Lamplighter where do you live ?? this is the most fantastic time in the year in Ontario.Peaches,plums,apricotts all kinds of fantastic things happen in Ontario :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/20/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 141 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,538 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,410.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 32 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

Martha, what a lovely perspective on becoming a non-smoker. And what promise it holds!! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/6/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 155 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,875 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,433.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 24 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 57 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

Martha, thank you for the wonderful post. I have sent it off to a friend of mine who quit about a month before me and printed it off for me :) You are so right, there is a season for everything. How nice that you have such a nice friend to drop off all those wonderful treats. Again thanks for the heart warming post. Keep the Quit Sparky [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]4/30/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 100 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,000 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $300.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

I am incredibly fortunate because of the amazing people that I have in my life (major understatement!). One of those people is my wonderful neighbor, Rob, who is also fortunate because his dad has a big stretch of property here in San Diego and he grows, literally, everything under the sun! Rob and I don�t actually run into each other very often because our schedules are different and we are both busy and well�you know how that goes. I don�t remember when it started but at some point early in my five years here Rob began leaving bags of fruit and other homegrown goodies hanging on my doorknob. It is always exciting to see the bag as I turn the corner to my door and I truly never know what it will be. I have so far seen: oranges, lemons, limes, apples, kumquats, plums, avocados, grapefruit, peaches, lettuce, squash, pears and figs. I�ve probably forgotten some things but you get the idea. So, today I was coming home from a pretty intense game of racquetball after work and was just beat. I was also really happy though because racquetball is SO much fun and seeing the bag of mystery goods was just icing on the cake. Today, the bag got me thinking about quitting. My absolute favorite thing that Rob has left for me in all these years was the world�s most wonderful plums. They were sweet, juicy and deeeelightful. But the plum tree is done for the year. Finito. No mas. I have had no control over what kind of fruit was ready or how much of it the trees would produce. Each fruit has been great in its own right and in its own season. Just like the phases of quitting. The beginning is a HUGE challenge � physically, mentally, and there is fear and excitement at every turn. Then it begins to seem doable, moments of joy begin to return and although emotions run high and life feels a bit awkward � the benefits begin to outweigh the weirdness. Eventually, being a non-smoker stops being something that you �do� and becomes something that you �are�. The longer I live as an ex-smoker, the richer and sweeter my life has become. I don�t miss the seasons that have passed and for the most part I remember they took place but it�s harder to relate to the feelings that went with them. The SSC pops into my thoughts but actually having a cigarette really doesn�t. There is new fruit on the horizon. Figs are now in season and I have never eaten a raw fig before tonight. You would have thought I was biting into something that would bite me back by the look on my face and the hesitation with which I approached it. It was almost as deeelightful as the plums! I wouldn�t have known though if I didn�t give it a try. Chin up quitters, a new season will be here before you know it :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/5/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1098 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 21,960 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $4,941.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 83 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 12