Tea. Toast. & Trivia.

S2.E25 A Hero's Journey Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia  Thank you for listening in.  I’m your host, Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. As I wait for my tea to steep, I think back to marvelous stories and ancient legends. Hercules, Perseus, Theseus – these were the myths for which I searched the libraries as a 10-year-old.  Magnificent heroes, blessed with superhuman strength and unfaltering courage, forged their destinies through journeys fraught with danger and treachery.  As time passed, I chose new stories to take their place.  Ones that were more in line with what I considered credible and more suitable for my reality.  While I still enjoyed the hero myths, I lost that singular childhood enthusiasm.  When I grew older, I became less sure of their relevance in my life. Indeed, the word “mythology” has the implication that what has been written is so fantastic that it simply cannot be true. That being the case, what significance can b

Season 2. Episode 24: Dave Astor On Writing Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Dave Astor and I are once again  bridging the 3,923 kilometers between New Jersey to Vancouver.  Welcome Dave, thank you stopping by for a visit. I enjoy our conversations. As you all know, the book on top of my 2020 stack of books, is Dave Astor’s Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time: The Book Lover’s Guide to Literary Trivia. Dave has a marvelous way of going deep to find the story that is hidden in the folds of history. A few days ago, I read this brilliant comment: “When things are hard, books are there.” Books are the best companions and a comfort during times of uncertainty. They build our resilience and courage. I have been very interested in the transition from reading to writing. For some, it seems to be a natural progression. Dave is here to answer questions about his experience in writing. So listeners, put the kettle on and add to this ex

Season 2.Episode 23: Frances on Embracing Change in the 1930’s Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. A few weeks ago, Frances and I were discussing the Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s, which started in 1929.  We still talk about with the market crash of October 29, 1929 known as Black Tuesday.  It was a decade that experienced the most extensive, deepest, and most widespread depression in the 20th century.  It gripped the entire world with devastating consequences.  Unemployment was as high as 25% in the United States and for some countries, unemployment rose as high as 33%.  Frances lived through the decade of the 1930’s and has talked about those years in a series of podcasts. This podcast is about the transition between the 1920’s, a decade of plenty and the 1930’s, the decade that would change the world. Frances and my discussion occurred before we knew that our world would soon face a global challenge,  Frances

Season 2.Episode 22: Frances on The Art of Canning Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.  Thank you for listening in. A few weeks ago, Frances and I were discussing the Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s, which started in 1929.  One of the questions that came up was food supplies and production. This led to a great discussion on the art of canning, a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in airtight containers. As our world faces a new global challenge, Frances’s memories remind us that working together we can overcome challenges, such as food storage, production and safety.  So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia. One last thought – comes from J.R.R. Tolkien : “If more of us valued food and cheer and so

Season 2.Episode 21: Frances on The Great Depression Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. A few weeks ago, Frances and I were discussing the Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s, which started in 1929.  We still talk about the market crash of October 29, 1929 known as Black Tuesday.  The 1930’s was a decade that experienced the most extensive, deepest, and widespread depression in the 20th century.  It gripped the entire world with devastating consequences.  Unemployment was as high as 25% in the United States and for some countries, unemployment rose as high as 33%.  Frances lived through the 1930’s and has talked about those years in a series of podcasts. As our world faces a new global challenge, Frances’s memories remind us that by working together we can accomplish great things.  So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com. I am your host Rebecca

Season 2. Episode 20: The Trio on Joy 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 very close to my heart. How do we define joy? How do we acknowledge our need for individuality as a well as  connection and belonging within a compassionate community? 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’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. Rabindranath Tagore

Season 2.Episode 19: Frances on Building a Sod House Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Today, Frances looks back to a time when sod houses or soddies were the homes of early settlers on the frontiers of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States. When the prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone, sod from thick, toughly rooted prairie grass was abundant, free, and could be used for house construction. So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia. One last thought – comes from Maya Angelou “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Until next time, dear friends, safe travels wherever your adventures take you.

Season 2. Episode 18: Elisabeth on Alexander Pushkin’s Dual Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Elisabeth van der Meer from the extraordinary blog, A Russian Affair, has once again joined me from the far distance of 7,514 km or 4,669 miles. We are connecting Finland and Canada via Russian Literature. Elisabeth has come back to discuss Alexander Pushkin, poet, playwright and novelist of the Romantic era. He is considered the father of modern Russian literature and some say that he was the greatest of all Russian writers. Bold, impetuous and daring, he lived with enthusiasm. So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I highly recommend Elisabeth’s  “The Eugene Onegin Challenge” that is happening on her blog, A Russian Affair.  Right now, I am reading Alexander Pushkin’s masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, which he wrote over the course of eight years.  Elisabeth has introduced

Season 2.Episode 17: Frances on Community and the Ladies’ Aid Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.  Thank you for listening in. Frances and I are in the sewing room again, with the material stacked on one side of the room and on the other, the finished costumes for an upcoming dance performance.  It’s exciting to see the progress, week to week on the colourful tutus and jazz outfits. This week, our conversations turned to my mother’s recollection of the Ladies’ Aid Society.  As background, Ladies’ Aid Societies were formed during the American Civil War.  Women worked tirelessly to provide supplies to soldiers on the battlefield and to care for sick and wounded soldiers. They raised money, sewed quilts and provided sanitary supplies to solders to stop the spread of disease.  When the war was over, many Ladies’ Aid Societies continued their good work. Today, my mother shares her memories of the Ladies’ Aid Society of her community that worked together in the 1930’s and 1940’s. So put the k

Season 2. Episode 16: Dave Astor on Books & Creativity Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Dave Astor and I are once again bridging the 3,923 kilometers between New Jersey to Vancouver. The book on top of my 2020 stack of books,  is Dave Astor’s Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time: The Book Lover’s Guide to Literary Trivia. Dave has a marvelous way of going deep to find the story that is hidden in the folds of history. In Dave’s most recent post, “More Than Zero Interest in Zero-Year Novels”, he featured some of his favorite (not necessarily the best) novels that were published in 1970, 1920, 1870, and various other years ending in that big ol’ round number of zero. Put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you.Thank you for joining Dave and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out t

Season 2. Episode 15:  Stephanie on Coaching Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. We live in a world that demands our time and energy.  These are precious and scarce resources.  There is only so much time and we have only so much energy.   Time to check in with my wellness coach, Stephanie from Bold Moves, for an energy boost and a great conversation on coaching for health and fitness. So put the kettle on and add to our discussion on TeaToastTrivia.com.  I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Stephanie and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  A special shout-out to Stephanie who keeps me focused and inspired by her dedication and enthusiasm for health and fitness. Music by Martin Hall (Enjoy Your Heartbreak (Instrumental Version) Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 14: Another Day in Paradise with Sylvia Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Today, I am delighted that Sylvia, a remarkable blogger and dear friend, has joined Tea Toast & Trivia to bridge the 4,245 kilometers, as the crow flies, between Florida and British Columbia . If you consider travel time, a road journey between us would take 3 Days, 5 Hours, 9 Minutes. I often wonder how a Google search can produce those exact time measurements.  And here we are connected within minutes as if we are in the same room. I have followed Sylvia’s blog, Another Day In Paradise, for many years.  And the name says it all. Sylvia has created a place that welcomes and encourages life-affirming conversations.   When you visit Sylvia, you enter a place of sunshine, warmth, blue skies, and lush vegetation. It is truly Paradise. Put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com Safe travels wherever your adventures take you.  And re

Season 2. Episode 13: The Trio On 25 in 2020 Challenge “It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”Oscar Wilde Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Books book and more books. This year Frances, my mother, Sarah, my sister and I have embarked on a challenge to read 25 books in 2020.  This is our first installment, the beginning.  More to come. 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’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Music by Ennio Mano "Birds of Paradise" Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 12: Jean-Jacques Fournier on Poetry Welcome to Tea. Toast. & Trivia.Thank you for listening in. I’m your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.  I am delighted and thrilled that my dear friend and poet; Jean-Jacques Fournier is with me today to share insights on poetry. Jean-Jacques Fournier is a native of Montreal and has been living  in the Eastern Townships (QC) since 2010 with his French wife Marianne. Before returning to Canada, he lived eight years in the South of France, first in Vence, which is situated in the hills of the Alpes Maritime overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Then in Grasse, considered the world’s capital of perfume. It sounds marvelous, does it not? Jean-Jacques’s poetry expresses the emotional depth and breadth of the human experience.  I am pleased to announce his sixteenth book of poetry has just been published, entitled. LOVE  – by any definition – A collection of Love Poems He shared a poem from this collection in a recent

Season 2. Episode 11: Frances on a Farmer’s Day in the 1930’s Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. All of us have a story to tell.  Our lives are full of drama, celebrations, joys, sorrows – even a little mystery, intrigue, and magic are sprinkled on some of the more mundane moments My mother, Frances was my first storyteller.  Over the years we have shared many stories. So put the kettle on and listen in as mom and I look back on what it was like to be a farmer in the 1930’s. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Music by Gabriel Lucas "Moonlight Night" Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 10: Brian on The Navigating Transitions Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.  Thank you for listening in.  Today, we are linking British Columbia and Alberta. Brian, my brother, came back to continue the discussion on embracing a greater journey. Today, we are looking at transitions and life cycles. How navigate the stages of life. Do we recognize that we have stages in life? How do we live the fullest in the stage of life that we find ourselves in? How do we embrace the twists and turns that life gives us? How do we gracefully give up the things of youth and embrace the age of wisdom? How do we applaud the next generation? So put the kettle on and add to the conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com. I am your host and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Music by Eric Williams “When I’m Out With You” Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 9: The Trio on What Happened to the Spoons? Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in.   I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah to solve the mystery of the missing spoons and discuss the importance of storyteller. 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’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

S2.E8: Celebrating Robert Burns Address to a Haggis Welcome to a special episode of Tea Toast and Trivia. I am you host, Rebecca Budd and I’m 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. January 25, 2020, Rabbie Buns will be celebrated with the traditional Address to a Haggis accompanied by the rousing sound of bagpipes.  For those of you who have not tried Haggis, please do – you may be surprised by how much you enjoy the “Trenching your gushing entrails bright.”  Never fear, there is vegetarian Haggis so all can join in the merriment. For those who have never heard the Address to a Haggis, I have asked Thomas,  my son, to recite these famous words. Truthfully,

S2. E7. Fashion, Closets & Organization Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am joined by my sister, Sarah and my mother Frances as we consider the idea of fashion, closets and organization. There are many ideas on how to arrange our clothes and declutter our closets. Join us for a candid discussion on how this trend plays out in real life. So put the kettle on and add to this conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Music by Stonekeepers “A Faded Photograph (Instrumental Version) Epidemic Sound

S2 E6 Dave Astor on Connecting via Books Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Today, Dave Astor and I are bridging the 3,923 kilometers between New Jersey to Vancouver. Winter is a time for books, tea, great conversations and more books. Dave will be sharing his thoughts on how to decide what to read next, how to write a book review and should you read a book you don’t like? Put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Dave and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out to Dave from the blog, Dave Astor on Literature.  In closing, I wanted to share a quote from Dave’s book, Fascinating Facts: “Literature can send our minds to another time and place, allowing us to forget our lives and troubles for a few precious hours. It can educate us about history, open our minds, increase our empathy, make us think, give us t