Daily Tales of The Sober Tea Totaler

 Hi dear Sober Tea Totaler followers!

I'm gripping onto the last days of warmer weather here on the beautiful southwest coast of B.C.  It is an absolutely beautiful place to live with many accesses to the ocean.

We were able to watch an otter family have an afternoon nap on the dock! They were not bothered by us at all.  As per usual, I hadn't brought my phone along and missed a photo op! 

Thinking back, I've tried to get away from alcohol for a very long time.  I was saturated with it, growing up in an alcoholic family which included my parents and all the surrounding family.  I was the oldest in the family and became responsible for my two younger sisters when I was very young.  I didn't really have a childhood.  We were feral and didn't have much supervision.

I had a big supply of alcohol and started drinking when I was 12 years old.  By the time I was 18, I admit to being an alcoholic.  I met my unsuspecting husband, married him at age 19 and we moved over one thousand miles away to start building our life.  While married, I continued to drink but got very busy with working, clearing land, building a log house and raising my two sons. 

Since finding the Women for Sobriety on-line support group, it's became so clear that many women are struggling with alcohol abuse.  I find it very sad.  My youngest sister suffered desperately through her life.  I decided to get rid of alcohol for good, when she passed away with a horrible cancer after years of substance abuse. 

Hope you had a wonderful day! Take care and we'll talk soon! xxx

Daily Tales of The Sober Tea-Totaler

 Hello sweet tea-totaler followers!  So grateful to have you here with me. 

Canadians just celebrated Thanksgiving.  I was overjoyed to spend it with my son and his partner.  There's so much to be grateful for and as well, I understand the outside world is looking pretty chaotic these days.  I have an incredibly abundant life.  Just one thing I would change. Being closer to both of my sons.  It is as it but seriously, I feel quite lonely and honestly, worry about being all by myself.  I'm heading for the middle of my seventieth decade with time to evaluate past events.  

I've accumulated over 400 days of sobriety.  I'm peeling back the layers.  Authenticity is the goal.  Anything that isn't authentic, goes by the wayside. 

I hope you find some things to be grateful for.  Even if it's a tiny little thing like the light coming through the window.  Let me know how you're all doing!  I'd love to hear from you! Much love! xxx

Daily Diaries of The Sober Tea Totaler

 It was a beautiful, windy day!  Got out for a walk and I'll share a picture!  It's Canadian Thanksgiving and I'm very excited to have my youngest Son and his fiancé, Sarah come for a visit.  In years gone by, I cooked big family dinners but it's a lot different these days.  I'm keeping it simple so I can enjoy my time with these two.  Sadly, I don't live close to my sons, so this is really special. 

For my Canadian friends, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We've got so much to be grateful for! Lots of love! xxx

Daily Tales of The Sober Tea Totaler

 Hi trusty followers!  So happy to have you here.  The weather has been outstanding and literally sets me on fire.  The yard is looking so good.  We've got worms everywhere! Just love it.  I'm back on my walking program and installed the free walking app for tracking my steps.  Counted up the days and it's 410 sober days!  

I just listened to one of my favorite podcasts, and she was mentioning that some of us have "huge guardian angels" and they are "shape shifters!"  I'm intrigued because I met my Guardian Angel when I was two years old.  Mom had gone into have my sister who is two years younger than me. We're winter Aquarians!  I believe I was left alone for a long time in a very cold and dark room.  I honestly thought I was going to die but my guardian angel showed up, a very bright light and told me, I'd be ok.  

So, I'm always wondering when I see people, if they are in fact, my guardian!!!  I had an experience in the Mall the other day as I walked to the post office.  A very tall, younger man dressed like an Australian cowboy approached me.  He had a black hat, long Australian Outback coat, black boots and a black hat. We made eye contact and he touched his hat and said "Ma;am"! I damn near passed out.  Was he my guardian angel in diguise!!  Made my happy day!

Daily Tales of the Sober Tea Totaler

 Happy October!!

 I love this orange month! I am sorry for not being present here.  I want to commit to this blog.  I just survived, what I'm going to say, is the most difficult time of my life.  It went on for years.  My mom died when she had just turned 79, in 2012, leaving behind my Dad, who was used to her doing everything.  I lived just up the road so I basically became his primary caregiver for 12 years, he passed away in 2024 at 94.

Long story short, I was left a giant mess because of my role as Executor.  Dad didn't do anything after Mom died.  His place fell into disrepair and he died.  My youngest sister passed away six months later.  My living sister and I were left to pick up the pieces and it wasn't pretty.

There were things in the closet from many years ago.  We had to take truckloads of stuff to the Thrift Stores.  The worst is yet to come.

The real estate plummeted and the trailer park he owned his home in was for sale.  We paid for the pad rental, heating and miscellaneous items for over two years.  Finally, an interested buyer showed up but requested a building inspection.  Bad news!  Inspection failed. Couldn't get house insurance.  I decided to call the Trailer Park dealer that had originally sold them the trailer and begged him to take it off our hands.  He bought the place for a very small amount of money.  

The place is gone.  The burden of looking after it is gone.  I'm finally free after years of responsibility.  I pray a lot, always have.  I believe I've healed ancient ancestral trauma that has plagued me all my life.  I healed it and it took every ounce of everything in me, to do it.

I had to hire a lawyer and then an accountant.  This all comes out of the tiny inheritance.  Probate was $3,000.00.  I watched money got down the drain.  The lawyer will set up the account to give the dead sisters, children her part.  The accountant will do the last income tax for Dad.  We might have to pay taxes.  It's unbelievable how much money the CRA gets.

I cannot believe I will soon be able to put this all behind me.  It's been a nightmare.  The good news is, through it all, I'm still a sober tea totaler and looking so forward to pursuing some hobbies.  The worry is gone.  Every day I give thanks for all the adversity and challenges and difficulties I have in my life.  I look for joy.  

Thanks for reading!  Enjoy a cup of your favorite tea and have a wonderful day! See you on the other side!!

Daily tales of the Sober Tea Totaler!

Please grab a cup of tea and join me for my daily tale of how I've been in recovery for over a year now, finally!!

A lot has become much clearer over the past year with my recovery.  I finally understand what it means to recover myself.  I've been lost.  Didn't really know myself as I had been molded by other people.  Told what to do, when to do it and how to do it.  

Funnily, I've been on my spiritual journey for many years.  I stumbled upon dearly departed Wayne Dyer's books in the early 1990's.  He became my mentor along with the very popular Eckhart Tolle.  In the meantime, I was completely immersing myself in wine. 

Instead of recovering myself, I dosed myself to numb out how I was feeling.  We are the baby boomers and grew up in the 1950's and 60's.  Canadian families were able to enjoy abundant lifestyles and this meant, a lot of alcohol in some cases, such as mine.  We didn't talk about feelings.  Parents motto was "children should be seen and not heard."  We towed the line but had very little supervision and lived a feral childhood.  Dad was a logger and gone most of the time, leaving poor Mom with three, quite rambunctious daughters.  This was during time when stay at home mothers had what they called " mothers' little helpers" or in other words, speed! 

I started drinking about 12 years old and believe I became an alcoholic in high school.  The teaching staff deemed me as "university material" but I didn't have a mentor and very little family support, so I really struggled.  As well, I spent all my free time either working at my part-time job or drinking.  Studies took a back seat.

I'll be back with more stories of how I've finally started to recover myself. xxx Cath

Daily Tales of the Sober Tea -Totaler

It's already September.  The year of the fire horse is racing ahead.  We had some much-needed rain and now the sun is shining.  I love fall weather.

I celebrated my one year of sobriety on August 22!   My body is feeling so good.  The inflammation in my legs is gone.  I was suffering from extreme leg cramps and they've dissipated. My face is looking much more youthful.  Granted, I've put on some extra pounds because sadly, sweet things have slightly replaced the alcohol but I'm hoping to get that under control.

The most important thing about being sober is I've found my peace.  After all these years, peace has come into my life and its a beautiful thing.

I don't have go out much to events that serve Alcohol and so that isn't really a trigger for me.  Tonight, I was watching weddings on Instagram and for a moment, was carried away thinking about good the alcohol looked.  I cannot just have one or maybe two drinks once in a while.  I've tried drinking in moderation and it doesn't work for me.

Anyhow, here's to me for one full year without alcohol and to many more to come.  If I can do it, you can to!