Tangential Inspiration

Getting back to our regular schedule after a bout of Covid!  Time to bring the inspiration!  Amy leads off with a wonderful story about an amazing surfer with Asperger's Syndrome who is now sharing his love of surfing with young people with the same condition.  Teresa follows up with the story of Terry Fox, who despite losing a leg to cancer, ran across Canada to raise awareness and funds for canc...

So, we had a slight COVID-induced break, but we will be back on schedule soon.  The downtime was just an opportunity to find more and more inspiring people and stories.  This week, Teresa starts us off with Kechi Okwuchi, the Nigerian-American singer who made it as a finalist on America's Got Talent despite having been horribly burned in a plane crash.  She refuses to let her scars define her and...

2022 is going by so fast- we are already closing out May!  And while there is so much negativity in the news right now- so much pain and death, we need to search for the bright spots.  It is too easy to fixate on the bad of this world and miss all the beauty.  Here is just our little ray of sunshine to help you through the shadows.  Amy shares the story of a modern take on an older Mexican folk ar...

It's not only people who can inspire- our furry friends can be a fabulous source of comfort, companionship, love, and yes, inspiration.  We have got some great animal stories in this episode, but first, Teresa kicks it off with two stories about ordinary people doing some extraordinary things to help the people of Ukraine.  Then there is the story of Molly, a doggie pet detective, who helps find l...

Spring has sprung.  Flowers are in bloom.  And lawns are overgrown.  But inspiration is also blossoming.  Teresa starts off with some quick-hit stories about celebrities who are making a difference for others.  Then Teresa deep dives into the remarkable Jane Goodall, famous for living with the chimps, but has done so much more for the natural world.  It is a story you have to hear.  And then Amy b...

Wow- it's already May.  Just going to jump right in- some truly inspiring stuff happening here.  Teresa starts off with an amazing tale of survival that ends up a love story.  Then take a walk in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and hear about the amazing life and impact of Fred Rogers, who made a difference in the lives of so many children.  Finally, Amy shares two great stories about communities coming...

It's already the last week of April- and hopefully, all of the showers we have had will bring lots of flowers next month.  We are serving up some incredible stories that will fill you with inspiration.  First, Teresa brings you the bitter-sweet story of a man, who despite having ALS that has paralyzed him and taken away his ability to speak, has found an even louder voice in his fight to help impr...

We are excited to have just hit 50,000 downloads.  Thank you to our listeners for all the support!  We love our listeners!  This week, we have some fantastic stories to share.  We start off with the mother of an autistic child who is reaching out to other parents about raising children on the spectrum and informing others how they can be an autism ally.  Then Teresa takes on Dr. Fauci who not only...

So, we are having a very weird week, with snow in April.  Hasn't happened in Portland since 1934.  So, while we huddle in for the Spring sleet and snow, we bring gifts of inspiration.  Amy tells about a construction company that not only employs people who need a second chance, they also provide temporary lodging to help them get back up on their feet and these incredible temporary homes are poppi...

Happy April!  Let's dive right in because we have some incredible stories this week.  Amy tells a story about a community in Detroit that is bringing back its neighborhood on their own using the power of the sun and the strength of its women!  You won't believe how much you don't know about the incredible Maya Angelou.  This lady could do it all and do it with style.  It's an amazing story.  Then...

This week we have some great stories!  We start off with a story that is straight out of a horror story but ends as an incredible tale of forgiveness and giving.  Then Amy deep dives on actress Valerie Bertinelli, who struggled with weight over her decades-long career, going from diet to diet, only to learn self-image and self-love does not come from numbers on a scale.  This is an incredible less...

Episode 73 is a little different than most of our other episodes.  In this episode, Teresa interviews Remy Drabkin and John Mead.  Remy is the owner of Remy Wines in McMinnville, Oregon, a winery that is on the cutting edge of not only environmental sustainability but also social consciousness.  Remy, with the help of John Mead of Vesuvian Forge, is building a sustainable winery and using a new ty...

With the horrors of war going on in Ukraine, everyone can use some inspiration and a little bit of hope.  In the dark, light shines brighter.   Teresa starts off with two great companies that are using different means to help keep homeless people warm.  Then Amy does a deep dive on Shirley Ann Jackson, an absolutely brilliant woman who was one of the first black female students at M.I.T. and who h...

This past week has been brutal with all the news coming in from Ukraine.  But this is the time we need to find the light in the dark, foster hope, and share our hearts.  Teresa starts with a story of an amazing project that is helping keep waste out of landfills and helping our homeless population.  Then Teresa takes a look at the current war in Ukraine and how the people of Ukraine and their Pres...

March is here!  And we have another batch of inspirational stories to feed your soul.   First, a dad creates Autcraft for his autistic son to create a safe space for children with autism to play Minecraft.  Then Teresa talks about comedian and Daily Show Host, Trevor Noah's, difficult childhood in South Africa and how his mom molded him into the man he is today.  Finally, Teresa brings it home wit...

Still Black History Month and so we are going to start off with the history-making Olympic athletes: speedskater Erin Jackson and barrier-breaking Debi Thomas.  Then Teresa dives into runner and filmmaker, Alexi Pappas, and her lessons on the importance of mental health.  Amy wraps it up with skier Lindsey Vonn and actress Goldie Hawn who are both helping others deal with mental health.  These are...

It's already the middle of February 2022!  Pandemic time is flying by while seemingly standing still.  Days are getting a little longer, even seeing some buds starting on some trees meaning Spring is just around the corner.  In this episode, Teresa talks about two different ways people are tackling waste in our communities, Amy talks about #BeKind #WeStandWithUkraine We would love to hear from you...

February is Black History Month and we are going to share some amazing and inspiring stories to celebrate!   Teresa starts off with the story of Bessie Coleman, the first female black pilot and a pioneer in flight.  Then she brings you Ida B. Wells, virtually a force of nature, she brought much-needed attention to murders and lynchings in the post-slavery South.  This story is a tough one to hear,...

Ok- we have been away for a couple of weeks.  Some technical issues on top of Covid has put us a bit behind, but we have so many inspiring stories to get out so we will be playing catch-up.  One of the unfortunate sides of Covid is that we are doing the podcast remotely, so sorry that the audio quality is a little off.  We are working on trying to improve it.  Anyways, still some fantastic stories...

Inspiration is in the air.  Amy gives us some quick updates on some of the subjects of prior episodes.  Teresa then goes through the life and passions of the Amazing Betty White, who we lost just a few days ago.  Everyone loves Betty White, and you will love her and be inspired by her even more after you hear this podcast.  Finally, we love animals just like Betty White, and so we have two animal...

Ok.  Just to be upfront, this episode includes puppies in bowties.  PUPPIES IN BOWTIES!  How can you get more adorable than that?  By having a young man sew them to help get pets in shelters adopted.   Our main story is not quite so light, dealing with overcoming the damaging effects of so-called "gay conversion therapy".  Julie Rodgers bravely tells her story of how she went from the face of gay...

Our first podcast of 2022!  We are so excited for what the New Year brings!  So much inspiration to be found.  Amy starts off with a fun new cookbook that does not require you to be a great chef to make yummy meals.  It encourages the exploration of food with family.  Then Amy talks about the amazing Lenny Kravitz and how the love of so many people shaped his life and inspired his music.  Teresa b...

Wow- the last week of 2021!  Where has the year gone?  We are finishing 2021 with a bang- three great inspiration stories.  Teresa starts us off with Verônica Silva Hipólito, the amazing para-athlete who has overcome so many challenges but never gives up.  Her story is simply amazing!  Then Amy deep dives on the amazing life of Chef Julia Childs.  This Chef's love of bringing the joy of cooking to...

Yay!  Our first Christmas episode!  The holidays can be filled with so much joy, but they can also be a time people struggle.  This episode is all about finding hope in the holidays and a reminder that everyone makes a difference.  We start off with Amy talking about The Thirteen Gifts, a story of tragedy that leads to hope and kindness for a family and how they pay that forward in love.  Then Ter...

Episode 60!  This is a great episode- so much inspiration to be found.  We start off with a local Portland woman who is helping those in need with scarfs for the homeless.  Then Denzel Washington inspires with stories of those mentors who made a difference in a young person's life.  Finally, there is a medley of people who are choosing to spread kindness in a variety of different ways.  Lots of gr...