The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

[sunshinedaisies]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Oh Jan - I am sorry that you are feeling so bad. You are going through a really tough time right now with just about every aspect of your life, so it is hardly surprising that you are feeling the way that you are. And don't worry about crying and whining here - that is what family is for! Hope that you feel better as the day goes on. I will be thinking of you - hugs and love,

Sun xx

[tlrgs]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

good morning one and all .. first ruby are you sure thats not a chicken //duck ...lol..
enjoy your day iad ...phoenix awesome job girl keep it going it only get even better with time ... and getting up at 5:15 are you mad ...lol.... biz when you find that money find me some too please ..
sunshine glad you foot is feeling much better now ...and well as for me not sure whats the next project and all this talk about foot hurting has got my leg hurting .. i pull something in my knee .. been wearing a ace bandage .. welll im still going to be playing with the canoe .. and might be going and buying a seat well two for it ...have a gret monday enjoy stay strong and keep shifting forward

[tlrgs]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

love you mama take it but one day at a time girl ... things will workout .. have faith

[bird]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Well what alot to get caught up after only 24 hours. Spent all day building couch out of old bunkbed parts and glad it was Sunday or I may have ended up drinking after was so tired will post the pics later, not that great but better than what we had. MB you can get back into your music I left it for awhil when the kids were little but it drove me crazy and now I am doing it again and the kids do it too. Denying yourself is no good if that is truly who you are I found out...gotta go ride bike it is getting very hot and it is regular bike I ride down the road a few miles used to walk but heel hurts lately..see lots of stuff while out like owls and coyote once we live in country..later on bird

[PhoenixRising]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

sunshine I am pearly white, too. Peeps tell me that I need some color. I say NOPE! White is a color. Took me a long time to come to grips with being so pale. Now I don't give a rat's ass. One nice thing about being middle aged, LOL!!

Mama - I had bad sleepiness on Bac, too. I almost fell out of my chair at work. Mtn. Dew is a life saver. Also, take more of your dose when you are about 1 hour before getting off work and a bigger chunk before bed. I woke up in the middle of the night to take an extra dose as well. May as well be sleepy while you're sleeping, eh? Congrats on going 7 days. I was never able to do that so early on - you ROCK!!!!!

[rubywillow]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Jan, you may have to work with your dosage. Good advice above. I believe your physical and emotional tiredness have a lot to do with it too, IMHO.
Good to see everyone checking in here, staying busy. Had a rough night meself, not much sleep. Oh well, there's always tonight!
FIL is in surgery right now to drain a cyst on his liver and get a biopsy. Hubs is nervously waiting for a word from his half-brother who took them. They'll probably be there at least all day. Keep us in your prayers, please.
Yes, that is NOT a handsome fowl! But he is a Muscovy, considered a very intelligent bird, and Hubs has gotten attached to him, (which shows he's not all growl!) I've always wondered myself why anyone kept them, because they looked like radiation poisoning victims!
Anyhoo, take care of that knee, T. MB, get some real rest, for your body and soul. Jan, hope the heel feels better, and work picks up for everyone! Hubs has number one son working off his debt, and liking it! Vick, I know you're working too hard already, so take care, and check in. BTW, really REALLY enjoyed the veggies you sent, specially since they came from your sweet hands.
Welcome to all who settle in here, if only for a little bit.
Rubes

[sick of being sick]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Wow! Bired, I am with you! I had to read 3 pages to catch up from yesterday mornng. WELCOME to Phoenix,UKB, and Jodie! We hope you will stick around for lots of love and encouragement! It's been a pretty rough morning. I had planned to give my house a good cleaning since Paul is gone to work (YEAH!) and my kids are coming this weekend, but I got up at 7:00 this morning and my blood sugar was 650 (Suppose to be 100) so I took alot of insulin, threw up alot and laid back down. I feel better now, but way behind. Well, I've written 4 pages of comments on everyboody's life, but have to post in a little while. Still not feeling too good. Love you all, Vicki

[tlrgs]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

get some rest vicky love ya girl

[sunshinedaisies]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Oh Vicks - I am sorry! As Rog said, get some rest - and feel better soon. Hugs to you, and God Bless too,

Sun xx

[rubywillow]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Vicki, you have to care of you first. Otherwise, there is no story, no happy ending. I certainly know I'm calling the kettle black here, but your condition is different, and I'm SO sorry you're suffering today. Hugs to you, sweet bean. Take care; we, I, love and need you.
Ruby

[mama bear]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Phoenix...I had my first night "stroke" last night...I was awake but could not move or speak...scary as shit
I knew it was the bac, but wow....not fun

[rubywillow]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

How are you feeling now, hon?

[sick of being sick]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Okay, a gallon of water later and I am feeling a little better. Thanks to all of you for your concern and love! MB, PLEASE taper off that medicine. It does not sound like it is helping you and you got through the first week, so I really believe you can make it without the meds. I always consider the side effects when taking medication and most of the time, the side effects are worse than the benefits. We did not know you could sing, sweetheart. You are such a beautiful person inside and out! Please call me if you need a shoulder to cry on. Jodie, yes, we are all tempted sometimes. Just focus on getting through ONE DAY AT A TIME. It does get so much easier with every sober day you have. You are not ALONE, we have all been there and we want to help you. We are a very close family of love and encouragement. Phoenix, welcome and congrats on 10 days! You are doing so great and yes, thee is peace and happiness being sober. You actually get to ENJOY your life! I'm snacking at night too, in place of drinking. I was sure I had gained about 20 pounds, but doc say I gained 1! Where is it all going? Biz, I LOVE your attitude and self discipline! I could not make it without God's love, strenth and peace. He wants to help us all, if we will only ask him! Roger, I am so sorry your legs and knees are hurting. I hope you will get some rest and take a break from your projects. We miss you when you are working all the time!Maslow, no, I could never imagine Ruby ordering pizza! She could possibly have time to sit down and rest f she wasn't cooking and cleaning and all the other million things she does! Nice thought though. I'm sorry you got a sunburn. They are no fun. I'm about as dark as I can get. Skin cancer could be next, but it's real hard to work in the garden and play in the pool withoput getting sunburns! Ruby, glad you liked the veggies. What about that yellow meat watermelon? I could eat a whole one by myself! Sunshine, it could be tabascos. They are just now coming in and look like what you are decscribing. I hope the appt with the ortho doc goes good. TRY to rest today. You don't like to read or watch tv? Thank you for asking about my pain and meds. I am fine. I think I have found the right dosage. I have to self medicate, because if I took everything the doc prescribed, I would be a walking zombie and have no quality of life and I want to enjoy my life! How is Maggie doing? Well, UKB, Jodie and Phoenix, we hope you stick around. We all love and try to take care of one another! I hope everyone has a good day! Love you all, vicki

[rubywillow]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

Vick, just ask T! He's the one who attacked the watermelon!! It was wonderful!!! Love the yellow meat, as a specialty. Usually get the others. Brought half home and the grands sucked it down!! You don't start doing more just because your feeling a little better. Get really better before you take back on your schedule, or you'll be right back there.
I have a friend for 40 years who suffered from childhood diabetes, was losing her sight, etc. Lovliest person I know. Recently, it was transplant or die with her, and she got the transplant ( don't know all the organs). Today she is FABULOUS! No diabetes! She had her first Big Mac, has experienced so many things others take for granted. Just saying, take care now, but look to all the possibilites.
Think I love the tomatoes the most. I wish we were neighbors, I'd be scavenging your garden each day (and helping you with all that putting by!). Take care. This heat is viscious. And you are a treasure.

[rubywillow]

The Journey begins here so get YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!!!! for august

I posted a question on General I'd like your response to. I've learned a lot already today.
This is something I read last year. Hope it helps you, too.

Why Falling Off the Wagon Isn't Fatal
By Maia Szalavitz

The cover of the January 2009 issue of O magazine says it all: "How Did I Let This Happen Again?" A photo of Oprah Winfrey at her current weight of 200 lb. is juxtaposed with an image of her formerly slender self. Inside the magazine, Winfrey writes, "I felt completely defeated. I thought, I give up. I give up. Fat wins."

That moment of yielding fully to addiction is what Alan Marlatt, director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington, calls the abstinence-violation effect (AVE). "The abstinence-violation effect is a form of black-and-white thinking," says Marlatt. "You blame [your failure] on internal factors that you consider beyond your control."

Those factors — whether they are, as in Winfrey's case, a thyroid condition that causes weight gain, or a belief that addiction is a disease that robs you of free will — are what derail thousands of quitters and abstainers from their New Year's resolutions. You could also call it the "f___ it" effect, the idea that once you cheat, you've blown it, so you might as well binge. In traditional 12-step programs for addiction, that line of thinking is encapsulated in the slogan "A drink equals a drunk." But understanding and overcoming AVE, says Marlatt, is crucial to conquering a problem behavior or dependency in the long term. You have to know what to do when you fall off the wagon to learn how to stay on it.

While studying cigarette smokers who were trying to quit in the 1970s, Marlatt discovered that people who considered the act of smoking a single cigarette after their quit date to be a complete defeat and evidence of an innate and permanent lack of willpower were much more likely to let a momentary lapse become a full-blown relapse. That was the start of Marlatt's work on AVE. Since then, he has become one of the world's leading authorities on preventing relapse.

Most people who try to change problem behaviors — whether it's overeating, overspending or smoking cigarettes — will slip at least once. Whether that slip provokes a return to full-blown addiction depends in large part on how the person regards the misstep. "People with a strong abstinence-violation effect relapse much more quickly," says Marlatt. A single slip solidifies their sense that they are a failure and cannot quit, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So what should you do instead? For starters, don't berate yourself for being weak. Instead, tell yourself, "I made a mistake. What can I do differently next time? How can I learn from this?" says Marlatt. "This happens to almost everybody. It's not just you."

One of the most common mistakes addicts make is focusing on whether they are strong enough to change rather than on specific methods of coping. "It's like trying to ride a bike," says Marlatt. "You make mistakes and learn, and you don't give up if you don't immediately find your balance." If the bicycle is missing a wheel or is otherwise broken, then it requires fixing — simply willing it to work is not going to help you ride.

Also, says Marlatt, "most people think that if they have urges or cravings, there's something wrong, that you're not supposed to have them." In fact, they are a normal part of habitual behavior. "Notice and accept them," he says, and be mindful of when and why they occur. Most relapses happen when people are stressed or experience negative emotions, or are exposed to people, places or circumstances that are associated with addictive behavior — old drinking buddies, for instance, or the morning cup of coffee that was always paired with a cigarette. These triggers can't always be avoided, so they need to be negotiated carefully.

Marlatt teaches a technique called "urge surfing" as a way to cope. "The urge is like a wave," he says. "It goes up and down. You don't try to get rid of it, but accept it and let it pass." People tend to think that urges will escalate infinitely if they don't yield to them — but in fact, like a wave, they rise to a peak and then fall. That is, even if you don't give in, the urge dissipates.

Indeed, because of the way the brain is wired, each time an addict lets an urge pass without engaging in the unwanted behavior, it weakens the neural connections that underlie the desire; each time he or she rewards the craving with the bad habit, the brain pathways, and the addiction, are strengthened. It helps for people to remind themselves that if they can resist an addictive urge once, it will become easier and easier to do it again in the future.

Marlatt uses the acronym SOBER to instruct patients on how to deal with a slip or fight off the urge to do so. The S stands for stop: pause for a moment and consider what you are doing. O means observe: think about what you are sensing, feeling and experiencing, and what events led to the situation. B is for breathe: take a few deep breaths. Then, expand your awareness and remind yourself of what will happen if you keep repeating the unwanted behavior and how you will feel afterward. R stands for respond mindfully: remember that you have a choice, that you are not powerless, and that you don't have to continue the undesired behavior.

"Otherwise, you are on autopilot," says Marlatt. "The urge is driving you. So take a breathing space."

Marlatt is currently conducting studies of the latest version of his behavior-modification techniques — which he collectively calls "mindfulness-based relapse prevention" — in comparison with typical addiction treatment. His research, on alcohol and other drug abuse, isn't completed yet, but he says, "We're getting very positive results."

I personally love SOBER as a way to live. Easy to remember, hard to always implement. This is a complex issue. Don't ever fall for someone else saying to you "Why can you just............" It's not what we're about, what we're fighting.