Lemons to Lemonade. Addie Johnson

      

      First published in 2010 by

      Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

      With offices at:

      500 Third Street, Suite 230

      San Francisco, CA 94107

      www.redwheelweiser.com

      Copyright © 2010 by Addie Johnson

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted

      in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

      recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission

      in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

      ISBN: 978-1-57324-469-5

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      available upon request.

      Cover and text design by Jessica Dacher.

      Production Editor: Michele Kimble

      Proofreader: Katherine Wright

      Typeset in Baufy and Exuberance Primary.

      Printed in Hong Kong

      GWP

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

       4 Introduction: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

       6 Sweet and Sour: How You Look at Things

       28 Simple Pleasures and Hidden Treasures

       46 Happy, Healthy, Having a Blast

       74 The Magic of Making Do and Making Things Better

       102 Love and Affection

       128 Thanksgiving Every Day

       When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

      Lemons are my favorite fruit. But even I can't sit down, slice

      open a lemon and dig in. A lemon is a fruit that has to become

      something else, enhance something, change something, make

      something happen. Can you think of another fruit that is almost

      completely inedible on its own, that becomes so divine in com-

      bination and transformation? Lemon meringue pie, lemon bars

      and cookies, lemon garnishing seafood or squeezed into sauc-

      es, lemon in fresh hot tea or squeezed into a pitcher of sweet

      iced tea. Not to mention fresh lemonade, that sweet and sour

      masterpiece that can change your life on a hot summer day.

      4

      What about those metaphorical lemons that life is bound to

      hand you now and then? Acidic, sour, trying times that you

      just can't seem to enjoy or digest. The most successful and

      happy among us never miss out on a chance to turn sour into

      sweet, hard times into learning experiences. While it may not

      be easy, we know that seeing those lemons as pure potential

      is the way to go. Adversity spurs creativity; challenge breeds

      success.

      When you're feeling surrounded by useless lemons, never

      forget that you have some choices. When you're stuck in a

      difficult time, you can change your outlook and your circum-

      stances, you can stay healthy and surround yourself with love,

      you can seek out and find the hidden treasure all around you

      in everyday things, and, perhaps most importantly, you can

      figure out how to be grateful for any and everything that comes

      your way. And you never know, maybe all it will take is a little

      water, sugar, and ice before you're feeling much, much better.

      5

       Positivity

      Did anyone ever tell you the glass is half full? Somebody

      told me once it depends whether you're pouring or drinking.

      Seriously, though, if you can figure out how to get optimis-

      tic and stay that way, you're home free. I'm not saying your

      problems are over, but simply looking at the world through

      rose-colored specs means that half your problems will look like

      exciting challenges, and the other half you'll probably realize

      aren't problems at all, just facts of life.

      7

      I can think of people who have everything they could ever

      want and are still miserable. I can think of people just scraping

      by whose joy for life overflows onto everyone around them.

      Sometimes we take for granted the great pleasure we can take

      from very little things. Sometimes, too, we forget to give our-

      selves permission to enjoy over-the-top abundance, as if we

      somehow didn't deserve it. Most important, life is best when we

      set our judgments aside and savor the moment of whatever it

      is that the universe is dishing out, in big or small servings.

      9

      We're surrounded by beauty of all kinds. It can perk us up, calm

      us down, and even heal our bodies and souls. Getting attuned

      to this splendor is a great way to pass the