December Determinators - Week 1

[Lavande]

December Determinators - Week 1

Cyn,

You're just too nice
I am sorry about your dog.....they are such important members of the family!
Don't let potential buyers drive you nuts! My daughter & her husband were going thru the same thing this time last year.

Sooty, the diaper cakes can be made with either cloth or dispoable diapers. I used 100 disposable! I'm meeting friends for lunch tomorrow so I'm going to see if I can pick up some cake decorations

Just waiting for EB's arrival!

Chill, use the link I posted last night or just Google 'diaper cake'
Could be a future business idea!!!!!!

[sdlovespackers]

December Determinators - Week 1

Quick check in as a sneak away at work for a moment...

Dill....I hope you are feeling in better spirits!! I too have been feeling blah...I don't know if it has to do with the bitter cold or all the gray dreariness around us now. I think living up here really takes it's toll on us huh??? Too much darkness can't be good!! We just got to keep thinking positive and being each others light!! Find something positive to look forward to and focus on that...that's what I try to do...or plan something fun and circle the date on the calendar!!! Hang in there...these little ones need us the most right now!!:l

Lav-I think diaper cakes are the coolest things ever!! I saw one at the last baby shower I went to!!! What a neat idea!!! I'm not sure I'm that creative though!!

Star--I'm right there with ya hon fight this "beast"...I hate to even call it that...not sure why....I think it's because ultimately it's me I'm fighting and I know it! I can say no when I choose to say no and I can also decide yep, wine/beer here I come! It's all up to me! Some days...the "other me" wins...but you know what...she doesn't win all that often anymore and that's what I love!!! She used to win all the time!!!

Opps...darn it....busted...gotta run...I'll check back later!!!
SD:l

[dill]

December Determinators - Week 1

Thanks everyone for the positive words and vibes. I felt them all. And thanks Sped, for sending me some sunshine. It was cold, but sunny here today and the sunshine really helped!

It's the time of year where people at work are bringing in home-baked goodies that are so darn hard to resist! I need to be very carefull or I will start packing on the pounds!

Chill, I loved your conversation! Thanks for sharing.

Lav, thanks for the links. You are an amazing resource.

AF greetings Cyn, Star, Sooty, Rebirth, Papmom, Dewdrop, Paguy, G, Rusty, Rustop, SD, LBH, Raven and Chief.

[Lavande]

December Determinators - Week 1

Glad you are feeling better Dill

I am not fond of winter myself & all that comes with it.
I am going to focus on getting outside as much as possible even if it's cold - I think it helps!
And I am going to be a pain in the butt with my local friends :H I love spending time with happy people. 5 of us are meeting for lunch tomorrow. Right now I have a nice fire going & a pot of warm decaf green tea making me happy

That website I mentioned last night is very good. I hope everyone takes a minute to look at it: Inspiration & Expert Advice for Changing Your Life | First30Days

I get a few of their newsletters.

Good night all!

[rustop61]

December Determinators - Week 1

Good morning everyone

This site is indeed a great resource. Thanks for that link Lav, must check it out. You are right to surround yourself with positive people. The fire and a pot of tea sound great. The thing I missed about our recent snow week/two weeks was being able to stay put!!! Gone are the days when the ladies are happy to stay home and play in the snow. Now they want to be on the move and that means driving, mostly in dreadful conditions. The thaw is about to start but could be very slow.

Looking forward to a nice long walk when it does, the doggies are going crazy. I started my house cleaning yesterday. My Mom always cleaned the house from top to bottom for Christmas and I do the same thing. You are right Cyn, it does feel good.

No school today as it is a holy day. The 8th December was once the day that all the culchies (people who lived in the countryside) came up to Dublin to start their Christmas shopping.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Rustop

[Stargazerlily]

December Determinators - Week 1

Good morning to all on this again snowy day. The snow and darkness contribute to feelings of depression.....that must be why we have our big celebrations, Christmas, Winter Soltice, etc. so we can have something to look forward to as the days grow shorter and we are housebound. I come home and turn on the Christmas tree lights and have a fire, first thing. Sped, I agree, it is no good to be housebound when it is winter. I actually like to work in the winter, and usually become super productive.

Lav, thanks for sharing the experience that was the beginning of the end for you. Drinking on holidays is the worst....I too want to create memories that are AF.

Chill, glad you are back, and your conversation diaglogue was genius, just the way I talk to myself. You are so right, at this point, past the first drink, is misery, and who only has one drink? Alcohol ruins your health, that is why I think my body is just saying no more. Even four drinks and I am sick for days. Please keep sharing with us and planning your future, somehow you will make the necessary changes and will not always be in your current stressful situation. You come through as so intelligent, strong, and caring.....have you every thought of being a counselor? Just a thought, I always dream big, I loved school so much as an adult. I would like to go back and become a nutritionist and may in the future, or at least get a certification or something. Dream big. Working and going to school could be a whole new adventure.

Dill, sending you positive energy, sorry you are struggling right now.

Rebirth, good that business is thriving and you are AF. Wonderful.

Off to make dinner in the crock pot at this early hour, a little yoga, and then work. Have a lovely day, AF.

[Chillgirl]

December Determinators - Week 1

Star - A nutritionist! I think it would be great to educate others about how their health. So many people put so much crap in their bodies without thinking about it. Re the drinking, as I approached the New Year I kept repeating to myself that in 2010 i didnt drink, as simple as that! Maybe you could try that with 2011.

Im steadily working through a list of options I have but my head is scrambled and Im off in so many different directions. This is when I wish I shared my life with someone and these decisions were joint ones.

We are still having severe thunder storms here and im busy mopping up some leaks in the roof, as they say...... it never rains but it pours!

Rustop - its a public holiday here too, "the immaculate conception" which has confused me somewhat either is was a very long pregnancy or a very short one :H

Happy humpday to you all.....

[dill]

December Determinators - Week 1

"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered
heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to
become discouraged by their defeats."--B. C. Forbes

Greetings Determined Ones!

Chill, It is great you are exploring options. Just stay present in the moment and the right course of action will unfold. Don't stress too much about making an active decision. The right thing will come along if you generate and explore options and stay open to new ideas.

Red, thanks for the well-wishes. It is just a combination of cabin fever and stress from work. I am sure this mood will pass. It doesn't help at the moment that the days keep getting shorter, colder and that we are in the new moon phase, so the long nights are also pitch black!:H I agree with LAV: I need to seek out happy people and spend time with them. Laughter will always make things better.

Rustop, when you get finished with your house, will you come over and get started on mine? If you like a challenge, you'll LOVE this job!

SD, are the Christmas goodies coming into your school building now like they are mine? OMG! I had the best cookie yesterday. Luckily there was only one left of that particular cookie on the platter, so I stopped at one.

Cyn, thanks for the big cyber hug. It helped.

Lav, you and your tea by the fire!!! It gives me a warm and cozy feeling just thinking of the image.

For some reason lately I have been craving hot chocolate. And if that's not bad enough, I want marshmallows on top!!! If I give in too often to this craving I'll be watching that needle on the scale going in the wrong direction.

Have a great day AFers!

[spedteach]

December Determinators - Week 1

Morning all,
Think I may win the prize here...it's 4 degrees F. and that's without the wind chill. Think being closer to Lake Michigan might moderate the temperature. It's warmer in Chicago than in the midst of these cornfields. Oh well, I'm sure it will warm up to 20 or something. That's a wonderful running temp for me.

Everyone seems to be staying strong, dealing with those curve balls we all get thrown at us.

SD, know what you mean about the term "the Beast". Like you, for me, the beast is me. Same thing goes for the notion of relying on a HP to get one sober. No higher power is going to prevent me from taking that first drink, only I can do that. It all comes from within.

I have a general question for the group? How do people feel about Christmas presents/shopping? My immediate family which is all male could care less about gift giving. Makes me feel kind of foolish making any effort to shop for any of them. Actually they don't give a hoot about Christmas period. Who is it, Star I think who said she loved the simplicity of Thanksgiving. A big meal, family and friends and yummy left overs. Back to gift giving, if there were an EB in my life, buying gifts would be a blast (lucky Lav). That goes for you too Rebirth and SD. Kids put Christmas in a whole different dimension.

Christmas is a very hard holiday for me. Give me Halloween any day.

Plans for the day. Went to the local (tiny) art museum yesterday and saw some wonderful water colors of cats done by a local artist. She and 2 other women have a gallery in an old opera house about 20 miles from here. Going to brave the cold and take a drive. Guess I'm going Xmas shopping!! if only for myself.

Have a good Wednesday everybody. Cyn, hope your doggie's better. Dill, hope the sun is shining. Chill, deep breath and unscramble that brilliant head of yours. Star, send snow south!!

[Lavande]

December Determinators - Week 1

Happy Humpday Determined Ones

It's a balmy 21 degrees here this morning so I shouldn't complain I suppose! At least the sun is out.

I don't care much for Christmas shopping Shelley. Glad I do it all online these days. Years ago I became fed up with the parking issues at the mall, the standing in long lines at the registers, the creeps who were stealing cars from the parking lot, etc. YB never liked or appreciated his gifts & that was irritating.
I am happy to have EB to shop for & the two new kids coming soon. I just get a little something for their parents :H

I need to get some work out of the way this morning then meet my friends for lunch at 12:30. Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Wednesday

Lav

[cyntree]

December Determinators - Week 1

Good morning, all. I love checking in with your morning messages...I never used to do that, as mornings here in the heat were chaotic - up by 5:00, walk and feed the dogs before the sun comes out to roast you...but now in the cool, or maybe it is because my Z dog (boy weimy) is not feeling well, I get up at 6:00, and come and sit in the dark kitchen and cuddle with the dogs.

It will be hard to explain to those of you suffering in the cold, but I live for these cooler, darker days. Sped understands, I know, that the sun can be absolutely tyrannical here - I love days when I can actually see a cloud. I did live in MN for 25 years, however, so I understand the light issue...have any of you investigated the lights you can sit in front of during the winter? I think that they are clinically effective at lifting depression.

Chill - I feel for you, it is hard to make these decisions by yourself. But I agree with Dill - keep stirring the pot of ideas, and the right one will make its way to you. Remember my story of the basement and my 5 boxes - it really was one of the most enriching times of my life.

Red = a nutritionist! I love that! Go for it - have you done any research? Check it out...and in the meantime, go have a look at the First30days website that Lav shared. I started on it yesterday....BTW, what are you making for your crockpot dinner?

Lav = thanks for that website, you suggested it at a crucial time for me, and I am thrilled with what I getting from it....more about that later....

Sped - re: holidays. Just last night I emailed my family, asking them to NOT get anything for us this Xmas. I requested that they give the funds to a charity, a family in need, or to spend it on themselves! Our house is 'staged' within an inch of its life - there is not an extra anything here. We have a 10 x 10 storage locker filled with 'essentials'...what would I do with any gifts? My approach the past few years is to give holiday dollars to charities that I believe in, and do fun, little specific 'stockings' for everybody. I like to do gifting for birthdays - that seems more appropriate. Just a thought!

Must get going now - more later! Happy Humpday!

[sdlovespackers]

December Determinators - Week 1

Mornin' All!

Sped--I'm not sure what the temp is currently...VERY cold is all I know...this weekend they are predicting NEGATIVE 20-30 degrees below zero wind chills!!! WTH??!! I mean come on already!! It's snowing now....I thought the dude on the radio said 1 degree this morning but I'm guessing we've 'warmed' up :H by now!!

Dill- We ALWAYS have treats in the lounge...it's sickening!!! Whoevers birthday it is has to bring treats...and now on top of the holidays it's crazy in there!! I try to stay out!!

Chill--:l enuff said!

Lav--did you do any of your shopping on Amazon?? They had some great deals on Black Friday I thought!!

Star--If you have any great dinner recipes for the crockpot...I'd love them...I NEVER know what to make for dinner in the winter...I'm a HUGE griller!!!

Rustop--Holy Day for shopping??? Where do you live??? I'm THERE!!! (Although, I fairly certain I misunderstood!) :H

I gotta run...I have kids coming down any minute...sorry to those I missed...very unintentional....I'm fairly certain I think of each of you every day!!!
SD

[sdlovespackers]

December Determinators - Week 1

Hi!
Sorry to bug you all again...but I have a problem (imagine that)....I want your opinion....I got a response back from my dad after I sent the email about not going to Christmas...I'm going to copy and paste both my email and his...tell me HONESTLY what you think...I want to hear your guys' thought s before I tell my initial reaction:
My email:
Brayden and I will not be joining you for Christmas in Sioux Falls. Christmas is a time that families come together to share love, laughter and joy. I'm afraid right now there is too much hurt. I tried writing a letter in hopes of some type of reconciliation and was told that the things in my letter were untrue...why I'm hurting didn't happen. They did happen and I continue to be hurt...even more so feeling that I can so easily be discarded . Those feelings were also addressed in that letter but only dad can come to terms with his feelings.

I am putting my son and my feelings first...this is not a good, positive situation for US to be in. This isn't about what's best for anyone else or hurting anyone...it comes down to what's best for us. I hope everyone has safe travels for the Thanksgiving holiday! Love to you all!

His response:
Thanks for getting back.

You certainly should put your son
and your feelings first. By avoiding
spending Xmas with us does that,
then by all means that is what you should do.

I'm sorry you feel the way you do--I always tried
to do the best I was capable of for all of you girls.
I'm sorry it wasn't enough.

Have a wonderful Xmas.
Love and miss you.
Tell Brayden that I love and miss him, too.

Thanks for listening....I'm going to take a lunch away from here and go to Mass with my son!
SD:l

[Rusty]

December Determinators - Week 1

SD:l

I can feel your pain as I have 2 friends going through the same thing you are right now. I am not a fan of e-mail, especially when it comes to such a personal and inflammatory situation like yours. The problem with e-mail is that you cannot read someone's face and you can't hear the inflection in that person's voice, and both you and your family may misinterpret feelings and information. I would pick up the phone, AF, and calmly talk to your dad and family about your concerns. E-mail is wwwaaayyy too impersonal for this type of situation.

You mentioned earlier that your dad is quite a drinker? That may have a lot to do with his reaction.

PM me if you need to talk. I'm always here for you.

[papmom3]

December Determinators - Week 1

Good Evening everyone!! So sorry I've been absent for a few days. It's been very busy and I didn't have my charger at home for my phone on Monday so I couldn't drain the battery using it as a hot spot.

Everything is great with me except it's too darn cold!! I'm really trying to keep the heat at 60 to conserve very expensive oil. My nose is always cold!! I'm sleeping under 3 comforters!!

Cyn-I'm so sorry to hear about your dog! I do hope the holistic vet's treatments were able to help. I don't quite understand Wobblers but my friend has a BC with it and she says it comes and goes. :l to you and your pup.

Chill-You'll get your head sorted out in due time. You do have many options which is the great thing. Feel free to bounce things off of us anytime. Great conversation with the beast BTW!! I have that same conversation many nites on the way home from work!!

Ahhh, Christmas. I've tried for years to get my family to put the money towards charity to no avail. So I do the best I can and they go overboard for me. SD-:l to you for sorting out the dad/christmas thing. I think Rusty is right tho-the emails just don't cut it when the topic is so emotional. Good luck and chin up.

Dill-hope you're feeling a little brighter today.

Everyone keep warm and enjoy the fires, crockpot dinners, tea and anything else that gets you through the dark days. Just remember, in 2 short weeks the days start getting longer again!!

Off to feed the pack and snuggle under the comforters!!
Brrrrrr!!!!

:l