February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

[spedteach]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Wow! What a lot of positive energy going on on this thread. Red, I totally agree with you. For me too this thread is a constant source of strength and support. Not to mention you all are funny, smart, witty, diverse, eloquent. All that good stuff. And I appreciate it.
I fantasize about meeting all of you, have visual images in my mind. We all agree to meet in some central locale and have a weekend getaway!

Woke up today singing (only in my mind, folks) the old Simon and Garfunkle song, "slow, down, you're movin too fast..." Is the name of that song actually "Feelin Groovy"? Does anyone else remember this?
Anyway, went to work yesterday at 7:30 and got home at 6:00 and I'm supposed to be semi-retired. Teaching and tutoring again today. Feels like a dangerous place for me, like I'm taking on too much. At least Wednesday I only work half a day.

Lav, I'm so jealous. Having one of my sons in the same state would be heaven for me. Maybe someday after they're out of school.

Sending good vibes to everyone. That feelin groovy thing has taken hold.

Love,
Shelley

[fluff]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Hi all- this looks like a good thread to join- I'm in! I foresee this as a month of progress for me and hope it is for everyone else, as well!
Love, Fluff

[ladybirdheart]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

?59th Street Bridge Song?, Shelley, my favorite line is ?let the morningtime drop all its petals on me?. So slow down love when you can, for me taking on too much/getting worn out is one of the worst triggers, I use alcohol for fuel. Dill, I saw some little nubblets of the earliest daffodils in the soil when I was watering yesterday. Recovery from winter is inexorable. Just like a burned forest recovers. Why not us. Welcome Fluff. Love Ladybird.

[Chillgirl]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Hi Guys

Red reading you post resonated with me as im finding that socializing sober (including with you guys) is a whole new experience for me. I mean in an incredibly positive way, it feels like im finally awake and alert after years living in a foggy muddle and Im pleasantly suprised to find I still have a fuctioning brain!

everything is new and fresh and i have an enthusiam for every encounter...

Sped & LBH this is for you:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e36gLfrmRCw[/video]]YouTube - Simon and Garfunkel-The 59th Street Bridge Song

I love Simon & Garfunkel, my fav is Sound of Silence...

[sooty]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Hello one and all, I hope Tuesday was pleasant and uneventful. Unless the events were pleasant of course
I once saw Paul Simon being interviewed about the above song and he said that he saw these very ornate lampposts with fish sculpted round the bottom of them, on one of the bridges across the Thames in London (I think it was London Bridge) and that spawned the line "hello lamppost what you knowing" - just a bit of Sooty trivia to help you on your way today!
Well its 9.10 p.m. now so I'm thinking its probably about 4 ish with most of you cos that's the time we were in chat the other night. I wish you all a pleasant rest of the day and evening.
See you all tomorrow .... altogether now .....HUMPDAY!
love Sooty

[lilmea]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

I keep saying we could rule the world if we were all in one place at the same time - now I think we could provide enough power to light up a large city!

Sooty-I believe you are right. I loved that bit of trivia about the 'lamppoat'

Sped-As you can see, most of us not only remember that song, but I still remember most of the words to it! Now it will be playing in my head most of the evening.

Chil-What kind of dog do you have? I think almost all of us here have pets of some sort.

Dill-I don't have snowdrops but I do have crockus that comes up threw the snow in early March. So not to far off for those. Spring really is on it's way.

Welcome Fluff-Looking forward to getting to know you.

Hello Sky, Red, B, Open, Cyn, Lode, LHB, Man, and Lav. I sure hope I got everyone.

I've been pretty busy around here today. Got outside and ran some errands. It was in the low 40's here. A real heat wave!

Wishing everyone a peaceful, af evening.

[Lavande]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Evening all friends,

Yawn, too tired to come up with names right now. Still helping the kids with their move......it's kind of a slow transition thing instead of a all at once move (if that makes sense) Turning out to be good exercise for me though!

More snow on the way tonight & I didn't even order any!!!!
I'm thinking Spring - well starting to plan the garden anyway. I'm thinking about growing kale this year. Anyone have any experience with it? I've just read that it like cool weather and moist soil......definitely a spring & fall crop around these parts - summers too hot here.

Fluff - glad you decided to join us abstainers here! We change the name of our thread monthly but the goal is always the same.....abstinence! As a group we are getting better & better at it

Shelley, you never know what the kids are going to do or where they end up settling. Just wait & see, one of your boys may surprise you yet!

LBH, are you really seeing daffodil tops already? I'm profoundly jealous! Stay in low gear there lady - don't take on too much

Chill, the mental clarity that comes with being AF is amazing - what a gift! I almost feel 'lighter' these days. Thinking & focusing on something when I need or want to is so much easier these days. Makes me wonder why I chose to drink so much for so many years.......glad that's over

Greetings to Lil, Sooty, Red, Dill, Man, Lode, Sky & Everyone!
And a good night to all!

Lav

[Miss Behaving]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Hi all,

I'm too tired to respond individually, but sounds like everyone is well and happy! And definitely sounds like spring is in the air in northen clims!!

End of the Wednesday work day here and I'm feeling a trifle tired. Working my butt off at the moment - feeling quite productive, but leaves me a bit jaded at the end of the day. We had a beautiful day today ....... and I had a few things to read so I went out onto the deck outside my office and sat in the sun and did it. T'was a real treat!!!

At the end of a day like today, my usual pattern would be to pick up a bottle of wine on the way home to congratulate myself on a hard days work. However I'm going to stay here and post for a bit then go off to my swim squad. Haven't been for a while, so I'm sure it will exhaust me!!!

[cyntree]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Happy Feb - thinking of you all - congrats to each. I'm worn out, but must keep going. More soon - sending good vibes to all -

[redhibiscus]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Good morning all. I cannot believe how fast this week is moving along. I do remember the 59th Street Bridge Song, having fun singing it.

Dill, I loved the daily reading you posted, they all speak to the process of living AF, the gifts of just living life on life's terms.

Has anyone heard of mindfulness? I think I brought this up before, but I found a new book called "You are Here," by a zen buddist monk. He talks about how hell is a place with no understanding or compassion. He describes the walking dead, individuals whose bodies are here but minds are in fear, the future, the past, anger, etc. It is a really interesting way to view the world. I have been trying to live in the now and have been finding happiness in that. We only have the present moment and need to be fully here, now. It is kind of like ODAT. Or Jesus talking about, "sufficient unto the day are the worries thereof," or something like that. So, I challenge everyone to try it today, focus on your breath and the present moment. Be fully here, notice everything around you. Just for today don't worry about the past, future, let go of you anger, fears. Then let me know what you think.

Today, I commit to being AF.:l

[mandalay]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Hi everyone

Just a very quick check in to say Hi, and that I am pleased to see everyone doing so well, and welcome to anyone who has just joined, or who is maybe lurking in the background without daring to out themselves at the moment - do come on in to join us, whoever you are!

I'm really happy tonight as I have made it to my own personal goal - 5 entire weeks AF! I'll stop bothering to count now, but this is the longest I've ever gone now without a drink and it was so important for me to get this far. I would never have done it without everyone here on this forum. I just don't have time to post very often but I still manage to get on here and read pretty often. I am currently away working, feeling really a bit lonely but at least I'm only away for three nights now, thank goodness. Lav, thanks for mentioning my chooks - Mr Man says they laid SIX yesterday! Actually I think they probably just uncovered two they probably buried the day before... he's not up to all their little tricks like I am

Take care all, I'm off to bed.

Mandalay

[Chillgirl]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Mandalay, :goodjob:
Congrats on 5 weeks im almost there too and it feels fantastic!!

Red - You have brought up one of my fav subjects, i am not familiar with the book you mention but will check it out. Mindfulness is what many modern spiritual teachers now call "awareness" and one of the greatest books illustrating this is "THE NEW EARTH" by Eckhart Tolle. As a more light hearted introduction to these teachings another great book is "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma.

Wishing you all an enlightened and AF wednesday.....

[dill]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Greetings!

Welcome to you Fluff! :welcome:Like Lav said, our thread name changes, but our goal here is the same: abstinence. This month's thread name actually comes from Sky who shared with us that in Australia they have a charity event in February called Feb Fast where people find sponsors to make cash donations and they pledge to be alcohol free.

Red, I have been working on living in the now, too. I have read the Power of Now, and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and have gotten a lot from them. It is true that the only real time we have is "now". It is the only time in which we can take action. I can't wake up tomorrow without a hang over unless I choose in each moment of today to stay af.

Sped, just think of all the folks going around humming 49th Street Bridge because of you!:H I was one of them. I always did like that song! Soots, thanks for the trivia. Love it!

Miss B, I asked my husband if he knew anything about New Zealand and he said it was almost like Paradise. So, now I am picturing you sitting on your deck outside your "office in paradise".

Cyn, you work too hard! I hope you take some time out to do a labyrinth each day. I have really enjoyed that link you gave us. Thanks.

Lil, when is the big party for your Mom? Give her a hug from all of us on the thread. You don't have to tell her it's from us.

Lav, We are beginning to plan our garden, too! I have never grown kale, so I have no advice. I don't even think I've ever eaten kale! I wonder if I'd like it. I must give it a try. I had never had parsnips before Sooty's soup, and now I am a big parsnip fan! What's your favorite way to eat Kale?

Chill, thanks for the link to the S&G song. I love S&G, too, and have more than a few "favorites". Old Friends, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Kathy's Song, to name a few.

LBH Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows, lies the seed that with the sun's love, in the Spring, becomes the rose. Just like us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VI6IHX5Mw4[/video]]YouTube - The Rose - Bette Midler & Wynonna Judd

Hello to Soots, Openheart, Sky, Man, Finding?, SD?, Pnut? MM?, (((Come back)))

Peace and Power to you all!

[dill]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Cross-posted, Man and Chill!

Man, great job on achieving your goal!!!

[sooty]

February: FEB FAST ~ AF ~ Week 1

Hello everyone - weather today still raining and cold (just like to keep you updated )
Been to see my friend for coffee and we put the world to rights for an hour or so - very therapeutic!
Wonderful to read such motivating posts. I like lots of others am into mindfullness - I've discovered a man called Jon Kabat Zinn - he does a lovely meditation on youtube -I can recommend that if you have half an hour to spare. He talks about meditation afterwards and is very sensible and down to earth.
I bought his cds and the relaxation one is lovely - trouble is I keep falling asleep!
Ooops just realised that its lunchtime and I have done nothing towards preparing anything - see you all later.
Happy humpday everyone
Sooty