I have a pizza loving friend who recently posted about her homemade pizza. It looked delicious. I asked her if she's every tried California White Pizza. 

She hasn't, so this one's for her. 

California White Pizza
  -photo & recipe from rhodesbread.com

Servings: 8 

Skill Level: Intermediate 

Prep Time: 15 min (not including thaw time) 

Bake Time: 10-15 min

• 9 Rhodes™ White Dinner Rolls, thawed and risen

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes

• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

• 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped

• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Havarti* cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Provolone cheese

• fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Flatten each roll into a 3-inch circle.

2. Place one in the center of a sprayed 12-inch pizza pan.

3. Place remaining rolls in a circle around the center one overlapping each one about 1/2-inch.

4. Bake at 375F 10 minutes.

5. Combine softened butter, garlic powder and parsley flakes.

6. Spread over cooled crust.

7. Sprinkle with Parmesan and artichokes.

8. Cover with grated cheeses and sprinkle with pepper.

9. Bake at 375F an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted.

Pain.

I believe that pain distorts us. It distorts our perspective, our ability to see good and to feel okay. It makes everything seem longer. Everything seem harder. Getting out of bed, staying asleep, work, play, enjoying each day. It muffles our desires, motivations and goals. It stomps on our patience and enhances our selfish ways of thinking. It brings out the worst in life and it brings out the worst in ourselves. Pain is hard. It's one of the greatest challenges of life. Physical pain, emotional pain, spiritual pain, mental pain. Pain is really the underlying experience of most negative things we experience. Anger, frustration, loneliness, rejection, sickness, failure, embarrassment, fear, loss, sadness. They all hurt. They all cause pain. Pain in our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our families, our communities, our country, our world. Pain is everywhere. It affects everyone. It stretches and pushes and pulls. It never gives up. It never gives in.

And yet, pain is a driving force of good. A force to change, to hold on, to work harder. To be more accepting, more humble, more kind. To step in another's shoes before passing judgement. To see the good when life just seems so bad. To find the good deep within ourselves. The strength, the endurance, the courage we never knew we had. It opens our eyes to the surrounding world. To the power within our own selves and the goodness in people around us.

Pain will always distort us. Our perspectives, our abilities, our feelings. But pain will also shape us. We reach deeper and try harder in order to survive. Through that reaching and trying a new person comes to existince. A stronger, better, kinder version of the person we once were. With greater potential, greater purpose and greater power than before. It shapes our way of thinking, our way of life, our way of being. Our ability to see, to feel, to understand. It changes who we are from the inside out or the outside in. And if we can hang on, a beautiful shape will grow from that dark, ugly distortion.

I was traveling home from an afternoon full of errands. 

The sky was almost dark. My daughter and I were playing our favorite car game. She chooses a word, I spell it, she excitedly shouts the word as soon as I'm finished spelling. A small patter echoed off my windshield. It must be starting to rain. Another quick pat sounded on the glass. I don't see any raindrops. Pat...Pat..Pat.....Pat. I soon realized it was not the sound of rain. It was the sound of bugs. Splattering on my windshield. 

"Here it comes." I thought out loud. "Here comes summer and all the bugs that are going to come with it."

Today I headed out on the same road I was driving before. Splat... splat...splat..splat. The bugs are back and preparing for a full invasion. Sun up or down, it's their time to shine. I don't like bugs. Not one bit. But as I drove through this cloud of splattering bugs I couldn't help but swell with excitement. The season of bugs and heat is upon us. And that means summer.

Summer

The smell of grass and bar-b-que's.

Visiting family.

Vacations.

Kids playing outside. 

The 4th of July. 

Fireworks. 

Swimming, beaches, sprinklers and parks. 

Sweating. 

Sunscreen.

Insect Repellent.

Long, sunny days and playing into the night.

Snow Cones.

Hot Dogs.

Hamburgers.

Hopefully some Cotton Candy.

Festivals & Music.

Picnics & Walks.

Reasons to party every other weekend.

Celebrating outside all season long.

The list goes on and on of the memories summer has created. In younger times it meant no school and no work...a break from reality. But the adult world is different, school and work continue on. Clients and calls, cooking and laundry never take a break. Yet something about summer brings a renewed excitement. Maybe a reason to relax, hang with friends or spend time with family. 

Whatever it is...it's here. 

And yes, the bugs came with it. So spray up and party on.