April Achievers!

[dill]

April Achievers!

Hi AA Friends,
I am so busy at work these days and when I get home I seem to have a lot more babysitting going on for the grand kids. Not much time for myself. I have finally found time to read and get caught up. I'll try to post more regularly again soon.

The tragedy in Boston is just so awful. It seems like every time I hear the news there is just something awful. Tonight I'll pray for peace and goodness.

[Persephone1]

April Achievers!

Good evening Achievers, Happy hump day...

Yes Papmom, I too hope something treatable shows up on my MRI. Insurance called today confirming their approval and I made my appointment for Wed to get results. Feeling Super grateful that I even have insurance and this all went through relatively fast. Thanks for all of your support & well wishes. Regardless of the results, relief will come with knowing the source.

Lav, I too was initially concerned about Hippy. None of this made sense and now he/she has disappeared. In addition, the ridiculous fights that ensued were equally disturbing ~ I really try to read around and be supportive where I can, but this one threw me. I honestly think there are a few who enjoy stirring up the pot. Ok, enough :soapbox:

Wishing you some YOU time soon Dill. Maybe over the weekend?

I think our only gentleman BHOG has left the stage? Hi BHOG :hallo: and LBH, Cyn, TDN and all who follow...

Glorious Spring Indeed Star, tis about time!!!

Good thoughts and LOVE to Boston peeps :l

P.

[Stargazerlily]

April Achievers!

Good morning Achievers...

Really focusing on being mindful, listened to a Kabat-Zinn Cd and found this so helpful. For some reason, projecting a dire future. Ridiculous. I think I am overtired from trip, being sick, and working some longer hours this week. It is good to realize trigger to anxiety, then use all the coping skills I have.

Lav, you have really given me some wonderful resources online, and I appreciate that. Do you know of any CDs that are specifically for stress relief that you have used and liked? I know there are alot out on the market, but as we know, they are not all the same. Hey, sorry you were involved in the drama...some people just love drama. Hope it did not hurt anyone's chances to make changes. I think that no matter where you go for help, there are going to be glitches, irritating people, etc. I hope they find the bombers, even with all the damage that has been done.

Dill, lucky grandmother. Only what, six weeks to go? Then you will have more time to share with us. Take care of yourself in the meantime.

Pers, you are so right, any of us who have insurance are so lucky. Wishing you the best results on the test. You are such a welcome addition to our thread, hope you know that.

Need to get moving for work, to all, have a great day.

[Lavande]

April Achievers!

Good morning Achievers

Not a drop of sunshine here but that's OK.
Almost looking forward to some rain to wash away some of the pollens around here

The pictures of the explosion in Texas are incredible! So much death & destruction here in the homeland this week, sad.

Star, I needed SO much help in kicking anxiety out of my life, i was a mess
I think it was the combination of things that finally brought me relief.
The first thing for me was getting started on Amoryn - I felt some relief in a matter of days.
The MWO CDs, especially the Clearing CD was very helpful. Dill's recommendation of 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle was very helpful for me. I worked on changing my learned habit of negative thinking (thanks YB) - that was big! Getting into some meditation is another great way to clear the path for mindpeace. I have forced myself to just stop worrying about the things I can not control. I think we are/can be our own worst enemies, don't you agree?
I believe I will always be a 'work in progress'
I think we all need to learn to be our own best friend!

Greetings to everyone this morning & wishes for a good AF Thursday.
I have work waiting for me this morning then I am on kid duty from 1-6 pm.

Dill, glad you are able to get some grandma time in, keeps us young!
Perse, I'll be thinking of you & hoping for the best.

Have a great day!

[Lavande]

April Achievers!

Star,
I was just looking at one of my favorite blogs - you may like this:
Positive Outlooks Blog

[dill]

April Achievers!

I missed all the Hippyman drama. I'm sure I'm better off that way!

Spring is finally here with blossoms and flowers and all! So wonderful!

"April, come she will,
When streams are ripe
and swelled with rain..." (Simon and Garfunkle)

Star, I downloaded the audio version of Caleb's Crossing from the library. I'm looking forward to it.

Yes, Pers, about 6 more weeks. June 3 is my last day.

Lav, Pmom, Rusty, everyone, sorry this is just another quickie!

[Lavande]

April Achievers!

Good morning friends!

We have a rain day here for sure Dill! Looks like there is some serious flooding going on in the Chicago area.

Incredible news coming out of Boston this morning. One down & one to go!
I hope all this ends soon with no more violence.

Quitnet sent me a congrats email this morning on my 47 smoke free months. One month away from my 4 year anni - yay. I forced my quits largely because I wanted to be a non-smoking, AF happy granny

Wishing everyone a safe & productive AF Friday!
Lav

[Stargazerlily]

April Achievers!

Good morning friends...

Lav, thanks for the blog referral . I looked it up and love it. How do you find these things? It is rainy here to and our creek is really high. I also noticed green buds on the crab apple trees today, what a joy! I love spring.

Dill, love the quote, and know you will like Caleb's Crossing. I am going to look for her other book, "March," this weekend at the library. Love People of the Book, too. I am rereading Carribean by Michener, and loving it!

Lots to do today, but also taking time out to relax, as I had a busy week. In the mood to clean closets, I want the heavy winter clothing out, gone, put away.

Just heard about the craziness in the Boston area? Hope they catch the other suspect and we find out what is going on and why.

To all, have a great day.

[Rusty]

April Achievers!

TGIF Friends!

It took me 24 hours to get from Detroit to Chicago:upset: due to flash flooding and thunderstorms here. I missed a day of work yesterday due to spending all day in airports...and arrived here in Chicago via Memphis. Ugh...I don't miss flying one bit. I meet with my biggest consulting client today.

Wednesday was a particularly odd day. I met with my new client, and a very young new manager, (with a pierced tongue) who I think must be addicted to Xanax or something. He was nodding off in the opening meeting, and his head kept bobbing up and down, and his eyes were bloodshot...and he kept interrupting me and the other members of the management team, and then couldn't stop talking. My client apologized for this guy's behavior. I bet you he didn't even realize how bad he looked. If I had been my client, I never would have hired him....he just did not fit the mold of what this client needs.

Perse-I hope the docs find out what is ailing you. It must be terribly frustrating for you.

Lav-loved the pic of Stella and EB. Congrats on the 47-month SF anniversary!:goodjob:

Pap-Lav's right about spending being an addiction just like AL, cigarettes, eating. I would also really think about the vet bills....which could absolutely devastate you financially. Have you ever asked your vet if the tests that are run are absolutely necessary? I think vets can be as manipulative as doctors, lawyers.

Big hugs to everyone else. Happy AF Friday!

[ladybirdheart]

April Achievers!

Good Day to all. It was quite cold this morning (high twenties F) but the garden looks really good and all the the tender veggies are still inside their room guarded by the elderly parrot who for some reason never touches them. I went to my co-op grocery this morning and there was an older African fellow playing a flute with abandon at the the mouth of a little tunnel, not busking, just improvising a lush melody where the acoustics are wonderful. I had one of those weird oceanic experiences at the store where everybody was beautiful and kind, even the skinny homeless guy scurrying through the parking lot with a bent cigarette was turned by my brain into his leaping boyhood self. I love it when that happens. I bought the biggest red butter lettuce in the whole world, perfectly fresh and well over a foot across, it doesn't look real either but Lord Bird Heart swore he could see it before he left for work. Lovely photo of EB and Stella, Lav. I liked your observations about shopping and think that it is helpful as well as accurate to see many maladaptive behaviors such as excessive spending and unhealthy eating as addictive actions, particularly as everybody here has developed or is developing effective cognitive and behavioral skills that transfer to new situations. We know the difference between feeling good, relieved, excited over something only to be sorry or even suffer later, we have learned whether we can or can not moderate, and we have learned to not see something that is ultimately bad for us as a "reward" or to feel "deprived" by its absence. Good for us. Welcome back Star, and I am so sorry you got sick on vacation. While I somehow lucked out through the years in Mexico, I did once get a major league GI "tourista" at the end of a long trip in South America which did not hit until a five hour layover in Miami. Blame not all the street food I ate but a really nice restaurant in Ecuador. In any case, I think there is a concourse bathroom now outfitted with a memorial in my honor. My sympathies. Hi Pers, staying right with you for your diagnostics; Hi, Dill right with you as well as April moves inexorably toward a fine summer and your retirement; Hi Rusty, working and flying with your sweet self through the storms; Hi Cyn (are you on the way home?); hi ALL. Love, Ladybird.

[papmom3]

April Achievers!

Hi Everyone,
So very tired. It's been a long long week and promises to be a long weekend. The news is addicting-we are all waiting with baited breath to hear suspect #2 has been caught/killed so that Boston et al can feel safe again. I can't believe this little shite has eluded capture for over 15 hours!! He's not in a car, not on public transportation as that has been totally shut down and unless some cabby either knowingly or unknowingly helped him out of the city he's got to be holed up somewhere, keeping someone hostage. It's just totally insane. We have just become the rest of the world. :upset:

The paphut may be sold. I hope to have more details tomorrow after work or maybe later tonite if it all works out. Bittersweet.

Lav-so happy to hear Will has turned such a big corner in his recovery!! Yee Haw!!

Rusty-I sure hope this is the last flying trip you have to do for a while. If it isn't snow, it's super rain. Unbelievable. As is the young manager!! Are you kidding me? Is he someone's son or something? And I can get possibly let go for being friendly but he keeps his job while obviously high on something and totally unprofessional? My god. And yes, the vet bills are exorbitant. But, you will be proud of me. On Monday we took DD down to the CT vet for his annual. The only test I had them do was for heartworm. No chem profile or senior wellness or even fecal (not that I had a sample LOL!!). He's healthy as a horse as far as I know. The minute he stops eating or bullying all the others THEN I know I have a problem!! The whole visit cost me just over $100. Score! As far as kitty goes, I don't need to do anymore tests. He's in stage 4, it ain't getting better and sooner or later he will either go to the bridge on his own or let me know he needs help. He's still eating once a day, still jumping the gates and up onto the bed, still drinking and using the litter box. he's obviously weaker and can't put any weight on. I stopped giving him fluids about a couple of weeks ago because he puts up such a fight its not fair to him. the only one who needs a followup test is LM and that I will do. I need to know if his numbers are still good and if so can I stop the meds altogether. he too is in seemly great condition despite what his diagnosis is. Believe me, I do appreciate your words and advise and Lav's too. I'm taking steps to get my spending under control so that I a start paying off some of these debts.

Star-did I say how sorry I am that you came down with Montezuma's revenge the whole trip? The one and only time I went to Mexico (1987) the whole group came down with it pretty much right away- I managed to wait until halfway through despite guzzling pepto before each meal. Must have been a bad beer! Glad you're feeling better!

Dill-ahhhhhh, retirement looms like the proverbial carrot on a stick! How I envy you right now!!

Pers1-we're right here with you. Keep us updated!!

Cyn-you home yet?

I will be working the next 5 weekends in a row. I've really enjoyed having the last 2 off so this will be hard to go back to. But I must. It's great money and at least I enjoy it. I'm training someone tomorrow so I can add 2 hours to my time which helps.

Gotta go snuggle with the pups for a while and then raid the freezer. I'm committed to eating what I have in the house before I do another major shopping trip. Today for lunch I had 2 week old brown rice, edamane that's been in the freezer for months and some cheese. Really wasn't bad at all!!

[Lavande]

April Achievers!

:H :H Papmom - 2 week old brown rice? Cheap eating is good but you want to do it safely. I've always had a 1 week rule for leftovers in my fridge....
The news really has been addictive today, I hope all this ends soon before more lives are lost.

Star, I spend a good deal of time on the internet everyday for business purposes. But I also like to screw around a bit too looking for things of interest to me

Rusty, hope your travel plans aren't messed up too badly by everything going on, weather, delays, etc.

LBH, only you could turn a trip to the market into a trip to Wonderland
I really need to take lessons from you one of these days.

Well, there is a severe weather alert going on here at the moment. Thunder storms, damaging winds & a possible tornado to boot.
YB is sitting here - not sure why :H
(Maybe the weather report scared him....just a little).

Dill, hope you are OK because the weather is coming from your direction.

Have a safe night everyone.
Lav

[papmom3]

April Achievers!

They Got Him!
No worries about The Rice, HowCanThatGoBad?
Stupid PhoneWith TheCaps AndNo SpaceS Lol!

[Lavande]

April Achievers!

Good morning friends

Good news on the capture of that messed up kid in Boston. Now to find out WHY they unleashed so much hell

Papmom, do we really need to talk about how bacteria grow in the fridge? :H
Adopt the 7 day rule & stay safe, please.

Lots of rain here last night but no tornado, good!
Cooler temps expected this week in the high 50s.

I need to catch up on some work so I'll wish everyone a greta AF Saturday!
Lav

[Persephone1]

April Achievers!

I. NEED. SUNSHINE :rays: and it's nowhere in sight. It's either raining or sleeting, wind blasting and bitter cold. This blows. Boooooo.

I am impressed with your commitment to eating what you have before grocery shopping Papmom…maybe you can make a game out of it? Give yourself a pre~determined prize for the most creative and yummy concoction! BTW, what's a Paphut? and is it good that it may be sold? :new:

Stargazerlily;1493813 wrote: You are such a welcome addition to our thread, hope you know that. Star, this meant the world to me...it's Nice to belong somewhere. :threesome: You mentioned a coupla books, would you care to give a wee synopsis for me? I am an avid reader but sadly I have to get hooked quickly & that can be an issue. I heard great things a bout Gone Girl and spent the money on the hardback and it just hasn't snagged me yet, I am disappointed. Hope you are settling in and enjoying being home again.

ladybirdheart;1494409 wrote: Good Day to all. It was quite cold this morning (high twenties F) but the garden looks really good and all the the tender veggies are still inside their room guarded by the elderly parrot who for some reason never touches them. I went to my co-op grocery this morning and there was an older African fellow playing a flute with abandon at the the mouth of a little tunnel, not busking, just improvising a lush melody where the acoustics are wonderful. I had one of those weird oceanic experiences at the store where everybody was beautiful and kind, even the skinny homeless guy scurrying through the parking lot with a bent cigarette was turned by my brain into his leaping boyhood self. I love it when that happens.

Is it wrong (and am I the only one who envisions this?) that when I read madame LBH's posts, she is either: A) in a gown with an ornate crown upon a glowing throne, or B) floating threw the forrest with animated animals following her...Always with an accent and often with a wand in her hand? You are always a sweet treat to hear from. Thank You from the depths.

Rusty ~ ARe you home? And getting any R & R? Sounds like a rough week, sorry. 24 hours to get from Det to Chi town is ridiculous. You deserve a treat! Hope you can give yourself one soon! Wishing you :bath2: & :heartsnflowers:

Lavande ~ what are you up to this weekend? You sound like you don't never slow down for too long. I'd probably have to wrangle you down to give you a neck massage or a pedi? Ha! I do hope you allow for some YOU time…you give SO MUCH to others & it is Appreciated.

So, can someone fill me in on who is single and who is either married/shaking up in our little group? I am single, though I have been communicating with my estranged BF who is in CO and I am in MI. It's odd how the distance (and removal of alcohol) has given me perspective on things. I'm liking it.

There are some bizarre conspiracy theories floating around re: this Boston mess. Love to hear what you guys are hearing and thinking about all this if you care to share?

I am very nervous about my test results on Wednesday. I have been healthy all my life, but I know something is wrong. It's nice to have a place to share this. I am gonna write and sift through my emotions and post a bit later. Thanks for all the well wishes.

Have a lovely Saturday Achievers. P.