Mavis O'Donnell's Chronicle crosswords keep the almost 94-year-old's mind sharp.
That clarity and sharpness is also why she wins Scrabble when she plays her "baby" son, Mark.
Mrs O'Donnell will be 94 on January 12 and says she does not feel any different, apart from a "dickie hip", which is why sheexercises every morning ... delivering her Chronicle to son Mark next door.
But she cuts out the crossword before making the delivery. In doing that she also cuts out the tides.
"I'm a whitebaiter but I don't get that information," Mark jokes.
Mrs O'Donnell started doing the crosswords in the Wanganui Herald "in the early days".
"I was nine and the Herald ran competitions for the kiddies. We had pen names and mine was Hyacinth. We were given prizes for the most points."
Mrs O'Donnell plays cards three times a week - on Monday at the Wanganui East Bowling Club, Tuesday at the Wanganui East Club, and Friday at the Hard of Hearing. When she was aged 4, Mrs O'Donnell came to Wanganui from Greymouth with her parents, Fred and Isobel McKessar, who started a floral nursery in Springvale on the site of the stadium.
Her life as a young woman revolved around dancing.
"I was too tied up with dancing to be bothered with boys."
It was some time before her husband George got a look in.
"He could not dance and would stand at the door of the Wanganui East Hall and watch."
The couple had seven children but she has outlived her two eldest, Bryan and Paddy.
Mrs O'Donnell says Wanganui is the best place in the world to live.
"Wanganui beats the lot. The Whanganui River makes the city."
