Mindfulness March-2017

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good morning...

Cyn, thanks for the great suggestions re: friends. It is important to me to have a few good female friends close to where I live, it just is. I joined the neighborhood book club as finding a friend close to where I live would be ideal, but it only meets once a month so will take time, if it happens. I will look up Indivisible, sounds like a political organization. Glad you have been successful in making connections. It is a hassle to travel, but this last trip was so fun, even with the extra work it was so worth it. I feel refreshed at work and better able to manage.

Lav, hey it is cold here again, in the 20s, high 33, this March is truly a March with temps all over the place. My daughter and I talk daily, but she is so busy, we just don't have much time together. She is due in 8 weeks and finishing up work for a few years in April so hope to be able to spend more time with her and the boys. Going to share something on our trip that happened. My nephew has relapsed and when my brother and wife found out, we had to drive them to the next big city and they went back, to no avail. My nephew is drinking himself to death, quit going to his job, refuses help, and it is really bad. I think he is going to die if they cannot talk him into detox. They are terrified, angry, upset, hopeless, and have run out of options. As an adult, there is not much they can do. Been to rehab two times, he refused to be serious about recovery. I hate this disease.

Pauly, so happy you are back, take care of yourself.

Have a happy AF hump day.

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning all - I saw that Star had posted on The Wed thread, so I hopped over and took a look there - Mick's jokes are fabulous! What a good way to start the day!!

Just keeping on here in snow country, not much to report: taxes taxes taxes. I wish that ours were not such a complicated mess (just to prep!) but HB leaves his 'financial trail' over a bunch of accounts, so getting his personal corp numbers together is like going in an archaeological Dig! I'm hoping to be done with his prep today, then on our Joint Trying not to think about where that money might going in the coming year. I'm getting very serious about moving all our resources to a local bank, and getting only 1 credit card that contributes to good change in the world. I don't want a penny of my money going to support the big corporations. It may be a small move, but it will be safer and make me feel better.

Hey Pauly! Good to see you! I though of you this morning when I made banan/flax/ apple/coconut flour pancakes (actually more like fritters). I made up the recipe, and it turned out OK. I had had enough of carrot/squash zoodle fritters for brekkie...

Lav, sorry about Maxie failing... I guess we're just at that part of life with our dogs, right? Doesn't make it any easier. I was up again last night with my old girl, ah well. Sorry you don't have like-minded poli folks around to chat with that's hard. We better get the Cookie Van going...

Star, what a sad story about your nephew. It happens; I have a dear friend who buried her brother last year; he just wouldn't admit anything was wrong - no attempt to change. Another friend is going through the same thing with a brother on a different coast - he's goes in and out of rehab. For those of us whose bodies can't handle it, this substance is truly deadly. It's also confusing because it doesn't happen to everybody... I'm sorry your trip and your brothers was interrupted by such bad news. The org I was talking about is linked to the fabulous document indivisible'guide.org. Print it out and keep it close - a wonderful roadmap for action. On that site you should be able to find a local group. Also check out emilyslist.org, which helps identify and assist women to run for political office; they may have groups too, not sure.

Well, off to the races! Wishing all well and AF on this Hump Day.

[paulywogg]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning friends, Star,that's really sad to read about your nephew,I hate addiction! Especially when you're in the throes of it and just don't care about anything anymore there's no answer unless the person themselves is willing to make the change,I've learned this from my own struggles,Cyn,the fritters sound good Lav,the pic of the dog with the teddy bear was so cute! LB got a job in Portland as a bartender at a fancy country club,its her first "real" job outside of doing catering for her bf's mom so we shall see,she's really excited but was annoyed yesterday cuz she picked up her work uniform and has to buy a spanx cuz its form fitting and thin material ,I told her she's not gonna be able to breathe on her shifts cuz spanx suck the life out of you haha,oh well at least she's getting some life experience, wishing us all a happy AF Wednesday

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening folks,

I can't believe how cold it is again BUT it's supposed to be 70 degrees on Saturday, go figure.

Star, sorry to hear about your nephew. It kind of sounds like he is dealing with some serious depression in addition to heavy drinking.
My BIL (the one who killed himself a couple of years ago) tried several times to end his life with AL, drugs & any number of dangerous stunts. Keeping firearms away from people like this is so often overlooked. I hope something changes for your nephew & he reconsiders his options.
I sure could use a little vacation but I can't even get away for a day. Our old dog needs attention frequently & she is too difficult to handle to ask a neighbor for help. Glad you enjoyed your time away. I'll bet you can't wait for your new grandson to arrive, wow!!

Pauly, nice that your daughter got a job, I hope it goes well for her!
I guess you're not dealing with a cold snap like the rest of us are, ha ha!

Cyn, these older dogs are tough to take care of, it's a real commitment but they are family, right?
YB delivered our taxes to the accountant yesterday. He'll probably call or email with a few questions as usual but basically they are done. I don't want to have to think about them for another year.
The news coming out of DC today is quite.....interesting. Looks like a lot of sh*t is being uncovered - good.

I hope everyone has a peaceful & full night's sleep.

Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good morning...

Not alot of time to post, the time change is having me wake up with just about enough time to get ready for work. This week has been so busy but that is good it is flying by. I am happy to be home and able to control what I eat, lost all the weight I gained already and motivated to keep eating healthy.

Cyn, yes, if my nephew dies, it will be a tragedy, but they have done all they can for the last two years, and they are exhausted and not sure what, if anything, to do next. We know you have to want sobriety more than anything, be honest, open and willing to make changes and ask for support. Half measures don't work, at all. So, hopefully I will have time to look up those organizations iin the next day or so. Hope the snow melts up there sooner rather than later so April will be spring for you!

Lav, there were guns and they were removed ASAP, but more can always be bought. Very scary and no good outcome so far. This Sunday, your eighth AF anniversary is a cause for celebration, will YB take you out for dinner, lunch or some celebration? It is such a wonderful success to be AF and able to celebrate your life and your children and grandkids, sober, fully present, and helping all of us on MWO. You have to love March weather, it is always changing, don't like it today, tomorrow will be different. Politically, 45 is slowly being exposed but not quickly enough for me. He is doing a bad job, period. It is hard when Congress is so corrupt too, and want their agenda pushed forward, for the rich and big corporations. I am limiting my exposure to that stuff as it is healthier for me. I appreciate the articles you post on FB. Thanks.

Pauly, so great your daughter has a new and exciting job. My daughter was a bartender for a while and loved it. It was at a bowling alley though, and she got to make announcements, sell popcorn, cut people off, and made good money. Hope your daughter enjoys the experience! It's Thursday, getting closer to the weekend, any plan? On Saturday my son and I are going to close down his apartment with a walk through and turn in the keys, so that will be a huge relief to both of us. Thank goodness his job is going well and he is hoping to get hired permanently in a few weeks with more money.

I have been feeling kind of negative, noticing I have been assuming that people are reacting negatively to me and maybe they are not. So, I am working on this, in addition to slowing down and reacting gently in general. Trying to slow down I guess. Have a great AF Thursday.

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning all -

Lav, I forgot to congratulate you on your upcoming AF Anniversary!!! You are just amazing, and have been such a help to hundreds here. Thank you for sharing your journey. Still can't believe that our little group has been together all these years! (I have to confess that I miss your purple 'monster' icon -- I always thought that I was in for a good day if I got. 'Wink'... sorry about Maxie, it yes, they are family. Mine are the only kids I've ever had...

Pauly - such good news about LB - good luck, I hope that it all goes well. Will stay tuned... I hope your work is smoothing out too ---

Star - what a challenging idea, to slow down! So wonderful that you are self-aware and can catch negative states of being before things get out of whack. Great news about your son's apartment - that's a good chapter to close!

Hey Lav, I read about you chicken/mushroom/ garlic stir fry - sounds perfect for me - details? Star, tons of snow here, everything is still covered, and yesterday was seriously wind and in the deep freeze, sheesh. But rain and warmth in it's way, so maybe spring really is coming. On the meantime, the snow is bright and pretty. Well, I knocked down a major portion of tax prep yesterday... hoping to wrap it up today and be able to get outside for some fresh air.

Wishing all some peace inside and the strength to bring peace outside as well --- AF of course, otherwise there is no peace....

[paulywogg]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning friends, tired this morning, the temp dropped overnight and the cold kept waking me up! Cyn,I forgot to thank you for the PM you sent me,I didn't respond cuz I was in pitysville but I just wanted to say I appreciate you reaching out to me in the DailyOM yesterday they were talking about the darkness of the soul and the light coming in, thought of you.Star,glad sons job is going well,LB text me all sad yesterday that she doesn't start her job til April,I text her back that's practically next week silly goose! Then she was like "oh yeah!" Haha,kids!sorry you feel like people are acting negatively toward you,sometimes I feel like that too but I'm so arrogant I just think its them,not anything I'm doing,sometimes its just a phase too where everyone just seems like an arse!keep your head up,you're a beautiful, kind soul and our good friend Lav,I wish you could come to Vegas and be my personal chef,all your foods look/sound great and of course healthy I'm still working on my eating, I joined myfitnesspal even though I have fitbit it seems like I get a better understanding of what I ate,how much I can eat,how much protein, etc,wishing us all a happy AF Thursday filled with light!

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening friends,

'Twas an interesting day, end of story, ha ha!
Glad tomorrow is Friday.

Star, the only celebrating I will be doing is right here, online with my friends. I have kept this quit to myself because I KNOW if I share anything with YB (including this website) he will ruin it for me - that's what he does. He was so under-thrilled when I quit he ran out of here 15 months later & stayed away for 4 years, remember? I don't expect anything from him. He is too tied up fulfilling his own agenda. Last summer it was a greenhouse. This week it was a brand new truck. It's all about him. I just don't expect any emotional support from him so I don't get disappointed anymore. learned my damn lesson. I thought I was in a marriage but it looks like it's just a business relationship - 44 years this June - whatever.
I really hope your nephew will stop & listen to someone for just a minute. You never know when someone will say just the right thing & get inside his head. Anything is possible.

Cyn, I ran across Natasha's Kitchen – Russian, Ukrainian Recipes and Food Blog where I found the Chicken broccoli & mushroom stir Fry recipe. I imagine you can use tamari in the sauce if you don't use soy sauce. I served it oven brown rice, very good I love the bright flavor of tons of garlic & fresh ginger. She also has a variation using rice noodles which I will use next time, yum. These dishes cook up fast once you get everything chopped, sliced & diced.
I am happy to see the vote for healthcare cat is being postponed. Looks like we have done some effective calling, emailing & general screaming, yay! That picture on Emily's list today of all the men sitting around the big table discussing women's health issues just about made me fall off of my chair. What the hell is this? 1950 again???? OMG!

Pauly, I used myfitnesspal for a while. It is a good tool that makes you pay attention to what you are consuming. I gave up on it after a while because it felt too labor intensive for me. Learning to measure serving sizes instead of eyeballing them saves lots of calories
I am focusing, not necessarily on fewer calories but on consuming more plant based meals. At this point I think I am about 80-85% vegan ~ it makes me feel better. I may not get any skinnier but that's OK, I just want to feel good.
LB's new job will be starting before she knows it, ha ha!

Wishing everyone a peaceful night. I hope to actually sleep thru the night - this week has involved way too many awakenings. My daughter tells me that my granddaughter has been doing the same thing this week, strange.

Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Well friends, bad news for me. My boss told me yesterday I am not doing my job right, people at work don't trust me to do my job, and and I get an performance plan, sometime next week when she writes it up. I am floored, could not believe. This, when I love this job, have felt disapproved of in the last three months, thought maybe it was me except for the one incident three weeks ago, where she told me she did not agree with a decision I had made. I corrected it the way she asked, it was a subjective matter, and we had differing opinions on it, but of course I did as she asked. I asked who had made complaints etc., so I could make corrective action, but was told that does not matter. Wow. I am thinking of contacting HR, but also getting the hell out of their. Except the benefits are so good, and that does matter, especially at my age. I have never had anything like this happen before, always asked to stay if/when I resign, andoffered raises, so this came as a shock, although I noticed that she was acting hostile and irritable to me. Can you believe it.

I never thought of drinking through this, not once. So, that is good. Maybe there is a new plan for me out there, a new career, cause I am thinking of getting out of this field. Sorry all about me, feeling really discouraged.

[SKendall]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Snoopy, sorry to hear this. I would go to HR and go over your job description with them.

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning all - Star, SO sorry to hear of this news -- this is crazy! I would definitely talk with HR -- maybe there is some misunderstanding, or some piece that you don't know about that hasn't been shared. I can't say, never having been in a corporate setting, but this seems really odd... GREAT JOB staying centered and respecting your health (staying AF). Maybe the Universe is taking you in a different direction, where your wonderful work is more needed...

Lav, that site sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing. I'm still staying grain-free, which is a challenge, but I think now I'll pull out the wok pan... you reminded me that I own one! my sleep has been iffy this week too - I finally just slept on the couch in the 'dog room' and did better last night. I don't think all these strange weather patterns help...but it's the new normal. Today's vote: I am really proud of the Reps that are really representing their constituents and walking away from this bill - and walking away from the Big Money that helped them get elected. That's bravery! They are getting a thank you note from me... we'll see how it goes today...

Pauly, so glad that you are feeling better. I have used my fitness pal, and I like it - very informative, yes? It's a pain at first, but once you have some of your basic meals I putted, it gets easier. Good luck! You were so sweet to think of me with the word 'light'. Being here on the thread is a great reminder to seek the light. I've spent most of my life in a dim (mental) area, and so I need the reminder daily... I was kinda blue yesterday, but after a better sleep I am kindling my light again. Thanks for the reminder.

Same old here today. But I heard this morning on our little radio station (with Jill Goodman, astrologer) that the current star situation is Gemini opposing Jupiter... sounds explosive, and she said that means that anything can happen. I'm a Gemini, so..... game on!

I'm sending blessings to all today; let's reach out with warm hearts and all lights on ...AF...

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

SK - nice to see you --- how's everything?

[paulywogg]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning friends,Star,I'm so sorry! I wonder what's going on? Time to get everyone together and talk about it, maybe there's a miscommunication somewhere,Cyn and Lav I just like MFP for the fact that I hafta be accountable for my eating,I tend to graze and its nice to see the actual numbers for things like sodium,protein,SUGAR and of course calories those little suckers are surprising numbers sometimes! Hope we all have a wonderful AF Friday.. Star,get to the bottom of it and keep us posted,thinking of you today

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening friends,

Busy day for me but no one croaked so that's good, Lol.

Star, I am sorry to hear you are being frozen out!!!!!
It's that same damn clique mentality that I dealt with in my profession (really used to piss me off). I'll bet you have done absolutely nothing 'wrong' so don't take on any blame or feel guilty. Good for you staying positive!
Keep your eyes & ears open, there just may be another door opening for you that will be a better fit.

Hello SK, how are you?

Cyn, I also slept better last night until 4 something this morning when Maxie decided she needed to go out - oh well. I actually went back to sleep for a while afterwards.
I am also sending thanks to the PA senator & reps who are working in our best interest. The other ones who are aligned with 45 are 'disappointed' I hear, geez. They have no clue.

Pauly, don't forget you can fiddle with any recipe you find & like to make it healthier for you. Today I made a pot of 'cream' of broccoli soup. I made it dairy free & also gluten free. I added a big clove of garlic minced up & some extra onion & it was really good
Keeping a food diary such as MFP is a great tool.

Wishing everyone a cozy night!
Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good morning...

Made it through the day yesterday and it was not easy. I was so upset and angry. Plus, from those strong negative feelings, I ached all over and got a sore throat and felt really sick. Lots of love and care from my husband and very importantly a good night's sleep and I feel much healthier today. This is what I am going to do, probably. See what happens, if she gives me something in writing, I will not sign it unless there are specifics so I know what I am dealing with. If people (clique mentality Lav spoke of) are speaking negatively about my performance, I have a right to know who they are and what they have said so I can take corrective action. Plus, it is good to know your enemies. And they are my enemies. F*** them. I know most of the people I work with respect me and what I do, due to their feedback and the way they interact with me. If not, I will quit. I need and like the benefits, they are fantastic, but there has to be something else out there or maybe the Universe does have another plan for me. I am open to new possibilities. I want to go in another direction and get out of the career I am in. The shock of it is what got to me, I mean, I worked so hard especially this week after my trip, and could not believe it. That was hard and humiliating. It did not feel good, at all. Thanks for being there friends.

Kendall, no point in going to HR, if my supervisor is going to be critical and picking at me, it is time to find a new job. Life is too short at this point in my life. I am almost 60, so at this age I have another perspective. But I so appreciate your giving me feedback, it was sweet and valuable and I did consider it.

Cyn, glad you had a better night's sleep, geez, one night of not sleeping and I was a wreck. I learned some cool breathing technique that helped me get to sleep last night. Four count in, four count out while focusing on relaxing from the toes up, I was deeply asleep before I got to my head. It works most nights, hope you had a good Friday. Any plans this week?

Lav, thanks so much for identifying the clique mentality, if you are not in their clique they are out to destroy you, very evil people. I have never been like that and don't appreciate the cruelty and suffering that attitude causes. It may be time to get out of there if the supervisor supports that type of negativity, because you can't win in a situation like that. I am trying to figure out recipes today as I have to make my weekly menu and get to the grocery store today. We are going to my daughter's for our anniversary tomorrow, yours too I know. Let's celebrate.

Pauly, love your idea of everyone getting together and talking about it but I work with some sneaky, evil little men and a few back biting women and they believe they are superior and have all the answers. Oh, they are all in their 30s. The older I get the more I realize I don't know, which is the beginning of wisdom, they know everything. Just ask them. And if they have a beef with you, don't go directly to the person, go to the supervisor and destroy them as much as you can. Lovely, huh? Over something that is not that big of a deal. I can always get another job, I am just feeling tired, don't want to do the resume thing, get a printer set up, all that hassle. I don't have a home office in this house. I waver back and forth between is it a time for change, or just stay the course. I will enjoy this weekend as much as I can.

I am greatly relieved 45 did not get that horrible life threatening unhealthcare bill passed. Do you know the final version took away the rights for healthcare for maternity care, mental health, addiction and preventative care amongst even more? That was such a bad bill even Republicans could not vote for it. Let's hope this is a pattern where he is unable to make the harmful pro-rich pro-corporation changes he wants to make to destroy life for most Americans. Like W did, and we saw where that ended up, the second biggest economic crash since the Great Depression.

Have a great AF day!!!!!