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Embracing the Journey

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Day 156 in my delightful quest to meet Mickey in healthier shape in nine months and two days…at the Magic Kingdom!!

Today’s plan is to live in each moment and embrace every part of this day.

  1. We had the opportunity to wake up early and travel to the church for a 7:30 am Damascus Road rehearsal.  Then we played the 8:30 am worship service.  Mike and I and our son Jake plus five other bandmates.  It was such a blessing!  The service was about The Baptism of Our Lord.  It was a renewal of our own baptisms, always a wonderful experience.
  2. Then we got to have breakfast at The Full Moon with Jake.  It is so nice to get to sit and visit with our son over a warm meal.  We couldn’t be prouder of him.
  3. Next we picked up a few more groceries for tonight.  I even enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds of Heinen’s grocery store.  And the list was short, so…winning!
  4. As soon as I finish this blog, it’s nap time.  Thank you, Jesus!  A snooze in front of the TV in a cozy house on a lazy afternoon, there’s nothing like it.
  5. Then tonight we dine with Jake, his lovely wife Eliza, and her grandparents George and Rita.  I will embrace each moment with them, as we don’t see them nearly enough.
  6. Then to cap off this beautiful day…Downton Abbey!  Yahoo!  I can’t wait to see what the Crawleys are up to tonight.  Bring it on, Thomas!

So that’s it. I want to enjoy every minute of this day which God has given me.  God is so good…all the time!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Taking Care of Business

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Day 155 in my walk towards Mickey

Ahhh..there is nothing like a day off.  I slept in.  Then when I finally woke up I laid in bed and read my newest book on Kindle for an hour.  Sheer bliss!

My plan for today is to take care of things around the house.

  1. I started a huge pile of laundry, which I haven’t gotten to for a month.
  2. Then Mike and I put together the “Christmas Eve” spaghetti to have with the kids tomorrow.  On Christmas Eve we were spread across the country.  So then we planned to have it on New Year’s Day, but Mike and I were so sick we couldn’t even think about it.  So tomorrow is the day.  We will throw caution to the wind and have Christmas Eve spaghetti and New Year’s Eve Egg Nog.  Not calorie friendly, but a once a year indulgence.
  3. Load two of laundry coming right up.
  4. Then I will straighten up and vacuum the living room for tomorrow.

When that’s done, I may just watch a movie or go up and read more of my book.  It’s getting pretty good now.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Energized at Last

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Day 153 in my efforts to get healthier to meet Mickey

My plan for today was to do the big grocery shopping on my own, after work, in subzero temps.  And I did it.  It took me over an hour to get all the things on the list.  And the good news is I had energy to spare.  I felt great.  My knees didn’t ache.  My hip wasn’t screaming.  By back was fine.  I have to tell you 37 pounds ago, that would not have been the case.  Thanks to this journey I’m getting my life back, and I like it!

Once I got the groceries put away, I prepared lemon-pepper shrimp with brown rice and steamed broccoli for dinner.  People, it was delicious!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Winter Wonderland Woes

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Day 152 in my trek to meeting Mickey

Today’s plan was to batten down the hatches and make it through this impossibly wintry day.  The temperatures this morning were subzero with wind-chills in the ridiculous range.  Then it warmed up to above zero at about noonish so the snow could begin.  At 2:30, my boss said to go home before the weather got any worse.  So I drove through whiteout conditions on ice covered roads.  I literally inched my way home  To quote a cartoon that I saw on Facebook this morning, “My face hurts.  Why do I live in a place that makes my face hurt?”  I know there has to be something wrong with being so crazed about driving in this weather.  It points to a lack of faith…or…is it common sense?

Anyway I made it through, and I am home.  I can heat up some roasted red pepper and beef soup for dinner with a nice crunchy bread.  And then just because we have them, I will boil us each (Mike and I) a Vollwerth’s natural casing hot dog or two.  Oh, yeah, we are comforting eating tonight.  Plus we’ll have plenty of fresh veggies to compliment the meal.

Jarvi, out.   Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Things Are Looking Up

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Day 151 in my trek toward Mickey

1) Fever…gone!  Hallelujah!  I still feel exhausted, but the fever has not returned.

2) Stomach-still some issues.  But it is definitely getting better.

So my plan for today was to go back to work, stay sugar-free, eat healthy and put some extra steps in my day.  Mission accomplished.  Mischief managed.

It is several degrees below sanity outside here today.  It’s the type of day that just getting up and out the door, making your way to work, putting in your day, hitting the grocery store for a bit, and traveling back home feels like a MAJOR accomplishment.  So I feel good about this day.

I had to hit the grocery store, because we literally had nothing in the house for dinner but three bread crusts and a half stick of oleo.  🙂  It’s lousy to be sick for so long.  You eventually run out of food.

Anyway…things are looking up here at the Jarvi household.  Slowly, but surely, we are feeling better.  PTL!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Encountering Mickey

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Day 148 in my quest to encounter Mickey

Today my plan was to research and figure out where I will meet up with Mickey in October, so this is it.  On October 14, 2015 (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise) I will meet up with Mickey in the Magic Kingdom at the Town Square Theater.  I am so-o-o-o excited when I envision it.  Me: “Thank you, Mickey, for inspiring me to get healthier this past year!”  Mickey: Silently nods head and shakes my hand.  Me: “Mickey, you have been a true friend.”  Mickey: Silently nods and rocks back and forth from foot to foot.  Me: “OK, g’bye, Mickey.”  Mickey: Silently gives me a hug and waves goodbye.

I guess it’s a good thing they aren’t allowed to talk.  How would they ever do the voice, right?

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Facing the Music

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Day 147 in my disco-dance to Disney and my marvelous mate (the British word: mate, as in friend) Mickey.

Today’s plan was to assess the damages.  Now that the holidays are behind me, I had to face the music.  Yes, I was careful, more careful than I have ever been during the holidays.  BUT I was far from perfect.  So I bucked up my courage and stepped on the scale this morning.  After all, I need to know where I am, so I can dig back in, right?  I was so nervous.  Would this be my first gain in nearly 5 months?  Would I step off the scale in tears after swearing up a storm?  Would I have to break out the next size up…again?

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles…I actually lost weight over the holidays!  Woo hoo!!!  Now I am down 36.8 pounds from the beginning.  That’s another 3.5 pounds since I weighed myself on December 11.

I am so chuffed.  It makes me want to keep on keeping on.  So come on 2015, let’s dance!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Nose to the Grindstone

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Day 128 in my endeavors to live healthier, so I’m in better shape when I meet up with Mickey

What a busy day.  This is by far my busiest week of the whole year at work, and today lived up to that fact.  Whew, I am bushed.

My plan for today was to keep my nose to the grindstone and get as much accomplished as I possibly could at work.  And that is exactly what I did.

I stayed sugar-free.  I ate plenty of fruit and veg.  I moved around the office whenever I could.  I stayed and worked late.  I came home and wrote bills while dinner was in the oven.  And now my day is in.  And I am all in, too.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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KISS

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Day 122 in my strategies to spend time with Mickey

This is my busiest time of the year as a church secretary.  I have extra bulletins to prepare, extra lessons to prepare, extra just-about-everything to prepare.  I am definitely more stressed about work than at other time of the year.  You know that picture of the kitten holding on for dear life as he hangs from a rod?  Yeah…that’s me this time of year.

So my plan for today is to keep it simple.  I will go home after work and prepare a dinner of baked chicken breasts with vegetables.  If Mike or I crave a starch with dinner, then we have a delicious multigrain bread to go with it.  KISS–that me today.  Keep It Simple, Smartypants.  🙂

Back to work.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Of Mice and Thanksgiving

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Day 109 in my planning for a healthier me when I meet Mickey at the Magic Kingdom.

My office stinks…literally.  We are having a mouse infestation at the church.  Anderson Pest Control takes care of us, so they have had to come out nearly every other day for the past twp weeks.  As I type, the efficient Anderson Pest Control Guy is removing the dead carcasses that are stinking up my office.  (And my work partner Debbie’s office, too.)  Whew!  I will not miss that smell.  🙂

I sure hope that Mickey is not too insulted that we are having a mouse-massacre at St. James.  Four more have bitten the dust in the last two days.  (2 in my office and 2 in your office, Debbie.)

I love me some Mickey Mouse, but the other kind freak me out, and I know why.  I remember it like it was yesterday, but in reality I was three years old…a good 55, nearly 56, years ago.  I was sitting on the toilet feeling very exposed and vulnerable, when my mom and dad heard a blood-curdling scream.  They rushed into the bathroom just in time to see the tiniest baby mouse run back under the water heater.  Ever since then, I have an absolute irrational fear of mice.  And an equally irrational love of Mickey.  Hmmm…go figure.

Anyway, my plan for today is to prepare for tomorrow.  I need to get my recipes out tonight and plan ways to cut some of the fat out.  The only sugar will be in the custard pie.  I will allow myself a Thanksgiving celebratory piece-o-pie.  (Mike, my amazing husband, is the pie maker, and he’s really good at it!  He learned from the best, his mom.  Love you, Estella!)  Mike has agreed to only make one pie, or if he makes two, then he will bring the second pie up to the shop for the guys on Friday.  I’m telling you, people, Mike Jarvi is a good guy!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, dear readers.  May your holiday be filled with family, friends, good food, parades, football (That’s for my brothers; Mike and I watch movies instead.) and lots of fun.  I am truly grateful for each of you in my life!  Meet you at the Kingdom!