Rob Mermin and Bill Morancy lived in neighboring apartments in Montpelier, Vermont. They were best friends.  And when Bill was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he asked his best friend to help him die. In 2013, Vermont passed the The Patient Choice and Control at End of Life Act, or Act 39…our version of Death with Dignity. The legislation allows eligible Vermonters with terminal diseases the option to be prescribed medication that will hasten the end of their life. In 2015, Bill elected to use Act 39 to end his life, and he asked Rob to help him. 

This is a story primarily about their friendship--and the months, days and moments leading up to Bill's death.

To learn more about Rob Mermin and his illustrious career as a mime and the founder of Circus Smirkus, visit HERE. 

The music for this show was made by Vermont musicians Brian Clark and Mike Donofrio. And you heard from the original film soundtracks of South Pacific and Carousel, both by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The piano licks in this show were made by Charlie Lander and Vermont pianist Marie Helene Belanger

This is the third episode in a periodic series called Life of Kaye, which is about the life of Kaye, but also about what life mostly sounds like and feels like, day after day after day. This episode is called Summertime and dead batteries.

Credits

This show is recorded by Kaye Phipps, and edited by me, Erica Heilman. Thanks very much to Chelsea Edgar and Amelia Meath for their enormous support on this show. 

Credits: 

"Places Go" was produced by Chris Attaway and Cristal Duhaime. The story editor was Mira Burt-Wintonick. The piece originally aired on CBC's Love Me. 

More episodes of Love Me are available everywhere you get your podcasts, and here: https://link.mgln.ai/LMxRS

A few days ago we lost a power ballad hero. Bonnie Tyler is gone. She wrote my favorite song, Total Eclipse of the Heart. Years ago I forced people to listen to me sing this song and then I made a show about it and forced MORE people to listen to me sing it, and talk about turning fifty. So I'm playing it again in honor of Bonnie Tyler. 

Credits

Life of Kaye is produced by me and Kaye Phipps.

Thank you karaoke singers! For more information about monthly karaoke in Montpelier, I think you can find information here. Otherwise, do an internet search for Saphen Von Cabbage karaoke and hunt around. Otherwise ask me and I’ll figure it out and get back to you.

Welcome to a new,  periodic series called Life of Kaye.

This first episode is called:  Some Kind of a Speaker.

The series is produced by me and Kaye Phipps.

Send us your comments if you have them and thank you so much for listening.

Home health and hospice nurses provide all kinds of healthcare to people in their homes...day and night, and in mud and snow.

I knew of these folks because I met some of them after my father came home from the hospital. A nurse came to help with his medications. A VNA therapist came to give him physical therapy. But I wasn’t really aware of these nurses and therapists UNTIL my family really needed them, and I expect there are a lot of people out there like me.

So this is a show about the nurses who travel, and what their days are like, and what they know about this place because of the work they do. 

Vermont Quick Lube is where I've been getting my oil changed for years, because I love it there. They are fast and nice and they offer coffee. Everyone at Vermont Quick Lube is always in a good mood, even in November or January. Recently I went on a Wednesday and Mike, who runs the register, told me it was Ladies' Day and handed me a red carnation and a ticket for a free car wash. It was the excuse I needed to make this show. 

From The Kitchen Sisters Presents:

Pioneering radio artist Larry Massett, a producer's producer, who led listeners into unexpected worlds and influenced so many in public radio and beyond, died last year at the age of 80. 
The Kitchen Sisters were fortunate to work with Larry on our NPR series Lost & Found Sound and Soundprint. He was a friend and colleague. 
We learned of Larry's passing last spring on Transom.org, the premier site for producers to come together, share their work, and access the latest tools and advice. 
It was there that we found a “Requiem for Larry Massett” created by Barrett Golding of Hearing Voices. We asked Barrett if he’d help produce an audio piece and bring it to air. He said yes. Transom said yes. And all of the producers who offered their memories said yes. And so, yes!
The Kitchen Sisters Present: “A Requiem for Larry Massett” — produced in collaboration with Barrett Golding and Transom.org.  

This is a same-day reaction to this morning’s story called: A springtime show about how about the economy that partly explains why we feel ashamed. That story features a wonderful listener in Scotland who is a money manager and made some fascinating comments about the last class series. I asked her if she’d be willing to share some of these thoughts on the phone, and she was willing, and that was this morning’s story.

A couple hours later I got a reaction audio from one of the people featured in the class series who we talked about in this morning’s story. So I’m playing it. Because it’s great and because the point of the class series is to talk about these things and this is almost like a real goddamn conversation!

What Class are You? is a series I make for Vermont Public.