When I sat down to read Lois Roelofs’ excellent book, Marv Taking Charge, I didn’t expect that the word I’d come away with after finishing would be “uplifting.” After all, I knew that it was an end-of-life story of a wonderful man, Marv, and Lois’ support and honoring of him as he spends his final … More Episode 23: Marv Taking Charge with Lois Roelofs
I think it’s safe to say that writing is a solitary pursuit. I don’t know of anyone who writes while hanging out with other people. I mean we might write in a coffee shop but not usually when we are carrying out a conversation with others. This might be why I find it so fascinating … More Episode 22: Themes in “Surviving Sue” with Vicki Atkinson
I’m attributing the sparkle and shine that Elizabeth Wickham consistently exhibits to a quote from Pablo Picasso, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” She has led a truly creative life and it shows. Our recent conversation for the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast has just solidified that estimation. … More Episode 21: A Creative Life with Elizabeth Wickham
I’ve come to think of having a comment from Dr. Gerald Stein as a badge of honor for a post. His comments, generously bestowed, reflect a gentle sense of humor, and a great sense of perspective and wisdom. Which is a good description for his blog posts as well. His writing often draws from his … More Episode 20: The Art of the Interview with Dr. Gerald Stein
I often get a little nervous/excited before recording a podcast conversation. It’s a chance to meet someone new, have a deep and intentional conversation, and I value that time. This week’s podcast though is a little different – it’s a deep conversation that I had with Vicki about our beloved fathers and the letters we’ve … More Episode 19: Long Distance Letters with Vicki and Wynne
Our podcast guest this week is Mark Petruska of the Mark My Words blog. If there is someone that hasn’t yet had the pleasure of reading Mark’s delightfully clever and witty blog, we can’t recommend it highly enough. In fact, you can read below for Mark’s guest post about the podcasting experience and see for … More Episode 18: No Time For Kings with Mark Petruska
I find it ironic that this podcast where we talk about blogging and whether the numbers matter, comes on the heels of topping 500 listens on our podcast. Thank you to all of you – we really appreciate your support on this venture. Which is a great segue to the topic of the podcast today. … More Episode 17: Building a Base with Brian Hannon
When Vicki, Stuart and I were talking on this podcast about Stuart’s post called A Nugget of Kindness, I told the story of a time when I took Miss O to get donuts when she was four-years-old. The pandemic had just started, so it was a big deal to be able to get out and … More Episode 16: Nuggets of Kindness with Stuart Perkins
There are five or six people in my life that are going through some big personal or professional stuff. Which brings up for me how I can be there for them. There is nothing I can solve and for the most part, I’ve retired my “advice monster” or at least I’ve tried to. But still … More Episode 14: Holding Space with Deirdre Wilcox
Vicki and I had the pleasure of visiting with Bruce Bohrer, author of “Best Seat in the House: A Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher” and it was a terrific, behind-the-scenes peek into a beloved sports venue in Chicago. We talk about all the characters that come together to make a ball field work – … More Episode 13: Best Seat In the House with Bruce Bohrer
The Heart of the Matter 