Category Archives: Friends

The marathon that is sobriety

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I had the blessing of attending a gratitude dinner with my Hubs this weekend for AA.  It was an area-wide event and easily attended by 200+ people.  Tables of 8, dinner of Thanksgiving foods (appropriately themed) and a desert table groaning under the redonkulous amounts of sugar and butter.  It was a pleasure to put faces to names of the Hubs friends, just fantastic people.  A few observances of  mine throughout the evening:

  • Coffee.  Water.  Lots and lots of coffee and water.
  • Laughter.  Smiles.  Tons.  No grumpy, long faces.  Joy.
  • Introductions everywhere (thank God for nametags!)
  • Rekindled friendships.

There was a speaker who gave his story of 30+ years of sobriety.  A lovely, 70-something man with at times an emotionally shaky voice as he recalled his life, peppered with witty comments and hindsight observances.   There was no “massive event” in his life that is present in many alcoholic stories (and drug stories); mainly a life of alcohol-centered living, obnoxious behavior and a wife (and family) that had enough.  His message:  there doesn’t need to be a “massive event” to stop drinking, but if you have repeated comments, suggestions, pleas from family and friends to “do something about your drinking”, it’s a red flag.  Sadly, not everyone sees it until it is too late.

At the end of the evening there was a sobriety countdown.  Starting with the most years sober (52) and counting down to the shortest span of sobriety (2 days).  It was humbling, impressive and hopeful and I found myself tearing up and that marathon that those with the least sobriety had ahead of them and yet with the amazing support in that room……hopeful in that they had every tool available to them to take each day….one day at a time.

Sadly, we did not win the 50/50 drawing…shucks!!!  $350!!!  However, I sure came away richer than I arrived.

Hebrews 12:1  

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Road Trippin’ for a Friend Fix

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There lies the season where I miss my friends.    It’s a crazy thing, getting older.  Not as simple to make friends any more.  Everyone is busy.  Everyone has baggage.  And so I remember the plaque that hung in my grandmother’s kitchen from a hundred years ago….(or 40):

Make new friends, but keep the old;

The new are silver and the old are gold.

These friendships have weathered life’s storms:  Cancer, infertility, marriage struggles, divorce, faith struggles, death of a child, children with emergency surgery, financial drain, suicide, depression, alcoholism, prison, poor health, aging parents, death of parents, miscarriage, many children, few children, job changes, bullying, education challenges, children growing up and moving away, children with faith crises, deployment, moving, starting over, making new friends and the list goes…..it is life.  Distance may separate us, however, these life cords forever bind us.

So worth the road trip with my girls to visit these dear friends.  We didn’t get to make ALL the rounds due to end-of-summer craziness and that only makes the argument for another visit and for visitors here.  Life’s too short, make the effort, you won’t regret it.

Rollin' with my homies.

Rollin’ with my homies.

7 super quickety quick takes

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Joining Jen and gangster bloggers for the 7QTS this week!!  Woop Woop!

And so in my usual bon-bon fashion….I am leaving myself with 6 whopping minutes to post this before I need to get ready for work.  Fortunately, I’ve showered, eaten and my lunch is mostly ready.  Ready set GO:

1.  This week I flipped back to old school style planner.  Paper.  Pens.  Pencils.  Still love my iPhone calendar, but I’m a tactile person and I need paper.  My anxiety is decreasing already….this will do until I find something super purty…feel free to leave your suggestions in the combox!

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2.  This past weekend (Sunday) counts as the week start correct?  We did a huge ole bed swap…our bunk beds to the neighbors (below right) and my girlfriend’s daughters trundle to our girls (below left) and my girlfriend’s daughter moved a futon into her room for hang/sleep/teen stuff (not posted)….can you say WINX3?!?!?PicMonkey Collage

3.  Back to school is right around the corner…..Our sophomore had orientation and our 6th grader as well.  2 down and 2 to go.  Sweet structure is almost here.  orient4.  I’ve been walking all week while our youngest has cheer practice for about 45 minutes each night (in addition to my morning classes) and am down 3 pounds.  BooYA.  Meh, the weekend is coming, all subject to change!

5.  I’m taking one last road trip before school starts with my girls.  We leave in the a.m. for a fun and packed weekend of friend visiting….hence the 3 pounds are subject to change.  You feel me?

6.  Oh no…..3 minutes over my time.

7.  Have a great weekend!!!

Buh bye Facebook. For now anyway…

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For the last couple of Lent seasons I have given up Facebook and it is a glorious 37 days.  (it takes a few days to shake the habit and then I’m good).  This year, when I signed back on Facebook was different.  Not so much the layout but the content.  People are posting videos, news reports, Pinterest recipes, ecards and there are Advertisements and countless game requests.  I’m not saying all that is bad, however, where are the pictures, my people?!?!??!  I’m in it for the updates.  Tell me you are drowning in back to school supply lists, basking at the beach, meeting friends for a run and post pictures….THAT is what I want.  I have YouTube for videos, Pinterest to feed my inner Martha Stewart, CNN, National Catholic Register and The Weather Channel for my news feed, and WordsWithFriends to satisfy my gamer needs—Candy Crush and all that nonsense just infuriates me.    It’s overload.  I come away more often than not, anxious and frustrated; I mean, when I start “hiding” family members due to ridiculous ranting….it’s a problem.   All I really want is to see my family and friends enjoying life, pics of their growing-way-too-fast kids and some silliness.  So, I’m deleting my account and removing it from my phone.  I might reactivate it now and then, however, something tells me once I’m over the first few days it will be more less than often….

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In the meantime, I plan on picking up the pace with phone calls, emails, texts, heck…even snail mail and IN REAL LIFE conversations to keep up with friends and family.  Crazy, right?  Probably.  So, if you’ve got my number, call me.  Maybe.

Monday Meme…

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BethAnne made me do it…..she’s coming down off a 7 day blogging high and threw this one my way.  So here’s how this one goes:

Rules
1.) The first rule is to post these rules.
2.) Post a photo of yourself then write 11 things about you/your life.
3.) Answer the questions for you set in the original post.
4.) Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5.) Go to their blog/twitter to tell them you have tagged them.

IMG_4977that’s me on the left….

and 11 things about me are as follows:

  1. I am a forty-something Mom to 4 lively redheads married to my high school sweetheart.
  2. For the last 9 years we’ve lived in my hometown after living away for 12 years.    It’s true, you never really can go home again, you start all over.
  3. We have a cat.  I am more of a dog person.  I don’t really like cats.  He picked us and I guess that’s the way it goes with cats.  He’s a total PIA, fluffy to the Nth degree and I love him.  Call me sucker.
  4. I’m in a constant weight struggle/body image.  Currently working on the healthier aspect pretty hard.  It’s coming along, but I far prefer instant gratification.
  5. I finished my Bachelor’s degree 2 years ago and STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.  Fortunately, I enjoy my job (just not the politics that go along with it).
  6. I have a sister who lives in our former city with her husband and my two nephews.  We fought like regular siblings growing up and are now the best of friends.  She rocks!!  So does her family!!
  7. I am a friend KEEPER.  One of my biggest struggles in this town is that the friends I grew up with are on a totally different planet from me and making new friends has been a huge challenge to go beyond surface level.  It makes me truly miss and appreciate my friends in our old city.  And then I beg them to come visit.  It’s called throwing on the Catholic guilt trip.  Guilty.
  8. I love the beach.  Salt air, sea breeze and sand in my toes cure any and everything.
  9. One day I will go on a pilgrimage to Medjugorge.  Somehow.  Someway.  It will happen though.
  10. I am a judger.  I try not to be, but I am.  Everytime I do, God shows me the ginormous plank in my own eye and I have a huge slice of humble pie.  It’s getting old.  Sigh.  Daily struggles.

the questions for me to answer are as follows:

  • What is your favorite way to shop (online, in-store, yard sales, etc.)?  Online.  Or thrift stores.  
  • What was your favorite vacation?  Hubby and I took a trip to Arizona for my friend’s wedding (see pic, gal on the right) and we hiked, went sightseeing and visited other friends for A WEEK!!!  I have the best mom EVER!!!!
  • If you could go anywhere where would it be and why?  Medjugorge.  I just finished a book on the apparitions there and feel a strong pull to experience it for myself.
  • If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why?  Princess Diana.  I have always found her fascinating, lovely, wounded and a genuine heart for the downtrodden despite her station in life.
  • What is your favorite app?  IHeartRadio.  We get crapola for reception at work and it helps the day go by, plus we love to torture each other with trying to win the annual Vegas trip to the IHeartRadio concert.  You can’t get through, people.  It’s completely rigged.  (it’s what I tell myself)
  • Do you prefer ebooks or real books?  Real books, but if I’m impatient to read a book, e-book is the BOMBOLA!
  • What is your preferred web browser?  Right now Google Chrome, but I find them all annoying.
  • What is your favorite Disney movie?  Brave
  • What is your favorite Theme Park?  Disney World
  • Do you send Thank you notes?  Yes, of course!!!  They might not be timely, but they do get sent!
  • What was the most unusual thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding? (or event if you haven’t been to many weddings)  A mirror in the women’s restroom that made EVERYONE look tall and thin…we really wanted to take it home!!  Aside from that…everyone gets cray cray at weddings after a certain hour, right?

My 11 questions for the next peeps to accept this challenge:

  1. Single or married?
  2. Kids, furbabies, how many and ages?
  3. What kind of car do you drive and what was your first car?
  4. Best live concert you went to?
  5. Favorite TV show growing up?
  6. Best road trip?
  7. Favorite way to unwind?
  8. If you could pick a reality show to be on, which would it be?
  9. Jillian or Bob?
  10. Coffee, tea or Mountain Dew?

I’m tagging, Grace, Micaela, Jen, Mary Kate and Angela!