On an impulse I decided it was about time for me to write another blog, but what should I write about? Well I decided to upload a random photo and then write a blog about it. It turned out to my amusement that the photo was one of me.

BTW the painting in the background was painted by my mother Mary Alexander Linton McIlree, an artist and free spirit, whom I met for the first time when she was 100 years old. She lived until she was almost 104 years old and I spent the last year of her life living with her in her home in Dublin.

She taught me so much in that year - she started these lessons within minutes of our first meeting. She said "You have got to treat your body like an engine". She walked her talk and she was very fit and exercised both her mind and her body on a daily basis. She read a lot and her next door neighbour told me that if she was enjoying a book she would sometimes continue to read until 6 am the following morning.

I realised then that my learnaholic tendencies must have been in my genes. She was delighted to get her first email address when she was 103 years old and gave it to all her friends and visitors. No-one had told her about the internet until I appeared on the scene and as she did not think of herself as an old woman neither did I. She said that it would be a great opportunity for her to become famous and fulfil her burning ambition was to be more famous then Einstein whom she greatly admired.

She ate all the "superfoods" and was very aware of all the latest developments regarding longevity. She was a very charismatic person which is probably why she has taken over this blog that was supposed to be about me!

If you are wondering what all this has got to do with WA or any of our members then I must tell you that she was the proof that if you continue to keep an open mind all things are possible. So never ever ever tell yourself that you are too old to learn new skills.