AA Across the water

I went to Port Townsend today with Jane, a friend of mine. Here she is standing by the life boats just in case!
We are approaching Port Townsend here.
Across the street is the ALANO Club for Alcoholics Anonymous. I went to the noon meeting and met alot of new people. I used to run to the nearest local pub in every town I visited, now I visit all the AA halls. The people are the same only in AA they are sober.
And here is the meeting room waiting for all of us alkies to come and share our stories. We studied step 9 today. "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. (That is another post).


As we were crossing the Strait I was thinking of Ellen and the time she went whale watching up by Vancvouver Island. My heart goes out to her and her adoring Hillbilly husband Curtis. Ellen is fighting the fight of her life right now with cancer. She needs all the prayers she can get. She went into a hospice place yesterday where she can get 24/7 nursing care. If you have the time, pop over to her sight http://headlint.blogspot.com/ and say hello. Her husband reads her blog to her every night.
God Bless you Ellen. I'm praying for you.

New afghan

I don't know how to flip the picture for this post, but here is the afghan I just finished for my sis. I call it the "Candy Cane" afghan. I love the deep red color so I made up a pattern and named it. It is bigger than what I want so I will modify the pattern for a smaller one for me. It is made from "Homespun" yarn. It is soft and great to wrap up in during cold winter nights (IF THE CATS WILL LET GO OF IT).

Well I am off to bed. I have a few busy days ahead of me. I am going to Port Townsend tomorrow and Thursday I am driving south of Seattle to Seatac airport to pick up a friend.

Tip for the day:
When doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on.
Hmmm...I haven't fit in doll clothes for decades!! But I wonder if it would work putting on tight pants on hot days?

More pics of Lady Washington

This is what she looks like all dressed out.

This is her in the background


These pictures were taken from the wharf about a half hour ago. (8:30pm).

That's her in the back right.

Ahhhh, I love my little Island!
This was a relaxing day today. I did absolutely NOTHING!

I did go to Curtis's blog and read his thoughts about his wife Ellen. Please pray for them.

Lady Washington

The Lady Washington has appeared in Coupeville! It looks majestic next to our Wharf. I heard they are going to have a mock battle in the Harbor. When? Don't know. This Ship appeared in the Pirates of the Carribbean.

This weekend was great. The sun was out both days. I went to Church then came home and my friend Debbie followed me into Oak Harbor so I can leave my car at the garage to get serviced tomorrow. I am having it detailed inside and out, oil changed, filters replaced, air conditioner serviced. I like to keep it in good shape and have preventative maintenance on it regularly. I don't like surprises!
Anything exciting going on your way?
Any funny stories? Aww, c'mon, There's gotta be something going on!! JimBob?

Did you know...
Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair?

Stuff

I have been waiting all week for word from my doctor to see what the CTscan found.
I'm feeling much better, but there is something going on in my sinuses. I want it FIXED!! Ok, a little show of impatience on my part here. sorry. Now I know how Leslie feels. She waited for months for results and found out they LOST them!! Arrgghh!
On a more cheerful note....I have a full week off!! YAHOOOOO! Sleep in every day!

We had hot dogs at work the other day so I took in a salad I saw in Paula Deen's magazine. It is a corn salad. I saw the recipe and thought good grief, I must try it! Everybody raved about it and even the guys took a copy of the recipe. It is quick and great for pot lucks or barbecues. Try it!

Corn Salad
2 cans corn (drained)
1 cup diced red onion
1 cup diced green pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
mix together and chill over night
just before serving add 10 ounces roughly crushed chili cheese fritos, stir well and watch it disappear!

Well I am off to my AA meeting. Have a great evening.
My prayers go out to all that died and were hurt in that horrible bridge collapse. And I applaud all the heroes that jumped together to help out the injured!
Thank you and God Bless you all.

More allergies!

After a two week bout with a head and chest cold and a week of antibiotics, I woke up Friday morning with a swollen eye, and a red rash. During the weekend it spread to the other eye. It burns and itches. My ears hurt and my throat is sore. I went to the doctor to ask to be referred to a specialist and she wanted to see me first. So She said "Oh, that looks like an allergy" YA THINK??!!
She is not my regular doctor but a partner. She gave me 6 prednisone pills and ordered a CT scan on my head. I told her about the troubles I've had the past 6 months. I had a bad reaction every time I went swimming (chlorine). I had a bad reaction when I took a new pill (Metformin).
Saturday I started a NEW pill (Actos) because Avandia that I was on for three years has been killing people. Hmmmm, maybe that would makes things easier. Naw.
So that is what has been happening in my life lately. I used to run to "Happy Hour" after work years ago....now I run to the Pharmacy!!
It's strange, but I seem to be running into the same people I knew at Happy Hour!! HAHAHAHHAHA
G'nite!

Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads.

Puffy eyes - Preparation H

Oscar the amazing cat

I was over visiting The Boomer Chronicles , and saw this article on "Oscar", the cat who can predict death. What an amazing article!! I made copies to take to the local Nursing homes.
Here is the Essay.


A feel good story for sure! Thanks Boomer!

It got a little breezy last night.....YA THINK??!!

I heard the wind last night then heard the old canopy flapping in the wind. I figured I'd have a few rips this morning, but had no idea I'd wake up to this! Luckily I had searched online for a replacement canopy in case this one bit the dust and it arrived Thursday!
So, I came home from Church today and put it on. It is a bit tight, but will loosen up when it rains (I hope). I spend alot of time under that canopy during the hot days (and rainy days).
I think I like the beige color better. It makes it look brighter. I might buy another one for back-up in beige.

Last night I was the guest speaker at the AA Hall in Oak Harbor. I have spoken before, but each time I get nervous at the last minute. I'm always afraid I will say the wrong thing, or talk too much about God (which alot of AA folks don't like). But it is a huge part of my story and the reason I am still sober today. I told my story in half an hour leaving out quite a few things but I think it went ok. There were only about 20 people there so it wasn't a huge crowd, but sometimes 10 people seem like a huge crowd.
Any way, I did it so there. Nothing in my life is a secret, so I tell it all and hope it reaches someone. I truly believe that if my story can help someone else get sober then it was worth it! My drinking career was fun while it lasted, but then my years in sobriety are more fun! Yes Virginia, there is life after sobriety!
Well Sunday is about over with. I napped today for two hours and ready to head back to bed. I am, feeling MUCH MUCH better, but am still tired from it all. Bronchitis drains you! I am off the antibiotics, so this week should be normal (however normal can be in my life).
I hope everyone has a marvelous week!

"The problem with the designated driver program, it's not a desirable job, but if you ever get sucked into doing it, have fun with it.
At the end of the night, drop them off at the wrong house."
--Jeff Foxworthy
hehehehe I like that one!! hehehehe

I've been tagged!

Holly tagged me.
I am to list eight random facts about me, so here it goes:
1. I am a 58 year old single gal.
2. I have worked in the Transit industry for 20 years on an Island in Washington State.
3. I am a recovering alcoholic with 20 years sobriety and still attend AA meetings weekly.
4. I am a practical joker and love to laugh and have fun. (Boy do I have some stories)!
5. I was a bartender for 18 years, a firefighter/EMT for 13 years, working on an ambulance on an Island in Washington State. (Boy do I have some stories)!
6. I am a Christian and attend a small non-denominational church in Coupeville.
7. I love cats and live with two of them.
8. I have Diabetes and live with chronic pain but refuse to let it cripple me. I am not disabled....I live and work with my disabilities and will work until I can't any longer.

The rules:
* Players start with eight random fact about themselves.
* People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of the blog, choose eight (or less!) people to tag and list their names and blog addresses.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged.

Oh heck, who wants to be tagged? How about Catmomma!

Summer colds suck!

I am on day 7 of this horrid cold I caught. Each day is different. Yesterday I could hardly breathe, I was so stuffy, and my heart was palpating in a weird beat. Today I felt better but my throat and ears hurt again. I stayed home from work again and went to the doctor who gave me some Azithromycin for 5 days and some great Cheratussin AC cough syrup with codeine! Yahoo, I sleep tonight! I have Bronchitis again. I think just about everyone at work has had it this year.
I came home and made some great tasting Sweet tea! I brewed some Lipton herbal ginger twist tea and added some instant ginger punch with sugar. It is GREAT iced!! And great for you! Ginger is a natural anti-inflamatory, and helps the digestive system.
I had to empty my air conditioner's reservoir and it had 3 cups of water in it! That was only three day's worth. GEEZE, no wonder I couldn't breathe yesterday. It was really muggy. We don't usually get muggy here. Today is back to normal. 70 degrees and high overcast. Yeah, that's what I like!
Back to my crocheting. I'm working on an afghan for me now in light dusty blue to match my chairs.

Arthritis?
WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too.
HUH?!

This a record breaking HOT day today!

I slept hard last night and had a weird dream. In the dream (Ican't spell dreamt, drempt, wha??)So any way, in my dream I was ashamed of myself that I gave up my 20 years sobriety. Then I couldn't find out how or why I did. I finally got up this morning and was moving really slow and my head was not quite clear. I realized as I was getting ready for work that I felt horrible! My throat was raw like I might have snored last night, but I sleep with a CPAP machine and cannot snore, so it was sore for another reason. As I was getting dressed I realized I was sick, so I called in to work to tell them I was sick. Well in my foggy state I forgot that I was supposed to be in at 8:00am to be with the design team for our new facility we want to build in the (hopefully)near future. I was told to go ahead and stay home, but I was feeling guilty and went in anyway. I introduced myself and my boss looked at me and sent me home. The hottest day of the century and I call in sick. Yeah, right!
Now I realize the dream was because of the bartending last Saturday and my not feeling good in the middle of the night. My subconscious was telling me I was hung over. HA! Fooled you, mr subconscious!! I came home, got undressed and went back to bed and woke up at 1:00pm. The temperature outside got up to 98 degrees, and my brand spanking new portable air conditioner is working quite well!!
It is still hot in here, but not like an oven. Next year I might buy a window unit for the spare room to keep this side of the house cooler. I am not getting any younger, and when I retire I will need to be cool, as one of the side effects of diabetes is that your internal thermostat quits working like it should and heat is getting harder and harder to bear.
Meet Mr. Cool!
Mr. Cool is facing the other side of the house. It cools 400 square feet and my house is 900 square feet.

I hope you all can stay cool. I'm going to get some theraflu now.

I sell Mary Kay cosmetics, but if you can't afford the masks,
use Elmer's Glue -
paint on your face,
allow it to dry,
peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads.

I went to a wedding!

Today was the most popular day ever for weddings, being 7-7-07. My good friend Tina was one of them. I have known her since she was in diapers, and have been a part of their family all these years. They met me when I was a bartender, married and a drunk. Her mother Debbie actually got me attending the Church I go to now. I liked the idea of Church on a Saturday night and the short sermons. Well we started a branch of the Church here in Coupeville two years ago and we only have one service and it is on Sunday morning at 10:00am. Oh well.
Any way, back to the wedding....
It was held at a farm in a huge barn and it was so romantic! Jason sang a love song of promise to her during the service.
This is Tina and her mother Debbie. Debbie is in her 50's, and doesn't look a bit over 40! I hate her. No really, I HATE her!
Hahahahaha just kidding. I love her like a sister. We have been through alot together. They asked me if I would bartend at the wedding, and of course I told them I would be honored to! I know, you all are thinking Geeze, Phyllis just celebrated 20 years of sobriety, and she is going to bartend??! Yep, I sure did. It was only wine, but the smell started getting to me after awhile. It was hard when people would ask what wine was sweet or dry. I gave them samples to taste. I must've uncorked 100 bottles of wine and champagne. There were over 150 people there. Everything went well, but I had to leave at 8:30 cause I was just too darned POOPED! On my feet for 3 hours and dancing behind the bar most of the time.

I aint young no more! I had a great time, and will do it again if asked. I used to love bartending. I was always in conversations with people and laughing the entire time. Well tomorrow is a day to REST and rest I will.

How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to
become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

Whew! I made it!!

I have been crocheting like mad to finish this afghan I started a couple of weeks ago. It is a wedding present for a dear friend of mine and their wedding is today at 4pm. I finished it at 3am today! Now it is time for me to get to bed and get rested for the big wedding!

Good night!

Two Reasons why it is hard to solve a Redneck Murder:
1.All the DNA is the same.
2.There are no dental records

Let the games begin.....

I heard a fire engine go by my house and went out to see what was going on and saw smoke billowing in the woods nearby. Fireworks have been exploding for three days now. I wish they would outlaw them. They are so dangerous! I guess I am turning into an old biddy, but after working on the ambulance for 10 years and in the fire department for nearly 14 years, I see the results of what started out to be innocent fun. Please folks, be careful and play safe!!

I have 5 days off! I go back to work on Monday the 9th. Ahhhhh, I have no huge plans, but I'm sure I will keep busy. Well, tomorrow is a barbecue, then Thursday I run errands and help my friend get appetizers together for a huge wedding this Saturday. She also needs help decorating the hall. Then Saturday is the big wedding, and Church on Sunday. Yep, I will keep busy. But the relaxing part is, I can stay up late each night, and sleep in each morning!! AHHHHHH.

No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

I'm just lazy I guess

I seem to forget I have a blog, or am just lazy. I see it has been over a week since I posted. I have a busy life as many of you know, so I blog when I can. I am busy in any of the spare time I have trying to finish off an afghan I started for a couple that is getting married. It is using a small needle and soft yarn. I guess it is like an oversized baby afghan. It is taking forever to finish, but it is nice.
I only work two days this week as I have alot of comp time coming to me from all the training I have been doing the past few months. So I have the 4th off and am going to a BBQ. Thursday is swimming and Friday I might have the day to myself. Ahhhhh, Calgon take me away! My friend is getting married Saturday, and then Sunday is Church.
I certainly hope you all have a fun and safe 4th!!

Believe in miracles.
I sure do!

Returning to old behaviours

Last night at our AA meeting we discussed "old behaviours".
To an alcoholic that can mean many things, but the bottom line is, we better watch out, or it could lead us to drink.
I have noticed in the twenty years I have been going to AA meetings and hanging around sober drunks, that most of us have a tendency to have a crisis in our lives. We call the ones that have alot of crisis one right after the other, "Drama Queen's". We suggest to get off your "pity pot" and do something about it and get on with your lives. Don't get me wrong, we all have crisis at times, and we in AA rally around the ones having a crisis and help them through it. It helps to keep them (and us) sober. But some just seem to keep doing the wrong things or saying the wrong things (that will be me):-).
I realized last night that when I was drinking, I would wake up the next day with dreaded guilt. I either said the wrong thing to someone, made an ass out of myself (quite often), flirted with someone in front of my husband (yep). scratched my car, drove to the wrong house thinking someone else was parked at my house, lost my keys (from the car to the door) and slept on the front porch. etc, etc, etc. Now you can see why I'd wake up with that guilty feeling.
In sobriety I wake up every morning instead of "coming to". I don't have that horrid guilt feeling. So when someone gets mad at me for something I said (quite often), I get the guilty feeling coming back. I think the worst and fret on it all day. I hate that feeling. It causes undue stress and is crazy.
Why can't I just leave it be, make amends and forget about it? I'm working on that.
The twelve step program is great!
Step three is "giving it to God". The big "G" word is hard for some people to take so they just ignore it and keep their old habits.
AA also helped me to learn to forgive and move on. What a gift to be able to truly forgive a person. A big weight is lifted when you do forgive. It is a great feeling of accomplishment to me to be able to forgive someone.
AA brought me to God, and now I have a great little Church I go to and I use my AA gifts to help people in my Church and lead them to AA.
I think God had his hand in this. he is using me to reach out to some people and help them. You know what? I LOVE it!
Have a great week. Yikes, July 4th is right around the corner!!

Stay safe on the roads this Holiday!
And buckle up!! Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs

Paul Potts

Oh my gosh, if you haven't heard of Paul Potts yet, you certainly will.
Go to this you tube site:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0dzZTPWrSM
He made me cry. I am not an opera fan, but he made me cry. I love his story!

Ain't he Puuurrty?!

Friday night was the "Birthday" night at my AA group. A dear friend brought me these beautiful roses to celebrate my 20 years of sobriety.
Wow. I'm not there yet, Thursday June 21st will be my 20 year mark, so I will show you the chip then, but I couldn't keep from sharing these beautiful roses! (And my handsome kitty)!

I hope everyone's week is going good. It is still cold here, but will warm up soon I hope.

Life is too short for long pity parties.
Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Sunday

I came home from Church this morning and had steak and eggs (num), put a pot roast in the electric fry pan, then I went to bed to read for awhile. About 4 hours later I woke up and panicked. It was daylight and I wondered what time it was, I panicked and thought I was late for work. It was 5:07. Hmm, it is early, I don't need to be to work until 8:00. WAIT A MINUTE, I'm dressed! Egads, it is still Sunday!
I jumped up and smelled the pot roast (Or should I say beef jerky).
HAHAHAHA Oh well I might get a few sandwiches out of this.

We had the installation of our new Pastor tonight at 6:00, so I freshened up and got there in time to greet everyone with my CPAP mask lines all over my face. HAHAHAHA We are family here and we all love each other. It was a nice ceremony then we had dessert and coffee.
Now I need to get ready for the second phase of my Sunday napping and get to bed!
Hope everyone has a great week!

It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
But the second one is up to you and no one else.

But for the Grace of God, there shall go I....

I Thank God every single day for my sobriety.
I mean it. I could be dead by now or worse off, drunk every night.
I went to my AA meeting tonight and a gal I used to sponsor came in. She hadn't been to an AA meeting for two years. She had over 12 years sobriety then quit going to meetings.
She isolated herself and shut me out of her life. I finally had to let go and give her to God. I couldn't help her and I was making myself sick trying. I found out last year that she had been drinking.
She called me a few nights ago and asked why I never call her. I suspected she was drunk but wasn't sure. I know now that when I suspect it, then it is probably true.
We used to talk every night. I found out she was lying to me and telling me her health was going downhill, and that she shook because of a "condition".
Well yeah, the condition is called booze.
I found out tonight that she has been drinking vodka daily. She is trying to wean herself off by going to wine then to beer. She had 1/2 beer today to keep from going into convulsions.
My gosh, this gal looks horrid, and has aged 20 years in the past few years!
She used to take pride in her looks, and kept an immaculate house. She now lives in a very messy house. I cried, and she cried. I hugged her and told her I was here for her if she wants to help herself, but I cannot worry about her like I did before.
She has to be honest.
Whew! WHAT HAPPENED???
What happened? She quit going to meetings, that's what happened!
She isolated herself and let herself get into a severe depression then drinking kept her there.
She lied to me, to her doctor, and to herself. She gave up on life and numbed herself with booze.
I HATE ALCOHOLISM!!!!! It took my mother, it has and is ruining many lives, and it is UGLY!
Alcohol is just a symptom of a deeper disease. Depression, bi-polar, whatever.
Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord for my sobriety!!!
God willing and the creek don't rise I will have 20 years of sobriety on the 21st of this month!

Remember the three R's:
Respect for self;
Respect for others;
and responsibility for all your actions.