This is a little recap of some of the highlights and statistics of my first year (or almost) of Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl.  I appreciate you more than you can possibly imagine!

Welcome to a special Thanksgiving edition of Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl.  In this episode I share what some listeners said they are grateful for and I share how my gratitude journal began in 2018 from an online Positive Psychology course that touted the health benefits of feeling grateful and more specifically, the practice of writing in a gratitude journal.   In this episode, I share some entries from my journal and talk about some insights I learned about myself from this process. 

Remember to share this podcast with a friend who might enjoy and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl. 

It's that time of year again. Time to gather with loved ones to eat and drink too much!  Well, we don't have to do that. We could focus on the conversations and laughter with friends and family, but food and drink do become a big part of our gatherings. 

This week I'm joined by dietitian and Clinical Coordinator for Dietetic Internships at Marywood, Micki Orlowsky...a woman who dishes out a heap of positivity and healthy servings of humor!  She shares her approach to eating this time of year when we often have many opportunities to indulge. 

Join me next week for a special edition of Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl on Wednesday, November 24, when my focus will be gratitude.  I will be sharing some of the things I've written in various gratitude journals over time and I encourage you to share what you are grateful for. You can submit an audio message through Anchor or send me a message on Facebook at Funny Wine Girl Jeannine. 

Uncork some kindness this season!

Sometimes we let life get in the way of maintaining connections with people.  I am so glad that for this week's podcast episode I was able to reconnect with my my friend Claudia who just retired from the Navy as Senior Chief Petty Officer.   

We talk about her travels around the world with the Navy, the challenges and opportunities her military career has given her and the importance of having an open mind so that we can lessen the hate and negativity in this country and appreciate and respect one another. 

Thank you to all veterans who have afforded us the opportunity to live with freedom in this country!  Let's remember to patronize veteran-owned businesses whenever and wherever possible. 

https://www.veteranownedbusiness.com/1305/vineyards-and-wineries

'Tis the season for holiday shopping.  To many, that means hundreds of clicks.  But this year, why not connect with local business owners rather than clicking on big box stores' websites?  

My guests this week are the owners of a charming shop in Scranton called The Perfected Pineapple...home to refined, repurposed and refurbished pieces of furniture and accessories that have been rescued from attics, cellars and curbs to find new life as charming one-of-a-kind pieces. 

Follow The Perfected Pineapple on Instagram and Facebook to appreciate their creativity and be sure to shop local this holiday season...and in every season! It does make a difference in our communities and in the lives of people you may actually know!

This week I speak with Scranton City Council Woman Jessica Rothchild, a transplant from New Jersey who has made her home in the Electric City. She is working to help Scranton move forward, for the long haul. 

If you live in the city of Scranton and want to stay informed of what's on the agenda for city council meetings and upcoming business and make your voice heard, visit: https://scrantonpa.gov/. 

Remember that your vote matters, especially in local elections when the results impact your life the most!

Nanci Oehrlein knows that life can be taken seriously and still be a laughing matter.  After moving to Pennsylvania with her husband on the heart transplant list, she learned of her own breast cancer diagnosis. She experienced the gravity and reality of their situation but also chose to make the experience lighter with a heavy dose of humor that made her and her health care team turn pink in the cheeks from laughter.

I hope you'll be inspired by Nanci's story to add more humor to your life for whatever it is you are dealing with. And if that happens to be a cancer diagnosis for you or someone you know, visit https://www.chemoangels.com/ to find support from people like Nanci, who know what you're going through.

I have long been a proclaimer of all good things about Scranton, so I couldn't have been happier when "The Office" seemed to bring lots of positive attention to my hometown. And apparently, during the pandemic, younger people fell in love with the series and are also now big fans. You know it's good if the kids like it! 

This is all great. Anything that gets our fair city recognition is cool with me.  But what really helped garner national attention for The Electric City and attract many visitors from out of state and even country, were The Office Convention and Office Wrap Party...both illuminated thanks to one of the key organizers...Tim Holmes. Like me, Tim is a proud Scranton native who has chosen to remain here and is happy to sing the city's praises.  

If you're a fan of The Office, Scranton, or both, I know you'll enjoy this conversation with Tim as he shares behind-the-scenes stories of his time spent with cast members, writers and the originator of the American version of The Office. You will walk away satisfied!   (That's what she said.)

Don't forget to share this podcast with someone you know would love it!  Thank you for listening and thank you for sharing.

In this special bonus episode of Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl I speak with my friend, fellow comedian Mary Rapach about her road to coming out that traveled through Arizona and Nebraska, and brought her home to NEPA...for love! I hope you'll listen as we discuss stereotypes, the use of pronouns, and the importance of just treating one another well. 

Check out ScrantonImprov.com to learn about future workshops you can take with Mary and find out where and how you can watch or participate in upcoming comedy magic!

Oliver has been my friend for over 36 years. I smile knowing that I am the only one allowed to call him "Ollie."  Ollie has a way of making me giggle and snort laugh whenever we get together. He is the type of friend I am always comfortable around and feel so fortunate to have in my life. 

He and I can talk about pretty much anything and have recorded two podcast episodes previously...one on movies and the other on music.  I am especially proud to share this episode because I think people need to hear this story and I'm hoping Oliver's story may provide a ray of light to others. With October 11 being National Coming Out Day, I am pleased and proud to share a fun, heart-to-heart conversation with Ollie in which he shares his Coming Out story.