Joy For Beginners (29 page)

Kate leaned over, kissed Robin’s cheek and leaped off the rock, a howl of joy flying into the air.

T
here were so many things to learn about while writing this book. Barbara Dunshee graciously gave me access to her pottery class. Pan D’ Amore bakery in Port Townsend allowed me to come in during the early hours of the morning and spend the rest of the day with the smell of fresh bread lingering on my skin. Jerilynn Brousseau gave me hands-on lessons in the art of bread dough and generosity. Nancy and Bob Forten of Sweet Life Farms on Bainbridge Island handed me a warm loaf and a jar of one-hundred-year-old sourdough starter. Kim Ricketts and Michael Hebb of
Onepot.org
introduced me to the magic of underground restaurants. Katie Mesmer kept my feet moving for every one of those sixty miles on the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. Jeff McLean’s travel photos were an inspiration, and Dian Campbell’s knowledge of gardening was indispensable. Lucy Buckley and my sweet husband, Ben, coerced me into going down the Grand Canyon, and the guides of Canyon Explorations taught us all about grace under pressure.

Sometimes another person’s words are the best. Few authors could capture the feeling of midlife better than Anne Morrow Lindbergh, whose lines from a
Gift from the Sea
are quoted in Caroline’s story. I heard Paul Roe, owner of the BritishInk tattoo parlor, remark that “irreversible decisions are good for the soul” during an NPR interview, and I loved the concept so much that I borrowed his words for Marion’s story.

Every word of this book has been lovingly tended by an incredible group of friends and cohorts who read my early drafts, and later drafts, and still later drafts—Gloria Bauermeister, Marjorie Osterhout, Mark Craemer, Genevieve Hagen, Nina and Bill Meierding, Holly Smith, Caitlin Bauermeister and Dorothy Rechtin. Thank you for your clear eyes and suggestions. And a deep bow of gratitude to Amy Berkower, Maja Niklovich and Rachel Kahan, whose insights and intelligence guided the manuscript into safe harbor.

And then there are those whose emotional support makes it all possible. So here’s a hats-off to the camaraderie of the Seattle7Writers, whose talent and friendship inspire me on a daily basis. And my family—Ben, Caitlin and Rylan—who opened their arms and invited these characters into their lives.

Erica Bauermeister is the author of the novel
The School of Essential Ingredients
and the coauthor of
500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide
and
Let’s Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14
. She lives in Seattle with her husband and their two children. She may or may not have a tattoo.

FICTION

The School of Essential Ingredients

 

NONFICTION

 

500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide

 

Let’s Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14