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A Little Late #SoCS – Want

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This post is part of #SoCS for Saturday 5/16/20 and the prompt is “WANT”.

Want to know what’s in My Rattled Cage? Today I just want to share that this has been a great week. Last week I wanted my trip to my birthplace, which was also the birthplace of  our 33rd president Harry S. Truman,  Lamar, Missouri to go off without a hitch and it did perfectly. I want to share some pictures from that trip for which the main purpose was for me to place flowers on the graves of my mother who passed on Mother’s Day May 10th, 1998 as well as my grandmothers Ruby who passed at the age of 99 on November 2, 2012 and Wanda who passed at the age of 89 on February 11, 2013. I also placed flowers on my brother Dale Jr’s grave he passed when I was a little over three months old. I also placed flowers on my grandfathers and uncles’ graves as well.

After visiting the graveyards I drove a short drive into Pittsburg, Kansas to eat at a family favorite and tradition Chicken Mary’s. Chicken Mary’s and Chicken Annie’s were featured on the Travel Channels Food Wars Season 1, Episode 3  – Kansas Fried Chicken War. I include the link to the episode; you may have to sign in with you cable service provider to watch. I will not spoil it for you as to which restaurant one the war. My Grand ma Ruby was always a Chicken Annie’s Fan which is located one block away from Chicken Mary’s. My Grandma Wand and our family have always been fans of Chicken Mary’s and a trip to Lamar, Missouri isn’t complete until you have been to Chicken Mary’s.

When I started my trip, my mileage was at 754 and when I returned on Monday the mileage sat 2335.  I have not shared pictures of my new car because I am still pinching myself as I cannot still believe that I am driving a 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage, so I want to share those as well.

The pictures below are in the order that I took them on my trip as I documented my journey. For me this trip was a rite of passage as I have never driven up. I have always flown, taken the Greyhound or ridden with my sister.

Entering Oklahome
The big Choctaw Country log chair at the Oklahoma Welcome Center
Entering Missouri
Entering the County of my birth Barton, County
Flowers outside First Christian Church Lamar, Missouri
My Great Grandma Effie Cline’s grave
My Grandma Sylvia Crissman’s grave. She passed a few days after giving birth to my father. Her sister Ruby Cline Frieden raised my father.
My Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Fred’s graves. Grandpa Fred passed when I was a toddler, Grandma Ruby passed at 99 in November 2012.
My Brother Dale Jr.’s grave he passed of pneumonia in January 1967.
My Uncle Warren’s grave, he passed in cropdusting plane crash in Septemeber 1965.
My Grandma Wanda’s grave. She passed at 89 in February 2013.
My Papa Lee Winningham’s grave. He passed in April 1976.
My Uncle Kenny’s grave. He was my mother’s little brother. He passed on Christmas Eve 2011.
My mother.s grave. She passed on May 10th, 1998 which just happened to also be Mother’s Daythat year.
Entering Kansas to go have dinner at a family favority Chicken Mary’s.
Chicken Mary’s
The storyof Chicken Mary’s.
My delicious dinner. I also brought Chicken home to share with my husband Cruz who has never been.
A beautiful sunrise coming up on my way to meet my cousins for breakfast in Anderson Missouri.
Another picture of that beautiful sunrise.
My cousins Denie Patrick who is the baby of the cousins and her sister Darbi Stancell who was the third born of the six cousins.
A sign at the entrance to tthe Texas state line.
The Six Flags that fly over Texas at the Texas Welcome Center.
The Texas Welcome Center.
Buc-Cee and I being responsible because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Buc-Cee’s is the best palce to stop on raod trips they have the cleanest bathrooms. In fact that is one of the things they are known for along withtheir fudge.
Mini Buc-Cee joining the others on my dash.

Now I will share pictures of my new car the red detail is what sold me on this car. I thought it was so different. That’s what’s in My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!

#SoCS

A Late #SoCS – Directions

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I am running late this week on my #SoCS, but here I am. So Linda gave us the prompt of “directions”.  So I looked at a frozen dinner in my freezer and one of those Yakisoba soups and their directions started with peel back the corner to vent contents.

Peeling back the corner of the box is kind of like peeling back that first layer of an onion. This reminds me of a classic line from Mike Meyers as Shrek to Eddie Murphy as Donkey in the family movie Shrek. “Ogre’s are like onions!”

For me this particular time of recovery from my problems with alcoholism and addiction to cocaine addiction is a reminder that those of us in recovery that are really taking their program seriously are not ogres but they are definitely like onions. As people in recovery we are slowly peeling back those layers until we get to the very core of what we are and why we are alcoholics and addicts. You see as I am moving through my recovery, I am doing things differently. I am beginning to see those 9th Step Promises coming true and I am not even a third of the way through the simple program that is suggested.

Tomorrow I will have four months in recovery and I am truly blessed to have a great sponsor who refuses to let me rest on my laurels. Right now there are no face to face meetings but I am still able to attend meetings with my online home group Global Steps Alcoholics Anonymous that happens to meet in the our church In The Rooms an online recovery place which has so many other recovery program meetings for any addiction that you can imagine. I am working my steps and I am about to embark on my 4thStep which will demand true rigorous honesty on my part.

On my 90th day of recovery I purchased a brand new 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage. I would have never imagined that I would own a brand-new car. I am working a job that pays $10.50 an hour and yet I have no fear of economic insecurity. I am feeling a mental peace that I have never know even during my previous 2 1/2 years of sobriety between February 2014 and September 14th, 2016 when I turned 50 and unfortunately threw that sobriety away and have been struggling through relapses and recoveries over and over again.

In December 2019 my husband of almost 19 years at the time had open heart surgery and I did not handle it well at all. In fact, I wedged his truck in concrete barrier on Christmas Eve when I went out and got drunk – luckily, I was able to have it winched out and I drove it home. But that wasn’t enough. On New Year’s Eve I had no intention of drinking let alone getting drunk because I had to open the Dollar General that I worked at 7AM. Well I did get drunk, did not open the store and then proceeded on a bender due to the shame and remorse. On January second, I returned the keys to the store and as I was leaving, I did wreck my husband’s truck and damaged the right headlight and hood area. Again, going into another bender until the night of January 3rd when I had my last drink.

Next weekend I will be taking a rite of passage and taking a road trip in my brand-new car to Lamar, Missouri where I was born and spent summers and Christmases with my grandparents who are long gone. Sunday is May 10th, and in Mexico every and every so many years including this year is Mother’s Day. I will be going to have a conversation with my mother at her graveside as she passed on Mother’s Day May 10th 1998. But I will also be seeing my grandmothers and grandfathers, my brother and other relatives that have passed over the years. This trip I anticipate will be very cathartic and yes I NEED TO TAKE THIS TRIP, even during this troubling time in America I cannot allow my fears of another health issue to stand in my way of taking down a demon that has been such a huge part of my multiple journeys into relapsing and recovery.

This time I know that if I pick up one drink, I might as well just die because I do have another relapse in me that would be the most horrible of them all, BUT I DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER RECOVERY IN ME!!!!

That’s what’s in My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!!!

 

 

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#AtoZChallenge & #SoCS 4/18/20 – Practice What You Preach

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Here we are at another Saturday in the month of April 2020. I love participating in the weekly #SoCS with Linda G. Hill and this year’s #AtoZChallenge has been very fun for me because I have been sharing with you all music from my extensive Apple Music playlist.

Today is a little different because of our prompt from Linda. Linda has given us the prompt of practice/practisse. So, I reached way back into some of my favorite music from the early 1990s and have chose the very sultry, soulful and seductive voice of Barry White and his song Practice What You Preach!! You can find the lyrics by clicking the title of the song.

This song is definitely out of the ordinary of what I have been posting for the month. But man is this a great song especially for anyone who is in love or getting there!!!

That’s what’s in  My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!!

#AtoZChallenge, #SoCS

#AtoZChallenge2020 & #SoCS 4/11/20 – Joy in this Joint

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Linda has given us the prompt “joint” for this week’s #SoCS. Wow, I could go so many place with this word some would be appropriate and some others might not. With my #AtoZChallenge2020 theme this year being music from my extensive Apple Music playlist, I have chosen to add some JOY to this JOINT!!

I have chosen two completely different songs. The first is Mandisa’s Joy, Unspeakable and the second one is For King and Country’s  Joy.

The reason I have gone this route is because with all the craziness of COVID-19 and the isolation of having to be sheltered in place other than essential workers and going to get the essentials, I believe that we can all use a little or a lot of joy in whatever joint we are in. If you have a joint or two that are hurting maybe these songs will still put some pep in your step. Perhaps even if you wanted to or needed to for medical purposes, which I have never liked the stuff – I had problems with other things, perhaps you may have a joint – which may bring you joy.

Either way, I hope you enjoy these two songs. You can find the lyrics by clicking on the title. That’s what’s in  My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!

#SoCS

#SoCS 4/4/2020 – Deep

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This weeks prompt from Linda G. Hill for #SoCS is “DEEP”.

When I think of the word deep, I can not help but think of how deep I have been in my alcoholism and cocaine addiction over the last ten years. But along with that, is how much deeper I have gotten into my recovery every time that I have relapsed after losing 2 1/2 years of sobriety on my 50th birthday on September 14, 2016.

Yesterday I celebrated a new 90 days of sobriety. With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, I was not able to pick up a 90 day chip because there are no face 2 face meetings here in San Antonio, Texas or anywhere across the country and in most countries. I will pick one up when my home group opens back up for meetings.

I am really growing in my recovery through attending my online meetings of Global Steps AA which meets in the online recovery meeting place In The Rooms. There is so much deep love and deep support for individuals from all over the globe in my online home group.

It amazes me that today I am working one job, I begin another job on 4/24/20 and I just interviewed again with my beloved The University of Texas at San Antonio for a major position that I would love to have. My husband of 19 years is recovering beautifully form his open heart surgery that was done on 12/17/19 and is working to being his normal self. My staying clean and sober one day at a time is going to push me very deep into my recovery and I see the 9th Step Promises coming true. I am felling bLESSED and HIGHLY Favored because of my deep faith in my Higher Power whom I choose to call God!!

So today, while the song Starting Over by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis does not have deep in the title, it does express where I am and where I am going!!

Please note that the lyrics in this song are graphic!

That’s what’s in  My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!

 

#SoCS

#SoCS 3/28/20 – Beside You

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Linda’s prompt for this week’s #Socs is to “Write about whatever is beside you when you read this prompt.” I read this prompt at 9:00AM CST in Texas on Friday morning.

Mug

So I have many coffee mugs and I do often use a different one each day. Lately though I have turned to this particular coffee mug because it is a constant reminder that we should always be questioning and learning.

 

SoCS

#SoCS3/21/20 – Welcome

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Today’s prompt from Linda for today’s #SoCS is WELCOME.  I gotta say my mind went immediately to one of my favorite songs by Brad Paisley,  Welcome to the future. So many things he sings about in this song has been seen in my lifetime. I send love hugs and prayers to everyone being affected by COVID-19. I hope you enjoy the video!!

 

That’s what’s in  My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!!!

SoCS

#SoCS March 14, 2020 – Wire

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Wow!! It has been a very long time since I have participated in #SoCS. Today’s prompt is wire. 

Image result for walking a high line Wire

It seems everyone is walking a line wire all over the world because of COVID 19 (Coronavirus). Because of the hysteria being caused by all media outlets and the way the virus is being covered.

I refuse to walk on that very dangerous high line wire because I see it this way. If HIV/AIDS for over 23 years, many years of alcohol abuse and cocaine abuse have not killed me yet, no  COVID 19 is gonna get me nor bother me!!

I choose to believe that  THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!! 

This too

and for a little funny ………..

download

That’s what’s in  My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!!

Blogging from A to Z, SoCS

#SoCS 4/6/19 & #AtoZChallenge – “F”/”FAB”

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      This post is part of both #SoCS 4/6/19 – “FAB” and #AtoZChallenge – “F”

When I was younger and even now at the age of 52 I have loved the FABULOUS FABLES of Aesop. Below is the fable of The Quack Toad. The character in this fable reminds me so much of the current occupant of The White House in the United States. That individual is so adept at telling such fabulously, fabulated way of how they see themselves, our country, our allies and even our enemies. It amazes me that this man is still in office. This individual loves to tell everyone how all of the good things going on in the U.S. are because of him and only him, but yet has never taken responsibility for all of the horrific divisiveness that is taking place in our country!! During his campaign he really sounded like the quack toad with all of his rhetoric about “Make America Great Again” – by the way, Ronald Reagan he is not and Reagan was the first presidential candidate to use that slogan with a whole lot more finesse back in 1979-80!!!

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The Quack Toad Story – Aesop

An old Toad once informed all his neighbors that he was a learned doctor. In fact he could cure anything. The Fox heard the news and hurried to see the Toad. He looked the Toad over very carefully.

“Mr. Toad,” he said, “I’ve been told that you cure anything! But just take a look at yourself, and then try some of your own medicine. If you can cure yourself of that blotchy skin and that rheumatic gait, someone might believe you. Otherwise, I should advise you to try some other profession.”

For your enjoyment if you are not familiar with the Aesop’s Fables I wanted to share a free Google book with you.

Aesop’s Fables: Together with the Life of Aesop – By Aesop

 

That’s what’s in “My Rattled Cage”, thanks for stopping by!!!

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Late SOCS 3/23/19 – Flo from Progressive

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So you are probably wondering why Flo from Progressive is presented here. Well the last piece of mail that I received was an advertisement sating that I could get car insurance for $79.00 per month.

Car insurance, we all have to have it, it is the law. But how do you determine what company to go with. Obviously we look at what features are included in your coverage, can you pay monthly or is it an every six months billing type of situation? But most of all we want to know how much it is going to cost to insure our four wheeled child.

My Cecilia is a 1995 Ford Taurus with over 188K miles on her. She has bee through the ringer because my brother in laws children have pretty much tore the inside ceiling of the car. She has some dings but, she gets me from paint a to point be for the most part. On Thursday I went to a job fair in the morning and then to an interview later in the afternoon. I was going to take the back roads to the interview but the traffic lights were not working in my favor so at one point I got on the freeway the rest of the way there and made it with 10 minutes to spare. On the way home I did take the back roads and less than three miles from my house, poor Cecilia said she had had enough and so we waited in the parking lot of a funeral home for the tow truck to get us home.

The reason Flo is looking like that in her picture is that I told her, girl $79 per month, I pay $15 less than that with USAA, why in the world would I switch. She was not happy!! I love USAA, I bank with them and now my car insurance is with them and they are fantastic and yes of course my towing is covered up to 11 miles.

 

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