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May 2025
May Memories
Celebrating the Joys of Graduations Past
My thoughts often turn in springtime to my college graduation years ago. I have a picture of that day with my dad and other family members. I have bittersweet feelings thinking of some who are no longer here, especially my dad. I had my daughter in high school, so my college experience at the University of Wyoming differed from some. My parents were very helpful and kept London on weekends so I could have the quintessential college experience. Families are usually proud at graduations, but mine was a particular triumph because, really, the whole family helped make it happen. In many ways, I still had the classic academic experience. I was active in student government and joined student groups. I just dragged London along. When I joined activities, people just knew they were getting a twofer — London and me. Graduation happened on a pretty day. That is no small thing in the middle of Wyoming, where snowstorms can strike in May. We rented a beautiful space — the kind of venue where you might hold a wedding reception. The event was memorable mainly because of the presence of lots of matriarchs and patriarchs from both sides of the family. There was a contingent from Wyoming: My mom was there, and so were her brother and aunt. A number of the California WORKSHOP Have you (or your clients) “been meaning” to get a plan in place? It’s easy to get started with our 7 Hazards to Your Estate Plan Workshop . This free workshop explains the key planning concepts, documents, and the factors in selecting a plan that is right for you. Plus, workshop participants receive a complimentary consultation with no obligation to retain our services. The workshop is available on demand or in person, so stop thinking about a plan and create one. Register online at PromiseLaw.com/Estate-Planning-Workshop or call (757) 351-4017.
crew from my dad’s family came out. Lots of my college friends and their kids came through — folks I had grown to know and developed close relationships with at the university. It was a nice convergence of all these different groups of people who had helped me get there and get through it.
We had an afternoon barbecue. It was a great celebration.
After graduation, I started work at the University of Wyoming, so it was my alma mater and employer at the same time. After that, I worked as an Associate Director of Admission at Smith College. Even now, living in Williamsburg, near William & Mary, where I went to law school, I still enjoy seeing new classes cycling through the college experience, from freshmen coming in nervous and exhilarated, figuring out their path, to the confident juniors, and then the seniors, who are thinking, “Argh, get me out of here!” The enduring rhythms of academia still hold a sense of comfort and reassurance. I still think the year starts in September. Fall still feels like the beginning. I want to buy paper and pencils and get new books and supplies. I have always relished the rewards of academia, where people can delve into who they are, into the life of the mind, and learn how to think.
As we move into graduation season this year, I wish you great celebrations and memories that endure through the generations, like mine.
–Geneva N. Perry, Esq.
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STAY STRONG New Research Backs Creatine for Aging Adults
Creatine can improve performance. Research has found that taking creatine supplements in recommended amounts benefits older adults’
What aging athlete or weekend warrior doesn’t wish for a safe nutritional supplement to improve performance and strengthen muscles and bones? A growing body of research on a popular supplement, creatine monohydrate, supports its use to preserve muscle and extend older adults’ healthy years. Studies show that when coupled with exercise, creatine can benefit men and women alike. The supplement has long had detractors who fear it will cause them to retain water, lose their hair, or cause kidney damage, but research dispels those myths. Creatine is safe. A 2021 research review shows that a widespread fear that creatine is linked to kidney dysfunction appears to be unfounded when healthy people take the supplement in recommended dosages. The study also found no support for the idea that creatine causes hair loss, dehydration, muscle cramping, or increased fat mass.
musculoskeletal tone and physical performance, especially when combined with exercise. A 2019 study found that creatine can combat sarcopenia, or age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength, helping prevent falls and fractures. Use creatine as directed. Based on limited research, creatine does not appear to affect liver or kidney function negatively. However, sticking to recommended dosages is essential. Experts recommend small doses of 0.1 gram of creatine monohydrate per kilogram of body mass. This translates to 5.4 grams of creatine for a 120-pound person or 6.8 grams for one weighing 150 pounds. Taken together, the potential benefits of creatine suggest it is worth a try.
UNEARTHING HISTORY IN SCOTLAND
Ancient Settlement Opens a Window on the Distant Past
Modern-day adventurers exploring antiquity usually stop at Stonehenge or perhaps the Egyptian pyramids. But hundreds of years earlier, on the Orkney Islands off the western coast of Scotland, prehistoric people built an even more ancient marker of civilization.
The settlement of Skara Brae was occupied for about 600 years, beginning around 3180 B.C., hundreds of years before people built the first pyramids in Egypt or placed the earliest stones at Stonehenge in England. Covered with sand for many years and sunken deep into the earth for stability and shelter from Scotland’s harsh winters, the little village remains the best-preserved Neolithic site in Western Europe. What were the lives of these prehistoric people like? An estimated 50 inhabitants occupied a series of homes about 430 square feet in size. Stone doors covered low entrances, secured by bone bars. Several houses contained stone-built cupboards, dressers, seats, storage containers,
and a stone hearth for warmth and cooking. Two beds, a large and a small one, were situated near the door. The inhabitants made and used grooved ware pottery. Some of the dwellings had a small anteroom with access to what appears to be a primitive sewer system that flushed waste out to the sea. Skara Brae is sometimes called “the Pompeii of Scotland” because its well-preserved artifacts appear to have been abandoned in a rush. Experts disagree on why occupants abandoned the settlement, but visitors are welcome to develop their own theories. Skara Brae is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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TAKE A BREAK
BLOOM CINCO DERBY EMERALD GEMINI GRADUATION LILY MEMORIAL MOTHER ROSES TEACHER VETERANS
Embrace Your Capacity for Growth Attitude Adjustment
In a fast-changing world, it’s easy to get bogged down in self-doubt and negativity. Mindset coaching, a new route to self-improvement, applies psychological tools to instill a more upbeat, hopeful attitude toward life. Mindset coaching helps people break away from habitual negative thinking and behaviors that prevent them from seeing and reaching their potential. It is a relatively new field that evolved from two influential bodies of research — cognitive psychology, which helps individuals recognize and change negative thought patterns, and the work of psychologist Carol Dweck on “growth mindset,” a perspective that teaches people they can change and develop through effort and learning. It’s important to understand that mindset coaches are not therapists, nor are they licensed or regulated. Interested individuals should seek a qualified coach trained and certified by a reputable coaching organization. The training equips mindset coaches with tools to help clients cultivate resilience and positivity, including mindfulness, journaling, visualizing achievements, and cognitive restructuring or replacing negative thought patterns with more realistic, balanced views. Mindset coaches also help clients uproot limiting beliefs about themselves and reduce their fear of being evaluated negatively by others. For example, mindset coaching might help a software engineer struggling with self-doubt and fear of failure to reframe their thinking and view criticism as constructive feedback to help improve their skills. Also, a manager striving for a promotion might learn to value their skills and cultivate a belief in their ability to expand and acquire new competencies. Ultimately, clients are taught to reframe life as a journey of self-discovery and learning — a mindset so empowering that it can change lives!
Creamy Chicken Carbonara Inspired by TheKitchn.com
Ingredients
• 12 oz spaghetti or linguine • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced (8 oz)
• 3 oz Parmesan cheese • 4 oz pancetta or bacon, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1/2 cup pasta water • 1 tbsp chopped parsley, optional
• Salt and pepper • 1 tbsp olive oil • 4 large eggs
Directions 1. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Save 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain. 2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and cook chicken until golden and fully cooked. Remove chicken. 3. In a bowl, mix eggs and Parmesan cheese until smooth. 4. Add pancetta to chicken pan, cook until crispy, then stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 5. Toss pasta with pancetta, then remove from heat. Stir in egg mixture, adding reserved pasta water gradually until creamy. 6. Mix in chicken and garnish with parsley before serving.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
College Graduation: Cherished Memories That Last a Lifetime
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Warding Off Aging: New Research Shows Benefits of Creatine
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Unearthing History at a Prehistoric Scottish Settlement
Creamy Chicken Carbonara
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Mindset Coaching: A New Path to Savoring Life
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Record-Breaking Russian Mom Gives Birth to 69 Children MIND-BENDING MAMA Guinness Names World’s Most Productive Mother
You may have heard of Octomom, the California mother of 14 who gave birth to octuplets, or the woman in Morocco who gave birth to nonuplets in 2021, all nine of whom are alive and well. These record-breaking moms have nothing on Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the 18th-century Russian woman gave birth to 69 children — including 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets! Even the Guinness editors admit the story seems unlikely, but they cite “numerous contemporaneous sources” to back the story. The first was a monastery in the town of
Nikolsk, northeast of Moscow, where monks recorded and reported the births to Moscow officials in 1782. The Lancet, a respected medical journal, recounted in 1878 an account by French researchers from the “Statistical Works of Russia,” showing that Mrs. Vassilyev’s husband had spawned 87 children by two wives. Separately, The Gentleman’s Magazine, an 18th and 19th-century English periodical, published a report by a writer claiming to have an original letter, dated 1782, saying that O.S. Feodor Wassilief (sic), age 75, had 69 children via 27 births by his first wife and 18 children via eight births by his second wife, for a total of 87 offspring! Citing information from an English
merchant in St. Petersburg, the writer said 84 of the children had survived, and the father had been invited to meet the empress, Catherine the Great. The first Mrs. Vassilyev’s remarkable record suggests that she was pregnant for 243 months, or more than 20 years, of her life — more than half the average life expectancy of Russian women in that era!
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