Storytime… I get to school early in the morning, and occasionally I walk in the front door at the same time as parents who are dropping off their child at the “before school” Care program– a program for parents who have to work early and need the school to look after their child until school starts. A couple days ago, there was a parent walking in behind me. I let him in without checking his ID or to make sure that he had a key. As I walked down the hall, I questioned if he was an intruder (he did have a kid with him, mind you). I then pictured him pulling out a gun and shooting everyone in si ..read more

It isn’t over yet– but feels like it’s going so fast. It’s been (kind of) nice so far- we’re still out of town! We started our vacation on Saturday and booked a room at a place in Ohio called Landoll’s Mohican Castle. We stayed in the presidential suite, which had a twirly staircase (something I’ve always been obsessed with ), its own lookout tower, a balcony and a deck. The room/place was a teeny bit run down, and definitely quirky. My favorite thing about it is that it reminded me (us) of where we stayed at on our honeymoon. We stayed at a place called the Summit Resort in the Poconos Mount ..read more

Day 80. March 21, 2024 Life has been a little crazy. Work has been busy- but good. I think after almost two school years, I’m finally settling in. Our basement isn’t done, but it’s painted and the floor is about 10% complete! Hubby has been making slow, but steady progress and I’m trying to be patient. I finally got around to rescheduling my rheumatology appointment that I cancelled at the end of February. They always do bloodwork and my hemoglobin is chronically low. It was 8 in November- which is very low- but really was hoping that I could bring it up by eating loads of spinach, spirulina a ..read more

Sometimes I’m reminded how grateful I am to not be a drinker anymore. Today was one of those days. It’s Monday, and I have the day off thanks to Presidents Day. We watched a movie later than planned, then snacked on cheese and chatted with the boys for a bit and didn’t get to bed until almost 1:00am. Once asleep, I slept well but woke up super groggy. I didn’t drink a smoothie yesterday, so I made one instead of coffee, hoping it would help my energy. It did not. I took a shower, and then napped, then had lunch (leftovers from a Mexican restaurant- very processed/unhealthy), then napped again ..read more

Write about your dream home. My dream home is a paradise. In the spring & summer, the colors are vivid and the energy is contagious. In autumn, things get darker .. and then finally a “still” white- where rest and reset is top priority and, the long dark days allow ample time to think & reflect. My dream home connects with loved ones daily, both here & in the afterlife. My dream home gives me solace, after a long hard day spent out in the world. During chaotic times, I turn to my dream home for quiet & comfort. During happy times, I decorate my dream home in the most elaborat ..read more

February 3, 2024 Day #34 of no weed. It was a good crutch for awhile, but now I know that I’ll never go back. All my most precious jewels are made of paper, not metal. You see, my hubby has this habit of making me a ring, out of straw wrappers every time we go out to eat. He’s done this for years, but it wasn’t until recently that I began to really appreciate it. It started with my nephew- the one who lived with us from about age 16-18. We’d often go out to eat, but I didn’t realize anyone was paying attention. He’s been seeing his girlfriend for a couple of years now. A couple months ago, I l ..read more

Happy Saturday! It’s day 20, hooray! I’m so glad I made that decision on January 1st to break a dumb habit that I knew wasn’t serving me. When I was young, we used to go stay at my grandparents’ little cabin up in Luzern, MI- a quiet town that had one stop light with one bar/restaurant, post office and hardware store. One time we had a relative that I never met come and visit us. I don’t remember her name, believe she was my dad’s cousin and think that she lived in the Philippines- although I might be getting her mixed up with another family member. The only thing I really remember about her ..read more

It’s a wonderful Sunday, because I don’t have to work tomorrow Today marks two weeks of no pot. Actually, I’m loving it! I feel smarter- and more confident. And I treated myself to a ridiculously expensive sweat outfit (Aviator Nation- I love the feel & quality of this brand). I’ve been eying it since before Christmas and splurged because I’m doing great with this and haven’t been and won’t go to the dispensary. I’ve been thinking about the space I’m making by purging this, along with all the pesky thoughts about quitting and/or feeling guilty about it. Space that’s now open for wonderful ..read more

Today marks day 11 of no weed! So far, it’s been easy I think it was mainly a habit. It didn’t alter my mind much at all (I built a high tolerance), but sure made me hungry and lazy! The first night I thought a little bit about it, not so much the 2nd night & by the third night I was like, “eh, pot, what’s that again?” I don’t want to downplay it. It feels good to be free of it. People say it’s harmless and non addicting, but I disagree with both those statements. Also, the last time I quit, it was for about 30 days. I didn’t notice any difference except for some crabbiness so I started u ..read more

It’s been said that all emotions come from love or fear. Early in my sobriety, I went to AA meetings and tried working the steps numerous times. I always got hung up on step 4. I couldn’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, how the heck was I supposed to remember everyone who had done me wrong throughout my life? Triggers. As it turns out, I didn’t have to remember anything. I just had to pay attention to my emotions. Why did I find myself stuffing my face mindlessly hours after a family party? Why did a simple conversation with a friend end with me feeling angry and mistreated? Triggers ..read more