Love and dysfunction were the hallmarks of the family. With humor and affection, Barbara describes the unique courtship of her parents, two strong-minded individuals who created a surprisingly coherent family unit and improved the community through their talents. Her beloved grandparents formed the hub of a tribe of lively aunts, uncles and cousins. Threads of intellectual accomplishment were interwoven with a rural lifestyle. The beauty of the Pacific Northwest forms the rich background of these growing-up stories. Barbara, born in the first year of the postwar baby boom, loved the land - woods, beach, and especially the orchard. Apples showed up everywhere - apple cider, apple pie, applesauce, apple salad, hard green apples and overripe apples. Garden produce, wild berries, ferry boats and breathtaking sunsets rubbed elbows with siblings, cousins, and neighbors in a generous crazy quilt. This abundance became the foundation of Barbara's physical and spiritual strength. As she developed her own viewpoints, she gleaned some extraordinary insights from an ordinary life.