Tea. Toast. and Trivia.

Season 2.Episode 22: Frances on The Art of Canning

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

A few weeks ago, Frances and I were discussing the Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s, which started in 1929.  One of the questions that came up was food supplies and production. This led to a great discussion on the art of canning, a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in airtight containers.

As our world faces a new global challenge, Frances’s memories remind us that working together we can overcome challenges, such as food storage, production and safety.  So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com.

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

Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia. One last thought – comes from J.R.R. Tolkien : “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

Until next time, dear friends, safe travels wherever your adventures take you.

A few weeks ago, Frances and I were discussing the Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s, which started in 1929.  We still talk about the market crash of October 29, 1929 known as Black Tuesday.  The 1930’s was a decade that experienced the most extensive, deepest, and widespread depression in the 20th century.  It gripped the entire world with devastating consequences.  Unemployment was as high as 25% in the United States and for some countries, unemployment rose as high as 33%.  Frances lived through the 1930’s and has talked about those years in a series of podcasts.

As our world faces a new global challenge, Frances’s memories remind us that by working together we can accomplish great things.  So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com.

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

Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia. One last thought – comes from Franklin D. Roosevelt : “If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.”

Season 2. Episode 20: The Trio on Joy

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

I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss a subject that is very close to my heart. How do we define joy? How do we acknowledge our need for individuality as a well as  connection and belonging within a compassionate community?

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.

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. Rabindranath Tagore

Today, Frances looks back to a time when sod houses or soddies were the homes of early settlers on the frontiers of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States. When the prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone, sod from thick, toughly rooted prairie grass was abundant, free, and could be used for house construction.

So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com.

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

Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia. One last thought – comes from Maya Angelou “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

Elisabeth van der Meer from the extraordinary blog, A Russian Affair, has once again joined me from the far distance of 7,514 km or 4,669 miles. We are connecting Finland and Canada via Russian Literature. Elisabeth has come back to discuss Alexander Pushkin, poet, playwright and novelist of the Romantic era. He is considered the father of modern Russian literature and some say that he was the greatest of all Russian writers. Bold, impetuous and daring, he lived with enthusiasm.

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

I highly recommend Elisabeth’s  “The Eugene Onegin Challenge” that is happening on her blog, A Russian Affair.  Right now, I am reading Alexander Pushkin’s masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, which he wrote over the course of eight years.  Elisabeth has introduced the characters, Onegin, Lenski, Tatyana, Olga, and yes, Pushkin.  The adventure is ready to begin…

“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

Music by Leimoti, "Jeanne in a Waltz" Epidemic Sound

Season 2.Episode 17: Frances on Community and the Ladies’ Aid

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

Frances and I are in the sewing room again, with the material stacked on one side of the room and on the other, the finished costumes for an upcoming dance performance.  It’s exciting to see the progress, week to week on the colourful tutus and jazz outfits.

This week, our conversations turned to my mother’s recollection of the Ladies’ Aid Society.  As background, Ladies’ Aid Societies were formed during the American Civil War.  Women worked tirelessly to provide supplies to soldiers on the battlefield and to care for sick and wounded soldiers. They raised money, sewed quilts and provided sanitary supplies to solders to stop the spread of disease.  When the war was over, many Ladies’ Aid Societies continued their good work.

Today, my mother shares her memories of the Ladies’ Aid Society of her community that worked together in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

So put the kettle on and add to the discussion. Frances and I look forward to your insights on TeaToastTrivia.com.

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

Thank you for joining Frances and me on Tea Toast and Trivia. One last thought – comes from Helen Keller:

The book on top of my 2020 stack of books,  is Dave Astor’s Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time: The Book Lover’s Guide to Literary Trivia. Dave has a marvelous way of going deep to find the story that is hidden in the folds of history.

In Dave’s most recent post, “More Than Zero Interest in Zero-Year Novels”, he featured some of his favorite (not necessarily the best) novels that were published in 1970, 1920, 1870, and various other years ending in that big ol’ round number of zero.

Put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com

I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you.Thank you for joining Dave and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out to Dave. You can connect with Dave on Dave Astor on Literature.   There is always an adventure in reading waiting for your arrival on his blog.

Safe travel wherever your adventures lead you.

Music by Sven Karlsson “Wait for the Night” Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 15:  Stephanie on Coaching

We live in a world that demands our time and energy.  These are precious and scarce resources.  There is only so much time and we have only so much energy.   Time to check in with my wellness coach, Stephanie from Bold Moves, for an energy boost and a great conversation on coaching for health and fitness.

So put the kettle on and add to our discussion on TeaToastTrivia.com.  I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Thank you for joining Stephanie and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  A special shout-out to Stephanie who keeps me focused and inspired by her dedication and enthusiasm for health and fitness.

Music by Martin Hall (Enjoy Your Heartbreak (Instrumental Version) Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 14: Another Day in Paradise with Sylvia

Today, I am delighted that Sylvia, a remarkable blogger and dear friend, has joined Tea Toast & Trivia to bridge the 4,245 kilometers, as the crow flies, between Florida and British Columbia . If you consider travel time, a road journey between us would take 3 Days, 5 Hours, 9 Minutes. I often wonder how a Google search can produce those exact time measurements.  And here we are connected within minutes as if we are in the same room.

I have followed Sylvia’s blog, Another Day In Paradise, for many years.  And the name says it all. Sylvia has created a place that welcomes and encourages life-affirming conversations.   When you visit Sylvia, you enter a place of sunshine, warmth, blue skies, and lush vegetation. It is truly Paradise.

Put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com

Safe travels wherever your adventures take you.  And remember you are only an internet click away from Sylvia and Another Day in Paradise.

Music by Howard Harper-Barnes "The English Affair" Epidemic Sound

Season 2. Episode 13: The Trio On 25 in 2020 Challenge

“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”Oscar Wilde

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

Books book and more books. This year Frances, my mother, Sarah, my sister and I have embarked on a challenge to read 25 books in 2020.  This is our first installment, the beginning.  More to come.

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.

Music by Ennio Mano "Birds of Paradise" Epidemic Sound