Playing the "glad" game...

Hi friends, how's your Thursday feeling?

I gotta say that today, I felt the most normal. I'm sure it's because I visited my office. I've been at my job for 23 years and it identifies me in so many ways.  I know that's probably not healthy but my law school is a special place and it's extended family in some ways.  My pride stung a bit when I realized I was replaceable....  I recognized immediately that pride is not useful and so I reminded self to be grateful and that many good things have come out of this C. The most special is that I can not hug and tell my kids "i love you" more freely. We are not lovey/dovey people--it's becoming easier for us.  The other is that I now have a "backup"and if I want, I can now take a real vacation.

I am also feeling much more confident wearing a hat or scarf.  Luckily, it's the cold months so I don't stand out so much....

Cooking

Tomorrow is my second chemo and I wanted something in the freezer that I can eat that will nourish my body. So I looked at what I had and decided to roast a spaghetti squash.

My spaghetti squash was too hard to cut. I poked holes all around, and placed in the oven on a cookie sheet. I roasted for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Then, I pulled it out and sliced it in half. It was much easier to cut once it was cooked. I then seasoned  with salt and pepper.  This was by far the easiest method to cook the squash.

I then browned a package of Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey. This is the first time I bought this brand ,and I will definitely buy it again. I definitely liked the Italian seasonings.

 Once my meat was totally browned, I added the last of my chopped kale.

 And because I love EASY, I opened a can of traditional spaghetti sauce. I forget the brand, but it was whatever was on sale.

I then took a Corelle dish (I bought this dish at a yard sale. I think it's from the sixties.  It's chipped but it's still useful).  I layered the squash in the dish spreading with a fork.

Layered the turkey/kale/sauce mixture, then topped-off with Mozzarella cheese. I read on-line that cheese was not recommended with chemo. It's soooo hard to NOT eat cheese. I am quite the cheese whore.  But maybe a little won't hurt?

I then baked my casserole in the over for 30 minutes.  I am pretty sure these Corelle dishes can go from freezer to oven.

My spaghetti squash was huge, so I saved a little for today's lunch and dinner. I can easily eat the same thing all day.  I'm weird like that... See the specks of cheese from my grating?  I couldn't let the crumbs go to waste. LOL

Oh, and did you notice the Christmas table cloth? I picked it up from my office. I do not have a Christmas tree in my house, and I need to feel Christmas despite all that's going on at the moment. It's been a rough few months i.e., my surgery/chemo, my son-in-law's emergency appendectomy and my daughter's hysterectomy... I'm very proud of my family. They have all been such troopers. We are counting our blessing and are putting the Christ back in Christmas.

I've learned that there will always be trials and tribulations because that's life.  What really makes a difference is how we deal with them.... counting one's blessing and playing Pollyanna's glad game is so much beneficial.  You all remember Pollyanna, right?  She was take a bad event and find the good. You should rent her movie one day. I saw it as a kid and it has always stayed with me.

Paula