A salad, some chocolate and a bookstore...

You are all so amazing to be pumping me up after my Macy-Sue's untimely demise at the hands of an agent today. So many comments and emails of building me up and encouraging me to not give up! Thank you! I have to tell you though, this is not my first attempt at the submissions game - I have been submitting (for 2 years) a variation of 15-20 picture books, a chapter book, a crafting book and a few inspirational books for women. Boy, how I could have used you all along the way. Although I have had well over 100 rejections, God tells me this is His plan for me, to touch more lives then I could ever imagine. So, in order to win the favor of my Father, I should get my life in order, right? I struggle with this. I am a very intense person when I get an idea and I have a hard time focusing on anything but the project ahead of me. On most days, the baby's nap time is my computer time. I may blog, research or just waste time clicking my acrylic nails across the keyboard on my DELL-friend. Yesterday, I sent my Macy-Sue book dummy off to the agent via email and got to work...not on my computer but in our office. I straightened, reorganized and set up an extra table for my scrapbooking and art supplies. I set up the kids' computer on that table and dusted the areas that I had cleared...although it was with the sleeve of my torn sweatshirt I was wearing at the time... but things were dusted nonetheless. Today, while I was out running errands (actually, I was mailing Heather from Rice-A-Roni-ville her bumblebee painted gourd as her prize for guessing cheese in my last "What's in the Lunchbox" game) I passed a few fast food places and thought how great it would feel to sink my teeth into something bad for me while I agonized over whether I was getting voted off the agent-island or staying for another round. I felt God's gentle nudge telling me to glorify my body with what I put into it. I was starving and making a salad when I got home was not going to happen so I opted for an Arby's salad. I ate most of it - it was yummy...I LOVE SALAD! My 2-year old decided he needed to have some to and he proceeded to take large mouthfuls, chew a bit and spit it out back in my bowl. Rather than eating previously chewed lettuce mush, I grabbed a Cadbury raisin & nut bar and ate most of it. How is that glorifying my body? Yeah, I am not sure either but man it tasted good! I promised God yesterday that no matter the answer from the agent, I would praise Him and be thankful for the opportunity. I do. I am. Tonight we had a babysitter and my dear sweet hubby and I went to our favorite restaurant, VIVA and headed to the jewelers to pick up my mother's ring the kids bought me for Christmas...IT IS SO PRETTY!!!! Their names are engraved on the band next to their birthstones with a special "We love you Mom" message on the edge that faces me. Then he drove us over to my favorite place in the whole world besides snuggling with my kidlets in my big comfy bed...BARNES & NOBLE!!! I sat with my notebook (and my sweet husband)at one of those mini-picnic tables in the children's section and jotted away. Ken read motorcycle magazines with his kneecaps embedded deep in his nostrils from the 6" tall benches we were sitting on. I scribbled names of publishers, authors and websites. I also had the honor of paging through The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick...the newest Caldecott Award winner!!!!! AMAZING! 239 pages of illustrations with an amazing story spread throughout! VERY COOL! VERY INSPIRING! So, happily I go back to the drawing board and make Macy-Sue SPARKLE! Show me your BLING baby girl!!