Hello Again

I never intended to take nearly three months off from the blog. In fact, one of my unspoken 2023 goals was to write more, not less. However, converging projects and doctor visits for my looming surgery quickly swallowed up all of my writing time. After all these years, I still can’t figure out if I have a time management problem or an over-commitment problem.

I guess it doesn’t matter because here I am, one week post-op, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. So, I’m turning my attention back to the blog and all of the partial posts languishing in my draft folder, but first, let’s catch up.

Surgery Recovery

I want to get this update out of the way. Recovery is going well. The best news is that the pathology came back clear. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to share that. Normally, the biopsy comes well before surgery and the doctors use that info to help determine how critical it is to schedule surgery sooner vs. later. Unfortunately, my body was uncooperative, and they could not get a biopsy. So, I was living in limbo for about three months. I had two doctors on my team, and one of them was all sunshine and roses, “You are definitely just fine.” The other doctor was less convinced.

I guess they met in the middle because my original surgery date was in September. As sad as I am to be missing out on summer activities, I am relieved to be recuperating right now instead of waiting.

I can already tell it’s going to take more time than I would like to feel 100%, but I am committed to following doctors’ orders. For the next eleven weeks, I’m not allowed to use my body in any demanding way beyond typing blog posts. In a couple of weeks, I should be able to take gentle walks and wave at the neighbors as my main source of exercise (and entertainment?). Otherwise, I’m on a movement vacation until the end of September.

Don’t mind me. I’ll just be here slowly losing my mind…

A New Co-host for the Podcast

With that news out of the way, I am excited to announce that in January, I brought on a new co-host for True Tales From Old Houses. Many of you may already be familiar with Daniel Kanter, but if you’re not, I invite you to get to know him by listening to the podcast and following him on social media.

I always really enjoyed working with Devyn, and I missed the back-and-forth that happens with a co-host. Hosting and producing a pod as a solo host was lonely. So, I decided it was time to buddy up again.

Working with Daniel has been a dream. He’s witty, knowledgeable, and he brings a great balance to our interviews. My interview process has always been pretty linear, and Daniel’s style isn’t constrained by formula.

The podcast had always been bi-weekly, but we realized we were having so much fun that we started recording minisodes on the off weeks. During the minisodes, we discuss more about our personal projects and a little bit of everything related to old houses or lizards in Santa costumes. We love a good tangent.

Episode 100 drops later this month. Can you believe there have been 100 regular episodes?! I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that number.

Note: True Tales From Old Houses maintains its G-rating, unless otherwise specified in each episode description.

Filming for a TV Show

Another exciting thing that happened this spring is that I filmed a segment for a TV show that will air this fall. It may surprise no one that I LOVED filming. I can say that now because I haven’t actually seen myself on television yet. Once I view the real deal, I reserve the right to change my mind. For now, I can confirm that I enjoyed the process, even the numerous retakes. Watching how a show is put together is fascinating, and the crew that directed and filmed this one is the best of the best in this genre.

You’ll notice that I’m being pretty cagey about the details. That’s because it’s not my story to tell. I’m just a small piece of the bigger picture. Once the cat is out of the bag, I’ll offer plenty of details. Until then, all I can tell you is that I taught window restoration during my segment, and I had a blast.

Missouri Preservation Conference

Finally, perhaps the most exciting thing I have to share is that I was the keynote speaker this year at the Missouri Preservation Conference in early June. Honestly, that was the main reason I was radio silent here on the blog. I felt so honored to be asked, but it was also my first time delivering a keynote speech. So, I spent hours upon hours creating speech outlines, ripping them up, and starting all over again.

I removed all distractions for weeks, and eventually landed on what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.

The event was held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Joplin, Missouri. What a gorgeous venue! During the conference, I put plenty of video on Instagram, but taking proper photographs slipped through the cracks. The photo below is one of only a handful I captured. Sorry, but just look at that marble.

The keynote was well-received, and everyone at the conference was so welcoming. As soon as I started talking, all the nerves fell away, and I remembered that talking to people is what I do. It is literally my job as a podcast host. I think the fear of the unknown is what got to me during the months of preparation, not the task itself, but I couldn’t separate the two until the big day. Now I know.

2022 was the year I threw a lot of ideas and energy out into the universe. If the last few months are any indication, 2023 seems to be the year that the effort is paying off.

I’m looking forward to sharing more on the blog. Until then, I would love to hear from you. How is your summer going?