The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Shaking Off The Winter Blues And Getting Out Our Booze Free Summer Shoes!

[Mouseface]

Hello, tis me, Mouse

Welcome to the Bus. It's a Bus full of drinkers, non-drinkers, occasional slurpers, sneaky sippers, we're all a very different bunch but we ALL have the same thing in common.

Alcohol.

We all have a story or two to tell, we have all been through some terrible times, some more than others and we all have our reasons for drinking or even not.

The one true wonderful thing about this Bus is that we don't do judging!! We're all on a even playing field, no matter what has brought us to this thread.

So, if you'd like to talk, then talk. If you want to lurk and see how we work for a while, that's cool too :)

The Bus is never full, there's always is room for YOU.

And, if you'd like to see what started this off, amost good 5 years ago now, have a look at A TRULY AWESOME HEARTFELT THEAD HERE

And our last thread is just here too for those who would like some more history THIS IS WHERE WE'VE JUST BEEN

Hope to see you soon :) xxx

Oooh SM lovely to see you - have been meaning to post on your blog - I LOVE it. Please, please keep it up - I really look forward to new posts. So much of what you say resonates so strongly with me. Hang in there during the holidays.

You may well be getting to a point in your sobriety where it becomes a touch boring, because you are not consciously thinking about it all the time, and the reality of AF life is kicking in. And it is not always as fun as you think it should be, because all the old annoyances and frustrations don't magically disappear with the Sancerre (though your perspective on those irritations will undoubtedly be clearer). I have no doubt your blog will help, and that you will make it through. Stay strong!

Ma, your GP must have emergency appointments - don't be put off by the receptionists - if they ask what the emergency is, tell them you only want to discuss it with the DR.

You are going to say that you don't feel like an emergency, that you are wasting the Drs time . . . that is the stress talking. I did it, made excuses for weeks before I finally said I NEED an appointment and I can't wait four weeks. By that point, I couldn't look at the GP, and just burst into tears.

You need to do this {bosies}

SmallFox - nearly 100 days! Wow! You are amazing! Your dehydration story had me laughing out loud. You are so right about the boredom - am thinking "oh God, is this it forever?!?" Big hugs SM x

ma your GP will be legally required to see you within 48 hours, if you phone again tomorrow explain that you already tried yesterday -today- they will fit you in. Sending you bosies and

Sweet Witterings were my old stonking ground as a debauched teenager my brother lives in Bosham and my Ma in Chi. I'm the other side of Brighton further east to you lot!!! Can you imagine pup's face when he's presented with an expanse of beach, Bless x Just seen the time, got to get DD1 to her 'maths cramming week thing' see you all later x oops thought i'd posted this much earlier

Thanks all. Will try again tomorrow. Am sitting in the sun trying to think positive thoughts and still trying to pluck up the courage to speak to the neighbours about the roof! Why am I making such a big issue of this???
Congrats to all the sober ones.

Ma sometimes the thought of doing it is worse than the actual doing it. You will feel better if you just get it over and done with. But its hard I know.

What's the worst that will happen?

You are right faire I know. The worst is they will mutter and complain and have little huddles in the garden which go silent when I go past...all trivial but I hate the atmosphere. If they drag their heels I will have to keel nagging about them stumping up their share of the money and if they actually refuse, I will have to take legal action as the roof is shared "ground" on the deeds and I just dont need the stress right now. But I do need to man up and get on with it....

Grasp the nettle. Do it now. Put the kettle on and you will be back by the time it's boiled. Then we can have a chat about it and we'll go silent when you're neighbour's near. See how they like it.

(((hugs)))

My first morning without my evening glass or two was interesting- I fell asleep without any of my usual unable to sleep problems and work up absolutely exhausted, and im still tired now. How ever im going running later which I love and hope will make me feel better.

I had my vitamins and still drinking lots of water. I used my glass of wine as a sort of end to a busy day and excuse not to do anything else which im going to have to work on. The reward aspect I guess, but I am trying to find lots of projects to busy myself. I am reminded vaguely of my dm who smoked and gave up regularly as she said the first one after a break was so nice. I can see this mentality won't help me just stop, if I think it's only for a while.

Faire @ a silent Babe huddle!! Go on Ma - I know (and I really, really do) how difficult it feels, but once it's done, that will be another little barrier down, another tick on you're list. That said, why can't (D)H do it? I suspect the answer is that he just won't .

Lavender that tiredness really hit me when I embarked on my long dry stint at the beginning of Jan. It is your body catching up on all of those disturbed nights and fuddled, disturbed alcohol sleep - even one glass a night will have an effect. Make sure you find yourself something rewarding AND relaxing for the end of the day.

DH is currently cursing the writers of greenhouse instruction manuals - the guy on the phone did admit they weren't great because they are written by people who are erection experts. (OK, he may not have said that last bit exactly like that, but you get the gist ).

sweets am going to tackle the rockery with your encouragement! No idea whether the heathers are summer or winter, but I always thought you weren't supposed to let them get 'leggy'

Why do you pull yours out? What should I plant instead?

I just don't like Heathers, in gardens, Joey - it's a very personal thing. I like them en mass on moors though. But if they are doing a job and you like them, keep them. Gardening is a very personal thing. In my first garden, a very small court yard type, I went all 'tasteful" and only planted foliage plants and things with white flowers. Wouldn't dream of doing that now - and I have 28 dahlia seedlings of various colours to prove it .

I think the timing of pruning has more effect on whether or not you get flowers this year or they miss a year, it shouldn't do any harm to the plant. A rockery should be well drained, so anything with silvery leaves, or Mediterranean plants will do well. Small bulbs, or irises (but only the small ones), if you go to a garden centre anything in the 'alpine' section, Lewisia, Aubretia, cistus. but it also depends on the size of the rockery and where you are in the country.

ma how was your dad today?

sweets oh dear what have you started - I've suddenly got the gardening bug! After clearing most of the rockery (part of it was impossible as it seems to have turned into the lawn) which I'm glad you warned me it would be tedious, otherwise I would have quit sooner - oh and close-up the heathers turned out not to be heathers but thyme

I then went mad and bought tons of cheap plants in Wilkinsons - 2 primulas (I assume they are on the way out but will come back next year?) campanula, a mini conifer which I will put in a pot, some plug geraniums AND a clematis. Not sure where any of this is going to go...

I need to go and have a lie-down after all this excitement.

Joey next you'll be watching Gardener's World - or Beechgrove if you're North of the border!. I love a bargin plant. The primulas should come good next year; the geranium - they are probably pelagoniums - are tender and need to be protected until there's no more frost - window sill or porch. When you plant the clematis, dig the hole at least four inches deeper than it was in the pot - so you bury some of the leaves, that way you get a bushier plant and protection and regrowth if it succombs to 'clematis wilt' (yes that's a thing)

Oh, and if it's thyme, Joey, wait until the frost is gone and it's definitely growing and cut back 'hard' to where you can see the first green leaves. It will grow back really quickly - I have some in a pot, I will take a pic tomorrow to show you if you're unsure .

I did it! Visited both sets of neighbours with the bill. Both prickly at first but thawed as I stayed to chat with the about this and that....we are all struggling for money so have agreed to go with the repairs but do it after summer to give us all time to save up.
I feel bloody proud of myself - thanks guys!
We couldn't visit dad today. There is norovirus on the ward and they won't let us in!

Ma, that's brilliant about the neighbours, you rock. A shame about your dad, but at least the hospital are being proactive.

Bugger, bugger, bugger. I don't know what I have done, but I can't put any pressure on my left knee - an old dance 'wound' from my youth. I must have twisted it digging or something. I have been such a clumsy bum these last two weeks, this is my third minor, inconvenient injury. Humph.

Babes may be interested in this programme on radio four; AA:America's Gift to the World about the history and structure of AA. You may also recognise many of the descriptions of addiction

Ooh, knee just popped back into place! A bit sore, but weight bearing. Bodies are weird things.

How has everyone been today?

Ouch sweet

Brilliant ma, well done, that's one less thing to worry about

Sweet ouchie, is it best to put a pack of fozen peas on it, or soak in a warm bath? Can't remember. I think the cold helps to stop swelling. If you have any swelling that is.

Hi all. It's been so busy on here recently. I'm away with kids at the moment visiting my parents and drinking, find it hard being away from home. Have done some gardening for the parents so helped a bit.

Went to the park with dm and dc and there was some girls there about age 13 I guess and I heard them saying I was old and their mums were 35 - I'm 44 with two young dc. I felt like having a go at them (not sure what I would have said but it just really upset me)

Och, Ruby, they are thirteen year old girls, the most cutting and vulnerable people. They are probably noticing that you are there with your mum and children - a loving circle of the generations in their eyes....and all hell is breaking loose in their homes. They are jealous, because they want to be cared for like your children, but they also want to grow up. It makes them horrible. If you were 19, with your children and mum, they'd have picked on that too. Trust me, I'm in my fifties and I've lived with a thirteen year old. (They all turn out lovely in the end )