In May 2014, I started writing when I gave up smoking and started blogging because the subject was important to me -until then, I didn’t even know I liked writing. That’s why my blog is called “The Happy Quitter” because it all began when I gave up smoking after 35 years.
This section of my blog might interest you if you just gave up smoking as well, or if you decided to do so in the future.
“Every time I get used to something, I turn around, and she changes it.” That’s one of my husband’s favorite statements. She would be me, and He would be the wonderful man I am married to, and, as much as I hate to admit it, He would be right. I have rearranged our living room -again- just recently, and surprised him with it. His second favorite statement about me is a little bit more private. “I wake up with a brunette and go to bed with a blonde,” a humorous remark about how often I changed my hairstyle and the color over the last 30 years. What can I say? “Addicted to the bottle” might come to mind.
I was wondering about my blog. I would like to keep it alive. I can tell by the emails and views of my older posts that there are still many smokers out there—all over the globe—who want to quit as well. There is still so much to talk about that involves the tobacco industry and the politics around it. There is always “smoking news”, especially when it comes to the industry’s newest toy, the e-cigarette. I would like to continue to write about it, but not on a daily basis.
I did what I wanted to do; I paid it forward for one year and stayed focused on my quit by doing so.
BUT…there is so much more to The Happy Quitter than just my smoking past. I am a goofball with serious moments or a serious goofball. I am a rambler and talker, a student and a teacher, a reader and a blogger. I have so much on my mind and none of it has anything to do with smoking. Books, music, history, places I visited, and cultures I was allowed to explore. I am an agnostic believer, a feminist, who believes in spoiling her husband rotten. I am an animal activist and a first-generation immigrant. I was born and raised in Europe, and English is my second language. So, please be gentle with me and kindly overlook all the mistakes I am going to make…and yes, you might “hear” an accent now and then.
I am a European in America. There are some tough subjects that I would like to write about. There are humorous stories that I would like to share.
So, guess what? I am going to rearrange my blog a little bit. Will change the categories, will throw stuff around, and will bug you all with new ideas :-).
You can reach me via email at TheHappyQuitter@aol.com
I can’t believe it, but my little blog was named one of the Top Smoking Cessation blogs in 2015, 2016, and 2017. What an honor it is. Thank you, Healthline!
>>>link to the nomination 2015<<<
>>link to the nomination 2016<<<
>>>link to the nomination 2017<<<
My dad says, “I was good at quitting. I did it a lot.”
I am sure to enjoy reading your blog posts.
Congratulations on quitting smoking. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done to quit after just ten years of smoking. So thankful to be a non-smoker for the past 30 something years. Thanks for the follow!
Nice to know know about you and efforts put in by you.
It’s been awhile but I had to let you know that I did quit smoking, it’s about 5 years now. I can’t believe I did it but I did. I got a lot of motivation from when I first started following you.
you certainly sound like a fun loving person, nice to meet you!
Nice to ‘meet’ you as well. 🙂
This was adorable. LOL
Thank you for sharing your experience with others people!
Thank you for stopping by and joining my blog. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy sharing my recipes and travels with you. Welcome aboard.
Nadia
Maisontravers.wordpress.com
So happy to have come across your blog The Happy Quitter. Though I don’t smoke- have never smoked in my life but I live for inspirational stories. It makes life worth living. Thanks for sharing an inspiring blog in the space.
Oh Yippee! I was pleased that we found one another earlier but now that I have read this, I am extra pleased. A question …. whereabouts are your European roots? As you know I’m English living in France (and occasionally Massachusetts) and as such I am supposed to be cool and chic and wait to be told but I’m curious …. 😊
I hope you forgive me if I just give you a link to a post that explains where I come from the best. https://nonsmokingladybug.wordpress.com/2017/05/26/italy-austria-usa-and-then-some/?wref=tp
Of course… I never hold grudges… so unattractive and ageing 😄
You had to mention aging. 🙂
Congratulations and happy smoke-free life to you.
Thank you. It so long ago I don’t even remember smoking anymore.
Wonderful and proud of you and your accomplishment.
Interesting! I started my blog back in 2006ish because I had quit my job and gone back to school at 50 years old. It was a way to keep track of my feelings about all that….and then when I graduated I wondered if I should keep blogging, since the original topic wasn’t relevant anymore….and people said yes and I did and I’m glad I did. Even though the topic of my blog is nothing and everything all at the same time. I’m much like you. I like change. Though I don’t rearrange the living room, there seems to be only one way to arrange it…on the other hand, we didn’t HAVE living room furniture for more than a year because my husband threw out the couch while I was away and then we couldn’t agree on what we wanted to replace it. So we had two chairs and that was it for a long time. Change is hard. LOL
I suppose most of us start blogging and then we grow into it and our blog starts to develop.
Thanks for the “like” on my blog! Kudos for quitting a dangerous health habit. Hope your hubby perseveres! How did you find me?
My husband is going to be one-year smoke-free in June, I never thought he would quit as well, but he did. I don’t remember how I found you.
That is awesome! Have some chain smokers in the extended family, so I know how hard it can be to quit! Always like to know what got people to click on my blog (was it the title, or a pic, etc.)
You can feel you have done a real, tangible service to mankind.
Did you want me to send you a physical copy of my book Border Line. It would be a present with NO obligation to read. If you email me at threadgoldpressATwaitroseDOTcom, we can then communicate off-blog. Hilary
Really good stuff!
Peace and Love.
wonderful to see smoke turning into fantastic array of words…if at all… it happens to all… the world would become a literary marvel….
“A literary marvel,” Gosh I like you.
I smoked for many many years and never gave up.
I just haven’t had the next one for about 20 years now.
I believe there are a million ways to do anything that we really want, and need, to do.
How interesting. My husband just decided to take an indefinite smoke-break one day before his birthday this year. He is now 100+ days on this break and he is doing great. I truly believe that we outgrow things -if that makes any sense at all.
I smoked for 35 years, my better half for over 40 years. Maybe there is just a point when we don’t see too much sense in it anymore anymore?
I went to a smoking forum, not for support, but because I had questions. They pledge every day N.O.P.E (Not One Puff Ever) and I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t plan on quitting it just happened somehow. Never ever…seemed too far stretched. So, I pledged SNOT instead (Smoking Not Optional Today) and got the giggle out of it.
(Sorry for the novel)
Outgrow might be an apt word here, dear lady, because people who have tried for years often stop for the flimsiest reasons.
On the flip side, I once knew an absolutely wonderful lady who gave up almost every year, and I am embarrassed to say I always prayed that she would start again.
She was just unbearable without it.
And if you are apologising for ‘SNOT’, you are clearly deluding yourself as to my level of maturity.
My alter ego once wrote this:
https://anelephantcant.me/2012/09/27/the-mighty-green-snotter-man/
Enjoy!
I like this ‘about’ and very nice to meet you. Thank you for following my blog, I will certainly take time to visit yours as well. I hope your day is a happy one! 🙂
It is truly nice to find out more about you and thank you for visiting my blog and introducing yourself. I think your English is great and I can say that with authority, because I used to be an English teacher. I’m finding that writing every week is helping me to improve my own English and my writing style, so keep writing. People appreciate caring voices like yours. Thanks, Clare
Clare, you just made my day.
It’s nice to find my own voice in writing. I worked as a translator and interpreter for many years, and always had to focus on what others had said or what they had written.
Now it’s my turn.
Thank you,
Bridget
Absolutely! And you’re welcome, Bridget. I hope you continue to enjoy blogging and communicating with lots of neat people. Clare
Great post! I’m a bit of a language geek; what is your first language?
I was born and raised right on the border between Italy and Austria. My native languages are German and Italian.
Leider spreche ich nur ein bisschen Deutsch(aber ich habe Verwandten in Deutschland und Schweitz).
Parlo un più d’italiano. Ho cominciato imparare l’italiano quando imparavo parole sulla televisione italiana.
You speak more and better German and Italican than many here in the U.S.
Learning a second language is fun, but it has it’s confusing moments.
Wir koennen gerne in Deutsch oder Italienisch kommunizieren, nur wuerde ich Dich bitten dann auch den selben Text in English zu schreiben. So mit fuehlt sich keiner ausgeschlossen. (Translation:
We can communicate in German or Italian , but I would like to ask you to translate the same into English as well. This way none of my readers and blogging friends will feel excluded .)
D’accordo!
Sehr gut!
OK!
🙂
Alto Adige or Sudtirol? not that it matters, just curious, you’re a European in America. I’m sort of the other way around, sort of, so I think I’ll be dropping in here again. I gave up smoking cold-turkey long time ago. BTW, did you also read Tintin (apart from Astérix)?
Suedtirol. 🙂
Yes, of course I read Tintin.
Lovely part of the world. The grass is so green and rich it looks artificial 🙂 and Vive Tintin!
Thanks for the follow. I checked out your blog, and I love the layout, it’s a great theme, I might see what mine would look like, like this. I’m not too good at the technical stuff though. I’ve never smoked but admire people who give up!
I knew I had to check your blog when I read your comment at Diane’s place 😉 And what an absolute pleasure 😀 I can relate to you in sooo many ways ( hint- hair coloring,rambler,talker 😉 ) I am so excited to jump into your followers bandwagon. And kudos to you for giving up the one habit which is deemed as a very difficult addiction to give up and to actually write about it ! 🙂 Cheers and warmest wishes, Minaxi <3
Oh, how sweet. Thank you for checking me out 🙂
Warmest wishes as well 🙂
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Thanks for the like on my post! Props to you for quitting! I look forward to following your blog.
Quite an interesting story you’ve got here. And you tell it in witty ways. And congratulations on the quit smoking.
Thank you and thank you for the follow young man. I have my witty moments 🙂
We must insist on having them, dear, shouldn’t we?
It makes aging bearable *laughter here*.
How young are you?
I am 52 years young and I love my age. Life is a wonderful journey. I am at peace with aging and make fun of it when needed.
Nice to hear your optimism in times when people pretend to be younger than they actually are.