Newbies Nest

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

I love some of the architecture in those old South American cities, G.
7 million people seems like a quite big city, but so frustrating about all the poverty. That’s a lot of struggling people.

Lav, what a full Saturday you ended up having! Saw all the kids & grandkids in one day! You’re right though -this is why we stay sober. It gives us the freedom to drive places, and be dependable.

Yes, Ava, this is an attempt to live my best life. I am embracing the freedom to get used to just up & going places on my own. I will make the 6-hour drive home from daughter & son-in-law’s house tomorrow morning. It has been a nice, gentle weekend of walking their dog, sightseeing the area, meeting their cats; visiting with some of his family; shopping, a game, TV shows, sleeping late, meals in & out together.

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

So your mum got the new chickens, Ava. Linda & Susan are not getting new companions chocks for your daughter. Glad your mother has bounced back so well, and was even being nice too!
Yes, anger & drinking & depression are all one big, tangled ball. I can see that in myself. Depression & anxiety led me to drink, and stopping drinking, plus doing a Love your Liver detox diet, left me releasing an awful lot of pent-up anger. Well, the liver is like a storage area for anger. I feel like I’m getting on a more even keel now. Too late for my already badly strained marriage though.

Congratulations on getting your quit to stick, QW -and now for 3 whole years! I am in the 3-year area too.

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good Morning, Nesters!

Last night I slept with an open window and at 4 am the birds started in with their lovely Springtime songs! We've had an unseasonably warm February and it doesn't look like it's going to get cold again.. still I'll wait a bit to plant!
CONGRATS on 3 years, QW! Well done!
Ava, sounds like a really nice visit with your mother.. how many chickens did you bring her? I missed that she'd quit drinking! Well done, her.. and nice bonus that she's looking younger! I'm sure hoping to lose some of the empty calorie weight I've gained..
Slo, tell me about the love your liver diet.. how long did you do it/are you still? That sounds like something I could try.. such a nice visit you had with your daughter and family.. 6 hours is a long drive!
Gman, nice photos! How much longer will you be traveling? Are you staying in Columbia or will you be heading somewhere else? Continued safe travels!

ok.. off to work now.. Big hugs to all of you. Wishing everyone a good af day!xx

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

I'm back from my week off - no computer and no electronics except for my daily Wordle and crossword puzzles. It was amazing and relaxing. Of course, there was drinking all around and upside down. There was a brief moment on a beach at sunset when I thought "a quick buzz would be nice," but of course I let that pass and thought about how I'd be feeling 8 months from now when I was still drinking and feeling like crap. No thanks. Vacation is good - now back to the grind...

Good to see you back, LC. Sorry you drank, and glad you're back. I second what NoSugar says - use us. I am sorry about the trip to Moscow and the invasion of Ukraine. It is a hard time.

Quit Wining - THREE years is AMAZING. Thanks for checking in and letting us know how you are. Congratulations!

Wags, how are you and your family?

Ava, sorry about your son. I always feel like relationship ups and downs when kids are young will help them make better long-term choices, but sometimes we can all get stuck in unhealthy ruts. Glad you had a good visit with your mom.

NS, happy travels to California. If you're up north, let me know!

Lav, hello. Are the new chicks out with the olders yet? My son has chickens and they accidentally got two rooster chicks. They're not sure what they're going to do...

Mr. G - great photos. Thanks for the travelog. I hope your trip is all you want/need it to be.

Kensho, ah, parenting. So hard. If it helps, many, many teens are struggling with motivation right now. The pandemic was hard on them. That doesn't make your task any easier, but maybe puts it into perspective. Can your daughter take a taxi to her math support a couple of days a week so you can keep working? Might help?

Hi, Steady.

Slo, Belle, Mulberry, and anyone else I missed - hello and I hope all is well. I haven't read all the way back.

Happy SOBER Monday!
Pav

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Happy last day of February, haha! It actually hasn’t been that bad of a month in terms of extreme cold & snow. I’m always happy to move out of winter & get back in the gardens.

Slo, I hope your trip home was good. Glad you got the chance to visit your daughter & enjoy some time together.
My kids have refused to be in the same room with each other for several years now since my DIL went on a manic tirade & wrecked everything. I had gotten them to agree to gather here Christmas eve but then my son & grandson both came down with Covid so it didn’t happen. Maybe sometime this year? Who knows?

LC, sounds like you are well into Spring already, good for you.
Hope your day was good!

Pav, welcome back from a nice vacation Unplugging for a week sounds nice.
The new chicks are still in my laundry room, haha. It’s still too cold to put them outside. When I do they will be in separate quarters for a while until they are big enough to defend themselves. It’s easier to keep them together on their own for now.

G, how did you manage to get pictures of deserted streets in a city of 7 million?
I think the poverty there must be so depressing to see. It’s sad that’s there doesn’t seem to be any way out for them. Stay safe & have fun.

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

Lav

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning,

Pav, you are so good at accepting all the endless drinking going on around you while on vacation, and still participating in the vacation yourself and not letting it bother you. I need to get better at that.
It’s a good idea of yours to fully recharge when you go away, by dropping the electronics and going more off the grid.

Lav, I hope your kids will agree to gather at your place for a different holiday this year. It’s really time to end their stand off. It’s not good for the cousins, and heartbreaking for you.
I could’ve stayed home this weekend I guess, and enjoyed some waning time with HB. The older daughters came by, one to pick up her dog, and one with her HB & the grandchildren because they were in the area; and they had carry-out dinner with HB. That would’ve been nice. But hopefully I made this daughter feel special by traveling to see her.

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

I’m happy that it’s March also.

[MENTION=19460]STEADFAST[/MENTION], I hope you can make the right decision for your relationship. I believe yours is complicated by his addiction, and that is causing difficulties.
I’m not so sure I made the right decision. But I was mired in both grief and physical pain at the time, so was shortsighted, I guess. But, like Lav says, I guess I’ll be ok either way.

LC, I’m on a detox diet because I was lucky to discover that I’m way too saturated with “vitamin” A. Like from that ill-fated carrot-juicing diet in my 30’s. It was called “Nutrition Restored”, and is now changing to “Love Your Liver”; by Dr. Garrett Smith in Arizona. I take mineral supplements to facilitate detox. I’ll get another round of blood tests and hair sample tests this month, to see if I have dropped my serum retinol level down further. It is slow-going over several years at least, and is hard because of the detox/dumping cycles that feel like PMS or PAWS (post-acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome). Probably prioritize your focus on getting through alcohol withdrawal first.

I’ll head up to daughter’s house tonight, to help with the grandchildren this week. Her HB is out-of-town on a business trip, so she needs the help.

Have a good week, Nesters!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Spent a lot of time running errands today including dragging 300 lbs of chicken feed home. Those girls love to eat haha!!!
I’m keeping a close eye on the situation in Ukraine & have donated what I can twice so far. I am 47.2% Eastern European (so my DNA says). My grandfather was born in Poland as well as some other relatives. I really feel for the people in harms way over there :hug:

Slo, if my DIL would just admit and/or apologize for wrecking my family years ago things would be different I’m sure. She hadn’t been officially diagnosed or medicated yet when she blew up on everyone. I was pretty sure she would end up being diagnosed Bipolar & then some. I just don’t understand why she keeps letting this go on so long.
I’m glad you’re getting around & spending time with your daughters & grandchildren. Be grateful for their presence because they will help you heal.

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

Lav

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hola friends,

Honey, i'm home! Thanks for all the safe travel wishes. 'Twas a safe and smooth flight home. Arrived a few hours ago after being awake for probably 30 hours straight for an early morning pre flight covid test to enter USA and connecting flights/ then checking in and waiting to board. A long day of airport food and coffee, but what a blast this whole trip has been. Music, romance, adventure, gittin lost, beautiful nature, it had it all. Reckon I packed about 5 years of regular life at home into 1 month in Sth America!

Lav, some of those street pics i recall being taken on a sunday morning, with not many folk about, or late on a week night.

Yo LC! S'up fam.

Glad u had a good vacation Pav. You so deserve it and more.

Big waves to evabody. Surf's up!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Welcome home, G. Sounds like an amazing trip. One month away is what the doctor ordered.

Lav, I didn't know your family situation with your kids - that stinks. I hope you get them together soon.

Slo, I don't mind the drinking too much. It gets tedious if everyone gets drunk and loud, but that didn't really happen with this group - not heavy drinkers. Well, it did happen one of the nights and I was very annoyed because I was in a position of not being able to do my own thing, but I survived.

Happy SOBER Wed.
Pav

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning Nest!

Slo, I like your wording... "big tangled ball". So perfectly descriptive of the mess that abusive drinking creates. Glad you're embracing your freedom!

LC, one of the happiest sounds I can think of is chirping birds in the morning. When the sing, the world seems right.

Pavings, thanks for your perspective. We are new to Wordle... loving the team competition with my family!

G - love your take on travel and the energy and joy it brings you!! Glad you made it home safe. Thanks, as always, for your amazing attitude towards life.

My husband's direct lineage is Ukranian, from Odessa. His dad is 100% Ashkanazi Jewish. Every time we see the residents on TV talking about fleeing or fighting... their strong spirit is both inspiring and tragic. I cry every time. Such needless violence and disruption I sure hope the world ends up in a better place.

I looked at the wine in the fridge hard last night. I had a terribly stressful call with a builder who doesn't know what he's doing or how to communicate well. My daughter heard him being rude on the phone and said, "he was not very nice Mom." I solved with the grateful homeowner last night, but I have to drive two hours to the house this am to deal with the builder and his framer - toxic men who just want this job done. I also want it done, but done right. I was shaking I was so upset and stressed. Instead of drinking, I sat outside barefoot in the lawn and took deep breaths for about 5 minutes. Touching the earth seems to calm me down. NO drinking here!!

Good to see everyone checking in. Perspective with drinking... at least for me, there are so many more problematic things than framing a fireplace in life... and some many more rewarding things than work. Or drinking.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Pav, hope your day was good!
Despite my DIL’s feelings & misguided attitudes I do my best to keep the grandkids informed on what’s going on & have been able to get them together a few times. I know they miss one another so I will just keep up with my plan. I want my own kids talking to one another again sometime before one of us oldies passes on.

G, welcome home, you must have been seriously tired after that trip! Thanks for sharing you trip & pics with us

Kensho, I know what we went thru with our builder who was my husband’s brother, geez. I specifically asked for certain things (for good reason) & he just chose to make changes without informing us. I didn’t want to start a war so I let it go. Your frustration sounds believable to me & a lot like the nonsense I went thru trying to communicate with doctors for 30 years
Dismissing the wine & taking some time outside was the right thing to do so good for you! So you have family ties to Ukraine as well. This is such a heartbreaking situation, I’m praying daily for them :hug:

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

Lav

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Thanks evabody. Lav, i had a good sleep overnight, so almost back to 'normal'. The feeling's good. Back to work monday. Back to gigging with my band this sunday. I'm a hombre fortunado.

Big waves to all. I'm still waking up and putting my head back on shoulders. An almost surreal experience this last month! In a good way.

Take care out there. x

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good early morning! I’m refreshed after a restorative sleep at daughter’s house. Beckett will go off to the day care family this morning, and it will be me & sweet baby Mabel for the day! I feel very grateful to be here, and to have them.

It’s like Spring outside the last couple days! The snow is melting into puddles.

The traveling Nesters are returning home! Belle might still be traveling yet. No Sugar should be back too. G, you sound refreshed and enhanced by your time abroad.

Kensho, thanks for the reminder to ground in the grass when stressed, weather permitting. Sad that work is made so stressful by rude, uncooperative people.

The Ukrainian mess must really hit home when one has family and hereditary ties to the region.

Mabel is calling…

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

So great you can be there with your grandkids, Slo. So much fun.

Kensho, nothing like connection with the Earth to help destress. One mentor I worked with had me (when possible) hug trees or lay flat on the Earth so more energy could be absorbed. I know that sounds like a lot of Nor. Cal weirdness to some of you, but I PROMISE - a good tree hug really does help. Being the boss is tough sometimes, but I am certain you'll handle it.

Lav, I hope those kids get it together. I'm glad you get the cousins together. There's nothing as great as a gaggle of cousins!

I work with a woman whose sister in law has a sister in Ukraine with her family, and another in Russia with her family. Heartbreaking for all involved. I am sorry for those of you who have family and loved ones in danger, and for all of us. Putin needs to hug some more trees...

Happy Sober Thursday - I can't believe it is Thursday already.

Pav