Welcome AliceCaholic,
I am an atheist as well and have struggled with the concept of god in AA. The way I look at it, god is simply a concept for what makes you happy. It could be family, hobbies or whatever. I even heard of a guy in OP that had a goldfish as a higher power.....the counselors hoped the fish didn't die....... My point is I needed to find what makes me happy and what to strive for, and for me, that is my wife, starting a family, and simple projects around the house.
Keep coming back. I have greatly benefited from SR