Thursday 22 August 2013

The 'joys' or otherwise, of growing older...

First of all, welcome to two new followers via bloglovin - MrsMom and Carol Flood

As a human being, it seems difficult, if not impossible, to live in the moment. When young, we wish we were older. In a job we loathe we wish we could find something else. When pregnant we can't wait to see the baby, then all of a sudden, they are grown, left home and making their own way in the world.

We seem at times to be chasing our own shadow, wanting or hoping for more, or less, depending on where we are at any given moment along our time line. Whilst the great 'everyone' says we should try and live in the moment, savour every moment, it seems an elusive action.

One of the joys of growing older, that I have found 'is just letting it all hang out', quite literally sometimes. I dress for comfort first and foremost. One of my walking buddies commented yesterday when they saw me in a dress for the first time, 'Good heavens, you actually have arms and legs"!

I sometimes hang out the washing/put out the bins in my nightie and dressing gown - as does my neighbour. If I have a bath late afternoon, or early evening, I will usually get into my nightie rather than re-dress. Should anyone call (very rare in the evening) they ask if I am ill!

I used to be a housekeeping goddess when we were first married. If DB left the room, cushions would be plumped up, stuff gathered up - irritating him, yet he didn't say anything for fear of upsetting me. I was over-safety conscious and he would often find himself locked out after making the mistake of going outside to get something, put the bins out etc. It took ages for me to stop doing this and only did so after he finally said something. Ah, ain't love grand!

Now, the housework is done less often and we are both fine with that. We are as happy in our skins and with each other as we can be. Often, we collapse in heaps of giggles when one of us gets up and can't quite straighten up initially or something keeps clicking as we walk  - I'm laughing as I write this, can you tell? Mind you, laughing more is great but not always so for your underwear - shush!!

I am lucky in that DB (and DS. come to that) have always been the kind of chaps who eat what is put in front of them. Sometimes, when we were both working and were shattered, it would just be a jam sandwich. The only question either of them would ask would be "Lovely, what flavour?" We are still here to tell the tale.

We have lived in the same place now for just over 27 years, a joy after moving about continually when first married. We don't have a huge amount of friends/acquaintances,  but are happy with those we do have, even though, each year, their numbers dwindle - a downside of growing older.

Slowly but surely we are more aware that our bodies are changing with age. We can't do what we used to even though our brains tell us otherwise. We are happy with that but that doesn't mean we won't go screaming and kicking into the future should the need arise.

One of these days, I might just get around to dying my hair purple:)

24 comments:

  1. What a wonderful attitude I loved every word of your post .
    There are trials and triumphs for each age we go through;
    Carry on with your lovely positive attitude
    with very kind regards

    Joan [ Sue and L.H,s MUM XX

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  2. How lovely to hear from you Joan, glad you commented. I could have gone on more, might do one day, who knows!

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  3. Thats the wonderful thing about being nearer 60 than 50, I can avoid dressing up, I can turn into a semi recluse ( apart from the campsite) I can do what I want at last- well more or less! I also do the dressing gown thing but only in the winter.( campsite visitors again).

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    1. I am just enjoying being this age even if I am getting more creaky each year.

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  4. Oh DC I can definitely empathise with the struggling to get up from a sofa as John and I are going through this at the moment. We'll look at each other and say "Hmm old age creeping up on us" but we do laugh about it. Many a morning I can also be found hanging the washing out in my dressing gown too. I do think though that we are all as young as we feel even though the joints are seizing up!
    Patricia x

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    1. You should see us on our walking days. If the walk stops halfway around for lunch, we look like we have just got off a horse!

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  5. We both laugh at each other in the mornings, getting out of bed flat footed and hobbling to the bathroom because nothing wants to bend. Dressing for comfort, no make up, quick brush through the hair instead of preening in front of the mirror, comfy shoes, no rushing around..... I love my life too x

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    1. Well, lets face it, you have to laugh really.

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  6. Thank you for mentioning me,Ive never been mentioned on a blog before,lol.You have a great attitude to life.by the way I am sat reading this in my dressing gown and its only afternoon,and I will be getting my washing in soon,dressed in my dressing gown!

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    1. Ha, takes one to know one - dressing gown lover I mean!

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  7. I echo every word and sentiment.

    Lovely Hubby let's it all hang out literally most weekend mornings when he jogs over starkers to let the chickens out, he's never been spotted by a neighbour ....yet, but it's something he'll have to refrain from once we move, the main road runs past the front of the house.

    I can see him on the local Welsh news, 'Scottish interloper done for indecent exposure'.

    Sue xx (Joan's daughter and LH's wife ... and long time tormenter) :-)

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    1. I shall have to keep a look out in the news as I bet that will be a hard habit to break.

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  8. I often do all the above and have been shopping in my PJ,s even in Tesco, with a long mac and boots who can tell. because I work nights i hang my washing out before I shower, so PJ,s it is even my Winnie The Pooh ones, my neighbours do not mind, and I wouln't worry if they did. apart from the odd Sciatica episode I still tear around like a mad woman and hope to continue for a few more years. I am 62 and that used to be old now it is still middle aged. I had not considered dying my hair purple, red maybe. I did have it green and Yellow once when Norwich F C were in the cup run, and Orange when Diss F C won the Vase.

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    1. Whilst staying at my son's one weekend, we saw a woman in Tesco in her pyjama's and slippers plus her hair was in giant rollers. She was around 30 years old or so. For me, that is taking it a little too far.

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  9. I love your attitude, and I enjoyed reading your post :)
    I usually go out to the mailbox dressed in my pyjamas, and sometimes also to hang out the washing. Luckily we have few neighbours, though I would never have done that at a younger age, think I am getting more relaxed about dressing up the older I get.

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    1. See, there are some good things to look forward to in older age!

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  10. Good for you! I will probably be the same in a few years when I retire!(I'm definitely one for my nightie and/or dressing gown too if I dont have to be anywhere!).

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    1. I like to wear my nightie as there isn't anything on it that sticks, pulls or digs in. No matter how comfy my clothes may be, I always seem to have a mark somewhere on me by the end of the day.

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  11. I seem to behave very similar to you. Must be a generation thing, I guess. I no longer can be bothered with too much house work. I no longer iron the bed sheets as I used to whilst younger. I must have been mad, as I had 3 young kids as well. Makes me wonder now where on earth I once found the time and energy to iron all our beddings. As it`s only us two that see the bedding I no longer waste time and efforts anymore. It seems that we learn to priorotize better as we get older. It`s much better for us as the old creeking bone syndrome sets in. I often do my housework in my pj`s before getting dressed. I`d done the dying of my hair red during my bellydancing years, just can`t be bothered anymore now with the mess it creates in the bathroom, so prefer to grow old naturally now. I`d never consider leaving the house in my pj`s though. I`m up by the crack of dawn and dressed by 10 am the latest, but will also be found back in my pj`s by mid afternoon when I have no reason to leave the home, when there is bad weather or it`s winter. Comfort is far more important now than it`s ever been in my life. And to flounce around in pj`s and dressing gown halfway through the day is very cosy. I do this far more during the winter month, though. I don`t wear any socks from May to beginning of October, just slop around in flip flops most days, even at work. Must be the aging thing that makes me so layed back now.

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    1. Luckily for me, I rarely iron as DB has nearly always done it. We don't often do the sheets but will do the duvet covers if needed. There is something rather homely and comfy about not being afraid to be in pyjama's during the day isn't there?

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  12. Pleased to read all these comments, now I know I'm not the only one who sees no point in getting dressed if there's nowhere to go.
    Don't even bother to shave if I'm not going out, doesn't seem much point, nobody's going to notice, and the razor lasts twice as long.

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    1. Well, we do get dressed eventually, not sure I would want to spend all day in my jim jams, otherwise I might have to find something else to sleep in:)

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  13. Yep, with you every step of the way with this post, Dc. My housekeeping has really dropped a standard or two since the boys left home and especially since we retired. The essentials are done regularly of course, but the dusting and vaccing get done when I notice! Also we are getting a bit creaky but hey, still able to get around well and enjoy life. I overdid my commitments this year, and have just cancelled a long weekend at a festival with the Mollies as it was stressing me out trying to do all the planning/shopping/mum organising etc. So feel much better having jettisoned something I shouldn't have signed up to in the first place. As a good friend of mine has just said to me "Enjoy doing less, more." and she is so right! Lx

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  14. Always good to remember we are retired. It is so easy to either feel guilty for not doing much or else doing too much simply because we can! We have both, at last, stopped feeling guilty and adopted the manjana attitude to life. There is always tomorrow (hopefully) and tomorrow and tomorrow. Or next week, the week after that, or even the next month. Ad infinitum. xx

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