Annie calls herself ‘a young 80’. She says she’s a 40-year-old mind trapped in a 90-year-old body. She lives in New Zealand in an area known for its farmed mussels. She enjoys knitting, sewing, cooking, gardening, floral art, writing, Scrabble and computer games (puzzles particularly). Annie was besotted with horses in her youth, but is now a dog lover. She has two canine ‘children’ and two sons. Her working life has been varied — from accountancy clerk, farm hand and horse breaker to riding instructor, caterer and much more. Annie strives to uphold the motto ‘live for today’.