Sweet tooth centenary
IF you ask Joyce Kirk how she feels about turning 100 today, she is likely to screw up her face and say: ‘‘Sorry, I can’t hear you.’’
Her hearing is significantly impaired, but try not to be fooled — she often says that when she wants to avoid answering questions.
‘‘It’s called selective deafness,’’ daughter Eleanor Brown said.
Ask her questions about her younger years, and she is happy to yarn as long as someone will listen.
Mrs Kirk (nee Aitken) grew up in Dunedin’s North East Valley and spent much of her early years working with her father at his grocery store, before becoming a secretary for various Dunedin businesses, including Reckitt and Colman.
She said good food was one of the things that had helped her reach 100 — particularly desserts.
She has a sweet tooth and has dessert every night, with whipped cream on top, no matter what it is.
Despite being a little slower on her feet these days, she still plays bowls at the Summerset at Bishopscourt retirement village in Dunedin.
She also loves to play housie, partly because she can win chocolates. ‘‘I like chocolates.’’
While she could have almost anything she wants for her 100th birthday today, she said she would prefer just to have a nice quiet day with family.
So Mrs Brown has organised for most of Mrs Kirk’s family — three children, nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren — to celebrate the milestone with an afternoon tea today, and a lunch function on Saturday.
‘‘And no matter how she’s feeling, she’ll always be smiling,’’ Mrs Brown said.