Story & Table Press

06/13/2026

New poem just dropped.

Be kind. Please subscribe.

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Life- rarely easy, hardly grand. The best isn't always placed in the palm of my hand. Life- not perfect, and far from the best. The reality is a daily test. Living life from day-to-day often feels like just one step away. Never seem to find my place with daily trials to face. Life- not sweet, never....

06/12/2026

June at the Table: Day 10

06/12/2026

Some weeks, dinner is less about inspiration and more about mercy.

This past Tuesday, I opened the freezer and found a flat little bag of taco meat I'd cooked and seasoned a couple of weeks ago--a tiny gift from past-me to present-me.

We thawed it, warmed the tortillas, chopped a few toppings and called it Taco Tuesday. Nothing fancy. Just real life, real food, and a rhythm that keeps us fed even when the day gets away from me.

June at the Table: Day 9

06/10/2026

Today’s essay explores the Mayflower Compact — not as a dusty historical artifact, but as a living, shimmering moment where a community bound itself together before it ever stepped onto land.
I also included a fully modern rewrite for anyone who’s never read the original.

Why It Still Feels Like a Spellbinding American Beginning

06/10/2026

Some pieces come from the quiet places--thr ones we don't talk about until we finally have the words. This poem is one of those.

It's about the ache of being lost thekng stretch if not knowing the way back, and the faint calm that reaches us eventually anyway.

If this meets you gently today, I'm grateful. Please feel welcome to share.

https://open.substack.com/pub/amberrothamer/p/the-lost-sheep?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=70kriq

06/10/2026

June at the Table: Day 7

06/08/2026

After a job loss earlier this month, I've been leaning harder into my writing and cooking work--not just because I love it, but because it helps support our family right now.

Thank you for being here, it means more than you know.

June at the Table: Day 6

06/07/2026

I made my version of my Dad's favorite chili sauce last night. Then today after looking through a family cookbook, I noticed it was pretty similar to my Great Grandma Lydia's recipe too. My Grandma passed it down to us. I can't help but wonder how many past generations of Grandmas were behind the scenes watching me do something they did for years. It definitely tasted like home.

June at the Table: Day 5

06/05/2026

A bonus June at the Table recipe is up for paid subscribers — a simple, creamy cucumber onion salad that tastes like pure summer memory.

Last night, while we ate, I told the boys how much my grandma Ora and my dad loved this salad. How Grandma would ask my mom to bring it to our Geddes family reunions every year, and how it always disappeared fast. There was never any left. I only made a small batch last night, but the moment I tasted it, it felt like stepping back into those summers.

If you’re a paid subscriber, the full recipe is waiting for you.
If you’re not yet, you’re always welcome at the table.

June at the Table (Bonus Recipe)

06/05/2026

If you want to follow along with June at the Table, I'd love to have you at the table with me. Please visit and/or subscribe to my Substack.

June at the Table: Day 4