Gratitude List

• Fall Colors
• Haunted Houses
• Apple Cider
• Teddy Bears

  ¶ 10/26/2007 08:28:00 PM 11 comments

  Gratitude List

• The Third Step
• Prayer
• A good night's sleep
• Being able to learn from others

  ¶ 10/24/2007 08:04:00 AM 4 comments

  My Mother I am having a hard time dealing with my mother since my father died. No, let me rephrase that. I am having a harder time with my mother since my Dad died. I have pretty much always had a hard time dealing with her.

I use to call my mother the Norman Vincent Peale of negative thinking. She has this grinding negativity about her. She can pick out the negative aspect to any event from a mile away. Her negativity is so much worse now, that she is grieving my Dad.

She won't however, go to grief counseling or take any of the other help the hospice has offered her. Instead she gets me on the phone and talks about the time she was snubbed at my cousin's wedding. The wedding was in 1969 and my cousin has been dead for ten years but, my mother is still mad about it. She has a million old wounds that she keeps bringing up like they happened yesterday. Most of the time I just cannot wait to get her off the phone.  ¶ 10/23/2007 04:30:00 AM 8 comments

  Gratitude List

• Today I can follow through on things(if I so choose)
• Today my friends are really my friends
• Today I can get things done and take care of myself at the same time
• Today I can choose to put first things first
• Today I took the time to show appreciation to another human being

  ¶ 10/22/2007 07:00:00 PM 5 comments

  Love and Hygiene In his eight years of life, my son Sam has never been one to be very concerned about his personal hygiene. For most of his life he has been one of those kids you have to beg to take a bath, beg to comb his hair and brush his teeth. In the past couple of months however, he has been much better about personal hygiene. He has even gone so far as to brush his teeth without being asked.

Up until recently I credited his ADHD treatment and Concerta with his surge in personal hygiene. However, I changed my mind about that last week. When I got home from my home group Thursday night, he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. When he saw me he spit out his toothpaste and said, “Mom why don’t we have any mouth wash?” “I don’t know honey, I guess your Dad and I just do not use it,” I answered. Then he looked at me serious as a heart attack and said, “well, we really should get some.”

I knew then and there that no amount of medication could bring on a psychic change like that. “It’s a girl,” I said to myself. And for once my assumption turned out to be right, I will call her Isabella. I am just happy that he brushes his teeth.  ¶ 10/16/2007 04:34:00 AM 14 comments

  Posing
  ¶ 10/11/2007 12:48:00 PM 5 comments

  Gratitude List

• Struggle
• Prayer
• A Higher Power who always waits for me
• Sam's year seems to be going a lot better than last year(thanks again for your prayers)
• Options
• Resources

  ¶ 10/11/2007 05:42:00 AM 4 comments

  The Long Weekend I am leaving in a few minutes for a long weekend in our nation's capitol. The last time I was there, I was still drinking. I was there for a conference and there was an open bar...you understand.

This is definitely going to be a different kind of trip. We are going to visit the National Mall and the Smithsonian. I will post at you all when we get back.  ¶ 10/05/2007 02:32:00 AM 9 comments

  The Short Bus I am reading The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal by Jonathan Mooney. If you have ever felt less than normal it is well worth the read.  ¶ 10/02/2007 08:15:00 AM 7 comments