Setting the Table

but what should we eat?

Harvesting our soy under the full moon and our herd of mostly Black Angus with one Jersey, Yoyo, a retired dairy cow.

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving is a time I’m fueled by family togetherness as much as by the meal we will cook. As it happens, my current writing project weaves together reflections on our nation’s food system, impressions of a beginning farmer, and my journey from junk food addict to anorexic to a non-processed local/organic champion. (Sort of a hot mess right now, but hopefully coming together!)

As we enter the holiday season where so much of the celebrating revolves around food and sharing meals, and I’m consumed by the above-mentioned writing project, I can’t help considering how, for the modern day woman, the idea of food and diet is a jumble of mixed messaging.

A notable novel of 2024, its examination of a woman’s complicated relationship with food is comparable to what I hope to convey

We bring our families together over meals, but encounter trade-offs between what is convenient and what is healthy. And although feeding others is key to the expectation of being nourishers and caretakers, when it comes to our own bodies, food can feel like the enemy. As a result, we cling to our diets and (appetite suppressing drugs) as religion. “I’m Paleo, I’m Vegan, I’m Gluten Free!” Reading labels and sourcing healthy ingredients can take on the doggedness of a detective on the case. Passing up food can feel rude, while eating can lead to guilt. Before John entered my life, I was very distrustful of food in general. To marry a man who insists on expressing his love with food, well, that was an adjustment. At first it created tension, but eventually a major shift occurred. I’ve certainly gained a healthier perspective with age, but still, why are we the only species that faces such dilemmas when it comes to eating?

I would love to get your take on this topic!!

Our family loves to cook holiday meals together, the menu being a combo of age-old favorites and the occasional experiment.

Anticipating an abundance spread across our Thanksgiving table, with enough leftovers to last the weekend, I’m giving thanks for the loving energy infused in the meal - for the chefs who preserve recipes and traditions handed down through generations. Given our experience at Flynn Creek Farm, I also have special appreciation for the love with which growers do their jobs- organic farmers are not in the business for the money or fame, they resist the forces of big ag every season to bring consumers pure food not tainted with chemicals. If you still have shopping to do, show your love by shopping local and organic!

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And holiday meals make great writing fodder!

EDEN centered around the Fourth of July, but a tense dynamic around a Thanksgiving table inspired a pivotal scene in DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE. Bets enters a charged atmosphere, spending the holiday with her roommate’s family, setting tensions in motion. Writing character interaction with relatable holiday stress as a backdrop is something I actually enjoy. Better the conflict happen in fiction and not IRL !!

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Back on the Farm….

November is a transitional time. When Brady and I began our winter migration west, there was a dusting of snow on the ground. I hope we are able to maintain a consistent blanket of the white stuff over the earth. Last winter had very deep freezes but with little snow – meaning many of our perennials didn’t make it. But with regard to what we can control, John and I are very optimistic for 2026. We are in the best shape ever with regard to a business plan, infrastructure and new team members signed on to join us.

Some progress in pictures:

We have rebuilt the bridge spanning Flynn Creek, improving our entrance, and launching our Flynn Creek Flavor line of refrigerated products with local grocers!

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My Roadtripping Play List:

Over the course of a three day, eighteen hour drive…

I’d start each morning listening to the headlines

then a few chapters of MOBY DICK, as our beloved Frizzlit Book Club will spend the next four months reading it together.

and of all the audiobooks I downloaded and toggled between, this one really hooked me. I really loved e. lockhart’s WE WERE LIARS and FAMILY OF LIARS, and WE FELL APART is a stand-alone but also a completion of her trilogy. (Sort of like what yours truly did with her novels :)) Her writing is sharp and concise and the characterizations are wonderful. If you like it, try the other two!