Anyone had to spend days alone without anyone to talk to?

[Hanna3]

Hi all, apart from here and a brief visit to church last night (to make it feel Christmassy and to just be with people) I've had day after day for weeks now with nobody at all to talk to. This time of year especially it's really depressing. Old friends that live far away are gradually losing contact with me - I ring them but they don't ring me. I understand they're busy with their live elsewhere but still it's hard when you're lonely. I'm going to a Christmas Eve service at the local church tomorrow night to at least be with people for a little while... but otherwise all day I'm alone, just me and the dog. Sometimes I strike up a conversation on BB but then the other person disappears and that's the end of that...

How are people meant to cope with prolonged periods of social isolation? I read, I watch DVDs, normally I'd go for long walks with the dog but thick smoke from bushfires and intense hot weather have stopped that. I go to a café alone sometimes. Any ideas/help?

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear Hanna, Paws, Katy, Deebi and everyone...🤗.

Hanna, It’s a real worry when our dogs are scared of someone that interact with them...I do hope you find a new groomer for him that is kind and gentle towards him....

I haven’t really caught up with the posts on here yet..but wanted to call in to say hello and agree with the housing problems especially in rural towns....Early last year there were around 5 houses for sale in my town...and no rentals...

My crepe Myrtle only started to bloom 2 weeks ago...so very late and I also noticed the pretty colours of autumn leaves beginning a little early...

Paws, you would love the bigger towns around here...One town in particular has Jacaranda trees all along the council strips..it looks so pretty around Christmas when they are in full bloom...The town I work, the council has been putting trees in along the roads edge....which is stating to make the town look more prettier...

I think I heard that we are getting some really hot summer days Hanna, I do hope you manage to stay cool....Wouldn’t it be lovely if like your heated blanket, their was a blanket that we could plug in that cools us....🥶...

Hoping everyone is doing okay and enjoying their days the best you can..,

Sending everyone my care and hugs...,which includes all the precious fur babies...🤗🤗🤗🌹🌱.

Grandy..

[Hanna3]

Hi Grandy (and waves to Paws, Deebi, Katy, Dools, everyone

Thank you for popping by - I've hardly been home much at all the last two days and yes, it's very hot today and Sam and I don't like it!!!!! I got little Sam a cool mat from Bunnings ages ago and he lies on it constantly, they are so good and it only cost me about twenty dollars I think from memory.

There is a nice nurse here who hasn't made any friends in five years, she has two children at school, we met in the dog park and meet up whenever we can now to talk and take the dogs out, so that's nice. I had music this afternoon but it was so hot to have to go there, but it was good.

The Vinnies Op Shop here doesn't allow anyone to use the two changerooms Grandy, I have been meaning to ask you if that is happening where you are, because it isn't like that in the other Op Shop and the ones in O town let people use the changerooms as it's only one person in at a time and you wear a mask. Here they have also removed the chair in the changeroom which means you can't sit to pull things on, or put your shoes back on.

So hardly anyone is going there now and nobody is buying clothes they can't try on as it's a waste of money if they don't fit. It seems silly... we are all vaccinated, we show proof when we go in..'

I just wonder if your shop does this? I often think of you whenever I do go there, as the ladies who work there are SO scary and serious, it's like their police women or something - they really scowl at you when you go in there - it's enough to put me off going sometimes!!!! If they're like that where you are, I don't know how you cope, five stars for doing it! (grin)

I'm too hot to type long, the computer is working for a few minutes, so I'm just responding quickly now before it crashes again!!!!

Hugs!

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws,

I just replied to Grandy so that says most things... nice to have you pop by.. terribly hot here today and for the next week I think. Summer has decided to go out with a bang! I had to trudge off to music and it was hot... but at least the studio is air conditioned.

I don't understand why we have this bill going through parliament that discriminates against people.. they should be looking at homelessness and aged care.... sigh.

Got a couple of books and a great casual shoulder bag at the op shop on the way to music, would love to have tried on some clothes but they have closed the two changerooms so there's no way to try things on...

Yes the autumn colours are starting to show, so even though this week is hot, it won't be long now. Autumn is my favourite time of year! The colours are spectacular.

I hope you and Woofa are keeping OK in this hot weather....

Sending hugs and pats to Woofa xoxooxoxo

[Hanna3]

Hi paws and everyone

Have you watched any of the Queen's 70 years anniversary celebrations? I've watched some on her utube channel and sheooks to be enjoying them!

I do hope she hasn't contracted covid from Prince Charles, that's worrying.

She's been a wonderful queen, I do admire her.

I hope you are well there. What a hot 10 days at least we are in for here. So much for the autumn colours... Summer is back with a blast!

Pats to lovely Woofa! 🤗💖🐕🌄🌞

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna, wave to everyone,

I hope the Queen hasn't caught covid too... she is starting to look frail & though she has always had good health, at her age it would probably hit her hard... Charles isn't young either so hopefully he has only another mild bout of it...

As my internet connection is so bad I struggle to watch any video's.... however short... I usually either have it rebuffering every 2 or 3 seconds or I get the message that "you do not have enough bandwidth to watch this"... sometimes it does work but not usually for very long... trying to watch the ones on the abc news channel or the short ones family post to facebook are annoying enough... so I don't even bother trying to use utube these days it is just too frustrating...

Another hot & horrible day here... I just put the cooling on & Woofa couldn't get in front of it fast enough...

You are right about the discrimination bill... I was pleased he had to pull it... there are far more important... even urgent items... that warrant getting put up... especially given how few days they have actually sat over the past two years with covid on top of the usual short sessions... plus they will barely sit at all after this week until after the election mid year... not that whatever sittings they have left now will be focussed on anything other than electioneering rubbish.

Grandy I love the Jacaranda tree... there was a suburb near where I lived in Melbourne that had them as street trees & it was lovely driving through when they were all in bloom.

Stay cool

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws

I wonder if you could treat yourself to a little tablet so you could enjoy some things on utube? I have a little 7 inch tablet, a Lenovo, it was about $70 from jb hi fi. It's so easy to use it just uses the wifi from my optus that I used for the laptop.

I think you would really enjoy having one like this. It's small and light to hold but has a brilliant clear picture.

You could look them up online?

Hugs 🐕💖

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws

Sorry I got interrupted by a phone call.

The tablet uses up so little internet data, my Laptop was useless with utube but the little tablet runs brilliantly and uses a fraction of the data.

Yes I wish the govt had spent the time talking about aged care, or homelessness or mental health funding!

What a waste of time and money..

I took Sam to the dog park but a beautiful young Great Dane called Little Foot (her paws were huge!) was a bit too overwhelming for him! He came up to about her fetlocks!

I saw my GP the other day and I have a health problem that's OK but is much worse in hot weather and my GP said if I was living in the hot humid climate back in coastal town I'd be in real trouble, so it seems a move to a climate with cold weather for much of the year would have been necessary anyway. That made me feel slightly better! But the next couple of weeks of hot weather will be challenging. At least here the nights have been cooling down.

Hugs 🐕💝☃️❄️😷

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

My location is the problem with services like internet, mobile & tv...

The only way I can get tv is by satellite... which drops out in bad weather... the landline nbn doesn't reach to my exchange & so nbn can only be accessed via satellite which is prohibitively expensive

Mobile connection is patchy (I'm in a grey spot) even just for calls... it often drops out or I get the limited service message on my phone (though I am luckier than some around here who live in black spots & have to leave their property & drive to where they can get any connection)... so because I get my internet via the mobile service it can drop in & out or the service can be limited or blocked as the system prioritises calls & text messages over internet connectivity... my builders hated it when they were here as they often had to walk up along the road to access stuff on their mobiles.

This area is not on Telstra's priority list for improving mobile service nor is the nbn planning on connecting to local exchanges as they say we are too rural... locals have been complaining for years before I even moved here about how bad things are... so I knew I would have issues when I got here.

I love the name Little Foot for a Great Dane... size is a problem for Dane owners trying to find playmates for their pup... good on Sam for trying

My bird bath has been so popular today... not just the usual visitors (the fairy wrens) who spent most of the day at it... but the larks came a few times, both drinking & bathing & even the honey eaters popped in to have a drink... it is so calming just watching them all.

It was about 37 this arvo but we have had something of a cool change come through which has dropped the temp back to 28... the best bit is the wind has swung & is lovely & cool... I have just opened all the windows to get as much air flow through as I can... but it is supposed to be back up to the mid 30s from tomorrow & for most of this week... so Woofa & I are enjoying this cool patch while we can...

It is good to hear the temp is starting to drop at night where you are... is your house cooling at all to help you & Sam sleep?...

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws, waves to everyone,

It doesn't get quite so hot here thank goodness - I think we got up to about 30 for the next ten days or so, then it seems to drop again to mid twenties. My house is cooler and it's taken me a while to figure out why, and I realized it's because with all the rain, the trees at the back have grown magnificently and they now cast enough shade to shelter the back from the western sun in the afternoons, making an incredible difference. It just shows how important shade is for climate change management!!! The house does still get very hot, fortunately the evenings cool down.

That's a pest about your internet connection, I remember there were huge complaints from people in country areas long ago - I thought it must have been corrected, but obviously not! What a shame, as there are things on utube that I'm sure you would enjoy. You can get onto the Royal Family channel and watch some of the anniversary celebrations there, it's nice!

Well I have been swimming at the aquatic centre this evening, I did an hour of lap swimming and also walking in the exercise pool, it felt wonderful! Just all the school kids were a bit full on, but they keep some lanes open for adult swimmers. I felt so much more supple afterwards, it's the warm water and exercising in it. I'm going to try at least three times per week, more if I can.

I also took little Sam to the dog park this afternoon, sat and chatted to the ladies and the little dogs ran around together, when it got too warm they all just lay down at our feet and snoozed. One of them recommended a dog groomer, and another lady is in a crime fiction book group and suggested I might like it, so I'm going to google the writer they are doing next time.

So a busy day. I hope I sleep better from the swimming. I should have done some music practice but I ran out of time today!

Sending hugs and pats to Woofa oxoxoxoxoxoxo

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

What a difference a few months make... it's wonderful reading all the connections & activities you are now able to have & how much you are enjoying them... especially given the rough start you have endured since moving there. Even Mr Sam seems to found his paws there... what with playmates & a river to paddle in. It must be a relief knowing there is a new groomer for you to try.

Have you heard anything back after the OT visit?.. or did she give you any idea when you might hear something?

Tree shade does make such a difference... that is a problem with new housing estates not having blocks of land big enough for a tree or two on the property nor do they have nature strips planted with trees... It is also ridiculous that most new houses have dark grey roofs instead of a colour which would reflect heat... I don't understand why the building regs aren't changed to make it compulsory to build houses that are better able to passively cope with heat & cold... it only adds a couple of thousand to the cost which is negligible within the overall cost of the build... plus would be recouped by savings on heating/cooling costs in no time at all... your house is a perfect example of how bad construction/design has a negative impact for the occupant.

Cooler today only about 30... same tomorrow then it looks like we gat some cooler weather here... yay

Belly rubs for Sam

Hugs

Paws