Thanks to everyone that stayed through the tech issues on the Livestream yesterday, it looks like the replay is working on a computer now and not on a phone. If you weren't able to join yesterday or couldn't get it to work you can always post questions here anytime and I (and others) will do our best to answer them!
We are headed to lunch today with some of our new friends here in Spain. It's a beautiful day here in Madrid and outdoor dining is very popular! Getting a table for 8 people at a prime dining time is very hard here (and our friend made the reservation). I knew we couldn't be too picky about the type of restaurant considering the circumstances.
The restaurant is a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant and the idea is that you get several small plates of food to share amongst everybody. That type of restaurant is typically difficult for us as carnivores as many of the plates are not things that we we eat. In these situations I try to be as proactive as possible and plan ahead so that I can inevitably go with the flow.
Chris and I have already looked at the menu online to see what our food options might be and then with the language barrier what we think could be easily adjusted to work for us. We also have talked about potentially eating before we go so we aren't really hungry, but have decided that we'll just eat what we can there and then plan a larger dinner this evening in case we don't eat very much.
In situations like this, we have to remind ourselves that the people that we are with and the circumstances that we are in are much more important than the actual food that we get to eat. I'm confident there's going to be some meat and cheeses and a couple other things that we can have. But overall I'm not going into this meal expecting to come out really full or even getting my money's worth. 😂😂
But all that being said, it really takes the stress and pressure off of me finding the right thing to eat when I know that the whole point of this meal is not about the food, it's about the experience and the people. Being in situations where I have no idea what and when I'm going to be able to eat is really stressful for me. So feeling very prepared and having some backup plans is how I can go into a situation like this very relaxed and enjoy my time not worrying about the food.
Do you ever look at the menus online before you go to a restaurant? 😂😂 I hope you have a great day!!
Cheese is good! I ate a block of chipotle oven baked cheese with lunch yesterday and it was divine. I love it, but know that it halts any progress I'm making, and will even trigger eating in excess to where I'll gain weight. It's sad but I have accepted it. If I eat it in small quantities with a meal, it's ok, but I really have to work to keep it in check.
What's your favorite cheese? How do you incorporate it? Do you see negative results when eating it?
Happy Sunday! Sharing a video today from our week, one of the highlights. This was Wednesday evening church, normally they have a more casual prayer meeting where someone plays the guitar, but they were doing some construction in the fellowship hall so they had their prayer meeting in the sanctuary. No one was there to play the piano so my my Grandma did it, she's been playing the piano in church for probably 80 years.
For context, she's 88, she had a really bad fall 5 years ago now and hit her head and ended up with a lot setbacks, similar to having a stroke. She has a lot of dementia like symptoms also (I am sure related to her Type 2 diabetes), she really can't read music anymore, and she has trouble seeing well, and she needs to wear hearing aids to hear but hates wearing them, so on this night she didn't want to wear them. My 93 (almost 94) year old grandpa takes care of both of them on their farm. Anyway, on this night she sat down on the piano and led worship as people called ...
Happy Saturday! I hope you are all doing well. I know some people in the group have had some recent tough news for themselves or family members. It really puts the day to day issues we face into perspective, and reminds me to just focus on doing the best I can to be as healthy as possible. To those who are having a hard time, we are all here for you and sending you some prayers and support. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 Just focus today on doing the best you can and remember that food isn't going to bring you the comfort you are looking for.
Here is a little video of Penelopes performance from her piano recital l last night, she's been taking lessons for about a year and a half. 🎹🤍🖤
*Livestream Monday night at 4pm pst/7pm est
Happy Friday! I made it back from Calgary with no issues yesterday, I even got an earlier connection so I got home earlier than planned. I didn't get much sleep on this trip so definitely early to bed the next few nights to make up for it. My vertigo was a a lot better the last few days also, so I think those exercises I was doing helped. Thank you for your prayers.
How has your week been? Any temptations this weekend that you are nervous about?
Happy Friday Evening! I’m losing weight again! It took a significant decrease in calories to get moving again but I’m happy and not starving. New lowest weight recorded of 146.9!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
If I can ask for some prayers and good juju I’m going to look at two houses tonight. Fingers crossed!! I’m so tired of renting 😤
Last weekend we had a young elk buck hanging outside our cabin. It was amazing being so close to such a huge wild animal. Ironically a buddy of mine shot an elk this week and brought me a bunch of meat for my freezer. Full circle. I've never been much of a fan of game meat due to the gamey flavor. I think the ground meat and sausage will be fine but there's also a chuck roast.
What tips do any of you have for preparing it? Are you a fan of deer/elk?
