Looking in the mirror. I'm always surprised to see that, indeed, I am 75 years old, so old enough to be somebody's grandmother or even great grandmother.

I guess on the other end of the spectrum, I still occasionally dye my hair pink or purple. I don't care about trendy clothes. I dress comfortably and don't feel the need to go anywhere that I would need to wear anything else.

Best of both worlds?

Absolutely kevin. My husband has his father’s Oliver tractor (1949) that he keeps saying he’s going to refurbish. He put two new tires on it a few years ago, bought a new exhaust thingy. It still runs, but looks like he11.

A few years ago, when he was joy riding on it, the crank for the starter fell off somewhere in the long grass and he’s never found it on the property. Not that he needs the crank. He always uses

the electric start but says his father was too cheap/poor to buy a new battery when he had it and relied on the crank. Sentimental, I guess.. I’ll occasionally drive it, but boy do you need strong feet for the clutch.

eta

Here’s his Oliver rescuing his John Deere many years ago.

What shows you're getting old Rox is not that you wear socks with sandals, but that you don't realise that socks with sandals are actually in.

Socks With Sandals Is Summer's Most Controversial Trend—How to Style It https://share.google/xnZ814jSW84i5mgvW

Whoa, thank you floral!

I’m a trendsetter! You’ve made my day.🤠

@roxsolid buy him a metal detactor for his birthday! Maybe he'll find it and maybe you'll get some alone time in the house while he spends his days looking for it!

The only thing that I can identify with as the same as my older relatives is that I recall many of them had handkerchieves at the ready because their noses would run when they ate. I wouldn't ever use a handkerchief but am sure to have tissues with me any time I dine away from home. (I'm discreet). I have a dear friend who was raised in exclusive boarding homes in Europe, who uses her cloth napkin to dab her nose at the table in restaurants. I find that appalling and surprising considering her breeding and education.

The only other thing I recognize as from the oldsters in my family is my grandmother with severe knee arthritis, using the furniture to steady her as she moved through her house. I do the same now, since I inherited the bad knee gene.

That reminded me of a recent Miss Manners column - someone wrote in about a friend who always loudly blew her nose as soon as she sat down, and then cleaned her nostrils with a tissue - in full view - whenever they dined out - she was wondering what to say to make it stop 😆

And I do so appreciate having clean feet, so I wholeheartedly approve of socks with sandals 🙂

@carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10 and that would be even worse if she handles some communal table food, like bread that needs to be torn. Eww! What did Miss Manners suggest (tho I can't imagine embarrassing my friend by mentioning it)?

I think that maybe I am 40 or so, until I look in the mirror and see grey hairs staring back at me.

Or worse, filling out forms, and where they ask for occupation I write "retired" - at which point I am confronted with the cold reality that young people aren't generally retirees.

I am also accumulating a list of health problems. I console myself with the fact nothing I have should actually kill me...but I am embarrased to admit I am fighting urges to not compare illnesses when talking with friends or neighbors. If playing "Illness Poker" isn't peak old people behavior I don't know what is!

Carol, my MIL had a friend who did the same nose/nostril thing during dinner.🥴 Then she’d tuck the hanky into her sleeve or inside the front of whatever she was wearing

Not related to rox’s topic but kind of funny. As young women, my mom and aunt would wear hats with veils to church. One day my aunt had a cold and forgot about the veil covering her face. She blew her nose right through it causing both her and my mom to have to leave due to their laughing.

Ally De, my husband recently met for breakfast with a bunch of his friends. He said that much of the talk was about their personal waterworks, golf, and the price of Metamucil at Costco.

Rox - There are a few of us "dog walkers" in my neighborhood, and when we see each other we meet up to let the dogs sniff around and we all walk together. So think more casual friends than deep connections, you know?

One of my dog walker friends mentioned the importance of fiber in his life now, and I shared the fact that Fiber One cereal works for me. And I thought holy hannah - yep, I'm OLD!

With me it's that my main social outings any more are the dang Dr. appointments.

I think it was Red Green who said you know you’re getting old when the most important thing about your clothes is that they’re comfortable.

tj

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy", (found the right quote).

When I'm going past the restroom I think "I may as well go", because it's so close.

When I bend down to pick anything up, I also tie my shoe, because I'm already down there.

You all gave me some giggles. I do indeed carry a hanky. Mine is kept in the pocket of my handbag. Luckily, I usually only need it right when I get into the car. Allergy to something, maybe. The ENT said that old people's noses do tend to run more...something about age and the parasympathetic nervous system. I confess I stopped listening at some point.

@Fun2BHere - I saw an otolaryngologist recently because of a problem with my sense of taste and he told me it was because I "have a lot of candles on my cake". Never going back to listen to that again...

Re: the sock with sandals. It IS a thing, as my daily email from Birkenstock tells me. I too have a lot of candles on my cake, but I'm living as I always have with my two koi ponds, my three cats and my flowers. I know it will soon catch up with me, living in this old farmhouse when most people my age downsized many years ago. but until then...

I "have a lot of candles on my cake".

I am rolling on the floor laughing right now!!!

I like the idea of socks with sandals. I'm assuming that my running socks are probably not what I should be wearing with my sandals.

rox - I have those same sandals. And yes, they are comfortable.

I think it was suggesting she go wash her hands😏

I enjoy the advice columns - the queries are often more interesting than the answers

My mom used to clip newspaper articles and stuff a handful in my pocket as I was leaving. I used to complain to my children, and throw them in the trash unread. Now children reminded me I have turned into her updated. I send my kids lots of article or jokes from the internet. They laugh about never reading them. I am using daily pill dividers now too.

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy", (found the right quote)."

I recently had my handyman install a Toto Bidet toilet seat. I offered to send their installation video, but he said they have one at their house so he knows how to install. When he was here putting it in he said, "Besides me, this is my wife's favorite thing in our house! Me, because I can fix things, but the bidet is a very close second!" He is also quite handsome. She scored!

Ha, Olychick! This was in our morning paper.

I love a man with a sense of humour.

I was thinking about this topic last night and pondering how I have stopped being concerned about so many things I used to fret about - like wearing makeup, having my nails painted or my hair perfect - reminded me of the 'We Do Not Care Club' 😀