Hello. I’m Donna Pekar.
I’m a retired corporate communications executive, U.S. Army veteran, two-time cancer survivor and the writer behind Retirement Confidential.
This blog is where I explore what happens when one chapter ends and the next one begins. I write about identity, purpose, growing older, marriage, caregiving, usefulness and the unexpected twists of life that come with being human.
My own journey has a few plot twists. In 1999, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 primary peritoneal cancer. In 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and chose a bilateral mastectomy without reconstruction. All my cancer treatments were successful, and I am disease-free. I am also BRCA1-positive.
Those experiences have shaped how I think about resilience, uncertainty and discovering what is still possible.
I live in Northern California with Dale, my husband of 47 years, and Riley, our Maine Coon rescue cat, who remains convinced this is his house and we’re just lucky to be here.
Hello Donna! Remember me from Aeronautics? Well I finally succumbed and let my hair go gray….with pandemic timing was perfect! Loving my gray…not sure why I waited so long….well vanity I think. Anyway Jude Olsen provided your blog and sounds like you are living your best life! Good for you!
Hi Christine,
I saw your name as a new subscriber, and I immediately remembered you from Aeronautics. Welcome! So glad you are enjoying your gray hair. I can’t imagine having to worry about roots during this pandemic. You are right — good timing.
Retirement is great.
Hi Donna – I just stumbled on your blog via another that I read on a regular basis. I enjoy your style of writing very much. Your art projects are amazing!! I am also a 2 time Breast Cancer Survivor (wasn’t any fun the second time either) and am learning to slow down and enjoy each day. Glad I found your blog!
Maura
Hi, Maura, and welcome! Cancer was the big stick that helped me learn to slow down and enjoy each day. What I didn’t learn the first time, I most certainly learned the second. I’m glad to hear you are surviving and thriving!
You sound amazing. I just found your blog and look forward to combing through it. You are definitely a survivor — in more ways than one. Good for you.
Thank you, Kate, and welcome. I checked out your blog, and you sound pretty amazing yourself!
Donna, I read your stuff on Jay Harrison’s Boomspeak. I may be misremembering, but I though that I had read a book by you ten years ago or so. Had you published anything? I remember it as humorous short vignettes.
Hi Alan,
I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying Jay Harrison’s Boomspeak. He does a great job, and I’m so proud to be included.
I have not written a book, but some of my stuff has been published here and there. Thank you for asking!
Donna
Oh my God!! I found you! Mentioned you in a blog piece some time back: https://pafoodlife.com/blog/f/wurstsalat
I still make it!
Email me! Would like to catch up!
Hi Donna!
My wife Donna Clayton and I socialized with you and Dale a few times in Huntsville. I thought of you guys waking up this morning (my head is a bag of cats anyway) and wanted to say hi!
Bruce
Hi there! I’ve sent you an email — let’s catch up.
Hi Donna, I’m Brenda. Do you remember me from an army depot in Germany? I was married to Jim. I’ve often thought of you and so happy to see you are well.