November 22, 2025

 It's been a fun filled 24 hour period and this part of it is just getting started. I tried to let go let god a few times. I had asked someone to be a guest speaker at an event, but he canceled without informing me. figure that one out. I asked someone else but he is working and can't do it, so I asked another great speaker but he recently had throat surgery so speaking isnt something he can do right now. I asked one more fellow and he will get back to me this morning he said. If all else fails, I will do it myself.

November 21, 2025

 Serenity Corner is tonight. We've been doing that meeting for a while now. We started it in Woodside 25 years ago. When we moved to the trailer park here in woodlawn, we brought the group with us. It had a few different names over the years, but serenity corner seems to have stuck. 

November 20, 2025

 Its Thursday and the sun is shining again. I got the xmas lights out of the shed yesterday but I didn't get them put on the deck because one set is not working properly. I'll get a new set later this week and try to get them up at least by the end of the month.

Today is the men's lunch at the church. They have it once a month in fall, winter, and spring. I go and I bring cookies.

November 19, 2025

 The sun is shining, that's a bonus this time of year. I'll take it. I plan to dig the christmas lights out of the shed this morning, make sure they are working and maybe even put them up on the deck. I don't like to put them up too early because after all christmas is still over a month away, but I prefer to put them up now before the storms start.

I'm meeting someone this morning to go over a concept and I might be meeting with someone this afternoon. We haven't really nailed down the day yet.

We might go to a meeting in the Passage tonight, that also has not been determined yet. The guy who usually drives us has been sitting in a tree waiting to kill Bambi and her family. I guess I don't see hunting as a way to find enjoyment.

November 18, 2025

 Not much happening today. I have a meeting with a friend this morning. Oh, and another friend said she would drop me off some sweets. She knows the way to my heart. Some say the quickest route is through my stomach. I think they may be right.

I have a session with someone else this afternoon.

My home group has a business meeting tonight.

As I say, not much going on.

November 17, 2025

 Meatloaf monday. That is what we used to call mondays when we ate at the soup kitchen. They always served meatloaf on mondays. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables. Fruit cocktail. When I worked at freedom foundation, monday was spaghetti or goulash or something to do with hamburger. I usually do the same. The big question with me will be spaghetti or meatloaf?

November 16, 2025

 Getting ready for a busy Sunday. It takes me 90 minutes to get all my morning stuff out of the way. That means two daily readings, picking a word from my god box, doing a video post at the mens group in Hawaii and then sharing my word with about 70 people. I do that every morning.

We go to church this morning and then hang around for coffee hour. When I get home, I'll start supper. Roast beef in the slow cooker.

I have the district GSR meeting at two.

Come home and finish making supper. I have one sponsorship session at six and then the Living Sober group at eight.

November 15, 2025

 28 years ago today, I boarded a train to begin my journey to Wyoming to meet a girl I had met on the internet. What I was really heading for was my next relapse. It was actually the relapse that precipitated me arriving at the bottom that led to my current 28 years of sobriety. Sobriety that I achieved  with the help of my higher power and the fellowship of AA.

November is always a month of reflection for me, but even more so this year because the days of the week this year are on the same dates that they were in 1997.

My word from my god box today was Selfishness. As I mentioned in another blog post, it is okay to be a little selfish sometimes. For example, a friend of mine is feeling under the weather so she opted to stay in bed this morning. That's not really selfish. It's more self-care.

November 14, 2025

 It's Friday. I noticed as I was doing a polo at my mens group that this year, the dates are on the same days of the week as they were in the year I sobered up. The weather is slightly different. It snowed five cm that day in 1997.

Looks like an easy day for me today. I only had one session this afternoon and he had to re-schedule. Its okay with me.

I volunteered to take the AA cell phone this weekend. I don't usually get that many calls. But, if I can help just one person then my responsibility will be met.

Serenity Corner is tonight. Serenity Corner, for those who don't know is a big book meeting we do on zoom and in my home. We been doing it on and off for twenty some years. Its become a part of who we are.

November 13, 2025

 I slept in a bit today. I had things to do but my thursday morning session canceled last night, so that freed up my morning. I still meet with someone this afternoon.

I was hoping to take care of some banking for the district but it doesn't seem to be in the cards.

We will be going to the meeting at the church tonight. I might make cookies. Who knows.

November 12, 2025

 It's almost mid-November and we had a dusting of snow last night. Nothing to shovel, it was just flurries. I remember 28 years ago, in 1997, it snowed a couple of centimeters on Friday November 14th. I only recall that because the next day I was on a train bound for Wyoming. Well, that train was not going to Wyoming, that train was going to London, Ontario. In London, I took a train to Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago, I took a train to Denver, Colorado. In Denver, I transferred to a bus that went as far as Cheyenne, Wyoming and the person I was going to visit drove me from Cheyenne to Worland, Wyoming.

I didn't know it when the station in Halifax, but this would be the start of the relapse that would precipitate my bottom. The bottom that would lead to me being sober for the past 28 years. One day at a time. 

November 11, 2025

 Good morning. Happy Remembrance Day. Which is a conundrum of sorts. How can  a day when you remember people who have died be a happy event. I suppose you could find gratitude in why they have died, serving their country and the people in it.

I do not plan to attend any of the official ceremonies today. We had a remembrance service at church this past Sunday. That's enough for me. So, it will be a typical Tuesday here. I meet with a sponcee at 11. I'll bake some cookies later because my home group meets tonight. I might go dig something out of the shead, now that all the heavy rain has ended.

As I say, a typical tuesday.

November 10, 2025

 Today seems better. The weather is a bit crappy, but at least I'm getting things done on time. Not much on the docket today. I neet with someone I sponsor and I'm supposed to record my podcast sometime today. If there are no problems with it, then it only takes about an hour.

I have to go out to the shed and get something. Hopefully, the rain will let up long enough so I can do that. And if it doesn't, there's always tomorrow.

November 9, 2015

 I was late getting started today and I had some problems sharing my word of the day with all the folk on my list. I had to play catch up when I got home from church and since I had some other mundane things to do like prepare vegetables for supper, it slipped my mind about updating my blogs. But, I remembered.

I managed to get all my paperwork prepared for the district meeting one week from today and I managed to get my podcast ready to be recorded tomorrow. So, the day wasn't a total loss. And in fact, even though not all my days are priceless, not one of them is ever worthless, anymore.

November 8, 2025

 It's the second Saturday in November. Because it is the second saturday of the month, we go to a little church up the street and put on a knitting group for some seniors. we make blankets which we then give to people less fortunate than us. It's one of the ways I try to give something back to the community I took so much from when I was drinking.

We usually go to an al-anon meeting in the afternoon. Then, I meet up with a guy I sponsor. I think we'll be looking at Concept Four.

Then, it's looking like a zoom meeting in Hawaii.

We might watch a movie. I have enough of them.

Reminds me. I'm making corned beef and cabbage tomorrow so I need to take the brisket out of the freezer today so that I can soak it in water overnight.

November 7, 2025

 The sun is shining roday. This time of year, I'll take sunshine. Today is Friday so I meet with a man that I sponsor in the afternoon and then I host a big book study this evening on zoom. It's actually hybrid so I might even get to see a person or two at the in person part of the meeting. We're on the 12th step tonight. Ironic that the word I picked from my god box today is Help Others.

Not sure what's on the menu today. It might be fish. I have a box of breaded scallops. we could have those and maybe a tossed salad.

We are going to a knitting group tomorrow and I always bake cookies for that, but I have enough cookies left from the meeting last night, that I won't need to do that.

November 6, 2025

 Weatherman had forecast some white stuff intermingled with the wet stuff we are getting today. Old Man Winter is just around the corner. Hopefully it won't be too bad this year. In Nova Scotia, one can never be too sure. One year, about ten years ago, it did not start snowing until the end of January. We almost thought we would escape winter unscathed. Then, it snowed at least once a week for four months, and not just little dustings. These were heavy, blinding, freezing ice storms and blizzards. It taught me to be grateful for each day.

We'll see what this day brings.

November 5, 2025

 Another eventful day in progress. Woke up. Did my morning readings and all the other things that go along with that. Uploaded the weekly podcast, did a bit of blogging. Met with two of the guys I sponsor. Had a chat with my brother. He might come to my birthday celebration at my home group the end of the month. Heading out to the passage tonight for a meeting. I won't even need to bring cookies because I have enough left over from last night.

Looking like chicken something something for supper.

November 4, 2025

 It's Tuesday morning, not to be confused with tuesday afternoon (Moody Blues), I have a few things to take care of today. I meet with a sponcee to go over a step. This afternoon I meet with another sponcee to go over a tradition. Early evening, I have a meeting with central service to go over some reports I have to give because of two committees that I serve on.

Hopefully, I'll get out of there in time to get to my home group.

Haven't figured out what's for supper yet. Maybe chicken.

November 3, 2025

 It's Monday again. The weeks just zip by. I don't have a lot to do, but enough to keep me from falling asleep.One of the men I sponsor is coming by this evening. We'll do a bit of work, then head down to the speaker meeting.

I have a god box to deliver to the lady I spoke for last Monday. I'm not her sponsor. I do sponsor some women but I do not sponsor her.

Tomorrow night I will be attending Central Service to update them on the progress of the midwinter roundup. But, that's tomorrow.

Later today we will have roast beef sandwiches with gravy and french fries.

November 2, 2025

 Today is the day. November 2nd. Sunday, also. We'll be starting the day with church. Well, first things will be to make sure all the clocks in here that do not automatically reset themselves when the time changes, get reset so that they are all telling the same time. Church is at ten and its just up the street. I'll have just enough time after its over to come home and start a roast in the slow cooker, then we have a committee meeting downtown for next year's midwinter roundup. I'm a bit anxious about that meeting but I try to remember that I put the outcome of that meeting in Gods hands.

November 1, 2025

 Welcome to the First of November.November is my gratitude month. It is the month I put the plug in the jug. Sobered up, I mean. I went to my first AA meeting in May of 1994, but I didn't stop drinking then. I wanted to but I wasn't ready yet. I wasn't at my bottom yet. But, I eventually got to my bottom. A bottom is different for everybody. For some people it's death. But we do not all have to take the garbage truck all the way to the dump. Some of us get off somewhere along the way. 

For me, it was December 4, 1997, when I was in a little church in Meductic, New Brunswick. In that church, I surrendered, truly surrendered to a power greater than Bernie and asked for help with this obsession of mine. I was separated from alcohol on the 30th of November and a few days later I asked the god of my understanding for some help with this.  I have not had to take a drink since then. And I have not wanted to take a drink since then. That, alone, is a miracle for me. The voice that always talked to me is silent.

For these things, I am grateful.