Onward October-Week 2

[dill]

Onward October-Week 2

Hello Friends,
Wow Rusty! That's big news that you are off bac and holding your own! Good for you! You have been so important to me/us over the years.:l Thanks so much for being here. The decorations sound lovely and the time with your sister too. You'll always have that memory as you enjoy your new pieces.

Lav, your day yesterday sounds like it was awful! I'm glad you were able to connect with your friend and get it all worked out. I could just feel the frustration you must have felt driving back and forth on a busy road looking for a place. I think we have all probably had that experience at some point. Glad you didn't even think about drinking over it. You have come a long way!:h

Just watching football today. Both Ohio teams are winning at this point. Go Browns!!

[Lavande]

Onward October-Week 2

The firewood guy is three hours late - is anything going right this weekend?? :H

Dill, as I pointed my car toward home yesterday I actually laughed out loud thinking this is the dumb shit that used to get me in the past ~ not anymore
I have finally learned not to let this stuff get to me - lots of zen going here!

I've made a pot of chicken noodle soup & a couple loaves of whole grain peasant bread. This simple stuff makes me happy

[Lavande]

Onward October-Week 2

Good Monday morning friends!

Another morning with no sun
Oh well, the coffee is good so I'll just soldier on :H

Think I'll start the day right with a trip to Curves!
have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[Stargazerlily]

Onward October-Week 2

Good morning to all...

Lav, love the attitude when all those little things went in a different direction from what you planned. I have been really remembering your plan of gratitude and focusing on the positive. It has helped, and now realizing that if it won't matter in five years, don't sweat it, I will continue to rewire my brain. Peace, peace. I always map out where I am going first, both on paper and on my phone. I also have a map I keep in my car. I have had times I was lost and felt really frustrated, so now I guess I over compensate.

Rusty, I wish I could see your new art...I love decorating and getting lovely things for my house. Don't have to do it much anymore as it is done. Especially meaningful is that you bought your pics and mirror with your sister. I have a lovely oil painting that my mom and I purchased at an art fair years ago...love the picture but also the memory. My business is up and down too; hard to stay calm but it always seems to work out. When slow I try to enjoy the time off with self care, catching up on home stuff, and reading. Hope you can do the same. Regarding the baclofen, you seem to be so confident in your AFness, I agree with Lav that your brain is rewired. But, if you need it, don't hesitate.

Dill, glad you had fun at the festival. I went to an Octoberfest with a chili cook-off and sampled 7 types of chili. Whew, it was good and fun. The weather was unbelievable.

Back to work, hello to all, have a great Monday.

[Stargazerlily]

Onward October-Week 2

Oh, Rusty, my friend and I walked for over an hour in a wild prarie, it was great.

[dill]

Onward October-Week 2

Hello friends, It's been one of those busy days here. I did manage a very nice walk with a girlfriend and the weather was fantastic. I'm loving this Fall season.

Anyway, it's a good day to be AF!

[Stargazerlily]

Onward October-Week 2

Good morning everybody...

Drinking my coffee, trying to come to terms with the fact that the cold fall weather is coming. Brrrrr. Luckily I will wear a new shirt today, something warm and colorful.

Hope you all are doing well, AF. Have a great day.

[Lavande]

Onward October-Week 2

Morning all

Guess we need to start a week 3 thread......maybe tomorrow
The sun is up, yay! Rain returns tomorrow, oh well.
I have the rest of the morning to do what I need to do then pick up the boys at noon. At least I'll be able to run them around outside & burn off some of that crazy little boy energy :H

Star, I don't mind cooler weather as long as the sun is out! Enjoy your day!!!

Have a great AF Tuesday everyone!
Lav

[dill]

Onward October-Week 2

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Viktor E. Frankl

We have so much power over our own destinies if we just use that little space to choose our actions wisely.

Good morning Star and Lav.

It's quiet here on the home front once again. I wonder if our little thread has fulfilled its time/purpose.

It is a cool, overcast Fall morning here. It's my first day of volunteering at the food pantry. In fact, just looked at my watch and I had better get going!

Happy AF Tuesday one and all!

[Rusty]

Onward October-Week 2

Good Afternoon Everyone,

A quick check-in for me as I am working with a client in Chicago today.

Dill-Thank you for starting us off with a quote that has particular meaning for me. I must learn to take deep breaths and think before getting my undies in a bundle needlessly when faced with what seems like a big problem in a small space. Please let us know how you fared on your first day of the food pantry. I'm delighted that you had someone to walk with in the crisp, autumn air. I wish I had someone to walk with on a regular basis. I guess that's why my walks with my sister mean so much to me. Regarding the Baclofen, it was effective for managing for my ever-present and crippling anxiety. I do notice that since I went off of it, my neck and back are not very happy. I guess I'll just take the good with the bad. Yes, our little thread does seem to be dwindling. I think it's because all of us on this thread have really busy and productive AF lives, retired or not, and and we do not need/seek the daily/hourly contact with other MWO members. Also, I know some of our previous threadmates and visitors who are not AF 100% of the time do not feel comfortable posting on our thread, and that's kind of sad. We lose a lot of people that way.

Star-don't you kind of like changing from summer clothes to fleece in the Fall? I do, especially when it's something new. You hiked for an hour? Great! You haven't mentioned if you've been using your elliptical machine.

Lav-have fun with the boys today.

Big hellos to Cyn, Pap, Witts, Paguy, and everyone else....happy AF Tuesday afternoon.

[cyntree]

Onward October-Week 2

Hello all -

Rusty - wow, your writing about the last 5 years made me teary. I feel so lucky to know you.

Dill - thanks for the 'herd' description; I should have known that! Since you asked, it is only business in NYC, and very hectic schedule. Unfortunately, it's 6 hours of commuting minimum...yesterday I left the house at 11:30 am and got home at 12:40 am. I started up at 8:30 am this morning and worked through the whole day. So much for a part time job. This was a really bad decision, but I made it, and I'm going to have to live with it for a while.

Lav - thanks for the nice compliment about being there for my step-daughter. I can guarantee the older and loving part, the 'wiser' I'm not so sure!

Star - Tibetan rituals? Wow, you are always on to something interesting. Some century I'll check it out! Glad you are finding ways to be OK with the change to cooler weather...

Rusty - interesting about the bac. I stopped taking it last year when my loss of weight was an issue - I thought it was contributing! It doesn't help me with anxiety, I wish it would because I'm a nervous wreck these days. But it is a wonderful, gentle mood lifter and does take away a lot of pain for me, so I'm back on again for 30 mg/day, that's all I need. Maybe if I keep up with my acupuncture I'll be able to go off of it someday; in the meantime, I'm staying on it.

I agree with Rusty about the thread - this is an important anchor in my life, even though I'm not able to post daily. I would really feel bereft if I couldn't 'find' my friends here. Even if it is only irregular posts, I value knowing what is going on, and having the reminders about how to live well. I woke up yesterday morning in a bit of a panic about what the day would hold, and I remembered to do the Louise Hay 'All is well.." and go through my gratitude list. See what you have all taught me?

More soon - Please know that the only reason I don't write is because there just aren't enough hours in the day -- I must must must do some laundry and pay bills tonight (after finishing more work!) or there will be no clean clothes and no money to by groceries to fill the empty pantry. Bizarre!

Wishing everyone a peaceful night -

[Stargazerlily]

Onward October-Week 2

Good morning to all...

Dill, thanks so much for the quote from Dr. Frankl. I have read some of his books about his life and he really walked the walk. In the concentration camps, he chose to be humane and live a life with dignity and respect, in the midst of hell. We do have choices every waking moment, what we will do, how we will treat others, ourselves, etc. I do not feel that this thread's time is finished, just that some of us our friends and like to share and connect. I would miss you if you quit posting, so I hope you choose to stay on.

Rusty, I have only used the elliptical a few times, my husband one time. Ha, that is the reason it was such a good buy. I am going to try to get a routine and build up time. We are taking a long weekend and will have time to plan. I too love to have someone to walk with on a regular basis, and that is why a dog is nice, they are always up for a walk. I used to have a good friend right around the corner who was always up for a walk, and it was so fun. Moved and now she is ill. No dog either. I like bike riding, it is something you can do solo. Regarding anxiety, it appears we all have it from time to time. I find that recognizing my anxiety producing thoughts and focusing on changing those thoughts helps me. Or, as Lav suggested, gratitude and positives in your life. It takes practice.

Cyn, your life sounds hectic. Do you like your job? I would not want to be that busy, I would get discouraged at such long days. Glad you make the effort to post.

Lav, I do like the cooler fall days, but will miss summer. We really had a nice stretch of warm weather. Hope the stink bugs are finished.

Have a great day.