Why There’s a Mouse in My Kitchen

Before anyone calls pest control, I mean the illustrated one.

The little mouse tucked into Loaf & Lore has a history. My grandmother collected mouse figurines, and my nickname is Squeak. So when I started thinking about what this little corner of the internet should look like, a mouse felt like a pretty obvious place to begin.

There is, however, a slight problem with the whole “quiet as a mouse” thing.

The quiet part did not last

I barely made a peep until I started talking. And then I barely made a silence.

Since then, I’ve worked in radio, run for office, and now I’m writing a blog. Shutting up is now WELL OUTSIDE my wheelhouse.

Apparently Squeak was less a prediction of my volume and more a starting point.

So if you came here expecting a hushed, perfectly composed account of domestic life, I should probably warn you now: I have opinions. And projects. And opinions about the projects. Sometimes a small kitchen idea turns into a conversation about cabinets, flooring, a backsplash, and whether I could reasonably justify a pot filler because I own an enormous canner.

The mouse has considered all of these things. The mouse is feeling enabled.

A little creature with a lot going on

That’s the energy I want here. A small space, plenty of curiosity, and the willingness to try making something instead of waiting until every condition is perfect.

I’m building homestead skills on a tenth of an acre. There’s baking, cooking, a house with ideas attached to practically every surface, and a growing list of things I want to learn how to do. There’s also room for D&D, folklore, and a little magic. I want Loaf & Lore to have room for all of those parts of me.

The mouse belongs in that world. I wanted her to feel like she could wander out of an illustrated story, rather than look like a cartoon pasted onto a bread label. A little woodland character who can keep company with the food, the stories, and the occasional overly ambitious home project.

A bit of family, a bit of me

I like that this small detail can carry my grandmother’s collection and my own nickname into something I’m making now. It gives the mouse a reason to be here before she ever appears on a label or in the corner of a page.

And it gives you a fair introduction to the person behind the flour and the plans. I will probably start by telling you what I’m baking. We may end up discussing walnut cabinets. I cannot promise we’ll stay on topic, but I can promise the mouse has something to say.

Welcome to Loaf & Lore. I’m Squeak.