Date Night and Quiet Time Faves

This week flew by.

I don't often say or think that in the winter months.......especially in January.  But it really did go by fast...probably because of how busy we all were this past week, even with the 3 day holiday weekend.

I'm taking a few moments to find the 5 favorite things from my week.  Our gracious hostess Susanne can be found here so feel free to join in!

FIVE FAVES

photo courtesy of the Olive Garden

• DATE NIGHT!  Last Friday it was just Dave and I for dinner. The princess is back at college and the ballerina was off to a weekend winter youth group retreat.  She was having dinner at the church before boarding the bus so we went out to this place...one of my faves for a quick and inexpensive dinner. We didn't get there until close to 7 pm so we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table! Since I am cutting out white carbs (for the most part) and wanted a bread stick (or two!), I ordered a new dish:  Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Asparagus.  It was perfect!!  I also had salad, of course.  It was a nice evening as we lingered over drinks to chat and I felt really good about my food choices.  In fact, I didn't miss the pasta at all!! And I resisted dessert!! The blessing was the time spent alone with my husband.

photo courtesy of food network  

• NEW VEGGIE!  When I was grocery shopping on Saturday, I noticed bagged collard greens on sale. I had never had them before and since I love spinach and beet greens, I decided to buy a bag and experiment.  I'm cooking more plant-based meals and less meat and carbs so this was perfect. I wasn't sure if I was going to like them or not.  I followed a tip that the back of the bag had which was to saute half the bag with a bit of olive oil and minced garlic.  Then I chopped some red pepper and tossed that in.......oh my goodness, it was heavenly.  My husband and I loved it!  I have found a new veggie to cook with...the blessing is that it is jam packed full of health benefits.  I'll be doing a post later this weekend about those health benefits, so come on back!!

• Easy Appointment:  I had my first colon screening test done on Monday and everything went very well. I wasn't nervous about it and my husband came with me as the doc said I wouldn't be allowed to drive home from the hospital afterwards. The hospital I chose is a women's hospital on the edge of town and it was a very good experience.  I've never had to be in a hospital other than to give birth 2 times....and then they were both all natural births.  So she (my doc) was surprised that I wasn't nervous. I had the peace of God and went right to sleep with the meds and when I woke up about an hour later, it was time to have a snack and go home. The blessing is that  I don't need to do another one for 10 years, if then!  I love easy appointments like that!

photo courtesy of Dr Z's blog

• CARDINALS!  These birds are my absolute favorite (besides loons, blue jays and whippoorwills).  I didn't take the above photo as my small digital camera just doesn't have the kind of lense that can get the birds at the feeder when I'm on the deck. If I get any closer in the yard, they fly away.  BUT...last Saturday, while doing some dishes at the kitchen sink, I was looking out the window at the lightly falling snow and there were NINE male cardinals and 4 females. That's the highest number of that particular bird I've ever seen  in our 19 years of living here.  Sometimes, when I'm praying about something or thinking deeply about something, God has blessed me with a glimpse of a cardinal...the same has happened with one of my favorite animals (deer)....so....I just said a quick "thank You" to the Lord for these small, pretty creatures He created and smiled to my self at that blessing. It's so much fun to watch the birds at the feeder and it's something my mom used to like to do as well. Because I had been missing my mom this last weekend, I thought it was so neat that God used these little birds and their feedings to cheer me up (and something Mom used to like!)

• QUIET MOMENTS:  I've been enjoying the 10-30 minutes of quiet time I've built into my schedule in the late afternoons.  It's tempting to just come home from work and start in on the housework.  But with the new calendar year, I've been setting aside a half hour to 40 minutes of "me" time.  Time to re-charge emotionally (with a good book), physically (with a cardio or weight work-out) and spiritually( with this prayer book or the Scriptures, or the non-fiction I'm making my way through).  Because I work with an emotionally disturbed little boy most of the day on a 1:1 basis and help with 3 other first graders who have special needs, I  get drained, physically and emotionally, especially if he (or the other group) are having difficult days. Which they do. Often. Which is why they are in special education! So....I am really finding it to be a blessing to just SIT. and be STILL. and reflect on the things of the Lord or give my body some energy by working it.  What a difference my evenings are becoming.  I'm finding that I do have time to do a little housework each evening (I just concentrate on one room a day) and still have time to make a good dinner for the 3 of us (plus the crock-pot helps!) and get Claire to her numerous ballet classes.  I even have had more time to prep for the small group I lead during the week, rather than saving all the work for the weekends.  It's a blessing to have this schedule and these quiet times...even if some afternoons it's only for 10 minutes!!

That wraps up my week.

It's been another frigid, cold one but we have a roof over our heads with heat, good food, steaming mugs of coffee, fleece blankets, good books, and each other.....all blessings from the Lord....even if they are just mundane, everyday things.

What's been your faves from the week?  Please share in the comment section and have a restful weekend!