Members in their 70s?

[Will S]

I'm 84. My advice if you live on a farm or an acreage, is that you design it an maintain it such that when you reach your golden years that it will require minimum maintenance. Get all the trees removed, trimmed, all of the dirt work done, all of the landscaping done, all of the lawn sodding and leveling done, and basically get it set up to where all you will have to do is keep the the mower running.

Good advice/ I'm still doing ALL of that, but I'm only 77.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

1. Marry not for your love for her nor for her ***. Marry if she 1) loves you without qualifications or limitations; and 2) will bring acceptance of your means and capabilities. Appraise what she will bring to the union - good health, sharp mind, hard worker ? if you fail to marry as a young man, have a pre-nuptial for any later-in-life marriage. Today, marriage is not a pre-condition to anything. Tread with reservation.

2. Treat your body gently, for you have only one. Less than moderate drink, exposure, demands. Low salt, no smoke. Watch your weight - your eating habits will catch up to you when you're older.

3. Work diligently. If you must work for another, then work for yourself at night. There is little profit to be made from working for another.

4. Choose your friends wisely, for it is by them, that you will be judged. Once chosen, hold them close. They will be your support, more than family, through the tough times.

5. Spend with hesitancy. Credit was introduced to serve the impulse buyer and for the benefit of the vendor. Finance real estate and that which will buy assets that can be used to make more money. Everything else - be a cash buyer.

6. Borrowing from Shakespeare - "Neither a lender nor a borrower be." Lend to a friend and there is danger to lose both your money, and your friend.

 

[Doofy]

Well said.

 

[Doughknob]

4. Choose your friends wisely, for it is by them, that you will be judged.….

uhhhhhh, not so sure about that. AND if they are real friends they will not judge you……

 

[m7040]

In addition to the above set up a work out routine to keep up strength and muscle tone. As you get older that will become very important and will allow you to be more active later in life. Include some balancing exercises as well. Better balance means less risk of falls

 

[m7040]

And another one is to get doctor check ups on a periodic basis and review blood lab work to check for diabetes, cholesterol etc. Be proactive with corrections to medications and change in exercises to keep good health.

 

[newbury]

get it set up to where all you will have to do is keep the the mower running.

And try to keep it so you mow the minimum.
If your NOT scared of heights (see a lot of keep off ladders advice) keep climbing - but KNOW your limits and always try to keep 3 points on firm territory.
I'm only 71 but about 5 years ago I was starting to get down off a shed roof (~15' up) and the ladder only stuck a little above the roof, I couldn't do my normal "bend over, jump on the ladder".
Now I make sure I can get a good hold on the ladder.
If I could give advice to my younger self of 10 years ago it would be pay more attention to "small injuries".
My twisted ankles and pulled muscles seem to take longer to heal.
Your old enough now to plan on taking more time for jobs, so take pride in your work. Just be happy and proud you can still do it.

 

[jaxs]

I was so bull headed (still am) there's nothing I could say to me that would make much difference.

 

[dirttoys]

Spend less time drinking and chasing women. It is seldom profitable.

LOL what is the old saying? I spent a fortune on women and wine, the rest I just wasted..............

Best,

ed

 

[CalG]

At age 50, I found I didn't want to jump out of a pickup bed.

I took up recreational soccer with the other oldsters. Also I started snow skiing , A LOT! (winter only ;-)

In 3 days I'll be 70. All the old guys hung up their cleats, so that died out. I still snow ski..
Big thing is to "eat right", keep active, and don't put on the tonnage.

Yesterday I got the motorbike out for the first run of this riding season. Went to buy a replacement battery for one of my other motorbikes. Old age set in, and I left the key in the ignition and turned to on, when I went into the store. (Stupid safety interlocks with the side stand get's me all too often. "breaks my routine" I guess.)

Bike wouldn't start when I came back, and there is no kick start. (Honda VFR) I was faced with bump starting, and didn't know if I could do it. Took three tries, But I didn't need to call AAA for a jump ;-) I was hot and sweaty in my relief though ;-)

Now I rationalize labor saving equipment in comparison to medical expenses. DAMN! tools and equipment are CHEAP! ;-) Compare a $40K tractor to a week in the hospital with an injury. My wife even see's it that way.!! WIN!

I need to sweep the chimney one day soon. A mild winter, I'm sure it's needed. Up the ladder, across the roof and then hitch up to the flue with a 20 pound weight, flue brush and length of pull rope. It needs to be done. I'll wipe the soles of my sneakers with a gasoline wetted rag before I go up. Slippery feet are no fun.

Keep your leg strength. The barbell is on the floor downstiars. I try to do a lunge or two every day. Not heavy, just do it. There is that row of stone that I dug out last fall that needs moving into position for the patio. That should take care of my "workouts" for this summer. ;-)

 

[two_bit_score]

78. Been on 90 acres in Sierra Nevada Foothills for 36 years.

First thing I would tell myself is "do it all over again" as we love it here, hard work and all.

The second thing - and very important - would be to be very, very careful where you plant new trees because they have a way of becoming really big trees that may create a fire hazard and they can fall over / branches break and thus threaten buildings and can also ruin a view. It is a lot of work - and or expense - to take care of the problem now that they are 40- 50-60 feet high... a little forethought would have been great.

I am sure there is a lot more I would counsel the younger me to do or not do, but this will do for now.

+1 on the trees! I’ve passed on taking some down that I should have taken down 40 years ago and now they are so big I can’t do it by myself even with a helper.

Even smaller trees that grow up in the wrong locations can be trouble if you let them stay too long. I had several growing behind a building that I couldn’t get to after they got bigger and they encroached over a neighbors house and had to get a guy with a winch on his bucket truck to lift them over the building to get them out. It was expensive.

 

[ultrarunner]

1. Marry not for your love for her nor for her ***. Marry if she 1) loves you without qualifications or limitations; and 2) will bring acceptance of your means and capabilities. Appraise what she will bring to the union - good health, sharp mind, hard worker ? if you fail to marry as a young man, have a pre-nuptial for any later-in-life marriage. Today, marriage is not a pre-condition to anything. Tread with reservation.

2. Treat your body gently, for you have only one. Less than moderate drink, exposure, demands. Low salt, no smoke. Watch your weight - your eating habits will catch up to you when you're older.

3. Work diligently. If you must work for another, then work for yourself at night. There is little profit to be made from working for another.

4. Choose your friends wisely, for it is by them, that you will be judged. Once chosen, hold them close. They will be your support, more than family, through the tough times.

5. Spend with hesitancy. Credit was introduced to serve the impulse buyer and for the benefit of the vendor. Finance real estate and that which will buy assets that can be used to make more money. Everything else - be a cash buyer.

6. Borrowing from Shakespeare - "Neither a lender nor a borrower be." Lend to a friend and there is danger to lose both your money, and your friend.

I feel like I just had the life talk in one post.

The prenup thing is foreign to me… can’t say I know anyone with one or wished they had one…

 

[two_bit_score]

uhhhhhh, not so sure about that. AND if they are real friends they will not judge you……

Haven’t you heard, “you will be judged by the company you keep”?

 

[ultrarunner]

In addition to the above set up a work out routine to keep up strength and muscle tone. As you get older that will become very important and will allow you to be more active later in life. Include some balancing exercises as well. Better balance means less risk of falls

Some of the best shape old guys I know are very active in sailing and you must be agile on a sailboat and always thinking/moving if you sail the SF Bay

 

[jyoutz]

I feel like I just had the life talk in one post.

The prenup thing is foreign to me… can’t say I know anyone with one or wished they had one…

I never thought that would be something I would do. But my life situation is changing: my wife has a terminal condition. Not saying that I will, but if I ever re-marry in the future, I would want a pre-nuptial agreement to protect my sons’s inheritance that my wife and I worked for all our lives.

 

[npalen]

Haven’t you heard, “you will be judged by the company you keep”?

Probably misunderstood in that you will not be judged by the company you keep but by others judging you by the company you keep? Confusing? yep

 

[ultrarunner]

Isn’t it like hedging your bet?

In this day and age marriage can be avoided if concerns exist.

 

[tallyho8]

Have you ever removed a 60-year-old galvanized water pipe and looked inside it at all the gunk and corrosion built up inside it? Well, no matter how well you think you have been eating all your life, this is what your arteries now look like and if they build up just a little more trash or if a little piece breaks off, they will clog up and cause a heart attack or stroke. If you are lucky, you can get a stent or bypass and add a few more years onto your life.

I am not a doctor but I slept at a Holiday Inn Express and my advice is to be on statins to prevent further clogging of your system because your heart and blood delivery system control every part of your body and living from the aches and pains in your knees to every breath you take. If you have high blood pressure, take your medications.

If you have 20 pounds of fat that you would like to turn into 10 pounds of muscle, exercise and do it now because you sure as he77 aren't going to do it after you're 70.

Don't be a couch potato! OK, you don't want to go to the gym 3 times a week and workout, but at least walk the 300' to your mailbox, don't take the ATV. Take a leisurely walk through the woods and look, smell, touch, even throw rocks at the squirrels, but just keep moving.

I'm 76 now and had a very minor heart attack 2 1/2 years ago due to a clogged artery and had to have a double bypass. I am now doing all the things I did before the attack and more. Hurricane Ida did a tremendous amount of damage to my property but in the last 7 months I have managed to repair almost all the damage by myself including rebuilding half of my 4000 sq. ft. barn, 2000' of fencing, and clearing twelve 75 foot, 90 year old pecan trees that fell on my buildings, fences and every place else. They tell me not to climb ladders and do roofing, but I do. They tell me not to work so hard, but I do. They tell me not to drink so much, but I do. They tell me to eat a better diet and I try, but I don't.

If I can keep doing what I want to do, I plan on living at least 10 more years. If I can't keep doing what I want to do, then you won't see any more posts from me on TBN....


And remember, always attend your friends' funerals, because if you don't go to theirs, they won't come to yours.

 

[Cougsfan]

I agree with getting regular and as vigorous exercise as possible, good diet, and slowing down a bit but not stopping. Your body will tell you when you've done enough. Sometimes it is hard to accept it isn't as much as you used to do. But at other times you feel great that you are able to still do as much as you do.

Other ramblings:
I am not so sure about the "no salt" advice. If you have high blood pressure, of course you need to limit your salt intake, but if you don't have high blood pressure, I am not convinced that moderate amounts are so dangerous, if not beneficial.
Statin drugs are indeed very worth while in keeping your arteries clean and flexible.
I do not deal with heights nearly as well as I used to and am very cautious on ladders and such.
Getting plenty of sleep contributes significantly to good health.
Let go of stress. Life is so much more enjoyable if you don't allow your troubles to harass you and don't dwell on the unpleasant things in life. Many people think that they have no ability to choose what they think about. But you indeed do, so chose to make most of your thoughts positive and joyful.

 

[Torvy]

Other ramblings:
I am not so sure about the "no salt" advice. If you have high blood pressure, of course you need to limit your salt intake, but if you don't have high blood pressure, I am not convinced that moderate amounts are so dangerous, if not beneficial.

I do most of the cooking at my house. I avoided excess salt in most of the meals I made. Used kosher salt a lot...now my wife has had some thyroid problems. I have been second guessing myself a bit. I get plenty of iodine because I take a multi daily. Wife does not. I only used iodized granular salt in baking. Maybe my worry about hypertension led to her thyroid issue? Will never know for certain.

Salt, like water, is necessary for survival. Just have to get the proportions right!