Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

[Lavande]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Here you go Star & anyone else interested:

Alisa Cooks – Recipes from the Go Dairy Free kitchen ? Mushroom Barley Soup – Simple Comfort Food

I 'veganized' it by using a good quality vegetable broth. The broth had plenty of salt in it so I didn't add any salt or miso. Gotta keep the blood pressure in good shape.
This was really good - a meal with a couple slices of bread I made the other day. Even YB like it
I added an organic chopped up celery stalk & large carrot.

[cyntree]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Hi all -
traveled safely all day yesterday - through Philly! Just did a quick read through - must be off to take care of my Mom and get some things set up here. Star!!!!! So sorry for all of this stress - sounds like you have not had a safe place to be recently. I know what it feels like to say 'i'm through!' Good for you, but I'm so sorry it has been hard. :l

Big hugs to all dealing with weather and all else. I'll read back soon and catch up.

[Rusty]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Hi Cyn,

Glad you are safe and thank you for checking in with us. Your mom is lucky to have you. I will PM you later.

[dill]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Hello All, still trying to keep warm.

Cyn, I'm glad your travels were safe. Enjoy your time with your Mom. Do you see Mr. Cyn tonight?

Rusty, :l Just a general purpose hug, because you are you!

Lav, I ate at a Japanese restaurant for lunch today and it was so good! They serve miso soup with the lunch special and I felt kind of stupid but I had to ask, what exactly is miso?!! My friend told me it was a broth made from soy beans. I like it!

Star, I am so sorry you have been thru the mill lately! But you sound like you have come out stronger and better.:l I cannot imagine the hurt you must feel for your son when people do not show him the acceptance and respect he deserves. Saying hurtful things is very decidedly unchristian. I can't even begin to imagine what motivates people to be so cruel. They are missing the point completely! The basic teaching of Christ is love. Love thyself and love thy neighbor as thyself. Unfortunately formalized religions are usually run by humans who are greatly flawed and the true message is lost or distorted. I believe it to be so with all formalized religions, not just Christian. It's the fact that humans are so inherently flawed that they need spiritual guidance and to believe in something greater than themselves and thus formal religions evolve! It's ironic. Anyway, Your son is lucky to have you as a Mom and as a support. My son does have his battle cut out for him. I worry every day but try not to show it.

Please keep warm everyone. DTD, could you send a litle summer our way?

[Lavande]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

OK, peace has been restored in Lav-land
Boys make SO MUCH noise :H

Greetings everyone!
I just have to say that I live in an extension of the bible-belt here & have heard the so-called Christians trash people - awful. I just don't want anything to do with them.

My daughter sent me this link this morning - I'm going to sign up with her.
https://www.coursera.org/course/psychbuddhism

She's been taking these free online courses at Princeton - why not?? No credits - no stress - perfect.
I have been intrigued with Buddhist teachings/lifestyle for quite a while now, would love to learn more.

Here's Will taking care of business on the train table in my basement this morning. Note the embroidered flower bowl of goldfish crackers & the apple juice box right in the middle of everything :H

[Stargazerlily]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Good Morning everyone...

Aw Lav, the grandsons looks so cute. I love little boys, they are so rowdy. I get my hair done at a private home and the little six year old boy was home from school due to the weather. He beat me at checkers while I had dye in my hair. He REALLY beat me at checkers. Isn't that funny? I just get the biggest kick out of him. You are so lucky to have those little guys in your life. I am having a grandson in June, but live so far away I won't be able to have the day to day contact like you. I am really excited though. I am also excited to look into those free courses Lav. How cool. Thanks for sharing your resources.

Guess what, I am maybe getting a cold from all the drama. No, I have allowed myself to think negatively and now the effects are coming through. This is my plan, juicing today and positive thinking, over and over.

Cyn, you are so sweet to care for people. Hope you get a little time to yourself.

Rusty, Hi.

Dill, for some reasons it is christians who harass my son, over and over. Not anyone else. It is very unchristian, that is for sure. We went with him to look at his apartment yesterday, and it is very nice. This weather is just too much though. It is dangerously cold and I hate it. I am just coming out and saying it everyone. I hate this weather. I don't mind winter but this is toooo much. Dill, I have made miso soup before, and I love it. You can buy miso in a bottle or container and it is very simple to make. I have faith that both of our sons will be successful and live good productive lives, ON THEIR OWN. Said in the most loving way of course.

May check back in later. Have a good warm Saturday.

[dill]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Greetings all,

Star! What?!!!! You just casually mention that you'll be a grandmother in June?! I've been praying for your daughter ever since you told us about the fertility treatments! YAY!!! Congratulations! That's wonderful! It is too bad about the distance. But that is more easily overcome these days with email and skype. I'm so happy for you and your family! The Christians your son has encountered are completely misguided is all that I can say. They damage the name Christianity by their actions. Where do I look for miso? Do I have to go to a specialty store?

Lav, I'm so envious of your basement! We live in an old, old farmhouse. Our basement is small and has stone walls and a cement floor, Plus you have to duck to get through doorways!:H I have studied Buddhism and have great respect for it. I hope you enjoy the course, it sounds like a good one.

I'm not talking about the weather on purpose. Trying to ignore!

[Lavande]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Good frosty morning everyone!!!

Yeah, it's cloudy, cold, & about to snow again, yuck.

Star, CONGRATS on your impending grandmother status
It's totaly different from motherhood - it's much better :H
Skype has made staying in touch with family all over world a piece of cake!

Dill, my basement really is more of a lower level of the house. I've had houses like yours with useless basements. Mine has an open staircase from the living room. This house is a rancher.
The lower level/basement is huge & divided. There's a large storage/utility area. A very large family room area that all finished, has a hearth & woodstove. Then there's my shop area separate from everything else. There's a walkout door down there too. It's like it's own little city :H
My son brought the train table over a couple of years ago, they have no room for that thing in their tiny house. It's keeps the kids occupied, at least for a while.

I'm looking forward to starting that course in March. Better way to occupy my brain than with NCIS reruns - right Rusty :H

Greetings to everyone & sending wishes for a warm & cozy day for all!!

Lav

[Rusty]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Good Morning, Everyone!

I am enjoying the last two days of my stay-at-home time before I leave for Canada for work on Monday.

Dill-Awwww....you are so sweet...."a general purpose hug." Here is a :l in return....just because. I'm sick of talking about the weather, too. It's a beautiful day here...the sun is shining, and I'm planning on building a big fire later. My sister and her family live in an 1892 cream city brick farmhouse and they have EXACTLY the basement you have. The rest of the house is fabulous....but the basement.....YUCK!!! My BIL has an exercise bike, free weights and a huge flatscreen HD TV down there.:H Fortunately, I'm short so I don't have to tuck my head when I walk through the doorway, but my nephew and my BIL have clunked their heads a few times. Re: Miso soup...I drank it every day on my many trips to Japan, and I don't care for it. It reminds me of something you eat when you're recovering from stomach flu. :H Is your son looking for a job now? Is sobriety agreeing with him?

Star-how exciting that you found out your daughter will be having a boy. I loved your post about how you love watching and interacting with little boys. The fact that your daughter lives so far away will make those visits so much more meaningful. I'm glad you're taking time off from work to recharge your batteries before starting your new job. Are you going to have that long commute like you did with your old job?

Lav-your grandson sure has gotten big....and is he ever cute. Good genes, right? Is that a treadmill that I see in the background of that picture? Regarding NCIS reruns, I have outgrown them. I enjoy exercising my brain with Lumosity. It challenges me and it's fun.

Big hellos to Pap, Cyn, Dream, and anyone I may have missed...happy AF Saturday!

[Lavande]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Yep Rusty - that's my treadmill with a fine coating on dust on it in the background :H
The only one who uses it is EB (with my supervision of course). I always end up hurting my ankles on the darn thing

I keep a jar of miso in the fridge for cooking but don't use it often. Not a fan of anything soy.

Got another inch or two of snow, not so bad.

[Stargazerlily]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Good morning all, up too early, having a hard time with early waking. I know it will pass once everything gets settled.

Dill, yes, my daughter became pregnant, and was so cautious we did not celebrate like you normally would...so now she is in the second trimester and doing well. Very excited now, wish I could see her, but with the extremes in weather it is hard to drive long distances. Thank you so much for your prayers, continue as we want smooth sailing. I have been praying often.

Rusty, thanks for you kind post. I do love little kids, always have. Little boys are fun, little girls have cooler clothes. We have had fires in our fireplace too. Keeping cozy is top priority. I will be happy to have time off before I start my new job. No, the commute is only about 20 minutes, a huge difference. Change is hard for me though. I think it is for everyone. That is why I am having a hard time sleeping.

Lav, we had over a foot of snow yesterday, drifts 3-4 feet. I spent yesterday shoveling the driveway, it was brutal. Will be making soup today. How fun to have a special place for the grandkids to play.

Hope you all have a great Sunday.

[Stargazerlily]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Lav, I just signed up for the course you told us about. Wow, it seems so interesting. Thank you so much for sharing this information.

[Lavande]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Good morning frozen friends....seriously, everything is frozen solid around here, ugh.

Star, I think that course will be interesting - only too happy to share
My daughter spends a good deal of time in Princeton, she has in-laws who live there & own a consignment shop there. I've been there once, neat little town.
Sorry you had so much snow yesterday, bummer. We only got another 2 inches or so. The thing is nothing is melting.

Well, my granddaughter is bringing her parents out for a visit & dinner today, yay :H
This means I need to get to the store & stock up.
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF & warm Sunday!

Lav

[dill]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

?You don't know who is important to you until you actually lose them.?
― Mahatma Gandhi

Greetings friends,
I am grieving the loss of a friend and co-worker who died "unexpectedly" on Friday night. I say "unexpectedly" because there was no reason not to expect it. She had been sick and in decline for the past year with a variety of ills. But none of us thought she would actually succumb somehow. I got the news on Friday night and was grateful to be AF and painfully present to receive it, deal with it, and help notify others.

It has brought home to me once again the gift of meeting life on life's terms and the importance of living life, really living it, not losing a third of it to memory gaps and black outs from too much d##*%$m wine.

One of the friends I called that night told me she had just "had a couple" and was therefore having a hard time processing what I was telling her.......been there, done that! More times than I care to acknowledge.

[Rusty]

Gentle January ~ AF Week 3

Dill-thank you for that timely quote, and I am so very sorry for the loss of your friend.:l I see why you called her passing "unexpected." We always feel that our friends will dodge one more bullet, and hang in there....just because we want them to live so badly. :goodjob:for being AF during this grieving process and having the strength and clarity to notify others. You mentioned calling a friend who had "a couple" and was struggling to process this info. Is this the woman who was your former drinking companion? I shudder, too, when I think of the days or evenings when I blacked out and can't remember what I did or said.

Lav, I, too, think it's great that you have a play area for your grandkids in your lower level. Our ranch house growing up had a true basement, not as bad as my sister's farmhouse, but we all had a ball down there.....ping pong, darts, school desks...it was very I'm glad someone is getting good use out of the treadmill. Enjoy your visit with your family today.

Star-how great that you will a shorter commute. Maybe now you can start using your elliptical? Or maybe not. You will have more time to take the Princeton course. Has your son moved out yet?

Pap and Jolie-come out, come out.

I have work tasks to finish today, a trip to Wal-Mart, work out. That's my day.

Big hellos to Cyn, DTD and anyone I may have missed....have a lovely AF Sunday.