I did, but she killed herself when she was 45. She was extremely beautiful in her youth, but very odd. She dated boys as a teenager but stopped dating in her 20s and never had a serious relationship or marriage, moved around the country quite a bit and had only sporadic contact with my mom’s family, and we believe she was bipolar (but never diagnosed as such or treated).
First off, quilts aren’t knitted. 
Second, yes I do. She doesn’t knit, and she prefers small dogs. She has always been rather mannish in appearance and dress, has always been active in sports (softball, golf), and has had several long-term “roommates.” She is kind and generous (if a bit loud and, yes, odd), and she and her lady friends (who treated us as if we were their own nieces and nephews) have always been welcome at family gatherings. Whether she is gay or not is Not Discussed.
No, though I do have a couple of cousins that fit the stereotype.
I am the not-gay spinster Aunt. The fact that I now have a child has finally made this clear to several family members who seem to miss gossiping about it. I give it another year before they start tittering that I’ve “turned” since the break-up with her father. :rolleyes:
Some people just completely can not handle the idea of a woman being happy alone. It’s quite strange to me. One actually asked in a horrified tone “But what if you want to go to a restaurant or see a movie?!?” as if my doing that alone were simply unthinkable. double :rolleyes:
To be honest, I’d love to find another woman who wanted to share the houshold/responsibilities. But I have no interest in having sex with her.
Yes, two great-aunts who lived together all their life, and one aunt (on the other side of the family) who has lived alone all her life.
Well, I have a spinster aunt, but I don’t have a “spinster aunt.” She was engaged in her early 20’s, and he was killed in a car accident a couple months before the wedding. Since then she’s just never really found anyone else. I mean, she was briefly (but not briefly enough, imo) engaged to a pompous windbag when I was in high school, but that’s been about it.
I voted hastily. I don’t equate spinsterhood with being gay. A lesbian aunt who flies solo might be a spinster, but a gay aunt in a relationship to me is not a spinster.
My “spinster aunt” didn’t knit OR quilt or have cats. She did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted to. On her terms. She kinda rocked, in an outdated hairstyle, smelled very powdery way.
Another spinster aunt here, signing in. (No cats, though, and neither straight nor gay nor in my lady’s chamber)
My spinster aunt has the double distinction of being the “old maid schoolteacher.” Not a lesbian, as far as anyone can tell (she did date when she was young), just someone who held out for The One who never came along.
How do you know? Did she tell you? Why would she comment on that, one way or the other? What on earth would make you think that someone did not have sex with their live-in boyfriend?
I am the spinster aunt. No cats.
My niece does not speculate about my love life. She’s far too busy having Olivia read to her and using her stuffed animals to play her xylophone.
I don’t have any spinster aunts since my parents only have brothers, but I did have an oddball bachelor uncle. He lived with his parents until they died, at which point he finally got a job and got married in his 50’s.
I almost voted ‘yes’ just because my aunt’s a lesbian but I don’t think 2 husbands, 3 kids, 2 wives, and a slew of girlfriends meets most folks’ vision of a spinster.
My sister is the spinster aunt. She dated guys when she was younger, but nothing ever moved to the serious stage.
She lives alone, but doesn’t have any cats, and doesn’t knit. She’s big into jigsaw puzzles (the 1,000 piece kind that are laid out on her dining room table) and crossword & jumble puzzle books.
She’s a bit kooky, but in a good way. She’s very generous with her nieces and nephews.
I did want to add that if this is an archetype, it’s a pretty old fashioned one. I would say it’s on par with having a secret mentally ill ex-wife living in the attic or a frail daughter who has lived her whole life in a sanatorium.
Are you sure she wasn’t just quietly in a relationship with the other woman? After all, 50 years ago, it wasn’t exactly widely accepted for women to be in a lesbian relationship. I mean, I’m straight and I like my roomie, but IDK about 50 years. . . I suppose it doesn’t matter either way, but that’s definitely interesting.
I was about to say no, then I remember my dad’s sister. Um, I don’t talk to that side of the family much. She isn’t a career spinster, she was married twice, but has been single at least 15 years now. No cats either. But she lives on her own, pretty secluded, some mental issues, likes to knit and do that scrapbooking stuff.
I also have a cousin that’s going down that route, she just has to wait until her parents go the retirement home so she gets the house.
All at once? :eek:
Apart from the last para, I could have written this. I’d kinda like a bloke around the place, but it’s winter and the bed is rather cold. By summer I’ll be too busy to consider it.
No, but I have a spinster nephew.
He is almost 40 and has never had a romantic or sexual interest in anyone of either sex in his life. I doubt he’d repressing anything; this is the very liberal, open and accepting wing of the family.
The general consensus is, he’s asexual. He is fairly successful and appears perfectly happy and self-fulfilled just the way he is.