Yes. Absolutely. That's why I spend so much time here on Garden Web.

me too, but this is slowing down too. probably because of the Covid?

I still have a small group of friends that I have cultivated throughout the years. I have also made an effort to expand my social circle a few years back. I joined a book club and I also socialize with a group of women from my gym.

I decided that to make things happen, I mostly would have to be the one to be flexible. Some people have busier lives and if you want them in your life you have to be accommodating.

With covid, of course actual meeting in person is limited.

I come to The Kitchen Table every day. I have been lucky to actually attend a few meet ups.

These forums fill a void.

Every time the rentals need anything...say a sprinkler blow out to winterize....my property manager fights me tooth and nail. Telling me to do it for free. Lying about it not being in the contract. Telling me tenants need to financially plan for this. (It's in the contract. Costs $35). I'm changing property managers....again. Someone who's easier to work with. If the sprinklers need blown out....hire it done, send the bill to the tenant. Done. None of this back and forth arguing. Drama.

I dare say...I've got too much going on...too much talking...none of it positive. I escape .....here.

Not really. I am used to being by myself. I don't usually even notice that I am alone.

Forums fill a void, for sure, but it's not the same as speaking out loud. Skills get rusty if you don't use them. So yes I've been having longer conversations with the dogs. The choc lab pup is quite vocal back, the border collie rarely speaks but communicates well with her eyes.

For those of us with severe hearing and vision deficits, the internet gives a way to more easily communicate with others.

I spend most of my time alone. Since the pandemic and not seeing friends I'm very grateful for the internet. It's my main contact with others. I have been a widow for 7 years now and was coping with that pretty well. Since the isolation though, I am quite envious of people who still have have their spouse.

The pandemic has definitely heightened this need for most of us, but definitely for me. I live with my husband and dog. We moved about 2 years ago, so I was very aware that I needed to extend myself to meet people. I went to the gym, joined a few social clubs, joined book clubs via meetup etc etc etc. I had started to make some friends or acquaintances to do things with and that takes time to develop. Once the pandemic started, most never reached out. I did extend myself a few times with a few people and that's where it ended.

I agree with Eld that in my situation, I need to be more flexible and I have been. Fortunately, one of the people lately has been responsive so we have been going for hikes, now pretty much one a week. It's very nice to have that to look forward to and even to have the structure. I do my zoom book clubs but it's not the same.

I do very much feel the need for interaction and do spend more and more time on various forums.

I really am finding this very trying and feel that I have adjusted reasonably well to it, but it's not good. I feel you, sal 60.

I have to say that not much in my life has changed since covid. I have no family other than cousins, so there's no children or grandchildren I'm missing.

Zoom has made all the difference. So I'm doing line dancing class once a week on zoom. I'm doing my yarn smithing group once a week on zoom. I'm attending WW meetings once a week on zoom. I have book group once a month on zoom. My monthly retirees luncheon has been replaced by a shorter zoom meeting every two weeks. I have been going to barre class twice a week and yoga once a week at my gym, but that's only because classes are held on a huge indoor soccer field with 35' high ceilings and we can spread out at much more than 12' apart.

While the weather is nice, I have gotten together with friends for walks/hikes and outside lunching or just sitting at a safe distance and chatting. That will stop as the weather deteriorates, but then again, I usually get more hermit-like in the winter anyway and reëmerge in spring.

I have a private Facebook page, just for my sisters. We have a daily check-in. I call them at least once a month.

Oh, my, yes! Most of you know that I am 98 years old. I live in a Senior Residence. Due to the virus our dinners are left at our door. No more dining room visits. Only necessary visitors allowed. Places where one could meet others are shut down.

Recently lost a good friend who was the last close friend I had here. Newer residents are usually much younger than I. Our life experiences are quite different. I have been essentially shut up here since mid- March.

On the bright side-my daughter is taking me for a "masked" ride and a milkshake this afternoon. Better go get ready

I have a sister I’ve grown very close with but she’s in another state. We mostly text but will talk on the phone too. I’m slowly adjusting to being alone and the internet has always seemed to fill a void even before now. For anyone who’s feeling down or bored, take a look at Tik Toc. Be careful, it can be addicting, but people and animals are so funny and goofy on there.

I don't sometimes "need" someone to talk to as the heading suggests but I am a social person and I like lots of regular contact with friends and family.

We're very close with our kids and we hear from one or more of them most days, either for a phone call or a video call. We have regular, unscheduled video calls with most other friends, including some who are abroad. I'm in pretty regular contact with my buddies, phone calls and emails, and I think it's the same for my wife.

I don't like Zoom and I avoid it when I can. For Apple equipped contacts, it's Facetime. For others, Google's video call service or Skype get used. All are about the same.

I do miss the lunches, dinner parties and other informal get-togethers with friends. I'm not ready to start doing that yet.

Not really, I usually hear from all four of my children either by text or phone and most days more than once. I also have friends that call and text. At times it can be hard to get much done for the calls. :)

Sue

The internet has become more important since COVID-19, but I've enjoyed groups like those on GardenWeb for many years. The KT offers much more than just 'a chat'. It's been more broadening than many person-to-person conversations that represent a single locale, one professional or social 'strata', or a limited interest.

I have friends who are now email and telephone pals. Two moved far away years ago; others are currently distant due to the virus. We moved away from our child-raising neighborhood almost 20 years ago. Without child, religious, etc. connections, we haven't established similar closeness here. (I also blame cell phones for their role in isolating strangers who might have developed into friends if they ever looked up and responded to a "Hello!")

One of the things I've realized -- even more due to the KT -- is how lucky I am to have a DH who is also a Best Friend...and a Talker. (He spent many hours of his grammar school years in the Principal's Office, banished for talking.) We've had 56 years of marriage without any unwelcome silences.

I'm lucky in that I have been trail running and hiking with the same group of neighbourhood ladies for probably 20 years. When Covid hit we made our group smaller so that we were running in two's instead of as a group of 6-8 and practiced physical distancing while running. We're back running and hiking as a group as we are allowed to do so.

It's the only constant socializing I do but it serves a dual purpose in that we're outside exercising and socializing. There is no doubt that for us it's been a life saver.

I have had a couple of coffee "dates" where we find a park and bring our coffee and sit a good distance apart.

I have a lot of neighbors who are out and about and I can chat with them. Those conversations are very just neighborly chats, not the kind where you really talk about feelings or what’s on your mind. I have one very good friend for that and we unload on each other.

I do often wish I had someone close to talk over subjects like caring for my elderly mother, home improvements, health worries ( I’m fine.). That is not limited to Covid limitations. It’s pretty much always. I have come here to talk and it helps a lot.

My husband and I are both kind of loners and have been fine, just the two of us in the middle of a woods. I worry about my 68 year old brother, though. He's always been more social than me, and in the past few years his girlfriend passed away and then my parents, for whom he was a caregiver. So he's very much alone. He's living in Florida, with a governor who has opened everything up. (He lives near where they recently had that SuperSpreader rally.) Fortunately, he's smart and careful. He used to bike a lot, but for now has been sidelined by an injury. So he's really stuck at home, in the middle of Covid Central. We talk every couple of days; sometimes more often. But as he says, "We have all the time in the world but nothing new to talk about." I wish I could find him a new phone friend. (Preferably single and nice ;-) )

Marilyn, I'm sure you are never "alone." You are with all your friends. :-)

I talk with family members and a friend. None of us have much to say but we manage conversations about random topics. "I think I'll wash my hair today." etc. Often talk about what we're watching on tv.

Yes, we all need someone to talk to. Sometimes I will call someone or go see my son. But its not like having your husband there with you. Life can be so hard :^ (

Yes I do...I am so grateful for my daughter, her DH and my GS's.We all

talk a lot. My DH has

been gone for many years, and I still find myself thinking, once in awhile, "I

have to remember to tell him something that I heard, learned, etc." His

BD was last week, and I still "wished" him a Happy Birthday. :)

Socks, if you mean "friends" as in animals...yes, I am never alone. My husband is here too, and he requires a lot of help, so there is that, and sometimes I am grateful for a little break when I can just be alone....like right now, sitting in the barn aisle with 2 of the dogs and one of the cats. I am in a FB group with a few long time internet friends and some of us post to that every day. It is mostly about what we did during the day.

I went to Lufkin to buy a shower chair and 2 urinals for my husband. :)

I'm lucky in that I still have a job to go to. Well, maybe not *lucky*... ;) But I have a few co-workers that I can talk to about personal things which helps a lot. I also have an email group. Well, it used to be email through Yahoo Groups, but we moved to FB groups instead. I really talk in there.

My parents are in their mid to late 80's and with Covid they're pretty housebound. My younger sister lives close to them and tries to see them as much as she can. She's a background actress and with movies and tv series being filmed again, she's quite busy and can't get over as much as she would like, but I told my mom we will Skype at least once a week and that made her day. We talked a few days ago and she said, "whats new?" I said, "nothing! What's new with you?" she said, "nothing!" She laughed and said, "okay, we're done... bye!" We laughed but still managed to talk for over an hour. :)

I am very social, DH not! I would play cards at the senior center 3 to 5 days a week and then play bunco or have a group of ladies over here for lunch and cards. Really miss that. I do keep in touch with a few of them.

My biggest smiles are the texts from my 7 year old GS. He sends a picture of a dinosaur, then the next text say, "This is Alex", then we text back and forth for a while. Then my 9 years old GD will facetime me and we talk about lots of things. The last time I facetimed with them the 7 year old read me a Spiderman book and even showed me the pictures. He remembers when I would facetime them and read them books I had for bed time stories! So sweet, thank goodness for facetime!

But I do miss my card playing and lunches out with friends.

Yes but my poor suffering husband has to do as I'm not very good at friendships. I do come here read everyday and think of things that I might say but often am finger tied and sometimes even bit intimidated. :'/

intimidated

What is the worst thing that could happen? How about this: For the next week, start a new thread every day. At the end of the week maybe you will feel better and easier about participation.

Not only would it be good for you, but you are an interesting person, more posting by you would end up being good for us.

Some people just don't participate, that is the way they are and that is fine, But you sound like you want to.

A need or a want it is always nice to hold a conversation with people you enjoy talking to. My BIL comes over at least once a week and my SIL about once a month. I have my two grands every weekend and my daughter comes for dinner every Sunday then takes them home. I have to admit when they do leave I sometimes enjoy the quiet and not hearing Grammy every 5 minutes. lol In between my daughter calls every day. Last weekend we were with friends of ours and their grand and we are meeting my son and his family next Thursday at the pumpkin patch. My hubby isn't much of a talker, but now since we spend most of the week at camp we eat dinner at the kitchen table and talk. At home we would watch the news while we ate, not talking. I think I might shut off the news from now on when we are at home. I do miss the once a month lunches with my old coworkers, but even if we did start them back up I probably wouldn't be in town to attend anyway.

These days for me are spent taking care of my 91 year old mom, and giving my oldest daughter help with her baby, who’s got some mean colic. (When the bouts are over, a smile from him makes my day. Her husband works for a company where he’s away for 6 weeks then back for 4 so she really needs help). Besides that there’s all the usual. I’m pretty much worn out from it.

Do I wish I had someone to talk to? Yes.

Just a regular conversation. Not about what needs doing or what the latest problem or crisis is.

Sometimes I feel I should just go ahead and have “complaint department” tattooed across my forehead. LOL

Had a very pleasant ride with my daughter. It was a sunny day and the leaves were so beautiful. I am always impressed with all of the trees lining the neat clean streets. And, yes we had a milkshake! Sort of spoiled my supper but it was worth it. A happy day.

I'm glad you got out Seniorgal. That sounds like a nice day.

I was out too, but a periodontist appt, followed by Costco, Trader Joe's, Top Foods. The two of us have enough food for many days and DH a new coffee maker. All one hour from here so I try to make the drive count. Everyone masked every place we went and distancing wasn't difficult.

DH is by far the more social of the two of us, and he's the phone person, not me. He made a friend while waiting in the parking lot for me at the periodontist. The woman parked next to him could not start her car. He jumped the battery (carries cables), read the date on the battery, and told her to drive directly to Les Schwab ;0)

Seniorgal, milk is good for you.

Ahh, so milk is good for me. Wonderful excuse!

Guess what I see out my window! SNOW!!!!!!!

I know it won't last long, but it warns of things to come. Glad I had my outing yesterday.

I used to have a lot of girlfriends I could chat with. Some were older and had great insights about the road ahead and some were my age and doing many of the same things as I was. Through a series of unfortunate events, I am no longer a part of any bunch of girls like that and I miss the friendship and camaraderie tremendously.

Michele, I can only imagine how full and demanding your days are right now. Babies and older people who are unwell do not have any good ways of expressing appreciation, but know that no matter how hard your task now, especially with your mother, in the end, you will be so grateful you did what needed to be done with grace, love and compassion. This time will end, and that has its own problems.

Not really. I am used to being by myself. I don't usually even notice that I am alone.

same for me. i lost my husband 13 years ago so it's just me and the dogs. being danes, they can be talky but that's ok because i usually win any arguments. :)

There is a new trend in many areas. Seniors rent out their unsed bedrooms to younger people to have companies. Not sure if this is an idea for you or not.

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/youth-senior-homesharing-roommates-pandemic/