The Brave Babes Battle Bus - On Their Way To Spread The Festive Cheer, Without The Beer!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm mouse.

I have an obsession with drinking, I can't have a drink, not just one..... it has to be more. Always more.

So, I got on the Bus, this Bus, full of Brave Babes who will help and support me all the way. Come say hi, grab a seat and a . We're a real mixed bunch that share one thing without any doubt - alcohol abuse.

And if you want to read about our history, it's HERE

See you on the Bus xx

Because you're humanma. So you drank yesterday, but not today. Day 1 nearly done then. I'm putting my tree up tomorrow and traditionally we always open a tin of chocs and a bottle of wine. So not sure what I will do this year. Maybe I will drink, maybe I won't. I will make the decision in the morning as usual. BUT, one thing I have learned is that every sober day is a good day, so I grab all the days I can. When I 'give in' to temptation, well, I recognise that that's what it is. Basically what I'm saying in a hugely complicated and ungainly way is, don't let it put you off, you are doing great. Tomorrow is another day.

Because deep down Ma, you are a star.

You just have to see that for yourself

Any other old timers just watched The Bee Gees programme................how bloody fantastic

Hey Silver

The bus is looking all shiney and spruced up, have you been round with a duster? Is it ok if we decorate the inside with tinesel and baubles now?

I heart (as mouse would say) the Bee Gees

Hey faire

Baubles and tinsel a plenty me thinks

xxxx

silver lovely to see you posting. I am 2 days behind on my advent calender - so I'm counting down to 27th - your day

and have a good sleep all babes xxxx

I'm putting my tree up next week, and I'm putting it up IN THE MORNING. Genius, so I'll put it up accompanied by coffee and yogurt. No temptation to have a glass of mulled wine - not at 9am!

shit Venus I'd be tempted

getting our tree tomorrow, all together I hope! - as a family that is

xxx

Boing!

Morning brave babes.

Silver yes, yes, yes to the increased thinking/feeling comment! Definitely. We have so much to organise and plan and do, too, so on top of all the emotional stuff we can't really afford to relax properly and just chill out. What if we've forgotten something crucial to someone's enjoyment of Christmas? The pressure! So I for one have all that extra workload on top of a whole load of emotional baggage (brought on by my upbringing) and I also have to plan to be spending time with those people who are at the root of my problems... Yet we can also be mourning the absence of loved ones who won't be around at this special time of year. It can be a very difficult time of year. And, like you said, as well as some of our triggers increasing in number/strength, alcohol is being shoved at us from just about everywhere you look! I don't expect to have booze literally handed to me when I'm out shopping at lunchtime...but it's mulled wine so it's OK!? So yes I agree we have to work harder at this time of year to stop/control our drinking. But imagine the feeling of strength we'll get if we manage it? That's what I'm trying to focus on. Will be thinking of you on 27th!!

Saf so sorry about your mum. You don't deserve that, her behaviour is the opposite of what you need. Unfortunately I can empathise with you. I'm glad your sister has talked about it with you, so that you know it's not personal, or that you're not going mad and imagining it or anything. How mothers can be so cold towards their children I don't know. Have you seen the Stately Homes thread? I've found that really helpful. So sorry you haven't got more help just when you need it the most. Hope you have a better day today x

Faire I had a booze-free Friday too! Saturday's are so much more fun without the hangover (or feeling like boiled shite as Ma would say ).

Have good days everyone. We have 3 children's parties today plus other organised Christmas stuff!! Better get my act together.

Laters

i did the tree whilst ds was at school - bad mummy but i just couldn't cope with his 'help'.

faire if you want to have a festive drink that doesn't involve vast amounts of wine but isn't tee total you could make a mulled cider - only use one bottle (the size of a magners bottle say) and you add orange juice too to bulk it out. i made it for samhain. at most you'd drink half a bottle of cider.

silver - so would i i get far more satisfaction from a drink in the day than i do at night. not in the gotta start in the morning out of shakes/desperation sense but in the prefer a drink in the day than at night. alcohol is a bit wrong for night time with me unless you're talking about a 'nightcap'. whereas a drink in the day gives me a 'nice' clean little buzz and just feels different. in honesty my favourite drink in the world is a late morning, empty stomach one it doesn't make me sleepy it makes me feel warm and comfortable inside and kind of immunised against the world.

was going to apologise for that paragraph but perhaps it is best to explore and understand my 'love affair' with alcohol. the daytime drink started back when i was really poorly with glandular fever as a teen but wasn't allowed time off. i'd feel so miserable and tired and like i was dragging myself around through cement. i'd sneak home at lunchtime after everyone was out at work and steal a drink of something sippy from the drinks cabinet and curl up in a chair and feel this huge relief just to be home and sitting down and the drink would seem to dull the edges of the pain and misery. i found that illness really depressing, i'd burst into tears for no reason at the drop of the hat. glandular fever was def the starting point for my health issues i think.

babbling sorry and ds is yelling for his bum to wiped - the glamours of motherhood.

cross posted with you tinsel.

you write a lot of sense about christmas - and yy to the triggery-ness of having to be around the very people who caused your problems. it's like reliving ones childhood in a way currently i'm deeply resenting the idea of our christmas being trashed by them. we're obliged to spend it with them but they don't seem to feel any 'normal' obligations of kindness, consideration or basic civility. it's like being with toddlers who have power - not a good combo

good luck with the party marathon!

That's it Saf. EXACTLY .

hi all
Silver it is SOO good to see you back again. bout time this here bus was properly looked after
Faire and tinselly thanks. You are right, I did a Day 1 and whatever happens today that one is in the bank. Off to theatre tonight so won't be drinking tonight either hopefully.
Thurso how are you? And where, oh where, is Isindie? I'm getting worried.
Waves to the lurking Obrigada

quiet on here today. hope everyone is ok x

very quiet. am off to the thatre soon. DH and I not speaking after this morning's row so don't know if he is coming or not and I don't care. I'm getting ready and will be leaving in about half an hour with or without him!
Fucker!

sorry ma. hope you have a lovely time either way.

just popping in to say i actually feel ok tonight. i'd say a 7. am finally relaxed after a day with a poorly and therefore somewhat temperamental 4yo. he's in that state where they try to keep going but they're really not up to it so are constantly falling over and crying or knocking their knee and crying or not being able to find a toy and crying etc etc etc.

2 small bottles of beer today. nay bad.

tell a lie i had a drop of fake baileys in a coffee too earlier. still given my self medicating habits it's really not bad and i'm relieved.

Evening all

Saf good to hear you are doing well. Was ds excited to see the tree?

I'm shattered even though I didn't do much today. Maybe I am fighting off a bug. There's loads going round at the moment. Early night for me.

he loves the tree. keeps turning all the lights off so he can sit and look at it today we made nice paper chains and hung them too. i'm actually loving the decorating this year.

sleep well x

isindie lovely to see you. Jump right back on (if you feel like jumping) or maybe just haul yourself aboard in an exhausted way. Whatever suits you. I hope that you're OK, work is going well, things with dp are smooth, and that your dts are thriving.

I notice you when you are absent, if that makes sense.

ISINDE!!! Where the bloody hell have you been?
Come and sit next to me, silver is back and driving so you can sit at the back with me and throw cheese at Mouse.
I just bagged day 2 so am out of the sidecar for a change.

Isinde so good to see you again. How's things?

Afternoon Babes

We put our tree up yesterday, well, I say 'we'. I put the tree up whilst Nemo 'helped'

I've put a picture that I took last night of my tree, Nemo's slippers and a glass of cava (celebrating Nemo surviving his emergency open heart surgery 2 years ago) taken in sepia to add that touch of nostalgia.

I so want to snuggle up with the log burner lit today. We're all ill now. DH has gone to a Christening to be a Godfather and we're housebound with germs and coughs. YUK! It's wet and windy outside and I've yet to finish making the wreath for the door.....

DH won't be home 'til late so I think it will be soup and toast for dinner and copious amounts of tea in between.

Saf - please keep posting your feelings on here, let them all out. Use us as your diary, just post how you feel, no matter how daft you think it is. And, don't read it back, just type and hit post. Let the real you come out. xx

IsinDe - great to see you are around again.

venus - sending you love and strength. I hope DD is on the mend xx

Ma - did you go on your own to the theatre? Did I miss that bit? And don't worry about the cassette, Nemo already loves the story, we've read it loads since it arrived! xx

Silver - keep on driving my lovely, good to have you back xx

hey mouse no, miserable face came with me. I'm just doing my own thing now and he can tag along or not as he chooses.
Am preparing ahead today and cooking the red cabbage for Christmas dinner so the house smells tasty!
Hope you feel better soon.