Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

[dill]

“Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.”
― Eckhart Tolle

Week 2 is already here, Feb Friends! February being such a short month I thought it might be good to try to keep on top of it. It's going fast, just as January did!

Kudos to you, Pers on overcoming your recent encounter with the abyss! You are a true inspiration here.

I don't know what he thought about me and I will NEVER bring it up. My decision to just move on. Plus it would be embarrassing to me and I don't see the point in humiliating myself. I have enough to deal with.

Star, I quite agree with this approach. Talking in this case doesn't solve a problem. It's the action that speaks. No words are needed somethimes.

Happy AF Friday!

[Lavande]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Good morning everyone!

Just getting rain for now, yay. So I'm going ahead with my day as usual. At some point the snow will begin, not like I have a choice :H

Star, you asked about new vegan recipes?
Sign up for the newsletter on the Fat Free Vegan blog. Yesterday they featured a healthier hash browns casserole. It was good
FatFree Vegan Kitchen ? Healthy Hash Brown Casserole
I used fresh potatoes & spinach - I am not a big fan of kale & had just purchased a big box of spinach anyway. I cut the recipe in half & just made 4 servings.

Greetings to all my friends here & wishes for a fantastic AF Friday!
Off to Curves to get my day started!

Lav

[cyntree]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Good morning all - I'll read back over the end of last week soon - things have gotten very busy here with projects and meet and greets...

Just want to give a shout out to all affected by this storm...PMom, batten down the hatches, I hope that you get through this OK, and that you don't lose power. It sounds like my CT town will get hit again in a major way, I'm trying to stay calm about my house (and all the huge trees that are near it). When Sandy hit and we lost power, it wasn't really cold yet...if my neighbors lose power now, it's terribly cold, and could be a week before power is restored...I feel like I should be in the 'trenches' with them.

I hope all are well (outside of this weather) - I'll check back in later -

[papmom3]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Hey Cyn, I'll send out prayers that your trees all stay up right and that if power is lost, the utility companies will finally make good on their promises that they are manned and ready for Nemo. Please try to enjoy where you are and try not to worry too much. Nothing you can do anyway. :l

The snow has started in earnest, right on time. I got the snowblower going, filled my car up with gas and filled the gas can for the blower. I have my 400 watt power inverter in the house and ready to run out to the car if I need to charge phones if power is lost. I don't think it's powerful enough to run my portable heater but I can charge my phone and laptop. I have enough battery operated lights and flashlights and batteries. I might even be able to run my electric tea kettle!! I'll be turning up the heat to 70 in an hour or so which should keep the house at 50 should power go out for an extended period of time. I'm also going to start mixing up smoothies and juices soon. At least it's cold enough to set food outside should I need to. I wish I could pack everyone up and go to my dad's as he rarely loses power as his untilities are underground but he can't tolerate all the animals. I survived the ice storm in '08 without power for 3 days, I'll survive this (if I don't have a heart attack shoveling tomorrow!!). I think the not knowing for sure how bad this will be is the worst part.
Everyone else in the path of Nemo please be safe and stay off the roads.
i'll check in again this afternoon.

[Lavande]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Aw geez Papmom,
I feel bad for you already. All we had here was a bit of rain followed by some flurries at dinnertime. Right now, nothing is going on. Take care of yourself :l

Cyn, don't worry about stuff you can't control but you know that
Mother Nature is gonna do what she's gonna do!

Have the best night possible everyone!
Lav

[Lavande]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

I may have to send my Piggy Swissy up to keep Papmom company.
Just saw her post on Facebook around 10 pm from her smart phone - still has power but internet is out already

[Stargazerlily]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Good morning to all...

What a strong storm...sorry to all in NE, keep warm and safe.

Pap, loved your safety plan...lots of gas, food, turning up the heat. You are doing all you can. Let us know, when you can, that you are OK.

Lav, thanks for the recipe...I need to get the newsletter. I am just figuring out RSS feeds and things. We too had a pretty good weather day, but are due as we have had tons of snow in the last several weeks.

Dill, thanks for the feedback. I was lucky not to have any lifethreatening stuff happen, but the daily guilt, anxiety, and illness had to stop. Any plans for the weekend? Thanks for reminding us that February is a short month, I needed that.

Reading on some of the other threads about having to start this journey over...what courage it takes. Whether it takes one time or 1000 times, the only failure is to quit trying.

To all, keep safe, warm and have a great Saturday.

[ThreeDogNight]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Good morning, FFF's!

Have been up since 5:30, and it is still snowing. I opened the back door to let one dog out, and the snow had drifted to about 18 inches there, but otherwise, looks like maybe a foot or so. Pap has gotten it worse, from all reports on TV. We didn't lose power, thank goodness, and don't need to go anywhere today, so no problems. I was supposed to help with a Valentine Tea today, but it is postponed until tomorrow.

Cyn, looks like CT got hit hard, too. Both MA and CT had (and still have) driving bans on all roads now. Saw that in MA you could go to jail for a year of you were caught driving. Lots of power outages, too. I saw a number of posts on FB about people stocking up on booze for the duration.

Persephone, I am not a florist:H I work part time for a florist friend. Yesterday we received a LOT of flowers for Valentine's Day and most of the day was spent getting them set up in buckets, and I had to work in the basement for an hour or so, as that is where the flower arranging will take place next week. Mr TDN drove me in and picked me up, as he has all wheel drive, and needed it yesterday. I have to work Monday-Thursday next week, and will be working for my other sales job from home before and after work. Just getting email addresses and trying to communicate with teachers who have bought or may buy the programs. And I need to spend more time becoming familiar with all of the programs. That will take long time. Can do some of that today.

Rusty, will email you this a.m. Is your birthday tomorrow? Will you be celebrating with your family?

Star, Lav, Dill, LBH, Sooty, Rustop and everyone else--hope you all have a great AF day!

TDN

[papmom3]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Still no internet but never lost power thank goodness!
Lav thanks fit the offer of piggy swissy but I don't think shed have enough room in this small house or in the small potty area I carved out on the deck. She wouldn't have any problem finding us that's for sure!:H
Hard to tell how much we actually got because of the drifts but it's significant and still going.
I hear snowblowers out there but have no desire to join them! Like TDN I don't need to be anywhere today.
In other news: mystery on my street. The house that had been empty across from me for 2 years has a truck in the drive and I swear it belongs to the former owner but there were and are no lights on.
My hoarder friend (maybe soon to be ex friend) has gotten yet another puppy! He's from the woman she takes herding lessons from. This woman has obviously never been to her house.Thisnow makes 12 dogs, 2 horses and a flock of sheep. She is officially mentally ill in my book and won't admit she needs help. I just nerd to figure out the quilting thing until I move.

[dill]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

TDN, so glad you came through the storm without damage or power problems. Now we need to hear from Papmom.

Waking to sun here but back to bitter cold at 15 degrees. Yuck! Get ready Lav, I think it's headed your way.

Star your words in that last post about 'the only failure is to quit trying' are so true. I was searching for words to comfort Det yesterday but couldn't find any. Those would have been perfect. As it was, I just sent him my support on the thread started by Sol. So many dear souls here, tormented by this beast/demon/addiction, and he is one of the dear ones for sure.

[dill]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

xpost, Papmom. Good to hear you are OK!

[Lavande]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

No snow, sunshine but super gusty winds here - so i'm not really complaining!

Papmom, Maxie is all too happy to pee on the deck, unfortunately :H
Stay warm today lady. Maybe a phonecall to the animal control folks about your friend is in order

My grandaughter & daughter stayed overnight. I'm playing with Lily while my daughter finishes up a sewing project for her cousins wedding next weekend. I decided to skip the wedding myself & will be watching all 3 grandkids instead. That's a lot more fun in my book anyway

Hi Dill! I feel bad about Deter as well. I hope he can haul himself out one last time.
I hope everyone has a great AF Saturday!

[papmom3]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Hey Lav-apparently a neighbor calls regularly but they never go inside-the calls are always about the horses and AC never finds anything wrong.I think they need a warrant to go inside and since she Has aa kennel license there are no red flags. I can't call because FD is under her license and needs to stay there until I move. it's a catch 22. She knows I don't approve but not much more I can do.it's really her family that had to take action.
Still no internet, stupid company.

[Lavande]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Looks like I'm spending the rest of my afternoon finishing up that sewing job my daughter was doing. She was getting herself stressed out, really not worth it in my opinion.
I sent the girls home

Papmom, I guess we just have to accept that some people live like pigs!!!!

Are you tired of snow yet??

[Persephone1]

Fabulous February Friendships ~ week 2

Good day FFFs,

Well, it's day 15 for me, that's 1/2 of a month! Can I have 1/2 a hat and maybe a sparkler? :Hha!...

With the exception of a few significant 'triggers' surrounding the Ex, I've managed pretty well. Though I've been reading threads of those who have gone before me and it appears that THE WORST is actually YET TO COME! So, I don't know whether to feel challenged or fearful...maybe a bit of both? Although, I'm beginning to see Fear as a true thief of all things positive. If I don't face it, I'll never know 'what if?'

As I sat outside sipping coffee I looked around and noticed the beautiful surroundings of my home in a new way. I felt as though I was walking out of deep, dense fog. Things are beginning to come into focus, look brighter, sound sweeter, taste better. And it occurred to me in that moment that maybe this is precisely why it gets harder...there is an excitement that comes with 'new' sobriety. We've been living in the dark gray space for so long that coming out of it can be exhilarating! However, once it becomes 'the norm,' THEN WHAT? Then its just back to 'life as bloody boring, monotonous, meh.' We are off the roller coaster, so to speak.

And if I'm REALLY honest with myself there is a whole lot of re-organizing and 'attending to' that needs to be done in preparation for the the next phase of sobriety and living a 'normal' life in general. Thus, my commitment for the upcoming week is to BEGIN to build a life that I've longed for. All these years, all these regrets of the shoulda-coulda-wouldas. I cannot go back in time and change a thing. But I CAN start today to have the life I've always wanted. I know it's not gonna be all peaches and roses, that IS life. I have learned over the years that for all things there is a season. Change is inevitable. The good, the bad, the in-between, none of it stays on infinitely...I want to learn to be present in whatever the circumstance, however difficult or pleasant. I don't want alcohol to be the focus, whether that be obtaining it or avoiding it! I know it's a tall order and I will try to be gentle with myself. Once one becomes aware, 'blissful ignorance' is off the table.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. I have a deep gratitude for each and every one of you. :thanks: XOXOX :heart: