Standing Reservations

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad bring out the conversation cards to answer questions about Kent and Jonathan. They talk about the photos they return to, the lessons they learned from their late husbands and from their grief. They also reminisce on the ordinary moments they miss. Becky kept the scorecards from the Sequence board game. Brad remembers Mondays in Chicago where they walked on Michigan Avenue, where they would have lunch at Frankie’s and shop at Bloomingdale's.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:06] Intro

[00:36] The B&B cocktail

[03:37] The return of the conversation cards

[05:24] The photos they return to

[12:55] Charity work and peacefulness

[18:59] The value of giving back and ancestry

[21:58] Giving permission to feel off-limit emotions

[24:56] Love hurts but is eternal and never wasted

[28:35] Ordinary moments with their late husbands

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Email us at [email protected]

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FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad welcome Lee, Artisan's new GM, to answer listener questions. They toast to Kent's favorite Manhattan and Jonathan's particular Tanqueray martini with diet tonic and talk about which memories they're keeping and which ones they're trying to release. They reveal their guilty-pleasure fast food before they reflect on what they want for themselves in the next ten years.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:06] Intro

[00:38] This week’s guest, Lee

[02:17] Three espresso cocktails

[07:10] Kent's Manhattan, Jonathan's Tanqueray

[11:13] Memories to keep, memories to release

[16:14] Favorite fast food

[18:48] Reflecting on teenage years

[21:45] Goals and plans in the next 10 years

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad talk about redecorating their homes without their husbands' hands in it. Brad wrestles with the guilt of taking Jonathan's choices off the walls, but knows Jonathan would want him happy. Becky talks about the triggers that linger in spaces, such as the couch where nurses and caregivers stayed during Kent's final days. They explore the difference between erasing and healing, while acknowledging the peculiar loneliness of making these decisions solo.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:14] Intro

[03:41] This week’s sponsor

[06:38] Find your community

[07:17] Changes to Jonathan's design

[12:08] Triggers that make Becky sad

[17:41] Not as fun doing it alone

[23:31] Separating his likes from theirs

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

This week’s sponsor:

Welch Packaging: welchpkg.com

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Ashley Martin, President and CEO of Nibco sits down with Becky and Brad to talk about losing her mom Alice in 2017. She talk about losing a parent at a young age, the weight of stepping up to fill a void, and how Alice left her mark on everyone around her. She shares where Alice’s absence was felt at her wedding and how she honored her mom with her diamond necklace.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:12] Intro

[00:54] This week’s guest and sponsor

[04:05] Ashley’s mom

[07:41] Losing her mom to cancer

[10:58] Taking care of her dad and the business

[14:54] She wasn't there to pick Ashley’s wedding dress

[21:47] What is Nibco

[26:08] A toast to their loved ones

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Episode sponsor:

Nibco: nibco.com

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad bring back the conversation cards to answer questions about their late husbands, Kent and Jonathan. They reminisce on the quirks that made them laugh, the songs they still remember, and the ordinary Mondays and Tuesdays they'd do again in a heartbeat.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:06] Intro

[00:27] The Brad Pour and Becky's big blend

[04:47] Kent and Becky’s wine club

[08:00] Quirks that made Becky chuckle and drove her crazy

[11:55] When someone says their name

[14:46] Opening J&B Home Decor & Gifts

[18:37] How Becky and Kent met and their songs

[24:07] A regular old Tuesday

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

This episode of Standing Reservations is a love letter to Artisan as Becky and Brad share how the restaurant honored their late-husbands in two deeply meaningful ways. Brad talks about the wooden plaque hanging at Artisan that reads “In loving memory, Jonathan Tuff (The Garber Boys) Cheers.” He walks through Jonathan’s exit from his days in ICU to the honor walk that led to Artisan saving his late-husband’s seat inside the restaurant. Becky talks about Artisan's simple gesture of making space for Kent when he arrived in his power chair. These stories show how this restaurant became essential to their story of grief and belonging.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:13] Intro

[01:01] Lemon drops, sugar rims and B&B Cocktails

[03:42] The story behind the plaque at Artisan

[09:33] Eight days in ICU

[14:22] Photoshoots in an unexpected place

[17:46] Kent chose to be happy everyday

[23:46] Find your Artisan

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Jess returns to ask Becky and Brad another round of questions from the Artisan staff. Over the B&B cocktail, Becky and Brad talk about the silliest things their husbands were convinced they were right about and what they have learned about themselves since losing their husbands. They also imagine their lives as movies with Brad sharing his dream cast and Becky sharing her “Before and After,” reflecting on her life with Kent.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:13] Intro

[00:31] Jess and the B&B

[09:01] Silly debates

[13:10] What they’ve learned about themselves

[17:37] Find someone that loves you that much

[20:25] If life was a movie

[27:36] Their late husbands’ sponsored ads

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad talk about the hardest dates on the calendar. With Kent’s birthday on July 6, Becky reflects on the mixed feelings she feels on special days like this and shares her ritual to commemorate her late-husband on their anniversary. Brad talks about the build up he feels during the “six weeks of hell” – February 20 to March 28 – when birthdays, anniversaries and other monumental dates happen consecutively. He also reminds us that grief appears differently for everyone and that it’s important to find your moments.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:13] Intro

[00:43] Dusty Goose vs. Absolut

[03:23] Behind the podcast’s theme music

[05:20] Our friends of Standing Reservations

[08:00] Special days are hard

[16:21] Anniversary rituals

[21:17] Grief looks different for everyone

[26:15] We’re not looking to get over this pain

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad play a vulnerable card game to help them process their grief. Talking about their late-husbands brings them comfort, so they share memories and stories, such as opening J&B Home Decor & Gifts and their husbands’ clothes they’ve kept, as their way to keep them close. They also introduce a new cocktail that Artisan made for them called the B&B Cocktail, with Grey Goose, Limoncello and topped with bubbles.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:07] Intro

[01:06] The B&B Cocktail

[04:48] This week, we play card game

[07:01] Dealing with grief in the grocery store

[09:14] Opening J&B Home Decor & Gifts

[14:32] What’s been helpful and what hasn’t

[20:07] A robe and socks

[24:10] Who had feelings first?

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Your Table at Artisan

Mention Standing Reservations when you book at Artisan

Book at Artisan

In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad answer questions from the Artisan team about their favorite memories with their late husbands, Kent and Jonathan, and what they think Kent and Jonathan would think of this podcast. They also dig into their history with Artisan, sharing their most memorable dish at the restaurant and how it became their home.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:08] Intro

[02:09] Favorite wines and the Brad pour

[05:07] Meet Jess – the GM at Artisan

[07:13] Favorite memories

[14:57] Memorable dish at Artisan

[19:11] Brad and Becky’s friendship

[27:34] “I hope they’re proud of us”

Connect with us:

Email us at [email protected]

FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad

FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts

Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com

Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!

Credits:

Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest

Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger

Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts)

Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative)

Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher