Will loves these cookies. Every time I make them, I cry. All day and all night after making these cookies, I cry.

As a little girl, my grandma made a rule for all her grandkids. All of us granddaughters were supposed to call them GrandMama and GrandPapa.

My recipe isn’t a secret, and when I tell people where the recipe is from they usually don’t believe it at first.

Have you ever wondered when you first became aware of yourself? In a moment of unexpected stillness, I found my way back to the earliest memory of being “me.”

This simple, beginner-friendly recipe blends patience, presence, and the comfort of homemade bread.

Sometimes the quiet work of my hands says what my heart can’t. Between laundry, coffee, and sourdough stretch-and-folds, I’m learning how the smallest routines can anchor me — helping me find stillness, presence, and gratitude in this second half of life.

After losing Will, life feels like a thousand shattered pieces I’m trying to glue back together. Some days I flounder, some days I fight—but I’m still here, still trying, still finding my way.

My journey back to life is built on connection. This week, I honor Sophia Cosola, whose wisdom and friendship keep me grounded and inspired.

Molly Brown didn’t just survive the Titanic — she lived her life unsinkable. Fearless in politics before women could vote. Generous to miners’ families and orphans. A reformer who stood against greed and injustice. This is that kind of second-half power — the part of life when you’ve been hit by the wave, but you rise anyway, steering toward a new purpose in the dark.

This is all about visuals, and first impressions. When I first saw the VizartInk booth at a Christmas Market, it caught the corner of my eye, and I made an immediate beeline to get a better look. I saw great line drawn pictures of military, the Seattle skyline, Van Goh’s Starry Night, first responders, so many pieces of art to look at, and so many different themes!!

When I’m lost for words. When I’m struggling to see what my purpose is, I honestly seek her out.  Jess, you may not know this: I look up to you.  You are one of my idols. To work in the environment you have, and to come out on the other side with more grit and grace and gumption than what you probably started out with so many years ago as a rookie police woman.   

My Second Half Self is about that exact thing: learning how to live again after unimaginable loss. And Wild Heart fits into that process more than I ever expected. It’s more than a product. It’s proof that good things can still be discovered—that there’s still flavor and fire to be found in the second half.

4th of July: “It’s the perfect celebration. BBQ, friends, family, and fireworks.” You get to eat really good food and hang out more with the friends who he was bonded with for life. “And you get to blow shit up”.

The 509 Unfiltered is everything its name suggests—raw, real, and rooted in what actually matters. Jess brings on guests to talk about the good, the gritty, and the stuff most people shy away from. From highlighting small businesses that deserve the spotlight to diving into the messy conversations that shape small-town life, she’s not afraid to go there.