90 is the new 70. . . .

My regular Wednesday afternoon mah jong game is off for the summer as three of our five players are on summer vacation trips.  So I've been filling in on Tuesday afternoons at the request of my neighbor Elaine, in a game where they are missing one of their regular players.

I'm still pretty new to mah jong and this game "goes by the rules", or so they tell me.  That means they play significantly differently than my group and to tell you the truth, I find it a bit daunting at times.  That's why, during a recent game, I requested the elegant lady on my left. . .her name is Thelma and she is always perfectly coiffed and made up. . . to please go a little slower.  I was having a little trouble keeping up.

Thelma was very nice about my request, and assured me she would make every effort to slow down a little.

Game over, on the way up to my apartment in the elevator, Elaine asked me if I had any idea how old Thelma was.  Nonplussed at the question, I said why???  "Because she's 92," was the reply.

And I just asked her to go slower.

Amazing, yes.  Even more so because we've become good friends.  Thelma is a hoot, funny and full of life.  Yesterday she invited me to lunch as her guest because I had given her two passes to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden when her daughter came to visit.

We were going to a restaurant she wanted to try in Coconut Grove along with another friend of hers. Friend Joyce turned out to be much younger. . only 90.  Jeez, I was the baby of the group!

 We had an absolutely lovely lunch.  Thelma drove.

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Thelma