A Drink With a Friend

Tsh chats with her new friend Regina Gravrok, who was homeschooled K-12 and then (recently-ish) got a degree in English at Hillsdale College. Her passion for education and literature led naturally into a position at Classic Learning Test — in this chat they talk about the gift of a traditional, individualized education, the beauty and power of reading great books, and how to foster an environment...

Tsh chats with her friend Chloe Langr, mom of three little ones and host of the podcast Letters to Women . They talk about homeschooling (she’s a first-generation!), finding time to read, book clubs, leaning in to our vocations, and more. * Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace * Tsh’s books , trips , & Rule of Life * Chloe Langr’s newsletter & podcast * Well-Read Mom * Hannah Coulter , by Wendell Ber...

Tsh chats with her friend Christine Bailey who, along with her husband, runs a regenerative farm and hosts all sorts of community gatherings in their beautiful barn. They talk about farming as a family, homeschooling, hosting gatherings, beauty, and much more. * Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace * Tsh’s books , trips , & Rule of Life * Christine Bailey’s book & podcast * Christine’s farm: The Kind...

Tsh chats with friends Mike and Alexandra Foley. Hosts of the podcast Drinking With the Saints , Mike is author of a book of the same name (one we love in our household!). We’re joining forces for next summer’s pilgrimage along the Rhine River, and I think you’ll love them. In this conversation we chat about cocktails, the liturgical calendar, travel, homeschooling, the traditional mass, and more....

Tsh chats with one of her dearest pals, Sarah Mackenzie, as they talk about all sorts of things: the art and business of writing, parenting older kids, reaping the long-awaited fruits of homeschooling, and more. * Sarah’s businesses: Read-Aloud Revival and Waxwing Books * Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace * Tsh’s books , trips , & Rule of Life * The Kerlan Collection * Kate DiCamillo’s first draft...

He was a musician, tech employee, and a good homeschooled Baptist kid …and also got a DUI on his record. God used that moment to wake him up—and long story short, now he’s a priest. Fr. Gabe Bouck is Tsh’s friend who recently joined her family in Greece and Turkey, and they chat about his story, why he loves what he does, and what their time on pilgrimage this summer meant to them both. …You can’t...

It’s time for a new season of Drink, and Tsh has a new-old mission: to really embody the show’s title. Pour yourself a drink and get ready for conversations with friends, old and new. All are welcome. * Tsh’s newsletter: The Commonplace * Tsh’s books , trips , & Rule of Life * Recommended reads * Become a supporting subscriber * Buy a round of drinks Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon...

In this last episode of the season, Tsh talks with Zack Kibodeaux of the band Blue Water Highway . They talk about the objective beauty of art, what it means to make a living as a working artist, and how to navigate secular art spaces as a Catholic Christian. Plus, the episode ends with a sampling of his band’s delightful work! It’s a great conversation to tie up this season — as always, more epis...

In this one I’m chatting with artist Chris Lewis, who runs his business, Baritus Catholic, as both a ministry and an independent (mom-and-)pop shop. We talk about what is it that makes art objectively good, why beauty is also objective, and how AI is such an insult to bonafide human artists. I also ask him what we, as appreciators of good art, can do in our ordinary, modern lives, to support more...

Yes, it’s good for us to work with our hands, and we all should in some capacity. But what about making things with our mind, and even via (gasp!) our screens, too? Yep, that can be done well. Tsh chats with Faith Moore, novelist and (new) podcaster, about making things: she unpacks what it was like to write her first novel from her home as a busy mom, as well as launching a very successful podcas...

Why do we humans, as embodied creatures, need to make things? And more specifically, why do we need to make things with our hands ? What’s the benefit on both a personal and societal level? Nate Marshall and I chat about trade work (and the culture’s side-eye of it), what we learn about our souls when we work with our bodies, and what to do about this if we tend to live up in our heads. * Host: Ts...

Why do we need to make things? Because we need to be people who make things (more than we need things that are made by us). Why? The reason is simple: because making things makes us more into who we’re meant to be. We’re made to make. * Host: Tsh Oxenreider * Create Your Rule of Life * Buy a round of drinks * Recommended reads * Ira Glass’ The Gap Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.pl...

Why does localism matter? What does a need to know our local farmers have to do with our souls? Why are our neighborhoods better when we buy and invest as locally as possible (even when it’s a small amount)? Tsh and Seth talk to Hadden Turner, a 20-something British agrarian writer, who has a few things to say about living locally. * Hosts: Tsh Oxenreider and Seth Haines * Guest: Hadden Turner * W...

Living within your 100-mile radius means living small and local—choosing to, as best possible, participate, buy, and invest our time in only that which is immediately around us, within roughly a hundred miles. There’s no way to do this perfectly, and that’s okay. But is it worth the effort? Probably. * Host: Tsh Oxenreider * Create Your Rule of Life * Buy a round of drinks * Recommended reads Get...

Acedia is our modern-day dragon — the desert fathers and mothers named it “the Noonday Devil.” What is it, really? And how do we fight it? Tsh talks with Harrison Garlick, a Deacon with the Diocese of Tulsa, to unpack the ladder of love we have to climb to slay our dragon. * Host:  Tsh Oxenreider * Guest:  Dcn. Harrison Garlick * Harrison’s podcast, Ascend: The Great Books Podcast * The Intellectu...

We've talked about rootedness; now we're moving up the plant stalk to flourishing: thriving, growing well, and generally being who we're supposed to require good roots in good soil. But what's possibly the biggest threat to said flourishing? The ol' noonday devil acedia . What is it? How does it affect us so much? And how do we fight it so we can get back to flourishing? Let's talk about that. * H...

You are a tree. You are also not a tree. You are on a journey. You are also not on a journey. We use metaphors all the time to describe life, and funnily enough, so does the Bible. Joy Clarkson unpacks why we use metaphors, and she and Tsh also get into why we need to be rooted — and open to change. * Host: Tsh Oxenreider * Guest: Joy Clarkson * Joy’s new book, You Are a Tree * Create Your Rule of...

We’re starting a new season with a few changes — Tsh Oxenreider unpacks what you can expect this spring by way of the season’s theme: rootedness . What does it mean to know who you are, whose you are, and where you belong? How do we become more rooted in an ever-digitized world? * Host: Tsh Oxenreider * Create Your Rule of Life * Ascend: The Great Books Podcast * Young Heretics (another good but u...

In this final chat of the year, Seth and Tsh work through a few of her end-of-the-year questions—and you’re invited to do the same. They’re tougher than they initially seem! * Hosts: authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider * Buy a round of drinks * Recommended reads * Tsh’s end-of-the-year reflection questions Get full access to The Commonplace at thecommon.place/subscribe

‘Tis the season to have more options than possible to read, watch, and listen to. Authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider share what they're currently imbibing in this department, along with what's in their queue for the holidays. * Hosts: authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider * Buy a round of drinks * Tsh's 2023 Holiday Gift Guide * Six Reads for Advent on Tsh's Substack newsletter * Winter Fire...

Whether you're a seasoned Advent adherent or a barely-even-heard-of-it curious onlooker, Advent really is for everybody . Writer Tsh Oxenreider shares why Advent, as well as the rest of the liturgical calendar, really is a gift to us, even in (especially in?) our insanely busy and information-packed world. She also shares a brief introduction to the season, as well as a few ideas on how to get sta...

Third places are what they sound like: they’re not your home, and they’re not your workplace—they’re the third place where you hang out (think Cheers ). Authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider chat about their third places, why they matter to neighborhoods and communities, and what to do if you haven’t yet found your third place. (Hint: they can’t be digital.) * Hosts: authors Seth Haines and Tsh O...

Why hope? Because we have no other choice. A few years ago, Amber Haines entered a season of pain and despair when she resigned from her role as church curate and walked out those doors for the last time. Since then, she and Seth have been learning that hope requires a recognition of the deep-down things. Writers Seth, Amber, & Tsh Oxenreider talk about why we HAVE to hope, even when (especially w...

Social media isn't great for us, neither individually nor collectively. Know what's better? Substack. Not just for writers or creators — for readers and listeners, too! That means you . Writers Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider share why they dig this bright spot on the internet, and why you should, too. It's not perfect, but it’s doing a good thing. * Hosts: authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider *...

We officially live in a world with AI, like it or not. It’s been around quite awhile, but its ubiquitous presence is escalating, and quickly. How shall we then live? Is there ethical space for AI? Writers Tsh Oxenreider and Seth Haines have thoughts. * Hosts: authors Seth Haines and Tsh Oxenreider * Buy a round of drinks * Recommended reads * Merch! * Come see Tsh next Thursday, October 5 at Fable...