Oh, what a beautiful morning - and another lovely day!

I love these mornings when I don’t have to rush out of the house so early.  Although I awoke around 6, I waited until I detected some light coming into the bedroom before I arose.  Shortly after 7 am, it felt like the right time to go into the kitchen. The local wildlife was already stirring.  In the still-dim gray light of approaching dawn, a group of deer wandered peacefully through the backyard.  The sun was not yet over the horizon, but I could see brush strokes of pale pink through the bare tree branches.  Our friendly neighborhood red fox trotted past, looking remarkably well-fed.  Speaking of food, I made a special breakfast this morning:  scrambled eggs sprinkled with za’atar (a Middle Eastern mixture of thyme and sesame seeds) and a toasted English muffin with hummus – just for a little variety.  I also wanted to pack in some extra protein early in the day as a way of combating snack cravings.  This strategy worked quite well.  I was able to wait until lunchtime before I had anything else to eat.  Perhaps the fact that I was out of the house from shortly after breakfast until noon contributed to my success.  Elliott and I went out for a mall walk and a 10 o’clock “one-to-one” training session at the Apple Store.  And instead of stopping at Wegman's for groceries on the way home, where I probably would have had trouble resisting the salad bar, the Asian bar, the sushi bar, the pizza counter, etc., I chose to drive directly home for lunch.  I am actually quite proud of myself for doing this.  So I had a sensible lunch and I’m now cooking a pot of sweet potato and red lentil soup for dinner.  It also has leeks, carrots and celery, and it’s flavored with ginger, garlic, and curry powder.  The aroma is fantastic.