Tea. Toast. and Trivia.

Season 3 Episode 40: Liz Humphreys and Elisabeth Van Der Meer on the Midpoint of the #KaramzovReadalong

“For all is like an ocean, all flows and connects; touch it in one place and it echoes at the other end of the world.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

The #KaramazovReadalong has reached a milestone in our journey.  We are at the midpoint of the book.

“For all is like an ocean, all flows and connects; touch it in one place and it echoes at the other end of the world.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Liz Humphreys from Edinburgh, Scotland, and Elisabeth Van Der Meer from Porvoo, Finland have joined me to look back on what we’ve learned, and look forward to what may come.

You may recall that a few months ago, I received an invitation from my blogger friend and book aficionado, Liz Humphreys to join her on a readalong of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  This readalong was to coincide with the 200th year anniversary of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s birth. The stars aligned when Elisabeth Van Der Meer, from A Russian Affair, agreed to join the party.

Where are we?  What have we learned? What comes next?  These are the questions that will be discussed.

So put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you, Liz, for your willingness to take on this massive project and for your invitation to enter the world of Russian Literature. Thank you, Elisabeth, for adding breadth and depth to our understanding.  I am looking forward to road ahead and to our next podcast in which will celebrate the ending of a journey well made.

Thank you for joining Liz, Elisabeth, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  And a very special thank you Liz and Elizabeth for adding your enthusiasm and insights on The Brother’s Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky.   His words from The Brothers Karamazov will enlighten the journey ahead.

“This is my last message to you: in sorrow, seek happiness,” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

You can connect with Liz on “Leaping Life” and Elisabeth on “A Russian Affair.”  You are only an internet click away from entering a world of books and brilliant conversations.

Season 3 Episode 39: Sally Cronin on Short Stories and Reading “A New Beginning”

Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops are great places for book readings. There is something extraordinary about hearing the voice of an author reading their stories. Their voice and intonation are nuanced by the many hours of effort putting pen to paper.  They created the characters, structured the plot, and lived every twist and turn that creates bumps in the storyline.

Living in the reality of Covid-19 for the past months, book readings at public libraries and bookstores have been curtailed.  We are learning to embrace technology in new ways.  Welcome the podcast series, “Authors Reading their Books”, which will recreate the reading spaces in a virtual venue.  I invite you to put the kettle on and join the conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am thrilled to introduce Sally Cronin who has graciously agreed to be our guest author reading her short story “A New Beginning” from her book “Flights of Fancy.”   Sally is a storyteller.  As a child, she used poetry, song lyrics and short stories to bring narratives to life.  She is an indie author and proud to be one. Her greatest pleasure comes from those readers who enjoy her take on health, characters, and twisted endings… and of course come back for more.  Sally’s support and encouragement of the indie community is legendary.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting event on Tea Toast & Trivia.

I invite you to meet up with Sally on her blog Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, on her Anchor Podcast and on her Soundcloud Channel.  Sally discusses a wide number of topics to chat about. It is a place that welcomes lively conversations and fresh perspectives.

Season 3 Episode 38: Tina Do on Poetry in a Global World

Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in.

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am excited and thrilled to connect with my friend and poet, Tina Do, to discuss the poet’s journey in a global world. Tina Do is a Vancouver-based poet, unashamed dinosaur aficionado and Master of Arts student at Simon Fraser University living and working on the unceded traditional and ancestral territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the Səlil̓wətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwitlem) and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

Tina was honoured with her first publication credit from The /tƐmz/ Review and was longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2020.  Her poetry will be featured in the forthcoming Best Canadian Poetry, and Canadian Literature. These days, you can catch her reading up on whether or not dinosaurs had lips and trying not to over-love her plants.

Tina and I first met at a Robert Burns celebration in February 2019 when she was the guest poet.  As she recited her poem “Multiples of 12” I felt tears comes.   Her voice resonated with emotional clarity and compassion.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia

Thank you for joining Tina and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you, Tina, for sharing your insights, your love of poetry and your poet’s journey.  Your continued awareness, and love of words inspires me.  I know that you have encouraged listeners to recognize that poetry is a calling and a responsibility

S3 E37: Miriam Hurdle on Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.  I am delighted and thrilled that poet and writer, Miriam Hurdle and I are connecting California and British Columbia to discuss how nature’s capacity for healing has ignited her poetic journey.  Miriam’s book of poetry, “Songs of Heartstrings: Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude” is an exploration into the breadth and depth of the human experience, of feeling the joy of being alive, of living with hope even when faced with difficult pathways.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining Miriam and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you, Miriam, for sharing your love of poetry, art, and music.  You have inspired me, and I know that you have inspired readers and listeners to see life as a symphony, to embrace and rejoice in the moments given.

I invite you to meet up with Miriam on her blog The Showers of Blessing,  It is a place that welcomes joyful conversations and profound reflections.

Season 3 Episode 36: The Trio on Safety Nets

Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia! Thank you for listing in!

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you

Today’s podcast is a look back to a time before COVID-19 changed the trajectory of our global journey.

I came upon an audio file that was located in an old file that was hidden and forgotten in my digital filing system. It seems that, even in our world of organizational efficiencies, things can be misplaced. Perhaps it was meant to be lost until the timing was right.

My mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, discussed the idea of safety nets and how they have evolved over time. Little did we know that in a few months after we recorded this conversation, we would learn how to create safety nets in a virtual world.

A safety net is defined as a safeguard against possible hardship or adversity, a system to help those who have serious problems and no other form of help.

So put the kettle on and add to this discussion on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining Frances, Sarah and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you Frances and Sarah for being excellent safety nets over the years.

Season 3 Episode 35: Valerie Peachey on Beginnings, Adventures & Life Stories

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.  I am heading over to Spain to meet up with Dr. Valerie Peachey.   I have been looking forward to connecting with Valerie ever since my friend and neighbour, Chris, said that Valerie was a kindred spirit and introduced us via e-mail. It was one of those serendipitous moments when you know that a friendship is about to happen.

Dr. Valerie Peachey is a non-traditional, semi-retired university professor. Having grown up in many countries around the world, Spain is now home. She is passionate about helping others create and realize their dreams. As a highly respected educator/leader, she believes that open pathways, flexible and well-designed learning opportunities, can yield transformative results. Individuals gain increased opportunities to reach their personal and professional goals, unhindered by geographical or time constraints As an adult educator and author, she appreciates the impact and power of the written word to make those desires come alive.  As an enthusiastic facilitator in the real and virtual worlds, she supports the power of technology to keep us connected to dear friends and help us to connect with new ones. 

A special thank you, Valerie, for sharing your insights and philosophy on living our personal adventures, embracing new challenges, pursuing new sources of meaning and ways in which to give back to our communities both local and global.

Thank you for joining Valerie and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  We loved to hear about your adventures on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Season 3 Episode 34: Karen Saunders on Books, Book Clubs & Belonging

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” Madeleine L’Engle

Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in.

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am delighted and thrilled that my long-time friend, Karen Saunders, has joined me on Tea Toast & Trivia to discuss how book clubs build compassionate communities and encourage life-long learning.

Karen called New Brunswick home. That is, until her family decided to settle on the other side of Canada in North Vancouver, British Columbia.  Karen is passionate about literature, languages, and books.  She attended the University of Victoria and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts, a double major in English Literature and French Language.  In 1983, Karen obtained a Master of Library Science from McGill University, Montréal, QC.   During all her studies, she married the love her of life, Patrick.

Patrick’s medical training and Navy career gave Karen the opportunity to experience the breadth of Canada.  Moving from Montreal to Vancouver, to Halifax, then Victoria and back to Langley, British Columbia, while raising three children and running a successful small business, her life has been full of adventure.

At 50, Karen recognized a call to ordained ministry and spent four years in training for the role of a Deacon in the Anglican Church of Canada.  Nine years have passed since her ordination, each year offering her opportunities to participate in ministries involving education, liturgical services, and pastoral care.

Karen embraces life with enthusiasm and is open to new possibilities. An avid reader since the age of three, she believes books and book clubs bring people together to learn, to explore and find belonging.

A special thank you, Karen, for sharing how book clubs offer friendship and a place of belonging.

Thank you for joining Karen and me on “Tea Toast & Trivia. “ This is your invitation to join the conversation. We look forward to your thoughts on reading, books, books clubs, belonging and community.

Season 3 Episode 33: Shehanne Moore on the Writer/Publisher Connection

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in.

I am you host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am beyond thrilled that I am travelling over 7,000 kilometers to meet up with Shehanne Moore in Scotland to discuss the connection between a writer and publisher.

Shehanne, also known as Shey, is a published author of stories that detail the best and worst of human behaviour, as opposed to pouts and flounces.  She set up Black Wolf Books, a small royalty paying publisher, presently taking submissions by invitation only.

Today, Shey shares her thoughts on how to foster an authentic relationship with a publisher motivated by a mutual desire to publish books that resonate with readers.  Shey is a storytelling who understands the process required to bring those narratives to readers.

Thank you for sharing this moment with Shey and me on Tea Toast and Trivia.  A special thank you, Shey, for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Listeners, I invite your to meet up with Shey on her website, Shehanne Moore You can follow Shey on Goodreads as well as Amazon at Shehanne Moore

You are only an internet click away from being swept away in a daring adventure.

“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”  Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist.

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

My blogger friend and historian, Susan Abernethy, from the blog, The Freelance History Writer, and I have bridged the distance between Denver, Colorado and Vancouver, British Columbia to discuss why we should study history.

Susan Abernethy has a degree in history and is a member of the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association and The Historical Association.  Her blog, The Freelance History Writer has been continuously publishing historical articles since 2012, with an emphasis on European, Tudor, medieval, Renaissance, Early Modern and Women’s history.

Thank you for joining Susan and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a special thank you Susan, for sharing your enthusiasm and passion for history.

I invite you to meet up with Susan on her blog “The Freelance History Writer.” It is a place where history comes alive. You are only an internet click away from a virtual time travel adventure where you will meet Alfred the Great, find yourself in the court of King Henry VIII and travel to the land of the Vikings.

Season 3 Episode 31: Dave Astor on Misty’s Adventures

Dave Astor and I are once again bridging the 3,923 kilometers between New Jersey and Vancouver to bring you the first podcast in the Misty series.  Every morning, without fail, my mother, Frances, and I meet up via Facebook with Misty and Dave on their adventures. This morning, when we went into the woods, Misty advised that he thought that theatrical productions may be coming back. Misty is a futurist, making brilliant predictions about the future based on current trends.

Following Misty is not for the faint of heart.  You will walk on fences, jump from opens grates, run across the grass, meet up with deer, and trudge through the snow.  Misty reminds me that living in the now, embracing the power of being present creates a sense of well-being and of being whole.

I am thrilled that Dave has graciously agreed to share Misty’s remarkable story.

This is your invitation to put the kettle on and add to the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining Dave, Misty, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  Thank you, Dave and Misty, for sharing your stories.

My daily walks with Misty and Dave continue to inspire me. Misty’s wisdom and Dave’s humour is a compelling combination.  You can connect with Dave on Dave Astor on Literature.   There is always an adventure in reading and excellent conversations waiting for your arrival on his blog.