Community Chat

[spabar]

---

@Kalli wrote:

Her behavior does seem kind of strange to me but I guess it's not strange to her.

Funny, as I was reading the responses here I noticed a few folks used the term, stoop. My parents used to call our front steps a stoop. I haven't heard that term in many years but it made me think of my mom and dad. 😊❤️❤️

I wonder if stoop is used more for those who live or grew up in the city? My parents grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Just wondering...

---

@Kalli  I grew up in Brooklyn, and we called it a stoop. We used to play stoop ball against the steps.

On a Gourmet Food show recently, host Melissa McGoff had a conversation with the Rastelli rep, and they also talked about stoops. Both are from Brooklyn.

[CalmInHeart]

---

@Judaline wrote:

---

@CalmInHeart wrote:

There is more to see by sitting out front. I sit out front with my dog (on a chain). A lot of people walk their dogs so I get to talk a little and my dog loves it. 

I also sit on my back deck. It's great at 6am when the birds are chirping and animals are waking up.

---

Whenever I hear the word 'chain' regarding a dog I cringe.  Must you?

---

Yes, I must. Not that I owe you an explanation but......

My dog runs free in my back yard because it's fenced in. He just can't in the front yard.

He would run into the busy 4 lane street if not connected to something.

Laws requiring dogs to be leashed are strictly enforced here. I don't want him taken by animal control if he chose to sniff the wrong dog. I can't afford to be liable if another dog doesn't realize how tame my dog is. 

Chain is a generic term for whatever people use. It's not like the huge, thick chains you see on animal abuse commercials. It's more like a long leash. I'd never ever do anything that would hurt him.

My dog was horribly abused before I adopted him. He'll never be totally normal because of it. You would really cringe if you heard what he went through.

My dog is is my shadow, best pal, and constant friend ...just as I am his. He trusts me - the first person he's ever trusted in his life. 

Please don't assume too much when you hear the word chain.

[Stray]

@Kalli - I grew up in NJ & we had a porch which was enclosed. Later my father redid the front of the house & removed it & replaced it with just steps, not enclosed. We called that a stoop.

[Venezia]

@CalmInHeart - Well said.  My state also has a leash law; dogs are not allowed to roam free.

Bless you for giving "your shadow" a safe and loving home.

[SamBrown]

---

@occasionalrain wrote:

I'm  not interested in the woman, I just wanted to know if it's common where others live.

There have been questions so I'll answer those.

She is not elderly, can walk well.

Family members bring chairs out from inside of the house to sit upon.

She doesn't sit in the house with her legs sticking out.

She sits on the bottom edge of the door opening, her feet are on  the sidewalk in front of the door, her knees are up like a squat. 

---

@occasionalrain   Can you post a photo?

I would be concerned of a bee or wasp getting in.  Or a bird.

[occasionalrain]

@SamBrown 

No photo, that would be an invasion of her privacy.

[Growing]

---

@occasionalrain wrote:

I have a neighbor who sits on their front door threshold, morning, noon, and evening with the door fully open. They have a patio at the rear of their home so they have another option.

This is uncommon to me but is it common in other regions, other countries?  I'm in the NE.

---

It is now very hot where I live. I try to walk up and down my street several times per day and I see one man sitting out front in the grass in a lawn chair. These are small city lots so we aren't that far away from each other. He and his wife walk dogs at least twice a day in front of my house.

I have seen them many times and tried to say hello when I am doing yard work in my small front yard. I try to say hello to anyone walking by on the sidewalk when I am out in the front yard. Neither wife nor husband says hello when I have had said it first, they keep their eyes straight out front and have to have seen me.

The other week, he was sitting in his front yard and I could not get him to make eye contact with me. I had my hello how you doing phrase all ready. It felt very sad that this long time neighbor does not ever want to say hello. Moral of this story is people are people and do things we don't understand at times. 

[Teddixat]

@CalmInHeart    I believe you.   I think the vision of a dog chained was the key but I understand what you meant and how much you love your dog.   If I lived near a busy street I would do the same if I had my dog with me.

[LavernLuvsShoes]

---

@Growing wrote:

The other week, he was sitting in his front yard and I could not get him to make eye contact with me... It felt very sad that this long time neighbor does not ever want to say hello...

I hear ya - I would find that "odd behavior" 

We live in a small Townhouse Complex, and all of us (neighbors) are very close and friendly.

We even hold a "Block Party" in the cul-de-sac once a year. 

[sabatini]

---

@occasionalrain wrote:

At the opening of Call The Midwife there's a small child squating. Her knees are wide apart. Imagine that's my neighbor's position, but my neighbor's butt is resting on the edge of the threshold, her feet in front of her on the sidewalk that's directly in front of the door. Obviously, her knees are in enviable condition since she has no problem getting up and down.

---

Hi, @occasionalrain. 

By any chance, is your neighbor Asian? If so, squatting for her may be comfortable and relaxing.

If she is not, then disregard my post!

Here:

"Many people across Asia find this deep resting position, known as the "Asian squat", very comfortable and natural to use for relaxing or waiting.

In this pose, the heels stay completely flat on the ground and the back of the thighs rest directly against the calves. 

This resting style is comfortable for them for a few main reasons:

• Childhood habits: People start doing it from a young age, so they practice and maintain the necessary flexibility. 
• Ankle and hip mobility: It requires deep ankle dorsiflexion (the ability to bend the ankle so the toes move toward the shin). Because many people do this daily, their joints stay loose and flexible. 
• Muscle engagement: Instead of just putting weight on the knees or lower back, the weight is evenly balanced. This allows them to rest without using a chair. 

On the other hand, many people in Western cultures find this position extremely uncomfortable or impossible. This is because using chairs regularly can make the ankles and hips much tighter. Without the right flexibility, the heels will lift off the ground, causing the person to fall backward."