Category Archives: Uncategorized

Steve Pieters: Gay Pastor of Tammy Faye Fame on Queer Life & Near Death Lessons



E112 – He wasn’t supposed to live past 1985, yet here we are sitting down with Reverend Steve Pieters! Hear the incredible life story of this inspiring pastor and long-term survivor of AIDS. His interview with televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in 1985 turned the Christian and LGBTQ communities both upside down, a storyline featured in the upcoming film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield, coming out September 2021. Steve discusses his background growing up gay in the 1950’s, his journey into religious studies and leadership, the reality of his sickness in the early 80’s, and his miraculous story of recovery. He explains his near death experience in detail, and tells how this new knowledge influenced how he helped others with AIDS. Hear about his relationship to Albert Einstein, his discovery and career with the Metropolitan Community Church, and his current love with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. He even sings an original show tune “Medical Anomaly!” We hope you enjoy this amazing tale of recovery and hope.

  • INFO: You can find Rev. Steve Pieters on Instagram and Twitter @aspieters, and on Facebook
  • MEDIA: You’ll find Steve’s story in the following in The Los Angeles Sunday Times, Time Magazine, Omni Magazine, Life Magazine, CNN, Headline News, Tammy’s House Party with Tammy Faye Bakker, CBS This Morning, The Tom Snyder Show, America Talks Back, Real Life with Jane Pauley, many local tv and digital sources, the 2000 documentary and 2021 drama films “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” and in the play AIDS US/II. His story is in books Surviving AIDS by Michael Callen, Voices That Care by Neal Hitchens, and Don’t Be Afraid Anymore by Rev. Troy D. Perry. He has written a series of articles for Journey magazine about his experiences with AIDS, which have been collected with other writings of his in the book, I’m Still Dancing.
  • APPEARANCES: His appearances include as a speaker at the first annual AIDS benefit dinner with Elizabeth Taylor and First Lady Betty Ford, as a presenter of Buddy of the Year Award to Whoopi Goldberg at the third APLA benefit, and as a guest at the first AIDS Prayer Breakfast at the White House, with his conversation referenced by President Bill Clinton in the World AIDS Day speech on December 1, 1993. You will currently find Steve singing with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and giving sermons at MCC.
  • AWARDS: Rev. Pieters has received many many awards for his ministry in the AIDS crisis from many churches and religious groups. He received an Honorary Doctor of Ministry Degree from Samaritan College the seminary of the MCC, the prestigious Sheldon Andelson Award from the Stonewall Democratic Club, and the Sandra L. Robinson Award from Community Unity in Dayton, Ohio. In October, 2019, examples of his work in AIDS Ministry and of his life as a person with HIV/AIDS were placed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.  See his full bio on https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7044504

Video podcast version on http://bit.ly/youtubeMW Thank you so much for watching and listening!
Song Credits: Mouse and Weens theme by Julianne Eggold
Voice Actor: Matt Thompson

Please follow and contact us via Instagram | Twitter | Facebook @mouseandweens We’d love to hear from you about the show or just to talk at (858) 206-8746 or mouseandweens@gmail.com. A transcript of this episode is on http://www.mouseandweens.com

Promos: PodFix Presents, part of https://PodFixNetwork.com

Sponsor: Dream Dinners! Get your life back at dinner time. Quickly make homemade meals and have more quality time for you and your family! Please try this out. Dream Dinners is nationwide. It really has taken the stress out of dinner time! If within 25 miles of the Poway or San Marcos locations, choose pickup or delivery and MOUSEANDWEENS99 for $99 off your first order! Visit link on http://www.mouseandweens.com

Thank you to our patrons for joining our family! If anyone else would like to be a part and get a Mouse and Weens welcome package of gear, bonus content, outtakes, ad-free episodes, songs, and shoutouts, sign up for a tiny $5 a month at https://www.Patreon.com/MouseAndWeens You can pick the topic of our next episode too! We will kiss you right on the mouth…after vaccinations!


Anatomy Lesson



E106 – Bras! One of the most important tools in every woman’s wardrobe is the brassiere to hold up the girls! We discuss what type we like, common problems, the cost of bras, and what it’s like being fitted in person versus online.  Lingerie talk gets wacky, Weens gets sultry-nervous, and stressed by this after back-to-back family birthdays, Joelle gets her panties in a bunch. So we take a breath with Sesame Street and work our way into a quick chat about the Elmo Netflix documentary. More Mouse knicker twisting, then the elephant in the room: why did our parents use the cutesy names “dinky” and “twinkie” instead of the anatomically correct “penis” and “vagina?” Luckily, our mom is visiting San Diego so we pull her onto the mic and quiz her about the family history of naming privates. We also keep her in the hot seat asking why she got remarried on our dad’s birthday, and find out her fun nuggets about horses, cowboys, Robert Redford, her reggae phase, cbd, drinking, and the story behind the broken ankle. Was it a case of our dad having a walk-it-off football mentality or was he being negligent? We hope you like this one as we air some of our family’s intimates. So many questions answered, so many laughs!

Song credits: Mouse and Weens theme music and “The Penis Song” by Julianne Eggold
Promo: Pop Up Film Cast https://popupfilmcast.podbean.com
Mentions: Boobies & Noobies, The Perfect Package Podcast

We are sponsored by DREAM DINNERS. Get more balance in your lifestyle by joining Dream Dinners meal prep system. Save an average of $200 a month on groceries 20 hours a month shopping and prepping! Joelle has been using Dream Dinners since 2017 and tells all her friends about it regularly, so this is a tried and true life hack! Kids love the homecooked meals, it is fast, easy, and a no-brainer for busy parents.  It is not a subscription service so you can use it as frequently or as infrequently as you would like. Locations are nationwide. First time guests at the San Diego locations of Poway and San Marcos, use MOUSEANDWEENS99 for a $99 discount AND during the time we are in the purple tier, enjoy free delivery within 25 mi of the store. Sign up at https://www.dreamdinners.com and use discount code MOUSEANDWEENS99 at checkout!

A transcript of this episode is on http://www.mouseandweens.com and video version on http://bit.ly/youtubeMW
Please follow and contact us via Instagram | Twitter | Facebook @mouseandweens
We’d love to hear from you about the show or just to talk at (858) 206-8746 or mouseandweens@gmail.com

You can find us, PodFix Presents, and more podcasts at The PodFix Network https://podfixnetwork.com

Thank you to our patrons for joining our family! If anyone else would like to be a part and get Mouse and Weens gear, bonus content, outtakes, ad-free episodes, songs, and shoutouts, sign up for a tiny $5 a month at https://www.Patreon.com/MouseAndWeens. You can pick the topic of our next episode too! We will kiss you right on the mouth…after vaccinations!


When is Horror Okay for Kids?



E94 – Parenting does not come with a handbook. So when is it okay to let your kids watch horror movies? Joelle has two teenage sneaky boys interested in gruesome and gory, and one little girl fascinated by the occult. But being a mom who hates scary things herself, she questions whether she has been too overprotective with her restrictions. Cool aunt and introspective sister Julianne weighs in with her perspective, as she recollects being a kid seeking out thrillers. How were we raised and how did we turn out? Why do people like to be scared? Is it just a rush or does it mess with the brain? We consult some authors on the subject and even bring on an expert in the field to provide his two cents, horror filmmaker Don Adams. He schools us in Horror 101 and gives us a list of classic scary movies to start with. Let’s dissect this issue and see where we land. Will this be the year that horror makes its way into Mouse’s house?

We are sponsored by Pink Purl Beauty! Please visit https://www.pinkpurlbeauty.com for the cutest personally curated clothing, cosmetics, accessories and skincare handpicked by friend and stylist Naomi! This is our favorite new site for awesome gifts! Get 20% off your order by entering MOUSEANDWEENS20 at checkout.

You can watch this episode on our Mouse and Weens YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeuFSExQ2EaHYSG-s4sgZw
A transcript of this episode is on http://www.mouseandweens.com/shownotes
Please follow and contact us via Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube @mouseandweens

Find Don Adams on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SadNomad or by searching his movie Vengeance of the Dead on IMDb to see his filmography

You can get this episode UNEDITED and commercial free – plus bonus content, outtakes, and merch – for a mere $5 a month on https://www.patreon.com/mouseandweens Join the family!


Plucking, Online Dating, Dirty John and Feet



E87 – This is a fun one from under a blanket in LA! As we’re staring at kneecaps, we talk about shaving, tweezing and how it brings pleasure. Why? To find out, we fact-check plucking and trichotillomania and find out some interesting biology behind it. Then we recap a recent camping trip and have some amazing, simple advice for parents. Naturally, this leads us to talk about the Reels conspiracy theory and online dating. Weens is poking her hairless toe into the man pool and we talk all about Hinge and the fine folks popping up on the app. Then Julianne tells the story of her friend’s involvement with Dirty John. Holy crumb, no wonder she’s hesitant! Finally we get into feet, loafers, and Joelle’s ex-boyfriends who belong in them. It’s a funny episode that lets you peek inside the world of a couple of grown-up but not-so-grown-up sisters.

This episode is sponsored by http://www.HomeschoolBuyersCo-op.org
Sign up with referral code WEENS to get up to 90% materials, free webinars & curriculum!

Song credit: “Love Is A Mess” by http://www.julianneeggold.com
Voice actor: Matt Thompson

Please follow and contact us via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @mouseandweens

You can get this episode commercial free – plus bonus content, outtakes, and merch – for a mere $5 a month on http://www.patreon.com/mouseandweens Join the family!


Patti Negri: Hollywood Psychic-Medium and Good Witch



E74 – We celebrate Mouse and mom’s birthday by going to the Hollywood hills to visit a good witch, Patti Negri, author and psychic medium to the stars…and to us! Patti shares her personal journey of how she learned to embrace her gifts of communicating with the dead from a very early age. She reveals some spiritual encounters on tv shows clearing ghosts from famous houses, channeling celebrities like Michael Jackson, and conjuring serial killers like that of the Black Dahlia. Then we get down and dirty with our own personal tarot readings and contacting our dead loved ones. Mouse gets a special bathtub spell to connect to her inner child, Weens discovers that her new love is waiting in a corner, and mom talks to her mother who reveals something very personal and vulnerable. Patti facilitates some very spooky-cool and extremely insightful connections to ourselves and to our loved ones who have passed on. And at the end of the episode Mouse gets unsettling news regarding our dead father and the lies that were told. Where will we go from here?  Patti gives some great tips on how to tap into your own psychic abilities, how to deal with imbalance and stress, and how to work toward happiness, all outlined in her book Old World Magick for the Modern World. Come on this journey with us as Patti lifts the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and allows us all to peek in. You will be on the edge of your seat!

Podcast Promo: Naptime Nancy

Song Credit: “Bad Mama (Good Witch)” by Julianne Eggold

MouseAndWeens.com | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Behind the Scenes | Unedited Episode


New Years Resolutions



E66 – Most people want to start the upcoming year fresh with a clean slate, a healthier mindset, and with new goals to reach. But more often than not, people’s new year’s resolutions fail. Why and what are we doing wrong? What can we do differently to finally hit our goals this year? We are no experts, so we decided to do some research after setting up our traveling recording studio in Idaho. Patent lawyer David, also Mouse’s husband, came in to talk to us about his thoughts on New Year’s resolutions and we ended up connecting the dots between his goal-setting nature and how he built his successful intellectual property law firm ten years ago.  Then we snagged a drive-by interview with our brother Chad, a program manager at Microsoft, to hear how business theories can be applied in the new year. And our mom even joins the chat! We agree on most points, but argue over a couple of them as we read off a thorough list on how to set and keep a New Year’s Resolution. Hear about our own goals and what we think will work for us. Let us know what yours are too!

Song credit: “Chocolate Eyes” (acoustic) Written by Julianne Eggold, performed by Dan Mahony

Sponsor: Tickettyboo Hot Chocolate

Contact, Support & Join Mouse and Weens:

Website | Email | VIP Patreon | Gear | Instagram | Facebook Public | Facebook Behind the Scenes


Ski-Doos and Ski-Don’ts



E65 – It’s Christmas Eve and it’s our two-year anniversary, so we go back to where it all began in our mom’s basement in Idaho! She even pops in for a bit – a throwback to episode 1 – and we recount childhood holiday stories, getting nostalgic about the elf on the shelf and dad dressed as santa. So much fun but so many lies! We catch up and compare our LA and San Diego parties. And we tell our latest crazy family story about going snowmobiling in West Yellowstone, where we crashed and got stuck in the snow for hours. Did we survive? Or did we freeze to death, only to thaw out and be discovered in the Springtime like so many other victims? You’ll have to listen to find out!
Mentioned in this episode:

Be a member on Patreon to receive special content and prizes!
Comments on this episode? Stories? Questions? Advice?
Call 858-206-8746 or mouseandweens@gmail.com We’d love your input!
Facebook Group| Facebook Page | Instagram | Twitter | Ko-Fi | Patreon
Song Credit: “Hallelujah I Love Her So” cover by The Coffee Shop Trio


Warner Brothers Studios and Meeting a TV Star



E63 – Weens hosts Mouse and family for a day at her work at Warner Brothers Studios to tour behind the scenes and meet Nathan Fillion! We give the play by play of everything from tv show sets we walked around on, to the prop rooms, to the costume warehouse, to the scene we watched get shot, to the conversation we had with the star of The Rookie.  Hear Joelle’s review of the family friendly Magic Castle Hotel, the adventures on Hollywood Boulevard, and some of the secret sights on the backlot. We discuss the special effect props the kids encountered on location and the demystification of the big screen. Weens interviews co-worker Bruce Sharpp and we learn how this electrical rigging gaffer balances family life and showbiz. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, DC Universe, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Fuller House, Young Sheldon, Chuck Lorre, Lucifer, True Blood, Batman, or The Rookie, be sure to listen and follow our social media to see all of the movies and pictures we will post!

Song credit: “Toy Piano Love” by Julianne Eggold
Promo: The Cutaways Podcast
Be a member on Patreon to receive special content
Questions or advice to 858-206-9971 or mouseandweens@gmail.com We’d love your input!
Facebook Group| Facebook Page | Instagram | Twitter | Ko-Fi | Patreon


Girls Trips, Moms Nights Out, Female Friendships



E62 – Mouse recaps her girls’ trip wine tasting in Mexico with friends but feels guilty being gone three weekends in a row. Meet Joelle’s friends and find out if her husband is really okay with all this time away or resentful? Are the kids feeling abandoned thinking mom is selfish? How do you take female friends from acquaintances to besties and how do you keep those friendships going over the years? We go over reasons why we need our mom’s nights out and the science behind having girlfriends. We will post study references in our Show Notes. Hear the statistics on how much moms really work and how much free time they have to themselves. No wonder we need our time away! Then we read a controversial article about why some mothers don’t want girl time. Is it healthier to focus more on your husband or is it codependency? Joelle feels judged by this “blessed” woman who shoulds her, but maybe it’s insecurity and she needs to hear it? Weens does a great job giving advice as a non-mom and talks kids’ independence, giving up some control, and raises the future question of how much you should talk dirty in front of your kids. This is a good one for all of us striving to get balance with parenting anxiety. Please take a listen and rate/review on Apple Podcasts to let us know what you think! Thank you!

Song credit: “The Mouse and Weens Thank You Song” by Julianne Eggold and Joelle Kohn
Video of this episode on www.mouseandweens.com and YouTube
New! We are on Patreon! Please become a member and receive special content.
Write or call in at 858-206-9971 or mouseandweens@gmail.com We would love your input!
Facebook Group| Facebook Page | Instagram | Twitter | Ko-Fi | Patreon


Driving Miss Weenie



E57 – Driving Miss Weenie
On location in LA, we watch Weens close down from the previous day’s shoot of the ABC cop show The Rookie. This is our first video call, so you can see this episode on YouTube also! We hear highlights and lowlights from Mouse’s Puerto Vallarta vacation, pros and cons of The Real Housewives, our TV watching differences, and Joelle’s gripes about working from home and finding balance without mom guilt. Hear a coworker’s interview and his star stories about John Ritter, Clint Eastwood, and Angelina Jolie. Which one swore like a sailor? Weens details her latest dating adventure and we try to figure out what this particular guy was thinking. And hear the dramatic conclusion to the meditation light lady because we know you’re waiting on the edge of your seats! Go for a fun ride down Hollywood Blvd to see what it’s like to ride shotgun with Julianne. Always a good time! MouseAndWeens.com
Please write or call in at 858-206-9971 or mouseandweens@gmail.com We would love your input!
YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Ko-Fi
Song credit: “Dr. Dan’s Funky Groove” by Dan Mahony and Julianne Eggold
Podcast Promo: “BSP: Believer Skeptic Podcast”