Milkweed & Monarchs

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

Welcome to our podcast Milkweed & Monarchs

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. May 31

    EP77 - The Final Chapter

    There are stories women carry in their bones — stories of being dismissed, doubted, or dragged through systems that were supposed to protect them. Stories of judges who didn’t listen, lawyers who didn’t care, and a culture that still asks women to be both the evidence and the advocate for their own suffering. This episode is the final chapter of my life with my narcissistic ex‑husband. It’s the chapter where the system failed me, but I refused to fail myself. It’s the chapter where I learned that justice doesn’t always come from a courtroom — sometimes it comes from finally telling the truth out loud, reclaiming your story, and walking away with your head high. This is the ending he never expected and the freedom I always deserved. Chapters (00:00:01) - Part 3 of My Journey With My Ex-Husband(00:07:34) - He Put a Restraining Order Against Me(00:15:10) - The Letter From My Ex-Husband(00:21:02) - I Got A Birthday Email From My Ex-Husband

    EP77 - The Final Chapter

  8. May 17

    EP76 - Angels and Demons

    Today’s episode is different. It’s heavier, more vulnerable, and rooted in a truth I carried quietly for a long time. What you’re about to hear isn’t easy — not for me to say, and not always easy to take in. But it is part of my life, part of what shaped me, and part of why I tell stories at all. I believe in honesty. I believe in naming what happened. And I believe that even the hardest chapters deserve to be witnessed, not hidden. So as you listen, I hope you’ll hold this story gently. It comes from a place of courage, survival, and the kind of truth that changes a person. Chapters (00:00:01) - Why I Should Have Kicked the Narcissist Out(00:08:26) - How My Husband Abandoned Me(00:17:12) - How I survived my husband's strangling(00:23:23) - Stuck in the Violence

    EP76 - Angels and Demons
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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
    83
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Milkweed & Monarchs