AUG 6, 26 .. HOW WE TWO MET ..

This story began in March of 1988. During my prayers, I said to God..

"God, if it be your will, I would like to work with people."

I was active in construction and felt the need to begin assisting individual people, not large corporations.

God answered: On July 1, 1988 I retired with full pension benefits including health insurance.

And?

I said to God.. 

"Thank You So Very Much God! To begin assisting other people, I will set out to attend AA meetings in all fifty states!"

I set out on my journey leaving San Francisco, California, in mid-July 1988. It took until late September of 1990 to attend in person meetings in each of the lower 48 states. 

Alaska and Hawaii were put "on hold" because I answered a God Calling in October of 1990 that led me to India and working with people at Mother Teresa's Mission  in Calcutta."

In July of 1992, I set out driving North to Alaska. A friend and his son accompanied me. My first meetings in Alaska were in the Fairbanks area. Then I drove South to Anchorage.

Just for the fun of it, I just checked days and dates. 

Beginning on Thursday, August the 6th, 1992, there were Thursday, August the 6th days / dates on six days beginning in 1992, 1998, 2009, 2015, 2020 and today Thursday August the 6th 2026.

That is the reason for this Post!

On Thursday, August the 6th, 1992, in a 12 noon AA Meeting at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, here in Anchorage, Alaska, I met PB.

And there you have .. The Rest of Our Story.

SW and PB

JUL 4, 26.. HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY 4th of JULY 2026

Today, we in the United States of America are celebrating our 250th birthday, marking a historic quarter-millennium of American independence!!

Unfortunately, as each and every single one of you reading along here know, there will be a lot of people (a LOT) who will be drinking and then driving a motor vehicle. 

What a tragedy that a great holiday will be forever spoiled for people who lose loved ones due to accidents caused by drinking alcohol and then driving.

Hopefully, with all of the Holiday Alcathons and regular meetings available to most of us, none of us will fall victim to a 4th of July 2026 Holiday tragedy!

Your Allies in Sobriey..

JUN 12-14, 26.. FOUNDER'S DAY WEEKEND IN AKRON, OHIO

 91st AA ANNUAL FOUNDERS’ DAY

June 12-14, 2026

Registration opens on Friday June 12 at 8:00 am until 10:00 pm  and from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm on Saturday, June 13.

Doctor's Bob home.

The first two photos below were NOT taken on any Founders' Day. 

The below photo was indeed taken on a Founders' Day!

Get it? 

Got it?

Good!

Once, just once, you will be happy that you have 'experienced' Founders' Day. 

It is a Hoot! It is a Holler! Because from Friday into Sunday,  there is so very much going on it borders on being beyond Exhausting! These mere words don't do it 'justice'. 

You know the local Akron, Ohio, business community (hotels, motels, restaurants etc et al) licks its chops and raises prices.

BUT do it once and decide for yourself!

We have been to Akron and visited the AA historical sites at least five separate times. 

Smiles..

MAY 29, 26 .. A.A. GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE.. STEP 5..

 I first began to read and eventually subscribe to the A.A. Grapevine in 1988. My wife and I have had a Grapevine subscription for more decades than we can recall.

My reading our Grapevine issues to my wife gives both of us great pleasure.

In the March 2026 issue, on page 47, was the below wisdom shared by John D., Big Lake, Minn.

"Membership in AA doesn't mean I will have a life free of trials and tribulations, but what it does give me is a new approach and a new faith to deal with life. What the program gives me is a Fellowship on which I can rely for help. What the program gives me is a faith in a Higher Power that sustains and comforts me. It lets me know that "God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves."

What a great gift the AA Grapevine is for us.

- - - - - - - -

The month of May is the fifth month of the year. Many meetings discuss the Step of the Month as we go through the year.

The Fifth Step reads..

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

It does not say specifically with whom we share Fourth Step Inventories.

Yes indeed! A good many members share their Fourth Step Inventories with their sponsors. However, not all of us choose to do this.

Some of us opt to share our 4th Step Inventories with a member of the Clergy (Priest / Minister), a professional Therapist or Counselor. The list can go on and on! But IF you choose to share with someone who is not in AA or who is not familiar with AA (a Taxi Driver) you might want to explain what you are doing.

Some members go to another town where they are not known and ask for a Temporary Sponsor to share their 4th Step.

Now it gets interesting!

Some professionals are under a code-of-conduct that they must tell various authorities if they learn about a felonious act or actions. Some felonies do not have a specified Statute of Limitations.

More than one AA Member has been returned to prison, some for life, because of information they gave a professional in a Fifth Step!

So be careful. 

- - - - - - - -

Thanks for your support.

APR 30, 26.. LIFE HAPPENS .. WHAT TO DO?

LIFE HAPPENS !!

What to do? 

Get Angry? Get Resentful? No!

Work your AA Program of Recovery!! That's what to do!!

In How it Works, Chapter 5 of our AA Big Book, we read the below words.

If  you have decided you want what we have, and are willing to go to any length to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps.

What is it we want? 

When we are new to AA we want to stop drinking. 

Then, as the years go by, what we really want is to be happy, joyous and free.

Recently, literally a week or so ago, a neighbor here in our Condo "really got under my skin big time" and continues daily to do so.

I told my wife, "I am not going to let this neighbor upset me!"

First a good friend has a saying .. "Get Over It!".

In the Doctor's Opinion, page xxviii, Dr. Silkworth wrote..

"Men and women drink essentially because they like the sensation produced by alcohol."

Translation.. "We drink to change how we feel!"

And I am not going to drink over this neighbor to change how I feel!

All of us have using the 12-Steps to assist us.

Also get into your AA Tool Kit.

Resentment is the number one offender. 

Resentment comes from Latin and French .. Re Sentir .. which translates into "To Feel Again". Repeatedly re-experiencing an insult or something that is upsetting us.

Expectations are resentments waiting to happen! Especially our own expectations of ourselves that we can't achieve!

Praying to God our Creator for assistance.

Bottom Line:

Daily I am extremely happy that using all the tools I have, I am rising above this irksome neighbor.

There you have it!

BUT when life gives you a challenge, you must want to get past it and be happy, joyous, and free. And you must be willing to go to any length to do so!

Your Ally .. S. W. in London, Ontario, Canada

APR 5, 26.. EASTER WISHES

 Matthew 28.6

He Is Risen!

Patti and I, wish you and yours, a happy, joyous and a sober Easter Sunday.

MAR 17, 26.. ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Ah yes! St. Patrick's Day 2026 is here!

Oh My.. Oh My.. Oh My..

If there is one thing about St. Patrick's Day that comes to my mind, it is a holiday where excess drinking is the rule and not the exception. 

Almost globally, St. Patrick's Day involves copious amounts of green beer and whisky shooters!

I hope and wish that all of you who may be reading along here have a safe and a sober St. Patrick's Day!

IF you don't pick up the first drink of alcohol, you will not get drunk

There you have it! 

Again, we wish all of you a fun and joyous St. Patrick's Day!

FEB 14, 26.. HAPPY SOBER VALENINE'S DAY..

HAPPY, SOBER, WONDERFUL, VALENTINE'S DAY TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU..

swc and pmb

JAN 1, 2026.. HAPPY NEW YEAR..

 

Our below Guest Contribution is from our great friend and Ally Frostbite Frank..

You are going to get a kick out of this.

- - - - - - - - - -

Twas the night before Christmas 

We were all in the club 

Enjoying the meeting instead of the pub. 

The ashtrays were clean and the coffee was made. 

The Big Books were out and the Intro was read. 

When out in the lot there arose such a clatter

We jumped from our chairs to see what was the matter! 

The lead with his big book and I with my smokes 

Headed outside, where we found these two blokes. 

They came on inside and sat down at the table 

And said that they’d share, just as soon as they’re able 

To start with, they said, it's more than not drinking. 

It's taking real action, to fix our own thinking. 

“Think think think!” those slogans we used 

To help keep the newcomer from getting confused.

“Live and let live!”  Easy does it!” they said:

The problem, we must say, is just in our head.

Step 1 is a start; they said we all know 

But after the step 2 we will all feel the glow!

We make a decision when we get to Step 3;

Step 4 is real tough- on this we agree.

Step five is the one where we let it all out 

From Steps 6 and 7, we’re left with no doubt. 

We get to step 8 and we use our “harms list,” 

And then, for Step 9, we have to persist.

After Step, 9 the promises ring true 

We didn't just get them out of the blue.

Step 10 keeps us level snd straight on the beam

And Step 11 contacts a Power Supreme.

Step 12 is the key when we learn what we’ve learned

As we share with a friend whose real trust we have earned.

These are the keys to a wonderful life!

Our misery is over!  We live free from strife!

And continuing on we proceed with our lives

One day at a time for serenity we strive.

And on, on, and on we must practice the rest:

This is what we must do, to remain at our best.

They put on their coats and got ready to leave 

A pretty good end for us, this Christmas Eve!

Their names we did not know: we only could guess 

But I'm pretty sure they were Bill W and Bob S.

The two men hopped into a 35 Ford 

And as they pulled out, one of them we all heard:

 “Carry the message!  We all are true brothers!

 Trust God! Clean house! Be of service to others!

“And to all of our family we just want to say 

Merry Christmas to all!  And DON’T DRINK today!

        -Shared by a friend 

- - - - - - - - - -

Thanks so very VERY MUCH Frank

DEC 31, 25.. THE SUN IS SETTING ON YEAR 2025..

 

Sad (or is it?) to say the Sun is setting on year 2025.

We sure hope that it was a good year, one you will happily look back upon in the future.

We also hope that tonight, New Years Eve, will be a safe and sound evening for you and for your loved ones.

On New Years Eve there well may be some folks who have been having a lively party and then will get on the road to drive home when they should not be driving.

So unless you absolutely MUST be out driving tonight, please oh please watch out and be careful.

We hope to see you safely tomorrow, Thursday, January the 1st, 2026.

DEC 25, 25.. HAVE A HAPPY, SOBER, MERRY CHRISTMAS ..

The Christmas Holiday Season can be a very challenging time, especially for newer members of our Fellowship of Recovery.

As the AA Big Book says..

If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it .. then you are ready to take certain steps.

On the surface the certain steps refer to the 12 Steps.

But there are more "steps" you can take during the Holidays. Go to more meetings, getting and working with your sponsor, calling other members and not isolating, if you have one, take your own vehicle to social holiday gatherings you feel you must attend then leave the instant you begin to feel uncomfortable and the drinking gets out of hand.

Good Luck and we all wish one another ..

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED, SOBER, HOLIDAY SEASON..

NOV 24, 25 .. SPECIAL WILSON HOUSE ZOOM MEETING..

This upcoming Saturday, November the 29th, at 1PM Arizona time (3PM Eastern time), the Wilson House is hosting a Zoom meeting to celebrate Bill W's birthday.

The meeting features a special message by Joe W. of Los Angeles, CA, who will share his experience, strength, and hope with us.

If you want to check this out on your own, just click onto the below link..

https://wilsonhouse.org/

To protect the Wilson House website from "Zoom Bombers" you must register in advance. 

To register in advance, click onto the above link.

Then click onto RSVP HERE in the box in upper right side of the Wilson House website.

This Zoom Meeting is getting a lot of publicity within the Fellowship.

I hope that maybe one of you will check this out. We certainly are going to do so.

OCT 27, 25.. STEP 10 and THE WILSON HOUSE..

Here we are. October, the 10th month. We think about and discuss the 10th Step in many meetings.

Amazing Bill W coming up with all of these 12s. 

12 Steps. 12 Traditions. 12 Concepts of World Service. 

In my own humble opinion, the 10th Step is so important. The 10th step allows those who want to do so, to get through Steps 4, 5, 8 and 9 quickly. In an afternoon actually. My Grand Sponsor Clarence H. Snyder, Cleveland, Ohio, took my first sponsor Bill B, through these steps in one afternoon.

Now you will, hopefully on daily basis, be doing mini versions of Steps 4,5 8 and 9! 

And?

Now you can hopefully, and promptly, move right into daily work with steps 11 and 12!

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Thank You So Very Much Tim McBride for sharing with us the below photos of the Wilson House that you snapped during your recent visit.

The Wilson House.

Bill W's Grave.

Being Halloween, some Neer-Do-Wells "Toilet Papered" the below sign.

So Yours Truly "Took Care Of That".

Again! Thanks so very much Tim.

SEP 27, 25 .. AMENDS..

September, the 9th month, brings us to Amends both in the 9th and 10th steps.

If you study our great Program of Recovery, you will see that very little of what we have was created and originated by A.A. or is carried forward only by A.A. 

These are "Universal Principles".

However, it has been my own personal experience that, we in A.A follow them much more diligently than do most other programs.

Below is a good example of this "Universality".

NATIONAL TODAY, is the source of much of the below information. 

https://nationaltoday.com/forgiveness-day/

Back on June the 26th, NATIONAL TODAY  looked at the below topic of Forgiveness. 

We make amends in both the 9th and 10th steps for ourselves, not for the other person.

No! We are NOT asking for forgiveness when we make an amend. 

We are cleaning our side of the street.

But in so doing, we greatly benefit. 

The practice of forgiveness can be traced back thousands of years with mention being made in numerous religious texts. It may seem like a difficult task, but it is merely letting go of anger, hurt, or a desire for vengeance.

Forgiveness has been linked to many mental health benefits including reduced stress, anger, depression, and anxiety. Positive relational health – including improved social support and marital quality – comes with forgiveness. It also leads to an array of physical health benefits including lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health.

As we make our Amends, then we can begin the process of forgiving ourselves.

AUG 30, 25.. EMOTIONAL SOBRIETY..

Lately Patti and I have been reading the above Grapevine Book along with some older (1990s up to 2010) Grapevine Magazines reading many articles written by longtime members stating that there is far more to AA than just not drinking.

It all boils down to EMOTIONAL SOBRIETY.

So I decided to "Toss My Hat Into The Ring"

What is it? 

For me it is simple. Emotional Sobriety is being relatively (no we will never be perfect) happy, joyous and free.

Then I have to want this! And be willing to go to any length to achieve it.

For me it takes:

GRATITUDE.. If I can just focus on what I have to be grateful for, then I am NOT focusing on my problems and challenges. For me Gratitude is an action not merely a mind trip.

ACCEPTANCE.. Does not mean Approval. What is, IS. Period.

If I cannot accept what I am absolutely, totally unable to change, I will be out trying to change things I will never be able to change. This is a dead end road of frustration that takes me away from being relatively happy, joyous and free.

Actually using the 12 Steps of Recovery. Walk The Walk! Don't Just Talk The Talk. 

Pause When Agitated. Practice Love and Tolerance of Others. Clean my side of the street. When wrong make amends. etc.

PRAYER and MEDITATION, working together, go a long way helping me find Gratitude and Acceptance.

Good luck on your journey.

JUL 27, 25..IN A WAY.. WE HAVE NO NEW IDEAS..

 IN A WAY.. WE IN A.A. HAVE NO NEW, ORIGINAL, PRINCIPLES..

If you take a long, hard look at our principles, Trust God, Clean House, Trust Others as well as our 12 Steps and our 12 Traditions, almost all major religions as well as other spiritual seekers in many other fields of thought, have come to use the same basic spiritual principles we use.

This really leapt out at me when NATIONAL TODAY featured the below Holiday back on July the 19th.

 Across the United States, the third Saturday in July recognizes Toss Away the "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day. 

In short, don't go through life with regrets.

How about these concepts.

Let go of the past and live for the present. 

The first step to participating in this day is to find a pen and paper. 

Then write down your "could haves" and "should haves" on the paper. 

Finally, throw away the list. 

Once you have thrown your "could haves" and "should haves" in the trash, make the following resolution:

"From this day forward, I choose not to live in the past. The past is history that I can not change. I can do something about the present; I choose to live in the present."

Don’t dwell on the things you cannot control. We call this Acceptance and we say the Serenity Prayer!

Focus on the things that matter. You must prioritize the present and be optimistic about the future. Spend less time asking yourself questions like “why did I do that?”. Altering the past is firmly out of our control, so we must focus on the here and now. Wasting time on regrets will accomplish nothing. The idea is to live life to the fullest to have no regrets when it ends. 

To see the full NATIONAL TODAY writing just click onto the below link.

https://nationaltoday.com/toss-away-the-could-haves-and-should-haves-day/

Now here is where we do differ. It is my experience that we in A.A. work far harder and with much more diligence to practice our principles than do those in other religious and spiritual fields.

Good stuff!

JUL 4, 25.. HAPPY, SAFE, SANE AND SOBER 4th OF JULY..

 Here we are! Snap your fingers and another year has slipped past us.

Thank You Ginny So Very Much For This Great Image.

With our 4th of July Greetings, we pray that all of you have a happy, safe, sane and Yes! A Sober 4th of July weekend.

JUN 25, 2025.. LET IT GO.. GET OVER IT..

It is amazing to me how critical, how extremely important, just one sentence in the AA Big Book has become for me personally. 

You will find this important sentence on page xxviii (28) in the front of the 4th Edition of the AA Big Book in The Doctor's Opinion: 

Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol.

My personal translation of the above sentence is:

Men and women drink TO CHANGE HOW THEY FEEL.

In my opinion, the purpose of our 12 Steps of Recovery is to make us feel better about ourselves. If we feel good about ourselves then we don't need to use a substance to change how we feel.

Don't ask me why, because I am not able to answer this question: Why on earth do some alcoholics drink alcohol to celebrate their team winning the Super Bowl?

For we alcoholics, that first drink will set up a desire for "just one more" and you all know what happens then!

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Thank you so very much Cindy 86403 for sharing with us the below amazing advice about helping us to feel better about ourselves.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

It's amazing how peaceful your life becomes when you realize it's not your responsibility to regulate other people's emotions, manage their insecurities, pacify their inner wars, heal their wounds, do their inner work, and be the version of you in their minds.

At some point, you have to realize that people will only change when they're ready. No amount of love, effort, or convincing can make them see what they're not willing to face.

You can support, inspire, and encourage but their growth is their responsibility. 

Release the need to fix others and focus on your own inner peace.

Once again, Thank You So Very Much Cindy 86403 for being a Guest Contributor.

JUN 10, 25.. THE 90th ANNIVERSARY OF A.A.

On June the 10th, 1935, at the Gatehouse of the Seiberling Mansion in Akron, Ohio.. 

A New York City Stockbroker Bill W met with an Akron, Ohio, Surgeon Dr. Bob.

This date and location 90 years ago, is where and when A.A. began. Yes it took time and several years, but A.A. began here on this date.

The below article from Wikipedia is extremely thorough in presenting A.A.'s history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous

All of us in the fellowship owe an enormous debt of gratitude for our recovery in The Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.

MAY 28, 25 .. THE WISDOM IN THE PROGRAM..

We have so very, VERY, much solid wisdom at our fingertips here in our A.A. Fellowship.

All page references refer to the A.A. Big Book 4th Edition.

What we have is a Design for living that works in rough situations. p 15

God could and would if He were sought. p 60

Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. p xxviii

We drink to change how we feel.

Here are the steps we took which are suggested as a program of recovery. p 59

Working the steps changes for the better how we feel about ourselves. So we don't have to, or want to, drink alcohol to change how we feel.

How about this beauty! We pause, when agitated or doubtful.

Oh My, if only I could only always pause when I am agitated!

The problem is when we don't pause, we risk getting angry!

Visualize a nice, calm, scene.

Anger is a letter from Danger.  Add the letter D to the word Anger and you have Danger. This is an extremely valuable phrase that I heard once in a meeting.

We are not cured of alcoholism. p 85

What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.

Spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. p 60

Relieve me of the bondage of self that I may better do Thy will. p63

Nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with others. p 90

Practice these principles in all our affairs. p 60

I picked up the next two words of AA Wisdom in various meetings over the years.

Be on guard for the unguarded moment..

Play the tape all the way through..

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