Monday 2 September 2024

What's that creak?

One of the emails I received yesterday was from someone stating she had has dreadful night awake in the wee small hours, she lives alone.  Convinced she could hear someone in her house, she was made more nervous as her landing small light had gone off.. so she bravely walked around checking lights and making sure she had locked her outside doors.. Although she did go back to bed, she slept fitfully as every creak set her off worrying again. 

I knew how she felt, as I lived by myself for nearly 20 years and never felt nervous, until a work colleague asked, was I nervous by myself. That night I heard every creak and left the landing light on for the first time. At 3 o'clock I went downstairs and made a cuppa and didn't say no when my little dog, Mari bounded up the stairs and jumped on the bed! 

From that night on I had her on the bed, although she used to walk up and down when she got too hot, trying to find a cooler spot, which disturbed me.. she was a miniature poodle, so no guard dog, but I felt ok with her with me! 

The cat joined us a few weeks later and we all slept soundly most nights. My daughter thought it 'yuk' having the animals with me, when she saw them there. But my grand children loved joining us on my bed, when they stayed! 

We never let Nell sleep on the bed, but she used to join us when we had our early morning cuppa in bed when we lived in Suffolk. She used to take a flying leap from the doorway on to the bed, ears flying! 

She used to get on our bed here in our bungalow, when we went out. The window cleaner left us a note once to say he'd been and.....' your dog was on our bed!!'

Hope you all sleep well..tonight!

Chrisxx

14 comments:

Joy said...

One advantage of needing hearing aids. I never hear things that go bump (or creak) in the night.
Or hurricanes . . .
xx

Anonymous said...

My Husband always worked away nights out etc now he’s no longer with us sadly, it’s never bothered me in the least to be on my own at night. It’s the same walking home in the dark people panic for me I’m not in the least bit concerned whatever will be will be xx

Back2OurSmallCorner said...

Good morning Chris. I know what you mean about the night time creaking and other noises. My imagination works far too hard at night if I wake up.
Just caught up with all your news in August. I do hope that you are recovering from your fall now and send my love to you. Are you getting the new bed you spoke about? It was lovely to hear about your granddaughter's birthday. What a lovely young lady and such a proud grandma. Also a lovely day at the seaside for DH his daughter and grandson.
Have a good start to September and take care x

Jo said...

I don't like being left alone at night when Mick works away, thank goodness that doesn't happen very often these days. My dad worked nights the whole of his working married life, it's a good job my mum wasn't nervous about being in the house alone.

jabblog said...

Noises in my own house don't bother me, but I hear everything if i stay somewhere else.

Jules said...

Any bumps in the night here, are usually caused by one or both of the cats going in and out of the cat flap. I never used to worry when I had my dog. X

Marie Smith said...

When the golden grand-dog visits she is free to get on the bed when hubby is up. He’s an early riser. She is a good bed-mate! Pups are great company!

Live and Learn said...

We sleep with a fan for background noise, so we don't hear a lot of creaks in the night. But I will say that now that we don't have pets anymore, if I do hear a creak, it does startle me a little.

Mari said...

Yes, when you are alone you do hear every creak!
You had a dog named Mari? I love it!

Marcia said...

Funny thing about bumps and creaks in the night. Why is that during the day the same sound gives us no worries? But middle of the night it's upsetting? This is an old house but it doesn't make much noise so when it does I have to wonder "what was that?"

Lynn and Precious said...

For 30 years, my husband was gone over night every 3rd night for being a firefighter. While we lived in the city for 5 years, I never slept good alone and heard every thing! But we spent the next 15 in the country, isolated, and I slept so good.

Granny Sue said...

I never worried about being alone, but last year when my husband was away in Florida, I did have a few nervous nights when the dogs kept barking and growling. I was not concerned about it being a prowler way out here, but about bears, coyotes and the like.

Granny Sue said...

Love your story about your pets, by the way! They must have been sweethearts.

Bless said...

I wonder if that's why I usually stay up until the wee hours in the morning?