WEDNESDAY THOUGHTS

Here in my world, as most likely in yours, it’s Wednesday.  Hump Day as some call it.  Choir night we call it.  For the bulk of this week I have been home alone.  You might expect that I’ve accomplished much being at home.  And alone.  Not so.  I wish I could say it was true and I have tried.  I REALLY have tried, but I get so distracted with “things”.  I will say, though, I have done a lot of thinking  and guess I have accomplished some things or parts of some things.

I have walked my now routine three miles all three mornings this week.  This week I did it in 55:18.  Pretty good for an older girl, huh?  I would say especially one that has been as slow as I have been most of my recent life.  I feel very empowered after I do that walk each day.  Sweaty and tired, but empowered. 

I rejoiced when I did my routine weigh-in this morning and the scale told me I was a pound less than before.  That makes about 33ish, I guess. 

Having received a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis three months ago, I am striving to change my way of living when it comes to food and exercise.  I have gained so much more respect for The Girl and the fact that she’s lived with Type 1 diabetes for so many years.  Even though many of those years I did a lot of the shots and such for her, I see now how hard it was when those sugars were not where they should be.  I am coming along.  Slowly but coming along.  One of the struggles I have is when I am home for three days in a row and do a lot of cooking.  The pantry in my house is so inviting.  It’s sooooo hard to eat healthy things when I want some of those snacks.  My eyes tell my stomach that it’s hungry but I know that it’s really not.  It’s a struggle that I will get a handle on.  So today when I had my lunch, I was excited that it was somewhat healthy.  And a plateful.  Okay it was a small plate but it was full.   I took a picture for you to see.

I discovered the salad with the carrots at my neighborhood grocery store where the nice lady does the portable cooking.  Yum.  It’s delicious.  And the chicken salad is my own recipe while the crackers are a new gluten free kind I found, Nabisco Gluten Free Rice Thins—Black pepper kind.  Yum.  I will put the recipes at the end of this post for you who are interested.

So, now that I have said all that unimportant stuff, I will get to my point.  I went outside to eat my lunch.  It was cool today even though the sun was shining.  As I sat there eating, I noticed an animal zipping across my yard.  It was the prettiest little rabbit.  It’s name had to be Peter.  I got a smile and warm feeling when I saw it. 

Every day twice a day at our house, five deer come into our yard to eat our weeds.  Our grass is not very good looking, but the weeds get very green in the summer and give the illusion of grass.  I had gone out right before dark last night, turned the corner and there were those deer.  They just stood and looked at me.  They didn’t run, nor did they seem afraid.  They just looked at me and then kept eating.  I also enjoyed them on Monday during the rain when they played in the ponds that had formed in my yard from the rain.  No cares.  No worries.  Just delight. 

So I guess the point of my thought process today is that I am again reminded of how much my God cares for me.  In the sermon on Sunday I got such a blessing when the preacher said that if God lined up everyone in the world, He would assure everyone that He loved them all the same.  I was so blessed because it reminded me again of that great love.  For me.  And for you.   I knew that was the truth and that He loves me in spite of my sins.  In spite of my distractions.  He loves me.  And just as that little rabbit and those deer know how to live in the world because their creator made them that way, I can overcome any problems, any worries, and any cares just because my creator knows me and loves me. 

And it makes me ever so happy to tell you about His love again.  I hope it makes you happy to hear it and know that Jesus loves you, too!

Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts  *see note

l small can crushed pineapple in juice, drained

1-1.5 cups chopped pecans

Mayo to your taste

*The chicken is delicious if smoked in a smoker but that is too much trouble for me.  I boil the chicken, drain and chop it then add liquid smoke to taste before adding the pineapple, nuts, and mayo.

Cucumber Carrot Salad

l/4 c. sweet chili sauce (I cut this back for the lower sugar effect.)

2 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 large cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced

1 c. matchstick carrots

½ c. sliced green onions

Whisk chili sauce and vinegar in medium bowl until blended.

Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and slice.  Add cucumber and remaining ingredients to sauce mixture; toss to coat.  Chill until ready to serve.