Hi Mavis!!
Thought I should message you about Ruby! She has her 100th Birthday on Thursday!! It’s suddenly come up quickly – my parents have arrived and my sisters and their families arrive Friday – going to be like one big slumber party!!
People are coming from near and far to join in the party which will be held Saturday. Ruby is doing well – she has had a rough winter with her foot giving her a lot of trouble. She has been really cross at it, as she doesn’t like slowing down much!! Then she concedes that it has done her well for 100 years, so she can’t blame it for having a spot of bother as ‘I haven’t been very kind to it’ (Not that it stops her from climbing on things!! I swear she is so naughty about that!!
It’s heart stopping to see a person who is nearly 100 cavorting about on a step ladder!!) I have tried to get around to see her often – I have been writing small stories from her past on my blog in a section called ‘Ruby Tuesday’. Feel free to check it out – here is a sample story about a mix up with a chicken that Ruby cooked up as a 12 year old girl!
She is still getting out to her garden to find things to put on her plate. She had plenty of potatoes stored, lots of carrots and broccoli, silverbeet beans etc still in the garden.
At the end of last season a few late tomatoes popped up so she stuck them in the hothouse and let them so their thing – the smarty pants got a ripe tomato just before the end of winter!!
I totally give up trying to outdo her when it comes to tomatoes!!
As always, I seem to have lots of people coming and going here, and Ruby welcomes them all! It’s like she is a sightseeing destination all on her own, with stories, garden and great food!
She is still cooking up a storm – there is always cake or biscuits to be enjoyed when I pop over for a cuppa. Recently she taught me how to make her favourite lemon butter recipe.
You can check it out here if you are interested – it’s really easy!
We have had several meetings with cousins and the lady’s from the church guild, who are catering for the big party on Saturday.
At first all Ruby wanted was ‘bangers & mash’ for her birthday party (Sausages, mashed potato & gravy), but we changed that to a lot of finger food, fruit platters, sweet things, savoury things. I don’t think she really thought that so many people would be coming – I estimate well over 100!!
She also “Doesn’t want a fuss” She totally cracks me up! Her poor daughter, Margie trying not to make a fuss and organising things!! I just had to tell Ruby straight. When you turn 100, and over 100 people are turning up to see you – fuss is what you are automatically going to get, so sit back and enjoy!
Ooooo – and “No Presents” was a biggie too! I was totally told to tell everyone too. So I whinged and whined and pouted and said “What about home made?” Well… that was alright!
So far, a friend has been by to spring clean as her present and another has brought her around a couple of big jars of homemade fancy biscuits (cookies) so there would be lots of nice things available to put out on plates when the inevitable hordes of people drop in to wish her all the best!
I crocheted her a shawl!!
I have also been scanning a selection of photos from her younger years to put together a kind of slide show for people to see during the party.
I will be there, of course, camera on the go to capture the moments!
The more I talk to Ruby about her past and the things she has seen and done the more I am in awe of someone living for a century – from no electricity through to computers! Days where sheets only came in white and what a big deal coloured and patterned sheets were when they came in! The thought that chocolate only came to you once a year if you were lucky!! I have learned a bundle off this amazing woman in the past five years.
We are so lucky to have her!
Take care! Hopefully my garden will be doing something interesting soon so I can share it with you!
Cheers!
~Lisa
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