Ohmystinkinheck

There are certain liberties you have at 80 that you don’t have at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or even 60. You can sit in an easy chair in the middle of the living room in your white V-Neck Undershirts, stained or torn sweats and black nylon socks without a care. No one will turn your TV off when you doze off for a minute or an hour…because you’re 80 and you’ve earned it. Heck, if you holler you’re nice someone might even bring you a touch of vanilla ice cream or pie or Momma Milly’s fudge. IF you’re nice.

At 80 your daughters throw you a huge shin-dig and fix a fantastic spread that the rest of us (granddaughters, included) reap along with you.

With CHEESE!

And bread bowls stuffed with yummy stuff.

No one does this for you when you’re 20, nor at 30, sometimes when you’re 40 or 50, but at 80 you don’t have to deal with stupid black signs and “Over the Hill” jokes - especially when you’re Poppa Buddie. He built his house right atop the hill and he ain’t movin’ nowhere.

When you’re 80 there’s no pressure to blow out all your candles so you’ll get your wish.

At 80, there ARE only two candles - and your great-grandkids will help you blow them out if you can’t quite do it yourself. Not that Poppa Buddie had problems with his, of course.

When you’re 80, you are ALWAYS first in line behind the person in front of you…

…and all your family and friends howl at you sing to you while you stand there and think, “Man, I wish my ears were the first to give out.”

At 80 you thank your lucky stars to have such a beautiful wife, like the one on the left.

And then you go on thanking the sun and the moon too because your kids are grown…

…responsible, service-oriented people.

Right down to your “baby”.

Gone are the days of convincing your child to try different foods, or that okra doesn’t come out of the hind-end of a farm animal.

Or that deviled eggs are NOT a staple food.

When you’re 80 everyone comes to see YOU. Sure they eat your food and drink your beer and Texas Margaritas, but isn’t it worth it to see the satisfied looks on their faces?

80 is a good place to be.

See? 80 rocks. So what’s up with today’s hospital visit? What’s it been? Two days since your 80th birthday? If you didn’t want everyone to invade your house, you only had to say so. No need to rush off to the hospital at your first chance to go through a battery of tests on your gall bladder, stomach and pancreas. Geez louise, we thought you had a heart attack.

Poppa Buddie, no more horse play. Get your butt out of there and back in your lazy chair. Your remote awaits.

I love you, ya old fart.
Get better.
There are lots of little kids to yell at still.

20 Responses to “When you’re 80…”

1. karen

   OMSH, you come from a fine looking family! Sorry to hear the festivities ended with a hospital stay (one heck of a party?)…I hope your Poppa Buddie will be home soon!

2. bethany actually

   Oh, I am sorry to hear about the health scare! I will keep Poppa Buddie (and your family) in my prayers!

3. ashpags

   Aww. My Grandad turns 90 (!!!) next week and his kids have been planning the fiesta for months now. They even had to custom-make invites (taped together a 40 and a 50) because it turns out no one makes 90th birthday invites!

   It looks like Poppa Buddie had fun at his shindig. I hope everything goes well with the tests & doctors, and will keep all of y’all in my prayers!

4. Steph

   Happy birthday to your Poppa, and I’ll be thinking lots of positive thoughts that he’s going to be laughing at this when he’s 90. :)

5. mommyknows

   Happy Birthday Poppa Buddy! Hope you’re home soon … in your ‘easy chair’.

   Imagine OMSH calling it a ‘lazy chair’ after 80 years of earning some ‘easy living’.

   MK

6. Shawna

   A fine celebration and such a wonderful family! We’re all hoping Poppa Buddie is well and back home soon!

7. Angella

   What a great tribute! I hope he’s back home soon!

   Your extended family looks awesome.

   That photo of Kenny and Jeff made me crack up. Two peas in a pod, I’m guessing.

8. Lisa C

   Happy Birthday, Poppa Buddie! Looks like y’all had a GREAT time! I’ll be praying that he gets out of the hospital soon!
   (BTW … am I the ONLY one around here that DOES NOT have my own blog?! What’s wrong with me?)

9. Jennie

   What a beautiful spread of food! I wish I had a complete menu listing, because it is exactly the kind of party I like to throw.

   Poppa Buddie really couldn’t be any cuter. My Papaw says the proper way to eat okra is to swallow it whole and cross your legs really tight. (He hates okra, but grows tons of it.)

10. jenn

    gah he looks dang fine for 80!!! Happy birthday!! sorry that he is in the hospital! and that spread just made me terribly hungry dangit!

11. Aileen

    Eek!! Sorry about the scare but I hope he’s doing better now.

    He looks really good for 80!! I hope to look that good when it’s my turn!

12. BOSSY

    What a cake. Love it.

13. Claire in CA

    Happy B-day, Poppa Buddy!

    I’m assuming that’s you’re grandpa, right Heather? My FATHER is turning 80 next month, and we’re throwing a surprise shin-dig. I love the way the table looked - gave me some good ideas! Thanks!

14. MMM

    awwwww.how beautiful.

15. Colleen

    Fabulous post!
    Happy Birthday to your Poppa Buddie… I hope he’s home and causing trouble soon!

16. Nancy

    Happy 90th to your Poppa Buddie … I hope he recoups quickly … must have been too much cake =)

17. Mrs. Wilson

    COOL!! My Grandma’s 80th birthday is in June - big shin dig to come!

18. She Likes Purple

    There’s something fantastic about the sound of a Texas margarita.

    What great pictures. I love this post.

19. Leta

    I’m hungry!

20. KYouell

    Good luck to Poppa Buddie. I also love the cake.