More On Katie

Dear Priscilla Bennett Friends,
It’s a cool wet Friday, and my garden and I are so happy after yesterday’s heat and humidity. It’s my youngest daughter’s birthday tomorrow, so I’m busy baking a birthday cake from scratch—eggs, flour, sugar, butter and vanilla. I beat seedless raspberry jam with a fork until it’s smooth and spread it with a knife in between the layers. The icing is the last step—my mother’s recipe—cocoa, confectioners sugar, a bit of cream and more butter and vanilla all in one double boiler—stirring until thick and smooth. I dribble and swirl it all over the top and sides of the heart shaped cake and let it cool. All my daughters get the same cake on their birthdays, and they love it.
Back to Katie and the book. It doesn’t take her long to fall in love with Claude. His good looks, charm, sophistication, confidence and support of her are intoxicating. Katie had been raised to think that her success was defined by whom she married—she couldn’t be a surgeon, but she could marry a successful one—the one her parents picked for her. Since she was a child, she dreamt of meeting a knight-in-shining-armor who would whisk her away, marry her and have many children—They would be the perfect family, not like hers had been. She would make sure of it. I kept writing my thoughts down about Katie, and who I wanted her to be in order to explain why she was susceptible to being abused. She grew up with it, and it was what she knew.
Thank you, my Priscilla Bennett Friends, for listening and for all your support for my cause. Please visit my website at www.priscillabennett.com and read this blog, make a comment, write your own story and get helpful information. Remember the Priscilla Bennett Pledge to help someone by starting a conversation, giving a kind word in the grocery store or parking lot—a touch on the shoulder or pat on the hand with a nice cup of tea. Remember that we all have SOMETHING TO BE BRAVE FOR.
Take good care of yourselves,
PRISCILLA BENNETT XOXO
