate of McGill University and the Ontario College of Art and Design and live in Kensington Market, a fascinating and somewhat eccentric neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, Canada that has the distinction of being the site of North America’s only permanent, year-round outdoor market.

I share my house with a studio full of eclectic materials, far too much work in progress, and a small, furry lady named Ferocity.