The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Posters, Lurkers, Old Or New, Come Take A Seat, This Bus Is For YOU!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

A huge big welcome to the Brave Babes threads.

We're a varied group of posters, on this wonderfully supportive, non judgemental, gigantic Bus, and we are all heading in the same direction - towards Sobriety.

Some of us don't touch a drop of alcohol, some of us do. Some of us drink too much, openly admit it and are desperate to stop and some of us are trying to manage controlled drinking.

No matter what we're doing, we're just trying to do it One Day At A Time.

What ever you need, what ever your habit, chances are that there'll be another poster who is just like you or has been where you are now, already here, waiting to talk or just listen :)

Yes, some of us have been here for a longer time than others, some of us for just a few days but that's what makes this Bus so great imo, the variety of knowledge and understanding :)

This Bus has been whizzing along various roads now for almost four years thanks to the very desperate cry for help from THIS THREAD BY JWN

And if you'd like to read some of the other threads, maybe how we got to where we are today, then you can follow them back using the links RIGHT HERE

Hope to see you soon :)

Evening, tis me, Mouse

venus - I've been thinking about you so much, and your mum and DD. I know you are super busy with RL just now but please, if you get a mo, can you pop in and update us, or PM me so I know you are okay? Lots of love xx

Thurso - how are you today? It's school hols so does that mean that your DC are back? Thinking of you. xx

Purps - sorry you have so much going on right now, and that you're having a shitty time. You know you can waffle on here as much as you like?

Ferret - I meant I was NOT bored of you earlier, I hope you know that lovely? It's ages since I've 'seen' you actually on the boards as I tend to hide here on the Bus with Opal Fruits wrappers to tidy, squid ink to clean up and Babes to look after :)

Joey - did you see my post to you about Rescue Remedy etc earlier? I'm glad you got something and I really hope it helps you lovely as you're struggling so much right now. The herbal Kalms are good, I used to have valerian tea, a very kind friend once posted it to me, and boy does it work. Tastes foul but in fruit tea, it's great. You could try that too?

The tea with other tea like cranberry, a strong berry tea to disguise the flavour?

Ma - another to second Joey, how is your bro and how is his detox/recovery going? I think about him all the time and I'm so glad he got into the Salvation Army, who'd have even thought it would be them who helped him in the end? :) xx

JWN, Soma, Lemony, Katie, Rural, CocktailQueen (or did you NC?), Fuzzy/Lola, ThisIsMyTime, IsinDe, FullOf, Greeny - and EVERYONE/ANYONE else who needs to come say hi because we've not seen you for 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months or more! Where and how are you?

Also - TheBoss!! - where and how are you? My lovely other side of the world friend, come check in with us all and steal some Opal Fruits while we have some, the dieters will be banning them soon enough so come and help me scoff em'!

Welcome to all the new Babes who have boarded today or in the last day :)

Nemo is going to bed now. I'm putting it in black and white so that he knows it is happening!

Back in a bit :) xx

Hi Faire Our bat is back too, in fact we were sure the other night we were seeing two of them. It's really hard to tell as they move so damn fast. Ours is here every evening, but I guess they probably hunt a fairly large area so maybe yours is arriving when it's too dark to see it well.

I'm fine thanks, haven't been following the thread for a while but popped in to catch up and here I am! I still drink more than I should, but I'm happier coming at it from a dietary angle, I think, and tackling the sugar addiction that I know I have. I don't think it's alcohol in itself that's the problem for me, more my lack of willpower in the face of hunger and low blood sugar. Had a planned blow-out at the weekend but back on the wagon now. How are things with you?

Glad to see that things are better with Richard, Ma - last time I was reading he was in a desperate state and it sounds as though things have improved.

See - I always bloomin x-post!

Crabby/Mia - it's nice to see you back! Our bats are not out yet but then again, we've not been able to sit out yet to watch them dance their wonderful dance of courtship/disco that we're usually treated to.

It's not been warm enough here at night and Nemo's not been in bed for us to be out of the room, never mind the house with the intercom! Good to see you back :) x

Hello sweet Mouse! How are you and little Nemo? Not in too much pain I hope?

Faire I found this interesting - I'm fairly positive that our bat (or bats) is a pipistrelle.
www.discoverwildlife.com/british-wildlife/how-identify-british-bats-flight

Good luck for tomorrow alias. Mouse hope things ok with everyone at yours.
Waves to other babes.
I've been on the thread for has having children affected your mental health? Very interesting, think they're going to turn it into a support thread.
Also been on a thread for organising Scottish meet up.
It's great being signed off work, I've been very busy with mn today!
Night babes love & strength to all xx

I've been reading that clutter - very honest and describes many of my feelings in the early years of parenthood.

crabby ?? is that you?!

purple you are having such a tough time, and still coping - I hope you are treating yourself kindly, nurture yourself because you work so hard... you deserve to be looked after, and maybe no one else will do it - but you can do it for yourself!

Thanks everyone for the advice, I know I'm being a bit paranoid about tomorrow, still at least I haven't had a drink! Funny, but I have less desire for alcohol at the moment (these hot flushes don't help)

mouse sorry I hope that didn't sound rude when I said about the Rescue Remedy - just didn't want to overload my system...

Hugs to Mrs Mouse Thanks Lovely.

Getting my knickers in a twist as DD has had a conversation with XMIL and they've decided that DD can fly out and visit her in Cyprus next year! Well, tie me up and call me Rodger! No one (wanted to put 'fucker' in there but resisted) has asked me if it's OK with me!! XMIL will be 72 by then, the house is in the middle of nowhere, DD wants to take a friend (!) and XP is his usual, spineless self in NOT making some sort of comment on all this! XMIL has trouble with frickin' stairs, let alone driving my gorgeous daughter round in a vehicle in Cyprus!! DD (and friend) are already checking out flight times. And, once a-friggin'-gain, I'm the bad guy! Just want to keep my daughter safe.

PS DD would be 12 by next summer.

Joey I know I've been AWOL for a while but I do still look in all you lovely women from time to time. Sorry to hear you're feeling anxious about work tomorrow - hope it goes ok once you're there.

It is uplifting and also so sad to hear such honest accounts about motherhood crabby. I didn't feel this way with my dd at 21 but have with my son at 31. Think having huge money worries has contributed for me. In my strive to get it right, marriage, mortgage, career I've actually got it all wrong!
Alias glad your not feeling tempted, you would definitely feel more emotional tomorrow if you had had a few glasses. Hope tomorrow ok for you.
Night babes x

Sorry Joey, x post! I'm shit at looking after myself. Find it easier to think of others being more deserving that me of care. I'll be ethereally sitting on your shoulder tomorrow, whispering positive things in your ear. You'll know I'm there!! xx

Evening lovely babes. struggling to keep up as usual, thanks Thurso and Mouse for asking after me.

And thank you to the lovely Isinde for introducing me to Mary Oliver. Have been reading wild geese tonight - much more soothing than a glass of wine :) bed beckons, day two done - night all - hope it is a restful one for everyone xx

Crabby - same old shit, different day, pain the same but life is good as my Nemo is getting on with life day by day, and is fabby and super ace thank you :) xx

Joey - not at all lovely lady, :) it (RR) contains alcohol too so not the best for those trying to give up the booze!

Purps - next year is a loooong way off, I have the same bollocks to deal with. Be back tomorrow to talk more. xx

Right, Seth the wolf, in, Mabel the cat, in, DD out at friends, Nemo in bed, DH in and home after a day of interviewing and being out, Mouse - medded and ready for bed.

Night all, see you tomorrow when I shall be looking for cleaning recruits before MIL arrives!! Argh!

Be safe, be you, be Brave xxx

PS - Mary Oliver rocks!! :) xx

Purple at least you are getting lots of exercise mowing the lawn (silver lining and all that).

If you're asking for opinions, I probably wouldn't allow my 12 year old to travel abroad in the care of a 72 year old if I wasn't 100% happy with it. My dd is 16, nearly 17 and is going to fly out this summer to join her grandparents in France. Now, she is a lot older and very sensible and mature. She has travelled with us and knows how to get on a flight, deal with emergencies, etc. But. I am still worried for her. If you don't want your dd to go, it's ok to say no. At that age, they don't really know what they are getting into.

It sucks that you have to be the bad guy but better that than worrying about her safety whilst she's away. She's got her whole life to go on these adventures when she's a bit older, there's no rush.

Mia I think, and tackling the sugar addiction that I know I have. I don't think it's alcohol in itself that's the problem for me, more my lack of willpower in the face of hunger and low blood sugar

This was definitely one of my problems. Once I recognised that, it was much easier to control my alcohol intake. Food before booze. Simples.

Thanks for the link. Our bat flies past our window, about 2 - 5 metres off the ground, so looks like it could be a Natterer. But it's outside the front of the house which is all houses and driveways, whereas the back is fields. The closest water is a river about half a mile away. Do you know why he/she is here every year? Is it a nest because I can't see one anywhere nearby.

Lovely to hear from you again, hope you hang around

Ah, I do miss some of our old babes. MissP and MissGee and, of course, LittleMissGee with all her poo related problems (and horridbaydoll < shiver > )

I've bumped into Saf on another thread and she's doing fine.

Well done greeney keep at it. I loved those Mary Oliver poems too and have re-read them a few times.

Joey there's a line from a Billy Joel song that goes "tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems". Hope it goes ok for you x

Mouse thanks, as always, for being you, just you x

An early morning or late night (whichever) post to say best wishes everyone xx

All is fine with me and ive lost count of number of days might be 13 (unlucky for some!).

No inkling whatsoever of wanting any alcohol at all so all well with that. Should have done this years ago!!

Full - go girl - you are rocking it !
Faire - I love your posts you sound so wise - how long have u been AF ?
purple - you have to look aft you first xxx -Sometimes we have to be the bad guy too - it sucks - FWIW I am always the bad guy - moods last for about a week and tighten we are back to normal (me vs kids that is).

I am on day 31 - however so full of nervous excitement as weekend draws near - not sleeping well. Think I am going to start taking anxiety tablets (beta blockers) to get me through xxx

See u laters - L x

Morning you babelicious lot. Feeling almost human today. Right so I'm into my 40th year and thinking about what I want to do before I'm forty. Not a bucket list as such but what I want to acheive in the next year. Anyone done this? Actually a harder exercise than you think. Trying to think about what I really want, not about meeting others expectations. I'm trying to identify what my own values, passions and talents are seperate from the ' I should be doing' stuff to gain approval from parents, friends etc.

Mouse I assumed you had accidently missed out the all important NOT.

"I'm trying to identify what my own values, passions and talents are separate from the ' I should be doing' stuff to gain approval from parents, friends etc."

You have summed up exactly how I am feeling these days "Green", although in my case I would have to substitute "parents" for "daughters"!

Still alcohol free here, am going out on Sunday (B/H here this weekend) but plans are to eat big Sunday lunch before heading out and fill my glass with lots of ice and plenty of mixer.

Morning all

Feeling very tired this morning, woke up with a rotten cold, so snuggled under a blanket here with a steaming hot coffee and feeling no inclination to move

Lonnika I still drink sometimes, it depends what I'm doing but it's all under my terms now. I'm able to have one or two glasses of wine and stop there so I call myself a controlled drinker.

I absolutely love not drinking, can't rate it highly enough it's so much easier, calmer and less stressful than the merry-go-round of drink, depression, hangover, regret, paranoia, guilt, drink...

It was mentally exhausting thinking about alcohol all day - should I drink or not, shall I get some in 'just in case', how much is too much, how often is too often, etc. And then there were the physical strains, every ache or pain worried me so much.

So now I enjoy af days and just get on with all the other things in my life which had been overshadowed.

full you are sounding a little better today, how do you feel?

greeney it's hard to really identify what you want isn't it, I think you have to start from the premise of If I had no responsibilities and money wasn't an issue, how would I like to spend my days, what would I like to do'. Then, once you know what you want you have to try and figure out how you going to do it. No, not easy, my friend but very worthwhile.

obrigada, sounds like a plan man

Morning all, I have a lot of catching up to with all new babes and posts from the last few days and promise I will do so.
I have hit a bit of a snag, day 11 here and with each passing day my crohn's is getting worse and worse, had a terrible night in the toilet in agony for several hours!!! I didn't realise how reclusive I'd become so have been trying to get out and about a bit more, trouble is I worry so much about making it to a toilet I actually get myself into a state!!! I started using wine to self medicate and crohn's is very much connected to stress and anxiety which my life is frought with , 2 year old, 14 year old, grumpy Italian husband and the whiniest cocker spaniel that ever lived...I cannot and will not run out for a bottle if wine but need to find way to fill the prescription that wine provided. Have got up today with shaky legs, muscle pain, mouth ulcers and a few nasty abscesses, all tell tale signs that my crohn's is very active, can anyone with tummy troubles past or resent give me some advice?? Sorry me me me x x x x

Baby - can u get in to see a 'good' doctor today ? Hope you get it sorted soon - sounds awful !

babyj sorry to hear that you're feeling rough. Have you had a review of your meds recently? Is it time to go back to the consultant? I admit it's been many years since I was ill like that, but I hoped the treatment and drugs had improved - new discoveries and all that? Are you part of the support group (NACC)

In the meantime, if your body is run-down, it means you need REST. (Okay I know that's hard with a toddler, not to mention the teenager, husband and dog! - but time to call in some favours from family/friends?)