This January as I start my new year new you goal, dreams and plans I've reflected back to when we first started creating our gluten-free flour mix and recipes. My kids were small, we lived on five acres filled with a mangery of animals, creative building, and love. We were living our dream. Then our lives changed. Bumpa lost his job, and construction jobs at that time were few and far between. We started Vintage Farmer, first from a need to eat gluten-free and then out a need to generate money. NeeNee and the kids started with making and selling pasta, all flavors (even dessert). This was a hit and production went into full force. Next was gluten-free and NeeNee found out gluten had to be removed all the way from her home. Out went the wheat pasta and in came the gluten-free pasta- all flavors. Another hit, sold out at garlic fest every year! From here more gluten-free product was created and our life became a whirlwind of pasta, baking, and farmers markets, rewind repeat! To this day our oldest son, the pasta maker can hardly eat pasta! From the whirlwind landed a storefront with local foods and hand made items to a bistro, Retro Market. All this while NeeNee went back to school to collect that piece of paper for security. She graduated, landed a job, said goodbye to the bistro and didn't cook, except Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner, for years and years. Three of Bumpa and NeeNee's kids are now married, 5 grandchildren with 2 more on the way, and last one to graduate next year. Wheeew, deep breath - breath in breath out, empty nest is a real thing. Hit me hard along with some other challenges that came our way. Bumpa had 2 heart attacks, NeeNee's sister was diagnosed with cancer, her mom had a stroke, our faithful friend, Freckles went to her happy hunting ground after 16 years of caring for her herd of 5. Bumpa's sister succumbed to her cancer after a 15 or so year battle, NeeNee had a new position at work that took many hours and a lot more stress along with finishing her masters. Bumpa changed jobs 2 more times. Yep, a meltdown came for both Bumpa and NeeNee at different times. Now that brings us here. Here to today and the year of 2020. I'm not a big resolution person as it seems no one really follows through. I do believe that to make lasting changes we have to start with our daily routine. I have added Yoga, journaling, gratitude, and meditation. Six months later I am still staying strong. I will continue to do this now with "BumpaNeeNee" (Have you heard how this name came to be? Our grandson started calling us that and it just stuck! You can hear him say it on our story page!) My daily or weekly habit to start creating content for you is 1 video a week and 1 recipe. When this seems like a weekly habit we will move it to two! In February I plan to create 1 cookbook page a month! Yep don't get to crazy right! I want my changes to be consistent, dependable, and routine. I have not done that before as you all know! So new content will continue to come each week and change as habits form! Lots has happened since the birth of Vintage Farmer to the re-birth of BumpaNeeNee. I hope you continue this journey with us and enjoy our growth in keeping our promises to ourselves and you.
Scroll through our pictures a blast from our past! In the family picture, we were dressed up for an old west event! No Smiles allowed!
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