Quality of Life Radio

World Peace and Understanding

This episode of Big Blend Radio's BIG DAILY BLEND Show with cohost musician Joey Stuckey celebrates World Peace and Understanding Day (Feb 23) that commemorates the first meeting of Rotary and is also part of February being World Understanding Month. We also discuss the recent Grammy Awards, the Power of Community, Sleep and Meditation, and Pizza! 
CHECK OUT OUR PEACE MUSIC PLAYLIST on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/463urhyf 
JOEY STUCKEY ‪is known as the Music Ambassador of Macon, Georgia "The Southern Rock Capital of the World." He's an award-winning blind guitarist, songwriter, singer, composer, producer, and sound engineer. Visit: https://www.joeystuckey.com/ 
FEATURED GUESTS:- JOHNNY SCHAEFER is an awarding-winning singer-songwriter and cohost of Big Blend Radio's BIG DAILY BLEND Show every 4th Sunday. Visit: https://hearjohnny.com/ - GLYNN BURROWS is the owner of Norfolk Tours in England, and host of Big Blend Radio's "ENGLISH CONNECTION" Podcast. Visit: https://norfolk-tours.co.uk/ 
This show is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Quality of Life" Podcast Channel. Follow the BIG DAILY BLEND Show, here: https://big-daily-blend.podbean.com/ 

How to Support a Friend Who is Dying

In observance of International Friendship Month, this final episode of Big Blend Radio's SOUL JOURNEY DOULA podcast series with death doula Lea Brovedani focuses on how to support a friend or colleague who is at their end-of-life. 
Lea's 5 Pillars of Support as a Death Doula:Spirit - Uphold beliefs and practicesEmotion - Honor feelingsMind - Life review and gleaning meaningBody - Increase comfort, health and safetyPractical - Create completions
Learn more about Lea's work at https://souljourneydoula.com/ Listen to the rest of the podcast episodes here: http://tinyurl.com/b6c9jfnu 

Dr. Kathy Gruver: Stress, Childhood Trauma and the World of Psychedelics

This episode of Big Blend Radio features a catch-up conversation with Dr. Kathy Gruver who talks about different ways to relieve stress, childhood trauma and internal family systems, and the world of psychedelics.
Dr. Kathy Gruver is an award-winning author, professional speaker, hypnotherapist, and ACC life and executive certified coach with over 30 years of experience in mind/body medicine and human behavior. An entertainer and educator imbuing all her programs with practicality and passion. With a West Coast mentality and an East Coast delivery her humorous, down to earth, and engaging style has captivated hundreds of audiences on four continents, three cruise ships and a handful of islands. It’s been her true honor to have delivered two TEDx talks.
Kathy has written eight books which have garnered 12 awards, hosted a TV series based on her first book and developed a stress reduction program for the US military. She has penned countless articles and appears regularly as a guest on radio, TV and in print media including the Dr. Phil Show. She has earned her PhD in natural health and has studied mind-body medicine at the famed Benson Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Harvard. For fun and stress relief Kathy does flying trapeze, aerial silks and plays Dungeons and Dragons.
Keep up with Dr. Kathy Gruver at http://www.kathygruver.com/ 

Mark Rowlands - The Word of Dog

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Pet Connection" Show, Mark Rowlands talks about his new book, "The Word of Dog: What Our Canine Companions Can Teach Us About Living a Good Life" (Liveright; Jan 28, 2025). Here, Rowlands shows us we could do a lot better than we’re doing simply by listening to the unspoken wisdom our dogs reveal to us every day of their happy, uncomplicated lives.
Rowlands is professor and chair of the philosophy department at the University of Miami, a leading figure in the morality of animals, and author of twenty-three books on the philosophy of mind, the moral status of non-human animals, and cultural criticism. He is known within academic philosophy for his work on the animal mind and is one of the principal architects of the view known as vehicle externalism, or the extended mind, the view that thoughts, memories, desires and beliefs can be stored outside the brain and the skull. His works include Animal Rights (1998), The Body in Mind (1999), The Nature of Consciousness (2001), Animals Like Us (2002), and a personal memoir, The Philosopher and the Wolf (2008).
Big Blend Radio's PET CONNECTION Show is cohosted by Angela Laws, veteran pet sitter, and community manager at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/   
This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Quality of Life" Podcast Channel. Follow the "Pet Connection" podcast at https://pet-connection.podbean.com/ 

Leah Rothstein - Author, Community Organizer, Housing Program Expert

In observance of World Social Justice Day, this episode of Big Blend Radio features Leah Rothstein, a veteran community organizer, local housing program expert, and co-author of "Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law" (Liveright: June 2023), which will be released in paperback on March 4, 2025.
In 2017 Richard Rothstein wrote "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America." The book has sold more than 1 million copies and started a revolution in the housing industry by explaining America’s troubled housing situation.  
Newly educated and informed communities across the nation began to take action.  As Richard toured the country educating local communities, the communities began reviewing their housing policies and initiating changes.Realizing direction was needed to help communities get started and move the process forward, Richard enlisted his daughter, Leah Rothstein, to co-author "Just Action." 
"Just Action" provides concrete examples of what communities can do to improve local housing policies. Paired with an active "Just Action Substack" column, challenging segregated housing is happening across the nation. Visit: https://www.justactionbook.org/ 

Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 2nd Wednesday "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward features author and writer Barbara Boyle who discusses her new memoir, "Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse.” 
From a high stress career in global advertising to a simple rural life in a barn in an Italian hill town, "Pinch Me" shares Barbara's journey of transformation through love, food and community in Piemonte. Discover how she leaves her life behind in San Francisco and takes apart a 300-year-old stone barn to build a new home, a new life, in Italy. It’s a tale filled with discoveries, disappointments, pleasures, frustrations, and triumphs. And given the gastronomic excellence of the region, she shares some special recipes as well. Get the book or learn more here: https://www.barbaraboyleauthor.com/ 
More about Books Forward at https://booksforward.com/ 

How Friendship Can Help Improve Heart Health

Celebrate National Heart Month and International Friendship Month with this episode of Big Blend Radio's HEART HEALTHY LIVING WITH DR JACKIE Podcast that focuses on ways friends can help each other improve heart health. As Dr. Jackie explains, spending time with friends can help reduce stress, and group activities like yoga or walking can make exercise fun.
Dr. Jacqueline Eubany is a board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist, and author of the best-selling book, "Women and Heart Disease: The Real Story." More: https://womenandheartdiseasebook.com/  
New episodes of "Heart Healthy Living with Dr. Jackie" air every 2nd Wednesday. Follow the Podcast: https://hearthealthyliving-drjackie.podbean.com/ 

Author Julie Ryan McGue - Twice the Family Memoir

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Quality of Life" Show features award-winning author Julie Ryan McGue who discusses her new memoir, “Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood.”
Julie McGue’s parents always longed for a big American family—and their adoption of Julie and her twin sister Jenny seemed to satisfy that yearning. But as the couple continue adding adopted and biological children to the family, tragedy strikes. Julie begins to see just how much her parents’ goals and dreams differ from her own.
Author Julie Ryan McGue unravels the gripping tale of adopted twins facing the turbulent tides of love, loss and identity in suburban Chicago. As their family expands and secrets emerge, will their sisterly bond withstand the test of time? Dive into a memoir that explores the heart’s complexities and the fierce quest for belonging in “Twice the Family” (Feb. 4, 2025, She Writes Press) the much-anticipated prequel to McGue’s debut memoir “Twice a Daughter.” More at https://juliemcgueauthor.com/