Jersey Nonny

At the risk of inciting a riot, or (at the very least) hearing a few mumbled, "Bah, Humbugs" I've "volunteered" to be a one-woman Ambassador to promote "Peace and Goodwill" here at Sober Recovery.

Perhaps we can double our efforts to:

1. Help each other get/stay clean and sober.

2. Make those amends we've been putting off...no time like the present.

3. Find someone less fortunate and try to make their holiday season a little more pleasant.

4. Share how we'll be spending this time, as compared to other years.

5. Share favorite memories of past holiday seasons...what traditions has your family enjoyed. Will you make an effort to carry on those traditions?

Hopefully, through friendly daily reminders, everyone will be enjoying the true meaning of the season, and 2008 will be the best year ever for all of us.

Anna

Thanks Jersey Nonny!

Jersey Nonny

Oh, Christmas Tree...Oh, Christmas Tree...how lovely are thy branches!

My Nurse's Aide, Elsa, was bringing her decorations down from the attic, and found a beautiful table top tree...complete with bows, ornaments, and lights. She brought it to me; and, it's now on my bedside table...it looks really lovely at night.

Thanksgiving was a bummer because I had no idea what they did here...surely, they would have real roast turkeys to carve up and serve to us. Not!!! It was nothing different from what we get at least once a week...turkey breast, canned gravy, boxed stuffing, instant mashed, canned (mushy) asparagus tips! YUK!

So, my niece sent leftovers which I put in the frig (with my name on the bag). When I sent someone to get it for me, it was gone! Had no idea who "helped themselves", until they actually caught one of the residents sitting right at the frig feeding her face! And, I wasn't the only victim. Sad thing is this person is not suffering from dementia...apparently, she has other problems. What is it we say..."Some are sicker than others"?

BTW...Betty...I love your user name! Is it "for real", or a not-so-subtle endorsement?

parentrecovers

hey jersey! are you recovering from your accident? i was JUST thinking about you and was gonna bump up one your threads!

:day4

Jersey Nonny

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Yep, the leg is healing...slowly, but surely! Everytime they redress it (every day), someone will say, "Oh, it's looking good." From their point of view, maybe...I think it looks pretty yukky...but, what do I know!

parentrecovers

well, at least it is healing. that's somethin' to be grateful for.

for your ho ho ho information - i have 2 santa hats on my desk - one is very red and green and sparkley and dressy and says 'BAH HUMBUG" on the front in glitter letters. the other is bright green and says "NICE" in big red letters on the front.

today i am wearing NICE. for now, anyway. it beats combing my hair?

Jersey Nonny

That's some kind of fashion statement! My sister sent me a Santa hat, and my niece brought me one, too. I said, "I know you think I have two heads, but I can only wear one at a time." So, I gave one to my great niece.

parentrecovers

well, you're right - two heads WOULD help...



have a good day, jersey, and keep that holiday spirit going ... < --- love pat

Jersey Nonny

Aw, shucks! I was just sitting in the Activities Room with a group of residents...we were singing Christmas carols/songs along with a cd. We were all given a set of jingle bells and Santa hats to wear...I actually had one on that made me look like one of Santa's "giant elfs". Everything was going well...I was singing merrily along...and, then White Christmas came on...for some reason, I "lost it", and started blubbering like a baby!!! Had to get out of there in a hurry. I'm back in my room trying to compose myself.

I think it's going to take a while to be able to warm up to the Ho-Ho-Ho's...I'm afraid there will be a few more times when I'll be overcome with nostalgia...just have to keep working on it.

parentrecovers

it's just an emotional time of year, jersey. be patient with yourself.

(little drummer boy always gets me to blubbering)

parentrecovers

AND KEEP WEARING THAT SANTA HAT NO MATTER WHAT!

Jersey Nonny

I know, I know...I just hate feeling like a sentimental a$$...but, there are folks here at SR who'll understand. I hope my fellow residents won't think I'm headed 'round the bend.

parentrecovers

Alive

Jersey i do get it, even tough i'm 23...life has changed a whole lot...people and things were...

for me this year it will be different, no more lonely new years eves, i hope, and no more sad Christmas..i am really happy about the new year, this one was a tough one but it made me grow so much...and so many blessings have come to me....for the first time i really feel productive, i feel i've worked a lot on my soul...it was the year of change, of a new phase of my life..

Jersey i have a santa hat too..i am the only one who makes christmas decorations, peeps don't like it in my house..so i always make them mad running with a santa hat with a bell...

IO Storm

Jersey...

Almost ALL Christmas songs send me blubbering.....

Sitting here tearing up at the thought of You tearing up......

scaredykat

Looks like part of your thread is lost too Jersey. So I'll just say it again.

I love Christmas too.

Barb

Jersey Nonny

It's good for me to be able to see Christmas through the innocent eyes of my Niece's little ones...the five year-old, Angelina, still believes in Santa, and her "big brother", Andrew, continues to perpetuate the myth for her sake.

I have a three-year-old great granddaughter living not too far from here...I'm hoping her adoptive Mom will bring her to visit...that would be a great Christmas present.

Hevyn

...remember that one from The Carpenters? It was popular when my first husband (now dead) was in the Marines during the Viet Nam War. I'd cry to it then - and even though he made it home our lives were ravaged by alcohol. SO, there I was yesterday shopping in a little gift shop with my husband and it came on. Such a feeling of despair swept over me - I couldn't do a thing to stop the tears. I have to learn to deal with things better than this. We went out to lunch afterwards and I was so tempted to anesthetize, but I didn't. Thanks for starting this thread Jersey! Very helpful, really. (This post could do double duty & be over on W.A.)

Jersey Nonny

Barb...sorry 'bout the "missing links"...I thought it was me or the pc. I guess the Grinch Gremlins are at work.

Hevyn...indeed, I do. My husband was in Korea...met him in a bar right after he got out of service, and I took myself a 21-year-old hostage...I was "an older woman" of 23, already separated and waiting for a divorce from the first husband that I married at 19 (to get out of the house).

Of course, my second and I had a marriage made in alcoholic heaven (more like hell). When we were married about 10 years, we were going through one of our many separations...he was in Florida, while I stayed in Jersey with the kids. Right before Christmas, I received a credit card with a $500. limit...the company's big mistake...because I immediately booked a flight to spend Christmas and NY Eve with him, while my Mom watched the kids.

Won't go into all the details of that week...although, all in all, it was pretty pleasant. We did eventually reconcile again, and were together another 12 years before we divorced after a total of 25 years married. We both got sober (separately), and wound up in AA. He had 26 years of sobriety when he passed away 4 years ago.

To this day, I get weepy when I hear "I'm Leavin' On a Jet Plane"...popular and being played often when I took that flight to Florida...44 years ago. There are some things we never quite get over...but, it's all OK...as long as we don't give in to the temptation to drink.

Hevyn

You're right, and I wouldn't want to be shallow & just plow along through life - moving on to the next thing and not looking back. It's hard being hyper-sensitive, & sometimes it keeps me from moving forward and living in today. I'm working on it. I'm thankful to be able to say things on here that I'd never bother mentioning to others, after all - no one wants to hear downer stuff at holiday time.