Ladybug

There are some hypothetical situations were I would smoke in a heartbeat...like if somebody would hold me at gunpoint..or smoking a cigarette would bring world peace and other stuff like that...none of it will ever happen (so I hope) what means I am still an ex-smoker. Can I truly say that I won't smoke under any circumstances? "No...I can not" Can I say some circumstances will make me smoke? "No..I can not". I am with CS on that..."Never say never"...Nicotine is an addictive substance. If it's an addiction and if I am an addict....then I will always be an addict and should never be too sure about my addiction, that's what I learned!

Happy Birthday Suz! Sorry the cake is so big because I will have few pieces too :-)

I am so glad you are back! Let's do this! I made a contract with myself a "quit smoking contract" very detailed, especially the reward section :-) It might sound stupid, but when I looked at this piece of paper it helped me through the first weeks. Write down why you want to quit! Write down what you will gain! Write down how you will reward yourself if you stay quit! ...and sign it! It might sound silly but it's actually a very helpful tool...well at least for me!

I am telling you...if I don't write it down it's gone....can't remember sh** anymore :-) Aging is so much fun

just wondering who does the spring quitters here? DD?

Congrats on a week!

My A,B,C's and D's for Amy! The A's: •Avoid situations you know you cannot handle •Alter your response - change the flavor of your coffee, sit in a different room, meet your friends in a neutral (nonsmoking environment) •Accept that some days will be tougher, and that by sticking it out you will get stronger. The B's: •Believe in yourself....you can do this. •Behave! You don't have to be a total brat....it's not going to kill you. The C's: •Cope with it and write down how you feel. •Calm down. There is no reason to panic you don't need cigarettes. The D's •Delay your next craving for as long as possible by: •Distracting yourself - keeping busy is extremely important. Go for a walk, or pull out your guitar. •Drinking lots of water or some herbal teas, keep it in your mouth for a while, enjoy the sensation. Chewing gum can help too. •Deep breathing. An easy way to relax. You might have done this 200-300 times per day when inhaling smoke. Emergency Coping Plan: AVOID the situation. Identify the situations when you normally smoke or chew, or feel cravings. For most, high-risk situations include work breaks, finishing meals, having coffee or being in a bar. Plan how you will avoid these situations for a few weeks. Plan for alternate activities. LEAVE the situation. If you find yourself in one of these high risk situations, leave if you can. And, leave before you get a craving. DISTRACT yourself from the craving. If you find yourself in a situation you can't leave and you get a craving, distract yourself from the craving by: Thinking about something else, like your Benefits of Quitting (or how much money you’re saving every week, how your body is healing itself). Doing something else to distract yourself like drinking water or deep breathing exercises. Thinking about an upcoming event in your life, such as a vacation. DELAY acting on the craving If you can't keep your mind off it, then make a deal with yourself that you will wait 5 minutes before you give into the craving. The craving will usually pass in a couple of minutes anyway. If you delay, the craving will go away. Use SELF TALK A craving may be accompanied by negative thoughts about your ability to resist it. Use positive self talk statements to combat your negative thoughts. Talk loud if you have to

Lean back.........smile...and don't fight those cravings too much. They will pass! Did you eat? Did you drink enough...maybe some water and some juice? Treat yourself nice....pamper yourself and be kind to yourself. There is the saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" that goes for quitting as well "every time you don't give in your quit becomes stronger"! It will pass and it will get better! You are so strong! I am very proud of you Amy...if I may say that!

Oh Gosh I want a non alcoholic cocktail pleases!

How are you Sarah!

The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, so a blonde went in to try out for the job. "Okay, honey," the sheriff drawled, "What is 1 and 1?" "Eleven," she replied. The sheriff thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but she's right." Then the sheriff asked, "What two days of the week start with the letter 'T'?". "Today and Tomorrow," she replied. He was again surprised that the blonde supplied a correct answer that he had never thought of himself. "Now, listen carefully, who killed Abraham Lincoln?", asked the sheriff. The blonde looked a little surprised herself, then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, "I don't know." The sheriff replied, "Well, why don't you go on and work on that one for a while?" So, the blonde wandered over to the beauty parlor, where her buddies were waiting to hear the results of the interview. The blonde was overjoyed. "It went great! First day on the job and I'm already working on a murder case!"

A blonde, redhead and a brunette entered the half mile breast stroke race at the local lake. The starters pistol signaled the beginning of the race and the ladies dive in. 20 minutes later the brunette climbed out, the winner, 25 minutes later the redhead climbed out, second place. 5 hours later the blonde climbs out. She wanders over to the remaining judge and states "I don't mean to be a tell tale here but, I think those two were using their arms"

oh gosh I run right into that one lol get your mind out of the gutter lol we make our own sausages and I would like to find another sausage stuffer

So sad...just a puppy! I am so sorry!

1 lbs Pinto Beans 1/2 lbs Bacon 1 green Pepper diced 2 med Onions diced 1 Jalapeno diced with a few seeds (you can add more later) 2 garlic gloves minced 1 cup cilantro chopped 6 cups low sodium broth (I use beef or make my own with beef cubes) Rinse Beans, cover in water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and lets soak over night. Fry Bacon in skillet and cool it on paper. KEEP the Bacon grease! Add chopped peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro to the Bacon grease and saute! Add all ingredients to be beans and lets simmer until beans are soft! Add more water if needed and beef cubes to taste! Salt and Pepper to taste! It's a recipe from a Mexican Restaurant. They served a small cup of their soup before each meal. The owner past away and the sold the restaurant. I begged the chef for the recipe and he gave it to me after numerous Tequilas :-)

I wish for an electric sausage stuffer

I am very glad Juan....Let's do this!

I wish for a gigantic dog bed...so they start fighting over it!

-15

No worries...I gained a lot during the first weeks...it's all gone by now!

Welcome Chrispy!

Yes, the Avatar is for Mrs. Bakon! I wasn't sure about sharing it first, I have the story of the water bearer over my desk. It keeps me humbled and grounded!

Well problem solved.....Ribs for Easter :-) Thanks guys!

Trouble with English???

No they don't speak English...I asked for the restroom and they made me find somebody named "loo" first.....Never found him/her..but found the restroom:-)