December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

[Lavande]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Evening friends,

Lil, I am very sorry to hear you news, such a loss. I will keep all of you in my thoughts & prayers!

Had a good day, work winding down now - finally. Never did get the baking started - will be top priority tomorrow. I did manage a pot of chicken noodle soup though

Temps are dropping down to where they are supposed to be this time of year & there's talk of snow on Saturday - we'll see!
Think I'll light a fire & just sit for a while.
Wishing everyone a comfy, safe night!

Lav

[dill]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

:l Lil :l

[Lavande]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Dill,
I love your blinking tree

[mighty mouse]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Good evening Determinators,

Lil, I am so sorry for you and your daughters loss. Please know you and your family are in my prayers.

Back late from xmas shopping and wanted to check in and say goodnight. All is well and I'm watching National Lampoons Xmas vacation with popcorn and tea!

SD, Thanks, I remember my rambo days:H. But now like my clear mornings better. And I sure do want to be able to be there for my family like Lil is able to do. Life is good and precious... We will get through it SD. Thanks for the support.

night to all and on to thursday morning! :lMM

[sdlovespackers]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

MM-I LOVE that movie!!! My son and I watched it the other night...he was getting so mad at me cuz I kept saying all the lines!!! It's HILARIOUS!!!!!!!
"Clark, I think Audrey is frozen from the waist down."
" All part of the experience honey!"

"I'm going to pull around him and leave him safely behind us. Burn some dust here. Eat my Rubber!"

Aahhh....I could go on all night...but I won't since you're watching it!! LOL!! :H
Have a great evening all!!
SD:l

[lodestar]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Thanks for the thoughtful responses, friends. It's nice to hear some perspectives outside of my own head.

Big hugs to all and especially strong one to lil...so very sorry, hon.

Blessings

[Davie Souter]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

mighty mouse;776068 wrote: Good evening Determinators,

Lil, I am so sorry for you and your daughters loss. Please know you and your family are in my prayers.

Back late from xmas shopping and wanted to check in and say goodnight. All is well and I'm watching National Lampoons Xmas vacation with popcorn and tea!

SD, Thanks, I remember my rambo days:H. But now like my clear mornings better. And I sure do want to be able to be there for my family like Lil is able to do. Life is good and precious... We will get through it SD. Thanks for the support.

night to all and on to thursday morning! :lMM

Great stuff MM. Over the last few weeks I've re-discovered my love of Sat night popcorn. I don't go for the microwave stuff anymore though - I insist on making it in the pot mmmmmm:H

[redhibiscus]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

I am so happy it is Thursday!

Lil, I am sorry for your loss, and extend my sorrow to your daughter. It is a gift for your daughter that you, all of you, are there for her. It will be hard to feel all the grief without the buffer of alcohol, but real life forces us to feel the full range of feelings.

I have been mourning my mother, who died five years ago at this time. Watching her die is when I started to drink more often and heavily. This season I have thought about her, what we went through as she and our entire family said goodbye to her over a period of time. It's tough, and with her death everything changed. I am proud that this season I can face my grief honestly, not covered up with alcohol. It hurts, but it's real.

Yesterday I went shopping before work and bought my daughter a beautiful piece of jewelry at a great price, for Christmas. I was happy all day. Could not have done that if I was drinking, hung over, and just trying to get through my day.

It is wonderful, most of my days, I do not even thing of drinking anymore. It is just the weekend or the holiday parties that are tempting me. It is a huge change in my thinking, and one I am taking for granted to a certain extent. Yesterday, a fleeting thought of, "it would be nice to have a drink tonight,"
came into my mind, and just as quickly, "No way, I'd feel sick tomorrow." Progress, not perfection.

Dill, I loved that quote, you are very introspective! It does take so much to live a good life and to make significant changes. It is so worth it.

MM, I have given up on perfection at Christmas time. I actually joke about how the mess ups make the holidays memorable and fun. We have really downsized our gift giving as my husband's career has taken a nose dive since 2008 and has not rebounded. But, it forces all of us to focus on other things, and that is good. Plus, my kids are not kids, and I am completely honest with them about where their parents are financially, with no shame. And they accept it, graciously.

Well, off to a busy day, AF. Hope and strength to all.:h

[Chillgirl]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Sheri
I love this poem!

I 1st came across it in a book I bought in Austrailia in 1998
I dont know if its correct or not but the book said it was found on the wall in a prison cell written by an inmate on death row.... says it all

[Pamina]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Hi all,

It's good to see the thread going strong and growing in numbers! It's my last week of busy work, after which I should be able to pop in to see what's been going on here. LOTS of catching up to do with everyone's stories.

For now, Lil :l I'm so sorry for your loss. How devastating. It's wonderful that you're able to be there, fully present for your daughter. We do never know when something will hit us, and being AF is like an insurance policy that will help us get through it. My ex-BF of 6 years died of a heart attack in September so I feel for you and your daughter. I will keep you in my thoughts until I can be back.:h

[lilmea]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Thank you to all my old 'friends' for your thoughts and prayes. You don't know how often I thought of you all and knew you were 'there' supporting me. :l:l There were actually times when I talked to you all in my mind.

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

We are all sad. The BF was part of our family. I even had his Christmas present bought and wrapped. But I am feeling good about myself because I did make it through. My daughters actually told me how proud they are of me.

Welcome to all the new people. It will take me a little time to caught up with everyone. This thread moves fast!

Everyone have a great af day.

[dill]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

This thread does move fast! I am running late for work as I had to make a crockpot side dish for a carry-in today. I made crock pot fried apples. It's really delicious!

Thank you Sheri for the poem. I will save that one!
Thank you Lav for the compliment on my tree! I found a website that has free animations for kids. There were several cute ones for Christmas.

I don't have time for individual messages, I'm sorry to say. Please all have a great day!

[Lavande]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Good morning all!

The morning is speeding by.........busy, busy!

Sheri, thanks for the poem, words so true!

Pam, good to see you, it's been a while

Lil, I hope you & your family are staying strong through this difficult time.

Greetings to Red, DS, chill & everyone who stops in today

Dill, those apples sound good! I'll have to look for a recipe like that!

OK, time to get my day going. Wishing everyone a terrific AF Thursday!

Lav

[mighty mouse]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Good morning, A quick pop in . I have an early appointment.

Lil, Glad to see your post and I can feel the love of your family right through cyber space. I am so happy you are experianceing this with your daughters AF. You are still teaching them so much! :l

SD I do love that movie. It was great last night and I'll probably watch it again. This was my movie that I used for many years to get me through the holidays. Used to drink wine with it but I think it was even better without. Great minds think alike!

Davie, I like making homemade popcorn too. Maybe trying different toppings would be something fun to do for people at night over the holidays?

Sherri, LOVE the poem. So true. I will print that. was it truely written by a prison inmate like CG said? We all know that person in the mirror, that voice in your head, that gut instinct. I'm getting much better at letting it live. Thanks Sheri, You have so much good insight.

Red, I do need to give up more of the perfection. It is all about family and that is all my kids really do want. So I will be more available this year. More games, More simple pleasures. More love, More AF

Hi Dill, Pam ,Lav Sootty, LBH and anyone else new or may have forgot. Enjoy your AF thursday. MM

[sdlovespackers]

December Determination ~ AF ~Week 3

Good Morning!!
Well today feeling pretty good...best day this week!! I was told my "pep" is coming back into my step! I was really dragging this week...either I was really hurting or I am the hugest wimp and have the littlest pain tolerance!!:H

This is going to have to be aquick check in as I have lunge duty this week (which means I have to being treats)....so I need to go get my stuff set up for the teachers...hungry teachers is not a pretty sight! LOL!! I also have recess duty...brrrrr...I brought my parka to TRY to keep warm!!!
Hope this finds everyone is awesome spirits!! I apologize for not addressing everyone....hugs to you all!!!
SD:l