Play Date with Kate Buckmeier

Play Date with Kate Buckmeier

My guest today is Kate Buckmeier — former neighbor, fellow quilter, and the mastermind behind something she calls The Grandma Project. Around her 49th birthday, the idea for the project arrived fully formed: twelve months, twelve activities pulled straight from the lives of her two grandmothers. Golf. Sauerkraut making. Contra dancing. Watching Days of Our Lives. We talk about why women are so quick to talk themselves out of the ideas that come "fully formed," and why the word serve can feel like both a calling and a trigger. Kate opens up about growing up on her family farm in a small Minnesota town, the theme she calls "the dance between holding on and letting go," and what she now knows about connection, joy, and duty because of the women who helped raised her. If this stirs something in you — a memory, an idea, a curiosity you've set aside — come find The Wonder Project [https://annmarieboyle.com/thewonderproject], my free series of small invitations to reconnect with play. And, for Kate's original blog post on the project, visit: https://katebuckmeier.com/the-grandma-project/ www.annmarieboyle.com Music from Uppbeat (https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/to-the-top [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsoundroll%2Fto-the-top/vZub/wuHDAQ/AQ/deb8c09e-f8f4-4058-9845-4e22b76f6a6a/4/hNx_gkXFV4]), License code BC9SEN3G6PMABOA

Ep 8: [Nudge] What Sounds Fun to You?

Life gets busy. Responsibilities get loud. And somewhere along the way, many of us stop noticing the little things that make us smile. In this episode, we're exploring what happens when we get curious about fun again—and why rediscovering it doesn't have to mean making big changes. Sometimes it starts with a couple simple questions. Links:  https://annmarieboyle.com/the-wonder-project/ www.annmarieboyle.com Music from Uppbeat (https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/to-the-top [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsoundroll%2Fto-the-top/vZub/wuHDAQ/AQ/deb8c09e-f8f4-4058-9845-4e22b76f6a6a/4/hNx_gkXFV4]), License code BC9SEN3G6PMABOA

Ep 7: [Nudge] But, do I deserve that?

If you've ever talked yourself out of the art class, the afternoon off, the thing that would genuinely make your life more beautiful — and told yourself it was about the money or the time — this one's for you. In this Nudge, I'm following a question that found me twice in less than a week: are you letting yourself have the things that bring you joy? Not the things you can justify. Not the things you've earned. The things that actually make you feel more like yourself. www.annmarieboyle.com Music from Uppbeat (https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/to-the-top [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsoundroll%2Fto-the-top/vZub/wuHDAQ/AQ/deb8c09e-f8f4-4058-9845-4e22b76f6a6a/4/hNx_gkXFV4]), License code BC9SEN3G6PMABOA

Ep 6: Play Date with Dr. J (a.k.a. my husband)

You've heard a lot from me about reclaiming your right to play. But what does it look like from the other side — from the person in your corner who makes that space possible? Today I'm welcoming my husband of 26-plus years, known around here as Dr. J, to his very first Play Date. Paul (as people call him IRL) is a professor, an eternally optimistic human, a lover of the outdoors, and the person who has quietly — and not so quietly — been one of the biggest reasons I've been able to keep creativity and play at the center of my life. We talk about what it actually means to protect your partner's right to play, how to find the Venn diagram overlap where both of your cups get filled, and why play doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing, 78 RPM kind of commitment. (Sometimes 33 is exactly right.) Paul also answers the question I've been dying to ask on mic: what does it look like when I haven't had enough play in my life? Spoiler: he's very kind about it. And I am... less kind about myself. If you've ever wondered how to ask for more play in your relationship — or how to be the person who shows up for someone you love — this one's for you. In this episode: * Why Paul defines play as a feeling and attitude before it's ever an action * How Lego, yarn arts, and five-gallon buckets of nostalgia are doing a lot of heavy lifting in our marriage * The "kidney question" we use to de-escalate way-too-serious moments * Why invitations (not demands) are the secret to protecting play in a partnership * What to ask your partner if they can't easily access joy — and how to come at it from the side Also in the episode, the link to grab The Wonder Project: www.annmarieboyle.com/thewonderproject www.annmarieboyle.com Music from Uppbeat (https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/to-the-top [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsoundroll%2Fto-the-top/vZub/wuHDAQ/AQ/deb8c09e-f8f4-4058-9845-4e22b76f6a6a/4/hNx_gkXFV4]), License code BC9SEN3G6PMABOA

Ep 5: [NUDGE] Your to-do list lied. Rest is not a reward.

When was the last time you genuinely felt sharp? Not caffeinated sharp — actually sharp? In this Nudge episode, Annmarie digs into why rest is not an earned reward, but a vital input -- and why play might be the most underrated form of rest there is. Show links: https://annmarieboyle.com/the-wonder-project/ www.annmarieboyle.com Music from Uppbeat (https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/to-the-top [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsoundroll%2Fto-the-top/vZub/wuHDAQ/AQ/deb8c09e-f8f4-4058-9845-4e22b76f6a6a/4/hNx_gkXFV4]), License code BC9SEN3G6PMABOA