The third Monday...

Monday morning, the THIRD Monday of the month. The embroidery shop where I work is closed on the third Monday of each month. There's no real reason that we're closed every third Monday, except that we really like three day weekends so we decided to arrange our schedule to insure that we would get at least one three day weekend in each month. So anyway...the third Monday is usually my day to just hang out, catch up, go have coffee with my Mom and my sister...whatever. It's my day. So yesterday I was finishing up things here at home, drinking coffee and planning to go and hang out with my Mom and sister for a while and then to the grocery store...and whatever other errands needed to be done. I had my day sort of outlined out...then my phone rang. It was my beloved announcing, "Well, I'm on my way home. The job didn't come in."

Can I just stop right here and tell you how much I dislike those words!!?? It's happening more and more these days. However, I am on a quest to become quieter and calmer and to not voice the panicky thoughts that race through my brain when I hear those words that mean another week of not enough work. I am determined not to nag and criticize and tell him how much I think he needs to go out and get a better job. What do I know? Maybe this is the job God has for him right now and who am I to say different? So, I am working on being calm and supportive and trusting God that If I will respond to my husband in a way that is pleasing to Him (God) then I need not worry about the future or the small paychecks or anything else that my mind wants to cling to and worry about. After all, wasn't it just last week that my memory verse was:

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...

Oh yeah, that one. I guess freaking out about the lack of hours at Vern's job isn't really an option if I believe those words now, is it?

So, by the grace of God, I hear THOSE WORDS..."the job didn't come in," and I swallow hard, and CHOOSE to ignore the panicky feeling that is trying to well up from my belly and come out of my mouth in words that will not encourage, support and build up my beloved...and I say "Great! Let's spend the day together."

This is the day that followed....

Breakfast. We decided that it would be fun to go down to one of our favorite places, the waterfront along Harbor Drive, and try and catch a glimpse of the wayward whale that has found its way into the San Diego Bay. So I grabbed a banana and had it along with my second cup of coffee as we got ready to head out for an unplanned day off. 3 points for the banana and two cups of coffee.




I called my sister, Joyce, the one who grows the beautiful flowers in my parents' yard and cares for my Dad and is my hero...and who I was supposed to be going to have coffee with...and I invite her to come along with us. Here we are together.



Here's Vern and I...notice how postive and sweet I am being?...LOL. Actually, once I made the decision to not be anxious and worried, I had a great time!



Here's Vern and my sister and the crowd that had gathered to try and catch a glimse of the whale in the bay. We never actually saw the whale, but we did see the spray from its blow hole when it surfaced for air. We saw a large sea lion and watched the different waterfowl diving and swimming...things that delighted my sister! She doesn't get down to the water very often so she didn't realize that the sea lions are just right there swimming around and the birds just dive right into the water! It was fun watching her delight in these things!



Along with whale watching, we walked. We walked over to this little park near the Midway Museum. I love this statue so much!



After we had walked and walked, we decided we were hungry. Vern surprised me by suggesting Subway for lunch. He usually wants to eat at the more expensive places in Seaport Village. Not only are they expensive but they are difficult for me to get diet friendly choices at. So I was surpried and happy when he suggested Subway. It was sweet when he explained to me that he chose it because he knows it's easy for me to eat there and not blow all of my points on one meal! What a sweet guy!

So, I had a six inch Veggie Delight, on whole wheat, with just a tiny bit of sweet onion dressing. I had a bag of baked chips and an iced tea sweetened with splenda. Here's my 6 point lunch. ( I had eaten half of my sandwich before I remembered to take a photo of it!)



After lunch we drove back to my parents' house and dropped my sister off. We stayed for a few minutes, had another cup of coffee, visited with my Mom and then headed home.

By 6pm I was really hungry. Vern had a huge, meaty sandwich at Subway so he wasn't hungry...so dinner was just for me. I made oven "fried" onion rings, a Sebastian sandwich on a "Flat Out" flatbread, (tuna salad. coleslaw, and cheese, all leftovers from other meals, grilled in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray)and some steamed asparagus. It was really delicious and hit the spot! This meal which looks sinfully fattening set me back a mere 7 points!


True to form, I wanted something sweet and yummy later in the evening. I had a cup of plain yogurt, sweetened with stevia and flavored with a little vanilla extract, over 1 cup of thawed blueberries and topped with a banana....for 4.5 points.


Total points used: 20.5
Points remaining for the day: 3.5
Target 24 points per day
Weekly points used 0
Weekly points remaining 35

I went to bed with a full and satisfied stomach, a slight sunburn on my forehead...and a happy husband who didn't have to listen to me whine and fret one single time!