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First, apologies for the three months of radio silence. The Take A Break Podcast took its own break while I moved from Champaign, IL, back to my beloved San Francisco Bay Area. After driving 3506 miles to California, by way of Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Albuquerque, and Arizona, I am finally getting settled and actively looking for work. Second, I am excited to share with you now the most recent episode of Take A Break. This was an interview I did with my father over the Christmas holidays while I was back in England. Apart from talking about his recent 80th birthday celebrations, we covered a lot of ground, chatting about being a wartime baby in England, his first car, back-packing around the world at the age of 60, and getting his most recent degree at 70. There’s plenty of life left in the old salty dog yet. Resources Where is Salt? The Hollybush Inn, Salt Interested in how much things cost in England in 1938? Check out Hillarys.co.uk. Useful Backpacking/Solo Travel websites BootsnAll Tango Diva (Travel Stories for Women, by Women) Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp. For more information on Kelsey and her music, check out Kelsey Sharp Music on FaceBook.

Artisan Tedra Ashley- Wannamuehler Do you own a book that is traditionally bound? Who even owns a book these days? The art of traditional bookbinding is disappearing, but if you like to flick through pages of a tome or two, or simply appreciate the value of a physical book, then this episode is for you. For the last Take A Break episode of 2018, artisan Tedra Ashley-Wannamuehler tells me about her chosen career path. I look forward to the New Year bringing new episodes and adventures. The first of which will be my move back to the San Francisco Bay Area. Henry (my dog) and I will be road-tripping our way back to California by way of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. En-route, I’ll hopefully be sharing with you some of the conversations I have with the folks I meet. As always, thank you for listening and your continued support of the Take A Break Podcast. Best wishes for 2019! Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song Shine. Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Resources The Lincoln Bookbindery Fine Blank Books Twitter @fineblankbooks Fine Blank Books on FaceBook Red Ember Forge on FaceBook Red Ember Forge on Etsy Red Ember Forge Instagram: @redmemberforge The Center for the Book at the University of Iowa Penland School of Crafts

In this episode, which was recorded in September, I sat down with Earl Stevens and Sally Denhart from Mobile Mutts Mobile Transports. This one is for dog-lovers everywhere. Take a listen and see how you can help. Thank you for listening and your continued support of the Take A Break Podcast. Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song Shine. Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Mobile Mutts Rescue Transport mobile-mutts.org Video about Mobile Mutts Rescue Transports

This Part Two of my conversation with Kelsey Sharp. As you listen to this episode (in two parts), you may realize this was somewhat of a challenging interview for me. I did my very best to take myself out of the picture and listen. Really listen. Sometimes, that can be difficult for us all to do. I wanted to give Kelsey the respect she deserves, and hope that the final production is well received by everyone, especially Kelsey. Apologies in advance for the somewhat dubious audio in parts. This conversation was recorded in my basement, and what with my dog running around, the sump pump going off (welcome the Midwest), and my wife mowing the lawn, I had a lot of work to do on fixing the audio. So, if it sounds like Kelsey and I are in a toilet in parts of it, please don’t judge too harshly J Thank you for listening and your continued support of the Take A Break Podcast. Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song Shine. Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Resources Champaign is also a band podcast, https://champaignisalsoaband.podbean.com/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  

In this episode, I chatted with the brains behind my soundtrack, singer-songwriter Kelsey Sharp. As you listen to this episode (in two parts), you may realize this was somewhat of a challenging interview for me. I did my very best to take myself out of the picture and listen. Really listen. Sometimes, that can be difficult for us all to do. I wanted to give Kelsey the respect she deserves, and hope that the final production is well received by everyone, especially Kelsey. Apologies in advance for the somewhat dubious audio in parts. This conversation was recorded in my basement, and what with my dog running around, the sump pump going off (welcome the Midwest), and my wife mowing the lawn, I had a lot of work to do on fixing the audio. So, if it sounds like Kelsey and I are in a toilet in parts of it, please don’t judge too harshly 🙂 Thank you for listening and your continued support of the Take A Break Podcast. Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song Shine. Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook page, Kelsey Sharp Music.

Take A Break Podcast Update In this Episode 6, I sat down with screenwriter, director, and producer Robin Christian. We caught up on what he’s been doing since we initially met in 2017. For someone who’s so far written over 80 movie scripts, Robin is a busy man indeed. Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song “Shine.”  Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook Page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Take A Break is available for download and streaming at parkland.edu/wpcd, or via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Simply search for “Take A Break Podcast.” Many thanks for listening, and have a great weekend! To find out more about Robin Christian, visit www.dreamscape.la.

In Episode 5 of Take A Break, Victoria chatted with videographer, photographer, producer, and director Isaac Musgrave. From college football and tractor pulls, to gardening and classical music, there’s a lot squeezed in. And if you’ve ever wondered how many camera operators are needed to pull together a seamless sportscast, this episode is for you. In addition to being available for download and streaming at WPCD 88.7. Take A Break Podcast is now available via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Subscribe, rate and review until your fingers fall off 🙂 Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song “Shine”. Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Happy listening! Resources Pens to Lens—Champaign Film Society Fresh Image Studios

In Episode 4 of Take A Break, Victoria sat down with Andy Robinson, Educational Consultant for Solar Urbana-Champaign 3.0. They talked about everything to do with solar power. Brighten up your day and find out how a bit of sunshine can help everyone. Because of the wealth of information included with this episode, there are two parts available for your listening pleasure. Both Parts One and Two can be streamed and downloaded now. Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song “Shine.” Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook Page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Resources Solar Urban-Champaign https://www.growsolar.org/solar-urbana-champaign/ Midwest Renewable Energy Association https://www.midwestrenew.org/ Future Energy Jobs Act http://www.futureenergyjobsact.com/ Illinois Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3214&GAID=14&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=110909&SessionID=91&GA=100

In Episode 4 of Take A Break, Victoria sat down with Andy Robinson, Educational Consultant for Solar Urbana-Champaign 3.0. They talked about everything to do with solar power. Brighten up your day and find out how a bit of sunshine can help everyone. Because of the wealth of information included with this episode, there are two parts available for your listening pleasure. Both Parts One and Two can be streamed and downloaded now. Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song “Shine.” Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook Page, Kelsey Sharp Music. Resources Solar Urban-Champaign https://www.growsolar.org/solar-urbana-champaign/ Midwest Renewable Energy Association https://www.midwestrenew.org/ Future Energy Jobs Act http://www.futureenergyjobsact.com/ Illinois Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3214&GAID=14&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=110909&SessionID=91&GA=100    

In Episode 3, Victoria sits down with Champaign-Urbana cooking coach and entrepreneur Adam Wisnewski, owner of Breakfast Life and Dinner. You’ll get hungry listening, so make sure you have snacks close to hand! In addition to being available for download and streaming at WPCD 88.7 and victoria-shepherd.com, the Take A Break Podcast is now available via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify! Subscribe, rate and review until your fingers fall off 😊 Resources: Breakfast Life and Dinner https://www.breakfastlifeanddinner.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BreakfastLifeDinner/ Daily Bread Soup Kitchen https://dailybreadsoupkitchen.com/ Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song “Shine.” Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook Page, Kelsey Sharp Music.

In Episode 2, I sat down with librarian and comedian Eric Sizemore. We caught up on what’s been happening since we last chatted, covering topics ranging from what people can get out of their library system, to where they can find some of the best stand-up comedy in Champaign, IL. Plus lot of other interesting stuff! After recording, there was a little fact checking done, and for those interested, some useful (or maybe not-so-useful) links are given below. Have a fabulous day! REMINDER: Right after the initial airing of episodes on WPCD 88.7 (live stream and download), Take A Break is now available via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. Subscribe, rate, and review until your fingers fall off. Simply search for “Take A Break Podcast.” Resources: What’s happening in the Champaign-Urbana comedy scene? Check out the CU Comedy Club FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/CUComedyClub/ Crime without a body in the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_conviction_without_a_body The Investigator: A British Crime Drama https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5900164/ Alum vs Alumnus vs Alumni https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/alum-versus-alumni Credit for the soundtrack for Take A Break goes to Kelsey Sharp and her song “Shine.” Find out more about Kelsey on her FaceBook Page, Kelsey Sharp Music.  

I’m excited (and nervous) to announce that Episode One of the new Take A Break Podcast went live this morning on WPCD 88.7, Parkland College’s radio station. It is now officially has wings, and is ready for your listening pleasure. For the inaugural episode, I sat down with WPCD’s Director, Deane Geiken, to talk about, well, lots of things. As a reminder, I’m open to talking to anyone about anything, in the hope that I’ll inform, entertain, and possibly inspire you, as well as learn something myself. Everyone’s got a story to tell, and I want to know a bit more about the folks who live around us. Every other Friday, you can hear my interviews with chefs, movie directors, animal rescue organizations, and solar power experts, to name a few. Don’t worry if you miss the first airing on WPCD 88.7, or you simply want to listen to it again, because it’s now available for streaming and download. Right here. And in a few days, it’ll be available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Subscribe for updates and notifications today. And if you have ideas or suggestions of people I could Take A Break with, please let me know. Credit for the Take A Break soundtrack goes to Kelsey Sharp and her amazing song “Shine.” Download a copy today at Perimeter Road, and for more of Kelsey’s music, be sure to follow her on Facebook at Kelsey Sharp Music. Thanks for listening!