The Case For Side Quests

Making Room for What Matters

In this episode of The Life We're Living Now, Jamie and Colleen finally catch up after a season that took them in unexpected directions. Jamie shares what it's been like to run a successful quilt show, leave a long-time nonprofit career, launch her quilting business full-time, and celebrate her daughter's wedding. Colleen reflects on work travel, a memorable trip through the Scottish Highlands, and learning to embrace uncertainty while focusing on what she can actually control. As the conversation unfolds, what begins as a simple life update becomes something deeper. They talk about protecting their time, learning to say no without guilt, choosing friendships that bring peace instead of obligation, and discovering that some of the greatest joys of midlife aren't found in doing more—they're found in making room for what matters most. From vacations and birthday plans to decades-long friendships, this episode is a reminder that life rarely follows the outline we imagined. Sometimes the biggest changes arrive disguised as side quests, and sometimes the greatest gift is realizing you finally get to choose how your next chapter is written.

The Case For Side Quests

After realizing there may still be twenty years of work ahead, Jamie and Colleen start asking a bigger question: how do you keep life fun while you're still in the middle of it? From spontaneous road trip stops to desert date farms and Joshua Tree detours, they talk about the importance of "side quests"—those small adventures that keep life interesting even during busy seasons of work.

What We're Reading Now (2026 Edition)

In this episode of The Life We're Living Now, Jamie and Colleen settle into a conversation about books, reading habits, and how stories meet us differently depending on where we are in life. They share what they're currently reading, how they balance heavier and lighter material, and how tools like Goodreads, Libby, and trusted book friends influence what ends up on their reading lists. The discussion moves from historical fiction and memoir to fantasy series, Indigenous literature, and comfort reads — including the very real need for palate-cleansing books between emotionally intense stories. More than a list of recommendations, this episode explores the idea that reading is deeply seasonal. Sometimes we want challenge and perspective; other times we want escape, humor, or familiarity. Jamie and Colleen reflect on learning to trust their reading moods, putting books down without guilt, and embracing the simple joy of reading whatever feels right in the moment. It's a relaxed, honest conversation about curiosity, timing, and the stories that stay with us long after the final page. You may want to include a running list such as: * The Life and Death of Ada Hernandez * These Violent Delights * A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping * Dream Count — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie * A Council of Dolls — Mona Susan Power * Moon of the Turning Leaves * The Women — Kristin Hannah * Parable of the Sower — Octavia Butler

Intentions, Rage, and Naming the Things We're Living With

In this episode of The Life We're Living Now, Jamie and Colleen reflect on the intentions they set for the year and how quickly those intentions meet the realities of everyday life. They talk about prioritizing their own needs after years of caregiving, choosing self-compassion over sacrifice, and navigating shifting family dynamics as children grow up and relationships change. The conversation moves through moments of rage, humor, tenderness, and deep honesty — including how it feels to live alongside uncertainty and health concerns without letting fear take the lead. Rather than offering advice or solutions, this episode centers on naming what's happening, allowing space for complexity, and recognizing that part of adulthood is learning how to carry hard things while still living fully and laughing along the way. It's a real conversation about what it means to keep showing up for the life you're living now.

The Life We're Living Now

Welcome to The Life We're Living Now — a new chapter, ten years in the making. In this first episode, longtime friends Jamie and Colleen return to podcasting to talk openly about the stage of life they find themselves in now. It's a conversation shaped by, shifting hormones, adult children preparing to leave home, single life, homeownership, careers, and the strange in-between space that appears after many of the goals you once worked toward have been achieved. They reflect on caregiving, identity, emotional regulation (or lack thereof), changing relationships with time, responsibility, and ambition, and what it feels like to ask "what's next?" without a clean and neat answer. Along the way, they share stories about forgotten toiletries, old planners resurfacing, decade-old goals, clean kitchens, crumbs on counters, and the quiet realization that caring less about certain things may actually be part of growing wiser. This episode isn't about having it all figured out — it's about talking it out. It's an invitation to listen in as two women navigate midlife with honesty, humor, curiosity, and a willingness to evolve. Unplanned. Unbothered. (Mostly.)