Milkweed & Monarchs

Dawn Klem
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to our podcast Milkweed & Monarchs

  1. Oct 16

    EP85 - MINI

    Welcome back to Milkweed and Monarchs. I’m Dawn Klem, and today I’m taking you on a drive through one of the most unexpectedly joyful traditions my family ever stumbled into — all thanks to a little 2009 Mini Cooper S we never planned on buying. This episode begins in Hillsdale, on an Easter weekend filled with family, church, and the kind of simple holiday happiness my mom always loved. But tucked inside that weekend was a surprise that turned into a decade-long adventure: a tiny car that opened the door to a whole community, countless memories, and ten years of crossing the Mackinac Bridge with more than a thousand other Minis, all of us chasing a Guinness World Record together. Today’s story is part nostalgia, part celebration, and part farewell — a look back at the laughter, the rallies, the costumes, the friendships, and the magic of belonging to something delightfully quirky. So settle in as I share the ode to our Mini Cooper, and the joy it brought to our family from the very first unexpected moment. Chapters (00:00:00) - Family Easter Traditions in Hillsdale(00:04:16) - Discovering the Mini Cooper at the Dealership(00:06:28) - Buying the Mini Cooper(00:08:10) - Joining the Mini Cooper Club and World Record Parade(00:09:22) - First Mini on the Mac Experience(00:12:15) - Record Attempts and Community of Mini Owners(00:14:51) - Costumes, Fun, and Fading Momentum(00:18:02) - Love for the Standard Mini Cooper(00:19:33) - End of an Era: Selling the Mini(00:21:26) - Looking Ahead: Tesla and Closing Thoughts

  2. Oct 4

    EP84 - The Ring

    Some stories don’t just come from the past — they flutter back into our lives like monarchs returning home, carrying pieces of who we once were. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a memory that resurfaced at my 50‑year high school reunion, a story that began in first grade with a shy crush, a very smart boy named John, and a ring wrapped in aluminum foil that never quite made it into my hands. It’s a tale about childhood innocence, the way life loops back on itself, and how the smallest forgotten moments can suddenly shine again decades later. This one made me smile for days, and I think it might melt your heart a little too. Let’s go back—way back—to where it all started. Chapters (00:00:01) - Introduction: 50th high school reunion(00:00:27) - First grade crush on John(00:03:39) - Seeing John walk home with Ginger - meltdown(00:05:06) - Growing up, military, and moving around the country(00:07:09) - 35th reunion reconnection with John(00:10:08) - Busy 40s: grad school, career, and adoption(00:12:33) - Pharmacology struggles and switching career path(00:14:52) - Reflecting on in vitro and life choices(00:16:13) - Planning the 50th reunion(00:17:45) - Reunion mingle night(00:19:01) - Nerves and friends at the reunion(00:20:38) - Main reunion night and reconnecting with John(00:22:02) - The ring story revealed(00:24:26) - Closing thoughts

  3. Sep 20

    EP83 - Honeymoon in Maine

    Welcome back to Milkweed and Monarchs. I’m Dawn Klem, and today I’m taking you on a trip straight into the heart of one of my favorite stories — our honeymoon. Now, if you know me, you already know I’m an outdoors girl through and through. So while most people picture tropical beaches and umbrella drinks, our honeymoon was something entirely different: rugged northern Maine, a golden retriever named Amber, a truck full of camping gear, and a husband who thought he was the seasoned outdoorsman. This episode is all about adventure — the kind that surprises you, challenges you, makes you laugh, and stays with you for decades. From the quiet beauty of Cobscook Bay to the candy‑striped lighthouse at Quoddy Head, from pitching a tent on a pristine Canadian beach to the hilariously frustrating hunt for a dog‑friendly hotel, this is the story of how our honeymoon became one of the most unforgettable chapters of our life together. And yes… it ends with a Christmas surprise that still makes me cry. Let’s dive in. Chapters (00:00:01) - Introduction: An Outdoorsy Honeymoon(00:00:43) - Comparing Honeymoons: Craig and Don's Different Pasts(00:01:26) - Planning the Camping Trip to Northern Maine(00:02:21) - Cobscook Bay State Park(00:04:30) - Heading to Lubec, Maine's Easternmost Town(00:06:03) - Crossing to Campobello Island and Roosevelt's Home(00:08:14) - Camping on the Beach at Campobello(00:11:29) - Quoddy Head Lighthouse and Nature Trails(00:12:59) - The Search for a Hotel That Allows Dogs(00:15:36) - Frustration Through Camden and Beyond(00:17:15) - Moody's Diner Celebration Dinner(00:18:26) - Wanting a Keepsake and Feeling Disappointed(00:20:04) - Reflecting on Being Spoiled and Heading Home(00:21:24) - Moving Back to Michigan and Missing Maine(00:22:08) - The Christmas Surprise: A Lighthouse Painting(00:25:12) - Closing Thoughts

  4. Sep 7

    EP82 - You Think You Know

    Some stories ask to be told only once, and some insist on being revisited so we can finally lay them down. This episode is one of those. It’s painful, honest, and necessary—not because it is the last chapter, but because the remaining chapters belong together in a different kind of light. Today, I’m returning to the story of my adopted daughters, a story that shaped me, stretched me, and ultimately taught me what it means to love someone enough to let them go. This isn’t an easy episode. It carries heartbreak, bewilderment, and the long, slow work of acceptance. But it also carries relief, clarity, and the quiet strength that comes from choosing peace over longing. If you’ve ever loved someone who drifted away, if you’ve ever tried to hold together a family that was unraveling, or if you’ve ever had to release a relationship for your own well‑being, I hope you’ll find something here that speaks to you. This episode is part of a grouping of final reflections—stories that don’t end neatly, but end truthfully. Let’s begin. Chapters (00:00:01) - I Had To Give Up My Adopted Daughter(00:09:01) - What They Wish They Knew About Parenting(00:18:44) - How To Be Bossy With Your Childs(00:26:38) - Let the Toxic Person Go

  5. Aug 22

    EP81 - Elvis

    Hi friends, it’s Dawn Klem, and welcome back to Milkweed and Monarchs. Today’s episode is pure sunshine — a story about a little cockatiel named Elvis who brought joy, music, and a whole lot of laughter into our home. He wasn’t just a bird; he was a traveler, a singer, a companion, and a tiny feathered reminder that love shows up in the most unexpected ways. So settle in, take a breath, and let your heart open wide. This is the story of Elvis — the happiest, loudest, most determined little bird who ever fluttered through my life. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Story of Elvis the Canary(00:06:59) - A Bird's Journey from Maine to Michigan(00:13:20) - My Mother's Love for a Bird(00:20:04) - Birds Keep Coming to My Front Door

    EP81 - Elvis

  6. Aug 9

    EP80 - The Deck

    Hello friends, and welcome back to Milkweed & Monarchs. I’m Dawn Klem, returning to the microphone this month while my book makes its way toward publication. Today I’m sharing a story that sits right at the intersection of love, personality, and the tiny quirks that shape a marriage. It’s about the early days with my husband Craig—an engineer whose world is built on precision—and me, a nurse whose world is built on people, improvising, and getting things done. From unfinished rooms to a deck that nearly broke all of us, this episode is a reminder that marriage isn’t about being the same. It’s about learning how to live side by side, even when one of you is measuring boards and the other is saying, “Just hammer it in already.” I’m so glad you’re here. Chapters (00:00:00) - What Is The Difference Between A Type A and A Normal Person?(00:07:37) - The Deck Was Completely Done My Dad(00:13:06) - When You're Fired from Painting Your Wedding Room(00:15:28) - I Had The Worst Day Of My Life

    EP80 - The Deck

  7. Jun 21

    EP79 - Unrealistic Expectations

    Today’s episode comes from a place I never expected to reach — not sorrow, not confusion, but clarity. For two years I carried the weight of being cut out of my daughters’ lives after giving them everything I had to give. I carried the hurt of being left with their choices, their silence, and even their debts. But today, for the first time, I felt something different: anger. Not bitterness — truth. And with that truth comes a boundary I should have drawn long ago. Unless God Himself places a different path in front of me, I am choosing peace over pain, and distance over destruction. This is the story of how I finally stopped bleeding and started breathing again. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Fight Over Nature vs. Nature in My Marriage(00:07:03) - Wedding Story(00:14:43) - The American mother's dilemma(00:24:17) - The Worst Wedding Ever(00:31:44) - The Couple Who Dissed Their Family On Their Wedding

  8. Jun 13

    EP78 - The Paint Can

    Some stories feel dramatic in the moment not because of what actually happened, but because of what we didn’t know. This episode is one of those. For years, I carried the weight of thinking I had done something wrong — replaying conversations, filling in the silence with blame, trying to make sense of a situation no one ever explained to me. What I didn’t realize then was that the truth was missing, not my worth. And when the truth finally surfaced years later, everything I thought I understood shifted. This episode is about that gap — the space where communication failed, assumptions grew, and clarity arrived long after the moment had passed.  And that’s where this story really begins — not in the moment itself, but in the space between what happened and what I understood. So let me take you back to that day. I didn’t know it then, but this was the moment that would sit with me for years. The moment that made me question myself, replay every detail, and wonder what I had done wrong. I walked into it with good intentions and walked out with confusion I couldn’t name. Only later — much later — would I learn the truth that changed everything. Chapters (00:00:01) - A Personal Story About My Mother(00:04:04) - What I Didn't Like About My Mom(00:11:56) - The Day My Dad Slammed the Carpet On My(00:18:39) - The Secret to Parental Love

    EP78 - The Paint Can
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Welcome to our podcast Milkweed & Monarchs

Information

  • Creator
    Dawn Klem
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Milkweed & Monarchs