A Peace of My Mind

Joe Davis is a nationally touring artist, educator and speaker based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We talk about his faith, the creative ways he sees people coming together virtually to build community, and he also performs a new spoken word piece he wrote recently called Questions in the Time of COVID. Like many artists, most of Joe's paid engagements have been cancelled until he can perform at...

Ambassador James Pettit retired in 2018 from 38 years of service with the U. S. Department of State. We talk about the massive effort to repatriate American citizens back to this country during the COVID-19 pandemic, his tenure as ambassador to Moldova and the importance of having diplomats on the ground in countries around the world as a resource for understanding local and global events. Thanks...

Lars Pruitt is the frontman for the Minneapolis-based band Yam Haus. We talk about the momentum the band was building, the upcoming tour they had to cancel and the creative space that opened up to write new songs. Oh yeah...and we talk about their Yam Haus Tuesday night Quarantine Bingo sessions. To learn more about Yam Haus, visit https://www.yamhaus.com/ . To join in on their Tuesday night bingo...

Deborah Doering is an artist and educator in Harlem, New York. We talk about her bike ride through a seemingly empty Manhattan, the nightly 7 pm banging of pots to celebrate the frontline healthcare workers and her sense of when she might be ready to venture onto a crowded subway train again. You can see some photos of Deborah's bike ride on our Facebook page. Thanks for listening to A Peace...

Mike Arneson lives in Big Sky, Montana, but he is sheltering in place with his aging parents in La Crosse, Wisconsin while his wife Sue helps take care of their grandson Hank in Minneapolis to help their children who are both working from home. We talk about their quick decision to leave Big Sky, the tag team nature of their family help in two separate states, and Mike's adjustment to a slowe...

Danny O'Neel is a U.S. Army veteran and a fellow at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. He lives in Folsom, California. We talk about his work with veterans who suffer from PTSD and how social isolation is impacting some of them. We talk about his own struggles with attempted suicide, how he overcame them and where he finds hope today. And we talk about his family's celebration of his daughte...

Jennifer Louden is a best-selling author and a leading voice on self-care and creative transformation. Her new book, Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What's Next will be released on April 21, 2020. To learn more and to buy her book, visit https://jenniferlouden.com/why-bother/ . Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our...

Jon Pancost is a stone mason in Lucas, Kansas. We talk about the small number of COVID-19 cases in the rural areas of the state, the prevalence of conspiracy theories and the difficulty in crafting policy that is relevant to both our urban centers and our rural communities. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and...

Jody Ross was tested for COVID-19 in Minneapolis on March 18, 2020 and immediately started isolating. Her test came back positive on March 23. She has now been cleared to come out of quarantine by the Minnesota Department of Health and is doing well. We talk about the process of testing, her methods of self-care and her hope that people can use this time of social distancing as a boot camp for per...

Gavin Wagner is an Honors College student from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. We talk about his quick transition from learning on campus to distance learning from home, the lost opportunity to say a proper farewell to friends at school and the ways he has grown to appreciate family more as he shelters at home with them in the state with the second highest number of COVID-19 cases...

Rose McGee started Sweet Potato Comfort Pie after driving pies to Ferguson, Missouri, as a catalyst for caring and building community. We talked about the pies she is making now, the ways she is seeing people support one another and her hopes for us all moving forward. You can learn more about her work at https://www.sweetpotatocomfortpie.org/ .  Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's p...

Arno Michaelis is a professional speaker based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We talk about the recent primary vote in his state, his history as a white supremacist, and his belief that love and compassion are going to save us all. You can learn more about Arno's work at these links: https://www.giftofourwounds.com/ https://mylifeafterhate.com https://www.parents4peace.org/ https://www.theforgivene...

Kris Cain is a psychotherapist in Frankfurt, Illinois. We talk about the rise of anxiety in this era of social distancing and uncertainty, our need to maintain human connections and her own discovery that she is less of an introvert than she once imagined. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Insta...

Ethan Bender is a bass player, husband and father in Milwaukee Wisconsin. We talk about his frustration at having to go out to vote in the state's primary election this week, even as they were under a stay at home order, the disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes in the African American community, and how his family navigates the challenges of social distancing through music and song in thei...

Sandi Wesel's father has been hospitalized since early March. Although his health issues are not related to COVID-19, the virus has impacted Sandi's ability to visit her father as well as do her own work as a physical therapist. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram .

Steve Wewerka is a fine art photographer who was in the midst of his art fair season when the changing situation required him to shelter in place in his RV at a Florida panhandle campground. We talked about his cancelled shows, the community he is finding in the campground and how he is learning to see his surroundings in new ways as he photographs no more than 500 feet from his RV. You can see hi...

Tracey Erickson is a respiratory therapist in Fullerton, California. We talked about the community support she has seen for healthcare providers, the precautions she is taking to reduce the risk of exposure and the things she is looking forward to when social restrictions are lifted. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our we...

Zach Berget is a lighting designer who recently relocated from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. We talked about the difficult timing of his move, what he misses from touring on the road with musicians, and the ways he is learning to appreciate a slower pace of life. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on...

Jason Kallsen is the owner of Twin Cities Wine Education and The Wine Workshop in Minnesota. We talk about his rapid change from in-person to online wine education, the larger changes he sees in the hospitality business and how staying busy and focused has helped him navigate shifting terrain. You can learn more about his online wine classes at https://thewineworkshop.net/ . Thanks for listening t...

Steph Roble is a member of the USA Olympic Sailing Team. We talk about qualifying for the team, weeks of uncertainty, learning the Tokyo games have been postponed for a year and what training looks like now. You can follow her journey at  https://www.roblesheasailing.com/ . Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and...

Joey Anderson is a high school senior from Burnsville, Minnesota. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram .

Tina Kunes is a high. school math teacher in Morgan Hill, California. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram .

Karolyn Hanson-Rathert is an ICU nurse in Madison, Wisconsin. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram .

Kane Smego is a spoken word poet, a hip hop artist and an educator based in Los Angeles, California. You can learn more about Kane's work at  https://www.kanesmego.com/ . Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram .

Emma Congelose is a nursing student in her senior year at Valparaiso University. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram .