age is just another number

A French nun who survived both world wars, the 1918 flu pandemic and a coronavirus infection is marking her 117th birthday with red wine, a Mass in her honor and dinner followed by her favorite dessert: baked Alaska.

 

Sister André, who is believed to be the second-oldest person in the world, is set to spend Thursday celebrating her long life at her care home in the French city of Toulon. The facility’s spokesman, David Tavella, told the Associated Press that the nun was “in great shape” and “really happy,” ahead of a busy schedule that would feature a video call with her family, a service hosted by the bishop of Toulon and a champagne birthday feast.

 

Tavella said the menu would include foie gras, capon with fragrant mushrooms and some alcohol to toast the occasion.

 

“All of it washed down with red wine, because she drinks red wine. It’s one of her secrets of longevity. And a bit of Champagne with dessert, because 117 years have to be toasted,” he said to the AP.

 

In the weeks leading up to her 117th birthday, Sister André spent her days isolated in her room at the Sainte Catherine Labouré retirement home in the southern French city of Toulon. The nun was one of dozens of residents at the home who tested positive for the coronavirus.

 

Ten others at the retirement home died of covid-19, Le Parisien reported, after 81 of the 88 residents tested positive in January. There have been more than 3.4 million cases in France and more than 80,000 deaths, according to The Washington Post’s COVID  tracker.

When Sister André turned 115, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter and a blessed rosary, according to FAMVIN, a religious news service.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/10/nun-117-survive-covid-france/

  

Even at 117, she is not the oldest person in the world, since a Japanese woman named Kane Tanaka, became 118 in January.

Tanaka has had several major illnesses, and was infected with paratyphoid fever with her adopted daughter at the age of 35. She underwent pancreatic cancer surgery at the age of 45. Most recently, Kane was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and underwent surgery when she was 103 years old. Her life and longevity were noted by her second son and his wife four years later when they published a book called: In Good and Bad Times, 107 Years Old At the age of 114, she was interviewed by KBC in September 2017.^[ Kane said she would like to live to the age of 120, crediting family, sleep, hope, eating good food, and practicing math for her longevity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people

I’ve written about really old people a few times in the past.

https://tohell-andback.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-secret-to-long-life.html

https://tohell-andback.blogspot.com/2013/01/older-than-dirt.html

https://tohell-andback.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-value-of-being-poor.html

What’s surprising as that their lifestyles were not particularly healthy.

Jeanne Calment, for example, lived to be 122. Although olive oil was part of her daily routine, she smoked until she was 117, had dessert with every meal, ate 2 pounds of chocolate every week, and frequently had a glass of port wine with her meals.

America's oldest living veteran ((Richard Overton) recently met with President Obama in 2013 at the White House. At the time, he was 107 years old, and has survived by taking no medicine other than aspirin, drinking whiskey with his morning coffee, and smoking up to 12 cigars a day.

Sarah Knauss, number 2 on the list, was born in an impoverished coal mining town in Pennsylvania, and was a homemaker for most of her life. She confessed to a fondness for chocolate turtles, cashews, and potato chips. Her daughter (who lived to be 101 herself) attributed her mother’s long life to the fact that “she was a very tranquil person, and nothing fazes her”.

Lucy Hannah, number 3 on the list, was one of the eight children born to slaves living in southern Alabama. After she and her husband moved to Detroit to work in the auto factories, they also had 8 children. Two of Lucy’s sisters lived to be 100, and her mother (who was whipped every day when she was a slave) lived to be 99.

Elizabeth Bolden, number 7 on the list, was born in southern Tennessee, and was the daughter of freed slaves. She and her husband had 7 children, most of whom passed before she did. She is survived by a LARGE NUMBER of relatives, including 75 great-great-great-great-children.

Besse Cooper, number 8 on the list, was the third of eight children born to her parents in a tiny town in Tennessee. She was a school teacher for many years, and her husband was a farmer. After her husband’s death, she lived alone on their farm for 48 years, and finally moved into a nursing home when she was 105.

Finally, Maggie Barnes (number 9 on the list) was also the child of slaves. She married a tenant farmer, and they had 15 children together, 11 of whom preceded her in death.

I took the RealAge test again this morning, and discovered that I am actually 1 year and 8 months younger than my chronological age. Three of my relatives lived to be 95 years old, and my uncle Harold was still drinking beer well into his 90’s.

If you want to live a long life, it’s good to watch what you eat, and to live a healthy lifestyle, but now you know the REAL SECRET to living to a ripe old age:

Be poor - and stay calm.