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It’s COOL to Give!

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Day 320 in my meandering my way to meeting up with Mickey (3 months and 18 days to go)

Things are heating up for me right now, and so I forgot to blog yesterday.   Oops!  Each year at this time we sponsor a benefit for COOL Ministries.  COOL Ministries has two food pantries, one in Lake County (where we live) and another in McHenry County.  They also manage twelve Transitional Housing units.  COOL Transitional Housing Program is designed for families (single parent or two parent households) with children, who have found themselves homeless (or about to be) and without resources. These families may obtain further educational training, better employment, gain life skills, learn to budget, save money, receive counseling and explore personal and spiritual growth. Each family exits the program able to maintain self-sufficiency.

Anyway…the benefit is this Sunday, June 28, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  It will be located at the Lake Bluff Village Green (at the Gazebo).  There will be three bands playing (My husband and son are in the band playing at around 4:00 pm.), and there will be food to purchase from Graffiti Grill and Best Wishes Ice Cream.  Throughout the four hours we will be collecting cash and food donations for COOL Ministries.  If you’re local, come on by!

So I have been very busy with some last minute details, and I completely forgot to blog yesterday.  Now you know why.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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When It Started for Me

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Day 319 in showing my Disney-side as I wait to meet up with Mickey (3months and 20 days to go)

This year Disney has been asking the question, “When did it start for you?” “When did what start?” you might ask.  They want to know when your love of all things Disney began.  I’ve been thinking about this, looking back to see when the connection was made.  Disneyland was opened the year I was born, 1955.  They are having a huge Diamond Celebration this year as the park turns 60 years old.  I remember being very young and faithfully watching The Mickey Mouse Club on TV.  It turns out that it first aired in 1955.  Before I began school, I remember begging my mom to enroll me in The Mickey Mouse Club. For a nominal fee, you could sign up by mail and receive a certificate and Mouse Ears, that proved you were a member.  I waited and watched for the postman every day, and day after day my mom would say, “Not today, Honey.  Maybe tomorrow.”  Finally a few weeks later the package arrived.  I tore it open with such excitement, because at last I was a member and could watch The Mickey Mouse Club with my ears on.  But when I looked at the certificate and the ears, I was disappointed.  In my youth I read that I was an “Artificial Member of the Mickey Mouse Club.”  I went to my mom in tears saying, “Why am I only an Artificial Member?  We paid the money.”  Mom wiped my tears, and read the certificate out loud, “Donna Taskila is an Official Member of The Mickey Mouse Club.  It says you are Official, not Artificial.”  I grinned from ear to ear, and I wore those Mickey Mouse Ears until they disintegrated.

That’s it.  That’s the moment when I became a Disney diehard.  I liked it before, but from that moment I was all in: hook, line and sinker.

I am so excited for October!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Here’s to Better Days

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Day 318 in my crawl to Mickey

Rough day today.  I was up most of the night sick to my stomach.  I don’t know if it was a case of food poisoning or a bug, but it was bad.  When I finally was able to sleep, I slept until 1:30 pm.  When I woke up it was to a migraine headache.  Argh…what a lousy day.  I’ll hope for a better tomorrow.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Disney Dreaming

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Day 317 in Disney dreaming on my way to Mickey

I am a Disney fan!  I am a Disneyphile. I love me some Disney. Especially, but not limited to Walt Disney World. Here is how I know:

  1. I dream about Disney World. Sometimes it comes in the form of memories of past trips. But mostly I dream about random visits there. Just last week I dreamed I was there with my mom. We had such a great time seeing the shows and laughing together. 😆
  2. Even though Mike and I had never had any thoughts about timeshare ownership, we fell hard for Disney Vacation Club. Our home resort is Old Key West and it  has become our home away from home. I am so excited that we will go there in October. 🎃
  3. I start planning for our next Disney trip while flying home from a Disney trip. Otherwise it’s just too sad. ✈️
  4. I light up like a Christmas tree when someone gifts me a Disney present. 🎄
  5. And speaking of Christmas trees, mine is covered in Disney princesses. 😍
  6. I get so excited for the BIG DATES that come up before a trip, that I do not sleep. The day I can book Old Key West (11 months before we check in), the day I can book dining reservations (180 days out), the day I can book any special ticket events (like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween- dates vary), the day I can book Fastpasses (60 days out). 📅
  7. I get all excited when someone agrees to watch a Disney movie with me. 🎥

And that’s just off the top of my head. Walt Disney World is my Happy Place. Just thinking about being there makes me relax and smile. 

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Layers of Lusciousness

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Day 316 in munching my way to Mickey

Today’s plan was to prepare a new recipe for dinner tonight. I chose Six Layer Salad.  We just finished eating dinner, and it was scrumptious!  Here’s the recipe from Betty Crocker 30 Minute Meals for Diabetes:

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of chopped cole slaw (cabbage and carrots)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1&1/2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1/3 cup nonfat yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Put peas in a microwave safe bowl with the water.  Microwave on high for 2 minutes; stir; microwave for another 2 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
  2. In a small bowl mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt until smooth.
  3. In a 2 quart bowl layer: cole slaw mix, carrots, chicken, tomatoes, peas, yogurt mix.
  4. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  5. Toss the salad and serve.

This is a keeper.  I know I will prepare it again this summer.  It’s a great summer dinner.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Eye-eye, Captain

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Day 315 in my endeavors to stay on top of my health to meet up with Mickey

OK, here’s the thing. It’s quarter to midnight and I forgot to blog until now.  My eyes are about to slam shut, so this will be short.  To keep on top of my health, I went for an eye exam today. There was a significant change in my vision. Near-sighted…better. Far-sighted…worse.  The good news?  No evident diabetes related issues. Woop!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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A Day of Poor Choices

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Day 314 in my stumbling toward Mickey

Today I had no plan, and guess what…I had a terrible day.  I overslept and picked up a fast food breakfast on the way to work.  I didn’t take the time to pack a lunch, so  I had a fast food lunch on the run.  By the time I got home from work, I felt bloated and miserable.

I made pork fajitas for dinner and we had them with lots of fresh vegetables.  The recipe was form my favorite diabetes cookbook, so as least I ate right tonight.

Anyway…lesson learned.  I am back on the wagon and determined to eat better tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday and etc…

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Shrimp and Peppers..Oh, My!

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Day 313 in moving toward Mickey

Today’s plan was to try a new recipe for dinner, and we did.  We had Shrimp and Pepper Stir-Fry.  The recipe is from Betty Crocker 30 Minute Meals for Diabetes.  I will share it here:

Ingredients

  • RICE-1&1/2 c. water; 1&1/2 c. uncooked instant brown rice
  • GINGER PAN SAUCE-1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce; 1 T. water; 2 t. cornstarch; 3/4 t. ground ginger
  • STIR-FRY-1 T. canola oil; 2 medium green onions, finely chopped (2 T.); 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (1&1/2 c); 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (1&1/2 c); 12 oz uncooked deveined peeled medium (31 to 35 count) shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed; 1 c. halved cherry tomatoes

Directions

  1. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat 1&1/2 cups of water to boiling over high heat.  Stir in rice; return to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Let stand covered 5 minutes; fluff with fork and let cool slightly.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix sauce ingredients until smooth; set aside.
  3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic;  cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add bell peppers; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.  Add shrimp and tomatoes; cook 3 to 5 minutes stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink and peppers are crisp-tender.
  4. Stir sauce into shrimp mixture.  Heat to boiling; cook and stir until sauce is thickened.  Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings.  2&1/2 carbohydrate choices

I thought t was delicious, but next time would try doubling the sauce amount.  It was a little dry for my taste.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Top Priorities

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Day 312 In my path to meeting up with Mickey in October (3 months and 27 days to go)

Today my plan was to work through a couple of the sessions in Module One of Better Beyond 50.  I joined this program, and as soon as I did, we lost our internet at home.  We have been without internet for two weeks now at home.  Argh!  Luckily my iPhone can be used as a Personal Hotspot.

One of the things that I had to do today is write down my five top values, which I think sounds like my priorities.  Just a few years ago, I would have said my top five priorities were:

  1. God
  2. Mike (my husband)
  3. Jake and Emi (my kids)
  4. My job
  5. Hmmm…I don’t know

Today my focus has shifted.  Now my top five priorities are:

  1. God (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  This branch can do nothing if separated from the vine that is God.)
  2. Me (my health and working on it, because I need to really learn to love myself)  I still think that sounds selfish, but I need to get over it.  Scripture makes it perfectly clear that we have to love ourselves before we can love others.
  3. Mike (He makes me happy.)
  4. My new career focus (When I retire as Church Secretary in December, I want to get serious about my writing.)
  5. My kids (They are on such strong paths; they don’t need me as much as they once did.  Hallelujah!  It’s time to focus in other things now.)

It was a great exercise to do.  I had to spend some time really thinking about what I want my future to be.  It’s so strange to think about turning sixty.  How do I want to finish this life?   I want to finish as the best child of God that I can be.  I am excited to see what the next twenty plus years can bring.  No matter what comes, good or bad, God will be there, so I can face it with peace in my heart.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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A Sloppy Day

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Day 311 in swimming my way to meeting up with Mickey

Today’s plan was to batten down the hatches and ride out this ugly day.  We’ve had rain coming down in sheets off and on all day.  Tornado warnings and sirens even going off in the city–Chi-town.  And of course, Mike, my main squeeze, had to go down into the city for an installation today.  He just texted me to say that he won’t get to leave for home until around 10:00 pm.  Our dangerous weather warnings are live until 11:00 pm.  Yikes!  That puts him driving home in the midst of it all going down.   ARGH!

Early to bed tonight, and then we’ll start fresh in the morning.  Meet you in the Kingdom!