24 Hour Recovery Connections Part 400
Guest
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 2,256
At the end of each school year, the kids bring back all their school books, projects, artwork etc. I've spent hours over the last few days, going through all their school work....cutting out the best/funniest/cutest bits and sticking them into scrapbooks. It's a lovely way to store memories and made me think about all the days out/happy times we've had as a family so yesterday I printed out loads of photos from my phone and hunted around for tickets/leaflets/booking confirmations etc. Then I made a scrapbook of all our fun family times and last night, when I finally finished I looked through all the photos and memorabilia and something struck me..... the scrapbook starts from November 2016. I stopped drinking in November 2016. Coincidence? I mean, we went on family holidays and had lots of days out before November 2016.... I just don't seem to have many photos or memorabilia from before then. Maybe I wasn't enjoying the experiences enough to want to memorialise them....maybe I was more interested in when the kids would get to bed so I could have a drink. Whatever the reason, now I have a scrapbook of fun, happy times from the date I stopped drinking. It's like my sobriety has a physical form. .... I can hold it. I can look through this scrapbook and look at the smiling faces and know that I was sober in every image ..... I was present in every experience ..... my joy is real and my memory of every event is crystal clear. I can't wait to add to the scrapbook. Starting with Orlando. I've got so carried away with the scrapbooking that I told my family I'm going to take an empty scrapbook to Orlando and stick in tickets and maps and leaflets whilst we're there. My family told me to calm down, get a grip and stop talking about scrapbooks. My son suggested I take a folder to Orlando and put all the memorabilia in that and then compile the scrapbook when I get home. He said that if I spend the whole time thinking about what to put in the scrapbook, I might miss what's going on in real time.
And he's right. And I feel so blessed to have these characters in my life who can reign in my 'all or nothing' personality and teach me about balance and moderation. I need them ..... and you know what? They need me. Because once us 'all or nothings' get the extremes of our personalities under control, we can achieve incredible things.... exhibit A - my scrapbook. I mean, I don't want to keep going on about it but this scrapbook is truly awesome
Is it possible to get addicted to scrapbooking? I fear it may be .....
Congratulations to everyone celebrating a milestone today. 24 more hours for me please xxx
And he's right. And I feel so blessed to have these characters in my life who can reign in my 'all or nothing' personality and teach me about balance and moderation. I need them ..... and you know what? They need me. Because once us 'all or nothings' get the extremes of our personalities under control, we can achieve incredible things.... exhibit A - my scrapbook. I mean, I don't want to keep going on about it but this scrapbook is truly awesome
Is it possible to get addicted to scrapbooking? I fear it may be .....Congratulations to everyone celebrating a milestone today. 24 more hours for me please xxx
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,217
Gooood morning sober friends!
Just started my new part-time job and worked the last 3 days in a row- I am definitely getting used to 8 hour days on my feet (retail) but so far it was a lot of fun being back in the work world and in a job I love (same company I used to work for, new location.)
I feel blessed and grateful for the opportunity and for the extra income as well
I have the next 5 days off to enjoy with my toddler and family. Hoping for a good workout this morning and maybe the pool later if the weather cooperates.
Wishing you all a lovely day!
Just started my new part-time job and worked the last 3 days in a row- I am definitely getting used to 8 hour days on my feet (retail) but so far it was a lot of fun being back in the work world and in a job I love (same company I used to work for, new location.)
I feel blessed and grateful for the opportunity and for the extra income as well
I have the next 5 days off to enjoy with my toddler and family. Hoping for a good workout this morning and maybe the pool later if the weather cooperates.
Wishing you all a lovely day!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: German Village, Columbus with my love ♥
Posts: 88,534
♥ This is a list of everyone who posted their commitment to stay sober in the last
24 hours: 8 pm EDT ~ 7.59 pm EDT.
It is awesome to have every single one of you here with us! 
♥
1newcreation
abcowboy
Alysheba
ananda
Atlast9999
aussieblue
Awake61
Babs1234
badgerden
bandicoot2
BarbieKen
Ben123
Ben123
BrandNewDay11
Bubovski
Canadian Koala
CeeFarro
ChloeRose63
Coldfusion
county111111
CrossYourHeart
Daisybelle
Dee74
Delilah1
Endoftheday
erfra7
Finalcall
Free2bme888
FormerBeerLover
Gabe1980
gatorman
Gilmer
Goat
goodbyeevan
goose333
Hats
helloxdarling
Hevyn
heyfly
Jack16
joandmelandhan
jsm273
julietUK
Kaneda8888
kenton
kevlarsjal2
Kris47
Lascaux
least
lilymaz
Lostmyoffswitch
lyddie
Mags1
Minion09
Marcutah1
Neoo
Nic233
nmd
PaigeMasters
PeaceB4
PhoenixJ
Pinky1
Plenny
Quincy
quitter62
Rainman1
Rar
RedBerryJuniper
Saskia
ShenzyT
Snufkin
soberista
SoberLeigh
stargazer016
Sunflower79
Sunflowerlife
Sweetpeacan
tgirl
TheToddman
theVman31
time2LLL60
tomls
vanaprastha
vassvik
venuscat
Vinificent
WaterOx
WeaverBird
Whendovescry
Willow68
wiscsober
YCDT2
Yixi
yukonm
Zanna
zeppodog
zoeydog
Onward together! ♥
24 hours: 8 pm EDT ~ 7.59 pm EDT.
It is awesome to have every single one of you here with us!
♥1newcreation
abcowboy
Alysheba
ananda
Atlast9999
aussieblue
Awake61
Babs1234
badgerden
bandicoot2
BarbieKen
Ben123
Ben123
BrandNewDay11
Bubovski
Canadian Koala
CeeFarro
ChloeRose63
Coldfusion
county111111
CrossYourHeart
Daisybelle
Dee74
Delilah1
Endoftheday
erfra7
Finalcall
Free2bme888
FormerBeerLover
Gabe1980
gatorman
Gilmer
Goat
goodbyeevan
goose333
Hats
helloxdarling
Hevyn
heyfly
Jack16
joandmelandhan
jsm273
julietUK
Kaneda8888
kenton
kevlarsjal2
Kris47
Lascaux
least
lilymaz
Lostmyoffswitch
lyddie
Mags1
Minion09
Marcutah1
Neoo
Nic233
nmd
PaigeMasters
PeaceB4
PhoenixJ
Pinky1
Plenny
Quincy
quitter62
Rainman1
Rar
RedBerryJuniper
Saskia
ShenzyT
Snufkin
soberista
SoberLeigh
stargazer016
Sunflower79
Sunflowerlife
Sweetpeacan
tgirl
TheToddman
theVman31
time2LLL60
tomls
vanaprastha
vassvik
venuscat
Vinificent
WaterOx
WeaverBird
Whendovescry
Willow68
wiscsober
YCDT2
Yixi
yukonm
Zanna
zeppodog
zoeydog
Onward together! ♥
July 31, 2018
to all of us ~ for another awesome sober day! ♥
to all of us ~ for another awesome sober day! ♥
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: German Village, Columbus with my love ♥
Posts: 88,534
Originally Posted by kevlarsjal2 
Sorry for intruding, but I have been thinking so much about the whole "fitting in" thing. I've been trying to fit in all my life, always felt like the odd one. But it takes me so much energy to fit in. So I am starting to wonder if it wouldn't be better to just accept that I do not fit in and be okay with it instead. I feel a bit like a duck trying to fit in with pigeons. It's possible and if I try hard the pigeons will see me as one of them but it's not in my nature to sit on trees, I feel much more myself swimming in the pond.
Originally Posted by venuscat
May I share?
Gonna sound silly....but moving here was a massive culture shock. Not good for me.....well, very good for my AV who started drooling....so I have found some interesting ways to acclimate and tell my devil to go the heck AWAY.....the accents were so strange, the ads.....I don't do TV....so I decided to change it up and I subscribed to YouTube TV for a month....I am listening to US stuff and starting to enjoy it.....starting to not feel like a Martian here....
I say this because this has been a HUGE trigger for me. Feeling different. Feeling alone. Feeling other than....sound familiar? So I fixed it. I am an Aussie American now....and I claim it.....my AV can go jump in the lake.
Love you Willow...thank you for being my friend. ♥♥
Gonna sound silly....but moving here was a massive culture shock. Not good for me.....well, very good for my AV who started drooling....so I have found some interesting ways to acclimate and tell my devil to go the heck AWAY.....the accents were so strange, the ads.....I don't do TV....so I decided to change it up and I subscribed to YouTube TV for a month....I am listening to US stuff and starting to enjoy it.....starting to not feel like a Martian here....
I say this because this has been a HUGE trigger for me. Feeling different. Feeling alone. Feeling other than....sound familiar? So I fixed it. I am an Aussie American now....and I claim it.....my AV can go jump in the lake.
Love you Willow...thank you for being my friend.
♥♥I didn't say I was trying to fit in.....no chance. That is not now & never will be a goal of mine because it's as you said Kev: a duck trying to fly with the pigeons......or be a pigeon. I can't. I'm a duck. And I'm happy being a duck.
But I can acclimate....make my surroundings and life/lifestyle conducive to calm and peace and health.....all of the things that the AV hates.
I am the strange gloxinia plant that pops up amongst the garden flowers, and no one knows what it is....my leaves grow bigger every year and suddenly, beautiful bell-shaped flowers appear.....so different from other flowers....so strong, so sturdy.....but if you prod them or don't treat them right, they fall off.
I am strong, but I am also fragile and I must protect that fragility.
I am different than most people I know, pretty much everyone really and that's OK. It's wonderful actually.....we all get our own unique experience.
We don't need to fit in with anyone....it's as Willow said....we can join with compassion and intellect and in whatever way we want whilst still remaining true to ourselves.
♥
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: German Village, Columbus with my love ♥
Posts: 88,534
Originally Posted by kenton
At the end of each school year, the kids bring back all their school books, projects, artwork etc. I've spent hours over the last few days, going through all their school work....cutting out the best/funniest/cutest bits and sticking them into scrapbooks. It's a lovely way to store memories and made me think about all the days out/happy times we've had as a family so yesterday I printed out loads of photos from my phone and hunted around for tickets/leaflets/booking confirmations etc. Then I made a scrapbook of all our fun family times and last night, when I finally finished I looked through all the photos and memorabilia and something struck me..... the scrapbook starts from November 2016. I stopped drinking in November 2016. Coincidence? I mean, we went on family holidays and had lots of days out before November 2016.... I just don't seem to have many photos or memorabilia from before then. Maybe I wasn't enjoying the experiences enough to want to memorialise them....maybe I was more interested in when the kids would get to bed so I could have a drink. Whatever the reason, now I have a scrapbook of fun, happy times from the date I stopped drinking. It's like my sobriety has a physical form. .... I can hold it. I can look through this scrapbook and look at the smiling faces and know that I was sober in every image ..... I was present in every experience ..... my joy is real and my memory of every event is crystal clear. I can't wait to add to the scrapbook. Starting with Orlando. I've got so carried away with the scrapbooking that I told my family I'm going to take an empty scrapbook to Orlando and stick in tickets and maps and leaflets whilst we're there. My family told me to calm down, get a grip and stop talking about scrapbooks. My son suggested I take a folder to Orlando and put all the memorabilia in that and then compile the scrapbook when I get home. He said that if I spend the whole time thinking about what to put in the scrapbook, I might miss what's going on in real time.
And he's right. And I feel so blessed to have these characters in my life who can reign in my 'all or nothing' personality and teach me about balance and moderation. I need them ..... and you know what? They need me. Because once us 'all or nothings' get the extremes of our personalities under control, we can achieve incredible things.... exhibit A - my scrapbook. I mean, I don't want to keep going on about it but this scrapbook is truly awesome Is it possible to get addicted to scrapbooking? I fear it may be .....
Congratulations to everyone celebrating a milestone today. 24 more hours for me please xxx
And he's right. And I feel so blessed to have these characters in my life who can reign in my 'all or nothing' personality and teach me about balance and moderation. I need them ..... and you know what? They need me. Because once us 'all or nothings' get the extremes of our personalities under control, we can achieve incredible things.... exhibit A - my scrapbook. I mean, I don't want to keep going on about it but this scrapbook is truly awesome
Is it possible to get addicted to scrapbooking? I fear it may be .....Congratulations to everyone celebrating a milestone today. 24 more hours for me please xxx
I do think I am going to go back and save a whole lot of them....better than Marian Keyes.
So.....you beautiful thing.......do you have any idea where you are going? Coming to? The scrapbook capital of the WORLD.....I could not believe my eyes.....had no idea what Nick was talking about.....massive massive stores totally dedicated to craft. And scrapbooking is such a passion here that is practically a college course.....do not go to Michaels. Stay away from Hobby Lobby.....oh my....maybe on your last day, so you can't go crazy and beg to live there....in the store I mean.
And you have to say store....if you say shop no one will understand you.
I love your post, I love how this journey has been scrapbooked, and I love your son's advice. Wonder how he got so smart?
♥
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