Tea. Toast. & Trivia.

S3 E23: Eglund on the Art of Communication Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am travelling over 7900 kilometers to Berlin, Germany to meet up with my friend, Eglund, journalist and writer. Berlin is a center of politics, culture, media, and science, home of the world-famous Berlin Opera, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Berlin is on my must-see places to visit once travel comes back.  But for now, I am enjoying my virtual visit with Eglund. Eglund is an engineer and publicist. He worked as a science journalist and reporter in Africa for several German newspapers. Since 2005, his focus has been on the environmental initiatives. As a specialist journalist for renewable energies, he works within media related to the ecological energy transition, first of all about solar energy. Eglund first appeared as a writer in 1993 when he won the essay prize of the Mayor of Berlin-Kreuzberg for his short story “The nun and dying”. I

S3 E22: Darlene Foster Reading Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops are great places for book readings. There is something extraordinary about hearing the voice of an author reading their stories. Their voice and intonation are nuanced by the many hours of effort putting pen to paper.  They created the characters, structured the plot, and lived every twist and turn that creates bumps in the storyline. Living in the reality of Covid-19, book readings at public libraries and bookstores have been curtailed.  We are learning to embrace technology in new ways.  Welcome to the podcast series, “Authors Reading their Books”, which will recreate the reading spaces in a virtual venue.  I invite you to put the kettle on and join the conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am thrilled to introduce Darlene Fos

S3 E21: Elisabeth Van Der Meer & Dave Astor on Enduring Literary Themes “Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary.” Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and literary translator Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Why do specific narratives endure? Writers and readers come to these stories over and over again.  Is it because the characters are memorable and compelling? Or is it the dialogue, action scenes, or unfolding love that engages?  What transforms an ordinary storyline into an extraordinary critical success that attracts readers beyond the life of the writer?  The answer: A strong literary theme. Today, I am thrilled that we are joining Porvoo, Finland, Montclair, New Jersey and Vancouver, British Columbia.  Elisabeth Van Der Meer and Dave Astor have joined me in connecting three times zones within seconds to bring you a discussion on “Enduring Literary T

S3 E20: The Trio on Letter Writing Steve Carell once said, “Sending a handwritten letter is becoming such an anomaly. It’s disappearing. My mom is the only one who still writes me letters. And there’s something visceral about opening a letter – I see her on the page. I see her in her handwriting.” Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss letter writing.  In our last podcast discussion, we discussed the art of cursive handwriting style.  There is beauty in the curving lines and connecting letters.  But there is much more about cursive writing to celebrate. I like the idea that cursive writing improves our neural connections and interplay of the left and right cerebral hemispheres. When we use cursing writing, we enhance our memory retention and improve our fine motor skills.  Think of it as an exercise program for our minds.  What better way to hone our cursive writing skills, than by writing lette

S3 E19: D Wallace Peach Reading Liars & Thieves, Unravelling the Veil Book One Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops are great places for book readings. There is something extraordinary about hearing the voice of an author reading their stories. Their voice and intonation are nuanced by the many hours of effort putting pen to paper.  They created the characters, structured the plot, and lived every twist and turn that creates bumps in the storyline. Living in the reality of Covid-19, book readings at public libraries and bookstores have been curtailed.  We are learning to embrace technology in new ways.  Welcome to the podcast series, “Authors Reading their Books”, which will recreate the reading spaces in a virtual venue.  I invite you to put the kettle on and join the conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am thrilled to introduce

S3 E18: Traveling to Orkney with Lorna Brown “A trip to Orkney gives you the opportunity to look back in time: through both world wars, crofting, Norse and Neolithic eras. Locals say if you scratch the surface of Orkney, it bleeds archaeology. Venturing further back, the rugged landscape affords glimpses into the geological heritage that physically shaped our islands many millennia ago.” Lorna Brown, See Orkney Tours Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Join me as I travel across the ocean to Orkney, where the fresh sea air and rugged landscape captures the spirit of daring souls.  I am delighted that I am meeting up once again with my friend, Lorna Brown of See Orkney Tours, who was our family’s intrepid guide through the mists of ancient Orkney.  We touched the Standing Stones of Stenness and traced the prehistoric path of the Ring of Brodgar. The last time we met up with Lorna was on the white sandy beach that leads up to Skara Brae, a 5000-year-old Neolithic village. Sk

S3 E17: Kim Mooney on Hidden Daughter-Secret Sister, A Story of Adoption Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am delighted and thrilled that my long-time friend, Kim Mooney, has joined me on Tea Toast & Trivia to discuss her book, “Hidden Daughter-Secret Sister, A Story of Adoption.” Kim has a degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in leadership. Her career has been an eclectic one, moving between teaching and hospital administration and back to teaching.  She retired in 2018 after fifteen years of teaching at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC.  In addition to her academic responsibilities at Royal Roads, Kim ran a consulting practice for fifteen years. With her first published story in 1970 came a prize—a typewriter. A few short stories and a series of poems were written on that machine and then it was set aside in a drawer. This is her first published book. Thank you for

Season 3 Episode 16: Joan Dunnett on Reading Sir Walter Scott Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.  I am delighted and thrilled that my friend, Joan Dunnett, writer of “Tides of Change,” and I have once again bridged the 7,059 kilometres between Edinburgh and Vancouver to discuss, Sir Walter Scott, who is remembered for his extensive literary works and political engagement.  Many of his works remain classics of both English literature and Scottish literature. Famous titles include The Lady of the Lake, which was a narrative poem, and the novels Waverley, Old Mortality, Rob Roy, The Heart of Mid-Lothian, The Bride of Lammermoor, and Ivanhoe. Joan Dunnett has read all of Sir Walter Scott’s books and has just recently re-read Waverley.  In a recent e-mail Joan wrote, “Waverly was Scott’s first novel, and in many ways is a good starting point. The main character, Edward Waverley, is a ‘r

S3 E15: Dr. Leith Davis on The Lyon in Mourning Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am thrilled that I am meeting up with Dr. Leith Davis, Professor of English at Simon Fraser University. She is a co-founder of the Department of English’s Master of Arts program with Specialization in Print Culture and is the Director of Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Scottish Studies. Leith is the author of Acts of Union: Scotland and the Negotiation of the British Nation (Stanford UP, 1998). Music, Post colonialism and Gender: The Construction of Irish Identity, 1724-1874 (Notre Dame UP, 2005). She is co-editor of Scotland and the Borders of Romanticism (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004) and Robert Burns and Transatlantic Culture (Ashgate, 2012).  She is currently working on a monograph entitled Media and Cultural Memory in Britain and Ireland, 1688-1745. Leith is a collector of stories – stories that have been kept safe in the folds of history waiting to be heard. Today, she shares her t

Season 3 Episode 14: Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene Launches “Dead of Winter” Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am thrilled that Teagan Geneviene has joined me on Tea Toast & Trivia to discuss the launch of her book, “Dead of Winter”. The adventure is coming to readers in a series of Journeys. I have read Journey 1, Forlorn Peak and Journey 2, Penllyn and now await, with great anticipation, the next installment, Journey 3, The Fever Field. Teagan makes brilliant use of serialization to enhance a reader’s experience. What began in 1836 with Charles Dickens’ “the Pickwick Papers” is making a comeback in our timeline. Serial novels encourage us to savour the narrative, to reflect with expectation to what comes next. I have been looking forward to this conversation with Teagan.  Journey I and Journey II explore themes of resilience and coming of age within a world that is in transition. Thank you for joining Teagan and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a special thank you, Teagan

S3 E13: Tim Price on Blogging, Photography & Connecting Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am delighted and thrilled that my blogger friend, writer, musician, and photographer, Timothy Price has joined me on Tea Toast & Trivia for a discussion about blogging, writing about daily life and engaging within the blogging community. I have been following Tim’s blog since my first introduction to his on Resa McConaghy’s Art Gowns, The Art of Glamorous Fantasy. Tim has a marvelous sense of humour and a love of photography and music.  What I especially appreciated about Tim is that he provides sustained support and encouragement to other bloggers. Blogging is a way to connect and find kindred spirits, but we all come to this place for specific and individual reasons. Is it to fulfill a personal goal?  Is it to send out a message?  Is it to connect with people with the same objectives?  These are

S3 E12: Mary Jo Malo, Celebrating World Poetry Day Welcome to Tea. Toast. & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am delighted to meet up with my friend and poet, Mary Jo Malo. We are bridging the distance of 3,420 kilometers between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Vancouver, British Columbia to discuss poetry and a poet’s calling. Driving time is 31 hours, Zoom time, 31 seconds. We will be marking World Poetry Day, which occurred yesterday, on March 21, 2021, which was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999. UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind. So put the kettle on and celebrate poetry on Tea, Toast & Trivia.com. This promises to be an extraordinary conversation. Thank you for joining Mary Jo and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a special thank you, Mary Jo, for sharing your insight on poetry for World Poetry Day.  You inspire me to cele

S3 E11: The Trio on the Art of Cursive Writing Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss the art of cursive writing. Cursive handwriting style undoubtedly has an artistic flair. There is beauty in the curving lines and connecting letters. But there is much more about cursive writing to celebrate for it improves our neural connections and interplay of the left and right cerebral hemispheres. When we use cursive writing, we enhance our memory retention and improve our fine motor skills. Think of it as an exercise program for our minds. So put the kettle on and add to the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Frances, Sarah, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. Until next time we meet, dear friends, keep safe and be well! “Sending a handwritten letter is becoming such an anomaly. It’s

S3 E10: D Wallace Peach on Writing and Publishing “My latest trilogy is titled Unraveling the Veil. It’s about three races – goblins, elves, and changelings – and how blame and lies almost destroy their lives and civilization. My trio of heroes are products of their cultures and biases, and yet they have to trust each other and work together to learn the truth of a series of mysterious disappearances. Things get awfully grim before they accomplish their goal.” D Wallace Peach Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am delighted and thrilled that my blogger friend and writer, D Wallace Peach, has joined me on Tea Toast & Trivia for a discussion about writing, connecting, and engaging within the world of writing and publishing.  Diana is on my side of the world, just south of the Canadian Border.  She lives in a log cabin, situated on a mountain, with her husband, two owls and a horde of

Season 3 Episode 9: Darlene Foster on Writing Amanda Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia Thank you for listening in! Never let a day go by without a dream” Darlene Foster I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am delighted and thrilled that my blogger friend and writer, Darlene Foster and I are bridging approximately 8,784 kilometers, as the crow flies, between Costa Blanca, Spain and Vancouver, Canada. A distance that would be 11 hours and 25 minutes by air has taken seconds via technology. Darlene’s short stories have won prizes and have appeared in several anthologies. She has seven published books in a series about a spunky 12-year-old girl who loves to travel, Amanda in Arabia – The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain-The Girl in the Painting, Amanda in England-the Missing Novel, Amanda in Alberta – The Writing on the Stone, Amanda on the Danube-The Sounds of Music, Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind and Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action. Readers from

S3 E8: Klausbernd Vollmar on Ugliness Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am travelling over 7,500 kilometers to Cley-Next-The-Sea, an idyllic artists’ village situated on the River Glaven in Norfolk, England. I am meeting up once again with my dear blogger friend, and professional author, Klausbernd Vollmar, who is an authority on colour theory and in the language of symbols in dreams and art.   In our last podcast, we explored the idea of beauty. Klausbernd has come back for another riveting conversation on the concept of “ugly” and ugliness. This promises to be an extraordinary discussion. So, put the kettle on and add to your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia. Klausbernd Vollmar graduated with a (MA) in German and Nordic literature, philosophy, geology, and linguistics at the University of Bochum/Germany. In Finland and Germany, he worked as assistant professor specializing in symbol systems. Winning a postgraduate scholarship by the Canada Council, he came to Canad

S3 E7: Paul Andruss Reading Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer  Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops are great places for book readings. There is something extraordinary about hearing the voice of an author reading their stories. Their voice and intonation are nuanced by the many hours of effort putting pen to paper.  They created the characters,  structured the plot, and lived every twist and turn that creates bumps in the storyline. Living in the reality of Covid-19, book readings at public libraries and bookstores have been curtailed.  We are learning to embrace technology in new ways.  Welcome to a new podcast series, “Authors Reading their Books”, which will recreate the reading spaces in a virtual venue.  I invite you to put the kettle on and join the conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am thrilled to introduce Paul And

S3 E6: The Trio on the Family Book Challenge 2021 Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss a subject that is close to my heart.  Books! We have embarked on the Family Book Challenge 2021, championed by my nephew Aaron. Join us as we discuss how books transform our lives and how reading within a community of readers expands our knowledge and inspires us to read more. So put the kettle on and add to the conversation. We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Frances, Sarah, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. Looking forward to hearing about your reading adventures. Until next time, dear friends, be safe and be well. Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” Charles W. Eliot

Season 3 Episode 5: Elisabeth Van Der Meer & Dave Astor on Why Should We Read The Books We Do Not Want to Read Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer and co-writer of the 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey said:  “Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic. Today we are working magic by bringing together Porvoo, Finland,  Montclair, New Jersey, and Vancouver, British Columbia.  Elisabeth Van Der Meer and Dave Astor have joined me in connecting three times zones within seconds to bring you a discussion on “Why should we read the books we do not want to read?” We are entering a new adventure in podcasting here at Tea Toast and Trivia.  Thank you to Elisabeth and Dave for taking the plunge with me.  And a very special thank you to Don, my techie, who is in the background making this happen. Thank you for joining Elisabeth, Dave, and me on Tea

Season 3 Episode 4: Celebrating Robert Burns with the Address to a Haggis Welcome to a special episode of Tea Toast and Trivia. I am you host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Tonight, we celebrate Robert Burns, affectionately known as Rabbie Burns, the great Scottish poet and lyricist. He has been given the honoured titles of National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire and the Ploughman Poet. He penned in the language of the Scots, even though much of his writing is in light Scots dialect and in English. This year’s celebration will be different from all other Robert Burns Suppers that have been held throughout its history. January 25, 2021 will be the first time that the Burns Suppers will be going virtual across the world. Thank you for joining me in celebrating the life and works of Robert Burns.