I promised a better and more interesting birthday-related post a couple of days ago; see if this ain’t it.
This Independence Day marks the 100th birthday of my Great-Aunt Eleanor, born July 4, 1912, in Windsor County, Vermont. (Fourth of July 1912 in Vermont? I can almost hear the Charles Ives.)
To put things into Hope Street terms, her sister married the guy who kept the calendars.
Sisters Corinne and Eleanor in 1934…
… and 1993.
This makes her the second centenarian in my close family tree. My great-grandma, who lived to 107 and has been referenced in this space in the past, is the other.
But as they say, it’s not the days in the life that count, but the life in the days. I’m glad to report that Great-Aunt El is doing well for her age, very much tuned in, living near family while retaining some measure of independence.
Great-Aunt El is a woman of humor, spirit and resilience … and it is nobody’s fault but mine that I am not as close to her and her branch of the family as I could be.
It is a great pleasure to wish her a joyful 100th birthday, with hopes for many quality days and years to come.
Have a happy All-American Hundredth, Great-Aunt El.
Hope Street 
Wow. You’ve got some serious longevity genes going there. You better make sure your 401K is well distributed. You may need it for a while.
I’ve got a tougher time predicting my life expectancy. My Grandparents died at 49, 70, 82, and 94. What am I supposed to do with that? Should burn off my life savings on world travel before I hit 50, or should I pinch pennies so I can still hand my grandchildren birthday cards containing ten dollar bills in 2057?
I would opt for the world travel. The grandchildren can get a single Werther’s caramel each and like it.
I am going to go drink a couple of toasts to my ancestors, which will have the side benefit of whittling a few minutes off my own personal lifespan.
Love the piece & the addition of the two pictures!
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