In this week's mini-episode, Elizabeth shares more about her monthly ritual of using markers and paper to reflect on her plans, hopes, priorities and touchstones for the month ahead.  Here are several examples of the pieces she's created, including the very first one that set this practice in motion  . . . and just might be responsible for the inception of Everyday Thin Places! 

Happy Last Week of 2020! Next week is 2021 (?!?!?!?!?!) and we’re celebrating by looking back on 2020 and looking forward to 2021! 

Mentioned on episode!
(click for link)
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• Disney Dresses and Daisy
• The Umbrella Academy Dance 
• Sauerkraut Balls 

On episode 30, Rachael and Elizabeth talk about darkness. 

Featuring:

• First sips of coffee before the sun comes up
  
• Elizabeth’s experiences with birth in the darkness
  
• More thoughts about candles! (surprise!)
  
• Growth happening in the darkness
  
• Rachael’s idea to run the summer solstice half marathon in Anchorage, Alaska 
  
• The ritual of watching the sun set
  
• The coziness of hygge
  
• The difference between pain and suffering
  
• The light at the end of the tunnel
  
• Death as a tunnel of darkness toward a light
  
• The idea of a peaceful death happening in your sleep
  
• Our lifespan starting in the dark and ending in the dark
  
• Turning on sparkle lights as the sun goes down
  
• Elizabeth’s childhood in the cloudiest city and Rachael’s childhood in the sunniest city
  
• Sledding after dark with hot chocolate under the night sky
  
• Elizabeth snuggling with her kids in the dark
  

    Contribute to the show at https://ko-fi.com/everydaythinplaces
    
    Email us at everydaythinplaces@gmail.com

    Follow us on instagram: @everydaythinplaces

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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso are joined by Rev. Dr. Liam Robins to discuss Hanukkah, his history of faith, embracing Judaism as an adult, the “thin place” experience of lighting the Hanukkah candles, and much more.

Mentioned on this episode:
Lankenau Medical Center Spiritual Care: https://www.mainlinehealth.org/patient-services/spiritual-care

Main Line Youth Alliance: https://www.myaonline.org/

A warm welcome to Kaitin Shetler, poet extraordinaire and Rachael and Elizabeth’s new best friend. Kaitlin’s here to tell us about her poem, ‘Sometimes I Wonder’ going viral last winter, how the poem came to be, and the concept of “incarnation” in the Christmas story.

(Follow Everyday Thin Places on Insta: www.instagram.com/everydaythinplaces! We want to see you there!)

Mentioned on this episode:

• Kaitlin Shetler Poetry: https://www.facebook.com/kaitlinhardyshetler

Sins Invalid: https://www.sinsinvalid.org/

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds is a couture jewelry designer and her history with jewelry goes all the way back to her origin story of her parents meeting and falling in love across a jewelry case. Michelle handcrafts her creations in gemstones, pearls, and recycled precious metals, and in this episode, we chat about being connected to the earth and humanity through wearable art. We also discuss the births and deaths that occur in the process of designing Michelle’s extraordinary jewelry. 

Michelle gives us some book recommendations of STONED: Jewelry Obsession and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden and Gems in Myth Legend and Lore by Bruce G. Knuth.

Follow Michelle on instagram @michellepajakreynolds, on facebook @michellepajakreynoldsjewelry, and on her website: www.michellepajakreynolds.com

Michelle shares a cause close to her heart, gemlegacy.com, and we would love for you to check it out and get involved!

Once upon a time in 2014 Mark Ruffin started a social media movement called The Black Doll Tea Party. This project has since grown into a movement and a retailer of dolls, doll clothing, and accessories called Black Dolls Matter.  Mark is here to talk about the basics of Black Dolls Matter, including the magic of having a doll that looks like you. He’s also talking about how we can all support Black Dolls Matter, and the other creative endeavors he has been a part of.

You can find Mark's dolls, doll clothing and accessories atblackdollsmatter.com. 

We would love for you to support the cause that Mark shared that’s near and dear to his heart. Check out https://www.evoluerhouse.org and go vote for Philadelphia’s own, Cheryl Ann Wadlington for Loreal’s Women of Worth Awards by clicking here. 

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Kay Bruner is here and we're talking about her family motto: "whatever happens, we'll get through it together," how to make this holiday season meaningful regardless of how "unprecedented" this season will be, and the importance of boundaries.

​You can find out more about Kay on her website - www.kaybruner.com, and of course, come follow Kay's Facebook page - We'll Get Through It Together! 

If Kay's talk about travel and ancient ruins has piqued your interest, check out her travel-specific blog posts, as well as these cool images of the Winter Solstice sun interacting with the light boxes at Newgrange. 

​If you'd like to show some generosity on behalf of Kay, she would love for you to check out The Well Community in Dallas who "provide a place to belong for those who struggle with mental illnesses and are thirsty for acceptance, support and meaningful relationships."  Please consider giving to them on Kay's behalf!

Enneagram coach, Erin Sur is here and we’re talking about the enneagram, coming back to ourselves through this helpful tool, and how she sees the cast of Friends through the lens of the enneagram.
Check out Erin's website at www.erinsur.com for information about life and Ennagram coaching.  You can also follow her on instagram by clicking here! 

In this weeks' episode it's just Rachael and Elizabeth, good friends talking about a profound weekend a few weeks ago. Over the course of a few hours, Elizabeth helped a family to welcome their rainbow baby into the world and Rachael said her final goodbye to her grandmother, a holocaust survivor. Rachael reminisces about her Gran, Rene Koenigsberg Hammond and Elizabeth opens up about the precious experience of helping to bring new life into the world.

Check out the following links to experience more of Rachael's Gran's story --

Survivor Story - Rene Hammond

Rene Hammond - "That Must Be My Little Girl's Ash" from the Tampa Bay Times

Shalom Adventures video featuring Rene Hammond