Episodes
On this, our final episode, we hear from a new listener who discovered Tiny Victories a mere week or two ago…and still called in with her Tiny Victories-related tiny victory. As Annabelle points out, the caller has 158 more episodes that she can enjoy. As podcasts go, this is but a tiny little show, and yet in the course of three years, it’s helped Annabelle and Laura and the Tiny Victories community feel connected as the world itself fell–and continues to fall–apart. But even as Tiny...
Published 11/06/23
Published 11/06/23
It’s Tiny Victories’ penultimate episode and listeners are reaching out to Annabelle and Laura with heartfelt messages of what this show has meant to them. Plus, a listener calls in with a victory en Español.
Published 10/31/23
If you like breakfast and Basquiat, you’ll LOVE this episode of Tiny Victories. First up, Annabelle tells us about her experience staying at a hotel in Singapore that featured breakfasts from around the world. As she traveled the world, her taste buds traveled even further. Plus, after missing the Keith Haring exhibit by just 1 day, Laura gets back on her art bike to see the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibition, curated by the artist’s estate. Naturally, the movie Breakfast Club...
Published 10/23/23
Annabelle has returned from her multi-country tour that took her to Singapore, Tel Aviv and Uganda. In this episode, she’ll tell us about her plans for the Uganda trip that were thwarted almost immediately, and how she learned how to let it go, and accept life on life’s terms. Plus, Lisa from Raleigh calls in with what Laura House describes as “an office supply victory”.
Published 10/16/23
This week Laurie Kilmartin joins Laura House and the two L-s have perhaps the longest introductory conversation in Tiny Victories history about a subject that’s super personal to both of them. And for anyone who’s even thinking of challenging Laurie to a push-up contest, just don’t. It’s not worth it, man.
Published 10/09/23
You know how you start talking gardening tools and next thing you know you’re swapping stories about how fathers born in the thirties never really talk about themselves? Well that happened in this week’s episode with Laura House’s guest co-host Laurie Kilmartin. Two victories in one tiny episode!
Published 10/02/23
This episode could also have been titled, “And It All Started with My Dog’s Eye Infection”. The “it” here would be everything that happened after she had to cancel a proper vacation to tend to an eye infection afflicting Millie. Stefanie Wilder-Taylor filled in for Annabelle again for the second week in a row, and tells us about every step of the journey she took deciding whether–or not!-to meet her friends for dinner on the tail end of a busy weekend. It’s an edge-of-your-seat, thrill ride...
Published 09/25/23
This week, guest host Stefanie Wilder-Taylor joins Laura House while Annabelle travels the globe. Laura and Stefanie establish their “dog people” bona fides as House relates the huge sacrifice she made on Minnie’s behalf. Stefanie confesses to almost canceling out the tiny victory she shares, but she musters up the intestinal fortitude to hold the line. This will make sense when you listen to the episode.
Published 09/18/23
*Best of Episode* You know how some people collect sand or rocks from the places they travel? Annabelle collects sounds. At the beginning of summer, she toured with a band that played a huge music festival in The Netherlands, and one souvenir of that trip was the croaking of Belgian frogs. She’s recently-returned from Rome, Italy, with two new sounds, and her sightseeing highlights.
Published 09/11/23
The hosts are both traveling this week so they’ve selected a favorite episode to run. “Back-up” vibrators: Should you get one? If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, and then wondered, ‘How would someone who’s not me answer this?’, then this, our 77th episode, is for you. Well, 5% – 8% of this episode is for you, and it comes in the second half of the show. Also, Laura House is no longer afraid of her emotions, and Adam finally does a thing he meant to do, which inspires Annabelle, to...
Published 09/04/23
Are you the type of person who says, “I’m the type of person who…”? This week Guest host Maggie Rowe tells us about a recent experience where she challenged herself, and answered the call for “able-bodied” volunteers at the Zen Center to help move some rather large items. Annabelle recounts a cohabitation-with-the-boyfriend tiny victory that marks a new milestone in her life.  Plus, a hotline caller might be great at something she’s never done.
Published 08/28/23
You know what goes well with a difficult divorce? A dance party. But don’t think it’s a matter of simply throwing a dance party, because that’s now how this works. Annabelle and guest host Maggie Rowe give us the anatomy of a spontaneous dance party.
Published 08/21/23
If you’re someone who finds joy singing karaoke, this is the episode for you! Similarly, if you’re someone whose hell would be to sing karaoke, this is the episode for you. Could the world be broken up into people who see karaoke machines as joy factories and those who see them as nightmare weavers? Plus, does it have to be hard to take a vacation?
Published 08/14/23
Annabelle travels to Sardinia without leaving her home, and she continues to benefit from simple advice: Keep saying yes. Plus, House deals with Minnie eye issues, and may have found her forever vet.
Published 08/07/23
You know the dread you feel when you realize you left your purse or wallet at a location you visited earlier in the day? Now imagine going back to the location to search for it while Laura House stares you down, only in this scenario you don’t actually know who Laura House is. She’s just some woman who seems very invested in your every move. In this episode, House explains to Annabelle why she was so invested. Plus, Annabelle bonds with a stranger over being a big baby.
Published 07/31/23
Let’s go ahead and put this out on the table now: there’s a LOT of drama behind the scenes at Tiny Victories. Well, a lot of tech drama. One of the hosts has a pretty good relationship with technology, and the other does not. This means that sometimes there are tech delays, and the start time gets pushed back. Last week was such a week. And this week, someone wants to gloat a little bit about last week. It’s kind of like schadenfreude, but with a bit of glee sprinkled in. This will make sense...
Published 07/24/23
This week, Gurwitch falls hard for author Lorrie Moore’s latest book, “I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home”. What makes this collection of short stories great? Well, three three things, which Annabelle lists, including examples of each of those things. Plus, the sweet, sweet sound of car honk support.
Published 07/17/23
This week, Annabelle is moved by a group of really crafty people with big hearts. And if you, like Laura House, wonder if Annabelle was moved by a group of schemers as opposed to people into the craft arts, you are mistaken. Plus, a listener writes in with a pillow breakthrough. It’s a feel-good episode from start to finish!
Published 07/10/23
Might as well get this out of the way: Laura House’s bull dog Minnie is more than a dogfluencer. She’s a student of improv as well. The dog’s got verve and moxie and “it”. But underneath her cute exterior, is a lil’ ball of feelings. This episode is for anyone who cares about their pets’ feelings. Plus, listener Julian writes in with a call-in victory.
Published 07/03/23
This week’s episode is likely to give you the feels. Annabelle and Laura get into the differences between playing the short game versus the long game, and share personal victories in both categories, including a parenthood win. Plus, Liz calls in with a victory that takes the cake!
Published 06/26/23
This week Annabelle tells Laura about an article in the Washington Post that she’s read over and over again because it’s just that delightful. It concerns a family of dolls that moved into an Orchard Lake, Michigan mailbox in the dead of night. Plus, hotline caller Lou has an issue with being late, and may or may not have had a tiny victory about it.
Published 06/19/23
This is a particularly polarizing episode of Tiny Victories during which we learn that Laura is not a fan of the birds. While she’s happy that Annabelle has found a tiny victory in some recent bird news, for some people (esp. dog people), birds are a flying, squawking menace. Plus, we got a Hotline Email from Jesse that’s super chill.
Published 06/12/23
Laura House tells Annabelle how plumber Frank did great work on her and Brian’s home…and their hearts (platonically). And now that Annabelle is back from her book leave, House dusts off the Tiny Victories hotline to play one of the calls that came in while AG was out.
Published 06/05/23
This week, we have a few tiny victories that happen to share a theme: Mother Nature giveth, and taketh away. This is one thing Annabelle knows all too well as someone who tends to her own, private orchard (read: two fruit trees). And we have a hotline call about a choir fire.
Published 05/29/23