Fabulous Freedom February

[Lavande]

Good Saturday morning friends!

Chilly but sunny so I won't complain. Yesterday's storm turned out to be nothing more than a dusting here, New England got hit harder. Now I hear Monday night into Tuesday will be the next problem, oh well. Spring will get here eventually.

Pauly, I did try a few of those OTC menopause relief products 20 years ago, didn't get any relief though. I think it's worth a try though, why not? I had no idea at the time that I was about to turn into such a hardcore case, ha ha.

Dill, the superbowl has never been a big thing in our house primarily because we were usually both working. We don't sit & watch football, just not interested in watching a bunch of overpaid men on TV. I know we fall way outside of the norm, ha ha!!!

Star, eating whole foods has really helped me tremendously. I had a chat about leaky gut with my healthcare provider years ago before it became mainstream news. I am much, much better but still react (rather violently) to dairy. I no longer have all the fatigue & aching joints, no weird rashes & a pretty good immune system. Finding substitutes for dairy was a pain in the beginning but I figured it all out. I can tolerate feta cheese since it's made from sheep or goat milk. Non-dairy milks are fine for cooking & baking, etc. It all works out

Hey there Cyn, how are you doing?

OK, I need to get to the feed store before they close at noon - heaven forbid, ha ha!
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends,Star and Lav,I just really feel like my hormones are a wreck! I'm fine until that time of the month and I feel "off" totally not the sweet,funny,sexy paulywogg that I truly am Hahahaha!! I was evil to hubs last night cuz I was searching perimenopause stuff and he kept saying"addicted to your phone" meh,I went upstairs cuz he was bothering me, usually I'd blow him off or crack a joke,during the day I was soooo happy and then I got whacked with a case of the blues,I've got to get this under control, I also have got to get my hair fixed for work, hello Dill and Cyn,let's have a super,sober Saturday

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Sorry to miss posting yesterday - it was a complicated day, busy but good - and I stayed pretty energized through it all. I have some herbal help that seems to be working...

So interesting, all of the posts. Thanks everybody for sharing these deep thoughts.

Pauly - good luck with the hormone thing. Like Lav, I have been dealing with it for decades, and like Lav, my dietary changes have made a huge help. I just went off HRT for the 'nth' time - the copay went from $5 to $100 when I changed insurance. Can't afford that, so guess what, I'm off again, but not doing too badly. I'm sure because of the food changes. I need to add exercise, and then maybe all will be well. Years ago - in the 90s sometime - I read a GREAT book about perimenopause, and he was right on point. Dr. John Lee; he was the first doc to start talking about good dietary fats and coconut oil. Everybody thought he was crazy back then! Here's a link: I can't recommend it highly enough (fun and easy to read, not scientific): What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause: Balance Your Hormones and Your Life From Thirty to Fifty: John R. Lee, Jesse Hanley, Virginia Hopkins: 9780446673808: Amazon.com: Books

Dill and Star - here's a link to a page with all sorts of healthy 'Superbowl' snacks. I won't be watching the game, but I like the look of these snacks, mmmmmm. Forget Superbowl, they look great for any day! 7 Plant-Based Snacks For Your Super Bowl Party - mindbodygreen.com Not sure that link will work, but you can go to mindbodygreen and search '7 plant-based snacks'.

Lav - we got the snow yesterday, but just a few inches. Actually I love it - much brighter and prettier to look at outside than all the brown leaves and bare trees. Plus, I can't see my outside 'to do' list - the snow covers it all up. Like a 'get out of school' pass!

I was to go to see SD today, but girl dog is having a bit of a tough time today, so I'm going back on the old meds protocol for her, and have to keep a watchful eye. Poor sweetie - I wish I knew exactly what to do for her, but in the meantime, I'm doing my best. After being up in the night with her for a few hours I'm kind of glad not to be driving for 3 hours today...

Wishing all a great AF Saturday ---

[SnoopyC]

Good morning everybody, seems the new wake-up time for me is 5 am. Yikes.

Lav, it is interesting about dairy, I can take a little cheese, but cow's milk, forget it. I wonder what it is that makes some of us intolerant to most dairy? Glad you didn't get more than a dusting of snow, enough is enough.

Dill, have fun today on Super Bowl Sunday.

Cyn, hope your day is peaceful, it is a grey time of year and yes the snow brightens everything up. Your dog is getting the best of care from you, it has to be tough it has been going on for a while. I am excited to see the plant based snacks, I will let you know what I make.

Pauly, hope you feel better, I remember getting antsy around that time of the month, with all kinds of other symptoms too. Have fun today with the wings, I am looking forward to cooking and watch the game. I just wish it was on earlier.

It really hit home to me yesterday about how important our sobriety is to us, as a friend's son, out of prison, is back in due to positive drug screens. He is lying about it, but no one believes him, it has happened so much. Really, really sad. As I read posts from all over MWO, it is super clear that the more time AF, the better life is in all aspects. The miserable people are the ones who are still drinking. Freedom from alcohol is fabulous, waking up feeling good, clear headed, enjoying daily activities, better relationships, more money. Going out to bars or drinking at home and having that initial good feeling from a few drinks is not worth all the misery alcohol delivers. Have a good one.

[dill]

Hello Friends, sorry I was absent yesterday. I just got super busy with things early on and then went to pick up my granddaughter and that was that! But waht a good time we had. It was nice enough to take a long walk in the woods with her. We have a swing hanging from a really high branch in a sycamore tree down in the valley behind our house. We went down there and she had a good time swinging. I caught her on a short video laughing and swinging.

Star, that book you are reading about core values and examining how alcohol puts you at odds with them sounds like something I would like to read. Could you please tell me the title and author? I am so sorry for your friend and her son. There are too many stories like that these days. I have a friend who is actually happy when her son is in prison because she knows where he is and he is clean. He is out now and in an in patient treatment, but this is his 3rd time. I pray it is the one that takes!

Cyn, thank you for the snack link. I will look at it after gd leaves. I hope your girl dog is feeling much better! I have tried a few times to see the 5 planets but I can only see two each time. It's either clouds or trees or something that foils my attempts. Maybe I just don't know exactly how to look. I'll try again tho.

Lav, I really got into football for a brief time when I was working and I joined a football pool. I would pick the games for the week but I usually picked wrong! LOL. But it was fun and made me more interested. I actually watched games then. But that was years ago. I lost interest when I quit participating in the pool and I was never interested prior to that. But during that time period Payton Manning was with the Colts and I loved to watch him play. That's why I am pulling for him today!

Pauly, I'm sorry you are having troubles with your hormones. I remember going thru that. I'm glad to say that for me the time period passed and I have been on an even keel for many, many years. I hope the same for you!

Let's all have a super AF superbowl Sunday! There have been many superbowls I have watched and not remembered due to alcohol. Not anymore!

[Lavande]

Good morning friends from sunny southeastern PA

February has always been my least favorite month of the year but at least we are getting closer to spring, yay!
Another storm has been predicted to hit here tomorrow night in Tuesday, ho hum.

Cyn, I saw those snack ideas on MBG, yum.
I hope your doggie is better. My big dog is having her share of problems too. I am doing my best to keep her mobile & comfortable at this point.
I wish you good luck being off your HRT. I want to be off mine but my B/P shoots up to scary heights when I go off

Star, I have had problems with dairy all of my life & never even realized it until just after my son was born. For some reason then it hit me like a ton of bricks!!
The current thinking is milk has been wrecked by the industry with growth hormones & antibiotics fed to the cows. All that garbage plays havoc with our normal gut biome & eventually causes leaky gut. This explanation makes perfect sense to me. I think the gluten issue falls right in there too. The wheat we are eating now is not the same wheat former generations ate & it's treated with massive amounts of chemicals - something else I am very sensitive to. I absolutely feel much, much better when I avoid dairy, excessive gluten & take a probiotic twice per day (to repair my gut lining). Eating has become a challenge but at least I have figured it out. Of course the millions of gallons of wine I consumed in the past added fuel to the fire as well.

Dill, I have a friend whose son has been in & out of jail due mostly to his drug issues. He has a long history of making bad choices but seems to be on a better path right now. I hope he stays on it too since he & his girlfriend just had a new baby back in October. He has an older child from a previous relationship who has been diagnosed with learning problems similar to his, oh boy!
Enjoy your day of football & snack smartly, ha ha!!!

Pauly, what's your plan for the day?

I am actually going to spend the afternoon in my shop. Nothing else going on that I know of but that could change.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning ladies ,Cyn,thanks for the link,that book is in my cart now Star,I loved your post today,I often stop and think about how much better off I am not drinking,especially on bad days when I feel sick or tired,it would be worse if Iwere drinking,gross! Dill,sounds like you really enjoy your granddaughters company,I enjoy Louie more than most adults too,he laughs at my goofiness Lav,I hope you make lots of cash,I am amzed by how big of a drunk fest Superbowl is,disgusting, I'd rather pig out! I bought me a cheese and cracker platter so I won't eat too many wings,last year the hot sauce made for an unhappy Pauly at 12:30 am,made some ranch dip for hubs and I may steal a scoop,I hope we all have a great AF Sunday

[treegirl]

Wishing all a great Monday! (I'm writing on Sunday night, but I'm sure no one will see it until tomorrow...)

Just finished cleaning up the kitchen - did a big cook and bake all night while HB watched the Bowl -- he wanted to see Peyton Manning. How great that PM took the win - what an athlete.

I made my first batch of granola! And boy, it will be a miracle if I don't eat it all in about 3 sittings - waaaaay too yummy. Also made GF/no-refined-sugar banana bread for HB. I'm really trying to get him to wean off of wheat and sugar - he is seriously addicted, and would like to lose a little weight. I just worry about blood sugar issues with him...

Made a bunch of vegies for the week, etc. And hey, Lav - I made 24 hour bone broth last week. But it didn't gel -- I guess that I had too much water for the amount of bones - I had 2 small chickens. But anyway, I feel good about giving it to my pups with their meals - hopefully it will help cure whatever GI issues girl dog is still having. I bought some of the Great Lakes soluble collagen for myself - easier to put in my soups!

BTW all, I found the MOST delicious pumpkin soup recipe. I made it Friday - I'll get a link on here. It is velvety smooth rich (vegan) goodness. Yum.

Got to get to bed now - wishing everybody the best start to the week --

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Woke up to reports of snow, but down here is not a big deal, so far. Out with the sweaters and boots for work today!

Dill, the book I am reading is The 30 Day Sobriety Solution by Jack Canfield and Dave Andrews. I found out about it on MWO, read the reviews and thought that this would add to my life. It has, tremendously. I am reading a chapter a day, keeping the journal, and sharing it with my husband who likes the exercises as they make you think. It has a companion website, and is just very interesting. Sounds like so much fun with your granddaughter, it was really nice out, we cooked out our wings. Unbelievable for February.

Lav, that is so scarey regarding chemicals etc in our dairy and wheat. Mostly I stay away from both as much as possible. I have lost about 7 pounds after being at an all time high, but the main thing is that I feel better. I am trying to find the new normal I guess. Last night while watching the game I was hungry and wanted chocolate, but found a diet hot chocolate in my pantry. It hit the spot and was low in calories. I have to keep making better choices and this morning I feel great. Hope this snow does not come your way.

Cyn, I never got to the MBG website but will try this week. I ended up making the Lemon Chicken Orzo soup for the week and a coleslaw from that website, so cooked a bit all afternoon. It was worth it, now I don't have to cook till Tuesday morning when I make a crockpot Pot Roast. We have not had that for a long time, it will be in the 20s and a good winter meal. I would love the pumpkin soup recipe, sounds wonderful.

Pauly, the chapter for yesterday talked about how we drink and live our lives due to our subconscious on automatic. Part of this program is to retrain the automatic thinking or subconscious (that is the way I understand it) so that we tell ourselves that being sober is the best way to live, feel good, be healthy, have fun and make the most out of life. One chapter examined beliefs that limit us like thinking drinking is fun, etc. I realize that we are far enough along in this to realize none of that is true, but still, I am enjoying this book and wanted to share. It reinforces all the good we have discovered on our AF journeys.

I am excited I found a piano website and have an appointment next week to look at a used piano. I am getting through this winter the best I can! Have a great Monday.

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning friends

Sunny now but snowy later.....ugh.
Storm warnings in affect until 4 am Wednesday. I am going to do my best to just ignore it & make the most of my day.

My son was at work yesterday but everyone else ended up here & yes, I fed them all, ha ha!!
They all left by 9 pm & YB actually turned the football game off to watch Downton Abbey. I guess that was kind of a gift for me, ha ha!! Anyway, we did see the end of the game

Pauly, how did you do staying away from the wings???

Cyn, the more you make that bone broth the more you learn to really appreciate the goodness. I still have an occasional pot that doesn't gel but it's still good! Pumpkin soup sounds pretty darn good! With all of my relentless talk about healthy eating even YB is starting to reject some of his old favorites. You just have to be persistent with them!!!

Star, good job on the weight loss! It is not an easy task, I know!
I can't use any artificial sweeteners so I have to find alternatives. Have you ever tried Silk dark chocolate almond milk? Good!
Lose weight & improve your health with a real food diet | Fooducate
Enjoy your piano shopping - that's pretty cool!

Hello to Dill! How did your Superbowl weekend go?
Glad you had some granddaughter time too, Mine will be staying over next Sunday night because her school is closed for President's day Feb 15.

OK, time to feed animals & get to Curves. I have a lot of research to do for a customer this afternoon, busy, busy.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Lav,I had 5 wingsI'm surprised that the Silk got a C rating, I love the dark chocolate one,I heat it and add a little coffee in the afternoon, it tastes so smooth on its own too,those people are weirdos! My brother popped in for a little bit yesterday, someone knocked and I thought it was just one of the neighbors so when I opened the door it was a nice surprise, I guess they were in town for a concert the night before, omg,my house was a wreck! I was so embarrassed but I'm not the cleanest person and he knows that but Louie had stuff.eeverywhere! That game was boring to me,I found myself daydreaming and zoning most of it out,even Lou didn't care about it he just played with his tablet,the commercials weren't even very good,maybe 2 cute ones,meh,hello to Dill,Cyn Star,I hope we all have a great Monday

[dill]

Hello all,
Thanks Star. I checked the library but they don't have the book yet and Amazon only has hardcover which I don't want to pay. I imagine you have the kindle version. I am an ebook reader unfortunately. I don't know yet what I shall do because my interest in the book has definitely been piqued, especially since you seem to be getting something from it.

Pauly, I watched the game with half an interest. You'll understand why when you read my reply to Lav's question about how my superbowl weekend went. However, I was happy that the broncos won. I really do admire Peyton. I imagine he'll retire now. He's almost 40.

Lav, our super bowl party pretty much went up in smoke. In the end we didn't make any snacks and just had ham sandwiches with carrot and celery sticks and some chips. Usually we have D's cousin over to watch with us, and our son and gkids. But this year our son decided it was really too much of a drive and they would be out too late for the kids on a school night. I thought it was a sensible choice. Then D's cousin's wife called and said he was in the ICU and that he had very nearly died. Fortunately he was stabilized. I won't go into detail, but the event was a result of liver complications due to our friend, alcohol. So, my mind was just really not on the game so much. I was half watching while I googled various medical terms and procedures that I had learned about that afternoon.

Cyn, you really got a lot of culinary work done! Well done to you! I still have some pumpkin meat I cooked down last fall which would make a good soup ingredient. I'm not sure if Mr. D will eat it though. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained! I'll look forward to your link.

Lets all have a peaceful af evening everyone.

Sobriety and health is the greatest thing.
Jeff Bridges

[paulywogg]

Dang Dill,sorry about hubs' cousin,damn alcohol!! There was a commercial yesterday and everyone was working out,I thought it was a fitbit or a health club ad,no it was for Michelob ultra!! Low carb low calorie poison,and they're drinking on "the Dr's" as we speak,ha ha very funny

[treegirl]

Quick pop-in to say good evening -

Glad everyone had an OK Superbowl night. Dill, I'm so sorry to hear the news of Mr. Dill's cousin. A dear friend of mine from decades ago just lost her (40-something) brother - liver failure, due to alcohol abuse. She was with him at the hospital in his last week. When she arrived they had drawn 7 liters of fluid out of him - not sure if it was just lungs or everywhere. Unbelievable. She said that the complications from liver disease seemed endless. In the end, it was pneumonia that brought home to his final hours.

She had known about his AL abuse for a couple of years now - he was repeatedly sent to the Emergency room for bleeding ulcers, etc. I wrote to her about this site, and thought that he might find a MWO regimen and a community, but he refused to believe that he had a problem. Or if he knew, he had no desire to change. Incredibly sad, as he was the sweetest, funniest and most gentle soul. I get so angry at the substance itself, and our society condoning it and saying that it's fine for all (or worse, required for all) to drink. For some of us, our chemistry just can't support it - and if things don't happen early enough, there's another beautiful life snuffed out.

Thank you to all here that have supported and guided me all these years.

Wishing all a great AF Monday evening --

[Lavande]

Good evening all!

Dill, I am sorry to hear your news. AL is a killer, one way or the other, sooner or later.
I hope the cousin improves & takes this as a major wakeup call. Ideally, when he is medically stable he should go straight from the hospital & into a rehab. My brother just turned 68 & is still drinking like a madman. He won't stop either & I know how it's going to end for him. He needs to deal with his severe chronic depression as well. He just prefers to label himself a dysfunctional Vietnam vet

Cyn, chronic liver failure patients develop what is called ascites. It's a collection of yellowish fluid in the abdomen, the amounts can be massive. I always felt sorry for them yet angry that they essentially did it to themselves. I am so grateful that none of us went down that path. Denial kills people every day.

Pauly, good job on not OD-ing on the wings, ha ha!!
Nice that you had a visit from your brother. I'm sure he was not taking notes about your housekeeping, LOL

Peace to all tonight. Waiting for the snow to start....ho hum.