~cattleman cafe~ & another 24...

[abcowboy]

5:23am in Alberta, 24 more for me please, and thanks...

In the last 24 hours, these friends have joined in for 24 hours of wellness:
Jude58 Rava Ginger999 dill

Today is going to be a darn good day not to drink!

[Rava]

Good morning Cafe. Sounds like some of us are struggling. It’s probably the holidays and the fact that we are not normal drinkers. If we were we would not be friends. Some days the struggle is worse than others. Some days honestly, I give in and other days I fight it. I remind myself that I DONT DRINK. When I look back at my drinking career, even sneaking one now and then is much better than I was. No excuse to start down that horrible rabbit hole ever again. I just wish I could be stronger in my quit and end these stupid cravings. My dad is ill with cirrhosis and I don’t want to follow in his footsteps. When I see his struggle that seems to put reality in my face. Thinking of everyone here and wishing you a great Tuesday. I DO NOT DRINK! 24 more please and thank you.

[abcowboy]

Good thing Cyrus is safe and sound Ginger, there's been more than a few farm cats fall prey to coyotes out in these parts. Depending on the winter, they'll even get brave enough to try taking down newborn calves.

I'd love to answer your question with a resounding yes, those niggling thoughts do disappear altogether over time, but that's just not true, for me anyway. And most everyone I've talked to has said the same. But "cravings" for me disappeared many years ago, where I thought I really needed a drink. I think those thoughts will always be with us because of how much alcohol is accepted as normal. All the commercials about alcohol, sales flyers delivered to your mailbox from the different vendors, booze all around us at most every social event, etc. It would be hard not to think about having a drink. But, those are just thoughts for me now, not cravings, and they only last for a few moments without obsessing about them. Every once and a while I think it would be nice to be a normal drinker, then I remind myself that's it's been almost 10 years since I've had a drink and it hasn't affected me in any negative way. None of us "need" alcohol to survive, it's probably the other way around, we wouldn't survive if we kept drinking. So I'll end on a positive note, yes, it does get easier and easier to just let those drinking thoughts go and realize you won't act on them because you don't drink.

[Ginger999]

Thanks, ABC. There's hope for us all, if we stay the course. It makes me scratch my head and wonder.... why drinking poison is so accepted.

I'll take another day of freedom

[Jude58]

Ginger, So glad that Cyrus came home unscathed. We have a lot of coyotes around here; that's why all of my cats stay indoors. Occasionally one slips out the door, and I'm a wreck until they come home.

Dill, I think that you're right about us being twins! Wish that all of us could get together in person one day. Now that would be fun!

24 more for all of us please...

[Rava]

Good morning Cafe. Ginger,I forgot to mention in my last post that I am glad Cyrus was ok. He was probably scared for sure. Hope everyone has a good day today. My plan is to not drink. 24 more please and thank you.

[abcowboy]

5:19am in Alberta, I'll have another 24 please, and thanks...

In the last 24 hours, these friends have joined in for 24 hours of wellness:
Jude58 dill Rava Ginger999

Today is going to be a darn good day not to drink!

[abcowboy]

I agree Jude, it would be a blast if we all got together. Lots of stories to share of who we are and what our lives have been like.

Not much new around here, at least there's no snow to shovel. I do think that shoveling the snow helps keep me trim and fit Rava, but I'm one of the lucky ones that have never had to worry about weight gain. It's only been the last couple of years that I've had to increase the size of my pants to a 32 from a 31.

[Ginger999]

No alcohol in this house! I'll take another

[dill]

Rava, that must be rough for you seeing your Dad suffer with cirrhosis. We had a friend that had cirrhosis, and he drank like a fish but was in denial even after the diagnosis. He went through rehab but only because it was the first requirement of getting on a donor list. He really didn't think he needed to be there. And I don't think he was able to quit. He did die of cirrhosis and we still miss him dearly. I completely understood his inability to believe he was an alcoholic. This is a baffling "disease". I'm not sure I truly believe it is a disease. To me, alcohol is an addiction. Perhaps I'm splitting hairs. Whatever it is, it's a road on which I truly wish I had never commenced.

Cowboy, thanks for your thoughtful and well expressed post in reply to Ginger's question. I always enjoy when you share your thoughts. How's your train set up? Anything new there?

24 more for all of us here, please and thank you.