03/24/2026
We've been quiet for a few months.
Things around here have been difficult, and we've been taking a break from the and other events.
First off, we usually take January (and sometimes February) off as a little break after the busy holiday season, and this year we found out Jim was scheduled for another surgery in January. That was actually good timing, since we would be off anyway, and he would need 6-8 weeks to recover. Unfortunately, in January, the surgery was pushed to March, so our timeline for market return was also pushed back.
The other large setback we've been processing is that 5 months ago, my mom died.
While she had health challenges, she was young and it was unexpected, and she was one of those people who always defied the odds and came through anything. So it was a huge shock. One we're still not fully over. Both Jim and I were very close to her. She was my person, and life just hasn't been ok since she left.
I know a lot of people don't talk about grief publicly. But it feels really weird to me to act like everything is normal. We miss her like crazy. She is the reason we bake. She is the reason The Knotty Pretzel exists. My earliest memories are making bread in the kitchen with her. At least half my recipes are in some form from her. So it has been emotionally and physically painful to bake when I'm not in the right mindset.
So we are coming back to selling slowly, at a pace that feels safe. Jim is healing well from his surgery, and we aren't going to rush that. My heart is ok some days, and other days I miss her so much it feels like it's trying to choke me. We haven't decided on a first day back to Market yet, but I wanted to let everyone know we do still exist. Life is just a little difficult right now.
My Mama suffered from some major chronic illnesses, but it never stopped her from being there for us, always smiling, helping out, spreading her love of cooking and baking to us and her grandkids, and always making sure we knew we were loved. When I say I had the best mom in the world, I mean it. If you know you have one too, and you can still hug and appreciate her, make sure you do.
