July Jewels

[Lavande]

Good morning friends & happy Tuesday!

Star, you sound pretty grounded & I'm glad for that. It's wonderful that your brothers are so involved & supportive of your Dad. I hope he's as comfortable as possible thru the rest of his treatments.

I think I am almost rid of this cold & cough. Who needs that stuff? Ha ha!
Yesterday was busy having the boys here all day. Today my daughter & granddaughter are due for a visit. We are entering another week of record breaking heat & humidity around here so outside time will be limited.

Greetings to Dill, Pauly & Papmom. Bon voyage Cyn
Have a great AF day one & all!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Dill,I appreciate you reaching out to me,I just needed some time to reformulate my game plan, felt too embarrassed to post here, Lav's seen me struggle for years and she'sgot it sooo together, you all do and I just don't I HATE drinking but sometimes my stupid brain just decides to up and forget that part,sheesh,Star,you really are holding up with all your father is going through, big fat (( hug)) to you,well,remember I told you guys Kell and her dumb boyfriend were having probs? Well the probs got worse! Michelle was over their apartment and they were all drinkin and doing their weed thing,she left and Kells bf text Michelle a bunch of stuff like how he finally got a hug from her and next time he wants a longer one,and is she gonna come keep him company when we all go out of town and he hates Kellie and she's so mean, what a little bastard!! That's disrespecting both of my daughters! Michelle text him to leave her alone but he kept on,Kell said he says he was just drunk and didn't mean it like that,yeah right, I'm done with him,I hope she is,sorry for unloading but its bugging me,wishing everyone a Happy Tuesday

[Lavande]

Hey Pauly, glad you finally checked in :hug:
I really wish we could fix all of our kid's problems. I just wish they could see themselves thru our eyes.
Hopefully Kellie will wake up real soon & give him the boot. That kind of behavior should never be tolerated.
Let's get you back on plan so you will be healthy & strong enough to help your daughters & grandson when needed - right?
Stick with us now

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

Pauly, how upsetting! Glad you told us about so we could wrap you in support and encouragement. I feel there is no point in judgement, just moving on. We all have hard times and it helps to share and ask for feedback. I know you want to be 100% AF and you are getting there, more and more time living AF and it does feel good. I think the emptiness that needs to be filled at difficult times is the hard part, or one of the hard parts. Hope this makes sense.

I sometimes feel like I am OK regarding my Dad, then kind of break down, had a bad time last night, just felt really depressed. Didn't drink, just slept, felt lousy. Feel a little better this morning. I needed some exercise but it was so hot, heat index over 100, that I just couldn't go out to walk. I better get it together though, hot and humid for the foreseeable future. I'm still kind of tired from traveling and going right back to work...I'll get through it, no other choice.

Lav and Dill, hope your days went well, have a happy humpday, you too Pauly.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends,

Hot & humid here too Star. My chickens have pretty much shut down production - don't blame them.

I'm sure you're being hit with all sorts of feelings & emotions right now concerning your Dad. I hope this group can help ease some of that for you :hug:
Focus on what you can do right now. Take care of yourself, rest when needed & all that. You will get thru all this & know that we are thinking of you.

I'm making a run to Curves now before it gets any hotter out there.
Greetings to Dill, Pauly, Cyn & Papmom. Have a great AF Wednesday everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, was irritated yesterday cuz it was my afternoon to watch Louie and Kells bf took him to his dumb brothers instead! I'm not in the mood for baby games that I know he's gonna play,I did get to see Lou for a bit after she got off work so at least I got that,she's making excuses for her bf as I sort of figured she would, same excuses she made for him when he was stealing various things from our house,I had no proof but things don't just dissapear and he would stop by during the day when Brady and Michelle were asleep upstairs, sounds fishy right? Anyways,I had a talk with her last night, told her I love her and Louie but I'm DONE with her bf,I've given him way too many chances, the benefit of the doubt,no more! Its not my battle and I'm not participating, I'll be here for the kids but he's not on my radar anymore, Star,Lab's right about you having strong emotions with all your dad's going through, I think its normal to feel hopeless and depressed, at least you're sober though I'm sure drinking would make all the sadness way worseLav,hot here too and the humidity is supposed to hit us this week again, eeks,Bobbi,is in from Portland again for a catering job I'm glad she's here to help Kell,Dil,what are you up to today?hello to Tree,and Papmom, let's have a nice Wednesday

[dill]

Hello Friends,

Pauly, I feel for you with the bf situation. I went thru something similar with my son. At a certain point I was 'done' with his wife, but he wasn't ready to be. It's so hard when there are kids. I told him if he wasn't going to be done with her that I would have to protect myself from her toxic effects as best I could. Sometimes there seem to be no good solutions.

Star, I'm with everyone else on wishing you strength and support. :hug: I'm so glad you are able to deal with whatever comes alcohol free. I haven't started my new book yet. (The Source) bc a gf wanted me to read a book she read. I'm working my way thru that right now. It's an OK read but not something I would have chosen on my own. I'm going to finish it tho so we can discuss it. Then I will start The Source. What are you reading lately? Oh, the book my gf recommended is called, The Friends We Keep, by Holly Chamberlin.

Lav, have your hens quit laying due to the heat or are they nearing the end of their productivity? I seem to recall the productivity falling off maybe in the 3rd year. Has that been your experience?

Hey Cyn, hope your trip is going well.

Hot and humid here again. Another day indoors! Happy AF Hump Day everyone.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Thanks for all your support and feedback, I really appreciate it.

Still really hot here, it's summer though and supposed to be hot. Good day at work yesterday, and it is already Thursday. I have done well on my eating plan this week and feeling good in that way. Just taking it day by day and appreciating all the good in the world and in my life. I really struggled last night with wanting wine of all things. I just wanted the numbness, the relaxation for a short time. Called my husband for support and he said, "don't do it." So, without permission, I went home, ate, had a diet free soda, and the cravings went away. Used all my tools, and it worked as it should. I want to be honest and note that cravings happen and have to be managed. Woke up this morning sooooo glad I was AF, slept well, and can continue to be healthy.

Pauly, your situation is so hard. With a grandson involved, he can be used as a pawn by someone who is thoughtless and insensitive to the little guys needs. Your poor daughter too, she has some difficult choices to make. Nice that your other daughter is in town for support and just to enjoy. Take special care of yourself right now, you have alot going on.

Lav, you are right, my emotions are all over the place, sometimes this depression hits me and I have to ride it out, and I hate it. I want to feel grateful and calm, so am working on it now. So happy you are having such a lovely summer with your family. Seems like you and your husband have reached a kind of peace and are content which is wonderful. Your AF journey was and is so spiritual: mindfulness, gratitude, patience, forgiveness. Focused on family, relationships, love, things you would not be able to do if you were on the cycle of drinking, sick, etc.

Dill, I will see if I can find that book at my library, but you do not sound thrilled. I am reading something that is kind of silly, but will finish it and have about four other books I am reading parts of about spirituality, how to manage money, and finding them interesting but not something I can read straight through. I know nothing about raising chickens, have been a person who has never lived out in the country so cannot contribute to the chicken subject. I love fresh eggs though.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

It's Thursday already, how about that?
We are stuck in this extreme heat & humidity pattern, yuck. My hair looks like hell, ha ha!!
This weather has been rough on my chickens. I am doing my best to keep them cool but there's only so much you can do. Egg production is down, I don't blame them a bit. They will be two years old in September so they will be slowing down anyway.

Dill, I run outside for quick moments to take care of the birds, gather veggies & stuff then return to the AC. I'm hearing some afternoon T storms might bring some relief. Stay cool!

Star, I have to appreciate that we have learned to handle the occasional drinking thoughts in a successful manner. It's great to be able to stand up & stay strong in our commitment to remain AF. We know that we can distract ourselves with a good meal, exercise, meditation, etc - no need to 'check out with wine'.

Pauly, how are you doing today?

Greetings to Cyn & Papmom!
Stay cool everyone & have a great AF Thursday!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Star,I understand the feelings of riding out a depression, I only get it sometimes but ugh,you have a reason to feel down, mine is just me I guess, I know that the feeling has been a trigger, i get so sick and scared of feeling depressed and think may as well drink if I have to feel this shitty,but it makes it triple times worse,Dill,I forgot that you had to deal with a similar situation with your son's wife,how is she BTW? Did she go to treatment?anyways its hard to stay out of their business, its hard to want to knock some sense into them,Kells bf is in major ass kissing mode right now and I think she's falling for it I just gotta focus on me,Lav,this humidity here is making my hair crazy too,remember the perm I decided to give myself?I usually straighten it, but this humidity is making it big haha,hell Tree and Papmom, hope we all have a great day

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Hope you are all doing well. Had a rough day yesterday, my Dad fell and broke a bone, will not let us help, so we just have to wait and see if he can take care of himself. Very worried, but happy to be at work.

Keep cool everyone, and have a good one.

[dill]

Hello All,

Star, :hug: Peace and strength to you and your Dad. Good on you also for resisting the urge to buy that wine the other day. The numbing is only temporary and it is no way to deal with sad feelings. Then, there's always the additional burden of waking the next day with the hangover and remorse. How does that help? I was not recommending the book I mentioned the other day. The writing was ok but I felt like over all the book was banal and superficial. I know it was well written and would serve as entertainment as a light summer read for many. Just not my cup of tea.

Lav, we have set up a wading pool for the gdaughter that's about 18 inches deep. She loves it! We like sitting next to it with our feet dipped in. It's one way to beat the heat for a few moments outside. Yesterday's weather was perfect tho, low humidity and perfect temp. I hope you have the same today!

Pauly, I have maintained minimal contact with DIL. She came ever so close to entering a treatment program, but when they told her there was a bed available, she backed away. It broke everyone's hearts yeat again. She is still on the downhill. I may see her Sunday. It is granddaughter's 4th birthday and odds are she will be at the celebration but she is fading from her children's lives and will continue to do so unless/until she gets help.

The moon was beautiful last night! Tonight is the full moon and it is also a blue moon, second full moon within the same month. Apparently it happens once every 3 years, so let's all hope the skies are clear and our minds are as well and we can enjoy the blue moon AF. (Hope you read this Cyn!)

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Star, I am very sorry to hear that about your Dad. I'm afraid that is not an unusual scenario. Elderly, weakened by weeks of chemo, refusing assistance - you get the picture. I hope he's ready to accept help soon. Will be thinking of you today :hug:

Pauly, I'm hoping for some hair relief today & this weekend. A big storm moved thru yesterday afternoon & it was supposed to bring improved weather - we shall see. I hope everything is OK with you

Dill, how's your week shaping up? Spend any time watching grandkids?

Greetings Cyn & Papmom!

Nothing exciting on my plan book today. Will start with a trip to Curves then see what develops.
Have a great AF Friday everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Good morning All,

Another beautiful day for us. I was up in the middle of the night for a moment and looked out the window at the blue moon. It wasn't blue, but it was beautiful! I got up early this morning, got dressed and pulled on my boots. I walked out in the fields just to see the moon in all its glory before it went down. I think morning is the best time of the day. The clover is in bloom and I saw several does and fawns out grazing.

Lav, it looks like you and I cross-posted yesterday. My week has been great and today the grandkids are coming for an overnight. Maybe just the granddaughter, I'm not for sure yet. Tomorrow is her birthday celebration. We are getting together with her mother's side of the family for a little party in her honor. In spite of the divorce we all try to keep things pleasant for the grandchildren's sake. It's not as odd as it sounds. Well, maybe it is! LOL! I don't know what "normal" is in situations like this. Addiction has wreaked havoc on all our families.

Hello Pauly, Cyn and Star. Papmom?
Let's all focus on today in make it the best it can be!