Lovin’ Life After 50

Hospice of the Valley has been awarded a $100,000 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant to support its Supportive Care for Dementia Program across Maricopa, Pinal and Pima Counties. This unique service is the only in-home program in Arizona delivering clinical and emotional care to support families caring for a loved one with any stage of dementia.

At the most basic level, the brain is your control center. It regulates heart rate, breathing, hormones, digestion, sleep cycles and movement. That’s tied to the field of neuroscience, which shows how brain signals constantly coordinate those vital systems. When brain health declines, basic functions can become less stable or efficient. Cognition — things like memory, attention and decision-making — directly influence daily behaviors that shape your overall health.

Since 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Phantom of the Opera” has captivated audiences with its powerful music, elaborate sets and costumes and emotional storyline. The show continues to have relevance for viewers today, who get pulled into the story of the disfigured Phantom, who lurks beneath the Paris Opera House, becomes enchanted by the voice of soprano Christine Daaé and takes on the role of her mentor.

Back in 2004, I wrote a book called “Staying Fit Over 50,” because, in my family, most of my relatives didn’t make it past 50. I wanted to beat the odds, and I conducted extensive research on the aging process to learn how. I was excited to discover that 75% of the aging process is in our control. Meaning only 25% is genetic, and what we do or don’t do has more of an impact on our health.

Dear Sheri, I have been taking care of my husband for several years. I love him more than anything, but lately I have found myself feeling angry, frustrated and completely exhausted. Then I feel guilty for feeling that way. My children tell me I need to ask for help, but I keep thinking, “He is my husband. I should be able to do this.” Why do I feel so guilty? Dear Friend, Because you love him. But loving someone does not mean you have to do everything alone.

SEPT. 6 Arizona Black Rodeo Various times, WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, various pricing, blackrodeousa.com Experience Japan 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 7, Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, $20 museum admission, mim.org Gerardo Ortiz 8 p.m., Celebrity Theatre, 440 N.

In the heart of the desert, where every drop of water matters, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport uses water carefully and efficiently. As a leader in water conservation and one of the busiest airports in the country, Phoenix Sky Harbor uses less than half the national average amount of water per passenger, making it one of the most progressive airports in the United States for water use per passenger served.

Dear Sheri, I lost my husband two years ago after 52 years of marriage. Everyone told me time would make it easier, but I still reach for him when I wake up. I still expect him to walk through the front door. People seem uncomfortable when I mention him now, as if I should be “over it.” I smile because I don’t want anyone to worry, but the truth is, I miss him every single day. Will this feeling ever go away?

Lynn Willocks is someone who has always found a way to roll with the punches and discover an opportunity where it seemed one didn’t exist. Even after her 30-year career was unexpectedly upended, she found a way to reinvent herself and keep moving forward. “My dad always said, ‘Lynn, when life knocks you down, you have to get up, dust off and pull yourself up by your bootstraps,’” she said.

Greetings from Grand Junction, Colorado! On June 12, my husband and I loaded up our vehicles with cat and dog in tow, and we drove 9 ½ hours to our new home on the Western Slope of Colorado. For years, we have visited the area in hopes of eventually calling it home. We put full-price offers on several homes, but everyone wanted cash, not contingency. Timing is everything, and we got a one-story on Orchard Mesa in the Spyglass Ridges community in May of this year.