Episode 185: Teri Rose - Author of Adventures with Sam and Saint: Holiday Celebrations

Hello and welcome to the Kosh, the People's Podcast.

I'm your host, Timber Smith and the Kosh is a podcast that spotlights people who've had an association with the Kosh and the surrounding Fox Cities region.

Kosh listeners, how are we doing?

It is another fabulous, fabulous weekend.

Let me give you my normal update A It looks gorgeous, but I hear the wind is nasty.

Now I have not gone outside myself, but I have gotten it from the wife during Bosco's potty walk that it is serious out there.

So I am very glad that I have not had to go out there and deal with that yet.

So I'll just take the fact that we have sun.

Oh God, this is so good to have sun.

That is just the facts of it all.

OK, I am we have just gotten past Black History Month and if y'all don't know, know that Black History Month is like my marathon month.

Like I get called for a lot of different things to go do really cool, cool things.

It is a blessing.

But that also comes with lots of events and lots of speaking engagements and just things.

It's just things to do.

And you know, as much as I love Black History Month, I also am not sad when we get past Black History Month.

But let me just say what I have all Black History Month.

Just remember that Black history is American history.

So OK now y'all, I am very excited about today's episode.

It's going to be an amazing conversation.

Me and this guest have kind of just getting to know each other a little bit prior to us recording.

But there are reasons I am really excited about this episode.

But more importantly, more importantly, and I think you know where I'm going with this, I don't know how I continue to get these amazing, amazing guests.

And guess what?

This week isn't any different.

So without any further ado, this week's guest is Terry Rose.

Hey, Terry, what's good?

Hi, how are you doing?

Good.

I can't keep, I can't stop smiling.

So this is fun.

Hey, that's you know what?

That's better than the opposite.

If you, if you kept frowning at me, I I wouldn't know what to do with all that energy.

Oh, right, I'll take.

Smiley Energy Smiley Energy makes for great episodes.

Good, good.

You know, so how are we doing this morning?

Doing really good.

Really excited.

This is my first podcast, so I'm really, yeah, thank you for having me.

All the things.

Hey, first podcast.

Well, good.

I promise you, we here at the Kosh will make it the best experience.

I'm excited.

OK, so you ready to jump in?

I'm ready.

Terry, what is your connection to the Kosh and the surrounding Fox Cities region?

Well, I've been living in the district now here for 17 years.

I have been married to my husband for 15 years and he actually graduated at West High School.

I work in the Oshkosh Area School District.

This is my fourth year.

I started at Webster Stanley and now I work at West High School.

I'm door 24 monitor.

OK.

Yeah, that's awesome.

Yeah.

All right, so you're in in the building.

Yes.

How do you like?

Have you been in the new building?

Well, I mean since Webster, Because you are at Webster.

Yeah, Menominee, I have been in it for a few meetings.

So I started in the district and I was a media assistant.

Love being in the library.

That's good stuff.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then I switched to West High School, so I started with elementary kids and that was sweet.

Awesome.

And now I'm at West High School and it's a little different having little kids and then go into pretty much, you know, adult big kids being there and being around them.

And that energy is is fun and exciting.

That AI I've had the, I've never worked in middle school, but I've worked in high school and yeah, that's, that's that's a whole nother environment.

People don't know.

You don't know unless you know.

Right, exactly.

But these kids at Oshkosh, they're very excited to learn and excited to do new things.

And they got a bunch of ideas and it's it's really, it's, it's awesome.

So.

Well, you know, we got a cool episode that it by the time this episode get gets released, we've got an episode with Micah over there.

And Oh yeah, he's.

He's great, Oshkosh West and it's a fire episode.

It's it's pretty fantastic.

So you so but you said you've been in around here for like 17 years.

I mean, I guess you, you're not born and raised, Kosh, you, you came in from somewhere.

Nope, Little small town.

Amherst, WI.

I don't know if you've heard of that.

I've seen a sign.

Yep, it's in between Waupaca and Stevens Point.

If you blink, you'll miss it.

Yeah.

I've never stopped there because I'm not sure there's a stop light to stop.

No, there, I'm just kidding.

No.

There isn't.

There is a brewery though, Central Waters.

I don't know if you've been there before.

No, yeah, it's it's it's a good place.

I recommend going there if if you get time.

OK, so small town.

How many people are in Amherst?

Oh, so when I was there, I want to say it was less than 1000, like 800.

Maybe it's gotten over to 1000 now, I'm not sure, But it is.

It is.

Everybody knows everything about everybody.

And it is.

Yeah, it's tiny.

It's all of the things.

Yeah, it's a lot of farmers.

Yeah, it was.

So did you.

So did you move directly from Elmhurst into Oshkosh?

No, I went to a pet.

I actually didn't.

I'm an Amherst alumni.

I actually will be there soon for my read aloud there, but I went to Alpaca, graduated there and then from Alpaca I came to Oshkosh.

So.

Yeah, the reason I asked this because I was thinking, I always giggle when I hear people move from places about the size of Elmhurst and they move to like the cash and they're like this big city.

And I'm like it is what?

I agree.

Don't get me wrong.

I like, I remember when I first came here and I there was just so many people and it, it felt like, like Chicago because I, I have family from Chicago and stuff like that.

And I, I, yeah, I came to Oshkosh.

I was like, Oh my gosh, this is just as big as Chicago.

And yeah, locals look at you like what?

No, not even close.

But that's what it feels like coming from such a small town.

So.

Yeah.

OK, So what does it mean to be a door monitor?

So me and Melissa, so Micah's mom, she works at door 38 and I work at door 24 and so we work pretty closely together.

She monitors like the front where a lot of the adults come in.

I monitor where the kids come in, where they park.

Yeah.

So at 8:00 in the morning when all the kids are coming in, I'm like, good morning, kids.

Have a good day.

Yeah.

So I'm letting kids in.

And then there's some, you know, Amazon boxes and random things that happen and parents dropping off stuff and things like that.

But I'm just closely monitoring, making sure that the wrong people don't come in and just the kids and that kind of thing.

So yeah, I, I really enjoy it so far so.

Well, now, did you say it?

I know exactly because, you know, I went, it wasn't that long ago that I had to go to West and Micah's mom was at the window and I had to, you know, do the sign in thing, the check in thing.

And I was just like, OK, that's what's up.

All right, So, but that's.

Me, but at the other door.

I am glad that there are people there doing that role, taking care of our children.

So thank you, Yes.

Absolutely.

It's it's been a pleasure so far.

All right, so without, without us treading on the topic of the week, I just want to know.

OK, so I've learned that you're an author.

Yes.

Yes, and I'm curious because I'm a firm believer in this.

All of us secretly want to write a book like everybody.

You should.

Right.

Everybody, everybody just they have this thing like I want to write a book and about it, whatever.

But like, right.

And very few of us actually do the thing.

Yeah.

But you did the thing.

I did the thing.

How'd you get there?

Well, so I started working in the Oshkosh Area School District, like I said four years ago and being in the Media Center, it was tricky because so my book is called Adventures with Sam, insane holiday celebrations.

And in the month of December, I found it kind of particularly difficult to read in inclusive and multicultural book to the children because I want every child to feel seen, heard and represented.

And at all the principals that work in the Oshkosh Area School District, they're doing a great job because they're pretty much telling us you can read Christmas books, but make sure you read, you know, maybe a Hanukkah book or a Ramadan book or.

Balance.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

And then I thought, you know, because we only get X amount of time with these kids, that it'd be great if there was a multicultural book out there that was just in one book.

So then every child, you know, whether you celebrate Diwali, all the cultures, it'd be great if it was just in one book.

So then, and this book isn't meant to dive too deep into every culture.

It's meant to, when I have read alouds to have Christmas books and carnival books and Hanukkah books.

So then the kids can dive deeper into it.

This is just supposed to kind of tip your toe in a little book and kind of just here's some holidays, here's some celebrations.

Yeah, introduction.

Introduction.

Yes, you know, because let's be honest, I don't think we all know very much about other celebrations.

I while writing this book, funny enough I was learning things I did not know.

Like I did not know that people not only celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, people also celebrated on January 6th and 7th.

I did not know that you.

Just taught me something because I didn't know that.

Either.

Yep, so and also in Australia they use instead of reindeer, they use 6 white boomers.

So they're Kangaroos.

So they're what I'm excited.

I'm excited for you to read the book.

It is teachers are getting it and reading it and are like, I didn't know that and I'm like, me neither.

I wrote the book and I didn't, I didn't know a lot of the things.

So there's a lot to learn.

Never stop learning.

Never stop learning.

OK, you know you better save those words of wisdom.

I'm going to ask you for some at the end.

OK, OK.

So what else are we into?

What?

What are our hobbies?

How do we get down?

How do we have fun?

How do how do we present ourselves with fun?

Self-care.

I love to travel, I know that might be cliche but I with just my husband or my 3 girls I love to go anywhere and do new things and even food.

Trying new food is.

Did you just say you got 3 girls?

I do.

What that and and one husband.

And one husband, yes.

That poor man.

Oh, he loves it.

I know he loves it, but I mean, that's a that's, that's a lot of strong woman power.

Absolutely.

Concentrated.

Yeah.

Yeah, he ain't winning nothing.

He, he's killing it as a dad.

He's he's, he's great.

So all of my girls are daddy girls.

So I'm.

I'm thrilled, yeah.

That is fantastic.

All right, so travel, travel is the thing.

Yes.

Where have we gone?

We've gone to San Diego.

Me and my husband actually we're about to just go just me and him without the girls are going to be going to Florida for the first time.

So this will be the first time and we've been married for 15 years that we're actually traveling by ourselves without our girls outside of Wisconsin.

I know, I know, it's, it's, it's crazy to think about.

But when you get in the thick of things and you're just raising your kids and you're so focused on their success, you, you kind of lose yourself sometimes.

And so it's easy to do that.

So when we were thinking about bring break, we were like, let's just go, just me and you, let's go.

And so I'm excited, really excited.

Kids have schedules and and sports and tutoring and instruments and.

Sports.

Your life, life gets busy real fast.

Especially I couldn't imagine.

I only had one.

I couldn't imagine multiples.

And then yes, sports is one of the, yeah, crazy things where it's just taking the kids to and from practice daily is just like, it's a lot.

OK, which mom are you?

Are we a soccer mom, A basketball mom?

A tennis mom?

Where?

What's the sports?

Everything.

So my oldest is in gymnastics and that actually just they went to state.

Yeah.

So West High School, they got to state and did awesome the last couple days.

And then my middle 1 loves soccer.

And it's funny because I was a three sport athlete and I love my basketball was my main sport.

But it's funny, my kids are in soccer and I don't know a lot about these sports.

I'm learning as I'm going.

As a parent.

Yes, Yep.

And then my youngest likes basketball, so we'll see.

I just want them to all be happy no matter what they're doing.

So yeah.

OK, that's facts.

And then yes, that is you're living a very busy life with that's three separate different sports.

Yes, yeah.

That's tough.

OK What else?

What else do we do?

I read a lot.

I'd like research.

Doing research on things that I don't know much about.

That's always fun for me.

Cultures and traditions that I, I don't like the word weird.

So when I'm learning about things that aren't, that was something that I'm used to.

I like, I like doing research on that something that I'm just not familiar with.

So that's that's really fun for me.

What gave you the courage to tackle a book about different cultures, particularly different cultural celebrations or or or maybe they're tied to religious, religious celebrations.

What gave you the bravery to actually tackle that book?

To write that because that you know what?

People are real skittish around things that like they're that aren't familiar or unknown to them, or aren't theirs per SE.

Well, my daughter, she has a friend who is Muslim and I just putting myself into somebody else's shoes.

I feel like especially when you're a teacher and you you work in a district that's so diverse as Oshkosh is.

And I'm really proud of working in Oshkosh.

Just thinking about being in her shoes because there are a couple of characters in there that are loosely based off of real people that my children know that I know.

So feel thinking about being in their shoes in that classroom, I would want to feel represented.

So that's kind of just making sure that every child feels that way helped me, helped encourage me to want to write this.

That's huge because that that happens, Yeah, being in environments where they're talking about subject matter and you can't see yourself in that subject matter.

Right.

Yes.

Yes, I used to feel like that as a kid.

So that's deep.

That's deep.

OK, here comes the big question.

If you weren't doing what you are doing right now, what would you like to be doing?

I wasn't doing what I was doing right now.

What would I be doing?

I would love to be traveling the world to read this book to every library in every classroom in America.

That would be a dream of mine.

Yes, that would be amazing to to do that.

Are you doing the tour?

Are you doing a book tour?

Is that going?

Currently no, but I am.

I do have a few things scheduled in the future.

I have book signings in Appleton and I have a read aloud here on April 3rd at the Oshkosh Library and then I'm also doing a read aloud and Amherst on April 25th at 5:00.

And and we're doing some book festivals.

So as of right now, no, but I mean, I'd love to.

I could, I could see myself doing that, yes.

OK.

Yeah, that would be cool.

That would be awesome.

Well, let me just throw that out there, cash listeners, if you are out there, if you are in those environments, we have an awesome author who would like to come out there, sign some books, bring the kids.

Yes.

You gotta do some readings.

I think that's the key.

Yes, you gotta do some readings.

Yes, absolutely, and I'm willing to.

There we go.

That's fire.

Before we go too much further, let me just take a quick moment.

I forgot to do this at the very beginning and say that this episode of the Kosh is sponsored by Timber Ties.

All right, Kosh listeners, you already know that I started my own business.

It is a wooden bow tie business called Timber Ties.

You can find me online at timber-ties.com.

Once again, that is timber-ties.com.

These are stylish, these are sophisticated, and these are statement makers.

So if you want to walk in the room and maybe you're a little introverted and you don't know how to get people to come and and start that conversation, guess what a wooden bow tie will do?

It will start a conversation for you, guaranteed.

So check out Timber ties.

All right, well, Terry, here's what I think we're going to do.

We're going to get ready to segment over to.

Gosh listeners, you know when you hear that sound, it is time for the topic of the week.

And the topic of the week is chosen by our guests 99.9% of the time.

And Terry, guess what?

This week isn't going to be any different.

So what is our topic of the week?

Topic of the week Is representation in children's books or just in books in general?

All right, let's go.

Yeah, so as we've already explained representation and I wrote the adventures with Sam and St. holiday celebrations to jump right into that.

Sam and St. the two main characters are Santa's children and they are colorable.

So any child, no matter what skin tone you are, you can color it yourself and feel represented and and feel seen in that book, in this book.

Oh wow, so you left the characters where you can color them in to represent?

Yes, so this book is interactive.

So the book is colorable.

The cover is a search and find.

I, I don't know if you grew up with search and finds, but I, they are my favorite.

I I loved them growing up.

So all the elements in the front cover can find be found within the book.

And then at the end there is a connect the dots activity as well.

So I love interactive books.

Let's talk about the journey like getting to this.

This took years to write this book and to get it exact it didn't.

The idea didn't start out like this.

And shout out to the Oshkosh Area Writers Club.

When I came up with this idea.

The librarian that I worked with at the time recommended me going to the writers club and they meet every 1st and 3rd of the month at the library.

And I came up with this idea and I had paragraphs done with every culture and they're like, wait, you only want X amount of words, You know, it's a children's book.

And so I just, I, I wanted to say I, I started writing this book at the end of 2020, beginning of 2021.

And it took a lot of rewriting, a lot of what should we put in there?

What should we not put in there?

And the 2 characters in the beginning didn't even, they didn't exist in the beginning.

The I thought I was going to be just a colorable Santa, and Santa is colorable in this as well.

And then going through and talking to people and getting more and more ideas, I kind of decided it'd be great if there was 2 characters that these children could feel like, oh, that's me, oh this is me.

So I did that and that's awesome.

And then within the book, these two characters visit a classroom, Miss Byrd's inclusive classroom, and then they, you know, embark on a incredible journey where they visit everybody's country.

And the children in the book share their holiday celebrations or their cultural celebrations.

And Sam and St. interact with some items like a dreidel or wear masks for carnival.

Yeah.

So it's, it's a, it's a journey.

If it you feel you feel very thoughtful like I, I, I appreciate that.

I appreciate the concept have what has been the response from people about the book, but particularly those people of different identities.

Well, I met with Oshkosh Area School District, I had a meeting and when I first met Doctor Samuel Coleman, when he saw Kwanzaa was on it, he just was like immediately like, oh, think this is awesome.

I, I'm excited to read it and it's, it's been awesome.

The teachers as soon as they find out about it, like fall in love with it.

It's marketing is very difficult.

It's it's just getting to people to know that even exists.

But as soon as people read it and people know about it, it's it's, it's been just a positive feedback that I've heard from people.

It's been awesome.

So yeah.

OK, so now I got to ask about the most important people, how the kids responded.

The kids absolutely love it.

It is been so fun.

I have character cutouts.

When I do readings, I have, I am at the author sign the kids when they when I read the book, it's, it's fun too, because they want to know more.

I Diwali, I had a child and she was like, I want to know more.

And I was like, go to your local library and go check out more.

They got so much more children's books about Diwali.

It is so it's been, it's been so fun interacting with kids because they're so excited to learn of new cultures, because kids want to learn.

They, they want to know more.

They, they want to share these cultures and traditions and want to, yeah, they want to know more.

So it's been so fun.

And then I have a lot of the times when I go to these read alouds or I go to these book signings, I have Sam and say happy holiday coloring sheets.

And then I also have a search and find.

So it's, it's it's been fun.

The kids really enjoy it.

OK, you mentioned this term to me earlier.

Search and find.

So what is a search and find?

Is this?

Is this like a Where's Waldo kind of scenario?

So there, there's two search and finds that I I I just brought up another one.

So the the the main one that I'm talking about is on the cover of the book you'll find for the Chinese New Year, you'll find a dragon, you'll find Dio de Los Muertos skeleton.

And in within the book, you'll find those items on the pages where we talk about that.

And then the other search and find that I just brought up.

Is it actual just like word search and find that the activity a kids can do while I do a reading so.

OK, once again, you put all this intentionality into this being super thoughtful.

Have you reached out to all of our, what I will call our race centric nonprofits in the region to let them know that this really thoughtful read exists that celebrates their cultures and their holidays?

No, I would love help.

That would be great if you have any insight and you have any.

I might know something.

That would be awesome.

I would I would love any help.

That would be great.

Yeah, I might.

I might know a few folks.

OK.

We we might be able to help you on that one.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Yeah.

I just think that they would be really thrilled about that.

And I also think it's awesome when things are local and people really like supporting local around here.

Absolutely.

And it not only can I have this really thoughtful book that that has representation of me and my culture, but we can actually have the author come and, you know, present it to us, read it to us, engage us with it, all of the things.

Yes, absolutely.

Absolutely.

OK, how hard was it to get it published?

So that was publishing world is a completely different world as many authors know or people that are writing books.

I thought I wanted to go to the traditional route of getting an agent and doing it that way.

A couple agents that I talked to, I wasn't going to own my own work, which I wanted to own my own work.

And then I got published by Orange Hat Publishing and they are from outskirts of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa.

Orange Hat Publishing.

Michael is the owner and he did a fantastic job finding me an illustrator because I did not illustrate.

I did not illustrate that I, I can barely draw a stick figure, let alone what my illustrator did.

So he hooked me up with illustrator and then he's just been awesome to work with getting the books out.

And it's, it's really difficult because you have this vision in your brain and then getting it down into paper is just is tricky.

But it's, it's, it's good.

It was like I said it, I started writing this book probably in 2021 and it didn't get published until October of 2025.

So it took a few years for it to.

We definitely took our time.

I made sure things were correct, authentic so.

What kept you motivated on that journey and how do your children feel about having an author mom?

They're excited.

They're, it's, it's, it's been fun.

I've, I've read the book multiple Times Now.

And so it's, it's one of those funny things where I feel like my kids almost know it by heart.

There's a couple jokes in there and my kids I'm like, just don't, don't say the joke.

Like let people think there's a Riddle in there.

So I, I'm just like kids, especially my 8 year old.

I'm like, don't, don't say it, but they think it's cool.

It, it's, it's a very unique experience, but they think it's cool.

I, I know that they both have a book in their room and it's put up right now and it makes me feel really cool and, and really sweet that they are that proud to put it in their bedroom.

So that's that's fun.

So what kept you on your journey?

Like because that's a long span.

Or at least I think it's the long span.

Maybe it's not.

I've not I have not authored anything.

Maybe it's a short span.

So, well, I just wanted to make sure that I did a bunch of people's cultures and traditions in one.

And so that was tricky.

And then also what words to take out and what words to keep in, like what's important, what do I think?

And then also sharing it with other writers, making sure that they read it and then teachers as well.

It's kind of like the search and find activity, the coloring activity, making sure I got all those done prior to the book launch because I wanted to come in.

And I want when I do read aloud, I want it to be an experience, not just I sit down and I read and then we're done.

I want it to be an interactive.

The kids are involved because the, the books that I read when I was in the Media Center, I could tell that the kids really enjoyed interactive books.

They when I, when I was flipping the book upside down, when I was the kids really engaged and that's, I wrote this book.

So the kids are engaged with me.

There are questions, there are riddles.

And then afterwards there's a coloring activity.

There's a search and fine, there's, there's things to do in the library that aren't just the read aloud.

There's, there's more to it.

There's when I do the read aloud for Oshkosh I, we're going to make sure that we have more books so the kids can check out books about Christmas and Diwali and Dio de Los Mortos and Kwanzaa and everything like that.

So then there's, it's not just like I said, a read aloud, It's there's more.

So is this going to be a series?

Is this the one?

Of many or is.

This it Are we going to pivot to a different direction?

I would love to say yes and I have written about 6 more adventures with Sam and St.

But I need to make sure that this one is successful and it reaches, you know, multiple librarians hands and teachers hands.

And this one is, yeah, successful before I can go off and have another one published.

But I would love for it to be a series.

Somebody is out there right now listening to this episode of The Kosh and they're saying right now, Terry, give me the secret sauce.

Give me some guidance, advise me how do how do I make this happen for me or what are my first steps?

What, what do I need to keep in mind?

What should my mindset be?

I'll take an answer to any of those.

But well, I put thoughts on paper, like no matter where you are, what you're doing, put your thoughts on a piece of paper, pen to paper.

That's where it really starts.

And then after that, it just join any local reading club, any local writers club.

That's really where there's so many unique people out there that have so many ideas and people are just amazing.

They'll surprise you.

And just going, like I said, going to writers clubs and the one in Oshkosh here is awesome because the feedback from these people is just amazing.

I I, I love being a part of the writers club.

Yeah.

So that would that would be my recommendation is to bought on paper and then go and talk about it.

I know that there's a poetry thing at is it Naomi that they do it monthly.

So it just depends on what you're into you there's different slides and categories depending on what you decide to write.

But yeah.

OK.

Well, is there, before we get ready to jump out of this segment and into the next one, is there any last things that you would like to share with the cash listeners about your topic of the week?

If you haven't yet checked it out, go to your local library, Oshkosh and check out Adventures with Sam and St.

Holiday Celebrations and give it a read.

If you have time, review it on Amazon and Goodreads and Barnes and Noble.

That truly helps the small business that I'm starting.

But yeah.

OK, so you heard it.

Go out there and buy the book.

Or check it out at the library.

Or check it out at the library.

But I'm going to go ahead and say go ahead and buy the book.

I'm you know you, since you're being so modest.

I'll help.

I will step in and I will help some.

Let's let's reach out and bring in Terry for readings and for for this engaging children's book that is thoughtful and considerate to us in all our cultures.

That is fantastic.

Thank you.

OK, OK.

Next segment, Terry.

The next segment is called the Soapbox, and the soapbox is an opportunity for the guests to get on their soup soapbox.

It can be about absolutely anything, something you're passionate about.

What's going on?

What is your soapbox?

Well, right now, in all of the high school kids that I'm talking to is talking about punch, punch the monkey.

Everybody's talking about that right now.

Oh yeah, I agree.

Because I'm not going to lie, I'm following Punch too, OK?

You got to give the background of Punch because there's going to be people who are listening and they're not going to know what.

Punch is well Punch the monkey he got abandoned by his mother and then he was put into another atmosphere around other monkeys and he was getting bullied and dragged around and the videos that you can see online is it's so sad.

It is just you just want to adapt punch.

I all I know is that I was Googling how do I not go to jail and try to take punch home with me right go.

Go break into the Japanese jail.

Yep, Yep.

And and then when he got the monkey, the stuffed animal that was just so precious.

I just everything.

It's just been awesome to to see and to be a part of and everybody coming together as we do as humans.

And we just want him to be OK.

We want him to have a friend.

We want him to thrive.

So that's been all the high school students.

When we're talking and we're talking about punch, we're just like, punch.

You got it.

It's very funny because there's such a human aspect to the punch story, right?

Because I've been following it too.

And I mean, watching the mother reject the mother rejected punch.

So then he's solo.

And when you don't have that protection of that figure, and then with the other, basically, I don't know what they call it, but I'm just going to call it the tribe of monkeys, you know, then there's no one to protect you, and then they don't accept you either.

So then he's just out there on the outskirts.

They fend for himself.

They fend for himself and he was a baby.

You know, he's, he's a baby monkey and, and no one's grooming, no one's cuddling, none of the things.

And then to watch them give.

And whoever thought of giving punch, that stuffed monkey was brilliant because it probably saved his life to a certain extent.

Did you watch him get dragged?

Punch.

Did you watch him the video of him getting dragged?

By the other monkeys, yes.

Yes.

Brutal.

Just brutal.

OK, Yeah.

Yeah, it's tough, yeah, but through the world watching and caring and Punch has got friends now.

Yes, yes, yes, he.

Started acclimating in with the other monkeys and it's come a long ways, but it it I think it resonates with us.

Yes, it feels deeply personal.

I mean, who hasn't been bullied?

And yeah, I, I'm so happy that he's doing a little bit better.

So it's, it's been, it's been a journey watching but.

Seems like he's doing a lot better, yes, because at least he's got a partner, you know, that's got his back and, you know, keeping an eye on him.

But it just lets us know it's a hard journey for any of us to just be alone.

All right, I, I like that one.

It was hard not to bring up no no.

I love I look that punch thing went hard.

Yes, it's been going hard, but now I think like since he's kind of acclimating in and being accepted by the greater group, it's it seems like, or at least the last reports I got, it seems like OK, maybe Punch this is wrapping up.

So maybe, I don't know, Punch sounds like a future children's book.

Yeah, maybe I'm.

Just saying it seems like there's possibilities there.

OK.

Next segment.

The next segment is called 21 questions and 21 questions is an opportunity for me to ask you a bunch of questions, not 21 of them, but definitely lots of questions with the possibility for lots of answers, maybe 21 answers.

All right, Are you ready?

Yes.

OK, first question, what motivates you?

What?

Motivates me what motivates me is my husband and my family, my looking at my girls and yeah, just my girls, just so they can see what a successful woman looks like.

I definitely think us as women, Making sure that my daughters see that I'm working and that I am happy and successful.

That motivates me to.

Do better and be better.

What does success look like to you?

So it's funny, I've been asked this a couple times in my life and 10 years ago I would have told you money and making sure that you know, I had a lot of it.

But now that I'm older, success is I just want my kids and myself to be happy and I have never been more happier in my life.

I am very content in my little home that I have in my little life that I have in my friendships that I have success is just my friends being positive, my daughter's being positive and my husband loving me at my worst and my best.

I that for me personally, having that trust in a relationship that's that's successful.

Like, yeah, that's success for me.

What irritates you?

What irritates me, I guess not the opposite of success.

So the not feeling like I can trust somebody that that irritates me.

Not feeling like I can trust a Co worker, not not feeling like I can trust my husband or my kids.

That would irritate me like crazy.

So yeah.

What worries or scares you?

What worries or scares me, Long story short, would be my kids being unhappy.

I just I I want the best, but it's not just my kids.

It's it's any kids, it's any adults that the world, the future of our world.

I I want the best for people.

I want the best for the world.

I want whenever I see kids trash I just I'm like pick it up like we can do better.

We yeah.

So that I think that worries me.

I just, I want people to be better and do better and even myself just always looking to be better and to do better.

What are you grateful for?

I'm grateful for my family and my husband.

I'm grateful for you right now having me on your podcast.

This has been an amazing experience.

I'm grateful for the Oshkosh Area School District and all the some things that they're doing.

I'm grateful for a lot of things or a roof over my head, just the simple things.

It's funny when you start, you know, tearing the onion apart and like, you just get down to the nitty gritty and the root of things.

And I'm just grateful to have food on my plate and a house over my head.

So yeah.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I would love for my kids to Remember Me for just being a good human, for being a loving mother and just those simple things of giving back to your community.

My husband's on the Boys and Girls Club board and he gives back like crazy.

And someday I would love to be a part of a board member and and give back even more than I do right now.

So I just I won't hopefully being giving and caring for other people.

How do you define love?

How do I define love?

You know, I used to think love was so difficult to define.

And I just think love is just, it's easy.

It just being there.

Just my husband coming home every single night without having any trust issues with that.

He's just going to be there.

Love is, you know, my, it was my daughter's gymnastics meet this past week and I was there.

I just think love is being there through someone's best and somebody's worst.

Just physically being there for somebody is is love.

What is the most memorable life lesson you've learned from a parent, a guardian, or a mentor?

An important life lesson I've learned is an important life lesson that I've learned is from my mother and my father-in-law, just how compassionate they are with their extended family members.

With my mother-in-law, she just had her sister's husband pass and all the help and the love that she gave to her in that time was very was amazing.

I hope to do that someday to my brother, to people that aren't my immediate family but are just distant family.

Being able to do that is awesome for her and and so seeing her do that, I can see myself doing that.

So that was awesome to see let.

Me set the scenario and it is this so you have been asked to keynote a conference.

So you're the keynote speaker, right?

And it's a crowd full of your colleagues, the crowd full of those people.

Maybe it's a crowd of authors, fellow authors, maybe children, book authors, right?

But before you get out there and bestow them with that wisdom you got, you got to get the crowd right.

So there's got to be some walkout music.

What is your walkout song?

Oh gosh, I'm not going to lie, I am a 90s baby through and through.

So whenever I hear Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 1990s, The Alan Parsons Project, that is my I, I love the Bulls.

Yeah.

When Michael Jordan was at his peak, yeah.

That is, that is.

Different.

Yeah, that's my favorite.

I can.

Oh my gosh, I could just.

You could.

You could feel that.

Yes, absolutely.

Yes.

I love everything about that answer.

That is the first time I've ever gotten an answer like that.

That is so good.

Yeah, Yep.

That is truly walk out music.

Yeah, absolutely.

Oh my gosh.

I could get hyped, pumped.

Any.

Yeah, Yep.

That's definitely championship music.

That's what that.

Is 100% that.

Was so good.

OK, well you have survived 21 questions.

Next segment.

Next segment is called word association and word association is an opportunity for the guest to tell us what's on their mind as I say some words.

OK, so we've got a long standing tradition here on the cash.

And that long standing tradition is this.

I've always started with the same word.

It's always been the same word.

And that is because this is the word of love, of family, of happiness, of unity, of community.

The word is food.

Yes, what I think about is culture and just brings people together.

I food is, I think international, you know, for love and just for community and.

Yeah, we got any international favorites?

Yeah, I love tacos.

You got me already.

Look, you win on that.

Definitely a lot in my favorite food category.

Yeah.

And then sushi is top tier.

Yeah.

So there's there's just so many to go over.

I'd like that you LED with tacos.

OK, cocktail or beer?

Cocktail.

What's our what's our cocktail of choice?

What do we get down with?

Of course, the Margarita.

You can't.

Yeah, I love margaritas.

Yeah, I got to try that French 45, so someday I'll do that.

You gotta try to French 45 all.

Right, I will.

Yes, Doctor Coleman, let me just say you have inspired many in the region of the Kash to go search out of French 45.

Yes, I gotta find a place that has it.

Do we got a favorite Margarita joint?

I should have asked you.

Do you got a favorite Taco joint?

Maybe they're the same place.

I mean, no, you take me to any Mexican restaurant and I will find I love when they have Tahin and Chamoya and Tahin around the rim.

That's my favorite.

Yeah, that's how you're getting down.

OK, I'm feeling that.

Shop local.

Caramel crisp, Yeah, I go to caramel crisp a lot.

And they have my book there and they have a lot of readings there.

I love that it's not only a cafe, but it's also a small shopping place too.

So that's fun I.

Want to say caramel crisp is winning?

Because I if I told you how many people say caramel crisp like all the time, like that's it.

It pops up in many episodes.

They're winning.

Yeah, they're they're awesome.

Yes.

And apparently their cookies are superb.

Have you never had?

Nah.

I should have brought you one next time.

Next time I see you all right.

Music or concert?

Well, going back to the 90s music, I love classic hip hop and then but I'm also from Little Lamb Hearst and country music also has my heart as well.

So I just it just depends what mood am I in?

Do I want to listen to Megan the Stallion or do I want to listen to Yeah?

I just, it just depends.

What?

What am I?

Am I angry?

Am I happy?

I was waiting to see who your country name was going to because I wanted to see what what was going to be that span for making the stag into.

Maybe Luke Bryan.

I don't know it Just like I said, it just depends on like you can't go wrong with Shania Twain.

Like I just, yeah, am I singing?

What am I doing?

I don't know.

Do you sing?

I mean, I've never been to karaoke.

Have you ever done karaoke?

Oh yeah.

See, I've, I, it keeps being on my bucket list every year and I just never cross it out.

I just I would love to karaoke.

Well, here's my suggestion for you.

Do it after two margaritas, all right?

Will do, will do.

Because they go hand in hand streaming.

This is cliche, but Bridgerton.

I'm definitely streaming Bridgerton watching that like crazy.

I've not watched an episode yet but it comes up all the time also.

Yeah, it it the Queen Charlotte is probably my favorite one That's that's kind of a spinoff of Bridgerton.

And I just was crying like a baby to that one.

It just was so heart wrenching.

Yeah.

Last Word community.

What does community?

Community means to me?

Places that I go that I feel good, like I like going to schools, libraries, coffee shops, anywhere local that I feel that we all fit in.

And yeah, community to me is feeling like I fit in, feeling like I can talk to people and people can talk to me and go into those local areas and supporting local is community, supporting the cash and supporting people local that that's, that's community to me.

Facts definitely support cash next segment.

Next segment is called the Kosh hidden gems.

And this is your opportunity to share a hidden gem with the Kosh listeners.

That can be, it does not have to be in the Kosh.

It could be something that maybe you think no one knows about or maybe it's something everybody knows about, but they don't know the details.

They don't know the deets about it.

What's your hidden gem?

So for me, and I think you're going to love this is Diablo's Tacos you've eaten there.

Oh gosh.

Do you know about the Buria?

I don't know if it's Buria or Buria pizza if you ever had that.

So next time you go there or you, I like to call and order.

So then it's ready when I pick up.

But it is a Buria pizza and it's pretty much just what you think of it is pretty much a have you had birya tacos?

Oh.

Yeah, most definitely.

Yes, they, they, they make me happy.

Period.

They they go hard.

Yes.

And well, me and my family, we love.

That's something that we can all agree on that we all love.

And we just get a big old Birya pizza and it it lasts you a while.

Like you get a lot of meat on it and it is it is it slaps.

Okay, I did not know about this but now I will have to explore this option.

This sounds fantastic.

And yes I swear by Diablos tacos.

Those steak tacos are happiness to me, like I started, you know, before it came to came to the cosh.

You know, I was in Appleton, yes.

And like anytime that Taco truck was at wherever.

I would follow them, I would stop them.

Like what are they coming to Oshkosh?

When are they coming to Oshkosh?

Even my husband sometimes would be like driving to work and he's like Diabolos Tacos.

They just parked up.

We got AI was like yes.

So I'm so happy that they started 1 here in Oshkosh.

Oh, me too.

Yeah.

And you're right.

Because I when they they were at the the food Co-op they were at the gas station like across the street from the food.

Like wherever they popped up I had to go pick me up 3 steak tacos period.

Yes, absolutely.

I can't wait for you to try I.

Beer here.

Pizza.

Yeah, I mean, it's.

Gonna last you guys for days.

It's yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's a lot.

Yeah, it's good.

It's so good.

I'm about that life.

I'm not.

And my leftovers, dude, I'm about that life, OK?

I love that hidden gem.

OK, it is time for my favorite segment of the Kosh and that is called Story Time.

And it is an opportunity for our guests to tell the Kosh listeners a story.

So, Terry, what's our story?

Story that has happened in the past few years.

When I first started in the Oshkosh Area School District, I started at Webster Stanley, RIP and I was on recess duty and we've talked about how diverse Oshkosh is and being represented in the community and everything.

This is why I wrote the book that I wrote.

But I was in recess and I was sitting there and this little girl came running up to me.

And it was around Halloween time and she was so excited.

Her mom was going to allow her to dress up as Little Mermaid.

And she was just so excited because she not only was going to dress up like Little Mermaid, but Little Mermaid also had braids like her.

And so her excitement to have representation in movie like that, that's such a big hit was just so awesome to to see that in her face and her to light up was just like, well, how are you going to look?

How is it?

It just was a beautiful experience.

And so, like, it just was a wrench in my heart, like, this is such a beautiful story that I am a part of that she doesn't even know.

That hit me so hard that she just came running up and told me.

And I was so excited for her that weekend that she could dress up as a Little Mermaid and feel, I'm a Princess.

I'm a Disney Princess.

And I was like, yes, yes, you are.

It was, yeah.

One of the best experiences in the district that I've had my first year.

I love that story.

It also makes me think how ridiculous it was the, the the criticism that people had about that, having a black Little Mermaid.

Just ridiculousness.

Yeah, yeah.

Why were your feelings hurt?

Right.

About mythical character, right?

Exactly.

Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me, but I get it.

But I I get that.

And I also just want to say it's you don't know how part how important representation is until you are in environments where you aren't represented in not just in presence, but in the the planning, the process, the anything and you feel invisible.

Anthony Miller in the district does an amazing job to make sure, you know, Martin Luther King Junior Day at Belle Phillips.

That's actually where I saw your cash podcast and that's.

Yeah.

So he does an amazing job in the district making sure, you know, communities come together for amazing events like that, so.

Yeah, big shout out to Anthony after doing big, big things.

And I love the work that he's doing in the district.

I love who the district is becoming.

Me too, and.

When I say that, what I mean is like, I do believe for a long time, and I'm not going to say this of the district by itself.

I'm just going to say for the culture of the Kosh that I felt like Kosh was had an identity crisis.

It was in denial about the amount of diversity that we had in the city, right?

And I just think we're past critical mass.

You can't deny it anymore.

A lot of folks, a lot of folks, which now means that all of all of that, all of those folks need to be included in the strategic planning of whatever the things are of the future.

Whether it's that organization, whether it's that business, whether it's that city initiative.

You know, you, you can't act like the Kash is a monolith.

It's just me.

Yeah.

Sorry, that was my soap eye.

I love it.

All right.

Well, OK, at this time then, Terry, we're going to get ready to start wrapping up this episode.

All right, Kosh listeners, you already know when you hear that we are starting to wrap up the episode.

So I want to take this moment and 1st thank Terry for being on here and making time to talk to you Kosh listeners, but also to you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for spending time with us.

Thank you for giving us your minds and ears.

Thank you for caring about another amazing community member helping to make our community a better place.

I love this conversation simply because Terry didn't just think about it, she was about it.

She went and wrote a book about it.

She had feelings about things.

She was like, look, we need some representation around this place.

I'm not sure that going to just complain into the wind.

Instead, I'm going to take it upon myself and I'm going to actually create something for all of us.

That's deep, you know?

So I just wanted to say it's appreciated.

And the rest of us out here, let's take a lesson from Terry.

Let's make change.

It doesn't have to be the same kind of change, but let's make change to make our community a better place because we all know we got it in us and we all want it for us and our children in the future.

Because what we do have is pretty special here in the Kosh in the surrounding Fox Cities region.

OK, so Kosh listeners, you already know what else We want to become the number one podcast in Wisconsin, and I can't do it without your help.

So what does that look like?

It looks like this when you listen to the Kosh and you're thinking, Timber, we could use a new segment.

We need some new segments.

Let me know, Timber.

We need some new questions.

I want you to ask these things.

But timber, don't timber.

This is who should be on the cash.

I want to be a guest or I know who would make an amazing guest.

Let us know and you can let us know by reaching out to us two ways.

You can e-mail us at askthecash@gmail.com, onceagainthatisaskthecash@gmail.com or you can go to thekoshpodcast.com.

Once again, that's the koshpodcast.com.

And there's a form on the website where you can let us know and reach out to us and tell us what's on your mind or any suggestions or anything else.

Or maybe you just want to let us know that we are doing an amazing job and we will take that too.

OK, And we think we have something very special here at the KAJ and I would love it if we could get more people out there to learn about this podcast.

It's pretty special.

It's community based.

We talk to real people in our communities and we get to RIP silos down because we get to learn about each other and how amazing these people are that live around us.

So what I need you to do is while you're listening to this episode, take a moment, go ahead and hit the the subscribe button.

If you see one or if you see stars, go ahead and just give me five of those.

And if you're really motivated, there's the opportunity to actually write a review.

Write that review teleporter.

Awesome.

And these are all things that increase our analytics so more people can learn about this amazing community podcast known as the Kosh.

All right, Terry, we're about to get into the real business.

You know, we're about to get into.

Let me help you with this.

Uh oh, that means it is shout out time.

So shout outs.

I definitely want to give a shout out to my publisher, Orange Hat Publishing.

I would also like to give out a shout out to places that hold my book, Caramel Crisp.

Fletcher Chiropractic, Sublime Hair Studios.

I would also like to give a shout out to Read More Oshkosh.

Samuel Coleman and Trisha Trina is doing awesome things in Oshkosh with Read More.

And lastly, I'd like to give a shout out to Lake for Lake Fly Writers Conference going on this May 2nd through the 3rd.

And if you are in Oshkosh or would like to be a part of the Writers Conference, make sure you go online and you sign up.

Fax.

All right, love those shout outs.

Let me just give a shout out to Trina out there because we we love Trina.

And if you didn't know Sam, you'll Coleman, doctor Sam Coleman and Trina both have episodes.

Go listen to those.

They're fire.

I'm just saying.

All right, my shout outs for this week.

I want to give a shout out to the Appleton Public Library.

If y'all didn't know and y'all haven't had a chance, go take a trip down to Appleton and go check out the new Public Library that was built.

That thing is amazing.

Nothing short of amazing because it has been.

Libraries aren't just quiet space anymore.

It is a community.

It's a community third space where everyone can come and gather and get what they need and all sorts of services are built into it and all sorts of resources are available at it.

Go check it out.

I've, I do a lot of stuff there and I don't it's, I don't want it to be a secret.

It's meant for all of us.

So go check it out.

I want to give a shout out to World Relief.

I went to a World Relief event where we're just doing really good things for our refugee population because with all of the immigration things that are happening in our community because of the government, these refugees who worked really hard to be here and have jumped through every hoop and over every hurdle to become community members of ours because they really wanted to be here.

They're going through it because of immigration through no fault of their own.

So I want to say thank you to World Relief for all the work you're doing to help help with the things that are going on with our our refugee population and the things that you're doing to make sure that they are able to be as safe as they possibly can during today's times.

All right, then I want to send a special shout out to my friends Tanya and Renee who are out here, you know, consolations.

I get a lot of contact from people who want to start a podcast.

And I take it to heart.

I am always highly appreciative when people reach out because I don't think people reach out to people that they don't think are doing a good job.

So what I'm going to think is, is if you're reaching out to me to ask me about I want to start a podcast or how does this work?

I'm going to assume that you think we're doing a pretty decent job here at the Kosh.

And so I appreciate you asking me and putting trust in me and and my experiences and the things that I've learned on this podcast journey.

So don't hesitate to reach out because I'll tell you what I can tell you, but you ain't got to listen to none of it.

You do you at the end of the day, All right, And my very last shout out always, always, always, always goes to the wife baby.

Thank you for continuing to let me make this podcast in the house.

I love you.

Good looking out.

Got to give a shot.

All right, so Terry, we got one last thing to do, all right, and you got multiple choice here.

Terry's giving me the smirk.

So she's that means she she's ready for this.

All right, She's she's giving me the smirk.

All right, so you get an AB and AC and it goes like this.

Your option A share with the cash listeners some parting words of wisdom.

Option B tell us what would yourself today tell your 13 year old self?

And option C, you can do both all of the above because that's good.

Multiple choice you, you should always have the choice to do all.

OK, how are we getting down?

How are we closing it out?

I think I'm going to go option B, I think, and and this might be the tap out way, but I don't think I would tell my 13 year old self anything.

I need to go through it.

I need to go through what life is thrown at me and that makes me the person I am today and all the thoughts that I have.

Yeah, I, I, I, I think I would just be quiet and just quietly watch myself be thirteen and not tell myself anything.

And I don't know if that's the cheating tap out, but I think that's what I would do, honestly.

I don't think that's a tap out at all.

What I heard is I would tell my 13 year old self to be thirteen.

Yeah, love it.

OK, Terry, what'd you think?

That was so fun.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hey, it's it's a fantastic episode of the Kosh.

Till the next time y'all.

Bye.