Grateful we have each other here on SR as the holidays approach. They really can be a mixed bag, eh? They bring some good memories and traditions, perhaps, but also can spark family conflicts, and bring up our losses and grief. I'm grateful my expectations are modest, just trying to get through them as best I can.
Grateful my daughter in law has invited me to join her family for Thanksgiving.
Grateful for Aly's wisdom in choosing to spend the day with her mom ... really sounds like the right thing.
CBS, my trip was to southeastern Arizona with a naturalist-led group, for birdwatching and some hiking. It is always so healing for me to be in nature. So grateful I could go.

Thank you Tursi!
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving too. So glad you're near the healing water and keeping yourself busy. Thank you for your kindness. All of you. :hug:
Today is my sister's birthday. I sent her a text.

PalmerSage - Even 2 yrs. after losing our yellow lab I still find his coarse, white-ish fur.
Turs - How true about the holidays being a mixed bag. I appreciate everyone here so much. We are family.
Aly - I'm glad you're here to talk about what's going on. So sorry you don't have more understanding & support. :hug:
CBS - Always good to see you, too. :)
Fearless - Your sonny boy sounds like mine at that age. I wanted so much for him to open up & let me know what was really going on in his head. I think tended to think he should tell me what I wanted to hear - and that wasn't true.
Grateful for all your news & views.
Grateful for the holidays - even though they're bittersweet at times.
Grateful to be understood & appreciated.

Grateful to read all your amazing parents and children, doing the best for our families. You’re the best!
Grateful not to stress at what I can’t do.
Grateful it’s early Sunday morning and I’m sober and happy being sober.
Grateful for all your inspiring Grats, I’m really humbled by your words. :grouphug:

I have been here in spirit, just have been busy with the big move. It took about 2 days to pack the truck and 2.5 days of driving. We now have 1 day to unload everything into my in-laws basement. My husband heads back home on Thanksgiving day and with the plan of coming back here in March. Not sure when I will see my husband again. I will have to head back to help finish packing up our house. It's going to be a bit of a challenge..especially when I have to deal with my Mom and sister.

Enough of my long story
Grateful for a place to stay
Grateful for a warm bed
Grateful my Mother in-law said she will make us grilled cheese sandwich today
Grateful to be sober
Grateful for all of you

Grateful for better sleep.

Aly, you are a wonderful daughter, and I'm sure your mom is absolutely thrilled that you will be there with her. :grouphug:
CBS and Hev, the shedding is crazy! I can spend literally hours cleaning and then the hairballs will start re-emerging out of nowhere.
Fearless, the teen years are so up and down. I too worry about my boys feeling lonely and disconnected at times. It can be really difficult to find friends who understand. Thank God we're sober - our heads are clear, and we're emotionally available when they're struggling.

Grateful for coffee.
Grateful my husband and older son are having a good time at a college football game with friends.
Grateful my younger son and I have been bonding - I really enjoy his company, and he and I both value peace and harmony.
Grateful that I got a head start on cleaning my older son's room so the cleaners can do their thing (I know that sounds counter-intuitive but some people will get it!) ;)
Grateful for my house. I spend a lot of time stressing and complaining, but I'm very lucky to live here.
Grateful to hand off some Thanksgiving dishes to my in-laws.
Grateful to keep reminding myself to avoid perfectionism - it's so difficult for me, but I'm trying!
Extremely grateful to be sober.

Busy today. Need to frost my husband's bday cake. Get the crockpot started and get my daughter from the airport.

Grateful my daughter's flight is on time.
Grateful for my family and home.
Grateful for my sobriety.
Grateful for all of you.
Grateful for SR.

Grateful for a negative Covid result. Just routine ahead of a colonoscopy tomorrow morning (Monday). Grateful that I had one done 5 years ago. They found a few small polyps then, so now I'm on the "every 5 years" plan and that time is tomorrow. Grateful for popsicles and jello to get me thru today.

Grateful for another day sober.

Grateful for better nights sleep. I still wake up in wee hours sometimes but at least I fall back asleep within an hour or more. Before I’d stay up the rest of the day because I couldn’t go back to sleep.

Grateful things are getting there. :smurf:

Alpine, congrats on making progress with such a big move. I’m still thinking about all those freezer meals you prepared. Rock star!
Aly, you are simply amazing!
Hev, yes, I am so glad for SR too and especially our little thread. We are a family ❤️
Grateful for all those sharing about parenting ups and downs. I’m not sure what is going on but last week it came to light that sonny boy was on the phone with a girl. He got all weirded out when we asked him about his new friend. Maybe a new crush? The last crush he had was a couple years ago. Being a teen now, crushes are a little different ☺️ Oh, I just realized maybe this is also why he asked for new clothes recently. He has only worn sweats for the last few years. Suddenly he wants jeans and better shirts. So I took him shopping yesterday.
Grateful that just when I thought he was spending too much time alone, sonny boys older friend invited him over last night. This guy is almost three years older. They met at a YMCA summer camp when my son was in elementary and the other boy last year in middle school. Unexpectedly they became great friends. The other guy is a little immature for his age. My son is an old soul. They have so much in common. Haven’t seen each other much in the last year due to pandemic but have a renewed interest in hanging out. They went to a college basketball game and had a great time. They both love art and the friend is going to a private art high school which is where sonny boy wants to go. His other BFF is also applying there. Grateful to catch up with the mom who I really like.
Grateful to have some time this morning to clean and get ready to pick up sonny boys cousin who will be here all week before the rest of the in-laws come out for T day
Grateful to be in a more positive mood today. There is always so much to be grateful for

Grateful for all of you and your unending support. Love to you all. :grouphug:

Grateful for my brother coming over before and after church to take care of Billie and the cats. Grateful he went to the store for me to get a few things I'd forgotten yesterday.

Grateful for all of you! :grouphug:

Alpine - That sounds stressful - I'm glad you took time out to post - sending some prayers up for things to go as smoothly as possible.
Intro - I'm glad you are 'getting there'. You've been trying so hard.
Grateful MrHev put a pot roast in the slow cooker.
Grateful for some new tops, even though I'm afraid to try them on.
Grateful it's almost time for Uggs & Uggs knock-offs. :yup: I will be wearing them until flip flop weather.
Grateful to be sitting here sober, & not sipping on some brain-numbing liquid.
Love to all.

Grateful for a good night's sleep.
Grateful I allowed myself to just rest and do hardly anything yesterday ... I don't do that very often, but I was tired from my trip.
Grateful for sunshine this morning.
Grateful for an invite from the neighbors to swing by for a hot dog.
Grateful for feeling less vertigo this weekend.
Grateful for my friends in the computer.

Alpine, phew, so busy! I hope you get moved ok, you sound well organised.
Grateful to listen to my cat purring curled up on my knee…makes everything seem ok.
Grateful I don’t yearn alcohol and love being sober.
Grateful to read your Grats and for being here. :grouphug:

Grateful Introvert’d is here.
Grateful I am able to come here for morning grats even when it’s nowhere near morning. I just realized that I probably can’t stop by tomorrow either so figured I’d do an evening pop in. Conveniently forgetting I’m a zombie at night.
Grateful I’m not a zombie because of any mind-numbing liquids, to borrow from Hev.
Grateful I went to a memorial for a cool guy from work last night. And got all the free iced tea I could drink :). Was happy I could just focus on the sweet tributes.
Grateful for dental floss and nail clippers.
Grateful I will have SR to check in on when I’m at my in-laws for almost a week. Everyone except one, possibly two, adults will be drinking pretty heavily so I will need to stick close. Feeling pretty good at the moment but find ideas of “just while you’re out of state” permeating my thought bubble a bit.
Grateful FBL is negative for Covid and taking good care of health with colonoscopy. I need to take a page from that book!
Grateful to have so much to be grateful for.

Grateful for almost 5 hours sleep. Any night with some sleep is a good night.

:coaster

Grateful to have had a wonderful ten days living in Rome. Grateful that my apartment was available for an extra four nights and that I chose to book it.

Grateful S. (the British woman from Nice) came to visit for a romantic weekend. Grateful (I forgot to mention before, as I discovered on our first date when it came time to order drinks) that she has been sober for a year and a half. Sobriety was one of many great topics of conversation as we walked and walked in Rome.

Grateful to have now made it to Naples, and to have had a wonderful sunny day trip to Capri two days ago. Now the November rains have settled in, but I'm grateful for them, too.

Grateful to have the time and money for this trip. Money isn't endless; there's much I don't do when everything costs 15 + euros for entry. Grateful to be so content just walking and taking in the local sites.

Grateful for the cheap, delicious food to be found on the backstreets of Naples.

Three more weeks of travel for ol' Deserto. Off to Barcelona tomorrow night. Endlessly blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Deserto, wow! Your trip sounds absolutely amazing. So happy you have even more travel planned.
Fearless, so glad your son was able to hang out with his friend. I understand that worry about him spending too much time alone.
Hev, I'm excited for Uggs too! I'm used to wearing something with a heel, due to my short stature, so they sometimes feel like I'm running errands in slippers - but is that such a bad thing?!
NL, thinking of you and your upcoming trip. You got this! So much is affirming your sobriety on a daily basis, and coming here to do that sounds like a great idea. Also - for me, not allowing any romantic thoughts about drinking to creep in was absolutely essential. I had to shut them down at the very first whisper. We're here for you, friend.

Grateful for coffee - especially good this morning.
Grateful for a productive weekend.
Grateful I don't have to go into the office at all this week - I feel so lucky.
Grateful I have the cleaning service coming today. Grateful that I've been acutely aware of my (often seriously unreasonable) expectations of perfection. It's exhausting to me and probably my whole family.
Grateful for fall weather, I love it.
Grateful my older son got into one of the colleges he applied to. It's probably not one he would attend, but still, a nice little boost!
Grateful for SNL and the chance to laugh as a family.
Grateful for quiet time to think before I start my day.
Grateful for my comfortable bed.
Grateful to keep remembering that time with loved ones isn't promised, especially the elderly.
Grateful to be sober.