Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times (20 page)

To my family—my dear, sweet Aunt Midge and wonderful Uncle Eddie; the elegant Aunt Marie and handsome Uncle Chick; my dashing cousins Bobby and Rich, and their wives and children; my partners in childhood crime Susan and Tommy, and their families; my beloved sisters Luisa and Amanda, their boyfriends, husbands, and kids; my stepsiblings Laurie and Adam, and their families; my godmother Barbara, my stepmother Sheila, my brother-in-law Caleb; to my relations by blood and marriage, steps and halves, and friends as close as family: You have all contributed something to this book and so much to my life. My thanks and my love to each of you.

And to Mom, Dad, Nathan, Nana, and Grandpa: You are my heart.