Pepper Evans works as an independent-living consultant, helping older adults age in place. She is the empty-nest mother of two adult daughters and has extensive personal and professional experience as a caregiver. She has worked as a researcher and editor for authors and filmmakers. She puts her time and resources to use in the nonprofit sector and serves on the Board of Education in Lawrence Township, NJ.
Live to 100: Do You Have What It Takes? April 17, 2015 - There's an old joke that goes something like this: The Japanese drink very little wine and experience fewer heart attacks than US or British citizens, while the French and Italians drink wine at every meal and experience fewer heart attacks…
New Cream on the Block March 23, 2015 - Here at the Silver Century Foundation, we are all about the positive aspects of aging. That said, I confess that hope springs eternal when I read about the age-defying beauty products on the market. I’m in my mid-50s and the…
Step It Up March 9, 2015 - I just learned that fewer than half of adults are getting enough physical activity to benefit their health. (Um, yes, that would be me.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while 60 percent of us are walking…
Shingles—Are You Protected? January 5, 2015 - When was the last time you thought about chicken pox? Not since you were a child, I bet. A middle-aged friend of mine was recently diagnosed with shingles. It’s caused by the same virus as chicken pox, varicella zoster. WebMD…
Great Reads for the Book Lovers on Your Holiday List December 20, 2014 - I love to give books as gifts. I strive to match the book to the recipient the way some givers try to find the right scarf or tie—I want to make eyes sparkle. If you are shopping for a book…
Time to Rethink Ink October 14, 2014 - Tattoos: love them or hate them? If you are like me, you shudder at the thought. The mere word can conjure movie images of bikers, sailors, trollops—not to mention the creepy, all-night tattoo parlors—and brings to mind a long-held belief…
The Zen of Tony, Spanning Generations August 25, 2014 - I heard a voice from my past when I stumbled upon an interview on National Public Radio with the legendary singer Tony Bennett. It triggered many happy memories. I would know that voice anywhere—singing or telling a story—and it always…
Imagining My Father’s Story August 11, 2014 - I recently read two nonfiction books about soldiers from World War II. One was the memoir Breaking the Code: A Father's Secret, a Daughter's Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything by Karen Fisher-Alaniz (2011).
Emergency Rooms Get a Face Lift July 29, 2014 - According to a story on National Public Radio, people 65 and older are more likely to go to the ER than any other age group except babies. It may be time for hospitals to consider changing to accommodate the people…
In the Air with a Chair June 13, 2014 - A friend received one of those worst-nightmare phone calls. Her husband had had a skiing accident out West and was about to undergo emergency surgery on a very smashed-up knee. Another friend took her mother, who had trouble walking, to…
Salad, for Breakfast? April 28, 2014 - What are you eating for breakfast these days? Green tea and a protein bar? McSomething? Coffee and a doughnut? Seeing Michelle Obama with the new USDA food plate (replacing the old pyramid) has me rethinking how my own food habits stack up. 
The Doomed Experiment in Intergenerational Living April 23, 2014 - I recently picked up Katie Hafner's Mother Daughter Me: A Memoir (2013). All it took was a glance at the book jacket for me to know that the author was telling part of my story along with her own.
Fear of Falling April 8, 2014 - My sister-in-law took a tumble down a few steps the other day, ending up in the ER with a badly sprained ankle. Claire is my age, mid-50s, and she is in good physical health. She even does Italian folk dancing…
Stalked September 25, 2013 - News reports alleging that the NSA has been collecting mobile-phone data have brought to mind a creepy feeling I sometimes get when I am online. Someone is “reading” my mail and likely yours too. Email, that is, as well as…
Emily, You Remind Me of Someone September 16, 2013 - Sometimes fiction is so spot-on believable, I am convinced the author must have walked in the shoes of a particular character. I recently read Emily, Alone (2011) by Stewart O'Nan and have come to believe that he was once an 80-year-old widow.
Fifty Shades of I Know Not What September 12, 2013 - It's been in the headlines of weekly magazines, on the television talk shows, in the book clubs. I am talking about E.L. James's best-selling novel, Fifty Shades of Grey (2012). And just when I thought we were so over that, the movie casting calls, and the speculation and hype that go with that, seem to be never ending, putting the provocative book in the news again. 
Pain in the Bag December 10, 2012 - Ok, we can have it all—but must we carry it all? Noticing that I use a very small purse, my daughter’s chiropractor commented that I wasn’t likely to need her services for the many aches and pains caused by women’s…
Characters I Almost Missed September 28, 2012 - “You will get paid to read and review current fiction if it has a compelling story with an aging protagonist.” Sounds like a good news-bad news joke, right?
