Side Track

03/27/2024

Spring is here. And we see new beginnings. We see light.

With that, Aaron Nell has made a Spotify playlist to shine more light on the world for us.

Have you ever asked yourself, “What is my worldview?”

It’s a big question. It’s an important one. Investigating that question we know leads us to what inspires that view. What we’ve seen, read, heard, tasted, felt, and believed, who we’ve known.

Aaron Nell, Like Ethan Gulley, has been long time companion. Since birth for some of us. Aaron has been a big help shape our worldview. Challenging, inspiring, and fueling it.

Music, we believe, is a beautiful ingredient to the construction of a worldview. Aaron talked with us about this ideal.

He writes:

“The music that I gravitate towards isn’t exactly good. It just has to make feel like the world is bigger than I thought. Anything that makes my world bigger is something I want to listen to. I can definitely appreciate masterful songcraft, but I find it isn’t the thing that drives my ear. I’ve also come to accept that I’m a slave to spotify. So this playlist reflects that for the most part; it’s a classic spotify-style playlist and it’s fitting that it is hosted on this platform. But please support analog media. And to the spotify big wigs/fat cats/powers-that-be that are no doubt reading, pay an artist once in while.”

Aaron’s playlist has everything you need. It feels like spring. It stretches, bursts, bounces, flairs and germinates like so. In it, you will find: Sade, Rei Harakami, JPEGMAFIA, Freur, Loukeman, bar italia, Bee Gees, Misha Panfilov, and so on. Link in bio.

We hope your world gets bigger, and that it gets filled with more light :)

01/14/2024

12/20/2023

Another Special Day

Brielle’s last shift today.

Austin and I, still remember the first time she came into the shop.

What’s happened since can’t be marked or explained.

As a close friend, Allen Levi once asked,

“How does one write about for which there are no adequate words?”

There might be no perfect line or writing to describe the wonder, the splendor, and Joy that lives in and breathes out through Brielle Stein. But we know we’ve experienced it. With gratitude we can only respond.

She taught us how to celebrate, not just deeper and sweeter but more freely and confidently. Always ambitious to be the host, to put others above herself as often as she could. Even when they weren’t in her presence. Like our dear friend Ash says, “She thought of you before you got here.”

She creates a space of celebration. Not just a physical room, but in her simple presence. Her life as art, every moment plays and strokes as in a masterpiece. She has eyes that see spaces that can be filled with flowers, bows, stars and bursts of color. She see’s those spaces in us that are filled with those bursts of color. She goes “Did you see this?!” We pray our hearts are more inclined in that way!

One year, in Michigan (where Hannah is from), on the first snow there, Brielle and Paulina cut out paper snowflakes and put them all over the cafe for hannah’s shift before she came in. They knew Hannah would surely miss being there on that special day. She walked into a celebration. They brought the snow to her.

Brielle never ceases to celebrate. To dance and sing songs. And invite us into this big whimsical dance.

Brielle has, and is, changing the world. Bursting light into it. Moment by moment, day by day.

An endless, we love you, B.

A thousand times thank you, you’ve changed our lives forever.

Your friends, your brothers, and your sisters,

Side Track

12/16/2023

Celebrating Austin

A day always to remember. Austin’s Birthday.

It’s always been simple to say, but where’d be without Austin, we do not know. It surely wouldn’t be close to where we all are now. Great thankfulness is what fills our souls and our minds.

It’s been over five years that Austin has been serving alongside us. And, normally, these posts about Austin are quite long. Rightfully so, they are the easiest one’s to write. We also see clearly that Austin needs no introduction.

However, for our own spirits, it our joy to share who Austin is:

He is the man that lifts us all up so that everyone sees us. He is rarely in the picture, he never begs or asks for attention. Yet, edifying in his attentiveness and honesty. He listens in a way that evokes a feeling of comfort. He serves with humility, and rests in wisdom. He carries and lifts burdens with courage. While his gentle presence is healing.

Every day, it is an honor for us to know him, and to be known by him. To many more adventures with you.

Happy birthday, dear friend.

(Here, he is watching his wildflower honey shine in light)

11/14/2023

So, this Saturday morning at 9:00am with our familia,

A little razzle dazzle from Welcome Center and Stinson Breads serving up french toasts, breads, pastries, and goodness.

We are sure the air will be crisp and the sun excited. The birds will be glad to sing one last song to the gathering of people in front of the shop before winter settles in. They love singing to an audience. Like them, we will be honored to have you for a moment in time then.

And! What a truly, blessed thing it is to come alongside our dearest neighbors and show hospitality together. It’s a fulfilling work. A seed sowing, precious life.

It’ll be a simple, bright morning on Saturday. And as always, we rejoice sharing our lives with anyone willing to accept :)

11/12/2023

Today is a special day.

Paulina Arroyo serves her last shift at Side Track. She will still very much be a part of our community. However, as she moves into a new season, it has helped remind us of how momentous a position it is to be a servant, as we look back at all the wonder created through Paulina here.

With great confidence and bravado, we can say that Paulina, will never cease serving others. She carries a spirit of whimsical beauty into every space. As we picture memories of her, we can see her floating and dancing from one place to another, beginning and ending with an “embrace” always.

This year, during our team gatherings in the morning before service, we got the great honor to exhort one another, and conjoin those exhortations to a few words that could best describe them.

Paulina’s wonder-filled designed pointed us to “embrace.”

We don’t know if everyone reading this has ever got to experience and truly know her. But, one thing we hope you’ll be reminded of and/or inspired by in this writing. Is that Paulina’s presence, at the very least, declared this one thing, “I am with you.”

She never ceased to hug. And never will. It’s in her design. And she knows it well.

The purest of joys is to know that the person beside you is glad that they are with you. Paulina purifies joy where ever she goes.

And our wish is for to know this joy. With that joy Paulina has, she is changing the world.

Now to you, Paulina, we love you forever and ever, and we thank our Heavenly Father for letting us be yours,

Your friends, your brothers, and your sisters,

Side Track

(Brielle .stein took these beautiful photos!!!)

07/20/2023

Carter’s Cookbook 1

Near the genesis of Side Track, one of our inspirations were the twin duo of Harry and Carter Were

Their simple celebrations of life, details, and food inspired and encouraged us in our own lives.

Around 2019, they released a cookbook of Carter’s recipes with Harry’s photography, Carter’s Cookbook.

We immediately bought a copy and it quickly became a basis of how we saw being in the kitchen, in the market and at the table. Simply and warmly.

It is an imperative mission of ours to point each other back to our homes, to our kitchens and tables. To the explorations to the markets.

Just cooking meals alone, having our hands prepare our food is powerful to the sense of creation. And doing so together, connects us closer and deeper to one another.

Cooking is an act of defiance to our culture’s over scheduled, fast paced lives. Cooking is a celebration of gratitude.

We have been truly blessed by the Were’s, and blessings, we would love to share.

In the cafe, and online :)

05/17/2023

Side Track began at the start of the summer of ’16. And our friend, , was there.

Ethan is a photographer based in Los Angeles. He lived in Auburn when we were starting up, and has been motivating us ever since.

Now, it’s fitting that he writes “Music… enhances situations.”

His work and his eyes enhance situations.

He always sees moments with a fullness and a curiosity. He seamlessly captures those perspectives with his camera and makes those moments tangible again. Reminding us how beautiful they were.

Music acts similarly and can mark moments.

Ethan has made a big mix is for a big summer. Featuring: Prince, Jim-E Stack, Kool & The Gang, Talking Heads, Geoffrey Landers, MJ Lenderman, Haruomi Hosono, and HAIM. We are fired up.

Link in bio.

04/20/2023

When you research how to plant and care for a seed, the first thing you’ll probably read or hear is “timing.” Make sure your seed has a favorable context of time and temperature! The next is the soil and/or container. It must be in the right surrounding environment! Then the exciting part, planting! Rest it in it’s place

Now, it’s time for the commitment part: watering it, feeding it, and making sure it get’s the light it needs. In time, shapes form, colors fade in, and a story continues to unfold.

Finally, fruit is produced, or a flower blooms. It’s fruit could find it’s way to a full table of joy and healing, adding it’s flavor to life. And, that flower could be placed in a vase with other unfolded stories to simple say “I love you.” All because someone had faith to plant that seed. In a way, they said “I love you” before they saw a fruit or a flower.

Side Track is a garden.

And each and every one of you in Side Track’s life have helped drip water, shine light, and feed the soil. Thank you for every part you are. From being in the garden with us, to joining us at our tables. To picking the flowers, to receiving them with glad and generous hearts.

A story is being unfolded, and our souls are filled with awe.

Yours truly,

Paulina, Austin, Brielle, Hannah, Laurie, Johnnie, and David

(Art Inspo from )

01/13/2023

Ticket form in bio!

MAKE SURE TO DRESS UP AS YOUR *CHILDHOOD DREAM JOB*

12/20/2022

Here we are, saying our last goodbyes this week, as we prepare to retreat towards a hibernation and a close is coming to this chapter, reflection and gratitude are in order.

As always, in all of this, everything around us, seen and unseen, there is a beautiful
and magnificent story being told.

Wild and precious are our lives.

And our lives are being woven together with holy mastery. And we praise and accept the processing design of it all.

Now, we truly, dearly, thank you for showing up in our lives inside and outside of our little shop. Your presence is profound in our hearts. Thank you, deeply, thank you. For the best is yet to come.

With the hope, and Merry Christmas :)

(Winter Break Dec. 23rd - Jan. 3)

12/07/2022

It’s December already and another year is soon to come. All signifying that, yes, time hasn’t stopped turning it’s dial onward.

The good thing about time is, when you spend it with, and for, people you love, our neighbors, our dear friends, and our magical little town, it produces fruit.

Saturday morning, just like this very morning, there will be fruit :)

Mark Barber is Welcome Center (the burger/simply good food pop-up you surely know) Our dear friend we could not imagine life without. We are radically enriched and moved by his life. And without Him, we wouldn’t know how to love as deeply as we do. You can find him under the word “selfless” in that book by Daniel-Webster.

Anna Claire and Matthew Stinson are Stinson Breads. Our bread folk, as well as our hospitality leaders. As well as our community icons. They show up. They serve, they listen, and they laugh. Their fruit is endless. Any moment with them is wonder.

See ya soon, with hope,

Side Track