Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you’ve found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for. Lawrence Block

What a lovely weekend it has been. On Canada Day I went walking with a friend and the plan was for my husband to join us on a patio. When I called him it was just starting to rain so he declined. We stood under an alcove as a deluge of rain forced the patrons off the patio to find cover. The rain didn’t last long and we walked to a bakery and bought croissants and lemon blueberry scones to fuel our adventure.

We took pictures beside a large moose statue surrounded by wolves. We walked by the water and looked at beautiful gardens. We had a lovely day and if the rain hadn’t come down in torrents we would have enjoyed a late lunch on a patio.

As we were walking we saw a little Scottish terrier. He was friendly and came up to me and I petted him. I haven’t petted a Scotty since ours died. He lived to be fifteen and was our first family dog. I’m working on a children’s book “When Can We Get A Puppy?” and in it stars Krypto our Scotty.

Reading about how children’s storybooks come to be is interesting. The illustrator of Goodnight Moon said he couldn’t draw people as well as he could draw bunnies, so that is why the character is a bunny. Pete the Cat is based on a cat owned by the original creator and illustrator James Dean.

Sometimes the story behind the story is as interesting as the story. The Pete the Cat stories were first published by Harper Collins in 2010.  James Dean and his wife tried to write a children’s book in 2004 but her stories and his art didn’t seem to work.

Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises. Rita Gelman

James Dean met the author of “I Love My White Shoes” when idling at a stoplight with Pete the Cat painted on the door of his old Chevy. His paintings of Pete the Cat were selling for $500.00 at art fairs. A stranger walked up to him and said, “I just recorded a song for you, and I want to send it to you.”

When James Dean got home, “I Love My White Shoes” was waiting in his inbox. James Dean and Eric Litwin self-published that book in 2007. They got a publishing contract with Harper Collins on James’s 51st birthday in 2008. They published three more Pete books and then parted ways. In October of 2013 James and his wife, Kim published their first collaborative book, “Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses.”

Serendipity works in our lives. What if Eric Litwin didn’t tell James Dean he wrote the song, “I Love My White Shoes?” What if James Dean wasn’t painting Pete the Cat paintings and selling them at fairs?

Dr. Seuss wrote “The Cat in the Hat” published in 1957, and “Green Eggs and Ham” published in 1960 on a dare he couldn’t write a book using a limited number of words. His first book, “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,” was rejected 27 times. He was walking down the street and ran into an old classmate that worked for Vanguard Press – and that book was published in 1937. He said, “If I’d been going down the other side of Madison Avenue, I would be in the dry-cleaning business.” Note the twenty-year time span between his first published book and the ones he is known for.

Is serendipity working in our lives? Many of us are alive because serendipity brought our parents together.

 Crazy as it sounds, I’m a believer in destiny and serendipity, and I have had cosmic experiences all my life. Something told me I was meant for greater stuff. And look, I’ve had a baby! And I’ve written an opera. Rufus Wainwright

Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next adventure – do it well, enjoy it – and then, not now, think about what comes next. Condoleeza Rice

I’m thankful for serendipitous moments in my life, where things could’ve gone the other way. Rick Springfield

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

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