12 Oct 2026
Ep 43: Becoming Grandparents & Our Family’s Educational Values (Wes and Shelly Share) #wsshare
On October 12, 2026, Wes and Shelly Fryer record episode 43 of "Wes and Shelly Share" from their sun porch at the end of fall break, reflecting on listening to an older “Grandparent Memories” episode and the importance of preserving family stories. They share recent visits with Shelly’s sister Jana and friend Cici, including trips to Montreat, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Little Switzerland. They discuss becoming long-distance grandparents as their daughter Sarah and Robbie expect a baby boy due November 30, and talk about the kind of grandparents they hope to be, including reading children’s books and recording story videos with QR-code access for grandchildren. In the second half, they explore family educational values, Shelly’s parents’ educator and music backgrounds, choices about neighborhoods and schools, and how their choices took their children to Classen SAS and Casady School in Oklahoma City, and brought Shelly to teach 4 years at Positive Tomorrows school. They close with links about archiving digital legacy, the Blue Ridge, Wes’ blog archive, and Crystal Marie’s “Undertold” podcast.
00:00 Podcast Welcome Setup
00:43 Fall Break Recap
03:03 Becoming Grandparents
04:53 Distance Connection Tech
07:26 Grandparent Identity Dreams
12:40 Time Fleeting Bluebirds
15:18 Books Legacy Plan
20:45 Halftime Family History
21:46 Educational Values Intro
22:30 Shelley Parents Education
26:23 Piano Lessons Memories
27:32 Early Music Roots
29:19 Choirs and Singing Life
30:14 Why the Bassoon
31:53 Parenting Activities Balance
33:21 Paying for Opportunities
37:18 Neighborhoods and Schools
39:08 Murphy School Memories
42:49 Finding Classen SAS
48:09 Positive Tomorrows Chapter
52:13 Blue Ridge Wanderlinks
55:12 Creative Archive Wonderlink
56:33 Undertold History Podcast
57:46 Closing and Signoff
Referenced Links:
Ep 22: Grandparent Memories (October 2023) on Wes and Shelly Share (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/wsshare/episodes/Ep-22-Grandparent-Memories-e2aso7o)
Montreat Conference Center (https://montreat.org/)
Blue Ridge Parkway reopening after Hurricane Helene, including the stretch to Little Switzerland (WLOS) (https://wlos.com/news/instagram/blue-ridge-parkway-now-11-miles-shy-of-being-fully-reopened-following-helene-deputy-secretary-interior-kate-macgregor-little-switzerland-landslides-hurricane-tropical-storm-damage)
Mount Mitchell State Park (NC State Parks) (https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park/home)
Fryer - Henley - Ward - Lovell Family History (history.wesfryer.com) (https://history.wesfryer.com)
Storychasers (https://www.storychasers.org)
Story Time from Space (https://storytimefromspace.com/)
Bob Taught Me (podcasts by Bob Sprankle) (https://bobtaughtme.com)
Positive Tomorrows (Oklahoma City) (https://www.positivetomorrows.org/)
Classen School of Advanced Studies High School at Northeast (OKCPS) (https://csashs.okcps.org)
Moving at the Speed of Creativity blog archive (https://www.speedofcreativity.org) and the Speed of Creativity podcasts page (https://www.speedofcreativity.org/podcast/)
Dangerously Irrelevant, Scott McLeod’s blog (https://dangerouslyirrelevant.org)
Stevens Creek Nature Center and Preserve (Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation) (https://parkandrec.mecknc.gov/Places-to-Visit/Nature/stevens-creek-nature-center-and-preserve)
U.S. National Whitewater Center (https://whitewater.org)
UnderTold by CM, including the “All Ears” episodes for kids (https://www.undertoldbycm.com/) (listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5vJWmCYX0Y3SFVDbkjeFM8))
Wes and Shelly Share: all episodes and subscribe links (shellyfryer.com/podcast) (https://www.shellyfryer.com/podcast/), with direct links for Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2GOcsgzjsvnfHsyL2fcQyD), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wes-and-shelly-share/id1668704255), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcCkQ9mj_ok96Coo3a0QWNgHu9Q5-15Fz), and Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/mx26ivan)
