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?

[Hanna3]

Hi Grandy

Gosh it's warm here and I'm wondering if the ladies will go to the dog park or not. Sam had a bad night last night and me too, so we're both sleep deprived today!

I wrote a note to my neighbour and copied it at the library and put it in the letterbox. I said I can't ok cutting the small tree down as he has to ask Housing, I'm just the tenant.

(I realise Housing couldn't give a hoot but I don't know this man and what if the fence got damaged, would I get the blame?)

I said I value my privacy in the yard and would get an opinion about the shrubs.. He has never bothered with the shrubs at the front of his place, they're all overgrown... And I said I would prefer a written note about anything instead of over the fence.

I'm too wary of men who intimidate a woman alone, I've had it happen many times, I could be wrong about him but I prefer to be cautious..

It all rather rattled me a bit and I think Sam picked up on that last night and couldn't sleep either!

I wish we'd get a storm to clear the air.

Thank you for your support. I'm just aware Housing would probably blame me for anything going wrong here!

😷👍🐕

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws and everyone,

Hot again today, big thunderstorms in the evenings and lots of heavy rain... strange summer. The occupational therapist from the hospital has just left. I was hoping she'd be more thorough but I guess with public health they're on a time limit and busy... anyway she will do a report for Housing, doesn't know if it will help or not, she said so often she sees people who need to be moved and all she can do is put in her report and hope for the best.

Anyone been watching the tennis? Glad I didn't stay up last night as it went for five hours apparently! It was great to see Ash Barty win the other night though.

The river here is flooded, I guess from rain upstream, so little Sam had a wonderful swim this morning and we'll try again this evening, storms permitting. He wouldn't stop barking at the OT, she wore a different kind of mask and I think it disturbed him!

Paws are you reading/watching anything good? I'm watching a series on Utube called Not Just Bikes, about how our cities (particularly America) are not friendly for people walking, he moved to Amsterdam to live and it's interesting looking at the different suburbs and all the kids in Amsterdam cycling themselves to school, even just primary school. We used to walk miles as kids, nobody thought anything of it back then.

I hope to have music lessons starting next week, still have to get the bursary application in, I forgot I have to have it witnessed by a JP and can't get one until tomorrow afternoon...

I'm glad I put the neighbour off re the yard, he has never been helpful or pleasant, mows his footpath to a careful line with mine and never does even a foot more, sprays the weeds at the front gutter for his house but never has offered to help me by giving mine a spray at the same time... he's a young fit guy, it would have been nice if he'd offered. So I'm relieved that for the time being I have put him off.

I've been reading I for Isobel by Amy Witting, it's superb, she is an old Australian writer but excellent.

I've also bought the old move The Lion in Winter from Ebay, I remember I liked it, with Katherine Hepburn. Should be fun when it arrives.

How is Woofa these days Paws? There are some good Utube videos on dogs getting dementia... more human contact and contact with dogs they reckon... Sam has been so much better since the dog park.

Hugs from us both here (furry ones from Sam) xoxoxoxo

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

Hopefully your note will do the trick... asking him to put things in writing is a brilliant idea...

How did the visit from the OT go?...

Back to hot weather here... most of the storms that crossed Vic over the past couple of days just skirted where I am... so we had the thunder & lightening all about... but apart from one very brief downpour... the rain missed us... at least the humidity has gone... that really knocks me even with the cooling on.

Going back to something you said a few days ago... the abc news site often has articles from The Conversation.. everytime I read one I think I should check out their site... then by the time I've read a few more news stories I forget... I might pop there now.

Hugs & pats

Paws

[demonblaster]

Hi Hannah 🐕Pawsy🐾 Grandy👩‍❤️‍👩 and all ☺

Good on you re writing and copying the letter to the neighbour. Yes privacy is very important I think you did the right thing there.

Hope the OT visit helps get you somewhere easier to be. Sounds pretty hard where you are

Sounds lovely Sam having a swim that'd be so refreshing and just so good and liberating

Nice hearing people are being friendlier in the park too. They took a bit of work by the sounds but it paid off. Sounds like they've thawed somewhat. It'd make it nicer going there I'd think

Hope the music happens I know you enjoy that

Ok take care hun ☺ hope todays a gooden for everyone

🐕🌞👋⚘

[Hanna3]

Hi paws

Your post came just after I had posted! Very hot and humid today. How are you going? How's Woofa?

Sorry I'm preoccupied with a possible offer of a unit back where I used to live, but it's not definite yet and complicated by moving costs, my health, all sorts of things, and I still have to enquire about other housing here, so I have some huge decisions to make.

Deebi, lovely of you to come by and I'll get back when I am less preoccupied! 💝

Grandy, I am thinking of you all, big hugs 💕

Best wishes to all 🙂👍🐕💞

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

I'm glad to see you have decided against going back to where you used to live... I remember all the reasons you moved from there... plus I was worried about you moving back to somewhere that doesn't have all the services you need especially with your eyesight issues...

I know you are quite capable to search for a suitable place where you are... but housing should be doing that for you or offering assistance... it's wrong that you have to do that without any help... sometimes it's helpful just to have a different set of eyes looking over a place... I wish I could help.

It's good to hear music will be starting soon for you.

I remember The Lion in Winter... but then I like all of Katherine Hepburn's movies... especially those she did with Spencer Tracey...

A cold front swept through last night so Woofa & I are enjoying the cooler weather today

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws and everyone,

I'm not too worried about Housing helping Paws, they don't and I will take my time to look around and find out what's available, preferably with another housing provider if at all possible, there are a couple here.

I need some advice on a tricky topic. I have got chatting casually with a couple of women on different occasions, once out walking Sam by the river and once at the dog park. Unbelievably after only having a friendly casual chat, one woman asked me home saying she was Bi at once - I said no!!! - and another took my number as we thought we had musical interests in common and would maybe catch up for a cuppa sometime, and then promptly sent me text messages asking for a physical relationship etc etc...

I've never ever had this happen anywhere before. I detest it, same as I would detest a guy doing this when I just met them being friendly (asking me home, sending blue texts). So I got chatting with a new woman yesterday in the dog park with another woman, this woman asked for my number so we could meet up sometime as she knew someone I had known ages ago. Well she started texting me quite late last night, saying could we meet up and I might find her fun, I might get a laugh, etc. This afternoon she sent me pictures of flowers and saying she hoped I was happy, we should meet etc.

I got really anxious this was happening again and finally sent a careful text explaining I was friendly but nothing more if that was meant - I was happy to be friendly but was concerned if it was anything more. (I am not interested in a relationship at my age, only friendships).

Now she's sent back a huffed text saying she's offended and she's not gay and why do I stigmatise gay women? I texted back I don't stigmatise them, I just dislike them hitting on me instantly the same as I don't like a guy doing it.

Silence from her now. Apparently she is offended. I honestly didn't know what to make of the texts quite late in the evening after I had long gone to bed.

Has anyone else come across this behaviour from women who are in their 70s? Both had been married with kids. This one is single and I thought the best thing was make it clear at the start I was just friendly and no more, in case of another misunderstanding. Now apparently she's offended.

What am I supposed to do???? Anyone got any ideas? I've had terrible assaults in the past, so this behaviour in particular makes me extremely nervous.

Thanks!

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

I wish I knew how to advise you... I agree it is off putting (to say the least) to be propositioned like that regardless of the gender of the person doing it...

I've never had it happen... but I don't get out to places where I will encounter strangers in a social setting...

Apart from making your position clear (as you have done) I can't think of what else you can do...

Hugs

Paws

[Hanna3]

Hi Paws

Thanks, I wish I could laugh it all off but I actually found these two (not even just one!) women behavingike this quite unpleasant.

I just didn't know what to think when this new lady texted so late etc etc, and thought I'd best make my position clear just in case!

Oh dear, life is getting complicated these days. I don't know what else I can do. Perhaps I inadvertently embarrassed her?

I spoke to a friend in coastal town about it, and she said she'd find women doing this unpleasant too.

I guess I've now somehow upset this lady who was just being friendly!!!

On top of that, bees in the neighbour's tree are attacking Sam whenever he goes outside.

What next I wonder????!!!

[Paw Prints]

Hello Hanna,

I don't think I could laugh it off either... it's all a bit too creepy.

I would have reacted the same way with the 3rd lady if I had already been hit on by two other women... you could text her explaining... but that might not change anything...

If your sure they are bees & not wasps you can Google apiarists in your local area... usually they are happy to come & remove problem hives at no cost.

I hope Mr Sam isn't allergic to bites...

Hugs

Paws