Natural November

[treegirl]

Hello all -

Such interesting news, all the way around.

Pauly, I'm glad that you got your power back on. I used to love going to World Market!! and Pier One, too. I'm hours away from the nearest mall - even the box stores are a hour, so I'm shopping small and local. And I may try to make some food gifts; I used to make mango chutney and small containers of lemon curd to give...or maybe I'll make up those mixes that you can put in mason jars. Something fun and festive to open up...

Star - good for you on your Christmas spirit! We can all live vicariously through your happy holiday energy! Thanks for asking, but it is my family that's in NE (where I think it's very cold and was icy over Thanksgiving); I'm in the east where it's still relatively balmy.

Dill - I know positively that not understanding my needs as an ultra-introvert (married to an ultra-extrovert) fueled my drinking. Like they say, 'liquid courage'. I used it to build a wall around myself, to do more than I should have been doing, to numb frustration and fatigue and the nagging feeling that I was not honoring myself. You hit the nail on the head. I can't recommend highly enough the book "Quiet" by Susan Cain; 11.99 on Kindle. It really changed my life, and made me feel less aberrant!

Lav - I'll check out that link. So sorry you have to deal with mr. grumpy at the holidays. At least he took care of the leaves! I am trying to figure out what to ask the lawn guys for here at my house - they haven't come to deal with our leaves yet. Normally they blow them into the woodlands, but I'm trying to restore the woodlands, and all those extra leaves bury the tender woodland plants, and only the invasives survive. I'm thinking of asking them to mulch it all into the lawn, or vacuum them all up and mulch them. We'll see!

Well, one warmer non-rainy day left, so I'll be trying to finish up the mulch, put away the hose, and do some other winterizing. I'm going to try to overwinter my geraniums - I used to do that when I lived in the midwest, and it was so fun to 'wake them up' in the middle of winter and get them going again.

Have a great AF Sunday all -

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, jeez Lav,I hate dealing with hubs when he's in a mood,brings mine down I try and ignore him but end up yelling at him to snap out of it!I'm glad you have the ability to blow it off,life's too short to be negative, although I am sometimes too,interesting topic on the introverted drinking,I first drank to sleep then realized that I wasn't shy while drinking,wasn't self conscious etc,back then I deluded myself into believing that what I was doing was actually good for me,then it was a nightly habit to drink just because,then it just spiraled,that's part of the reason I don't believe that its a disease, I lived just fine without al for many years,I think I just became an accidental drinker out of stupid thinking,anyways I need to get this Christmas stuff up today,it goes so fast and my house looks so beautiful at night with it all lit up,I want to enjoy it as long as I can hello Star,Dill and Cyn,hope everyone has a peaceful AF Sunday

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Hope all had a good Sunday. Did some more decorating, had a great day. Trying to wake up. Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends,

I'm surprised to see the sun but grateful anyway
I know rain is heading this way at some point this week.

Hope you have a great day Star, Dill, Cyn & Pauly!
I am heading out to Curves first then back here for some work, bill paying & all that fun stuff

Have a good one!
Lav

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Good luck to everyone for what the day holds.

I was able to get a big winterizing job done yesterday - covered the screen porch windows with plastic so that it will be a little warmer; we have sliding glass doors with a doggy-door insert going out to the screen porch, and I'm trying to minimize the wind that seeps through the cracks! I think today is the last opportunity to finish up outside, so this afternoon I'll be out there getting things done. Lav, the rain is headed here tomorrow and Wednesday - just glad that so far no ice is predicted!

Wishing everyone a great AF day with happy holiday energy --

[dill]

Sorry I missed posting yesterday. The day just got away from me I guess.

Star, I always have been an introvert and avoid socializing for the most part. I'm more comfortable when I am with friends "doing" something, like a movie, bowling, or even just walking. But sitting around making small talk is a challenge. I don't know why it never occurred to me that I almost never socialized without a drink in my hand and that I was using the drink as liquid courage. Some how that simple fact just escaped me. For many, many years!!! As my drinking progressed and I became a daily drinker, I actually stopped socializing all together because I knew I would over do it and possibly make a fool of myself. I had lost my off switch by that time and I knew it. So drinking didn't even help me in social situations anymore! At that point I simply decided to isolate and drink alone at home. I thought I was drinking because I wanted to. I didn't realize that I was dependent. Mr. D never was a drinker. He was unaware how much I was drinking for many years as I pretended to be just having a glass with dinner. I hid how much I was drinking very cleverly until I got to the point where I could not longer even hide it. Then I wanted to quit but couldn't. Then HE wanted me to quit and I couldn't. And of course then I went through a period of time where I resented him telling me I needed to quit and it made me determined to continue. I wasn't going to allow him or anyone else tell me what to do! So silly really. But you can't quit for anybody else. You have to quit for yourself. Sorry for the ramble. I don't know If I made any sense, but I hope so and I hope I gave you what you were looking for.

Cyn, I am going to look for that book. It would would probably give me some insight into myself.

Pauly, I became alcohol dependent by drinking every day, kind of like you. But I do think there is a genetic component to alcoholism. Some people process alcohol differently and as a result react differently to it. You said you 'deluded yourself into thinking what you were doing was good for you'. That's what I did too. Years ago I went to the eye doctor because I was having some vision problems and lots of "floaters". The doctor told me that it was due to stress and that I should have a glass of wine at the end of the day to relax. That was actual advice from a medical doctor. Well, I took it to heart! Unfortunately I quickly moved past having "a glass". If one was good, two must be better, eh? Well, no, not really.

Lav, I am a little envious of you having that curves to go to. Did you have a good work out? Do you see a lot of regulars there when you go?

I haven't gotten into the decorating mood yet. I'll work up to it slowly I guess. Have a peaceful AF evening all.

[Lavande]

Just did a bit of cyber Monday shopping on Amazon Prime - now I feel a little better

We had a few light showers here today Cyn, more coming tomorrow & heavy rain expected Wednesday, swell. I should be grateful as my friend in MN is getting a foot of snow today Glad to hear you got your porch wrapped. How did you do that by yourself?

Dill, many years ago I worked in a nursing home (for a short time) & we regularly had docs ordering glasses of wine or shots of whiskey for their patients. I felt like a damn bartender some evenings.
Not a single one of us started out drinking with the goal of becoming addicted, did we? Frightening to think we all could have avoided this simply by never having that first glass. I just don't think much about that anymore, better to keep our thinking forward, right?
Curves is a 15 minute drive each way. You spend 30 minutes doing the circuit so it's a total commitment of 1 hour. I have convinced myself it won't kill me, LOL
The workout is not heavy duty but enough to get your heart rate up a bit & the weight machines are good enough to work up some muscle. Joining the club helped me drag myself out of isolation. 12 years living here & I still don't know anyone outside of customers & Curves folks. So, it's a good thing for me

Have a cozy night everyone!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

All good here, just not enough time to post this morning. Have good one.