Periwinkle Blue

Every year on the first weekend in May, my neighbor and I drive to the local garden shop and buy our plants.  I usually buy plants to go in pots.  I like huge outdoor pots of flowers.  I always used to buy "vinca vine" to put in the pots. They look pretty.  One year some of it escaped and started growing in the rocks the pot was set in.  It has since spread to a pretty large area.  When it is in the ground, it is more commonly referred to as Periwinkle and I really like it.  The blue flowers are showy and the foliage is pretty all year.  It is also known as invasive, but I have other invasives (honeysuckle) in my garden.  It is hard enough to get anything to grow in this semi-arid environment!

This morning I got to attend a meeting where a friend celebrated 32 years of sobriety.  When I walked into the room, I saw my old friend T. sitting across the room.  We were the dearest of friends for a many many years.  But he moved away to one side of town and I moved away to another and we never see each other any more.  How lovely to sit next to him and celebrate the birthday of his sponsor.  Actually T. has been sober longer than J., but they decided 32 years ago to sponsor each other and apparently it has worked because they are still sober and still each other's sponsors!

As I sat there, I had a sudden revolutionary thought.  I moved to this side of town to be near my former workplace.  As I may have shared here  before (ahem), I no longer work there.  I work downtown.  That means that living in the part of town I love would actually be appropriate again.  What a revelation!  So much so that I came home from the meeting and cleaned out the worst closet in the house.  I think I am going to paint my bedroom next weekend.  I think I am going to work for the next month or so on getting my house into some kind of shape where I can consider selling it.  Amazing!  I could actually live close to my old AA friends and groups.  Actually,  it turns out they really are my only AA friends.

This afternoon one of my sponsees came over.  She is a realtor, and I mentioned this to her.  She is going to run the comps on my neighborhood.

I have a little bit of sunburn and a little bit of hope in my heart that things are really beginning to change in my life.  I felt so stuck for so long.  Change is hard, but change is good.

It is all in God's hands.  When facing a big huge change or decision I always ask him to "bless it or block it."  I think he responds to that kind of willingness.  Of course, I can go ahead and force my will - I have found out over the years what that looks and feels like.  I would prefer to go with God's will.  It is just easier and more pleasant that way.

Sober = Good.