Just Gratitude.

February 25 - Life will "take off" for you...when you choose for it to...you must believe the promise and live it. You must live the promise of God. Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 75
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Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, My Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my OCD schnauzer
• My Sponsor
• My right Eye.
• The left eye is still sighted.
• Me living for humor. I crave it, I must have it, I must enjoy it.
• Being saved in a motorcycling dream by Big Jenn on her Harley.
• Not panicking when I just realized I forgot to take my meds today. (I'm forgetting too damned much these days. ???
• All y'all.

Y'all be pretty now, ya heah!

The disappearing Chocolates Starring Mamie.

February 24 - One day, if you have a great deal of courage, you will experience a world where making love is considered better than making war. On that day will you rejoice. Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 162

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The eyes are much better today. The left one changes almost daily but I am used to that. The right one is usually stable. That gives me one more thing to talk to the Dr. about next Monday. I'm just so thankful that God is giving me the strength to keep on going. I certainly have had enough examples put before me.

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I was sooooo mad at Mamie Sunday. I went to the store -Brookshire Bros. to get some Hot Links to grill. I was going to have a couple of Hot Link sandwiches with roasted fries. Well, they did not have them. Damned. But I did pick up three Bavarian Pastries with chocolate icing and filled with custard. I ate one on the way over to HEB - Sawdust, and left two in the sack. I was thinking one for desert and one for coffee on Monday. Well I did get my Hot Links, Some fresh rolls, and a couple of other things. I got to the truck and Mamie was just having a fit, As I opened the door, there on the drivers seat was an empty sack. Both of my Bavs gone and Mamie had some chocolate icing in her silver hairs around her mouth. I was furious and also wanted to laugh at the same time. I yelled "Bad Girl, Bad Dog" and the poor thing got in the back seat and hovered in a corner like the wrath of Kahn was forthcoming. I did pop her with the empty bag. Of course I did not hit her nor have I ever. I have switched her between her rear legs though. When we got home, I made her stay in the attached garage for about 30 minutes. I finally let her in and that tail was going faster than a helicopter propeller. I yelled Bad Girl again and she just slunk off and hid under my desk with her head popped out and those big ole brown eyes just looking up - like Daddy, Please Love Me. Then she came slinking over and just stared at me. I turned, looked down at her, put my hands on my rather wide hips, and said Bad Girl - those brown eyes peeped out from her long hair and the left paw came up and pawed at me and I just melted. I picked her up and got just a facefull of kisses. Damned I almost licked her back, the smell of chocolate was so strong and yummy. I was worried about her though because chocolate can be deadly to a dog, and I sure do not want anything to happen to my little girl. I did have my planned dinner as I watched the Academy Awards - two grilled hot link sandwiches with baked fries, But Alas - no dessert - it was partially already in my stomach and in Mamie's belly. Yep, God was doing for me what I could/would not do for myself - he got rid of my dessert. So I only got one moment of wonderment between the lips, and a smaller bit foreverness on the hips. Mamie still is ok, so I don't think the Chocolate hurt her, nor the sugar. And the Chocolate was probably Chocolate flavoring - But at least I got one.

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Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, My Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my OCD Bavarian stuffed schnauzer.
• My Sponsor
• My right eye
• Sight dujour in the left eye.
• Courage
• Serenity
• Food - (I need some - I keep forgetting to eat today. I do that every now and then.)
• All Y'all

Y'all be pretty, now ya heah.

Ranting and Raving, Fretting and a Fonching.

February 23 - This is the root of every problem you experience in your life--you do not consider yourself worthy enough to be spoken to by God.Good heavens, how can you ever expect to hear my voice if you don't imagine yourself to be deserving enough to even be spoken to? Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 162

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My eyes are really bothering me tonight. My left eye acting up all day. Just not quite focusing and it seemed the right eye was deciding to see how much it could push me. FEAR. Damned right. But I just talked with God, did the serenity prayer, yelled a few FUCKITS, Holy Shits, and Get A Grips. I'm ok now but it's been a rough day. I did not get to all my Bloggers as it was not comfortable to read. It's a lot better tonight, I just have to chill out and go with whatever happens.

It's times like this I just want to be held, to be consoled, to have the man of my dreams to take care of me and say its all Going to be OK. But I don't have that, I did once, and loved every moment of it. Garth Brooks came out with his best song ever "The Dance" about the time my relationship broke up and I was at the "Macadamia Ranch." That's what my friends called the Mental Hospital I was in at the time. Often also just the "Ranch." I used to listen to that song over and over under the oriental tree at the Ranch and cry. OH DEAR. NOW HOW IN THE HELL did I get into this. Oh, yeah, the thought process. You know - one thing leads to another and the thought chain winds up no where close to where you were. I'm sure that has never happened to any of you. HA! LOL! What EVer! Hell, I'm sober now and that has resolved a hell of a lot - I still have crazy thoughts every now and then, but I always wind up getting rid of them and bask in the glory of the fact that I'm sober and nothing, No Matter What will ever take that away from me. Thanks for listening to this ole garden variety drunk's rant and rave. Now I feel like I've been hugged and told everything is going to be all right. That's from SOBRIETY, and it just will not get any better than that. Love Y'all.

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Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, my Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, exceptionally loving today.
• My Sponsor
• My eyesight
• Working through fears
• The calm after
• All y'all

Y'all be pretty now, ya heah.

Mardi Gras at Lambda

February 22 - The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out who you are, seek to determine who you want to be. Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 21

The Mardi Gras Parade at Lambda was a huge success with about 100 attendees plus the 40 or so people in the krewes that presented the floats. The floats had to be built on a grocery cart. The theme for the evening was Cities around the World. The Cities last night were:

1. San Francisco presented by the 6:30 AM group. They were dressed as the Village People, a drag queen, and a man in a velvet robe. Daave was the leather guy. The entrance music was I left My Heart in San Francisco and then they broke into YMCA.
2. New Orleans - A Paddle Steam Boat, the Drama Queen was staffed by a skipper and all of the characters from the streets of San Francisco. This was presented by the collective 12:15 meetings. Their Music was "Proud Mary" and these people rocked. The smoke stack was really belching out smoke. This Krewe and float won for best depiction of Their City.
3. London - A Double decker red bus. This was presented by the Women's meeting. Lesbians in London. A fun group that was really into their presentation.
4. Venice - A Gondola carrying the Pope, a rower, and a couple of others. This was presented by the 6:30 Positive group. (they've won the past three years.) The Entrance was spectacular - Everyone was in 18th Century costume and the first two was a couple with the Lady in a mini-skirted Italian Gown with the pouffed skirt. She was Crying and had a mouth big enough to float the gondola through. They were followed by two more couples with the Ladies in the big gowns of the times - about two hundred petticoats and they floated over to a beautiful crystal chandelier that came down from the ceiling that had been covered. It was Also lit. Then came the 15 foot Gondola followed by other Venusians and a NUN. In my opinion this was the presentation of the evening. It also must have been the audiences opinion because they won the Artistic Presentation Award. Very Well done.
5. Cairo - Presentation of the Great Pyramid by the CMA groups of Lambda. The Pharoah led in the Krewe carrying in the Great Pyramid by two baare chested muscle men. This presentation was very well done.

The winners were determined by the amount of money each Krewe collected as they paraded around the big room. The winners were:

First place with 1052.00 collected - Cairo-CMA GROUP

Second place with 1016.00 collected - Venus - 6:30 Positive

The evening ended with the announcement that we had collected over $2600 for the night. Lambda people are not a glum lot. We absolutely insist on having fun in sobriety. These fundraising events contribute to keeping the center open and paying the bills. We adher to the 7th Tradition. WE ROCK. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, my Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my OCD schnauzer
• My Sponsor
• My right eye
• Continual improvement to my left eye.
• Lambda
• The garden variety of drunks that are recovering in the meetings at Lambda.
• Successful fundraisers.
• Being an audience member for the second year.
• Those being of service.
• All y'all.

Now y'all be pretty now, ya heah.

Line Problems and Mardi Gras.

February 21 -Your body, your mind and our soul (spirit) are one. In this, you are a microcosm of Me--the Divine All, the Holy Everything, the Sum and the Substance. Meditations from :Conversations with God - Book 1" pg197

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Damned. Last night just did not work out like it was supposed to. I was reading all y'alls blogs and got a mesg that I was no longer connected to the internet, that the line had been dropped. So I rebooted and nothing - So I picked up my trusty little phone that was made in China and called and got Gilly in Mumbai. Just the happiest little creature I have ever talked to. Seems the problem was between the carrier and my modem. She took my phone numbers on my house phone and my cell phone (made in Korea) and assured me the problem would be fixed by morning or I could expect a repairman between 12 noon and 2 PM. (Don't know where he was made)

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Upon awakening about 11ish this AM, i had a message on my land line that the problem had been cleared and connections were workiing. YEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAW:. And it was, so here I am doing a blog post at 11:58 AM on Saturday morning, having had breakfast, talked to Daave, Rick, and my sponsor and It is only 11:59. I mean, like it is a miracle that I am even up this early, plus having talked to this many people and done all this in one hour. OMG. I'm just totally underwhelmed. HA!

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Tonight is speaker night at Lambda followed by Lambda's 4th annual Mardi Gras Parade. It should really be spectacular this year - there are seven floats depicting 7 cities around the world. These "floats" have a grocery cart as its base and I have heard that a couple of these have to be turned anti-gogling to get in the roll up door. Come one, Come all, grab those beads, laugh, giggle, and scream at what our fellow drunks have wrought unto us this glorious night. It should be a scream. And its a hellava good time in SOBRIETY. It just don't get much better than that.

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Today I am grateful for:

• God My Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my adorable loving OCD schnauzer
• My Sponsor
• My Right Eye
• The left one improving a bit daily.
• Two very good meetings yesterday.
• Fellowship
• Dinner with friends tonight
• All y'all.

Y'all be pretty now ya heah!

Short, cut, and dried.

February 19 - Stop making judgements against yourself. Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 71

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Two Little Old Ladies

Two little old ladies were sitting on a park bench outside the local town hall where a flower show was in progress.

The thin one leaned over and said "Life is so boring. We never have any fun anymore. For $10.00 I'd take my clothes off and streak through that stupid flower show."

"You're on!" said the other old lady, holding up a $10 bill.

The first little old lady slowly fumbled her way out of her clothes and, completely naked, streaked (as fast as an old lady can) through the front door of the flower show.

Waiting outside, her friend soon heard a huge commotion inside the hall, followed by loud applause and shrill whistling. Finally, the smiling and naked old lady came through the exit door surrounded by a cheering crowd.

"What happened?" asked her waiting friend.

"I won 1st Prize as Best Dried Arrangement."

Badda boom, badda bang.

Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, my Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my OCD schnauzer
• My Sponsor
• My Right Eye
• Remembering to take my eye meds two out of four times - not good. See quote above.
• My needs are met.
• My wants aren't starving
• Syd and Steveroni for their presentations of the traditions.
• All y'all

Y'all be pretty now, ya heah.

Sobriety - Sometimes More - Never less.

February 18 - People assume that if God were to talk directly with you, God would not sound like the fella next door. Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 68

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You know sometimes I just don't have anything to write about so I take a day or so off from the blog. Sort of a blog block as in writer's block. But I will always have something on sobriety, sometimes more, but never less. Somedays there will be stories and others there will just be my gratitude list. That does not mean there won't be days I won't be posting. But most of the time I will. I am not in any contest to be the best, the longest, the shortest, or whatever - just to be here with my Experience, Strength, and Hope as I trudge the road to happy destiny. I'm certainly in good company. and I love it.

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Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, my Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my OCD schnauzer
• My Sponsor
• The gifts of sight, sense, smell, feeling, voice, and hearing.
• My Right Eye.
• A beautiful day today.
• All y'all

War does not determine who is right, war determine who is left.

Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cathouse.

Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.

It take many nails to build crib, But one screw to fill it.

Y'all be pretty now, ya heah.