Tag Archives: Disney

Uncategorized

Preparing…

6 Comments

Day 230 in my preparations to get healthier to meet up with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October (6 months and 17 days to go)

Today my plan is to tie up some loose ends:

  1. Quick Taco Skillet Casserole–I promised to tell you what I thought of this recipe.  Mike and I really liked it.  It easily made enough for two dinners for the two of us, so we’re having the leftovers tonight.  It is basically glorified Spanish Rice.  But it does use quick brown rice and no added spices, so it didn’t shoot my blood sugar level up.  That is always a win!
  2. Thinking about and planning for our new kitty.  My friend Joan has two cats that fight something fierce.  Mike and I have agreed to give Mary Ann a  home with us, so by this weekend we will have a fuzzy friend living with us.  Pretty excited about that one!
  3. Organize a few more things for the Women’s Retreat (Cafe Chocolat) at our church next month.  I want to get as much ready as possible before my surgery.  (See #4 below)
  4. I see my oncologist tomorrow.  Hopefully after that meeting we can get my surgery scheduled.  The sooner that part is behind me, the better.  Talk about doing something to improve my health, right?  I’m pretty sure my health will improve dramatically when they cut out the cancer!  BTW: I wonder how much a uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries weigh…instant weight loss.  😉  However, I do NOT recommend this type of weight loss!  Honestly, People, if I can’t laugh about this whole thing, then I’ll just cry all the time.  I like laughing much better!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Uncategorized

Heart Medicine

1 Comment

Day 229 in my endeavors toward meeting up with Mickey in October (6months and 18 days to go)

Today’s plan is to go and spend time with a friend, Joan.  She is in a rehab center, recuperating from knee replacement surgery.  My plan for today is to go and see her after work.  She is always good for my heart. a real barefoot friend.  She loves me warts and all, and the feeling is mutual.

So today’s plan is balm for my soul.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Uncategorized

October Game Plan

1 Comment

Day 228 in thinking about hanging with Mickey in October

Today’s plan is to think about what I definitely want to experience at the parks in October.

Magic Kingdom (My absolute favorite park!)

  1. Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
  2. 7 Dwarves Mine Train
  3. Peter Pan’s Flight
  4. Mad Tea Party
  5. Splash Mountain
  6. Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road
  7. Pirates of the Caribbean
  8. The Haunted Mansion
  9. Carousel of Progress
  10. And the best ride ever-It’s a Small World

EPCOT

  1. Soarin’
  2. Spaceship Earth
  3. The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  4. Universe of Energy
  5. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
  6. France’s Movie

Disney Hollywood Studios

  1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  2. The Great Movie Ride
  3. Muppet Vision 3D
  4. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  5. Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
  6. Toy Story Midway Mania
  7. Voyage of the Little Mermaid
  8. The Magic of Disney Animation

Animal Kingdom

  1. Dinosaur
  2. Festival of the Lion King
  3. Finding Nemo-The Musical
  4. Kali River Rapids
  5. Kilimanjaro Safari
  6. Primeval Whirl

I get so jacked up thinking about it that I can hardly stand it.  And there’s even something that I am more excited about than all of the above: shaking Mickey’s hand and having my picture taken with him.  Woo hoo!

Meet you the Kingdom!

Uncategorized

Cooking Up a Plan

2 Comments

Day 225 in cooking my way to a healthier me to pose with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October

Today is all about a recipe.  I may have mentioned this book before.  It’s called Betty Crocker 30 Minute Meals for Diabetes.  As I am pre-diabetic, I try to eat as diabetes-friendly as possible.   This book has been a real Godsend.  So tonight’s new recipe is Quick Taco Skillet Casserole.  I like quick, I like tacos and I like casseroles, so it sounds like a winner to me.

The prep time is 25 minutes for 6 servings.

Ingredients:

  1. 1 pound (extra-lean) ground beef
  2. 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  3. 1 and a half cups uncooked instant brown rice
  4. 1 cup chunky-style salsa
  5. 1 and a half cups of water
  6. 1 can (14.5 to 16 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained, cut up
  7. 1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
  8. 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Directions:

  1. In a 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain well.  Return beef mixture to skillet.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until water is absorbed and rice is tender.  Stir before serving.

Sounds great, right?  I’ll let you know how it tastes.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

Uncategorized

Wise Words from Walt

Leave a comment

Day 224 in my journey to a healthier lifestyle for meeting up with Mickey (6 months and 23 days to go)

Today’s plan was to eat in a healthy manner, and I have managed to do that.  I feel a lot better than I did last night after having a sugar binge.  I feel mellow and satisfied.  I don’t mind telling you, I like this feeling.  It’s way better than a sugar-crazed crab-fest.  You’ve heard of mean drunks?  I am a mean sugar-fueled sugar addict.

Jake and Eliza gave me an Artfolds book for my birthday.  It’s really a cool idea.  You fold each page according to some lines on them.  When you’re finished folding the whole book, you have a piece of art, kinda like origami.  My book finished up as a Mickey Mouse head.  Perfect, right?  I love it.  And along the way there are quotes by Walt Disney.  Well I finally finished all the folding today.  And here is a quote that I found particularly fitting for my life right now: “Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows.”  Isn’t that cool?  Sometimes it’s just good to recognize that life has its ups and its downs.  I want to embrace both in my life.  I want to savor every experience, even the not so fun ones.  I think it’s really the only way to know that you have lived life, and not just sleep-walked through it.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Uncategorized

Back To It

3 Comments

Day 219 in my planning to meet up with Mickey in October (6 months and 28 days to go)

Today’s plan: make a menu for the week, make a grocery list for the week, go grocery shopping, deliver a dinner to a friend who recently had surgery, go out to a belated birthday dinner with the kids.

  1. menu-check
  2. grocery list-check
  3. grocery shopping-check
  4. deliver dinner-called to make arrangements and was told they do not need our dinner tonight, as their daughter (her husband, and child) is coming up to visit and bringing dinner
  5. belated birthday dinner withe the kids-yet to come

I am feeling much better than I have the last couple of days.  My energy level is better and the cramping and bleeding have subsided.  Whew!  So now it’s back to normal, until the next step is revealed.  God is good all the time!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

Uncategorized

Getting Down to Dis-ness (Business toward a Disney Trip)

1 Comment

Day 211 in my challenges to get ready to meet Mickey in October. (7 months and 6 days to go)

Today’s plan was to take care of a lot of little things that needed seeing to, and to gauge my energy level to get through the day.

Here’s the list:

  1. Make a delicious. nutritious breakfast–I made another batch of Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal.  It is sugar-free decadence.  And I have enough left over for 2 breakfasts this week.  I fry a leftover patty in just a bit of coconut oil.  So good!
  2. Finish paying our last two bills for this pay period–I wrote out a check for one and brought it to the post office to mail, and I arranged to pay the other online.
  3. Take a shower and clean up–I showered, washed and treated my hair, brushed and even water-piced my teeth.  (I don’t use my water-pic nearly enough.)
  4. Go and visited my sister/pal Joan–we had a lovely visit.  (Prayers for her, please.  She is having knee replacement surgery on Tuesday.)  A visit with Joan is always so good for my heart and soul!
  5. Pick up groceries–I went to my new favorite store, Heinen’s, and picked up some necessary items for tonight’s dinner, and for the week’s menu, and for cleaning the house.

I got everything finished by 5:00 pm, and am now in my favorite chair with my feet up sipping a Decaf Skinny Hazelnut Latte from Starbuck’s.  I had plenty of energy to get through my day.  I’m glad to be back home and chilling, but I am so-o-o grateful to have the va-va-voom to move around more and get a few things done.

Life is good, my friends, and God is even good-er!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Happy birthday, to dear Eliza!!  She is our daughter-in-law extraordinaire!  Such a beautiful person inside and out, and I am in awe of the way she loves our precious son.  Love you, Girl!

Uncategorized

Motivated to Move for Mickey

Leave a comment

Day 209 in my motion to meet Mickey (7 months and 8 days to go)

Today my plan was to be a bit more active at work.  So I:

  1. Set up Damascus Road (our contemporary band.)
  2. Printed, cut and assembled the weekly church bulletins.
  3. Moved a very heavy box from a cabinet in my office to my co-worker Chris’s office.  (I am woman; hear me roar!)
  4. Removed a heavy box of outdated offering envelopes from that same cabinet and put them all in recycling.  (Think Rocky Theme)
  5. Made every effort to make as many trips as possible around inside the building to rack up some extra steps.

I feel good about the movement, but my right knee is barking a little.  🙂

Also tonight we will dine out after our Damascus Road rehearsal.  I plan to order a steak salad.  The combination of the warm, tender steak and the crisp greens will make my week.  It’s the little things, my Peeps.  Stay warm; I do believe Spring will eventually come.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Props to my niece and Godchild Merr.  Happy birthday, Sweet Girl!  Love you so much.  xxoo

Uncategorized

Flying Away and Back

2 Comments

Day 205 in my plans to work toward being healthier when I meet Mickey in October (7 months and 12 days to go)

Hmmm…what shall I do today to get me ready to meet up with my pal Mickey in October?  I know!  I’ll book our flights from Chicago to Orlando and back!  Yahoo!!!!!!!!!  We’re booked.  With every milestone date that rolls around I get more and more excited.

  1. I booked our Grand Villa at Old Key West…excited!
  2. I booked our flights…excited!!
  3. When I book our tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party…excited!!!
  4. When I get to book our meals at 180 days, plus 10 days out…excited!!!!
  5. When I get to book our Fastpass+ choices, 60 days out…excited!!!!!

And more good news, once this winter is finally in the rearview mirror, I don’t have to face another winter until I’ve been to Walt Disney World.  🙂  🙂  🙂  🙂  🙂  That fact is five “smiley-face” worthy.  When we get to Old Key West, I am gonna get me an umbrella drink and sit by the pool, and then I’m gonna take dip.  And that first night it’s always dinner at Olivia’s, the onsite restaurant.  I can just feel my self exhaling now.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Uncategorized

Mind Games?

Leave a comment

Day 197 in my meditating my way back into the world and toward Mickey

Well, it is the Saturday evening after a week’s vacation.  I keep telling myself, “I have one more day of vacation; then it’s back to work on Monday morning.”  But…I will go to worship tomorrow morning AND I will even go early to hear a guest speaker.  His name is Aziz Abu Sarah, and he is a Palestinian living his life as a tour guide in the Holy Land, working for peace.  See his bio below:

  • Aziz Abu Sarah is the Co-Executive Director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC) at George Mason University, and he is a 2014 TED fellow.  He has over ten years experience in tourism management and fourteen years of peace building expertise, and during his time at CRDC has forged new approaches in combining conflict resolution and business. His visionary work in tourism, intercultural dialogue, and peacebuilding led him to be named as one of the “500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in both 2010 and 2011.  In addition to his work in business and peacebuilding, Abu Sarah has published articles in the New York Times, the Jerusalem Post, the Daily Star, and has appeared on CNN, Fox, and Aljazeera as an expert on Middle Eastern affairs.

Impressive, right?  He led a tour group from our church last October in Israel and Palestine.  If you live in the area, come on over to St. James tomorrow at 9:30 am or 3:00 pm to hear Aziz.  He is quite a guy, I’m told.

Anyway, that aside, I will be back at the church tomorrow, which just happens to be where I work.  But I am ready.  I really needed this week away.  A week of rest and taking care of home/personal business.  So my task for today is meditation and preparing myself to re-enter the world.  I had 8 blissful days in which I didn’t even leave my house.  I had all the down time I needed, and now I can go back to work and the world refreshed and ready to re-engage.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: The Discovery Channel is showing Disney programs again today.  More opportunities to get fired up for our trip.