A corner of the Bach Yard of D-G (Daughter-Girl) 

with one of three dogs, her German Shepherd, 

age 7-months--chasing a ball.  

This IS a place of PEACE!

LAST INSTALLMENT

of 4,000-mile scooter trip
EXCEPT FOR BITS AND PIECES now and then

This final visit of my Trip 2010 is happening at the home of DG. This is where I began nearly three weeks ago. There is much love in this house..."DG" is "Daughter-Girl". She let me know that "DG" could mean "Dear God", or the preferred "Dear Goddess"--TWO big grins!

DG just told me that recently in her (yes, spacious!) backyard she picked up a dead baby animal, and DG cried as she carried it in her palm to the burial area. It turned out the dead baby animal was "playing 'possom". In fact the dead animal WAS a baby 'possom! Now the 'possom is a "protected animal" in this yard!

She has a plastic pool for the animals' (3 dogs and assorted critters) swimming pleasure.  In the water is sitting a large chunk of concrete block. DG explains this is for stranded frogs, who would drown in time, of exhaustion--trying to escape their wave-frenzied "sea", a two-meter diametered piece of bowl-shaped plastic.grows weeds

This is the same girl who has cultivated a garden of weeds--milkweeds--to keep a home for her friendly Monarch Butterflies, who flutter-by her yard to their milkweed universe OFTEN.

Before I leave you from DG's 'estate', there is one more significant reason one could never NOT like being here. I was taught this morning how to make use of a French Press (coffee maker). Oh, how simple life can be, when one knows H.O.W.  Now that I am making my own coffee, there is a sudden shortage of the bean in this house.
 
One thought before checking out tonight...

How 'awfully' LOVELY to be welcomed into the home of your daughter, when behind all that is my past: chaos, misunderstanding, hurt, powerlessness, deprivation, paranoia, fear, and dread. 

We are friends, we are daughter-and-Poppa, we are...LOVE! Thanks to the God-given program of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps.

Enough from me today--any day.
I am sober today.
Let's enjoy PEACE this Labor Day weekend.

--Steve

LET'S TAKE A RIDE TO SERENITY!

One of the blogs I follow daily contains 

a particularly spiritual message today.

Please check Dulce out HERE

ATTACHMENTS OR REAL HAPPINESS?

WARNING: This is deep stuff-at least, for me.
 

Hopefully, we keep on learning, and it becomes FUN.  E.g., this sentence in a message two years ago to a favorite "artist" blogger, taken out of context:

"...when I read your messages, and you read mine (as now?) there is a special happiness which arises, and it is good...."

Example:  I used to write something like: "It sure makes me happy when I receive a note or a call from you..." or something like that.  This implies that  my happiness is dependent on your writing or calling me...and that's erroneous, on several levels. 


Today's inspiration--this is an edited repeat post of maybe a year or two ago--came to me in a small vest-pocket-sized booklet of De Mello's final Meditations. Topic is 'love'...of course, being a Jesuit, he's an expert! Oh Yeah? 

Please note that the following is an excerpt. It has to do with attachments to people, places, and things...mainly (I think) PEOPLE, and really needs the brief background of the chapter for true understanding:
From THE WAY TO LOVE, the last meditations of Anthony De Mello, page 58, slightly edited: 

"....I will not longer say to my friend, 'How happy you have made me.' For in so saying I flatter her/his ego and manipulate her into wanting to please me again. And I give myself the illusion that my happiness depends on my friend.  (What a responsibility for her to assume!) Rather I will say, 'When you and I met (meet, talk, write)...happiness arose.'  

That leaves the happiness uncontaminated by her/his ego and mine. Neither of us can take credit for it.  And that makes it possible for the two of us to part with no attachment to each other, or to the experience which our meeting generated, for we have enjoyed, not each other, but the symphony that arose up in our meeting......"

Peeps, I discern that inside happiness often manifests itself as an outward expression of my realization, my faith, that God is with us, and within us--each of us.  

Please do not ask me how I know this.

I bet I'm gonna be sorry after I hit "PUBLISH POST".....but, here goes...NOW!


SOBER today!
AT PEACE today!
LOVE today


Peeps! Live a good life...TODAY!
--steveroni

CUT BACK AND CUT OUT!

POEM???


Take away my shoes
Take away my socks
Take all of my toys
Even my building blocks

I'll keep my Hershey bars.
Drive away my two cars
Take away my favorite bike
Help yourself to what you like

Carry off my so precious fiddle
On the hill play "Hey Diddle Diddle"
If you dare touch my Hershey Bars
You'll be the first on Planet Mars....

S'pose you know by now
That I've gotten fat--even how.
(By eating lots of cacao bean
Hiding it, so's not be seen)

So never ever even think
Offering me spicy food or drink
Will wrap me up and tie me in a knot
To loosen the hold on my chocolate.

DIETING:  DYING OR LIVING

For a week now I have been trying to "watch what I eat" read: not eat.  Just want to lose a few pounds, say 20-30 or so.  Anyway, I am only FOUR fewer than when I started,  according to some.  But I see it as a total loss of EIGHT pounds, because had I continued on my  ch-ch-ch-chocolate-and-cheese diet I would have gained four pounds. Is 4+4 not 8?

If anyone has bothered to read that paragraph...does it make sense?  I mean, my arithmetic!

After years of becoming and achieving the status of a stark-raving-raging-mad  chaos-driven (and fat!) alcoholic, the arithmetic I learned was 0 drink + 1 drink = Total drunken wreckage!  Because one drink ALWAYS (I NEVER had "just one") led to another and another, until...sweet oblivion. Understand that for YEARS it was not like that...but, little-by-little my body adjusted to the drug amounts, and I had to keep having more and more...just in order to get the "effect", to "again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once from taking a few drinks...".

If I went to a party, I ALWAYS brought my own bottle, so I would not be embarrassed to drink whatever I (by then) needed, to be really and truly what I determined as social.

AND...I was forever the great pretender, pretending that I was shober-ash-a-shJudgeh in any situation. I prided myself on my capability--capacity--to drink more than anyone, and be able to "hold my liquor". What a farce! The few Peeps who cared at all wondered, "How long before he dies?" (I was age 38-40 then.) And I guess I was really trying to kill myself with alcohol.

Well, in AA I found out that I had ZERO tolerance for alcohol.  The only way I could live was to NOT take the "first drink". Finally that made sense to me.  Simple, yes.  Easy? No!  But anyone will have to admit this works...if I don't take that first drink I will never get drunk.  For me it is the only thing which works.

Soooo, back to my diet.  If I stop eating, I'll never get fat and I'll die!  On the other hand, when I stopped drinking, I THOUGHT I was dying...and soon began to live, and later to really live, and now--sometimes--to be blest with a peacefulness beyond understanding.

Go figure!

Meanwhile, will you try please, to:
Stay sober with me today?
Smile today, with me?
Harbor no ill will or resentments today?
Be at PEACE today?
Be full of LOVE today?

TAKE CARE!

MY EARLY "55"

BLISSFUL DENIAL

Nobody told me sir
So I did not know
That it is now winter
Where is the snow?

No one said to me
Come now...now go
Yet down to the sea
I followed river's flow

Of age I am not aware.
Life happens, speedily
So to live and love readily
I am guiltless....happily


LOVE, Peeps...and PEACE! 


If anybody wants to play, write a story in exactly 55 words, visit G-MAN (Mr Know-it-All) for more info, and to let him know ya DID it!

A "POEM"

"...to do Your Will." Click HERE

"GO MY FRIEND...

Is not the beginning
The end?
And the end, the begin?
And do I sit here
Without single sin?

"Bless me father"

To begin anew,
Meet and love you
That's what will give
Reason to live--
Now and ever

"I have sinned"

Meet and love
Again and again
Early love's infatuation
That wonder of life
Right now

"Since my last confession"

Meeting, loving, are
More common to some
Than others who love
from afar than near,
Right here

"Which was so long ago..."

First is knowing,
Loving after that.
Then it becomes
Beautiful happening
One more time

"How many times, Father?
I do not remember."

Enveloped in tenderness,
Arms reaching, all-around loving,
Gentle lip-sucking caress
Everywhere, everywhere, yes...
Right there

"For your penance--

do three good deeds"

Then, in peace,
The fulfillment
Realized...oh!
Heaven-sent
To us

"Go with DD and sin no more."

And after that
What is one to say?
Come back, oh yes,
Return another day
(Tomorrow?)

Love arrives, intrudes unmercifully.
It brings the aged back to their youth

Fantasized Ego says, "Hello, youth!"

Sense says, "Go away. I left you
Long ago for dead...."

Reality says, "Just live in this moment,
This day. Live it well, live it to the full.
Love it...cherish it, and
Find happiness in that--
For it is God's gift for you
NOW!"

 

GUARDIAN ANGEL "FLEX" 

CHANGED HIS NAME TO SHADOW

 Sitting here with my bright yellow keyboard, (ooops! wrong color?) I am listening to the MAGNIFICAT,  Gregorian chanting by monastery monks.  Also trying to write a short blog which makes sense, for a change. The change would be reflected in both: making sense. And short!

What I think or think about will not play in Chicago.  It will not make headlines across the nation, across the oceans. I'm thinking at this moment:  How wonderful it would be for a Peep to walk in the AA door saying, "I cannot stop.  I just can't stop!  What should I do?"  Those words would be most welcome in ANY meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.  And I LOVE-IT...to hear the words of POWERLESSNESS spoken in earnest, in complete surrender. THEN is when God can work through another person in recovery to "do God's work!"...Pick me--pick me!

ALTOGETHER ANOTHER TOPIC.

Coming home from choir-singing this afternoon, I was traveling my usual-slow-styled ride, when a little red sports car (convertible) cut me off (about 50 mph).  He passed less than one meter in front of my scooter, scared the you-know-what out of me.

OK, here is a view of what can-does-DID pass through my mind in just a split fraction of one second of time. (Everyone's brain does this, BTW., so I'm just observing me in this post.)  My first thought (insane) was "Let him wipe me out! SO WHAT?" My next thought (sane) was to get those brakes on FAST...which I did, of course, or you would not be reading this --grin!

The many thoughts IN BETWEEN first, and last above, are what inspired me to write this post. Note how MUCH activity is available to our brains in a micro-second of time:

1.  I thought, "Yesss, I'm gonna meet my God, at last. What a wonderful day this IS!"

2.  It will be "magical" to meet all my friend and relatives who have passed on, and the saints, and God Himself edited"As I Understood Him".

3. Oh! But there is "hell to pay" first...what I believe in, a purging, called Purgatory. Am I really ready for THAT?

4.  What if I do NOT die?  What then?

5.  Probably be laid up for a "blong" time.

6.  Might get loaded up with drugs by some well-meaning doctor.  And knowing me, there is always a possibility of getting hooked on them, or back to my daily alcohol intake, and totally crappy BEHAVIORS!

7.  What if I lose my mind, as in a coma?  What about bed-ridden for years?  Nope. That does NOT sound like my favorite way to leave here...

OK.  Peeps, those were all thoughts in that VERY split second, all the while, my horn was beeping--lot of good a horn will do , when you are lying in the street.  But I'm wanting you--and I--to know, the fleeting though-wave which FORCED me to clamp down hard on my dual ABS-system brakes.  It was this thought:

What ever would be the outcome, this one fact was certain.  Prayer Girl would NEVER (as long as we were together) allow me to have another scooter or motorized two-or-three wheeled vehicle again. Ever...NEVER!  Wouldn't you KNOW, that was the single thought which brought me to (I'll call it) sanity?   I thank God that "time" will bend itself to allow me, on occasion, to have enough thought, to reach a conclusion.  That instant conclusion was:

1. I'd maybe NOT be able to blog today, and

2. No more riding my scooter.

2. Possibly (doubtful, though, because I would have lived!) No "good-byes" to my family, friends in AA, and YOU, my very most special of Peeps, you bloggers, especially you who I am coming to know SO well, as to have a place in my heart for you.

I know it sounds--IS--selfish, but often accidents, death, or illness ARE selfish issues.  But ya know, it shows me what is really important to me, in my life at this time. Meanwhile...shiny side UP, rubber side DOWN.  A scooter rider in Virginia taught me that. It's called "Basic Scooter Riding 1.01" 

Well, my angel with his new name WAS with me this afternoon.  Thank you Shadow!






Peeps, I LOVE you,
Wish you the "Joy of Living sober"
and of course, a huge amount of PEACE in your lives.

"SHADOW" photo credit to Scott G W

PRACTICE DOES NOT ALWAYS 'PERFECT' MAKE

Einstein and I--buddies--we DID

have one thing in common!

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy" - Albert Einstein (he was past age 70 when he said that...)

My comment to Mr A Einstein:  Well Sir, I do not know about YOU...but for me, a chair--OK, a violin--OK, then, well, I--uh, um, hmmmmm--why is this not easy? Well, I'll be honest.  I'd want my woman!  And I am older than you were--with your bowl of fruit!  I hope you had a good time...--grin!

Of course, that is NOT the topic here.  I prefer to talk in this blog about what (Who) keeps me sober, mostly serene and at peace.   

NOTE: This is my first try at this type of verse. So be gentle please --grin!

And it IS the Power
of the Universe,
that Great Spirit
which moves
in constant waves
over and through
all things
all bodies
all minds

This Power, God,
As I delve
into His Programs
Stairways of Twelve
keep me sober,
and mostly happy

Always Pushing,
Leading, Pulling--
The Great Cajoler
Teasing me/us
with moments sublime
Moments of time
In perfect time.
In perfect tune.

Strings taut so those notes,
Like petite round sounds--
Beautifully soft,
Reach my very
center. Inner nerves
Also taut...on the verge

About to release the energies
Of sight, sound, touch
And face the reality of LOVE
To attain that serenity
For which I try much,
Too much, to achieve

No more deceive.
All is at peace.

All tiredness
all weariness
ending with
Gratitude,
With PRAISE,
with healing sleep.
Prayer and Healing Sleep..

Peeps, what can I say?  I love you all.
PEACE!

CHANGE-- AND PEACE

PEACE LOVE HAPPINESS

CHANGE
ONE FINAL WORD

AS STEVE SEES IT

For 70 years I have been playing the violin, in bands, symphony orchestras
 trios, quartets, strolling, inside, outside, here, there, and everywhere. From barrooms to rooms with bars.

Recently--again, without thinking, (no change there)!--I blurted out to a church music director, "I'd like to sing bass in the choir." So that's where I find myself, enjoying it SO much. We sing every Sunday 11 AM mass at St Ann Church. Of course, I will have the opportunity to play my violin on occasion.  The best of two world! Thank God and Twelve Steps...I am sober.

What a change!  You have no idea how I am marveling at the inspiration which guided me to this place. And I thank God for arranging it--that's the way it seems to me. Sobriety allows me free choices every minute, and if I feel that spiritual "push" it becomes my choice. Sometimes OK--sometimes NOT.

NEXT:

I want you all to know you do not have an Angel Gabriel or a Saint Stephen writing all these good changes which have occurred.  I DO have yet a couple thorns which with God's help will be yanked out of my soul one day. I'm ready! Are You? God? "Only say the Word, and I shall be healed."

My promise to you peeps is that I shall continue to change, and will let you know, as I recognize it.

And thank God for Step TEN, where I can get rid of most everything which disturbs me daily, sometimes on-the-spot, and with your help, bloggers, and peeps in the AA rooms, I can live the life of a free man.

ONE MORE THING

I've been asked for "my" definition of PEACE.  Peace--to me--is the absence of chaos. It--is not peace between nations, continental powers, political movements.  My control over those is insignificant.

Peace is you and me. It is a loving meeting of my mind and yours. It IS, in fact--love. It is thinking of you first, before me. It is caring, nurturing, supporting another.  Peace and love are "action" words. I have experienced a huge amount of this love at home and away from home the past five weeks. I experienced that "peace which surpasses all understanding" while traveling and meeting people (scootering) through five states.

On my final ride, the last 50 miles home, I was overwhelmed with the feeling, the knowledge, that I had been so loved in so many ways...accepted, tolerated, fed, "coffee'd", housed, and treated as an equal among equals, no matter what.  And they took me to AA meetings.

Again, for me, "peace" and "love" are so closely related as I might think of the genetic togetherness of identical twins.

The following quote sits on the desk of a long-passed friend of mine. It was meant as a definition of "Humility".  As I read, it usually produces a benignancy, replacing immediately any disturbances which found their way into my heart.

"Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.

"It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and pray to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble. "
 

Really bloggers, be sober.
Be at peace.
Be loving and lovable.
Steve

LET THERE BE PEACE, PEEPS

BUDAPEST PEACE SIGN

CHANGES IN THE WIND

All my life, drunk or sober, I have been a terrible arguer.  When am I terrible?   That is when I argue without any facts, when I argue just for the sake of, and when I do so just to hear me talk loud. Terrible is for me to argue about inconsequential crapola, even fight over tomorrow's weather.  Terrible is  when I make insane statements--in fact, I know THAT is terrible because of the remorse I suffer later.  Remorse, because of the  sometimes trouble I have caused others or myself.

Terrible is to argue--or even to say anything--without first thinking. So that's "typical" ME. Now you know.  Not a pretty sight.  In our Big Book on page 84 is written "We have ceased fighting anything or anyone--even alcohol."  Well, I got the "alcohol" part down real good right off.  But I did not see, read, nor could have understood the "anyone or anything" concept.  What an idea, arriving before its time --grin! 

• So, where is all this leading?  Well, I have "ceased arguing!"  Yep, Peeps, you won't hear me say Fk more than once a day from now on.  
  

• It is a huge philosophical change for me to say--and mean it--"You may be right".  Only four words, and they can be used over and over--the "recipient" will not mind one bit.

• In the past--until four weeks ago--I could never let a disagreement end until I thought I had won.  

• I'm working now to become a "seeker of peace" not necessarily among nations, but one-on-one.  For that is where I now know peace begins--with me.

• I have become not only a believer, but  I speak out now for Peeps who do not think, act, nor live like me, and their rights to live equally, peacefully, and as they know to be correct for themselves.  I also expect the same treatment for myself, from others--this may not take place.

• Prior to a couple months ago, I thought my self-styled "benevolence" was being distributed by an "elevated form of tolerance" for certain groups, races, minorities, genders, and other lifestyles.  During my trip I have found that we peeps are not different from one another--we are different WITH each other.  For me (not trying to tell you how to think, here, peeps!), I have traded the word tolerance for the word LOVE.

Considering that God loves with perfection all which he has made, I should also (but delete the word "perfection" of course --grin!) show love for all and everything.  Sometimes this is not easy...but is a goal which--with a long life-- seems attainable, at least if I water it down a bit.  Watered down version:  fluctuant degrees of love.  Maybe I  can work up from there--it IS a beginning!

Today's message from me is PEACE for all, and to all.  I cannot help but combine that with prayers for a clean and sober day...and LOVE!  Is there much else?

DAY TEN (10)

ELEVEN DAYS OUT

Truly, I thought I might be back in Naples by this date. My guess now is that this scooter ride is just about at a halfway point. I am staying over in Richmond for one more night, by invitation. Actually, Alix said to me, "Steve, you look too tired to get on that scooter and head for North Carolina". I agreed. This was at 1:30 PM...nap time! We had been touring this city on scooters for several hours.

I am having FUN!! Everywhere today we've been meeting people who are enthusiastic about life, and living. of course, it IS a college city. Went to oldest courthouse in the country, took pictures, had a cop take a photo of us, spent some interesting minutes with two Firefighter EMT peeps, enjoyed a fun time with a couple artists who own a gallery, had several nice Starbucks visits, a lunch break. Alix did a photo shoot of steveroni on his scooter (that might be blogged one day?) and I got to pay visits to the University, and the Virginia Museum of History. Going to dinner soon with my friend here, and then I'll hit an AA meeting at 8:30 PM.

Like I said, not much going on...oh yeah, at my behest (behest??? Wow!) A.M. scooted with me to Hollywood Cemetery in which are buried three US presidents, many thousands of Confederate soldiers, and other dignitaries, and some of the not-so-famous, dating back into the 1600's.

Meeting was on Tradition NINE, which is that we are not organized, but we do have trusted servants (meaning) that we argue a lot, but nobody ever wins --grin!
Looked all around for an ice cream store which Alix said was "close by", but we DO have chocolate chip cookies. Soooooooo! Thank you again, Polly!

NOTE: "Close by" to me is across the two-lane road. To one in her thirties, close by is anything under two miles! (sigh!)

Tomorrow I have an appointment for scooter oil change at 9 AM, then it's off for Charlotte, North Carolina. One day later than I had figured. But it was SO wonderfully peaceful to "see" Richmond from above the windscreen of a scooter, and do the other innocuous activities we shared throughout the day. How relaxing to be with a friendly friend, without obligation--other than enjoyment of the many moments. Thank you, thank you, Alix. I pray that God continues to bless you...He already IS doing that, IMO.


Several times today I have called PG in Naples, to hear the temperature was 90 deg. So God (yeah, I give Him credit also for this) has given us (in Virginia) weather which certainly might have induced our Forefathers to decide that here was a heaven-on-earth, in the New World. I would stop short of the "Heaven" phrase...however, heaven is probably wherever I (we) make it. So, for now...............

Peace to you all, Peeps
Love you all, peeps
Steve

Peace!

PEACE

Tuesday's blog has been written and deleted. it was me ranting about corporate America, our government, the world, and I was becoming angry. How would I ever sleep with resentment in my head? God...help!

A trusted friend just sent me a short movie-type URL which, upon watching, I found a sense of calm, of serenity deep down--hiding. Just over three minutes, there is at least one quote which will grab you. Guaranteed! All are quotes, tried and true. Give a look, it will make you smile. I've never sent something like this before, and will not often, but, well, here 'tis: CLICK ME!

I am grateful tonight for:

• Healing hands
• A computer that works
• Friends, both here--and there!
• Trip across Florida to a roundup this Thursday through Sunday
• A program that works (if ya work it? Ugh!)
• Choices, options, Free Will
• Sponsor, to say "No" to choices, options, and free will.
• Wife who puts up with a lot of crap
• Blogspot
• TSR
• Snows in Denver
• Does not snow in Naples
• Sponsorship
• Service
• They are NOT the same!
• God's Mercy and Love
• Joyful anticipation: what this summer will bring all of us
• We all will stay sober today--together
  

In Peace, Love, and Service,
Sincerely,
Steve E

For Wednesday Morning...ZZZzzzzz

Hey, everyone

Thanks to all who sent me jokes, some VERY GOOD. Special thanks to Dave who sent me a file containing about 1,000 jokes in various stages of undress--oops! I mean..er, of funniness.

I don't feel good right now, just SO tired, nothing more. Going to bed, no blog tonight. If I do not get to my meetings in the morning, I'll blog then. Sorry--hate to miss a day.
Peace, and Love, all you happy, joyous, and free 'loggers!
Sincerely,
Steve E.

PLEASE READ WHAT MY HEART IS SAYING

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AWARD

My TRUE THANK YOU to Jess for sharing the Christmas Spirit Award with me. I am so grateful for those who share so willingly of their experience, strength and hope...and this award gives ME another one of those moments to express my caring, my sharing.

OK...MY sharing the SPIRIT OF THE AWARD: In the spirit of our Beautiful Twelve Traditions, I'm not going to designate certain award "winners"...so, if you have not yet received this award, consider yourself one of MY FAVORITE PEOPLE (you ARE, you know!), copy-and-paste the award using your Blogger Dashboard. Thank you SO much, and join us here.

These are rules: Shhhhhhh: -whispering-"I don't DO rules very well!"
* the person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas

* link back to the person who gave you the award

* list 5 things that you love about Christmas. if you can’t limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space! steveroni ran out of SPACE!!!

* pass the award along to as many people as you like. that can be 1 or 50 to keep the Christmas cheer going!

* let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment

SHARING THE SPIRIT OF LOVE

(This is my kinda topic--"sharing love")

1. RIDING MY SUZUKI BERGMAN during this Christmas season, I'm out in the open on the roads. I like to look around at stop lights, and smile and wave at people. They cannot mistake the love I'm experiencing. Invariably, they wave back, or open windows, and say "Howdy", or "Have a safe ride!". I figure they just cannot believe there's this old guy out there being so happily ensconced, and enjoying life, no matter what...even a blong, red, stop light!

2. CASHIER @ Sam's Club was having an obvious 'bad hair day'--and he was bald! So Prayer Girl said something to him, and it turned out he was NOT angry with working through the holidays, or angry with 'uncouth' customers. He had a bad cold, he thought it might even be the flu, and he was suffering physical pain in a couple other areas. We left him laughing, happy that he had come to work this morning. WHAT POWER You let pass through us, my God!

3. DURING THIS SEASON I have learned that I can have conversations and maybe a--{{{HUG}}}--with my friends, and it means no more than that--we are good friends, staying sober and helping one another one hour, one day, one week, one month, one year, one decade at a time.

4. CHRISTMAS season allows me to realize the gifts God has bestowed on us all. That all through my drunkenness, He was working, using me, working through me. It did not matter to God, that my way of life was not to His liking, He still "brought me home",
as it is thus
with all of us.
we are now back home
to no longer roam
but to live with joys
all us girls and boys.

5. THIS SEASON allows me to return my thoughts to the good things in this world. And I can then be Oh so grateful. And one of those
things I so often forget...is to remember
those who did first set
in motion this sharing,
this wonderful caring
for one another
like sister and brother
this blog community
wonderful unity.
coming apart? but no!
God must will it so
to be for more than three.
for this, God, we thank thee.

I am referring to those who decided a number of years ago, to blog with each other, keeping alive the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. And I do not even know who they are. I can guess though, that some are from--God, I hate to use the word--Texas, maybe Houston? And some from Colorado? And maybe Illinois? I know who these, our pioneers might be, but I do not thank them, can never thank them enough.

I have been to other blogs now, and am convinced that God directed me here. He did use a couple people--one in particular--to help me along the way to this magnificent place. Thank you, Mary C! For me, there is NO PLACE like our little blogging community, in which you've allowed me to participate.

Admittedly, it seems to have grown far out from its originally imagined and intended bounds. Growth is painful, change is painful, but the results of each can be a new freedom, a new happiness, and new opportunities for me to serve my Higher Power--God--and to spread His message of our Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, our paths to sobriety, peace, serenity, and happiness, those qualities of my new life which surpass all my understanding. Thank you BLOGGERS, thank you AA, and thank You God.

I love you all...really I do.
Your blong-a-roni