Feisty Feb

[Lavande]

Good evening friends!

Liz, I have been expecting a blizzard, simply because we always have at least one every winter. We really have had no measureable snow, weird.

Star, paying off the mortgage sounds good but I think I would be concerned about losing the tax deduction. We are seeing our guy Friday morning so I'll have to ask about that. None of us know what to expect for the future & that makes me angry. Crap

Cyn, I hope your work day went well.
I am in my quiet time work wise & that is fine with me right now.

Pauly, I am doing my best to avoid getting over-loaded on politics BUT I am also not hiding from the issues. I am getting my phone calls & emails out to my senators & representatives daily. I feel I have to do 'something'.

Hello to Nora, LB & anyone else checking in.
Have a restful & peaceful night everyone.

Lav

[Lizann]

So Pauly, Bobbi was way early? I guess that all worked out ok though. I was late with all my kids. Every day after your due date is an eternity! Speaking of which Erin has new ultrasound pics of the baby! I cannot wait to see them. It's my sister in laws birthday today too! Her kids are throwing her a surprise party Saturday. Should be fun!

As far as paying off the house, I think it's a wonderful idea. One less thing to worry about.
You just never know what's going to happen.
Just heard we are expecting a big storm next week? Ugh, hope that it doesn't pan out.
Wishing you all a peaceful night!

[paulywogg]

Morning friends,Star,I think getting the house paid off is an EXCELLENT idea,that housing crises chopped property values into 1/8 of what they were worth before around here,houses that were selling for $250,000 were down to $50,000 absolutely awful for homeowners, I sold mine right before the crash but I still miss that house LB,lovely of you to pop in,how's things with you? Still have your business? Cyn,I'll take the light to embrace the day,yesterday I felt like a grump all day,my gums were puffy and a little painful where they pulled my tooth I don't think its infected just still tender,all these groundhog day b-days remind me that I was in labor with Bobbi on groundhog day, my water broke 3 weeks early cuz I stupidly took a rode trip with hubs to ID,now I know why they say not to travel that far along haha,I was young dumb,Lav,I think its good not to let DT get under our skin,I can't be filled with that anger day after day,I can actually feel like my bloods boiling when I think about it too much,Liz,I know you're excited for the wedding but I'm more excited for the baby! Pics on FB looked beautiful of the food and table setting, Nora,nice of you to stop by my friend I hope we all have a nice AF Thursday

[treegirl]

Morning all -
Star, meant to say thanks for the great name and thread startup yesterday. I thought of you this morning as I noticed the light coming up earlier - I hope you can get some light on the way to work. Sending good vibes to your son...

Lav, one of my closest friends has her birthday today - I actually got a card off to her in CA this year, that was a real milestone for me! Good luck with the financial planner. I guess making a plan, believing in it and working it is the way to go... no sense sitting around worrying all the time, right? I'm busy with activities, but it feels good.

Liz, sorry I translated your day off as a mini-vaca! Though some times those days are the best... you certainly deserve your time off with all the extra times you jump in.

Pauly - the party plans sound fun, I never had kids, so I missed all of that planning. Hope you are still feeling well and strong.

So nice to see you, Nora, LB, and ABC. Thanks for dropping by.

Off to work with a client today, hooray. Wishing all a some light to embrace today.

[Snoopy56]

Good morning...

Welcome Nora and good to see you back Lizann. Have fun planning the shower, showers are fun and such a time of celebration.

Cyn, I downloaded the Countable app but have not had time to read it through,very busy at work and not much time to myself at home right now. I am having my brother come to stay on Saturday, so have lots to do, starting tonight. I am looking forward to seeing him, hope the weather holds, he lives up north. It is nice to drive home at night and not have it dark already, love it as the days get more sunlight.

Lav, thanks for the thoughts re: my son getting a job, geez, this is getting old. I want to pay my house off as the last time the Republicans let things go to sh**, we lost over a third of our retirement money, and we don't have time to make it up if it happens again. With all the chaos being created at home and overseas, the markets and economy will reflect that eventually. With no house payment, our monthly expenses would be alot lower. I don't know if it is the right thing to do. My husband contacted a financial planner and I will listen, but at the end of the day it is just an opinion, and my opinion is the most important.

Pauly, so glad to hear you planned against a witching time, good job. Having done that myself, I know it works, and you proved it works. Every time my kids left when we lived up north, I mourned their leaving, it just hurt. Drinking would lead to oblivion, but not for long, so just not worth it. Still, sometimes, the fantasy of drinking is hard to let go of. I wonder why.

Have a good AF Thursday, boy this week is going by quickly.

[Lizann]

No Liz is not on a trip Nora. I took today off, it was my Christmas Holiday and MLK day!
I work part time and as I was off on those Mondays anyway I get a paid day off! I love my job sometimes!

[NoraC]

I'm still looking for Liz. Did you say she's on a trip?

[NoraC]

Pauly - glad that everything went ok. :hug:

Hello everyone :checkin: I didn't get a chance to post yesterday but I loved the comments about thinking about each other in our 'real lives'. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

TT - I know what you mean about so many issues. It is hard.

[Lavande]

Greetings friends!

So here were are on Groundhog Day eve, ha ha!!
One of the friends I had lunch with today was born on Groundhog Day, many years ago, ha ha!

Thanks for the February startup up Star
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your son in his job search.
It's hard to know what to do with finances because we don't really & truly know what the future will bring. We just did all that work with the financial planner & now YB wants to go back & make some changes
I just feel that I cannot let #45 get under my skin & cause chaos in my life. I'm pissed off but I'm not about to change my life & plans because of him. I just don't know.

Pauly, good for you for thinking ahead & taking steps to protect your quit. That is real progress girl
We have those 'bounce houses' around here & the kids love that stuff. I wouldn't invite the whole family to that, just make it for the little kids.

Cyn, we could easily keep ourselves busy 20 hours per day working for the resistance! I am doing what I can do, I know we all are. Doing something is always better than doing nothing, right?

Liz, the baby showers were fun! I can believe my two younger grandkids are turning 6 already
I hope you had a great 'holiday'.

LB, great to see you!

I hear some very cold weather is moving back in tomorrow, oh well.
Grateful for the warm house, fireplace, etc.
Have a peaceful night everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Evening all - I just checked the end of January and see that Liz posted there this morning - thanks Liz, and enjoy your little time off!

Pauly - great going to have hubs drive to the airport! Good thinking ahead and taking action - I know how those times of perceived loss really make one want to hide. I think any transition (after work, into a weekend, etc.) is hard until you get used to not using AL to take your mind off the movement from one thing to another. I no longer have cravings, but I still feel a little 'lost' at those times. I'm trying to create new rituals for those times... lighting candles, 10 minutes of Conscious breathing, etc... Good Luck!

Lav, I'm getting overwhelmed with the To-Dos. I might drop Countable for now - so many issues, so many bills. I am focusing locally and on a couple of national things per week. It does feel good to stand up, though.

Star, I completely understand your desire to pay off your house. The terrible pain of '08 to '10 is still palpable to me, and I agree that unregulated banking will definitely be on the rise again. Good luck with all your decisions.

Liz, so good to hear that the baby shower is shaping up. What a happy thing to be involved in!

Well, thanks all for getting me through the transition from late afternoon into evening! It is nice that the light is hanging in there for us a little longer each day. The plants I'm overwintering are sure enjoying it. Wishing all an AF end of hump-day evening.
To the light --

[little beagle]

:hug:

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Star,yes I was relieved that hubs could drive us,it was after I had dropped her and bf at the airport last time that I had the internal fight with myself all throughout the drive if I should get home and get crazy,I got crazy.Michelle had just left the night before and I just wanted a good cry I guess,meh, don't wanna think about it,just glad LB is back up there safe my skin has been so dry with this cool air but I have a huge pimple by my nose so I don't want to irritate it with moisturizer grrrrr to old for pimples! Cyn and Lav,my sleep has,been weird too,dreams that make no sense,just thinking right now and it seems like January dragged! That's a good thing though cuz last year flew by too fast,time to plan Louie's birthday and his dad said he wants to do something different so I suggested an indoor trampoline place,found a few but $$$!they have a big family so I can't imagine how much it would be,looks fun though,think I need a tad more coffee,hope everyone has a wonderful first day of Feb

[Snoopy56]

Good morning all,

Rabbit, Rabbit, first day of the month!!!! Thanks for the feedback on the name of the new monthly thread! Hope this is what we wanted. I too think of this thread and this site and the people on it, as if I know all of your personally, cause in some ways I do. What a blessing for all of us. To share our journey without judgement, but with support and help, if we are open to it.

Cyn, I had a bad dream last week, know it was related to the world turmoil, my heart was pounding and it was hard to get back to sleep. Sorry you are experiencing the same, it is tough. I am looking to make some big decisions, due to the political issues, like paying off my house, using savings, just because I am afraid the economy is going to tank soon, with the poor decisions being made. Not sure what to do, but want my house safe at least, as safe as anyone can be, honestly. We had a meeting at work yesterday and part of it was to process all that is going on and how we are dealing with it. We were able to discuss it with tolerance for all. I found it helpful.

Lav, have a lovely time with your friends, I treasure my friends more than ever now that I have lost a few. Right now I am grateful to work, as I need to get out of the house, get my mind off of things. It is just so necessary for me. My son is still looking for a job, interview yesterday, and sending out applications like crazy. I have been dealing with anxiety over this situation AF, and using deep breathing, positive thoughts, and asking my higher self for peace, making it through but wish he would work. I know he does too. If I was drinking it would be so much worse. I cannot believe I did that to myself for so long, the lack of sleep alone, the shame of losing control and being less than who I am, I love having dignity and not having guilt and remorse.

Pauly, what a good thing you did, asking for hubby to give a ride to the airport as a coping skill. I have had to reach out to my husband too, and he is always there for me. You are recognizing your weak times and doing something about it. 2017 will be a good year for your AF journey. I am feeling the same as time goes on. This month it will be six months AF, I am looking forward to it.

Abcowboy, you are a great addition, post anytime, love hearing about your journey and how it has affected your relationships with everyone!