This Virgo is truly in her element. I love September. I also love eating cake. So I am ready to celebrate my birthday month big time!

This week's podcast episode is quite personal to me. Over the course of my father's illness and even after his passing, I found comfort, strength and bonding (with my mom, caregivers, my Dad) through the use of humor. Given that I perform stand-up comedy, I jotted down ideas and typed into my notes app whenever I had an especially funny or humorous moment or observation.

After Dad passed away in May, I wanted to craft new comedy material based on my experiences with Dad's illness and death and perform it with the idea of raising awareness of the importance of talking about death and grief and to spotlight Hospice of the Sacred Heart.

On Monday, August 31, I hosted "Laughing Through Loss," a virtual comedy show that featured my new material and performances by my friends, fellow comedians Gab Bonesso and Mary Rapach. This week's podcast episode features my comedy set from this virtual show. Watch for details in the coming weeks to view the entire show.

Tune in next week to hear my conversation with yoga instructor and all around badass Mindy Hill about wellness and aging.

My heart is full of gratitude for my weekly podcast sponsors who help to make important conversations with women each week possible.

Check out my sponsor Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Learn about her upcoming 8-week MBSR course and to register, ⁠cl⁠ick here⁠⁠. Learn about Lisa's free monthly virtual meditation and other wellness services at her ⁠website ⁠EatBreatheMoveLive.com⁠In addition to Healthy Lifestyle Management, my other amazing podcast sponsor is Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn. Gabby is incredibly creative and passionate about sustainability. She creates beautiful handmade items from materials she finds at thrift stores, yard sales and what is gifted to her from friends who understand her mission. Check out Gabby's beautiful handbags, hats and more and learn where you can find her vending at ⁠⁠Reinvented Threads.com⁠. ⁠Be sure to follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know. If you would like to help boost this podcast with a $25 anniversary sponsorship "Cheers to Five Years" or learn about podcast sponsorship packages for entrepreneurs and businesses, message [email protected]. Please remember that you can also support the podcast by sharing the show with a friend or foe and by writing a review or clicking on five stars. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Whether it's from a rooftop in Spain or a mountain top in Italy, Lacey Cook is moving with intention. And she's harnessed the power and insight from the lessons she's learned through her cultural experiences and education to help others learn skills to move with intention through their lives.

I hope you'll join us this week by listening in on our fun and energetic conversation about Lacey's time spent living in Croatia, Dubai, Italy and Spain. Learn what lessons she's taken away about humanity and why she's chosen to return to the United States to build a new dream with her partner Ivan.

Explore what Lacey and Ivan offer at Move with Intention by clicking here. If you live in NEPA, check out their upcoming events in Scranton at The Rooftop at Oppenheim on August 31 and at Joy World Wealth Partners on September 9.

My heart is full of gratitude for my weekly podcast sponsors who help to make important conversations with women each week possible.

Check out my sponsor Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Learn about her upcoming 8-week MBSR course and to register, ⁠click here⁠. Learn about Lisa's free monthly virtual meditation and other wellness services at her ⁠website EatBreatheMoveLive.com

In addition to Healthy Lifestyle Management, my other amazing podcast sponsor is Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn. Gabby is incredibly creative and passionate about sustainability. She creates beautiful handmade items from materials she finds at thrift stores, yard sales and what is gifted to her from friends who understand her mission. Check out Gabby's beautiful handbags, hats and more and learn where you can find her vending at ⁠Reinvented Threads.com. ⁠Be sure to follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know. If you would like to help boost this podcast with a $25 anniversary sponsorship "Cheers to Five Years" or learn about podcast sponsorship packages for entrepreneurs and businesses, message [email protected]. Please remember that you can also support the podcast by sharing the show with a friend or foe and by writing a review or clicking on five stars. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

You might have heard me mention this once or 20 times recently: I am happily celebrating five years of Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl.

In the spirit of celebration and a desire to give back to the community, I've been hosting a few in-person events here in NEPA. Last week I had the pleasure of collaborating with my friend Robert Thomas of Tsunami Self Defense Systems on an event I called Sip and Safety at the Abington Community Library.

Some of the loveliest ladies of this region gathered to learn valuable information, tips and hands-on techniques. What Robert made very clear is the most important thing we can do is to trust our intuition, use our brain power and situational awareness as our first line of defense.

Tune in to hear the live conversation with audience questions and participation from the Sip and Safety event.

To watch the documentary about drink spiking produced by former podcast guest Shirah Benarde that I referenced this week, click here.

If you are in NEPA and could use help with safe housing, crisis intervention, legal advocacy and other services that might be needed to leave an unsafe relationship visit WRC.

A giant 'thank you' goes out to my weekly podcast sponsors: Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau.

Gabby is a gifted creator who takes existing fabric and creates one-of-a-kind items like bucket hats, bags, arty monster dolls and more. ⁠Visit ⁠Reinvented Threads.com⁠⁠ to learn where you can find Gabby in the coming weeks and be sure to follow Reinvented Threads on Facebook and Instagram to see Gabby's amazing creations. Lisa is a knowledgeable, calming presence who leads mindfulness meditation and offers a host of wellness services that support the pillars of wellness to help people live healthier lives. To learn about her upcoming 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction course and to register, visit ⁠⁠EatBreatheMoveLive.com⁠⁠ and sign up for monthly emails. Register by Aug. 26 to save $50.If you would like to help boost this podcast with a $25 anniversary sponsorship "Cheers to Five Years" or learn about podcast sponsorship packages for entrepreneurs and businesses, message [email protected]. Please know that you can also support the podcast by sharing the show with a friend or foe and by writing a review or clicking on five stars. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Imagine being around someone who instantly puts you at ease because of their calm presence. That's how I feel about the woman who is my guest this week. Lisa Rigau is the owner of Healthy Lifestyle Management, a friend, my podcast sponsor, and an experienced and knowledgeable wellness practitioner.

As Lisa prepares to offer her Fall Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, we talk this week about what you can learn from it like awareness of habit patterns, being able to hit the pause button before reacting and making the same choices over and over, and being gentle with ourselves and others as we live a life using the practice of mindfulness. I share why I took Lisa's 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction course in the Spring and what it taught me about myself.

Lisa is a registered nurse, nutrition counselor, and community educator of health, wellness, mindfulness, and nutrition. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware. Lisa received her Master’s degree from Marywood University in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science. Since 2003, she has been the owner of Healthy Lifestyle Management where she provides private and group nutrition counseling and educates clients on health promotion, disease prevention, mindful eating, mindfulness for stress management and whole foods plant based nutrition. 

To learn more about the upcoming 8-week MBSR course and to register, click here. Register by Aug. 26 to save $50.

Learn about in-person and virtual meditation classes here.

If you're interested in the 4-hour workshop exploring Mindfulness, Mindful Communication, and Mindful Self-Compassion for couples click here.

To learn about Lisa's other services, visit her website here.

In addition to Healthy Lifestyle Management, my other amazing podcast sponsor is Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn. Gabby is incredibly creative and passionate about sustainability. She creates beautiful handmade items from materials she finds at thrift stores, yard sales and what is gifted to her from friends who understand her mission. Check out Gabby's beautiful handbags, hats and more and learn where you can find her vending at Reinvented Threads.com.

Be sure to follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know.

If you would like to help boost this podcast with a $25 anniversary sponsorship "Cheers to Five Years" or learn about podcast sponsorship packages for entrepreneurs and businesses, message [email protected]. Please remember that you can also support the podcast by sharing the show with a friend or foe and by writing a review or clicking on five stars. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

If you're a fan of comedy, especially stand-up comedy, thisweek's conversation will be music--or should I say laughter-- to your ears.

This week I'm talking with Lynn Harris, founder and CEO of GOLD Comedy, who has dedicated her long career to fusing the power of comedy with creativity, inclusivity, and social change. She says, "I believe that comedy is power, because when you make people laugh, you make people listen."

Harris, who has been performing stand-up since the 90's,shares her thoughts on how it has changed through the years; what topics are too taboo to joke about (if that's even a thing); how powerful comedy and pop culture can be to effect real culture change; and she tells me why Robby Hoffman and Maria Bamford are among some of her favorite comedians.

GOLD Comedy is a comedy school, professional network, andcontent studio where women, non-binary creators, and other “others" build their comedy careers, join a powerful community, and make funny stuff that gets seen on stages and screens.

Give this conversation a listen and if you'd like to exploreyour desire to be funny, check out GOLD Comedy classes and events here.

Use code GOLD10PERCENTOFF for … 10% off!

Check out the upcoming class "Build And Pitch Any Idea with Ryan Cunningham" that begins on September 28. And check out this FREE class GOLD presents 30x30:write 30 jokes in 30 days. Low pressure, high rewards! All levels welcome.

My heart is full of gratitude for my weekly sponsors Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Check out the ecofriendly fashion accessories made by the hands of Gabby at ⁠⁠ReinventedThreads.com⁠.⁠ Learn about the health and wellness services Lisa offers to make your life healthier, including a free monthly virtual meditation class, at⁠ ⁠EatBreatheMoveLive.com⁠.⁠ If you would like to be a guest on Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl or you would like to help support the weekly conversations Jeannine hosts on this show, please reach out to [email protected].

Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and for therapeutic laughter, visit ⁠Laugh to Live⁠ on Facebook.

I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Five Thursdays in a month means what I call an "extra" episode of my show. In July, it's time for "Just Jeannine" when I process my feelings (nice way of saying vent) about some things that concern me. On the bright side, I also share some positive news. Remember, it's okay to feel your feelings.

If you'd rather not hear what's bugging me (the patriarchy mostly), tune back in the first week of August to hear my incredible conversation with Lynn Harris of Gold Comedy.

I owe a huge thank you to my weekly podcast sponsors Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Check out the ecofriendly fashion accessories made by the hands of Gabby at ⁠ReinventedThreads.com⁠. Learn about the health and wellness services Lisa offers to make your life healthier, including a free monthly virtual meditation class, at⁠ EatBreatheMoveLive.com.⁠ If you would like to be a guest on Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl or you would like to help support the weekly conversations Jeannine hosts on this show, please reach out to [email protected]. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and for therapeutic laughter, visit ⁠Laugh to Live⁠ on Facebook.

Do you have a ritual that helps you to feel grounded? Calmer...when life becomes overwhelming?

This summer I have been walking barefoot in the backyard first thing in the morning to feel the dew on the souls of my feet (although it's not easy with the callouses).

My guest this week, Scranton business owner Sonya Dixon, created a mindfulness practice for herself after the loss of three loved ones that led to her passion and purpose.

After the loss of her mother at the rather young age of 27, Sonya began lighting candles and saying prayers. When she lost her grandfather and father within the following year, she realized that lighting a candle at the end of her day had become a healthy and intentional act to help her amid her grief. Now, more than 25 years later, Sonya is helping others activate their senses through her business Dixon Candle and Bath.

Check out all of the delightful fragrances of candles, sprays and sachets at Dixon Candle and Bath here.

I owe a huge thank you to my weekly podcast sponsors Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau.

Check out the ecofriendly fashion accessories made by the hands of Gabby at ⁠ReinventedThreads.com⁠.

Learn about the health and wellness services Lisa offers to make your life healthier, including a free monthly virtual meditation class, at⁠ EatBreatheMoveLive.com.⁠ If you would like to be a guest on Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl or you would like to help support the weekly conversations Jeannine hosts on this show, please reach out to [email protected] Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and for therapeutic laughter, visit ⁠Laugh to Live⁠ on Facebook.I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

All aboard for a fun conversation with Scranton historian Julie Esty.

NEPA is lucky to have my friend Julie, who is an enthusiastic history buff and force behind the annual The Dunmore Cemetery Tour that features the talented Dearly Departed Players performing individual vignettes that deliver monologues with humor and heart to audiences each year.

Tune in for this fun conversation in which Julie talks about her recent train excursions educating local elementary students, her most recent book that is a collection of her monthly biographical stories published in The Dunmorean and what's in store for visitors to this year's Dunmore Cemetery Tour. Follow The Dunmore Cemetery Tour page on Facebook to stay informed and to reach out to Julie for a copy of any of her books.

I owe a huge thank you to my weekly podcast sponsors Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Check out the ecofriendly fashion accessories made by the hands of Gabby at ReinventedThreads.com. Learn about the health and wellness services Lisa offers to make your life healthier, including a free monthly virtual meditation class, at EatBreatheMoveLive.com. If you would like to be a guest on Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl or you would like to help support the weekly conversations Jeannine hosts on this show, please reach out to [email protected].

Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and for therapeutic laughter, visit Laugh to Live on Facebook.

I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

The path to today's guest has been an informative and enlightening one.

What started as a search for one documentary on drink spiking by former guest Shirah Benarde's brand NightCap, led to the discovery of another powerful documentary about a sexual assault survivor called Lough Enough Surviving Justice. That led to two wonderful podcast conversations and a screening of the documentary in Scranton with a Q and A afterward with the film's director Hilary Klotz Steinman and an eye-opening conversation with Sabrina Hannon of WRC (another former guest on the show).

Hilary's film is distributed by Women Make Movies, a nonprofit that for more than 45 years, has championed women filmmakers and their stories. WMM is the largest distributor of films by and about women in the world.

When Hilary suggested I have WMM's Executive Director Debra Zimmerman as a guest, I jumped at the opportunity.

Once Debra returned home from her internal travel to various film festivals, we recorded this week's incredible conversation about the importance of women standing up for other women, the compelling stories being told because of the work done by Women Make Movies, the pitfalls of imposter syndrome, and much more.

Learn about films offered through Women Make Movies and their program to help women filmmakers at their website.

A huge thank you is owed to my weekly podcast sponsors Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Check out the ecofriendly fashion accessories made by the hands of Gabby at ReinventedThreads.com. Learn about the health and wellness services Lisa offers to make your life healthier, including a free monthly virtual meditation class, at EatBreatheMoveLive.com. If you would like to be a guest on Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl or you would like to help support the weekly conversations Jeannine hosts on this show, please reach out to [email protected].

Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram.

I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

As we approach the 4th of July weekend, you might be looking forward to plans made with friends or family or you might be fondly thinking of memories from your childhood. I'm smiling as I remember the excitement my brother and I felt when we watched my Dad light a few bottle rockets or a good ole fashioned fire cracker in apples that fell from the tree.

These days, I'm happy to watch professional fireworks displays from a distance and ooooh and ahhhh over the bursts of color.

In this week's episode I'm having a casual chat--the kind you might have with a friend at a coffee shop--with my pal Pittsburgh-based comedian, mental health speaker, and children's performer Gab Bonesso. A regular on the show, Gab chats with me about everything from her thoughts on the great American experiment, the joy she gets from performing for children, what she believes happens in the after life, why she's pivoting from stand-up comedy and a bit of pop culture talk. Check out more on Gab here.

A BIG thank you goes out to my weekly podcast sponsors Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn and Healthy Lifestyle Management with Lisa Rigau. Their generosity helps to make this weekly show possible. Visit ReinventedThreads.com for eco-friendly fashions and visit EatBreatheMoveLive.com to learn about how Lisa can help you incorporate healthy practices into your life, including a free virtual meditation class every month. If you want to support Jeannine's efforts to amplify women's voices with weekly conversations, email [email protected] for information on podcast sponsorship packages. Special 5-year anniversary shout-outs of support are just 25 dollars. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and on Instagram. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass