My Glory Day in the Hot Sun--Nacho Libre.

So as I was looking at my book on the Amazon page, I hoped to hear a great "AHHH" of angels, or clapping, or something! Instead I got to hear my kids fight about the last juice box and who should get it! I walked away from the computer and punched the whole on the juice box then proceeded to equally distribute the meager contents into three cups.

So if you were ever wondering what it feels like to be a published author--now you know!

Life goes on, kids are great reminders of that. But as I squirted that juice I was thinking how happy I was. But that happiness has come mostly from other things. Seeing my dream of writing a novel and being published has added to that happiness, but it hasn't been the sole source of it.

After the juice box incident I did exactly what this picture shows, went to the garden and drank a Mate with my husband. What we talked about was: The next dream!

Dreaming and working toward dreams or goals has added a great new dimension to my life. It has been hard, I've had to give up other hobbies and social events. But it has given me something I was missing. Don't get me wrong, I was happy before, but now I feel complete! Like when you make a cake, then you add the frosting or the glaze.

If I were to make a recipe for happiness, I would add one cup of God (service, prayer, scripture reading) and one of Family (the every day working, talking, feeding, cleaning, teaching stuff). Then I would shake in work (providing for material needs) and a pinch of Dreams or Goals.

Dreams are the zest of life, the extra flavor that makes the dish worth eating (often times you put it on top). When you make Lemon Cake, you scrub the yellow of the peel into the batter, being careful to not get the white part, because it makes it bitter.

Likewise, the taste of your life depends on a careful balance between the flavor and the main ingredients. I haven't always been the best at it, sometimes my 'cake' has been a little on the lemony side. But I have found that on the days that I'm happiest, I scrubbed that lemon very lightly.



Lemon Jell-O Cake

(From the Family Cookbook--by Rebecca Bell)

1 Small Pkg. Lemon Jell-O
1/2 C. oil
3 Eggs
1 Yellow cake mix
1 tsp. lemon extract


Icing:
1 C. powder sugar
Juice of one lemon
RIND OF ONE LEMON, GRATED!