Tea. Toast. and Trivia.

S8 E8: The Comfort of English Breakfast Tea Welcome to Tea, Toast & Trivia . I’m your host, Rebecca Budd. Today, we begin with one of life’s simplest pleasures — a cup of English Breakfast tea and a slice of buttered toast with cinnamon and sugar. In this episode, we explore the history behind this beloved tea, trace the origins of breakfast through the centuries, and reflect on how small morn...

S8 E7: Writing the Edges: A Conversation with Alex Gunn Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. I’m your host, Rebecca Budd, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you. Today I’m delighted to welcome Scottish writer Alex Gunn, author of Soft As Nails . In this thoughtful conversation, we step beyond the pages of the novel and explore the writer behind the work. Together, we discuss Alex’s creati...

S8 E6: The Happy Tea and the Tower Nobody Wanted Welcome to Tea, Toast & Trivia. Today, I’m pouring a cup of The Happy Tea as we revisit one of history’s most surprising reversals of opinion—the story of the Eiffel Tower, once mocked, resisted, and nearly dismantled before becoming one of the most beloved landmarks in the world. What can this famous tower teach us about patience, beauty, and t...

S8 E5: Wryson’s Eternity by Shehanne Moore In this special episode of Tea, Toast & Trivia, I reflect on the work of Scottish author Shehanne Moore, with a focus on her latest novel, Wryson’s Eternity. After a technical mishap prevented our original interview from being shared, I chose another path: a personal reflection on Shey’s storytelling gift. Her characters are flawed, wounded, passionat...

S8 E4: Graciela Gonçalves Da Silva on Sharing Silences “I learned to share silences, paying attention to things that I did not understand, and there was no chance to ask, but just being there was enough to enjoy it. This was deeper than any words I wished to use. Life was suddenly filled with humble adventures .” Graciela Gonçalves Da Silva When Graciela first shared this reflection with me during...

S8 E3: A Conversation with Eglund Welcome to Tea, Toast & Trivia. I’m Rebecca Budd, and I’m so glad you’re here. I look forward to sharing this moment with you. Today’s conversation marks the beginning of a new journey for us. One that reaches across generations, languages, and lived experience. We are beginning a series titled Faust: Unravelling the Great Enigma, and I can think of no better...

S8 E2: Dave Astor On Books Keep Us Centered In a world that moves quickly, speaks loudly, and rarely pauses for reflection, books continue to offer something quietly radical: steadiness. They slow us down. They ask us to listen. They remind us that complexity has always existed and that human beings have long turned to stories, ideas, and language to make sense of it all. Today on Tea, Toast &...

S8: E1: Turning the Page: Welcoming 2026 with Tea, Toast & Trivia There is something quietly ceremonial about the first episode of a new year. It feels less like a launch and more like opening a door, pausing on the threshold before stepping forward. As 2026 begins, I wanted to start Tea, Toast & Trivia not with urgency or prediction, but with reflection. This opening episode, “Turning the...

S7 E11: Christmas Tea with Jane Austin Unwrapping the Gifts There is something timeless about sharing tea at Christmas. It is a ritual of warmth and conversation. This year, I invite you to join me for A Christmas Tea with Jane Austen, a special Tea, Toast & Trivia episode that celebrates the enduring gifts Jane left to us: wit, companionship, and resilience. My own journey with Jane began in...

S7 E10: The Night Before Christmas Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in to a Christmas Eve reflection on the poem that changed how we see Christmas. Christmas Eve brings us once more to words that have shaped the wonder of generations. Tonight, we return to Clement Clarke Moore’s beloved poem, a story that reminds us that imagination, generosity, and joy are timeless compa...

S 7 E9: Yvonne Thevenot on Mentorship in a Changing World In 2021, I had the privilege of sharing a conversation with my friend and business strategist, Yvonne Thevenot about mentorship in a changing global world. At that time, we were navigating the uncertainties of a pandemic, learning how to work, connect, and find meaning within new digital and emotional landscapes. When I listened again to ou...

The Power of the Word – A Conversation with Mary Jo Malo Welcome to Tea, Toast & Trivia! Today, I am returning to one of the most memorable conversations ever shared on this podcast—an intimate and profound exchange with poet, Mary Jo Malo. Though Mary Jo has stepped away from blogging, her words continue to move through the world like quiet currents – clear, enduring, and deeply felt. She rem...

S 7 E7: Dr. Rick Nason on It’s Not Complicated Welcome to Tea, Toast & Trivia. Thank you for joining the conversation. Today, we’re connecting Vancouver to Halifax, bridging the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Canada in a dialogue that explores the art of thinking differently. m delighted to welcome Dr. Rick Nason, professor at Dalhousie University and author of the thought-provoking book  It’s...

S7 E6: Exploring Jacobite Memoirs with Dr. Leith Davis Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia.  Thank you for listening in. I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you. I am thrilled that I am meeting up with Dr. Leith Davis, Professor of English at Simon Fraser University. She is a co-founder of the Department of English’s Master of Arts program with Specialization...

S7 E5: Bruce Arthurs on Storytelling Through Art Welcome to Tea Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in! I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with my friend Bruce Arthurs, an extraordinary and innovative artist who has made a remarkable return to the world of creativity after spending over three decades away f...

S7 E4:  Catherine Cavendish Reading “The Stones of Landane” Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.  Thank you for listening in.  I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you. Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops are great places for book readings. There is something extraordinary about hearing the voice of an author reading their stories. Their voice and intonatio...

Season 7 Episode 3: Dr. Derek Bryce on Responsible Travel, Supporting Communities and Sustainability Travel has grown exponentially to the point that some tourist destinations are implementing measures to manage over-tourism and protect their local communities and natural resources. This approach aims to balance the economic benefits of tourism with the preservation of the destination’s cultural a...

S7 E2: Celebrating Robert Burns with Address to A Haggis In January, Tea Toast & Trivia celebrates the great Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns. Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and celebrated worldwide, Burns is best known for his poetry written in the Scots language, with works such as “Auld Lang Syne,” “Address to a Haggis,” and “Tam O’ Shanter.” His poetry reflects th...

S7 E1: Diana Giovinazzo on the Woman in Red “Destiny toys with us with both hands. For my sins, I will pay as all of us must. More I think. But I still rejoice in the family she has brought me. ” Anita Garibaldi Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in.  I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.   I am delighted and thrilled that Di...

S6 E15: Marian Beaman on the Power of Memoirs Welcome to Tea Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in.  I’m your host, Rebecca Budd, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Marian Beaman, an award-winning teacher who has transitioned into a compelling storyteller. In her memoir, “Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl,” Marian sha...

S6 E14 Kim Mooney on “In an Instant” I stood quietly, looking out the window on a Thursday morning in May 2018. The sky was clear and bright, that crystal-clear blue we so rarely get on the West Coast. Not a cloud in the sky. As I took a sip of my tea, the air filled with the scream of sirens. The shrill sound of the fire trucks and ambulance drew closer and closer. Suddenly the vehicles were in f...

S6 E13 Frances Remembering a One Room School House Welcome to Tea Toast and Trivia! Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Welcome to this special episode of our podcast, where I share a heartfelt conversation with my 93-year-old mother. In this episode, we journey back to the 1930s, as she reminisces about her experiences...

S6 E12: Misty the Cat . . . Unleashed: The Spirited Adventures and Amusing Antics of an Asthmatic Feline on the Loose “A little voice inside my head tells me that I’m joking too much and should get more serious for at least one chapter. Okay.  Sometimes, I let out a small moan when walking around the apartment.  I’m not unhappy – I’m loved, well-fed, and sheltered – but there are still things a ca...

S6 E11:  John Quinn on the Play, “O Halflins an Hecklers an Weavers an Weemin’” “To my Scots and Irish forebears who came to the Tay and the Jute and whose endurance and sacrifice bequeathed the precious gift of an education. To my family for copious love and laughter down the years and especially to my wife Marion, a Dundee girl, and as goes with the territory, a dancer in the rain.” John Quinn,...

S6 E10: Cheryl Jamieson, Fused Glass Artist Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia. Thank you for listening in.  I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am travelling virtually 6,700 kilometers to Unst, Shetland, to meet up with artist Cheryl Jamieson, whose expertise lies in the intricate art of fused glass. Cheryl’s deep-rooted pride in her Shetland he...