A small-town mortician savors life. Find out why "the internet's favorite mortician" encourages people not to skip out on funerals. And why he also advises listeners not to worry about "being an inconvenience" in either life or death.

Guest: Victor M. Sweeney, author of "Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between"

https://www.instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ktLen9cVM

Tara Roberts comes to find joy in learning about her ancestors—even though history once seemed too traumatic to face.

Guest: Tara Roberts, author of "Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging"

Fiona Robertson has had a lifelong fascination with the ancient standing stones that dot the British Isles. As her own life filled with storms, these megaliths became examples of endurance, able to survive millenniums of weathering. Join us as we follow Fiona through the stone lands to explore how these mysterious sites connect us to the past, redefine our present, and give us hope for the future.

Fiona Robertson is a writer, editor and megalith enthusiast who takes her family across the British Isles in search of standing stones. She is passionate about archaeology, history and folklore.

Visit her online to learn more about her work:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stone_lands/?hl=en

Anne Fadiman has an infectious curiosity. In this episode. she'll introduce us to ice-bound explorers who turn to theater, art, and journalism to stave off boredom and madness. Then we travel across the globe to a matchless night beneath Halley's Comet. We'll also meet a indomitable young student who lived by the motto "Yes to everything!"

Guest: Anne Fadiman, author of "Frog and Other Essays" and "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" https://us.macmillan.com/author/annefadiman

By promoting swimming, hiking, climbing, skiing, hunting, and many more recreational activities, Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to nature. Founder Rue Mapp reminds us of the historical connections Black people have to the Earth, and she encourages people to look to nature for healing, hope, and fun!

Guest: Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro and National Geographic Fellow https://ruemapp.com

Chapters:

(0:00) Introduction

(5:27) Out of the Comfort Zone

(9:17) Black Relationships With Nature

(26:24) Reconnection

(35:45) Outdoor Afro's Healing Hikes

(45:56) Spiritual Transformation

A love story for all time: Eleanor of Castile died in 1290, but her story still resonates today, thanks to the depths of her husband's devotion. You might know King Edward I as the fierce Edward Longshanks, but discover him in this episode as a besotted and grieving husband.

Guests:

Alice Loxton, author of "Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen" https://aliceloxton.com;

John Hibbs, tour guide at St. Mary's, Conwy, Wales https://caruconwy.com/our-churches/st-marys-conwy/;

Kam Caddell of Kam Tours https://www.kamtours.com;

Penny Griffin, reader and lector at St. Mary Magdalene, Geddington, England https://www.geddingtonweekleychurch.org.uk/;

Luke McDonnell, muralist https://www.chibacreative.com/mural;

Patricia Yiga, London commuter

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(4:43) Meet Eleanor

(20:14) 12 Crosses, 200 Miles

(29:15) Eleanor Watches Over Me (Geddington)

(39:18) In Death We Cannot Cease to Love (Mural)

(49:31) Everyone Plays Their Part (London Tube)

(54:00) A Message from Grandfather

Growing up in an unstable home with an alcoholic father, David Hudson questioned his own worth from an early age. Now a retired Salvation Army officer, Dave reflects on the mentors and experiences that helped him find his confidence and dedicate his life to helping others.

https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Personal stories from an ethnobotanist who travels the world to find healing plants, a writer who conducted "frog church" as a child, and a biogeochemist who connects soil microbes to constellations of stars. Gems from past episodes of Constant Wonder that will speak to newcomers and longtime listeners alike!

Guests:

Sasha Reed, biogeochemist and USGS research ecologist https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/sasha-c-reed

Cassandra Quave, ethnobotanist and professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University https://naturespharmacy.substack.com/

Lyanda Lynn Haupt, naturalist and eco-philosopher https://www.lyandalynnhaupt.com/

Artifacts hundreds of years old are exposed on the shore of London's River Thames when the river's tide goes out. Mudlarks walk the banks, searching for fragments and relics that reveal stories long forgotten. Come walk along the river with us as we connect past and present, from the Roman era to the modern day.

Guests:

Flora Spiegel, editor and mudlark https://www.instagram.com/thankyou_riverthames/?__d=11

Lara Maiklem, mudlark and author laramaiklem.com

Kate Sumnall, Curator of Archaeology at London Museum https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/secrets-thames/

Note: you must have a permit from the PLA to mudlark on the Thames.

Forests planted around churches in the Ethiopian desert nurture soul and body.

Part of a Constant Wonder series marking the Christian Advent with daily vignettes that distill the spirit of the season, in keeping with our mission of exploring wonder and awe in all nature, human or wild, vast or small: encounters that move us beyond words.

Guest: Philippe Lazaro, Communications Manager and Storyteller at Plant With Purpose

Learn more about Plant With Purpose here: https://plantwithpurpose.org/