Dancing by the table

Helene is the oldest of the group at 95. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and came to Arizona in 1957 with her husband, who liked to golf.

She had been a dancer on Broadway, appearing in George White’s “Scandals” and “Count Me In,” among other shows.

She went on tour with “Scandals” for a year, traversing the country.

Helene uses a cane now but she dances still, around the house.

Every day, she walks to the community pool, up 13 steps to the gate, and does water aerobics for at least 45 minutes. “It keeps me moving,” she said. Later, Suzi asked if I do yoga, and I said no, I tap dance instead. It is more my pace.

“Oh!” Phyllis said. “I tap!” And she did a few steps, right there by the table. When I am 90, I will dance. All of the women have beautiful white hair.

Wilma never colored hers, though she frosted it for a bit. Phyllis colored her hair once, dark brown, and someone at work said, “What have you done to your beautiful hair?” She let it fade out.

“It seems like it would take too much time,” someone said.

When I am 90, I will let my hair go white and do more interesting things with my time.

These women travel. “I’ve never regretted any trip I took,” Wilma said. The others nodded.

Wilma has been all over the world. Her favorite places were Africa and China.

Suzi told me that Margaret drove a motor home all over the United States, hitting every state except for Hawaii and Alaska, until she was well into her 70s.

When I am 90, I will have traveled to all the places I wanted to go.