The Other Side of the Mic

Welcome to our ninth episode of "The Other Side of the Mic".  We were lucky to interview a very special guest, my Aunt Eva Foster.  Eva is married to my mom's brother, Jim Foster.  I've been fortunate enough to hear the story of Eva's parents, who, as a young couple, managed to flee Austria during Hitler's reign and the Holocaust.  Over the years, I've spent a lot of time with family at Jim and Eva's home and am reminded of her parents and their story each time we visit and see her parents' furniture in Jim and Eva's dining room, much as it would have been at the apartment in Austria.  Listen in as Eva shares stories of their lives before, during and after World War II.

Database of Holocaust Survivor and Victim Names

USC Shoah Foundation

Kristallnacht:  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Wichita, Kansas

Strangers in the Heartland

Welcome to our 8th episode of The Other Side of the Mic.  We are joined by Sheila's good friend, Renee Allerheiligen.  Renee grew up in Manhattan, Kansas and is the eighth of ten children.  She is married to Jared, her high-school sweetheart and they have three children.  Listen in as Renee tells her story of losing her parents, battling a mystery illness, living in Minnesota during COVID and the George Floyd riots and finally coming home to Kansas to watch her son bring home a football state championship. Settle in while Renee takes her turn on The Other Side of the Mic. 

Lyme Disease

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651

Frank Gatschet

https://www.irvinparkview.com/obituaries/Francis-Frank-Gatschet?obId=19567453

Mill Valley High School State Championship

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/high-school/article255869016.html

Welcome to Episode 7 of “The Other Side of the Mic!”.   I was fortunate enough to meet our next guest, Carol Ondracek, when her son, Ryan, was in my 5th grade class. Carol shares about her early days as a child in Nebraska, meeting her husband, Dan, her career in education and life as a mom to twin boys.  Carol tells her story of Ryan’s autism diagnosis, her journey to acceptance and her front row view into his life for the past thirty years.  Carol is a tireless advocate for Ryan and other individuals with exceptionalities and their families.  She is funny, smart and thoughtful.  As an added bonus, we were lucky to have Ryan join us for the interview.  Listen for him to chime in about Nebraska’s recent loss.  The dinging noises you hear in the background are his wins with Words with Friends.  You don’t want to miss Carol tell her story “on the other side of the mic”!

https://www.autismspeaks.org/

https://ksso.org/

https://tarcinc.org/

https://www.dialoguecoffeehouse.com/

https://www.birdybooth.com/

If you want your party to be fun, you need Birdybooth!  

Join us as we talk to our good friend, Terri Hillmer.  Terri is a mom, a grandma and a pickleball lover!  She talks with us about her career in nursing and the challenges faced by healthcare workers during these Covid times.  We also listen as she shares about her family and the heartbreak they endured following her son's tragic car accident and his subsequent incarceration. Settle in as Terri takes her turn on the other side of the mic!

Official Pickleball Rules:

https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/ifp-official-rules/rules-summary/

Birdybooth 

If you want your party to be fun, you need Birdybooth!  

https://www.birdybooth.com/

Welcome to our 5th episode of "The Other Side of the Mic".  Join us as we talk to our youngest guest so far, Courtney Cleverdon.  Courtney is well-spoken and wise beyond her years.  Listen in as Courtney talks to us about her school years in Topeka, choosing a college and her first year of college during the pandemic.  Sprinkle in a little Taylor Swift, her favorite books & musicals and her hilarious social media account and you'll get a refreshing glimpse of her world!  We hope you'll listen as Courtney takes her turn on the mic!!!

Check out Courtney's hilarious Instagram account courtnugg7!  Can you find her as Shaggy?? Scroll all the way to the bottom of her feed!  Enjoy!!!

Cair Paravel Latin School (cpls.org)

John Brown University - A Private Christian College (jbu.edu)

The population of Topeka, Kansas is 124,374.  The population of Siloam Springs, Arkansas is 17,495.  :) 

Welcome to our 4th episode of We Bought a Mic!  Our good friend, Nicoel Nasseri is our guest.  Listen in as Nicoel shares with us stories from her life including family tragedies, meeting her husband at med school and her faith that carries her through it all!  Hope you'll listen as Nicoel takes her turn on the mic!

Bible Study Fellowship (bsfinternational.org)

Brook Berringer-1996 ESPN Cover Story

https://youtu.be/ue-2xYgnCes

"The Nebraska Song" by Sawyer Brown (Tribute to Brook Berringer)

https://youtu.be/0Nole-aI5xk

Welcome to our third episode of We Bought a Mic!  Our fun friend, Anne Neale is our guest!   Anne loves to listen to music and has one of the most interesting and varied playlists we have ever heard.   Her favorites range from Elvis to Beastie Boys and nearly everything in between.  Anne also talks to us about her mom’s long-term struggle with dementia and the journey they have been on together.  We hope you’ll listen as Anne takes her turn on the mic!

"You Can't Change That" by Raydio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kxpsvW2gAE

"Just Pretend Live" by Elvis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuuaXIA4A-A

We own a photobooth company called Birdybooth!  We 100% believe that our photobooth will make your party more fun!  We have great digital props, cool backdrops and fun photo options.  Pictures are sent via text and can be downloaded or shared directly to lots of social media platforms!  Check us out on facebook, instagram or our website (www.birdybooth.com) and be sure to contact us for our latest party pricing specials!  If you want your party to be fun, you need Birdybooth!!!

This time on We Bought a Mic, we are joined by our friend, Julie Connor.  Julie grew up in Topeka in a family of six girls.  She has had a 30-year career in the financial world that has taken her from the Little Apple to the Big Apple and back home to Topeka.  She is a dedicated volunteer, avid art collector and new empty nester.  Hope you'll listen as Julie takes her turn on the mic!

We Bought a Mic is sponsored by Birdybooth!  Visit our website at www.birdybooth.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!  Contact us at info@birdybooth for our current graduation and prom specials!!  

Coming up on our first episode, we will visit with our good friend, April Kelsey.  April is a former teacher and current insurance agent for Farm Bureau Financial Services.  April has lived in Topeka for 19 years.  She is married to Kelly and they have two children, Kaelan and Alexa.  She will share with us her story of changing careers after 16 years as a teacher and entering a brand new field.  April is also embarking on a new venture to give back to women in the Topeka community and we are excited to hear about how we can get on board!