Barbs, thinking of you and hoping your visit with your son is putting your mind at rest. I'm sure he and your daughter will be appreciating the more thoughtful sober you. X

My visit with my son and daughter was wonderful. He is recovering very nicely. He and his girlfriend will be flying out here in October for a visit and for some leaf peeping. I do need to work on my relationship with his girlfriend (most likely future wife). That is a situation I would have used alcohol to deal with. I need to find another way.

Barb, you both love your son so that's always a good place to start! It can be difficult loving a 'loved one's loved one!' Sometimes the best we can do is accept that our loved one has chosen them and that is what matters. Sometimes finding common interests can help. I am fortunate that my mil is a lovely woman who has always made me comfortable in her home. That said I met her son later in life, years after he had been seperated from his first wife.

So no that long ago, I bought myself a ukulele after months of messing about with a cheap one my son brought home. Now my daughter has picked up an interest in Ukulele. Difference is she can sing. It's so nice to see her coming out of the depression and anxiety. Right now she's sitting on the end of the bed with me teaching herself the cords to Colors by Halesy. She's still got a ways to go, but she's already come a long way. So proud.

Wonderful you can share the enjoyment of learning a new interest with your young daughter StDrag, might I suggest 'when I'm cleaning windows' by George Formby? ( depending on your age, you will probably need to google him, I'm not sure interest in his films travelled as far as Manitoba!) haha

Lol, that wonderful stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfmAeijj5cM

another uke lover here :D

lol, I like the gnome character on the tuba...

Some pretty famous players in that band :)

D

Is that one of his 'Travelling Wilburys' get togethers Dee? I love the idea of a fluid band of like minded amazeball musicians that just drop into a slot on a tour whenever they have a bit of free time!

I think the 'gnome' was Noddy, looking a little older these days!

Hi Toots

I think it's Noddy too :)

That was apparently around the time of his last album - but I think GH loved the mates approach ala Wilburys :)

I see Dave Edmunds and Jools Holland in there as well as Ray Cooper and Herbie Flowers - famous session guys.

D

Hi all, hope you're doing well.

Today is my one year sober! I'm so proud of myself - and that's not a feeling I often have. It has been really really difficult at times and I do still have the occasional pang of "wouldn't a G&T in the sunshine be nice...", but I'm so grateful that I changed my attitude to alcohol before getting pregnant - otherwise, I know that I would just have been counting down the days until I could have a glass of wine and then the whole cycle would've started again.

The fact that I have now got through most major events without a drink feels really good - I've been sober at Christmas, Birthdays, holidays, BBQs, stressful times and happy times. And although I sometimes felt in the moment that I was missing out by not drinking alcohol, I've realised that my enjoyment of these events was massively enhanced by my sobriety overall rather than diminished. (Not least because I no longer have to face that icky feeling of "what did I do / say last night?" - which was so damaging to my self esteem). I feel more robust in general - less volatile and more able to face things.

This place has helped enormously - thank you! I'm not sure I'm ready to graduate to the one year and over thread quite yet (I still feel like a newbie), so is it OK to stick around here while I'm still "One"? xx

A huge congratulations SomeSortOfHuman, big hug. I trust the pregnancy is going well? Is this your first?

Congratulations SSOH - I am so happy for you! :D

Congrats SSOH! One year is an amazing accomplishment. You now know that you can handle whatever the calendar throws at you!

SSOH CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST SOBERVERSARY

There will always be a welcom in the Overs for you anytime, there are different situations in moving forward in sobriety that they have a wealth of experience with. That said, the Undies always benefit from the support and knowledge of those who have walked those first tentative steps.

Thanks everyone - I can remember the day I decided to get sober very clearly. I just felt so dreadful - I could hardly function and had been in the cycle of constant hangovers for months. I never want to feel like that again and looking back now, it seems insane and cruel that I was doing that to myself.

STDragon - yep, this is my first! All going well so far... Recently had scan and saw him moving around - which was incredible and very reassuring.

Happy ONE YEAR Soberversary, SSOH!!! That is so awesome! Very inspiring, thank you for sharing ~ and congrats on your little one! :sprinkler

Congrats SSOH! G&T was my favorite too, but isn't sober life way more awarding.? I am now addicted to raspberry flavored seltzer water.

Congrats SSOH!!!