Tea. Toast. and Trivia.

“We still, alas, cannot forestall it This dreadful ailment’s heavy toll; The spleen is what the English call it, We call it simply, Russian soul.." Alexander Pushkin, Eugene Onegin

Elisabeth Van Der Meer from the extraordinary blog, A Russian Affair, has once again joined me from Finland, the far distance of 7,514 km from Vancouver.  We have come to the end, the grand finale, of the Eugene Onegin Challenge. We are at the unforgettable chapter eight, where everything become clear.  Or does it?

So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation.

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

When we first started this journey, Elizabeth wrote in her blog:

“With this challenge I hope to add something extra to your reading experience that will make it more interesting, intense, attentive, and (even more) enjoyable. I will be eating, dreaming, thinking, hearing Eugene Onegin for the next four months and I can’t wait to find out what the end result will be!” Elisabeth Van Der Meer

We may have completed the challenge, but the pathway continues into the far horizon.  There are more adventures ahead on A Russian Affair with Elizabeth Van Der Meer.   Until next time, dear friends, keep safe and be well.

Season 2 Episode 41: The Art of Romance with Shehanne Moore

If her body was fed to the crows in one-inch pieces, before her eyes and all she needed to do to stop it was kiss him, she’d sooner the crows didn’t go hungry.." Shehanne Moore,  The Unraveling of Lady Fury

I am travelling approximately 8,000 kilometres from Vancouver to Broughty Ferry, Scotland,  Dundee’s Historic Seaside Village, to meet up with my friend and Shehanne Moore, the writer who has given us the exciting historical romance, “The Unraveling of Lady Fury.”

When not cuddling inn signs in her beloved Scottish mountains alongside Mr. Shey, or spending time with their family, Shehanne Moore writes dark and smexy historical romance, featuring bad boys who need a bad girl to sort them out.

Put the kettle on and join in the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia.

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

Thank you for joining Shehanne and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out to Shehanne.  I invite your to meet up with Shehanne on her blog, Shehanne Moore . Be warned, you are only an internet click away from being swept away in a daring adventure.

Season 2 Episode 40: Patricia Sands on Telling Your Story

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

“Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities — always see them, for they’re always there.” Norman Vincent Peale

“Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.” Drawing Lessons, Patricia Sands

Transitions, art, and France are all found in my current read, “Drawing Lessons.”

I am delighted and thrilled that the brilliant storyteller, Patricia Sands, the author of Drawing Lessons is joining us today and bridging the distance of 3,364 km between Vancouver and Toronto.

We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Patricia’s first book, “The Bridge Club,” which was published in 2010.  Based loosely on her bridge club, the story weaves the reader through a maze of life’s inevitable scenarios.

So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation.

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

Exiting news for Book Clubs. Patricia has an open invitation to get together in someone’s home to talk about her books via Zoom, phone, or FaceTime!  Choose one of Patricia’s novels, decide on a date and time, and have someone from your group email Patricia at [email protected] or message her through Facebook or Instagram @patricialsands.

A special thank you, Patricia, for this extraordinary conversation. I am delighted that we have connected.

Until next time, dear friends, keep safe and be well. And remember you are only an internet click away from Patricia and the South of France on  patriciasandsauthor.com

I am heading over to England today to what has been called Somerset’s most charming town –  Clevedon, situated on the Bristol Channel famous for its magnificent pier.  The pier was completed in 1869 as a landing point for paddle steamers, carrying passengers along the Severn Estuary from Wales and Devon.

I am meeting up with Clevedon’s famed artist, Joan Hudson, a dear friend who has invited me for afternoon tea in her summer garden.  You are invited to join us and share in an extraordinary conversation about art, imagination, and embracing our creativity.

Thank you, Joan for your invitation to tea.  I have been looking forward to this discussion.

Thank you for sharing this moment with Joan and me.   Your visit and comments are very much appreciated.  You can meet up with Joan on Instagram at Joan.hudson3 or her blog On the Bright Side.

Until next time dear friends, take care and be safe.

P.S. In our discussion, Joan mentioned Alice Strang’s initiative in response to the global lockdown, which can be viewed at this link: Digital art in a time of virus.

"Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Alice Strang, is a keen user of social media channels Twitter and Instagram, matching current affairs with works in the National Galleries of Scotland’s collection. With the closure of our Galleries following the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), not only is everyone joined in common concerns but the power of art to boost morale, in digital form, is becoming more apparent every day." National Galleries Scotland

A few weeks ago, my mother,  Frances, and I were discussing the aging process, something that we all have in common.  I think of the quote by Andy Rooney: “It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.”

There are many self-help books and articles that promise ways in which we can age gracefully and provide tips on how to stay sharp and look amazing.  When Frances suggested that, for her, it was books that added joy to the aging process,   I asked whether she would share her thoughts on a short podcast.  Since we were on our mobile phones, rather than in-person, we did not know whether the audio would have enough clarity.  Thanks to our techie, we have a short discussion about books, life and embracing who we are at any age.

So put the kettle on and add to this discussion. We would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia.

Until next time, dear friends, keep safe and be well.

Season 2 Episode 37: The Trio Goal Setting

I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss goal setting.  We want to seek progress, to live our best lives, to be recognized and valued for our contributions.  There are many ideas and opinions about goal setting.    We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com.

So put the kettle on and add to the conversation. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Season 2 Episode 36: Going Back to Manderley with Liz Humphreys

My dear blogger friend, Liz Humphreys from her blog Leaping Life and I have once again bridged the 7,059 kilometres between Edinburgh and Vancouver to discuss, well, let me give you a hint:

‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a padlock and a chain upon the gate. I called in my dream to the lodge-keeper, and had no answer, and peering closer through the rusted spokes of the gate I saw that the lodge was uninhabited.’

Yes, Liz and I will be discussing Daphne du Maurier.

Put the kettle on and join in the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com

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

Thank you for joining Liz and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out to Liz from the blog, Leaping Life and to heavenali, who hosted Daphne du Maurier Reading week May 11 – 17, 2020.

Join me as I travel across the ocean to Orkney, where the fresh sea air and rugged landscape captures the spirit of daring souls.  I am delighted that I am meeting up with my friend, Lorna Brown of See Orkney Tours, who was our family’s intrepid guide through the mists of ancient Orkney.  We touched the Standing Stones of Stenness and traced the prehistoric path of the Ring of Brodgar.

Travel plans may have been placed on hold, but for today imagine that you have joined Lorna and me on the white sandy beach that leads up to Skara Brae, a 5000-year-old Neolithic village. Do you feel the chilly breeze off the ocean?  It is sunny, a perfect day to begin our adventure.

So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation.I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

A special thank you to Lorna for sharing the stories of Orkney. She has promised to come back for another conversation.  Until then, you can meet up with her at See Orkney Tours

Until next time, keep safe and be well.

Season 2 Episode 34: Elisabeth on The Eugene Onegin Challenge Part 2

Elisabeth Van Der Meer from the extraordinary blog, A Russian Affair, has once again joined me from Finland, the far distance of 7,514 km from Vancouver.  Elisabeth promised to come back and talk about the  “The Eugene Onegin Challenge” which is happening on her blog, A Russian Affair.

As you know, I have taken up the challenge and am reading Alexander Pushkin’s masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, which he wrote over the course of eight years. The adventure is underway.

So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

“With this challenge I hope to add something extra to your reading experience that will make it more interesting, intense, attentive, and (even more) enjoyable. I will be eating, dreaming, thinking, hearing Eugene Onegin for the next four months and I can’t wait to find out what the end result will be!” Elisabeth Van Der Meer

I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss – should we learn another language? In 2019, UNESCO launched a special website dedicated to the International Year of Indigenous languages (IY2019)

The purpose of this website is to increase the awareness about the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote indigenous languages around the world. There are some 6.000-7.000 languages in the world today. About 97% of the world’s population speaks only 4 % of these languages, while only 3% of the world speak 96% of all remaining languages.

IMPORTANT CORRECTION: In the podcast I stated that 7000 languages would be lost by the end of this century. I should have said:

“It is estimated that, if nothing is done, half of the over 6,000 plus languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century. With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented languages, humanity would lose not only an irreplaceable cultural heritage, but also valuable ancestral knowledge embedded, in particular, in indigenous languages. UNESCO’s Endangered Languages Programme

So, put the kettle on and add to the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com

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