The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Kicking The Wicked Wine Witch Where It Hurts! Mwahahahahahahaha!

[Mouseface]

Hey, I'm Mouse, welcome to the Bus (aka Gerald!)

We're a mixed bunch of folk, some have been here for a while, and of course we have some new additions too. It matters not one jot how long you travel with us, as long as you get something from it.

No matter your story, your needs, your fears and hopes, you CAN come on here and talk. You can cry, scream, rant, let it all out and not be judged for anything. Ever.

We've all been so very low, some have hit the very bottom of the rock, rubbed the bruising better and picked ourselves back up again but sometimes, you need a helping hand or someone to listen too.....which is why we're here, sharing our experiences, or just reading each other's and nodding as we click along.....

The support here is unconditional. :)

There are two banners down each side of Gerald, our super duper Bus saying -

1. • The Vulnerable Need Our Support, Not Our Judgement
2. • Alcohol Fosters Inertia

We have lots of food on board, but mainly Opal fruits!!! They tend to be anything other than green, as they get snapped up vair fast indeed!

If you would like to know a bit more about how we got to where we are today, you can read these threads.

THE PREVIOUS THREAD

THE START OF THE JOURNEY

Hope to see you soon :) x

Wow! Isinde. That is beautiful. Thank you so much. Am going to copy it out and keep it with me (both the poem and the quote). You are right, so right. I have dreams, and one day I will realise them.

My cherished parents did not bring me up to be miserable, and if anyone treated my kids the way wb treats me I would stab them.

This bus is a veritable fount of wisdom and inspiration. Thank you so much (slopes off to find pen and paper)

hope I will read back properly, things have been a little hectic, but I am sorry you are having such a rotten time. Wishing you strength, hope and patience to see you through, we are all holding your hand, haud gaun ma quine, you can, and you will. xxx ((((((((((((((((FullFatBosie))))))))))))

And a wee pic, just for you, I thought it seemed appropriate. Spring, a time of hope, new beginnings and sunshine, we are sending you the biggest t'interbosie, hairs and all, xxxxx

I love that photo, it was our first trip to the river after losing Gentle. She let her pain go that day, she had been so sad. She was so at peace having a wee snooze there, almost like she could feel her there and knew that everything would be okay.

Phrase giving you a big bosie for tomorrow, xx

ma you will go to Windsor. You have to. And I'll put on me best Hattie Jacques no nonsense Matron and look after him for a bit. And I won't strap him into an already full commode and wheel him to an out of order toilet and leave him there til you're safely on your way. Oh no. oh yes I ruddy well will

joey you made me smile so much with the tale about your granda! I was mortified when my dad needed surgery. He was exactly the same. He turned into Benny Hill overnight.

Aww inde how are you quine? Oh you sound like you need a wee hand lass, wishing you a Mary Poppins, they arrive when you least expect them, and take the guise of the most unlikely of folk. Wish I could pull your plough alongside you, lighten your load a little. How is your mum doing? Is she getting the care and support she needs from HCPs? Do not forget you in all of this, even if it's just the odd five minutes to give yourself a wee breather, wishing you love, xx

Ok so now officially peed off 22 days and put on weight !!!!!!!! Gah !!!!

70 you my lass, are doing great! Don't let it upset you, it's a big thing you're concentrating on. Small steps, you'll get there with the weight loss too. I figured, for me anyway, best to concentrate on one thing at a time, juggling too many balls made for all my balls on the floor. Have a good day, xx

P.s hope your hair and car sound most swish! Xx

great poem indie and sorry things are shit. join me in the sidecar and lets see if we can get a reduction in the intake? huh? whaddya say?

hope this is the poem which keeps me going:

‘The Journey’ by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice – – -
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
‘Mend my life!’
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.

You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations – – -
though their melancholy
was terrible. It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice,
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do – – – determined to save
the only life you could save.

mouse are you out there?
wry what a lovely pic. How are you settling in to the single life
beaches yo!

Yo Ma sup?!

Day 3 and on edge, had a rubbish nights sleep last night, full of horrible dreams, I was trying to hide from a gunman but kept making noises and giving myself away. There were other things too and I feel quite unsettled by it. It reminded me of you baby, I know you struggled with nightmares. Have they gone now? Hope you are doing ok babe

Gah 70 that's disappointing, it seems only fair that a few pounds should have slipped away. Hang in there, perhaps there will be a whoosh this week

Wry look at lovely Little! What a glossy coat she has and she looks like such a relaxed girl.

Phrase thinking of you today xx

hope, mouse and Isinde for you all, wishing you a good day today xx

spanna hello sweet one, how are things?

Love to all of you

Thanks Wry and Beaches - other than weight - generally look better - skin looks good - and face softer and smoother - so all good really :)

Wry, Little is beautiful! I love the way you talk about her too. I can see why you are so besotted with her, I would be too xxx

Isinde , wrap around childcare is hard. Mine didn't like after school club either. Have you thought of a child minder who does pre and post school pick up? They tend to be cheaper and more flexible, plus the kids are in a home environment rather than staying at school. Hope you sort it out sweetie, and sorry about your mum. I hope you are getting lots of support with her care xxx

Ma, thanks for the poem. Love it. I will soon have a little anthology of inspiration

70, wishing you a whoosh. Weight loss is a mysterious thing . Sure you are looking good anyway xxx

Beaches - I have just hung a dreamcatcher above the back seat to spirit away your nightmares. Hope it works. Xxx

Hi all, checking back in after a break and lots of wine and vodka i am ashamed that I have slipped back to my old ways and want to start anew.life has gone out of control again and I need to reclaim the control I had when I first jumped aboeard the bus. I went up to see Mum this weekend and she was so happy to see me, I pampered her a bit and made sure she felt special but she is worried about her op on Wed. She goes in tomorrow and all being well will be in about a week to 10 days. she is amazingly strong and although she is 86 and a bit lot daft she is my special precious mum. I love her and want to take all the worry and hurt away but I know she has to go through this to get better or at least buy us more time with her, we don't really know until the op what is going on. i am so glad I made the last minute and expensive decision to go up and visit (6 and a half hours on a hot train is NOT fun) but she was so happy to see me. I am drinking again tonight and eating all sorts of unsuitable crap, but am determined to get back some control and start my SW regime and AF regime at least during the week if I can't manage more yet........ tomorrow is another day ! day one... again

So it turns out Geraldine is going to be a gymnast

She is present and correct, and throwing all kinds of poses in there. I'm dating 12+2, EDD mid-May.

So happy

There may be a celebratory half glass of wine with dinner tonight. But not because the Wine Witch says so - she doesn't come round here no more.

sorry that was a very selfish me me me post, I am thinking of you all too, just being a mardy cow for now

X-post, step.

Sounds like things are really difficult and emotional at the moment. Don't beat yourself up too much about falling back into old habits. They're at their hardest to resist when life's shit. I don't know what I would have done if our news today had been bad, but it might well have involved a step back into drinking.

You are being a lovely daughter, supporting your mum, making sure you go and see her. It must be terrible waiting for the op but she'll be in safe hands and hopefully there'll be good news and she'll have a much sunnier outlook in a week or two

phrase this is such great news, I have a work colleague who spent years trying for her baby and had some awful tragedy's but eventually got her little girl. 7 years later and after a miscarriage she is now in hospital awaiting a C section today or tomorrow to have her little boy who was an unsuspected surprise! great thoughts and good wishes are with you and Geraldine x put down the wine and have an elderflower juice instead

x posta again thank you phrase

Arf. Post tag

Cheers step!

Great news Phrase. Been thinking of you today xxx

Step, don't beat yourself up, it is hard when a parent is ill. I hope your mum's op goes Ok xxx remember to take care of yourself too xxx

phrase brilliant news.
Am in the sidecar, grimly sucking down a lime and tonic.

phrase that's great news!

So happy for you phrase Although she is going to be a bit bemused later in life when she starts scanning family trees and asking where her name came from....

Mummy Phrase "oh darling, you were named after an imaginary bus which was filled with drunk woman"
Geraldine "Mum, were the drunk woman imaginary too?"
Mummy Phrase "no dear, they are all real. And they see themselves as honorary aunties, even though you've never me them...."
Geraldine

AF so far. Have made soup, had bath, running out of ideas....

Sort out old photos. I started doing that yesterday, and suddenly 3 hours disappeared......