Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 22: Thea - A Portrait of my Mum

Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 22: Thea - A Portrait of my Mum

Show Notes Episode 22: Thea - A Portrait of my Mum In this solo episode of Tell Me Over Tea, I give my mum, Thea, a little bit of the limelight she so richly deserves — and would almost certainly have hidden from if she were here. Following on from Episode 21, where I shared a letter to my Nan about the grief of losing five of her six children, I felt the pull to tell you more about the first of those children to leave us. My mum. The woman who shaped me more than anyone else in the world, in both her life and in her death. In this episode I wander back through her story — from Manly Hospital in 1954, through a Northern Beaches childhood full of siblings, Sunday school, Bob Dylan and that long, silky brown hair, right through to the weatherboard cottage on 105 acres in Bargo where she finally found the slow, earthy, rooted life she had always craved. Along the way you’ll hear about: * The hippie teenager who became a mother at 18 and never looked back * A Jersey cow named Blossom who was anything but angelic at milking time * Homemade bread, chocolate cake, and the most expensive milk in the Bega Valley * A rooster incident I will not forget * The mum who actually looked forward to school holidays * And the quiet, powerful way she showed us, every single day, that the simple things were everything This one is full of love, laughter, nostalgia and a few tears. So, pour yourself something warm, find a comfy spot, and come and meet my mum. Part two — her cancer, her dying, and the rest of her story — is coming in the next episode. A little reminder from this episode… She never put a name to it.She didn’t talk, talk, talk.She just did. But looking back now I can see so clearly what my mum was doing — living intentionally, choosing presence over things, building a home that felt safe and warm and full, no matter how humble its innards were. She was showing us every single day that homemade bread and a garden and a mum who wanted to be with you — that those things were everything. And they were. Something to do after you listen… This episode is an invitation to write about your own mum — or a motherly figure who shaped you. You don’t have to write the whole story. Start with one small memory. The smell of her kitchen. Something she always said. The way she laughed. Those small details are the ones that matter most, and they are the ones most at risk of being lost. Pick up your pen this week. Write it down. Pleasey. If you enjoyed this episode, follow Tell Me Over Tea wherever you listen — and if you feel inclined, leave a little review. It helps more story-lovers find their way here. Kim x Where to find me: ✨I write, on Substack, a weekly newsletter, you can subscribe to that here: Betty Mae Wrote newsletter [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote]. It’s the space where I share stories (both mine and other people’s) and it’s also a way of keeping up to date with all things Betty Mae Wrote, Little Life Stories, Lovely Letters and the podcast. ✨To find out more about my writing membership, Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] you can do that here: Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] ✨I’ve created a simple and beautiful starting point for your own storytelling: The Five Minute Memory List.It’s a short, exercise (a cuppa’s worth), to help you gather memories and begin. It’s fun and easy peasey and it’s something you can use in your letter writing, journaling and personal life writing. You can grab that by subscribing to my newsletter (you’ll find it in the welcome letter one you’ve signed up): here [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] ✨The Tea + Toast Letter Club [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]! A little moment to pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy spot, and enjoy a letter (and some other goodies) in the mail every month. You can read more about it here [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]. ✨If you’d like to get back into the gorgeous slow soothe of letter writing, please know you are always welcome to join: The Lovely Letters Project [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] (it’s free!) ✨Or if you simply need a good old sticky beak around the place, please head on over here to the website: www.bettymaewrote.com [http://www.bettymaewrote.com] ✨Oh and if you’re an Instagram type, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @bettymaewrote [https://www.instagram.com/bettymaewrote] Music: Kim on the uke;) Rattling teacups – also KimProduction and Editing: Surprise, surprise, guess who? Yep! Kim again! Art by Lewis Dillon (thanks, Lew!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bettymaewrote.substack.com [https://bettymaewrote.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 21: Dear Nan Too Much Loss

Back left - Robert, Mum Front left: Christine, Ron Show Notes Episode 22: Dear Nan Too Much Loss In this deeply personal episode of Tell Me Over Tea, I read one of the most difficult letters I’ve ever written to my Nan. This episode contains discussion of child loss, cancer, death, and grief. Please listen with care if these topics feel tender for you. This is a letter about grief, loss, and the unimaginable reality of outliving five of your six children. From the baby she never had the chance to hold, to the adult children she lost over the decades, this episode explores the quiet resilience that carried my Nan through a lifetime of heartbreak. It is a story about motherhood, endurance, and the many ways people learn to live alongside grief. While this is a sad and emotional episode, it is also a tribute to a woman who continued to love, laugh, care for others, and embrace life despite carrying more loss than most of us can imagine.And, as always, there’s a cup of tea beside me while I read. In this episode I’m drinking the beautiful Madi blend from Ettie and Dorrie [https://www.ettieanddorrie.com.au/] — a delicious, strong loose leaf black tea that’s perfect for that first morning cuppa or an afternoon pick-me-up. Hand blended by Sara, it’s exactly the kind of comforting tea you want in your hands during a reflective conversation like this. You can find Sara’s beautiful range of teas here:Ettie and Dorrie Tea [https://www.ettieanddorrie.com.au/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] You can also find her on instagram here: @ettieanddorrie [https://www.instagram.com/ettieanddorrie/] Okey doke, time to pop the kettle on, settle in, and join me. If this episode sparks memories you’d like to capture, I’ve created a free guide called The Five Minute Memory List [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote]. [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] It’s a simple, gentle exercise designed to help you gather memories, story ideas, and moments from your life—one list at a time. You’ll find the link here [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] and below in the show notes. If you know someone who might love this kind of conversation, please do pass it along, and if you enjoyed this episode, follow Tell Me Over Tea wherever you listen, and if you feel inclined, leave a little review — it helps more story-lovers find their way here. Kim x Where to find me: ✨I write, on Substack, a weekly newsletter, you can subscribe to that here: Betty Mae Wrote newsletter [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote]. It’s the space where I share stories (both mine and other people’s) and it’s also a way of keeping up to date with all things Betty Mae Wrote, Little Life Stories, Lovely Letters and the podcast. ✨To find out more about my writing membership, Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] you can do that here: Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] ✨I’ve created a simple and beautiful starting point for your own storytelling: The Five Minute Memory List.It’s a short, exercise (a cuppa’s worth), to help you gather memories and begin. It’s fun and easy peasey and it’s something you can use in your letter writing, journaling and personal life writing. You can grab that by subscribing to my newsletter (you’ll find it in the welcome letter one you’ve signed up): here [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] ✨The Tea + Toast Letter Club [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]! A little moment to pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy spot, and enjoy a letter (and some other goodies) in the mail every month. You can read more about it here [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]. ✨If you’d like to get back into the gorgeous slow soothe of letter writing, please know you are always welcome to join: The Lovely Letters Project [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] (it’s free!) ✨Or if you simply need a good old sticky beak around the place, please head on over here to the website: www.bettymaewrote.com [http://www.bettymaewrote.com] ✨Oh and if you’re an Instagram type, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @bettymaewrote [https://www.instagram.com/bettymaewrote] Music: Kim on the uke;) Rattling teacups – also KimProduction and Editing: Surprise, surprise, guess who? Yep! Kim again! Art by Lewis Dillon (thanks, Lew!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bettymaewrote.substack.com [https://bettymaewrote.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 20: Don’t Throw Away Your Letters

Show Notes Episode 20: Don’t Throw Away Your Letters In this solo episode of Tell Me Over Tea, I share something that has been sitting on my heart ever since it found its way back into my hands — a letter I wrote to my Aunty Kathleen when I was just six years old. Two short pages in fat, six year old scrawl. And yet, the moment I read it again, the memories I hadn’t visited in decades began surfacing — slowly at first, and then all at once. Flooded! In this episode I read the letter aloud, and then wander through the memories it unlocked — a rogue young horse named Mischief, a little black rabbit called Cindy, the saleyards at Mudgee, a green and white school dress in a sea of brown and white ones, and the strange comfort of a cane sickbay bed when you’re the new girl and everything feels just a little out of sorts. It’s an episode about the power of ordinary letters. The ones we write without any thought of their future value. The ones that sit in shoeboxes and drawers for decades, filled with moments in time waiting to be rediscovered. So pour yourself a cuppa and come and sit with me for a little while. A little reminder from this episode… We don’t write letters thinking about the future. We write them because we’re excited about a horse. Because we have the measles but we’re nearly better. Because there’s a PS about a rabbit that simply can’t wait. And yet, forty, fifty years on, those small unselfconscious moments become something more priceless than we could ever have imagined. Don’t throw away your letters. Pleasey! Something to do after you listen… If you have old letters tucked away somewhere — in a drawer, a shoebox, a box at your mum’s house — go and find them. Read them. See what comes back to you. And if you don’t have old letters, or even if you do — write one this week. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be eloquent. A tiny note with a PS about your rabbit is more than enough. You have no idea what it might mean one day. To the person who receives it. Or to you, if it ever finds its way back home. Come and write letters with us… If this episode has nudged you toward picking up a pen, you’re warmly invited to join The Lovely Letters Project [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] — my free snail mail exchange for women all over the world. With 900+ members across Australia, the US, the UK, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Italy, Canada and beyond, it truly is the loveliest little community of letter writers. You can find the link here [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] to sign up — it’s free, and once you’re on the list you’ll hear from me about the monthly exchange. You can choose a permanent pen pal or a fresh new one each month. Either way, I’d love to have you there. And if this episode stirred something in you — a memory, a story, a little nudge to begin writing — you are welcome to grab my free guide, The Five Minute Memory List, to help you make a start. You’ll find it in the welcome letter when you sign up to my newsletter at bettymaewrote.com [https://bettymaewrote.com] If you know someone who might love this kind of conversation, please do pass it along, and if you enjoyed this episode, follow Tell Me Over Tea wherever you listen, and if you feel inclined, leave a little review — it helps more story-lovers find their way here. Kim x Where to find me: ✨I write, on Substack, a weekly newsletter, you can subscribe to that here: Betty Mae Wrote newsletter [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote]. It’s the space where I share stories (both mine and other people’s) and it’s also a way of keeping up to date with all things Betty Mae Wrote, Little Life Stories, Lovely Letters and the podcast. ✨To find out more about my writing membership, Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] you can do that here: Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] ✨I’ve created a simple and beautiful starting point for your own storytelling: The Five Minute Memory List.It’s a short, exercise (a cuppa’s worth), to help you gather memories and begin. It’s fun and easy peasey and it’s something you can use in your letter writing, journaling and personal life writing. You can grab that by subscribing to my newsletter (you’ll find it in the welcome letter one you’ve signed up): here [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] ✨The Tea + Toast Letter Club [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]! A little moment to pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy spot, and enjoy a letter (and some other goodies) in the mail every month. You can read more about it here [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]. ✨If you’d like to get back into the gorgeous slow soothe of letter writing, please know you are always welcome to join: The Lovely Letters Project [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] (it’s free!) ✨Or if you simply need a good old sticky beak around the place, please head on over here to the website: www.bettymaewrote.com [http://www.bettymaewrote.com] ✨Oh and if you’re an Instagram type, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @bettymaewrote [https://www.instagram.com/bettymaewrote] Music: Kim on the uke;) Rattling teacups – also KimProduction and Editing: Surprise, surprise, guess who? Yep! Kim again! Art by Lewis Dillon (thanks, Lew!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bettymaewrote.substack.com [https://bettymaewrote.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 19: Baking Memories and Family Recipes with Kath Vincent

Show Notes Episode 19: Baking Memories, Family Recipes & Finding Comfort in the Kitchen with Kath Vincent In this cosy and memory-filled episode of Tell Me Over Tea, I sit down with baker, recipe writer and storyteller Kath Vincent from Kulinary Adventures of Kath [https://www.kulinaryadventuresofkath.com/] to chat about the deep connection between food, family and memory. Together we wander through childhood kitchens, handwritten recipe cards, pavlovas with perfect peaks, and that beautiful love language of baking for, and with, the people you care about. Kath shares precious memories of baking with her grandmother, the comfort of simple everyday recipes, and the special feeling of holding old family recipes written in familiar handwriting. The conversation also explores Kath’s own writing journey, her cookbooks, and the inspiration behind her much-loved recipe newsletters and baking projects. It’s an episode full of nostalgia, warmth, gentle reflection… and plenty of talk about tea and biscuits. So, make sure you have a cuppa and a bickie handy because you’re going to get hungry, I promise! About Kath Kath Vincent is the creator behind Kulinary Adventures of Kath [https://www.kulinaryadventuresofkath.com/], [https://www.kulinaryadventuresofkath.com/] where she shares comforting recipes, thoughtful food writing, baking inspiration and beautiful photography. Kath has written several baking books including Everyday Bakes, Cozy Winter Bakes and Baking with Rose. She also writes a free and paid newsletter exploring recipes, food memories and treasured family baking traditions. You can find Kath here: * Kulinary Adventures of Kath [https://www.kulinaryadventuresofkath.com/] * Kath’s Substack Newsletter [https://kulinaryadventuresofkath.substack.com/] * Kath on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kulinaryadventuresofkath/] love love love Kath’s book! A nice little reminder from this episode … Sometimes the recipes we inherit are more than instructions.They’re stories.They’re proof someone was here.A handwritten note in the margin, a smudge of flour on the page, a pavlova made the same way every Christmas… all of it becomes part of the family story we carry forward. Pop the kettle on, slice yourself a piece of cake, and enjoy this beautiful conversation with Kath. And if this conversation stirred something in you—perhaps a memory, a story, or a little nudge to begin writing—you’re warmly invited to grab my free and fun guide to help you make a start. It’s called: The Five Minute Memory List. You can find it in the welcome letter when you sign up to my newsletter. If you’ve already subscribed, and you can’t find your welcome email, please email me and I will send it directly to you. And if you know someone who might need this kind of conversation right now, feel free to pass it along. If you enjoyed this episode, follow Tell Me Over Tea wherever you listen, and if you feel inclined, leave a little review — it helps more story-lovers find their way here;) Kim x Where to find me: ✨I write, on Substack, a weekly newsletter, you can subscribe to that here: Betty Mae Wrote newsletter [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote]. It’s the space where I share stories (both mine and other people’s) and it’s also a way of keeping up to date with all things Betty Mae Wrote, Little Life Stories, Lovely Letters and the podcast. ✨To find out more about my writing membership, Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] you can do that here: Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] ✨I’ve created a simple and beautiful starting point for your own storytelling: The Five Minute Memory List.It’s a short, exercise (a cuppa’s worth), to help you gather memories and begin. It’s fun and easy peasey and it’s something you can use in your letter writing, journaling and personal life writing. You can grab that by subscribing to my newsletter (you’ll find it in the welcome letter one you’ve signed up): here [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] ✨The Tea + Toast Letter Club [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]! A little moment to pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy spot, and enjoy a letter (and some other goodies) in the mail every month. You can read more about it here [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]. ✨If you’d like to get back into the gorgeous slow soothe of letter writing, please know you are always welcome to join: The Lovely Letters Project [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] (it’s free!) ✨Or if you simply need a good old sticky beak around the place, please head on over here to the website: www.bettymaewrote.com [http://www.bettymaewrote.com] ✨Oh and if you’re an Instagram type, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @bettymaewrote [https://www.instagram.com/bettymaewrote] Music: Kim on the uke;) Rattling teacups – also KimProduction and Editing: Surprise, surprise, guess who? Yep! Kim again! Art by Lewis Dillon (thanks, Lew!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bettymaewrote.substack.com [https://bettymaewrote.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 18: Dear Nan – Episode 18 | Parenting in The 50s and 60s

That’s my mum! Show Notes Episode 18: Dear Nan – Episode 18 | Parenting in The 50s and 60s Growing a tribe of five In this episode of Tell Me Over Tea, I’m sharing a letter to my Nan — written as I reflect on her years as a young mother, raising five children in the 1950s and 60s. This episode is also held within a tender moment of goodbye. My grandpa recently passed away at 95, just days before the anniversary of my Nan’s death. With his passing, it feels like the closing of a chapter — the end of an era that shaped so much of our family story. Through this letter, I return to the house on the hill in North Narrabeen… a place filled with baking days, childhood mischief, community, and the kind of everyday moments that became the legacy of my grandparents. It’s a story of parenting five children in the 1950s and 60s in Sydney, Australia, of changing times, of laughter and chaos, and of the love that holds it all together. Pop the kettle on and join me for this gentle remembering. In this episode, I share: * A personal reflection on loss and the end of an era * Memories of my grandparents’ and earlier years in North Narrabeen * A heartfelt letter exploring motherhood in the 50s and 60s * Family stories filled with humour, mischief, and affection * The contrast between past and present parenting styles * The power of ordinary moments to become lasting memories A gentle invitation:As you listen, notice the memories that surface for you — the small, seemingly ordinary ones. They’re often the doorway into the stories that matter most. Free Resource:I’ve created a simple and beautiful starting point for your own storytelling: The Five Minute Memory List.A short, exercise (a cuppa’s worth), to help you gather memories and begin. It’s fun and easy peasey and it’s something you can use in your letter writing, journaling and personal life writing. You’ll find it linked below. If this conversation stirred something in you—perhaps a memory, a story, or a little nudge to begin writing—you’re warmly invited to join me inside Little Life Stories, my membership for women who want to capture their stories in a supportive, heart-led way. The doors will be opening again next week, so please be sure to subscribe to this newsletter, so you don’t miss a trick when dates are released. And if you know someone who might need this kind of conversation right now, feel free to pass it along. If you enjoyed this episode, follow Tell Me Over Tea wherever you listen, and if you feel inclined, leave a little review — it helps more story-lovers find their way here;) Kim x Where to find me: ✨I write, on Substack, a weekly newsletter, you can subscribe to that here: Betty Mae Wrote newsletter [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote]. It’s the space where I share stories (both mine and other people’s) and it’s also a way of keeping up to date with all things Betty Mae Wrote, Little Life Stories, Lovely Letters and the podcast. ✨To find out more about my writing membership, Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] you can do that here: Little Life Stories [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/coming-soon-in-2025-a-new-chapter-for-writing-your-stories] ✨I’ve created a simple and beautiful starting point for your own storytelling: The Five Minute Memory List.It’s a short, exercise (a cuppa’s worth), to help you gather memories and begin. It’s fun and easy peasey and it’s something you can use in your letter writing, journaling and personal life writing. You can grab that by subscribing to my newsletter (you’ll find it in the welcome letter one you’ve signed up): here [https://substack.com/@bettymaewrote] ✨The Tea + Toast Letter Club [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]! A little moment to pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy spot, and enjoy a letter (and some other goodies) in the mail every month. You can read more about it here [https://kyl5j1fht23112jd-57438896333.shopifypreview.com/pages/tea-and-toast-letter-club]. ✨If you’d like to get back into the gorgeous slow soothe of letter writing, please know you are always welcome to join: The Lovely Letters Project [https://bettymaewrote.com/pages/pen-pals] (it’s free!) ✨Or if you simply need a good old sticky beak around the place, please head on over here to the website: www.bettymaewrote.com [http://www.bettymaewrote.com] ✨Oh and if you’re an Instagram type, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @bettymaewrote [https://www.instagram.com/bettymaewrote] Music: Kim on the uke;) Rattling teacups – also KimProduction and Editing: Surprise, surprise, guess who? Yep! Kim again! Art by Lewis Dillon (thanks, Lew!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bettymaewrote.substack.com [https://bettymaewrote.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]