Fibonacci sequences, aging, and dementia

Peg is a retired psychiatrist, 81, who has a diagnosis of dementia resulting from multiple myeloma and is meeting it with her usual enthusiasm for exploring new territories. She is enjoying reading novels as an in-the-moment pleasure, not needing to remember or summarize what she has read; able to immerse herself in the pleasure of the words and images. She loves gardening and feels closer to her father, a botanist who for some years wrote a newspaper column about gardening. She's also fascinated by the patterns in sunflowers. She explained, "I think there is a word for these patterns, and I don't remember the word, but I love gazing into the hearts of the flowers. Each flower has its own pattern. I get kind of mesmerized by them." 

I think she is talking about Fibonacci sequences, and I get mesmerized by them also.

In the afternoon I visited Liza, another friend dealing with aging and its losses, surprises, and revelations (Extra).