One Day At A Time: Your Dreams Can Change- Part 3~ Day 45

Part 3...

And yes, there was a silver lining to my book failure and my collapsed dream to help finance an orphanage in my homeland. I met one reader that loved the book so much, he married the author and became my husband, my soul mate, my family.

My new family with Lauren, 7 and Jerry at 14. :)

I am grateful for this unexpected turn in my journey, and the path that took me to having everything my heart desired MOST!. It is soooo cliques to say it today, but… “Love changed everything!” : )

Though I didn't achieve my orphanage dream, my book did lead me to another dream! So I set the orphanage dream aside to focus on “my family”.

Great memories with Jerry & Lauren when they were young in California

James' nephew, Todd Swanson, my brother, Jason and family rode our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Mary came to stay & visit us in California for awhile.

The secure and forever feeling that comes from a loving and committed family had always been an elusive part of my life, yet my heart never stopped yearning. Today my heart is finally at peace, living safely in a “forever home” built by my husband’s love for me.

After my book tour, we left Atlanta when my husband took a job in California with ConAgra Foods. He managed a Hunt’s Tomato plant in Oakdale, and we lived 10 country miles away in Modesto. Modesto is a city of about 200,000 in what is known as the “Central Valley”, one hour east of San Francisco. It is definitely in the agricultural region that California is known for. Miles and miles of every type of fruit and vegetable crop known to man. And of course, vineyards as far as the eye can see. For the trivia buff, Modesto is the setting for the 1960’s classic “American Graffiti”. George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, is a Modesto native.

Our California beginning...

Our life in California was good. It was a state we both wanted to live in because of its out door life and months of good, blue sky, weather. There is so much beauty and contrast of landscape in California.

We met many good friends in Modesto. We were welcomed with open arms by many wonderful people who made us feel at home on the other side of the country.

We miss you, Susan! sniff, sniff...

We miss our friends, Larry & Sharon in California so much! Our social life hasn't been the same since...:(

We even miss "Sal" , our BEST Bartender in Cali whenever we entertained at home! :)

With all the good dry weather, James got me started on running when we first got to Modesto. I told him I wasn’t a runner and didn’t like running at all. He told me the trick was to take it slow, and build my endurance over time. One year later we were running the LA Marathon together, followed by a weekend of sailing at one of the sailing clubs that James had joined when he lived in LA several years earlier.

Sail away after our LA Marathon Race in 2005!

I loved running. The freedom, the easiness, the endorphins, the “put on a pair of running shoes anywhere and explore the area” feeling. And the hard body booty was just a side bonus!!

I could write so many positive experiences from our 4 years of living in California.

From cruising in our two seater convertible, to great parties with our friends, to exploring the areas beauty, to trips to San Francisco and LA, to scuba diving trips, to RV trips, to eating “fresh” fruits & vegetables, to endless sunsets over the Pacific.

Family's Scuba Day

Both James and I were our healthiest,… physically, emotionally, and socially, in our California home. I still miss those years, today! Our East Coast way of life is totally different from our West Coast! Perhaps, one day our journey will take us back there again. :)

Christmas party at our house!

But all good things come to an end, or so it seems that way in my life experiences. I truly love my life, and where I am today. I look back on that time when I first met James, and our “newlywed” life in Modesto, with such fond memories that I can’t help but smile.

And none of this would have been my reality had I not written that book to fund my dream to rebuild an orphanage. I learned that as long as we have dreams, we have hope, and when we act on those dreams with drive and commitment, only goodness follows,… if we are open to expect the unexpected, and are willing to travel new and uncharted forks in the road.