One Step at a Time, and Taco Tuesday Returns!

Transitioning back into my routines is going well. Far better than I expected after being away for 2 weeks. I've slowly gotten back into things. That's what I do...hehehe One step at a time...LOL But it hasn't been the struggle I imagined it would be. In fact, I didn't even struggle for the 2 weeks I wasn't doing my routine. My heart missed a lot of things. But I was also enjoying being with family. It was a good balance ❤️

One thing from my routine I wasn't all that happy about getting away from was my daily Bible in a Year readings. Starting yesterday, I'm tripling up on those to catch up. I have a goal of being back on track by next week. There isn't anything wrong with being behind. I just don't like that I am. If I don't catch up this week, I'm okay with it, though. I made family time a priority over that. And rightfully so for this season of life. I still remained in the word and in prayer the whole time. I just didn't do any of the extra things I love to do...like the Bible in a Year readings...hehehe

But I did learn, in retrospect, that I can still find time for things like that when I'm doing things like vacationing or visiting family in Indiana. I gave it a break so that I could figure that out. My concern was focus. When it comes to prayer and Bible study, I find that I need to focus. Taking the break and observing how things were in those moments for 2 weeks, allowed me to pay attention to how I was feeling and how to recognize opportunities to focus on such things in the middle of a distracted world.

One key observation I made was how I remained connected to God throughout this experience. Despite the change in routine and not doing my Bible in a Year readings, I had no trouble focusing my prayers. Even in moments with distractions all around, I was still able to pray with focus. There were even a few times when this made an impact on how a handled a few situations that came up. As with any family, there are things that happen that are extremely uncomfortable. For what seems like the first time in my life, I was able to smoothly navigate those storms through prayer in the moment.

This isn't to say that it was easy to do. It most certainly was not. The calmness and peace I felt in my heart as I was praying through a few situations was contradictory to how I wanted to respond...LOL I even had a few moments when I was like, Who is this person I've become?! I don't recognize myself! LOL I mean that in a good way, of course. I was praising the Lord afterward because I'm so grateful for the transformation He has been doing in my heart this past year. I really like the person He is molding me into...hehehe I sure do wish it was easier. But I'm beyond grateful for what He is doing.

When I was on the Disney portion of my time away, I bought 6 new coffee mugs. And last week, I bought 1 new Christian coffee mug. I used this has an opportunity to reorganize my mug collection in the kitchen cabinets. I ended up moving a large portion of my collection to another cabinet that is much larger than the one I was previously using. Now I have more room for all the mugs I have. It is quite the collection, after all...LOL In fact, I just added these 7 new ones...LOL

A friend of mine sent me some money to use to buy myself a treat at Disney to celebrate my birthday. I decided to go with a coffee mug instead. Since they originally wanted me to get a treat, I found a mug that was themed with Disney treats...LOL Before I did that, I reached out to them to confirm it was okay to switch from a treat to a coffee mug...hehehe They were happy that I switched it up. Now, every time I use that mug, I'll be thinking about them...LOL

Although I had a Blessed time away, I'm very grateful to be back home. I'm especially grateful to be back in the kitchen. I missed cooking! I especially missed the foods I eat now. My body did well with the foods I ate while away. But nothing beats the food I eat at home now...hehehe I did find some things in Indiana for my morning toast and snacks. I also got some soups for a few lunches. I go to Sprouts here in Florida. In Indiana, they have something called Fresh Thyme. The stores are almost identical and carry many of the same products I buy. I'm definitely thankful for that!

Just like I did when I first got home a few days ago, I went to the store when I arrived in Indiana...LOL I wanted to be sure not all of my meals up there were going to be bad for me...LOL It all worked out well. The only issue I really experienced with my body this time was my allergies; which was to be expected. And I'm already recovering from that...hehehe

One of the many things I'm glad to be back at, now that I'm home, is Taco Tuesday! I sure did miss it...LOL Yes, I could have gotten tacos while away. But (1) they wouldn't be my tacos, and (2) it's hard to find a good taco in Florida and Indiana...LOL In all my travels, there are only two places I've gotten tacos I'd consider good. Obviously, my own tacos are the first place...LOL I mean that humbly, by the way. I love my tacos. But I have no clue if anyone else would love them. I think maybe my son is the only other person who has ever had one of mine...LOL The only other place I've had a good taco is in Southern California. I suspect the proximity to Mexico might be the reason for that...LOL No one knows tacos quite like someone from Mexican heritage. I didn't know what to expect. But those were by far the best tacos I have ever had...LOL

My first week away was at Disney World. I have had Disney World tacos before. Every time I have one, they are missing the Disney Magic...LOL One of my many taco variants is based on one of the Disney World tacos. Mine always turn out better than theirs...LOL Speaking of which, my recipe was featured on a YouTube channel 2 years ago...LOL

Last week, I had considered doing Taco Tuesday. But again, Indiana isn't a great place to find a good taco. I ended up abandoning the idea...LOL My son and I ended up at a wings place. I hadn't had chicken wings in a while. It was fun...and sinus cleansing...LOL We got a few high level hot sauces...LOL We also got some fried mushrooms that were delightful...hehehe

Anyway, I made salmon tacos for dinner tonight. They turned out really good. I think the last time I used salmon for my tacos was back in January. It was a good call...LOL