SSDreamin Blessings and curses

[moolie]

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By the way, I quit smoking. Two days and counting. My longest quitting streak to date is 4 days. I think the dog and my son are both ready for me to move out and live with the heifer until the crabbiness subsides! Can't wait until my chimney of a husband comes home tomorrow - that will be the true test!

This is huge, and congratulations!

 

[abifae]

Good luck on quitting smoking. Lots of rich fats helps the food cravings So if you go on a chocolate binge, get really GOOD chocolate or make a rich ganache. If you fill up on junk food, you'll regret it LOL.

 

[sunsaver]

...

By the way, I quit smoking. Two days and counting. My longest quitting streak to date is 4 days. I think the dog and my son are both ready for me to move out and live with the heifer until the crabbiness subsides! Can't wait until my chimney of a husband comes home tomorrow - that will be the true test!

This is huge, and congratulations!

After 3 days, the nicotine will be out of your system, and the physical cravings should be gone. You should have only pschological cravings after day 3. It's just the mental habit that you need to break. Try replacing it with chewing gum. Juicy Fruit did the trick for me. I quit smoking exactly ten years ago, one week after the 911 terrorist attacks. Tomorrow is my ten year aniversary of being smoke-free. You can do it. Just relax, pop in a stick of gum, close your eyes and take a deep breath, and tell yourself, "this to shall pass." Most cravings last less than 30 seconds. They get shorter but more frequent, the longer you go with out nicotine, so have plenty of gum on hand. Cold turkey is the only way to quit for good.

 

[SSDreamin]

Thanks everybody!

I can use quitting smoking as a valid excuse to eat chocolate? Awesome!

I am chewing gum, until my jaws ache!

I know it sounds like an excuse, but since they changed the paper on the cigarettes, I started smoking more and actually craving a cigarette. I'd hurry up and eat, just to be able to light up. Not cool.

The psychological cravings are kicking my backside!! Absent-minded behaviors are so tough to stop!
DH just called to say he's on his way so, in three hours, I'll get my big test. DH smokes in front of me ("You just need stronger willpower") and USUALLY isn't very supportive. Hoping for better this time and, I only have to deal with it for one day per week if he still does it.

Ten years?! That's fantastic! I agree that cold turkey is the way. I've tried almost everything else, and failed. I have a better attitude this time (although the dog and my son may say different) and have been taking some supplements to try and keep things in balance while I work through it.

Also trying to stay busy! DS and I dug 100 lbs of white potatoes today!

 

[abifae]

I have only smoked a pack since quitting 5 years ago.

That was working at comcast. My new job doesnt stress me so much.

 

[SSDreamin]

Abi - I know one cigarette and I'll be right back at it, so no packs of smokes for me! My willpower stinks!

My DH has been WONDERFUL! I have not seen him light up once since he's been home.

Went to the local race track last night and ran into a good friend, who smokes quite a bit. Was amazed at how it DIDN'T affect me, at all

Still struggling with the HABIT of smoking - it catches me off guard and annoys me. Also still short tempered! DH has joined the chorus to force me out to the barn until my mood improves

Picked our pear tree and apple tree clean today - want to make some apple butter, but couldn't get my crockpot revived, so will now need to shop for a new one. Plan to visit Vinnie's and GW this week for other stuff: Let's hope they have something I can use.

 

[SSDreamin]

Five days and counting. Mood is improving. Craving are lessening, somewhat. Savings to date $60.00

Ran out of gum last night and turned the house upside down looking for the pack I know is here somewhere! DS thought it was quite humorous - I was yanking things off the shelves, freaking out - like a junky!!

Have a lot of stuff packed up and sitting in the backroom, waiting to go out in the trailer. DS packed up 75% of his room last night (which leads me to believe he can do without all of that, and it would look so nice and spacious in there...hmmm). We pack at night, then haul it out to the (enclosed) trailer during the day - it is very dark in our yard at night, and avoiding the bad spots on the deck while carrying boxes at night just doesn't work! Need to get it loaded up and ready for yet another trip North!

We'll go up this Sunday and drop off the trailer load, play with the well pump again (DH thinks he may have figured out the problem. He also found out that vasoline is a huge no-no for the seals, so I am not allowed to mess with the pump), and get a better idea of what we are going to need for the gas lines.

I finally was able to order an Excalibur! Can't wait until it arrives!! Plan on attempting lots of potatoes, sugar pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash in it right away!

Have to run my errands/do my shopping today. Looking forward to seeing what I can get from the thrift shops!

Hope your day is sunny and beautiful, and upper 60's, like mine is!

 

[Windyhillfarms]

After reading what you get accomplished in a day, I'm exhausted!!!!! We're currently in the process of trying to figure out where to put the garden as where I wanted to move it, there is a water line that we can't figure out where it goes, but don't feel like screwing anything up!

The new place sounds exciting! We are half looking around at places, and are pretty much looking for just land as the first priority and then buildings are great, but not the top priority if that makes sense.

I'll have to keep watching to see how this progresses, I think I'll be able to learn a lot!

 

[SSDreamin]

My food strainer & sauce maker came today. After almost all of my tomato based things are done.

First thing I noticed was: This thing is BIG. I figured, by looking at the pictures online, it was small. They should post a disclaimer that says: "This item is actually really BIG. Look at the picture. It is just like the picture, only on steroids."

I washed it up right quick, then scrounged up enough tomatoes to fill the hopper. Could feel the tears beginning to fill my eyes as I realized that all I had to do was rinse the tomato off, quarter it and drop it in. DS helped turn the handle/feed the tomatoes through. It was easy and...took just ten minutes, INCLUDING SET UP! I'm so happy What used to take me almost three hours, and LOTS of labor, took ten minutes! An extra batch of DH's hot sauce (NOT from the book of Jose, but no slouch ) is now cooking down on the stove. There is no way I'm telling DH how easy this is now - he watched me slave over spaghetti sauce a while back and brags to his friends about all my hard work to make his favorite sauces. Did i say I'm extremely happy?!

Well, I went to Vinnie's and was freaked out! The shelves/racks were almost empty! I know things are bad here by me, but that sight slammed it home! I dropped off our items for donation and looked around. Found a nice sized shelving unit for DS, for $1.99. Needs a coat of paint, but we have that here on hand. Also found a very nice vintage tablecloth for $1.99. I have been looking for one just just like that for some time now, to make an apron out of. Really want to get started on it, but need to find some contrasting trim on sale/free/cheap for it first. Should have enough left overs of it to line my attempt at making a camo purse from an old pair of my son's overall's. Can you tell I like to start way too many projects at once?! My biggest problem is finishing them!

Also went to Goodwill. They raised the prices! The stuff is donated, we are in tough economic times, and they RAISE their per item price?! Go figure! I find that a little offensive, but I bought a trunk full of awesome clothes for DH, DS and me anyways! Found it very strange that they also had a 'Goodwill Boutique' area as you walk in the door. They sorted out the designer donations, put those in a separate area, and charged more for them! Come on - Goodwill Boutique? Isn't that an oxymoron???

Six days and counting

 

[SSDreamin]

After reading what you get accomplished in a day, I'm exhausted!!!!!

I never seem to get half of what I set out to do, done! I am definitely avoiding the list of 5 thread! Don't want to go back on there and admit how many things I didn't complete!

We're currently in the process of trying to figure out where to put the garden as where I wanted to move it, there is a water line that we can't figure out where it goes, but don't feel like screwing anything up!
We found a weird water line at our old house - it fed the barn, but they'd capped it! Was a total score!

The new place sounds exciting! We are half looking around at places, and are pretty much looking for just land as the first priority and then buildings are great, but not the top priority if that makes sense.
Way back when, just after DS was born and DH and I were struggling to make it, he talked me in to a piece of land with nothing on it. The owner had it listed on land contract, and the payments were doable if we squeezed our belt a little tighter. So glad he talked me into it! We have big plans we haven't accomplished yet for that property, but it has been very helpful in several ways. DH hunts it every year, and does well (knock on wood!), it backs up to 1200 acres of federal land, which is so cool, and we use it as a family get away spot (and possible escape spot). It can never have electric ($50,000.00, minimum, to get it back there), but - once DH puts the holy grail of out houses up there and a hand well (water is only 30-40 feet down) I think we'll be pretty comfy! To me, it is fun starting with bare land and - slowly as money allows, or quick if you have tons of cash - guide it to take the shape YOU want!

I'll have to keep watching to see how this progresses, I think I'll be able to learn a lot!
Yes! You can learn from all my mistakes and horrible flops!!
Lesson one: No matter how tired you are and how much you want to speed things up; do not pressure can pears in heavy syrup and tomato paste together! The results are... interesting, to say the least