06/11/2026
Yesterday evening, as the sun set over these mountains, we had already laid Daddy to rest. Somehow it felt like God was reminding me that every ending is also the beginning of something new.
One week ago today, my daddy took his last breath.
We brought him home and laid his body to rest in the mountains he loved—the same mountains where he was born, raised, worked, and lived so much of his life.
Today, I'll leave these mountains and head back to Northern Kentucky, leaving behind the earthly bodies of both my mother and father. That's a reality I'm still trying to wrap my mind around.
These mountains shaped me.
Tan Yard Holler shaped me.
Gene and Annie Sizemore Fields shaped me.
Everything I am—the stories I tell, the food I cook, the faith I share, the songs I sing—began right here in these hills.
Over the past week, I've received thousands of messages. So many of you have told me you enjoy my stories, my cooking, my faith, my singing, and that what you appreciate most is my genuineness. The truth is, that's something I inherited.
My parents taught me to be who I am and not apologize for it.
And Appalachian people don't know any other way to be. We don't pretend to be something we're not. We love hard, work hard, help our neighbors, and tell our stories exactly as we lived them.
So if you're new here, let me introduce myself.
I'm Missy Jones, Mountain Cookin' with Missy.
A coal miner's daughter from Tan Yard Holler who grew up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and somehow ended up with the blessing of reaching millions of people each month.
I've shared my Appalachian heritage, my family stories, my faith, and my way of cooking with the world. I've shared my parents with you and given them credit for so much of who I am because they deserve it.
And later this year, I'll be releasing my first book—a collection of memories, stories, and life lessons from a little holler in Eastern Kentucky. In many ways, it's a love letter to the people and places that made me who I am.
I don't take any of this for granted.
I'm thankful for the life God has given me. I'm thankful for every person who follows along. And I believe with all my heart that God isn't finished with me yet.
This is not the end of my story. It's just the beginning of a new chapter.
I believe there are still doors He intends to open, places He intends to lead me, and opportunities I could never imagine on my own. Wherever He leads, I'll follow. Whatever door He opens, I'll walk through it with my head held high and with gratitude in my heart.
But no matter where life takes me, no matter how many people I reach, no matter how far I travel, these mountains will always be home.
Tan Yard Holler will always be where my story began.
And Gene and Annie Sizemore Fields will always be the reason I have a story worth telling.
