Tea. Toast. & Trivia‪.‬ Rebecca Budd

S5 E7: Mary Lunnen on Embracing our Inner Wisdom

“I cannot know, none of us can, what the year ahead will bring.  I can make plans and hope that they will become reality. And they may well change through my choice or through circumstances outside my control. My ‘word of the year’ for 2023 is ‘Presence’…To be in the moment as much as possible.” Mary Lunnen, Dare to Blossom January 2023

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Join me as I travel virtually to Wadebridge, a town in north Cornwall, England, to meet up with writer, artist and Global Life Coach, Mary Lunnen.  I first met Mary through a mutual friend and frequent guest on TTT, Liz Humphreys. Liz shared three “rediscovery cards” in an Instagram Post.  These rediscovery cards are used by Mary for guided meditation and reflection. I was intrigued!  Dare to Blossom Life Coaching with Mary is based around the principle of rediscovering our inner wisdom and awakening to a sense of wellbeing.

It is time to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation.

Thank you for joining Mary and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you, Mary, for sharing your insights on coaching, on seeking an inner wisdom, on embracing the unknown and being open to possibilities.

Listeners,  I invite you to meet up with Mary on her website, Dare to Blossom, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I know that you will be inspired by the Mary’s story and her dedication to living boldly within a complex, ever changing world.

Until next time we meet, dear friends, safe travels wherever your journey leads you.

Mary’s latest book: Your Compass Rose Speaks

“The culmination of all my work over the last twenty years since establishing Dare to Blossom Life Coaching in 2003, this book offers you a way to explore the tools and processes that I have developed over this time, along with insights of my journey along the way, and stories from those who have joined me.” Mary Lunnen



Music by David Celeste "April in Detroit" Epidemic Sound 

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Y3IFt1ExKU/

S5 E6:  Ken Gierke on A Poet’s Voice

warmth of a pale light

found as clouds part

rewarded

while seeking the moon

on a cool autumn night

Ken Gierke, The Moons of Autumn, Word Weaving # 1: A Word Craft Journal of Syllabic Verse

Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

The Moons of Autumn: A Word Craft Journal of Syllabic Verse, edited by Colleen M. Chesebro and JulesPaige is a profound exploration of Japanese and American syllabic poetry.  The theme of this journal was influenced by the Harvest, Hunter’s, and Frost moons, which are the names given to the three full moons that transpire during the autumn months.   Within the pages of this poetry collection, the diverse mix of syllabic poetry has ignited my desire to explore a poetic journey.

Today, I am delighted that Ken Gierke, whose poetry is featured in “The Moons of Autumn,” has joined me to give voice to his poetry. Welcome to podcast series, “A Poet’s Voice”, which brings words of poetry from across the world to your home.

Ken Gierke retired and moved from Western New York to Missouri.  Time spent on or near the water has always been important to Ken. In a past life, that meant boating and scuba diving. Today, it means kayaking or walking along a river or stream. It may even mean sitting on a shoreline, writing poetry. Ken finds threefold reward in poetry – reading, writing, and the acceptance of his readers.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining Ken and me on Tea Toast & Trivia to reflect on the beauty of poetic words.

Thank you, Ken for sharing your insights on how poetry allows us to describe the world around us in unexpected ways.  This has been a wonderful conversation.

Listeners you can meet up with Ken on his website rivrylogr.com and on Amazon. You are only an internet click away from journeys that enrich the soul.

Until next time we meet, dear friends, keep reading and reciting poetry.

Safe travels wherever your adventures lead you.



Music by 

1) Yonder Dale "To All a Good Night" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/PqpBEBUUhI/

2) Johannes Bornlöf "Burned Letters" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Vchv0ZhyC4/

3) Bonn Fields "Love at First Glance" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Vchv0ZhyC4/

4) Megan Wofford "Starlight Wonder" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/CO9LsVYIWT/

S5 E5:  John Quinn on The Dundee Connection with Mary Shelley



“I lived principally in the country as a girl and passed a considerable time in Scotland. I made occasional visits to the more picturesque parts; but my habitual residence was on the blank and dreary northern shores of the Tay, near Dundee. Blank and dreary on retrospection I call them; they were not so to me then. They were the eyry of freedom, and the pleasant region where unheeded I could commune with the creatures of my fancy.

Mary Shelly, In the introduction to the 1831 edition, Frankenstein

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Who was Mary Shelley?  What is her connection to Dundee?  What influence did Dundee have on her writing of Frankenstein?

I am delighted that I am travelling virtually to Dundee, Scotland where I am meeting up with John Quinn, writer, poet, and lyricist to discuss these questions.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting dialogue on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining John and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you, John for sharing your insights and your commitment to the city of Dundee and the memory of a young teenager who would give the gift of her book, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus to the world.

I leave you with this quote,

“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be his world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Until next time we meet, dear friends, safe travels wherever your adventures lead you.



Music by Trabant 33 "Fountain of Miracles" #EpidemicSound

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/hBLXkhqXiS/

S5 E4: Celebrating Up Helly Aa with Sarah McBurnie



January 31, 2023, the last Tuesday of January, the fire festival of Up Helly Aa is happening. A huge torchlight procession of hundreds of Vikings is marching through the streets of Lerwick, carrying flaming torches and singing traditional Norse skalds.

Welcome to Tea Toast and Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I have arrived virtually in Lerwick, Shetland to meet up with my friend, Sarah McBurnie who was our intrepid guide on our 2018 Shetland adventure.

Up Helly Aa is happening tonight.

Sarah has invited us to celebrate Shetland’s Norse heritage with her.   I have always wanted to attend Up Helly Aa, so join me for a Viking adventure that promises feasting, music, and dancing!

Listeners, thank you for joining Sarah and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you Sarah for sharing the excitement of Up Helly Aa.   You were an excellent guide on our visit to Shetland and I’m looking forward to meeting up with you again on Tea Toast Trivia.

Listeners, I invite you to connect with Sarah on her website, See Shetland. Sarah conducts exclusive guided tours with personalized itineraries for visitors to Shetland from all over the world.

We came as visitors to experience this amazing place and left as friends, thanks to Sarah and the many people we met along the journey through the Shetland Islands. You are only an internet click away from a remarkable adventure that will take you from birdwatching, archaeology to the celebration of Up Helly Aa

Until next time we meet dear friends, safe travels wherever your adventures lead you.



Music by Kikoru  "Clouds Over Mountains" #EpidemicSound

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/EbaDeotpAO/

S5 E3: Celebrating Robert Burns & Address to the Haggis

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.”

Robert Burns is one of the most important figures in Scottish culture and history. Every year, Scots and people around the world come together to celebrate the life and works of the beloved poet. There are many reasons why we should celebrate Robert Burns and his contributions to Scotland.

Regarded as the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns writings celebrate Scottish culture and identity. He wrote extensively about the history of Scotland, and his works are often seen as a representation of the struggles and triumphs of the Scottish people. He was a great advocate for social justice. His poetry and narratives are often used to inspire people to strive for a more just and equitable society.

Robert Burns’ poetry is varied in its themes and styles, and his writings have been adapted to numerous musical genres. His best-known works include “Auld Lang Syne,” “To a Mouse,” “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye,” and “A Red, Red Rose.” These poems are beloved for their romanticism, their humor, and their insight into the human experience.

Come and join the celebration!

Music by Traditional "Auld Lang Syne (Traditional Version" #EpidemicSound

www.epidemicsound.com/track/H9ncuJOolx/

S5 E2: On the Road with Bryan Davis and Cary Hubbard



“Cars are almost part of my physiology. I grew up playing amongst the dusty shelves of my family’s auto parts store. In my reckless youth pushing our delivery trucks to the point of mechanical failure was the best way I could find to learn about cars and how they worked. As a responsible adult I channel that interest into connecting with fellow enthusiasts through events, writing and social media.”

Bryan Davis, Esoteric Automotive Antiquarian

Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for listening in!

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am travelling virtually to Albuquerque to meet up with Cary Hubbard of Cary’s Garage, who you know from the Project Z Car Revival podcast series at Tea Toast & Trivia.  From Albuquerque, Cary and I are winging our way across to New York to connect with Bryan Davis, Automotive Writer, and Social Media Manager.  Bryan is known as an Esoteric Automotive Antiquarian who is dedicated to the history, design, manufacture, and “roadability” of the unloved cars of the Malaise Era.

Cary and Bryan are the podcast hosts of Motors and Martinis that take us on amazing road adventures. What is an Automotive Antiquarian?  What is the “Malaise Era?”  And how can there be unloved cars?  These are the questions that will be answered today.

This is going to be a great discussion so put the kettle and join the conversation.

Thank you for joining Cary, Bryan, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you, Cary and Bryan for a brilliant discussion on memorable cars and memorable moments.

I invite you to meet up with Cary and Bryan on their podcast Motors and Martinis where you will find them talking about cars and all things esoteric.  Bryan’s website, Bryan Raab Davis will link you to Malaise Motors, the Little Facebook Group the Could.  Join Cary on his YouTube Channel, Cary’s Garage, which is dedicated to his love of Vehicles. Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles. His cars come from all corners of the globe!

Cary and Bryan have promised to come back for another road trip adventure.

Until next time we meet, safe travel wherever your adventures lead you



Music by Plain Stroll "Leave the Lights On." #EpidemicSound



https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/9oOwDuHvGF/