Our hometown book launch is now behind us and we can reveal some of the behind the scenes negotiating and preparations.

First of all, the clothes. We didn’t want to look too matchy-matchy, and we didn’t want to appear in the same outfit. Believe it or not, many Sundays Leslie and I would end wearing the same outfit as we wrote or skyped. Our mom could see a way to intervene and help out. She arranged for us both to go to Nordstrom’s in La Jolla and meet with a personal shopper who would coordinate our outfits. I (Meryll) was first. Rarely have I been as overwhelmed as I felt when I entered the dressing room overflowing with pants and tops. My mother, on the other hand, kept suggesting more combinations. I tried everything on and walked away with a sweater and a pair of pants. That was a good way to convince me whatever was in my closet would work. Leslie eschewed the personal shopper and returned from Nordstrom’s with the same sweater I had selected—in a different color.

Next in importance to the clothes was the food. The JCC was very generous in providing the space and set up but we were on our own for food. Leslie asked me a few times if we could bake. (No) Not even if we bake in a kosher kitchen? (No). So I was off to Costco to look for items with a heksher (seal of rabbinic authorization that the item is kosher). Leslie wasn’t sure I’d buy enough so I bought enough for each person to have six cookies and other sweets. Then the tea—I got sidetracked reading about smoky tea that was imported through the Odessa harbor but ended up buying tea at Target.

One feeling we could not anticipate was the overwhelming sense of gratitude to everyone in the audience for caring about Jewish Luck and caring for us.