Still Time for Joy

"Still Time for Joy" Host Sandra Levine shares highlights from the show's first season in this 2024 Year in Review. Some of her favorite guests share their wisdom about how living meaningful lives contributed to their sense of purpose, and brought them more joy.

Guests include the world-renowned dementia expert, Teepa Snow; Phil Zimmerman, director, Ocean County, NJ, Veterans Service Bureau; Susan Emhardt-Servidio, coordinator, Ocean County Rutgers Master Gardener Program; Jeff Friedman, founder & CEO, Livingston Philanthropies, Inc., Michele Gannon, co-founder & executive director, Mary's Place by the Sea;  John Benton, owner, Spruce Goose Christmas Tree Farm; Cindy Zipf, executive director, Clean Ocean Action; and Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., science director, Greater Good Science Center at University of California, Berkeley.

These remarkable people are helping caregivers and people living with dementia, veterans, gardeners, the homeless in Newark, NJ, and women living with cancer. They also are growing beautiful Christmas trees, fighting ocean pollution, and increasing our understanding of happiness and well-being.
Sandra Levine launched "Still Time for Joy" in May 2024 to honor her mother, who was devastated by Alzheimer's disease.
The show offers practical advice for weathering life's storms, and inspiring stories of resilience.
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Still Time for Joy is available as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

During the holiday season—and all year 'round—it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that happiness will come from buying the perfect gift or receiving the hottest new gadget. However, the research shows, happiness—or well-being—actually comes from cultivating meaningful relationships, enjoying rich experiences, and practicing kindness, compassion, and gratitude.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., is the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. She is an internationally-renowned expert in the science of well-being, focusing on topics like compassion, gratitude, and empathy. Her research aims to understand how these emotions contribute to human flourishing and how they can be cultivated for a better society.

Listen to this interview with Emiliana Simon-Thomas to learn practical strategies for increasing your sense of well-being, that do not involve shopping or perfectionism, but rather spending quality time with people important to you, and rolling with the punches if something goes wrong with the holiday meal. 

Greater Good Science Center  https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Still Time for Joy is available as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

John Benton is a tree expert who has been growing Christmas trees on his 10-acre farm in Chesterfield, NJ - with the help of his family - since 1987. In this informative story, he shares his deep love of trees, and the many benefits of choosing a real tree for Christmas--to the environment, wildlife, and the soul.

Spruce Goose Christmas Tree Farm https://sprucegoosefarm.wordpress.com/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Still Time for Joy is available as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

It's heartbreaking and frustrating for both a person living with dementia and their caregiver as the disease progresses and communication becomes more difficult. Dementia can rob a person of the ability to speak clearly and understand speech. 
Watch this video to learn nine tips for improving both verbal and nonverbal communication. It starts with awareness on the part of caregivers, remembering NOT to say, "Don't you remember?" and ends with staying connected, through the end.

Deb Hallisey is a certified dementia practitioner at Advocate for Mom and Dad  https://advocateformomanddad.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

In the 1980s, beaches in New Jersey and New York were forced to close due to garbage slicks, sewage sludge, medical waste, and other debris fouling the shore. For 40 years Cindy Zipf has been at the helm of Clean Ocean Action, an advocacy group that led the fight to stop ocean dumping. 

In this informative interview, COA's executive director talks about the progress made in protecting NJ's beaches, the marine life, and the people, as well as new challenges faced by the ocean.

In 2024, Zipf was chosen as one of USA Today's "Women of the Year" for her work protecting the ocean.

Clean Ocean Action  https://cleanoceanaction.org/be-the-solution-to-ocean-pollution
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

The tiny fishing village of Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, with a year-round population of about 35 people, attracts as many as a million tourists a year, who come to visit the sea and the iconic lighthouse on the rocks. John Campbell, a lifelong resident of Peggy's Cove, and owner of The Sou'Wester Restaurant adjacent to the lighthouse, shares incredible, moving stories about his beloved hometown, as well as some tragedies that have occurred there.

Campbell talks about the increase in the local lobster fishery, rescuing a visitor who fell off the rocks by the lighthouse, searching for survivors following the 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Peggy's Cove, and efforts to balance tourism with residents' needs in this picturesque town in Canada. 

Webcam footage courtesy https://www.novascotiawebcams.com/
The Sou'Wester Gift & Restaurant Company https://shoppeggyscove.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Director Kitty Norton discusses her film, "Wine, Women, & Dementia", in which family caregivers openly discuss the highs and lows of dementia caregiving. Norton traveled across the country talking to caregivers whom she had gotten to know through a blog she wrote while taking care of her mother, Gloria. Their stories are heartbreaking and hilarious, honest, and raw.

Host Sandra Levine, who was a caregiver for her mother, Dorothy, who had Alzheimer's, and Norton share some of their personal stories in this engaging interview.

"Wine, Women, & Dementia" is premiering on PBS stations around the country beginning in November 2024, during National Family Caregivers Month. More info here - https://www.winewomenanddementia.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

The holiday season—from Thanksgiving right through the New Year—can be a stressful time for everyone, especially family caregivers who are helping a loved one with dementia. Learn five simple tips to make the holidays more successful from Deb Hallisey, a certified dementia practitioner and caregiver advocate.

From using effective communication to downsizing the group, Deb's practical advice will make you a better advocate for your loved one, AND yourself.

Find Deb and dementia caregiving resources at Advocate for Mom and Dad https://advocateformomanddad.com/

Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Guinness World Records once named Toms River, New Jersey's Halloween Parade the second largest in the world, behind only the one in New York City's Greenwich Village. This beloved parade which began in 1919, and has run most years since 1937, is organized by Toms River Volunteer Fire Company No. 1.

Scary monsters, school marching bands, pets in costumes, and children of all ages walk the parade route downtown. 

Assistant Chief and Parade Committee Chairman Carl Weingroff explains what's involved with staging this massive event, that his father, Ron, ran before him.

Toms River Halloween Parade https://www.facebook.com/trfchalloweenparade/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Turns out, it's true: ice cream CAN boost happiness, at least temporarily. Linda and Harry Muller started making ice cream for fun during the pandemic, then selling it from a street cart. Today, they run a popular shop on Main Street in Toms River, NJ, selling homemade ice cream and custard. Customers say the sweet, creamy treats make them happy, while the Mullers say that tackling this new venture has been a positive experience, and a lot of hard work.

Muller's Creamery https://www.instagram.com/mullers_creamery/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd