Here Comes Yesterday

A Dame to Remember

If you look at her today, mostly on the TV screen, she is the epitome of American success – great looks, famous reputation, successful in all things.  But it wasn’t always that way.  The four years I spent with her were a time when things weren’t all that great. Her halcyon days seemed to be over, best looked at in the rear view mirror.  And yet my time with her was wonderful.  And it’s that era that I want to recall in today’s podcast.

Advice That Sticks

If there is one thing that is always in abundant supply, it is advice. We highlight some of the ones that have been most enduring and meaningful over time. Some of them are maybe not what you want, but may well be what you need. 

Show 'Em Some Love!

The great thing about love is that it can be  given in so many ways - to  your family, to your friends, to strangers on the street, to the clerk at the store, to the tech person on the phone, to the person who opens the door for you, and even to  yourself. Some simple things to bring love to the world every day.

Not to Be Forgotten

A kiss, a kick in the pants, a fast car, a year that lives in infamy, a winter week in the woods…. Each so different, each so unforgettable. No matter how old you are there are certain things that happen in your life that are no to be forgotten.

Odds and Ends, 2023

The stats are in for 2023:  our podcast is in 10 countries, our biggest fans are in Germany (?), our most popular one in 2023 was "50 Something" and our next one will be about keeping fit in the new year. 

You Always Need Some Clout

There are no such things as self-made men or women,.  All along the road to success there were people helping us out. We salute them in this episode

Angels with Wallets

Got some loose bucks  floating around in your wallet?  Here's your chance to become an "Angel Investor" with four mini-proposals for your consideration. You never know!

Westward Ho!

A trip out West is more than a change in geography. Especially when you're driving a car to your daughter in Seattle. Shiny belt buckles, strange places to rest and of course the World's largest corn palace are there to experience.

The Place Where It Happened

The subject of "where" is a pretty big one. It can refer to a specific spot on earth or somewhere in our memory, a page in a book, to a scene in a memory. As in, "We'll always have Paris."

County Fair

In late summer, thousands of county fairs are held across the country, highlighting the work of farming and celebrating its life and culture. The Youth Fair in Van Buren County Michigan is typical. 

Calling Dr. Crane

Advice to the lovelorn - married and un - never was as good as in the days when Dr. George Crane dispensed it via radio and newspaper columns.  He may be forgotten, but his sage advice remains.

Western Civ

Colleges these days seem to be turning into trade schools. Core courses, mostly  in the humanities, are being ditched in favor of courses that get you a job.  Is that really a good idea?

50 Something

Memories from a long time ago still can persist vividly in our minds. We can remember and do remember people and events even from a half-century ago. That's a good thing.

Messing Around in Boats - Part 2

Wherein  we continue to recall fun and not so much fun times aboard a variety of vessels that roam the seas.

Messing Around in Boats

Nobody said it better than the redoubtable Mr. Toad in that wonderful children's story, The Wind in the Willows when he said "There's none so much fun as messing around in boats," as we try to honor his wisdom with stories about sailing and other boat lore.

West Farm

Often it's difficult to separate the thought of a place from the unique person who lived there. For instance, there was Carol, and West Farm.

"Red and Chocolate"

For Valentines Day 2023 we submit for your enjoyment a short story about boy looking for chocolate who meets a  girl looking for connection. Hope you enjoy it.

Failure to Communicate!

With our world in a tech-crazy spin these days, we defend the premise of this podcast - that younger generations can learn from older ones, if everybody's willing to try.

A Burst of Energy

There are those amazing times in your life when a burst of energy propels you to accomplish an amazing amount in a relatively short period of time.  At this early point in the year, it's good  time to reflect on them.

Decembering

December actually starts in November, as we know, and just accelerates wildly until we end up on New Year's eve either being rowdy or watching other people have fun.

Short Takes

A red cap, a trip to upstate New York, starving for culture  and a tour of old work sites -  four different stories in one podcast. 

School of Hard Knocks Now in Session

You can learn from books, from talking to people, but learning from failure in the school of hard knocks is also an important teacher.

Small is Beautiful, Really

This 1973 book couldn't be more relevant to today's young people facing climate change and global warning. Here's a quick glimpse as to how it impacted my life.

Tour de Food

What is it about going out to eat?  The people, the place, the experience. Sometimes, the food may be the least important  part. Join us for a  tour of great eating experiences across the the country over the years.

Railcats

Major league baseball ain't what it used to be. It's noisy, expensive and not so popular anymore. But baseball still can be  fun.

Hung Up on Spring

Spring 2022 - when we finally got rid of the masks and came out to smell the real world. Even with the guns of Kiev in the background. A trip Colorado validates newness and promise. Spring might hang you up but it also frees us to believe again.

Brigadoon High

Imagine going back to your high school decades later and finding it almost just like you left it. Could that possibly be?  In Niles, Illinois, Notre Dame College Prep is just like that.

A Little Piece of Florida

There are certain markers that tell us that winter is fading away – snow turns into rain, Easter and Passover are on the calendar, crocuses  are starting to come up …. Neighbors start disappearing.  It’s a good chance they are on their way to warmer climes.  Like Florida.  When  you get the urge, here are some tips to make your Florida trip  really enjoyable.  

OUT THERE

We spend 90% of our time indoors!  It's a bad habit made worse by the screens that memorize us and also by the pandemic. Let's take a hike, let's sit on the porch, let's breath some fresh air.

Love is Hard Work

Love goes well beyond sexual connection. To mark St. Valentines Day this year, we honor the kind of love that's hard work - carrying for people in the later stages of life and try to answer the question, "How do they keep going?"

College Life

Meet Frankie Corrado (my grandson). He's a junior at the University of Wyoming majoring in elementary education. He, like thousands of other college students survived a year  of Covid. How's he doing?

Being Creative

Being "creative" or "Making Art" are words that casually used today. Shouldn't we have a little more respect for this process and what comes from it?

Dance With Me

Whatever happened to social dancing?  It was a great way for people to connect socially.  When you think about it, its the second best thing a man and woman can do together. 

BLUE ACRES - EPISODE 1

Ah, Spring!  When a young city boy’s fancy turns to thoughts of…. Farming? But the girl's a farm escapee hiding in Chicago so  when Jake finds Lenore, aka Twinkle, sparks fly. The journey of discovery begins when he leaves the big city to grow blueberries in Michigan. Follow their journey to the land where nuts grow fruits. Kinda based on a true story, Blue Acres offers a humorous look at the making of a farmer.   Thirteen episodes  now available at https://blueacres.buzzsprout.com  or on ...

Diversions

Are hobbies a thing of the past?  Today we call watching TV a diversion, a hobby. Is it really? There are passive and active hobbies. We should probably be engaged in both, especially as we get older.  From quilting and gardening to sports and skills like woodworking we sure have lots of choices. Time to get off our butts and get going.

Car Talkin'

We can tell many of the stories of our lives through the cars we drive.  My experience with cars covers over 60 years and each car tells its own story

Welcome!

The Leaky Bucket List

My bucket list leaks.  One goal goes in, another goes out.  Also, i've found that there are two kinds of lists - one is very specific like learn to play piano. Another is more general: spend more time with friends.

Hey, Teach!

The big lesson I learned early on in teaching was students learn best when they learn by doing. It's still true.

Fatherhood

It's easy to make a baby, but not so easy to raise one. We look at the joys and difficulties men face in their most important role.

Market Day

What's it look like behind the scenes at your local farmer's market?  We do a semi-fictional deep dive into the lives of key players on this weekend excursion.

The Scoop

A travelogue through my career in journalism. It all started with a guy named  Roger back in 1952 and launched me into a career that's lasted a lifetime.

Celebrating Life

Keats said that heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter. Not when it comes to remembering our friends and family.  Here is the why and how of it all when it comes to speaking praise of those with us and not.

Fatherthood

It's easy to make a baby  but not so easy to raise one. In this episode we look at the joys and travails of being a dad and muse on its ultimate rewards

TV: A Better View

This is a pean to the great television being produced these days in Europe.  From cop shows to comedies, the wild variety and charm of Euro TV gives you a reason to watch TV again, if you can get past the subtitles. I have.

Euro TV

This is a pean to the great television being produced these days in Europe.  From cop shows to comedies, the wild variety and charm of Euro TV gives you a reason to watch TV again, if you can get past the subtitles. I have.

Leaky Bucket List

My bucket list has a leak in it!  That's because it occasionally changes or I reshuffle it.  Also, it's divided into specifics  like "learn to fly,"  "produce a musical" and broader goals like "Enjoy more time with friends,"  "Live to the fullest"  and "Get into heaven."

Tenting Tonight

Since I was a young Tenderfoot scout, I have had a life long love affair with camping. As a result of Covid, people everywhere are "getting out of Dodge" to smell the scent of pine. You can see it in the stream of trailers along the interstate destined for driveways everywhere. 

The Museum of Me

Ok, you've got boxes and boxes of old photos, movies, tapes, news articles and heirloom chotzkies.  This episode ruminates on various ideas for transferring them to the next generation. It ain't easy.

Top of the World

In this inaugural episode, Frank Corrado introduces himself and reflects on why we should remember and celebrate those moments which have been highpointsin our lives. His list includes a simple birthday celebration, a college graduation, a tango dance and a theatrical production.