Category: Food

Christmas In Okeechobee

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 26, 2019

Merry Day After Christmas my friends. I hope that you got to spend some quality time with loved ones, or you got to do something that you love.

For the 2ND Christmas in a row I embarked on a Florida road-trip to and from just a few hours to the north of where I live. This time I drove 355 miles round-trip to West Palm Beach, and then over to Okeechobee. It was a 4-day road-trip. I returned home yesterday (Christmas Day) morning.

Over in West Palm Beach I saw Jim Gaffigan LIVE in concert at the Kravis Center For The Performing Arts. He’s my favorite comedian today. I last saw him in 2010. Ryan Hamilton opened for Jim. He was very funny. He reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld. The next morning I spent a couple of hours at the historic Palm Beach Zoo. I got in for free as a military veteran. It was my first visit since 2010.

A few times each year I visit a town in Florida that I’ve never been to before, I haven’t visited in many years, or I’ve only driven through – in order to determine whether or not I wish to move there in a few years after I retire. I selected Okeechobee several months ago, and I spent a couple of days and nights there leading up to Christmas Day. It’s on the northern side of the big Lake Okeechobee.

While in Okeechobee I visited the main attraction – the big Lake ‘O’. I walked a couple of miles high atop the dike / levee known as the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. If you were to walk completely around the lake then it would take you a few days to do so – because it’s 109 miles around the lake ! I also ate at a couple of family-owned restaurants “where the locals eat”, and I toured the town’s old historic downtown district. It was a fun visit, but I don’t think I’d want to move there after I retire. Its location is a bit secluded from other towns. I’ll visit again though. It’s got small-town charm.

I ended up taking over 110 photos of my excursions on this Florida road-trip. 3 of them are up above, and I’ll probably post about half of the remaining photos over on my Flickr site in the weeks and months to come.

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Merry Christmas

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 19, 2019

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On this Thursday before Christmas (next Wednesday) I take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you following me and reading my blog a very Merry Christmas.

My traditional family “Christmas” actually occurred 3 weeks ago today on Thanksgiving Day. For the past dozen years or so my family has enjoyed a hearty home-cooked Breakfast, and then shortly after that we’ve opened all of the presents underneath the Christmas tree. Once they are all opened it’s time to watch the Macy’s Parade, and then football for the rest of the day and into the night – pausing for about an hour to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner at around three in the afternoon.

On the day after Thanksgiving (“Black Friday”) Christmas is done and over for me. Well – sort of. For the first 3 weeks of December I get to observe and celebrate bits and pieces of Christmas here and there by putting up the Christmas tree and decorations in the church sanctuary, listening to Christmas music on the radio, watching Christmas shows on television, writing and sending out Christmas cards to friends from afar, and enjoying several Christmas luncheons with friends and coworkers.

We all celebrate Christmas in our own unique and traditional ways. May you spend this season with your loved ones. Make and share good memories that will last a lifetime. Honor each other. Love one another.

And may we remember why we celebrate Christmas.

And she will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21 NLT)

The LORD saves.

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Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 27, 2019

Today at Living Waters (my church family) we honored our Lead Pastor Bob for Pastor Appreciation Month at the start of our service, and I was also honored. Post-service most of us ventured over to the local Longhorn Steakhouse for good food, fun, and fellowship.

Today Pastor Bob preached on the “Healing Power Of Grace”. Grace brings us to the cross where our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ died a brutal bloody death because of all of our sins past, present, and future. We need Grace. Our God has given Grace to everyone in the whole world. Some accept it. Many reject it. For those of us that accept it we must use it towards others because God gave it to us as His gift – unmerited favor that we did not deserve. We are now justified eternally !

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this – not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time – to show us His grace through Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT)

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Weekends Begin On Thursdays …

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 17, 2019

… and they end on Mondays. Every weekend is a 4-day weekend here at #CountUp – at least when it comes to my blogging. I blog on Thursdays and Fridays. New posts are published at 3 AM EDT (U.S. East Coast Time). On Saturdays I generally go offline, and I stay off social media (for the most part). I may post a tweet or two of Scripture that leads-in to my Sunday.

On Sundays I blog post church service, so usually at or around 3 PM EDT. Finally on Mondays (back at 3 AM) I publish my brand new weekly hit music chart. It’s the continuation of a hobby of mine for the past 40+ years. (Casey Kasem was my idol as a preteen during the late-1970s. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.)

So this is my Thursday blog that’s unlike my Friday, Sunday, and Monday blogs. My Friday and Monday blogs are music-based. My Sunday blog is Bible-based. My Thursday blog can be about anything that I can think of at the time.

So the big thing this week is something that I’ve been thinking about doing for the better part of the past 6 months. I finally did it this past Tuesday night. I began a weekly subscription with Freshly. Maybe you’ve heard of it ? Maybe you know how it works ? It’s basically a service that ships to your front door (via FedEx or a similar company) a certain number of chilled microwavable meals on the same day every week for a set price. I’ve set up my account to receive 6 meals per week every Friday. The meals are cooked by real chefs with high-quality ingredients. I’m not going to say much more about it in advance (prior to receiving and eating a single meal), but I’ve watched a few videos online, and they were mostly favorable towards the service. It’s got its pros and cons. I’ll give it a chance. I can cancel at anytime if I decide that it’s not worth it.

Basically at age 52 I need to take much better care of myself. That starts with eating better. I eat (for the most part) terribly. I don’t cook, so I either eat out (way too much food at one time), or I eat in (prepackaged frozen foods). The Freshly meal service is designed to be refrigerated, microwaved, and then eaten within 4-6 days. Hello Lunch and Dinner !

I’ll have to get used to eating smaller portions than I’m used to, and that’s another goal of mine. I’m actually overweight. My ideal weight (for my height) is right around 165. I’d love to weigh 165. I’d love to be back in the 170s. I’m about 20 pounds overweight. I’m thinking that these Freshly meals will help me lose weight. Oh yeah – that – and far more exercise.

My main form of exercise is walking. How’s that working out for me ? I’ll let you know on a future Thursday blog.