Abundant April AF - Week 3

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning friends,

Slept much better last night not having to worry about missing a 5:30 am alarm clock
36 degrees here at the moment, at least the sun is rising!
Time has been getting by a bit too quickly for me as well. It's confusing though since we are still dealing with winterish weather.

I saw the mention on other threads about the podcast & have been wanting to check it out myself. Glad there is something out there helping folks

cyn, your trip sounds awesome. I hope the hiking is not too hard on you so you can really enjoy it all.

Dill, enjoy your lunch today. That reminds me I need to gather my nurse friends, we haven't been out for a few months & I seem to be the one who gets us started up

Star, glad to hear warmer weather is on the way! We honestly deserve it, don't you think?

No kid duty scheduled for today so I think I'll get out to Curves & the supermarket then see what happens.
Have a great AF day all!

Lav

[dill]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good Morning All and Welcome to Good Friday.

Yes Cyn, Doc Martin is filmed in Port Isaac in Corwall. In the show the town is called Port Wenn, but the scenes for Port Wenn are filmed in Port Isaac. I googled Land's End and now am VERY envious of your trip! The images are stunning! I don't imagine you'll want to come home once you've been there! I wonder how far Port Isaac is from Lands End. The map shows Port Isaac on the northern coastline above Wadebridge. I just googled again and found that it is 65 miles. Here's a link to the film location of Doc Martin: Doc Martin Location | Portwenn | The Bay Hotel Port Isaac

Star, I was at Lowe's yesterday with Mr. D. While he shopped for drain pipe I looked at bulbs. I bought a packet of 10 Stargazer lilies. I hope they do well! I have read that they are one of the most fragrant flowers. Thank you again for the mention of the podcast. I listened yesterday and will listen to more I'm very sure.

Lav, I did enjoy my lunch with my friend/ex-coworker. It was funny tho, meeting with just her alone I was reminded of one of the reasons I was so stressed out in my working days: She is a conversation hog, actually at times a conversation bully. I could barely get a word in edgewise so as usual in this relationship, I just gave up, went relatively silent and let her talk. When I worked with her regularly I had to spend a lot of energy trying to regulate conversations so that I and others could get a turn! Have you ever known anyone like that? Anyway, I did enjoy my food tho. I remained mostly silent. It was almost like listening to a talk radio program. I occasionally got to call in with a question or comment!:H

Have a good AF day my friends!

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning on this Good Friday...

Cyn, your trip so sounds so wonderful. I have always been fascinated by Cornwall as author Rosamund Pilcher set many of her stories there. I guess the colors and light are amazing, so enjoy and take lots of pictures.

Dill, I don't like being around people who don't have a reciprocal relationship, meaning letting you have input too. Geez, what is with that? Glad you enjoyed your food and that you don't have to put up with that anymore unless you choose too. Isn't the Bubble hour cool? I like hearing others views of drinking, how theymade changes. So far it seems like it is only women, but I have had time for two podcasts. Glad you figured out how to download it to your Ipod.

Lav, the warm weather is coming, spring should really be here next week. Have you had a chance to listen to the Bubble hour? That is what I love about this site, so many good ideas.

Have a great day ladies. AF of course.

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Cyn, meant to ask you, do you know what the anxiety is about? I feel anxious lately about my job and how slow it is, money and the lack of it. I KNOW what is bugging me so it helps me to say to myself, this is the one area that is not going great. Family, husband, health, etc are going well. This helps me, I did not know if you wanted to discuss. Just want to know I support you and hope things work out.

[cyntree]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning all!
Dill - you are up early! Thank you so much for the info on Doc Martin. I have seen a couple of episodes, and like the show, but I rarely see TV, so haven't seen much. Yes, the area we are to walk is supposed to be stunning (on a sunny day!). I'm sure that's why we signed on to going with these friends...oh well, it will make a good story anyway. We're crossing fingers for at least some sun; we hear that the wind coming off the sea on the clifftops can be fearsome. The trip guide is full of warnings about needing compasses and first aid kits and GPS. Doesn't really seem like one could get lost, but who knows!? Thanks for your interest.

Trying to catch up from the weeks gone and now work ahead, but I think I'm making progress. Figured out how to do a special project on a website that I'm assisting on - took until midnight, but I did it!

Making this trip, and getting through all the details of my mother's estate, are two things that I would never have been able to do if I were still in the grips of AL. Thank goodness for you all and for our little nest here that has hatched our new selves into the world.

For those of you involved in church, I wish you a meaningful Good Friday. Take care all!

[cyntree]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

X-post Star!

Thanks for the question about the anxiety.

In putting some things away in my office closet, the book Buddha's Brain literally fell into my hands. I don't remember buying it, and what it was doing there, I don't know. But suddenly there it was. I just finished another brain book which talks about similar things, so I am primed to read this now.

I see now that the tremendous pressure that I was under last fall, and the 24/7 anxiety that I experienced in that job caused some unhealthy neural pathways to get set up. I think once those 'anxious' pathways are set up, we continue to use them (can you tell that I have 'paths' on my mind?!) So I'm seeing now the value of just 'noticing' the path, but not walking down the path. See the path, and think - I want to take a different path, gee, what path should I choose? I also have learned alot from my female dog. She's always been a slightly anxious dog, but all the uproar of the past months (and probably last fall too), she has turned into a nervous wreck, shaking and following me obsessively. So I think she is being a mirror for me - caught in the grips of a bad pathway. So I am working on her with massage and as much exercise as she can handle. Good idea for me too!

Hope this helps - I'm starting to think that it's not about what the issue is - my issues are pretty stubborn, and I get stressed-out because I never feel like I'm making progress with them! So now, I'm just concentrating on the path, and I'm going to consciously 'see' the new neural pathways 'firing and wiring' together.

I'll report on how it goes! It's funny, I have been super-anxious about this trip, and still may be somewhat, but now I'm trying to stay conscious of what 'attitude-food' I'm feeding my brain...

Good luck with the stuff you are working through - you are always a bright light here!

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning friends!

Moving like a slug here, not sure why. I think I'll blame it on the lack of sunshine & the 39 degrees outside :H Just doesn't look or feel much like Spring!

Dill, your mention of your friend hogging the conversation immediately reminded me of two people - my former supervisor at the hospital & YB. Both know-it-alls & basic control freaks :H
It always was easier & an energy saver to just sit back & let them run their mouths :H

Just thinking about a clinical psychology professor years ago telling me that it's good & normal to have a little stress in our lives. Makes us get off our rumps & do stuff, otherwise we might just sit & waste away. I suppose he was right because I sure have had my share of stress. Choosing better & healthier ways to handle the stress is what it's all about

Greetings Star, Dill, Cyn, the busy Papmom & anyone checking in.
I'm going to take myself to Curves again this morning then back here for some work.
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF day!

Lav

[cyntree]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Happy Holy Saturday -

Lav - it's been cold here too, but when it's sunny I don't mind it! Yesterday was kind of bleak, I agree - the sun was hiding all day. Somehow it doesn't bother the dandelions in my yard - looks like it's off for another bumper crop this year -- anyone have suggestions besides poison?

I'm nursing a stye the size of a house on my right eyelid. I've never had one - I went to the eye doc yesterday because it looked so infected, he says no. Any suggestions, anyone?

OK, enough of me asking for help! It's a wonderful AF morning here, and the sun looks like it wants to shine today. I'll check back in later, but hello to all in the mean time.

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning to all...

Cyn, I loved that book, Buddha's Brain, it made so much sense and I use the information to help my brain make better pathways, too. I agree with you that all the stress in the fall set you up to feel that high anxiety is your normal state now. How to change it according to the book? With what you expressed; recognizing, making a choice to observe, then choosing a different pathway. Lots of exercise too. My daughter used to get styes and it was painful. She put a warm cloth on her eye, no makeup, and I cannot remember what else. Sorry you are suffering with that.

Hey Lav, we had a beautiful day yesterday, and today and tomorrow the same. Hope it is coming your way. It does life your mood to be outside, see green and have the windows open.

Hi Dill, hope you are getting the lovely weather too and can get outside and enjoy it.

I am going for a walk, have to clean the house, grocery shop, make a dish for Sunday and plan for the week. Any suggestions for new recipes? I am open. To all, have a great day.

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good Saturday morning friends,

My early rising part beagle likes to get up way too early, oh well!

Cyn, I remember the last stye I had, it was 15 years ago. I know exactly how I got it too, using a shared hand towel at an office where I was working
Applying warm soaks several times per day is very helpful & a topical antibiotic like Erythromycin ointment usually takes care of it - yuck. Hope it clears up fast for you!

The sun finally did arrive around 3 pm yesterday, yay.
The weather is supposed to be decent this weekend, I am grateful.
I will spend as much time outdoors as possible!!!

Dill, I guess you are busy planting bulbs, hope your weather is nice for that activity

Papmom, your Facebook pictures of your new sewing/quilting room are awesome. I hope you can share them here as well for everyone to see

OK, a little more coffee then I'll get moving. I hope everyone has a fantastic AF day!

Lav

[dill]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

:chick::chick:Happy Easter!:chick::chick:

I hope everyone has a peaceful, AF Easter Sunday however you may spend it.

Star, did you come up with a new and different recipe? I really had no ideas along those lines, sorry. I am doing the traditional ham, sweet potatoes and a green veggie. I wish I had bought some asparagus yesterday, but alas I forgot. So I guess today will be green beans. Once again I must tell you thank you for the mention of the bubble hour. I listened to another yesterday about the structural and functional changes in the brain due to excess alcohol and other substances, and the research about how recovery improves the brain over time. The speaker was Dr. John Kelly. Have you listened to that one?

Cyn, I have always been under the impression that styes were one of those things that are precipitated by feeling extra stressed or run down. I usually get a cold sore when I'm in that sort of state. Do you think you may simply be reacting to your stress over your upcoming walking tour? I was stressed out last March over our road trip to NO. It's silly because it is a relatively "small" excursion and one we have done so many times that it is old hat, really. But leaving home is a daunting feeling for me and it seems to be getting harder with age. Once we were on the road I was OK and I hope you have the same release when you finally depart on your adventure.:h

Lav, this will be a fun day for you with your family! We will start our day here with an egg hunt thanks to the Easter Bunny. We'll have a special meal this afternoon. It was too wet outside yesterday to do much planting, but maybe today.

[Stargazerlily]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Happy Easter to everyone!!

Lovely day yesterday weatherwise, so great to get some windows washed. Today is supposed to be even nicer, I am so happy with the sunshine and warmth.

Dill, isn't the Bubble Hour so cool? I love the different topics you can listen to. Glad you like it.

Lav, have a nice holiday, hope things are going well.

Cyn, hope you feel better, those styes are annoying.

Have a great AF Easter.

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning & Happy Easter to all

Awaiting the arrival of the sun, it's just a bit late & my dog gets up too early :H
I'm enjoying the peace & quiet & the coffee!

Glad to hear you guys are enjoying the podcasts. I haven't had a chance to listen one yet, maybe while I'm peeling potatoes this afternoon
I did get some plants in yesterday & hope to do more today, YB & I actually went out & got a dogwood tree yesterday & need to get that planted today. I've missed having a dogwood since being here & it was actually his idea. We also picked up a bunch of blueberry bushes that need to be planted. Today will be a busy day!!!

Greetings Star, Dill, Cyn, Papmom & anyone stopping by today.
I have pork tenderloin on the menu for today, no one really eats ham anymore around here.

Have a wonderful AF day everyone!

Lav

[Lavande]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Good morning friends!

Up early & working on a pot of coffee
I had a great day yesterday & got a little outside work done as well. Ended up having to cover my new plants as temps dropped to 30 degrees over night.

I'm off to Curves then on boy watch for a few hours.
Having a lovely AF Monday everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Abundant April AF - Week 3

Hi Lav, I'm glad you had a good, and productive Easter! Ours was fun with the g-kids hunting for eggs and baskets. Poor little G-daughter asked where Easter Bunny is today. She quite liked having him around!

It's beautiful here today for the second day in a row. We're heading up to the lake to put our boat in for the summer. Yay!

Making Potatoes Anna for dinner. Have any of you ever had that recipe? Oh it is delicious! High calorie, but delicious.

Potatoes Anna, Recipe from Everyday Food, December 2003

Have a great AF Monday!