MARIA AMELIA REPLIES TO OLIVE
OLIVE’S SIXTY SIXTH POST POST
Mike
Last time we made a big effort to write to Maria Amelia, Spain’s oldest blogger
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Olive
You and Michael tried to teach me Spanish too.
Mike
Indeed, Michael Galovic was a great tutor for you, Ollie. Anyway, to our delight, Maria has answered in detail.
She’s even got someone to do a translation, so it’s come to us in English. We think Maria’s answer is important enough to put it all here.
Olive
We are so sooooo happy to have her answer.
Mike
One piece of sad news. Wordpress, which runs this blog template, meaning the structure, has changed the format radically and now there’s a lot I have to relearn in order to post.
It’s like going into the supermarket and finding they’ve re-arranged everything, except about 10 times worse.
Not only can’t you find things, you don’t where to look.
Why do they torment us like this? Don’t they realize it’s hard for us oldies to lean these things in the first place?
At least, it would be nice to have the option to continue with the old template, but no, it’s been swept into the dustbin of computer history.
2.3.3. has been crushed, erased by 2.5
Anyway, enough grumbles, here’s what Maria Amelia wrote, without any photos.
Maria Amelia writes;
Ma’am, I am amazed that, given your age, you are doing better than I am. I see somewhat as best I can out of one eye, but out of the other, I see very little, very badly.
I manage to get by because, up close, I am able to see pretty well.
I am amazed that you, at your age are still so pretty, and that you wear that hat so well, like a young 15 year old girl. You are very likable.
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And this man is teaching you Spanish (Michael Galovic) No one can teach me English so I cannot respond to you in English.
I marvel at the fact that you are 108 years old, because I know that I will not reach 100. I am already noticing what is happening to me. I have bad blood circulation to my brain.
But If I stay still, I get very restless and that is what kills me. I want to be involved in everything. Even if my head hurts, I want to be part of it.
If I were calmer maybe I too would make it to 108. But I will not reach that. I will not even make it to 100. I don’t know what will happen this winter. No one in my family has lived as long as I.
In order to live so long, you must have had a great deal of tranquility. Furthermore, you’re doing so well for your age, and with that hat that looks fantastic on you. And you are so funny when you talk!
That gentleman who is with you, (We don’t know if Maria is referring here to Michael, who has only visited Olive once, or Eric who goes each week) does he have something with you?
He is very handsome, has a good presence, and has such patience to go visit you every week.
Today, I went out to take a walk through the fields and I was left feeling very calm. But my feet swelled up a bit.
But I see you very well, even with younger looking hands than me. You have neither arthritis nor poor circulation. You move your hands, your wrists. I see agility in that body. You do not look your age.
So you are the oldest blogger. I started first, but within a matter of months you were online too. And you don’t have any relatives to keep you company? Children? Grandchildren?
Well, I would like to greet you in English but I don’t speak any English.
Many people write to me from Australia, I wanted to find out where it was and everything. It is a very beautiful country. You are in a good place. If you were speaking Spanish, we could talk a great deal!
Continue to maintain yourself looking so elegant. 108 years old. If I were to reach there……….
Here in Galicia the oldest I know of is 105. But no one else.
So pleased to meet you and my regards to the gentleman who accompanies you for keeping you company and for typing for you. (that must be me, Mike)
Because an old woman appreciates it when someone does a nice thing for her.
I send you a kiss. You even sang in Spanish for me, which amused me very much.
So ends Maria’s greeting.
Now, here is Olive in the green hat which Maria admires so much. (I actually bought it for her in a St. Vincent De Paul shop)
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Here’s Olive in another green hat, not so elegant.
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And here is Olive dancing. Maria likes dancing too.
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Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 7:44 am
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14 Responses to “MARIA AMELIA REPLIES TO OLIVE”
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April 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
Gracious Olive’s serene and charming presence knows no bounds!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Well Mike, thank you for persevering through computer updates to keep Olive on the internet. Olive, I too love your hats. Maria Amelia is right that you look very good in them, I just wish I looked as good hats as you do. Keep up your dancing and singing for us all.
Kathryn in Florida
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Hi Olive, hi everybody.
I’m from Argentina, and read both blogs, María Amelia’s and Olive’s. And as I said this afternoon to María Amelia, you are both an example of will and interest, in English and Spanish, and also because it you can communicate among yourselves!
Thanks to all who surround María Amelia and Olive, because they allows the elderly to grow up, even more.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 pm
what a sweet letter!
i have to agree with maria, though, you do not look to be 108. i hope i look that good if i live that long!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Hi Olive and Mike ~~ What a delightful message from
Maria Amelia and so full of praise for you Olive.
You do look great ans so alert for your age and bring us so much joy with your videos (thanks Mike, you do well) and stories from your life. I am sorry Maria does not expect to reach 100, but she might
still make it to that. Take great care dear Olive, and glad you enjoyed your trip to New Zealand Mike.
Love and best wishes to you both, Merle.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 am
These ladies are amazing… and an inspiration!
Blessings to you from Boston!
-Jennifer
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 am
How wonderful that technology lets you two ladies living on opposite ends of the world talk to each other and see “live” who you are talking to. That was a lovely message from Maria Amelia, and I agree with her that you look so good at 108. From Lynne at Bulli.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Dear Olive -
I so admire your spirit and look forward to your posts! Your interests and enthusiasm provides so much encouragement to us.
Mike - Thank you so much for being part of this gift to us all!
Take care both of you!
April 4th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I keep hearing of elderly bloggers more and more. One day I was hearing of a story of a blogger who is in her 90 and manged to live though the holcust (sorry about the spelling) she watch her parents being drug off.
She doesn’t know what blogger stand for and I do either.
The only thing I know her name is fridia and I believe she lives in USA or Canada she married a solider from Canada.
April 5th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Howdy Olive and Mike!
I’m not sure if Maria knows that people in Australia pronounce the double L’s in words like ‘torilla’. Going for ‘Tor Till ah” instead of ‘Tor tea ah”. You and she might get a good laugh at the Australization of spanish words.
Hasta luego!
April 6th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Good day to you all. What a treat to read Maria Amelia’s letter and to hear Olive sing. But to see Olive get up and dance just tops it all. Miss Ollie, you’ve just melted the last snow over here!
Thank you.
Susanne from Toronto
April 17th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Haven’t been able to get over here for awhile. Glad to see Ollie is still going strong. I just spoke for a few minutes to a goodly number of older computer users and told them about your blog, Ollie, and that Mike helps you. Only two of those people had blogs. Remains to be seen if any of the others will explore blogs or blogging. They all seem to be busy doing other things on the computer. Haven’t had any opportunity to show your video again. Maybe you would like me to forward it to someone else who has a group to whom they can show it?
Glad to get a link to Maria and that you and she are in contact now. Really like your video, as usual, Ollie. Mike, your photos are spectacular — I’m ready to leave for New Zeland (don’t I wish.) You have enough pictures here to last me for a month!
Keep blogging!
April 26th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Dear Olive,
You look so lovely in that green hat and I enjoyed hearing you singing! Just keep singing and dancing and stay forever young!
God bless you!
Love, Birdie
May 8th, 2008 at 7:34 am
5/7/2008
Dear Ollie,
I have been looking at your ‘blob’ for about 6
months. I enjoy it so much. I live in Florida,
U.S.A and Iam 77 years old and still working as
a cashier in a supermarket.
I loved your singing you harmonize very well.
Thank you Mike and Chris for bringing Ollie to us
she is certainly an inspriration
Sincerly
Jeri