We need a good adult romance on CC. 
I asked Mr. B bluntly (since he will be over 60 soon) what would work with him it I suddenly croaked. He said that he would grieve for 5 years then probably start dating - I told him he could start dating as soon as the kiddos cleared out my shoe closet. 
He suggested going on a trip together someplace interesting ā¦ We did go camping a lot when we were just beginning to dateā¦ Although camping was very romantic, Mr. said that his current idea of camping is something like a Hilton. Soā¦ any good places you both wanted to visit?
Love Mr. Bās advice, BB, but do you think dating at 50-ish is different than dating at 60-ish? I did note your insistence that you have no advice precisely because you are not 60. 
(The other reason ā not having dated for 30 years ā seemed secondary!)
(Iām assuming 50-ish because thatās how old I am but I could totally be wrong!)
The advice that my DH and I tell our DD is that any guy who basically hangs around a woman is always interested I pursuing more physically. Otherwise he would just hang out with a guy.
āIf heās looking at other single women, then heās probably not interested in a lasting relationship with OP. Unless heās just looking for intimacy.ā
But they are both shy! Thatās why! He may be fearful of the same thing that she is - that the other wants to be just friends and that expressing romantic interest might ruin the friendship if itās not reciprocated.
God, I love this stage of romance :-). So sweet. I hope it all works out.
If heās that shy would he be obviously scoping out other women??
Along the lines of what BB said, have you done like a good long day trip together? Something where you spend more than a couple hours together at one time? A long date can be like a story - it can have a beginning, middle and end - and lots of time for all stages. If you have dinner or go to a movie thatās a limited amount of time together and maybe - especially with shy people - not much gets accomplished.
Not sure what you both might like but maybe suggest a visit to an event/locale 2-3 hours away. You can make coffee and pack breakfast sandwiches for the car, have the long car ride to chat. Visit the locale - maybe take a nice walk at a park or something nature-like if you guys enjoy that. Have a fun lunch. Go to a shop or two. Enjoy the car ride back- maybe after 8-10 hours together - all in one day - youāll have a better sense - and you two shy ālikeā birds (not love yet!) can have plenty of time to warm up and get comfortable.
(wow, I totally want to grab my H and go have that fun day myself right now!!!)
I like the full day outing idea. I think Iāll try to work on that one.
I really hope this is a joke that just didnāt translate well into text.
Good luck, anxiousmom!
Not necessarily. My gay son likes to hang out with women and has always had close women friends. In his teens and early 20s, he sometimes had to explain to straight women he really did very much just want to be friends. Hanging out with guys was more problematic for him, although he has always had straight and gay male friends.
Good Luck Anxiousmom. I am enjoying your story. 
This is my new favorite thread. My thought is if he wanted to only be friends heād have made comments putting you in the friend zone. I donāt know any man who brings a woman flowers who does it as a friendly gesture only.
However, I do take the bookā¦heās just not that into youā¦seriously. By that, does he make plans in advance or just call you last minute to do things?
I bring flowers to people who invite me to dinner. So does my divorced and available brother. In neither case can it be assumed to be an indication of romantic interest, but more along the lines of being raised to bring something as a hostess gift, like you would a bottle of wine. Not saying that it canāt mean romantic interest in this case but I donāt think it should be assumed thatās what it means.
Thatās a really good point.
āLove Mr. Bās advice, BB, but do you think dating at 50-ish is different than dating at 60-ish?ā
I am a bit too young to give advice, true. Last night, as we were sitting in our cozy lounger surfing and chatting, I noticed that so far only women chimed in here, so I asked Mr. for his perspective of a male who is turning 60 in a couple of months (he is a bit older than I am by birth certificate, by other measures - not so much ). Not that he is in the dating pool (he would have let me know, LOL), but theoretically how he would approach the issue, and he said that he still thinks that a long outing or two (or more!) would be a good place for getting to know each other closer prior to you know what. We went on many long outings together before it turned into more than just holding hands.
Long outings sounds like a winner to me this gives the chance for more time to get to know one another.
I love the long outing idea and I so want there to be a jacket offered if itās cold, a hand taken to help you cross the cobblestones that doesnāt get dropped once you are past the cobblestones, and lots of meaningful glances with maybe a chaste kiss at the end. Good luck!!
Or a not-so-chaste one.
Hereās an idea: Watch the PBS Carole King special together http://www.pbs.org/video/2365669898/ Its nostalgic, will take you both back to your youth (I am your age and I loved it!), lots of fabulous music, and easy to cuddle on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Go for it and report back!
I just saw Beautiful in London, weāll have to watch this too.
This is the fun part of dating to me, hubby thinks otherwise. We had a classic awkward moment at the end of our first date, we ended up chatting for hours sitting on the family room floor. When he was leaving I walked him out to the front porch to say goodbye. I went to give him a hug and he was so taken aback by it he went in for the kiss. He didnāt come from a hugging background.
My sister (age 65) got married 4.5 years ago to a great guy (heās turning 60 in a few weeks)āboth of them divorced when they met through a mutual friend. I gather they both played it pretty cool right up until they got serious. She was pretty clear, though, that being honest about what one wants from a relationship paid off for both of them.
The ālong outingā idea reminds me of going to Accepted Student visits.