firebolt

Thats GREAT , FS, and congrats on finishing the fast!

Ugg - so smart to take her in for testing early. I really need to take myself in - I've dodged the derm for way too long.

Gratitude today for a mellow, rainy day - once the sun comes out next week, the valley will be in BLOOM, and I'll start my garden again. Spring! <3

honeypig

fb, looking forward to your garden posts over on the "Lilacs" thread--admins moved it to "Cafe Central" for us, so we can carry on to our hearts' content!

firebolt

OH awesome! My garden beds are covered in dandelions right now, so I'll have some GREAT before and afters!! Garden geeks unite!

LexieCat

When we moved my Dad and Stepmom into assisted living, my Dad wanted me to have this antique rolltop desk he'd bought at auction when I was in HS. It's been moved a few times but was still in good shape. So it cost me a bundle to have it shipped by a place that specializes in antiques, but they managed to damage it. I hired the same guy who refinished for me a couple of other antiques my folks had given me, and it's taken him since last JULY to finish the work (he had back surgery and it's just him and a helper or two). So I still have to deal with the insurance claim with the mover (I told them about it immediately but they offered me a pittance so I decided to wait to see how much the total cost was before fighting with them over it).

So I still have that to deal with, but the guy did a GREAT job repairing the damage. Here's a pic:

LexieCat

And one more:

theuncertainty

That's beautiful, Lexie! It looks like a bit like a desk my Dad made for my Mom. (Though the details on the sides and drawer pulls were slightly different.)

My oldest nephew graduates from high school this week. (He's flippin' brilliant, BTW. I'll miss his snarky sense of humor when he heads back East next fall.) So, my Mom and siblings are all together in AK for a week. I'm so excited about getting to hang with the brats!

honeypig

What a beautiful piece of furniture, Lexie, and extra cool that it was your dad's. You said he bought it at auction; does he know any of the history prior to his buying it?

LexieCat

No, I don't think he ever did, and if he ever did, he wouldn't remember it now. I've probably paid twice what he paid for it at auction to move it and repair it. There were some repairs (recovering chair seat, etc.) not caused by the damage from the movers.

I asked the furniture restorer, and he estimated it was probably mid-late 1800s.

honeypig

If only we could talk to chairs and desks and buildings and old pieces of jewelry and crocks and so on....I would love to hear their tales!

FireSprite

Ahem, it is one big-phat-TGIF around here today folks.....

I am grateful for a super easy day ahead, no major stresses on the schedule, early out & some Me-Time while DD has an after school activity until much later tonight. You already know where you can find me until then.....



Ahhhh.... I can already feel myself unclenching, lol!

honeypig

I am SOOO with you on this, FireSprite--seemed like a long week, glad my weekend is starting NOW!

Yep, with you on this part too!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and gets to spend some time doing something that simply delights the heck out of them!

theuncertainty

Guys. The graduation ceremony for my oldest nephew was last night. And you know what, I can't even get over how proud I am of him. I don't even know how my sister can stand it; she must be bursting with the feels. He graduated summa *** laude and was one of the kids chosen to speak at the ceremony. It's so hard for me to not see the chubby little 3 year old blowing wishes on dandelion fluff, or the 6 or 7 year old explaining a science article: "Auntie TU! Did you know.... !" But, he wasn't a little kiddo standing at that podium with friends last night. The man he's going to become was there, and, still, all I can think is, "Man, I love this amazing kid!"

My sister took yesterday off to spend with him. If my reaction today for my nephew's graduation is any hint, I'm going to have to take like a week off, minimum, after DS graduates in a few years, because I'm going to be hot mess.

ETA: I find it rather bizarre that his honor gets bleeped out, but I guess I understand....

LexieCat

LOL, I always found it amusing that SR bleeps out the name of a religious belief that is (probably inappropriately) associated with sticking pins in dolls. Nasty Latin!!

That is SOOO cool about your nephew! You have some pretty awesome young men in your family--these are the kiddos who give us hope.

firebolt

Another cheer for Friday here!

I am going to see my mom and couple hours away to build a railing on her porch to help sell her house. Kinds stoked to get dirty and build something solo - its been a while! Happy Friday guys!

honeypig

Posted a poem in another section of the forum that included a Hindu goddess's name and SR "asterisked" that out too, very odd, I thought! I ended up putting a space in the middle of the name so it could be included, since it was really central to the idea of the poem...

Just spent some time lying in bed w/a book called "The Secret of Magic" that I'm finding to be pretty good. Ate a piece of Belgian chocolate torte from work...and just to let you know, just by reading that I did this, you have all put on at least 2 lbs too....HA! It's that chocolate, that rich and that delectable. Glad to share those calories over the ether w/y'all! Dogs looked mournfully at me, but I told them "sorry, darlings, chocolate is bad for dogs."

HeartbrokenGuy

I am grateful for this forum and all of you.

I feel like I'm getting better every day because of all the support and advice I've gotten here.

I have started to come out of my shell and feel like this whole thing is a metamorphosis turning me into the person I was always meant to be.

Thank you all for the guidance on my journey. I could not have done this alone and there is nothing I can do to repay you.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend.

honeypig

HbG, I am grateful that you're here too AND I am especially grateful that you came w/an open mind, willing to work, willing to learn, willing to listen, willing to "take what you liked and leave the rest."

Without your willingness, all the support and education and inspiration that SR has to offer would have done no good. Take a bow yourself for doing the heavy lifting!

May your healing continue to grow, may your pain continue to abate, may your new life continue to reveal itself day by day.

HeartbrokenGuy

Thank you.

I heard something in an AA meeting almost a year ago that has stuck with me.

"You can't save your ass and your face at the same time"

I took this saying to heart each day of my recovery. I could easily be embarrassed as a man to admit I am a codependent. I could have stayed in denial that everything was my fiancé fault and if it weren't for alcohol we woulda been perfect.

We all know how wrong that is. I was at my rock bottom so seeing, learning, and doing things differently wasn't all that hard.

It works if you work it. Just easier to sit and hope/pray rather than roll up sleeves and do work.

FireSprite

TU - that made my heart swell, I can feel your pride for your nephew bursting through my computer when I read your words. That. Is. Awesome!!!

HBG - Welcome, so glad you have joined in!!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Today DD & I have shopping plans - we both need sandals & bathing suits before summer.... which, in SFL, started last week. It's hot, guys, holy flaming hatbaskets.

Here's a big gratitude today: RAH is finally DONE with all things legal. No more fines, no more DUI certificate attached to his license/our insurance, no more probation, no nothing. We have been simply breathing the giant sigh of relief for the last 2 days..... well, he literally cried for a moment. Even his probation officer was like, "dude - you don't belong here".... maybe not, but yeah, he had earned it via his stupidity so hopefully lesson learned.

FireSprite

I am so grateful that we had such a successful shopping weekend. Despite being very girlie, DD is not a fan of shopping & only focuses long enough to search out the items on her need/want list.... and sometimes even that can be a struggle.

We managed every "need" on the list & quite a few good deals on unexpected "wants". Even better - we had a lot of fun AND we both purged a bunch of old stuff out of our closets when we got home. Win-win!