08/18/2026
“Second Birthday” & free bread (giving loaves)!
Posting updates here, sharing personal stories, sharing my emotions…doesn’t come natural or easy to me. Even my Sunday reflections don’t flow naturally. I rewrite the same sentence 6 times. But the idea of it doing something good makes it a little easier.
One experience I share on my personal Facebook profile each year, for this very reason, is something that we now call “second birthday” in our house.
Seven years ago, I got news that changed the way I look at life.
I had a growth on my pancreas.
It’s a phrase you never want to hear. I knew what the possibility was. And then came the waiting. For the phone call that would tell me what life would be from that moment on. A wait that is humbling… and absolutely terrifying.
I was incredibly fortunate. My result was an “MCN” - a type of neoplasm, with no sign of cancer at the time but given its potential to progress, it meant surgery was needed. I got the kind of phone call that people could only hope and pray for…and that not everyone gets.
Ever since, this time period has been like a “second birthday” to me.
Food was a big part of my experience. Or lack there of.
When I was sick, I didn’t eat much. At times it hurt. At times I was afraid. It also taught me how AMAZING a plain cup of coffee is after days without food, and how good a bowl of plain oatmeal tastes when you finally get the ok to order from the hospital menu.
So this Sunday, I’d like to mark my “second birthday” in a unique way - with the gift of bread.
I’ll have a special set of “Giving Loaves” available at the stand, and listed in preorders that are completely free, with one request:
Don’t take it for yourself. Take it to give.
Give it to someone who could use some extra nourishment right now - whether that’s physical, emotional, or spiritual….just something to let them know someone is thinking of them.
I’ll have a variety of sizes for whatever suits the need.
You don’t have to tell me who it’s for, or why they need it. Just stop by, take a loaf, and ensure they are well fed.
I am lucky in life. I’d like to celebrate that by making something to pass along and nourish someone who needs it.
Much love, and a simple, slow and delicious Sunday to you.
Included: awkward, but very joyous moment I was able to leave the hospital after my surgery. Down 1/3 a pancreas, a few lymph nodes and spleen.
💕 Vicki
