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She geocached. The outdoor activity is done worldwide; participants typically use a GPS device to find a container, or cache, which is identified by a set of geographic coordinates. Ward, 63, found it fun to hunt for treasure on the same island where the notorious pirate Blackbeard is rumored to have buried his loot, she said.
"I came up with five caches at Ocracoke. One was a book cache, with a box of books," said Ward, who is from Snow Hill.
Ward has never had a shortage of interests or hobbies, as she's also serious about birding, stained glass work and, now, decoupage design. However, many older adults find themselves in a different situation.
Many adults are reluctant to learn new things, but they shouldn't be, because the mind, like the body, needs exercise to stay healthy, said Patti Serkes, director of education at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
"It gives you purpose at a time in your life when your focus is changing and isn't so much about ... the kids or your career," Serkes said.
To help spur an interest in new activities for those 55 and older, PRMC is holding its fourth annual Dare to DREAM event Nov. 7.
For $20, participants will receive breakfast, lunch and hands-on instruction in two of five educational programs. The programs are Cooking With Herbs, The Sky Tonight: A Traveling Planetarium, I'm Ready for My Close-up! Performing Arts 101, Geocaching-An Explorer's Delight and Leather and Lace: The Art of Leathering.
Pam Wood, manager of Peninsula Partners, a hospital department serving those 55 and older, said she tries to link the program's participants to their "light-bulb moments."
"It's about discovering a new passion, sparking new interests," Wood said.
This year's cooking presentation will be put on by Molly Taylor, owner and executive chef at The Uptown Chef in downtown Salisbury. The astronomy class will be led by Dan Savoy, a retired science teacher who now runs Astro Adventures.
Ruby Saidla, 84, of Snow Hill said she's signed up for both those classes. She said once she learns more about the solar system, she plans on stargazing over the Chincoteague Bay, located near her house. Saidla has already done some cooking with herbs, she said, thanks to the rosemary and thyme she planted in her backyard after participating in a class at PRMC last year.
"It's a real joy to grow things, and it's been real fun to try out the herbs when all my life I've been cooking with grains and butter," Saidla said.
Saidla, who said she has three children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, said she's always had an appetite for learning new things.
"I'm always looking for new interests and enjoy new experiences," she said.
A third of all Americans don't get enough exercise, and older adults are no exception, said Autumn Romanowski, the wellness manager at PRMC's Guerrieri Heart & Vascular Institute.
Adults need 30 minutes of activity each day, something that can be achieved by breaking it up into increments, she said. Walking, gardening, playing golf, parking at the far end of the lot and walking every grocery aisle are all ways of boosting one's exercise totals, she said.
"Exercise makes everyday living things easier for you, like going up and down the stairs, tying your shoes, reaching for something in the cupboard," she said.
Hobbies are an excellent way to get exercise, something that Ward knows of firsthand.
Ward has invited her friends to go geocaching near Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum. She's also currently making birdhouses out of gourds in her backyard. Doing that is a time-intensive process, she said, which requires applying thin coat after coat of glue to make the gourd waterproof.
In Ward's garage, she's created a small workshop for producing stained glass. She chuckles when asked how she became involved in so much craft work.
"I think I got started in it as an idea for gifts," Ward said.
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Information from: The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md., http://www.delmarvanow.com/
