a becoming 100

A few months back Jane Fonda was on the cover of People. The headline read, "Life Gets Better with Age."

Nice sentiment but not one I agree with.

But yet, there are those in my life (aside from my mom) who have managed to age with such grace, that for them, it might be true.

Rita, my sister's mother-in-law (and Abbey and Jill's mom), turned 100 on August 8. 

It's hard to imagine living that many years and not having anyone be able to say a negative thing about you.

Rita is lovely. She is considerate, thoughtful, interested and interesting, and the kind of person we should all aspire to be.

And she still has so many friends that instead of having just one party to celebrate her, she had to have two.

Both were given by Valerie and Jill. The first at a country club near Rye; the second at a country club in Long Island, where Rita has a zillion friends she's made over the years from her many days of golfing, card-playing, and socializing.

When Rita turned 90, my sister and Jill threw a great party for her, and I took the photos. I later made it into a book, that still, 10 years later, Rita tells me how much she loves it and how often she views it.

So it's only fitting that I should do the same for her 100th.

Here are just a few from Party #1.

And then Party #2 a couple of days later. Not too much for this energetic 100-year old women.