Podcasts about christmastime

Ronald Gene Simmons turned Christmas week into a nightmare, methodically murdering 16 people—including his own family—before calmly surrendering to the police.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and full transcript): https://weirddarkness.com/MockingbirdHillFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: The story of serial killer Ronald G. Simmons from the audiobook, “Murderous Minds, Vol2” by Ryan Becker. (Weekend Murder Spree of Ronald G. Simmons) *** Long before the disastrous Philadelphia Experiment, partially based on Nikola Tesla's technology, Tesla is rumored to have discovered by accident the secrets of traveling through time and the inherent dangers of tampering with the cosmic framework that governs the laws of time and space. (Nikola Tesla's Secret Time Travel Experiments) *** Four friends get lost on a country dirt road, and try to find their way back following what turns out to be a phantom vehicle. (Ghost Car of Picton) *** In the 1800s seven nuns set up a school for girls, and when they added a chapel to that school, what many thought was a miracle occurred in the construction of the chapel stairs. (The Legend of the Loretto Chapel Staircase) *** Police officers and first responders share their own experiences with the supernatural. (Paranormal 911) *** I'll share the very dark and classic creepypasta “Holes” by S. R. Underschultz. (Holes)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:53.906 = Show Open00:03:50.173 = Ronald Gene Simmons00:28:11.542 = Holes (Fictional Story) ***00:42:57.539 = Paranormal 911, Part 1 ***00:59:24.778 = Paranormal 911, Part 2 ***01:26:09.206 = Nikola Tesla's Secret Time Travel Experiments ***01:35:23.932 = Ghost Car of Picton ***01:38:00.599 = Legend of the Loretto Chapel Staircase01:45:30.570 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:The story of Ronald G. Simmons is from the book, “Murderous Minds, Vol2” by Ryan Becker – audiobook version narrated by Darren Marlar. Get the full-length audiobook https://amzn.to/3JD94rK“Holes” by S. R. Underschultz, posted at Creepypasta.com: https://tinyurl.com/sncw8rs
“Paranormal 911” by Jessika M. Thomas for Ranker's Paranormal Activity: https://tinyurl.com/urodzgu“Nikola Tesla's Secret Time Travel Experiments” by CommanderX for UFO Review: https://tinyurl.com/yhjoyjm“Ghost Car of Picton” by ‘James' in Sydney Australia for Ghost Attic: https://tinyurl.com/udn36zy“Legend of the Loretto Chapel Staircase” by Les Hewitt for Historic Mysteries: https://tinyurl.com/vm299qr(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January 2019

REWIND. Two PAGE Awards Judges, Victoria Lucas and Laurie Ashbourne, discuss how they evaluate your screenplays, whether you're just starting or have a script in the competition. You do not want to miss this inside talk.⭐️ Laurie Ashbourne began her film career in Disney animation and has worked over the past 20 years as a story consultant, writer, and producer for Disney, Amazon, and many independent producers. She has more than 30 features and short films to her credit, including her new family feature, CHRISTMAS TIME, which is currently in post-production. As a PAGE judge, Laurie reviews scripts across several genre categories, including Family Films, Comedies, Dramas, and Shorts.⭐️ Victoria Lucas is an independent producer who has developed scripts for projects starring Antonio Banderas, Scarlett Johansson, Wesley Snipes, and Hilary Swank. Among her favorite projects is the highly acclaimed coming-of-age film The Island on Bird Street, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Victoria is also a judge for the PAGE Awards, covering a variety of genres, including Drama and Historical Films.

This week Matt and Dylan are watching the TV special that our Patreon wanted us to check out ... Christmas Time With Mr. Rogers! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Our Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy some merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Facebook Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big things are on the horizon for Betsy! A book deal, a beach move, a birthday. Tune in to this Q & A to get to know the woman behind The Art of Living Big and The Navigate Method. With lots of laughs and a few tears, this one is a great one to watch or listen to. Check out the video version on YouTube. Transcript:  Welcome to The Art of Living Big, where we explore how to live intentionally and with more joy. I’m Betsy Pake, your host, master, coach, and creator of the Navigate Method. Here to help you listen in to your true desires, elevate your standards, and live life to the fullest. Now, let’s go live big  All right, I’m excited. I’m excited to do this. I’m excited, and Feels very official. actually am, um, nervous, which is weird, ’cause I d- I mean, I’ve had this podcast for how long? Like 10 years. But I’m nervous, because I feel like we’re not… Yeah, we’re not just ask- can’t believe I’m not nervous, but I’m just excited for it. All right, I’m excited too. Okay, so let’s tell everybody who you are that’s listening. So I’m, I’m Joy, and I am Betsy’s ops person, um, her virtual assistant, go-to person hopefully. And, uh, I Yeah. job. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work for someone so innovative and caring and, , I , I can’t say enough good things about Navigate. I’m an No. member myself. I am Yeah. be working for you now years later after I completed the program. But, , I love my job. Yeah. Oh, that makes me happy. And now you can add podcast host Yeah, a resume. I don’t know about that. We’ll see. So this episode is gonna be a little different than typical. My birthday’s next week, which I wanna say, like, I don’t care, whatever, but I do. I think I do kinda care. I think I’ve always tried to not care, but I think it’s kind of fun that my birthday’s next week. , I’ll be 55, and my birthday is on 5/15, and I feel like the numbers are all, like… I feel like it’s kinda magical, and I don’t know why. I’m not, , a numerology buff or anything , but , it just feels like 55 and then this. So I’m excited to kinda do this. And so I thought what we would do is, , we asked on Instagram just for, , questions of what people had. ready. Yeah, and you’ve got them ready. Okay, and then you had some other ones of your s- your own that I don’t necessarily know all of them, , so yeah. So we’ll… we can just dive in and see where the conversation takes us. I know. I’m excited. Okay. So also I wanna say about 5:15, that’s a special number for you, isn’t it? Yeah, well, uh, uh, I think because it’s my birthday, I always am looking for 5:15. Like, I’m always… I think it’s, like, a message from my mom. I do too, because we post your podcast at 5:15. Yeah. Yes, that’s right, yeah. We post it at 5:15 a- on Thursday mornings. Yeah, yeah. That’s, I like it, and I feel like it feels balanced and also, , I know this is a weird thing, but like 5-1-5, it feels balanced, and it feels like the one is, uh… It’s not a hyphen, but a what would go this way? Do you know what I mean? Up and down. So it feels like 5-5, which feels like a mirroring and- Like, , it’s not infinity, it’s not an eight, but it feels like that to me. Like, kind of chaotic, but also measured, you know? So anyway, I love the 515, yeah. Yeah, I, I like numbers too, but I’m a, I’m an even number person. Yeah. pump gas without ending on an even number. It’s so weird. Oh, really? Yeah. I know it’s weird. I love that. It is weird. So But thanks. love that ’cause it’s weird. Are you ready for your first question? Okay. Yeah, I think so. Okay. ., So this is a question that kind of encompasses everything that you do, so it’s a good starting point, I feel like. Okay. you help women decide whether to stay or leave, and you left. , So looking back, was there a single moment that you knew, or was it a slow build that you only saw clearer in the rearview mirror? Oh, okay. That’s a really good question. I’m so scared right now. Okay. So here’s what I think to answer this question. I wanna, like, zoom way, way out, and I’m gonna start with, like I’m gonna s- I’m gonna start, like, when I’m a kid, and you’re gonna be like, “Oh my God. Is she gonna tell her whole life story?” But for those of you that are listening that are fairly new, so I believe that we are always doing things, our actions are coming from a place of trying to keep us safe. Like, emotionally safe or physically safe, right? And so even if we’re doing things sometimes that is clear that that’s not helpful, it’s because our brains think that it’s keeping us safe, and part of the reason it thinks it’s keeping us safe is ’cause we’re alive, and it’s our, our unconscious mind’s prime directive is to keep us alive. So whatever we’re doing is hypothetically working ’cause you’re alive, okay? So when I was in high school, my mom died in a car accident, and pretty soon after that my dad got remarried. Now, he was married to my mom and, , f- by all accounts was happy enough, you know? And then he started dating somebody, I would say within, , eight or nine months of my mom dying, and then they got married very quickly. It wasn’t, , the best relationship. They’re all still alive, so I wanna be careful of how I speak about it. But it wasn’t… I, I, I was se- 17 by the time they got married, and it wasn’t a safe relationship for me, and so I think I did a lot of accommodating to- Feel safe. So I would get in trouble for a lot of things, and I had never been a kid that ever got in trouble. Do you know what I mean? , My, my mother was always so, so kind and , respectful of my sister and I. So that whole relationship, I think, really changed the dynamic of how I experienced relationships. And I think I was pretty, like when we think about attachment theory, like I think I was securely attached and then became anxious after my mom died in that whole experience. Okay. So now, when the question is, like, when you got d- divorced, was it all at once or was it a, a, you know, slow burn? I wanna say… I- I’m gonna tell you my journey of … Joy’s like, “This is a longer answer than I expected.” But the, , the jour- the journey of, of… Let me tell you why I am so chic. Because I have been married several times. And so to answer that question I’m like, “Well, which time?” Okay. When I was in college, I got married right after college, and, I got divorced very quickly. … We didn’t have kids. Like, there was no… And so I know that that was a marriage. We had a wedding. It… But in my brain it doesn’t feel like one. It feels like such a blip, and I was so young, and honestly, I was coming right off the heels of my mom dying, like five years before or something. Do you know what I mean? , It all feels very blurry. And so then years later I met my son’s dad, and that was my second marriage, but felt like my first. It operated like my first. And more importantly, my third marriage operated like my second. I sound very chic, Joy. I’m very chic. Um, so my first marriage, I think I, I, I… What I have found in my relationships in general, marriages or otherwise, is that I have chosen people that I could try and heal that relationship with my dad. Like, I’m gonna tell you something’s wrong, and you’re gonna ignore me and tell me I’m misreading it, which is what happened when I was young. And so I would find people unconsciously that I could play that out because that felt safe, because that was so familiar, right? And so I, I think that I did that with my first marriage, and I was not mature enough to recognize that there was something going on within me. And then I got divorced when my son, m- and I have a trans son, so when my son was four. And then again, you know, replayed stuff. Had some terrible relationships in between all of that. And then married my last, my last and final. I will never get the government involved ever again. So my, my most recent marriage, and that was a marriage that lasted… We were married for 12 years. We were together, like, 15 years. And I think I was playing the same exact thing out, but the difference this time, and what I teach inside the Navigate method, is that we can trust ourselves, right? That we can find the, our side of the street and heal our side of the street. That we can use the relationship as a mirror to figure ourselves out so much deep, much deeper. And so I think I knew almost immediately that my marriage wasn’t good, and for a lot of circumstances, I stayed for a long time. I think I didn’t wanna fail again. I think my , r- you know, relationship with my, then my daughter at that time was complicated, ’cause she was getting sick as a teenager, and there was just a lot of things going on where, , it didn’t… I couldn’t leave. And I say I couldn’t. I had options, but, , I, I didn’t feel like I could leave, and I didn’t want to. I wanted desperately for it to be good. And what I realize now is that going through that whole process and actually using it to heal myself, and now I would say I’m absolutely securely attached, earned secure, because I earned it back. But that relationship, although, , one of the most heinous in my life I think, I’m the most grateful for it. It changed me in such profound ways because I did the work, because I looked at it, because I paid attention and didn’t say, “I’m gonna let…”, I was like, “I’m not letting…” This is, it, to me, and I’m gonna say this too as we continue this conversation, in my relationships, any of them, I’m not the only one in them. And so, you know, if you brought my former husband, any of select one, any of the many former husbands, like they may have a totally different story, and it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. It just means that’s our versions, and there’s a truth in there somewhere in the middle, right? But to me, I’m like, that relationship was so profoundly, , harmful to me that it forced me into change, and for that I am incredibly, incredibly grateful. So to answer the question, it didn’t happen all at once, but the clarity of, oh, I’m healed enough to do this on my own, I get it, sort of unraveled within, , I would say, like, the last six or eight months. If that makes sense. That is a very answer to that question. sense. and you needed the backstory to, to complete that, Yeah. Yeah. that. Yeah, yeah. Okay, Okay. question. Okay. It’s okay, it’s okay. Okay. What’s something that you believed about your own marriage right up until the end that turned out not to be true? Oh, question. God, that’s a good question. Is that one of yours, or is that one that we got in? That’s one that was the myth. What is some… Say it again, something that’s true What is was true. about your own marriage right up until the end that turned out not to be true? That’s… That there was something I could have done to save it. I don’t think there was anything I could have done. I think lots of times we try and make sense of things, and we’re like, “If I could have done this better,” or, “Maybe if I had just learned how to cook dinner better,” or I had… Do you know what I mean? Like, we think of all the things, and now I recognize that what was happening, just like for him, none of what I was doing had to do with him. It was, had to do with this old story. The same thing for him. What he was doing and how he was responding and how he was interacting with me had nothing to do with me, and there was nothing I could have done, and I think that actually brings me a lot of peace. But it, uh, it took me a,, a long while, even after we were divorced, for me to get to that. Yeah. good answer. I think, I think that’s probably a common answer because as women, I think we feel like we maybe could try this, maybe we could try this, Yeah. and, and maybe there’s nothing else and I, yeah, and I think, not to interrupt you, I’m sorry. , That’s why we go to couples counseling, and I don’t have anything against couples counseling. But I think that what happens is we go, and then we talk about problems that have happened, and you’re talking about the problem, but the problem actually isn’t the issue. It’s the reasons that you got to the problem. So if everybody would just go their own way and figure out their own crap, you, y- you wouldn’t have to, like, rehash a situation for two months, you know? Like, I, I could have rehashed so many different situations, and we never, ever, ever… It’s clear we never could have come to a conclusion ’cause it was our own crap we were bringing in. I, I was responding to stuff because of me and who I was, and he was responding s- to stuff because of him. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. It’s okay. It’s okay, Bessie. you’re great. You’re doing really good. I know. I don’t know. Okay, people assume the woman who teaches this work has it all figured out. Mm-hmm. ending are you still making sense of? Oh, I think one of the biggest things, and I think if people follow me for a long time, I think they understand that I often will even say, people, like, “I’m on this path with you. I don’t think we ever have it all figured out.” And I think one of the biggest mistakes I could ever make as a leader or as a coach would be to make people feel like I had it all figured out. ‘Cause I never want anybody to, um, need me forever. Like I always say to my clients, “I want you to want me forever, but I don’t want you to need me. I want you to have your own tools and your own ways of thinking so I, I’ll never have it all figured out, and I think there’s always things to uncover. One of the things that I think I do really well is I will sit and think about stuff, and I won’t… Or I, I say I won’t. It’s not that I never, but I try. I do, not avoid hard thoughts. I make room for hard thoughts. And so as I come up against things I haven’t had, don’t have figured out, there’s always new things to uncover and I will figure them out. If that makes sense. So I know I’m not necessarily answering the question, but it’s just, like I don’t have the, to let, make a list of all the things I don’t have figured out. It’s everything. You know? Like there’s so much, ’cause I am not one that, that pushes the idea that I do. I think that’s– I mean, because we’re always evolving and, and changing and figuring stuff out as we Yeah. And you question, but… yeah, and you know sometimes when I get really overwhelmed, uh, with work, and then I’ll say like, “I’m just gonna go sit,” and you’re always like, you’re good at “What the…” Yeah, and you’re like, “What the hell? What the heck?” I’m like, “I’m just gonna go sit and just be quiet for 15 minutes and see what happens.” normal.” Yeah. “Let me do 800 things that Yeah, you always tell me. Yeah, I love it. Okay, so this is about your birthday. Oh, okay. um, okay. So you’re about to turn 55. Mm-hmm. that you thought you would have figured out by now that you haven’t, have you made peace with that? I think I thought I would- grow up and have, like, a family and, like, the father of the bride house and the white picket fence and a husband that adored me. I’ve never ever, ever, I’ve never ever had anybody in my life that adored me. I think I thought I would, have, uh probably more kids than just one. I think, you know what I mean? I think there was, I, I think there’s so much of my life that isn’t what I thought it was gonna be and I think it’s because what I thought it was gonna be was created before my mom died and when she died it, like, scrambled eggs, you know what I mean? And, and I really like where I ended up right now, you know? So I think it’s not… Martin adores you. Dean Martin does adore me but only See? wants to. He’s ve- he’s al- he’s taught me more about consent. Like, consent is, is a, a subject that comes up sometimes in the Navigate group, right? Like with your husband, like, you know, if he wants sex and I don’t want sex and how, can I say no and all of those things. I swear to God I learned more about consent from my freaking cat. Like, it makes sense. , You have to ask permission to grab at somebody. So yeah. Okay. Um, let’s see. Oh, I love this question. I love this question. , What is a pattern that you see in almost every woman who comes to you that she swears does not apply to her? . I know what it is and I’m just trying to formulate it. Um, I think, well, I think first of all every woman thinks that their husband’s behavior is their fault. Like if they could do something different then things could be different and I think that they take a lot of ownership of his behavior instead of letting him own it and that becomes really heavy. And you think that Yeah, I think- that at the time? Yeah. Yeah. I think they don’t realize it and then I think as we move through the program then they start to recognize it but I don’t think it’s just like if you’re listening and you’re like, “Oh yeah,” I think that’s not a thing you can just hear and go, “Oh okay.” I think you have to, like, internalize it and I think going through the program helps you, like, viscerally understand that and I think that’s like the shift, a big shift that happens for people Mm-hmm. Because, yeah, maintaining somebody else’s life is impossible. Okay, this is another question that pertains to the work you do in Navigate. , So you’ve been clear that you don’t push women towards staying or leaving Mm-hmm. the Navigate program. Um, has that ever cost you a client that you’d wish you’d been more direct with? Like where I wish they had left or I wish they had stayed? I know, I know personally, I can tell you that as a, a former Navigate person, hearing some of the stories, sometimes, you know, part of you, the girlfriend side of you wants to be like, you gotta get out of there.” Yeah. you, you’re very good about not, , Yeah. that on anyone and letting them arrive at those decisions themselves. So I guess, that is the question. — Has it ever cost you a client that you’ve y- you would– were more direct with? yeah. I, I’m gonna say no, and the reason that I’m gonna say no is because it’s not that I think, “Oh, they should leave,” but I left, and then I went back, and then I had to leave again a couple years later, which we can talk about that. But, like, that process was so important for me that I need people to have their own process because that’s the only way we trust ourselves. And part of this program is, is getting women to a place where they know themselves so deeply, and if I’m putting any pressure on any of that, then that whole foundation crumbles. Mm-hmm. is there part of me that’s like, “Give me his phone number”? Yeah, and sometimes I’ll say that. Do you know what I mean? Like, ’cause there is the girlfriend side of you that’s like, “Girl. Oh my God.” But, but also, , the overarching goal and purpose, and I… , and again, I’m gonna go back to, like, when I said I was so grateful for my former husband this last relationship because I feel like this is my purpose. This is why I’m here on this planet, and I never, ever, ever could have got here if I hadn’t had that relationship. Oh my God, I’m so grateful for that relationship. But that’s how come I know not to push anybody anywhere. Mm-hmm. Yeah. good answer. this is kind of a piggyback question,, what is a piece of your own advice that you’ve struggled to take? A piece of my own advice I struggle to take I, I’m gonna say this.  I don’t typically give advice unless I’ve lived it. I think that one of the things that anyone that’s worked with me would say is that I will say, I’ll even say, like, “Hey, I’m open to being wrong. You decide what feels right to you.” And even in my personal relationships, I’ll say, “I’m open to being wrong,” ’cause I’m open to learning. I’m really open to learning and seeing things in a different way. I love when I can see things in a different way., I think in my… If I were to say, is there something that, advice I should take, it’s just that I can’t control everything. Like, I, uh,, you know, we all have that desire to want to have some sense of control of the world and the universe, and you just can’t. You can’t make people do what you wanna, want them to do. You can only invite. You know, the you can’t lead a horse to water. It’s the same with me, I guess.  Like, I can know the things, and there’s gonna be days where I’m, I bypass myself just because I’m human. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Good. Okay, let’s see. Hmm. Okay. You live alone. What does a hard night actually look like for you, and what do you do? A hard night. So, Is there any hard nights alone? yeah, I mean, I think, yeah, I know, right? There’s been some debate on Instagram on any of my posts where I say I’m not lonely. I don’t get lonely. I get bored. I don’t get lonely. And so now I’m gonna say something, and I’m open to being wrong if this w- people were to label this as lonely. But one of the things that I found is that I had limited friendships when I was married, and those friendships- Sort of disintegrated, and I had to create all new friendships. And I think I had hard nights in the beginning in that that was really confusing to me. Nothing happened. I, I still w- I wouldn’t be shocked if somebody reached out to me and said, “Oh my God, I haven’t talked to you in so long. You wanna go get a coffee?” ‘Cause nothing happened, but there was just a shift, and I think there was an energetic shift to me, and that felt confusing because I… Nothing had happened. So, so there were nights, especially in the beginning, I think, where it was more like confusing of like, “How do I make friends? Like, what did I do? Why w- at this, , vulnerable moment did the people that were in my life disappear?” And I think there’s, again, it had nothing to do with me. And so, um, I think the hard nights were just that like, “How do I rebuild my life?” And kind of figuring that out. That makes And then the… And there’s ice cream for nights like that. But I think most of the time, like, I have pretty good nights. , I have my routines, you know? I, I work, and then I make dinner, and then I sit on the couch, and I like to watch YouTube videos. I, I have YouTube, like the subscription, so I don’t have commercials. And I love going down the rabbit hole of documentaries, and I watch all a bunch of stuff about the Gilded Age, and I’m into, like, uh, uh, you know, how they run stuff. Like, I watched this documentary the other day on how they run the Atlanta airport. It’s so fascinating. How they run cruise ships., So I, I’m into stuff, and I’m interested and curious. And then when I get tired, I get in bed, and you know, people have heard me talk about my evening routine with the bed. But like, I get in my BedJet heated up bed and crick it away while I read or watch TV. , .. and I have a lot of friends that I message with. , We use Voxer, and you and I use Voxer. But , we message about stuff all the time. Like, you’re having a glass of wine and you’re like say- You know, like, there’s a lot of interaction that I have with people now that’s friends that live all over., It does take up time and, and space in a good way.. And that is the part that’s like I’m never really lonely, ’cause I have all these structures around me that if I w- want somebody, I could just reach out. But I think in the beginning it was that, like, reorienting and how do I recreate my life. Mm-hmm. Well, I think every woman too that, , is watching will, feel like, you know, when they’re alone or their husband’s out of town, it’s almost like a Yeah, really. Yeah. cool. Yeah, yeah. I got a message from a friend the other day, um, and she reached out to me a couple months ago, and I hadn’t heard from her, like, in years. And I was talking to her, she lives in New York, and I was talking to her a lot on Voxer when we met, and,, she’s a business owner, too, and you know what I mean, we commiserated on all that stuff. Uh, and it was when I was living with my husband. We were married at the time. And anyway, the other day we were messaging and she said, “You know, Betsy, you need to go back and listen to your voice in the messages that you would leave me back in like 2023, 2024,” early 2024. She’s like, “You sound like a completely different person, like it doesn’t even sound like you.” And I was like, “Really? That’s so weird.” And she was like, “Yeah, like you’re… The joy, you’re way more excited, like you sound alive.” And she kept saying, “Go back and listen. Go back and listen.” So I scrolled back and I saw, like the last time we had messaged, like 2023, I think it was, October, and I couldn’t listen. I just was like, “I don’t wanna revisit her.” Like I, I looked at the message for a long time. I could see it, you know? And I just couldn’t hit play. I was like, “I’m just gonna let her rest,” you know? Yeah. It was interesting. Yeah, that’s interesting and, and profound really. It’s Yeah, yeah. like you’ve moved on from that person all the way. Yeah, yeah. And I just didn’t wanna like… It felt like digging up a grave, you know? It felt like, like a, I don’t know, like a betrayal. Like just let her be. So yeah, it was kinda interesting. Okay, this, this one may be a long answer, so Oh. ready? Need opposed to the other ones where I feel like I’ve talked. Okay. Okay. Okay, so, um- Tell us the moment that you realized it was time to leave in your marriage, your Yeah. Um, I think that in my marriage, I was very depleted, and I think I tried really hard. When I look back, and I don’t recognize this as much now, but I remember at the time, and even maybe like a year after I lived in my own apartment, if someone said, “Describe your marriage, give me one word-” It would have been frustrating and, like, frustrating. Like, it was very frustrating. It probably was for him, too. So again, I’m just gonna reiterate that this isn’t anything… This isn’t about him. This is about me. It was very frustrating, and I think that I had a moment when I… I’m gonna say something very strange, I think., I hired somebody to hypnotize me because some of the feedback that I would get online felt really crushing in a weird way, and people would comment on my clothes or my big glasses or whatever, but it felt very deeply injured me. And I was like, “What is that?” Now, if I had been in, , an incredible relationship where I felt, , supported and loved, like, maybe it wouldn’t have, but it did. And it got to the point where I remember one day I was laying on the floor in my home office, and I was like, “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.” Now, I started the Navigate method when I was still married, so that’s something we can talk about. But I, I was laying on the floor, and I was like, “I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” Like, this feels like such important work to me, but I… And was given to me, which we can talk about that. And so, “But I don’t know if I can do it.” And so a friend of mine was like, “You need to hire this guy, Joseph Cloth.” He and I were in a coaching group together, and she was like, “You should hire Joseph.” And I was like, “Oh yeah, I should.” So I reached out. It, it wasn’t cheap. I mean, it was thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to be hypnotized so that I could get rid of feeling awful when people commented. But we had to get to, like, the root cause, and the root cause was I am bad. Now, if somebody said to me, like, “What do you think is the root cause of your…” I would never, ever, ever had said I am bad. So he had me do this whole exercise. It took me, like, two weeks of, like, crying all night. Like, like I really sat with it. Like, what is this? And I… And, and I think because I’m a coach, I could get to, like, this deep, deep, deep root. And go back to the first story I told you. When, after my mom died and my dad started dating somebody, and when they got married, I would tell him, “This isn’t… This doesn’t feel right. Like, the things that are being said to me feel terrible. I… This isn’t good.” And he would say, “You’re misunderstanding. It- you’re wrong.” You’re misinterpreting that and, you know, stop trying to mess up my life. And I think I internalized that to, like, don’t trust yourself. You can’t rely on your own feelings. They’re not right. And, you know, uh, y- y- you’re bad. And so w- he hypnotized me, and I came out of that hypnosis with clarity, like, “Oh, I’m not bad.” And I… That means that I deserve good things and good people around me that love me. And, uh, and I, and, and it shifted. I n- I, I don’t g- give a rat’s ass about what anybody says online in the weirdest way. In fact, I love it. I’m like, “Well, that making you feel something, and that’s good.” You know? Um, but I think that was a big part in my shift of, like, what is it that I deserve? And that’s something that we work on in the Navigate method. Like, what is it that I deserve? Is it true that this is what I deserve? You know? And, and I’m gonna keep saying this just because I feel like it’s so important, my former husband deserved different than he had with me. It wasn’t the right match. Do y- do you know what I mean? And so, um, when I got that, I think that was a huge piece of my clarity. But again, it’s layers. You know what I mean? Like, you gotta, like, do the work and look at the stuff and, like, unpack it all. That’s good. Yeah. I have not yet been hypnotized. That’s why I wore my non-black glasses today because can’t handle the negativity. I think it’s funny. And then it’s funny ’cause people will be like, “I hate your glasses. I love your glasses.” And then sometimes they’re like, “Why do you dress in such big clothes?” That’s a big one I get. “Why are you dressed in such baggy clothes? You’re so little. Why are you in such big clothes?” I’m like, “‘Cause I don’t want you looking at my body.” how people feel like they can say whatever they wanna say. It’s so terrible. Like, It’s funny ’cause they, I don’t think they’d say it in real life, you know? But- they probably don’t. It’s all Yeah a screen and on a keyboard. Keyboard it, it makes it way more obvious if somebody loves my glasses and says, “Where’d you get those?” And somebody hates them, then it’s not the glasses. It’s the person that’s viewing the glasses. so true. Yes. So I just go, “Oh, whatever. I ain’t bad.” I actually was like, “Let me do these today,” because Yeah. no one will say, “Why sh- why are they both wearing black glasses?” Wait. Hey, I know. Freaking damn big g- black glasses, yeah. That one’s funny okay. Um, okay, so… Oh, okay, so you’ve… This is kind of an all-encompassing. So you’ve built a business, a podcast, a method, a book deal. Yeah. is the thing that you’re quietly most proud of that no one knows about? Um, so I will say, let’s see. And the book, let’s just comment on the book ’cause someone will be like, “She has a book?” Years ago, years and years ago, I wrote a book, but this isn’t the book that we’re talking about now. So we’re in the process of writing a book. I have an agent, and we’re writing a book., And we’ll know more about that around Christmastime, but it’ll be out next year. , So what is the thing that I’m most proud of that nobody knows about? Mm-hmm. I think my ability to be open to new ideas. I got divorced from my second husband, ’cause I’m very chic. Just a reminder, I’m very chic and I’m not afraid of change. , But I got divorced, you know, from my son’s dad, and we remained really good friends. And years and years later, I asked Oliver, I said, “Have you ever heard me say anything bad about Dad?” And he said, “No. Why would you?” And that made me so proud, because he was like, “Why would you say anything bad?” ‘Cause he had never, ever heard me say anything bad. And you know what? I love his dad. I love his dad. His dad is part of him, and I’m really proud of the relationship that we have. Is it perfect? No. Do I wish parts of it were different, especially over the past few years? Yeah, absolutely. But we have really been good partners and good co-parents in the best way that we could, and I think that’s because, uh, of him as well as because I am open and not afraid of being wrong. And when I say wrong, like, I’m not afraid of, of being like, “Okay, maybe that wasn’t right. Maybe I didn’t handle that right. Maybe I c- … I’m open to hearing other people’s experience of me and taking that into account and apologizing where I need to.” So I’ve always been really proud of that. When Oliver was little, we did holidays together with his wife, and then I’ve I mean, his kids have been to my house. Like, we’ve maintained a, a f- really friendly relationship, which I’m always been really grateful for. That’s awesome. Yeah. It’s awesome for Oliver. Yes. uh, something that’s just, uh, you Yeah stress away from the child of any Yeah. whether married or, or, you know, going through a divorce or a separation, just to take that away, that stress away from the, child in that Yeah. is awesome, so… we still have every Friday, every Friday at 3:00 we have a family meeting. Now Oliver is 24, but he’s got some challenges. And so every Friday we meet and talk with him, see how his week has been, where he struggled, where we can support him. And so, you know, that’s always been like a team effort. So I think that that’s like just an important piece of my whole journey, you know? Awesome. Okay, let’s see where we’re at. , Oh, this is probably my favorite question. It’s one of the– my favorite. So I have a,, I have a question that has nothing to do with Navigate Okay. Okay. Okay. that you wish someone would ask that they never ask? , What is something I could go… I should’ve… I, you mentioned this, this question to me earlier and I thought, “Oh, how would I answer that?” And I still don’t know. I wish they would ask that they never ask. it and come back to it? Well, you know, one thing I’ll say is I think, and this goes back to one of the earlier questions, is that I think lots of times people think, and I’m not gonna be answering the question exactly, but a roundabout way. I think lots of times people think, “Well, Betsy’s fine,” because I present as fine. And I think just I’m a human like anybody else, and I think there have been challenges. I know when I moved into my apartment, I had a lot of challenges in my nervous system when I moved and lived alone, not because I didn’t like being alone, but because I was so used to scanning to manage other people’s emotions, that the lack of knowing if I was, I’m gonna use air quotes, “in trouble”. But again, remember like I had this thing from when I was young, it had nothing to do with my husband. So, uh, is that I, I, I didn’t know if I was in trouble ’cause I wasn’t around anybody. And so I… So I think the thing that I wish, not necessarily people would ask me, but I think that people could recognize, was that everything that I share is truly because I have done the work. Like, I have walked through it. Like, I have thought about it deeply, and I think that if, you know, if somebody were to ask me something, I think it would just be like something totally different from anything that we talk about. Do you know what I mean? , Like what do you, why do you love the ocean so much? I, I’m gonna cry. Like, why do you love the ocean so much? Like, I think … Well, that’s weird. That’s gonna make me cry, Joy. We’ll, we’ll cut that out. Um think you should cut it out. By the way, I’m I mean, your audience already knows you’re looking to move to the Yeah. proud of you for making that decision and doing that. It’s so brave of you. And, Yeah. um, you clearly, you clearly love it so much that it’s emotional for you. So I’m Yeah. for you to do that. And I think that, like, for a long time the ocean was, like … When I thought about the beach, and if people have listened to the podcast forever,, That– I, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you tear up, so I, I think Yeah. something you shouldn’t cut out because it’s real Yeah. Yeah. I, I’m so happy for you because, um, like you said the other day, you know, we were talking with, um, a group of women that, that were s- that was saying like, “Uh, just wish I could get on the other side of this. Like, I wish I could take out all of the middle ground, the hard stuff.” Yeah. you said something so profound, which was, you know, that’s going to be the stuff that makes you that next person. That– Going through that is going to yield, you know, the, the person that you’re growing to be. So sometimes you just have to go through those hard things first. It’s like getting forged, you know? It’s like pottery, is like you mold it and then you stick it in the fire, and it’s the fire that makes it so beautiful. And so yeah, I think that trying to cut out the middle or t- not trying to go through the hard stuff, I think, like you don’t have to know what it’s gonna be like to get… Like, how long is it gonna be? How bad is it gonna be? You don’t have to know. All you have to know is today. All you have to know is, like, this moment. Can I handle this moment? Okay, I’m good. I’m good. What about this moment? Okay, I’m good. Like, I think we get so far ahead of ourselves, but it’s such important work to, like, move through. And, you know, I could go into the whole woo-woo, which I love to do, , i- which is like y- you know, you were meant to come here and go through this. You were meant to, like, have this experience. And, you know, I have a belief that… And other people can believe differently, but I think,, if I hadn’t gone through this, like, thing where I, I believe leaving my former husband this last time, becoming the person that I needed to become, and then leaving, was my life’s journey. I know that sounds so weird, but, like, that was a huge part of my life’s journey, and I think, I think, I would have come back in some other reincarnation and had to do it again. And now I get to, like, graduate from it ’cause I freaking went through it, you know? And I was… And we always say in the program, with bravery and integrity. Like, how do we move forward things with bravery and integrity? And I feel like I was able to do that. Did I do everything perfect? No, but I tried really hard to be in integrity with, with… And clear, you know, in, in what I wanted. Yeah. this question. What’s Okay. favorite movie? Okay, so my favorite movie ever, when you first w- asked me this question, like when you mentioned it yesterday, I think, um, I al- I loved Elizabethtown years ago. I have ADHD. it. Yeah, it’s really good. But, but I have, like, ADHD, so, like, I don’t remem- if you told me to tell you what Elizabethtown was about, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I, I’ll leave a m- a movie and I’ll be like, “That was so good.” And then outside the theater someone could be like, “Tell me about it,” and I’ll be like, “I don’t know, but I was entertained.” You know? So, uh, so but I will say my favorite movie ever, and I could tell you all about it, is Everything Everywhere All at Once. And when I… I’ve seen this movie like three different times. Every time I’ve seen it I wanted so badly to talk to somebody about it, like, in depth. Like, everybody in my life, I was like, “You know, you need to see that movie. Can we talk about it?” But it is a movie about the, like, the unis- universe, like collective consciousness, basically. And you get to see every piece of your life all at once as if you had made every decision differently than you did, and you, in the end, still recognize that this life matters, that this, where you ended up, was exactly right. Even with all the other metaverses in the world that could’ve happened, where you are is exactly right. And there’s also a greater story about a mother and a daughter, and it’s about her having, the mother having to see the daughter in every other universe to see all the sides of her before she could really love her in this one. And I just think it’s so profound. It’s such a good, it’s such a good movie. And, like, it’s the kind of movie you watch it once and you’re like, “What the fuck just happened to me?” And then you gotta watch it again and, like, every time I’m on a airplane I’m like, “Oh, let me see if they have it on there.” It’s so good. You know what else was a really good movie? And I’ve watched it twice, and the second time it didn’t hit the same time as the first time. But it was called, um, Nine Days, I think it was called. And it was about these souls that are auditioning to get to have a life, and they want it so bad. Oh. Oh, wow. and it’s, it makes you go, “Oh my God, I’m so lucky to be here.” Like, I’m, this is so fucking cool that I get to be here. And hard stuff. They want hard stuff. Like, they don’t just want fun, great stuff. Like, they want the hard stuff, too. Like, it is the range of emotion that is, like, the biggest gift that we have, and I think we- Try and stay so far away from anything that feels, like, uncomfortable or bad, but it’s part of the gift, ’cause when you do that, then, m- you know, like I cry thinking about going to the beach. Like, I can’t even say it because I g- had the fucking bad, and now I get to have the good, and I can’t even stand it, I’m so excited. It’s happy tears. But I think we move away from hard, and, and I see this in the program too, and I get it. Of like, I don’t wanna go through this, it’s gonna be hard. And I say like, “Let it be. What’s gonna happen on the other end?” Like, what if it ends up great? Like, I have this sign in my bathroom, and it’s in my bathroom only because, um, I see it every day, but sometimes on the internet people are like, “Why is that in your bathroom?” But it says, um, what if it’s great? What if it’s great? Like, we are really good at catastrophizing, being like, “This is terrible. My kids are gonna suffer.” Like, well, what if it’s great? What if your kids get to see you do something totally different? What if they get to see a whole new side of you? What if they get to experience you in real love or their dad having real lo- like, what if it’s great? I just, I, like, let’s spend as much time there, you know? Yep. 100%. Yeah. Yeah. So I just realized by your movies that I, um, may need to try some different movies out, ’cause I was thinking about Steel Magnolias, Parenthood, and yeah. Yeah, totally. You need to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yeah. think, well, I’ve r- Is that a book? ‘Cause I think I might have read the book. Oh, I know. yeah. But it’s a movie, like Jamie Lee Curtis is in it, and it’s really good. Yeah, watch that for I sure. Yeah. Okay. Well, we’re, we’re getting to the bottom of these questions. You’ve done a great job. Uh, let’s Okay. I have one. Um, so are you open to dating? Oh, no. Why? I know, that was so fast, wasn’t it? Okay, so let’s tell the story about, like, the… Okay, so I wanna say this. I feel whole and complete, and I would w- and I, I’m gonna make sure I’m not telling myself a lie. I feel whole and complete. I don’t feel like I’m missing anybody. The idea of having somebody and finally having someone in my life that actually likes me, like, I don’t feel like I don’t, I don’t feel like I have been in relationships in the past where people even liked me. So, the idea of having somebody like me, that actually would feel really good to have somebody like me. , I think I have had to fight my own ageism and really look at that from my own perspective. When I look outside of myself, I see women in their 50s and 60s that are beautiful, and I think absolutely they deserve love. And then when I look at myself, I immediately go, “She’s too old. I’m too old. Nobody’s gonna wanna date me at 55.” Like, I’m, I have gray hair. I… Do you know what I mean? Like, I do the, a little of that. So with that said, it would have to be a… I am s- I have such a filter now. , I s- smell, like, red flags. , It would have to really be someone that’s really spectacular. If you ever hear, if anybody listening ever hears of me dating, just know that they are, like, the freaking bomb. And I have joked that I would only date somebody if they had a yacht, which was very safe here in Atlanta ’cause nobody has a yacht. But now I’m going to the beach, so I feel like my v- my v- Venn diagram of overlap could be different. So with that said, I think that, yeah, I think it would have to be somebody great. There was one day that Joy and I were talking and w- I was like, “We’re gonna… I’m gonna get on a dating app.” And I had applied for, um, Raya, which is like which is, , for celebrities basically. But I was like, “I have enough followers. I think I could get into Raya.” But I didn’t. I- they put me on a wait list. And so then I was like, “Well, it could be my age. It could also be my content.” Do you know what I mean? Like, my content is gonna fil- filter out a, a lot of guys that wouldn’t be the right match, and so I feel grateful for that. So what did I get on? , I don’t– Was it? Hinge. It I got on Hinge. Oh, okay. Yeah. I lasted 24 hours, Mm-hmm. I asked for my money back and got it. It was a I got… 24 It was a whirlwind 24 hours. I was just disgusted by every freaking question. I, the… Men tried to introduce intimacy so quickly, and I am, like, I have a super filter for that. , Oh my God, was that funny or what? oh my God. hours, but it was s- I mean, I, I’m, I don’t mean to say it was funny, but It was funny, yeah. Betsy called me, she’s like, “I’m out, I’m off of it.” Yeah. joined it.” It was like, I joined it that night, and I was like, I think I had a glass of wine, and I was like, “I’m gonna do it.” And then by the next morning, I was like, “Screw this.” And somebody asked me out, and I said yes, and I liked that they were decisive. They were like, “Meet me here.” And then when I said, “I can’t do that on a Friday at lunch. , I run a company. Like, I don’t know what you think I’m doing.” And they wanted me to drive 40 minutes to meet them for lunch at like a cafeteria. And, and, and they were like, “I don’t know. The app says it’s 20.” And so I was like, “Oh, are you calling me a freaking liar? Are you try-,” like, I… And I got in the shower, and I was angry because some man was telling me what to do or telling me who I was, and I was like, “Oh, I’m not… This isn’t for me., I’m just not there yet.” And I, I don’t, I don’t know that there’s more evolving that I have to do, but I definitely think I need to, um, I wanna say like relax a little bit, but also, no. , I sensed that as like a… There was a rhetorical pattern there, right? Of like, “You don’t know what you’re saying. I know the truth, and you can- you’re gonna do what I say,” even though he didn’t say it in that way. That’s the… , and he gave this emoji of the what? I don’t know. You know, like, huh? my God, wow. And so I just was like, “I’m not doing that. I’m not… I am not ever playing that out with somebody else,” of like, “You know better than me.” I know m- the most about my life than anybody else. Like, I know me, and, and I know that’s too far for me to drive because I do important things too, buddy. But I was so… I, I mean, you can even hear it in my voice now. , I just… So no, I’m not dating ’cause I don’t want to. like a quick answer, a quick Yeah. tell you that’s probably the right answer. I was on a podcast recently, an, an interview. It’s not live yet. But she asked me like what d- what’s dating like, and I was like, I, I, I was almost confused by the question ’cause I was like, well, I… And I was like, I, I, I don’t know. I, yeah, I j- I was like, “I don’t know.” Like, I don’t know. I don’t know. Ask somebody else, not me. I have an a- amazing life, and to fit somebody else into that life… And you know, I’m moving to the beach, and I’m going down next weekend to look for my apartment, and I decided I’m gonna rent for a little while till I figure it out. The people who have come out of the woodwork to be kind to me, to… And, and actually, when people are listening to this, I’m probably on a airplane. So have come out of the woodwork to be kind to me, to offer to bring me out. You know, my birthday, I’m gonna be there on my birthday. There’s people bringing me out on my birthday that I don’t know, that know me from the internet, you know? Um, it- that ha- offered to help me find pla- that videotaped, like- These, this is one place you’d might really like at the beach. And, , took so much time to help me. I- it was a lesson in, like, you deserve to have people be kind to you. It’s okay to let people help you. , It was a moment, you know, where I was like, “Okay, this is a lesson in, , let people love you,” you know? And so maybe I’ll get there, and this is, like, the first piece, you know? That’s awesome. I’m excited for you. And, too. you I’m excited for you to come down and visit. least expect it. I’m talking about if there’s Yeah. a, you know, Yeah. partner in your future, it will yeah. least And like, it, I think. yeah. And like I’m, I’m g- I think I, I am a great partner. Like, I think I’m a really good partner, so I just gotta find the really good partner to partner with that. , I’m not afraid to have hard conversations. I listen. I’m a- available for new ideas. I like to try new things., I will do the things you’re into, but, like, I need the reciprocal, you know? So I will wait until I find that. Also, the yacht. Awesome. Yes. Got that. Well, we’ve gone through, um, a lot of these. Yeah. And we’ve been talking for an hour, which we could talk for two hours. It’s fine. But, I know. yeah. Are we done with all the questions? There’s one more, , it’s if the podcast ended tomorrow and you never coached another woman, would you feel like you did what you came here to do? Oh, you know what’s so weird is even when you said that, I was like, “No.” Like, I, like this is such, like, my purpose. I don’t know that I’ll ever not do it. Do you know, like, sometimes I think about retiring. My sister just retired, and I’m like, “I can’t imagine not doing this.” , It’s just so much of how I think and who I am. , Okay, so wait, what’s the question? If I ever don’t do it, then If, is. To do? I came here to do. Yeah. Years ago, I had this mentor when I lived out in the suburbs, and I had this mentor in my life who, you know, would give all these examples of things he had done or worked with people on or… You know, when we were working together, he would say, like, “I had this client once who…” And I remember saying to him, like, “You’ve, uh, I can’t imagine, like, having such a big impact on everybody. , you’ve had such a big impact.” And he said, “Yeah, if I died tomorrow, I know I would have given more than I took, and that feels good to me.” I, I think that only recently, like maybe in the last year, have I started to recognize Mostly because women on the internet are so incredibly kind to me. But only recently have I started to realize how much of an impact even just the podcast has made, or those videos that I do on Instagram. A- and I wanna mention something about that. But those videos, I think, , people are so kind to tell me how much that impacted them and changed their life, and changed how they thought about themselves. And so I think I could safely say that I’ve given more than I’ve taken, and, and I don’t know that it needs to be that way. I don’t need to give more than I get. That, I’m open to that being more of both. D- does that make sense? , Mm-hmm. like, I, I am open to receiving, and I think maybe for a long time I wasn’t. We talked about this in the group the other day of like, how open are you to receive, and to receive help, and to receive? And I think that I was closed for a long time ’cause I had to be so hyper independent. But anyway, so I would say yes, I, I think I’ve done what I came here to do, and I wanna keep doing it ’cause I think there’s more. Yeah. That’s a great ending. I think you are a phenomenal asset to women. I think that watching and working with you and watching you do what you do Yeah. it’s amazing. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. I’m grateful to do it, and I’m grateful that you were able to help me today with all these questions. Yeah, we Thanks, Joy. Our first it. official podcast. May th- may there be more. Thanks so much, Joy. You’re welcome. Have a great day. Thanks for joining me on The Art of Living Big. I hope today’s episode sparked something within you, maybe pushed you to dream a little bit bigger and live a little larger. Don’t forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share this podcast with someone you know who might need a little inspiration today. You can find me over on Instagram at Betsy Pake and on my YouTube channel. Remember, the world is vast. Your potential is endless, and your life, it’s yours to shape. Until next time, keep reaching, keep exploring, and keep living big.

You don't have to wait for December. Jump into Celtic Christmas this spring with Olivia Bradley, Dublin Gulch, Ashley Davis, and seven more artists who make the season last all year. It's Celtic Christmas Music #91 Olivia Bradley, Aisling Drost Byrne, Brendan McCarthy & Conal O'Kane, The Gothard Sisters, The Chivalrous Crickets, Terry McDade & The McDades, Willowgreen, Anne Roos & David Blonski, Keltricity, Ashley Davis feat. John Doyle, Dublin Gulch 0:06 - Olivia Bradley "Oíche Chiúin" from Christmastime 4:52 - WELCOME TO CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC I am Marc Gunn. I am Celtic musician and podcaster. We are promoting Celtic culture through Christmas cheer. We want to bring a little magic and joy into your holiday season. If you hear music you love, please support the artists. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes as well as how to support this podcast at CelticChristmasPodcast.com 5:41 - Aisling Drost Byrne, Brendan McCarthy & Conal O'Kane "Snow on the Tracks / Miss Ramsay's" from JUMP OUT OF IT 11:14 - The Gothard Sisters "God, Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" from Falling Snow 15:14 - The Chivalrous Crickets "Or nous dites, Marie / Joseph est bien marié" from A Chivalrous Christmas 19:32 - Terry McDade & The McDades "Snow Snow" from Winter Rose 24:19 - THANK YOU FOR SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER! You know, I could write a thousand episodes of this show, and I'm working on it,  but none of it would happen without you. Every time you hit play, share the podcast with a friend, or leave a kind review somewhere on the internet, you're keeping Celtic Christmas music alive for one more person who needed it this season. That matters more than you know. And to our Patrons… you magnificent, generous, frost-proof human beings. Thank you. You are the reason this show keeps going. You cover the production costs, the graphic design, the editing, and you allow me to buy the music, all of it. You make it possible for me to sit down every week and build something beautiful for Celtic music lovers everywhere. If you'd like to join them, here's your three-step plan: Go to patreon.com/celticchristmas Choose your pledge L $3, $8, $25, or $100 a month, for as long as you'd like to support the show Keep listening to Celtic Christmas Music and know that you are the reason this magic exists Nollaig Shona Daoibh, and thank you, from the bottom of my Celtic-music-loving heart. 25:53 - Willowgreen "Cold Is the Morning" from Winter 28:12 - Anne Roos & David Blonski "The Cutty Wren" from A Winter's Dance 30:48 - Keltricity "The Frost Is All Over" from A Celtic Christmas 33:53 - Ashley Davis (feat. John Doyle) "Song of Midnight" from Songs of the Celtic Winter II 38:07 - CLOSING 38:59 - Dublin Gulch "Christmas In Carrick" from The Best Of A Celtic Cowboy Christmas 41:29 - CREDITS Celtic Christmas Music was produced by Marc Gunn and our Christmas Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to subscribe to the podcast. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Billionaires and corporations that profit from fossil fuels have spent decades buying political influence to protect that profit. They're good at it. But they cannot buy your wallet. Every dollar you spend on clean energy is a vote no politician can override. Choose clean energy. The power to change this is already in your hands. Promote Celtic culture through Christmas music at CelticChristmasPodcast.com. Nollaig Shona Daoibh! #celticchristmas #celticchristmasmusic  

Noel catches up with Nigel Dick. One of the most successful music-video directors of all-time, Nigel has directed over 450 music videos. He has worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Oasis, Tears For Fears and Guns and Roses. Nigel directed Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas Time." Nigel shares some great stories. He's directed everyone from Barry Manilow to Ozzy Osbourne. His memoir, Music Video Mischief, comes out in September.

Vic Verchereau welcomes Jamie Furbush, who is President and CEO of the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. Welcome to play time. Welcome to Christmastime all-year-long. Welcome to Frankenmuth, Michigan's Little Bavaria, where we find all the things that make time together so meaningful. Heritage and hospitality are the heart, passion, and story of Frankenmuth. Frankenmuth is rooted in its Bavarian heritage as a community founded by German missionaries in 1845. Traditions and history are experienced through the community's culture today in the Bavarian architecture, beautiful landscapes, and welcoming world-class hospitality. Frankenmuth is a place of horse-drawn carriages and scenic bridges, of riverboat cruises and world famous chicken dinners, of larger-than-life waterparks and small town strolls. So when we need to simplify the agenda, and when we need to spend the whole day with our kids, stop by and feel the warm welcome of Frankenmuth; where you are sure to find the simple joys in each memorable moment of life. Michigan Corner's host Vic Verchereau gets the latest from Jamie Furbush, the President and CEO of the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

For many Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Christmastime sparks memories of egg rolls and General Tso's chicken. How did the affinity for Chinese food amongst many Jews begin? Trace this delicious history from the turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to today's take-out lo mein with Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. This lecture originally took place on December 22, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

For many Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Christmastime sparks memories of egg rolls and General Tso's chicken. How did the affinity for Chinese food amongst many Jews begin? Trace this delicious history from the turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to today's take-out lo mein with Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. This lecture originally took place on December 22, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-american-studies

For many Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Christmastime sparks memories of egg rolls and General Tso's chicken. How did the affinity for Chinese food amongst many Jews begin? Trace this delicious history from the turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to today's take-out lo mein with Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. This lecture originally took place on December 22, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

For many Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Christmastime sparks memories of egg rolls and General Tso's chicken. How did the affinity for Chinese food amongst many Jews begin? Trace this delicious history from the turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to today's take-out lo mein with Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. This lecture originally took place on December 22, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

For many Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Christmastime sparks memories of egg rolls and General Tso's chicken. How did the affinity for Chinese food amongst many Jews begin? Trace this delicious history from the turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to today's take-out lo mein with Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. This lecture originally took place on December 22, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

For many Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Christmastime sparks memories of egg rolls and General Tso's chicken. How did the affinity for Chinese food amongst many Jews begin? Trace this delicious history from the turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to today's take-out lo mein with Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. This lecture originally took place on December 22, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

It's Festive Friday with a powerful family drama! ABOUT GOODBYE JUNE Follows a group of fractured siblings who must come together under sudden and trying circumstances. AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR GOODBYE JUNE December 24, 2025 | Netflix CAST & CREW OF GOODBYE JUNE Director: Kate Winslet Writer: Joe Anders Cast: Helen Mirren as June Timothy Spall as Bernie Johnny Flynn as Connor Kate Winslet as Julia Andrea Riseborough as Molly Toni Collette as Helen BRAN'S MOVIE SYNOPSIS It's Christmastime, and we meet the Cheshire family — June and Bernie, and their son Connor — in what first feels like a quiet holiday morning. That calm is shattered when Connor discovers his mother collapsed on the kitchen floor. After a frantic call to emergency services, June is rushed to the hospital, and Connor gathers his sisters — Julia, Molly, and Helen — bringing the fractured family back under one roof. The news is devastating: June doesn't have much time left. As the reality sets in, old wounds and unresolved tensions rise to the surface. Connor feels stuck and directionless, still living at home. Helen has distanced herself from the family, both physically and emotionally, building a life abroad rooted in spirituality. Julia and Molly haven't spoken in years, their unresolved conflict having split the family in two. At the center is Bernie, stoic and emotionally reserved, struggling to express what he's feeling as he faces losing his wife. As June's condition worsens, she finds moments of joy in being surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Helen, who is expecting her first child, quietly grieves that her baby will never know their grandmother. June's greatest wish becomes clear: she wants her daughters, Julia and Molly, to reconcile.  One evening, as snow falls outside, June asks Julia for permission to let go. Through tears, Julia gives it. June shares a final, poetic hope — that she might return as the snow. With the help of her nurse Angel, she gets her two daughters that are fighting and finally confront their past and begin to heal.  Later, Connor challenges his father to open up and actually deal with the fact that his wife is dying. Bernie doesn't handle it great but ends up showing his love by singing karoke and finally having a heart to heart with Connor.  Knowing June won't make it to Christmas Day, the family comes together to celebrate early, putting on a nativity play in her honor. In the middle of that performance, surrounded by the people she loves most, June passes away. From the wings, Angeli watches as the family begins to process their grief — together. One year later, the Cheshires gather again at Christmas. Helen has welcomed her baby, and Connor has found love with Angeli. As they raise a toast to June, her voice returns through a letter she wrote to her unborn grandchild, reflecting on a life made rich simply by family. As the children run to the window to watch the snow fall, the family finds peace in her memory — and in the love she left behind. Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

…ON TODAYS PROGRAM…   FERNANDO AND THE HONDA CURSE, LAWRENCE STROLL SELLS ASTON MARTIN NAMING RIGHTS FOR 50 MILLION POUNDS. FERRARI ON THE OTHER HAND SHOW OFF NEW SPINNING REAR WING AND, LOOK VERY COMPETITIVE ! MCLAREN AND MERCEDES ARE NOT FAR BEHIND… RED BULL IS STILL A QUESTION MARK?…AND FERNANDO WILL NEED HIS CAMPING CHAIR AS THE GP2 ENGINE THAT FAILED HIM AT MCLAREN, THAT WENT KABLAMO IN THE INDY 500 AND LOOKS TO HAUNT ALONSO FOR ANOTHER LONG SEASON!! STAY TUNED FOR SOME GREAT ONE LINERS FROM MACHISMO… THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER…MORE VINTAGE BANTER BETWEEN THE HOST AND NASIR…THIS WEEKS SPECIAL GUEST: MARCUS ERICSSON, MARTIN BRUNDLE, AND MIKI MONRAS DE ESPANA…! Indianapolis 500 Veteran Hucul Dies at 79   INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Feb. 20, 2026) – Canadian driver Cliff Hucul, a veteran of three Indianapolis 500 starts in the late 1970s, died Feb. 17 on his farm in his native Prince George, British Columbia. He was 79. Hucul made three consecutive starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from 1977-79. His best finish came as a rookie in 1977, 22nd in the No. 29 Team Canada McLaren/Offenhauser that Hucul bought after Johnny Rutherford drove it to victory in the 1976 “500.” Hucul completed 72 laps before being sidelined by gearbox problems. He qualified on Bump Day for that race despite touching the wall in practice the previous day and suffering two engine failures during the Month of May, a significant pitfall for his low-budget team. Hucul's best qualifying spot was 18th in 1979, his final “500” start. The small-town driver from northern British Columbia learned his craft by racing stock cars and modified sprint cars at local tracks. He then began racing modifieds and supermodifieds in the Pacific Northwest against drivers that included eventual Indianapolis 500 winner and INDYCAR SERIES champion Tom Sneva and his brother Jerry Sneva. Hucul made 24 total USAC and CART starts between 1977-81, with eight top-10 finishes. Hucul's best finish in the standings was 11th in 1979, when he started the season by placing fifth at Ontario Motor Speedway and a career-best fourth at Texas World Speedway. In 1996, Hucul became a paraplegic after an automobile accident when crossing black ice on a highway in British Columbia. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Hucul remained active, managing his farm and mentoring many drivers in the area. He was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame for his lifetime contributions to auto racing. Hucul is survived by his son, Kelly, and daughter-in-law, Sylvie; daughter, Michele, and many grandchildren. 2026 BAHRAIN TESTING - WEEK 1, DAY 3 MAX VERSTAPPEN “Looking at the test overall, the Team got in a good number of laps on the first day so we were happy with that. We completed a lot of things that we wanted to test with the new Power Unit and the car in general. Today it was a continuation of that plus also trying to explore a little bit more with the car; you go through so many test items that it continues to change and evolve with everything that you are testing. In general, it is all so new that we are still learning a lot, but the car was good. We also have new tyres, so we spent some time looking at different sets and understanding what we need to improve and be better at. With the power unit, looking at the laps we got on the board, the start that we have had is good. That's exactly what we wanted to do and it was not a given. Whether it will be enough to win races, we don't know, we will just focus on ourselves and try to do the best we can, but there is still massive room for improvement. Finally, with the car, we learnt a lot about what worked and what didn't. Our runs also gave us even more ideas for the afternoon with Isack and then for next week, where we can continue to try new things and different set ups.” ISACK HADJAR “The first week here in Bahrain has gone well. Of course, I had to wait a little before getting in the car after Barcelona, but once I did, we were able to put it to the test and really work through what we need ahead of next week and Melbourne. There are so many things to look at, but we're staying on track with our programme so far. True performance and pace are always hard to judge in pre-season, but we can be happy with the reliability we've had from the power unit this week. There are still things to work on in terms of balance and tyre management, but that's completely normal for this time of year. We're working through it together as a Team to get where we want to be for Australia. I've known the people here for a while now, but it's great to be working with them again in an environment like this." ASTON MARTIN The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team concluded its testing programme at the Bahrain International Circuit today, with Lance Stroll returning to the cockpit of the AMR26 for the final time before the Australian Grand Prix. Lance did not get on track until late in the morning session due to a battery-related issue that had impacted Fernando's running yesterday. Honda carried out simulations on the test bench at HRC Sakura before the car returned to the track. Due to a shortage of power unit parts, the run plan was very limited and consisted only of short stints. Lance Stroll “It's been a challenging couple of weeks here in Bahrain, and today's limited running wasn't the way we wanted to finish the second test. It's clear the car isn't where we want it to be performance-wise, and we know there's a lot of work ahead in the coming weeks and months. There's a long season ahead, and we'll keep pushing flat out to unlock more performance. I want to say a big thank you to everyone trackside and back at the AMRTC for the work that's gone in so far. It's not where we want to be right now, but I know how determined this team is. We'll stick together, rise to the challenge and keep working until we deliver the performance we are looking for.” WILLIAMS F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season testing – Day 3 James Vowles, Team Principal: Another solid day of running and mileage. It's great to see that across the last six days of testing, we've been predominantly tyre and time limited, and able to complete the full programme that we wanted. That's just a testament to the hard work of the teams, both here and in Grove, making sure that we made up for lost time. 
 No one truly knows where all the performance lies. That's what Melbourne is all about, so I can't wait to go there, to gain a further understanding of where we are. What I know for sure, though, is we have work to do. There's no doubt about it. We've put ourselves on the back foot. But my assurance to everyone is that we have an aggressive programme lining up in front of us in order to make sure that we extract as much performance in this car as possible over the forthcoming months. Carlos Sainz: The past six days of testing in Bahrain has been one of the most interesting and challenging tests that I've been part of, given the new regulations and number of things we had to learn. The progress from day one has been significant, although there are still going to be things to understand and solve at the start of the season. We go into the first half of the year with lower expectations than 2025 knowing that we'll be starting slightly on the back foot. However, I'm really looking forward to getting started and focusing on improving the cars through the year to become more competitive. Bring on Melbourne! Alex Albon: It's been a relatively smooth test here in Bahrain. We got some good mileage under our belts and tested everything we wanted to get out of the car, so I'm feeling more ready for Melbourne. There's still a lot we need to understand and plenty of performance left on the table that we need to extract, but I'm glad the tests went to plan. It's now all about maximising the next few days to prepare for the first race of the year! THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW WITH MIKI MONRAS... Miki Monrás on battling Bottas and Ricciardo in the late 2000s and the rising cost of junior racing In the late 2000s, Miki Monrás was one of Spain's brightest prospects on the junior single-seater ladder, trading blows with the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and António Félix da Costa in Formula Renault and GP3. But while his rivals pushed on towards F1 or careers in GTs, the Spaniard's single-seater journey came to an abrupt halt in 2011. Feeder Series caught up with Monrás to reflect on the times he rubbed shoulders with greatness, the challenges of racing in the post–financial crisis era, and life beyond motorsport. By Anabelle Bremner Back in the noughties, the path from karting to Formula 1 looked nothing like it does today. There was no standardised Formula 4, no carefully managed ladder – just a patchwork of championships that rewarded those brave enough, and wealthy enough, to dive straight in. Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 was as deep as it got: 40-car grids stacked with future stars, the proving ground where Pierre Gasly, Nyck de Vries and Lando Norris would come to cut their teeth. But before all of them, it was Monrás in the thick of it. He made his single-seater debut in late 2007, the result of years spent chasing speed. His first taste of racing, in fact, came on two wheels – on a motocross bike, inspired by his father, who had raced professionally in Spain and Europe. At the age of eight, Monrás joined a motocross camp, and it wasn't long before karting came calling. “After the first race, I really enjoyed it,” he recalls. “I remember it was Christmastime and I asked for a motocross scooter and for a go-kart. So I finally got the go-kart, and that's the way I started. Then I started racing in Catalonia, and I just moved through Spain and Europe and all the world championships until formula.” Single-seater racing, however, would prove a unique beast. Shortly before turning 16, Monrás moved straight from karting into Formula Renault 2.0, in which the competition was fierce. “Normally at that age you'd go before to a category not straight to 2.0,” he said. “My first year I was racing with Bottas, I was racing with Ricciardo, I was racing with [Andrea] Caldarelli – really good drivers.… I was racing against people that were already racing for two years in single-seaters. That was a big difference.”His first Eurocup campaign, in 2008, proved a challenging one. He was scoreless for his first five rounds with the Hitech Junior Team (no relation to the current Hitech) before a switch to SG Formula brought him six points in the final two rounds. Valtteri Bottas, then of Motopark Academy, went on to claim that year's title after a close fight involving Ricciardo, Caldarelli and Roberto Merhi. The next year brought Monrás a decidedly better season and three podiums with SG Formula, owned by Mercedes Junior Team advisor Stéphane Guerin. He wound up fifth overall in a season dominated by a fierce three-way fight between Félix da Costa, Jean-Éric Vergne and Albert Costa – the last of whom ultimately took the title. Racing against so much talent at such a young age left Monrás with plenty of perspective on what might have been. “Ricciardo was my teammate. Jean-Éric Vergne was my teammate. I raced with Da Costa, Bottas, with Magnussen, so many people that have been racing each other and winning races,” he said. “[I] think if I changed something at that point, maybe I would be in Formula 1, but who knows. Maybe yes, maybe no. “But at that time, it was really difficult times because it was 2010, '11, '12, where there was also a big crisis in the world, especially in Europe. It was really difficult for Spanish drivers to get the sponsors and the money to race.” The financial squeeze triggered by the 2008 global financial crisis left Monrás and many of his peers in a precarious position. Several teams, such as SG Formula, shut their doors in the wake of the crisis amidst an already shifting landscape in junior racing. “It's been changing a lot from that time until now. When I was racing Eurocup 2.0, one time we were like 48 drivers, I remember. 2008 at Spa. It was a massive level and so many drivers wanted to go in,” he said. “Eurocup was really high level, I would say maybe [comparable] to Formula 4 about the car and the lap times. “Motorsport has changed a lot in the last few years. It's more expensive. At that time, Eurocup was also expensive, but I think Formula 4 is around €700,000 more or less, maybe more now. It's quite expensive. Back then, I think Eurocup was around €300,000 or €250,000, so there was a massive difference. A lot more people could race at that time.” After two and a half years competing in various Formula Renault series, Monrás stepped up to GP3 in 2010. The inaugural season, won by eventual F1 driver Esteban Gutiérrez, came with another steep learning curve. Monrás managed two podiums and a 10th-place finish in the standings, but the step up exposed the limits of what talent alone could achieve in a field packed with hungry, well-backed drivers. “When I raced GP3, that was the first year of the championship, so it was a new championship for all of the teams. I also raced with Arden, which was a new team in the category, so it made it a bit difficult,” he said. “During testing, I remember I was flying in GP3, and then suddenly in some races there was such a huge difference with some other cars and drivers. It was difficult sometimes. … I think this is always present in motorsport in all categories. You will find some kind of differences within cars and teams. It just will always be there.” Challenging as it was, that season had its highs for Monrás. A recovery drive in Spa's characteristic rain remains a fond memory for the Spaniard. “I had a really bad qualifying because there were some yellow flags,” he explained. “Because there were 30 cars, it was easy to find yellow flags if you're waiting for the last minutes in qualifying. I finished [ninth in] race one, and in race two it started raining really heavily after five laps. I went from P10 to P3, nearly fighting for the win in the last lap against Rossi and Tambay. That was a really good race.” After a season in GP3, Monrás moved up a rung on the ladder to Formula Two. At the time, the feeder series landscape was fragmented. GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 offered established paths to Formula 1, while the MotorSport Vision's FIA Formula Two Championship, which first ran in 2009, aimed to do the same with a more affordable package. “Formula Two at that point was very competitive, economically speaking,” Monrás said. “It was a lot cheaper to race in Formula Two than race in GP2 at that moment or 3.5 because it was like all one team. All the cars were one team with different engineers, and that made it low cost for the time. “A lot of drivers went to it because of that. They were racing in the best tracks, same as World Series and similar to GP2, and the car was competitive. Maybe not as competitive as GP2 or 3.5 because it was a bit slower, but it was really competitive and really fast, on the straight especially.”  “In that time, what they were saying was it was very equal. You had one engineer for three cars, you were sharing data with these three cars, and it was all under the same team. You can always find differences in motorsport. Maybe not a difference to make one car win and one car P15, but you can still always find two-tenths difference in similar cars, and two tenths, sometimes it's a lot of time,” he said. “The cars were on the same team, but each engineer was doing the set-up for his driver. The set-up I was using and maybe the set-up Bortolotti was using, he had won the championship maybe from our different set-ups. Every race, you changed engineers. Every weekend, you were rotating engineers so at the end of the season, everybody worked with everyone.” By 2012, the funding had dried up. Monrás was left sponsorless and unable to compete in Formula Two. He sampled GT racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series and tested with both Audi Sport and Atech GP, but no program materialised. From there, Monrás transitioned into driver coaching and team management – mostly with the AV Formula team owned by his manager, Adrian Vallés – and eventually “moved on” from motorsport around 2017. “I was working also with McLaren Automotive, but it was not motorsport. It was automotive, developing road cars, really competitive cars. After that I decided to stop because I wanted to follow a new career professionally, and I moved onto real estate which I have always been [involved with] because of my family, so that's why I decided to move over,” he said. “I now work in a real estate company which I own with some partners, and that's my day-to-day nowadays.” After years climbing the ladder in lockstep with some of the sport's future stars, Monrás has found a new rhythm – one that's decidedly less fast, but no less his own. Yet his career remains a reminder of the talent that defined an era: a Spaniard who went wheel to wheel with the likes of Ricciardo, Bottas, and Vergne, racing in some of the deepest junior grids of the 2000s and 2010s. In the story of that generation, Monrás may no longer be on track, but he's never far from the memory of it all.

On this week's Keepin It Real, Cam wonders what the life span of a titanium knee is and whether his father might need one or two more with the way he's going.  ----- My eighty-nine-year-old father is scheduled to get a knee replacement next week. Let me say that again - he's eighty-nine and getting a new knee and is eager to return to his very active life when the pain subsides. He's done this once before and wants the same results. People stop me nearly every day to ask about my father. They comment on how healthy he is and how he never slows down. This is true, though I can attest to him slowing a little over the past several years. He is eighty-nine, after all. Over Christmas holidays my brothers and I were with him at his property in Clarke County. We were all sawing on an oak tree that we were sectioning for firewood. We've done this nearly every Christmastime for about forty years now – felling the tree, cutting it into pieces and then splitting those pieces and stacking them in a rack near the camp. It will become the wood we'll burn next Christmas, letting it age about a year before burning, and we cut a lot of it every year. Dad has always led the way on the firewood. He finds the tree and leads the way on the cutting. His use of a chainsaw on a tree is the equivalent of Michaelangelo's use of a chisel on a block of marble – his dissection of the tree is a work of art. This past year, though, with four saws all buzzing at the same time, I heard one stop, saw dad put his saw down and step back and rest. "I'm going to let you all have at it," he said over the noise of the saws. Good, I thought. My brothers and I are beyond capable. But it may have been the first time I ever saw him step back. A story lives in the lore of that cabin in the woods. It comes from when I was a pre-teen and I had a friend there with me. Dad started cutting trees for firewood. Our job was to drag branches, do our best to split the logs, and put the split pieces in the trailer then unload and stack the wood in the rack. It was hard work and we were tired. We had gone through three trees and Dad stopped. My friend's face showed relief – finally, he was saying. Enough. We had some water. Maybe a sandwich. Then Dad cranked his saw up again and said, "One more" and marched off towards another oak tree. My friend's face fell and we all heard him say over of the noise of the saw, "Another tree??" That line lives on today when we're cutting wood. Another tree? Yep. Another tree. I don't know of any other eighty-nine-year-olds getting knee replacements. It's remarkable. He's always been able to outwork me. And in a few weeks, he'll be back to blaming his partners for losing at pickleball. He'll be sharpening his chain saw. And he'll be eyeing another tree. I'm Cam Marston, just trying to keep it real. 

Brian Hyland is known as the voice of Summer Love, & is a pioneer of Rock N Roll.  He sang one of my favorite songs, in fact it's probably one of almost everyone's favorite songs & one of the great classics of all time as it is on every karaoke song sheet…Sealed With a Kiss, which has probably been sung billions of times in karaoke. His journey through music is nothing short of legendary. At the ripe young age of just 16, he skyrocketed to stardom with his infectious hit, “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” claiming the coveted #1 spot across the nation & earning him a prestigious Gold Record. But..this was just the beginning of a remarkable musical odyssey.   Alongside the dynamic duo of Gary Geld & Peter Udell, he had hits like “Let Me Belong to You,” “Ginny Come Lately,” the world wide phenom “Sealed with a Kiss,” & “Warmed-over Kisses” solidifying his status as a household name.   He collaborated with luminaries such as Snuff Garrett, Leon Russell, &  JJ Cale, delivering hits like “The Joker Went Wild” & “Run, Run, Look and See,” which soared into the top 20 on the charts.   We discuss:   -Where Brian grew up (right near me!) -How & when did this music bug germinate in you. -His meteoric rise which continued with the monumental success of Curtis Mayfield's “Gypsy Woman,” a timeless anthem that resonated globally, selling over 3 million copies & produced by the legendary Del Shannon who was known for his megahit Runaway.   -How his penchant for reinvention shone brightly with his rendition of Jackie Wilson's “Lonely Teardrops,” capturing the essence of soulful melodies with unmatched finesse. -How In 1977 he moved to New Orleans to work with Allen Toussaint.  Allen produced an album with Brian called “In a State of Bayou.” The album was loved by the critics and was one of the best pieces music he ever did. -After 60 years since the release of ‘Sealed with a Kiss', Brian reunited with Peter Udell. Peter penned a Christmas song & invited Brian to record it. The song, titled ‘A Little Bit of Christmas Time', was released at the end of Nov. 2023.  -How Brian continues to grace stages & studios with his timeless melodies, with a legacy as a true icon of the music industry which seems to only grow stronger with each passing beat. -“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini…now those are some memorable lyrics. What year was that recorded & how did that song & those iconic lyrics come about. -How long did it take for your next hit song and what song was that? -Sealed With a Kiss.  How did that song come about and was it about someone specific? -What keeps Brian still performing 65 years after his first big hit? See www.BrianHyland.com for upcoming performance and to listen to some of his classics

The legacy media have lost control. Former CBS News correspondent and truth teller Catherine Herridge explains the corporate decisions at the network which told her "the legacy news" is dead. Silencing the Hunter Biden laptop story and refusing a live sit down with Elon Musk on X? Senator MarkWayne Mullin says he's a yes now for nuking the filibuster. Good news pairs up a good doctor and a secret Santa who spread more than good cheer together at Christmastime.

Merry Christmas! This week, since it's Christmas Time, we're taking some time off from the show. But we still want you to have some stuff to listen to while you're road-tripping or cleaning up wrapping paper. https://www.studentofthegun.com/radio So today, we've got some Classic episodes for you. Some episodes that, unless you were around at the VERY beginning, you likely haven't heard! Before we get into that, I just wanna say big thanks to our Partners who help this show happen. EOTech, of course, bringing you this show each and every week. Check them out at EOTechInc.com, make good use of any money you may have gotten as a gift this season Then there's our new friends at Blackout Coffee! If you go to studentofthegun.com/blackout use the Promo Code STUDT20 for 20% off your order of some of the best coffee you'll ever drink. Now without further ado, let's get into it! Enjoy a couple of retro SOTG Radio episodes!

The holiday season is here, which means we're off for a bit. But, of course, new episodes never cease rolling out! Thus, we've arrived at the first of our two Christmastime traditions: Recounting the most consequential 'moments' in the world of PlayStation and beyond for the past calendar year. As usual, we've each selected five choices for 15 total, and they touch on topics like the first concrete rumors surrounding PlayStation 6, Helldivers 2's surprise migration to Xbox as Microsoft itself brings its whole slate of games to PS5, multiple Grand Theft Auto VI delays, the reemergence of Insomniac's Wolverine, Hermen Hulst's sudden demotion, Sony suing Tencent over the blatant Horizon ripoff Light of Motiram, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles Dickens didn't invent the Christmas ghost story — he was continuing a tradition that stretched back centuries. These true tales of holiday hauntings show why the longest nights of winter were once considered the most dangerous.IN THIS EPISODE: Before Halloween claimed the spooky spotlight, Christmas Eve was once the traditional time for telling ghost stories - a centuries-old custom that gave us Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and brought families together around crackling fires to share spine-tingling tales on long winter nights. Tonight I continue my efforts to bring back this tradition with some ghost stories and hauntings that took place during the Yuletide season… and every single ghost story is absolutely true.SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…Photo of the Berthelot ghost: https://weirddarkness.com/TrueChristmasGhostStories“A Christmas Carol” narrated by Darren Marlar: https://weirddarkness.com/?s=%22A+Christmas+Carol%22More holiday horror stories from Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/?s=%23holidayhorrorsMost stories were gathered from the book, “30 Real Christmas Ghost Stories” by MJ Wayland: https://amzn.to/41QrPBjWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: December 25, 2024SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/RealParanormalChristmas#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasGhostStories #HolidayHauntings #TrueScaryStories #ChristmasHorror #Paranormal #GhostStory #ChristmasEve #HauntedHistory #VictorianGhosts

George Noory and author Sandra Champlain explore her research into the afterlife, near death experiences and life reviews of the positive and negative effects of your actions, and if people get more messages from dead loved ones at Christmastime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week in the After Party, Jake takes a look at all the disgraceful deeds committed by rock stars during the holiday season. Plus, your emails, calls, and DMs! In the exclusive portion of the After Party, Jake and Dr. Zeth Lundy further examine the Christmastime nightclub shooting that allegedly involved Diddy. You can become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week in the After Party, Jake takes a look at all the disgraceful deeds committed by rock stars during the holiday season. Plus, your emails, calls, and DMs! In the exclusive portion of the After Party, Jake and Dr. Zeth Lundy further examine the Christmastime nightclub shooting that allegedly involved Diddy. You can become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Christmas Eve 1642, shepherds witnessed something impossible — two phantom armies fighting a brutal battle in the sky over Edge Hill. When investigators arrived, they saw it too, and testified under oath to the king.Episode 12 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!IN THIS EPISODE: “Christmas Carols in the Woods”, “St. Mary's Church”, “The Lady In The Pantry”, “Mrs. Eustace Returns”, “The Phantoms of the Mamie R. Mine”, “The Wreck of the General Arnold”, “Up In Flames”, “The Battle of Edgehill”, “50 Berkeley Square”SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.https://weirddarkness.com/EdgeHill

Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 597 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - It's the Most Wonderful Gear of the Year! The guys are back for this Holiday Special episode of the Chasing Tone Podcast and Brian and Blake come in strong with some singing. I think that's what it is. It has been quite the year for gear, and so the guys take a festive goosey gander at Reverb's top pedals of 2025. The guys attempt to coax some form of festivity from Brian with mixed results and then lament the current cost of living. Brian cooks up a plan to speed up the Christmas Holiday and a new business idea is hatched. Slowly, but surely, the guys get back on track and there is much rejoicing! Richard has been running some tone based Ai experiments with a new website he has helped a little with, debatably.ai. Blake remains unconvinced. Brian ponders a new type of Christmas decoration and has a Skateboard rant. Definitely avoid listening to the credits if you value your sanity.Finally, we would like to extend a very festive thank you to all our listeners this Christmastime - we really appreciate you all and we hope you have a fantastic and relaxing holiday. Lego talk, Cheap ham, Britney Spears x Pink Floyd, Brian imitates a Rockman, Dr. Horowitz's Marketing Gamble...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone!We are on Patreon now too!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast)Awesome Courses and DIY mods:https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com/https://www.wamplerdiy.com/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcastFind us at:https://www.wamplerpedals.com/https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/Contact us at: podcast@wamplerpedals.comSupport the show

On Christmas Eve, a teenager shoveling snow beside an abandoned house with a deadly history becomes convinced that Death himself is watching from its darkened windows—and waiting to collect.Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…”The Carol Singers”: https://tinyurl.com/s978sjj“The Sock Puppet”: https://tinyurl.com/wgrpaog“The Tell-Tale Scarf” by Judith Graves: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I'll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasChores#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HauntedHouse #GhostStory #HorrorStory #Creepypasta #ScaryStory #HolidayHorror #Paranormal #TrueScary

When six of history's most infamous serial killers mysteriously wake up at the North Pole on Christmas Eve, Santa offers them one final chance at redemption—but the Holiday Spirit doesn't work on everyone.IN THIS EPISODE: It's an original short holiday horror story from Jon Allen, called “Here Comes Santa's Claws”. *** (Originally aired December 23, 2021)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“Here Comes Santa's Claws” by Jon Allen, https://twitter.com/writerjonallenVisit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsorsJoin the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateAdvertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =OTHER PODCASTS I HOST…Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =https://weirddarkness.com/SerialKillerChristmas#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #SerialKillers #SantaClaus #HolidayHorror #TrueCrime #ScaryStory #HorrorStory #CreepyChristmas #NorthPole

George Noory and author Varla Ventura explore the history of ghosts, witches and monsters associated with the winter season, famous Christmastime ghost stories like 'A Christmas Carol,' and the legends of scary creatures hunting for misbehaving children.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What we have to share with you here is an episode from our fellow spooky podcaster Rob Kirkup, host of the How Haunted Podcast. Rob hails from the UK and has not only a great voice, but he is a wonderful storyteller. The episode features locations from around the world that have spirits who make an appearance only on Christmas. Please consider subscribing to his podcast, so you can enjoy all of his material featuring locations across the UK, some of which Rob has investigated himself. Christmas is a very special time of year. Most people don't think of ghosts and ghost stories when it comes to Christmas, but this really is the darkest time of the year, when the daylight doesn't last for very long, so why wouldn't spirits hang around more. And we all like to gather with family for Christmas, so it makes sense that a ghost might want to make an appearance on that night. Christmas night is usually cold and dark and so the perfect time to explore twenty different locations the world over, which are said to be the haunt of spooks that only make an appearance at Christmas. As the snow falls gently outside, and twinkling fairy lights illuminate our homes, let's gather together around the warmth of the fire to delve into the spectral side of Christmas, and ask just how haunted does it get around Christmastime? Find out more about the pod at https://www.how-haunted.com and you can email Rob at Rob@how-haunted.com Music in this episode includes: Darren Curtis – Lurking Evil: https://youtu.be/3i0aVnpeppw " HORROR PIANO MUSIC " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek" Music link :https://youtu.be/xbjuAGgk5lU || SUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/DQQmmCl8crQ || Follow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtP || Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JV

Happy Holidays! In this episode we're joined by writer, content creator and Bluey detective Zach Mander, who despite being in a different warmer climate is also currently experiencing Christmastime. Zach talks about content creation, Home Alone and his Bluey exploration along with all things Australia. And Dumb Dad Moments! If you want to send us your Dumb Parenting Submission, you can email us at DumbDadPod@gmail.com or send it by postal mail to The Dumb Dads, 17216 Saticoy St #678, Van Nuys, CA 91406. For more Dumb Dad Pod, follow us on social – https://bit.ly/3t6tE9M We've got DUMB DAD MERCH! - https://thedumbdads.com/ And we're on CAMEO! We'd love to send a message to a dad (or anybody) in your life who needs a Dumb Dad pick-me-up! Thanks to Chris Verdú for our show music! Check out Verdú on SoundCloud! And thanks to editor, Annie Laferriere. Check her out on instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long before Santa slid down chimneys, other figures roamed the winter nights — and they weren't bringing presents. They were bringing punishment.IN THIS EPISODE: ‘Tis the season for not only reindeer, grinches and magical snowmen but also fearless children, negligent parents and dumb thieves. “Home Alone” may be the first Christmas movie that comes to mind upon hearing that description, but it turns out there's a long and storied tradition of true stories of children left alone around the holidays matching wits against would-be robbers. (Home Alone) *** What would you think if you received a Christmas card in the mail that had a picture of a dead bird on the cover? Not very festive, is it? But that's not what people believed in the past. For a while, a dead bird was synonymous with saying “Merry Christmas!” (Merry Christmas, Here's a Dead Bird) *** A woman leaves her family to go Christmas shopping at the last minute… and disappears forever. (Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping) *** Christmas fun isn't all about Santa, his reindeer, and a magical snowman come to life thanks to a hat. There are some downright terrifying yuletide monsters that might make you want to stay behind locked doors this year. (Creepy Christmas Characters)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“Merry Christmas, Here's a Dead Bird” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9b4f73“Creepy Christmas Characters” by Molly Mahan for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8mf9e9, and Karen Anne for German Girl In America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckjs6r6“Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping” by Chrissy Stockton for Thought Catalog: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckpe5n5“True Stories of Kids Home Alone At Christmas” from Second Glance History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/25uum6xj, “Home Alone” theme by John WilliamsVisit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsorsJoin the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateAdvertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Originally aired: December 22, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasCreaturesABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness, #Krampus, #ScaryChristmas, #ChristmasHorror, #FrauPerchta, #DarkChristmas, #HolidayHorror, #ChristmasDemons, #CreepyChristmas, #DarkFolklore

A mysterious philanthropist spent more than 25 years handing out cash anonymously around Kansas City at Christmastime. Music in this Episode"I Knew A Guy" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Elegy for Manush" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"The Agency Man" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Velvet Ladder" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Soft Piano Music" — Clavier Music, via Pixabay"A Very Brady Special" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" — Unnamed Artist, via PixabayOrder your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long AgoConnect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com BooksOf Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)

Take a ride with Mischke from distant galaxies to auto-camping sites, from couples counseling sessions to nuclear war, and from dingy motels to sacred holy celebrations. Here's to the darkest time of the year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join Desert Oracle Radio for an audio tour of how the American Desert celebrates Christmastime, or Christmastide. With festive soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver. Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2025 http://DesertOracle.comSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/desertoracleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Take a ride with Mischke from distant galaxies to auto-camping sites, from couples counseling sessions to nuclear war, and from dingy motels to sacred holy celebrations. Here's to the darkest time of the year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stu Burguiere gives his take on last night's biggest moments as President Donald Trump celebrated his first-year victories and laid out a road map for the country in 2026. Then Stu has the latest on the search for the Brown University shooter. And it's Christmastime, which means the annual premiere of Stu's iconic holiday film, “The Christmas Twist.” TODAY'S SPONSORS   AMERICAN GIANT CLOTHING Buy American today at http://www.american-giant.com/STU and save 20% when you use the name ‘STU' at checkout   BEAM ORGANICS PRODUCTS Get up to 40% off Beam's Dream Powder when you use the discount code STU at http://www.shopbeam.com/stu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul and Amy ring in the holidays with The Muppet Christmas Carol, celebrating the Muppets' heartfelt take on Dickens, the film's joyful performances, and the craftsmanship that made it a cozy holiday fave. They also reflect on the movie's deeper emotional resonance in the years following Jim Henson's passing, and why this Muppet classic continues to mean so much at Christmastime. You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul's Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/ Paul's book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/ Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don't forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

T.S. Eliot's poem captures the wonder, mystery, and even fear of Christmastime, anticipating Christ's restoration of all things lost.  __________ Register for CCNC at colsonconference.org

Joy sounds simple at Christmastime … until life brings loss, disappointment, or unanswered prayers. In this Advent episode, Wendy Blight joins Kaley Olson and Ellen Adkins to share how Jesus brings joy — not to replace suffering but right in the middle of it. Through Wendy's honest personal story and a biblical look at joy throughout Scripture, you'll discover how true joy isn't rooted in circumstances — it's rooted in the presence of Jesus who meets us, sustains us, and carries us through things we never asked for.A powerful message for anyone who's wondering how joy is possible in a season that feels anything but joyful.You'll learn:Why biblical joy is more than a feeling — it's something God gifts us through His Spirit.How joy grows in seasons of pain, unanswered prayer, or physical and emotional suffering.Why lament isn't the opposite of joy — it's often the doorway to it.Practical ways to shift your gaze from your circumstances to Christ.What Scripture teaches about a future joy that no loss or sorrow can take away.Resources From This Episode:Join us for Advent in the First 5 app!Download the free app, and spend five minutes each day studying God's Word with women around the world.Go deeper with our brand-new Advent study guide, More Than a Manger.Experience the Christmas story with fresh eyes through rich biblical teaching and meaningful daily reflections.Help more women access biblical Truth this season.Your generosity fuels everything we do — from free podcasts to devotions to study resources.[Give to Proverbs 31 Ministries today.]Click here to download a transcript of this episodeWant More on This Topic? Listen to this Therapy & Theology episode titled “How Can I Trust God When I Don't Understand What He Allows?”

The last time Trisha Yearwood was on the show was back in 2021, when she was here to discuss a cookbook called Trisha's Kitchen, but this year has been all about music. In 2025, Trisha came out with not one but two new albums, a remarkable burst of energy and creativity. The Mirror, which she released over the summer, was her first album in six years, a personal and passionate collection of songs—all 15 of which she co-wrote—that some have called the best work of her career. Then in November she came out with a holiday record called Christmastime, which she recorded with a full orchestra and followed up with a series of concerts all over the country. Trisha is still cooking up a storm, of course, especially around the holidays. She talked to Sid about some of her longtime Christmas traditions with her husband, Garth Brooks, why they're always one of the first houses in the neighborhood to put up their lights, and the new holiday song they wrote together, “Merry Christmas, Valentine.” For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was Christmastime — a season of peace, light, and goodwill — which made the slow unraveling of their minds all the more disturbing.IN THIS EPISODE: Despite being in the middle of the first World War, on Christmas Day, 1914 British and German soldiers sang carols together, exchanged gifts with the enemy combatants, and supposedly even played a soccer game against each other in order to celebrate the holiday. (The Great War's Christmas Truce) *** The case was so mysterious it was even featured on TV's “Unsolved Mysteries” and “America's Most Wanted”: who committed the Christmas murder of Latricia White? And what happened to Lee and Chance Wackerhagen? (An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery) *** We're so used to seeing old St. Nick showing up with a big bag of toys for the kiddies – but what if he arrived with another bag full of switches for your parents to use the whole year through if you were on his naughty list? We'll look back at when Santa wasn't purely jolly and jovial, and when he arrived to dole out both presents and punishment! (Santa's Naughty List) *** The Los Feliz murder mansion became the site of a horrifying and sad Christmas tragedy for one California family. (Christmas At The Los Feliz Murder Mansion) *** A haunting holiday mystery took place in England in 1916 when a young bride simply disappeared without a trace. (The Vanishing Christmas Bride) *** A man tries to take on supernatural forces – and ends up as an undead creature who appears as a terrifying Yuletide spirit. (A Living Dead Yule Haunting) *** (Originally aired December 14, 2021)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:26.354 = A Living Dead Yule Haunting00:13:27.140 = *** The Great War's Christmas Truce00:17:56.944 = Santa's Naughty List00:23:10.274 = The Vanishing Christmas Bride00:27:16.438 = *** Christmas at the Los Feliz Murder Mansion00:41:13.715 = *** An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery00:45:45.415 = Have Yourself a Flying Saucer Christmas00:49:55.342 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“A Living Dead Yule Haunting” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/39y7ubu5“The Great War's Christmas Truce” by Erin Kelly for All That's Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ytv6zdy2“Santa's Naughty List” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yc5cszy7“Christmas At The Los Feliz Murder Mansion” by Colleen Conroy for Ranker's Unspeakable Times:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p99t2kw“An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery” from Mystery Confidential: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pzzyfatw“Have Yourself a Flying Saucer Christmas” by Beth Colman for Mental Floss: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycxv3w49“The Vanishing Christmas Bride” from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3nkcxes4= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =https://weirddarkness.com/LivingDeadYuleHauntingABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#HolidayHorrors #WeirdDarkness #NorseMythology #VikingLegends #ScaryStories #ChristmasHorror #Draugr #CreepyHistory #TrueScaryStories #DarkHistory #HolidayHorror

We should not be surprised that Jesus isn't the center of attention at Christmas if He is absent from our thoughts throughout the year. Today, Sinclair Ferguson considers the need to refocus our affections on Christ. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/recovering-christ-at-christmastime/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

A tragic accident at Christmastime in 1917 gives way to a story of a heroic response, a lasting friendship, and a unique Christmas tradition. Read Walter's letter to Harold, described in this story.Music in this Episode"Carrier's Lullaby" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Quiet Serenity" — Lite Saturation, via Free Music Archive"Stay the Course" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Oh Christmas Tree" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist"Relax Romantic Jazz Calm Soothing Home" — Denis Pavlov, via PixabayOrder your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long AgoConnect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com BooksOf Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)

#HolidayHorrors | Hundreds of people have reported encounters with what looks exactly like Santa Claus — and they weren't children dreaming on Christmas Eve. If the real Santa doesn't exist, what are these witnesses actually seeing... and why does it want to be seen?IN THIS EPISODE: Many of us are familiar with the flip side of Father Christmas – the darker entity who visits and kidnaps bad children, Krampus. But when it comes to true fear, even Krampus would run in terror at the sight of Iceland's Gryla, the Christmas Witch! With roots dating back to the 13th century, Gryla is not to be messed with! (Iceland's Christmas Witch) *** It was Christmastime, 1938, and 19-year-old Margaret Martin had just graduated from Wilkes-Barre Business College with honors and was eager to secure a secretarial job. Her eagerness would lead to her disappearance. (The Murder of Margaret Martin) *** Ask anyone over the age of twelve what they think about the existence of Santa Claus and you'll most assuredly get the same answer. But that has not stopped people of all ages reporting sightings of the jolly old elf, and some of the stories are downright creepy. (People Who Swear They've Seen the Real Santa Claus) *** Two murders committed in the same house during the holidays of 1928 appear to have resulted in the spirits of Christmas past haunting the place today. (The Hundley Murders)TIME STAMPS & CHAPTERS:00:00:00.000 = They Swear They Saw Santa00:01:22.035 = Show Open00:03:20.486 = The Hundley Murders00:18:08.033 = *** People Who Swear They've Seen the Real Santa Claus00:38:56.938 = *** Iceland's Christmas Witch00:45:55.352 = The Murder of Margaret Martin00:49:25.321 = Show CloseSOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“The Strange World of True Kris Kringle Sightings” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8kfyka“Iceland's Christmas Witch” by Alex Palmer for Smithsonian Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/57ntaeeu“The Murder of Margaret Martin” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7e6xxvph“The Hundley Murders” by Troy Taylor for his book “Bloody Illinois”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3yb3fd2p(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46=WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: December 08, 2021#WeirdDarkness #SantaSightings #ParanormalChristmas #ChristmasMysteries #SupernaturalEncounters #TricksterSpirits #UnexplainedPhenomena #GhostStories #ChristmasParanormal #TrueParanormalStorieshttps://weirddarkness.com/RealKrisKringleSightings

Ah, Christmastime - presents, feasting, and… little goblins?! We explore this Greek folktale of the Kallikantzaroi, mischievous goblins that come to earth during the 12 Days of Christmas to cause shenanigans. Could your holidays be a little more naughty? We think they could! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual content, genitalia, religious persecution, urination, violence, death, child endangerment, childbirth, animal death, and depression. Housekeeping- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests' books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Get our Old Wives' Tale Teller Corduroy Hat!- Submit Your Urban Legends Audio: Call us! 617-420-2344Sponsors- Bookshop.org, where you can now use the code we shared in the midroll to get 10% off your purchase!Find Us Online- Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com- Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast- Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch- Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast- Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com- Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast- Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.comCast & Crew- Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin- Editor: Bren Frederick- Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman- Multitude: multitude.productionsAbout UsSpirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MUSICThe three surviving founding members of KISS -- Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss -- paid a visit to The White House on Saturday where President Trump recognized them as one of this year's five recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, which is presented to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. Guitarist Ace Frehley, who died in October following a fall at his New Jersey home, was represented by his daughter Monique. https://youtu.be/MoEAlhUTVnEFollowing the ceremony in the Oval Office, the State Department hosted a dinner for the honorees, which also included actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford, country singer George Strait, and R&B singer Gloria Gaynor. Taking the podium there, the President spoke in more detail about each recipient.With a chair left empty in memory of Ace Frehley, KISS were honored by Garth Brooks, who, upon taking the stage said, “I see some faces of confusion. No we are in the right segment of the show, people” before performing "Shout it Out Loud."Also paying tribute were Criss Angel, Marcus King, and Cheap Trick who ended the show with "Rock and Roll All Nite."Highlights of the show will air on CBS and Paramount+ on December 23rd. Garbage was performing in Australia recently, and apparently someone started tossing a beach ball around. Shirley stopped the show to RANT about the beach balls . . . sarcastically shouting, "Guy with your big [effing] beach ball. Ooh, I'm so scared of you. So thrilled by you. What [an effing D-bag]." https://consequence.net/2025/12/garbage-shirley-manson-beach-ball-video/ TVMiley Cyrus gagged while describing this fear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Thursday night. It's caused such a problem in her daily life, that she's even known for being a Grinch during Christmastime because of her issue with wrapping paper. She has an issue with how it feels, and the way it sounds, especially if it's touched by DRY hands, which is common during winter. Jack Osbourne and his wife, Aree Gearhart, are expecting their second baby together. https://people.com/jack-osbourne-expecting-baby-no-5-his-second-with-wife-aree-gearhart-photo-11862457 MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS:Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is the new number one movie in North America. https://variety.com/2025/film/news/box-office-five-nights-at-freddys-2-debut-zootopia-2-900-million-1236602529/ AND FINALLYJane Seymour isn't a doctor . . . but she played one on TV . . . and she's sharing the secret to feeling decades younger.Jane is 74 now. But she actually needs to keep looking at her birth certificate to believe it. https://people.com/jane-seymour-says-she-feels-20-to-30-years-younger-at-74-exclusive-11862954Dr. Quinn shared THREE of her secrets, and there's good news: It isn't out-of-touch, celebrity stuff . . . it's so relatable that YOU can live it. Here they are:1. Non-stop working and challenging yourself. Quote, "I work 12-, 14-hour days on sets and keep up with everyone. I don't need cue cards . . . I learn pages after pages and I have a lot of energy . . . "I keep working, and I keep pushing myself to be better . . . because I love what I do . . . it keeps me young." 2. Spending time with family, and having active friends. Quote, "I have grandchildren and my own children, some of whom are in their early 40s. I'm part of their social circle. So I've never been sort of put in the group of, 'Oh, now you're an older person . . .' Not at all. Quite the opposite." 3. Don't dismiss new things, embrace them, and join in. Jane says she's "much more open-minded" about life now, and is "not stuck in my ways." She adds, "People say, 'Are you going to wind down?' I go, 'I am winding UP' I am loving life. NOW is it . . . I only want to do things that I'm passionate about . . . and I make sure that, even if it's work, that I turn it into a fun life experience." AND THAT IS YOUR CRAP ON CELEBRITIES!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Some Christmas memories arrive wrapped in nostalgia. Others arrive wrapped in ache. Rachel Wojo shares a tender story of opening her parents’ old nativity set—one that carried decades of meaning. As she unwrapped each figurine, the gap between the serene scene in her hands and the messy reality of her life felt impossibly wide. Many of us feel that gap at Christmastime. The nativity scenes we display look peaceful:Mary is calm.Joseph confident.The shepherds composed.Baby Jesus is quiet and glowing. But the real manger wasn’t polished or picturesque: It smelled like livestock. It echoed with labor pains. It held a newborn King in a feeding trough. It was full of fear, sweat, uncertainty, and miracles wrapped in humble cloth. The beauty of the manger is not that it was perfect—it’s that God entered the imperfect. Luke tells us the shepherds’ announcement left people “amazed”—a word meaning wonderstruck, stunned, stopped in their tracks. Not because circumstances were ideal, but because God Himself had stepped into the world through the messy, the ordinary, and the unexpected. We often think God will meet us once our life feels more peaceful, more put-together, more “holiday ready.” But the manger whispers another truth: God does His most breathtaking work in the low places.God shows up in stables.Glory often comes wrapped in straw, fear, and the unplanned. If this season feels far from picture-perfect—if grief, transition, financial strain, illness, or loneliness shadow your December—remember this: The first Christmas was not perfect.But Emmanuel came anyway. And He still does. Bible Reading:“And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” – Luke 2:18 (NIV) Takeaway Truths The real nativity scene was messy, imperfect, and full of holy wonder. God is present when life is not peaceful or predictable. The manger reminds us that Christ enters the world right into our mess. We rediscover wonder when we stop trying to make life perfect and start looking for God in what’s real. Let’s Pray Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the God who enters stables and brings glory into the lowest places. Thank You that You do not wait for perfection before You draw near. Forgive me for believing You need my life to be tidy before You can work in it. Help me rediscover the wonder of the manger—the miracle of Perfect Love entering an imperfect world. For everyone whose holiday season feels broken, empty, or nothing like the pictures, remind them that You are the God who specializes in the unexpected places. When I’m tempted to hide my mess, remind me that You came through one.Thank You that no situation is too humble, too painful, or too chaotic for You to enter with transforming love. In the name of Jesus, who still comes to us in the low places,Amen. Scriptures for Further Reflection Luke 2:14 Isaiah 9:6 John 1:14 Philippians 2:5–8 Additional Encouragement Finding God in holiday grief — Crosswalk.com Devotions for when Christmas feels heavy — Christianity.com Listen to more daily audio prayers at LifeAudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Send us a text This week Greg sat down with Doug Wilson. Doug is a Pastor, Writer, and Theologian. They discussed the biblical boundaries for sarcasm and the serrated edge, practical advancements post-millennials can look to in the last 50 years, how pastors with large ministries deal with scrutiny and time management, and of course the 19th Amendment. Enjoy! Click HERE for your free consultation with Dominion Wealth Strategists Click HERE for the best cigars 1689 Cigars has to offer! Click HERE for your complete seating and furnishing needs from K&K Furnishing Covenant Real Estate: "Confidence from Contract to Close" Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV AppSupport the show Get your free consultation with Dominion Wealth Strategists today! The only distinctly reformed wealth company! CLICK HERE! 1689 Cigars: The absolute best cigars on earth! Check out out the Dead Men Walking snarky merch HERE! Build something for God's glory through Covenant Real Estate! Greg Moore Jr. can help you buy, sell, and invest! Call him at (734) 731-GREG or visit www.covenant.realestate

This week of Deck the Hallmark is presented by Aura Frames. Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/DECK  // Promo Code:  DECKThis episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth! Use promo code HALLMARK to get 40% off at cozyearth.com---We're joined by V Spehar from Under the Desk News to dive into the newest Holiday Touchdown film. This time we head to Buffalo for Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story — clear eyes, full Bills, can't lose.ABOUT HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A BILLS LOVE STORYSparks fly between two lifelong Buffalo Bills fans as they try to discover the identity of a mysterious Christmastime gift giver.AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A BILLS LOVE STORYNovember 23 2025 | Hallmark ChannelCAST & CREW OF HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A BILLS LOVE STORYHolland Roden as Morgan QuinnMatthew Daddario as Gabe DeLucaJoe Pantoliano as Uncle Tommy Caroline Aaron as Ricki DeLucaPatti Murin as CathyTracy Pollan Steve Schirripa BRAN'S HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A BILLS LOVE STORY SYNOPSISMorgan is on a date during a Bills game — like, a total moron. She can't stop watching the game, her date isn't having it, and they leave. But at least now she can enjoy the game while sipping a drink made by Andrew Walker.The next day, she's with her family, the Quinns, who are hanging out with their best friends and next-door neighbors, the DeLucas family. Morgan lights up when Gabe shows up. They've been best friends forever, but Gabe has secretly been in love with her all along. With both of them single, maybe now's the time to finally shoot his shot.They go to snag a Christmas tree — at the same lot where Tyler Hynes and Hunter King are inexplicably picking out a tree. And, of course, the magical Santa tree is there too.When they get back home, they find an envelope addressed to Uncle Tommy. Inside is a Christmas ornament. He explains that someone has been sending gifts like this for 55 years — starting as groceries and cash when their family was struggling during his draft into the war, and evolving into ornaments every year. It's a mystery who the giver is.Morgan and Gabe decide to track down the mystery giver — harder than they expected. After a day together and seeing her in her element at the hospital, Gabe tries to confess his feelings but gets distracted by the Christmas light display at his house turning on.They ask Uncle Tommy to show them more ornaments, and on the bottom of one, they spot a store name. They track down receipts from the '70s and start combing through them. Eventually, they get a lead — though the giver's name isn't visible yet.It's obvious to everyone else that Gabe is in love with Morgan, but he can't bring himself to say it.Finally, they track down the mystery giver: Mia, a childhood friend of Tommy's who's secretly been in love with him all these years. Feeling a kinship with her situation, Gabe insists she tell Tommy. Mia resists, but Gabe won't let it go.Morgan confronts Gabe: “What's up with you?” He blurts, “I LOVE YOU, OKAY?!” She walks away to process it.It's time for the big Christmas game, and Gabe is nowhere to be found. Turns out he orchestrated Mia's daughter to be the “troop shoutout of the day,” and gets Tommy to publicly thank Mia. He finally tells her he's always loved her, and they kissssss.Everyone cheers — including Morgan, who can't believe everything Gabe did to make it happen. Her sister goes into labor, so they can't take their traditional family photo. Luckily, Gabe pulls some strings again, getting them back into the stadium to play catch with Bills legends and take their pictures. Morgan thanks Gabe with a big ol' kiss.Merry Christmas! Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.