New here and starting Topa and with a question

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I vote that chit written in other threads is not brought here in any way / shape / or form. Period.

More opinion to come … but Charlie is telling me it’s walk/play time after our busy week and I have two Art Events to attend to today so probably should slip in a shower and dress there somewhere. =)

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

And the door opens here ….

No matter the hour or day, I know I can come here. Sometimes I just read and don’t quite have the energy or time to respond to all, but I feel blessed to be in touch with so many special souls as we share this struggle.

No one has set up the rows of folded chairs and there is no one assigned to making the coffee brew. There are not 20 people outside smoking cigarettes and looking nervous or guilty. I don’t have to pronounce anything about who I am, what I am, what I doing mor not doing … I choose what to share.

When I open this door …

There are large comfy sofas. Lots of pillows and a few tossed about lounging blankets. The temperature is always perfect. There is always music playing in the background that seems to suit whatever seems to be happening at the moment – be it upbeat and silly, or a time to hug, morn, celebrate, or cry with someone. There is a box of tissues on every end table for the tears of joy and the tears of hurt.

Some days when I walk in it is full of YOU. So much going on in our lives. And at times too much stress, at times too much pain, and other times there are the “spit your wine out on your monitor” funny moments. And other times when I open the door, there is perhaps one or only two of you on the sofas. But it always feels the same, and I miss when someone has not come into our “room” for awhile to share.

I have written it before, but will say it again – I feel safe here. I don’t care about other threads and what drama plays out in them. (Well, other than the worm killer in the group. HA!)

I NEED to be honest here. I don’t want to be lectured or criticized about anything I am doing or not doing in my search for a better life for me. I am pretty certain that is why this “room” is what is and is perhaps a bit different than others. And so be it.

Are we all AF here? Hell no. Are we all working towards finding what works for us? YES! We learn from each other – we don’t correct each other. We suggest ways that in perhaps we may try something different than what we are doing – we don’t preach a different path each other. We share each other’s struggles about AL, but also what is just happening day to day, and how we are dealing with it. I love that.

If I fall down I will be encouraged here, not lectured. It gives me the strength and the focus I need to stay my path. You, on the sofas, do that for me.

Yes, I have been quiet a touch mostly because of work (and OK confession: the Landscaper! HA!) but also because I will echo a number of other posts. Not to pick on you Wildflower, but I think perhaps you need to either see this “door” as full of comfy sofas, lots of hugs, NO judgments, no corrections, and as a SOFT PLACE TO FALL. When you need something different, you need to be in a different room. I will confess to almost not posting here any longer also and being one of the “upset” by some of choices of statements. Deal? I love your posts, but perhaps when you feel the need to make YOUR OPINIONS about how any of us should be running our lives, choose a different door.

My door opens again ….

Same sofas. I am missing some of you. I am glad Houtx finally found her damn key again! HA! There is Chapter Two to be written about the Landscaper guy. LOL Oh my. How do you take a guy to an event and introduce him when he looks like your son???? HA! HA! The good news is …. Got one hell of a deal on my landscape job *wink*

Must dash …

[DizzyBee]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Well said, so much more eloquently than what I did, thank you....YOU LITTLE MINX! :H

You have worked hard your whole life to achieve success and respect, its time to forget about what other people think and just have some fun. Besides, I'm sure you look much younger than your age, so they'll deffo won't think your his mom!

Think about it this way, if you were a man, would you care? Hell no! So just do it love, time for WTE to get her groove on. Hahahaha. Just thought about it. Did you base your username on the book/movie Waiting to Exhale? Didn't the woman go on holiday and meet a hot young man? Just saying... Life imitates art.

I have to go, good on ya.

Fight for gender equality. Do it for sisters everywhere!
:happy:

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

WTE, i need a couch and Im the one that said that I'm tons older than you are:H:H

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I need a bed

I miss Sun too Dizzy, I hope she comes back soon.

You are right WTE, I should have quoted the bit you said but I dont know how to do it now but the important thing for me is to be able to be honest without judgement and I do think we have it here. No matter what happens in my life, what I do or how I feel I know I can come in here and tell you all about it. Sometimes I need advice but mostly just to get things off my chest and out of my mind is all it takes. We can be serious and silly here because this is a friendship thread.

:groupluv:

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Dear WTE,
I want to thank you for writing a description of our thread that I feel resonates with all of us who post regularly here. It truly is a place where we come and know that we are among friends who accept us just as we are with no expectations that we must be one way or another to be accepted or valued. Dizz, Space, thanks also, and thanks to all for wanting to keep our thread the feel good uplifting cozy den away from the storm.

Love, play

[COSGringo]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Sorry space. Figured seroquel must be a scrip. Still strong stuff but if you need it you need it. I've used it for insomnia but very rarely.
Just up here watching the news, the fire is getting closer to CO springs. If if they have to evacuate this city it will be very bad. I'd probaby ride it out.
Hope everyone feels better.

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Oh my god COS I am worried for you, please keep us updated so I know you are ok.

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I have just been watching some news footage about it on line COS, I didnt realise it was so bad the way it has devestated so much land, woods, homes. I found it upsetting to watch and I dont live there.

[COSGringo]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thanks. Somebody said it was burning on Pikes Peak. I hope that's wrong. That would devastate the Springs and all the wildlife.
I should be fine as I am further East but just not sure. I have a huge mtn park near us and some tracts of land behind us that would be bad. We have ash raining down around here.
If I we had to get out of here I have a big truck but it needs gas and such plus getting out would be bad. Plus I am in no shape to flee right now. I think the city will be fine but hard to say. They will pull out some serious resources if it gets any closer and we have a lot of military bases around here.
They evacuated a town not far from me that I go to all the time about 10 miles from here. Beautiful place. Hope it stays that way. Around the clock news coverage here. Looks a bit better now but hard to tell it's 3:30 am here.

[COSGringo]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Oh and it was 100 F here today. That is unheard of here. It just does not happen. That's Las Vegas hot. People don't have air conditioners around here. Thank God we do. I can't get out of the house so I am oblivious to it.

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

When you first mentioned fires I didnt think much of it because we hear about it all the time, forest fires seem usual in some places, I didnt know that this was on such a scale, then I just watched it. Cant you go and put gas in the truck and get ready just in case. Why cant you get out of the house is it because of gout and you cant walk with it.

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

By the way .. what the hell are you doing up at 3.30am!!!

[COSGringo]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Well yes the gout is part of it. The fact I can't sleep and I have taken meds and my wife can't drive my truck aka "the beast".
Plus I'd have to start moving a lot of tech equipment. I have some important data here for a major worldwide corp.
Can't sleep.

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Im fortunate in that I dont think Ive ever really had a cant sleep problem, except for a few nights when I have stopped drinking. You know my problem is the opposite, cant stay awake. My eldest son has awful sleep problems and it really messes up his life. He often just doesnt sleep for like 48 hours, then will fall asleep and be awake again a few hours later so I do totally get it as I have seen it for years with him. It makes him feel so crap a lot of the time, he gets exhausted, headaches and a whole messed up body system. I am trying to talk him into getting zopiclone or something on line as the doc wont give him anything, he is still suspicious of on line chemists tho.

I am going to have to get off here and do something so I will chat later. I hope you do manage to get some sleep COS, thinking of you x