Episode July 28, 2017

July 28, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Host Kristina Stykos and guest co-host Libby Kirkpatrick discuss Prince Edward in a can, not having a plan, conversation as a dying art, names that don’t roll off the tongue, eyes like pools, the intricacies of yawning, discovering coffee as an adult, getting more respect for doing nothing, things that were enjoyable, how to get to know somebody you already know, news from inside the raspberry patch, letting go of your lunch, breaking down flat-picking patterns in three, a hankering to play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, possible causes for on-stage panic, disorders with the vocal cords, more on manifesting life force into physical form, wrestling with a very public disability, coping with famous parents, having a mid-life crisis in front of an audience, dancing with ghosts, the non-solution of playing louder in order to hear yourself, pretending to have fun, the self-centered singer-songwriter phenomenon, having children as a way to subvert your career goals, normal guys wearing a collar, recognizing destiny, further poetic musings on the cathartic train whistle sound, what a tolling bell really is, Tony Furtado’s softened world view, how bird calls relate to time travel, the fall crow call and other unmitigated harbingers of truth, a world-wide cranial sacral shout out, the importance of self regulation, recalibrating the practice of feeling love, cranking the door open from a closed position, contemplating a day without dreams, rusty windows and favorite lubricants, the dark doo-doo, taking the time to navel gaze - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Libby Kirkpatrick [Goodbye Venus; Vaulted Heart; Wake Me Up]

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Youtube, or tune in Fridays at 11 am to hear this show live on WFVR-FM South Royalton, Vermont 96.5 FM, streaming online or rebroadcast at Royalton Community Radio. Made possible in part by generous support from station sponsors Howvale Farm, The Grease Collective and Mountain Folk.

Episode July 21, 2017

July 21, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss a short-lived entanglement, a middle-aged woman’s waning cuteness, the nuances of falling in ditches, mowing down flowers, the Zen of using scissors on lawn grass, porcupine data points, a possible woodchuck reincarnation event, opening up to the new moon in Leo, when fantasy turns into delusion, projecting onto external objects, seeing the same familiar face again and again, acting “as if”, the relationship between boredom and yawning, calling out the Vermont Agency of Transportation, bridge-repair-frustration as a way of life, the tragic effect of summer road construction on cremee purchases, powdered plastic stuff passed off as food, the continuing saga of hard-to-find tractor parts, why farming is harder than it should be, the truth about who changes light bulbs at Walmart, deconstructing the word “phubbing”, eating dinner sans devices, hankering to be home, moving lumber in a station wagon, mistaking a tint for a color, a movie about the hidden life of protein and other personified chemicals, how human happiness may be tied to gumball machines, an unusual door stop, the ongoing mystery of Butch sneaking things onto airplanes, paranoid plans for flying far in the future, making enough money to take time off, a marriage proposal on the Baltic Sea, how dementia might change your gender orientation, an unfunny case of sexual assault on Grandpa, busting churches for their lack of originality, map dowsing for fun and relaxation, looking for Killington’s town center, locating a baptismal font without GPS, putting the “whine” back in winery, losing your cumberment - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Will Patton [Bebop in Pastel]; Robert Resnik [Whistle Set]; Spencer Lewis [Change Is].

Episode July 14, 2017

July 14, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss la la la, zoning out, full utilization of the grocery list, sardines for cats, chipmunks in the shower stall, old people acting like young people, two reactions to the Burger King crown, the art of selecting your profile pic so that it won’t scare away women, an argument about clowns, the superior aesthetics of miming, a return to our worst syntax habits, further analysis of John’s phone tics, nostalgia for the way things never were, a clarification around the word “master”, what mom found in the bottom drawer, an epic marble scramble, debunking piñata mania, the full story on plum pudding, baby cake and other cake-themed information, how to strike up unlikely friendships with telemarketers, Randy’s life-changing bike ride, what else might reroute your entire life, how the out-of-town neighbors have been introducing Emily to hard liquor, what might be wrong with thinking you’re funny, eating brie standing up, when being busy turns into an unhealthy obsession, discovering the hazards of sleeping in a new clubhouse, why rain gets us off the hook, odd ambiguity around the bridge outage, what not to say to France’s first lady, lack of discipline around sexual projection, the backwards way we look at rape, a hypothetical about the love train, Kristina’s ultimate answer for all queries regarding her musical inspirations, a gift for the shop crew that fell flat, reviewing magazine subscriptions, an atypical Harvard grad, a familial connection to olive oil, Eli’s crush on the French girl in the movie about the chimpanzee scientist, dealing with an upside box of cereal - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Scott Campbell [Nancy in the Mud Bog]; Bow Thayer and the Perfect Trainwreck [Got My Attention]; Susannah Blachly [All the Colors].

Episode July 7, 2017

July 7, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss a stylish accessory, new info on rocks, the secret talents of an elusive mollusk, how to hide things in plain sight, a clever “go-to” for used diapers, highway-induced revelations, connecting with your inner I.Q., making a bridge between hoopla and hoo-ha, how Kristina’s mother accomplished the complete eradication of her English accent, updates on the donkey and the horse, an attempt to unpack humble-bragging, some possible motivations for posting photos to social media, the long road to connecting with yourself, babysitting as a gateway to disliking children, from synchronicity to rhinoplasty in a few easy steps, trash-talking fish, the Sayers-Ellis Syndrome, if any people are really nice, the weight of guilt as a counter balance to karma, the science behind victim-blaming, the complexity of common sounds, the thrill of lingering on a train whistle, full circle from birds to back stabbing and back again, why you might sell your land to an unscrupulous land developer, inspiring others to rip off your ideas, kleenex in the washing machine, tanning with stickers, the challenge of replacing corn-based cereals, discovering Vermont’s hippest food truck, getting a deal on jumper cables, fear of electricity, more confessions of a bad mother, Emily’s sad and painful history with the Van de Graaff generator, the humiliations of schooling, ideas for getting rid of teenage boys, Montana’s recent earthquake and the sheep takeover on Highway 200, needing a helper, a reason to get married again - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: The Highwoods String Band [Bully of the Town]; Bow Thayer and the Perfect Trainwreck [In the Pines]; Turnip Truck [Jesus on the Mainline].

Episode June 30, 2017

June 30, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe and special guests Ira and Eli discuss frying pans & fire, the perfection of Tolkien, bees in the rain, a bear sighting or two, more questions about the planet Pluto, what to expect from the God of the Underworld, squaring off with Mars, a truck full of fireworks, dirty children, the ins and outs of putting Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream in your morning coffee, false identification as it relates to salmonella, whether or not to let your kids eat raw cookie dough, maybe not putting live chickens in the fridge, why we’re hungry all the time, tons of other stuff, remembering Billy in the Lowground, following the porta-potty truck into town, mailbox safety, accepting weird people, Ira’s five amazing piggy banks, what makes us poor, lamenting the vet bill, the mysterious “pig pasture in the sky”, posing with sheep including Jim, a “must-see” farm movie, the lava lamp as in-vitro metaphor, deconstructing Emily’s new word “tintillation”, what you get if you cross Bono with Yoko Ono, another irresistible train-high, the power of music to fuel fantasy, putting the boogey into hedgehogs, how feeling better can affect your looks, an unfortunate automobile incident behind the Department of Children and Families, why John did not take the kids to hang the art show, recapping the diaper drive, an update on Vermont’s transfer of radioactive water to Idaho, a possible solution for giant salami spills, how drunk wedding revelers set Emily’s trees on fire, being stuck to Crazy Glue, some chemical combinations to avoid, complications at the Chelsea bridge project, why the cat has been staring at the bushes, how to get some money, the big appetite of Grandpa Avery, a bad end to the whipped cream extravaganza - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Patrick Ross with Hot Flannel [Gentle on my Mind]; Michele Choiniere [Te Souviendras-tu de Moi?]; Lizzy Mandell [Isaac’s Song].

Episode June 23, 2017

June 23, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss the ongoing happenstance of faulty plugs and cable connections in their lives, cows in a warm rain, reinvigorating the myths surrounding Bag Balm, Emily’s fear of thunder and lightning, new uses for the word “donkey”, a trick for cutting glass, the US Treasury’s preparedness for nuclear disaster and the fate of $2 bills, Kristina’s ideal vacation, visiting the parking lot at Harvey’s Lake, a terrible shirt analysis, contemplating what makes a piece of clothing look dated, a band called Farm Dogs, way more than you ever wanted to know about horizontal stripes, a refusal to look slimmer, carpenters’ butts, the end of electric guitar domination, a very communicative ferret video, a revelation about your soul, more on bad fashion choices and a possible connection to the state of Iowa, whether or not to talk about periods on the radio, the hey-day of television advertising, lesbians’ ratings of 75 Ken dolls, making sure not to cheat, a misconception about goats and sheep, eating well thanks to farmers, unpacking the functionality of the hurdy gurdy, a strange brush with Ricky Skaggs, what chocolate chips are for and what they’re not for, the short-comings of straws, the emptiness of words, where the English language comes up short, channeling previously unknown skills, the swinging doors of consciousness, talking in a natural way, the trouble with eye contact, getting free gifts at the car repair, key chains, tiny flashlights and refrigerator magnets - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Kristina Stykos [By the Minute]; Twist of the Wrist [Poor Old Horse]; Kristina Stykos [Tundra].

Episode June 16, 2017

June 16, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe along with her kids Eli and Ira discuss the day’s studio abnormalities, the comfort of night rain, the challenges of maintaining farm machinery, errant tractor parts & the old fixer, the timely arrival of draft horses, more on weed whacking with scissors and a bread knife, the mysterious location of West Barnet VT, counting round barns, why we say “banging a right”, the relationship between heading for the hills & cell phone reception, a rule-of-thumb involving guys in pickup trucks, sliding kids out of bed by the feet, revisiting one of Butch’s unique methods for dealing with sleepy children, avoiding browser tracking, the hazards of girly stuff like bobby pins and miniature umbrellas, homage to the oldest pair of Carhartts, John’s conversion to Arborwear pants, plotting work-arounds for the ten-day bridge repair project, late for fencing class again, the finer psychological points of pressing flowers, unpacking the orange Land Rover in the parking lot, the depressing saga of Smith & Hawken’s corporate takeover x2, being sandwiched between Ben and Jerry, getting familiar with the animals on your road, why one golden retriever is just like any other golden retriever, highlights from the last-day-of-school picnic, Vermont diversity thanks to costumes, a tradition of Conservation Camp, asking your adult children to follow you on Spotify, questioning the time and place for cancer jokes, distraction nation, being forced to claim yourself as yourself for commercial purposes, a person no matter how small, being the shortest in the class, a septic alarm debacle at the museum, wrecking the day, a choice of being beaten or neglected, sibling rivalry revisited, a tic-tac-toe losing streak - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Don’t Call Betty [Carbon Neutral]; Bow Thayer and the Holy Plow [Way of the Gun]; Kristina Stykos [Forgiveness].

Episode June 9, 2017

June 9, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss when babies cry and when they do not, the deeper meaning of retrograde, where mythology and astrology connect, the ridiculousness of a world on steroids, learning to cope with the first amendment, how to make a good segue, another event tent on the green, an overly elaborate salad description that goes on and on, taking the pepperoni out of vegetarianism, gravitating towards good habits, a tussle over cat throw-up, the host of baffling relationship issues that come along with using tech support, a nice but useless guy named Rhys, struggling to crack the login code when things aren’t working, unequal relationship dynamics at the restaurant, pretending to listen to “the specials”, new ideas for how to order food, fantasizing about self-serving at the automat on a rainy day, the ecstasies of metaphorical travel, dealing with rubber boots all the time, a sheep give-a-way, the how and whys of free roosters, whacking chicken meat, a new hipster butcher shop in Montpelier, a really hard spelling word, the pros and cons of adults not having to go to school, eschewing the deli counter at the supermarket, a unique gift certificate for falconry, midnight telemarketing calls from China, donkeys out again, trying to match-make Studly and Uncle Roger’s draft horse, single pets, whether to pick lice over bedbugs, when you can call something a mountain, confusion over the definition of a hill - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Jonathan Falby & Zac Johnson [Good Folks Behind You]; Kristina Stykos [Love the Distance]; Chris Kleeman & Malkum Gibson [Big City Rag].

Episode June 2, 2017

June 2, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss a failed photo op, feeling bad about looking like a pig, marginalizing other species, more on wearing costumes, turning the corner on aging, the wrong kind of compliment, losing our cuteness, the potential advantages of having your molars removed, crying until you choke, a tendency to put people in metaphorical closets, the new trend of weighted blankets, a look at paint thinner in children’s cereal, searching for one sane person among many Trump family members, monkey brains, how the world views not wearing socks, nostalgia for the old fashioned shoe store, some catch phrases to promote our show sponsors, the nuances of “calving”, free couches on Route 110, new furniture trends in Toronto, a dearth of hangovers, a timely visit from the pig farmers, a contemplation on our origins, tweaking the train emotion, bringing back the land bridges, a fantasy about driving to Europe and beyond, one person’s reason for snubbing the equator, “bury me in my Carhartts”, how astrology affects table manners, the challenges of transitioning from May to June, when summer warped time, decision-making in ticks, a comparison of fundraising websites, the vanishing middle class, the pros and cons of feeling excluded, playing it cool, loving the things that you make, a good kind of narcissism, experiencing rejection at the thrift store, the trouble with typing - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: The Cousins Project [Jealous Girl]; Doug Perkins and Patrick Ross [Fiddle Tune Medley]; The Highwoods String Band [Roll on Buddy]

Episode May 26, 2017

May 26, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss owning a new trucker hat, being cool when no one is there to see it, whether or not photo-shopping is “real”, reconstituting life, locating a bad mouse smell, eschewing flim-flammery, embracing The Grease Collective, more on cheese, unpacking the relationship between the dinner-making ritual and drinking wine, a peaceful end to the old stove, analyzing a photo of two electricians for sexual content, Gordy’s “little houses”, the mystery of the Port-o-let, deep intelligence, a tip about dogs & this year’s “Strolling of the Heifers”, forcing cows to do things they might not want to do, speed dating for entrepreneurs, celebrating the washing away of pig manure, gut reactions to different types of photos on Facebook, declarations of royal connection, the selfie-cleavage algorithm, using Pluto Square to Venus as an opportunity for personal growth, more on the contradictions of parenting, a case of local tree stump art, a visit to the baby’s dentist, tipping service providers at weddings, bumping into Frank Keene at Will’s Store & his retirement woes, looking forward to dying in a pasture, no-shows at the school dance performance, passing off the wrong zip drive, the domino effect of one person’s lateness, the difficulty of saying something twice, sharing photographs of your occupation, why to avoid using the word “rant”, being genuinely happy vs. showing off your happiness on social media - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Wagtail [Wagtail/Daphne’s Ramble/Meadowdance]; Doug Anderson [Dance Floor]; Rick Ceballos [Shifting Sands]

Episode May 19, 2017

May 19, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss trying to make it up to Joni, a missing conniption fit, tips on how to screw up an introduction, confessions of a former bookworm, distinguishing between sneaker monograms, the sly truth of turtlenecks hung on hangers, taking Mom to a new cafeteria & other adventures at the elders facility, throwing on spandex, the practice of using non-edible ingredients in school lunches, becoming a new person in less than a month, a failed effort to shoot lightning, more ridiculous aging issues from the 40-something set, mean children taking aim at Emily’s pooch, the futility of closing Google ads, thinking positively about ticks, a disastrous spelling challenge, the problem with trying to see God, plastic bike noise, the end of the hobo days, grappling with the concept of nature’s wrath, the freedom of saying stupid things, casting a generic safety net, defining a yawning problem, the comforting sound of the dishwasher, imagining a world without snacks, avoiding worn out nick names, what the dog brought to the school picnic, John’s childhood of forced farm labor, a lengthy review of the show’s sponsors and our feelings towards them, embracing germs as an immune booster, not loving other people’s children, gardening advice with a unique recommendation concerning goutweed, barn chores vs. flower gardening, a new solution for invasive plants including Pandas, misunderstanding the autonomy of Alaska and Puerto Rico, the rightness of coffee for certain personality types, going on the deep web with TORS - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Mark Struhsacker [Light in the Window]; Wagtail [One Clear Moment]; Julie James [Going Home]

Episode May 12, 2017

May 12, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Host Kristina Stykos and guest co-host Joni Cole discuss how what you had for breakfast relates to what you wished you’d had, revisiting Dr. Duffy’s roses and the unexpected arrival of a very smelly cheese, the identity of the Route 14 jogger revealed, different ways of sitting in a chair, writing as exercise, saving lives through art, engendering happiness via the creative process, starting somewhere, anywhere, the freedom of being able to save your previous drafts, sinking your teeth into revisions, using a pen, embracing the haphazard, honoring blobs of thought, unlearning the expectation of perfection, being saved by muscle memory, the mysteries of texting a landline, a vaguely remembered leftover exit to nowhere, the terror of forgetting passcodes, too many Waynes, what to do when obscure Facebook friends go through life-changing events, infusing positivity into online comments, responding to the commons, dealing with the hovering negative miasma, imagining a gathering of the naysayers, getting off the couch on a Friday night, feeling responsible for a technophobic parent, combining play and work into plorking, the irresistible smell of books, the dangers of eating while reading, how to start off your to-do list from a position of strength, finally getting the air-bag recall repair done two years later, the ascendency of the check engine light, the beauty of a newly sharpened shovel, putting the ass in occasionally, thinking sideways as a way of navigating the world, how adequate practice affords more wiggle room in performance - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Patrick Ross [Soldier’s Joy]; Kristina Stykos [Valleys All of Blue]; Judevine [Lizzy Mandell]

Episode Apr 14, 2017

April 14, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss the radio womb, a new neighbor and the Gadsden flag, mud layers, the perils of taking Facebook quizzes, concern for the intelligence level of people, a stink war between Maeve and the kitchen lamb, the pending conflict arising from tax crunch time, the human Ben and the human Jerry, Alice’s 90th birthday party, anxiety concerning cranberry bogs, the hows and whys of hating dried fruit revisited, another attempt to derail personal growth, the best horoscope of the year, what to do if the sunglasses don’t come off, pretending not to see people in the grocery store, restoring your emotional life with the help of trains, using big bombs & the stupidity of war, a long, unsuccessful search for non-toxic building supplies, designing a portable ballet bar, analyzing galvanized sap buckets, a pitch for organic wine clubs, quantifying exercise and life in the fitbit fast lane, complaints against the unpleasant texture of rice in soup, drawing the line between Cheez-Its and Ritz crackers, the dangers of flossing while driving during mud season, wasting plastic, a thing on the porch & an unanswered riddle, the difference between monsters and animals, a misunderstanding about frog babies, a potential stressor at the hairdresser, getting used to mouths and wet hair, a case of middle age women “saying no” to dance class mirrors, driving behind Paul, the zen practice of staying calm when you’re late, how to deal with a non-punctual spouse, the injustice of having to make car payments on junkers - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Kristina Stykos [Horse Thief]; Julie James [Mud Season Minuet]; Hot Flannel [Temperance Reel]

Episode Apr 7, 2017

April 7, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss the pros and cons of Mr. Potato Head, the exact percentage of cows lying down it takes to predict rain, how taking acid during a high school trip to Atlantic City could lead to a larger-than-life game of monopoly, an early beginning to John’s preference for dining with the elderly, possible age limits for hipsters, drawing distinctions between hat types & the new fedora, an unbeatable spelling challenge, ongoing expressions of gratitude for the alphabet song, a complaint about having to write bibliographies, the challenges of explaining erasable typewriter paper to the modern child, following track and trail to find the Ghost Trains of Maine, an update on the lamb in the kitchen that smells like a goat, more in-depth details on diapering sheep, the youthful Vermont look: fact or fiction, the hows and whys of gas-soaked kitty litter, trying to make a birthday cake for Jane, looking for maple walnut ice cream, more on what to do with expired candy canes, the old house, the old man and a case of missing condoms, a scary increase in the number of banjo players, myths about Southern Vermont as perpetrated by Northern Vermonters, whether or not Bart Simpson worked at a nuclear power plant, the relationship between Celtic music and massages, doubts about the island status of Cape Breton, who took the “d” out of refrigerator, making a joke out of Richard, the rudeness of GIFS, the fallacy of counting views on social media, three quarters of a swear word - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Highwoods Stringband [There’s More Pretty Girls Than One]; Bow Thayer & the Perfect Trainwreck [Noreaster Snow]; Brian Clark [Wishes]

Episode Mar 31, 2017

March 31, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss a pathetic view of robins, resisting the tide of opinion concerning squirrels, consternation about the radio signal, the disarray caused by phone delay, the flawed humanity of newscasters, a case of parking in front of the lamp post, the strange confines of obedience, riding the wave of TGIF into the weekend, a giant dance block, chasing an elusive toothbrush, more on planetary influences, another boring dream, earwigs in the pillow syndrome, an objection to segmented insects, the dangers of lawn furniture, being surprised by manatee appreciation day, an analysis of the choked vocalizations of pigs, what might make a person unsuitable for farming, an encounter with frostbitten skin, the mysteries of spatchcocking revealed, how death equals life, how to pronounce yin & yang, a quiz & tongue-twister related to the venerable Paramahansa Yogananda, a proposal for “Back to the Womb” week, potential harmful effects of sleeping on your right side, pressurizing your head with elastic, new uses for old calendars, a rant about bra straps, loose talk about underwear on the House floor, an innovation to curb road rage, what happens when you try to put God on your license plate, rules about what you can & can’t name your children, the stupidity of number superstitions, a free tattoo removal service, how to break and replace your own doorknobs, time travel beds, iPad troubles continued, getting used to bad tastes as rite of passage, the metaphysics of making life as good as it can be, how too much coffee can turn your legs to rubber, substituting sugar for alcohol, making carbonated maple sap, an argument about who owns your mailbox, breaking the law using your mailbox, the old school postage-due courtesy, an inspirational quote dealing with boats & the spirit of generosity - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Doug Anderson [River of Whiskey]; Davey Davis [It All Goes Better With a Beer]; Kristina Stykos [Three Jigs]

Episode Mar 24, 2017

March 24, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss earring loss, behind-the-snow-plow syndrome, the returns of tidy white & dreamy green, concerns about books whose titles end with the phrase “for dummies”, the worst Vermont ski lift exit ramp ever, gravity’s inherent badness, an honest plea for the global reduction of humiliating circumstances, comforting ideas for dealing with abject terror, a strange reference to french fries and pizza, myths about telemarking, a vicious attack on dried fruit, the return of disturbing textures, a question about hiding your mouth with your hand and more chewing analysis, new bibs at the nursing home, how to quickly get on the wrong side of a teenage boy, a vintage hair tutorial, an unrestrained shout-out to Mongolia as the train goes by, 70 unread emails and those yet to never be read, unearthing embarrassing archival messages between Emily & Kristina, a fond recollection of apple grading at the conveyor belt, what mothers always do when in the passenger seat of a car their child is driving, how the original concept for 11th Hour Radio came to be, paying more for groceries as a lifestyle choice, what to do when social dance class moves to a less convenient location, doing it in the barn, how an off-hand remark led to the inadvertent naming of Butch’s boat, an update on the current crop of messy lamb infirmities on the farm, difficult issues & near paralysis while shopping at TJ Maxx, good reasons for misunderstanding the word “Namaste”, fake spiritual news, the fact that nothing fits, a surprise call-in from Keith, options for dog-sledding to Greece, the hazards of bringing up old fights during a fight - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Nick Cowles [Sensitive New-age Redneck]; Susannah Blachly & George White [Raven King]; Robert Resnik [Sand and Foam]

Episode Mar 17, 2017

March 17, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss “science-y space” vs. “beautiful space”, Maga the celestial pygmy warrior astrologer, charting a collision course for your shadow realm, finding mummified toads in the house, more cat misbehavior, reminiscing about clocks with hands, a midnight equine rescue operation, reaching an arm’s length into the rear of a horse, pretending to follow a conversation when you have no idea what the person is talking about, your kids making you feel stupid, a confession about proselytizing spiritual “truths” to your parents, running out of firewood during a blizzard, substituting off-road diesel for home heating oil in a pinch, a story of horse-logging, losing your magic, shooting pictures of your yard, fancy-pants towns in Vermont and their inverse relationship to telephone poles, holding back swear words, a missing train, what it means to go retrograde, listening to Emily’s stomach (again), karma, charmed lives, and two kinds of people, hippie parents & their conservative children, water buffalo identification, new uses for forks, how to make a paperclip screwdriver, avoiding personal growth, objecting to the word “interesting”, looking back to our first dreams and goals in life, being intimidated by people’s reputations, the hows & whys of artistic-emotional-basket-cases, sounding waspy, getting over your fear of singing, too many ski runs & too many GoPros, the sadness of big blue screens, the old farmer who lost his chores, handling wood until you die, the smaller part of a person, missing the party - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Charlie Shew and Pat Jones [Snow]; Rick Ceballos [Arepika/Tiger and the Comet]; Brian Clark [Cairns]

Episode Mar 10, 2017

March 10, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss 3-CPO & repercussions pertaining to the first generation of robot names, calling the whole world dumb, indifference as a way of relating, a dating dream, an unlikely threesome, using ancient exclamations such as “Fi” to chase away stuff, being caught in limbo between towns, gossiping at town meeting, an unexpected ramification of John being on the select board, typically inadequate microphone technique at public meetings, a few unfortunate cases of bullying, remembering peach trees in the back yard, novel ways of getting exercise in the winter, healing through sheep, how Lisa took the sick lamb, wrestling down & flipping uncooperative ewes, the connection between blatant frontal attack & a metaphor for life, looking for Robbie Strindberg, the joys of editing yourself, setting up headphone mixes, reminiscing about gold stars, Cousin Steve’s all night drive from Brooklyn, the flawed concept of “identical cousins”, bad long-term psychological effects from growing up with jingles & sitcom theme songs, a lime green onesie, skiing in costumes, changing your personality with clothes, vehemently eschewing stripes and polka dots, looking deeper into the millennial generation’s spiritual mission, a border patrol officer’s sneering challenge, visiting Canada’s government on a day trip, when is too much worship of the “celebrity-in-chief, some baffling text message abbreviations, being stumped by an I.Q. test, totally misunderstanding wombats and many other low-profile animals, arranging horn sections - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: The Cousins Project [Rescue Me]; Stefan Lundin [Aldrig nansin foll jag ner i bon]; Kristina Stykos [Remembering]

Episode Mar 3, 2017

March 3, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss fader positions, ice in the fields, a DUI incident, more about milking, what it means to be a pill, things that happen when the moon is far away, an alphabet reversal, recent reports from an eclipse live-cam in Chile, a weird love for Johnny Cash, saving up for a trip to see Willie, a case of itchy legs, the nuances of sleeping with lambs, a new use for baby booger suckers, giving credit where credit is due, obstacles that keep us from going to dance class, three “Emily Howes” & the passing of one, getting specific with self-love, ridding yourself of devices to weigh yourself, knowing when to hit “Send”, the challenges of lining up a farm sitter, fantasizing about Grand Central Station, dealing with Midwestern flatness, hiding from tornados, saying goodbye to an important inanimate object, dealing with the toxic elements of a new wood stove, instant dinners, adding oily substances to your face, bad advice about drinking, a controversial wine bar renaming effort, confusion about the pre-fix “trans”, the relationship between human nature and punishment, reviewing “an eye for an eye”, Unitarians learning about Jesus, the misappropriation of Fabio’s look to a certain religious figure, comparisons between Lego, Playmobile and Fisher-Price people, vegan sausage, thinking about eating while eating, the fakery of PMS, a rash of bad jokes, announcing the new 11th Hour farm video on Youtube, generalizing about all Bobs, free money from the State of Vermont - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Paul Asbell [Police Dog Blues]; Smokin’ Grass [Sweet Marie]; Michael Oakland [The Grand Design]

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or tune in Fridays at 11 am to hear this show live on WFVR-FM South Royalton, Vermont 96.5 FM, streaming online or rebroadcast at Royalton Community Radio

Episode Feb 17, 2017

February 17, 2017 Kristina Stykos

Co-hosts Kristina Stykos and Emily Howe discuss their own unique version of fumbling-DJ-syndrome, more on why Emily is still eating Kellogg’s Corn Pops, tips for digesting “Franken-food”, an alarming discovery of hot cocoa mix in bulk at the coop, coping with the horrors of seemingly endless grocery store aisles, a common phobia of meeting people you know unexpectedly, an ongoing rant about man-buns, how to pinpoint the hippie generation with exactitude, bread in paper bags, a mass mooning in Chicago, who sleeps at a Trump Tower franchise, an untimely IUD expiration, some flagrant snow worship, the joys & dangers of jumping off the roof, overly pregnant sheep, anticipating a big, huge 2 minute film release, longing for Jim and lambs in general, an unfortunate castration, hating downhill ski culture in its many forms, how the kind old ridge-runner spent three hours on the bunny slope with Kristina, making two left footed boots work, adverse conditions at the Mount Washington Hotel, Amtrack as a metaphor for the love train, unwrapping candy while driving, a bad lamp arm, going to the hospital for Valentine’s day, factoring cheating & lying into your plans, the satisfaction that comes from cutting construction paper hearts, a trip to the Necco Wafer website, resolving difficult issues with friends, whether or not we can control our reactions to things, living with turmoil, picking up new words like “drams”, learning hipster moves from our Vermont kids who move to Brooklyn - and so much more!

Featuring music from Vermont musicians & friends: Doug Perkins [St. Anne’s Reel; Fisherman’s Hornpipe; Leather Britches]; Bow Thayer [Chateauguay]; Kristina Stykos [Broken Wings]

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Show Notes