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One hard working centenarian
2008-05-28 02:23:00
Everyday at around 5pm, Madam Tan Lau heads down to the ground floor of the shophouse to attend the cash register of the Shun Kee Eating House. She busily watches the front of the restaurant and close up after a long shift, at 4am."I'm used to it. I don't need much sleep anyway, and besides, I prefer to keep myself busy," she says.When The New Paper first approached her, she said: "Oh no, don't interview me. I'm a nobody, just another old woman." I'll be the first to disagree with her on that point!link
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Senior High
2008-05-27 04:47:00
The Globe and Mail has a five-part series this week profiling the life inside the Terraces of Baycrest, a retirement home in north Toronto: the transition into a new living environment, the loss of independence, the cliques, the gossip, the food, the search for love, and the realities and illness and death.Read the entire series here.
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The Face of Age
2008-05-18 03:44:00
This very interesting collection of portraits were taken over an 18 year period by photographer Mark Story.Pictured here is a man of 110 years, who still walks 3 miles a day and works several hours a week at a cafe. "I still chase good-looking women around. I just can't catch up with them — my legs don't work fast enough," he said.See more of these brilliant photos at Living in Three Centuries: The Face of Age

World's Oldest Newspaper Columnist
2008-05-14 04:37:00
Frank Pelatowski retired from his weekly newspaper column 30 years ago. Now at the age of 100, he has decided to revive his weekly column in the Mariposa Gazette!"Some people say I have a lot of energy for a 100-year-old man. They may be right. I'm not only going to write new columns, but I'm still doing other writing, including a book titled 'The Wit and Wisdom of Frank Pelatowski' which will be in bookstores later this year."Be sure to visit Frank's website where you'll find his column, his blog and even a video.
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Blind WWII vet bowls a perfect game
2008-05-12 20:40:00
Bowling a perfect game is a cause for celebration, but especially so for Dale Davis, a blind 78-year-old WWII vet.“I can’t see the lane or the pins and have a heck of a time finding my ball sometimes,” Davis said “I can kinda see the dots on the floor to know where I start. After that, I rely on my hearing and other people to tell me what’s going on.”And when he doesn't get a strike, he relies on others to tell him where the remaining pins are standing.“When I got to the tenth frame, I said ‘Lord, let me throw three more good balls.’ When I did, people on other teams were yelling and cheering. A few guys were hugging me and almost broke my skinny bones.”Dale is a great example for the rest of us, proving that you're never too old to set goals for yourself.“I always knew I wanted to have a 300, but I never thought it would be possible, especially as I got older and couldn’t see. Bowling rejuvenated me. I’ve got a love for this game I can’t even describe....
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WWI vet gets his Canadian citizenship back
2008-05-10 05:29:00
John Babcock lost his Canadian citizenship when he moved to the US nearly 90 years ago, at a time when dual citizenship was not allowed. Last month he wrote to the prime minister:Dear PM,Could I have my citizenship restored? I would appreciate your help.Thank you,John BabcockHe was granted his citizenship.At 107 years old, Mr. Babcock is Canada's last surviving veteran of the First World War. He lied about his age so he could be enlisted in the army at the age of 15, joining the 146th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
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104 year-old claims eating termites is her secret to longevity
2008-05-01 08:00:00
Lisa Castor from the Philippines believes that her traditional diet, which includes eating the termite eggs and drinking water from the stream contributed to her longevity.Other elements of the traditional diet are yams, cassava, corn, labog and ubad (inner part of the banana shrub).Will you try this fountain of youth? Learn more here.
More About: Longevity , Secret , Claims , Eating , Year

World's oldest person turns 115
2008-04-19 18:34:00
Ms. Edna Parker celebrated her 115th birthday on April 20th.115 balloons were released into sunny skies outside her nursing home in Shelbyville, Indiana.She greeted her family and friends, dressed in pearls, a blue and white polka dot dress and new white shoes.
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Young@Heart Screening Review
2008-04-18 08:25:00
Just got back from a screening of Young @Heart (the documentary mentioned in the previous post) I will attempt to write our first movie review here at My Elderly Space!I had some hesitation about this film prior to watching it. I was afraid it would turn out to be a gimmick at best, or at worst a blatant exploitation of this elderly group. But I'm happy to say that the movie was very well done and my fears were unfounded. Filmmaker Stephen Walker does a good job putting together a well told story with this naturally interesting subject. It was entertaining throughout with a healthy dose of emotional moments. I don't think anyone stepped out of the cinema without wiping away a tear or two.I will shy away from details in case you don't know much about the group and plan to see the film. But it's easy to appreciate even on screen the work done by chorus group director Bob Cilman who has led the Young@Heart chorus for twenty-some-odd years.Perhaps what I liked best about the movie is...
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Young@Heart
2008-04-06 23:35:00
This is a new documentary about a seniors group from New England, who have been traveling the country entertaining large crowds with their part rock-n-roll concert, part theater show. Early reviews are very positive, so don't miss it!Fox Searchlight is offering free screenings in certain cities, check their website.Catch the trailer below.
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A centenarian secret
2008-04-04 22:43:00
This isn't about another centenarian sharing their tip on aging. Adele Lerner has lied about her age, including to her children up into her 90's. Now 101, Adele says she didn't want to reveal her true age because she didn't want others to view her as incapable of doing the things she wanted.Adele started painting in her 50's and earned her bachelor's degree in fine arts at the age of 83. For the past several years, she has talked to her daughter daily via web cam and instant messenger.Here is Adele with her daughter Terry.Adele was one of 450 people who've participated in a longevity study conducted by at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The results showed that she was just five feet tall as her tallest may be linked to her longevity.
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Buster training for the marathon
2008-03-30 00:06:00
Buster Martin is no ordinary man. At 101, his achievements include:- the oldest employee in Britain- last year completed a 10km run in 2h 22m- earlier this month completed a half marathon at 5h 13m- he is part of The Zimmers, a band made up entirely of old pensioners- regular advice columnist at men's magazine FHMDid I mention he drinks, smokes and stays out late at night? Yes, Buster is far from the typical 101-year-old. And now his next goal is to compete in the London Marathon this July, which would make him the oldest marathon participant on record. He's been training hard and he has no plans on give up on his drinking and smoking habits, not even during the race.See more photos and videos of Buster hereBuster's wikipedia profile is here
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Centenarian Enjoys Hooters
2008-03-21 22:16:00
Congratulations to John Persinger who turned 100 years old last week. He celebrated his centenary at Hooters by nibbling on some wings, sipping a beer and accepting hugs and handshakes from family and friends. He and his wife, who has passed away, were both regulars at Hooters since they opened in 1993.You can get the full story here

Profile of Hurricane Hazel
2008-02-21 18:48:00
If you're not familiar with local Canadian politics, you may not know Hazel McCallion. She's the current mayor of Mississauga and has been for 30 years. Mississauga is the 6th largest city in Canada, so her responsibilities are not exactly trivial. She is affectionately known as Hurricane Hazel, for outspoken style of no-nonsense politics.At the age of 87, you may think she's taking things slowly. But she has no intention of doing so. In her most recent election victory (in which she won by a landslide margin) McCallion said there was definitely room for improvement, and plans to focus on public transit and solving the problem of gridlock on the roads, among other issues.Watch this video and you'll see why she's so popular with the voters.
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Centenarian achieves literacy goal
2008-02-20 20:20:00
Here's an old, but great story. Clarence Brazier was awarded a Canada Post literacy award in 2006. Unable to read until he was 93, he decided to learn after his wife of 64 years passed away. She had read everything to him.He has used his new found fame to promote literacy at schools and senior homes.Jump here to read the full story.
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Catherine Hagel Joins Elite Group
2008-02-12 08:26:00
Catherine Hagel , at 113 years, is America's fourth oldest person. Like most super-centenarians, Hagel never held much with doctoring, takes no medications and comes from a long-lived family."When Mom was about 80 we tried to get her to move after the house burned down, but she refused," her daughter said. "She camped out on a cot in the garage, then in an old trailer house till we rebuilt the farmhouse."Learn more about her super-centenarian secrets here.
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Centenarian celebrates 100th birthday on a treadmill
2008-02-01 07:58:00
Ida Wasserman, from Florida, celebrated her 100th birthday by starting her day with a treadmill workout.She works out two hours per day, seven days a week. She prefers the rowing machine to the treadmill.She says moving around keeps those "centenarian kinks" at bay.Read her story here.
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Britain's elder-friendly playground
2008-02-01 07:47:00
The playgrounds aren't just for kids anymore. Manchester opened Britain's first over-60 playground. It is equipped with machines specially designed to provide gentle exercise for different parts of the body such as hips, legs and torso. See more of the playground here
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88-year-old becomes a ballet star
2008-01-23 01:41:00
John Lowe took up dancing at the age of 79. Now at 88 years of age, he is set to star in his first ballet show."It's a wonderful thing to do and I can't understand why more men don't do it," says the retired teacher and grandfather of 11. "I see these people crawling around , hunched over smoking a cigarette - they should be doing ballet."If ballet isn't your thing, maybe you can consider tap dancing?Link
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Russian couple reunited after 60 years apart
2008-01-13 19:50:00
Anna Kozlov saw an elderly man getting out of a car in her home village Borovlyanka, Siberia. She thought her eyes were playing tricks. This man, Boris, was the one she had fallen in love with and married 60 years earlier. The last time they saw one another was three days after their wedding, when she kissed him goodbye and sent him off to rejoin his Red Army unit.Now, more than 50 years later, they are reunited -- an extraordinary coincidence leading them both to return to Borovlyanka on the same day.Read this amazing tale here.
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Pop Star Celebrates 100th Birthday
2007-12-06 01:16:00
A Derbyshire woman, who is thought to be one of Britain's oldest pop stars, is celebrating her 100th birthday. Winifred Warburton (centre) shot to international fame as a member of the Zimmers whose recording of the 1960s pop classic My Generation reached the UK top 30 in June this year.As part of the celebrations the centenarian and her guests will be entertained by a choir of local schoolchildren.Read the full story here. Meet The Zimmers Band.
More About: Star , Birthday

Vet awarded free beer for life
2007-12-04 23:44:00
Harry Patch, the 109-year-old and last surviving World War I veteran in Britain, has been awarded with free beer for life for his service and bravery during the two world wars. The Rose and Crown, a local pub where Harry drank when he was young, is offering this to honour his service."I must be the envy of many a younger man, being offered free beer in a pub. It's like being a child in a sweet shop," Harry says.Link
More About: Life , Beer , Free

The Oldest Rock Band
2007-12-01 08:40:00
This happenin' band also happens to be the oldest rock band around. The average age of its members is 79 and Alf, the lead singer, is 90 years old. Other members are 99 and 100 years old. The Zimmers' first single stayed two weeks in UK's Top 40. Check out the music video for their first single.More info about The Zimmers
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Centenarian Secrets
2007-11-29 00:48:00
Frank Di Paolo, Jr. is 100 years old. "I am, honestly, 100 and a half years old," Di Paolo said. And he doesn’t miss a beat! He drives to work every day, working in the office of a state senator. "I met governors. I met senators. I met presidents and their wives. So honestly, I was happy. I was very happy," Di Paolo continued. He's happy and healthy at 100 … and a half.Thomas Perls, M.D., director of the New England Centenarian Study in Boston, has studied centenarians for more than decade.Centenarians also tend to have certain personality traits. "Many of them had very, very stressful lives, but what seems to be the key to them is they don’t hold on to stuff. They don’t dwell on it," Dr. Perls said. They are rarely depressed."I always laugh," centenarian Ellen Doble said.Want to know how long you’ll live? Click here for the full story.
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Centenarian girl talk
2007-11-17 21:17:00
109-year-old Oniezima wishes "Happy Birthday" to Edna, the 102-year-old birthday girl.The centenarian girls met and quickly became friends and shared the afternoon in lively discussion of their past and future."You're 109? That's a long time," the 102-year-old said to her new friend, who is seven years older. "How do you get to be 109?""You've got to have determination," Onie replied.Read more about their discussion here.
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Fit and active at 90
2007-11-15 06:31:00
The eldest Chen Tai Chi Centre member was given a surprise party to celebrate her 90th birthday.Even though her official birthday was the next day, it suited the occasion because the club's Grand Master Zhu Tiancai had arrived from China.The Bucklands Beach resident has been doing Tai Chi for four years to help her keep her balance and stay active. She says she gets a lot out of the two-hour class and still drives herself there."I feel like I have done something I've enjoyed," Marjorie says."I've made some good friends."Read the full story here.
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World's Oldest Blogger
2007-11-11 22:41:00
Olive Riley has seen a lot in her years and now she's recounting some of her life experiences in blog, (or 'blob' as she calls it) and it's thought that Olive might be the world's oldest blogger! She was born in Broken Hill, Australia, on Oct. 20th 1899.Thanks to Eric Shackle for alerting us to Olive's blog, http://www.allaboutolive.com.au.
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The centenarian who has lived in the same house for 100 years
2007-11-11 22:09:00
In an entire century living at the same address, Dorothy Loveless has never been tempted by the stress and upheaval of moving house. Celebrating her 100th birthday yesterday in the sitting room in which she was born, Miss Loveless said this may be the key to her old age."I am the last one left but I am still going strong and I still feel like a spring-chicken."Read the full story here
More About: House , Years , Tena , Lived

95 year-old blogger
2007-11-10 06:29:00
So reads the first entry by one of the world's oldest Webloggers, Maria Amelia Lopez, who, at the age of 95, has surprised herself by a sudden conversion from Web-illiterate to cybercelebrity."At first I thought a blog was just a type of paper notebook," said Lopez, a great grandmother."When I saw my grandson using the Internet, it caught my attention. I said to myself 'What's this? You can find out about anything. I want an Internet!'"With 60,000 regular readers so far, Lopez's homely mix of memory and chat, available at http://amis95.blogspot.com/, attracts regular readers from around the world and has put her back in touch with the younger generation in a way she had never imagine.Visit her blog here
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Carmen enjoys chocolate, wine and beet
2007-11-05 01:38:00
Here's a nice story about a Toronto woman. Carmen is nearly 100 years old and have lived in Toronto for the past 33 years. Despite this, she speaks no English and hopes to go back to visit her homeland of Spain someday.Don't miss the full story!Link
More About: Wine , Chocolate