Do You Know Jackie O. ???

Have you had the opportunity to meet Jackie O.? Well, let me take a moment to introduce you. This is my 88-year-old great aunt Ruth. She was born in 1920 and has spent her entire life in Boise. She never married and lived with her sister (my grandmother) until grandma's death in 1998. Aunt Ruth still lives alone in a very nice condominium. She drives a fiery red Plymouth Alero, complete with tail fin for effect. She commented to me a number of years ago that she always seemed to be the first one through the intersection when the light turned green. Oh, dear god. She had cataract surgery a while back and her vision is now 20/20! No more glasses...she sees better than any of us. She held two long-term jobs in her life, one in a retail department store in the accounting department and one in the accounting department of a timber and wood products company.....both at more than 20 years each. She goes to church and TOPS (been in TOPS for nearly 40 years) and exercises at the senior center twice a week....which is far more than I do. She has traveled only in small parts of the Western US and to British Columbia. In spite of the fact that she can't hear a thing, she loves a good time and is always at every family gathering. She loves a good plate full of Mexican food -- and the margarita that goes with it. I love her dearly and wanted to take the time to introduce her to you. While we were in Boise recently, I took the opportunity to dress her up (just like I used to do behind closed doors with my own mother's things). And Jackie O. was the first thought that popped into my lame head. Aunt Ruth, I hope that I'm still moving around and enjoying life as well as you are when I'm 88.