Mondays with Mom

Kindness truly changes lives. This week focuses on some of the times my mom was on the receiving end of unexpected kindness in hard times, and how her own kindenss was repayed back to her. As the saying goes, it pays to be kind, and these stories are proof of that. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

What happens when a hotel room is overrun by carpet bugs, or when a giant parktown prawn appears where you least expect it? In this episode of Mondays with Mom , my mom shares hilarious, shocking, and slightly traumatic stories about the insect invaders and creepy crawlies that have made their mark over the years. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of No...

In my mom's life, nothing seems to just be easy and simple. I am a prime example of this. Picture this, a first time mom (soon to be single mom too) panicking because her baby just won't eat! (... allegedly *cough* *cough*). Moms all deserve an award for putting up with us and my mom really deserves a whole solid gold statue for her perseverance, love, creativity and ingenuity to get her f...

Before the days of LinkedIn and being ghosted by companies' recruiters online, my mom talks about her own work experience during a rural hospital block rotation which was nothing short of wild. Getting super sick, far away from home was definitely not the plan, but it ended up working out in the end and led my mom to her first job. And if all I have to face is some rejection emails, I'm pr...

Your fiancé is sick in hospital and your future in-laws put you in charge of feeding their pitbulls while they're away. This might be the wildest puppy-sitting story you'll listen to because while the dogs were fine... The house wasn't! A wild case of a puppy party gone wrong, and a surprise workout routine all in one! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed...

Mine and Mom's first sailing yacht trip felt like a disaster! While of course we are so blessed to have had the opportunity, it was hard to remember this while feeling sea sick and being flung around the boat by powerful waves! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

The two of us love our dogs, even when they do some wild things! This week my mom talks about one of her beloved childhood dogs, Pepito and the crazy adventures he got up to in suburbs, the farms, and even the city centre. Pepito was one loyal, loving and adventurous dog who seemed to get himself into all sorts of trouble. And maybe, just maybe, his legacy continues still to this day. ——— Intro/ O...

My mom tells us a few stories of a very cranky car that despite many attempts to get rid of it, had a lot of staying power. And maybe certain cars, can build character. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

My mom has been through some crazy times, which if the title is any clue, bring to mind the lines of the classic Nancy Sinatra song "Bang Bang". This week's stories make us think we were never made for the violence of the wild west.... And we're grateful for it! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Picture this: you just got off the bus, and as it drives away you realise you don't have your bag. What would you do? Well we find out just what my mom did in this episode! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Hair is an important part of your identity and how you present yourself to the world. So with that in mind, this week's story is all about a certain hair-raising situation in which a Marilyn Monroe costume does not turn out the way it should have. Be careful because this episode may cause you to flip your wig! (metaphorically, of course). ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With Y...

As we just celebrated (Greek) Orthodox Easter, we spoke about two Easter miracles that Mom has experienced that have reinforced and even 'ignited' her faith. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

God communicates in mysterious ways. Now, we're not saying that everything is a sign but we think that the ones Lia experienced definitely were. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Before Caller I.D and cell phones, there were times you had absolutely no idea who was calling or sometimes even why they were calling. So what did Mom do when a stranger called? ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

You won't be-leaf it but it's true. There was a time when it started raining oranges.... Well, we made it rain. Why? To get back the washing we lost of course! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

When Mom turned 21, freshly graduated, she got her first physio job at a hospital in South Africa. It was a politically turbulent time and a bit scary too, but this job shaped my Mom into the person she is today. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Family vacations are always a little bit crazy and this one is no different. Listen to Lia's snow woes and holiday 'events' that made this one so memorable for the whole family. It includes chairs with handcuffs, cute dogs, the tooth fairy and the best hot chocolate we've ever had! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art...

You're stressed, you're anxious, you're on a time crunch and you cannot get that twist cap off your cold drink- crisis! So what would you do? Listen and find out what Lia did in this exact scenario (with a few tangents and side stories along the way because we can't help ourselves). ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Ar...

We’re going back down familiar roads and discussing Lia’s previous car troubles- from broken mirrors to faulty window wipers and even Tarzan is involved…. It’s a wheelie good time you won’t want to miss! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

After multiple cancellations and rain-checks, the long-awaited and dreaded first date finally happened. Did George impress Lia? Has dating etiquette changed over the years? Listen along to find out! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

To celebrate the month of love and Valentine's day, this episode is all about what happened after the quiz evening. Will George ask Lia on a date? Or is he just not that into her? This week we talk about my Mom's dating life after her divorce and lessons in love. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Following my mom, Lia's encounter with Colin last episode, this week's story features another unexpected encounter that followed soon after. The story of how Lia met George (my stepdad) is not a conventional love story but it is one worth sharing. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

We’ve all experienced car trouble. While navigating a tough divorce, caring for two young kids, and generally feeling done-in by life, my mom was rear-ended multiple times while stopped at red lights, with one accident leaving her car in need of serious repairs. That’s when an angel appeared… not with wings, but very much in disguise. 
——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” lic...

It’s the start of a new week and that means a new episode, although this one is a bit different because it’s actually Jo-less! My mom recorded this with my sister Tina while visiter her in London last year and what resulted was a lot of Jo slander and some very funny stories about what makes Tina and I so different- our varying athletic ability (I mean Tina outran, out swam and outsports-ed me in...

This week we're talking about how my mom chose to study physiotherapy and I bet you've never heard of this degree-picking method before! It definitely takes colour-analysis to a higher (education) level. Thankfully,although the method was questionable my mom found a career she was passionate about and which suited her well. ___ Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” license...