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.