Dame Joan Bakewell - anyone agree?

All that travel plus Pilates, yoga and zumba? Do your feet ever touch the ground, Suzie?

KatyK MOT..... good one!

Daisyanswerdo is that where the expression comes from, ITMA. Didn't realise that.

I try and visit a different library every month.

Different country every month? You must be loaded.Lucky old you.

And income!!

Sounds adventurous Susie.
I think a lot depends on the relationships in your life.

Since retiring I have taken up Pilates, yoga , and Zumba, have lost weight and gained strength. I am loving this stage in my life. I have had bereavement s to cope with ( including a 16 year old ) but OH and I have made a pact to visit a different country every month taking it I turns to decide where. So far we have done Greece, Wales and France. Coming we have Spain. Italy and Turkey. Can't wait for i eland. Wales and Scotland!

rosesarered, 'It's bein' so cheerful as keeps me goin' ' is what Mona Lott used to say, morosely. She was a character in Tommy Handley's radio show ITMA (It's That Man Again).

Can't imagine Joan Bakewell ever being worried about her weight.

No one looks too shocked when the odd jolly woofter fart slips out in public.

But you do have to still watch your weight. Or getting much older could be rather impaired.

roses - my DH says that to me 'is it being so cheerful that keeps you going'. He also calls me MOT at times (Miserable Old Tart).

Don't know about Joan Bakewell [as never really liked her, always seemed a tad smug.] However, old age has pros and cons.Possibly more cons, now that I think about it though.Since not much alternative, have to live with it don't we?Agree with Soutra about living for today though.

It's being so cheerful keeps you going? As we used to say about any miserable old so-and so that crossed our path.

Yes, I'm a SueBailey and KatyK type too - and not ashamed of it!

It's the knees that let me down but apart from them it's all systems go! When I retired I started up a campaign to gain better access to welfare facilities for lorry drivers and have met so many interesting people along the way. I've palled up with a young woman who is teaching me about compiling a website. I attend meetings on all sorts of topics -lateral thinking helps - and enjoy giving presentations. It's keeping the brain cells going and so far no one seems bothered about my age (sixties). I did join a couple of clubs during the day but everyone seemed so much older and though very nice and welcoming I felt I really wanted to do my own thing - so that's what I've done!

I think some of it boils down to attitude. A friend of mine is of similar age but in a wheelchair and she's very much a go getter.

I am more of a suebailey KatyK sort of person than a FlicketyB one. Not overly keen on this getting older malarcky. (apologies for spelling). Often feel I am invisible.

I like the quote on the thought for the day thread 'It's not my fault I have a double chin. When God was giving them out I thought he said gins and I said make mine a double'

I was referring to my spare tyres and creaky hip. I seem to still be OK on the chin front.

I think I agree with Flickety and I do know how fortunate I am, being financially secure, with a loving family, and DD nearby. I'm enjoying life, and looking forward to being mobile again (knee replacement 4 weeks on!) just the cataracts to deal with and I'll be off!

I am 68, have had breast cancer, chemo etc, and other problems, and am so grateful just to be here, be fairly fit (so they tell me) and to be part of my community.

(And no, I am not being smug, yes, I DO have down days, but I appreciate what I do have.)

Don't like getting old (61) I'm so stiff and arthritic already, weight seems to go on however careful I am and however much exercise I do. Children have busy busy lives and find it difficult to fit you in, people in shops and restaurants hate you and cant be bothered with you, manners have all gone, TV is rubbish, now I am retired I have no professional status so no-one listens to a word I say, everything is expensive, husband going deaf other than that its fine.

Flickety, you have evidently been reading my other posts!

81 is quite young these days! My aunt will be 99 in August. She is sound of mind but a bit doddery in body. She lives alone, has 2xdaily carers and good neighbours, but she just wants to go to bed and not wake up : she has no friends her age so nobody to talk of the old days. She still plays bridge, has a twinkle in her eye and is up for a joke. She went to a couple of birthday parties last month - an 80th and a 70th and felt like the skeleton in the corner....... I think she's made a good deal of lemonade in her time, but would like to stop.

not to mention the spare tyres and creaky hip!

Getting old is inevitable, so what's the point of looking on the downside? Mind you, I've been wondering where that extra chin came from.