wed 14 dec af daily

[bear73]

hey all -good to read the not drinking ever as an option- i have been having drinking thoughts/just one etc etc and getting quite stressed about these - feel like i white knuckle through it a bit sometimes.

i tried yesterday to just accept the craving and let it wash over me and that seemed to help. had lovely alcohol free meal with friends - feeling bit stressed about getting stuff done - eekday off friday so need to get down to it

[sidney]

wed 14 dec af daily

I am in the same boat Bear stressing over getting everything done. I am taking a day off work as well. but I am like this every year. The everything has to be perfect syndrome.
I have to change my mind set to give myself some slack. Don't have to be Martha Stewart.
and if my house isn't a winter wonderland who cares right? Up early to go to the gym.
Take care all and one thing for sure. Sid

[Lavande]

wed 14 dec af daily

Good morning bear, sid & all Abbers!!!!!

Absolutely nothing is perfect at my house & I like it that way
I couldn't care less about Martha Stewart or any of the other OCD's out there :H

As a matter of fact I have decided to do a little less for Christmas each year & I'm betting no one will ever notice! The men in my family all have their heads up their a$$es & the women are too busy with kids, jobs, etc. to complain about what I'm doing or not doing :H

OK, off to Curves, must remember to take eggs along with me. The members there have turned into regular customers!
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Wednesday!

Lav

[universal]

wed 14 dec af daily

I have decided to be human this year! Sid, and Bear - lighten up on yourselves - no one is perfect. This is total alcoholic thinking - I do it to myself all the time - must be perfect, must have the house cleaned, etc. etc. I am learning through therapy that I am human and cannot always be perfect. Now, it is much easier for me to say than to do so I feel your pain cause I do the same thing but I am trying!

Pedicure today - then homework. 2 assignments due for Jan 1st. So lots of reading today!

I'm off and out - love you guys.

Uni

[Marshy]

wed 14 dec af daily

universal;1225992 wrote: I have decided to be human this year!

My GF has a saying: "..... and that's OK". As in: "I forgot to buy potatoes, I've burnt the dinner and have broken a plate.... and that's OK." I quite like it (annoys me sometimes though :H).

Hello bear, Sid, Lav, uni and all to come. Zooming, back later.

[LVT25]

wed 14 dec af daily

Hello friends,

Very nice post yesterday, Turn. Hang in there 4theboyz--you know the first 30 days is the hardest!:l

""LVT what if you wrote stuff down for the boys (all inclusive) and stuck it on their forehead with duct tape"" Don't think I haven't considered this Greenie! :H

I'm glad to hear we are all trying to enjoy the season rather than stress about it. TRYING is the key word. Marshy--I like GF's attitude. Mine is "It is what it is".

I ended up staying home most of the day yesterday to get some stuff done, so today I expect I will spend most of the day at work. So, I better get busy.

Have a great sober day all!:h

[4theboyz]

wed 14 dec af daily

Good morning Abbers!

I am singed and bruised but I made it through the gauntlet of hellacious stressors AF. Phew! If I can navigate 2 straight days of grief like the last 48 hours I can make it no problemo! I have a fun stressless day ahead as I get to take the afternoon off and go watch the taping of a ProBowling TV special with my good friend who is a retired Hall of Fame bowler who promised to get my smiling face on camera. Watch the PBA Bowling with the Pros TV Special Christmas day and the handsome man with a blue shirt and red Xmas tie is yours truly! Have a great day Abbers!

[Kaslo]

wed 14 dec af daily

Good morning FabAbs, Everyone sounds so great on here these days...busy, but not letting the stress o f the holiday season etc rule lives. I always have these huge deadlines on top of Christmas new years husband and first grandchild birthdays. Yesterday was spent with chisel hammer and clippers on some chunks of poisoned trees and roots. In my kitchen. All day. Then trying to get them to the courier Who I couldn't find cause they moved....all the time thinking I sure hope the pass doesn't close when I have to go to pick up my daughter in kelowna on Friday...I am not finished gift buying. No tree up and no decs out.

[momof3]

wed 14 dec af daily

Hello All,

Just a quick check in to say hello.

Lav...love your approach. We all need some Lav-attitude.

I really don't like Christmas. There, I said it.

xxoo
M3

[Turnagain]

wed 14 dec af daily

M3 - I am with you on saying bah humbug to all the holiday hype. And I think you've coined a great new phrase....

LAV-attitude!

Now THAT's what I could really use for xmas! We love you Lav....you are a light wherever you go.....

We have been aiming for a much simpler xmas around these parts. Haven't gotten all the way there yet...but there's progress.

[Wally22]

wed 14 dec af daily

Good Afternoon
I LOVE Christmas. I love all the social aspects of christmas. I love seeing family and friends. I LOVE the food. All the rest of it (decorating, presents, cleaning blah blah blah) I avoid.
I love to sing Christmas Carols. (I can't sing but so what)
I love to avoid the malls unless it's strictly for people watching. Go sit on the edge of the food court with a friend and a cup of coffee and just watch. It's great.
I love to go to other people's homes and gush about their decorations and food etc etc (well somebody has got to do it).
I love to drive around looking at Christmas lights.
I neither give nor expect presents. It's so wonderful to get out of that cycle. However I do bring snacks and baked goods (home made if I have the time).
I give hugs and kisses and love to get them in return.
When my son was younger I did the whole nine yards, but I know I enjoy the holidays waaay more since I relaxed and lowered my expectations.
Happy AF day to everyone.

[Lavande]

wed 14 dec af daily

Good evening!
Finally got some baking done today. While I was busy doing that my email was filling up with more requests for embroiderery.....I have become a gift shop of sorts for my customers :H

Greetings to uni, Marshy, LVT, 4theboyz, Kaslo, M3, Turn & Wally

I have plenty of Lavan-ittude to go around kids so help yourselves :H
It really helps me get thru this time of year!!!!

Kas, I think you need a helicopter so you can get around easier - just sayin

[greeneyes]

wed 14 dec af daily

Hey ho fabbies!

Five of todays cusomters were requests! Time to whip up some dinner and get a few things done.

Hi wally! Long time no see! How did you end the pressie thing? I could live without that! On the other hand... I did just receive a box of Harry & David luscious pears from my brother today.

I have a few decs out and that's all I'm doing. My day off for tree shopping - it rained so I bagged the whole idea.

Ta ta!

[Wally22]

wed 14 dec af daily

When my parents moved to the other side of Canada, we agreed to stop sending presents, because the postage was just too high.
As our children became older we agreed to just buy for the children, it just sort of evolved. Then we all agreed that we really didn't need anything else and would rather just give the money to our favourite charities. It's worked well for us. When the grandchildren arrive, we will buy for them, but the annual gift extravaganza will not be resurrected. We have all agreed.
I have a grand neice I have never seen, I send money to her mother to purchase a gift, as I haven't a clue. My big expenditure used to be phone calls, but even they have gotten so much cheaper. I have to say, after I was about 10 Christmas presents never held much appeal for me. I bought for my son, but even then tried to keep it reasonable and low key.
But I do love Christmas day and dinner with the family and friends. I wouldn't miss the christmas eve service at my church and love the anticipation of New Year's.
I feel sad when I see co-workers and friends stressing out over the season. The only one's who expect them to do the things they do are themselves. But I have learned not to say anything. People get indignent when you suggest they don't really need to do whatever it is they are stressing over. (I have a girlfriend who has 4 christmas trees decorated in her house). Another starts baking in October and then complains that she has so much in the freezer in January and pushes them on you everytime you visit. Ah well we are all different.

[FlyAway]

wed 14 dec af daily

I hope you all don't mind me butting right in here, but I'm kind of lonely and bored tonight. I used to be way too hard on myself expecting perfection with everything. I thought that every meal I cooked had to be like you'd get at a 5 star restaurant and would be cooking for days before Christmas or Thanksgiving. I'm finding as I'm getting older that I just don't care as much anymore. I guess it's not that I don't care, it's that if the holiday isn't fun for me too, then I'm willing to let some stuff slide.