Things that are harder to do than they used to be

Tying and untying my shoes and boots...

Trimming the hooves....best to do after a hot bath and taking a BC Powder.... ha

Anything requiring strength and endurance. In my mind I am still able to do things but the Joint aches and pains tell me different.

But after 43 year of working the Oilfields and just newly retired - I will say that I am fortunate and blessed.

Loving life and being with ms gamboolgal full-time - no complaints.

gamboolman....
 

My balance has always been bad. It doesn't improve with age. I found a safe way to put pants on while standing up. I discovered it when I fell into a closed door while getting dressed.
I stand next to a bed or wall on my right side while putting my right leg in.
Then I turn around while putting the other leg in.
 
My balance has always been bad. It doesn't improve with age. I found a safe way to put pants on while standing up. I discovered it when I fell into a closed door while getting dressed.
I stand next to a bed or wall on my right side while putting my right leg in.
Then I turn around while putting the other leg in.
I do the same thing win. Only sometimes the right leg wants to go into left leg hole.
 
A decent bowel movement,
standing and/or sitting for long period of time,
flossing my teeth, I have none,
long term concentration as in studying
little strength & endurance
Can't eat or drink things I used to
Diminishing eyesight
Aches & pains

By golly, I'm proud to say I've earned everyone of them.
 
Physical labor, like mowing the lawn. I can still do it, but the piper must be paid afterwards in stiffness and soreness. Kids no longer seem to want to mow lawns to earn money like I did when I was their age, and the fees the pro landscaping/gardening companies want are outrageous.
 
It seems to be getting harder and harder to read as the years go by. I am a very avid reader and have been since about 16 years old. Now, I have been wearing glasses since about that time too. These days it is often a bit of a "battle" to read some books. My main grip is that the letters are so small. I have bifocals but if I take my glasses off to read some of the writing my eyes start to hurt after a couple of minutes. Thank God for the invention of my KOBO reader because I can change the size of the letters. However, I'm still from the old school and enjoy reading a "real" book. I know some of you want to tell me about library books for seniors that have large letters. I used to borrow these and loved them but there are 2 drawbacks:
1. Most of those large print books are mysteries or fiction. I am 95% nonfiction kind of guy.
2. No thanks to Covid, our library has been shut for months now and I have no idea when it will open. We have suffered that stupid "Code Red" now for 7 months with no end in sight.
 
I feel blessed to still be going strong, but I am of the younger crowd here, so I best enjoy what I have now knowing chances are good, I may not be so fortunate in another X-amount of years.

My husband falls into the same bracket as me, though both of us have turned to pulling our socks on when sitting (did that for years standing, but sitting is more relaxing), and/or with one foot propped up on something like a chair seat, edge of bathtub, etc.

One area I notice difference in is my overall stamina, and my husband notices the same. We just can't go like we used to, but I don't allow that to cause me any grief, because it would be silly of me to think I could still have the drive and energy I once did when I was in my 20's, so I've accepted the fact.

I also notice a big change in the speed at which I bounce back from aches and pains after putting in a few days of hard work. In my younger years a good nights sleep remedied all, now, a few days doing little is what is needed.

I struggle with ascertaining whether or not my level of drive (or lack thereof) is the result of doing the things I've been doing for so long, having gotten fed up with it all, or whether I just don't care to go steady like I used to, because I'm healthy with no underlying health woes, so it's not as if I can't do it, I just think it boils down to the fact I'm tired of doing it.
 
I have many of the problems already mentioned.

Lately, I've been having trouble carrying a full laundry basket or a heavy cardboard box up and down the stairs.

I've switched to carrying things in reusable bags that I can sling over my shoulder or carry by my side so I'm able to keep one hand free to steady myself on the stairs.

"As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, a wise man should adapt himself to circumstances."

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."
- Stephen Hawking
 
My stamina isn't what it use to be. I can still get the jobs I want to do done but sometimes it takes twice as long.
My leg muscles ache and are so weak. Getting up from a kneeling position is next to impossible without my kneeler.
I don't sleep as well as I did 20 years ago.
The hubby and I can't get past 10pm without falling asleep in our recliners.
Neither one of us are comfortable driving at night so our outings start early and end early.
 
Cleaning the bathtub
Reaching stuff in the back of the bottom cupboard
And heaven help me if the washer doesn’t spin out fully and I have to wring out saturated clothing by hand—ouch!
This is a worthwhile product for bathtubs, sinks, etc. "Turbo Scrub." It has an extension for hard-to-reach areas. There are several companies making it.
HSN has it for $20.00.
 

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