Midlife Cry, Sis (Formerly known as The Bettys Podcast)

127 - Taylor Swift, The Albatross, and The Fire-Breathing B*tch Queen

Greetings, Fire-Breathing B*tch-Queens! You might want to break out the peppermint oil, not because this episode stinks, but to help you bring your own hype. Sorry this isn’t a real hype-you-up kind of episode, but can that really be expected after having spent so much quality time roaming the halls of The Tortured Poets Department? Or is it the Tortured Poets Society? Mary’s pretty sure her GenX is showing, since she has been in love with some Dead Poets since the 80s. 
 
We reference quite a few songs in this episode, so here’s a short playlist:
Check out “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” lyric video here on YouTube
Here’s “Down Bad” (cw: LOTS of swears on this one), but there’s a cleaner version on Spotify
Here’s a link to the lyric video for The Albatross on YouTube
And this is “The Weight of Living, Part 1” by Bastille on YouTube
 
Here are some of the websites Mary used for reference about Albatrosses:
 
Up Close and Personal with the Albatross (November 24, 2006) on npr.org
 
Albatross Symbolism and Spiritual Meaning on Sonoma Birding
 
Bird symbolism: 10 common birds and their spiritual meaning Friday, February 17, 2023 by  Mercy Mbuthia Jackline Wangare on legit.ng 
 
And here’s a link to the poem that (maybe) started the concept of an albatross around your neck: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (text of 1834) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Here’s a YouTube quick explanation of the poem.
 
Mary also talks about the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. You can check out those books, and a bunch of others we recommend and talk about here on Amazon.
What is your albatross? Is it good luck or bad luck? What if it’s just a bird, and it’s what YOU do with it that matters? “Albatross around your neck” is a burden, as a result of a bad decision. Is it a negative/limiting belief? What are you going to do when you receive divine messages? What perspective will you take - is it a good omen, or is it something that is trying to hurt you, so you try to destroy it, and it becomes a burden.
 
Here’s another reminder that Alexis and Mary are going to see Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at SLCC’s Grand Theater on Friday May 17, 2024; if you’d like to join us for this performance, please get your tickets here! You can also check out Melissa’s play Bitter Lemon at Plan B Theater Company, currently playing in Downtown Salt Lake (April 2024). We will also be speaking at Light Switch Stories in Logan, Utah, on Friday May 10, 2024. Please come say hi!
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month, and it would be really great if we got paid to, like, talk.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Remember to stick your neck out for that Gen Z jawline, and to choose let go of that albatross around your neck. We love you!
 

126 - Light Switch Stories and Random Embarrassing Moments

What’s goin’ on, Queens? We recorded this episode from Lexy’s kitchen table, using Mary’s iPhone. So the audio quality is not great, and in addition to the karaoke, there’s a fair amount of background noise, mouth sounds, and knocking on wood (literally). We hope you don’t mind, and thanks for your patience!
 
Here’s a link to Mary’s favorite sparkly Stila eyeshadow. #thirsttrap #millennialcringe #priorities. You can follow along to Mary’s #carpoolconcertseries here on Instagram. Here’s the ever-growing list of our recommended books on Amazon. And here’s a link to the “Acting Masterclass” scene from Glee. But remember, that watching Cocomelon will make your kids “s’more less prone to success.”
 
Lexy was part of the launch of Light Switch Stories, an evening of storytelling at LionHeart Hall in Logan, Utah. Both Alexis and Mary will likely be speaking at the next installment of Light Switch Stories on Friday 5/10/2024, if you’d like to join us!
 
We talk about “Pretty Woman” (the musical), some embarrassing stories, Cafe Rio vs El Toro Viejo, and if Alexis ruled the world. 
 
And also, here’s another reminder that we are going to see Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at SLCC’s Grand Theater on Friday May 17, 2024; if you’d like to join us for this performance, please get your tickets here! You can also check out Melissa’s play Bitter Lemon at Plan B Theater Company, currently playing in Downtown Salt Lake (April 2024). 
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month, and it would be really great if we got paid to, like, talk.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
We give you permission to use your middle finger today. Use it wisely. We love you!
 

125 - How to Make Decisions: Pretty vs Practical

Hello, Queens. We hope you are remembering to eat . . . may we recommend some cheese? Alexis is particularly squirrelly today, and Mary is still thinking about Pride and Prejudice . . .
 
Speaking of . . . here’s your reminder that we are going to see Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at SLCC’s Grand Theater on Friday May 17, 2024; if you’d like to join us for this performance, please get your tickets here! You can also check out Melissa’s play Bitter Lemon at Plan B Theater Company in Downtown Salt Lake in April 2024. 
 
Mary talks about a couple of newsworthy events as of the time of this recording (April 2024); here’s a fairly good summary of the controversy surrounding Princess Catherine (a.k.a., Kate Middleton), and an article from the New York Times about what we know regarding the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland (you can read for free using this link). 
 
And here’s a link to the text of the poem Mary reads: “If–” by Rudyard Kipling.
 
Some questions to ask yourself when trying to make a decision:
Is it real? Could it be a conspiracy theory?
Does it bring you joy? And will this joy last for more than a year? Also, do you need it? Really? Find a balance between want and need. (And no, Mary does not really need another Stanley or another pair of sunglasses)
Is it easy? If it’s too easy, then it’s probably not the right answer. Everything has a cost.
Does it move you toward your ultimate goals?
Does it scare you a little bit? If it does, that’s probably a good thing.
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month, and it would be really great if we got paid to, like, talk.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Remember–you don’t need to repent for ‘That’s what she said’ jokes. And we love you!

124 - Paper Cuts

Hello, Queens. Thanks for listening today!
 
Here’s a reminder that we are going to see Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at SLCC’s Grand Theater on Friday May 17, 2024; if you’d like to join us for this performance, please get your tickets here! You can also check out Melissa’s play Bitter Lemon at Plan B Theater Company in Downtown Salt Lake in April 2024. 
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
We love you!

123 - That Gritty Bennet Sister

Hello, Queens. Mercury is in retrograde (again!), and apparently it’s really effing with our lifestyle. Utah is slowly inching its way toward spring, and as Lexy re-listened to our episode on Beliefs (find Episode 117 here), she can confirm her previous rant about Salt Lake vs. Cache Valley weather. Alexis is also learning to let loose her secret nerd by playing D&D. 
 
We talk about several books in today’s episode, all of which can be found here on our recommended reading list on Amazon, including The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, Grit by Angela Duckworth, and The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow.
 
How do you define yourself? Is it through your relationships? Is it your job or your status in some company/church/family? What does it tell the world about you? What does it tell YOU about yourself? 
 
Mary talks a little about the plot–and the plight–of Miss Mary Bennet, as imagined in The Other Bennet Sister, and how it has resonated with her. She moves in with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London, and decides that she can redefine herself–that she can step out from under the shadow of her sisters and become the person that she wants to be.
 
We reference a song about Pretty Girls from our 2023 Hype Playlist; listen to episode 92 here on Apple or here on Spotify. This is the song we were talking about; watch Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock” here on YouTube.
 
Angela Duckworth’s formulas about effort:
 
     Talent  x  Effort  =  Skill     and     Skill  x  Effort  =  Achievement 
 
If you’d like to take Angela’s Grit assessment, click here. And let us know how you {currently} fare on the Grit scale!
 
Here’s a reminder that we are going to see Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at SLCC’s Grand Theater on Friday May 17, 2024; if you’d like to join us for this performance, please get your tickets here! You can also check out Melissa’s play Bitter Lemon at Plan B Theater Company in Downtown Salt Lake in April 2024. 
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Thank you for listening today, Queens. Remember that “effort counts twice.” We love you!

122 - Why Vulnerability is Both Terrifying AND Necessary (with Melissa Leilani Larson)

It’s not “just the two of us” today, Queens! We have a special guest–the incredible Melissa Leilani Larson. Mary met her bonding over a giant plate of cheese, while watching a production of Pride and Prejudice at the Parker Theater in Salt Lake City, and invited her to be a podcast guest that night. What a great discussion!
 
Melissa is an author and playwright, and we discuss a bit about Melissa’s own adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (#foreshadowing) which enjoyed a completely sold-out run at Hale Center Theater Orem in 2023. She also has written an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. We also mention Wonka (2023) (stream it here on Max), Paddington (2014), which you can stream here on Netflix, and Paddington 2 (2017, which can be streamed on Disney+.
 
We discuss why marketing and social media are such pain-points for us. Please don’t be like pancake_blender1465, and don’t listen to trolls like him. But if you don’t open yourself up to the trolls, you don’t allow good things to happen, either. 
 
Melissa mentions Lauren Gunderson, who is one of the most produced playwrights, and if you have the chance to see one of her shows, you definitely should. She also references the song “Too Much Exposition” from Urinetown the Musical.
 
All of the links to Melissa’s social media (everywhere as @mel_leilani), as well as her upcoming productions and projects can be found on her excellent website here at melissaleilanilarson.com. Also, check out this article about Melissa in the Salt Lake Tribune from February 25, 2024. 
 
Mary is going to see Melissa’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at SLCC’s Grand Theater on Friday May 17, 2024; if you’d like to join us for this performance, please get your tickets here! You can also check out Melissa’s play Bitter Lemon at Plan B Theater Company in Downtown Salt Lake in April 2024. 
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Thank you for listening today, Queens. Remember that we can always bond over cheese, and wallowing is for the unattractive. We love you!
 

121 - Uncertainty

Well, Queens, the winds of change are a’ blowin,’ . . . or they’re ripping everything apart. Either way you want to look at it, today we are talking about uncertainty. Mother Nature is a little on the bipolar side, and Alexis insists on blaming the retrograde (and renegade) planets, because “they don’t do anything but float in space.” 
 
Mary and Lexy talk about the uncertainties in their lives currently. Lexy quotes Tony Robbins and his description of the six human needs and motivations, which include certainty, and uncertainty/variety.  
 
Mary talks about a book of essays by the magnificent writer Ann Patchett called This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage. Once again, here’s a link to our list of recommended books on Amazon, which includes this book and Mary’s favorite novel from last year, Tom Lake. 
 
If you’d like to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page for some extra goodies. Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Thank you for listening today, Queens. Remember that without uncertainty, there is no growth. We love you!
 

120 - Choosing the Bigger Life and Editing Our Stories (Addie LaRue)

How are we doing, Queens? We hope your lip gloss be poppin’. If you’re looking for a good “plumper,” Alexis recommends the Polite Society brand, which she found at Ulta. Lexy  is carrying the torch for the Carpool Concert Series with Lil’ Mama, since Mary is still off of social media for Lent (#sorrynotsorry). If you’re not following Lexy, please do so here! And feel free to follow Mary when she comes back after her hiatus, but more importantly, please follow the Midlife Cry, Sis Insta and join our Facebook group. We’re not great at social, but we do love to interact with you guys!
 
Mary talks about a book called The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, and Lexy is still listening to A Court of Thorns and Roses. Once again, here’s a link to our list of recommended books on Amazon. Mary also talks a bit about Hook (1991), and how a bigger life sometimes comes knocking, or comes through the nursery window to steal your children.
 
One of Mary’s favorite quotes from the book: “Small places make for small lives. And some people are fine with that. They like knowing where to put their feet. But if you only walk in other people’s steps, you cannot make your own way. You cannot leave a mark.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
 
We mention an article by Gretchen Rubin from 2018 called “How To Make Tough Decisions,” where she counsels us to “choose the bigger life.” 
 
And here’s a link to the incredible TED Talk by Lori Gottlieb, MFT: How Changing Your Story Can Change Your Life. PLEASE listen to it. Take notes. And listen to it again. It’s definitely worth 16 minutes of your time. And if you like Rom-Coms, go see Anyone But You (2023). It’s great. 
 
If you want a shareable list of the questions at the end of this episode, please visit our Patreon page! Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel, if you’d like to see a more interactive and entertaining version of this episode! Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and please follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Thank you for listening today, Queens. Even though grown-up life keeps knocking on our doors, and we may crave comfort and certainty, we hope you’ll choose the bigger life, and edit your story courageously. We love you, and remember–the rest is still unwritten.
 

119 - 20 Questions (The Hot & Cold Session)

CW: Some talk about drug use, attempted SA
 
Welcome back to another day in Feral February, Queens! Mary and Alexis attempt to sing this Katy Perry song, but don’t do a great job at it. Oh well. “GET TO THE BUS!” Mary mentions a book she just finished called The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and Lexy started listening to the Audible version of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Mary also talks a bit about Nyad, a film about marathon swimmer Diana Nyad (stream it here on Netflix).  And as usual, here’s a link to our list of recommended books on Amazon!
 
Here are the 20 questions Lexy had for us today:
What kind of magical power do you wish to have?
If you have the time, would you rather order take-out or cook by yourself?
Would you date someone who only finds you attractive in makeup?
What was the worst date in your life?
Have you ever created a second account to stalk someone?
Would you rather eat pizza or hamburgers for the rest of your life?
What do you think people should never lie about?
How does your ideal date night look like?
Who was your favorite celebrity as a teen?
Who is the best role model for young women?
Who do you think is the worst role model for young men?
Do you prioritize your career over family in your current life?
What’s the most interesting fact about you?
What do you think about gold diggers?
Who do you call first when something important happens in your life?
What’s the most important thing in a relationship?
What is the biggest lie you ever told someone?
Which decade would you wish to experience?
What is your dream job?
What is the craziest thing you’ve done for a friend?
We refer to Horlachers in Logan, Utah, which is now Cache Valley Meats, and the Silver Lake Loop Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. And if you don’t know who Caitlin Clark is, you should. 
 
Also, here’s a link to Mary’s Ultimate 80’s Playlist on Spotify. YOU’RE WELCOME!
 
If you want a shareable list of these questions (and the special and very serious bonus question), please visit our Patreon page! Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel, if you’d like to see a more interactive and entertaining version of this episode! Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and please follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Thank you for listening today, Queens. Remember to bring your own water bottle (and don’t question Mama Ximena)! We love you!
 

118 - Perspective, Tracy Chapman, and Why Your Story Matters

Salutations, Queens! How is your brain at remembering boring things? Mary and Alexis could use some help on that front. It’s time to leave Never Neverland, and thinking happy thoughts is not enough. Mary just finished reading Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward (here’s a link to this book and all of our Amazon book recommendations). It’s not long, but it’s a very heavy read.
 
Mary talks a little about 1st, 2nd and 3rd person points-of-view; check out this article from literarydevices.net. Listen to Brené Brown talk to Tim Ferriss about “armoring up” here (language warning, but SO GOOD). This is what she said in her book Dare to Lead about having a “soft front” and “strong back” (Mary said “hard back” in the podcast, but it’s actually “strong back.” Sorry!)
 
“For me, that strong back is grounded confidence and boundaries. The soft front is staying vulnerable and curious. The mark of a wild heart is living out these paradoxes in our lives and not giving into the either/or BS that reduces us. It’s showing up in our vulnerability and our courage, and, above all else, being both fierce and kind.”
― Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
 
We talk a bit about Tracy Chapman, and her iconic song Fast Car. Listen to it here on Spotify, here on YouTube, or here on Apple Music. You can listen to Luke Combs’ cover here on Spotify, and check out the incredible performance with both of them at the Grammy Awards in February 2024. We dare you not to cry while watching it.
 
If you like what you hear, please visit our Patreon page! Support starts at just $5/month.
 
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel, if you’d like to see a more interactive and entertaining version of this episode! Check it out here! 
 
Please get in touch! Send us an email at midlifecrysispodcast@gmail.com  and please follow us on Instagram @midlifecrysis_podcast, or join our Facebook group here.  We’re also on TikTok as TheBettysPodcast and on Twitter @bettys_podcast. 
 
We want to hear from you! Your comments and messages really help us know what you want to hear and how we can improve. If this show resonates with you, please make sure to share & subscribe, and give us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Thank you for listening today, Queens. Remember that your story matters! We love you!