As I celebrate five years of sobriety, I realize I have been on the ride of my life. Lots of ups and downs but a life-changing upward trend. I want to share my journey over the past few years, especially with women readers in or nearing the second half of their 40s. I felt like Read More
Tag: wellness journey
Four Years Ago Today
Hi, my name is Collette, and I’m not an alcoholic. But I did drink too much for many, many years. I did make some really bad choices under the influence of alcohol. I did make hundreds of decisions to moderate, and was unsuccessful every time. And I finally came to the conclusion that the only Read More
September’s Word of the Month: Awaken
Washing dishes at the kitchen sink, mind wandering, my gaze falls on a healthy potted hydrangea offering up the last of its fading blooms. But this isn’t a sad sight; it’s amazing. I had long since given up on this plant, as the past few years all it could muster were a few leggy leaves Read More
May’s Word of the Month: Bloom
I like words that are both nouns and verbs. The trees and flowers are in full bloom. My life, since I quit drinking, is blooming. When I think of the word bloom, I picture delicate buds opening, patience rewarded, and beauty released. This month, I want to live in full bloom. I changed the tagline Read More
Intentions Update: A Pretty Picture
If you follow my blog, you probably know I’ve come up with a blueprint for my intentions this year concerning my mind, body, and spirit. I want to provide you with a brief update on how things are going. By far the biggest struggle is still the healthy eating intention. While the holiday goodies have Read More
Mind, Body, Spirit
The month of December always feels like a marathon with the day after Christmas being recovery. Husband watching football, daughter playing contentedly with her new array of toys and crafts. I am feeling the stirrings of not resolutions, but intentions. I’ve spent the last few months coasting and I want to climb back into the Read More
What Keeps me Here
I’ve been thinking about the processes of starting and stopping, sliding and progressing, and even completely falling off the path. While the desire to move forward in a positive direction seems to have been planted somewhere deep inside, motivation is at best a flakey companion. I’ve had periods of time, okay decades, where I felt Read More
Stops and Starts
You stop: Waiting for next time to be different. Waiting for five o’clock Waiting to feel better. Waiting not to feel. Waiting for “good times” Waiting for “me time” Waiting to celebrate Waiting to live And you realize that: It is different Every hour is significant You do feel better Feeling is part of life Read More
Alcohol Alternatives that will Make You Glad You Don’t Drink
One of the things about summer and hotter weather is that we tend to drink more. We’re thirsty and cool beverages taste good. As this is my third sober summer, my taste in alcohol free beverages has expanded to include more than just water, sparkling water, or diet soda. I want to share some of Read More
Your Thoughts Are Not Orders
I’ve spent the most part of this week taking care of a puppy and tapping into the patience reserve that exists to care for the very young and very old. Yes, we added a new member to the household, a 10-week-old Westie, to complement our 4-year-old dog of the same breed. It may have something Read More