Today, it’s my darling Mom-in-law’s 101st birthday. Kathleen Letitia was born August 4th, 1913. Since I first met her, almost 50 years ago, she has been a source of great inspiration to me. I really think that she must have found the secret of eternal, if not youth, then well-being. She has obviously aged, but in the most graceful and elegant way. I do remember, not long after hubby and I were married, being shown some old family photos. Looking at her wedding photo, I exclaimed, “Oh, but you look younger now than you did on your wedding day!” It was of course meant as a sincere compliment, but after I’d said it, I suddenly realised that she could easily have taken it the wrong way. After all, a bride on her wedding day is supposed to look the most radiantly beautiful that she ever will. Well, I needn’t have worried, because this darling lady, then well into in her 50’s, looked so delighted, and simply answered, “Oh, do you really think so dear? Thank you so much. That’s very kind of you to say so.”
Here she is, the belle of the ball at eighteen.
At twenty.
Her marriage to Clifford in 1934.
Having fun, in her back garden in 1934.
See how wonderful she looked on her 90th birthday, as she was about to serve up her delicious home-made Pavlova dessert.
Of course last year’s 100th birthday was a very special celebration, as she got her telegram from Queen Elizabeth.
This happy, positive, and very active 101-year-old, still lives by herself in a two-storey house. and is up and down stairs several times a day. She wins scrabble competitions, knits beautiful hats, mittens and blankets for needy children around the world, bakes delicious cakes for local charity cake sales, and has a mind a sharp as a razor. I really hope to be just like her if I’m fortunate enough to live to such a great age. Happy 101st Birthday to a really wonderful woman.
I’m still up to my neck here in moving house, but I just had to make time to pay tribute to our family treasure.
