The Love Letter Squad – Changing the world for the better, one letter at a time

August 20, 2012

Larry Hoogasian flowers in a changing world

Times have certainly changed. We text, we message, we keep in touch on facebook, twitter and a slew of other social networks and we might go to the opera in jeans, but there is one form of communication that has held its own. Flowers. Larry Hoogasian, great grandson of the man who put up the first flower stand in San Francisco near the old Gumps, is still going strong. A dearer man you could not find. Listen to him talk about his family history what his name actually means, what happened to that first flower stand and his work with Rotary. Larry writes love letters daily for the people who order flowers, kind of a Cyrano de San Francisco.

Larry Hoogasian flowers in a changing world [ 30:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (861)

August 5, 2012

Author Roberta Cole on Reading My Mind: A Collection of Essays

Roberta Cole, of Caregiving from the Heart: Tales of Inspiration has a new book out for your pleasure. In Reading My Mind: A Collection of Essays, she talks about some experiences common to many of us. It is an eye-opening comfort to hear Roberta talk about her dismay at the doctor’s office, talking on cell-phones at restaurants, about her memory of her father’s illness and how her mother grew during this time and a whole lot more. Give a click here just for the joy of listening to Roberta talk about her life and very possibly yours, too.

Author Roberta Cole on Reading My Mind: A Collection of Essays [ 30:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (944)

July 17, 2012

Hugo Campos asks who owns information our body emits

Hugo Campos modern hero

Hugo Campos is a modern hero out slaying dragons on behalf of us all. Who owns the information our bodies produce? Do we? Should we? Seems the companies that make implantable devices to keep our heart-beat regular get the information our bodies are pumping out with every beat and keeping it secret from the very host. Outrageous, really. Listen to Hugo talk about his experience and his turf-war over the ownership of his own body statistics. Who gets his love letter? This is a complicated question with lots of possibilities.

Hugo Campos asks who owns information our body emits [ 30:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1158)

July 4, 2012

Musician Allan Ross on his years performing with Doc Watson

Musician Al Ross talks about his years with Doc Watson, whose work spanned spheres as well as years, and whose recent death left not just a hole in the world of music but in the hearts of those who treasured him. To hear Al talk about his life as a performer is engrossing. His complicated personal and professional relationship with Doc Watson is historically relevant and personally touching. Always a treat to get behind the scenes information. The love letter? Not yet clear who will get one since the options are complex.

Musician Al Ross on his years of performing with Doc Watson [ 30:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1197)

June 22, 2012

Holly Pedersen stands up to bullying

Holly Pedersen of San Francisco’s Jewish Family and Children’s Services takes on the issue of bullying with vigor, practicality, compassion and devotion to the cause. It was enlightening to hear her talk about the fine lines between teasing and bullying, and I was particularly touched by her nonjudgmental approach. To hear her talk about this devastating issue gives hope that it may someday be diminished as children and adults find other ways to express their own angers. And, how perfectly the issue of love letters fits in here.

Holly Pedersen stands up to bullying [ 27:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1398)

June 10, 2012

Jeremi McManus gets you ready to start dating

Jeremi McManus

Jeremi McManus holds many titles all of which help you become your best self. Today we focus on Jeremi as a dating coach with clear, encouraging and over-the-top sensible advice that once heard will strike you as so sane that you might well wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself. Oh, well, that is, after all, the point of having a skilled coach who can bring you to your best and most comfortably appealing self, right?

In line with presenting yourself honestly to the online dating world, it was a natural to hear Jeremi start to write a love letter to himself. Practice in affirming one’s self is skill worth developing for so many reasons, not the least of which is so you will be comfortable with your fabulous side and wear it well.

I am wondering if my love letter to Jeremi got to him before his did. I must say I find the very sound of his joyful voice a promise of success. Do yourself a favor and listen to him talk about what you should know before you even sign up for dating.

Jeremi McManus gets you ready to start dating [ 29:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1891)

May 28, 2012

The beautiful life of Lara Hoffman

Lara's world of antique beauty

What is it like to have the most loving family possible and have to move almost 8000 miles away from them? Lara Hoffman talks about just that, her exceptional family and the reality of having to re-locate halfway across the world. A new country, a husband she loves, and the joys of self discovery have made for a wonderful adventure. To hear her tell her story of love and distance is a lesson in modern life and timeless devotion.

The beautiful life of Lara Hoffman [ 29:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1766)

May 21, 2012

Tamim Ansary back from Afghanistan

Tamim Ansary, exceptional author of several remarkable books, talks about his recent visit to Afghanistan with insights new to many Americans who are generally dependent on popular media for information. Listening to Tamim tell about any aspect of his life is an experience that is, in short, hard to describe but so compelling that even the most distant cultures and times loom in like a familiar reunion. I cannot imagine any better way to learn history than from this man’s personal view from anything on Othman to love letters. Hard not to pay attention. Give yourself a gift and listen to him talk about why he went and what he found. And, yes, good news, he has a new book coming out soon.

Tamim Ansary back from Afghanistan [ 29:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1695)

May 14, 2012

Poet Kaira Espinoza making education relevant

Kaira Espinoza was a poet before she became an educator with E3 and does both with all the heart, strength, self-assurance, respect and poise it takes to be effective. Kaira has definite ideas of how education should be changed to be most relevant to the throngs of students for whom todays’s curricula are pretty much meaningless in terms of planning a productive adult life. Listen to Kaira share her poetry, tell her story, and talk about a love letter to her blessedly “fierce” mother.

Poet Kaira Espinoza making education relevant [ 29:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1460)

May 7, 2012

Marney Makridakis wizard creating time

Marney Makridakas, author of Creating Time, told me that we can create more time. To say I was dubious about that is an understatement since I know exactly how much time there is in a day or a year or even a minute. After listening to this wizard whose relationship to time is that of friend, lover and plaything, I realized I did not know at all how much time there is in any given day, year and that I had a lot to learn. For an encouraging view of how you can get more time for what you want to do. Listen to Marney in her own non-rushed voice. So worth the time!

Marney Makridakis wizard creating time [ 29:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1604)

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