Together

Last weekend, Spouse & I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary. The Willamette Valley, with its beautiful wines, welcomed us with open arms. The weather was perfect, the Riesling delicious, and I’m still thinking about the fiddlehead ferns included with our Saturday lunch. I think we’re lucky. I know I’m lucky to have this person on my side.

Being a small business owner, an owner of a very small business, means that everything is mine to do: I develop recipes, test those recipes, prep, shape & bake, package & deliver. I imagine labels, packaging, market displays; inventory ingredients, practicing first in/first out. I renew licenses, handle accounting, transition the kitchen from home to business and back again, and, I wash a lot of dishes. When I pivoted to this iteration of The Tiny Kitchen, I really didn’t know how exhausting it would be.

I started this new business during Covid, just a few weeks after my beautiful older sister passed away, but I knew this was what I wanted to do. Things started out rocky but because of the enthusiasm from customers, because of the amazing people I met on a weekly basis, and because of the support of my partner, things have grown and developed. Spouse has always supported my ventures, my dreams. Those of you market-goers may have met him bringing me coffee or lunch, setting up or tearing down the booth, checking in throughout the day. We have occasional business meetings during the year, going over what’s working/what’s not. He brings his objective managerial self and asks me great questions. We create the year-long calendar together, choosing what dates I won’t be at a market for self care. In 2024 he got his food handler’s permit so he could help with packaging loaves or shortbread or whatever needed to be done in the flurry of a pre-market morning. He spends most of his Sundays during market season at my beck and call. I’ve not expected this from him and am so grateful for all he adds to The Tiny.

This year my employees are shifting to new, better, bigger endeavors. I’m thrilled for them and know they’ll pop back in whenever they can, to get more pie dough into the freezer. I am rethinking my offerings, rethinking quantities produced, and rethinking my market attendance to ensure a more sustainable future for me. This summer, I want to have a few more free evenings to spend with Spouse on the patio with a glass of rosé, rather than pinned to the 3-part dish sink. I want to finish my days at a reasonable hour, maybe actually having sat down for dinner. I want to finish the season tired but not broken. I love baking for my customers and 16-hour days are common for bakers, but this season I’m going to work on a sustaining practice. I know my partner will support me in this as well.

Partners