Infinite Happy Days - Gratitude and Joy Posts - Part 2
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,699
I haven't, I've always just suffered through them til I could get them!
Evidently someone my age should also be seeing a dermatologist, the optometrist regularly, the dentist twice a year, an actual gynecologist (rather than my local awesome family planning clinic,) should have a real doctor rather than deferring to said family planning clinic, and yeah the chemical cauterization sounds WAY better than surgery! Thanks, I need to get on this list...the toes have been a lifelong struggle that doesn't seem necessary now!
Evidently someone my age should also be seeing a dermatologist, the optometrist regularly, the dentist twice a year, an actual gynecologist (rather than my local awesome family planning clinic,) should have a real doctor rather than deferring to said family planning clinic, and yeah the chemical cauterization sounds WAY better than surgery! Thanks, I need to get on this list...the toes have been a lifelong struggle that doesn't seem necessary now!
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
I've got parental gratitude today, too. My brother and I have been wracking our brains about what to do about our Dad, who lives in AZ with my stepmom (they've been married for almost 30 years, since my mom died). My dad has been falling, and he's terrible about following exercises prescribed by his physical therapist. Finally got him to use a walker, but I doubt he's using it correctly and he's becoming somewhat depressed as his eyesight and balance/dexterity have been failing. We wanted them to consider moving to assisted living, but my stepmom wants to move back to Oregon, where most of her kids are, but Dad stubbornly wanted to stay in AZ for no discernible reason--they have no family there, few other ties, and Dad no longer even goes outside to enjoy the sunshine in the winter.
Anyway, spoke with my stepbrother (whom I've never met or even talked to before) and a couple of days ago, his mom told him my dad has told her to look for a place for them to move when she goes out to OR to visit in a couple of weeks (I'm staying with my dad that week so she gets a break).
WHEW. I know we can figure out the logistics--sounds like my step-siblings and their families can do a lot of the actual move once they find a place. Hopefully get all of this accomplished by late summer/early fall. I am SO relieved. I think it will be a MUCH better situation for both of them, but I was really dreading trying to convince my dad to consider it.
I feel like a huge burden has been lifted.
Anyway, spoke with my stepbrother (whom I've never met or even talked to before) and a couple of days ago, his mom told him my dad has told her to look for a place for them to move when she goes out to OR to visit in a couple of weeks (I'm staying with my dad that week so she gets a break).
WHEW. I know we can figure out the logistics--sounds like my step-siblings and their families can do a lot of the actual move once they find a place. Hopefully get all of this accomplished by late summer/early fall. I am SO relieved. I think it will be a MUCH better situation for both of them, but I was really dreading trying to convince my dad to consider it.
I feel like a huge burden has been lifted.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
Got an email from my brother last night, too--I had called to give him a heads-up, and we were anxious to hear what (if anything) my dad said to him about moving. My brother said he made it this announcement of a "very important decision," and of course, my brother feigned surprise but then congratulated him over and over on making such a SMART decision.
I'm so happy that as far as my dad's concerned, this is ALL his idea (I'm sure my stepmom wore him down--he said they were moving to take the pressure off HER). Which is a perfectly valid consideration--and, in fact, one of the primary arguments WE were going to use. But so much better for him not to feel he's giving in to everybody.
I'm so happy that as far as my dad's concerned, this is ALL his idea (I'm sure my stepmom wore him down--he said they were moving to take the pressure off HER). Which is a perfectly valid consideration--and, in fact, one of the primary arguments WE were going to use. But so much better for him not to feel he's giving in to everybody.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
I'm grateful for Warren Zevon! I'm listening to the "Excitable Boy" album right now and will likely follow that w/a few more of his. He is one of my favorites, but I haven't thought about him in a long time till I was just reminded by an "ABC music" thread on another site.
I sure do mourn the loss of that crazy lad...
I sure do mourn the loss of that crazy lad...
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,872
Grateful for a rainy day that allowed us to play insude and get lots of "house things" done. Rain in Texas this time of year is truly a blessing!
Grateful for this forum, always. I think Anvil said this recently, but it's so nice a place like this exists.
Peace, y'all!
Grateful for this forum, always. I think Anvil said this recently, but it's so nice a place like this exists.
Peace, y'all!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,699
Lexie - so glad your dad's made a decision you are happy with! 
HP - Aww Warren Zevon <3. Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner was my sister and I's go to sing along on the way to Oregon a few weeks ago! Awesome memories.
Grateful for a physically hard working weekend doing some landscaping. My body is sore, but I feel good!
HP - Aww Warren Zevon <3. Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner was my sister and I's go to sing along on the way to Oregon a few weeks ago! Awesome memories.
Grateful for a physically hard working weekend doing some landscaping. My body is sore, but I feel good!
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,781
Ecstatic that we had our garage sale this weekend.... because now it's OVER and I NEVER have to do that again. Wow, did that whole process take a LOT out of me! 
I'm so grateful that DD's new friend's parents found me after a school event the other night just so that we could officially meet - the girls have gotten pretty close over this school year. Her mom made me laugh & then flattered me deeply in just a few seconds, I think it's a friendship sent from my HP - just what DD & I BOTH needed. She opened with, "I just wanted you to see that my husband & I are NORMAL PEOPLE" (totally something I would say, so I did LOL for a moment) but went on to let me know that her DD had been having a horrible time adjusting to middle school this year "until she met your daughter & she has been such a GOOD friend to her that I wanted to thank you. It means so much to us that she has someone like that."
Of course, I told her I think they found each other & that I could/would say the exact same thing - their DD showed mine the same kindness & friendship when she needed it most. DD started middle school not knowing a single other student but we kept telling her that it was a good thing. Her old friendships were superficial & in MS she's taking part in programs like AVID & Cambridge & electives like chorus/theater so she's meeting other like-minded kids with similar talents & interests & able to start more meaningful friendships. We've already made plans with these new friends that will fill half of DD's upcoming summer break, SCORE!
I'm so grateful that DD's new friend's parents found me after a school event the other night just so that we could officially meet - the girls have gotten pretty close over this school year. Her mom made me laugh & then flattered me deeply in just a few seconds, I think it's a friendship sent from my HP - just what DD & I BOTH needed. She opened with, "I just wanted you to see that my husband & I are NORMAL PEOPLE" (totally something I would say, so I did LOL for a moment) but went on to let me know that her DD had been having a horrible time adjusting to middle school this year "until she met your daughter & she has been such a GOOD friend to her that I wanted to thank you. It means so much to us that she has someone like that."
Of course, I told her I think they found each other & that I could/would say the exact same thing - their DD showed mine the same kindness & friendship when she needed it most. DD started middle school not knowing a single other student but we kept telling her that it was a good thing. Her old friendships were superficial & in MS she's taking part in programs like AVID & Cambridge & electives like chorus/theater so she's meeting other like-minded kids with similar talents & interests & able to start more meaningful friendships. We've already made plans with these new friends that will fill half of DD's upcoming summer break, SCORE!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,699
Grateful for an impromptu river runoff check drive with a friend last night.
I've always called the driver's seat of my car "the thinking seat." It is, and with a dear friend in the passenger seat, it's therapy - the best kind. Life's problems get solved, and all is well with the world for an evening.
I've always called the driver's seat of my car "the thinking seat." It is, and with a dear friend in the passenger seat, it's therapy - the best kind. Life's problems get solved, and all is well with the world for an evening.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,781
Originally Posted by firebolt 
Grateful for an impromptu river runoff check drive with a friend last night.
I've always called the driver's seat of my car "the thinking seat." It is, and with a dear friend in the passenger seat, it's therapy - the best kind. Life's problems get solved, and all is well with the world for an evening.
I've always called the driver's seat of my car "the thinking seat." It is, and with a dear friend in the passenger seat, it's therapy - the best kind. Life's problems get solved, and all is well with the world for an evening.
Doing a happy, happy, happy dance because my BFF of 20+ years is coming to visit in a couple of months. We have never had a visit that is just about us without our families involved at least somewhat. She'll be here for 5 days & I'm looking into spending 3 days of it at the beach so that we can be truly away from life (even mine) for those few days. It is likely the last time in our lifetimes that we'll be able to do this & I want to get the most we can out of it. Her husband is my husband's best friend & we love each other's kids so much that we tend to plan for the whole family to get together.... and then we spend a lot of our time together doing laundry & meals & all of that.
She's had a very difficult couple of years & actually made time for her husband to visit mine for 5 days just before her world started collapsing.... so the boys have HAD their time, lol. I reminded RAH about how I helped get them set up for a 4-day camping/canoeing trip where they went off the grid for days just living in nature & how now it's OUR turn to do the same, guilt & responsibility-free.
I'm SO excited!!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
Today I'm grateful for trilliums
swallows
moss
and oak trees just beginning to burst their buds (oaks always the last to leaf out in spring, the last to drop leaves in fall...)
Had a wonderful beautiful walk in the woods w/the houndies. It just fills my soul up until it runs over. Sending little rivulets of overflowing springtime Nature-joy to all here!
swallows
moss
and oak trees just beginning to burst their buds (oaks always the last to leaf out in spring, the last to drop leaves in fall...)
Had a wonderful beautiful walk in the woods w/the houndies. It just fills my soul up until it runs over. Sending little rivulets of overflowing springtime Nature-joy to all here!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,572
Today I am grateful for the unexpected opportunity to spend my younger daughter's mid-week birthday with her (usually she would have been at her dad's). She is still recovering from her toe surgery last week. In retrospect, having both feet done probably wasn't the smartest decision during the school year. Anyway, she is officially 13, which makes me the mother of TWO teenage girls, and one six-year-old boy who is about to lose his first tooth. 
I am grateful that STBXAH seems to be handling his dog's latest health problem fairly well. I have written a lot about STBXAH's dog in the past, but the quick version is that he is VERY old, with VERY serious arthritis. We had a scare a few months ago when he had a foot wound that became infected, and I was convinced the dog would not pull through.
Anyway, this sweet dog has not eaten in four days, and has very little to drink. STBXAH took him to the vet last night, and x-rays revealed that *something* in the dog's stomach is pushing on and displacing his organs. Possibilities include a tumor. The vet gave him some antibiotics, and STBXAH is now just in wait-and-see mode. No extreme measures will be taken. If the antibiotics help, great. If not, it will be time to say goodbye. After STBXAH's less-than-stellar handling of the LAST health scare, I'm glad that he appears to be accepting the reality of the situation and will do what's best for this sweet, sweet dog.
I'm also grateful for our continued work with the local animal rescue. We are still fostering the same dog we've had for two months--he came in with a group of older dogs, and it has been harder to adopt them out than past groups who have been younger. The rescue is having a big fundraiser this weekend, and I will be escorting our foster dog, along with my friend's foster dog (she and her husband will be out of town). It will be nice to have some social interaction with people who have similar interests to my interests other than recovery. Does that make sense? I have been working hard to expand my "real life" circle of friends to include online recovery friends, and I'm glad I have. It feels like I'm in a good place emotionally to further expand my "real life" circle of friends outside of the recovery context.
I am grateful that STBXAH seems to be handling his dog's latest health problem fairly well. I have written a lot about STBXAH's dog in the past, but the quick version is that he is VERY old, with VERY serious arthritis. We had a scare a few months ago when he had a foot wound that became infected, and I was convinced the dog would not pull through.
Anyway, this sweet dog has not eaten in four days, and has very little to drink. STBXAH took him to the vet last night, and x-rays revealed that *something* in the dog's stomach is pushing on and displacing his organs. Possibilities include a tumor. The vet gave him some antibiotics, and STBXAH is now just in wait-and-see mode. No extreme measures will be taken. If the antibiotics help, great. If not, it will be time to say goodbye. After STBXAH's less-than-stellar handling of the LAST health scare, I'm glad that he appears to be accepting the reality of the situation and will do what's best for this sweet, sweet dog.
I'm also grateful for our continued work with the local animal rescue. We are still fostering the same dog we've had for two months--he came in with a group of older dogs, and it has been harder to adopt them out than past groups who have been younger. The rescue is having a big fundraiser this weekend, and I will be escorting our foster dog, along with my friend's foster dog (she and her husband will be out of town). It will be nice to have some social interaction with people who have similar interests to my interests other than recovery. Does that make sense? I have been working hard to expand my "real life" circle of friends to include online recovery friends, and I'm glad I have. It feels like I'm in a good place emotionally to further expand my "real life" circle of friends outside of the recovery context.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,781
Originally Posted by StacyR
Grateful for a moment of loving myself today.
Many prayers for your Ex's dog, Wisconsin!
Grateful today for my little botanist DD - she is successfully growing watermelons, cantaloupe, pineapple(s) & lemons right now. She's had some minor fails/successes with other planting & is learning so much in the process. I keep laughing on the inside because watching her grow & learn more about herself is so warm & fuzzy. She insists on her passion for veterinary studies but her hobbies/activities show me how she is fascinated with all things science.....
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
FS, she is growing pineapples? Wow! I guess there may be an upside to that warm, muggy Florida weather...that is cool, to be able to grow pineapples!
I make myself some lemon/ginger water every AM in my super blender and I think of your lovely little lemon tree then.
I make myself some lemon/ginger water every AM in my super blender and I think of your lovely little lemon tree then.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,699
Wisconsin - hoping for the best possible outcome for your poor ole dog 
At the least - peace and comfort, for pooch and you all.
Grateful for ending a casual dating relationship. I came, I saw, I decided I didn't want to be there. EARLY ON. And then I acted on it. Yay. I did not wake up 5 years from now wishing I left sooner!
At the least - peace and comfort, for pooch and you all.Grateful for ending a casual dating relationship. I came, I saw, I decided I didn't want to be there. EARLY ON. And then I acted on it. Yay. I did not wake up 5 years from now wishing I left sooner!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
firebolt, that is great that you actually made a decision about a relationship and where it was going, or NOT going. I've always just drifted along--"gosh, someone likes me? I better make the most of it, b/c who knows when I'll get another chance!" Congrats on knowing yourself and what you want.
Wisconsin, I totally get this. I am in a similar place. I've found a knitting group that meets on Thursday AMs, mostly older than me but I like the vibe--have gone a couple of times now. I've found a spinning group but they only meet once a month and the same people don't show up every time, so it's a slow way to make friends. I've gone on one hike w/a hiking group who I liked very much (again, many retirees but an active, fun bunch) but time has simply not allowed me to do more yet. I've also just begun to attend a local non-denominational church which is a small congregation but very active in volunteering and educational programs and am thinking this may be a good fit too (but I'm taking my time making any decisions--thank you, SR and Alanon!)
My big hindrance is time--first, in that I work 2nd shift, so the daytime activities I am available for are likely to be an older age group than me (that is not always a problem, but sometimes it can be), and 2nd, in that I have a great deal to do around my house/yard as well as having 2 dogs that need my time. But I guess better to have too much to do than not enough....?
Anyway, I understand totally what you're saying. It's time to integrate what has been learned in recovery so far w/what's going on in the rest of the world. I think when we do that, the two just feed on each other--we have opportunities to use our recovery growth, and we're pushed to grow further yet.
It will be nice to have some social interaction with people who have similar interests to my interests other than recovery. Does that make sense? I have been working hard to expand my "real life" circle of friends to include online recovery friends, and I'm glad I have. It feels like I'm in a good place emotionally to further expand my "real life" circle of friends outside of the recovery context.
My big hindrance is time--first, in that I work 2nd shift, so the daytime activities I am available for are likely to be an older age group than me (that is not always a problem, but sometimes it can be), and 2nd, in that I have a great deal to do around my house/yard as well as having 2 dogs that need my time. But I guess better to have too much to do than not enough....?
Anyway, I understand totally what you're saying. It's time to integrate what has been learned in recovery so far w/what's going on in the rest of the world. I think when we do that, the two just feed on each other--we have opportunities to use our recovery growth, and we're pushed to grow further yet.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,781
Originally Posted by honeypig
FS, she is growing pineapples? Wow! I guess there may be an upside to that warm, muggy Florida weather...that is cool, to be able to grow pineapples!
I make myself some lemon/ginger water every AM in my super blender and I think of your lovely little lemon tree then.
I make myself some lemon/ginger water every AM in my super blender and I think of your lovely little lemon tree then.
The best part is that all we have to do is buy a pineapple (all 3 of us eat them like crazy during season), hack off the top piece & plant it. That's it - the plant regenerates & grows. We eat more than we have room to plant. At one point my mom had them lined all the way around her house/pool cage & we could just walk outside & pick one to eat. The first fruit it produces is always super sweet, like candy!
You can plant them indoors too - they are supposed to be one of the easiest fruits to grow.
How To Grow Pineapples? Growing Pineapples Is Ridiculously Easy
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
FS, the S side of my house is very warm, being protected from the wind and also b/c the sun reflects off the white siding. I have pots, I have soil, and as soon as I get to the store, I'm buying me a pineapple!!
Thanks for the link to the article and for the inspiration--I have grown many things before but never, ever a pineapple!
ETA: Oh, big, big bummer--the article says 24 months to bear fruit...and I sure don't have 24 consecutive frost-free months here in Wisconsin. Poop. Well, I may still plant one just to see what it looks like growing. And then when winter comes, I'll mail it to you and DD, FS, and it can live by you thru the cold!
Thanks for the link to the article and for the inspiration--I have grown many things before but never, ever a pineapple!
ETA: Oh, big, big bummer--the article says 24 months to bear fruit...and I sure don't have 24 consecutive frost-free months here in Wisconsin. Poop. Well, I may still plant one just to see what it looks like growing. And then when winter comes, I'll mail it to you and DD, FS, and it can live by you thru the cold!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,872
Ok, deleriously tired after storms shredded Texas again last night but so grateful we did not get anything but a ton of rain-no damage, again. There was hail all around my small town!
Oh, and grateful for the Dollar Tree run I made with a dear friend-scored two brand new pairs of colorful flip flops for the summer for a buck each-they will either be the most comfortable pair of shoes, or the worst....but for $2, it's ok of they stink! Grateful for cheap stuff...seriously
Oh, and grateful for the Dollar Tree run I made with a dear friend-scored two brand new pairs of colorful flip flops for the summer for a buck each-they will either be the most comfortable pair of shoes, or the worst....but for $2, it's ok of they stink! Grateful for cheap stuff...seriously
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