Since I have been living on my own, for the past seven moths, Mr. Swiss now in a golden oldie home, I have had to refthink my life. It is now just I, me and myself most of the time at home. My No. 1 son lives here as well, but he is autist, working during the day and so a great opportunity for lively conversation is not very common, although he is now 52 years old and certainly not a problem. I am the problem, but am on the way to find the solutions.

One thing I have discovered is that the day also has a morning and not just an afternoon. For the past years besides having a full time job and the housewife chores, I just fitted everything in, in the between hours. I was then retired and spent my mornings at home, using the afternoon for shopping. Now I am free, no-one is here to organise my life and after the first couple of months I discovered our local town is a market town.

Every Wednesday morning is grocery market and what a choice, although I am just looking, buying can become a little expensive. It is a totally new experience to see what varieties there are. Here is just some cheese and fresh olives.

And the salami variations with the special cured ham are infinite. I have discovered that there is a exciting life waiting for me. There are people on the streets also visiting the market and you meet old acquaintences again.

We also have a monthly market where clothing is also sold, jewellery and books etc. etc. Yes there is a life out on the streets, you just have to go and find it.

I have also discovered a Swiss golden oldie club known as the grey panthers and now have the information to enable me to join. One of the people organising it is a colleague. Once a month we have a village lunch in a local restaurant and I have booked my place for the next lunch at the end of September. My social life is picking up, slowly but surely. I seem to have been living in isolation in the past years. I had been looking after my husband but my own physical state no longer enables me to do this. I too have become a gold oldie, but can still look after my own household.

Yes, there is a life out there, you just have to go and find it.