Still Time for Joy
Still Time for Joy features practical advice for weathering life's storms, and inspiring stories of resilience.
Host Sandra Levine interviews experts on caregiving, trauma, grief, and other intense challenges to provide a road map for survival. Heroes and healers, adventurers and innovators encourage you to pursue more self-care, reflection, connection, and fun—and your own unique and joyful purpose.
Sandra is a television producer, filmmaker, and speaker who spent 20 years as a caregiver, first for her husband Michael, who had a brain injury, and then for her mother Dorothy, who had Alzheimer's Disease. She created this show to share lessons learned from those experiences to help you get through difficult times, too.
Still Time for Joy is also available as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd
Episodes
52 episodes
Move for Hunger Nonprofit Feeds Millions by Rescuing Food that Otherwise Would Be Thrown Out
Often, when people move, they don't know what to do with the food in their pantries, and they simply throw it in the trash. Adam Lowy, whose great-grandfather started the family moving business more than 100 years ago, began offering in 2009 to...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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19:26
Tips for Dementia Caregivers on Repetitive Questions, Anxiety, & Hallucinations
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia can be a very rewarding experience, but also can leave caregivers feeling frustrated, due to challenging behaviors that are often part of the journey. Watch this episode for som...
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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15:09
Ospreys Thriving Today Along NJ Coast About 50 Years After DDT & Development Nearly Wiped Them Out
In early spring, ospreys return to the New Jersey Shore and other coastal areas after spending winters in places as far away as South America. There were only about 50 breeding pairs of ospreys here in the 1970s, after widespread use of the pes...
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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12:52
Learning to SCUBA Dive Brings Peace & Camaraderie to Combat War Veterans at Warhorse SCUBA in NJ
The underwater world of SCUBA diving can be incredibly peaceful and beautiful, the perfect environment for combat war veterans to decompress and quiet their minds after serving in the military. Some veterans return home suffering from post-trau...
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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12:20
Flower Farm Brings New Purpose to Owner & Joy to Customers—Preserving Beauty & Nature in NJ
The arrival of spring means the greenhouses at Lanza's Flower Farm in Wall Township, New Jersey, are bursting with young plants—pansies, petunias, begonias, and more. Chris Difeo spent much of his life working in the family car dealership busin...
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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13:37
Volunteers & Ocean County Work to Help Toms River, NJ's Animals After Temporary Closure of Shelter
In June 2024, Toms River Township's 10-year-old animal shelter was abruptly shut down, leaving animal advocates scrambling for solutions. Now, a shared services agreement is in place, which calls for Ocean County to run Toms River's shelter aft...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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10:59
Saving Lives of All Adoptable Shelter Animals is 2025 Goal of Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is holding "Bring No-Kill Home Summits" around the country as it strives to reach an ambitious goal: end the killing of adoptable shelter animals in 2025.For decades, millions of healthy, adoptable animals wer...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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25:14
Music & Dementia Caregiving - Book by Music Therapist Helps You Bring a Little Joy to the Journey
For people living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, memories of music often remain, even after so many others are gone. With the help of a book, "Music, Memory, and Meaning", co-authored by music therapist Tara Jenkins, caregivers c...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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22:24
Astronomy Club at the NJ Shore Spreads Passion for Telescopes and Exploring the Universe (ASTRA)
When is the last time you explored the night sky firsthand and looked at the moon and the stars? Watch this episode with beautiful images of the moon, the Milky Way, and more, to be inspired to get outside and look up.Jim Webster, president...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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20:30
Tips for Dealing with Grief for Dementia Caregivers
Grief is an inevitable part of the caregiver journey, especially in dementia caregiving. Grief may not be acknowledged as people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are still present, even as caregivers watch with despai...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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12:10
Ocean Free Diving Brings Calm & Confidence to NJ Respiratory Therapist Training for Competition
When you think about techniques to reduce stress, holding your breath underwater may not immediately come to mind. But with proper training, free diving can provide both physical and mental health benefits, similar to meditation practices and y...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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21:55
Caregivers: Feeling Overwhelmed? You MUST Make a Plan for Your Own Care, Too
Caregivers often are so busy scheduling appointments with doctors for their loved ones, and handling countless other caregiving tasks, that they wind up neglecting their own physical and emotional needs. This is not sustainable, and it leads to...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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15:13
Fresh Flowers Boost Joy for Senders, Recipients, and Artistic Owner of NJ Floral Shops
If you’re looking to instantly add a little more joy to your life, consider sending flowers, or buying some for yourself. Studies show gifting flowers boosts the mood of both sender and recipient, and also strengthens their bond. The sight and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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19:46
Women Find Hiking Buddies Online Leading to More Outdoor Adventures & Friendships
Spending time walking outdoors in the woods has so many benefits, for both our physical health and mental well-being. But many women are not comfortable hiking alone, so they miss out on this simple and affordable opportunity for both better he...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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12:16
How Can I Help People Devastated by the Los Angeles Fires? Here are Places to Donate Right Now
Watch this video for a list of some organizations seeking money, supplies, and volunteers to help with the disaster relief effort in Los Angeles, California. The deadly fires have left entire communities completely destroyed, and the need is en...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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2:46
How Can I Get Family & Friends to Help with Caregiving? SMART Tips for Exhausted Dementia Caregivers
Caregiving for a loved one with dementia can be exhausting and overwhelming. It's important to learn to ask for help, and say "YES" when it's offered, even if the person filling in does tasks a bit differently than you.Watch this episod...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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13:30
Coming up in 2025 on "Still Time for Joy" - Practical Advice for a Happier, Healthier New Year
The New Year provides all of us with a fresh start. It’s a great time to take a good look at your life and make some changes—big or small—if you're not happy with what you see.Watch this short preview of what we'll be covering in 2025 o...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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3:11
Living Life with Purpose is the Best Path to More Joy - “Still Time for Joy” 2024 Year in Review
"Still Time for Joy" Host Sandra Levine shares highlights from the show's first season in this 2024 Year in Review. Some of her favorite guests share their wisdom about how living meaningful lives contributed to their sense of purpose, and brou...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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10:16
UC Berkeley Scientist on How Happiness Does Not Come from Stuff, But Connection, Kindness, & Purpose
During the holiday season—and all year 'round—it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that happiness will come from buying the perfect gift or receiving the hottest new gadget. However, the research shows, happiness—or well-being—actually c...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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46:53
NJ Christmas Tree Farmer Shares the Joy & Benefits of Choosing a Natural Tree for Nearly 40 Years
John Benton is a tree expert who has been growing Christmas trees on his 10-acre farm in Chesterfield, NJ - with the help of his family - since 1987. In this informative story, he shares his deep love of trees, and the many benefits of choosing...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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11:51
How Can I Communicate Better with My Loved One with Dementia as the Disease Progresses? Nine Tips
It's heartbreaking and frustrating for both a person living with dementia and their caregiver as the disease progresses and communication becomes more difficult. Dementia can rob a person of the ability to speak clearly and understand speech.&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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14:48
Clean Ocean Action Marks 40 Years of Advocating for the Sea at the New Jersey Shore
In the 1980s, beaches in New Jersey and New York were forced to close due to garbage slicks, sewage sludge, medical waste, and other debris fouling the shore. For 40 years Cindy Zipf has been at the helm of Clean Ocean Action, an advocacy group...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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34:47
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia Restaurateur on the Lure of the Sea & the Iconic Lighthouse on the Rocks
The tiny fishing village of Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, with a year-round population of about 35 people, attracts as many as a million tourists a year, who come to visit the sea and the iconic lighthouse on the rocks. John Campbell, a lifel...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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32:31
New Film Exploring the Heartache & Humanity of the Dementia Journey Resonates with Family Caregivers
Director Kitty Norton discusses her film, "Wine, Women, & Dementia", in which family caregivers openly discuss the highs and lows of dementia caregiving. Norton traveled across the country talking to caregivers whom she had gotten to know t...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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40:10
Five Tips for Dementia Caregivers to Make the Holidays Less Stressful & More Successful
The holiday season—from Thanksgiving right through the New Year—can be a stressful time for everyone, especially family caregivers who are helping a loved one with dementia. Learn five simple tips to make the holidays more successful from Deb H...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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19:27