Meet Reena Racki, a retired architect with a tremendous flair for design that extends into her chic style and lust for life. Here are Reena’s answers to our #AlembikaWomen questions:

What woman from history (alive or dead) would you love to have dinner with and why?

Golda Meir because she understood and fought for the right of the Jewish people for self- determination, religious freedom, freedom from persecution and true independence, in Israel. I could learn so much from her about working to accomplish a noble life goal.

What piece of wisdom would you like to pass along to younger women?

Live every day with passion, purpose, love and gratitude. Find good mentors and role models for all of these aspects of life

What legacy do you wish to leave behind?

Hopefully, a small legacy of enormous love for my immediate family and close friends; kindness and smiling (even at strangers); making my architectural clients enjoy living in the sunlit spaces with access to nature, that I created for them; and the importance of my positive attitude and resilience

What would you do if you had the whole day for yourself?

The morning to enjoy walking in nature by the sea; then walking in a vital urban village; having intimate brunch with good friends in a lively outdoor cafe; spending the afternoon doing something artistically creative (painting large canvases or making bold jewelry, etc) then playing with my 2 year old cherub granddaughter, Ilana. Ending the day having dinner with my loving partner, Jeffrey of 56 years and watching a movie together… repeat the next day.. the advantage of retirement in La Jolla

What do you love most about being a woman?

There is too much to say .. our creative intuition; empathy, capacity for bringing people together; gentleness, nurturing qualities; compassion, and also, of being both Aphrodite and Artemis .. indépendant, intelligent, strong, resilient, productive and optimistic