Tree Reading; Deli Scam

I was at the office working on a book about a mystery taking place at a bourgeois wedding. For some reason while I was reading it I was scaling an enormous coniferous tree. The bark was very thick and someone had carved holes in it big enough for my feet. I would thrust my feet in and climb up, my body perpendicular to the tree. I was pretty far up when my boss came out and asked how the book was. I described it and she wrinkled her nose and said there were a lot of wedding mystery books out there. Then we went to her garden and picked vegetables together. I remember some leafy green and lots of dill.

I was part of a pack of homeless children. It was my job to con deli men. I went in and started weeping and asking for sandwiches. He winked and said if he sold me the bread and cheese separately it would be cheaper. I was touched by his kindness. An older lady came in and rudely pre-empted my order and asked for an elaborately decorated cake ("Put a picture of a swinger on it, you know like a man of the world and then the edges should have violets with stems. And some fresh fruit.") The deli man pointed out my suffering and I looked in my purse and found a flower made of pineapple and strawberry.

I was in my high school theater and we were doing a show. I was mostly watching. It was a blast.

Well, except for the tree and the vegetables, that's pretty much my job. I think the vegetables might be related to an incident when I was about five. My boss's daughter was my best friend in kindergarten and we went to their country house and my friend showed me dill plants. I'd never had dill or bagels before. I'm not crazy about dill, but I loved seeing that enormous plant and my friend's excitement.

The deli scam reminds me of the book Homecoming. It's a YA book I only read this year because my client said it was a lot like her book. Which it is.