HNA Column

Cuor di Bue: The Heart of an Ox

Local gardener proves age is just a number

When asked to summarize her life philosophy and describe how someone can be so vibrant and active at age 80, Nancy Creaney (Malizio) quotes naval officer David Farragut: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

Creaney is the daughter of Irish and Italian immigrants and has been a resident of New Albany for 15 years. Nancy is a friend of the New Albany Food Pantry with a voracious passion for gardening!

Nancy’s secrets to staying young in both body and mind include keeping a positive attitude, having strong faith, and staying busy and active. Nancy is up every day watering her garden at 6 a.m. and says that having her two hands in the dirt is peaceful and therapeutic while also being invigorating. Watching the fruits of her labor manifest miraculously from the soil inspires and soothes her.

“Gardening is a lot like life,” Nancy says, “it takes teamwork and patience.”

Nancy Creaney

After a stroke and brain aneurism, Nancy decided to build a garden for herself to help her preserve her peace. She realized that she was at a turning point in her life where she was either going to succumb to depression and “dis-ease” or find a positive way to look at the world and her situation.

“Happiness is a choice!” Nancy says. She tries to be present and mindful, live life to the fullest and appreciate every minute of every day. Losing friends and loved ones serves as a stark reminder of how precious the time that we have here on this bountiful earth is, Nancy says. She wants to savor it as much as possible. The

best part of aging is getting to see her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren grow into the beautiful people that they are, and she wishes this same happiness and simple contentment to all that read this.

There are some special, non-native plants growing in Nancy’s garden, such as the cuor di bue, or heart of an ox, tomatoes from Piero, Italy. She received the seeds from a family member when she last visited Italy and now has them growing in her New Albany garden! Having been gifted them by Nancy, the New Albany Community Garden will soon feature this unique tomato variety. In addition to gardening, Nancy cans the fruits of her labor all year long; her specialties include pickles and peppers and she has some special methods for harvesting, tying and drying garlic.

Age is only a number! With the right attitude and an active lifestyle, we all can live long, happy, fulfilled lives. Take a page out of Nancy’s book and get out there and engage in something that makes you smile! Take a walk, plant a flower, visit a farmers market or try your hand at gardening. For more information about ways to get involved in active living or the Healthy New Albany Community Garden visit healthy newalbany.org or healthynewalbany. org/community-garden.

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