Thoughts on future croutons.

I promise we won't go to waste.

Last week, as the kids were ushered out the door in the typical morning chaos, I lamented the three untouched “Philly Muffins” mocking me from the kitchen island.

“You aren’t going to eat breakfast??” I was shook. This knee-jerk purchase from Riverwards Produce the day before made me feel like I was being a good mom by buying the special bread.

Not only had they already been toasted and buttered, they were also peppered with bite marks around the perimeter as my raccoons children must have needed multiple opportunities to prove that “we don’t really like these that much.”

I should have put some Cheerios in a bag and called it a day.

I hate food waste almost as much as I hate working on a meal that goes untouched. So, I tossed them in a freezer bag and put them in the fridge for some future fate that likely would involve more butter and frying.

I’ve been thinking a lot about seed-sewing in life and work.

I’m one of those types of people who want clean lines: checklists checked, bows tied, chapters closed. Life is rarely that clean. Most of our projects, relationships, and life-work are more like the half-nibbled Philly muffin- full of potential but lacking appetite, timing, or the right audience.

That book I’ve been writing for three years that I still want to see the light of day, but wonder if I should just set it on fire? #phillymuffin

The EP I promised I’d finish last May, but is still sitting on my hard drive, nagging me? #phillymuffin

The spring semester classes I’m preparing that never feel finished because there is always more to learn, prep, understand, deep-dive, consider? #phillymuffin

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On Monday, I put on real pants for the first time in weeks and entered a boardroom at J.W. Pepper Music to discuss the 30+ books and compositions I submitted for their review this past January. I’ve been on a mission to expand distribution opportunities for my authors & composers at F-flat Books, and this was a huge milestone for us.

If you’re not familiar, this company is the largest supplier of sheet music for schools. They can make or break an indie publisher by choosing to produce and promote their work. And here I was, meeting with six of their team members, talking about all of the resources that they were excited to promote this season.

Books that were written in 2019.

Songs that we released in 2021 and have barely sold any copies.

All of this work, reimagined and re-energized by an organization that can see the brilliance our authors bring to the table. I looked around the room and took a minute to recognize the blooming of all the seeds that had been planted—

• My brother Zooming in from France, talking confidently about the automated systems he’s built on the backend of our site that set our resources apart.

• The product specialist to my left, who also happened to be one of my former students from a course I taught in 2019, telling me that the reason he creates music is because of that course.

• The publishing lead sitting across from me, who just so happened to be a manager of a music store in my hometown—the same manager who oversaw the purchase of every instrument my family bought when I was growing up.

• The choral editor, who used to sing in the same church choir as me in 2006.

For every project we’ve tended to and relationship we’ve built, I never imagined they would have led me to that table. (And yes, I did take a photo of our name at the entrance like a total nerd!!)

And, I HAD to take a picture of this Sousaphone.

The most encouraging part? Knowing that I’ll get to tell my authors that someone is breathing new life into their work, that their music and stories will reach more people than I could have ever made possible just through our platform.

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Last night, I made chicken Caesar salad for dinner. Guys, it was so fancy.

I used Trader Joe’s chicken fingers, romaine, shaved parmesan, and the fanciest croutons. Smothered in oil, Italian seasoning, and crisped in the oven, the kids went crazy over them!

“WHERE did you get the croutons from?”

Yep. Those past Philly Muffins became future salad croutons. And there was not a crumb left.

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Inspiration

🎧 I just finished “What We Can Know” for bookclub and my oh my. If you want a slightly dystopian/thoughtful rambling look at how we construct the past through glimpses in the future, this one is for you.

🎧 Brandon’s doing a fun (slash all-consuming) project this week in Lake Placid in honor of the 45th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. They are reconstructing the iconic game using HOLOGRAMS (we live in the future), and he gets to meet Al Michaels (!!!). DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!

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Creative

🌟 Ya’ll. My round 2 of beta reader feedback just came through this week, and I am re-energized to not light my novel on fire! We can persevere! Croutons, here we come.

🌟 I’m still in the post/procedure trying-to-take-it-easy moment and using time to be gentle with my creative expectations (ha!). My microphone is crying to me from the basement, and I have to tell her that she won’t be neglected forever…but maybe just one more week? Hold me accountable, friends.

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Thanks for subscribing and reading. I hope you can reimagine things that don’t go as planned.

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Connect with my work elsewhere:

🎧 listen to my podcast with Kimberly McGlonn

💻 order my children’s book, Rosie Rocks!

📚 visit my fair-pay publishing company, F-flat Books.

🎤 get songwriting support through Songwriting for M.E.