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Kelowna  

Longevity = chips and slots?

Turns out the secret to a long and happy life could be French fries and slot machines.

Today was Eunice Whitney's 101st birthday and, according to her granddaughter, Christa, "she has such a great heart and is always seeing the best in people – and she doesn't like carrots and loves French fries."

Eunice still lives on her own, walks to the store and gets her own groceries. Her daughter, Louise, says her mother has always been kind and positive. Unlike some older people, Eunice doesn't go for bingo so much, "It's not exciting enough for her, you know what I mean? The stimulation is just not there in bingo the way it is when you're playing the slots."

Eunice was born prematurely and weighed in at only two pounds. Doctors didn't give her much hope for survival, but her mother fed her from an eyedropper and kept her warm in the oven – and 101 years later Eunice is still going strong.

"I've never seen my mother sick, she's never had the flu or a cold or any ailments."
 
Louise says her mother's love of fries dates back to her days growing up. "They lived on French fries because they were really poor, and to this day she loves (them)."

This year's party was a little more subdued than last year's 100-year celebration, but Eunice doesn't show any signs of slowing down. "Last year, she thought she was done, 'well I'm a hundred I guess that's it'" she said. "Well guess what?"



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