Seeds of Sunshine - A mother-daughter podcast

Episode 17
Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how playing the piano can improve your math skills.

"With a slower approach to things, we tend to learn things faster." Kevin Martinez 

Kevin Martinez is a Sacramento-based pianist and music collaborator, who graduated from the Bachelor of Music program in Piano Performance at Sacramento State University, where he studied with internationally acclaimed pianist, Richard Cionco. As an internationally recognized soloist, Kevin specializes in Romantic era repertoire, frequently performing works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt, among others.

Kevin Martinez has some practical tips about improving one's math and reading skills:

• Martinez liked the math part more than the piano when he started to play because his goal was to be an engineer.
• After going back to school, Martinez got into music and the piano became his passion. 
• Once his love of music deepened, Martinez noticed the relationship and sequence between numbers and letters, which he attributes to learning music and playing the piano. 
•  The hardest part about learning anything is knowing you have to go slowly. And the piano is great at teaching people.
• It's better to just kind of approach it 20 steps at a time versus getting it all done immediately.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode: 

• You will learn that playing a musical instrument improves reading comprehension.
• When it comes to learning something new, you have to develop a web of knowledge.
• If you learn something five or six different ways, and you forget one or two of them, you still have a solid structure
• Whatever you choose to do if you want to dedicate your life to it and make it yours, and make you and yourself and others happy. Just try as many different things as you can. You might not like everything, but you'll appreciate everything we try. And when you appreciate something you gain perspective.

To reach Kevin Martinez for lessons, go to https://www.mpschool.org/

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 16
 
Join our hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out what Tiffany K. Martin thinks of diversity and representation and how you can appreciate them more.

Tiffany K. Martin is the CEO and Owner of TKMartin Consulting LLC and tkmFIT Health & Fitness. As a thought leader, Ms. Martin serves as an Executive Change Strategist and Performance Coach, specializing in operational change management for organizations and functional performance for individuals. Ms. Martin’s multi-faceted career in electrical engineering, law enforcement, technical instruction, health and fitness, and social equity, includes a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, (13) years of service as a Supervisory Special Agent for the FBI, and multiple coaching certifications in cross country and track and field. Ms. Martin helps organizations and individuals improve by applying her knowledge and lived experiences to support and elevate the performance of her clients. Ms. Martin is a California native. When she is not working, Ms. Martin enjoys spending time with her family, solving puzzles, and competing as an endurance athlete in running and triathlon races.

Tiffany Martin has the following thoughts about diversity and why representation matters:

• To Martin, as a black female, representation means something different than for her daughter, who was born when Barack Obama was president. 
• Growing up, Martin did not know any black engineers, but she became one! Therefore, when taking a certain path in life to see that reflected in people that you identify with, it does matter and it can have a personal impact.
• For instance, her daughter's perception of things when it comes to representation is that things have always been like this, having a black president and now a black Vice president, but that's the challenge in balance by wanting our children to embrace where they are, as well as understanding what's paved the way for that opportunity for them as well.

On this Seeds of Sunshine:

• You will learn to appreciate diversity, which is so diverse in and of itself, as well as recognize that there are so many aspects to being diverse, and all of those aspects breathe out.
• You will learn about health and fitness, which according to Martin don't look one way. It's not one-dimensional. 
• The challenge when it comes to fitness is for people to understand and reframe their approach to how their personal health is defined.

To connect with Tiffany K Martin, please follow her:
tkmFIT Health & Fitness
(16) Tiffany K. Martin | LinkedIn
(8) Tiffany M Tdktdk | Facebook
TiffanyKM (@tkmfit) • Instagram photos and videos

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 15

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how to make the most of your exercise routine and maybe even delve more into their meditative and spiritual benefits in addition to the well-known physical ones.

Carmen Micsa is a creative nonfiction writer and poet who has earned both her BA and MA degrees in English from Sacramento State University. She is also the Broker/CEO of her own company Dynamic Real Estate. Micsa has published memoir, creative nonfiction, a tennis book Change Your Grip on Life Through Tennis, and her two poetry books The PR – The Poetics of Running, A Book of Poetry in Motion, and Morsels of Love, A Book of Poetry and Short Form. She is now working on her memoir about her life growing up in communism. Micsa is also an avid marathon runner, who has run London, Berlin, Boston, New York, and Chicago world marathons. She lives with her husband Catalin and her two teenage children. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn that meditation and mindfulness are interconnected.
• Meditation can be a silent prayer, the act of shutting our eyes and mouths, while opening our hearts, and soundless words filled with love that come from deep within us. 
• Mindfulness, according to Mother Teresa, is being happy in the moment. 
• Awareness is a key component of mindfulness, whereas acceptance is the ability to observe and accept - rather than judge or avoid, according to Psychology Today. 
• Meditation can be achieved through any form of exercise, which is why I call it in motion. Being still while meditating is a great option, but if you are like me and enjoy movement, you still can benefit from a more spiritual aspect of your exercise that can help you become better at home and at work.
• We can all tap into our creative selves through our favorite type of exercise by learning how to meditate in motion. 

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 14

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how Stefanie Ettmann lives in many countries across Europe as a responsible digital nomad.
Stefanie Ettmann was born and raised in Vienna, Austria. At the age of 22, she fell in love with the Portuguese language, Portugal as a country, and a Portuguese man - in that order of importance – after which she moved to Porto, where she completed a three-year degree in Intercultural Communication and Translation for Portuguese, Spanish, and German at the University of Porto.
Stefanie's advice to others who want to become and live their lives as digital nomads:

• After living in Portugal for three years, Stefanie went to Spain for a year, then to France for another year, where she realized that she did not wish to become too assimilated in any one particular place. 
• Stefanie views her life as a digital nomad as being a stranger in a strange land, where her soul returns home to the situation of being a stranger,
• Stefanie thinks that the pandemic taught her a new way of life by being able to teach languages online. 
• Stefanie offers her top three ways to become a responsible digital nomad, such as: 
• 1.  Discovering your skill that you can market online. 
• 2.  Find three places on the planet that you feel drawn to for whatever reason.
• 3. Connect to beautiful people who are on the same journey or on a similar journey. And again, there is no like one profile of the digital nomad. And there are wonderful communities online, such as Couchsurfing, Digital Nomad Girls, and others. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode: 

• You will learn how working from home can be an energy-saving measure. Yet,  when it comes to being a nomad, there are actually challenges that come with that and at the same time having an environmental conscience and wanting to not hurt the planet and living a responsible life. 
• Life is the art of meeting one another, which means that we all have a huge desire to connect to others and to ourselves.
• Traveling gives one a sense of being more.

To connect with Stefanie Ettmann, please follow her on  (9) Stefanie Ettmann | Facebook and Stefanie Ettmann (@stefanie.ettmann) • Instagram photos and videos.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us.

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 13

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how to live your life with more joy and gratitude with Louise Pistole, the author of Discover Your Joy.

Louise is a JOY fanatic! She brings her Southern charm and joyful inspiration as she encourages others to discover their own joy no matter where they are on their journey. As Louise navigated her own difficult valleys, she emerged with a strong message of joy to share with other women. Her inspiration comes alive with real-life stories of hope, love, and faith. JOY really is her superpower!

After a career of over 30 years in the financial industry, Louise made a decision to leave the business world and pursue her passion for writing. Her book, Discover Your Joy, was published in 2021. She shares her personal stories of love, laughter, holidays, kids, and grandkids, along with all the good and not-so-good that life has to offer.

Louise offers encouragement and inspiration to women worldwide through her writing, coaching, and speaking. Using both practical wisdom and Biblical truths, she guides others to seek what they are missing in life and to become the best version of themselves.

After 45 years apart, she recently reconnected with her high-school sweetheart. They married on the beach and found their joy in a vacation home on the coast. Their love story was printed in the April 2019 issue of Sasee Magazine.

Her life has come full circle and she is grateful every day!

Louise Pistole has the following advice to live a joyful life:

• Joy and happiness are not interchangeable. Happiness is eating ice cream, for example, that makes you feel good at the moment, while joy is something that is a habit and it lives in your heart and soul. 
• Her book is filled with obviously a lot of joy and also gratitude.
• Since Seeds of Sunshine is a multigenerational podcast, Louise believes that journaling is beneficial for all ages. The same with reading any kind of inspirational book. 
• Additionally, spending time in nature and getting outside are big contributors to one's joy. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Louise points out that the United States is number 16 in happiness, which is different than joy, but if we're not a happy country, we're not a joyful country. 
• Women need connections and experiences, as they bring the most joy. 
• The joy of the path and the joy of being in nature is discovering everything along the path as you go along the way. So, there are ways that all of us can discover our joy and choose joy every day by finding what works best for us.

To connect with Louise Pistole, check out her website https://www.louisepistole.com/
where you can purchase her book. Also, you can follow her on the social media FB page and Instagram. 

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us.

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 12

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out more about family legacy during our conversation with children's book author Susan D. Powers.

Susan D. Powers is the author of “Special Shoes for My Little Feet” and a Certified Great Read Award-Winning Author with Reading With Your Kids!  After writing her picture book, Susan was inspired to create a logo for her website called, “Strong Footprints for Families” that reflects her passion for family unity and walking strong for our kids!
Susan has a new book series coming out early next year called, “It’s A Box Thing”. Her first book of the series is called, My Charlie Box – “Is it possible to fill a box with love instead of things? Just ask Charlie Box.

Susan D Powers has great tips about family legacy:

•  Children's books are very powerful that way because the message is short, concise, and yet very powerful, very moving. 
• It's the box thing and Susan's first book in the series is called My Charlie Box, which is a metaphor for not having things but having love instead and being filled with love.
• Her children's books convey a message of hope, love, and importance. Powers wants everyone to know that they are important and they matter. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Writing a book is proof that it's possible to do anything. 
• Once the author's grandchildren witnessed their grandma's dreams becoming a reality through her books, they understood that anything is possible and that their dreams can become a reality, too.
• Gilbert, the protagonist turns to his family's special shoes. Incredibly the shoes have amazing powers transporting he made to pass the events through the memories of his parents and grandparents. So readers get to join Gilbert on this adventure through the family legacy. 

Where to connect with Susan:

Website: https://sdpowersbooks.com
Social Media: https://linktr.ee/susandpowers (Facebook)

Where to purchase her books: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-D.-Powers/e/B08Z1VKD8P/ 

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us.

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 11

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa on a virtual afternoon tea with flash fiction writer and editor Keely O'Shaughnessy and learn about why being concise and specific with your writing will help you with your school essays, or any other writing you do. Also, discover some fun UK tea traditions that Americans view differently than the British. 

Keely O'Shaughnessy lives and works in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire in South West England, with her husband and two cats. When she is not writing or editing, Keely works in a primary school (ages 4-11) as a teaching assistant for children with special education needs.  Separate from school, Keely is the Managing Editor for Flash Fiction Magazine and has a Masters degree in Creative and Critical Writing. Keely’s writing has been shortlisted for the Bath Flash Fiction Award and won Retreat West’s Monthly Micro contest and my short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Small Fictions as well as being selected for the Wigleaf Top 50. Keely also has cerebral palsy and keeps active by taking walks in the countryside. She enjoys history, baking, traveling, and listening to David Bowie. If she had the opportunity to live anywhere else in the world it would be Canada. 

Keely O'Shaughnessy has great writing tips for children and adults, as well as delightful observations about British tea traditions:

•  What Keely enjoys most about living in the UK, especially in Gloucestershire are the countryside and the lovely green spaces. 
• Keely has cerebral palsy and does not let the condition dictate her life. With her illness being mild, Keely chooses to live life with kindness toward everyone she meets, as they could have their own struggles to overcome. 
• Keely explains that having a cup of tea is a uniquely British experience that some of her American friends that she works with as an editor think means food and eating.
• Also, having a traditional British afternoon tea is a special occasion, Keely explained. 
• Keely is a big fan of Indie presses because they are about quality over quantity and for the love of writing.
• Keely is drawn to flash fiction because of the level of clarity it calls for and its need for constant forward momentum. For her, there is nothing more exhilarating than landing on the exact word or image that conveys your meaning. Perfectly in flash immediacy and urgency are everything. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn that Keely has mild cerebral palsy and chooses to live her life with intention and kindness. 
• When we write something, we don't despair if we get pulled away from our original intention and message, as creativity can lead us on different paths, which is not necessarily a bad thing. 
• No matter the disability, Keely says that she is just a person in the world, who is living her life. 
• Keely's powerful message to all of us: "Just keep doing what you're doing because you're amazing." 

To buy Keely's book Baby is a Thing Best Whispered,  go to Amazon.
Everything about Keely’s writing life, including links to her blog can be found on her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/keelyo.shaughnessy.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us&l

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 10

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to learn about cyberspace safety from Emmy award-winning journalist, tech-life expert, and host of USA Today Jennifer Jolly.

Jennifer is the nationally syndicated tech-life columnist and host of “Tech Now,” for USA Today and all of its newspaper and broadcast affiliates. Her stories and commentary reach an estimated two billion readers, viewers, and listeners each month. Jennifer is an avid ultra-marathon runner, and former triathlete, who loves to read, write, travel, and find new adventures.

Jennifer Jolly has salient and useful advice for parents worldwide on cyberspace safety tips:

• Give kids just age-appropriate Internet access and screen time. 
• Technology is learning and being in the world in an age-appropriate safe way. That's not a super hard and fast rule, but it's kind of like parental controls on devices. Don't hand over an iPhone to a toddler or grade school. Instead, start with something that has a child-based user interface, such as Gabb phones or watches. 
• It's also really, really important for parents to model good internet behavior and not be on the phone all the time. 
• Have a no-gadgets rule at the dinner table in your household to improve family dynamics.
•  Everything in moderation is key. It's not healthy to wake up to that phone. It's just not good for us and our brains. 
• Qustodio is a great app for parents to monitor and keep their kids safe online. 
• Jenniffer Jolly's biggest advice is to find the parts of social media that make you feel good. And get rid of all of the rest.
• Parents should definitely block offensive content online through their router, where they can limit the content that their children are exposed to. 
• As to useful technology to help kids with their school work, Jennifer recommends the Lenovo Chromebook duet three, which costs about $380. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn how to protect your children online and keep them safe.
• Tech wisdom and expertise that applies to parents all over the world. 
• Cool gadgets for the new school year. 
• You have everything that you need to be a bright light and to succeed in the world that you live in. The most important part of your entire life is inside of you. 

To connect with Jennifer Jolly, follow her on social media:
Techish - Simple tech for a better life.
(1) Jennifer Jolly #techish #techlife (@JenniferJolly) / Twitter<
(2) Jennifer Jolly | Facebook
Jennifer Jolly (@jennjolly) • Instagram photos and videos

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us. 

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 9

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to discover how Steven Broad lost 100 pounds in 2021 through the Noom neuroscience weight loss approach.

Steven Broad is a software product manager in the energy industry who lost 100 pounds in 2021 and has maintained that weight loss. His work-life has been an adventure through software engineering, consulting, medical physics, scientific computing, energy economics, and academia. He has lived mainly in California and Indiana, with a few stops in Cleveland, OH, St Louis, MO, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and London, GB. These days, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenage children in Rocklin, CA. In his spare time, he enjoys dark comedies and fantasy adventures (film, tv, theater, or print), becoming a distance runner, mentoring a handful of young and talented professionals, music from the early 20th century, and philosophical discussions.

Steven Broad has great nutritional advice rooted in neuroscience and running/exercise:

• Steven's trigger point for losing weight happened after a backpacking trip with his daughter. He didn't feel good and wanted to feel better.
• After a seminar on mindfulness and journaling, Steven found out about the Noom neuroscience approach to weight loss after listening to a My New Diet Is An App: Weight Loss Goes Digital on NPR. 
• Steven signed up for the program and loved the combo of neuroscience and weight loss, which he also coupled with running. Steven used to run in high school, so he decided to get back to running and feeling the joy of moving.
• Steven was attracted by the big neuroscience component, such as understanding the ghrelin hormone, and why it was important to eat foods high in fiber, such as brown rice instead of white rice, and more fruits and veggies. 
• Steven Broad thinks that discipline is overrated, as people need to build a habit first. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn through the help of neuroscience and running that weight loss is easier when developing a habit, which is easier than discipline alone. 
• How to form good habits and apply the one-second rule. 
• How to combine running with good nutrition.
• You will also learn that the neurochemical release from running is more powerful than eating fatty or sweet foods. 
• The Noom philosophy approach to eating emphasizes that nothing is off limits and that you don't need to taste a lot of cake, for instance, as by the fifth bite, or so, you don't need it anymore. 
• How to believe in yourself, focus on the present, and make changes in your lives with the help of others and not feel lonely in your journey to weight loss, or any other transformational journey. 

Follow our podcast on Apple Podcasts - Apple, Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher, or wherever you listen.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us. 

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Episode 8
Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how Brad Buchanan, a retired professor and author, healed his cancer and why he is a genetic chimera.


Brad Buchanan is a retired professor. His writings have appeared in more than 200 journals, and he has published three book-length collections of poetry. His medical memoir, Living with Graft-Versus-Host Disease, How I stopped Fighting Cancer and Started Healing was published in 2021, and his fourth book of poetry, Chimera, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. He has also published two academic books, and a third one, a monograph on Hamlet, is forthcoming from McGill-Queen’s University Press. He was diagnosed with a rare form of
T-cell lymphoma in February 2015, and after chemotherapy and radiation, he underwent a stem cell transplant in early 2016. He is currently in remission.

Brad Buchanan has a fascinating insight into the world of cancer and the healing power of writing:

• To professor Buchanan, messages are pretty universal about the power of using words to express your feelings, which is a kind of survival tool for just about everybody. 
• Healing his rare form of cancer has been about a seven-year odyssey from the time when Prof. Buchanan suspected that he had cancer to his diagnosis, to his cancer treatments, first chemotherapy and radiation, then a stem cell transplant. 
• Prof. Buchanan explained that genetically, he is known as a chimera, which is a medical term for someone who has had their DNA altered by a stem cell transplant. 
• So in a way, his fourth poetry book entitled Chimera and forthcoming from Finishing Line Press wasn't an imaginative leap on his part. However, professor Buchanan loves the mythological connotations. He added that the cover of his book has a very beautiful but kind of monstrous image of a sculpture of a chimera.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode: 

• You will learn how cathartic qualities of writing.
• You will learn more about graft vs. host disease, which is why Prof. Buchanan published his medical memoir Living with Graft-Versus-Host Disease, How I stopped Fighting Cancer and Started Healing. 
• Prof. Buchanan was diagnosed with a rare form of T-cell lymphoma. He underwent a stem cell transplant in 2016 and is now in remission. 
• Prof. Buchanan wants to help other cancer survivors by sharing his cancer journey. 
• His fight against cancer is inspiring; his poetry is replete with pain, love, and wonder at the medical advances. 

To buy Brad Buchanan's latest poetry book Chimera, please go directly to Finishing Line Press. 

To connect with prof. Brad Buchanan, please follow him:
(10) Brad Buchanan | LinkedIn
Brad Buchanan (@bradthechimera) • Instagram photos and videos

Follow our podcast on Apple Podcasts - Apple, Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher, or wherever you listen.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us. 

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]