đ Hello, Iâm Kevin Ferguson, author of đ·Â Rain on the Monte Bello Ridge,đ· a memoir about health, aging and winemaking. This forthcoming book is about my maternal grandparents, California winemaker Mario Gemello and centenarian Kay Gemello. This is my newsletter.
These newsletter posts are published twice a month, and fall into mostly four categories:
Early release chapters
Centenarian Playbook posts & longevity tips (third Monday of each month)
Book research
Family history research nuggets
Book Summary
When I tell people my grandmother is over 100, they often say, âLucky you. Great genes!â Perhaps thatâs true, but Grandma Kayâs are puzzling. Her father died of lung cancer at 43. Her mother of a cardiac arrest at 76. Grandma Kay was lucky to have one life long partner - California winemaker Mario Gemello. They met in grade school and were married for 64 years. He was a larger than life figure in the Santa Clara Valley community, helping his immigrant father launch a winery in the depths of the Great Depression. When Mario lost his bout with prostate cancer at 89, many of us assumed Grandma Kay would follow close behind. Victim of the Broken Heart Syndrome. But somehow, she has carried on through her grief. Eighteen years later, sheâs still going. How this centenarian defies the odds is beyond resilient. Itâs almost spooky.
About the Author
Kevin Ferguson worked as a journalist for over a decade, covering sports, business and politics in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Why subscribe?
Get exclusive early chapter releases, Grandma Kayâs invaluable longevity tips, and fascinating Gemello Winery book research insights. As youâll learn, Kay and Mario Gemello are lovable characters, who happen to be my maternal grandparents.
