[AT] Spam> Re: Fw: IH 350 u TEST ??

Sat Jul 26 05:32:09 PDT 2008

Don't feel bad Cecil, Im only 34 and have arthritis of the major joints 
already, Hips, shoulders and elbows. They say it is from having this disease 
called Crohn's. Something about a deficiency in my digestive tract. But I 
just keep going and make sure I do everything the doctor tells me to do. As 
for a father telling you what to do and when to do it, Mine is the same way 
and is retiring in September. He doesn't have the knowledge to change the 
oil in his truck, but still tells me how to do things. But I just remember 
in the back of my head, that he wont be around forever and I enjoy the time 
I spend with him in the barn. He tells me to do something a certain way and 
when he turns his head, I do it my way... I just learn to do things 
differently and take my meds and go on with life, no matter how long it 
takes to do something. Like I said above, im only 34. I cant imagine how I 
will feel when I can finally retire. Have a good day today and an even 
better year ahead... John

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Indiana Robinson" <robinson at svs.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 8:09 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Spam> Re: Fw: IH 350 u TEST ??

> Cecil Bearden wrote:
>
>>
>> I got to thinking about these tractors nearly 50 years old.  They still
>> have a lot of power, but the small things that need to be repaired would
>> cost more than they are worth if you had to take it to a dealer.  It
>> takes me a long time to do small projects now, and I am ashamed that it
>> takes so long.  I don't know if it is because I spend so long looking
>> for the correct part or with my broken back I have to have a lift to
>> pick up anything over 30 lbs or my arthritis and carpal tunnel that
>> causes me to drop bolts three times when assembling something. When it
>> comes to starting threads, I have to look at my hands they go to sleep
>> when I grip anything...  It just takes a long time to fix anything
>> around here.  Then I have to put up with my 87 years old father telling
>> me every move to make and standing between me and whatever I am working
>> on.  I have to move him or walk around the tractor to get anything.....
>> It is like trying to rebuild a tractor in an  obstacle course.  The 100+
>> degree weather does not help a lot either.
>>
>> I used to install double clutches in Massey Fergusons in 2 hours,
>> rebuild hydraulic systems in an afternoon.  Now it takes 2 days to
>> change a set of rear tires.  1 tire a day!!!
>>
>> If I had known that I would have lived this long, I would have taken a
>> little better care of my body.
>>
>> Am I the only one who has this problem?
>>
>> Cecil in OKla
>> _______________________________________________
>
> ================================================
>
>
> Welcome to the club Cecil...   :-)
> The only reason I have been on line so much this week is that I'm
> fighting a slowly improving back problem. It seems that almost
> everything I do takes longer these days.
> I identify with the father problem too. His mind began failing badly
> the last 5 years of his life (Alzheimer's) and it isn't the loss of
> memory that is the problem but the personality changes. He began
> intentionally sabotaging me and doing things like stealing the caps off
> of the valve stems of anything I left parked near the shop. If I would
> be driving a tractor in or out the drive he would amble across in front
> of me and make me stop under some childish pretense. It was shortly
> after his death that my mother's mind started going. Her deterioration
> was slower than his and lasted over 10 years, getting just a little bit
> worse everyday. Her last 5 years almost broke us...  We were dealing
> with Diana's mom at the same time. She lived with us for several years
> and she was legally blind and walking only with a walker. She also had a
> round with serious cancer during that time. After her cancer fight
> (which she won) she began calling on Diana more and more to do
> absolutely everything for her. Many nights she would wake Diana up to 5
> or 6 times a night for little things like adjusting her chair or to get
> her a pillow etc. She stayed awake all night and slept all day. One day
> two of Diana's brothers approached me about their mom. They were seeing
> what dealing with their mom and my mom was doing to her and were
> becoming concerned. There were 8 children and all but one agreed with
> them that their mom needed to be moved to a nursing home to save Diana.
> It also turned out to be the best thing for her mom. She just turned 92
> and all of the activities at the home have really revived her. Her mind
> is still pretty sharp. She plays bingo by memorizing the cards while
> holding them up to her face for a minute where she can see them.
> My mom got to coming out every time she saw me go in the shop and just
> plain not let me work. As the personality changes hit her she became
> bitter and hateful most of the time and it just kept getting worse. She
> would spend hours complaining about everything on the planet. She didn't
> need hours, she could suck the absolute life out of a room in three
> minutes... My sister came up from Pensacola for a week and said that she
> didn't know how I was even still alive... After we finally placed her in
> a home (assisted living facility) they had trouble getting anyone to eat
> with her. She was just dragging them down. The toughest thing I ever did
> in my life was to force her kicking and screaming into a room at a
> mental facility. They had called me to come to the local hospital to
> move her because they couldn't manage her enough to move her.
> I'm doing better now but I still have trouble making myself work in
> that shop... I have considered putting up a new one and burning that one
> down...
> Its ironic that my memory is so bad except for a lot of things I would
> like to forget.
> I'm currently retiring from baling hay to sell and spending more time
> in both shops. Things are slowly shaping back up. I worked in the farm
> shop yesterday and was enjoying it again. Heck, I even got somethings
> done.   :-)
>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
>
> "farmer"
>
>
> I wouldn't
> mind being absent minded so bad if forgetfulness
> could just be a little more selective. Just last week I
> was saying so to "whats-her-name..."
>
>
>
> Hay & Straw Exchange (Buy it, sell it and trade it.)
> http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/HayandStrawExchange
>
>
> Francis Robinson
> Central Indiana, USA
> robinson at svs.net
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at 