Episode 14: My Hippie Sister in Texas, a Novelist in California, and a Childcare Entrepreneur in Minnesota --- Lisa, Yi Shun and Beckett

You and Me and Everyone We Know is an audio diary made by everyday people living through the Covid-19 pandemic, and in today's episode, we hear from my hippie sister who shares how subversive cross stitch is bringing her joy during the pandemic. We’ll also hear from a writer and editor who's laughter brings so much joy during these crazy days. And we’ll hear from a childcare entrepreneur who talks about what it's like to start a business during a pandemic. Press play below to listen to the latest episode (or find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Music, and Stitcher):

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In the first part of this episode, we’re talking to Lisa. Lisa is many things, among them, she is my sister. She is also THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!! (You can wish her a happy birthday here.) Lisa is the amazing inspirational woman behind the Instagram account @yourhippiesister where she is all about self care and body positivity. And a very sweet little chihuahua named Minibar. We talked on April 1st, and Lisa and her husband Brian had left the city of austin for the day to visit Brian’s uncle’s lake house. You can actually hear the birds singing in the background, a sign of spring that immediately lifted my spirits. But not as much, of course, as talking to my sister…

In the second part of this episode we’re talking to Yi Shun Lai. Yi Shun and I met at a writing conference in 2013 or 2014… we can’t quite remember. We’ve stayed friends ever since. Yi Shun is many things - a writer, a professor of creative writing, an a volunteer with Shelter Box which provides emergency shelter to people for people living through disaster. When we talked on March 30, we were still getting used to the idea of shelter-in-place orders, and we were both really worried about our sanity, our cities, and the people and institutions that we love...

In the last part of this episode we’re talking to Beckett. Beckett is the co-founder of Greenbrier Montessori, a new pre-school in Minneapolis. He’s also an incredible friend to my family. My kids adore him. And I do, too. Beckett has worked at my kid’s day care for a long time before starting his own preschool which has been scheduled to open soon. Before Becket and I sat down to record this, he’d actually come by my house.  We didn’t know much about the virus, and he’d brought over something we’d left at the daycare… my son’s coveralls. It was so strange, a friend who normally would come inside and end up staying for dinner, suddenly just knocking on the window, then leaving the clothes outside and walking away…

Here's some of the things we talked about in this episode:

-How it feels after isolating for a month and a half
-Apartment walkabouts
-Dogs, the benefits, the changing habits
-Getting out of the city
-The luxury of space
-Chronic pain during the pandemic
-Subversive Cross Stitch
-Birthdays in the month of April
-Stroopwaffel
-Traipsing
-The only people who aren’t afraid aren’t people. 
-SoCal without smog
-Fire Island for rabbits
-Xeriscaping
-Singletons in the Pandemic
-Stanley Kunitz (I think.)
-What Yi Shun tells her MFA students right now
-The Kekeibo Budgeting System
-Digital Daycare Song time
-Newly working from home
-Greenbrier Montessori
-Starting a new business during the pandemic
-Moving from California to Minnesota
-Building a life from scratch
-Mr. Rogers
-Looking for the helpers 

Thank you for listening. 

And thank you to Lisa, Yi Shun and Beckett for coming on the podcast and for connecting with all of us. 

If feel like someone you know might feel comforted by hearing how everyday people are getting through these tough days, please share this podcast with them.  

If YOU, dear listener, want to be part of this podcast go to heybrentlove.com and tap coronavirus podcast on the menu or find me on Instagram @ heybrentlove.