Living to be 101 years old...do you have a spring in your step?

Peppermint Stick Amaryllis

When I begin to see the return of the beautiful amaryllis that we planted years ago, I know that spring has really arrived. The air is rich with pollen and fresh new green leaves are on the trees. The daffodils have come and are now withering on their stalks. They still have that pretty yellowish glow about them, though. Squirrels are busy and the birds are everywhere. And that's when I begin to think about families.

This week, I had a 1982 video put onto a DVD. It was from my grandfather's 101st birthday party. He is there in all his glory, smiling and joking with his great-grandchildren. He was in a wheelchair, but he did stand up for about half a minute. Grandpa was a kick. He had a full head of white hair. He was bright and well-read...he said he stayed that way by memorizing long epic poems, like Beowolf...that impressed me! He also wrote dirty limericks for Playboy well into his 90s! Grandpa always had a little limerick ready when someone asked him a question. He was like a real leprechaun. It's so great that I was able to preserve the video tape on DVD. How far we have come!

Think about what you are doing for your family on a daily basis...but not just by working, earning money and cooking meals. Do you do jigsaw puzzles or read a lot?  Do you go to your local library for classes and lectures? We do crossword puzzles, read loads of books, play gin rummy and Scrabble. We are hoping that these types of challenge will train our brains enough to make sure we are cogent when we get into our 90s. We are trying hard to keep in good physical shape  by swimming and going to the gym, so we'll be here longer for our family.

How about you? What do you do on a daily basis to help get you to the age of 101?