Bessa's Story

Hear stories from my grandmother, Bessa. Bessa shares about her childhood in Norway and what happened during World War II, in her own home and yard. She shared funny stories about her first jobs, and then her immigration to the United States, and how she built her life.

Bessa's Story: Behind the Scenes 04/28/2023

Bessa's Story: Behind the Scenes Bessa's Story podcast creator Kristen and sound engineer Kalyn sit together for a conversation about making this podcast. Here's what they discuss: Why Bessa’s Story was created (1 min-2:27) Editing challenges & sharing personal details (2:28-8:51) Working with less-than-perfect audio (8:52-12:39) Podcasting skills & how transcripts can help (12:40-15:31) Efficiency & time management (15:32-23:53 Lessons from Bessa’s life (23:53-31:27) Hearing Bessa’s voice again (31:27-33:37) Favorite episodes (33:37-36:51) Collaborating (36:52-41:28) Staying motivated to complete a project (41:28-45:16) Music Credits Won’t You Stay (Instrumental Version) - The Eastern Plain / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26625585

Episode 23: Finale - Life at 80 03/30/2023

Episode 23: Finale - Life at 80 Irene reflects on her life and shares what her daily routine looked like at the age of 80. *Music Credits* Gabriel Lewis / Morning Rains / courtesy of Luchs / Now It’s Over. Now I’m Awake / courtesy of Francis Wells / As a Gift / courtesy of Bireli Snow / Heart Matters / courtesy of Emanuel Wilde / Rejoice/ courtesy of Isabelle Walton / A Log on the Fire/ courtesy of Megan Wofford / Night Skies/ courtesy of Kalyn Pedde / Kjerringa Med Staven / courtesy of artist /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26388690

Episode 22: Goodbye, Joe 03/23/2023

Episode 22: Goodbye, Joe Irene remembers moments soon before and after Joe's unexpected death. * Music Credits * Bireli Snow / Heart Matters / courtesy of Christian Anderson / Waltz for My Grandfather / courtesy of Francis Wells / Give My Love Back / courtesy of CLNGR / Some Time / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26312979

Episode 21: A Big Move 03/16/2023

Episode 21: A Big Move Irene and Joe move away from New York, and build a new home in North Carolina. * Music Credits * Gavin Luke / Prairie Song / courtesy of Frank Jonsson / Things That Matter / courtesy of Dez Moran / Say It Without Words / courtesy of Christian Andersen / Lost in Reminiscence / courtesy of Eric Feinberg / Sing With Me / courtesy of Emanuel Wilde / Golden Touch / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26245689

Episode 20: Grieving 03/09/2023

Episode 20: Grieving Irene grieves the loss of her daughter Inger. *Music Credits* Damon Greene / Dreams of a Life JOYSPRING / Take Heart Magnus Ringblom / The Remains of Hope Victor Lindberg / Showed Me How to Heal /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26172972

Episode 19: Magnotti's 03/02/2023

Episode 19: Magnotti's The story of when Irene and Joe bought Magnotti's restaurant on Staten Island and turned it into a thriving business. *Music Credits* Sunfish Grove / Common Walls / courtesy of Rippled Stone / Mind Over Matter / courtesy of OTE / Sea Lion / courtesy of Trabant 33 / Heart of Sicily / courtesy of More Than Family / Feels Like Yesterday / courtesy of Roots and Recognition / The Limelight / courtesy of Peter Sandberg / Synesthesia / courtesy of Trabant 33 / Al Fresco / courtesy of Silver Maple / Blissful Awakening / courtesy of Mindme / Love a Little Harder / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26099721

Episode 18: A Special Hairdo 02/23/2023

Episode 18: A Special Hairdo Irene’s special hairdo attracts the attention of a queen; and a hint of what’s to come next for Irene. ~ Visit bessastory.com to see a picture of Irene's hair ~ *Music Credits* LUCHS / Red Gold Yesterday / courtesy of Arthur Benson / Figured Out / courtesy of Gavin Luke / Affinity / courtesy of Trabant 33 / No Lack of Refinement / courtesy of Trabant 33 / Mein Altes Auto / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/26016594

Episode 17: Partners 02/16/2023

Episode 17: Partners Irene meets Joe; she becomes a US citizen; Irene has new work experiences with Joe. *Music Credits* Dez Moran / Sunken Curse / courtesy of Dez Moran / August Events / courtesy of Gavin Luke / Fugacious / courtesy of Dez Moran / Leotard Haul / courtesy of Roy Williams / One Ride / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25948221

Episode 16: Tough Times 02/09/2023

Episode 16: Tough Times Tough times for Irene and Torfinn in their marriage. * Music Credits * Peter Crosby / Heart of Creation Silver Maple / After the Rain Silver Maple / Where there used be trees Northside / Cambridge Avenue Northside / Second Wind /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25875369

Episode 15: Going Places 02/02/2023

Episode 15: Going Places Irenes decides to learn how to drive, and she begins selling Stanley Home Products *Music Credits* Mike Franklyn / A Sunny Stroll / courtesy of Airae / To Clarity / courtesy of Eric Feinberg / Never Too Long / courtesy of Airae /Little Notions / courtesy of Mike Franklyn/ Summer in the Sixties / courtesy of Candelion / Silent Way / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25805247

Episode 14: Childbirth in the 1950's 01/26/2023

Episode 14: Childbirth in the 1950's Irene shares her experience with giving birth. This took place in the 1950’s - and, as you will find out, giving birth back then was not the same as it is today. *Music Credits* Johannes Bornlöf / A Sky Sparkling Wendy Marcini / It’s Your Smile Magnus Ringblom / Forgotten Tears John Runefelt / Can I Hold You Again Vendla / Sonrisa Victor Lundberg / Time For Bed /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25731777

Episode 13: The Great Crab Escape 01/19/2023

Episode 13: The Great Crab Escape Irene’s friend Borgny shares about the one time that living and crawling crabs escaped from the two friends…in a place where crabs did NOT belong. *Music Credits* Another Day of Sun / courtesy of Martin Landström / Zoo Zoo / courtesy of Alexandria / Ebb & Flod / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25654005

Episode 12: Wedding Bells 01/12/2023

Episode 12: Wedding Bells Episode 12: Wedding Bells Irene talks about love, as well as some heartache. *Music Credits* Lukas Amil / You See My Soul / courtesy of Ruin Zhao / Azure Eyes / courtesy of Howard Harper-Barnes / The Gift of Giving / courtesy of Wendy Marcini / The Busted Swing / courtesy of Cora Zea / Running Like the Sunrise / courtesy of Wendy Marcini, Elvin Vanguard / The Orange Tree / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25582611

Episode 11: The Chewing Gum Factory 01/05/2023

Episode 11: The Chewing Gum Factory Bjorg settles into life in Brooklyn - and starts to go by her middle name, Irene. Irene gets a job in the chewing gum factory. * Music Credits * PÄR / My Swing Ding-Didely-Dey / courtesy of Roy Edwin Williams / South Side Five / courtesy of Sixteen Wheelers / Long Gone Sweetie / courtesy of The Fly Guy Five / Strolling in Vienna / courtesy of Roy Edwin Williams / Sea Dance / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25510167

Episode 10: On the Ship to America 12/29/2022

Episode 10: On the Ship to America Bjorg's ten-day trip as she immigrates to America, complete with seasickness, dancing, and her first birthday party at the age of eighteen. *Music Credits* Johannes Bornlof / Pirates and Princesses Martin Carlberg / My Fair Country Benjamin Rice / The Subtle Ones Benjamin Rice / Treasure Trove Indigo Days / The Sentimentality Helmut Schenker / Happy Birthday Lama House / A New Constellation /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25453194

Episode 9: Cozy Winter Memories 12/22/2022

Episode 9: Cozy Winter Memories A couple of cozy memories from winters in Norway, including one memory of Christmas * Music Credits * Sandra Marteleur / Våryra / courtesy of Sandra Marteleur / Över Vidderna / courtesy of Julyan Brynn / Silent Night (Guitar Version) /courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25403526

Episode 8 - Not the Stork 12/15/2022

Episode 8 - Not the Stork Bjorg doesn't know how babies come into the world; an unexpected encounter with her boss; and a motorcycle trip with her boyfriend * Music Credits * Wendy Marcini, Elvin Vanguard / Lost in Translation / courtesy of Wendy Marcini, Elvin Vanguard / Broken Conversations / courtesy of Sugoi / Late Night Friends / courtesy of These Old Bones / Old Country Serenade / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25333950

Episode 7 - The Best Fiskegrateng (Fish Au Gratin) 12/08/2022

Episode 7 - The Best Fiskegrateng (Fish Au Gratin) Bjorg shares about her first kiss. She finishes cooking school, and is hired to cook and clean for a man and his mother who live in another town. * Music Credits * Spectacles Wallet and Watch / A Mouse in the House / courtesy of The Eastern Plain / Take Me Closer To You / courtesy of Circles Nouvelles / As Vast As the Ocean / courtesy of Lama House / Fading Star / courtesy of The Eastern Plain / Nostalgique / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25261830

Episode 6 - Freedom 12/01/2022

Episode 6 - Freedom What life was like after the war was over; Bjorg sees bananas for the first time and “a real soap.” Then, Bjorg finishes school in Drange and heads to cooking school. * Music Credits * Bonn Fields / Cordierite / courtesy of Amaranth Cove / When We Were Friends / courtesy of Luella Green / The Forgotten Memories / courtesy of Plain Stroll / Come Out and Play / courtesy of Won’t You Stay (Instrumental Version) - The Eastern Plain / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25184829

Episode 5 - Sweet 11/24/2022

Episode 5 - Sweet Bjorg and her friend Borgny make candy - and some sweet, happy changes take place in Bjorg's family. * Music Credits * Arthur Benson / Have you Tried the Key / courtesy of Josef Falkensköld / Crayons / courtesy of The Fly Guy Five / Meet Me at Montmartre / courtesy of Josef Falkensköld / Two Hands / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25121523

Episode 4 - The British Torpedo 11/17/2022

Episode 4 - The British Torpedo When Bjorg and her friends spot a British torpedo coming into Drange, they spring into action. * Music Credits * American Legion / Headed to the Hillside / courtesy of Phoenix Tail / Dark Woods / courtesy of King Peaks / Bury Your Secrets in Me / courtesy of American Legion / Summer Knot / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/25045008

Episode 3 - The Turnip 11/10/2022

Episode 3 - The Turnip A prison camp is built in Bjorg's yard, and Bjorg gets into trouble over a turnip. * Music Credits * August Wilhelmsson / Isotopes / courtesy of Pollyanna Maxim / Dark Moment / courtesy of Sindrandi / Salty Sails / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/24963219

Episode 2 - Co-existence 11/03/2022

Episode 2 - Co-existence What life was like for Bjorg with the Nazis in her home and village, and the difficulties of war. * Music Credits * Freeform / Rannar Sillard / courtesy of Heavy Footed Walk / Franz Gordon / courtesy of Coal Miner’s Heartache / Peter Crosby / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/24890172

Episode 1 - Invasion 10/27/2022

Episode 1 - Invasion We begin Bessa's Story in Drange, Norway in 1942. # Music Credits Why Is She Crying? / Luella Gren / courtesy of Butterfly Dreams / Colton Walls / courtesy of Outside Your Door / Well Then, Goodbye / courtesy of Last Night, Last Night, Last Night / Well Then, Goodbye / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/24813708

Introduction 10/27/2022

Introduction An introduction to Bessa's Story # Music Credits Kalyn Pedde / Kjerringa Med Staven / courtesy of artist Carl Martin / Sweet Vera / courtesy of /episode/index/show/26675a64-5e22-4cec-bd92-eca5a32ddb0f/id/24813444

Bessa's Story

TOPICS