AF-Daily...22nd November

[Leelou]

Oh how nice to sleep in on a Sunday morning finally! Quiet, peaceful, dozy morning. Very very grateful for the sleep in, AND the "un-hung" morning...

I have spent most the day feeling really good, enjoying tiny little things throughout my day, like the warm sun (before it got really hot), the tomatoes turning red, and enjoying the sunshine before my grateful picking.. the eggplant thats growing that I didn't even notice before, the butterfly that checked me out, the smell of my morning coffee, my near completed painting, my silent phone, the frangipani flowers blooming, their smell too...

My DH, my family and pets, my fresh smelling clothes off the line, the afternoon sun dappling through the kitchen, my shrinking body since being AF and exercising, the day off work, the free time, the cool breeze, and the beautiful sunset.

It is so nice being AF.....

sending smiles from down under to everyone...... enjoy the day!

[Marshy]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Hi Leelou & all to come,

Could you send some heat over here please?

I'm putting on my walking boots and heading out for a walk in the country with some friends. Looking forward to a muddy, wet, AF day!

[bear73]

AF-Daily...22nd November

hey there - yes sun would be good please!
well i made the af but not the sf - af the priority for me though.
Working on sf now - got derby practice today and will feel the sickarettes for sure.

still pleased to be af but hyper vigilant - i have a gig next sat, then a couple of things for Christmas BUT I won't smoke if I stay inside, will be firmly af again.

WAAY too much caffeine yesterday - met lots of new people and it's not easy sober/espec when they were partying hard. all v nice though - only about 30 secs focus on af then we just chatted.

I did it though - feeling proud and strong today - prioiritising myself over these 2 demons - saw old mate last night who said he hadn't seen anyoen struggle so much with fags as me - that annoyed me he has stop/started plenty of times.

BUT he's right and that's also why it annoyed me. don't want to give people chance to do that smug ' oh smoking/drinking agan are we' which some 'friend' did last night loudly in front of everyone - but it was great to say 'yes to fags, but tomato juice only so one out of two aint bad is it?'

[greeneyes]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Morning abbers!!

Gosh leelou.... I time traveled there for a bit to your yard. I may use your post for a relaxation meditation! WowWee you sound good!

Marshy a walk in the country really rings my bell. I'll try to do that with little doggie later at the river park.

Well done bear!!! It's hard to imagine the stress of an AF party with nicotine on the same page. You sound really strong and proud as you well should! Chuffed!!!

I had a devine dinner last night at a Thai place. I think I hurt myself I ate so much. The brunch this AM had to be postponed and I'm sort of glad. I've still got the housewarming this afternoon and lots to get accomplished today.

I had one my :upset: nursing home visits yesterday. It was brief as I was picking up DVDs on my way to dinner. On the way out I recognized the amount of energy it took for me to mainitan an air of cheerfulness and keep a bright smile on my face as I greeted the familiar faces who becon me to stop and chat and as I gazed into the rooms of those who seemed to be barely alive. I could feel the stress in my body. I allowed myself to admit that I still, after 3 years, dread the nursing home. I just can't seem to get past it. Then the guilt set in. I can't seem to get past this stuck place and faking it isn't working. It was a feat for me to go there sober the past year something. Then he called me at 4 AM to see if I enjoyed my dinner. God love him....... it warmed over the annoyance I felt at the ring.

Shite what a bummer! Sorry!! I'm going back to leelou's post. Then go swim it out.

Have a lovely one!

[Lavande]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Morning Abbers!

Happy to see the sun this morning, I hear storms are on the way for tomoorw!

Leelou, I think I'd like to spend some time at your place today - it all sounds lovely

Marshy, I think I'm lucky in that my friends & family have mostly moved to healthier lifestyles. Spending time with them really hasn't been much of a problem in the temptation dept. Surviving the holidays though will be a bit of work though but I do plan to stay AF.

Greenie, a walk through a nursing home is never easy, especially during the holidays. I'm sure your Dad knows he is loved. My FIL lived in a nursing home for several years before he died, I remember those feelings very well. Try to remember that he is safe, comfortble & being well taken care of where he is right now!

Well, my day is full of herding dogs here. My son is due back tonight to pick up the Insanity Twins........can't wait

Enjoy your day
Lav

[drylifeahead]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Good morning Leelou. That was very nice to read. It's so great to be able to appreciate
so many wonderful experiences that sit right in front of our noses. Being sober, after
living through Hell I think makes one so much more aware.

Good morning Marshy, enjoy your walk. I think I'll ring up my walking buddy and do the same.

Good morning bear73. Great job on the abstaining last night of al. My quit date for smoking
is tomorrow. Today I'll spend quite a bit of time preparing...losing the lighters etc. One
vice at a time, but I know the smoking will be trickier-for me. I love how you are feeling
about being AF however..that's terrific.

Good morning greeneyes. I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner..Thai food is fabluous. And healthy!
Enjoy your swim!!

Good morning Lavande. Still giggling at the Insanity Twins situation. Only a few more hours...

We recieved an email about the type of bird we are looking for. Going to go see our
potential feathered friend this afternoon. He's 4 weeks old...have to go read up on the
best age to adopt...4 weeks sounds so young!!

Have an excellent AF day my friends!!
DLA :l

[momof3]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Good Morning All and Happy Sunday,

It's going to be sunny and in the high 50's here in Virginia today....this very lovely weather is hanging on for awhile this year. I'm going to take advantage of it next weekend after Thanksgiving and take my daughters for a long trail ride in the mountains.

Bear73...I've been following your posts. I'm assumming that you want to be AF since you are posting in monthly abs. If that's the case, I have some unsolicited advice. At least for the short term, I would recommend staying away from bars and away from people who are drinking or "partying hard." I believe that even though you feel that you are successful in making it through the night AF in the midst of drinkers, your subconscience AKA "the beast" knows and it chips away at your resolve to stay AF.

It's essential to change the environment around you and your lifestyle in order to quit drinking for good. If not, it's likely you will repeat the same pattern and you will keep beating yourself up for falling off the wagon (not a good cycle). The cravings and the angst do go away but you have to put in solid and consistent AF time in order for that to happen. I would also recommend perhaps tackling quitting drinking and quitting smoking at separate times. Take if from someone who knows. I've done both and neither are easy but they are achievable. I struggled with quitting Al for so long, telling myself that I had to stop but not really putting in the serious work it takes to quit (i.e., changing my lifestyle, my relationships, and my environment). It has been worth every bit of effort. I now look at my struggle with Al as a blessing. It has forced me to really look hard at myself and how I want to live my life; something I think that many people who have never been challenged to do because they haven't faced a life threatening disease. I wish the best for you.

[Doggygirl]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Hello all! Thank you Leelou for that beautiful post to get us started today! I didn't know what a fanglypangly (however you spelled that!) flower was so I googled it. FanglyPangly Flowers Very pretty! I also like the sound of your fresh tomatoes which I already miss! You have given me a vision to remember when the winter days set in. You are so right that these little things are at the heart of the simple joy of living. And when drunk, we miss it all.

Marshy, have fun on your wet walk today!

Bear, congrats on staying AF. I know some people have quit both smoking and drinking at the same time here and my hat is off to all of them. I don't think I could have done it! Good for you sorting out your priorities. I hope you at least consider what M3 said in her post. What she posted was certainly true for me anyway. The important thing is for you to know that we ALL want to see each other succeed and that includes you!!! Have fun roller derbying today which really sonds like a blast. Makes me wish I was 30 years younger. Oh wait. Then I wouldn't be born yet. :H (liar liar pants on fire)

Greenie, I wish I could have been there with you for that Thai food experience! And I want to hoop hoop hoop. I think I could actually do that at my age! (29) I'm :upset: with you just reading about the nursing home visits. I've had a taste of that with my Dad as you know - thank goodness he's been able to go back home thus far. I think it would kill him if he ever had to go there and accept NOT going back home. And it's a distinct possibility. I don't know where you find the strength but I'm sure glad you do. I suspect I may need to draw on your example at some point.... Here is to a happier day filled with some FanglyPangly Flowers thoughts for today.

Lav - you crack me up with those Insanity Twins!!! :H Come on - admit it. You will be just a TEENY WEENY bit sorry to see them go, right???

DLA, your bird search is very interesting! Let us know how the visit goes and also what you find out about the best age for adopting this type of bird. It's all very interesting to me.

M3 - good to see you and that trail ride sounds awesome. Can I come too???

The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day here for fall. Got the day going with a really good AA meeting. The group was pretty small today and we got into some really really good discussion. It was one of those times when that don't happen that often, but you can just feel yourself growing closer to the other people in the room. I'm very glad I was there. It still amazes me how different our backgrounds and ages and "facts" are, but how much we have in common as we work to build sober lives. I am feeling very happy and peaceful today despite the economic times and the family (= stress) stuff coming up later this week, etc. I'm so glad to be learning to just stay in "now" and enjoy the ride.

Happy AF UnHungness to all!

DG

[Marshy]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Yup, suspected as much. The countryside is indeed wet and muddy. But we found a nice pub with a log fire for lunch and by the time we got going again the sun had come out.

Greenie - hope the swim worked. It does wonders for me.

Lav, your mention of the holidays reminded me that you have Thanksgiving next week. It's odd to think that it's going to be a really difficult day for some people on here, whereas for the non-Americans it's just another Thursday in November with no more stress or temptation than usual.

DG - in my fairly limited experience of AA I find the seating arrangement makes a huge difference. I went to a meeting last week where the people were really nice, but the seats were all facing forward, so it was difficult to make eye contact with people who were speaking. I've been to other meetings where the chairs are arranged in a circle and it seems easier to "join in" even if you choose not to speak.

Dry - got a new housemate yet?

[Doggygirl]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Marshy - congrats on your 11 month anni! :yougo::yougo: ITA on the seating arrangement. The circle (or rectangle in the case today!) is MUCH more conducive to interaction. Wow - that lunch by the fire sure sounds inviting.

Oh - I forgot to include one of these :b&d: for you Greenie!!

DG

[Marshy]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Cheers DG! (With my cuppa). And :goodjob: :goodjob: on your 1.5 years. How fabulous is that??

:bedtime: All that country air has done me in.

[hulagirl]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Aloha All! I need to come back here for support. I find that my first reaction to stress is....drink. You are right Marshy, a big American holiday that is focused on family and friends and food. Ouch. :upset: I am so in the empty nest syndrome. Last year we went to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner (as I see it..."along with all the other losers".) So I've already planned on cooking small portions of the traditional feast for me and hubby. I wish i could think of it as just another Thursday, but you can not ignore National holidays based on our country's history and culture. Some how I haven't made adult friendships as I should have (because of the drink?). When I was in college or just all that time in my 20's (lots of drink) friends were every where and we just made parties when we needed to. Moving away and starting a new life has not been easy as far as "friends" are involved. It seems that I have only had aquaintances based on our childrens' interests. I am really feeling "old" and "over the hill" when I hear the youngish (30 somethins) at work making their Thanksgiving day plans with each other. I was there once. So I am going to hang close to here for the next week. Buy the way, Frganipani is called Plumeria in my neck of the forest.

[Determinator]

AF-Daily...22nd November

LeeLou, frangipanis in FNQ....wow, you just brought back a flood of memories from my youth. good ones I'm happy to say

Marshy, hoorrays and hugs for you!!!!!

Hula, bout time you surfed back here, yep stress is at the top of most of our list of triggers I'd say.

I had a great time last night in a sport bar watching the UFC with an AF friend. we ate bar food and drank 4 pots of coffee LOL

be well

[Lavande]

AF-Daily...22nd November

Evening Abbers,

Just wanted to add a huge congrats to Marshy on 11 AF months - Awesome!!!

DG - 1.5 years AF :wave: You're my hero, Congrats!!!

I'm tired after my do sitting weekend but I will be doing this :alf::alf: when they leave in about an hour!!!!!

Goodnight all!