Private Chef, Writer & Podcaster
In a world dominated by TikTok and fleeting attention spans, are newsletters becoming obsolete? Discover a heartfelt journey from a private chef and debut novelist who navigated the highs and lows of newsletter writing, offering insights for authors, creatives, and those battling chronic illness.
Eighteen years ago this month, my life changed forever. That was the day I officially began this journey with sarcoidosis after undergoing an open lung biopsy—the most brutal medical procedure I’ve ever experienced. Four years later, I wrote about it, but never shared it. Until now. Despite the trauma, I’ve never regretted doing the biopsy. …
Continue reading "Eighteen Years Since Diagnosis: My Open Lung Biopsy Story"
Living with sarcoidosis and heart failure while trying to write, cook, and stay emotionally balanced is already a full-time gig. Add being an INFJ–INFP hybrid—an empathic perfectionist who feels everything—and you’ve got the recipe for both magic and meltdown. This is my story of navigating chronic illness, creativity, and compassion without completely burning out in the process.
As a chef, writer, and lifelong bookworm living with chronic illness, I’ve discovered that my Kindle isn’t just a gadget—it’s freedom. Between hospital visits, late-night writing sessions, and lazy Sundays with my pets, it lets me carry an entire library in my pocket without the weight or the guilt of unread stacks. Here’s why I’ll always choose my Kindle over physical books and why e-readers might be the best invention since espresso.
Today at Whole Foods, I found myself an unwilling spectator to a tense confrontation. I had parked in a designated grocery pickup spot, waiting for my online order, when I noticed a black Tesla pull into the handicapped space next to me. A woman in her thirties parked, hung her handicapped tag, stepped out, grabbed …
Continue reading "Witnessing a Parking Lot Confrontation: A Lesson in Restraint"
Tate Basildon 