Dears,

I’ve been knee-deep in edits on Brain in a Jar in preparation for my trip to meet with the Broadstone Books folks next month in Kentucky. I hadn’t looked at the manuscript since my father died, so I was a bit nervous about going back into his head and my heart. But I’m happy to say that it was a wonderful experience to relive my life with him again.  I’m more excited about the book than ever.

Just as I finished up my work, a package arrived from my dear pal Merit. We’ve been friends since meeting at USF in the early ’80s. Beau took a liking to her right away, and made her part of the family. Merit’s birthday is a just a few days after mine. One year we were in Naples to celebrate. Beau and Nora gave me a card with $100 and they gave Merit a card with $97 in it. Beau saw her as just $3 short of a Bercaw. When Beau died, Merit rode in the family limo with us to the services.

David helped me rip open the package from Merit and here’s what was inside–a brain cookie jar filled with tiny Snicker’s Bars in honor of Beau and plastic cocktail mermaids in honor of me!

What a wonderful, thoughtful surprise. And yet again, as with re-reading the manuscript, I am reminded of the remarkable people in my life.

Love,

Gal