In this episode of Newsgram, Sam Youmans features Higher Power: My Life of Service by Reverend Michael D. Schmitz. This heartfelt memoir reflects on the lessons learned from life’s mistakes, offering wisdom on personal growth and faith. Ordained at 50 after entering seminary at 44, Reverend Schmitz’s journey of service is shaped by the grace of God and the love of his parents, Leo and Elizabeth Schmitz. Tune in to hear how his powerful story continues to inspire and touch lives.

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

If you or someone you know is on the precipice of a major life change then I invite you to keep listening. Today’s podcast is about finding purpose, learning from our mistakes and leaning into faith to overcome personal struggles or addiction. Finding the strength to overcome adversity sometimes begins by hearing someone else’s story because each one of us has a unique perspective to share and that perspective is shaped by our struggles, our triumphs, and our experiences.

Now I’ve heard people say, “Hey, not everyone’s life is interesting”,  but I would disagree with that. I think in some way we have all led interesting lives if for no other reason that they are different than our own and sometimes, when they are similar they can be just as interesting because of the shared experiences. Writing an autobiography is both a record for others and a journey of self-reflection. It helps make sense of the past, recognize patterns, and appreciate growth.  It can be therapeutic, a way to process life’s ups and downs and with that I will introduce you to Michael D. Schmitz. Father Mike is seventy eight years old and in all that time he has had quite a few life experiences. 

Father Mike – and many of them. When I was in the seminary, it kept preaching to me and the students that your life experiences are very important. Every person should write their own autobiography, as each person will learn from each other.

Father Mike went to the seminary to become a Roman Catholic priest at the age of 44. He was ordained at 50. His book Higher Power: My Life of Service is dedicated to his mother and father Leo and Elizabeth Schmitz. So why did he write it? 

Father Mike – To give people hope, that’s my main intention, my main goal, whoever’s reading the book, you have a hope in life.

Hope is important. Most of us are going through something and it’s sometimes hard to see clear to the other side of it. Sometimes we don’t even know we’re in a bad situation until something changes in our life and we have the perspective to look back. Hearing someone else’s story can sometimes give us that perspective. When it comes to growing up with an alcoholic it can seem like just they way life is until you realize that it isn’t. Take a listen to an expert from his book and you’ll see what I mean. 

Sample of Higher Power – Alcoholism played a major role in my life. When I was growing up on a farm near Currie, Minnesota, in the 1960s, my father was an alcoholic. When my sisters and I attended Catholic school in Currie, our father would drop us off at school  no buses were available  and, on many occasions, go to the liquor store for the day. After school, my sisters and I would have to walk downtown to the liquor store and wait for him to leave the place so we could all go home. We had to stay in the family car because in those days minors were not allowed in the liquor store. When there was no school, he would leave the farm at about two thirty to go to the bank. Afterward, he would go to the liquor store and have several beers until late at night. Our mother would send one of my sisters or me with him to make sure he would get home safely. This was the atmosphere in which I grew up, and in the 1960s, there was little help available. My family was in disarray. 

When children grow up around alcoholics, there is a greater chance they will become alcoholics themselves later in life. I fell into this category. I had my first drink, Seagram’s 7 and 7UP, when I was in seventh grade. The occasion was a Christmas party at my grandfather’s home, when drinking was prevalent among my aunts and uncles present. This was the beginning of my becoming an alcoholic. 

He goes on to explain how drinking played a major role in his life. His time in the Air Force reinforced heavy drinking. Working in a restaurant and nightclub further enabled his addiction and then with the loss of his mother, a significant figure in his life, it led to even more alcohol dependency and eventually he sought hospitalization for chronic alcoholism. His life was spiraling deeper into addiction, but throughout it all, he never lost faith. That faith became his foundation for change

Father Mike – I always felt God was there with me with my higher power, in spite of everything.

Yea, for Father Mike it was his faith that helped guide him and it still does 

Father Mike – Oh, yes, and one thing that is similar, you always be sure you touch the people some way or another. If you touch one person’s heart, it’s been a very successful homily.

In case you’ve never been to the Catholic Church I should explain, the Homily is a short sermon – five or ten minutes – given by the priest after the reading of the Gospel to help the congregation understand the meaning of the day’s Bible passages. I think it’s the best part. 

Father Mike – A lot of people don’t go to church anymore, but now it’s time to read my book and carry on in life.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, seeking a deeper faith, or simply looking for a story of resilience, Higher Power: My Life of Service is worth reading. You can find it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Check the link in the description.

Thanks for listening to this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com. 

The post Higher Power: My Life of Service appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

This edition of Newsgram highlights a unique cookbook designed to bridge the gap between young aspiring chefs and complex adult recipes. Teens a League of Their Own was inspired by Christine Burton’s experience working with students of all abilities who loved watching cooking shows but struggled to follow traditional cookbooks. By simplifying instructions into easy-to-follow, step-by-step formats, this book empowers young cooks—some as young as four or five—to confidently navigate the kitchen. With 200 tested and photographed recipes, this cookbook is more than just a guide; it has the power to shape future culinary talents.

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

Have you watched a cooking show? I’ll bet you have. One of the top rated shows on Netflix is the Great British Baking Off. We are fascinated by chefs, cooking and baking shows. I think it’s because there is something highly satisfying about watching simple ingredients turn into something extraordinary. Then add creativity, competition, and a universal love of food, and you’ve got a recipe for satisfaction on multiple levels. Whether it’s a fiery, spice-packed meal (my personal favorite) or the comforting sweetness of a homemade cake, food has a way of stirring emotions and memories. It reminds us of home, of adventure, of love.

Is your mouth watering yet? Well let me introduce you to a refreshing summer treat called Watermelon Pico de Gallo. It’s a simple recipe that combines watermelon, honeydew, cucumber, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, basil, mint, some honey and lime. It is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and fresh. One bite, and you’ll taste the magic.

Christine Burton – If you really want something different for the summer, mix up your melons, watermelon, honeydews, anything, just you put it all in there. But when you’re following the ingredients, it’ll say for a crowd. But if you only want to do it for one person, take a couple of little pieces and just do a separate little bowl for yourself and just, you know, chart it down.

That is Christine Burton and she’s responsible for this recipe and many, many others – 200 to be exact – and they make up a new book called Teens A League of Their Own: A Perfect Culinary Blend Cooking and Baking Recipes and I think you are going to love hearing the backstory on this book. 

Christine Burton – I worked with kids in grades kindergarten all the way through the charter school after high school, and the ones that are still trying to get their GEDs. I worked with a lot of the disabled, the anger management, and I was there to assist these kids daily in the majority of their classes. One in particular was the cooking class, and I would hear all kinds of stories from during the day, and they wanted to help, and some teachers wouldn’t let them help unless they had someone. So we went, and I started helping them there, and they got to love it, and then they started asking, oh, I wish there was a book on the market that had stuff other than celery and peanut butter, stuff like that, and they wanted more adult recipes. The high school kids wanted to challenge themselves, and the younger kids, which to my surprise, the four and five-year-olds were the best. They wanted to help mom and dad out.

So she went about creating various recipes that went beyond the simple, non-cooking recipes that she mentioned earlier and testing them out with the kids. She knew was onto something when the kids were able to read the recipe and create their own dishes. One of her most rewarding success stories involves a student on the Spectrum.

Christine Burton – I became friends with one of them and would go to his house. And I knew him from like third grade, but we’ve been in high school now. And so we went and I would write the recipes, which was like we made noodles. And his mom thanked me very much after, because he loved making noodles. He could just pat them down and cut them the way he wanted them. But then he always wanted them, if you know autistic, they always want to keep doing the same thing and everything. And I thought, Oh shoot. So the mom said, Oh great. You know, but the kid loved it. And then he wanted to make lasagna. So he had company coming and I taught him how, and then I said, would you like to have me help you make another pan? And he said, Nope, go away. And he wanted to do it himself. He was reading the instructions and he made it very nicely. So he was very proud of himself.

I thought something interesting about the teen aged kids was that they wanted to cook using recipes from adult cookbooks but they found them confusing—and, surprisingly, I had the same experience. Many cookbooks are written for those who already know how to cook, but if you’ve never learned the basics of combining ingredients, much of the content can be hard to understand. That’s what makes this book so great—it’s accessible for all ages and skill levels.

Christine Burton – I wanted it to be so simple that anybody, and I’ve been selling the books to a lot of senior citizens who are living by themselves and have never really cooked. And so they’re taking it and they’re really enjoying it because the recipes are adult recipes. You can down them. You can make them more into team type recipes if you want, or, you know, have parties, the teams can have parties with their friends, one culture, all different cultures and start doing recipes and using their different spaces and stuff and learning different things. So that was my purpose in this was for them to challenge themselves. 

Part of the process of making it simple was also the need to make it adaptable for dietary needs and preferences so her recipes are designed as “base recipes” that can be modified based on personal preferences.

Christine Burton – Each recipe should be treated as a base recipe. So you can follow them as they are, if you’re just starting out, but if you’re a little bit more progressed in it and stuff, you can, if you’re a diabetic or you have gout or other type of diseases or whatever, you can adjust the recipe to fit your, even if you’re on a diet, you can use nonfat ingredients or gluten-free ingredients. So it’s all adjustable to what you want to put in it. And then the herbs and spices, you can put in what you want. If you don’t have what I list, I give ideas. Don’t let them intimidate you because they’re just ideas. And you can buy them sometimes in a bottle in the store that’s already pre-packaged with like five or six different herbs or spices in each little bottle. So I let them let you know how to utilize that kind of stuff in the book. 

Since the students helped test the recipes in her book, it became clear that they were fully capable of following instructions, using kitchen tools, and applying cooking techniques—making the project a success.

Christine Burton  – I want them to have success…in the kitchen. A lot of times, if you don’t know what’s going on, you’re going to have these recipes come out and they’re not going to look good. They’re not going to taste right. And so you, you are not going to try it again.

Another interesting thing she did was feature photos of the dishes that were not perfect. Food is typically hard to photograph so most books have gorgeous professional looking dishes that never really look that good in the end. I think her approach ended up being pretty perfect. 

Christine Burton  – And then the photographing. I did not want touched-up pictures. I wanted my readers to know exactly what it’s like while they’re cooking. I didn’t want them intimidated by these doctored-up photos. I wanted them to see this is how it comes out of the oven, and it’s all right if it’s this color or that color. So then they would try and photograph it, and they would try displaying stuff on the plates with it so that it looked presentable. And they just kind of worked the whole steps with me as we went along.

The finished product is a cookbook full of kid tested recipes, created through a unique collaboration with children, friends and neighbors using real looking photos of dishes that were created with love. 

Christine Burton – It was my friends that would do the proofreading. After everything was said and done, we had to go back and proofread these recipes to make sure everything was written correct because you just don’t want to have a cup of salt sitting there. So I wanted to recognize those people that assisted with that.

It’s no wonder this book won the Notable Indie Award and the Gold Seal of Literary Excellence. Teens A League of Their Own: A Perfect Culinary Blend Cooking and Baking Recipes By Christine Burton. It’s a long title so do me a favor and head over to Teenscookbook.com that’s her website and you’ll find everything you cold possible want there. 

So whether you’re a teen, a senior citizen, or just starting your culinary journey, this book has something for everyone. Check it out at TeensCookbook.com. Thanks for listening to this edition of Newsgram from WebTalkRadio.com!

The post Teens A League of Their Own: Cookbook appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Have you ever dreamed of building your own fishpond? Today on Newsgram we dive into Sue’s Splashy Surprise by Mamimo Chan. This episode explores the heartwarming tale of family teamwork, childhood adventures, and the traditions that turn simple moments into lifelong memories. From the small victory of starting a lawnmower to the excitement of building a fishpond with her siblings; experience the thrill of watching the water flow, the joy of seeing pet fish play, and the suspense of an unexpected challenge. Can Sue save the day? Tune in and find out!

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

Today’s episode is dedicated to anyone who has ever taken on the challenge of finding fun and engaging activities for children. Anyone can turn on the T.V. I’m talking about parents, grandparents and even babysitters brave enough to get the children in their care involved in baking or building a volcano or some other science experiment, taking a trip to the museum or even building a birdhouse. These kinds of activities are not just fun but they activate a Childs natural curiosity. Something Mamimo Chan says is very important and one of the key things she sees when interacting with children.

Mamimo Chan – When I interact with children, I see in them a lot of curiosity, a lot of wanting to know more and explore the world. And that’s what I always incorporate in my teaching during my education year. And at the same time, I make sure that the children enjoy the process. So that is something that I weave into the book to kind of give the children the curiosity of what’s happening at the same time to have the courage to explore the world.

Mamimo Chan is a mother of four, a grandmother and an educator with over thirty years of experience. She’s also author of Sue’s Splashy Surprise: A Pond-ering Adventure — where Pondering is a double entendre.

Mamimo Chan – The title speaks a lot about what’s happening in the book as well. A pondering adventure. It requires the making of a pond in the book. It teaches about the capillary action, of how we are actually taking care of the fish in the pond. But it’s also a pondering adventure for Sue because she realized that at times she made mistakes along the way and with that mistake, how is she going to actually save the day? So it is pondering in the sense to Sue because she has curiosity, she wants to explore. By the same time, she probably understands now that she needs to have certain steps, instructions taken well and at the same time to make sure that the fish are safe. So she saves the day with the adventure.

The wordplay in Pond-ering reflects the book’s blend of curiosity, learning, and family teamwork. As Sue and her siblings build their fishpond, they learn life lessons along the way—all while introducing young readers to science in a fun and accessible way.

Mamimo Chan – I feel that really, you know, in this very fast-paced society that we’re in now, brought about with technology, we mustn’t forget about the basics of our being. Our being came from a family. And to us, family is really very critical in how we grow up. And the polarity of growing up together in a family, but at the same time, giving the independence to the young children when they’re growing up so that they make decisions and they actually will explore the world. They can have different experiences and they may make mistakes along the way. But that is part of their learning journey.

Mamimo’s ideas about family trace back to her roots in Singapore. The book’s illustrations are inspired by her childhood home in 1970s Singapore.

Mamimo Chan – The Illustration is my original home, my first home. And I had a photograph of that captured in the year of 1970s in Singapore. We don’t quite see such homes around us anymore because we have developed very quickly over the past 50 years. And as a result, I wanted to be captured and put in a book. I have a granddaughter now, and I would love that this book becomes something that is a legacy for the family so my granddaughter will know that, oh, that’s how it has been during my grandparents’ time. How we live, what is our home like, what does it look like around us? Yeah, so that’s the illustration in the book.

In the drawings you can see Sue and her family working on the fishpond. The illustrations combined with the elements of childhood curiosity, family teamwork and the kinds of traditions that turn simple moments into lifelong memories are what I believe earned this book an honorable mention in the 2025 Reader Ready Awards and a winner in the 2024 American Writing Awards. 

Mamimo Chan – It was a very pleasant surprise for me, and I think it kind of encouraged me to continue writing and to try to bring delight to children as well as parents and grandparents. 

I think Curiosity is the real essence of learning and whatever we can do to light that fire in our kids is time well spent. You may not be able to build a fish pond in your yard but you read a book about it and who knows where that will take you. You might be surprised. 

Mamimo Chan – I think for the children who are listening to the story, I hope that they can recognize that children are capable of validating their own feelings, they are able to make decisions, and most importantly, they have the courage to try new things, the resilience to learn from mistakes and to share the love and tradition in a family. For the parents and grandparents, I really hope that we can validate the children who are growing up at different stages of their lives and allow the space for them to learn independence and decision-making, giving them the space to even learn from mistakes.

That’s a lot to get out of a story but it’s all in there. I told you it was an award winning book. I want to leave you with a quote from the author. She says “Life’s lessons are the homework for the heart.” And doesn’t that ring true for all of us, no matter how old we are or what stage of life we are in. So whether you’re reading it with a child or using it as inspiration to build something together, remember—every small adventure has the power to spark curiosity and create lasting memories. 

Sue’s Splashy Surprise: A Pond-ering Adventure by Mamimo Chan. Grab your copy today and start exploring! It’s available now online at all the places where you like to buy books. I would suggest having a look at her website: adventuresbymamimo.com. And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com 

Mamimo Chan was recently featured on the Books on Air Podcast with Suzanne Harris

The post Sue’s Splashy Surprise appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Sonja Wilson had a profound spiritual awakening after driving through both ends of a rainbow. It led to her enlightenment and writing gift. Her book of poetry “Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow Dance?” Is our focus today.

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

We all find inspiration in our own unique ways. For many of us, it can be found in our personal experiences, our conversations with others, our struggles and achievements. Maybe you find inspiration through journaling, listening to music  or meditating. For Sonja Wilson it was an up close and personal encounter with one of natures most beautiful spectacles. 

Sonja Wilson – I was in a car, and I was driving a car that needed repair. So the windscreen wipers weren’t working. And as the rainbow appeared across the road, the wind shifted, and I went through it. And it did a dance on my dash. It was just the most magnificent feeling that you could ever experience. And then I turned the corner as I had gone out of the rainbow, and I went through again. And it just gave me an opportunity to take everything in. And ever since, I’ve just been appreciating everything I have and everything the world has to offer. And I see the world in a very different way to most people.

If you’ve ever been through a profound experience like this it can definitely be life changing. These kinds of events tend to shift our perspectives, reshape our values, and they can open our minds to new ways of thinking. For Sonja it helped to redefine her faith and lead to enlightenment. 

Sonja Wilson – Spirituality is about everything that isn’t material. It’s about life. It’s about why we’re here. It’s about our purpose. It’s about everything that isn’t material. And that’s what’s in the pot of gold. And the pot of gold, what applies to one applies to all. So the fact that I’ve been enlightened is everyone’s destiny and everyone’s journey. And for example, we’re supposed to live forever, but that seems like an unachievable goal. In actual fact, it isn’t. It’s inevitable because of evolution.

Sonja has had many profound  experiences that have shaped her perspective and the culmination of them is now available in a her book “Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow Dance?: A poetry and song book”, twenty-five years in the making where her spiritual insights extend beyond personal enlightenment—she also reinterprets biblical history

Sonja Wilson – Well, the main thing I wanted to address is enlightenment. The greatest enlightenment in the book is the fact that Jesus Christ was actually originally Adam. So Jesus and Mary were originally Adam and Eve. And even Adam and Eve, they weren’t respected because they sinned and cast us into hell. But the fact is that this is a step that we had to take in order to create a perfect world. So we should be celebrating them, not looking at the negative, but looking at the positives that they left behind and worshipping them, not just Jesus, but Jesus and Mary, Adam and Eve, and God. When I looked into Christianity, it was all about Jesus, Jesus, overkill on Jesus, where I really wondered where the worship of God was. And that’s where I’m from. I don’t follow religion. I respect all religions and learn from each and every one of them. But I follow God. And that’s what I want to teach people to take away from this and my books.

Her journey hasn’t been without challenges. She’s faced mental health struggles, but her faith has been the guiding light that helped her through these challenges.

Sonja Wilson – I suffer from manic bipolar, and I had 13 nervous breakdowns. And each time, the enlightenment was the one thing that carried me through. And I was able to appreciate, even at the worst of times, everything that I did have and everything that I was receiving. So I’ve learned to appreciate the negatives and the positives, and see both of them, and see a world that I didn’t see when I was younger. I know what it’s like to feel like, does God exist? And all the questions. And because I asked so many questions, I got all the answers that I wanted. And I still do. And that’s accessible to everyone. All you have to do is ask, and you shall receive.

Sonja believes life is a journey of lessons. She sees hardships as opportunities for growth and designed her book to help readers understand life’s meaning, find their own inner peace, find positivity  and embrace their personal journey with hope and faith. 

Sonja Wilson – Everything you need is found within. Like, for example, I have that little bit of something inside of me that’s been missing, that isn’t missing anymore. And that’s why I want to help other people. Because once you know what the future has in store, what we’re here for, why we have to go through all the pain that we do, once it makes sense, and that’s what I’ve tried to do with my book is make sense of it, of life, it becomes easier to put up with the things that you have to. 

A tool that helps you to find enlightenment and put up with the hardships of life sounds pretty good to me. 

Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow Dance? by Sonja Wilson-Watterson is available now at Amazon.com and many other places online. Check the show notes for links. And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com.

Sonja Wilson was recently featured on the Books on Air podcast with Suzanne Harris. 

The post Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow Dance? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Sam – Welcome to this edition of Newsgram! 

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

If you’ve never been to our nation’s capital I highly recommend it. We once took a family vacation in early April, which was unusual for us because the kids were in school, but we were able to be there for Cherry Blossoms season which made it extra special. 

In addition to walking the National Mall, one of my favorite memories was walking through the Arlington National Cemetery and visiting the tomb of the unknown soldier. Put this on your list if you plan to visit. As we journey there today on our virtual trip I want to set the scene by taking you back to Memorial Day 1982 when then president Ronald Reagan said “I have no illusions about what little I can add to the silent testimony of those who gave their lives willingly for their country. Words cannot repay the debt we owe these men. Theirs is a noble cause”. 

One of the most visited grave sites is that of former president John F. Kennedy who just weeks before his assassination in 1963 said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” And I think that’s exactly what Pasquale Varallo is doing. Pasquale Varallo once served as a Tomb Guard and in 2018. On the anniversary of the end of WWI, – a full century after the signing of the Armistice of 1918, he put together a tributecalled “ A Tomb Guard Remembers” and thanks to the help of his good friend Jen Gordon it is now a book. 

Jen Gordon – A Tomb Guard Remembers was written by my friend Pasquale Varallo because he was a former tomb guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the late 40s after the Second World War for about eight or ten months before he went into the regular military. And he stayed a part of the Tomb Guard Association his whole life until he just turned 94 about two weeks ago. He’s still kicking strong.

Sam – That’s incredible and it’s really a testament to the bond Pasquale feels with that sacred place. Just to give you some perspective, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a monument located in the middle of Arlington National Cemetery. It has been there since 1921 and is dedicated to unidentified American service members who died in war. It is a symbol of honor and sacrifice for U.S. military personnel who have given their lives in defense of the nation. If you’d like to visit there is no cost and the changing of the guard takes place every hour. I  think you will really enjoy seeing it. Anyway, the book is a powerful collection of poems and songs written by soldiers who fought in the war, some even by Pasquale himself and the loved ones who waited for their return.

Jen Gordon – Because he was such a big part of the Tomb Guard Association, and he has published books in the past, mostly on his own of poetry, they asked him to put together an anthology for the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that took place in November of 2021. So what he did was he went through a whole lot of time he spent going through poetry that had to do with war, whether it was written by soldiers, by soldiers who’ve come home, by family members left behind while their loved ones were at war, starting as early as the Revolutionary War up through the First World War, which is what the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier starts at. He put together this book, and he really wanted somebody to kind of have another set of eyes on it who was good with English and writing.

And through a mutual friend, we got connected. And we met one day at the library one afternoon on a Sunday, and he showed me his story, which I fell in love with. And I helped him put it together in book format. So in the height of the pandemic, I decided that I was determined to get this book published for him so that he could see it in his hands while he was still able.

Sam – Isn’t that amazing? It was written during a period when people had a lot of time to reflect — thanks to the pandemic. It is an incredibly moving tribute to military history but you don’t have to be a history buff to appreciate it. If you enjoy poetry, war history, or just a good story, I think you’ll find something meaningful in this book.

Jen Gordon – I think it’s just so diverse in that way, because you get a little taste of the Tomb Guard and what it was like at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but you get to see what Americans’ eyes were through war, starting with World War I, all the way up to, excuse me, starting with the Revolutionary War, through the Civil War, and then up to World War I. He chose to stop with World War I because of the impact of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But I think that it’s just such a good genre for multiple facets. So please don’t let the title turn you off. There is a little bit about past war in his life, but the majority of it is poetry he took the time to put together that he felt was an important portrait of war in different facets.

Sam – The cover features a black and white photo of a soldier in battle gear with the title “A Tomb Guard Remembers”. Its a great picture but Jen reminds us not to judge a book by its cover. 

Jen Gordon – Some people may get turned off by the book when they see the cover because it says, A Tomb Guard Remembers, which is what Pasquale wanted it to be called, because in the beginning before the poems, he does a little reminiscence about war in general, a little bit about his time as a tomb guard and why he put the book together and what it meant to him. So I think a lot of folks, when I’ve talked to them, just think this is a whole 155 page book of a gentleman talking about his time, and it’s not.

Sam – She says her favorite poem was number 11, Here Dead We Lie by A.E. Housman and while Housman was not a soldier himself, World War I had a profound impact on him, like it did many others in Great Britain.

Jen Gordon – Here dead we lie, because we did not choose to live and shame the land from which we sprung. Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose, but young men think it is, and we were young. 

Sam – A great way to summarize this book is found in the online description which reads A Tomb Guard Remembers offers a moving glimpse into the past through the voices of those who lived it. Jen couldn’t resist adding her own touch to the collection, the female perspective if you will, featuring a poem from a collection representing the voices of women who experienced the Vietnam War firsthand.

Jen Gordon – The one thing that I added to the book as a personal touch is on the last page, page 195. And it’s not really a poem. It’s more of a quote by Norma J. Griffiths, who wrote about the Vietnam War, ironically enough. But it’s called The Peace to End All Wars. Let us think no more of the war to end all wars. For only in complete destruction of all would that be possible. So let us think of the peace to end all wars. And perhaps finally, working with the right tool, we can create the goal.

Sam – For my entire life the United States has been involved in some type of conflict and it seems there is always a war going on. While we currently celebrate a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza there is still a war going on between Russia and Ukraine but that doesn’t mean we should stop hoping for peace. Maybe it’s a long shot, but peace is always worth working toward.

Jen Gordon – World War I was either called the Great War or the war to end all wars. And of course, we all know that there have been wars since then. Norma J Griffiths wants us to understand that there probably will not be a war to end all war because like she said, none of us would most likely make it survive it at this point in this day and age with weaponry. But if we all think about peace, maybe we can only have to reminisce and remember and read about war and not actually have to live it.

Sam – Wouldn’t that be something?Pasquale Varallo is now ninety-one years old. He lives in an assisted living facility. Here’s Jen talking about the moment she showed Pasquale a hardcover copy of his book. 

Jen Gordon – He was just enthralled. I mean, I have photos I took of him just holding the book in his hands. He had tears in his eyes. And as much as I’d like to say it’s become a bestseller, it is not, but every penny was worth it to see my friend Pasquale’s eyes light up, to see the book that he worked so hard on in his own hands.

Sam – If you choose to purchase this book you should know that the proceeds do not go to a large publishing house. They go to the people who put this book together. A Tomb Guard Remembers by Pasquale Varallo’s is an emotional tribute that I think is worth considering and I’ll leave you with the words inscribed on the sarcophagus itself, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.

The post A Tomb Guard Remembers appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Sam – Today we are going on a self-improvement journey. Mairead Ashcroft is going to share her story with us. Now, just a heads up, it does touch on some delicate material but her ability to share her experience openly and honestly with us is one of the things you’re going to love about her. 

If you’ve tuned into Newsgram in the past then you know this program at its core is all about finding and showcasing interesting people living their lives in unique and interesting ways — and of course writing a book about it. 

Today’s book is one that breaches many different modalities and you’ll figure that out from the title, “Art of Life and Curiosity: Creative Mental Health, Wellbeing and Life Balance Exploration” by by Mairead Ashcroft

Mairead Ashcroft (Abuse): So I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And it happened to be with a member of the Catholic Church. And it took me 17 years to put this man in prison. And during that time, I used my own mental health techniques to keep myself sane, really. So everywhere I went, I brought pens, paper, some pencils, and I would draw my feelings everywhere I went. So that would be in courtrooms, police stations, going to see my own counsellors, going to catch the train home from these appointments.

Sam – Did you catch that? She’ was journaling for seventeen years about justice and all the feelings related to her situation.  If it were me, it would lead down a very dark spiral but that was not her experience.

Mairead Ashcroft (Circles): It was quite harrowing. It took, like I said, 17 years. But while I was doing that, I noticed that I was drawing a lot of circles. So I started to investigate circles and the importance of circles in mental health, the importance of circles in humanity, and the importance of circles in our history and in cultures from all around the world. And I found that the healing circle was just prolific in cultures all around the globe, right back to caveman times. So I looked at the similarities between those historical and modern similarities and put together this book in a way for people to explore what does the circle mean for them? And where do they see these healing circles in their everyday life without even realizing? So it’s about becoming curious about how the circle and how ancient mythology, the cultures around them, that we live in a multicultural world, how this multicultural world helps them now in their own lives.

Sam – Interesting right?Let me take a minute to explain the healing power of circles because I didn’t immediately get it but when you take a minute to think about it it makes more sense. In one of my college writing classes the teacher was obsessed with our chairs being positioned in a perfect circle. If you’ve ever undergone group therapy then you know about healing circles, where everyone sits in a circle to share their experiences. It fosters connection, and promotes mutual support. I’m sure you can think of examples where circles have played a role in your life, or how art might help you process what words cannot.

Mairead Ashcroft (Art Therapy):  So we’re talking about creative arts therapy. So that could be movement, music. Think of any of the arts. They express our emotions. It expresses our deepest, sometimes hidden feelings. When you listen to lyrics of songs, even not just the lyrics, some of the tonality of music, some of the tonality of colors, some of the mood of dance, without saying any words, will express to you a whole story. Art therapy is a way of expressing your story when words are just not enough. 

Sam – Because not everyone has the capacity to articulate their experiences with words. Sometimes you have to draw a picture. 

Mairead Ashcroft (Pictures) And for me, it’s not music or movement, but it is the actual putting of image on paper that works for me. So much so that when I was in court, in my victim’s impact statement, I actually put a piece of art in my victim’s impact statement that was put up on the screen. And in the courtroom, the whole courtroom had an in-breath. Like, everybody felt. The words weren’t doing it, but the impact was, wow. 

Sam – They say a picture is worth a thousand words…

Mairead Ashcroft (The healing) But anyway, the book’s not about that. The book’s about the healing.

Right, let’s keep all this in perspective. The book is about healing and it stands out because it combines creativity, personal storytelling, cultural depth, and practical guidance in a way that I think you’ll find refreshing. It’s not just a guide—it’s a resource that invites readers to explore themselves in imaginative and meaningful ways and it’s for…

Mairead Ashcroft (The Who) People who are stuck in a rut. People who are just beginning to explore their authentic selves. People who need a little guidance to be, to take small steps. This isn’t a big, big step book. This is a little step book. And I think that sometimes taking too big a step can be overwhelming, particularly in trauma 

Sam – Trauma is a great example and since there are many different types of healing let’s begin there. She says when it comes to personal trauma the first thing you need to do is be honest with yourself.  

Mairead Ashcroft (Trauma) It’s about putting into place, okay, what am I responsible for? I’m not responsible for my own trauma here, but I am responsible for how I get through this trauma. And what I found worked for me was to be curious. So when I would have a feeling come up, rather than beat myself up with that feeling or about that feeling, I would say, what was that? Where did that feeling come from? Does that feeling belong to me? Was that feeling something that has been conditioned onto me by somebody else, possibly society, possibly my upbringing, possibly the perpetrator? Where has that come from? And does it work for me? Is it serving a positive purpose in my life? If it’s not serving a purpose, a positive purpose in my life, then I don’t need it. What am I going to do to replace that? So it’s about being curious and finding a way of doing something positive with that feeling. 

Sam – There are all kinds of situations where you just need to take a minute and think about how your feeling. Being human, you can’t help but have   them but you can control what you do with them. Taking the stage is going to give you butterflies. Public speaking makes me physically nauseous but that energy can be transferred. 

Mairead Ashcroft (Job Interview): So we’ve all probably been, you know, adults for a job interview, and we feel nervous about going for that job interview. So we can think, oh, you know, am I good enough for this job interview? What are they going to think about me? Are they going to judge me? Are they? These are all the self-taught things that we tend to do for ourselves….If you’ve got an interview, you’re already, you know, you’ve already got your foot in the door, so you’re doing okay. So it’s about, okay, what are all the great attributes that I have that I can bring into this interview? If they don’t choose me, because there’s probably going to be maybe 10 people that go for this job, it’s not a personal affront to my individuality. It’s just that I don’t fit a certain criteria that they’re looking for, because they’re just ticking boxes.

Sam – They are just a bunch of box tickers. Maybe you will get hired, maybe you won’t but its nothing personal. It is excruciating but those feelings don’t last and this is just a small example of the kind of wisdom available in her book, Art of Life and Curiosity. It’s really not just a book—it’s a personal guide to helping you see life from a fresh perspective. A tool to help you break free from some of those old habits that may be holding you back. You can open it to any page and find something meaningful to reflect on, which is pretty handy when you need a little inspiration or some clarity. Here’s an example.

Mairead Ashcroft (Example): I’ll just grab my book here. So I’ll open the page. What have I got here? All right, I’ve got noon. I’ve just opened the book and it opened up at noon. And at the end of noon, it says, what feelings presented themselves today about noon? If life goals were placed on a clock face, where would they be sitting? So in that question, you would say, all right, your life goals, if they were placed on a clock face, are you at the end of that life goal? Or are you just beginning that life goal? It’s a way of actually thinking about life. Asking questions that you may not normally contemplate. If your goals are not going according to your wishes, what needs to change? Are you taking time to fit rest and mindful meditation into your daily practice? So you would read the chapter and then you would ask yourself these questions. So it’s just a way of having some daily practice.

Sam – Her book blends together ancient wisdom, like the Native American Medicine Wheel, mindfulness practices and other tools for self-discovery. 

Mairead Ashcroft (Ancient Wisdom): One is the Celtic cross, because I was born in Ireland. Two is the Native American medicine wheel. My kids play lacrosse, brought up with the ancient teachings of lacrosse, which is the elders are playing in the sky while the humans are playing on the land. So you’ve got to play a fair game because the elders are watching. And then there’s also the Aboriginal medicine wheel. And then there’s the mandala. So I take the teachings from the four of those medicine wheels, really. And I break them down and they end up with 58 subjects that are very similar. And in those, I look at sort of the yin and yang, so the dark and light sides to life.

Sam – Can you see the blending here? Ancient wisdom applied in a practical way and laid out very creatively. She also offers  gentle encouragement to explore big life topics in a small way, make sure you are taking good care of yourself, and finding balance in all areas—body, mind, and spirit while at the same time trying not to take yourself too seriously.

Mairead Ashcroft (Get Help) As I say in the book, I am an expert in nothing except being me. And I get that wrong all the time. So I have a bit of a laugh at myself and say, yep, stop taking yourself so seriously. And you’ll be OK. But as I always say in my chapters as well, when things do become overwhelming, get help.

Sam – While this book is a nice resource, if you are in need of counseling, talk to a friend or do your best to seek counseling and find the help you need before things get out of hand, or do both. Combine some her personal tools in the book with professional support. There are lots of great organizations out there like Lifeline or SAMHSA(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). 

Mairead Ashcroft is an inspiration. She has overcome incredible challenges, including childhood trauma. Her journey inspired her to become a counselor, an art therapist, and a wellness coach, and she shares all of that wisdom in her new book, Art of Life and Curiosity: Creative Mental Health, Wellbeing and Life Balance Exploration. Grab a copy on Amazon.com and learn how to create your own “Wellness Wheel,” a simple and powerful tool to map out your well-being. Then let’s see where your journey takes you. This book is a toolkit for healing and self-discovery. Whether you’re searching for clarity, balance, or a way to express what’s hard to say, Mairead’s wisdom is here to guide you. And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com.

Mairead Ashcroft was recently interviewed on the Books on Air podcast with Suzanne Harris. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/books-on-air/id1208216729 

 SAMHSA Helpline

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The post Art of Life and Curiosity appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Today I have another remarkable story for you about a book created out of the diaries and recordings left by a loved one. A story that tells the remarkable double life of an American woman named Jean Heringman Willacy. 

Sue Heringman –  I was going through her papers and found this incredible treasure trove of detailed diaries of her life in Afghanistan and in Pakistan and with those diaries there was also incredible photographs and there were drawings by Afghan refugee children and I think most priceless were cassette tapes that she made of recordings of when she was out and about in Afghanistan and also in the refugee camps and finding all of those things, I felt that it was really important to get them into a book and to get the book. 

That is her daughter Sue and yes, compiling all that material into a book is a great idea. Sometimes it’s easier said than done. The final nudge to get going on this project came from the last entry she found in her mothers diary. Here are her words read by an artificial voice actor. 

Quote read by voice actor – I have a lifetime of memories and experiences during my years in Afghanistan and would deeply love seeing something rewarding from those days.

Sue Heringman – So I really felt I owed it to Jean and to her adopted extended Afghan family to make every effort to transcribe all this diary material, which in the first draft ran to 600 pages, so you can imagine.

And that’s how it began. Sue, not unlike her mother, has led a life filled with international experiences. Born in Los Angeles, she attended High School in Arizona and college at the University of Iowa. She followed her mother to the UK, where attended college in London and that’s where she lives now. 

Sue Heringman – When my mother came to live in the UK, then I went to the University of London and following that I was in Spain working for the University of Southern California, so that’s me and I live in the UK now, not far from where my mother used to live, so it’s really nice.

If that’s a bit confusing don’t worry about it. My Goal was to show you that these women are not afraid to travel and when you have the heart of a wanderlust, and adventurer, then exciting things are going to happen.  

Sue Heringman – This was about 1967. She was traveling to the Hindu kush mountains and just arrived there and she fell in love with the country and also I have to say was an Englishman who was a fur trader in Kabul at the time and so that’s where she wanted to settle and make her home, so she lived in Afghanistan up until these first, the Soviet coup, which was in 1978, the Czar revolution, and she was one of the few foreign eyewitnesses to that military communist coup. She stayed on, yeah, afterwards for another year until 1979 when the Soviets then invaded Afghanistan, so there’s a lot of relevant material in the book.

You can say that again. Eye-witness accounts and photographs of the communist coup, Live recordings from the streets of Kabul, a first-hand experience of what it was like living in a Soviet puppet state. I would say that is some pretty interesting stuff. Let me backup for a second. In that last soundbite you heard her say “She was traveling to the Hindu kush mountains”. This mountain range straddles the borders between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India  and she just happened to be going there? 

Sue Heringman – Yeah, when she first went, when she first went, Kabul was a completely different place. It was considered to be the Paris of Central Asia and girls could wear mini skirts and women could work, even be judges, and so that happened up until the communist invasion, Soviet invasion, and then everything changed, of course, and that’s when my mother went to Pakistan

It was a different time. And, if you’re going to visit Pakistan you may as well drop in on the refugee camps and talk to some of the people living the life of a refugee in exile. 

Sue Heringman – I don’t know many people who would say, I dream of going to the camps in Pakistan, sheltering on the border with Afghanistan, and to help those people who have been fleeing for their lives, and that’s basically what she did. She wasn’t affiliated to anybody, any group, NGO, and she just went about it quietly in her own way, befriending people, sponsoring people, and doing the best that she could. 

For someone like me, who’s never ventured far from the good ole US of A, Jean’s story of courage and adventure is truly eye-opening, and if you’re thinking Jean was a young Wayfarer out sowing some youthful roots you would be gravely mistaken. 

Sue Heringman – Well, the amazing thing was her age, and she was 60 when she went into the camps, and she, when she first went to Afghanistan, she was 50, and so, yeah, not many women would do that, and particularly, she lived in some of the camps.

Did you get that? She lived in some of the camps and while she was there she interviewed women and lived out her dreams of travel and photography. 

Sue Heringman – My mother had over 3,000 slides. She had drawings by these Afghan refugee children of their wartime experiences. And my mother’s greatest regret was that she couldn’t go back to Afghanistan after the evasion.

This is just a snapshot of the experiences documented in her book and I hope I’m doing it justice. Sue Heringman’s mom was a pretty incredible person and if you’ll allow me one quick addition to her legacy I also want to point out that she once worked with Afghan women to make embroidered coats. I don’t know if you remember these Afghan coats but they were very popular in the late ’60’s. In the U.K one of them was called the ”Penny Lane” coat.

Sue Heringman – The hippies loved them, the embroidered Afghan coats, and the embroidery was what my mother was involved with, helping these widows, and she exported them and made sure that the proceeds went directly to the women.

Did early Beatle fans wear an Embroidered Afghan coat made by her mother and she other Afghan ladies while strolling down Abbey road, I really don’t know, maybe but I think you will enjoy getting to know Jean Heringman in a book that paints a portrait of some real people in a very different time. Well, different in some ways and very much the same in others. 

Sue Heringman – Jean makes us care deeply about the real people in the book. You’ve got Dr. Ghulam facing deportation from Canada. You’ve got Soraya in Germany trapped in a clash of cultures and red tape bureaucracy. And you have Habiba, a midwife, who is receiving death threats in the camps. So, Jean makes you care for these people and what happens to them. So, hopefully, that will help readers have increased awareness and empathy for not just their plight, but refugees worldwide. To be a refugee, Dr. Ghulam wrote, more than losing your country, more than losing your history and your culture, you lose the right to choose your way of life.

Before we wrap up here I wanted to share one more thing about Sue because publishing a book can seem like an impossible task for some people but it was kind of perfect for her. As a retired Spanish and English Teacher and translator she was always interested in writing and that is the skill that helps bring to life the amazing woman that until now we never knew. Here is Sue with a final takeaway for you.

Sue Heringman – Jean was able to overcome her own huge self-doubt. She always felt that she was too old to be able to make a difference. But that gave her the courage and determination to become the fierce foe she did when she was fighting the tyranny of bureaucracy or the staunch ally of all whom she befriended. And so, it’s important, I think, for us to take Jean’s inspirational example that no matter how limited one is in age or ability, there’s always some small thing that we can do to help whose world has just been turned upside down, even if it is just giving hope.

Care to take a trip back in time without leaving the country? Check out he Keeper of Families: Jean Heringman Willacy’s Afghan Diaries by Sue Heringman and for even more of the archives she uncovered you can check visit the University of Nebraska’s Chriss Library, they have the huge collection of Afghan material, secondary only to Afghanistan and its where you can find this book and all the rest of this amazing material where it can be studied and appreciated for years to come. And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com. 

Sue Heringman was recently on the Books on Air podcast hosted by Suzanne Harris. 

The post The Keeper of Families appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram! 

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

[Train Sounds]

It’s the early 1960s. A passenger train is en route from Iowa to Chicago, carrying a young chemist named Bill. Bill’s destination? The headquarters of the Sanford Ink Company in Bellwood, Illinois, where he’s set to meet Keith Beal, the company’s head of research and development. Here’s Bill…

Wm. J. Green (Closer to Family) Home was Iowa. But I wanted our kids to know their parents, their grandparents, their grandparents and their cousins and so on so I went looking for a job in the Chicago area where we could be a little closer to the family.

Bill was and is a family man. He was heading to the big city with hopes of stability, but it turns out his contributions will resonate far beyond his own family. Ever heard of the Sharpie marker? 

Wm. J. Green (Sharpie 1) There was a lot of interest there. It kept growing and growing. And finally I was on a train between Albuquerque and Chicago.

We sat down for a meal with a group of people and somewhere in the middle of the conversation, I dropped my little comment about my work developing the Sharpie marker and it was that there was a lot of interest.

I’ll bet there was. Let’s properly introduce our guest: William J. Green, chemist at Sanford Ink Company and an instrumental figure in the Sharpie’s development. Here he is to finish his story. 

Wm. J. Green (Sharpie 2) But when lunch was over, I went back to my seat. And I’m sitting there and suddenly this young man walks up and looks at me and says, Excuse me, but I understand you’re the chemist that put together the Sharpie marker and I just wanted to meet you. And that woke me up. I said, Do you know what? This is a story that needs to be told. And not told just because it’s a success story in business, but there’s a lot of human interest stories that really puts it together.

Can you imagine being on that train, hearing Bill’s story firsthand, I’d want to know more too! So after realizing that there was a lot of interest in his work he decided to write it all down in a book titled “The Sanford Tales: And Other Stories, Both Tall and Short”. Just to clarify, Bill didn’t invent the Sharpie, but he played a crucial role in refining its formulation and popularizing it as the versatile Sharpie you know and love today. Here’s an excerpt from the book read by an A.I Robot…

Excerpt: No, the product was not my personal brainchild. There were several people who shared credit for this product. First and foremost Chuck Lofgren Sr., the president of Sanford Ink company when Sharpie was developed. Then there was Francis Gilbert, the executive vice president of the company, and the man who turned Lofgren’s dreams into marketable realities. There was also Walt DeGroft, the manager of new product development, and someone with a most unlikely background for the position he held. There was Ted Jensen who transformed prototypes into assembly lines. And then there was me, Bill Green, an ambitious young chemist fresh from the University of Iowa. 

Together we made it happen…

The Sharpie was developed by the team at Sanford back in 1964 originally as a permanent marker, Bill Green, was instrumental in improving the marker’s ink formula. His work helped make it more reliable and long-lasting on a variety of surfaces, characteristics that eventually turned it into the trusted marker we know today. Anyway this story is really more about the people and the culture at Sanford back in the 60’s and 70’s and of course Bill, a fascinating guy with plenty of options.

Wm. J. Green (The Job) I love to tell stories. OK, I’m going to give you another here. When I took this job with them, with this. Small private company, the company. Also, I took that job and then I got a phone call from General Electric. And they offered me a job as a chemist being part of the team that was going to develop the color television for General Electric. And I think I got to be absolutely crazy to turn that down, but I’m going to put my family first and I’m going to go to Chicago and work for this very small private company. And I’m looking back at it now, I’m talking to you about the work that I did there all over the world. And General Electric colored television tube is in the trash of history.

Hahaha, that’s one way to look at it. The Sharpie is here to stay. If you don’t have a Sharpie in your hand right now then you definitely know where to find one, whether you’re at home or at work. Bill’s journey captures an era in American history full of transformation. He joined the Sanford Ink Company in the early 1960s, right as America was on the brink of massive cultural, social, and technological change.

Wm. J. Green (Culture) When I walked into Sanford Inc. Company, I walked into something that was really amazing. There were blacks from the inner city and there were blacks from college educated. And there were also this group of Cubans. When Castro took over Cuba and these people escaped off the island literally at the risk of their lives. They gathered together in these flotillas and tried to get them to Miami. And President Kennedy had to do something with all these people in one place. And he asked companies all over the country that were willing to let him know. And he’d send them some people to join the workforce. So when I walked into Sanford Inc.Company, I walked into an ethnic mix that included these Cuban refugees. And it was really a cultural adventure for me to hear their stories and get to know them. And some of those stories are in my book and a couple of really good ones.

Bill grew up in all white neighborhood and attended an all white college so this was a real change. To his credit he embraced it and enjoyed the diversity. You see, in the early sixties this country was entering a decade of experimentation and bold ideas—it was a time when innovation and creativity were thriving in nearly every industry and looking back, his time at the Sanford Ink Company was a snapshot of Americana that needed to be recorded. 

Wm. J. Green (Civil Rights) There was a cultural and ethical ethnic mix that all came together under the supervision of some very wise and honest people. And it all came together. While we were doing this Dr. King was beginning his career promoting civil rights and it was already underway at Sanford Inc. Company. Looking back on now, I can see it and understand it. Back then, I just experienced it. But now I can look at my experiences and begin to understand them. And that was really a wonderful, wonderful experience to see everybody come together that way.

And at the end, produce something that’s now part of the broader history.

I think it would be a real treat to take a long train ride with Bill, hearing his stories first hand about that time in American history. He also has stories about working with Chuck Lofgren and Francis Gilbert, the founders of the Sanford Ink Company. Now Chuck Lofgren was the company president, but he say’s he wasn’t the type to stay hidden away in an office. He was closely connected with the workers and it was important to him that he understood what was happening on the ground floor. 

Wm. J. Green (Lofgren) Oh, absolutely. The fact that the president of the company would go walking through the factory and talk to an hourly employee was part of how he put together his products. We’re getting ready to go on the market with the factory line to set up and running. And he walked out into the factory. And when he walked by the line where this new product was being made, he overheard a comment by one of the workers on the assembly line. He stopped in his tracks, went back to the PA system and called an emergency meeting and he shut down the assembly line just based on the comment of one of the people on the assembly line. That whole product got a brand new beginning and it was an everyday thing, not just an occurrence, but it was an everyday thing. This is Chuck Lofgren.

What a great example of putting the product and the team first. Tough calls like these are never easy, but they tend to pay off in the long run. A little humility, openness, and respect go a long way in building a strong team. Bill truly cherished his time at Sanford, and you can hear it in his stories. Here’s another short clip from the book.

Excerpt 2: As I think back on that part of my life, I indeed take great pride in what was accomplished. The Sharpie has been produced and sold for many years now. It has provided many jobs right here in America. Many of my personal friends from those days spent their entire careers producing and selling Sharpies and are now enjoying retirement funded by Sharpie’s success.

If you’d like to dive deeper into his experiences, his book, The Sanford Tales: . He says as he wrote it, the memories felt frozen in time, just as vivid now as they were back then.

Wm. J. Green (Family) They’re frozen in my mind at the same age and time that they were. They’ll never change in my mind. And it was a fun experience to go back and say hello to them again. Laugh with them. We we just live together. We didn’t work together. We live together emotionally. Sanford was different from some of the other companies. It wasn’t uncommon for a married couple to both work in the same factory. There were a number of married couples that worked together there in the summertime when their orders were the biggest in the workforce. So taking vacations, they like to bring in the factory workers, kids that needed some money to go to college and we need some money to get on with their careers and so on. So I got to know not only the people I work with, but I got to know their families. It was really a unique experience. I don’t know how you would create it today. I don’t know how you would promote it. It was an experience that needs to be preserved and shared. And that’s what I tried to do.

The book features some fun diagrams from the patent office.

You’ll also find wonderful first had stories and cultural reflections along with a look at Bill’s life growing up in poverty and meeting a generous man named Richard 

 Wm. J. Green (Richard) He had a beautiful family of about eight children and they were all wiped out in one accident. And it literally shook the nation. And when he put me in business, the man’s name was Richard and that’s the name of the chapter of my book. Richard put me in business and he was putting me through college while his own children were all buried in a cemetery outside of town. And there’s something about this that somehow my poverty and his horrible experience come together to produce a product that’s now used and loved by people around the world. And there’s some sort of redemption message in there that I’m not going to try to explain to anybody. But it gives you something to think about.

Absolutely. He dedicates a full chapter to Richard. The Sanford Tales: And Other Stories, Both Tall and Short,  capturing the story of a man, a marker, and a well-preserved slice of American history.

Bill’s journey reminds us that even the most humble paths can leave lasting marks on the world. Thanks for joining us for this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com.

Be sure and catch the full interview with William J. Green on the Books on Air podcast with Suzanne Harris. 

The post The Sanford Tales: And Other Stories, Both Tall and Short appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Live Wise: A Guidebook to Facing Life and Reality’s Complexities and Messiness with the Wisdom and Love of God

Summary: Every journey requires a guide. This episode is based on the book “Live Wise” which offers guidance to life’s journey. It is rooted in biblical wisdom. “Live Wise is a guidebook to living with God’s wisdom and love, offering hope and purpose to those who choose to believe. It not only addresses the search for truth and love, but acknowledges that human-made explanations of life often lead to chaos, confusion, and despair. As directed by God, Live Wise is a Jesus sourced how-to guidebook for facing life and reality’s complexities and messiness with the singularly valuable wisdom and love of God only found in God’s explanation of life and reality: Jesus and the Bible.

Welcome to the edition of Newsgram!

What does it really mean to live wisely? Is it about making smart decisions, or is it something deeper? Today, we’ll explore how Scott Curtis Meischen sees it—through faith, wisdom, and the guidance of God. Scott is an interesting man who wears many hats including teacher, consultant, Minister and author. He just wrote a book titled Live Wise. A title that I found intriguing because the way I interpret those words, to “Live Wise” means to think first, to keep an open mind and to live your life guided by wisdom, intentionality, and alignment with your values and hopefully those values lead you to fulfillment, peace, and purpose. In the context of Scott’s book, the concept of Living Wise, is closely tied to living in accordance with God’s wisdom and the teachings of Christianity. Here he is to explain all that for himself.

Scott Curtis Meischen – The joy of a life well lived is part of what I mean by live wise. And God calls us to live wise. He invites us to live wise. So the book is about how God instructed me and I’ve always enjoyed helping people. So this book is a product of my liking to help people. I always was like when I was employed, I always had the summer interns, even if they were assigned to another manager.

Eventually they migrated over to me because I really enjoyed that process of taking a young person and helping them. So this idea is my faith in Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, and my love for caring, caring for people. 

The complete title of the book is Live Wise: A Guidebook to Facing Life’s Complexities with the Wisdom and Love of God and it was born out of a very stressful situation. It started with Scott being a single parent of three. 

Scott Curtis Meischen – I was working at a very competitive organization. The Federal Reserve, and I was an internal audit manager. So one of the challenges is you have to be right. So there’s a lot of pressure to come to the right conclusion. You’re asked a question, is this working right or not? And you have to set up to do all this testing. So under those conditions, my Christian faith matured. Stress in life will either make you better or bitter. But I’m a very strong believer, and I would not be sitting here without the help of God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God the Father. So this was what I developed to live wise in my life under the most stressful conditions.

I love how he puts that: stress can make you bitter or better—what a great quote! And I would add that it can do both. So let’s get into the core of this book. It is designed to be a guide and there is quite a bit of information here so to help lead you through these sometimes complex ideas, Scott has included a glossary at the front of the book and in it he defines all the different terms as well as acronyms like FSN—Faith Support Network, and GARP—Generally Accepted Reasoning Principles. That way, we’re all on the same page as we dive into the concepts. 

Scott Curtis Meischen – One of the things I’ve learned in life is that if you and I are to communicate well, then we need to know what we mean by right, or we need to know what if you want a word that is highly malleable, fair. What’s fair? OK, if you got 50 people in the room, you’re going to have 75 definitions of fair. OK, so to try and help people with the idea, just the idea, I put the acronyms and glossary in the front.

The heart of Live Wise lies is Scott’s belief that faith can help us tackle life’s messiness with grace and purpose 

Scott Curtis Meischen – Just skim it, get a feel for it. And then the first part of the book is what is called, I term, the salvation journey. And then the sanctification journey and the glorification journey. And those are divisions of someone who comes to faith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. It’s called salvation. And that’s a point in time event. I don’t know the specific day. I know the period of time when I came to faith. Some people actually know that you’ll meet a lot of people who actually know that day, like C.S. Lewis, the great Christian apologist. He knows the exact day and location.

I put together some of the key takeaways for you and those include to first, Stop, Think, Believe and then Live Wise: Scott’s central message is to encourage you to take a moment and reflect on faith and the role it plays in making wise decisions.

He talks about Faith as a Lifelong Journey: Live Wise is designed to guide readers through the process of faith, helping them face life’s messiness with wisdom grounded in Christian beliefs.

And then there is Trust and Commitment to Growth: Your Personal growth and gaining a deeper understanding of God’s love is an ongoing process. In fact he likens it to running a marathon.

Scott Curtis Meischen – Marathons are inherently difficult. Life is inherently difficult. But if you prepare, it’s actually both a challenge and a celebration. And you learn to enjoy the process of the run, even when it gets challenging. And you run your own race. You’re not trying to run the other guy, our girls race, you know, ladies race. You run your race. And that’s called pace. You run at your pace. And if you have to walk some walk, you know, but and that’s, that’s the same, the sanctification part of the journey. Once you come to faith, you have to realize that the world does not like Christian values. And so you’re going to run into some difficulties.

Yes the world is full of discrimination of all sorts. I like to think we are living in a more enlightened age. I mean there has been some progress when it comes to promoting inclusion, understanding, and respect for diverse cultures, religions, genders, and identities. But discrimination, intolerance, and polarization still persist. To find the light through it all Scott has put this guidebook together, He says his faith was crucial in navigating his life’s challenges and it inspired him to write this guide for others to help them on their journey. Remember those takeaways I mentioned earlier? 

Scott Curtis Meischen – Stop. Think. Believe. Live wise. Okay. And so the first thing I would say is in this flood of media. You can become numb. You can become overwhelmed by it. And so you just one of the ways we cope when we get overwhelmed is we tune out. You start just limiting what you’re paying attention to. And so what I’m asking, would it challenge or encourage or challenge? Even I use that word in a friendly way, just to stop and give God a chance. And with it with an attitude of let me think about it, approach God with not a skepticism. Just to seek understanding. So that’s the first step. And when you understand something, it doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with it.

So he says keep an open mind, give God a chance, read the Gospel of John and then pray. 

Scott Curtis Meischen – First to stop, then go with just a discovery, an attitude of discovery, read the Gospel of John in the message and then pray. Prayer is just talking to God. That’s what prayer is in its most fundamental way. And you’re praying, you’re talking to the person that God is both God that created you and loves you more than anyone. So God loves you the best, but you have to give God the opportunity to love you

He also says to get the most out of your time spent reading and praying to be sure and journal about it, write down all the things you feel and don’t hold back. If you have a dispute with God, write that down too. It’s important to be honest about how you feel.

Scott Curtis Mieschen – And then write that down here, and then go back, though, after you’ve prayed about it, and write what additional insights God will bring to your mind. And if you let him, he will.

And if you are so inclined, let us know how it all works out. 

And that brings us to the end of today’s episode of Newsgram. We’ve learned a lot from Scott today about what it means to ‘Live Wise’—facing life’s complexities with the wisdom and love of God.  What does living wise mean to you? Take time to reflect on your faith—whatever it may be—and see how it guides your decisions. 

If you want to explore more of Scott’s insights, pick up his book, Live Wise: A Guidebook to Facing Life’s Complexities with the Wisdom and Love of God. It’s available now,

Scott Curtis Meischen – You can go to ScottMeischen dot com. And that’s my author website.

And in case you are wondering how to spell that…

Scott Curtis Meischen –  It’s German by heritage. And so it’s M as in Michael, E, I, S, C, H, E, N. And it’s just pronounced like saying my shin, like on your leg. But you just say it quickly, my shin.

Until next time, remember: stop, think, believe, and live wise. And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from webtalkradio.com.

Scott Curtis Meischen  was recently a guest on both the Talking books show with JT Crowley and Books on Air with Suzanne Harris. Tune in to hear more about his work and message.

Be sure and subscribe to the Newsgram audio podcast so you don’t miss a single author spotlight. 

Every journey requires a guide so author Scott Curtis Mieschen has put together a guide to navigating life’s journey with God’s wisdom and love. 

It’s called Live Wise: A Guidebook to Facing Life and Reality’s Complexities and Messiness with the Wisdom and Love of God

Rooted in biblical teachings, Live Wise will help you discover how faith can guide you through stress, confusion, and uncertainty. 

If you’re struggling with life’s complexities, find clarity, strength, and peace on your journey through life with Live Wise, Available now at Amazon.com 

The post Live Wise by Scott Curtis Meischen appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram!

Subscribe with your favorite podcast player

Remember when you were a kid and someone asked you the question, what do you want to be when you grow up? Do you remember the answer? Was it a Security Guard at the bank or an Underwater welding specialist? No, of course not unless your parents did that job you probably didn’t know it existed. Most kids say they want to be a Police Officer or a Firefighter. Some say Doctor or even Astronaut. Lots of kids want to be Athletes and Actors and many say a Veterinarian because they love animals — and that’s where our story begins today.

Natasha Burrell – It’s always a bit worrying when you get those middle-of-the-night ones because you know it’s going to be serious.

That’s Natasha Burrell, a Veterinary Surgeon remembering the time she got one of those dreaded late night calls that an animal was in need of emergency surgery. This time it was a cat that had been hit by an Ambulance.

Natasha Burrell – So, it’s probably around 2010, this actually happened. It’s the only animal patient I’ve ever had arrive at the clinic in the middle of the night in a human ambulance with a paramedic. And it stuck in my head as the paramedics had treated him so well. He’d had oxygen.He was all wrapped up. He was getting the five-star paramedic treatment. And it also stuck in my mind as he was just a lovely cat. He was a real smoochy, friendly, cooperative patient. And even though we couldn’t find the owner, everyone at the clinic was so committed to giving this cat another chance. I mean, he had a pretty serious, serious injury. And I think also the fact that the paramedic took him home, that we know he had a wonderful life after everything he went through and just the chances of it happening the way it did was quite unusual.

This story is now the subject of her book St John the Ambulance Cat: Based on a true story and if you’re following the timeline you might be wondering why now? This happened nearly fifteen years ago. 

Natasha Burrell – I have three school-age children and my youngest daughter is eight. And I was asked to give a talk to her class about being a vet last year. And part of that, I decided to tell the story of the cat that we called St John. And the kids just really seemed to enjoy his story. They asked wonderful questions. And I kind of thought it would make a good book. Like, it’s quite an unusual story from the point of view of what happened to the cat. And yeah, just a happy ending as well. So, yeah.

Just to recap a bit its 2010 in Dunedin New Zealand, Dunedin is located way down on the South Island’s southeast coast. An ambulance is being dispatched to help a person in need when it accidentally hits a cat. 

Natasha Burrell – It was a bit more complicated than the story because obviously they had to get an ambulance quickly to the human patient. So another ambulance was diverted straight to the human patient. And then St John actually went back to the hospital, got transferred to another ambulance and came out to the vet clinic. But the paramedic that was driving the ambulance came into the clinic the next day and asked how he was. And because we couldn’t find an owner, she offered to pay for his treatment. And after he’d recovered enough she actually took him home and he lived with her for quite a few years. Apparently, I talked to the paramedic recently, apparently he still had a bit of a limp. He wasn’t over 100%, but she changed his name to Ollie.

Makes sense. St. John was the name of the Ambulance company and while the nurses originally named him that she worked for St. John so she decided to give a different name. 

When I first came across this story I thought it was unusual to make a children’s book out of a tragedy

Natasha Burrell – It was very hard to write a children’s book where you’re actually starting by running over a cat

I can imagine…but then when you see it you’ll understand. It’s a  true story with a happy ending and like I said in the beginning, it’s one of those professions that children find most interesting so this is a real life example, told from a young person’s perspective of course, of what that job might entail. 

Natasha Burrell  – I just wanted it to be a story that they could, a simple story that they could follow along and just say what stages go through with the treatment for an injury. And I just, I wanted to be realistic but still try and aim at that, a child’s level of understanding.

And she’s done a wonderful job. There’s nothing graphic in the book, plus it gets them talking and sharing experiences of their own.

Natasha Burrell – Yeah. I mean, I think for when I read to my daughter’s class, a lot of the kids started to tell me their own stories of their animals if they’d been to the beach and what had been wrong with them and I think it’s, I think grandparents would be the same, you know, you can relate to things that you’ve been through with your animals in the past and, you know.

And I don’t think you could ask for more than that, a heartwarming tale based on a true story about how one day a tragedy was turned into a triumph of love, teamwork, caring, compassion and companionship. If you’re explaining it to the kids Natasha has a better description.

Natasha Burrell – So I’d tell ‘em it’s about a cat’s veterinary tale, basically. His treatment through coming into the vet clinic till when he found a home and it’s sort of a glimpse into what a veterinary case may be like.

St John the Ambulance Cat: Based on a true story

by Natasha Burrell is available now at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. And that will do it for this edition of Newsgram from webtalkradio.com.

Be sure and listen to the interview with Natasha Burrell on the Books on Air podcast with Suzanne Harris. 

Natasha Burrell also appears on the Talking Books podcast with JT Crowley. Catch this episode on Apple Podcasts or on Youtube.

The post St. John the Ambulance Cat appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.