Wow - what a difference a day can make.  I felt a little better by the time I went to bed - don't know if it was writing it out, or drinking a "Herpower" drink that helped stabalize me, but either way, I didn't feel like biting everyone's heads off by the time I went to be.  I think it was about 11 'ish when I got into bed.  THEN...  guess who woke up at 4:30 AM and couldn't fall back asleep???  Yup - that would be me!  At 5 I gave up trying to sleep and got up.  It was a great morning.  I made some baked oatmeal and green smoothie for breakfast, did my scripture study, got shower, and still got to work on time.  Surprisingly enough, I didn't even fall asleep mid afternoon like I usually do.  SO - today was a pretty great day.  I'l take it!

Fun side note - not related to my food and lifestyle changes...  but we got Tesla solar panels put on our roof today and a battery wall installed on the side of the house. 

Another fun thing from today was that this morning - at 5 am...  I happened to check the online scheduling for the local temples, and I was pleasantly surprised to fine an opening for initiatory at 5:15 at the Provo, Utah temple.  It was great to go.  I have been able to go to the temple once a week for the past month and it has been a blessing.

Last thing - I work up and found a tender mercy in my email box.  I got a blog post from the Amen Clinic about looking for the micro-moments of happiness.   The following is not the entire post, but the main points.

"The big “H”— happiness—doesn’t require major life-changing events, accomplishments, or milestones. Start finding joy in the smallest things you can: hearing a bird sing outside your window, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face when you step outside, petting your dog or cat, taking that first sip of your favorite brain healthy smoothie, or cracking open a new book.

These are micro-moments of happiness.

Most of us gloss over these little things, searching instead for the big experiences. But it’s important to savor these precious times because, when your brain pays attention to them, they add up to more overall contentment and satisfaction with your life. The more micro-moments you cherish, the greater your sense of joy.

One of the quickest ways to identify the little things that make you happy is with an exercise called the 4 Circle of Happiness. Basically, you identify happiness boosters in each of the following 4 areas of your life:

• Biological Circle: how your physical body and brain function
• Psychological Circle: developmental issues and how you think
• Social Circle: social support, your current life situation, and societal influences
• Spiritual Circle: your connection to God, the planet, past and future generations, and your deepest sense of meaning and purpose

To do this exercise, take a sheet of paper, draw 4 circles, and write “Biological” in one of them, “Psychological” in the second one, “Social” in the third one, and “Spiritual” in the last one. Within each circle, write down the micro-moments that make you happy in that area of your life while keeping these questions in mind:

• What brings a smile to your face?
• What makes you feel good about life?
• What do you value most?

When you have finished, look at how many things you have listed in each circle. Does one circle have a much shorter list? Are you out of balance in any of these areas? If so, you may be neglecting one of your circles.

I didn't take time to do it today - but I think this would be a good exercise for me to do.  Well - that's it for my day.  Tomorrow I need plan a menu for next week.  (Always the biggest challenge for me...  wish me luck!

Food Log for today:

Breakfast: baked chocolate chip oatmeal topped with strawberries and pure maple syrup & a green smoothie (spinach, kale, carrot juice, beet juice, orange, strawberries, pineapple, dates, ground flaxseed)

Lunch:  leftover creamy broccoli potato casserole, baby carrots & snap peas dipped in hummus

Dinner:  red pepper tomato soup with sprouted whole grain toast & an apple