Is 91 the new 40?

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
~Henry Ford

On 11-11-11 my mom turned 91. Since she is the subject of my logo I thought I should write a birthday post. A little belated, but we had a very busy birthday weekend!

Here’s a little history on my mom’s life. She was born Gjertrude Jeanette Folstad on November 11th, 1920, in Bergen, Norway.
Now my grandmother was already living in America at the time, but decided to visit her family in Norway, and my mom decided to be born there.

She spent most of her childhood in Duluth, MN and her teenage years in Minneapolis, MN. Married her first husband at the age of 19, against her mother’s best wishes. He died in an airplane accident in the Air Force. Years later she married her second husband, my dad. They raised eight children together, four from her first marriage, two from his first marriage, and my brother and I.


She has always been a fearless person. She and my dad traveled all through Mexico in a car and trailer. AND I mean ALL through Mexico. She has some great stories! She still belongs to a book club, quilting club and a women’s group. Her social life is much more exciting than mine!

So what do you get a 91 year old for her birthday? An IPAD of course! We already got her a stationary bike for her 85th birthday.
She aced her ten minute intro to IPAD at the Apple store, started emailing everyone the next day, and by the third day was telling us she had it figured out! (She had never even looked at a computer before!)

Friday we go back to the Apple store for her 0ne hour training session. I’m just afraid by the end of it she will be wearing a blue Apple shirt and running the store!

Happy Birthday to my amazing, wonderful, loving, loved, caring, smart, adventurous, 40….oops, I mean 91 year young Mom!