Erika, 

Hamilton??  My husband and daughter got to see it last year and I was so jealous! I think Violet (my daughter) has the whole musical memorized. She’s literally singing it right now while pacing in the kitchen. What a fabulous reward for yourself!

I’m all in for the virtual fruit platter party. I’ll bring…. Strawberries. The summer kind that they sell on the side of the road. I’m sure I can find some virtual ones in February.

Jenny

Jerthie,

I’m sorry January didn’t go as you had planned. It sounds like the new medication side effect really threw you off track. February is a great month to commit to any changes you want since there’s only 28 days in it.  

I had a moment today where I stopped my cross stitch and thought I wanted to go out and smoke. I let it go quickly and was happy. I drank some water and watched a tv show instead.

Jenny

Thanks for reaching out Jenny! I am over the moon happy that you had that glass of water and watched TV instead. Yea, January was not the way I hoped it would be. But yesterday I went back to 6 instead of 8, and today I am at 5. My weight will never be what it once was and I just need to accept that. I didn't go to work today because I came down with the flu. Tomorrow is a new day- keep on not smoking!!

Congrats Jenny on your month of being smoke free.  

                                            Lisa

Lisa, 

thank you so much!! It feels great to get to the 1 month mark. I bought food to go today and it struck me how much more money I have. I don’t think I was paying any attention to that aspect of quitting, so it was kinda exciting! 

I hope you’re 3rd day has gone well. 

Jenny

Aw, don't beat yourself up.  My therapist won't let me use the word "vanity" when I describe my issues with perfectionism, eating, and body image . . . the need for control over those things is not a character defect or a sin.  Perfectionism is just something we have to deal with.   

My assignment this week is to finish reading: "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself."  So far I love it!

You're awesome, Jerthie!   

Strawberries are the best!  Especially when they're just picked! 

You have the best ideas! 

I'm putting strawberries on my vision board today . . . thinking about what I'm going to start indoors to put in my balcony garden in May.  First smoke free summer in decades!!!!  I'm visualizing it already.    

Thats so cool your daughter was just playing Hamilton!  I am gonna have to wear a rubber band on my wrist to snap in case I start singing along.

Love the rubber band idea! I’d need it, too  

Fresh summer fruits are the best! I had canned pineapple today. Not quite as tasty. I’m hoping to get some herbs going this summer. I have rosemary and sage already, but would love basil and thyme. I have a small greenhouse with orchids in it. I’m going to try moving the basil there in the winter and see if it can make it through the winter. It’ll be a fun experiment, if nothing else.

I have a few plants starting to bloom out there. I used to go in there to smoke, so it was nice to walk out there today, just to look at the plants. I have 12 with the beginnings of flowers on them! Orchids can take forever to grow, so it’ll be a couple months or more before I see some of the flowers. 3 have flowers right now, though. I was hit with a wonderful smell when I opened the door. I’d forgotten one has a delicious scent to it. It made me smile to realize how much better it smelled than when I had a container of butts in there that smelled awful. I’ll take the flowers, please!

Jenny

Hi Jenny!

Yay I found the January 2023 space again, I was looking under the wrong tab.

Gotta say thinking about your greenhouse makes me miss California a bit.  Lived in San Diego for 12 years then moved to MN in 2017.  I always planted my outdoor veggie garden around this time of year in Cali.  Now I have an indoor garden under purple LED plant lamps in my basement rec room!  So the winter here in MN is rough but on a positive note the summer is beautiful and there is a lake in my urban neighborhood where we can swim!  I couldn't believe it when I came to MN--urban fresh water swimming????  There's just so much woods and water here.  I love it.  Half the year.  LOL.

Anyhoo, the observation you made about how much more enjoyable your lovely orchid greenhouse is now that it no longer serves as your smoking sanctuary . . . right on, sister.  All of the positive aspects of being non-smokers are really adding up for both of us.  I love it, I feel so happy and relieved.  I noticed that I am in a much better mood these days.  I think before I quit I was always stressed in between cigs--stressed and sort of low key grouchy.  

Fruit, flowers, sanity!  So glad you're here.  

I love your positivity.  It is down right beautiful and inspiring.  Thank you for sharing it with us.