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Soul and Body

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Day 371 in my walk toward meeting Mickey

Today’s plan was to go to church this morning to worship the God who loves me and to grocery shop for the week.  

  1. God met me at the altar at communion as he promises to do. It was a lovely service, and I so cherish the time with my church family. 
  2. Then I spent a half an hour at the local Heinen’s picking the freshest locally-grown organic produce, lean cuts of meat and brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and dark rye and whole wheat breads. 

It is a delightful Sunday fun day. May your day be blessed, too. Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Making Smart Choices

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Day 370 in eating my way to a healthier me to meet up with Mickey (1 month and 28 days to go)

Today’s plan is to create my menu for the week, making it as heavily veggie centered as possible.  I need to pack in the water and veggies this week to try to purge all the salt I took in during our vacation.  We ate out and carried in a lot, and unfortunately, these types of foods have much more salt than I cook with at home.  I am bloated with water weight, and I am anxious to get rid of it.  I can feel it in my shoes and clothes.  Yuck!

So this week it’s back to fruits and veggies, lean proteins and complex carbs.  ( And I will stay sugar-free.)  And I really need to refocus on portions size.  It’s so easy to eat too much when you are given such large portions.   I will fill my dinner plate like this: half vegetables, one quarter meat (3 to 4 ounces), one quarter complex carbs (brown rice, quinoa, brown pasta or spinach pasta, rye bread, etc…)

Thank you for reading, Dear Friends and Family.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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FastPass+ or Slow, Frustrating Pass?

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Day 369 in my planning my way to meeting my pal Mickey

Today’s plan was put into motion at 11:01 pm Central Standard Time last night.  That’s when my Walt Disney World vacation became only 60 days away.  Disneyphiles will know that because I am staying at Disney’s Old Key West, a Walt Disney World resort,  I at that moment became eligible to schedule our FastPass+ picks.  (For those not in the know: FastPass+ is a system that lets you basically preregister for attractions and shows.  it allows you re sign up for three a day.)

If I hadn’t gone to the gathering to show love and support for a friend yesterday, I wouldn’t have realized that this was the case.  I would have gotten up at 6:00 am CST this morning and gone online to schedule FastPass+.   But a church friend who was there is going to The Happiest Place on Earth at the end of September and she made me aware of this particular fact: the system updates at midnight Eastern Standard Time which is 11:00 pm where I live,  (Thank you, Ann!)  So I started my scheduling at 11:01 pm and I finished at about 1:35 this morning.  zzzzzzzzz

Here’s my one gripe: even getting on it as early as I did, I could not get FastPass+ for Seven Dwarves Mine Train nor Toy Story Mania.  Argh!  Something is seriously flawed with the system…SERIOUSLY!  That is so-o-o-o-o frustrating!!

But even at that, I am very pleased with the selections we have.  Here they are:

FastPass+ for the Jarvi/Carmichael Clan

Wednesday, October 14, 2015 – Magic Kingdom® Park

  1. Peter Pan’s Flight®—9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
  2. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad®—10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
  3. Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid—11:35 AM – 12:35 PM
  4. I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE COULDN’T GET SEVEN DWARVES MINE TRAIN.

Thursday, October 15, 2015 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios®

  1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith—11:35 AM – 12:35 PM
  2. Voyage of The Little Mermaid—12:35 PM – 12:50 PM
  3. Muppet*Vision 3D—1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
  4. WE REALLY WANTED TOY STORY MANIA.

Saturday, October 17, 2015 – Epcot®

  1. The Seas with Nemo & Friends®—9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
  2. Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®—10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
  3. Spaceship Earth—11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  4. SERIOUSLY, WE CAN’T PICK TEST TRACK AND SOARIN’???

Sunday, October 18, 2015 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park

  1. Kilimanjaro Safaris®—11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  2. Festival of the Lion King—12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
  3. Finding Nemo – The Musical—3:30 PM – 3:50 PM
  4. I COULDN’T GET DINOSAUR IN A TIME THAT WORKED FOR US.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios®

  1. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™—10:05 AM – 11:05 AM
  2. Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue—11:50 AM – 12:50 PM
  3. Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage—1:30 PM – 1:50 PM
  4. ONCE AGAIN…WE REALLY WANTED TOY STORY MANIA.

I think we’ll get the chance to ride Seven Dwarves Mine Train at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.  At least I hope so.

So that’s how it all shakes out, Dear Readers.  I am so excited; we are 1 month and 29 days away from out trip.  Woop, woop!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Putting Myself Out There

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Day 368 in dealing with my hang ups on my way to meeting up with Mickey

OK, here’s the deal.  I have a nervous stomach.  I always have had it.  Today I am invited to a friend’s condo to help celebrate another friend.  I’ve never been to my friend’s condo before.  I have known about this event for a couple of weeks, so I thought I would be ready to go.  Now, however, my stomach is tied in knots, and I have diarrhea just thinking about it.  Whenever I have to drive to a new place, my system reacts this way.  I don’t know why.

When I was a little girl, my mom would wait to tell me we were going on vacation until the last minute.  Otherwise, I would become so excited that I got an upset stomach…every time.  Maybe this is the result of those early days.  I don’t know.  I just know it happens every time.

Today’s plan is to suck it up, get in my car and drive myself over to the gathering.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV  I believe that verse, so I am going to step out in faith and believe that God will guide me and be with me.   This does not come easy for me.  Fifty pounds ago, I would have found an excuse to not attend.  I don’t want to be that sedentary, closet eater (not eating closets, but hiding and eating) anymore.

I really want to attend this particular event, because I want to show my love and support for the Guest of Honor.  And once I am there, I know I will really enjoy it.  So, Dear Readers, into the fray I go!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Fuel and Motion

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Day 367 in my determination to reach Mickey in a healthier state (2 months and 1 day to go)

Today’s plan was to begin again: to eat healthier meals and snacks and to move more.

  1. I picked the best foods available to me today.  For instance, for lunch I had a Boca veggie burger, some mini-carrots and some grapes.  At dinner I made sure to include a salad of greens with our chicken and boiled carrots.  My snacks today: an banana and a Greek yogurt.
  2. Moving more was easy.  While I was away over the last five day, my office was carpeted.  So today I moved things back into my office, not all at once, but every hour I walked down to the storage area and moved a few more things back into my office.

I am tired and a bit sore, but it was a good work day.  AND I slept so much better last night.  Halle-J-lujah!  I am one grateful woman tonight.  I stayed sugar-free today, too.  I am going up to bed to fall asleep and dream sweet Disney dreams: Mad Tea Party, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast: Live Stage Show, Spaceship Earth, Festival of the Lion King and my very fave, it’s a small world.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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It’s Time…Again

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Day 366 in my quest to meet up with Mickey in October

Today’s plan is to begin again.  I am exhausted from five poor nights of sleep, but I am back home now after my trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  So tonight I will sleep in my own bed, hoping against all hope that I get a good night’s sleep.  Tomorrow morning when I wake up I begin again.  One year and one day after I began this blog, I will begin again.  My goals are to make the best food choices possible (including getting back to sugar-free) and to move more.  Tomorrow I will move around five minutes every hour while at work.  I miss moving more, and now that my body is well on its way to healing, I am ready to move it more again.  So now just two months out from our trip to Florida, I am ready to dive in and immerse myself in healthy foods and more walking.

When I get to Walt Disney World, it will be what it will be.  But I am ready to take it seriously until then.  So whatever happens I will be in the best shape that I can be…for the age that I am…in the condition that I am in.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Running on Empty

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Day 365 in my trek to the Mickster

Wow!  I have been blogging for a year! And what a year it has been. Things sure did get twisted and changed through the year. It started as an attempt to get into better shape for our trip to Walt Disney World this October. Then it morphed into my walk through endometrial cancer. And now it’s slowly morphing back to the original intent. 

My goal for today was to continue visiting with family and to not get into an argument with anyone. In general I don’t argue with our families, but I haven’t been sleeping well, so I’m on edge. The lack of sleep has to do with traveling. I often do not sleep well when we are away from home and our own very comfortable bed. Tomorrow we travel back home, and I can hardly wait to crawl into bed tomorrow night. 😴😴😴

Well, I made it, dear readers. no big blow up fights today. Yay!  And now I am going to sleep. Sweet dreams, all y’all. Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Worship on a Beach

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Day 364 in working my way to Mickey

Today’s plan was to worship the God who loves us on Agate Beach with as many of the Taskila family as could join us. It was a lovely half hour service, and the setting was so beautiful!  Glorious Lake Superior was our backdrop.  The message was all about “grace.” It was a precious moment in time that I will hold in my heart until we are together again. 

Blessings to you all, dear readers. Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Taskila Family Reunion Day!

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Day 363 on my way to Mickey in October 

Today’s plan was to attend and be actively engaged in the Taskila Family Reunion. Mission accomplished!  Rather than hanging out at the food table and eating all day, I helped set up the food table. Then I only made one trip to the table and made sure to pick veggies first. I did treat myself to a piece of cake, but for the first time EVER I just had one piece of cake. What a sweet treat!

I visited with so many relatives and friends. I feel truly blessed. I so missed those who couldn’t be there. But I so loved being with those who were there, including two of my brothers. 😃 (We all missed you Gary & Trudy and Gene & Patsy!)

Thanks for reading dear friends. Meet you at the Kingdom!

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U.P. Love

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Day 362 on my way to meeting Mickey. 

Today we arrived in the U.P.  Woo hoo!  My food choices today have been iffy at best. A free breakfast at the Hampton Inn, a cudighi sandwich for lunch and a pasty for dinner. I am stuffed and content for the day. 

Much family and friend visiting today. I am sleepy and happy. 

Meet you at the Kingdom!