Big Blend Radio

Happy Labor Day weekend! Instead of a new episode, we're digging into the archives for something special: this is the conversation from February 2021, on our Big Blend Radio Champagne Sundays show, where Shelley Whizin, transformational life coach and host of Big Blend Radio's "Soul Diving Sunday" Podcast, first joined us as an expert in the Big Blend family. Five years later, it still holds up beautifully.In this wide-ranging conversation, Shelley shares the surprising scuba-diving origin of "soul diving," why self-care feels like a luxury we don't give ourselves permission for, how to break the cycle of blame and misery, lessons on facing death consciously (including her work training VA volunteers to sit bedside with dying veterans), and why the kitchen table might be the most sacred place in the house.This one pairs beautifully with Shelley's latest Substack article, "Love in Waiting" — a piece about soup, presence, and what it really means to nourish the people we love.About Shelley:Shelley Whizin is a Life Coach, Author, Speaker, and Death Doula, and the voice behind Live & Die Happy. She's the author of "What Do You Bring to the Table? A Savory, Sensory, Inspirational Guide to Living a Yummy, Delicious Life," a book about mindfulness, food, and connection. Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1087932106 🥪 Read Shelley's companion article, "Love in Waiting": https://shelleywhizin.substack.com/p/love-in-waiting 📰 Follow Shelley's Substack, Shelley's Soul Library: https://shelleywhizin.substack.com 🌐 Visit Shelley's Website: https://www.liveanddiehappy.com/ 🎙️ Listen to Shelley's Podcast, Soul Diving Sunday: https://www.liveanddiehappy.com/podcast 🎧 More from Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/ Note: this is an archival recording from 2021 — audio quality reflects the original broadcast.

Celebrate Classical Music Month with this edition of Big Blend Radio's American Jukebox! Every first Sunday, award-winning singer-songwriter Johnny Schaefer joins Lisa D. Smith to explore the music, artists, and stories that celebrate America's rich musical heritage as part of the nationwide America 250 celebration.This month's playlist turns to classical and orchestral music, tracing its deep and often invisible influence on American film, culture, and songwriting. Johnny and Lisa discuss composers including Florence Price, Michael Kamen, Morten Lauridsen, Bobby McFerrin, Philip Glass, Gustav Holst, and Mason Williams, weaving in personal connections to choral music, opera, and the marching bands that shaped their own musical lives.🎵 Hear the music! The complete American Jukebox experience—including all seven featured pieces—is available on Mixcloud and you can hear it here: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/american-jukebox-classical-music 🎧 Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2pXIFSYr13TaCkpXhEsyUg?si=219ff3b46cb44f03 🎻 Related Episodes:World of Opera: https://toast-the-arts.podbean.com/e/world-of-opera/ Marching Bands: https://toast-the-arts.podbean.com/e/marching-bands/ 🎵 Johnny Schaefer: https://hearjohnny.com/ New episodes air every first Sunday as Johnny and Lisa continue celebrating the songs, artists, and stories that define America's musical legacy through the America 250 celebration leading up to July 4, 2027. Explore all episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/american-jukebox 

Travel writer Linda Kissam — Big Blend Radio's own "Food, Wine & Shopping Diva" and host of "Sip, Savor & Travel" — pulls up a seat for a fun round of Getting to Know You. Linda dishes on her spirit animal (koala, if you're wondering), the nonprofit she'd fund with a million dollars, her husband's boat-life drama in the Pacific Northwest, and her dream trips to England and Africa. She also talks gardens (Butchart Gardens gets a shoutout), dinner party etiquette when the menu goes sideways, and her go-to shoes — from barely-there earth shoes to sparkly five-inch heels.🎙️ Listen to more episodes of "Sip, Savor & Travel": https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/sip-savor-travel-podcast 📖 Explore Linda's "Sip, Savor & Travel" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/sip-savor-travel-magazine 🌐 Follow Linda Kissam's adventures: https://foodwinetravelchix.com/ 

Donna George of The Peanut Patch joins producer Lisa D. Smith to spice up the fall season — from the spicy side of Donna's product lineup to seasonal gift and shipping ideas as The Peanut Patch gears up for its October 1st store reopening.Then it's on to the kitchen for five recipes from The Peanut Patch's collection: Soft Ginger Peanut Butter Cookies, Ginger Date Wontons, Spicy Date Nut Loaf, Double Date Shrimp Curry, and Southwestern Grilled Salmon — plus ideas for swapping in chicken, steak, or fajitas along the way.🛍️ Shop The Peanut Patch: https://thepeanutpatch.com 📖 Get the recipes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/recipes-from-the-peanut-patch 🎙️ Listen to more episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-peanut-patch-podcast 

Wine culture starts long before the glass is poured — it's rooted in family, food, and the stories we carry with us. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast, Peggy Fiandaca is joined by Julia Coney — writer, educator, speaker, consultant, and luxury travel advisor, and founder of Black Wine Professionals and co-founder of A Privé Journeys, a bespoke travel company specializing in curated wine and culinary experiences around the world.Julia and Peggy dig into what "wine culture" really means, why tasting rooms can feel intimidating, why local American wine deserves more space on restaurant lists, and how pairing wine with your favorite snack (Reese's peanut butter cups included) can change everything. Julia shares the story of bringing a 30-person travel group to LDV Winery, and the episode closes with each guest's ultimate wine, meal, and movie pick — plus a very unconventional New Year's morning tradition involving bubbly and licorice.🌐 Learn more about Julia Coney: https://juliaconey.com  🍷 Learn more about LDV Winery: https://ldvwinery.com  🍝 Get Peggy's Family Sunday Sauce recipe from this episode: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/peggy-fiandaca-family-sunday-sauce 🎧 Follow Wine Time with Peggy: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/  📖 Explore Big Blend's "Wine & Bites" Digital Podcast & Recipe Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/fmlb/  

Fall is teasing us across the country, and California's Sequoia Country — home to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Sequoia National Forest, the Giant Sequoia National Monument, and the welcoming communities of Tulare County — is right on the edge of the season's first cool breeze.In this episode of Big Blend Radio's "California Sequoia Country" Podcast, Sequoia Tourism Council members Suzanne Bianco (Visit Visalia) and Holly Streit (Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks), talk pumpkins, changing leaves, dark skies, and the harvest season events that make fall one of the best times to visit.Suzanne shares the local countdown to fall starting with Vintage Press's stuffed pumpkin dish in Visalia, and points listeners to cooler-weather hikes at Kaweah Oaks Preserve, Mooney Grove Park, and the Woodlake Botanical Garden loop around Bravo Lake and more.Holly talks changing colors in the giant forest, the importance of dark skies for migrating birds and bats, and previews the Sequoia Parks Conservancy's Dark Sky Festival (September 11–13) which will features a keynote from the scientist behind Wowsabout, the Jim Henson Company's preschool special exploring Sequoia National Park and the science of awe.The conversation covers shuttle schedules (Memorial Day–Labor Day), the foothill hikes at Potwisha and Paradise Creek, and giant forest trails including Congress Trail and the North Grove Loop. Then it's on to fall festivities: the Tulare County Fair, Visalia's Taste of Downtown (October 7) and Taste the Arts Festival, First Friday art walks, mixed-media artist Toni Best's gourd art, and early holiday-shopping tips through the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.🌲 Plan Your Visit: https://www.discoverthesequoias.com/ 🌲 Visit Visalia: https://www.visitvisalia.com/ 🌲 NPS Sequoia & Kings Canyon: https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm 🌲 Sequoia Parks Conservancy: https://www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org/ 🎧 New episodes of California Sequoia Country air every first Thursday on Big Blend Radio. Follow the Show: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-s-sequoia-country-podcast📖 Explore Big Blend Radio's "California's Sequoia Country" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-s-sequoia-country-magazine 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wander the World" Podcast, travel writer Sharon K. Kurtz takes listeners on a personal Austin staycation, joined by fellow Austinite and travel writer Marika Flatt, travel editor and associate editor of Texas Lifestyle Magazine. Staying right on the UT Austin campus at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, Sharon walked to the Texas State Capitol, the Blanton Museum of Art, and the Bullock Texas State History Museum, caught a live taping of Austin City Limits, and ended her trip watching over a million bats stream out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Together, Sharon and Marika swap tips on live music venues, hidden-gem hotels, Lady Bird Lake, and the best spots for margaritas, museums, and shopping — everything you need for your own Austin getaway.🎙️ Tune in on the first Wednesday of every month at 12pm CST: https://wandertheworldwithsharon.podbean.com 📖 Check out the Big Blend Radio "Wander the World" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/gyoy/#p=1 🌍 Learn more about travel writer & photographer Sharon K. Kurtz: https://sharonkkurtz.com 📰 Read more from Marika Flatt at Texas Lifestyle Magazine: https://texaslifestylemag.com 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Podcast, Steve and Karen Wilson chat with Dawn Bankson, owner of Star Watch Night Vision Tours, about exploring Asheville's night sky in a whole new way. Using military-grade PVS-7 and PVS-14 night vision goggles, Dawn takes guests out to dark-sky locations around the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mount Pisgah to spot meteor showers, satellites, and unexplained "travelers" in the night sky. Steve and Karen share their own experience catching the Perseid Meteor Shower, and the conversation wanders into UFO sightings, Bigfoot lore, and why fall and winter are the best seasons for stargazing in Western North Carolina. Plus, hear what's on tap at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast this season, and get the scoop on their in-room beer keg package for Beer City USA visitors.Follow Dawn & Star Watch Night Vision Tours:* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057159232266 * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starwatchnight Stay at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast: https://www.lion-rose.com More Adventures in Asheville:* Podcast Channel: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-podcast * Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-magazine 

Award-winning journalist and author Michael J. Seidlinger joins Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts" Podcast to talk about his satirical horror novella, "Brokeula." It's a story of James Sugre, a vampire who's been broke for centuries and finally cracks under the weight of it, launching a multi-level marketing scheme to turn humans into vampires for a fee. Michael talks about flipping the classic vampire trope of old money and aristocracy into a story about financial strain, greed, and late-stage capitalism, and how the idea came together during a joking conversation with his brother-in-law and nephew about immortality and being broke. The conversation also digs into AI hype and marketing, the psychology of MLMs and scams, Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend," and why horror is such a good vehicle for social commentary."Brokeula" (CLASH Books) is out now. Learn more at https://michaeljseidlinger.com/ Read our Big Blend Radio Review o "Brokeula": https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/author-michael-j-seidlinger-brokeula