The Happy Meemaw

I love a good Christmas in July craft fair. The only thing better than finding the Christmas spirit in the handiwork of local crafters is happening upon a table of authors promoting their work. And that's where I met Julie Phend, a "story weaver" who is a former teacher, a writer of factual and fictional stories, and an absolute delight! Julie and I discussed her time with middle school students and how she came to write the true story of a World War II hero, along with a great spy thriller...

You may remember my conversation with author Angela Enos earlier this year, and our discussion of her "Under the Roof" book series. We discussed her many talents, including motivational speaking, and she's back today to address a topic everyone encounters at some point. Today we're talking about her "Not Today" theory: reclaiming your peace from toxic people and thoughts. Do you have that one toxic person who keeps your phone buzzing or your doorbell chiming at the worst possible moments?...

Last summer I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Carmany, a fellow baseball fan who was attending a Fredericksburg Nationals game. He was in the middle of a trip that took him to 10 stadiums in 10 days, and we later recorded a podcast episode where he shared some details. Joe is back this summer with another trip and more experiences that put him past the 100+ mark of baseball stadiums visited. We had a great conversation about this year's trip and some of his goals for the future. It's always a...