Ramblings From the Little Shed

Singing While You Work: How Wild Things Feed a Writer's Soul

EPISODE SUMMARY Host Holly B. sits down with author and collage artist Carrie Birde — yes, Birde — for a warm conversation about catbirds, collage, and why letting go of fear made her book better. Carrie is a poet, fiction writer, artist, photographer, and author of the debut novel, “A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace”. She is a voracious reader of a wide range of genres, with a particular interest in mythology, folk tales, and fairy tales. Like many of the women in those stories, she has friendships extending beyond the boundaries of species, among these several generations of Gray Catbirds, a kerfuffle of Eastern Chipmunks, a squad of Blue Jays, a singing Calico Cat, and a small, brown, Fey creature currently disguised as a dog.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS •            The catbird that started it all For ten years, a gray catbird with a distinctive missing stripe of feathers returned to Carrie's yard every spring. He waited patiently for raisins, followed her around the garden, and eventually brought his family to meet them. He directly inspired the central bird character in Carrie's novel. •            Olaf the Norway maple An 85-year-old tree in Carrie's backyard — struck by lightning, healed over, and still growing for 15 more years — had to be taken down. Carrie named him, loved him, and grieved him. His replacement, a Dawn Redwood named Eos, is now putting down roots. •            Animals don't have agendas Carrie reflects on why she has always found animals easier to trust than people: they are honest, transparent, and completely free of hidden expectations. Either they want food or love, or they don't. •            Collage as calm When drawing became difficult after an arm injury, Carrie turned to collage using recycled and repurposed materials. The practice of keeping her hands busy quiets the spiralling thoughts of anxiety — a form of creative self-management. •            Writing from fear vs. writing from truth Carrie's novel improved dramatically once she stopped emotionally distancing herself from the work. Trusted author friends helped her reconnect with the story's core, and the result was a book that is more fully her own voice. Connect with Carrie Birde here Website carriebirde.com/blog [http://carriebirde.com/blog] Instagram @carriebirde

Derpy dogs, living starters, and the art of leaving things unfinished

EPISODE SUMMARY Holly surprises Rogan with his best friend, Maryanne, and things immediately spiral into a deeply charming conversation about a 10-pound Shih Tzu-cockapoo mix with an underbite, the philosophy of unfinished projects, sourdough starter feeding schedules, vinyl records, and whether Kraft Dinner ketchup is civilized behaviour. Surprisingly therapeutic. Also, yeast is alive, and that’s terrifying. TOPICS COVERED •       Sombra the dog — origin story, the Uber ride home, floor-time naps •       Bless Their Yap — Maryanne’s new podcast (YouTube & Spotify) •       Knitting, sourdough, and cyclical hobbies •       ADHD and the art of leaving things unfinished •       Spend now vs. save for later — FOMO, hustle culture, social media pressure •       Vinyl records — Blue Neighbourhood by Troye Sivan •       The Cheez Whiz debate — and Kraft Dinner ketchup: a generational divide ENGAGEMENT PROMPT This week’s comment question: Cheez Whiz — yay or nay? Drop your answer wherever you’re listening. Bonus points for Kraft Dinner ketchup opinions. SIGN-OFF That’s a wrap, folks — stay derpy, feed your starters, and we’ll yap at you next time.

HowlFest & Heart Dogs - On Love, Loss, But Mostly Love

Episode Summary What happens when grief, love letters, and a frozen pizza-stealing dog collide? You get Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog — a memoir unlike any other. This week, Holly and Rogan welcome Kathy Mandell, a former travel industry executive turned memoirist, who spent a decade quietly sitting on the most heartfelt book she never planned to publish. From the chaos of Holly being dragged down the street by two enormous dogs, to the daily ritual of HowlFest (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like), to uncovering over 1,000 WWII love letters her father wrote to her mother — Kathy's conversation overflows with warmth, wit, and the particular ache of loving animals with your whole heart. Meet the Pets * Tux — 16-year-old cat who dresses better than most of us (tuxedo markings, bow tie, spats — the full look) * Charlie Brown — 14-year-old hound dog, the big gentle one * Petey — 10-year-old Chihuahua/Dachshund mix, Kathy's "little buddy," daily Substack muse, and apparent podcast critic (he moaned audibly every time Hobie came up) What We Talked About * The book that almost wasn't: Kathy began writing letters to her dog Hobie during his final year, continued after his passing as therapy, uploaded the manuscript to Amazon in 2023... then quickly took it down. It sat for a decade until her husband spotted it over her shoulder. * HowlFest — the daily morning howling ritual Petey and Charlie perform with Kathy's husband. If he's late, they start without him. * Traveling with dogs: Kathy's three-week cross-country road trip (South Carolina → Arizona → back) with two dogs, zero pet-related obstacles, and a van that wasn't quite big enough. An RV is incoming. * Pet grief and the Facebook group: Kathy took a course with the Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement and now offers comfort to grieving pet owners online. Her message: "It doesn't get easier — it gets less. You learn to live around it." * Her father's 1,000+ WWII love letters: Found in a closet after her parents passed. Her dad wrote to her mom every single day for nearly four years while serving in Europe under General Patton. Kathy typed them all out — in cursive, bad handwriting and all — and published several volumes. A Substack series may be on the horizon. * The second memoir: Kathy is currently drafting a memoir about her 20+ years in the travel industry. She wrote 80,000 raw words during a January memoir writing sprint (think NaNoWriMo, but for nonfiction lovers). How to Connect With Kathy * 📖 Book: Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Google Books * ✍️ Substack: Traveling Dog Lady [https://travelingdoglady.substack.com/] * 🐕 Daily content: Follow #DailyDogLady for your regular Petey fix Ramblings From The Little Shed is a podcast about the profound ways animals influence and inspire our creative lives. New episodes drop regularly — find us wherever you listen. Want to be a guest on a podcast or maybe you'd like to find a guest - Look no further - PodMatch [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/ramblingsfromthelittleshed] has you covered.

Labracadabra Dogs, Frauds & Fly Me to the Moon

Episode Summary In this candid and laugh-out-loud episode of Ramblings From the Little Shed, Rogan and Holly B. catch up on a month’s worth of life — from a bizarre bank fraud incident and a missed CN Tower climb to a surprisingly emotional Tony Bennett moment and an exciting upcoming guest reveal. If you love real, unfiltered conversations about everyday life, family dynamics, music, and adventure planning, this one’s for you. What We Cover in This Episode * The CN Tower climb that didn’t happen — and why it’s rescheduled for fall * Rogan’s bank fraud saga — a misplaced cheque, a nosebleed, and two hours at the bank * The Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga moment that made Rogan cry while cooking * Holly’s thrift store win — a pink plaid jacket for an unbelievably good deal * Upcoming Bruce Trail hike — 80 km of pain, pride, and content creation * Paul Pape & Gamify — a sneak peek at an incredible upcoming guest * Sombra the dog — the fur niece who hides from the word “walk” * Subscriber milestone goals — and what Rogan will do at 100K (hint: it involves his hair) Coming Up * 🥾 Bruce Trail Hike — happening in a couple of weeks. Expect trail content, aching feet, and a very dramatic before/after video. * 🏙️ Toronto Dog Moms Show — Holly will be there with her book and merchandise. * 🎙️ Paul Pape (Gamify) Episode — dropping in the next few weeks. Do not miss it. * 🗼 CN Tower Climb — rescheduled for November. Holly is confident. Rogan is competitive. Neither will back down. Resources & Links Mentioned * Holly’s Book — Available at upcoming vendor shows including the Toronto Dog Moms Show * Bruce Trail — brucetrail.org [https://brucetrail.org/] * CN Tower EdgeWalk/Climb — cntower.ca [http://cntower.ca] Connect With Us * 📺 YouTube: Rambling From The Little Shed [https://www.youtube.com/@RamblingsFromTheLittleShed] * 📸 Instagram: @rambling_from_the_little_shed * 💬 Leave a comment: Do you procrastinate important things? (Rogan does. He still hasn’t booked his flight.) Subscribe & Support We’re at 18 subscribers, and our goal is 20. Yes, 20. It’s an achievable dream, and we’re going for it. Hit subscribe, leave a comment, and tell us: what should Rogan’s hair milestone actually be? “As always, thank you so much for watching. Like, subscribe, comment — all that fun jazz.” — Rogan

Paws, Portals & Purring Away Bad Vibes

Episode Summary Holly B. sits down with Nicoletta Chiromante, a traditional Italian fortune teller, shamanic practitioner, and medium. Her gift is generational, passed down through family, and she now runs a full-time metaphysical practice in Northern Ontario after leaving the corporate world. Nicoletta introduces us to her two cats — the grey jazz-bar stray Leonidas and the toddler terror Deimos. The episode winds through the spiritual mechanics of feline energy clearing, the courage it takes to leave a corporate job for a calling, intuition as a bodily phenomenon, and why trauma might actually be blocking your psychic signal. Noteworthy Meet Leonidas, the manifested jazz-bar cat. How Nicoletta accidentally drew him into existence, and how a DVD of 300 gave him his name. Meet Deimos, the God of Terror (and also Honey Pickle). Cat number two arrives via the cat distribution system. A word of caution about naming your pets. Cats as purring energy filters — transmuting and discarding the energetic load of the household. Cats, creativity & social media. On the tension between authentic metaphysical work and building an online presence — and why cats bridge both. What Nicoletta actually does. Tarot spreads, mediumship, shamanic practice, and how a session unfolds (spoiler: no one dies today). Where she works & why energetic boundaries matter. Offices, home visits, weddings, baby showers, and keeping personal and professional energy separate. Can animals come through in a reading? Yes — including a horse. Trauma, The Body Keeps the Score & the body as a psychic instrument. Intuition as a physical whisper in the solar plexus, and why women often feel it more acutely. Where you can find Nicoletta Instagram   @nicoletta_chiromante Facebook    Nicoletta Chiromante Website      psychicsudbury.ca [http://psychicsudbury.ca] Need a guest on your podcast or maybe you are looking to be a guest? PodMatch [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/ramblingsfromthelittleshed] has you covered from booking to reviewing.