March 14, 2010 I was thinking of leisure and how all of us need it. How we must all have a room of our own, as Virginia Woolf so eloquently put it. Then I ran into Renee Beach for whom leisure is a foreign term and whose special room is the kitchen. Up at three a.m. every day, she makes cakes mostly, but also scones, cupcakes, brownies and other baked goods for corporate clients, and shares space in a book shop near her home in Harlem. Renee, who launched her baking career in her 20s, making loaves of bread that she sold to health food stores, has been baking for 15 years. Renee works as an editor for Pearson Education during the day, and seems happily to maintain the rhythm of packed days with their demanding schedule, in fact to be inspired by what she does. Upon meeting her, one is immediately struck by her broad, bright smile. Telling a story, recounting memories, she moves her arms and hands gracefully, like a conductor. Her gestures are spacious, suggesting calm and ease, that there is more time somewhere. Before baking, Renee was a classical pianist, but determined early on not to pursue a musical career as it seemed too daunting. Her only daughter, a violinist, "took up the baton," so to speak. The two share an apartment, and one can imagine the amazing scents seeping out of Renee's kitchen at dawn, arousing neighbors in the most delightful way. When she was a child, Renee recalled that her mother, Lucille, would have a slice of homemade cake and a cup of black coffee every day for breakfast. It was a while before Renee herself realized that cake and coffee were not everybody's standard breakfast. "My mother always told me, bake your own breakfast." Renee said as a young woman she would meander through a shop and be tempted to buy a scone, but her mother would pull her away, "Don't have that -- Bake your own." The message sank in. In 2006, Renee named her baking business, Lucille's Dream, after her mother, who passed away in 2002. She makes her goods using only the freshest and finest ingredients. "I only use Ghirardelli chocolate, and special eggs. Right now, I'm working on a recipe for a salted caramel frosting, as President Obama's favorite sweet is salted caramels, and so, these have become very popular," she said. She also has what she calls "gingerbread groupies," who "love to place holiday orders for this treat." I couldn't resist asking Renee if she has ever gotten up late in the morning, or missed a day of work. She thought for a minute. About a year ago, a light fixture that had been poorly installed in her kitchen, fell and slashed her forehead. It was four a.m., and covered in blood in the wee hours, Renee found herself calling her sister to ask what she should do. The sister promptly urged her to cross the street and go to the emergency room. Renee recalled replying, "But I have a cake to bake!" Lucille's Dream' s Web site is under construction. Renee may be reached for orders at 212-281-4414. [This material is from my blog: http://writersnreaders.blogspot.com/]