Backyard OASIS - Older Adults Seeking, Inspiring, Serving

On this episode of Backyard Oasis, host Gloria Ratcliffe speaks with author and (retired) Greenfield Community College professor Joanne McNeil Hayes about her newest poetry collection, I am the Prairie . Joanne treats us to several excerpts from the text, as well as providing insight into her inspiration for the work. What was it like to grow up in Illinois "in the shadow of the prairie," as Joann...

Dave Hayes does weather with a personal touch and an entertaining writing style. Since August 2011, he’s been providing daily and very entertaining weather forecasts for western Massachusetts. We discuss his passion for weather and learn a bit more about the man behind the forecast, including an original guitar solo. Here are the ways you can access Dave Hayes’ weather reports: Mobile App (iPhone)...

"A week after his release from prison, Al Kitchen is found dead beside a bicycle on a back country road. Al served 18 years in prison for beating a well-liked man to death during a botched robbery, but most everyone in this small town is unwilling to forgive him. Nobody feels Al could have changed from the reckless guy they knew although he believes he has. They prefer he died in prison, and they...

Jan Maher is a local writer, creator and co-founder of LAVA, a community arts center in Greenfield MA. In this episode, we learn more about Jan, her life and art. And we explore Jan’s thoughts about creativity. Jan’s latest play, Phoenix will be read at LAVA on June 5. On the Boards: "A Rare Sight" + "Phoenix" - The LAVA Center She will also adapt her stepfather’s classic sci-fi story “I, Gardener...

Named a Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick. “Lost between the ancient wisdom of 13th-century China and the unraveling of his modern life, one man must solve the ultimate koan: how to live in the present...” A haiku magically transports Zen student Stephen Maine to 13th-century China where he encounters Zen masters, experiences koans firsthand, and begins a romance with a beautiful sword maker that th...

Community colleges are more than just classrooms; they are hubs where generations collide. In this special episode, host Denise Schwartz speaks with GCC's Associate Dean of Community Engagement Judy Raper and GCC student Carly Mahowald to discuss the social infrastructure that keeps us connected. We’re moving past 'old versus young' headlines to explore how proximity, shared goals, and genuine cur...

Gloria Ratcliffe, alumnae of Greenfield Community College/MS. Americana Waves podcast and Professor Emerita Anne M. Wiley of Greenfield Community College have a conversation about AI and its impact on you. We discuss the types of AI, how AI works, and some of the concerns how AI has potential harmful social impacts on humans. We also discuss how AI uses data servers that contribute to environmenta...

"With the innocence of young eyes and with the perspective of a long life well lived, Wright gives us this sweet, loving memoir full of wonder and mystery that is our world." - Ken Burns. filmmaker Jonathan A. Wright takes us around the world in his coming-of-age memoir based on his boyhood diary entries and deep memories of a 9-month journey with his family across the globe in 1962 and 1963. It e...

Enter Smith College from Elm Street onto College Lane in Northampton and stroll down the hill towards the Mill River on your right. On your left you have arrived: the Botanical Garden of Smith College with outside flower beds, a pond surrounded with diverse wetland plants, and the Victorian style greenhouses of The Lyman Plant Conservatory. Join Anjali D’Souza, Manager of Engagement for the Garden...

Western Massachusetts resident Larry McFarland calls himself a travel enthusiast. And indeed, he has traveled to some thirty countries from the age of 54 to his current age of 70. In this episode, Larry describes his journey, both in mind and miles. He addresses solo vs. group travel, planning a trip, safety and financial considerations, and regales us with a few anecdotes from his jaunts. Speakin...

Pioneer Valley has suffered some demanding changes to climate in the past 20, 25 years. Are public officials prepared to meet our needs as these changes deepen? Hosted by Chad Fuller with guest Josh Shanley, this conversation explores the concept of resilience centers - community spaces designed to support people during climate-related emergencies or other large scale disruptions - and what it mig...

What does it mean to walk the Camino - not just once, but multiple times, in different seasons of life and with different people? In this conversation, Beth Berry shares what keeps calling her back to the Camino and how each journey has unfolded in its own way. From shifting expectations and comfort levels to the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes in trail conditions, Beth shares how the same path...

In "High Bridge", Miller imagines what might happen if two 19th century historical figures with different childhoods and worldviews formed a friendship and combined their skills to vindicate a person accused of murder. Set in upstate New York, "a cauldron bubbling with the lure of fast fortunes... and battles for civil liberties", High Bridge links Matilda Joslyn Gage, a child of freethinking abol...

Meet the residents of the winter and spring forests, JoJo who is no bigger than his grandfather’s thumb, and Bea the Bolivian Bunny, when Copeland and Rosnick read their children's books and talk about the importance of telling stories to people of all ages. “ Writers Read Us Stories They Love ”, a Backyard Oasis series, introduces listeners to authors in western Massachusetts who read from their...

Denise Schwartz reads "Bird of Providence", a short story written by her brother, T.P. Schwartz-Barcott. Set in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1989, it introduces us to Joey G. Gagliardi, a young guy trying to find his way out of a neighborhood that "no longer matters because no one who matters lives there. " T.P. Schwartz-Barcott's book "Let There Be Light", as well as his other books, can be found...

Judy, Jo An, and Lou are older adults in recovery who come together in this episode to reflect on the challenges and unexpected gifts of growing older while living sober. Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Photocredit: Ivana Cajina "Sunrise" Hosted by Judy Raper Produced...

Associate Dean of Community Engagement at GCC joins Andrea Cohen-Kiener to talk about the fundamentals of reading palms. They also discuss the intersection of this spiritual exploration with her work as a Rabbi. Andrea will be offering a workshop on February 23rd at 3pm. You can register here . Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularl...

Denise Schwartz hosts Bela Breslau reading from “Pilgrim Maya”, a novel about one woman's devastating loss and her journey towards a new and meaningful life. “ Writers Read Us Stories They Love ”, a Backyard Oasis series, introduces listeners to authors in western Massachusetts who read from their books and talk about their work, their ideas, and the stories they wish to tell. Be sure to subscribe...

You have a say when it comes to drugs you've been prescribed. So speak up. Ask questions. Don't be embarrassed. Know why a certain drug has been prescribed. Know if you'll have all those side effects you hear about on TV commercials. Know the risks and benefits of this drug. You must know as much you can about the meds you take because they only work as intended when used correctly. Here are 12 qu...

There is so much we don’t know about the medications we take as prescribed or that we purchase over the pharmacy’s counter. My guest today will take us on the journey a medication makes from its creation in the lab, through testing and regulation, and into the pharmacy where you pick it up and take it home. It is a journey that takes longer than you may think…and there will almost always be some s...

Whether it's Candy Land, Pickleball, Tag or Mah Jongg, playing games taps into something deeply human. Denise and Jill explore how games sharpen skills, spark imagination, create connections with others and remind us that we humans love to have FUN! Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching G...

On this episode of Backyard OASIS, Denise talks with Gabe Temesvari, who was a sub-teen in Ohio listening to American Bandstand when Dick Clark introduced a song by a girl with a voice both "plaintive and sincere." There began Gabe's lifetime admiration of Connie Francis, hailed as one of the top-charting female vocalists of the late 1950s and early 1960s and one of the best-selling music artists...

Join your hosts Judy Raper, Jessica Niedbala, and Mackenzie Shanahan for their ninth deep dive into today's reality TV and pop culture! Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Judy Raper, Jessica Niedbala, and Mackenzie Shanahan Produced by Alex Audette in the Multime...

Host Denise Schwartz might be a little anxious by the end of this episode. Why? Because today she's talking about... killing. And people who kill. Serial killers, mostly. Guest John Olszewski corresponded with and met many of society's most notorious killers. He'll tell us about them, why they kill, and about humans' obsession with true crime. John Olszewski is author of true crime books Long Dark...

On this episode of the Backyard OASIS Podcast, host Christine Copeland has a conversation Dr. Kate Clayton-Jones, founder and CEO of Footcare by Nurses, and Lee Wicks, a writer who translates Kate’s deep scientific knowledge into accessible language for the public, especially elders who can no longer care for their own feet. They talk about how understanding the health of your feet leads to unders...