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AS-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, March 27, 2007 CW4--OMMBUNITY Set to turn 100 Auckland shows no signs of slowing down Good, dlean living and a busy schedule the key"to bel oved wornaný longeviiy By Stephanie Thiessen CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF With ber rosy cheeks, sandy brown hair and remarkably smooth skin, it's bard to believe Clara Auckland is poised t0 turn 100 on Monday Add tbe smart outfit, classy iew- elry and cbarming giggle, and Auckland is posiîively fascinaîing. What's ber secret? Il's a question tbat Auckland apparently gels a lot. And, quite frankly, she doesn't real- ly bave one. "I jusî tell them I'm an ordinary person," she said. "I eat properly, I neyer drank and I neyer smoked." But ils clear from the fîrst moment one meets ber tbat Auckland isn't your typical centenarian - if, Endeed, une dues exist. Ini faci, witb ber husy scbedule and bevy of friends, Auckland wouldn't be your average 65-year-old, neyer mind someone in triple digits. Tbis woman knows bow 10 live. Staying active On tbe walîs of ber downtown Milton aparîment are family photos capîuring a life- lime of memories and oul painîings [rom ber own brusb. She bas a talking bird named Goldie 10 keep ber company on tbe occasional lonely nigbt, and a computer on wbicb she plays Scrabble and bridge te0 keep ber mind sharp. Sbe doesn't bave the Internet, but ils not for lack of techoical savvy - "I don't bave lime!" she explained. Sbe does ber own cooking - lots of fisb, beef and cbicken - and refuses to bave a sîranger come tn to do ber laundry4 despite ber sons enîreaties. "1 say, 'Ross, I can't watcb someone else do (my) work! Ils exercise'. On Sunday, scores of Auckland's friends and family members will gaîber at the Milton legion 10 celebrate ber century of living. Her actual hirtbday falîs the day afîer. If ber 95tb birtbday parîy is any indication - more than 200 people aîîended - ils going 10, be quile the sbindig. "They're preparing for 300," Aukland said, a twinkle in ber eye. But shes taking ail the attention in sîride. Sunday aund Monday will be just îwo more days in the life she feels lucky 10 caîl ber own "To me itt jms suothr &ay »III I'd radier be wttlhout it. 1 don't like to be fussed over." - although she's very excited about seeing family members who're flymng in for the occasion. "To me its just another day and I'd rather be without it. 1 don't like to be fussed over," she said. This dear woman w~iI bc the first to say her life bas been fairly smooth, although she isn't unfamiliar with heartache. Eighteen years ago, she lost the man to wbom she'd been married 59 years - enough to sap even the strongest of the wîlI 10 live. But Aukland feels adamantly that its one's attitude that determines one's happiness. "Life is what you make of it," she said. Stili, she misses her husband, and attînb- utes mucb of ber bappiness to finding a good man. "With my husband and 1 getting along so well, life bas been really good to me," she said. Auckland was born in Campbellville in 1907. Each day as a teen, she îook the train to a high scbool on Martin Street, which is now an elementary school. She left the area to byve with an aunt in Toronto as a young aduit, and met ber bus- band-to-be, Fred, shortly after. She mamred him in 1930, and they moved t0 King City hefore relocating in Lowville, just outside Milton. In 1937, the couple took over the Lowville General Store - now the Lowville Bistro - whicb they sold in 196 1. Living through the Depression was diffi- cuit, she said, explaining she and Fred had barely enough 10 keep their store running. But then, everyone was in the samne situation. Farmers who came in would trade eggs and other barter items for groceries. They had two sons, now aged 62 and 69 and living in Georgetown and Victoria, B.C. Auckland worked at a downtown Milton ladies dress sbop for a lime, before becoming interested in antiques and opening a small sbop next to the general store. GRAHAM PAINE / CANAXTIAN CHAMPION AGELESS WONDER: Ready to hit the century mark, Clara Auckland has a number of hobbies bo keep her busy, including one ot her favourites -knitting. She moved lu ber current aparîment Just over 20 years ago. But Aukland refuses to Ict il become a well-decoraîed prison. Besides goîng ouI witb friends, Auckland said she enjoys gotng for walks and believes strongly in their tberapeuîic benefits - altbough she doesn'î feel sale walking in Milton aI nighî anymore. "I go for a walk and wben I come home, 1'm a diflerent person," sbe saîd. Aukland mîgbî not sec berself as any- îbîng out of tbe ordinar)y but she bas pearis of wisdom for anyone wbo bas tbe lime to listen. And ber lifes pbilosopby can be nar- rowed down 10 one sentence: "I try 10 treat people and meet people as I wanî te, be treal- cd and meeîed." Stephanie Thiessen cari be reached at sthiessen@m)riltoncanadianchampion.com. ?Y~COGECO Cogeco Cable Channel 14 Programrning Schedule - Tuesday, March 27 - Monday, April 2, 2007 lhUI LOCal TefrViiOf MUann- UMpu PWW In!E EXTRA 1 8.»mn lTUpm APied In EXTRA SRUa. 12Xpipm kM n Ap ETA 8iUî- iXonPlu g A InXT iRAi80a MidnîRn PAlue'In EXTRA iR0am -EUE.p Plugged In' EXTRA 8Ram 1 U0p. PIAgged In' EXTRA ÛD) prROEL" 1pn anHSCw 2Mm sap iatk U0p. Haftoiiui RWmUA'A6 MAACA,,, cu i U 0P. MIROCoonci wjww.c@gOCO.Ca eiU m -IMWlo mggPu 3.~ -7:310 PWRM gad m! 8XiA 00pm ERRi PuE In' EXTRA 3 0pm 8 0p, PlupXIn EXTRA 3U0prn lUpu P anpQ. E lAff E 1 0po MAii Inp. EXTRAN LuGan NORTH HALTON STUDIO 7 TUçue 73p Ng n XA 3OP i mn Auakby =' EXTRAo Hep LA M AiiEnii PR5XX In' EXTRA i OR iAEpefS([,ue) IIMg SM ia taon KoaRI cm 10 A0p -ER Aidnigh lA'd EXTRA Launer Plaz m Xli Xii m à CopuA 914o MEIa C il 1A 10am iduA PAp In' EXTRA 500 Lauir Avenuile 1p. MM-idAigit lu>w In' EXTRAApAA'EX Milton, ON L9T 4R3 $05-878-9M =