Tuesday, 11/26/2013

 

Day 330, 11/26/2013 - Eat, a quick "drinkable" breakfast from Starbucks in the form of a caffeine infused protein smoothie. One stop shopping as I also got a gingerbread latte and egg salad sandwich for lunch. Dinner with son, James. We ordered pizza in as we fly out very early tomorrow morning. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving, I accomplished all of my tasks in order to get away for Thanksgiving a day early. Joy, my joy was in the volunteers that helped me greatly today. Four ladies volunteered for almost two hours in order for me to get out of the office on time. I am blessed!

Monday, 11/25/2013

 

Day 329, 11/25/2013 - Eat, a quick breakfast from Whataburger with sausage biscuit, potatoes and coffee. Made do for lunch with chicken from the office freezer. So much to do in two days before traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. Worked late in order to get more done. Had a late dinner of chicken salad and cheese spreads with the Asiago cheese bread. Delicious! Pray, a somewhat selfish prayer, I prayed for two good days of productivity. I am blessed with several volunteers who help me weekly. I am reminded to be thankful for these God sends. Joy, my joy was that I got a lot done today. I put the rest in God's hands. With the help of volunteers I will get what needs to done in order to enjoy an extra day of the Thanksgiving holidays.

Sunday, 11/24/2013

 

Day 328, 11/24/2013 - Eat, a protein drink on the road while headed to church. Met friend, Marilyn, at El Fenix for lunch. For dinner we went to a new place for me, Taverna Rossa. Friend, Lori joined us. They have a great Bloody Mary, even better it is only $5 on Sundays. We shared the cheese bread with salami and shells and cheese. They also have great thin crust pizza. Pray, prayers that I will be renewed and energized for the new week so that I can get everything done before leaving town for Thanksgiving. Joy, my joy was in being with friends, Marilyn and Lori. We always have a lot of fun together but are always so busy with work and rehearsals. It was great to have a leisurely afternoon.

 

Saturday, 11/23/2013

Day 327, 11/23/2013 - Eat, rushed out the door to make a 9am rehearsal. As usual, running late, no coffee or breakfast. Starving at 11 when rehearsal was done, met friend, Marilyn, at Pappadeaux's. Needed food but not too much so that I could sing well at a 2pm memorial service. I made shells and cheese for dinner. Pray, my prayers were that all go well with my rehearsals and the memorial service for a very special lady, Mary Ruth (M. R.) Caldwell. Joy, my joy was in the memorial service. M. R. was in music her entire life. She grew up in it, learned it in school and taught and shared her passion for it with many. A testament to that was the 170 + voices that sang at her memorial service. Remembering her life and praising her was a joy. Once again, my joy was in the music!

Friday, 11/22/2013

Day 326, 11/22/2013 - Eat,had a few quiet moments at Panera before my very busy day. Got some chicken salad and an Asiago cheese loaf for later. Had some comfort food for dinner, loaded baked potato soup with some of the Asiago cheese bread. Pray, prayers today for my friend, Rosemary and her mom, Virginia who had surgery today. Prayers that all goes well and she is quick to recover. Joy, my joy was in the day, Friday. After a productive week, I have the weekend ahead, two days off. TGIF!

Thursday, 11/21/2013

 

Day 325, 11/21/2013 - Eat, started my day with coffee and a pumpkin scone from Starbucks. Had a left over beef steak sandwich for lunch. I stopped by the Brighton store to return an item for repair and was treated to beautiful chocolate covered strawberries. I just had to snap a picture before I took one off of the silver plated tray. Dinner was spent with my twin moms at Yvonne's. She made great chili for us and fresh baked Snickerdoodles. Pray, my prayers today are for friends, Michelle and Rosemary who could not be with us because of illness and being with parents. Joy, my joy was in being with my twin moms and in the beautiful tray of strawberries that I got to enjoy.

Wednesday, 11/20/2013

 

 

Day 324, 11/20/2013 - Eat, had some of the protein packed cereal for breakfast. Had a Mc Rib for lunch. I know, McDonalds, right? I actually like that sandwich. I was in a hurry and it satisfied the hunger on the road before getting back to the office after going to the post office. Dinner was on the road as well, a Taco Bueno plate that I enjoyed at home. Not a very glamorous day of eating since I was so busy at work and with rehearsals. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving since I got a major project off to the post office. That cloud is no longer hanging over my head. Joy, my joy was in the visions of the fall season. In Texas you have little chance to enjoy the fall colors. You never know when the first cold front will come through and blow all of the leaves off the trees. I also enjoyed seeing the colorful statues on my way to the office. Joy in the colors!

 

Tuesday, 11/19/2013

Day 323, 11/19/2013 – Eat, enjoyed a spinach/bacon soufflé and coffee at Panera before starting another busy day. For lunch I enjoyed my left over ham & cheese Panini. For dinner I joined my rehearsal buddies at Twisted Root. Chose something I have never had before, the Sexy Hawaiian, a burger with a pineapple relish, cheese and a slice of prosciutto. Delicious, I have a new favorite on their menu. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving for the beautiful day. I had a beautiful drive into work and couldn't resist taking a few shots of the church steeple against the beautiful blue sky. Joy, my joy was in the beautiful day.

Monday, 11/18/2013

 

Day 322, 11/18/2013 – Eat, Monday, and back to work, had my new protein packed granola for breakfast. More of the yummy chicken salad on a bagel for lunch. For dinner, I actually cooked, yay me! I used the bounty from Karen’s garden last week. Stir fried rice with eggplant, green peppers, onion, garlic and a spicy little red pepper for a little kick. It was fabulous. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving that Donna had a safe trip home to east Texas. Joy, my joy was in preparing my dinner. I do love to cook and wish I was home more often. I love seeking out and trying new recipes.

The weekend, 11/15 - 11/17/2013

Day 321, 11/17/2013 - Eat, we had coffee while we finished up our Downton Abbey mini marathon. I rather enjoyed a Sunday morning off. We met friends, Mark and Sue, at Battuto Italian Kitchen for lunch. Their meat and cheese board was great as always. I ordered the ham and cheese panini. We finished up shopping at places Donna wanted to get to while in town, Sam's Club, Central Market and World Market. She decided to extend the weekend and stay until Monday. We shared another lazy evening and had chips and dips for dinner since we had such a hardy lunch. Pray, more prayers of thanksgiving,  for a relaxing weekend with my good friend. Joy, my joy was in having an entire weekend without performance commitments, just time with my good friend.

Day 320, 11/16/2013 - Eat,discovered a new cereal at the grocery store this week. It has 10 grams of protein in every serving. Finally I can get protein while enjoying my cereal, very tasty too. It is a Special K product, I also found a granola with 10 grams of protein. Love it, cereal with a purpose! We grabbed a late lunch of beef fajitas at Tin Star. I haven't had a bad dish there and the fajitas were no exception. My friend , Lynn joined us for happy hour before Lynn and I went to the symphony. After a few cosmos we decided to just snack for dinner since we all had late lunch. We dined on a smorgasbord of goodies, Asiago cheese bread, Pimento and Gouda cheese spreads from Central Market with Snickerdoodle cookies for dessert. Just the right amount to eat before Lynn and I headed to the symphony. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving for the beautiful weather and spending time with good friends. Joy, my joy was in having a spa paraffin pedicure with Donna. I won a gift card for Salon G in Dallas. They are a full service salon offering many services from the hair on your head all the way down to color on your toes. We felt so pampered by Christie. Our feet are baby soft and the foot massage was great.

Day 319, 11/15/2013 - Eat, had a blueberry bagel and brewed coffee for breakfast. Then I got so busy that I never got to the sandwich that I took for lunch. With Friday came another loaf of Asiago cheese bread with my new specialty olive oil and balsamic vinegars. Since my friend Donna was here we made Cosmos and enjoyed the bread as our appetizer. We had some chicken salad for our dinner and Donna's left over pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. Delicious for an unplanned meal. Pray, continued prayers for my friend,Donna, as she deals with chronic pain everyday. I am fortunate not to have that issue. Sure, I have good days and bad and I can only imagine how the daily chronic pain wears you down.   Joy, my joy continues in having Donna here for a few days. We stayed in for the evening and had a "Downton Abbey" mini marathon. Donna had not seen all of Season 3. A great beginning for the weekend.

 

Thursday, 11/14/2013

 

Day 318, 11/14/2013 – Eat, made a stop at Panera and got coffee and a cinnamon crunch scone for breakfast.  Added to that more goodies from the ladies of the church.  Got an Asiago cheese bagel and chicken salad to have later for lunch. As always, it was yummy! Also got an Asiago cheese bread loaf to enjoy later. Dinner was with son, James, at my place. I actually cooked! We had cheeseburgers with queso and chips. I baked some cookies for dessert, Snickerdoodles, yum! I think we both ate too much.  

Pray, prayers for my friend, Donna, that she have a safe journey into the Dallas area for a Friday appointment. Joy, my joy is in having a visit with Donna. We do not get to see each other enough and it will be great to be able to catch up with each other over the next couple of days. Also, joy in my son, James helping me out. He is so knowledgeable about computers. It seems I uploaded some malware when I was getting a “FREE” download. It hijacked any search engine that I used, grrr! Downloader beware! I guess malware is better than a virus but still very malicious in my opinion. I am so fortunate to have someone who can keep my computer in check and help me out when I have problems. Joy is abundant today! 

Wednesday, 11/13/2013

Day 317, 11/13/2013 - Eat, fresh brewed coffee from home mixed with more baked goodies from the ladies of the church. Even better than yesterday. Lunch was the rest of the Panera Asiago Cheese bread with Sam's Club chicken salad. Perfect blend of flavors. Dinner was at Chili's again. Not just any Chili's, Maddie's Chili's. I had the new Santa Fe quesadillas. Had a bit of a kick but was really good. I should have stopped there, but was tempted with the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Molten Cake. Warm pumpkin spiced cake filled with a decadent cinnamon cream. Topped with vanilla ice cream, cinnamon sugar and drizzled with caramel sauce. Who can resist that!

 

Pray, my prayers today are for my friend, Rosemary, and her mom, Virginia. I pray for Virginia as she steps into a “new reality” due to a recent diagnosis. The coming days will certainly be a test of her faith and resilience. She is a wonderful lady and I know that her family and friends will surround her with love and comfort. Joy, my joy was in seeing Maddie. I love Wednesdays with Maddie! Even though I was dining alone, she kept me company. Guess that is a perk of knowing your server at a restaurant. Love, love that girl!

 

 

Tuesday, 11/12/2013

 

Day 316, 11/12/2013 - Eat, breakfast was a toasted asiago cheese bagel with hazelnut coffee. Lunch was Starbuck's Greek yogurt with berries and baked goodies from the women's group that met in the morning. A nice perk of working for a church, baked goodies, yum. Met my rehearsal buddies at Chili's where I tried their new Sante Fe grilled chicken on a pretzel bun. The bun was a little too done for my preference. Pray, I pray that I not over strain my shoulder this week. I am ready for it to be healed. Joy, my joy was in the bounty that I received from my friend, Karen, and sharing in the harvest from her garden before the temps dip below freezing tonight. Thank you, Karen!

 

Monday, 11/11/2013

 

Day 315, 11/11/2015 - Eat, got my free rewards drink at Starbucks, a chocolate/banana protein smoothie. Lunch was a cherry/vanilla bagel with cream cheese. After shopping at Sam's club I came home and had some of my goodies for dinner. They have a wonderful chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts, delicious. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving on this Veteran's Day to all who have served and protected our country and the freedoms we enjoy! Young, old, men, women and those who are no longer with us, which included my dad, Nuel M. Derr. All made great sacrifice...thank you! Joy, my joy today was in the beautiful clear day in the 70s. The cold is coming and the high will be in the 40s tomorrow, brrrr!

Sunday, 11/10/2013

Day 314, 11/10/2013 - Eat, toasted a cinnamon crunch bagel and had with coffee for breakfast before getting to church to ring and sing by 8:15. Dang, that's early! Did not stay for second service after doing the ringing thing. Stopped by Casa Cha Cha for an early lunch. I had the Enchiladas Del Mar with a Verde sauce. Very good and something I have not had there before. It is so easy to fall into a rut and get the same good dishes over and over when you eat out often. Dinner was left over pizza warmed in the oven, the best way. Pray, I pray that I will get good rest tonight since I tossed and turned a lot last night. Joy, my joy was in taking a Sunday afternoon nap. When I woke up I sat on my balcony and enjoyed the beautiful day. I marveled that I kept my flowing plants alive for 7 months and took a few more pictures since the cold weather is coming this week.

 

Saturday, 11/9/2013

 

Day 313, 11/9/2013 - Eat, prepared some yummy eggs with my Asiago cheese toast for breakfast. Munching and sleeping during the day. Enjoying a weekend off with little commitment. Ordered pizza for dinner. Pray, prayers of thanksgiving since I prayed for rest and got it today. Joy, joy in a simple day with little to do. Some days that is all that one needs!

Friday, 11/8/2013

 

 

Day 312, 11/8/2013 - Eat, stopped into Panera after physical therapy. Had a "fresh out of the oven" spinach/bacon soufflé and coffee for breakfast. It was great to have the time to take a few quiet moments and have breakfast on a beautiful Friday morning. I got a leaf of Asiago cheese bread and some chicken salad to go. It made for a great open faced chicken salad sandwich for lunch. Dinner, if you can call it that, was Asiago cheese bread with cilantro and onion infused olive oil, Cranberry Pear white balsamic vinegar and Serano Honey specialty vinegar. That with Cosmos, delicious. Bread and drink, that's all we need, right? Pray, I prayed once again that I would get everything done that I needed to at work. Prayers answered, I put in a long day on a Friday, but got to a good stopping place. Joy, my joy was in having another night to myself after a very busy month of no time to myself. I caught up with an old friend just like old times except for it being long distance rather than face to face. The conversation reminded me that I have NO regrets with the decisions I have made during and after my divorce. True, I am no longer married but I am happy and I have joy. No one or nothing can keep me from walking forward into the joy that is the rest of my life!