Category: Uncategorized

March 21, 2019

Beverley Elliott – The Girlfriend Takeaway

Beverley Elliott is a movie/television actress, singer/songwriter, and award-winning writer/performer of musical theater. She just ended a seven year run playing Granny on ABCs hit show Once Upon A Time (now available on Netflix), and her many movie projects include: Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood, Who’s Harry Crumb, The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, and The Santa Clause 2. Check out her impressive list of appearances HERE.

Beyond all of these accomplishments, Bev is also genuinely kind and naturally funny. And did I mention she’s Canadian?

My biggest takeaway from our interview?

“Remember the pumpkin patch.”

She’s referring to a grueling gig she once had that allowed her to express herself with “fearlessness and sheer abandon” – an experience she now pulls on when faced with new challenges.

Whether large scale or small, most of us have a version of a pumpkin patch, as well. A time when we gave ourselves the freedom and permission to truly be. Let’s make a vow to go back there as often as possible.

A huge THANK YOU to this outstanding woman for being on Girlfriend, We Need To Talk! I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Learn more:
Website

Follow:
Instagram
Twitter

Watch Bev perform:
Video One
Video Two
Video Three

March 17, 2019

It Always Ends The Same

Try to pick a movie,
A weekend game I play,
Searching, clicking, cursing
At the icons on display

Action and adventure
Sci-Fi tried and true,
Drama filled with heartache
Frozen, Ralph, or Pooh

Do I warp my brain on violence
Eyes closed more than they’re open,
Or pick based on the actor
Nicole or maybe Morgan

Comedy’s an option
Melissa makes me laugh,
but maybe that’s too mindless,
An Oscar win, perhaps

Romances never fail me
At least not when on film,
But God, there’s just so many
That the list can overwhelm

So every week it ends the same
With pounding my head,
I watch two hours of trailers
And stumble off to bed

~ Leana Delle
Sunday, March 17, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number ten of fifty-two

March 14, 2019

Ellen Britton – The Girlfriend Takeaway

This woman. What a joy.

Professional musician, singer/songwriter, and guitar teacher extraordinaire. What was my biggest takeaway from her podcast interview on Girlfriend, We Need To Talk? Actually, I had two.

The first: “Singing harmony might be the best thing about life.” I agree with this, as it applies to music and to relationships. I think that being “in tune” with others is why we’re here in the first place. Strive for it. Hit the high notes. Blend.

The second: “If I can’t have fun, I don’t want to play. I think that’s the secret to everything.” Oh, so true, Miss Ellen. If you’re not digging it, ditch it – or come at your scenario from a different angle. One that infuses joy.

I highly recommend that you listen to this episode to get a true taste of what loving life sounds like. Options include iTunes where you can leave a review, or right here with a simple click.

Oh, and Ellen also gave me a new favorite word. “Dadgum.”

And be sure to follow her through the links below. You’ll be enriched by the connection, guaranteed.

Website
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
Google
Queen of Hearts
Meet The Queens!

March 10, 2019

If I Thought . . .

If I thought that you could hear me
I’d tell you of my day,
All the little steps I took
Toward the dream I crave

You’d laugh at all my antics
And tell me “Good for you,”
Even if the things I shared
Were nothing you would do

If I thought that you could see me
I’d smile with your eyes,
And blow in your direction
A kiss that never dies

I’d wear the blouse you gave me
On the Christmas we last shared,
And match to it the earrings
That you left for me to wear

If I thought that you could feel me
I’d throw my arms out wide,
Await your soul’s arrival
And pull you deep inside

I’d keep a hand turned upward
One for you to hold,
Just like when I was younger,
Just like when you grew old

Take your rest you’ve earned it
I’m really not afraid,
After all you raised me
To be singular and brave

But if on high you’re able
And you hear me call your name,
Feel and watch and listen,
I still need you just the same

~ Leana Delle
Sunday, March 10, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number nine of fifty-two

March 7, 2019

The Girlfriend Takeaway – Dr Kat Smith

Dr Kat Smith is an author, speaker (check out her TEDx), expert media guest, and all-around cool chick. She’s been on Good Morning America, HuffPost Live, Good Morning Texas, ABC radio networks, and now Girlfriend, We Need To Talk!

When this media powerhouse brought her awesomeness to the studio, she spoke hard truths about getting out from under our own shit. I had many takeaways from our conversation, but the biggest by far was . . .

“When life isn’t working out, start within.”

Kat has applied this to her own journey as a survivor of abuse, but it also holds true for every area of our own lives. Are you prone to negative thinking, afraid of change, crippled by self-doubt? Within people. That’s what she’s talkin’ about.

Check out this inspiring message on iTunes and leave a review. Not on iTunes? Click HERE.

And you can follow this outstanding woman on any or all of these social media platforms:

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

LINKEDIN

PINTEREST

Thank you, Dr Kat!

March 3, 2019
Gravel Roads

I see it just like yesterday
With Dad behind the wheel,
Cruising over gravel roads
And how it made me feel

Destination Grandpa’s house
Sometimes uncles, too,
All of whom had farms to run
Where food and families grew

And on the way we’d pass a few
Cars and trucks and tractors,
Meandering at Sunday’s pace
No need for going faster

I’d raise my hand like Daddy did
And each of us would wave,
Acknowledging the driver
The kindness they’d repay

I loved that little gesture
And miss it where I am,
Fingers now are raised on high
And no one gives a damn

Aggression at my bumper
Anger on my right,
Police who just don’t bother
‘Cause they’ve got a bigger fight

It saddens me, I must admit
At city’s core and mine,
That basic human decency
Falls victim to the grind

Despite, I’m blessed that I was raised
To know a farmer’s code,
For when mankind wears on my soul
I seek a gravel road.

~ Leana Delle
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Number eight of fifty-two in my 2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge.

February 28, 2019
The Girlfriend Takeaway – Clonie Gowen

Clonie Gowen. Professional poker player, and my first guest on Girlfriend, We Need To Talk!

How fitting that my premiere interview be in person. Many of my conversations with outstanding women happen over the phone, but this was the best way to start out. And this woman’s story! From taking a bus to Vegas at 17 to teaching poker in Allen, TX – not to mention the $1.6 million in tournament wins that happened in between.

What was my biggest takeaway from 30 minutes with Clonie? Her parallels between poker and the game of life:

“If you’re just sitting down and you’re miserable all the time, you’re going to always see the miserable cards that you get. You’re never going to be able to see the wins.”

Amen sister. So true. She spoke of attitude, praised gratitude, and exuded fortitude.

Thank you, Clonie Gowen. This interview was a royal flush, and I know that those who listen will be all in.

You can check out the interview on iTunes or by clicking HERE. And if you want to learn to play from the master herself, this is the LINK for you.

Want to follow the show on social media? Try one or all of these:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

February 24, 2019
Youth Walks By

Could it, can it, must it be
Have I reached the age,
Where staying up past ten o’clock
Has marked a turning page

There must be some confusion,
Surely a mistake,
I’m the one who lived for fun
Who wrote a different fate

It wasn’t going to be like this
Sleep was for the others,
Those who kept all things routine
A life I swore would smother

I’m the girl who raised a glass
At every chance to party,
Dancing on the beach ‘til 2:00
Never safe or sorry

But now I have to come to terms
With how my days are changing,
Knees that creak and hips that burn
Memories rearranging

I often stare as youth walks by
All limitless and blind,
To just how fast it disappears
This flirting brush with time

But something else I glimpse, I see
Deep in tender eyes,
Confusion underneath it all
Searching truth for lies

My younger self lacked confidence
Though knees could bend with ease,
I’d pour a glass of bravery
Try desperately to please

Men I never should have loved
Paths that led to nowhere,
Dreams I’d dream, too scared to try
A private, loathing nightmare

Would I choose to raise once more
A glass and journey back,
I’d rather ache from head to toe
And quietly hit the sack.

~ Leana Delle
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Number seven of fifty-two in my 2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge.

Sculpture, “Kathy” by Susan Kay Johnson

February 21, 2019
The Podcast Is Live!

CLICK HERE to listen to episode one.

HOOOOORAY!!!

After months of planning, brainstorming, and interviewing, we’re ready to roll. The podcast is here!

What will this first episode bring? Me discussing what the show’s about with sound guy Mark “Friedo” Friedman. Now, don’t let the fact that I’m talking to a man fool you; the show’s definitely about women. Friedo just happens to speak up on occasion, and it’s important that you get to know his brilliance. Did I mention that he’s a sports radio celeb? Think The Ticket; think ESPN.

For your convenience, episodes will be posted in various places. On social media, obviously, but also here. I plan to write a weekly blog entitled “The Girlfriend Takeaway.” In it, I’ll tell you about the current guest and discuss what I got out of the interview. I’ll also include a link to listen in.

That’s all fine and good, but please consider subscribing via the above link to receive this weekly soundbite of joy into your inbox. And don’t forget, you’ll also get my weekly poem on Sundays. What a deal!

Okay, let’s get this party started. I hope we have a long, enjoyable relationship throughout this broadcast, and if you ever feel the need to reach out, girlfriend, I’m ready to talk. Just email at: gfweneedtotalk@gmail.com

February 17, 2019
Tiny

The tiniest window sits over my hearth
Housing a thin pane of glass,
The view from no matter the angle I look
Shifts only as seasons do pass.

Shamrock and emerald and deep forest greens
Stolen by ambers and golds,
Barren in branch and absent of scene
To buds that so bravely unfold.

Through this tiny window, on a tiny thin branch,
Occasional birds flitter by,
They sit and they sing and at times seem to glance
Straight in with inquisitive eyes.

What might they be thinking, those tiny bird brains,
Of my perch that sees so little change?
Do they think me as sad, or pathetic, or blessed,
Can they give my behavior a name?

Are they stronger these branches, these leaves, and these birds
Than I in my chair by the fire,
As they all face what comes with each rising sun
No choice to retreat or retire?

Often I dream of knocking it down
The wall that holds tight to that glass,
Let the whole world, the real world, come in
And brace for holding on fast.

That thin pane of glass some would argue is wise,
It’s what man has worked to attain,
But what is kept out and what is kept in
Is never remotely the same.

~ Leana Delle
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Number six of fifty-two in My Year of Sunday Poems challenge.

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