A Little Pause Between the Pie and the Tinsel

Grateful for every soul who pulls up a chair on this little front porch of stories with me—thank you always from the bottom of my heart.

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Design by Jeffrey Surles of Dunn, North Carolina

Right here, in this quiet, in-between space—after the last slice of pumpkin pie is gone and before the first strand of Christmas lights is plugged in—I want to pause and simply say thank you.

This past year, you have shown up for me in a thousand small and beautiful ways. You’ve read my stories, cooked my recipes, left kind notes in the comments, sent messages that made me laugh out loud, and sometimes wipe away a tear. You’ve told me when something reminded you of your grandmother, your childhood kitchen, your own corner of the world. And every single time, it meant more than you could know.

I often sit here at my desk, tapping out these stories about shrimp boats, old houses, butter biscuits, and the beautiful, complicated business of living—and sometimes I forget that on the other side of the screen are real people, with real lives, reading along. You remind me. And oh, how grateful I am for that.

You’ve made this little corner of the internet feel like a front porch—where folks pull up a chair, stay awhile, and talk about life. I treasure every one of you who “likes,” who comments, who writes to say, “That took me back,” or “I felt that.” You make this journey feel shared.

So before we charge headlong into twinkle lights, wrapping paper, and all the merry chaos ahead, I just wanted to stop time for a moment and say: thank you for your love, your kindness, your encouragement, and your presence here.

From my heart to yours, I am deeply grateful. Truly.

Now… onward to Christmas cookies, glitter, and a whole lot of stories still to come. 💫

With love and endless thanks,
Pat xxoo

P.S. December is right here, and I’ve got a basket full of Christmas stories coming your way—old Lowcountry traditions, holiday tables set with love, a few memories that still sparkle, and yes… a recipe or two that may require elastic-waist pants. I can’t wait to share the season with you.