Assorted Conversations

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Ruby miner Blake Barr shares the adventure of gemstone mining, including how to find rubies and sapphires, understand promising geology, identify artifacts, and turn rockhounding into a family treasure-hunting hobby.

Ruby Miner, Blake Barr, joins us this week to talk about his treasure-hunting hobby of mining for gems.  A lifelong geology and mining interest has driven him to learn where, how and when to search for hidden gems buried within the earth.  His adventures have taken him across the US and have led him to discovering artifacts called Guadalupe tools in addition to an assortment of precious gems and even an 83 karat sapphire!  When he and his family were looking to relocate, buying property that would enable them to continue the hunt on their own land was a big consideration.

Listen in as Blake discusses how to understand where to look for precious and semi- precious gems, how to identify when you’ve actually found a gem and answers the question: How much jewelry can you get out of an 83 karat sapphire?!

Episode and Guest Links:

Sheffield Mines

Crater of Diamonds Park

National Geologic Maps Database

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Memoir author and poet Dianne Bilyak discusses writing about family, sisterhood, Down syndrome, alcoholism, grief, and humor in her award-winning memoir Nothing Special.

Author, Poet and Outstanding Author Award-winner of the Driftless in CT series, Dianne Bilyak, joins us this week to share her journey to writing the memoir, “Nothing Special, the Mostly True, Sometimes Funny Tales of Two Sisters”.  The stories focus on Dianne’s relationship with her older sister and their family’s dynamics.  Older sister, Christine, is a happy-go-lucky, extrovert who has Down Syndrome while introverted Diane struggles to shoulder the burdens and grief of their parents, especially their father’s alcoholism.  

Dianne discusses her writing journey and the close bond she shares with her sister, explains how her writing has been cathartic and shares how the relationship with her sister has led her to become a disability advocate, highlighting changes needed based on her experiences.

Episode and Guest Links:

"Nothing Special" on Amazon

Dianne Bilyak Author page on Amazon

Dianne on You Tube - Nothing Special

A Conversation Between Sisters:  Dianne and Christine

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Chef Nupe, Michael Hilson Roache, explores home cooking, family recipes, food traditions, travel-inspired flavors, and the powerful connection people build by preparing and sharing meals together.

This week’s guest, Michael Hilson Roache, AKA Chef Nupe, joins us to discuss his love of food, cooking and sharing his food experiences.  What began when a relative tried to prepare Michael to cook for himself before he went off to college has evolved into a passion he proudly shares with family and friends.

Experimenting with flavors, whipping up the tried and true family recipes he grew up on and enjoying meals wherever he travels, the one constant in all of Chef Nupe’s food adventures is the bonding he enjoys with others through preparing or sharing a meal together.  Using social media to demonstrate cooking techniques, recipes and even sharing his food reviews of meals he enjoys while traveling, food and people go hand in hand for this home chef!

Episode and Guest Links:
Chef Nupe on YouTube
Chef Nupe on TikTok

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Lifelong blood donor Bill Borkowski explains the blood-donation process, donor eligibility, changes in blood collection since the 1970s, and why regular blood donations remain urgently important.

In honor of January being National Blood Donor Month, this week’s conversation is with guest Bill Borkowski, who has been a lifelong blood donor and as of our recording with him, has donated over 20 gallons of blood through the years.  Plus, this super-hero octogenarian has no intentions of slowing down!

Bill shares how he first got involved with donating blood in the 1970’s, how the entire process has improved since he first began donating, why he makes blood donation a priority for himself and he walks us through the entire screening and donating process.  With blood supplies at their lowest in over ten years, if you’re eligible to donate blood and save lives, you're needed now more than ever and Bill is wonderful motivation to get and stay involved.  #NationalBloodDonorMonth, #NBDM, #ADRP #RedCross

Episode and Guest Links:

RedCross.org - How/Where to donate, the donation process and FAQ’s about blood donation

Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies

America's Blood Centers

Armed Services Blood Program

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Enjoy unaired podcast bloopers, funny guest moments, behind-the-scenes mistakes, and lessons from the first year of Assorted Conversations in this candid bonus episode.

Don't miss some of the funniest moments with our guests!  We're sharing bonus clips and bloopers from our 2021 episodes.  Most clips haven't aired, but we included a few that did to make you laugh all over again.  We've also got lots of our own bloopers that let you peek behind the scenes and hear our mess ups, flubs and hysterical laughter when we couldn't keep it together.

We've closed out 2021, which will always stand out to us as the year we launched the podcast!  As we've shared before, we are technology-challenged middle-agers so our learning curve was steep!  We're living proof you CAN teach an "old chick" new tricks and we'll laugh all the way through the frustrations.

Links to Featured Episodes:
"Be bold, be blind and pursue your passion" clip from Ep. 1 - The Pilot Conversation
"Memory versus Fiction" clip from  Ep. 7 - The Short Film Writer Conversation
"African Peanut Soup" clip from Ep. 7 - The Short Film Writer Conversation
"Sticker Shock" clip from Ep. 20 - The Scale Model Builder Conversation
"The Lisp" clip from Ep. 11 - The Horror Film Writer/Director Conversation
"First Time on the Racetrack" clip from Ep. 8 - The Vintage Sports Car Racer Conversation
"First Erotic Short Story Inspiration" clip from Ep. 3 - The Erotica Writer Conversation
"How I Spent My Quarantine" clip from Ep. 19 - The Stand Up Conversation
"Jesus" clip from Ep. 19 - The Standup Conversation
"Thank Her" clip from Ep.10 - The Urban Explorer Conversation
Bloopers from our first time recording
Bloopers from trying to record our intros

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Links

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

In part two of the Assorted Gifts series, Helen and Maureen revisit memorable podcast guests and the lessons they shared about transition, balance, opportunity, preparation, creativity, and pursuing meaningful passions.

We have been fortunate to talk to some pretty amazing people this year!  Not only did we learn about their passions, in sharing their story each guest taught us a little lesson to take with us.

We are stepping away from the mic over the holidays, so enjoy an abbreviated episode where we reflect back on specific guests and the things we learned from hearing their stories, which we consider gifts in themselves:

“Transition” - Veronica Halloran, Death Doula

“Balance” - Lauren Croteau, Pastry Chef

“When opportunity knocks, answer” - Alisa Conway, Fitness Coach

“Be a student of what you love” - Keith Normand, Bee Keeper

“Be prepared for the next step” - Bridget Tamillow, Cross-stitch Artist

Episode Links:

Ep. 2 - The Death Doula Conversation

Ep. 4 - The Pastry Chef Conversation

Ep. 9 - The Fitness Coach Conversation

Ep. 5 - The Bee Keeper Conversation

Ep. 16 - The Stitcher Conversation

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Music Credit: Auld Lang Syne, courtesy of TheHolidaySpot.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

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Say hello or ask a question:  [email protected]

Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

In part one of the Assorted Gifts series, Helen and Maureen revisit memorable guests and the lessons they shared about opportunity, courage, creativity, preparation, and following a passion.

We've been fortunate to talk to some pretty amazing people this year!  Not only did we learn about their passions, in sharing their story, each guest taught us a little lesson to take with us.

We are stepping away from the mic over the holidays, so enjoy an abbreviated episode reflecting back on specific guests and the things we learned from hearing their stories, which we consider gifts in themselves:

“If you build it, they will come.” - Rua Fay, Film Blogger

“Vocational skill + passion = MORE” - Josh O’Connell, Gambling Writer

“Every opportunity is gold” - Savannah Whitten, Actor

“Always look forward and let passion be your guide” - Emma Halloran, Graphic Novelist

“Preserve the past for the future” - Christy Parrish, Ghost Tour Manager

Episode Links:

Ep. 14 - The Film Blogger Conversation

Ep. 17 - The Gambling Writer Conversation

Ep. 12 - The Horror Film Actor Conversation

Ep. 6 - The Graphic Novelist Conversation

Ep. 13 - The Ghost Tour Manager Conversation

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Christmas Music Credit: A Peaceful Winter by Scott Holmes Music

Creative Commons License - Royalty Free Christmas Music

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Scale model builder Glenn Williams explains the art of creating detailed miniature scenes, model railroads, realistic dioramas, and historically inspired displays that preserve places, memories, and stories.

This week’s conversation is with guest Glenn Williams, who recreates moments in time through his passion for scale model building.  Focusing on, but not limited to model trains, his precision and attention to detail within the tiny scenes he creates provides the casual observer with much to take in, while evoking memories and stories from those who have actually been to the transit areas his scenes depict.  His 1:87 work has been displayed in Chicago and San Francisco and he exhibits at major train shows across the country.

Glenn shares how he got involved with scale model building, some details about his creative building processes, what’s changed within his passion from when he first got started, some of the building innovations he’s experimenting with and how discovering organizations of like-minded scale model builders has helped him expand his skill and opened up new doors of opportunity.

Episode and Guest Links:

Glenn Williams' Scale Model Photo Gallery

The 1/87 Vehicle Club

The Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Comedian Stephanie Peters shares how she began stand-up comedy at 40, overcame stage fright, performed with Joan Rivers and other comedy legends, and built a successful second-act career in entertainment.

This week’s guest, comedian Stephanie Peters, entered comedy at the age of 40 and hasn’t looked back!  Prior to discovering comedy as her calling, she studied and trained as a jazz vocalist at The Berklee School of Music in Boston, yet a serious bout of stage fright cut her music career short - so how did she ever manage to perform comedy?!  Tune in to find out!

Winner of the Marshall's Women in Comedy festival, which crowned her one of the top "new" female comics in the country, Stephanie performed as an opening act for one of her comedy idols, Joan Rivers.  She’s also worked with Denis Leary, DL Hughley, Colin Quinn, John Pinette and Jackie Mason among others.

Stephanie shares how her comedy career took off, some harsh realities of the business she experienced and discusses when doors of opportunities closed, how she found other doors and even a few windows opened in their place.  Her shoot-from-the-hip opinions and hysterical antics will have you laughing along with us as she shares her journey and the many twists and turns she’s navigated.

Episode and Guest Links:

Stephanie Peters Comedy

Connect with Stephanie Peters on Facebook

Stephanie Peters - My Boston

Stephanie Peters on The Steve Katsos Show

Stephanie and Chef Jeff crack up FOX25 Boston News Anchors

Assorted Conversations Links

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

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Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Teacher and activewear entrepreneur Monica Marks discusses fitness, body confidence, motherhood, direct sales, and how a side hustle with Zyia Active became an unexpected opportunity for personal growth.

Our guest, Elementary school teacher Monica Marks, had several “side hustles” she was involved with in the past, but as she approached motherhood for the first time, she stumbled upon a life-changing opportunity as she was helping out a friend.  A fitness enthusiast, Monica was always on the hunt for durable, fun activewear and when she was introduced to Zyia activewear she not only found functional clothing, she also found clothing and a company that built her confidence and helped her change her mindset….now she’s helping others experience the same shift in thought and body acceptance.

Monica shares her journey with us and why, (aside from her teaching career and her young family), connecting with others and introducing them to Zyia is so meaningful to her.

Episode/Guest Links

Activewear with Monica Marks

Zyia Active 

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Music and Artwork Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Assorted Conversations Podcast emoji’s designed by OpenMoji 

The open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Assorted Conversations Links

Podcast Homepage

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• A collaborative and supportive community for you to engage with us, our guests and other listeners
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Say hello or ask a question:  [email protected]

Credits

Music Credit:  True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com