Day 148, 5/28/2013 - Eat, had my favorite salad at Baker Brother's for lunch, the Santa Barbara. Enjoyed tacos on Taco Tuesday at Rosa's Café before rehearsal. Pray, I prayed that my computer issue/problem would be remedied. Prayers answered. My laptop was completely replaced with a new one since it was inside of 30 days even though the policy states 14 days for computers. Joy, my joy was in dealing with the manager of the computer store. He was very nice and kind to replace my laptop even though he could have forced me to go through the warranty company. I will continue to do business with and recommend Tiger Direct.com.

 

Day 147, 5/27/2013 - Eat, had a good old fashioned cheeseburger in honor of the Memorial Day holiday.Baked some peanut butter cookies while enjoying the day off. Pray, I pray for all families who have lost loved ones to war times. I am thankful for all who have or are serving in the U.S armed forces. Joy, my joy was in having nothing to do or nowhere to be on this holiday and day off.

 

Day 146, 5/26/2013 - Eat, had lunch at Tin Star after playing handbells and singing for a church that needed a sub in both choirs. Got my favorite dish, Chipotle Chicken Scaloppini with wilted spinach. As always, delicious! Had dinner with friends in Tyler at BJ's Brew House. Had avocado egg rolls. Flavors I would have never put together but yielded awesome tastes. We had "BJ's Favorite" for our pizza pick. Both were good choices. Pray, I prayed for safe travel to and from Tyler. Prayers were answered and my friend, Kari and I had a good trip to and from the concert in Tyler. Joy, my joy of the day was attending a handbell concert in Tyler. It is always nice to attend a concert as a patron rather than performer. East Texas Handbell Ensemble had a great concert.

 

 

Day 145, 5/25/2013 - Eat, had several good dishes today. We had a late lunch at Pei Wei, shared Pad Thai with shrimp and Pork Egg Rolls,  nice. For dinner I had Shrimp with Grits, a very unique dish with shrimp, bacon, cheese, grits and other seasonings. Pray, I prayed that my friend, Donna, and I could pick up where we left off and enjoy our time together. God is good and he helps us to speak without words sometimes. I realized that some friendships have great cornerstones and are solid no matter what life dishes out. Joy, my joy was in the entire day, the food, shopping, movie and visiting with friends.

 

Day 144, 5/24/2013 - Eat, TGIF, called for Happy Hour at my place before introducing more friends to Ye Shire Tavern. Tempted to the get my same favorites but shared the baked crusted tilapia with cheesed hash browns and asparagus. Very good. Pray, prayed for my friend Donna that she get good news from the back specialist she came to see in Dallas. She did get some new information of how she can be helped and may eventually get some pain relief that she so desperately needs. Joy, it was a joy to spend the evening with my friends, Donna and Sue. Sometimes you don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again and catch up on all that has occurred in the meantime.

 

Day 143, 5/23/2013 - Eat, had Chipotle for lunch with a friend. I forget how huge their burritos are, and yummy I might add. Fixed a Bubba Burger for dinner on my new mini George Foreman. Bubba's burgers have wonderful seasonings in them and are perfect for a single person to keep in the freezer until they are ready for a delicious burger. Pray, I prayed for safe travel for my friend, Donna. Prayers answered,  she arrived safe and sound. Joy, my joy is in having her in town for a 3 day visit. It will be great to catch up with my good friend.

Day 142, 5/22/2013 - Eat, met at our usual Wednesday night place, Chili's. Had something new for me, Cajun Chicken Pasta. It was delicious but I had too many chips and guacamole beforehand and could only eat half. The rest will make a nice lunch (if I will remember to take it to the office). Pray, I feel a bit guilty for praying for a thing, but I prayed for my new laptop. It would not boot up last night and is less than one month old. Prayers answered! Long story short, I was told by the 24/7 tech crew that it encountered a "glitch" when it went to sleep. Note to self: don't use "sleep/hibernate" mode as laptops sometimes have a hard time "waking up." This was also the advice of the tech crew that assisted me with the problem. Joy, it brings me joy to see Maddie every week at Chili's. While we dine, she is our server. Not just a server, she is one of my best friend's daughter. Since her parents are no longer living in the area it is always good to see her and check to see how she is doing. This is the main reason that we dine at Chili's weekly.

 
Day 141, 5/21/22013 - Eat, met at Texas Roadhouse before our Tuesday rehearsal. Had me some fried pickles to start and a good ol' cheeseburger. I had to have one hot fresh roll, couldn't resist. Pray, continued prayers for victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes as more intense weather heads their way. Joy, I find joy in dining with my fellow ringers on Tuesdays.

  

Day 140, 5/20/2013 - Eat, no new restaurants or dishes today. Ate pretty light today after the heavy eating weekend. I saved the best chocolate for last, the heart. It was perhaps the best, coconut rum. The flavor of the rum and chocolate with the crunch of coconut, amazing! Amazing is what the gift was from my daughter for Mother's Day, 9 days of chocolate heaven! Pray, I prayed for the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes over the past two days. Joy, my joy was in getting a manicure, such a treat.

Day 139, 5/19/2013 - Eat, enjoyed several outings with friends at both lunch and dinner. For lunch we met at El Fenix where I had Tex-Mex again. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not a problem. For an early dinner we met at Pappadeaux and had good cajun fare. My entrée (pictured) is 1/2 of a full entrée. Once again, I am glad to have shared with my friend. I had the 8th of 9 Mother's Day chocolates. It was one of my favorite looking ones and the inside did not disappoint. It was very obviously apricot with creamy chocolaty goodness. Pray, I prayed for my many friends who were performing either in church or in concert today. I rang handbells this morning in church and enjoyed two concerts, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Both were wonderful. Prayers answered. Joy, my joy was in the music today. In church as I worshipped and in the afternoon and evening as I felt pure joy of music. It is very hard for me to be down when I am embraced by music.

 

Day 138, 5/18/2013 - Eat, went to Taco Bueno for lunch on my own. They do a good job when it comes to fast Tex-Mex. I was hungry so chose the Wholatta Platter. Believe me, it is a wholatta food! I could not finish it but made a big dent in it. When I could think about eating again I had my 7th of 9 Mother's Day chocolates. It was another unknown. My tastes and senses tell me that it has some sort of almond paste layered into the other chocolaty goodness. Like I have said, not a bad one in the bunch. Happy Hour on my own much later. Pray, I pray that I can progress through my low mood today. Some days are like that, whether I am too tired, too emotional, too anything! Joy, my joy is that I am self sufficient and answer only to myself and to my God. I know that he watches over me even when I have my low moments.

 

 

  

Day 137, 5/17/2013 - Eat, I finally remembered to take my lunch to work. Not bad for a "store bought" salad. This one was Smokehouse BBQ Seasoned Chicken Salad. Yay me that I actually purchased and took my lunch as opposed to going to a restaurant. Had dinner with friends, Kendra and Denise, at TGI Friday's. Had various appetizers,  mac & cheese bites, pretzels & cheese, steamed dumplings and Korean Steak tacos. All were good and went down smoothly with my Blue Moon beers. Had the 6th of 9 of my Mother's Day chocolates. This one was another "unknown." Left to my own tastes and senses I was unable to discern the flavors other than the creamy rich chocolate. They are all so good! Pray, prayers of thanksgiving as the computer transition is almost complete and apps and programs are running well on the new computer at the office. Joy, my joy was in spending time with my friends, Kendra and Denise.

 

 

Day 136, 5/16/2013 - Eat, so glad to feel better today, celebrated by going to Cheddar's.  Had their awesome spinach dip and baked potato soup. Also, found out that Thursdays are all day Happy Hour - sweet! I later had the 5th of 9 Mother's Day chocolates. It was Mojito flavored, a wonderful blend of chocolate,  lime and a hint of mint. I do not think there is a bad one in the box. Pray, I prayed for continued improvement in the way I felt. Prayers answered, it was a good day. Amazing what a day of rest will do for a stomach bug. Guess my 5 hours of sleep during the day yesterday paid off. Joy, I am joyful that I kept to the plan of having a massage every two weeks. Even though they messed up the schedule they were able to "fit me in." My frustration dissipated as I relaxed for the 60 minute rather than 90 minute massage that I had sceduled in advance. Breathe,  it's all good!

  

Day 135, 5/15/2013 - Eat, kind of an uneventful day of eating. I stayed home today with stomach issues. You know how everyone has certain comfort foods that help nurse their minds and bodies back to health? Well, one of my comfort foods when I am ill is scrambled eggs, so this is what I prepared today. Much later in the day I was able to enjoy my 4th chocolate of 9 from my Mother's Day gift. Since I couldn't identify it from the website, I was left to my own taste and senses. It seemed to be 2 toned with light & dark chocolate with bits of coconut. Delicious!  I prayed that I would feel better soon. I slept for 5 hours during the day (anyone's guess on whether I will sleep at night after sleeping during the day). Felt better as the day went on. Joy, my joy is simple. I am thankful that I am feeling better.

 

  

Day 134, 5/14/2013 - Eat, we met at Rosa's Cafe for Taco Tuesday before rehearsal. I resisted tacos today and got a lower calorie item, the Fajita Salad. It has a taco shell, a version of tacos, right? Had my 3rd chocolate of 9 from my Mother's Day gift. It was Hibiscus Honey, tasted a little like raspberry at first. I later read the description on the St. Croix Chocolate Company website. Hibiscus Honey, made from an infusion of dried hibiscus flowers,  the result is surprisingly tart and smoothly sweet. So much for me being able to guess the flavors of my chocolates. Pray, I prayed that I move through our concert order well at rehearsal. Prayers answered, only a couple of rough spots to work on. We have concerts starting June 7. Joy, my joy was in catching up with my friend Susie, who now lives in Florida. Thank goodness for cell phones.

Day 133, 5/13/2013 - Eat, had lunch with a friend at Wendy's. Haven't been there in awhile and they now have a couple of new flatbread sandwiches. I had the honey mustard chicken. Not bad for an inexpensive fast lunch. Had the second chocolate from my Mother's Day box of 9. It was fudge filled. The first one that I ate on Mother's Day was peanut butter filled. I plan to have one a day until they are gone. They are almost too pretty to eat; operative word being, ALMOST. Pray, I pray that the transition from old computers (Windows XP) to new (Windows 8) at the church office go smoothly for our friend/volunteer. He so graciously volunteers his time and expertise for the church. He has worked several full days over the past several weeks to get all of our programs up and running on the new computer. No doubt this saves the church hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Joy, my joy is in basking in the afterglow of a great weekend. And today was another beautiful sunny day!

   

Day 132, 5/12/2013 - Eat, had a fabulous Mother's Day lunch at McAlister's Deli while still in Athens with my sons. I had a Spicy Shrimp Po Boy sandwich with a peanut butter crunch bar for dessert. Pray, prayers of praise and thanksgiving for the beautiful weather for both days of the weekend. My two boys and I enjoyed God's beauty in the flowers at the East Texas Arboretum. Joy, my joy is in my three wonderful children, John, Sarah and James. They each made me feel loved and appreciated this year on Mother's Day. From funny cards to gift cards and chocolates, I know this, "I am loved!" My heart is full.

   

Day 131, 5/11/2013 - Eat, went to visit my son, John in Athens, Texas for the Mother's Day weekend. We had burgers for lunch at Mooyah Burgers. The great thing about Mooyah Burgers is that you write down your "custom order" requests on their specialized order form. They also make their own fries each day. Both the burgers and the fries were great. For dinner we chose Applebees. I selected the Oriental Chicken Roll up. I had a coupon for a free Brownie Bite for dessert. It was a perfect size for the three of us to each get a hearty bite of warm brownie with ice cream. Pray, I prayed today for safe travel. Prayers answered as we had an uneventful 90 minute drive to Athens. Joy, my joy is in spending Mother's Day weekend with my two sons, John and James.

 

 

Day 130, 5/10/2013 - Eat, TGIF, time for happy hour. Went to Ye Shire Tavern for the second Friday in a row. Introduced it to my friend, Michelle. We had awesome appetizers of Shrimp & Chips and Cheese Sticks. Perhaps the best cheese sticks I have ever had. For dinner we shared an order of the short ribs (British style, no bones or BBQ sauce). Pray, continued prayers for Maddie and her transportation difficulties. Joy, my joy was in spending the evening with my good friend. We have both been through a lot recently and it is always good to catch up.

Day 129, 5/9/2013 - Eat, went to Panera today after a long while. It seems I was going there at least once a week for awhile. Since I had not been there in awhile I got an old favorite, Spinach Power Salad with a side of their white cheddar mac & cheese. It did not disappoint, tasted great! Pray, I prayed today for my friend, Maddie, that her transportation issues get better. Cars, gotta have them but there is always something that goes wrong right when you're doing ok with your finances. I went for a simple oil change today and received a list of all of the other things that I should tend to soon. Joy, I am joyful that it is Thursday and the weekend is just around the bend.

  

Day 128, 5/8/2013 - Eat, had lunch with work friends as we took a break from the day's computer installations. I enjoyed the Apple Harvest Salad at Corner Bakery. For dinner I met a friend at Chili's after our Wednesday rehearsals, etc. In my quest to try new things at the "same old" restaurants,  I tried a new dish, the Grilled Chicken & Avocado sandwich. I will definitely get it again, it was delicious. Pray, I prayed that I ring well in my performance today. Prayers answered, God is good! Joy, my joy was in performing with my new handbell choir at an assisted living facility. Our audience was very appreciative. We brought joy to them and they to us!

  

Day 127, 5/7/2013 - Eat, Texas Roadhouse was the choice for dinner before Tuesday rehearsal this week. I decided to have something new, Chicken Fried Chicken. Too often, when I like a restaurant, I get set in my ways and order the same thing over and over. The Chicken Fried Chicken was a nice change. Pray, I pray that I continue the process of learning Windows 8 and office 2013 on my office and personal computers. Like the foods we eat, we get so comfortable with things being a certain way in our everyday lives. Change is actually good for the brain as new synapses are caused to fire when you are learning something new. Joy, I was able to experience tomorrow today when a friend forwarded the Google screen for Japan (Japan is ahead of us by about 1/2 day). It is Google's way of paying homage to Saul Bass (born 5/8/1920), designer, artist, and auteur of opening credits for movies such as West Side Story, Vertigo, Spartacus, and more. It is an anamated video which uses a Dave Brubeck song, "Unsquare Dance." We are playing it on handbells for our concerts in June entitled, "Let's Dance!" If you are reading this on 5/8/13 in the USA you can experience it today! Go to Google.com and click play.

Day 126, 5/6/2013 - Eat, met the Mothers of Twins group at Main Street Bistro for MMDU (Mid-Month Drama Update). We enjoyed Lemon Drop and Cosmo martinis, tempura shrimp and pork quesadillas while we caught up with each other. Since the restaurant is very close to my place we finished up the MMDU there. I never dreamed that the MMDU meeting would catch on but it has and now the group asks for it by name...lol! Pray, prayers of praise today since I finished my weekend project today by sending the email that finalized my hard work. Joy, my joy was in still feeling relaxed from my massage on Friday. My goal is to keep my shoulders down and relaxed for as long as possible.

    

Day 125, 5/5/2013 - Eat, started the day off light with meal replacement pancakes and coffee. Had to leave room for the meat fest at Rafain for lunch. You never leave there hungry. Pray, my prayers that I complete my weekend task were answered. I resisted the temptation to nap after the meat fest and completed my task. Joy, my joy is in the accomplishment of this task that has been looming over me. A burden has lifted!