September 29, 2019 Mrs Olive H. (E) Evans will celebrate her 100th birthday.

One hundred years: you jam a lot into those 10 decades!  How does a family express those 100 years in one afternoon.

God willing, Olive we will have a party, no doubt about that!

The days roll by, that time gets closer and closer with ideas being tossed about, but nothing laid down.  There is a venue!  Currently, it is in a high under construction zone.  As we are getting older, there may be a collection of friends that might require  the handicap elevator.  Question remains, will it be attainable.  Perhaps a supervisor needs to be out there reminding workers .. two months..need this opened up!!

Party time is such an individual thing.  In today’s culture we are wowed or bowled over by the magnitude of events that are held.  From the baby reveal parties to weddings to the adoption of a pet, people seem to think each event must out do their friend, neighbour or families’ party.  Themes should reflect something special of the person being honoured.

Our mom grew up in rural Saskatchewan as a middle child.  She talks about her mom and dad, sisters and cousins with great affection.  Her time teaching children in the Dilke and Bethune areas is dear to her heart.  There is time on the farm, as a member of the Bethune Church Choir, travelling to the U.S., the U.K and Canada to visit, the delivery of eggs to town, going to football games at Taylor Field; these are all fond things that mom talks about.  Olive doesn’t like to be bored and still maintains control of her own business, gladly paying her bills and shopping when she can.  Her writing is still very legible and she loves sending as well as receiving cards, letters and visitors.  She reads the Leader Post and keeps in tune with events of the day.  Sometimes she miscalculates a day, that’s okay.  And just recently, it seems the steps are a bit slower.  (A word to the wise, your age will creep up and let you know just where you are.)

She delights in owls, her plants, gardening and small children, although, I remember her saying that raising four kids was not always what she envisioned!  There are four of us and our ages are a bit spread out; at least between my brother and I at nine years difference.  Again, there’s a reason you have a child later in life;  they can help you in your senior years and bring a certain vitality.  Even better if you work early in the morning.  We do a pretty good job of being available to our mom for whatever she needs.

Perhaps that is the gift right there.  But what to do when you’re turning 100.

The letters to the Queen, the Governor General, the Prime Minster, the Lieutenant Governor, the Premier and the Mayor are in the mail.  That was one thing that was pointed out immediately.

I know that many will say … Go To Pinterest …   and yeah, that’s good for some ideas.  Maybe to help refine the process!

We have pictures to go through!  Invitations to potentially send or maybe just make a posting on Facebook.  How much cake do you order and then there are flowers.  Ah! decorations!  What would our mom’s favourite colour be and what will she see as pleasing.  We should know right!

This we do know; she has been telling everyone she meets that she will be 100 on September 29th and that they should set that day aside.  Her niece and other family from south of the border will be here as well as family alot closer.

Olive Evans will have a great day.  Maybe there will be music to accompany the singing of Happy Birthday. Maybe there will be many flowers to brighten her day, I’m sure there will be lots of cards.  And there will be conversation, laughter and memories made.