The first weekend in October is the annual Write on the Sound conference. This will be my fifth year attending (I think!) and I’m really looking forward to it.
While there are not a ton of workshops that speak to me this year, I have the opportunity to go with my mom which is unique. She is developing her memoir writing skills and this year’s conference is really catering to that style of writing.
My favorite day of the conference is Saturday. It’s a full day of learning new perspectives on often old skills; meeting new people and reconnecting with friendly faces; climbing three flights of stairs to sit nice and toasty in the upper classrooms (and I personally never get too warm – love it!); and no matter where you’re at, at some point you’re always rewarded with a gorgeous view of the Puget Sound and ferry’s making their way to and from Kingston.
Then comes lunch time and we all make a break for the farmers market! Explosions of color, an array of sounds, and all sorts of smells I never knew existed. But for me, the best part is the Edmonds Bakery. I don’t live so far away that I couldn’t go there throughout the year – but, there is honestly something about waiting all year and dreaming about biting into one of their delicious bakery sandwiches complete with a pickle on the side. Maybe it’s that pickle that does it for me, I don’t know but I can tell you I am salivating right now. Being a creature of habit, I get the same thing every year: turkey on wheat with swiss, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Yep, chips on the side with the pickle. Oh, yeah!
So when the last class breaks for lunch, I grab my things, run out the door (I’m pretty sure my hovering superpower kicks in right then because I’ve been told I ‘fly out the door’), and zoom down the hill, and across the round-about. No around for me – just across. Then I bust open the door and the crowd parts for me because they see the look on my face. ‘That lady wants her sandwich!’
And I get it.
It’s such a disappointment they’re closed on Sunday. My homemade sandwich hardly compares. However, I’m glad they have a day off – they deserve it – especially after having to deal with me!