Know November - week 4

[Rusty]

Know November - week 4

Hi Dream, I love it when you're online, because you're online a lot and I like that. I always feel like someone is here.. Your production last night sounds lovely....lighthearted is always better, I think. I used to be a freelance editor, too, before my drinking became a problem. I don't know if I could be an effective writer if I were still drinking. Our Cyntree is/was a freelance writer/editor, too.

Yes, working at home takes A LOT of discipline...and there were countless afternoons I wasted due to drinking because I felt overwhelmed, as Dill has mentioned. Oddly enough, I was many times the MOST productive when I was hungover. Out of sheer guilt and shame, I knew I HAD to really concentrate and meet my business deadlines or I was in trouble. But the effort and the struggle to catch up, OMG. Never again. I am soooo thankful I still have a successful business, and I am never going back to that terrifying, dark place.

Thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes, and I hope you're having a peaceful day, Dream.

[DreamThinkDo]

Know November - week 4

Rusty, time zones make it difficult to be online when the most action is happening, but yes, I visit here when I need a break from work (and then stay online too long).

Drinking seems to be a problem in publishing - those boozy author lunches are not a figment of the imagination... I very often drank more than my authors did when I took them out - and still managed to remember what was discussed. So many things to be ashamed of.

Happy Thanksgiving, again!

[Lavande]

Know November - week 4

Managed to pull off a decent Thanksgiving dinner & birthday party for EB. I am exhausted :H

DTD, in an effort to stick to the dairy & gluten free diets some of us keep I had to look for substitutions for the usual fare.
Turkey gravy has to be made with corn starch not flour for a thickener. Dinner rolls were made with a gluten free flours (mostly rice flour) & rice milk in place of regular milk. I use a product called Earth Balance in place of butter, almond or rice milk, chicken and or vegetable broth with no MSG. Desserts were made with the substitute ingredients & turned out great!
Takes a little forethought but completely doable!

Rusty & Dill, hope you had a good day as well

My son brought a couple bottles of beer from a local startup brewery, drank one & took the rest home! That's just the way it goes around here these days & that's OK by me!

I will sleep like a log tonight - for sure!

[Lavande]

Know November - week 4

Last one to bed & the first one up - I knew it :H :H

I actually have an early appointment today & wanted to get that done & out of the way
Freezing, 21 degrees at the moment, Brrrrr!!!

Wishing everyone a great AF Friday!
I'll probably do some online shopping later. I am not a fan of the black Friday craziness.
Hope everyone has recovered from yesterday's food binge

Lav

[dill]

Know November - week 4

Hello Lav, I am not a black Friday shopper either. There are plenty of things out there to buy in this country of ours. I don't feel the need to fight over any items or get jostled about trying to find Christamas gifts. I'm glad you had such a nice Thanksgiving and that you managed to find gluten free recipes for everything.

DTD, I just read your post on the Tool box thread. It was very simple and wise. It is so important to focus on the positive. What possible difference could it make what we are drinking when in the face of a beautiful sunset?! I am a person who appreciates a good sunset, and have enjoyed many watching the day's ending light play on and thru a glass of chardonnay. It is an image that comes to mind often even tho I don't plan on viewing the sunset thru a glass of wine any longer! The sunset last night here was magical. We happened to be driving east, away from the setting sun but the orange light shining from behind us was falling on the trees and making them appear orange instead of gray. It was stunning as we were driving thru a "tree tunnel" on a country road near our home. I remarked to Mr. D that you couldn't possible catch that on canvass and have anyone believe it was anything but surrealistic and not an actual real world landscape. Although, Maxfield Parrish did come to mind. He had quite a way with light in his paintings. Are you familiar with him? Anyway, my point is, I am so grateful that I was experiencing that moment AF. I think my appreciating of the sunset was never really enhanced by a glass of wine and in fact was probably diminished.

Rusty, I used to have to bring work home at times. I can remember writing reports about children while sipping on chardonnay. Not only that, but hiding the glass so Mr. D wouldn't know I was drinking while working. Still, I managed to write reasonably good reports. Of course, when going over them with parents and staff at meetings I would be surprised at how good the report was, since I didn't remember writing it!:H And because of that, I thought I was functional and had no problem with al!:H

I downloaded the audio version of The Picture of Dorian Gray to listen to it again. Another good book, IMO, that is about the ugly grip of addiction/evil is Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde.

Hello Star, Cyn, Witts(?), Narilly, GG, and Lurkers, enjoy an AF black Friday!

[Lavande]

Know November - week 4

Greetings Dill, glad you enjoyed your magical sunset yesterday. Sounds very unique & magical

Can't believe there's one day left in the month!
So what do we call our December thread??

Hope everyone is tucked in & cozy!

[Stargazerlily]

Know November - week 4

Good morning...

Had a great time, lots of good food and laughter. It is so good to be home, too. I of course ate too much, want to start back eating healthy today. Sounds like everyone had an AF Thanksgiving, making it memorable and peaceful.

Lots to do today to catch up, so Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[Lavande]

Know November - week 4

Good morning all & welcome home Star, glad you enjoyed your trip

I think a pot of turkey soup is in order on this chilly day!
I want to start dragging out a few Christmas decorations today too. I waited so long last year people were coming in here offering to help :H :H Actually, that may be a good idea, wait until the others just do it for me :H :H

Greetings to Dill, Rusty, cyn, DTD & anyone else dropping by today.
Have a great AF Saturday!

Lav

[Rusty]

Know November - week 4

Good Saturday Morning Everyone,

Holiday weekends go by wayyy too fast. I had the best Thanksgiving ever. It was just so much fun being with my mom, brother, sister, cousin and the six kids. We have a new baby on the way....my brother's daughter is expecting her first baby on my mom's birthday in May. We are all very excited.

Dill-I, too, didn;t think my problem was THAT BAD because I functioned well enough to maintain a good job and earn rewards whilst drinking almost every night. That sunset sounded amazing....how wonderful to remember seeing it AF.

Lav-turkey soup sounds delicious on a cold day like this. I'll probaby start decorating for Christmas, too.

Star-glad you got home safely. Tell us about your trip when you get the chance.

Dream-I am surprised that your authors have boozy lunches. When I go out to lunch with my clients in the US, it is rare to see anyone drinking. Is it common practice in South Africa as it is in Barcelona, to have alcohol at lunch? Have you ever read the book, "Drunkard" by Neil Steinberg? It's a true story about a newspaper columnist for the Chicago Sun Times. In the book, Neil Steinberg describes how boozy lunches during working hours were a daily event for him.

December names....hmmm. Determined December, Diligent December, Delightful December, Definitely AF December?

I hope everyone is having a peaceful AF Saturday. Big hellos to Cyn, Witts, and anyone I missed. I'll be back later.

[dill]

Know November - week 4

Hey All, Happy AF Saturday,

Welcome home Star, glad you had a good time. Any news on the fertility front? I pray your daughter becomes pregnant this year so you'll have a new family member to be Thankful for in 2014.:h

Rusty, I'll look for Drunkard. Was it good? Lunch and Booze? Not for me, thanks!:H If I started drinking at lunch, my day would be over! I'm glad you had a great Thanksgiving. It is better without al, isn't it?!

Lav, I need to get my turkey picked today. Soup sounds good. I have so much left I have at least 2 meals. I'm thinking maybe a turkey pot pie?

My Thanksgiving was really good too. It was just us, the grankids and my son. He was home for the day and it was wonderful. It's a really special thing watching him progress. He is becoming more his old self every time we see him. I'm glad we are able to do this for him and even more glad that he has the courage and drive to do it.

[Rusty]

Know November - week 4

Hi Friends,

I am taking a break from de-decorating Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving and am now on the road to Christmas decor

Dill-I am thrilled for your son....he is truly courageous in voluntarily going into treatment, and I am sure he is appreciative of your support. If there's anyone who can relate to his struggles with addiction, it's you, because you've experienced it. Yes, Drunkardwas VERY good. I forgot to mention in my previous post that Neil Steinberg is an alcoholic and he describes his bumpy road to sobriety. I could not put that book down.

Lav:

I waited so long last year people were coming in here offering to help Actually, that may be a good idea, wait until the others just do it for me.

I like your plan!:H

Cyn-come out, come out wherever you are. Only two more weeks of that job and you are done.

[DreamThinkDo]

Know November - week 4

Morning friends!

It sounds as if everybody had a good Thanksgiving. Now only Christmas and New Years to get through before life returns to normal!

Dill, what you said about our view of things being diminished by Al - when we thought it was enhanced - is so true. So glad that your son was home for Thanksgiving! It must have been very special.

Rusty, boozy lunches used to be normal, but I think things have changed now. I'll see if I can find the book you mentioned.

No Christmas decorations for me, although I'll decorate a wire baobab with beaded decorations. There also is a wire Christmas tree floating around. I like an African look - most of us here have never even seen snow, so putting up a Christmas tree with fake snow simply does not make any sense. We will be celebrating Christmas at home with my parents - 16 people in all. My mum goes to a lot of trouble - too much, as we always tell her - to make Christmas special. But, it is important to her, and we give a hand where we can.

I'm going for lunch in a delightfully quaint village - have a super Sunday, everybody. (And yes, I know I posted on the old November thread, but, does it really matter, in the greater scheme of things?)

Hugs, everybody!