Category: Coming of Age

The New Year: Never Abandoning Myself Again

Candle lit bags my mother created with pictures of our family members and animals who have passed away. This is our way of calling in their spirit to the holiday.

Every year my spiritual family chooses words that reflect things they’d like to study or overcome in the new year. In previous years my words have meant a great deal to my self study. Past words include: Maturity: Growing up in order to be… Continue Reading “The New Year: Never Abandoning Myself Again”

The End of Childhood

Carolyn I made the decision to go back to school when my son was 4 months old. When I completed high school 16 years ago I went to the same school I am in now to try and do something with my life. My… Continue Reading “The End of Childhood”

Family Fair Night at the Sonoma County Fair

Last night I went to the Sonoma County Fair, in Northern California, and brought my camera to capture some sweet moments with my son and husband. I recently took a digital photography class over the summer and got a better understanding of the tools… Continue Reading “Family Fair Night at the Sonoma County Fair”

Death in Recovery Part 3: Other’s Depression

Tree Sebastopol CA, ColiesCreations.com

The Two Selves: My Work This post is dedicated to helping me work through an understanding I have been studying. I have a long and arduous relationship to other people’s depression and if I don’t go towards it to understand it then there will… Continue Reading “Death in Recovery Part 3: Other’s Depression”

Death in Recovery Part 2: Pot, Dogs, & Friendship

My Problem With Pot After the passing of my friend’s mother I had a period of mourning for her. A dull ache that I had one less person on the same team as me. That pang of disappointment visits me when I think of… Continue Reading “Death in Recovery Part 2: Pot, Dogs, & Friendship”

The 12th Step Call: Finding the Light When Darkness Surrounds You

Photo I took of a brilliantly colored rose in springtime. ColiesCreations.com

My first clean and sober relationship A few years ago I got a call from my buddy in recovery, Aaron, asking if I had seen our mutual friend, we’ll call him Andy. Andy and I dated for 7 months when I first got into… Continue Reading “The 12th Step Call: Finding the Light When Darkness Surrounds You”

Celebrating Family: A photoshoot

My son the evening before Easter, 2019, in Bodega Bay, CA, overlooking the ocean. ColiesCreations.com

Over Easter weekend I photographed my family and our kids spending time together. My grandmother treated us all to a 4 night stay in Bodega Bay, California. We rented a beach house next to a golf course and every person who attended brought a… Continue Reading “Celebrating Family: A photoshoot”

10 Years Ago: This ‘ol Opiate Addict’s Rock Bottom

My beagle on Taylor Mountain in Santa Rosa, CA. ColiesCreations.com

If you are an addict struggling with imagining what it would take to get clean, you’ve probably heard people talking about hitting rock bottom. I wanted to share with you the day that I consider to be my rock bottom because it was the… Continue Reading “10 Years Ago: This ‘ol Opiate Addict’s Rock Bottom”

The Adventure: Who is in Control?

My Husband and I at Timber Cove Lodge for my 33rd birthday. ColiesCreations.com

The Illness From Hell Over this last week my son somehow contracted a fun little stomach bug resembling the Norovirus. Around 8pm, an hour after his bedtime, I heard his violently coughing and that unmistakable sound of his projectile vomiting all over himself and… Continue Reading “The Adventure: Who is in Control?”

Codependent Relationships and Addiction

Howarth Park & Spring Lake in Santa Rosa, CA. A morning in Winter. ColiesCreations.com

What follows is the very beginnings of my addiction and how I co-created some of my codependent relationships. You may be on this blog looking for support with a loved one and wondering why seemingly normal people act out in obsessive and manipulative behaviors… Continue Reading “Codependent Relationships and Addiction”