Getting old and living alone
Is only for the bold
You have to keep your chin up
You are so often told
Despite the fact we're short of breath
And nothing works as should
It's doesn't pay to complain too much
You will only be misunderstood
And so like you I battle on
Taking each day as it comes
Being part of this forum
Means we are never short of chums
But I have no shoulder to cry on
Except for Puss my cat
And she gets all wet and soggy
So I can't be having that!
I have nothing but admiration for all of you living alone and living with a chronic illness too. Lots of chums here as you say Don but not the same as having someone there. π€ xx
Good one Don! I see you were in London yesterday.
It's an impostor, David, I hope you did get on it! π€£
I just happened to be on a bus alongside Hyde Park, London and took some quick snaps of the plane trees which I've always admired. It was fluke that your bus was passing at the time and fluke that I only captured the Don in "LONDON". π
Well said, and poor puss all wet, bet she wouldnβt let you dry her. How did she get so wet. My cat Morrison resists even light towel rub on back. Jean. X
Itβs just a silly rhyme Jean to try and raise a laugh, only a grain of truth. This is the real πββ¬
Thatβs nice Happy puss thanks. Iβm not feeling well, been on strong antibiotics for months fighting nasties having party in my lungs.
I know, Jean, I think I'm going to have to resort to my rescue pack. Maybe my posts are becoming too flippant and are confusing people. I'd hate for them to be having the opposite effect to that intended.
Donβt stop because of me please, I will try and cheer up! As you say living alone and not being able to go out isnβt easy. Best wishes, Jean
I am impressed Master Po a black cat on a tartan throw,the perfect match and i now officially designate you interior design consultant for the dodgy lung site.
ππΉ x
Love the photo Don, that face says it all. Hope you donβt soak poor Puss quite that much. Youβre an amazing man but it canβt be great living alone and being unwell.
Weβre all here for you dear friend. Thinking of you. Xxxππππ
I try to make light of it Carole, many on here are in a far worse position than me. Maybe they find it too serious a subject to be treated in that frivolous way. π€xx
Maybe some do Don, who knows. You take care anyway. Love and hugs to you and a perfectly dry Puss. Xxxππ€
Living alone can be really toughβ¦especially with chronic illness! And I can imagine even more so when itβs difficult to get out. The things I used to really miss were the little things like someone just to make a coffee for you, or someone else to make dinner for a change. And only having your own 4 walls to talk to. I empathise Don!
Iβm really glad you have this forum but like Carole said, itβs not the same as having another human in person to chat to, be with is it.
Take care Don! But know youβre not aloneβ¦us crazy bunch are here!
Dee x π
Hi, yes I find living alone difficult, I have lived alone since my husband died 5 years ago this Friday. I had previously lived with company for 82 years, and itβs big change. Im glad found this forum its very good, and my apologies if I upset people. At least my day is organised, time now to Nebulise followed by drainage, twice daily. Iβm sure others have to do this. Best wishes, Jean
Iβm sorry to know about your husband π€ Hopefully we keep you company in some way. Not the same, I know, but weβre always here for you.
Gosh doesn't Puss look well?! Such a shiny coat, probably from all the stroking you give her :)It can be tough living on your own and with an illness, I know only too well. Though just at the moment I am longing for an empty house again. My daughter and her boyfriend have been staying with me since before the new year and seem to be occupying all the house bar my bedroom!! And just to top that, my other daughter and her family have a power cut, so are decamped here for baths and food!! I know I will miss them as soon as they go, but just now .......!!
You have many virtual shoulders here Don, but I know they are not quite the same 
xx
In many cases virtual shoulders are better for the reasons you stated. πxx
It wouldn't be so bad if they actually spoke to me, or even each other, but the place is a sea of computers, laptops and phones, with all the leads and plugs that accompany them!! xx
Who needs Byron and Wordsworth when we've got our own poet lauriate Don.πππ»
Who wanders around, like a clown,Viewing the world from upside down. ππ
Best way Don xxxππ€£
I wandered lonely as a cloud, it's quiet up there, no one around, but looking down I saw a duck, well what d'ya know? It cheered me up!
And up your rhyme cheered me. π
Good supply of laughs today thanks Don . That wet cat looks so eviΔΊ I am glad that it isn't yours. I wouldn't like to rate your chances if it was !
I did love the "kill" look on the wet cat, great poem, although I am fairly unsure about live in company, I used to get fed up with most visitors after about half an hour. Just too grumpy.
It's funny isn't it ? When I was younger I used to dread the idea of living on my own. I've been on my own now for nearly 14 years and wouldn't have it any other way. But I'm lucky to have my youngest daughter living in the same village, if I was completely alone I'd probably struggle a bit.
I'm reminded that it's only 6 days ago since I wrote:Being old and living alone
Is sometimes not so bad
Doing things just how I want
Like when I was a lad
Great Poem & love the photo of Puss π
Love the photo of Piss looking very wet. Brilliant poem again I love reading them all Have a lovely day both of you and take care π Bernadette and Jack π xxxxxx πΉ
Piss normally looks wet π
I think Berny meant to say "Piss wet Puss". π
Sorry about that I didn't know I had written it to do forgive me I really do apologize. Have a lovely day and take care π Bernadette and Jack π xxxxxx
Real gentlemen wouldn't even have mentioned a typo made by such a lovely lady. It's we who should be apologising. πand a pat for Jack.
Thank you βΊοΈ Bernadette and Jack π ps and cuddle for Puss xxx
Apologies Bernadette. I only flagged it up becos I thought it was funny. I know it was a typo and I'm in a silly mood. π
No need to apologize my phone is terrible for putting wrogng words in. Have a good day and take care π Bernadette and Jack π xxxxxx
No soggy cats please Don, you have plenty of chums on here. Glad to see your cat dry and shiny unlike the poor fellow in the picture x
That poor cat in the first photo reminds me if the time a cat first husband and I had developed mange. The vet gave us some shampoo and we had to put it in the bath daily and use the shampoo. Boy was that a performance, cats don't like getting wet.
I can imagine Carole, bet you had some claw marks on your arms, ouch x
Sure did and the shampoo didn't help the poor cat at all Irene. We had to have him put down in the end because he was suffering so much.
Oh! no, how awful, poor thing x
Yes it was very upsetting.
Wow ! I wouldnβt even attempt to bath a cat , you were very brave . Sad the cat didnβt survive , the same happened with my daughters bulldog puppy , apparently dogs ( not sure about cats ) are born with mites contracted from the mother , most arenβt troubled by them but occasionally one is seriously affected π’ x
The cat was fine when we got him, it started in later life.
Another great poem Don. And all you say is true. Onwards and upwards π
Donβt you be crying on Puss Don , youβll bring back deep seated memories of being cold and wet in that shed ! The poor old girl will be traumatised π. Your purpose in life now is to keep her in the lap of luxury ( as you seem to be doing , she looks so comfy ! ) and in return she graces you with her presence π€·π»ββοΈ Not the same as a loving partner but better than talking to yourself π€ͺ π xx
I keep telling myself I am not slave, Skis has it all wrong, the old cat is just a friend, I am a free dogman! π
Love that photo πThe look on that cats face ,the eye roll and the nonchalant nail filing clearly says β you keep telling yourself that my friend β ππ€£ x
Thanks for the poem and the picture of soggy cat, Don, and the Divine Miss Cat doing her nails! I got a good laugh from them as well as the Piss vs. Puss discussion! π You surely have a way with words and your chums are appreciative! Have a good day!
Lovely picture of Puss thanks. Jeanxx
Please don't cry on Puss else you'll end up in a sea of tears like Alice. It must be so hard living alone.
Any crying here is from laughing, I am loving the poem and all the replies again. Thank you πββ¬
Another brilliant one Don.βββπ
Loved the poem and all the pictures, though I thought for a minute that you would have to buy Puss a little mackintosh. xxx
Living With PH, (Pulmonary hypertension)
More Breathless than normal and low stats on exercise
I feel lost and so alone
On Getting Old, by Midge
Scared and alone π₯Ί
