Lola's 1011011th Birthday

Today is a big day in the our home - for today we celebrate Lola's 1011011th birthday.

That's 91 in binary, but 1011011 looks a whole lot cooler! Besides, telling people she's 5B (91 in Hex) or 91 doesn't sound nearly as old as 1011011.

However you look at it, though, 91 is very old.

Lola still gets along remarkably well for someone that age, but she definitely shows the signs of living that many years. The few friends she has are younger than her; her original circle of friends largely having already died. There is much that Lola can't do any more; even though she thinks she is doing just fine. That work falls on Diane.

Lola passes her time reading, playing solitaire, napping and watching television. We bought her a headphone amplifier and headphones for Christmas a few years ago. She had to have her television on so loud for her to hear it that we could clearly hear it through the firewall between her living room and the main house (the wall that used to be between the garage and house before we remodeled), across the house and down a floor. The headphones allow her to turn it up as loud as she wants without disturbing the neighbors. Okay, maybe the disturbing the neighbors part is a slight exaggeration, but it certainly allows her to hear her television without disturbing us!

I suppose she does okay for someone turning 1011011. As for me, I hope I never reach 1011011 unless I'd still be able to hunt and fish and putter around the house and go shooting and... Not that I actually expect to live to 1011011. Brader men simply haven't had that kind of longevity.

The women in Lola's line do, though. Lola's mom lived to be 96; although much of her last decade was spent in declining physical and mental health to the point where she didn't recognize anyone for the last few years of her life.

For now, Lola is still going pretty strong for someone her age. She has battled through various hospitalizations over the last few years. Several times, Diane has steeled herself for the inevitable news that Lola had come up against something she couldn't beat this time; yet each time she has somehow beat the odds and survived whatever infection, surgery or illness had struck her.

We recognize that the day will come when she just doesn't wake up one morning, or she runs headlong into some health issue that she can't beat. Until then, we just deal with each day, and the challenges it brings.

Tonight, though, we plan on gathering together to celebrate Lola's 1011011th birthday.