88 years old and still showing her horse at fair

[journey11]

http://www.wsaz.com/content/news?article=439764263

This story just makes my heart happy, so I had to share. What an awesome lady. Love her smile!

 

[TheCuteOrpington]

Aww what a sweet lady!

@journey11 thank you for sharing this sweet article!

 

[baymule]

I love stories like this!

 

[Beekissed]

Love that! People have a misconception about old age and assume that all people in their 80s and upward are frail, sickly, feeble and have very little quality of life left.

In the past two weeks my mother has been in two hospitals for a specific acute problem that was last experienced over 25 yrs ago, but otherwise has no health issues whatsoever...she doesn't even take any meds nor complain of any bodily aches and pains normally.

When hospital staff start assuming she's enfeebled and ask the typical questions they ask geriatric patients for assessment of their strength and mobility, we usually respond by a huge guffaw. Do they think she got that farmer's tan in a tanning bed or maybe from wintering in FL? Not sure, but I have no doubts she could outwork and outwalk 85% of the people asking those questions, including the very young and supple PT lady we talked to last. She wouldn't accept anything I had to say about Mom's mobility and life style until she insisted on "walking" Mom in the hall way. As soon as they returned to the room she quickly stated that Mom didn't need her services and left the room rather abruptly.

She isn't just active, she works HARD on a daily basis, using a large weedeater, riding and push mowers, chainsaws, hoes, rakes, big and small tillers, shovels, ladders, various hand saws, etc., among other activities, plus line dances for the old folks at the nursing homes in the area 2-3 times a week.

No matter how many times we told those people at the hospital these things I think they thought we were lying, just because she was in the hospital with severe pain for this old condition. They just couldn't GET it and it was so frustrating! Same old questions, over and over, bed alarms, attempts to "help" her walk to the bathroom and offering bed baths, etc.

For the next visit in such a place, I'm printing off these pictures to show them....

 

[Carol Dee]

WOW I wanna be like her when I am 88 ~ sadly I am already in worse shape at 60 (I quit ladders years ago, they hurt my feet and SCARE me!)

 

[journey11]

That's how my neighbor Mavis is at 86. She's unstoppable. I have a picture of her up on the roof of a barn she asked me to take. I think they prove how physical work is good and necessary for our bodies. We weren't meant to sit behind computer screens 8 hours a day. I feel sorry for my generation. DH keeps talking of getting a log splitter. I said he should keep swinging the axe so he can be buff, lol.

 

[Nyboy]

I can not bend at the waist the way your mom can !!!!!

 

[Nyboy]

Reminds of the time police call me at work, my father was found passed out on street, ambulance was taking him to hospital.By the time I raced down to hospital i found my dad wake in ER bed. A little Spanish woman come over to take my dads information. When she asked what happened, my dad said he was going to store for newspaper, neighbor 3 houses down car broke down in street, Dad was helping him push car home, next thing he knew he was on the ground surrounded by people, lady started laughing and said" Poppy don't you know men in their 80s should not be pushing cars "?

 

[thistlebloom]

I love those pics of your mama, Bee. That's where I wanna be when I'm her age.

I love the challenge of hard work. Yesterday I started unloading two tons of 95 pound bales of hay from our neighbors trailer and restacking it on my pallets. I wanted to surprise dh and get as much done as I could before he got home. I made a nice dent in it and was feeling like a super hero when my neighbors drove by and insisted on helping with their big tractor. So sweet of them, but I felt cheated a little. My husband was still surprised when he got home, and very happy that he missed the fun. He did the two tons of alfalfa the week before all by himself while I was working.
I think when you start doing less, then you can never make it back to doing more.

 

[Beekissed]

I think when you start doing less, then you can never make it back to doing more.

That's what Mom always tells folks...if you don't use it, you lose it. She and I feel like you, Thistle...hard work is a challenge and a joyful thing to us, though that is getting more and more rare in this world. The word "work" has become a dirty word.