Newbies Nest

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

Evening nesters,

thats a lot of rain Lav, hope you have gumboots. i love my gummies, great for mowing the lawn. Yes mum behaved herself this trip and i am hopeful the one this weekend she is the same. she does know i wont put up with her crap so watches what she says.

Belle, i will kill for a 9am sleep in, i do love the mornings though, i seem to get a lot of work done before people start emailing me. I just took Carl for a nice long walk and we both loved it, so good for clearing the head. We had a hot day today so i dont go for a walk until about 6.30pm. loving daylight savings.

Work is mad with covid rules and patients emailing abuse about how incompetent the hospital is. mmm ok, i am sure we would be great if you turned up with covid though.

Kensho, i drive a manual and love it. i think if i had to drive in peak hour traffic every day i would be buying an automatic though. hope they fix your car sooner rather than later. Apparently we are going to have a shortage of everything for xmas but i have done most of my shopping. our shops open this friday for the first time in months but i dont want to go out just yet. Aldi is still my store of choice.

Had a great catch up with my psychologist yesterday and added to my toolbox to go away. i wont drink, i dont drink but i know things will get rough when our wee Jasper dies so i'm pulling all support in that i have to get through this time. Of course being here is what i will be doing a lot, lots of walks and removing myself from the situation if i need. Apparently my niece has taken Jasper home which is good and will make it easier to visit them.

Time to watch The Vicar of Dibley, i do like that show, always a good laugh.

take care xx

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

I learned to drive on a stick shift car, and drove only those for my first 6 or 7 years of driving.

Ava, Jasper is such a cute name. I’m so sad that his lungs can’t make it even in this day & age. Good idea to shore up your tool box as grief can really up end a person, and also you might be around a fair amount of drinking. So good of you all to rally around for support.

I’m up babysitting Mabel for a few days. Luckily her brother goes off to the day care family during the day. He’s much more of a handful. I caught his cold, and have a painfully sore throat on one side. So painful to swallow. Daughter in college has this cold-from-hell too, and she has been very sick with it for the entire month of October. Today she’s being trundled out of her dorm and off to the “sick bay” until her COVID test comes back negative. I hope I can nip it in the bud and not go into the boatload of congestion and chesty cough that she and Beckett have. Don’t want her sinus infection either.

Son-in-law has 62 bottles of hard liquor in their basement bar, mostly bourbons. He has a drink every night, to relax and come down off of the coffee and adderall (ADD) that power him through his workday as an engineer. I hope this continues to work for him, and doesn’t develop into a dependency problem.

It’s good to see everyone, hear about your lives, and sample some blue chocolates!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

The storm has gone so we had a dry & sunny day
I went & met my daughter for lunch today. She was working at a school in Delaware only 11 miles from here so that was nice.

Byrdie, I know you had a good hit from the nor’easter, tons of rain & wind.
I’m sorry it’s taking so long to get in touch with a specialist. You probably just need a change in drops or something & shouldn’t have to wait so long.
Your blue chocolates are beautiful, good job

Ava, yes we both have mud shoes/boots to deal with the excess mud around here haha!!
Good that your Mum knows the new boundaries & I hope she doesn’t cross them on your trip. It’s very sad that young Jasper is in such poor condition. It must be so hard for your niece to be caring for him at home. Prayers going out for all of you :hug:

Slo, my brother taught me to drive stick even before I got my license. We owned VWs for years.
I hope you feel better soon & can enjoy your babysitting time this week. I would be concerned about all that liquor in his basement too. No one ever plans on becoming addicted to AL or any substance. It just sneaks up on you when you’re too tired or busy to notice. I know for sure none of us ever want to go there again!

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!
Lav

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Honestly I don't know where I've been. I looked up and all of a sudden I haven't posted for a month? That is SO unlike me. I've missed you and here. I am not going to read way back right now, but I will catch up soon enough. I've had a lot going on including helping to support a colleague/friend who is young and has had SUCH a challenging life that keeps getting more challenging. He makes it worse with alcohol, and we all know that will never work. I also changed my routine so I am writing in the mornings which is something that feeds my soul but now I need to find a new time for MWO.

I am fine - of course I wasn't drinking because I don't drink, but I also know that keeping my sober community is important for a life long practice of not drinking...

We did get plenty of rain - so much rain. And the places that have been burned were vulnerable to slides, but I haven't heard of a bad one near here. It was so refreshing, and now fire season is over. Phew. Last year we had one day so smokey the sun didn't shine, so it is nice. Lav, I hope your brother is ok - have you heard from him yet?

Love to you all!

Glad to be back,
Pav

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi,

I read back a bit.

Wags, I got acupuncture for depression/mood (I thought balancing my chi would make me feel better - probably should have quit drinking back then!). While the treatments felt so good, I always wondered if it was just because I took time in my busy day to lie down and think of nothing for an hour.

I subscribe to a Wellness Letter from The University of CA - they said there is empirical research that acupuncture helps for arthritis pain and some other pain. I don't know about depression...

Also, Lav and G - that darkness, my old friend. I am with you on that. I have to watch myself also.

Sorry about your difficult divorce, Slo. I hope things improve for you but it sounds like GOOD RIDDANCE to me...

More later.

Pav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Pav - good to see you! And super glad that fire season is over, the rains have arrived, and no major mud slides (at least not near you). Arthritis pain is what I'm hoping the acupuncture will help. I haven't looked into it any further yet but it's on my short to-do list.

Kensho - we are mostly car-free here but we can and do ride bikes for most errands and we have a truck for hauling, adventures, and emergencies of course. Most people in the U.S. do not live in places where such a lifestyle will easily work, and I hope your car gets fixed soon. Perhaps the bigger concern, as you mentioned, is that we might see shortages (or I guess we already are seeing shortages) in many goods and services.

Slo - I hope you and your daughter both feel better very soon!

Hellos and waves to Byrdie, Lav, Ava, Belle and everyone. We're over the hump!

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, Nest

It sounds like life is being pretty lifey for many of us right now. You're all in my thoughts. xx

I chatted with a sober pal a couple days ago and acknowledged that stuff like US politics, lack of global climate change action, etc. is a background worry for me. I don't obsess about it but my thoughts/feelings are THERE, keeping me a bit off kilter for dealing with the other stuff that comes up day to day. And it continues to come up. Like Pav said, it's good I don't drink but I am seeing how it could start to seem to be an appealing option from this low state and like Ava said, we need to stay on guard and keep our support structure in place. I know I've not been tending mine very well lately.

I'm immersed in the work of Jill Bolte Taylor right now. In chapter 4 of her first book, My Stroke of Insight, she describes how she felt during her left-hemisphere stroke (from which she eventually recovered fully). It struck me that how she felt was EXACTLY what I was going for by overdrinking -- a quieting of my overactive, critical mind. In fact, her description of how she felt (in her right brain) as her left brain shut down made me long to feel even a bit of that connection and peace. Drinking did offer a sliver of that, but only for a short while and of course with what became unsustainable fall-out. Anyway, I highly recommend the book (I listened to her read the audiobook, which was great in her actual voice) - it is the clearest explanation I've encountered that helps me understand why I did what I did in the process of becoming addicted. For a brief description, here's the TED talk that made her famous: Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight | TED Talk

I'm now listening to her second book, Whole Brain Living, in which she helps us understand how to access (by neural re-wiring) that connected, peaceful way of being in the world that is present in all of us but totally inhibited when our left brain is active. This sounds rather 'woo-woo' but isn't because by training she is a neuroanatomist and explains what is going on in terms of the characteristics and functions of cells in the 4 quadrants of our brains. We can learn to choose which quadrant is calling the shots and thereby change our experience of the world. She encourages you to choose a name or character that corresponds to each one to help think about what is going on. Rabbit (left thinking quadrant) and Eeyore (left feeling quadrant) have dominated my life. I want them to BE QUIET and let Tigger (right feeling quadrant) and Winnie the Pooh (right thinking quadrant) prevail.

What she writes is entirely consistent with the encouragement to stay as much as possible in the present moment (what the right brain does) and the 3 Principles that I've often written about - peace is only one new thought away.

[BelleGirl]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,

Yes, Lav, I was very fortunate that they found the aneurysm 'by accident'. I don't want to go the way John Ritter did! It seems that it has not been progressing in the past 9 years since they found it, and I hope it stays that way. As it could be genetic (as I have no risk factors like high blood pressure), I am making sure my brothers get checked out. One has, but I think the other is being stubborn. I'll keep pestering him.

Byrdie, those chocolates look crazy awesome! Who gets to eat those? My mouth waters just looking at them.

I had a wonderful dinner with my daughter, right in the heart of DC, a stones throw from the White House. It was rather pricey, I cannot imagine if drinks were on the bill! We did splurge on dessert though. I delivered a bunch of groceries to her, that she has had a hard time getting through InstaCart, and she was happy.

Son comes home tomorrow and of course I am getting nervous. The DC Metro system is having issues as they took alot of trains out of service to check for issues that caused a derailment a few weeks ago, so it may be a wait for a (probably over crowded) subway train. And I am worried about stupid things like he will leave his backpack on the train...sometimes he is so absent minded, or as I say "sh!t for brains". But it is all up to him. I am looking forward to seeing him.

As for driving a stick...I always loved that. I used to be proud of the fact that I could eat, drink and drive a stick on my way to work. Probably not the smartest thing. I learned from my high school boyfriend. I wasn't getting it when he was trying to teach me, but one night when we went to the beach, and he had been drinking and I wanted to go to McDonalds, I took the keys, got into the Toyota truck and it seemed like all of a sudden it 'clicked'. I went through the drive through and learned how to really use the clutch to drive slowly and stop/go. Never had an issue after that. Necessity (or hunger) is the mother of invention.

Yesterday work was a struggle. Today not so much. I think I will take a nap today to recover from yesterday.

Take care all,

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

We just had to make an emergency run to the Halloween store for a costume for my grandson. The one I ordered online for him won’t be arriving in time, haha! I didn’t want him feeling left out of the festivities.

Pav, good to see you! I figured you were probably super busy with life, I know you don’t drink
Not that we need it but we are about to get even more rain, ugh.

Wags, having to drive everywhere like we do. Is one thing but filling up the gas tank is getting more painful lately, Lol I guess that’s the price we pay for country living

NS, I have heard that Ted talk by Jill Bolte Taylor, she’s amazing.
Whatever we need to do to stay focused & on plan is good with me. I wouldn’t mind listening to her books myself, glad you’re enjoying them.

Belle, glad you enjoyed your daughter time. I imagine your son will do just fine navigating his way home. Kids always know more than we think they do.
My son works in the DC Fire Dept & he is currently working with the Metro system, in charge of safety. He was assigned this position last year when he made captain. He’s learned a lot, haha! I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in thenest.
Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

NS - I've heard parts of the Jill Bolte Taylor talk as well - thanks for the reminder to get back to finish it.

Lav - gas is super expensive right now. I guess everything is going up in price. At least some of it is political, which I hate. We are lucky in that we only have to fill our tank once every month or two unless we take a trip.

Belle - sounds like a wonderful time with your daughter!


We are watching the series Dopesick right now. It's about Purdue Pharma and the OxyContin disaster. Really really sad what people and companies will do in the pursuit of profit. Has anyone else seen any of the episodes?


Take care everyone -- it's almost the freakin' weekend!

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

I'm watching Dope Sick, also, Wags. I think it is incredibly well done and such a window into the desperation of addiction. I must admit, I feel a little relieved that alcohol was my drug of choice. What these people go through with Oxycontin is absolutely heartbreaking. I downloaded the book, also. So far it is much drier but provides so much background information that I'm finding it really interesting.

We're off to hang with grandkids for a week. Our dog is going and I just realized she is in heat osteroops:. This should be interesting. I have not had a dog go through heat in 30 years and don't really remember all that I'm supposed to be doing (other than keeping her away from boyfriends). Any advice is welcome!

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

morning nesters,

Saturday here and looks like a nice day. Going to the mans place as he lives closer to mum so will cut my trip short. Big drive tomorrow and i am tired, of course i am tired, im always tired. got up early as my daughter has work and all ready and then she tells me she starts an hour later than i thought. Still tired i thought! so having a cuppa and posting.

our shops are finally open after months so we will probably go op shopping. i want to look for a new stereo/GPS for my car so i am not looking at my phone. i have no idea, its a man thing so i hope i find something today.

we had an awful storm yesterday and was so cold, the winds were up to 100k's so i spent the day inside, my hayfever is bad enough without going into that.

Nice to see you Pav and NS, hope you are well.

Slo, you are so lucky spending time with your grandbabies and i hope you feel better soon. Colds are pretty scarce here due to mask wearing.

we get to visit Jasper on Tuesday which will be lovely. they are trying to spend as much time with him as possible as a little family and are pretty regimented in their routine. He is still with us so there is always hope.

Bags packed, tools packed so will check in when i can.

take care xxx

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

I’m all better! Nipped that right in the bud with lots of gargling with salt water!
Daughter who is a freshman in college has been quarantined into a lonely nearly empty dorm building by herself until her COVID test comes back negative! It’s not COVID: the rapid test was already negative, and it’s the same cold that has been circulating the swim team. The results are late getting back, so she had to miss the bus to travel to tonight’s swim meet, and might have to miss tomorrow’s meet as well. Probably just as well, as she has a cough in her chest that is not very well controlled, and has gone through a whole box of Kleenex in the last day blowing out all the congestion. But the end is near!
Little Beckett is still coughing, and is still filled with congestion as well.
I hope I didn’t get baby Mabel sick, but I hear she has the sniffles today…can only hope it’s mild & quick for her.

I’m about 30 years out from having a dog in heat as well, NS; so no help here. Just watch for blood spots on their carpeting.

It’s so nice to hear from you, Pav! Know you’re frightfully busy. And gone from fire threats to rain & mudslide threats.

Thanks for your input, Ava, that you’ve actually been just fine post-divorce as a single person. The reassurance is helpful. This is frightening.

I suppose I should look into Deep Sick as it sounds interesting. I read Jill Bolte Taylor’s book years ago and loved it.

Halloween weekend! Glad you got your grandson all set for the big weekend, Lav!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

We’re in another storm, lots of rain & wind out there. We have 1bout 1.25” of rain, I think it may double before the storm moves out. Made myself a pot of vegan Tuscan bean soup today, yum.

Wags, I have not seen that series but I can imagine. I was on the pain committee at my hospital at one point & we were attempting to educate the docs on the proper use of such drugs. What a nightmare! Enjoy your weekend.

NS, the last time I had a dog in heat was 1982. I let my BIL talk me into breeding her with his dog. We ended up with 12 Golden Retriever puppies, dear God!!! That was my one & only attempt at dog breeding, haha!!! Do you have plans to breed your pup at some point?

Ava, wishing you safe travels, i hope mom behaves & you get to see baby Jasper. Did you get your GPS? They sure do come in handy

Slo, glad you’re feeling better. The kids usually get better faster than we do so I hope they are OK as well.
My grandson is thrilled with his realistic looking phantom costume, Lol
We all know you’re going to be OK. Putting together a loving & calm future with your children & grandchildren will be such a blessing. No more tiptoeing around the negativity & uncertainty sounds perfect :hug:

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy Halloween eve Nesters!

Hope everyone is happy, busy & doing well

Wishing a safe night in the nest for all!

Lav