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Welcome to This Side of the Grass! On this podcast, host Val Amsden seeks to normalize conversations about death and dying, so that we can be prepared for the inevitable: at some point, we will all die. Val will share personal stories and experiences about loss in her life, and will also interview subject matter experts on the complicated, and oftentimes expensive and morbid parts of preparation. “The loss of my mom when I was a young mother, and then the unexpected and tragic death of my br ...
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Podcast by Michael Peace, Tom Sidney and Sam Hotchin
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Wow – we’ve reached the end of another season! I’m so proud of this show, and love hearing from you about how these topics and episodes are helping to drive discussions, make decisions, and think about end of life to more purposefully live each and every day! You may recall that Season 1 had the threads of “Finding Meaning” (be sure to check out Da…
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Organ & Tissue Donation: An Interview with Micah Webb of LifeSource
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Today’s important episode is about the option to be an organ and tissue donor at the end of life. Micah Webb joins me today. She is the Donation Liaison from LifeSource, one of 56 Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) in the country, serving the second largest geographic region. https://www.life-source.org/ I learned of LifeSource following the de…
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It’s been a while, but today’s episode is just me, talking to you. Synchronicity hit hard again, as the universe aligned to allow me a week to record in the studio without a guest. If you feel like the action steps have been overwhelming in all of our This Side of the Grass episodes, today’s episode is for you. As I recap the checklist that we’ve h…
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When Love Meets Grief: A Conversation with Kelly Grosklags
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It was my absolute honor to spend time with Kelly Grosklags on today’s episode. Kelly shares her thoughts, experiences and learnings from nearly 30 years in and around the fields of grief and end-of-life care. Our conversation makes its way to the importance of signs from those who have died, the magnitude of speaking the names of our loved ones wh…
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Two Stories of Suicide: A Conversation with Melissa MacPhail & Lis Klein
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September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and today’s episode – both recorded and released in September of 2024 – is about suicide. My friends Melissa MacPhail and Lis Klein bravely join me to share their experiences losing loved ones to suicide: Melissa’s dad, Jerry; and Lis’s brother, Steve. Through our conversation, we touch on forgiveness…
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How Dying Changed His Life: A Conversation with Dan Neitz
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Wow. If today’s episode with guest Dan Neitz doesn’t help you to see endings differently, I don’t know what will! Endings are not just deaths, but a near-death experience is what brought Dan to clarity and purpose in his life and in his work. On today’s episode, we hear Dan’s story of dying from sepsis, and being brought back to life. His perspecti…
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A Deeper Dive into Trusts: A second interview with attorney Steve Messick
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Attorney Steve Messick is back! As promised on his first high-level show about all things legal when it comes to dying, Steve and I take a deeper dive on legacy planning through Trusts. One of the big take-aways: you don’t have to have millions of dollars for a Trust to be a valuable planning tool! If you haven’t yet listened to Steve’s first show,…
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Behind the Scenes of a Funeral Home: An Interview with Mike White
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On today’s episode, I am joined by 4th generation owner of White Funeral Homes, Mike White. Mike’s family has been serving the Twin Cities community in Minnesota for more than 125 years, and currently own and operate 5 funeral homes in the South Metro area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Mike has an amazing vantage point of life, loss and what it is l…
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Legacy Matters: A Conversation with Sam Devine
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I called an audible today! No notes or outline, but today’s show is a rich and entertaining conversation with Sam Devine. Sam is the “Devine” part of DevineFox Productions, the company that produces “This Side of the Grass”. He also has his own podcast called “Legacy Matters”, and today’s episode is a blend of his show and mine, as we just talk. Ou…
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Isn’t it kind of crazy to think that there are days that completely change the course of your life… and when you wake up on those days, oftentimes you don’t even know it’s about to happen. It’s only when you look back that you realize your entire life changed on that day. On today’s solo episode, I take a little pivot. Instead of sharing a specific…
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Healthcare Documentation: An Interview with Katie Novak, R.N.
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On today’s episode of This Side of the Grass, I am so happy to have Katie Novak, Registered Nurse, share her expertise on healthcare documentation. She is here to provide clarity on decisions and forms that often are needed at end of life, including Health Care Directives and the POLST. A “Health Care Directive”, prepared by an attorney, is a legal…
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Coping Takes Time: A Conversation with Mike Zinda
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On today’s episode, I share with you my vulnerable conversation with long-time friend of the Amsden family, Mike Zinda. Mike is the first guest who reached out to me after listening to several episodes last season, and asked if he could come on to share his story. After talking with him several times about the unexpected loss of his dad, it became …
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A Perspective on Death at the End of Life
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What a unique and beautiful privilege it is to share with you today’s conversation! My grandmother, Dorothy Waska, turned 98 in May of 2024. We recorded this conversation in her apartment about 6 weeks before her birthday. Her transparency and ease of sharing her thoughts on dying and loss really helped to shape how I approach this podcast, and I a…
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Here we go again! As we start Season 2 together, I revisit “My Why” – which is how we started Season 1. If you haven’t listened to that episode, or if it’s been a while, here it is: This Side of the Grass, Episode 1 "My Why" On today’s “My Why” for Season 2, I share with you a bit more about my grandma, and how her views on dying and preparation ha…
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We have reached the end of Season 1! Throughout the last 13 episodes, I have found my voice and the tone of this podcast in real time. Thank you for going on this adventure with me! As I shared my story, I have been humbled and proud to have helped others to share theirs, and look forward to taking some intentional time to reset, regroup and catch …
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This week’s episode falls near several important milestone dates related to the loss of my mom: Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and the anniversary of her passing on June 4. As milestones and anniversaries loom year after year, it sometimes feels like no time at all has passed – even years or decades after we have lost a loved one! After participating …
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Bonding over Eulogies: A Conversation with Eric Froistad
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Long-time friend Eric Froistad joins me on today’s episode. We share a birthday, a best friend (my husband!) and the heart-breaking burden of losing brothers unexpectedly much too soon. Because we, along with our other siblings, gave the eulogies at our brothers’ services, we have an additional connection that I wanted to explore. Eulogies include …
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The Legal Side of Dying: An Interview with attorney Steve Messick
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I’ve teed up this topic in several previous episodes: the legal side of things! I am thrilled to have this important and specific conversation with attorney and long-time friend, Steve Messick, founder and lead attorney of Messick Law, PLLC. He is a top-rated attorney serving clients throughout the State of Minnesota. His primary areas of practice …
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Putting Pain into Purpose: A Conversation with Brian Muller
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My guest on today’s episode is Brian Muller: a dad, musician and fellow resident of the Twin Cities. Professionally, he has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, and recently started his own firm and podcast. He grew up near my husband’s family, so Brian and I have been mutual friends for years! I watched via social media as he…
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On today’s episode, we are talking about obituaries! At first, this may not seem exciting – but really, what an incredible opportunity an obituary is to showcase and highlight the life of someone that has passed away. In many cases, this is the last written account of someone’s life! I talk through not only what an obituary is, but also the followi…
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What happens to our social media presence when we die? And what can we do about it now? I talk through the options available on three of the biggest platforms: Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Deciding now what you want done with your online footprint is incredibly helpful to the loved ones that are left behind when you are gone! The a…
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Friendships After Loss: A Conversation with Sheri Erickson
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I met today’s guest, Sheri Erickson, through a mutual friend because we both had stories in our families of tragedy and loss. We struck up a quick friendship, and it amazed me how beautifully she viewed the passing from this life to what is next – and I knew I needed her on the podcast. Listen in on our conversation as Sheri’s shares stories of los…
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This episode was recorded just a few days after a deadly shooting near my house that made national news. Two officers and a firefighter were killed when responding to a domestic disturbance call a little over a block away. This incident was unsettling on so many levels, and I was confused as to why it so strongly affected not only me, but my family…
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Life Insurance: An Interview with Tim Vossen & Bethany Winters
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Listen in on my very first interview with two subject matter experts, Bethany Winters and Tim Vossen, who work in commercial insurance. Using their hearts – Bethany’s story is powerful – and combined 34 years of professional experience, they take us through the nuts and bolts of life insurance: What is it? Why do you need it? If you already have it…
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Why do we think we are invincible to the inevitable: that we will someday die? Whether you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or ANY other age – you are giving a gift to your loved ones by thinking through and planning for what happens when you die. Action items for this episode, that you should do NOW (no matter your age!): Sit down with your closest love…
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Comparison is a natural thing, both in life and in loss! On this episode, I share two “a ha!” moments during grief therapy:: 1. I was comparing, unintentionally, my grief and loss experience to others – even down to the details of funeral choices. 2. “Jealousy” is a very real feeling that is associated with grief, as shown in an image that was shar…
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Why in American society do we expect those that are grieving to throw the equivalent of a wedding, in just a few days? That’s pretty much what a funeral is: a service and possibly a meal – with music, flowers, programs, and oftentimes a photo slideshow or displays – for several hundred people… all planned in a matter of days! Ridiculous, isn’t it? …
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Who wants to talk about death and dying, anyway? Well, me. In this episode, I share my personal story and the reason behind why I started this podcast. Both my mom and brother died too young, in two very different ways: my mom to cancer after a four-plus year battle when she was 57, and my brother to a heart condition unexpectedly and suddenly when…
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The trailer for This Side of the Grass.By Val Amsden
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Kirstie Jones is the head agent at Icon Actors Management. In our final interview of the series Kirstie offers fresh, interesting fantastic advice to Actors in the industry straight from the viewpoint of the Agent. A fantastic informative listen no matter what stage of your career your in. The last of our current series, thanks for all the support …
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In the second Eposide of the new series, we sit down with Evelyn Roberts.Evelyn Is a Actor, writer, producer and director who is currently appearing as Tybalt in Hope Mill Theatre's all female production of Romeo and Juliet as well as co producing the show. Another ex ALRA grad who has gone on to prosper in the industry she talks about the importan…
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Ryan Clayton graduated from The Academy Of Live and Recorded Arts in 2015. Since then he has gone on to work in various platforms most recently playing 'Josh Tucker' in Coronation Street in a story-line that has gained major praise and and publicity for it's handling of male rape. A good friend of ours and a great actor. Enjoy…
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