Tea. Toast. & Trivia.

Season 2 Episode 52: Martha’s Story 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. Manitoba Canada. That was my home growing up. If you look at a map of Canada, Manitoba is the in the centre of the country with its provincial neighbours, Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the East, and to the north, the territory of Nunavut. To the South, we share the US/Canadian Border with North Dakota and Minnesota. You may know of some others who came from Manitoba. Neil Young, Burton Cummings/The Guess Who, Randy Bachman/Bachman Turner Overdrive, Bif Naked and Fred Penner. In fact, Tom Cochrane lived for a time in my hometown of Lynn Lake. From literary authur, Carol Shields, to WWII spymaster Sir William Stephenson who was the inspiration for James Bond, to Bobby Hull of the Winnipeg Jets, to the character of Winnie-the Pooh who was named after Manitoba’s capital city Winnipeg – Manitoba is a place of many stories. T

Season 2 Episode 51: The Trio on Dunbar’s Number Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada.  What better time than today to discussion the idea of friendship? I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to consider Dunbar’s number, which is a theoretical limit to the number of people with whom any individual can sustain a stable or meaningful social relationship.  This term was first proposed in the 1990’s by Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist and psychologist.  The number that is suggested is 150 people. Does Dunbar’s number signify friendship?  How do we define friendship?  Is friendship the same as a stable or meaningful social relationship? We invite you to put the kettle on and add to the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

S 2 E50: Klausbernd Vollmar on Colours of Life "Every colour has its personality and a different impact on us. Colour sends out a vibration like every person does. This vibration interferes with that of its onlooker. That’s why we like certain colours and dislike others even if this is mostly unconsciously.." Klausbernd Vollmar, Scientific Psychologist, Author Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am travelling over 7,500 kilometers to  Cley-Next-The-Sea, an idyllic artists’ village situated on the River Glaven in Norfolk, England. I am meeting up with my dear blogger friend, and professional author, Klausbernd Vollmar, who is an authority on colour theory and in the language of symbols in dreams and art. Klausbernd Vollmar graduated with a (MA) in German and Nordic literature, philosophy, geology, and linguistics at the University of Bochum/Germany. In Finland and Germany, he worked as assistant professor specializing in symbol systems. Winning a postgraduate scholarship by th

Season 2 Episode 49: Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene on Writing Steampunk Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. just finished reading a riveting tale of an old lost Valentine and the shenanigans that ensue when it turns up. The intrepid, Fiona Finch, and her brother Steele – along with a helping “wing” from Quellie the duck, work to bring two long ago sweethearts back together.  This story is a Steampunk Novelette. Steampunk is a new word for me and the first time I have encountered Steampunk literature.  I want to know more about this form of writing Today, I am connecting across the miles to meet up with my blogger friend, Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene, the writer who gave us ,“Fiona Finch and the Pink Valentine: A Steampunk Novelette.” Be prepared for an exciting adventure – Teagan is taking us back into time. But first put the kettle on and add your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you fo

Season 2 Episode 48: Mary Jo Malo on a Poet’s Calling A word has power Whether mined by demagogues for control or carved into stone for memorial It can carry us into exile From ourselves From our homes A word can steel the heart or build an edifice of faith in the future It sifts or unites and defines Yet destroy the word You steal time. Mary Jo Malo, Stele 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.  There are times when it is impossible to connect across the miles via technology.  Today, Mary Jo Malo and I are establishing a new dynamic in podcasting in the form of letter writing, which many consider a lost art.  And yet, Mary Jo and I believe that letter writing has not been forgotten. Thank you dear listeners,  for joining Mary Jo and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out to Mary Jo.  I invite you to meet up with Mary Jo on her blog, This Shin

Season 2 Episode 47: Tides of Change with Joan Dunnett It is May 1704, and we are at sea just off the east coast of Scotland…. “James Lightfoot didn’t want to be put ashore at Figgate Whins. It was a dangerous place. He might be robbed of his remaining few possessions. He waited on the deck of the merchantman while the crew loaded bundles onto the boat: probably luxury goods to be smuggled into England. The ship’s legitimate cargo was bound for Leith.” Joan Dunnett, Tides of Change. Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Pirates, spies, danger, and Scotland are all found in my current read, “Tides of Change.” You will be happy to know that I am heading over to Edinburgh, Scotland today to meet up with Joan Dunnett, the author of “Tides of Change.”  We are going back in time, so take a warm coat and be prepared for an extraordinary journey.  But first, put the kettle on and add to the conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward

Season 2 Episode 46: The Trio on Milestones Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.Thank you for listening in. I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to share our thoughts on milestones.  What are they?  When to they occur?  How do we remember and celebrate these pivotal moments? So put the kettle on and add to the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.” Nelson Mandela

Season 2 Episode 45: Brian on Fear of Missing Out Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in! I am you host, Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.  Today,  I’m heading over the Canadian Rockies to St. Albert, Alberta. Brian, my brother, has come back to continue the conversation  on embracing a greater journey. In our last podcast, we discussed the stages of life, from childhood to old age.  How do we live the fullest in that stage of life that we find ourselves in? How do we embrace the twists and turns that life gives us? How do we gracefully give up the things of youth and embrace the age of active wisdom? Today, Brian and I will be discussing FOMO, which is the short form of “fear of missing out” is that uncomfortable, even anxious, feeling you get when think that other people might be having a good time without you.  Going back to the stage concept, FOMO can happen at any place on that life I understand that this can happen at an

Season 2 Episode 44: Heading into the Library with Dave Astor Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.” Neil Gaiman Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Dave Astor and I are once again  bridging the 3,923 kilometers between New Jersey to Vancouver. Today, we are heading to the library. So, listeners, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on TeaToastTrivia. I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Welcome Dave, thank you stopping by for a visit. You once said that “Books are there for us, even in the most difficult of circumstances.” If books are the best companions and a comfort during times of uncertainty, libraries are the places to go to build our resilience and courage. We are entering our fourth month of what I call the Covid19 solitude, which began on March 11, 2020 when the WHO declared a pandemic. During this time, libraries have closed their doors but have co

Season 2 Episode 43: Elizabeth Gauffreau on Tanka Poetry Wilderness Tanka snowy wilderness cold winter sun, soaring trees a small lone figure for a time she stood fearless my protector, my mother Elizabeth Gauffreau, Tanka Poetry Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am delighted and thrilled  that my dear friend,  writer and poet, Elizabeth Gauffreau, has come back to share her insights into an ancient style of poetry.  We are once again bridging the 3897 kilometers, as the crow flies,  between New Hampshire and Vancouver. Several months ago, Liz introduced me to Tanka poetry.  In a few words, emotions, memories, and intentions come together.  This is going to be an exciting conversation. So put the kettle on and add to the discussion on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Season 2 E42: Elisabeth on The Eugene Onegin Challenge Finale Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. “We still, alas, cannot forestall it This dreadful ailment’s heavy toll; The spleen is what the English call it, We call it simply, Russian soul.." Alexander Pushkin, Eugene Onegin Elisabeth Van Der Meer from the extraordinary blog, A Russian Affair, has once again joined me from Finland, the far distance of 7,514 km from Vancouver.  We have come to the end, the grand finale, of the Eugene Onegin Challenge. We are at the unforgettable chapter eight, where everything become clear.  Or does it? So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. When we first started this journey, Elizabeth wrote in her blog: “With this challenge I hope to add something extra to your reading experience that will make it more interesting, intense, attentive, and (even more) enjoyable. I will be eating, d

Season 2 Episode 41: The Art of Romance with Shehanne Moore If her body was fed to the crows in one-inch pieces, before her eyes and all she needed to do to stop it was kiss him, she’d sooner the crows didn’t go hungry.." Shehanne Moore,  The Unraveling of Lady Fury Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am travelling approximately 8,000 kilometres from Vancouver to Broughty Ferry, Scotland,  Dundee’s Historic Seaside Village, to meet up with my friend and Shehanne Moore, the writer who has given us the exciting historical romance, “The Unraveling of Lady Fury.” When not cuddling inn signs in her beloved Scottish mountains alongside Mr. Shey, or spending time with their family, Shehanne Moore writes dark and smexy historical romance, featuring bad boys who need a bad girl to sort them out. Put the kettle on and join in the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this mo

Season 2 Episode 40: Patricia Sands on Telling Your Story Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. “Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities — always see them, for they’re always there.” Norman Vincent Peale “Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.” Drawing Lessons, Patricia Sands Transitions, art, and France are all found in my current read, “Drawing Lessons.” I am delighted and thrilled that the brilliant storyteller, Patricia Sands, the author of Drawing Lessons is joining us today and bridging the distance of 3,364 km between Vancouver and Toronto. We are ce

Season 2 Episode 39: Joan Hudson on the Artist’s Journey.  Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am heading over to England today to what has been called Somerset’s most charming town –  Clevedon, situated on the Bristol Channel famous for its magnificent pier.  The pier was completed in 1869 as a landing point for paddle steamers, carrying passengers along the Severn Estuary from Wales and Devon. I am meeting up with Clevedon’s famed artist, Joan Hudson, a dear friend who has invited me for afternoon tea in her summer garden.  You are invited to join us and share in an extraordinary conversation about art, imagination, and embracing our creativity. Thank you, Joan for your invitation to tea.  I have been looking forward to this discussion. Thank you for sharing this moment with Joan and me.   Your visit and comments are very much appreciated.  You can meet up with Joan on Instagram at Joan.hudson3 or her blog On the Bright Side. Until next ti

Season 2 Episode 38: Frances on the Art of Aging Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. A few weeks ago, my mother,  Frances, and I were discussing the aging process, something that we all have in common.  I think of the quote by Andy Rooney: “It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” There are many self-help books and articles that promise ways in which we can age gracefully and provide tips on how to stay sharp and look amazing.  When Frances suggested that, for her, it was books that added joy to the aging process,   I asked whether she would share her thoughts on a short podcast.  Since we were on our mobile phones, rather than in-person, we did not know whether the audio would have enough clarity.  Thanks to our techie, we have a short discussion about books, life and embracing who we are at any age. So put the kettle on and add to this discussion. We would love to h

Season 2 Episode 37: The Trio Goal Setting Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss goal setting.  We want to seek progress, to live our best lives, to be recognized and valued for our contributions.  There are many ideas and opinions about goal setting.    We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com. So put the kettle on and add to the conversation. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Season 2 Episode 36: Going Back to Manderley with Liz Humphreys My dear blogger friend, Liz Humphreys from her blog Leaping Life and I have once again bridged the 7,059 kilometres between Edinburgh and Vancouver to discuss, well, let me give you a hint: ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a padlock and a chain upon the gate. I called in my dream to the lodge-keeper, and had no answer, and peering closer through the rusted spokes of the gate I saw that the lodge was uninhabited.’ Yes, Liz and I will be discussing Daphne du Maurier. Put the kettle on and join in the conversation.  We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Thank you for joining Liz and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you and shout out to Liz from the blog, Leaping Life and to h

Season 2 Episode 35: Traveling the Mists of Ancient Orkney with Lorna Brown Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Join me as I travel across the ocean to Orkney, where the fresh sea air and rugged landscape captures the spirit of daring souls.  I am delighted that I am meeting up with my friend, Lorna Brown of See Orkney Tours, who was our family’s intrepid guide through the mists of ancient Orkney.  We touched the Standing Stones of Stenness and traced the prehistoric path of the Ring of Brodgar. Travel plans may have been placed on hold, but for today imagine that you have joined Lorna and me on the white sandy beach that leads up to Skara Brae, a 5000-year-old Neolithic village. Do you feel the chilly breeze off the ocean?  It is sunny, a perfect day to begin our adventure. So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation.I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. A special thank you to Lorna for sharing the stori

Season 2 Episode 34: Elisabeth on The Eugene Onegin Challenge Part 2 Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in. Elisabeth Van Der Meer from the extraordinary blog, A Russian Affair, has once again joined me from Finland, the far distance of 7,514 km from Vancouver.  Elisabeth promised to come back and talk about the  “The Eugene Onegin Challenge” which is happening on her blog, A Russian Affair. As you know, I have taken up the challenge and am reading Alexander Pushkin’s masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, which he wrote over the course of eight years. The adventure is underway. So, put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. “With this challenge I hope to add something extra to your reading experience that will make it more interesting, intense, attentive, and (even more) enjoyable. I will be eating, dreaming, thinking, hearing Eugene Onegin for the next four months and I can’t wait to fin

Season 2 Episode 33: The Trio on Learning a New Language Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia! Thank you for listening in! I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss – should we learn another language? In 2019, UNESCO launched a special website dedicated to the International Year of Indigenous languages (IY2019) The purpose of this website is to increase the awareness about the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote indigenous languages around the world. There are some 6.000-7.000 languages in the world today. About 97% of the world’s population speaks only 4 % of these languages, while only 3% of the world speak 96% of all remaining languages. IMPORTANT CORRECTION: In the podcast I stated that 7000 languages would be lost by the end of this century. I should have said: “It is estimated that, if nothing is done, half of the over 6,000 plus languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century. With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented languages, humanity wou