By Henry Bury THE INTELLIGENCER < Renowned local artist Dorothy (Dolly) Cain says she has approached life with attention to detail and quality -- and song. "You can worry about something in life or sing a song. I sing a song," she said. Cain's family will be singing her a special tune today -- the Happy Birthday song. The Belleville resident turned 90 years old and the birthday accolades have come from such prominent individuals at Prime Minister Paul Martin, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson. "I really didn't think about turning 90 until people started giving me things to celebrate," Cain laughed during an interview Sunday at her Charlotte Street home where she has lived for the past half-century. "I never enjoyed receiving so many birthday cards in my life before," she added while she continued to roll her own cigarette. She has been smoking since her teenage years. Cain has spent her entire life dabbling in some art form -- music, writing, poetry, painting and even theatre. "I think art should be for eyeryone," she said. And she helped make that happen by helping form the Belleville Arts and Crafts Club, teaching children's art classes for a full decade, directing theatrical productions and presiding over the local writer's guild. She holds the distinction of having her oil paintings displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal for two consecutive years in the early 1960s as well as galleries in Hamilton, and London, Ont. She also presented "one-man shows" at the former McCarthy Theatre in Belleville -- Cain was the first artist to stage such a show there -- and Corby Public Library and won accolades for presenting and directing the play "Box and Cox" for the Belleville Theatre Guild. "I never intended to be the best in everything I did. But it all sort of came naturally to me," she said. Her son, Paul, of Toronto, said he is extremely proud of her artistic accomplishments. "She has been a good role model for me because of her determination and strong will for life," he said. Cain said she has been extremely fortunate to lead a good life, right from the time she started walking. "Our home was filled with music and laughter ... we always enjoyed life," she said. Born in 1914, Cain was the fifth of eight children of Jessie and Thomas Mason. The family resided on Cannif ton Road with their property backing on the Moira River. "The eight of us got along. I never remember having a fight with my brothers or sisters," she recalled. (She only has one living brother, George, of Beaverton). She attended high school and then graduated from Ontario Business College. She moved to Montreal in the early 1930s and lived in a boarding house. Dr. Norman Bethune occupied an upper studio room and invited her and the other residents to express an opinion on his latest painting. ( F\oj 45/0, Cain informed him of her desire to' paint and he started giving her lessons -- and an artist was born. She moved to Toronto and frequented a local theatre where she saw1 acts like Red Skelton and Billy deWolf. That piqued her love of the theatre. She married air force officer Paul* Cain in 1942 and when he was sent overseas, she moved to CFB Trenton and worked in administration at the base. Cain later moved to Toronto, studied art, gave birth to her only son/ Paul in 1949, and returned to Belleville a year later. She immediately joined the Belleville Theatre Guild in 1953 and: was cast in the role of MaMa in The Happy Times. A year later, she directed the award-winning pro^ duction of Box and Cox. In 1963, she joined the Commu-; nity Planning Association of Cana-;: da and started the Belleville chap^ ter. "The Moira River is in danger," she told members at the organizing meeting. "We must do all we can to preserve it for ourselves and fot generations to come." According to Cain, that was the beginning of all the improvements to the Moira River and Bayshore Trail that residents now enjoy. Cain has also found time to publish two art books, in 1973 and: 1990, and was instrumental in saving the classical music radio staf tion CFMX in Cobourg. ; "I love music, especially classical music," she said. Cain said she has a hard time believing that 90 years "have gone by so fast. I don't feel like 90." She still enjoys reading and doing the crossword puzzles. Cain owes her longevity to eating porridge every morning while growing up and her outlook on life.' "Life has been good because w£ made it that. Don't wait for life to' be beautiful. Make it beautiful yourJ self," she said. p.