Brave Babes - Wrapping up for a Wonderful Winter

[venusandmars]

Hi, I am venusandmars and I've been on these threads for many years.

It can be tough at this time of year when the adverts are full of families cheerfully opening bottles of wine and good cheer, when work parties are alcohol fuelled, when distant friends call round with a bottle in hand.

Maybe you're trying to cut down a little in the pre-Christmas weeks, maybe you are struggling to know how to continue with a longer period of abstinence, maybe you are waking up after a Christmas Party feeling sick and covered in shame (or even feeling shame and covered in sick).

Whatever, whenever, if you want to stop, or cut down, or simply share your struggle with others who also feel the tug..... please join us.

Usually our lovely mouseface opens these threads, but the poor mouse is sick in hospital and so I am overcoming the technophobia that a 50-something feels.... (well done me ). Our last thread is here if you want to read the last few posts

And if you want to read the story from the beginning (you'll need a few weeks) HERE is where it all started when Jesuswhatnext posted in May 2010.

Welcome one and all x

Let them feed themselves hope. And while they are at it, they can bring you drinks and snacks while you chill out!

Haha, never going to happen. Up now. WB and DS have gone out to look at the floods, dd in bed still ( yes, disgraceful, but am leaving her there for a bit of peace). Am staying on the couch with my book till someone requires a meal.

wry are you around? Come and talk to us. There has been a wry- shaped hole in this bus for too long!
indie are you OK?
ladame? thurso? rural?.....

How are you doing ma ? How was your Christmas?

I'm a bit worried that she might not return because we are all saying how much we miss her, and there's all that pressure to return and be witty and stuff?

Hi Joey. I have PMd our lovely Wry. I think she will come back in her own time, she's had a bad time recently but is on the mend.

Hope all the babes are safe tonight. I am in the middle of a serious flood zone, though thankfully my street is unaffected. Went for a walk earlier though, before police closed the roads off, and its appalling. Glad to be safe and warm. Off to bed now, night all x

Good Morning All Lovely Babes

I hope that you all had a good Christmas we had the nicest day ever. Just my girls and me (and the dog) very relaxed, no pressures, lots of laughter. Just what we all needed. DD1 bought me a lovely silver heart locket, bless her, one I will be wearing all the time, makes me feel warm and lovely

Beaches so good to see you lovely. How was your Christmas? what's the weather like over that Atlantic? (my ploy is to ask questions so that you have to answer them!) Will you be doing dry Jan with me? Big love honey x

Wry Hello how are you lovely? Always good to have you back. I'm so glad to hear that you're on the mend

I worked out that I've not had a sober Xmas since I was 14 this year was a first for me. I feel so calm that may also have to do with not having to go anywhere, see anyone etc

Anyway I hope you are all safe the weather in some parts is horrendous.

Love to you all, especially those who are struggling with the loss of a loved one, family stresses, money, loneliness (even though you have people around you) it's a difficult time of year. As one year closes another opens, let's hope that 2016 will be a good year for all of us x

Hello hope how was your Christmas? I think I've eaten too much...

Hey all. I actually had some money for the sales for the first time ever and have had a lovely time buying some new clothes for work, and a couple of books and treats. Lovely.
Back to normal tomorrow but it has been a lovely Christmas

Belated happy Christmas to everyone. It has been lovely in Fox land, with shiny happy small persons and lots of friends and family to play with, smile with and reminisce with. I feel my old English teacher wagging her finger and saying 'with whom to..' but its Christmas and I don't care!

Love to all Babes, fab to see a tantalising glimpse of Wry, thoughts are with you, lovely. Will be back in earnest from next weekend, but for now I wanted to say a huge hello and a huge thank you to the many, many wonderful people on this excellent bus, who helped me and others so much during the course of last year. You're all very special.

Phew! A glimpse of sunshine today after non-stop rain and gloominess for the previous 48 hours (or maybe that was just how Christmas felt!!)

wry lovely to see your post. And also helpful to remind ourselves (ALL OF US) that we can post on here whenever and whatever we are feeling. There is a lovely supportive DRY thread (which I imagine is a magical warm haven for those who are determined to be dry and feel badly or sadly or madly influenced by hearing of other people's controlled drinking, or complete abandoned wastedness) but this is not what the Brave Babes Bus is....

Here you can post when you are sober, you can post when you are tormented, you can post when you are managing lightly with a small glass rather than a huge one. please, please this is not a criticism of the DRY thread, just a slightly different approach, and I guess some people read or post on both Anyway, the point of this is to say that wry and ALL OF US should feel under pressure to behave in a certain way or to post only when we are up and doing well, or down and seeking support. Post any time that you think your random thoughts might help YOU, and post any time when you think that your random thoughts might help someone else.

Lovely post venus hope you had a good Christmas

thank you joey except of course the penultimate sentence should have read "..should NOT feel under pressure...." oops

Lovely post Venus. How was your Christmas? Hope it wasn't actually gloomy for you - what did you get up to?

Hey Joey. My Christmas was fine apart from actual Christmas Day which was fairly shit due to spending it with WB and MIL and SIL, all of whom are miserable and / or self-centred. Kids got new i-phones from me, so didn't look up much . Boxing Day also boring but pretty flooded where we are so that took my mind off it. (we're OK but all around is chaos!)

Today was lovely because met my cousin, wife and kids for a meal at Wahaca with the dcs (WB was busy doing his pretend job as ever but that's fine). We had a lovely time and exchanged thoughtful gifts (see millionaire SIL 'fridge magnet between two' gift debacle up-thread) and I actually felt Christmassy because I was with my family, what is left of it (have one cousin here and his family, one old aunty and the rest are in Ireland and I never see them) and they are a generally cheery bunch and non-bickering, non-complaining so happy and easy to be with. Then did a bit of online shopping with dd for new phone cases and watched Uncle Buck, one of my favourite 80's films!

Spanna your sober Christmas sounds nice. Glad your dd's enjoyed it too. Fox, glad you also had a good one.

Ma - ooh, what did you buy? What clothes shops do you like? I am not a fan of shopping but I like to have nice things IYSWIM. I like them to magically appear for me without having to shop and queue, so Amazon Prime is my politically incorrect friend, but can't use it for clothes as I am not the right shape any more (especially now, after holiday over indulgence) so need to try stuff on. Also, what books did you get? Am trying to compile an improving but not too heavy reading list for next month as have a lot of overnight work visits and it will be better if I'm in my hotel room with a book rather than in a bar!

We have been summoned to SILs tomorrow though ds is getting out of it as is being whisked away on a training camp in the wilderness by his running coach until NYE. I shall be making a fruit salad and mostly talking to my lovely niece! I am managing moderate drinking atm, the odd glass of wine or G&T - tomorrow will be a challenge though! Wish me luck xxx

I usually buy supermarket or second hand so it was a rare treat to go "upmarket" to Debenhams.. The sale is excellent. I mostly just got stuff for work, smart trousers and some tops. I do like John Rocha and got a nice shirt half price.
The books are not remotely improving - just for slobbing out and reading without any effort: "The Taxidermists Daughter" and "The Book of Night Women". I have also ordered a lovely soft leather satchel/briefcase which was reduced by loads, so well happy.

Afternoon all. We have had a lovely few days and seen lots of family and friends. It's a bit nice to get back to normal though. Houseguests have only just left and we are slowly tidying up and reclaiming our space.

Hey, Faire - I know what you mean! Today has been our first vaguely 'normal' day over christmas, before more visitors then travelling over the next few days. It has been very cathartic taking things to the charity shop and generally sorting out the house - the kids disagree, but I am definitely feeling lighter and slightly relieved as a result. Using up various random bits from the fridge in a very eclectic but thus far in its genesis, surprisingly edible curry. It feels a bit like a preparation for new year's day when I am convinced a 'new me' will also emerge from all the various bits of drunken, sodden chaos...fingers crossed.

Hello to you all - hope you have nice new year plans? I don't much like new year's eve, but do quite enjoy the sense of a new year starting...really hope it is a good one for us all.

Same here. Recycling done, food cupboard sorted and out of date stuff chucked out and a whole load of stuff put in storage jars! Get me!!!
Had a work meeting today and it was good to engage the mental gears again. Think will go into work tomorrow to do some stuff while its quiet,although I think we are going to be hit hard by Storm Frank so might batten down the hatches and stay home. Wind is beginning to get up here....

Hope no-one is suffering too much with the storms again. I was reading about the terrible flooding on the news today. What a lot of destruction in such a short time.

Very wet and windy here but roof still on at least! Are all Babes OK?
wry you OK? Just post a smiley if you don't feel like talking.
indie? mouse? hope?

Still here Ma in bed listening to the storms. Taking dd to the met later so she can meet her friends for a shopping day. I need to do some work so am not overwhelmed next week, but fear my brain has seized up

I was planning to go into the office today to get some stuff done but not sure how much worse this is likely to get. Am tucked up here in bed too with a cup of coffee and no real plans for the day.

I had to pop out to the shops today but am home now and not going anywhere. Dh is cooking for us all, dd is doing a bit of uni work and then we're going to watch a movie or something.

Where is everyone???? (looks at tumbleweed gently disturbing the dust along the bus floor)

Well, May I wish you all a Happy New Year wherever you all are .... I hope we all get to where we want to be in the next 12 months. 2015 was really turbulent for me and I know I need to make more big changes in 2016. Sending love, courage, solidarity and support to all my fellow bus travellers, whatever you might be doing today and next year xxx

I'm here as always...
Yes, 2015 was a stinker and changes are needed for 2016. Couldn't have got through it all without this wonderful bus and its crazy travellers who are always there to offer support, laughter, non-judgement....or a hearty slap with a wet squid.
Here's to Gerald and all who travel in him!
Carry on Driver. (Who is driving, by the way?)

looking I think that parts of your 2015 have been awesome! I know that you're working your socks off at the moment, but I also remember how truly dreadful things were for you at work. All the best for more awesome changes in 2016.

ma I also remember how incredibly strong you have been this year, to deal with the turmoil at work, your lovely boss having to leave, stepping up and just damn well keeping on going. And supporting your family and raising such lovely girls, and supporting your ds to be more confident and settled. I think when you're in the midst of it you feel the stress and the drudgery, whereas looking on from a slightly different viewpoint we can see the strength, determination and progress. Hope 2016 is year of growth and joy.

For me, 2015 feels like it has been a year of recovery - a lot has felt flat and quiet and a bit lost, but that has given me time to raise my head, look around, see how good things are / can be, and see where I want to go next. I have a plan for next year - not for anything momentous (although there are a couple of exciting tasks to be achieved) - but specific ways to love myself more, to create what I want around me, to move away from the things which don't delight me. Bring it on

To all babes as we approach the end of a year, leave some of the bad behind, leap into the new year with confidence and courage, knowing that there is a busload of support here to help you, to cheer you on, to pick you up and dust you off. Luffs you all xx [little tear]