twitsandblobs

Have you heard the good news? Apparently, drinking champagne, daily, is the secret to keeping your brain cells happy, healthy and engaging as you grow older. Goody, goody gumdrop. Sounds crazy, huh? Well, generally, I don’t put much stock in these breaking news reports, for they are sure to be contradicted and/or changed in a matter of years. They always are. This one caught my eye, however. Not because I drink a lot of champagne, although I may start. It caught my attention because my oldest friend (note-not my friend for the longest time, but my oldest friend), M, just turned 99 years old. She is not the 99 year old in marketing materials for elder care. No, no, she is more like the 65 year old in marketing materials for high end make up…or Hermes scarves…or overpriced skin cream. This woman never misses a gathering that will be intellectually and socially stimulating. She has season tickets to the ballet, the symphony, the theatre and more. She holds board memberships on cultural organizations of all kinds and she is the one to show up at meetings with a tray of bacon wrapped shrimp and a bottle of bubbly. She still “dresses” for all occasions and calls everyone “Dahlin.” No blue jeans, elastic waist pants or cardigans for this gal. No, it is high heels, hose and sophisticated dresses for M. She is gracious beyond compare and still regularly entertains in her home with quiches she has just pulled out of the oven and flowers she has just clipped from her garden. And if you don’t feel enough like a slacker just yet, now hear this. She reads approximately three books per week. And yes, she sips glasses of bubbly throughout the week. Champagne is her drink of choice and she wears it well.

All of her friends admire her and everyone wants to be just like her. That includes me, but if that is going to happen, I better start sipping. So Happy Birthday, Devine Miss M! 99 looks fabulous on you. Keep popping those corks.