Backyard OASIS - Older Adults Seeking, Inspiring, Serving

Greenfield Community College
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  • Updated Biweekly

Backyard OASIS reaches out to older adults who seek knowledge to help them live more thoughtfully, healthily, and happily; who hope to inspire others with their ideas; and who serve their communities in the interest of greater good. Join us frequently for wide-ranging conversations with a diversity of people who are growing older...and want to talk about it! Created by Dennis Lee, Denise Schwartz, Chad Fuller, Christine Copeland, and Judy Raper Produced by Alex Audette at Greenfield Community College's Teaching and Learning Innovation Center Contact us at backyardoasispodcast@gmail.com and check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BackyardOasisPodcast

  1. 1d ago

    Denise Schwartz Hosts "Travel Advice, Cost Savings, And Whether You Should Open Your Front Door," with Guest Max Hartshorne

    On this episode of Backyard OASIS, host Denise Schwartz speaks with travel columnist and theater critic Max Hartshorne about his areas of expertise. Max opens with practical and unexpected travel advice (did you know that a week in Spain might cost you less than a weekend on Cape Cod?), his appreciation of meal kit subscriptions, before delving into some money-saving tips for older adults all over the country. He also asks: Is it really that strange to open the door when somebody knocks?! All this and more on this week's episode! Max's work can be found at his website: https://maxhartshorne.com/ Find more on his Substack: https://maxdeerfield.substack.com/ 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 and Produced by Denise Schwartz Photo credit: Max Hartshorne Produced and Engineered by Alex Audette at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    Denise Schwartz Hosts "Travel Advice, Cost Savings, And Whether You Should Open Your Front Door," with Guest Max Hartshorne

  2. Aug 12

    Denise Schwartz Hosts: Writers Read Us Stories They Love – Rich Vaden Reads "Bird of Providence," by T.P. Schwartz-Barcott

    On this special edition of Backyard OASIS, host Denise Schwartz invites actor, playwright, and theater artist Rich Vaden to read Bird of Providence, a short story written by her brother, T.P. Schwartz-Barcott. Set in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1989, Bird of Providence 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 online. “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 to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Produced by Denise Schwartz Photocredit: TP Shwartz-Barcott Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    Denise Schwartz Hosts: Writers Read Us Stories They Love – Rich Vaden Reads "Bird of Providence," by T.P. Schwartz-Barcott

  3. Aug 5

    Denise Schwartz Hosts: In the 1890s, A Group of Women in Sunderland, MA Wanted to Socialize More and Dust Their Homes Less...So They Formed A Club, with Guest Brenda Wozniakewicz

    In 1894, fifteen Sunderland women joined the national Woman's Club Movement that had established the idea that women had a moral responsibility to transform public policy. More than 125 years have passed since the ladies got together to chat and work for change (something had to be done about those dirt roads!) and the club is still moving forward today. Today, host Denise Schwartz sits down with the outgoing President of the Sunderland Woman's Club, Brenda Wozniakewicz. They discuss the broad history of the women's club movement in the United States. What value might we find in continuing the tradition of women's clubs in our communities? What is their appeal to women of different ages today in 2026? All this and more on today's episode of Backyard OASIS! Photo credit: Sunderland Woman's Club Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Produced by Denise Schwartz Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    Denise Schwartz Hosts: In the 1890s, A Group of Women in Sunderland, MA Wanted to Socialize More and Dust Their Homes Less...So They Formed A Club, with Guest Brenda Wozniakewicz

  4. Jul 29

    Gloria Radcliffe Hosts "Women's Health In the United States," with Guests Anne Wiley and Joanne McNeil Hayes

    Join us for the third episode of Ms. Americana on Backyard OASIS. This week, Gloria Ratcliffe discusses Women’s Health with returning guests Professor Emerita Anne M. Wiley and Author- Professor Emerita Joanne McNeil Hayes of Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts. This episode touches on how health care research in the United States excluded women and girls for years, and examines the importance of longitudinal and life-long research for women and girls specifically. Disparities in access and outcomes of health care, particularly for Black women and their children in the U.S. are highlighted, including several concrete narratives featuring Gloria, Anne, and Joanne's personal stories discussing healthcare access across generations. The group concludes by touching on how we can all get involved to change access to care for all women for the better. Resources: Foster, Diana Green. 2020. The Turnaway Study: The Cost of Denying Women Access to Abortion. Scribner Publishing. see also https://turnawayproject.org/Our Bodies Ourselves. 2011, 35th edition Boston Women's Health Collective. Touchstone Publishing. See also https://ourbodiesourselves.org/Valenti, Jessica. 2024. Abortion Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win. Penguin Random House. See also https://www.jessicavalenti.com/Aftershock: Turning Grief into Action. a documentary film. Aug 25, 2023. ONYX and ABC Studios. Available on HULU and other streaming services. See trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoZFERlanMM Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Co-Produced by Gloria Ratcliffe Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    Gloria Radcliffe Hosts "Women's Health In the United States," with Guests Anne Wiley and Joanne McNeil Hayes

  5. Jul 22

    Denise Schwartz Hosts "Every Tech Question Has A Human Story," with Guest Rich Vaden

    This week on Backyard OASIS, Denise Schwartz sits down with United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Regions' Digital Navigator Rich Vaden. Rich talks about his approach to helping our local seniors navigate a digital landscape that can feel impenetrable at best and actively hostile at worst. Have you ever wondered how to make a secure password that you can actually remember? Do you have trouble determining what is or isn't a scam while surfing the web? Has third-party anti-virus software been one of those scams all along?! Sit back and relax as Rich guides Denise through all of those questions and more (shout out to his cats, Dobby & Lily!) on this enlightening episode of Backyard OASIS! Learn more about the United Way's Digital Navigator program here: https://uw-fh.org/digital-navigators Access Rich's Service Location Calendar here Photo credit: United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Regions Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Produced by Denise Schwartz Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    Denise Schwartz Hosts "Every Tech Question Has A Human Story," with Guest Rich Vaden

  6. Jul 8

    Gloria Ratcliffe Hosts "I am the Prairie," with Guest Joanne McNeil Hayes

    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 Joanne describes it - in the great "Prairie State" with no prairie to be found? What was it like to return later in life once efforts had been made to restore some of what had been lost? And is Taylor Swift a poet?? All that and more on this week's episode! Purchase I am the Prairie here: I am the Prairie: Joanne McNeil Hayes: 9781965664179: Amazon.com: Books Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Produced by Gloria Ratcliffe Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    Gloria Ratcliffe Hosts "I am the Prairie," with Guest Joanne McNeil Hayes

  7. Jun 25

    91 – Henry Balzarini Hosts What’s the Weather? A chat with Dave Hayes the Weather Nut

    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): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-weather-nut/id6751524291 Mobile App (Android): Set for release Summer of 2026 Website: https://westernmassweather.com Newsletter: https://westernmassweather.com/homepage/dhtwn-nutletter-signup Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesternMassWeather X/Twitter: https://x.com/DHTheWeatherNut Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davehayestheweathernut BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/dhtheweathernut.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@davehayestheweathernut Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Produced by Henry Balzarini Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    91 – Henry Balzarini Hosts What’s the Weather? A chat with Dave Hayes the Weather Nut

  8. Jun 17

    90 – Denise Schwartz Hosts Writers Read Us Stories They Love: Joan Livingston's "The Unforgiving Town"

    "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 make sure he knows that upon his return to Holden..." On this edition of Writers Read Us Stories They Love, Denise Schwartz sits down with mystery & thriller writer Joan Livingston to discuss the writing process for her new novel, The Unforgiving Town, as well as share some choice excerpts from the text. How did Joan conceptualize a sequel to The Sacred Dog? Why return to Holden, one of Joan's fictional Western Massachusetts towns, specifically? And of course, how does one make a character as flawed as Al Kitchen relatable to the reader? Sit back, relax, and listen on for answers to those questions and more, as well as several thrilling passages from Joan Livingston's new novel: The Unforgiving Town. Purchase The Unforgiving Town here: https://www.amazon.com/Unforgiving-Town-Sequel-Sacred-Dog-ebook/dp/B0GR1FWRS3 Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted and Produced by Denise Schwartz Produced and Engineered by Alexander Audette Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    90 – Denise Schwartz Hosts Writers Read Us Stories They Love: Joan Livingston's "The Unforgiving Town"
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Backyard OASIS reaches out to older adults who seek knowledge to help them live more thoughtfully, healthily, and happily; who hope to inspire others with their ideas; and who serve their communities in the interest of greater good. Join us frequently for wide-ranging conversations with a diversity of people who are growing older...and want to talk about it! Created by Dennis Lee, Denise Schwartz, Chad Fuller, Christine Copeland, and Judy Raper Produced by Alex Audette at Greenfield Community College's Teaching and Learning Innovation Center Contact us at backyardoasispodcast@gmail.com and check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BackyardOasisPodcast

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