All posts by Karen Teig

About Karen Teig

I am a 58 year old Native Minnesotan. I work as a Storekeeper at a local hospital here in town. I have been sober since April 18, 1982 and have not smoked since September 8, 2005. I am a Born Again Christian who loves Jesus and am grateful for each day I wake up. Life is really what I make of it, with few exceptions. God always has a plan.

February 28, 2021

  1. I am alive.  Thanks be to God. :)
  2. Nice weather.
  3. My cat.  :)  He is my little buddy.
  4. My son coming over yesterday.
  5. Church online this morning.
  6. Waking up at a decent time the past two days.
  7. Good food and music.
  8. Enjoying a good book.
  9. The sun reflecting off the ice chunks on the lake.
  10. I can live, love and laugh today.  Life is GOOD.

Saturday, February 27, 2021 8:40 a.m.

  1. God is in my life more than ever.
  2. This site is still here, even when I am away for awhile and come back.  :)
  3. The sun is shining and we are not in a deep freeze anymore.
  4. I am making progress with my knee/tibia injury slow but sure.
  5. My son is coming over so we can watch Game Of Thrones together later.
  6. My cat Skeeter is healthy.
  7. I have nice neighbors.
  8. My job is still there, even though I cannot do everything it requires.
  9. I have gotten used to living alone and am learning to enjoy it.
  10. The ice is moving on the lake and I can see open water.
  11. I am sober and not smoking cigarettes another day.
  12. I have lived to see age 55.  I am seeing more and more around my age passing on, may they all RIP.
  13. I went to church last Sunday.  I have only been inside the church two times since last March.  Otherwise, I have watched it online.  I am grateful they have had the online services.
  14. That I “GET TO” wake up each day and thank God for another day.

Happy New Year 8:21 a.m. :) <3

  1. I have awakened to see a New Year.
  2. This site is still going. :)
  3. God in my life.
  4. I have today off.
  5. I woke up to a new day of sobriety and not smoking.
  6. My cat.
  7. My son.
  8. I am still employed.
  9. Warmer temperatures.
  10. Prayer.  I will pray for lots of people today, not only for those who are suffering, giving prayer of thanksgiving for those whose lives are turning around for the better.
  11. Goal of spending less time on Facebook…..baby steps but I am grateful I have realized I don’t need it like I thought.
  12. My boss and another storeroom clerk helping us out yesterday.  We are so short handed and beat up physically from the job.
  13. My family and friends.  I love, love, love them!
  14. My Bible and Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book.
  15. Life. I GET to live it.

December 27, 2020 – 7:50 a.m.

  1. I am so very grateful for God in my life.
  2. I am grateful I can still work, albeit not the way I want to, since my knee/leg injury.
  3. My cat, Skeeter, is feeling better after his urinary/bladder issues.
  4. My son, Justin.  Love that young man to the moon and back!
  5. We had a white Christmas, although it made it hard to get around.
  6. Heat in my house. :)
  7. I got to go to church with my son for Christmas Eve.
  8. Another holiday sober and cigarette free.
  9. God never gives up on me so I will not either.
  10. Patience, although hard to come by, during my ortho issues.

Saturday 10-10-20 9:47 a.m.

  • God let me wake up to see another day.  Thank you God.
  • My family and friends.
  • My four legged roommate and family member, Skeeter.
  • The beautiful Lake Superior.  I saw someone on a paddle board on the lake early this morning.  I was impressed as it was 40 degrees at the time.
  • I was honored to present the Kaylor R. Teig Benchmark Award at the Weco Accessibility Services (my husband’s last employer) Service Awards this past Wednesday.  Grateful they asked me to do this, even if it was on Zoom. :)
  • Going to surprise a special someone for her birthday tomorrow.  :)
  • I am sober and nicotine free another day, never to be taken for granted even after all these years.
  • Good food and coffee.
  • I finished the whole Holy Bible, albeit it took longer than I originally planned.  Grateful to be able to do that.
  • I started Bible plans on my YouVersion app again.  Nice way to fill in the time before I start another go through of the Bible in January.
  • I am healthy, even with my bad knee.  I popped a blood vessel in my left eye somehow the other day but it is getting better.
  • Loving the nice weather this past week.
  • My bus driver is leaving a bit earlier to help me make my connection downtown and not have to walk up the hill in the dark everyday.
  • Texting a couple of my friends from grief support the other night.  We hope to get together in a safe way soon.
  • I finally turned on my furnace the other day but it has not been going on too much with the nicer weather this past week.
  • Getting together with my Bible study girlfriends this coming Wednesday.  The first time I have seen them in person since July 29 and March 11 before that.
  • I am upright, breathing, walking and talking.  Life is good!
  • Our Lakeside branch of our church is opening again November 1.  I have not been in that church since March of this year.  I truly missed it but am grateful they had online services.

August 9, 2020 9:00 a.m.

  1. So grateful that I can still see the church service online. 
  2. I woke up early and was able to read all that I need to start my day.  God is very good. 
  3. Got to spend two days this weekend, Friday and Saturday with my son.  
  4. Raining off and on but we need it. 
  5. My cat is adorable and a nice way to wake up. 
  6. Good breakfast. 
  7. A store close by that I can get my groceries.
  8. Sober and nicotine free another day.  Yayyy!
  9. Online A.A. meetings.  Going to make that a priority.
  10. A good night’s sleep.  
  11. Back to work tomorrow. Although I have enjoyed my time off, I am grateful to have employment.  
  12. God.  What would I do without God?  

August 7, 2020 10:00 a.m.

  1. A day off work.  Start of a three day weekend.
  2. Getting up early and enjoying the morning fresh air off my porch.
  3. Reading my Bible and my Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book.
  4. God, as always.
  5. Getting to see my son and go to lunch together today.
  6. Trying out Audible and trying a book that is not what I would normally read and enjoying it.
  7. Coming up on 6 years without my husband.  His death was the hardest thing I have had to go through to date.  So grateful for family, friends A.A., church and most importantly GOD helping me through it all.
  8. Waking up and being able to thank God for another day.  Not to be taken for granted.
  9. Good music.  Always being open to listening to different music also.
  10. Comedy on t.v.  Sure helps to laugh. :)
  11. Good bus drivers who get to know you.
  12. Coworkers who are like family.
  13. My brother had another pancreatitis attack.  Not the worst for sure but grateful he is changing his diet and feeling better.
  14. My cat Skeeter.  He is one hell of a roommate. :)
  15. Beautiful and ever changing Lake Superior.  Such a great way to start the day looking at it.
  16. Good coffee. :)
  17. Air conditioning.  We have actually had above normal temps in Minnesota, even down near the lake.  Happy I can turn the air conditioning on when needed.
  18. I have plenty of masks for outside of work when I am on the bus and in stores.  Also, they provide them at work.  I have to wear them all day at work unless I am eating and/or drinking at break.
  19. I have a job!  I managed to not get laid off so far during COVID-19.  I am amazed and grateful.
  20. Learning to adapt to the new normal during the virus.  It is for sure different but also puts a lot of things in perspective.
  21. Life.  I get to live it!  Thanks be to God. :)

Father’s day 2020

  • Grateful for my father.  Although he has been gone almost 45 years, I still think of him.  Especially on Father’s Day.  
  • Taking the opportunity the past few days to sit out on my front porch, enjoy the lake view and read my Bible while drinking my coffee. 
  • My son.  I get to see him today and go to lunch with him.
  • I am still employed.  The past week was rough as we were short handed but I am still employed.  What a blessing!
  • My God.  Always with me.  I am thankful for each day he lets me wake up.
  • My family and friends. 
  • Watching some beautiful sunrises the past two days. :) 
  • Changing some routines in my mornings.  It might mean getting up a bit earlier but I feel it will be so worth it.  
  • My cat Skeeter.  He is my best boy!
  • Beautiful weather lately up in Duluth.
  • Good coworkers who are like family. 
  • Psalms.  This is the first time I am reading them all the way through. 
  • Good comedies on t.v.  Some of them are the older ones and I love them. 
  • I am sober and nicotine free another day.  If I were still smoking today and smoking what I did, I would be spending over 16 dollars a day.  I don’t know how I afforded it even when it was 8 dollars a day back when. 
  • God has seen fit to let a good friend from my Bible study hang in there.  She has been in the hospital longer than she would have liked but she is hanging in there.  I know, God’s will, not my own, but I hope she can get out of the hospital.  
  • Today I start all over, for what seems like the hundredth time, with eating healthy.  Grateful that I have not just given on on this.  I am worth it, I believe, and I can get this weight off.  
  • Two days off to relax and just enjoy life.  Back to work tomorrow.  Grateful I get to go back.  
  • Grateful that my son’s life is going on and he seems to be happy out on his own and financially secure.  He is my greatest treasure in life.  

Wednesday, May 6, 2020 8:00 a.m.

  • God
  • Love in my life of family and friends.
  • Patience while waiting for my stimulus check. It is all going to property taxes.
  • Being able to whittle down another bill.
  • Time off this week to relax and contemplate life, along with getting some stuff done and go outside.
  • My cat, Skeeter.  He is such a wonderful part of my life and my love for him grows more each day. I never though I would love a cat so much, as I was a dog lover all of my life.
  • Good coffee and food.
  • Comedians.  We need them more than ever these days to lighten thing sup.
  • The ability to choose what and who I believe.  Research is a good thing.
  • My employer keeps me coming back.
  • Lake Superior.  So beautiful.  Cold but beautiful.
  • Technology.  I can have my Bible study tonight.  I have not seen these women in eight weeks and I miss them but it is nice to see their faces on Messenger and Zoom. :)
  • A friend at work lost her husband suddenly the other day.  I am so sorry she lost her husband. I am grateful, however,  that she has so many friends at work and outside of work and family to help her through this difficult time.
  • God let me wake up to see another day.  Many are not that lucky.  Thank you God.

May 4, 2020

  1. Waking up to a new day God has given me.
  2. God. Always with me.
  3. Five days off after a busy weekend working at the hospital up the street.
  4. I am employed.  Still avoiding layoff.
  5. Good people at the hospital I have been training at and still being able to go back and work my home base also.
  6. Sleep.  Much needed after this weekend.  I am so not used to getting up at 2:45 a.m. and working at 4:00 a.m.
  7. My son. Although we have not seen each other since April 4 and did keep our 6 feet distance, we can still text and keep in touch. Love that young man.
  8. Technology.  Our Bible study has been meeting on Messenger and Zoom.  We can see each other and talk.  Not the same as in person but I will most assuredly take it!
  9. Our church doing the Sunday service on Youtube.  Again, not in person, but will take it as I would feel very sad if we could not have that.  It also proves that the church is not the building, you can have it anywhere or any way.
  10. All the front line workers during the COVID-19.
  11. The people who are providing us with our cloth masks during this time.
  12. I am sober and nicotine free another day.  I celebrated 38 years sobriety on April 18.  I would have loved to go to a meeting but they are all closed down as far as I know.  I was able to celebrate on Facebook in the groups though. Very grateful chick here.
  13. That during this virus, we can all have our opinions even though some are more push about their opinions than others.  It is a hard time and people are losing out financially and I feel for them but we must all hang in there.
  14. My family, friends, coworkers are healthy, as far as I know.
  15. A roof over my head.  Easy to take that for granted.  I try really hard not to for sure.