I hope you won't use your space soon. Happy birthday to you! 80 is not the limit. Your eyes are lying to you, only your heart is sharp-sighted, so you're not an old woman.
Thank you @Zhnyaka. It absolutely is amazing. I remember when the first astronauts flew - even the first dog into space; then Yuri Gargarin; then the American men on the moon. Before that, it was all fantasy land. Telephones were in red boxes around towns and villages, if your car would do 45 mph (downhill) you thought it was wonderful. Petrol was 6p a gallon (my Dad thought that was exorbitant).
The story I have been working on today was an ancestral one but the subject may not be much more than a legend. My grandmother appears, to some sources, as a descenden t of Ceol Hen ap Tegfan (4th century- 5th century) who was later immortalised as Old King Cole. I've been putting together all that I can find on him. Of course - like others that far back, he may not have existed but his daughter was Gwawl verch Coel. Verch means "daughter of" so there was someone called Coel or she wouldn't have been his daughter.
I've never heard of Old King Cole. who is it? Some kind of legendary figure like King Lear? I'm not very good at British history, and my knowledge of myths is even worse, although I love English literature.
Old King Cole was the subject of a little song we learned as children. It was a kind of nursery rhyme and it has been around since time immemorial. Well since the early 18th century at least:
I seem to have missed your actual birthday - I’ll blame time zones. I do hope it was a happy one.
Not to worry about that. I don't really mark my birthdays (too many of them) but everyone seems to think this one is a special milestone. I think the 100th one would be a bit special, but nothing up to that point.
Actually, I think I might award myself a "winner" if I outlive my grandmother and pass the 97 mark.
In your grandmother's time, did people live to 96?! wow!
Not normally, but my grandmother's family seemed to have the longevity gene. Her sister lived to about 104.
Wow! In that case, 97 is too small a goal for you. Medicine is much cooler now
As I approached 60 and was expecting to work for a good few more years, I was offered the chance to defer my pension and gain an extra benefit when I reached 65. I didn't, at that point, need the pension but when I asked what would happen to the amount I had saved the government by not taking the pension if I died before 65, I was told that my estate would receive nothing. Fine then, I took the pension and saved it while I worked on until I was 64. Then I had to stop to look after my ailing husband. Just as well I did save it - I needed cash to pay for alterations to the house and for ongoing expenses for the next 8 years until my husband died.
Rendered me incapable of much else. 
I had goat stew in Greece many years ago - goat meat is very underrated, it was every bit as delicious as brisket or braising steak.I haven’t had much appetite, during the heatwave.
That was cured today. Mr Pipp brought in a goat curry made by a Jamaican friend who has a small cafe, served with finely shredded veg instead of the usual rice and peas. I avoided the punch from a rum punch to accompany it, but settled for the dark Jamaican rum.
Cured the loss of appetite.
I had goat stew in Greece this summer. I was surprised at how tender it was. Absolutely delicious.
We used to keep goats but only ever had young goat meat which was very tender and sweet , like similar cuts of lamb, but I've never tried meat from an older goat although I've heard that, slow cooked, it is very good.
