Time to put them down!

Eleven years ago I did something that I said I would NEVER do, I started smoking.  Since then it has become a habit that I just can't seem to put down!!

Before I started I can remember telling my husband that it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be to quit; but now I know differently! :)

About 4 1/2  years ago he went to the ER with chest pains; thankfully, it had nothing to do with his heart!  However, he did decide to quit smoking and I was amazed at how easy it appeared to be for him.  I guess the fear over-rode the want for a cigarette!

Lately, I have had a cold that I just can't seem to shake and I know that cigarettes have a lot to do with my congestion, and coughing!  A few days ago I was thinking about quitting and actually waited about 3 hours to go to the store to get a pack.  During these hours it was amazing how easier it was to breath and that I didn't cough any during that time.  However, as soon as I lit one up on the way home I started coughing and was all stuffed up again. UGH it is so frustrating knowing that these things are causing this; yet, I still don't have the drive to put them down!!  BUT... I have to do this for my health; and I am tired of smelling like a cigarette!

A while back I purchased the Nicotine Transdermal System (Step 1 & 2), but I haven't started using the patches yet (for some reason).

My husband is like a anti-smoking commercial (lol) and  is always telling me that I smell like an ash-tray when I get near him after having a cigarette.  The kids have also made comments about how much the cigarettes stink & my youngest tells me often how bad they are for me (things she learned in health class).  I know it would be better for me & everyone else if I quit; and I could save a lot of money, but I just don't know if I have what it takes!?

Since my husband quit smoking he has gained about 45 pounds because he says that food tastes and smells so much better; and he is bored and I think he eats more because of it.  I've already gained the weight I lost about 2 years ago back and I just don't want to take a chance of gaining even more because I quit smoking!  I have to have something to replace this habit with, but I have no idea what that would be!!  Any ideas?

As of this minute I want to put them down ....  but I have to get a plan in place!

Starting this week I am going to smoke outside.  This should help me cut back some, and this will be good because I am up to a pack and a half (if not more) a day lately.  Then, come Monday I am going to try to start using the patches some ... So, wish me luck!

Have you ever quit smoking?  If so, tell me below how you did it; and if you put on weight in the process!!  Thanks!!

~Ginny

Morning Thoughts

This morning as I sat out on the porch steps smoking my morning cigarette the birds were singing and making all types of noises.  I forgot how peaceful it was out that early in the morning in country and I really thought about some things that I needed to clear up and out of my mind.

The past few days I have been trying to "Think more Positive" and it has really seemed to make my days happier or less stressful, I should say! However, there are parts of my life that I need to work on, as I am sure everyone else could say as well.

• I thought about how these cigarettes need to go, but how hard they are to put down once you have become addicted!
• I thought about the ways that I could become a better mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, or just the person who walks by you in the store.
• I thought about how I would like to take time to pick up a pencil and draw something every once in a while, before my ability to create something diminishes even more than it has.
• I thought about ways that I could be a better house keeper.
• and I thought about how I could become healthier.

While I listened to the birds chirping, I thought about the different areas in my life that could improve, and I hope to incorporate them into my day one step at a time until I can be a new person in all aspects... A NEW ME! :)

What are the things that you would like to improve on or add into your life to bring happiness?  How would life be different for you if you made these changes?

Think about it all and make that change, become a NEW you!!

Coming Home

**Start at the beginning: Part 1 London, England

I left London, England on Saturday July 19, 2014 and I was ready. I really loved the city and I could picture myself living there one day. I joked with everyone how if I didn't have children I think I would have stayed, but my kids will grown in no time and I just might go abroad and live for a while.

In all my other posts I only mentioned once how I was off the grid. What I mean is that when I left Georgia I cut off the data on my phone. Nobody could reach me unless they called the "hotel" that I was staying at. My best friend called me early Thursday morning and told me "Don't think just because you fly half way across the world I can't find you"! It was great to hear her voice. I do admit by Thursday I was getting a bit homesick and the staff where I was staying helped me out by getting an international calling card and letting me use their personal cell phone.

It was fun being off the grid for a week. My family knew where I was, they had the phone numbers and my brother knows a few people that actually live in England. I felt safe where I was staying and London is the most surveilled city on the planet. There are CCTV signs everywhere.

On my way back to the states I sat beside a man that lived in Virginia but was originally from Australia. I can't remember his name, but he was very friendly and we chit chatted a little bit on the flight back to America. I kid you not, when that plane landed in Detroit, Michigan as soon as I got off the plane I cut the mobile data back on and my cell phone started going crazy......bing, bing, bing, bing, bing. It was the best sound in the world. Why everyone had tried to message me when they knew my data would be off is beyond me, but I could feel the love.

I went through customs in Detroit and that was interesting. One of the employees was barking at some woman to cut off her cell phone while she was in line. He was being a bit of an ass but that is just my opinion. Authority doesn't suit everyone. Anyway, I took my picture at one of those airport kiosk things and gave it to the person at customs when I went through and declared I had key chains and shot glasses. LOL. They said that was okay and let me through. I found my next gate and sat down and called a few people.

The first person I called was my estranged husband. I thanked him for sending me on the trip for my fortieth birthday. I told him something else that day......I told him I wish he could have been there with me, and he placated me with saying he wish he could have been there too. He was with me though, so were my family and so were my friends. I carried all of them in my heart.

By now, I am ready to board the flight to Raleigh, NC so I can go home.I get to sit by the emergency exit and I end up sitting with a man named Bill. The best part about talking with him is that I found out his daughter has Asperger's. For those of you that don't know, Asperger's is a form of autism. Please do not misunderstand me I am no expert on autism. But we bonded over this because my youngest son is on the autism spectrum. We talked about how it was when we heard the diagnosis, and how it is for our children now. He told me his daughter goes to college and still lives at home but she drives and she is moving towards being more independent by living on her own eventually. I told him how my son can pick up on the emotional undertones of what people are saying and how he builds these intricate toys  out of pipe cleaners. I found out that Bill works in the same town that I do and I told him he should stop by and we would have lunch sometime. I am so happy that I met him.

We finally made it to Raleigh and after getting off the plane I look through the crowd and spot my brother and my nephew and I hugged them and told them I was happy to see them. They asked me about my trip and asked me what I wanted to do first. I told them to take me to the store so I could buy a pack of Marlboro Lights and take me somewhere, anywhere to get a glass or glasses of sweet, iced tea. They took me to a pizza joint in Raleigh and the first thing I did was suck down 3 big glasses of sweet tea. I know, I know, I just left London and there was tea everywhere, but not like we make here at home in North Carolina.