I baked a pie every day for a year and it changed my life

3 days ago

Vickie Hardin Woods, a retired city planner, baked and gave away a pie every day for a year to combat isolation and maintain creativity after her mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.
She started her project by baking a lemon meringue pie for her aunt, who provided stability during her teenage years, and continued giving pies to friends, strangers, and even a homeless man.
Hardin Woods found the project heartwarming, especially when recipients expressed gratitude, and became known as 'the pie lady' in her community.
Before retirement, she had a 30-year career in city planning, which she loved for its ability to bring order to chaos.
Her personal life included early motherhood at 18, raising three children, and finding stability in her third marriage.
Beyond pies, she has taken on new projects like daily letter writing and painting, winning a state fair prize for her baking, and writing a book about her pie experience.
The project taught her that her professional identity wasn't critical to who she is and that she could always do new things.

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