“Jill, you’re up first.” The second I hear the words, my stomach flops. My hands quiver as I pull my rope from the saddle and fumble through the coils, trying desperately to look competent while feeling the exact opposite. You see, the movies have it all wrong. They make you think when you finally do the thing you’ve wanted your whole life, it will feel heroic. Cue the epic soundtrack. Slow-motion victories. The ...Continue Reading
My Anti-Meal Planning Manifesto
I don't cook like I used to. Actually, let me rephrase that. I cook a ton. I own a restaurant, and I just finished the manuscript for my second cookbook (it’s coming in October—eek). I cook every single day for many people. But my personal cooking rhythms have drastically changed over the years. I don’t know why that’s surprised me. I guess I naively assumed I’d be in the same little kitchen pattern forever. But life changes, ...Continue Reading
Easy isn’t Always Better, but Hard isn’t Always Holier
Man, do I love efficiency. I always have. If I can make something more streamlined, less clunky, and even faster, that’s my love language. And I suppose it’s the love language of our modern world, too. It can be a beautiful, useful impulse. Until it isn’t. After I published my last essay about celebrating humanity in the things we create, someone emailed me about a Bible camp they’d attended, where the curriculum they ...Continue Reading
The Only Way I’m Surviving Right Now
The only way I’m surviving this current season of life? Writing everything down. That’s it. That’s the post. To say life is full is an understatement. There’s a lot of transitions behind the scenes, and some big shifts coming that I’m not quite ready to talk about yet—but I will soon. For now, I’ll just say this: my brain has been going a hundred miles an hour, and the short-term memory loss I’ve joked about having ...Continue Reading
What Running a Business in a Town of 175 Has Taught Me
A quaint little business on Main Street in a small town. It’s the stuff Hallmark movies are made of. The historic building, creaky floors, foot traffic, nostalgia, community… we loooove to romanticize it. After reviving the oldest operating soda fountain in the state of Wyoming, I can tell you firsthand that yes, there is something deeply meaningful about bringing an old place back to life. Yet, like most things we ...Continue Reading
