First Day of the Daniel Fast

First day of this years fast .... my husband and I are doing this fast for the third consecutive year. This day has really been a blessing for me. I started my day with having orange juice and rice cakes with peanut butter, then I went to church. On my way over there, I had green lights all the way. No cars were coming as I turned out on the main road either. 4 blessings in a row. At church the message was about not quitting and I met some new people from different walks of life with that in common that we all want to grow closer to our Creator.

The afternoon was spent driving the beautiful countryside outside of Nashville. The sun was shining and coloring the ridges and fields golden yellow. A blessing as well.

For dinner I cooked a tomato and mushroom sauce and had that on whole wheat spaghetti. It is a very easy meal to fix. I brown chopped onions, a clove of chopped garlic and chopped mushrooms in olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour a can of diced tomatoes on there and simmer while the pasta is cooking. Add Italian seasoning and then it's yum-yum time. Another blessing.

This was the first day of 21. Looking forward to the rest!

Following Growth

 There is only one word to describe the wonders of watching a growing flower bulb ...

... amazing!

Favorite Places to Eat

Anywhere where I can get something Vegetarian. One of those places is Mellow Mushroom. It is so great to come to a place where you don't have to settle for a side salad and a baked potato ... and the pizza options are more than just a cheese or three cheese ... there are five signature vegetarian pizzas. Heaven. I'm already looking forward to my next Holy Shitake Pie.

Kriz Rogers' quotes

To live is to learn to love .... and to learn to love to live and learn.

Sometimes God throws you curve balls just to see how you react. Once you've learned, He will throw something else at you. That is the beauty of living: you never stop learning.

Laying around thinking is good when one thinks good thoughts.

Love is a precious gem - wear it as a jewel and let it shine onto others.

Many good small things in your heart grow a big warm heart.

A human being is a product of its actions through the free will.

One cookie a day keeps you smiling all day.

Be grateful for where you have been for that is part of where you are.

When you feel God in your heart, Love will always be in your life.

Brain Training

Games are fun! If they are ones that help you move forward and educate you that is :-) I have found a site called www.lumosity,com and in just a few minutes you can get your brain activity going at the same time as you're having fun. To use a very popular expression: it is a win-win situation. They'll keep track of your progress for you. They say the strengths of my brain are Attention and Flexibility and I believe it. Now I'm off to my daily dose of progress ...

To be or not to be ...

... is a stupid question! I was born, therefore I am!

Acknowledgement for comfort food

Just gotta share what my husband said when I had cooked Christmas dinner for him this past Christmas ... he took a few bites and exclaimed with a surprised tone in his voice "You've turned into an American!" That is the best compliment I could have been given from him :-) He really loved the dinner. What I cooked? Corn Bread, Corn Bread Dressing, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mashed Potatoes with Sweet Peas and Fruit Salad. I cheated when it came to the turkey though ... had some frozen already cooked pieces of meat ... but still ... I've turned into an American!