About Me & Grit

How does a former U. S. Navy officer transition from tracking Soviet submarines around the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to writing about arcane pounce pots and researching healthspan?

When I lost both my beloved grandmother and my precious aunt in their early 70s due to dementia, I knew I had to find out what went so wrong.

Was there anything, anything at all, that could have saved them from all of that horrible suffering? 

Would my mother, my cousins, and I—with such similar genes—be able to avoid a similar, horrible decline?

Could I ever learn to think about aging with joy rather than with fear? 

I needed to know, so I got to work. 

Fueled by my science-based undergraduate degree and leadership training from the U. S. Naval Academy, and further equipped with a Master’s degree in the teaching of writing and an MBA with an emphasis on statistics, I know how to research facts, make decisions, and share insights. 

I am not a doctor; I am a citizen scientist and researcher with a passion for education and service to others.

My experiences teaching students from 5th grade to college prep trained me as an educator; however, becoming a yoga instructor in my 40s, and reflecting on my passions and skills during a personal retreat 10 years later with my yoga and meditation mentor, Beryl Bender, helped bring my expertise and ideas all together. 

As our group of about 30 adults, nearly half doctors and all of us actively pursuing better health and wellness, gathered around our teacher and discussed meditation and our lifestyle choices, she touched on the Japanese concept of ikigai, “our reason for being.”

There, in the jungle of Costa Rica, my purpose became crystal clear to me: I would put my writing and research skills to work in the longevity and healthspan space—not just for me and my family, but for a much wider community.

And Pounce Pots? Well, you’d have to get to know my youngest son to help figure that one out. We call him “Mister Metaphor” for a reason. I wrote all about him in a blog post, too.

You’ll find in-depth articles about our five essential actions in The Pounce Pot Post. I’ve added some curated and recommended products that I’ve pounced on that I hope you’ll love as much as I do.

And of course, I’d love for you connect with me through our free newsletter, The Weekly Pounce, where I’ll be linking you every Friday to current healthspan news and budget-friendly ways to help you achieve your five essential actions.

I encourage you to power up your future self with current knowledge by subscribing. It’s free!

The Weekly Pounce newsletter will be curated, concise, and compelling — a little bit of grit (not grits!) sprinkled into your world to make it run smoother!

And, hey, if you’re a writer like me, I’d love to hear from you!

Finally, I’d like to introduce you to our Pounce Pot team. Welcome to the community! Reach out to me at editor@pouncepot.com.

Let’s pounce on life’s possibilities together!