the swash zone

Misery is impossible with gratefulness. ~ Osho Before I sat down to write this post I was busy drawing and then cooking my breakfast. Throughout those activities, I tried to stay in the moment and be present with what I was doing, but my mind would stray and start writing my blog post for me. However, by the time I put my fingers on the keyboard, all of the thoughts and ideas had disappeared. I have no idea what I meant to write about today. Day 32 and I'm feeling grateful for having gotten this far. Grateful to Holly over at Hip Sobriety for The Mantra Project . Grateful for all the support I've received at Hello Sunday Morning . Grateful for the support and comments from the Un-Tipsy Teacher . Grateful for my husband, my family, and my friends for all of their support. And grateful for this opportunity to begin to learn about who I am without alcohol. Are you familiar with the FlyLady ? A few years ago I tried her method of cleaning in an effort to get organized a...

The secret of surviving housework is simply to do it. Pull the plug on the part of your brain that always wants to negotiate everything...   Not postponing chores -- and not spending any mental energy equivocating, temporizing, or stalling -- is actually a lot more restful than worrying about what needs to be done.   ~ Veronique Vienne 'Tis true, you know. Procrastinating, especially when it comes to housework, brings more stress to my life than actually doing the work. I've been busy cleaning house this morning, doing things I've put off since last week. It feels so good to have it done. This is one of those early sober days in which I have a ton of energy, and it's best to get things done while I can. I know from past experience that the next few days might bring a drastic dip in my vim and verve, as the early days are wont to do. I will be traveling over the weekend. I'm not sure I'll have time to post after today due to preparations and some yar...

Growth and transformation occur not by changing who we are, but as we summon the courage to be who we are.   ~ Katrina Kenison, Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment I've been cleaning house today. I'd like to simplify my life, but realize that if I start piling projects on top of early sobriety, it will topple. I will do what I can, what I feel up to doing, and leave it at that for now. Every little bit helps. One reason I am trying to stay aware of taking on too much is that there are a lot of upcoming travels and events, most of which I cannot cancel for a variety of reasons. The holidays, for instance, will happen with or without me and I don't plan to miss the opportunities I will have to spend time with my children and grandchildren and other family members. Although I realize that thinking of the future will also cause problems with my present sobriety, I must remember and plan to take time out for myself when I can. For now, I can take things...