Hello everyone!  How has your weekend been so far?

Friday Night

Last night Ben and I planned to watch a movie together, but after a busy day and still being emotionally and physically drained (Worry and anxiety take a toll on your body too!), I fell asleep on his lap on the couch instead.  When I woke up, I did a little personal reading that always makes me feel better, had a bowl of watermelon, and went to sleep.

Saturday Morning

When I first woke up this morning I felt brighter than I had.  Since today was a rest day for me, Ben and I slept in a bit, but for some reason when I rolled back over to sleep a little more I had a very broken sleep.  My mind kept racing, I started over thinking, and eventually my spirit was back down.  I almost felt like a drone, going through the motions, but not necessarily present in the moment.  With what reason?  Absolutely none.  It’s summer vacation! After becoming emotional again to Ben as well as my parents who called to check in on me, I realized that something had to be done.

I have my health, a wonderful career, friends and family who I love and love me unconditionally, a house, a dog, and a future to look forward to with the man I love.  There is no reason I should feel upset, and it’s not me (I’ve always been a positive and strong person!), so I asked Ben if we could take a drive to someplace that has been very special to me and my family for generations.  I needed to recharge my batteries, change my negative thoughts to positive thoughts, and I needed to do it fast.

Breakfast

Once again, my appetite wasn’t 100%, so I wanted something cool, creamy, and light.

When I saw I had some more blueberries in the refrigerator, I knew I wanted to incorporate them into my breakfast.

I then grabbed one, 6 oz. container of nonfat, 0% Lemon Chobani Greek yogurt. It is perfectly sweet and tart, without any stabilizers or artificial additives, and it is only 140 calories with 0 grams of fat! This one container also packs 15 grams of protein and 15% calcium!  The Lemon flavor is all natural with no artificial flavors or preservatives. It also contains no synthetic growth hormones, but it does contain live and active cultures as well as three types of probiotics. The yogurt is also vegetarian friendly, kosher certified, gluten free, and safe for people with corn, soy, and nut allergies.

I topped the  blueberries with the yogurt, and it was a fabulous combination! This was my first time trying the Lemon, and I LOVED the flavor!

I also sprinkled some chopped walnuts on top for some protein, healthy fats, and crunch.

After a mug of French Roast coffee with some skim milk, it was time for a shower and a little trip.

Saturday Afternoon

Now, if you are a regular reader of HHH (Thank you!), and even if you stop in once in a while (Welcome!), you may know that I do not get religious on my blog for a few reasons; however, today Ben and I visited a place that has a very special meaning to me… St. Joseph’s Shrine in Stirling, New Jersey.

St. Joseph’s Shrine is a very calm and peaceful place that my father used to go to with his parents and where my parents used to bring my siblings and I every year for a picnic and to play frisbee, wiffle ball, and board games as a day trip.  Whenever I am at the shrine, I feel as if everything becomes much clearer, that life becomes so much simpler, and that I really count my blessings.

This was Ben’s first time at the shrine, so we walked around as I showed him the stations of the cross

and shared stories from when I was younger.  We lit a prayer candle for our families with some special intentions,

and we visited the very special September 11th Memorial they built there.

The Tower of Remembrance is meant to be a place of healing, prayer, and peace honoring the innocent victims who died on September 11, 2001.  The Memorial uses steel from the North Tower Building of the World Trade Center as a symbol of hope, and the name of each victim who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania is inscribed on the memorial wall.

The Tower of Remembrance is a place where many go to reflect on the sacredness of the lives remembered.  Lining the walls were balloons, stuffed animals, pictures, flowers, and special, personal items family members and friends have left for their loved ones.  A bell tolls forty-six minutes after each hour starting at 8:46 AM and ending at 8:46 PM.  It tolls four times in remembrance of the lives lost at the North Tower, at the South Tower, at the Pentagon, and in the field in PA.

After visiting the tower, Ben and I went to the gift shop to purchase a few inspirational and meaningful items and walked the grounds a bit more.

I showed him some of the statures that has some personal meaning to me, the picnic tables my family used to sit at,

and the hills my father used to sled down as a little boy.

Before leaving, I also showed the bench my father and I always sat on, overlooking the grounds to talk.  Back in college when I had fallen into some unhealthy habits and then when I came so close to losing my life , my father had brought me here to help me get stronger and recharge my batteries.  I always left a new, refreshed person, and today was no different.  I went down to one of the statues that had a special meaning to me to pray alone, and when I got up, I felt like I could breathe again.  I felt free, confident, and back to my old, happy self, and I was grateful, healthy, and feeling strong.

Saturday Night

Dinner

Ben and I both hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and we were both extremely hungry when we got back home, so we decided that for dinner we would order in from Avenue East , an Asian Fusion restaurant.  Avenue East is extremely conscience is providing healthy and nutritious, low-fat,, heart-healthy, portion controlled dishes with the finest ingredients.  They use no MSG, use 100% cholesterol-free canola oil with zero trans fat, low sodium soy sauce, 100% white meat chicken, lean cuts of USDA grade beef, and they list calories, carbs, protein, fat grams, and fiber for each item.  They even work with an RD and a member of the American Dietetic Association to ensure the health of their foods!

We started by splitting an appetizer of Satay Beef, which was grilled beef over sweet cucumber, onions, and carrots, and served with peanut sauce.  The beef was excellent, and while I tried and liked the sauce, I actually enjoyed the beef without it!

For my appetizer I also had an order of steamed edamame.

My entree?  Three sushi rolls all made with brown rice and with no sauce.

I enjoyed a Salmon Avocado roll,

an Alaska Roll (salmon, baby greens, cucumber, and avocado),

and a Tuna Avocado roll.

My grandpa always said that you feel better after you eat, and boy was he right.  The food was delicious, and with a full stomach, I felt even better. :)

Once dinner was over I called to check in with my dad, my best friend, and we had a great talk about how worry and anxiety is negative energy, and it is up to us to turn it into positive energy.  I am on top of the world, with so many things going great and with so many things to look forward to.  Whatever was blocking me from seeing that the last few days, I can thankfully and happily report is gone, and my batteries are recharged. :)

Now someone is giving me those eyes…

Since you two were out by yourselves this afternoon, and it’s the weekend, I think I deserve some attention. Thank you.