Abundant April AF - Week 3

[Stargazerlily]

Good morning to all,

Had a nice weekend, lots of driving, but good weather. So nice to visit with my daughter, she is really big and tires easily. It was good to be able to do things for her and just relax. We stayed up till 11 at night, no TV, just talking. I was tired yesterday after all the traveling but glad to be back and checking in with all of you. The weather was warm and sunny, couldn't have asked for more. It sure does improve your mood.

Lav, hope your Palm Sunday cookout was a success. Gardening sounds like a great spring activity, but we are also due for some cold weather this week, so cleaning up the yard will be on our agenda for the time being.

Dill, those warm weather cravings are the worst. Of course there are cravings no matter the season, so we have to be aware and like you, have nothing in the house. Really, to be successful, your environment has to be taken care of, and that means no alcohol at all. Then, when the crazy thoughts hit, you at least have time to challenge those thoughts and face reality. Alcohol does not do anything positive for us. It hurts us and is a killer, ruining every part of our lives: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial, relationships. I like feeling well, sleeping well, living well.

Cyn, those taxes sound like a lot of work. The 15th is this week so hopefully you will be done with them. One of my legs has been hurting off and on too, so will do some stretching today. I wonder if I have not prepped before going walking enough....

To all, have a great Monday. Hi Pap.

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning Star & everyone,

Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit with your daughter
Grandma hood is awesome, I know you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Yesterday was exhausting but turned out great. My son never got here, was held up at work somewhere - typical. The kids were so energetic but outside most of the time, yay!

I am keeping my new plants in the garage until next weekend Dill. It is supposed to rain heavily tomorrow with possible freeze warnings for a few days after that. We just can't seem to get rid of this winter

Can't say I have had any real cravings, just thoughts from time to time & I push them right out of my head. After all this time I realize it not the substances I seek but the 'disconnect'. Every human has moments where they just want to kick back & forget it all. Choosing a favorite guided meditation or burying myself in a good book or activity works

OK, off I go to Curves then back here for some busy work.
Wishing everyone a great AF Monday!

Lav

[dill]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning!

Star, thanks for starting week 3. I had no idea we were half way thru the month! April is flying by. I'm so glad you had a good visit with your daughter. you are going to love being a grandmother. Have you thought about what you would like to be called? I'm called "Nana" but my grandson in New Orleans calls me "Banana". :H My daughter makes no attempt to correct him because she thinks it's cute. You are so right that alcohol does not do anything positive for us. Once upon a time, a long time ago, it was a nice way to relax. But not anymore. Once you cross the line with alcohol consumption, there is no going back. I am fortunate that Mr. D has no interest in keeping beer, wine or spirits in the house. I'd be in serious trouble if he did.

Lav, I woke up to SNOW on the ground! Yesterday I was walking around the pond looking at the toads at the edge of the water and looking at the koi (remember them) and today it is below freezing! YUCK. :upset: I liked what you said yesterday: "After all this time I realize it's not the substance I seek but the 'disconnect'." That is exactly it! Choosing healthier ways to disconnect is the key.

Must take grandson to the dentist this morning. Have a splendid AF Tuesday everyone!

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning and guess what? I woke up to snow, covering everything, about an inch. This is the reason I do not put my winter clothes away. It should melt this week but it is covering the beautiful daffodils. One step forward, two steps back.

Dill, I just want to be called Grandma. That is fine with me. We'll see what he ends up calling me. I AM so excited. It is so important to control our environment as related to staying AF. It shows our commitment and we need to do that for ourselves.

Lav, good idea to keep the plants in the garage. Glad your cookout was a success. I am sure after five years that the cravings are less frequent and less severe. Your coping skills are developed, but I admire how you are able to identify a few things you need to do, immediately.

Have a great Tuesday.

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning all,

It is raining here, grateful that it's not snow like you have Star & Dill
Very windy too, rattling the windows - geez.

I was hoping to be called Grandma too when EB called me MiMom & it kind of stuck :H
Now all three are calling me MiMom & I even think of myself as MiMom :H

Just trying to get a few things done here this morning then I pick up the boys from preschool at 11:30 & will have them here all day long. Pray for me, it's rough being stuck inside with those two

Grateful forever for my AF'ness. This is the life I was meant to have all along
Have a great day everyone!

Lav

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good early morning friends!

Yep, woke up to a nippy 28 degrees this morning - pathetic!!
I'm out of here at 7 am to watch my grandsons for a few hours. Will check in later.

Have a great AF Hump day everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning,

Yes, 24 degrees here, Lav! The winter that won't go away...

Star, do you have stargazer lilies in your yard? I've never planted them before but I am feeling inspired this year. If you have any first-hand experience, please share.

I had a terribly anxious feeling yesterday but somehow managed to get thru it. I tried shifting my gears, getting out of the house, then going out to a favorite chinese restaurant. I have been to this particular restaurant over 30 years now! I used to go in with the family when the kids were little. No wine. Then as the kids were older, would go in with Mr. D alone. Wine with dinner, at least 2 glasses. The waitress didn't even ask, just brought it to the table. Then it was a glass before leaving for the restaurant, a couple during the meal at the restaurant, than another upon returning home....Then it escalated even beyond that. A few years ago I of course quit drinking wine. The waitress was confused. I came in one night and she looked at me quizzically and said, "Chardonnay?" I said no thank you, just tea and water. She never asked again. Last night at the restaurant I reflected over the transformation.

I'm grateful to be waking AF and unhung-over!
Have a happy Hump Day everyone!

[Guitarista]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Just swanning in bowlegged cowboy fashion to say Gidday!

Hope you're all good. Making a lot of music here, with a few projects on the go.

Take care y'all. I trust spring has sprung! New beginnings.

L8tr gater's.

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning to all...

Hi, Mr. G. Hope you are doing well on your AF journey. Good to hear from you.

Cyn, I am so jealous, you get to go to Cornwall. Have fun and take care of yourself. Making AF memories is so important and builds on our continued success.

Dill, was the anxiety about going to a place you used to drink wine? I totally understand, it is hard to make the change especially if the waitress assumes you want what you had in the past.

Lav, lots of grandson time, sounds fun. Also, exhausting. Good thing you are living the life you are meant to live. I feel the same. Life has its problems, but AF they are so much less.

Hey, I have been watching Breaking Bad and the drug scenes are just sickening. Alcohol is no different in the end. You can see the deterioration, physical and emotional decay. Yuck. Glad we are committed to being AF, always. The choice to me is darkness or light. Have a great day.

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Dill, I do not have stargazer lilies in my yard. I have had them in bouquets in the past and loved the scent and the way they look. Roses and other lilies in my yard. Right now daffodils are blooming. Tulips are on their way.

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning. What, nobody wants it to be week three?

It's warming up here, thank goodness. Not sure what the Easter weather will be yet. At least the daffodils are here to celebrate.

I picked up a podcast website on a thread here I thought some might find interest in. The Bubble Hour. I listened to two women speaking about their AF journey yesterday and found it interesting. It was not from point A to point B, but struggling a bit and it was good to hear a voice. So, if you are interested, give it a listen. I have a podcast app on my phone, so downloaded it there and listened to it in the car. There are numerous talks to listen to, so I will be on their again, soon.

To all, have a good day.

[cyntree]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Thank you, Dill. That's very strange - I looked and looked for week 3 yesterday before posting on the other week...maybe my webpage hadn't updated? Wierd! Anyway, thanks for your reply, and I'm posting yesterday's here...
---
Hi kids - am I on the right week? I don't see a different one, so I'll stick with this one. I've had an eye infection that kept my screen time to a minimum - sorry to be away.

3 inches of snow here! My boy dog was delighted - he ran and frolicked. I guess I really don't mind - it will melt soon - but I worry about all the birds getting food and water. I'm tempted to put out the suet block just for the day today, but I'm sure the bears are hungry too. Our excellent radio weather forecaster said this was going to happen, so it's not a surprise. Sounds like it will be wet and cold for awhile, though. Glad that I didn't do a lot of clearing in the garden over the weekend - I did battle with the bittersweet and shrubs instead.

Dill - HB and I leave next Tuesday for Cornwall, England (the far SW corner) to walk/hike the portion of the cliff coast called Land's End for 5 days. We are doing it because we were invited to join a couple (he's from Cornwall) who have done these walks before - the luggage is taken from one Inn to the next. The couple is older than we are, so we thought that it would all be fine. I used to be an avid camper and hiker (errrr 30 years ago) so I thought it would be able to get back in shape. I've been trying, but after last weekend's 4 mile hike, I was showing signs of tendonitis, so I've backed off the training. The route is described as a 'roller coaster'; first day 7 miles, 2nd day 10.5 miles, 3rd day 11 miles, then it gets easier (!). So, cross fingers everybody - I'm doing as much training as I dare, if I can't manage it, I'll take a taxi from Inn to Inn. Who knows!

So between dealing with taxes, work, making a complete Seder Passover dinner and schlepping it to Glastonbury and back on Monday night, and trying to get ready for this crazy trip, it's been a bit of a nutty time.

Hope everybody is OK, and hanging in there with the weather and cravings. Remember, we have to build new memories that don't include AL in them...Happy Hump Day!

[dill]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Star, I don't mind it being week 3 but I do wish time would slow down a bit. Thanks for the hat tip about the Bubble Hour Podcast. I don't have one of those fancy smart phones as of yet, but I found I can download it for free onto my iPod. I don't know the exact episode you may have been listening to yesterday but I am going to listen to the one called, "From Self-medicating to Self-care". There are a number of them available! Thanks again Star.

I do hope Easter weather is good. It would be so nice to have an outdoor egg hunt!
Shout out to you Mr. G, good to see you doing so well!
Greetings Lav and Cyn,
I'm having lunch with a friend today. Happy AF Thursday all around!

[cyntree]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Hi again - I just read through the last few days. Dill - so glad you are making a way to get through cravings and anxiety. I have been hounded by anxiety as well, but the fierce walking has helped somewhat. Lav - you are SO right, it's the disconnect that we seek. Brilliant. Star - so glad to hear that you had time with your daughter, and are looking forward to being a GMother. How wonderful that in choosing this life, you will be there fully for your grandchild.

Guitarista! Bonus to see you posting, thanks! I hope your journey is good.

Yes, I awoke to 3 + inches of snow yesterday. But the sun is so strong now that most of it melted, and it was a brilliant, crisp day; I didn't mind it, and I had a good 3 mile walk.

Dill I have seen some of the Doc Martin's - is it really set in Cornwall? The portion of the coastal road that we are walking is Land's End - described by the guide book as 'a roller coaster'. So we'll see. This was a mad plan that was hatched by these friends of ours, and I'm trying to be optimistic. We didn't really have the money to do it (although the walking part is not bad, the airfare is shocking), but I'm using some of the tiny Insurance money from my Mom. I think it is OK, she would have been thrilled to help us with this trip, and in fact she would have loved to be along! So maybe this is a good thing...

Hope all have a great Thursday, and thanks for getting me to the right week.

[cyntree]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

X-post, Dill! So glad you are having lunch with a friend...