Day 30, 1/30/2013 - Eat, another day of Tex-Mex, once again hard to resist the bowl of chips. That and the fresh hot tortillas.  Needless to say, I was ready for a siesta in the afternoon rather than work.Prayer, my prayer today is that I not experience too much anxiety as I have new and different financial challenges. Joy, I found joy today in catching up with a good friend who now lives in Florida. I love the beautiful white sands of Florida,  wish I could visit. Thank goodness for cell phones, we can talk for hours as if she is just down the street.

Day 29, 1/29/2013 - Eat, had a great salad at Jason's Deli, the Nutty Mixed Up Salad. Chicken, feta cheese, walnuts, cranberries, apples and more. Yes, salads can be awesome! Pray, today I am thinking of and praying for my friend who has her 3rd major round of chemo tomorrow. Joy, I am still joyful and excited about the vacation plans that are coming together for February.

Day 28, 1/28/2013 - Eat, today is a renewed commitment day. I will be vacationing at the end of February so I must renew my commitment to lose those holiday pounds. With this in mind I was good today in my choices with several meal replacements, like mac & cheese, not gourmet but it will do. My only splurge was an asiago cheese bagel and egg sandwich. Pray, my prayer today is that I can stick by my renewed commitment. Joy, my joy today is that I will travel with several friends at the end of February on a birthday vacation.  

Day 27, 1/27/2013 - Eat, another comfort food day. For me, that means mac and cheese with a salad for good measure. Pray, my prayer is for continued rest and restoration that comes from my massage on Friday. Too often I have a massage and go right back to the uptight stance that my body seems to dwell in. I am trying to remind myself to keep my shoulders down, breathe and let my muscles rest and restore before getting to the hectic work week ahead. Joy, I take joy from the weekend. I love my weekends! Especially weekends when I can sleep in, and do whatever I want with no commitments.

Day 26, 1/26/2013 - Eat,I baked some peanut butter cookies. Hot cookies and milk, nothing like it. Pray, my prayer today is that I can hold on to the relaxation that yesterday's massage brought and that I will take care of myself better by scheduling more regular massages. Joy, my joy was simple, spent a cold wet Saturday inside catching up on a favorite series on Netflix.  Simple but great!

Day 25, 1/25/2013 - Eat, had a late dinner at IHOP with my boys. Love having breakfast for dinner. Swedish pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage, yum! Pray, my prayer today is that I continue to take care of my body, mind, and spirit. I enjoyed a massage today, great strides in taking care of me. Joy, my joy was in seeing both boys. I delight in the fact that I was able to help my oldest son get a new car. I remember what it felt like to get my first new car. So proud of him in the progress he has made in establishing his independence. Proud of all three of my children. This parental joy I experience every day!

Day 24, 1/24/2013 - Eat, I did it, I waited 24 days before ordering my first delivery pizza of 2013. Thin crust veggie, one of my favorites. I intend to do as the small plate in the background says, "Live Life Joyfully." It was a gift from one of my best friends. Pray, my prayer today is that I continue to venture outside of my comfort zones in the places I go and the things I do. It is so easy to get into a comfortable rut and become stagnate. Joy, my joy today is that Thursday begins my weekend. I have Fridays off in January. I look forward to my day tomorrow and the joy it will bring.

Day 23, 1/23/2013 - Eat, I guess this is Tex-Mex week. What a wonderful spin on Tex-Mex I had today. Grilled Salmon with julienne vegetables. Delish! Pray, my prayer today is for those who do not have dependable transportation. I realize almost daily how fortunate I am to have a dependable vehicle that gets me from A to B routinely. I am blessed. Joy, my joy today is in the weather, a high today of 74. Wow, gorgeous, enough to give you spring fever 2 months ahead of schedule. I am sure that the weather will change to cooler in a day or two but I will delight in it until then.

Day 22, 1/22/2013 – Eat, why is it so difficult to lose weight? I’ll tell you why, because I live in Texas, home of great Tex-Mex food, complete with extra carbs and calories. To top it off, there is always a bowl full of chips and salsa at your table and Queso (that’s hot melted cheese dip for you non-Texans) is always on the menu...I LOVE Tex-Mex! I did it today though, managed to have a lower carb/calorie entree without too many chips. All in moderation, right? Oh that I was like Samantha on Bewitched and could twitch my nose and make the extra pounds disappear. But, alas, I am not and must lose those holiday pounds the old fashioned way. Pray, my prayer today is somewhat selfish, I pray that I may continue to lose my holiday pounds and get more fit and healthy along the way. Joy, my joy is that I have a “manageable” amount of weight to lose. I cannot imagine what it is like to have an even longer weight loss journey than I currently do. For that I am thankful.

Day 21, 1/21/2013 – Eat, FREE is always a good thing. Today I enjoyed FREE quesadillas which complimented my blue margaritas wonderfully! Pray, my prayer today is for all who are unemployed. I cannot begin to imagine what my journey would be like if I were unemployed. This brings me to my joy. Joy, it is a joy to currently be employed. I take comfort in the fact that I can currently put a roof over my head and food on the table, for we never know what tomorrow may bring.

Day 20, 1/20/2013 - Eat, had me some street style tacos today. They are small but have a powerful flavor. I usually get beef, pork and chicken. I have finally homed in on my favorite meat choice. It's the pork, so tasty with the balance of peppers and seasoning.

Pray, my prayer today is for people with addictions. Addictions are like inner demons, we all have them. They are things that you do not dare say or admit out loud, "I eat too much of this or that," "I have one too many glasses of wine most evenings," and on and on. I guess my prayer today is that those with addictions can acknowledge them and no longer deny the existence of the addiction. Addictions can and do destroy all in their wake, life, marriages, relationships, etc.

Joy, my joy today was in taking a Sunday afternoon nap. Simple but joyous. I got my favorite soft pillow and afghan, covered my eyes and dozed for an hour or so. Glorious!

Day 19, 1/19/2013 - Eat, Pray, Joy reversal. First, the Joy, perfect day, clear skies, 65 and I was invited to Dell Day at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. We experienced the joy of our inner child as we walked through room after room of fun science for all ages. Very cool building architecturally. We worked our way through most every crowded exhibit.Which brings me to my prayer today. My prayer was that I get through each exhibit without getting too claustrophobic with the crowds of people. I guess my prayer was answered since I made it through without punching anyone who got in my space. Lastly today was eating, we enjoyed perhaps some of the best risotto in the area. Great day with good food, friends and fun.

Day 18, 1/18/2013 - Eat, today I found and purchased individual sized pizza pans. Since I had a new kitchen gadget, I had to break it in. Made pizza with ingredients on hand, thin crust nice and crispy just like I like it. Delicious! Pray, my prayer today is that my friend, Susie have a fabulous birthday today. Joy, my joy today was in pampering myself. A good manicure can make all the difference in the world in how you feel. Priceless!

Day 17, 1/17/2013 - Eat, eating can be such a social event, and today this was the case. We enjoyed each other, good Tex-Mex, margaritas and so much more. I have prayed for this group of women, my Mothers of Twins group. My current prayer is for one who is undergoing treatment for cancer. I pray that she will be able to join us at our next gathering. This brings me to the Joy of the day. These women have been together as long as the age of their twins, from 18 years to over 30 years. We are there for each other no matter what life brings, divorce, illness, death of family and loved ones, birth and other life celebrations. Today one member returned after being away from the group for several years, it was as if she was never gone from the group. Laughter and Joy filled the room as we caught up with one another.

Day 16, 1/16/2013 - Eat, today was a salad day. One of my favorite salads is the Oriental Chicken salad at Applebee's. Haven't had it in awhile, was delicious. Pray, my prayer many days is that I not be afraid to let myself love again. But, with that comes the fear of failure. Perhaps I should pray for freedom from fear. That is a tall order! These will be my ongoing prayers as I heal in the time ahead. Joy, my joy is simple, I made my bed today. One might ask, “Why is that a Joy?” In my life before 2011, I had become somewhat lazy with respect to keeping a neat home. Perhaps this came from depression or dysfunction that was ever growing in my life. I vowed to make my bed every day and keep a neat home once I left the old life. Yes, my simple Joy many days since then is as simple as making the bed.  

Day 15, 1/15/2013 - Eat, yes, there are FREE items out there. Today I enjoyed a free appetizer at Texas Roadhouse. I love FREE, I think it tastes better. Pray, my prayer many days over the past two years was to have a friend or friends that I could confide in. The prayer was answered several times over. One of those friends gave me a calendar for 2013, "Life is all about how you handle plan B." She has also dealt with divorce in the recent past and has been such a friend and support over the past two years. My Joy each month will be in reading and discovering how to handle plan B throughout the year. I am blessed this day and every day to have good friends and support.

 Day 14, 1/14/2013 - Eat, today I modified a broccoli salad recipe to include ingredients I had on hand. You might deduct from the picture that I also had a martini. I did not, you see I flavor my eight glasses of water each day with non-calorie flavors. A simple thing like drinking out of a martini glass can change the whole dining experience. Silly, I think not, try it sometime. Presentation can change everything. Pray, my prayer today is for myself and continued commitment to healthy diet choices in 2013. Joy, my joy today is in the "loss" of some holiday pounds that I "found" in 2012.

Day 13, 1/13/2013 -  Eat, today I enjoyed Fogo de Chao meat fest with a good friend. It is a good thing that I began the day with my meal replacement program and the "pancake" option. Presentation is everything, my goal: to have the aesthetic appearance and taste that the program presents in its advertizing. Breakfast did not disappoint. Pray, my prayer today is for my friend who just underwent her second round of chemo. I pray that this round is a bit easier than the first and she recover/replenish quickly and is strong for the 3rd round. Joy, my joy today was spending time with a good friend over tasty food and drink.

Day 12, 1/12/2013 - Eat, today I indulged in one of my favorite comfort foods, a scrambled egg sandwich with cheese on honey wheat bread. I also enjoyed one of my favorite drinks, a Cosmopolitan. I chose to feature it in a picture since a scrambled egg sandwich, while very yummy comfort food, is not necessarily pretty. Pray, my prayer today was for productivity. It is hard for me to be productive on the weekend. Usually all I want to do is veg and rest before setting out on my next week's work and rehearsals. My prayer was answered and I was quite productive today. Joy, today's joy was found in speaking with a friend about various things that I needed to vent. He listens and always gives constructive criticism and input to any problem I may be having.

Day 11, 1/11/2013 - Eat, today I created a rice dish with garlic, butter, bacon & cheese. What's not to love? Pray, I pray that my friend, Kendra will soon feel better and back to her normal healthy self. Joy, one of my greatest joys are my twins. Today is their birthday, hard to believe they are 23. I am so proud of them and where they are in life. Being a parent definitely has its challenges but today this parent feels blessed!

Day 10, 1/10/2013 - Eat, enjoyed a salad of my own making this evening. Quite tasty! And, a pleasant change after so many rich holiday meals in December. Should listen to my body more often and enjoy a healthier fare. Pray, prayers for rain were answered as it rained for two days straight with several inches accumulation. Joy, the morning sky was beautiful as the clouds were clearing. There is nothing quite as amazing as the blue sky after the rain. It brought joy to my entire day!

Day 9, 1/9/13 – Eat, a cold, rainy day, screamed for some comfort food. So, to Panera Bread I went. Cookies, bread, pastries, oh but wait, trying to cut down on calories. So, I went for 50/50, half healthy spinach salad, half comfort food, white cheddar mac & cheese. All in moderation, right? I resisted the cookies, breads and pastries. Mostly because it was late in the day and they were out of my favorite, shortbread. Day 3 of resistance, have I lost those holiday pounds yet? Pray, my prayer today was for safe travels for my son, John, returning from a conference at Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina. My prayer was answered. Joy, the joy I gained from this day was simple happiness. Happiness that comes from knowing that I have a safe, warm, dry place to call home at the end of each day.

Day 8, 1/8/13 – Eat, yes, there are tasty, low calorie salads in the world of dieting, found a good choice at Cotton Patch Café. Caesar Salad with grilled salmon…yum! The trick was resisting the hot fresh rolls! Pray, my prayer today was that Maddie recover from her morning of car troubles. I thank the Lord for her AAA membership. Joy, my joy was a new year of ringing and rehearsing with Concert Bells of Fort Worth. I enjoy the holiday breaks but delight in a new season and year of ringing.