Newbies Nest

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

hi Nesters!

Wags, I'm glad that you're safe and that you're now getting some relief from the heat.. so sad, all the deaths. That part of the world isn't meant to have such temperatures.. hope it continues to stay a bit cooler, at least.

Just a quick check in for me in the middle of a busy (fun busy) weekend. Absolutely no urge to drink and have been enjoying a 0,0% AF beer every now and then.
Work is looking to get busier next week, but I think we'll have it under control.

Lav, I wanted to ask you, how many days do eggs stay fresh? What's the time limit on keeping them safely? I never really pay attention the the sell by dates.. and have never had a problem with organic eggs..? just wondering.

Hugs to all of you lovely people.. hope everyone has a relaxing and not too hot, not to rainy weekend!
Kensho, have a lovely trip!

xxx

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

The sun is back after 3 separate rain storms today, haha! Apparently we’re getting rid of all the extra humidity that had been hanging around. Wish I could send some to the west coast where it’s needed so badly.

Pav, I used to hate going back to work after a week off. It just ruined everything in my opinion
There is something to be said for retirement!1

LC, good to see you & hear about your success!
I learned everything I know about chickens & eggs from our Penn State Extension service. If the eggs are handled properly & refrigerated that can be kept up to 6 months!!! I have never kept eggs that long of course but it’s good to know In a pinch you can open the eggs & freeze them in ice cube trays if you’re using them for baking.

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!
I know fireworks have been pretty much banned across most of the country due to dry conditions but if anyone is handling them - please be careful!

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Interesting egg facts, Lav! When we have a storm coming, I boil mine in case we lose power. Who doesn’t love a hard boiled egg?
Wags, just awful about the loss of life due to the heat. I had a scary thought the other day, this is as cool as summers are ever going to be. Kensho, you are so right, we have got to get our acts together on climate change. These yearly hurricanes we experience are brutal.
I stayed out of the fray today and made some chocolates. Salted dark chocolate with a Biscoff filling. Fun for the whole family.

Im sure everyone has watched The Big Bang Theory. Do you remember how they depict Sheldon having a realization? They show an animation of the ‘trigger’ and how the neural pathways are activated all the way to the brain. This happened to me the other day. I ordered a bottle of Butter Pecan extract for use in candy filling. I took the cap off and smelled it. As a true Southerner, it didn’t smell so Butter Pecany to me, so I touched my finger to a bit that lingered in the cap and tasted it. The ‘feel’ and burn of the alcohol lit up every neuron in my brain. AH, hello old friend! Jeebus, I put the cap back on and thought about the Ted Talk speaker Brene Brown who chugged vanilla extract for no reason. It really made me think, we NEVER lose that memory and those pathways. I will always be an alcoholic and no amount of passing time will change that. A good reminder, for me anyway.
Hope everyone has an awesome holiday! Stay sober, no matter what! Byrdie
EE389488-0914-46AE-B0D5-A7933DDA0EF6.jpg

[BelleGirl]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,
Checking in on a sober saturday, pre-4th of july. But you wouldn't know it from the non-stop fireworks being set off. There is a country club nearby that usually does fireworks. I thought they would do them tomorrow since Monday is a holiday...but they tricked us and did them tonight. I can kind of see them through the trees in back of my house...or walk down the block to get a better view...but honestly hearing all the 'amateurs' shooting off fireworks, it sounds like a warzone out there. Fortunately my pup, who is afraid of almost everything, has no problems with fireworks or storms.

Kensho, my pup has been getting filtered water, but i tried double filtered (filtered tap on sink, then through Brita pitcher). No luck. I think Lav said i might try spring water. I'll have to give that a try. Perhaps she sneaks drinks in when nobody is looking (hmmmm who does that sound like...lol).

And Byrdie, those candies look so professional. My goodness you should go into business with that skill. I recently found out what Biscoff is, due to my daughter bringing some home one day. Delicious! After i heard about the woman drinking vanilla extract and said "hmmmm" to myself, i started buying alcohol free vanilla extract. Don't need any new ideas.

Have a safe night in the nest, all. I was going to take a walk, but with all that exploding going on...and clouds of smoke in the air i think i will stay in and see if the kids want to watch a movie. Hubs is out of town visiting my brother in Nantucket. The weather doesn't look so great there, so i'm not so sad about missing out.

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Byrdie - those candies look fantastic! There were a bunch of memes going around out here that said "Coldest Summer of the Rest of Our Lives" and showed people and things melting or similar. I truly hope that is not the case.

Pav - the serious episode I had really made me empathize with people who had full-blown heat illnesses. We have a huge homeless population here and they are obviously especially vulnerable to whatever weather conditions come our way.

LC - you sound great!

Slo - I'm sure it's hard knowing you might be having your last time at the cabin with your whole nuclear family. I think you're smart to remember what things have *really* been like. Us humans tend to paint falsely rosy pictures in our memories of some things, which ultimately just makes missing those things harder.


Ok everyone, tuck yourselves in good for a night or day in the nest. No tix to boozeville available - that train has been canceled!

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy 4th of July!
Our neighborhood has a cheesy parade at 10. We march around a water retention pond with our flags and decorated golf carts singing God Bless America. Then at the end, we pledge allegiance to the flag and honor our veterans. It’s great fun (and usually hotter than 40 yards of he##). Today is quite nice, just moderately hot.
I hope everyone has an awesome day! Stay the course! Byrdie

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

PAV, you talk about the heat like it's a fever... sounds about right. The earth is sick. I hope we will choose to heal her.

LAV, it is exhausting packing for the trip - but then totally smooth sailing once we're on the road. SO relaxing, and life is more simple with a 200 sf house!

Byrdie, do you do anything half-assed? Those chocolates look like they belong in a shop! I wish I could try one! I'm glad you found a hobby you love.

Belle, sounding good!

Wags - YES on that train - cancelled and no future trips.

I'm up with the birds this am before I do a bit of last minute project work - then fold laundry, and pack food. I'm eager to get going and adventure. My 15 yr old son doesn't like camping - poor thing. I look forward to it just being me and my husband some day - less complaining to deal with! Anyway, it's quality family time - intimate family time (200 sf), and some exploring in cities we've not been to in many years. And some reading time - PAV, I'm starting "Breathe" by James Nestor. I love me a good read in the camper.

Keep your heads on Nest - alcohol can creep up on you, even long time sober people. Let's check in on our plans and make sure we aren't slacking. The life changes here since quitting drinking are nothing short of amazing - let's be sure to stay on THAT train. Best to all.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy July 4th!

I’m hearing all sorts of fireworks ~ just neighbors nothing organized. They set off a bunch last night, didn’t think they would have any left for tonight, haha! My dog couldn’t care less, grateful for that.
My daughter & her family just left. My granddaughter is 10 now & a very happy kid. Nice to see them here, first time since Christmas!!

Byrdie, beautiful chocolates as always
Hard boiling fresh eggs has always been a big problem, couldn’t peel them. Now I put a dozen in the Instant pot, done in 5 minutes & very easy to peel. We’ll never starve I guess, LOL

Hello to Wags, Kensho & everyone.

Wishing a safe night in the nest for all & a safe AF holiday!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy Sunday everyone!

Kensho - life in a 200 sq ft house sounds wonderful (18.5 square meters for the entire rest of the planet). I hope your upcoming camping adventure goes smoothly and is a wonderful time with your family.

Lav - glad you had such a nice visit with your family.

Byrdie - I can just picture everyone marching around the water retention pond


Not much to report here. Two bike rides this weekend, a whole day off from teaching, and normal summer temps. Can't ask for too much more than that.

Don't drink - absolutely NOTHING is worth it!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:


Slo, sorry about what you're thinking your future will be. My sister is divorced and the times that aren't spent with the kids are the most difficult for her (they were college age when she split). However, the rest of her life is so much better that she is willing to learn new traditions and ways to be together. Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Lav, I do wish you could send rain our way!

Sounds like a lovely day, Byrdie. And everyone. We took a short excursion up to visit friends who live in a small town by the coast and took a nice walk on a long, isolated beach in the fog. So beautiful, and I didn't hear one firework.

I thought the vanilla was One Crafty Mother (who also started the Bubble Hour). That is actually a great Bubble Hour, when they describe her relapse. It is so weird to remember back to that first year sober - so much focus on just one day at a time and now I don't even think about it most days.

Day off today so we're having a lunch at our house with some family. Looking forward to it!

Happy SOBER Monday,
Pav

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Quiet day here, no company, no fireworks & I’m OK with that
We have lots of leftover food so no cooking today either, yay!

Wags, glad you have normal temps again & can enjoy a bike ride or two. Tomorrow we got back up to 90+ with a heat index of 100, ugh.

Pav, hope your family lunch was nice
It’s nice that we eventually ‘forget’ about alcohol & not carrying that ball & chain around the rest of our lives!

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe & comfy night in the nest!

Lav

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Everyone left the cabin today, and I am staying here alone now for a few days until daughter comes back with her friends on Thursday for her friend weekend! I just had a beautiful time kayaking at sunset, and being up close with a loon; then having a little swim in the lake. Our dog is with me too, but he’s having a terrible time with all the fireworks going off. They petrify him.
I’m glad that at almost 3 years AF I can easily be here alone with the fridge full of varieties of beer and the pantry shelf filled with a number of bottles of hard liquor and wine, and it doesn’t bother me at all!

So now Kensho is off on her long camping vacation, and can leave work behind.

Your chocolates are absolutely beautiful, Byrdie. You really could easily enter the crazy wedding market with your cakes, cookies, and chocolates!

I got to take a 26-mile bike ride up here in the north woods with my daughter and son-in-law on Saturday! It was great, and very long for me -probably more what you do, Wags -though luckily my shorter but consistent riding had me in shape for it. Glad your heat broke so you can get out and enjoy exercising now.

Thanks for being honest, Pav, about how difficult it is for your sister when her adult kids are with her ex and she’s left out now. It makes me feel queasy to think about.

Have a safe night all, tucked into the nest!

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters!

Plodding along here happily at 3 weeks af! I was overly optimistic awhile ago as I said I'd caught up on sleep! I feel like I'm always exhausted.. but I am quite busy with work, gym, life! so it isn't such a big surprise I guess. I've really been using exercise as a way of keeping my mind in the right place.. it's doing wonders, but of course some times I need a break physically.. and those days are proving more difficult. Not sure what to do..? Yesterday I had a 2 hour nap, watched a film, did some laundry.. checked in here. It was deifinitely an off day..

Slo, it sounds like a lovely place you're at! Remind me where it is? Kayaking and long bike rides and loons! Sounds like a dream.. big hugs to you!

Big hugs to all of you Nesters and here's to a wonderful AF Tuesday!xxx

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

LC - going AF after drinking for awhile is a big change for our bodies (a really good one!) and I bet you'll get caught up on rest fairly soon. Nobody sleeps well when they drink, even if they think they do. Your body is probably ecstatic to be getting good rest and is just thanking you for the opportunities and care.

Slo - you sound good (even if a bit queasy, as you said). I'm sure it's very bittersweet being at the cabin by yourself, but look at what strength and resilience you're exhibiting. You're enjoying what sounds like a beautiful space, making good choices, connecting with the earth and giving your body healthy inputs and experiences. The future probably feels uncertain and daunting, but you will find your way. And you are not alone.


Hellos and waves to everyone. Happy Monday nights and Tuesdays!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Slo, that sounds perfect to me! Swimming, biking, some alone time at a lake. Lucky you.

LC, good on you for being a gym rat. I am having the hardest time re-connecting with regular exercise after I got out of the habit. I walk/hike a lot but need to change it up, especially upper body. I'd LOVE to swim in a lake..

Lunch was delicious. We all contributed something good to have an amazing meal.

Off to work. Happy Tuesday!
Pav