“It's a good idea always to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life.”
~~Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

Hi all,

Another week is past and another one is just beginning so... time for another newsletter!  Enjoy!

God bless,
Jenni


One of my favorite pastimes is listening to podcasts.  They're great for listening to during monotonous chores or routine tasks on the job.  If you've not heard, there's a campaign on Twitter called #trypod aka Try a Podcast in which folks recommend their favorite podcasts to friends and family.  I'm not on Twitter so I figured I'd do that here... but with the Dyelanders.  One caveat: I don't actually listen to all of these that are mentioned but have at least a passing familiarity with them all due to crossovers.  So here goes...
#trypod for Dyelanders and Friends

JenniAnn- She'd probably try numerous true crime podcasts in hopes of relating better to Andrew and being able to comfort him.  However, if she's anything like me, she gets squeamish a few minutes in and has to bow out.  Aaron Mahnke's "Lore" features some true crime but also (naturally) a lot of folklore so I think she'd find a happy medium there.

Logan- Lover of all things within the geekdom, Logan and his lady love, Zelda, would probably be quite fond of Eric Molinsky's "Imaginary Worlds."  Everything from Star Wars to Harry Potter, from LARPing to D&D gets covered.  It's also a good primer for anyone who wants to carry on a conversation with the nerds in their life.

Rose- Speaking of Harry Potter, I think she and Max would love "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text."  Their favorite boy wizard and the Bible!  What's not to love?

Max- If the lovebirds decide to go looking for their own fantastic beasts, they may want to give "Astonishing Legends" and "Monsters Among Us" a listen for tips on where to track down everything from Sasquatches to firebirds to the Mothman. 

Vincent- With his velvety voice, Vincent should be podcasting himself.  However, with his busy schedule, I think he'd limit himself to listening to "Myths and Legends."  The storytelling is fresh, witty, and generally suitable for children.  Vincent might even find himself playing some episodes in his classes.  He deserves the break!

Mick and Beth- With the cure and, hence, childrearing coming upon them, the St. Johns will be putting their risky investigations behind them.  Maybe they can live vicariously through Alex and Co. over at "The Black Tapes" as they investigate supernatural phenomena.

Adam- Incidents of potty humor aside, I think Adam would fit right in with Dave and David of "Blurry Photos."  Their topics run the gamut from historical mysteries to cryptids to psychic phenomenon.  It's a great mix of humor and scholarship with plenty of goofy voices thrown in.

Tess- With her dedication to historical accuracy (at least insofar as she experienced it), Tess might find a kindred spirit in Sebastian Major, the host and truth-seeker of "Our Fake History."  If nothing else, she could bicker at her podcatcher and, perhaps, give everyone else a breather for a while.

Monica- As the angel of truth, Monica might tune into "Just a Story."  While its tone is more skeptical than Monica would ever be, combating potentially harmful stereotypes and urban legends seems right up her alley.  It also explores some of "the really gritty stuff" Monica claimed to want to cover back in "The Journalist" era.  She'd definitely want to ensure that Liam was NOT within hearing range, though.

Gloria- I can just imagine Gloria listening to Mike Rowe's "The Way I Heard It" and annoying other listeners by blurting out the mystery individual way too early due to her encyclopedic knowledge.

Emma and Peter- As theatre owners, they might want to give "Fireside Mystery Theatre" and "Secrets, Crimes, and Audiotape" a listen.  When the baby boom truly hits the Friends, audio theatre may be the way to go.  I think Emma would especially love SCA's version of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.  I know I did.

Andrew- And, finally, our beloved Andrew...  I think he's more of a Pandora kind of guy but I can imagine him tuning into NPR's "StoryCorps" for the occasional cathartic cry or warm fuzzies. 

(From Jenni: If any of these sound interesting to you, a quick Google search should turn them up.  If you have trouble, let me know and I'll send you the podcast's link.  I wanted to include them but my internet is being ridiculously slow today.)
Relaxation Tips from the Dyelanders

For a variety of reasons, many of them self-inflicted, I've been pretty stressed lately.  I just never seem to get quite as much done as I want and then I get frustrated and feel crunched for time.  So I thought now might be a good time to think about how our assorted characters might relax.  Maybe we can make at least some of these ideas work for ourselves.

JenniAnn: "I love to relax by dancing with Andrew to ridiculously sappy love songs and no longer worrying about if those songs are appropriate enough."

Monica: "Nothing is quite so relaxing to me as settling down with a delicious decaf mocha latte and a good friend."

Vincent: "I go to the Mirror Pool and stare down at the reflected sky.  Seeing all those stars reminds me that I am not alone and that, in the scheme of things, my worries may not be so important."

Violeta: "I make earrings!  It's so fun and relaxing to match up colors!  And then I feel even better when I see how excited people are when I give them to them.  I need to figure out something to make for boys...  Oh and spending time with my sheep!"

Kemara: "I sit on the porch with a book and a glass of iced tea."

Sean: "Catching up on sleep!"

Owen: "I paint... and listen to Enya.  Shut up, Graham.  Enya is the best!"

Liam: "I play with Conan.  Or tell Monny and Daddy what's wrong.  They make me feel better."

Adam: "All I need to do is snuggle with Ada-Marie and everything is better!"

Andrew: "Ditto to what Laja said.  I also love walking in the woods, both with and without company, and admiring the beauty of God's creation."

Joshua: "I like to go up onto a hillside or a secluded cave or garden and listen to Dad and tell Him everything that's troubling me.  When I don't feel the need for solitude, being among friends and family is a great healer."


This newsletter is dedicated to John Dye for reminding me to pay attention to the daffodils.  They became a symbol for me after he passed away and now they remind me that the dead of winter is making way for Spring and life.

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