"THE LIGHT" is an 18-page illustrated board book designed to empower youngsters with themes of self-connection, self-trust and self-love. Author Scarlett Lam and illustrator Mindy Lee have found that adults also are moved by the book's uplifting message.

This short excerpt is from an interview that Scarlett and I recorded in early 2024 not long after the book was published. I highly recommend "THE LIGHT" and have revisited the interview more than once. So far, I've purchased four copies of the book and have given three of them away. The recipients love it too because it reminds people of their inner light and worth.

To buy your own copy, go to readthelight.com. Scarlett is offering 10% off with the code EVERYDAYCREATION10, good through 2025.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

This is the sixth and last excerpt from a longer conversation (Episode 121) with philanthropist and author Iris November and two of her daughters: the Rev. Rachel Hollander, also an author, and Anita Hollander, an actress, singer and songwriter who joined us on Zoom from New York City.

In previous excerpts, we talked about Iris' two books; Anita's long professional career as well as her activism on behalf of performers with disabilities; and Rachel's book about living (and thriving) with depression vs. suffering from it. We also talked about the death of Iris' husband when he was only 48 and how his sudden passing affected the family.

To honor the memory of Bernard (Bud) Hollander, a lawyer, Iris set up an award to be given to a law school student who exemplifies her husband's unwavering commitment to public service. It first was presented in May 2025 and thereafter will be an annual award. 

In this episode, we start off with Iris' knitting group, Yarn Over Beachwood, and then we touch upon the Statue of Liberty Club, which she founded. From there, we move on to the thoughtful practice of leaving a legacy that benefits future generations. The public service award honoring Bud Hollander is an example of that.

The episode ends with Anita singing an original song, "Beyond," inspired by some words that her father had jotted down about the importance of leaving something beneficial behind. You'll find the lyrics to Anita's beautiful song at the end of this episode's transcript.

To hear a professionally recorded version of "Beyond," go here. And go here to learn about Rev. Rachel's online spiritual community, SpiritsHome. By the way, the Beachwood Library mentioned in this episode is in Ohio on Cleveland's East Side. 

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

In this fifth excerpt from a longer conversation, Iris November and daughters Anita Hollander and Rev. Rachel Hollander, talk about how the family struggled in the aftermath of the sudden passing of Iris' husband, Bernard "Bud" Hollander. Father of Anita, Rachel and their sisters, Celia Hollander Lewis and Lisa Hollander, he was the "cornerstone of our family," Rachel says.

Iris was 42 at the time of her husband's fatal heart attack, and she quickly had to shoulder household responsibilities she had never handled before. Far worse, the family faced multiple health crises shortly after Bernard's death. Despite the many hardships, mother and daughters express deep gratitude for their lives and for each other.

If this short episode piques your interest to hear more, please check out the other excerpts or the full interview, which is Episode 121.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

In this fourth excerpt from a longer interview with Iris November and daughters Anita Hollander and Rev. Rachel Hollander, the conversation revolves around lost loved ones and how they can be remembered in positive and joyful ways. Iris envisions her two late husbands helping her out when she needs something; Rachel performs personalized songs for those who have passed. What could have been a somber discussion instead gravitates toward joy. If you have a few minutes, please join us. And if you have more time to spare, please check out the other excerpts or the full episode (#121) itself. 

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Rachel Hollander is an InterFaith/InterSpiritual minister and the author of "From There to Here: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Darkness," a captivating book about living with depression. 

Rachel also is a performer who is skilled in American Sign Language, and she has a great podcast that you can access from her website. If you love dogs, you may want to check out the specific show about Maddie, her late canine companion. It's mystical and quite lovely. Also on Rachel's website, you can buy her book and find out about her spiritual center, SpiritsHome. By the way, I had mentioned in the interview that I was two-thirds through Rachel's book. It didn't take me long to finish and I highly recommend it. 

This is the third excerpt from a longer show (Episode 121) with Rachel, her sister Anita Hollander, and their mom, Iris November, three remarkable women who are creative and good-humored, as well as extraordinarily candid about how they've dealt with devastating loss.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Anita Hollander, a multi-talented performer and advocate, says she was born to be a performer, following in the footsteps (and footlights) of her grandmother. In this excerpt from a longer conversation, Anita talks about her performing career, which began when she was 8 years old. 

Anita also is a passionate advocate for performers with disabilities, and she is one herself. While still in college, she was diagnosed with cancer in her leg and eventually had to have the leg amputated. That didn't stop her from returning to the stage, however. On Oct. 8, Anita received the Harold Russell Award as part of the Media Access Awards in Hollywood. A replay of the awards ceremony will have its broadcast debut Nov. 5 on PBS CoCal Plus. 

To learn more about Anita, please visit her website. Also, you can go to YouTube to watch "Still Standing," her first one-woman cabaret show, and her second one, "Spectacular Falls." Anita also mentions "From Where I Sit," and you'll find that video on YouTube as well. 

This is the second excerpt from an extraordinarily candid conversation with philanthropist and author Iris November and two of her four daughters: Rev. Rachel Hollander, also an author, and Anita. All three are accomplished and delightful. For the full interview, please go to Episode 121.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

This is the first of six excerpts from an extraordinarily candid conversation with philanthropist and author Iris November and two of her daughters: the Rev. Rachel Hollander, also an author, and Anita Hollander, an actress and composer. All three are accomplished and delightful. 

This episode focuses primarily on Iris' book "Goodnight, Shoebox," designed to help children get to know people who don't live close to them. It can be useful for adults with memory issues as well. The book is available on Amazon with three different titles: "Goodnight, Shoebox," "Laila tov, Shoebox" and "Buenas Noches, Shoebox." 

We also touch upon other topics including "The Fine Art of Schnorring: The A to Z's of Fund Raising and Philanthropy," which Iris wrote with Mort November, her second husband who has since passed on. And, just to be clear, these 15 minutes or so represent just the tip of the full episode, in which my guests talk about subjects such as love and loss, grief and gratitude with honesty and good humor. Please join us for more excerpts as they're published or, if you have the time, check out the entire interview, episode 121.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Losing a loved one and losing a leg; picking up the pieces of a fractured life; creating beautiful things that serve others. These are only a few of the themes that emerged from this extraordinarily candid (and often funny) conversation with three members of a talented and accomplished family. 

In this episode, you'll hear from:
- Iris November, a philanthropist and former librarian with two books to her name: "The Fine Art of Schnorring: The A to Z's of Fundraising and Philanthropy" and "Goodnight, Shoebox." The latter, available on Amazon, is a memoir activity scrapbook written for kids and also quite useful for adults who have memory issues.
- Daughter Anita Hollander, a multi-talented performer who has dealt with cancer and a subsequent leg amputation. A disability advocate in the entertainment industry,  Anita will receive the Harold Russell Award this October as part of the Media Access Awards in Hollywood.
- Iris' youngest daughter, Rachel Hollander, a minister, writer and performer who is skilled in American Sign Language. Rachel also is the author of "From There to Here: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Darkness," a captivating book about living with depression. And she has a great podcast that you can access from her website. I recommend the specific show about Maddie, her late canine companion. It's mystical and quite lovely. Also on Rachel's website, you can buy her book and find out about her spiritual center, SpiritsHome. 

This episode begins with the four of us talking about "Goodnight, Shoebox" and continues with Iris, Anita and Rachel's personal stories and what they went through as a family. It ends with Anita singing an original song, "Beyond," inspired by some words that her father had jotted down on a piece of paper. His note was about the importance of leaving something behind to benefit future generations. Family members found the note while going through his papers after he had a fatal heart attack 50 years ago. The lyrics to Anita's beautiful song are at the end of this episode's transcript.

To honor the memory of Bernard (Bud) Hollander, a lawyer, Iris set up an award to be given to a law school student who exemplifies her husband's unwavering commitment to public service. It first was presented in May 2025 and thereafter will be an annual award. To hear a professionally recorded version of "Beyond," go here. While we're on the subject of Anita's performances, you can go to YouTube to watch "Still Standing," her first one-woman cabaret show, and her second one, "Spectacular Falls," also on YouTube. (The latter video doesn't begin right away. The introduction is about 3 minutes in, and Anita comes onstage near the 7-minute mark.) In both videos, you'll see Rachel's expressive ASL interpretation. Anita also mentions "From Where I Sit," and you'll find that video on YouTube as well. For more about Anita, please visit her website.

We also covered a couple of other topics: Iris' knitting group, which makes items that the members give away to help others, and the Statue of Liberty Club, which Iris founded in 1991. She has donated her collection of Statues of Liberty to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Patricia Falvey left a successful and financially rewarding career in accounting to do what she always wanted: write full time. She made this her second act and encourages others who have a dream to do all they can to pursue it. 

This episode is an excerpt from my full interview with Falvey titled "Author Patricia Falvey on Being Brave, Resilient, and Focused on Your Dream." 

There are also three other excerpts: "Five Books and Counting: the Novels of Patricia Falvey," "Always a Writer at Heart," and "Goodness, Resilience and Paying it Forward."

To learn more about Falvey's books, visit patriciafalveybooks.com. And if you read one or all, please write a review.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

This episode is an excerpt from a longer interview with the novelist Patricia Falvey, a former accountant who now writes historical fiction. Here, we talk specifically about her latest book, "The Famine Orphans," which sounds like downer of a story but isn't because the focus is on the characters' resilience and their resistance to being victims of circumstance. We also comment in general how we all have the power to spread more kindness and joy in the world.

To hear more, go to the full interview titled "Author Patricia Falvey on Being Brave, Resilient, and Focused on Your Dream" (Episode 116). 

The other excerpts are titled "Five Books and Counting: the Novels of Patricia Falvey," "The Courage to Embrace Your Second Act" and "Always a Writer at Heart."

To learn more about Falvey's books, visit patriciafalveybooks.com. And if you read one or all, please write a review.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.