Tag Archives: walking

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Salad and Swimming

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Day 136 in my quest to be at my best when I meet up with Mickey

I’ve been at work for just over three hours, and the printer has been humming the whole time, except for a small break when I ran the church’s January newsletter to the post office.  Christmas Eve…printed and in place.  Christmas Day…printed and ready to go.  Sunday, December 28…printing now and I will stuff it and have in ready within the hour.  Praise God!!

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we are headed out of town on five days of vacation after work today.  My plan for today is to swim tonight at the Hampton Inn (or my version of swimming which is to walk around in the pool for half an hour) and to order a salad when we dine out at our favorite Green Bay eatery, Grazies Italian Grill.  I will skip the amazing pasta this time.  After all, it’s Christmas Eve eve, so I want to be as good as possible.  Seriously, folks, all bets are off for the next two days.  I won’t go crazy, but I will indulge in some holiday favorites.

I will meet you at the Kingdom!

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Settin’ Up and Sweatin’ Up

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Day 131 in my physical endeavors to get into better shape to meet Mickey in October at the Magic Kingdom

My plan for today is to be as good a servant as I can be in a physical way.  So, I went into the sanctuary and set up Damascus Road, our contemporary band, for our big blow-out Lessons and Carols service this Sunday.  It took a very long time, because our chairs and some of our equipment had been used for the Christmas pageant last Sunday and for the brass group to rehearse on Monday and for Advent Vespers last night.  It was sweaty, physical labor, and it felt good to do the work.  Then I set up St. James Brass for Sunday.  It was only four chairs and four music stands, but the stands were all over the building, so it took quite a bit of walking and looking.  Again it was sweaty, physical labor.  Later today I will help the pastor add chairs to the sanctuary for Sunday.  Lessons and Carols is one of our most highly attended services of the year.  (Coming in third after Christmas Eve and Easter)

That will be plenty for today.  🙂  Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Digging Deep

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Day 123 in my trek to the Kingdom that is Magic and my friend Mickey.

Today’s plan is to take good care of my self:

  1. I went to the doctor’s this morning and had some blood drawn.  I am doing my best to stay 2 steps ahead of diabetes.  I am prediabetic and controlling it well with diet and exercise.
  2. I had a salad and a piece of fruit for lunch today.
  3. We are eating dinner out tonight, and I will once again have a salad.
  4. I am planning to get up early tomorrow and head to Lake Bluff Health and Fitness to walk before work.

Christmas is just 2 weeks away, and I want to dig deep and be as good to my body as possible.  Maybe it will help me to make healthier choices on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, too.  Here’s hoping!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: All prayers are being accepted for my brother Gary who is going through some major health issues right now.  Please lift him up in prayer with me.  God bless!

 

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Just Another Manic Monday

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Day 121 in my adventures in preparing to meet Mickey in October        (10 months and 5 days to go)

Ahhh…another Monday.  A new beginning, a chance to have an even better week.  So my plan for today was to get up early and go to Lake Bluff Health and Fitness to walk on my way to work.  I did it..again on a Monday…in icy cold drizzle under gray skies.  It does feel great to have my plan for the day accomplished early in the morning.  Tonight we will have a veggie filled, delicious dinner, and I will put this day to bed in a sugar-free, exercised, healthy day-way.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Is anyone out there watching The Red Tent on Lifetime?  It was off to a great start last night, and tonight it wraps up.  Very interesting.  It’s on at 8:00 CST and 9:00 EST.  It’s worth the watch.  The two hour program called, Women of the Bible, was really good last night, too.  It was a nice break from all the Hallmark Christmas movies.  🙂

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Disney Love

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Day 118 in my current love affair with Walt Disney World and Mickey

Things I adore about a Walt Disney World Vacation:

  1. Family together time away from the stresses and pressures of daily life and work.
  2. Old Key West-I literally exhale and all my stress drifts away when I get there.  Whether  it’s hanging out in our room or relaxing by the pool or sharing a meal at Olivia’s, this place is just my happy place.
  3. The Magic Kingdom–this is the place that I become that little girl again, the one who always wanted to go to “Disneyland” but never got to go, because it was too far and too expensive.  Disneyland and I are both 59 years old this year, and for me it’s been a 56 year love affair with all things Disney.  (That’s about when I have my first memories of Disney.)
  4. EPCOT, Disney Hollywood Studios, The Animal Kingdom–Each park is so unique and so interesting.  I love to see the changes every time we go, even though I sometimes miss the attractions that have gone away.  (I still miss the original “Journey Into the Imagination” ride, and don’t even get me started on “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”!)  But this time we will see the New Fantasyland and the first stage of the changes at Disney’s Marketplace.
  5. I love the fact that you walk about 5 miles a day, and it doesn’t feel like torture.
  6. I love some serious pool time.  I expect to do miles of pool walking in October just because I can.  🙂
  7. Amazing gourmet meals.  We make it a point to schedule one sit-down meal together for each day that we are there.  Favorites include Olivia’s, The San Angel Inn Restaurante and Tony’s Town Square.  And this year we will be there for the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT for the first time.  Looking forward to that!

My plan for today is to think on these wonderful “loves”, so that my zeal will be renewed, and I will put some extra active-ities into my day.  I finished setting up for the Womens’ Cookie Exchange this morning.  I will grocery shop on the way home from work today.  And tonight I will take a more active role in decorating the tree and the house for Christmas.  The kids will come over (Yay!) and we will have “The Dip” while we decorate and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  And you know what?  It is a wonderful life!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: The Dip is not a diet friendly dish.  We have it twice a year, (1) when we put up the Christmas Tree and (2) on Oscars night.  (A) In a pie pan you spread 8 oz. of cream cheese. (B) Top with 6 chopped green onions. (C) Top with a can of No Bean Chili. (We do one pan with no beans and one pan with beans) (D) Top with 8 oz. of sharp cheddar cheese.  You can either microwave for 5 minutes, or you can heat it at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  We prefer the oven, as it stays hot longer.  Serve with your favorite chips.  Mike and I prefer Ruffles; Jake and Eliza (aka The Kids) like blue corn chips.  Tonight we’ll also have veggies on the side.  For me: more veggies, less chips.  🙂

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Setting Up

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Day 117 in setting out to be in a healthier condition to meet with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October.  (10 months and 9 days to go)

Today’s plan is to set up.

  1. Set up Damascus Road, our church contemporary band.  We have had 3 weekends off because there were 5 Sundays in November, and we only play the first two Sundays of the month.  So I will move the chairs, music stands, microphone stands and microphones into place, move the piano into position (Thank the Lord its on casters!), and make sure everyone has the music they will need.
  2. Set up for the Women of St. James Cookie Exchange this Sunday.  I thought this would be an easy job, because it was almost already set up from the Advent Dinner last Sunday.  However, the Ladies’ Sewing Group is meeting in that room today, so everything has been moved out of place.  I prefer to think that God just is helping me to move more.  What do you think?

That’s it for today, dear friends.  Thank you so much for all the birthday love yesterday.  It was a very fun day.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Doing the Hard Work

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Day 114 as I walk toward Mickey at the Magic Kingdom (10 months and 12 days to go!)

Today’s plan was to get up early, head to the Lake Bluff Health and Fitness Club and walk before work this morning…and…mischief managed!  I did it…on a Monday…in single-digit wind chills.  That’s a bit of a miracle.  Hallelujah!  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13.  To God be the glory!

I step on the scale again on December 11.  I’m so curious to know how things went over the Thanksgiving holiday.  I did adjust the menu and some of the recipes to make them healthier.  Then Mike and I went to an Advent Dinner at church last night.  Again I chose carefully at the buffet table, and instead of loading up my plate with several of the scrumptious desserts on display, (like I have in years past) I only had a bit of Carol Bennett’s famous rice pudding with boysenberry sauce.  What a treat!  Carol, you never cease to amaze!

I like the way I feel.  I just feel better, healthier, more energetic.  Sore, too, from walking, but even that is a good sore.  It sure beats the soreness that was setting in from sitting too much!

Thank you so much, dear readers, for all your encouraging words.  I appreciate you more than you will ever know.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Keeping Busy

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Day 112 in my efforts to stay more active until I meet up with Mickey.

My plan for today was to go and take a walk at the COOL 5K/10K Walk/Run.  (A benefit for a local food pantry that is organized by some very good friends of ours.)  Best laid plans…  As I lay still awake at 3:00 am, I started to rethink that plan.  I was still glancing at the clock at 5:00 am.  It was just one of those inexplicable things.  There was no reason for me to be sleepless; I just was.  The next time I looked at the clock it was 10:00 am, and I’d slept through the beginning of the Walk.  Bleh!

So instead I’ve filled my day with a series of errands, walking extra steps in each place.

  1. First, off to Walgreen’s to pick up some cash and some vitamin B12 for Mike.  He was clean out and his doctor has him taking it every day.  I lapped the store on my way to the checkout counter.
  2. Then off to Aldi.  Have you ever been?  It’s a discount grocery store where you bag your own groceries in bags that you bring along.  The one I visited in ParkCity, Illinois, was not too busy, but a study in humanity.  We were a hodgepodge of every color and persuasion.  I was there for gift certificates for the Bethel Christmas Program at our church.  Every year we get the opportunity to shop for gifts, including food gift certificates, for people who then can purchase these gifts at a significantly reduced cost in a needy neighborhood in Chicago.  Those who have no money for the gifts can work in the Bethel Christmas Store to earn enough for what they wish to purchase for their families.  It’s a wonderful program, that is not perceived as outright charity, but as an opportunity to provide Christmas for your own family.  Anyway, I had to go to the checkout counter to buy the gift certificates.  When you walk into the store you must walk all the way through the aisles to get to the counter.  So again I lapped the place, humming the Christmas tunes that were playing in my head.
  3. Third, off to Heinen’s to shop for a few groceries.  I was picking up the ingredients for Barbecued Meatballs for our Advent Dinner at church tomorrow.  This year, for the first time, I will substitute Splenda and low-sugar catsup in an effort to get the sugar out.  I made sure to lap the store and even added extra trips up and down the aisles to get some extra steps in.
  4. Finally I am making many trips up and down the basement stairs doing laundry.

Busy, busy, busy…but it feels good to have a bit more energy to get it ll done.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Motivated at the Mundane Today

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Day 107 in my motion toward Mickey.

Today’s plan is to be active at the office.  I will:

  1. Set up a table and set up the display of the Advent devotionals in the church narthex.  FYI: The narthex is the entrance room to the church building.
  2. Put away the boxes of paper that were delivered to the office weeks ago and have been cluttering up my work space.
  3. Service the coffee machine.  Check coffee, decaf and chocolate supplies and top up the machine.  Check the water supply and restock the cups.
  4. Tidy up the ushers stand, print and put out the attendance sheets for Sundays, Advent and Christmas.
  5. I will walk to my work partners’ offices with messages and questions today, rather than emailing or phoning them.
  6. I will find a home for some Women of St. James files and items that came into the office today.
  7. And whatever else I can think of to keep moving.

The day will be a feel-good-about-my-moving day. And I, dear readers, will meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: For some reason Old Key West is really calling my name today.  I just LURV that place!  🙂

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Enjoying the View

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Day 106 in my reverie to a reunion with my favorite mouse Mickey.

Greetings from the top of Christmas Mountain.  Today we pack up and head home.  It has been a wonderful, whirlwind of a weekend.

Today my plan is to enjoy the view.  It is a gray morning here and there is a mist in the valley below us, but it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Then when we get home, we’ll go and shop for our Thanksgiving feast.  I’m going to skip the candied yams and the gravy this year.  We’ll have turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga and a half batch of stuffing.  Eliza and Jake will prepared the Brussels sprouts and salad.  I’m sure Mike will bake a custard pie.  It will be a feast for sure, but with a little healthier twist this year.

That’s about enough for today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I highly recommend Wisconsin Dells in the off-season.  There is still plenty to see and do, but the traffic is way more do-able than in the summer.  Between all the walking and swimming we’ve done, we’ve all managed to get plenty of exercise, too.