Evelyn Isabel Smith is one hip lady. Though today she turns a glitzy 100, she?s sharper in mind, body and soul than many half her age.

This centenarian was born in Bermuda on August 26, 1906 to Maria Henrietta (a home-maker) and Charles Henry Smith (a business man who owned a shop where Evelyn now lives) and is the sole survivor of her three siblings: brothers Charles and George and sister Miriam.

She was married ? ?horse and carriage? style ? to the late Gerald Leroy (Joe) Smith on October 9, 1941 and together they had daughters Roydelle and EmmyLou.

Evelyn is one of the few Bermudians who have been privileged enough to watch the lives of many generations develop and respond to the ever-changing elements of this country. Very close to her children, she said: ?EmmyLou clothes me and Roydelle is my caregiver ? she takes care of all my business.?

But don?t be fooled. This lady is still up and about and can pretty much fend for herself. ?I can still cook a little bit. Sometimes I fry chicken and chips or make up a salad.?

She also lists spaghetti and meatballs and corn beefcakes as dishes she whips up on occasion. On Saturdays and Sundays daughter Roydelle (or ?babe? as she calls her) takes her on a drive.

?If there is something on throughout the week and I want to go, babe would take me.?

Evelyn loves to look her best at all times ? her collection of rings and silver bangle bracelets are some of her most prized possessions that never leave her arms. Even her walking stick, which she refers to as ?my old man?, must be in synch with her flawless sense of fashion.

And her penmanship is as impeccable as her appearance.

?I can still do crossword puzzles and I can still write letters, and I like to keep up with the daily paper and the magazines.?

However, she adds: ?I don?t read novels. I have to study my own life story.?

She is certainly well intact.

?I ain?t got no aches and pains. The only thing I?ve got is false teeth and bi-focal glasses. But I can still laugh and understand what you?re telling me.?

Evelyn watches ?Larry King Live? religiously and also enjoys ?The Price is Right?, ?Days of our lives? and ?The Young And The Restless?.

Another programme she never misses is the David Lopes early morning radio show and at times during the day sits on her porch to admire the beautiful view of the North Shore, watching the boats go by.

Surprisingly, Evelyn totally dislikes drinking water.

?Do you want me turn rusty inside??

She is virtually illness-free, other than a dose of high blood pressure, saying plenty of senna and flaxseed has contributed to her health.

The only time she consumes water is in tea and coffee, other than that, she would much prefer a little sip of ginger ale. This wonder woman is certainly not on any diet. Pringles potato chips and hot dogs are a couple of the munchies that she enjoys on occasions.

Asked about her eating habits as a child, she said her mother often fed her boiled rice with peas or stew ?and things like that ? no fancy foods that they have now like Spanish rice and peas and rice?.

Whenever necessary, her mama would send her out with her cousin to kill chickens. Her cousin would do the brutal part, then her mother would put it in a pan of hot water and Evelyn had to pick out the feathers. It would then go into the brick oven. Also, fresh vegetables, she says, were always a part of a meal.

Giving us another peak through an early 20th century window, she says: ?I had to walk to school ? from North Shore to Hamilton.? The streets weren?t paved. ?There were jail nuts which werehard rocks that we had to walk on.?

She recalls the First World War, when ?we used to have to cover the windows with paper or sheets to keep the enemy from seeing lights. It was sad those days. And we had to be in before dark?.

She says she would often see soldiers at the Seaview Bar, which is now ?Ricky?s Barbershop.?

?They used to come down and get a drink. They were rough ? they used to fight like crazy.? She can still remember the day the soldiers left for war.

?They all marched up North Shore and all the children rushed out to see the soldiers going into Hamilton to catch the ship.?

Other than World War One and the ageof electricity, Evelyn has experienced countless numbers of firsts. To name a few of those memorable moments: the trains of the Bermuda Railway and television. She says: ?When my brother Charlie got a television all the children came around and were peeping in the window to watch it. He was one of the first to get one on North Shore.?

And there was such excitement with the first sight of a plane.

?Everybody rushed out and said: ?Oh it?s a plane coming!??

Pedal bikes and horse-drawn trolleys, wagons and carriages were the name of the game back when motor vehicles were unheard of. She says, when going to school: ?We would say (to the man operating the wagon or trolley) ?Mister, would you give us a drive???

Another difference between then and now: ?I must say, the beds weren?t comfortable like they are today. We had some strong, lumpy mattresses ? stiff stuff.?

And there was no such thing as a bathroom. Galvanized bathtubs were used: ?You would half fill it with water, bring it in (a room) and just stand in it to get your bath.?

There were no pressurised water systems. ?We used to dip water and put it in the tub. We didn?t have no fancy taps ? we just had tanks. You kept a bucket in the house for drinking and then when you get your bath you would go outside and fill the tub from the tank.?

She describes outdoor toilets with a chuckle: ?They had a wooden seat with either one or two holes.?

Sand and sawdust was used to cover any waste.

A dancing darling, Evelyn was light on her toes. She loved to waltz.

?My husband and I used to dance.?

And, she said, they were great at it.

Evelyn is the oldest living Berkeley-ite. She began working at the age of 16. Her work experience included 30 years at Horizons Ltd. (Newstead Hotel) and 36 years working for the Bermuda Book Store ? from which she only retired six years ago, at the age of 94. Once again, comparing the times of the present to those of the past, she says: ?There?s too much fast life now ? too much crime.?

Evelyn doesn?t think parents take control of their children early in life. In her day parents were certainly in charge ? at least hers were.

On a positive not, Evelyn believes most people are trying to live Christian lives.

Evelyn, who has travelled extensively throughout North America, Europe and the Caribbean, says of being 100: ?I don?t feel any different ? only weak in the limbs.?

She has four grandchildren, nine great grand-children and one great-great, and said her secret to staying so youthful was to ?live day by day with trust in the Lord. He protects me and guides me and I must say I feel blessed because I still have my senses and I can still read and write so I thank God for that?.