Shows / the letters and things
the letters and things
A treasure trove of old letters tells the story of an American family through multiple generations, with a memorable cast of characters commenting on everything from the mundane of daily life to monumental, sometimes forgotten, moments in history.
Episodes
- the letters and things
153. *presidential episode* the peace loving Presidents
In this episode, fashionably late, just like the stars intended, the Libra Presidents. These mild guys just wanted things to be peaceful, but with great…
- the letters and things
152. *The American Revolution*: where the Allegheny and the Monongahela meet
In this episode, we begin out series on the American wars, starting with the first American war, the war of Independence. Which, ironically, started in the…
- the letters and things
151. *boat girl summer* The Metallic Lord
In this episode, we return after an unplanned two-week hiatus. We live to fight another day, just like one of the subject of this week's episode, Captain…
- the letters and things
150. *boat girl summer* the dark side of cruising
In this episode, the penultimate episode of our boat girl summer series, we discuss the dark side of cruising and no we don't mean THAT. We're talking about…
- the letters and things
149. *presidential episode* he who controls the trains ...
In this episode, we continue to talk about the US presidents by zodiac. This time it is Virgos, Lyndon B. Johnson and William Howard Taft. We totally forget to…
- the letters and things
148. *boat girl summer* a turducken of exploitation
In this episode, we recount the story of one of the most notorious mutinies that has inspired - weirdly - multiple movies. While Hollywood has a romantic…
- the letters and things
147. *boat girl summer* angering the sea gods
In this episode, we discover what happens when people stop being nice and start being boat with the boat reality tv dating show crossover. And then we talk…
- the letters and things
146. *presidential episode* raise your hand if you've been violated by Bill Clinton
In this episode, we cover the drama queen of the zodiac, Leo. The technocratic Herbert Hoover, soup and corn loving Benjamin Harrison, charismatic Barack…
- the letters and things
145. *boat girl summer* the only way is Essex
In this episode, we get the story of the whaling ship Essex, which is a brutal story of the sea and whales and another example of why we should respect the sea…
- the letters and things
144. *boat girl summer* gold rush
In this episode, Manette is very sick and skips the intros and dives straight into chaos. Starting with aphorisms and parables - harmless and light. However…
- the letters and things
143. *boat girl summer* the war of 1812 rears its ugly head
In this episode, we continue boat girl summer with two fresh, new boat topics. Manette talks about the boats of most historical importance in American history…
- the letters and things
142. *boat girl summer* semantic satiation
In this episode we discover the top five ports, both modern and historical, the busiest sea routes, and the global maritime chokepoints. And then Samantha…
- the letters and things
141. *boat girl summer* internalised boat stress
In this episode, we talk through arctic explorer and boat guy, Ernest Shackleton and explore the artisan side of ship building with the Chinese junk ship. And…
- the letters and things
140. *presidential episode* trash ass Jackson
In the episode, we talk about the presidents born under the sign of cancer: sons George W. Bush and John Q. Adams, the silent Calvin Coolidge and Gerald Ford…
- the letters and things
139. *boat girl summer* the ass end of the Cutty Sark
In this episode, we are fully in swing with boat girl summer. This time we cover two museum boats. the Cutty Sark and the HMS Warrior, and then two sunken…
- the letters and things
138. *boat girl summer* it's a submersible, sweetie
In this episode, we continue boat girl summer with submersible stories. Despite being terrified of undersea, deep sea, submarines, submersibles we can't seem…
- the letters and things
137. *boat girl summer* unsinkable II
In this episode, it's anchors aweigh as we launch Boat Girl Summer! In this Boat 101 episode, we discuss the syllabus for Boat Girl Summer with a rundown of…
- the letters and things
136. *presidential episode* I need to see the manager
In this episode, we go through two of the three Gemini Presidents: JFK and George H. W. Bush, or as he is now known Shady Bush. Both rich east coast Ivy League…
- the letters and things
135. Samantha and Samantha
In this episode, Samantha does a deep dive on Samantha Parkington, American Girl, which is why my Google history now has "samantha parkington's dead parents"…
- the letters and things
134. fun, silly princess
In this episode, we read the birthday cards of Grandma Mickey, one of which contained none other than stickers! We also discover that Sam hates adhesive…
- the letters and things
133. *presidential episode* get that lobotomy!
In this episode, we cover the Taurus presidents. These guys aren't as bad as some of the others and one of them we even kind of like. We've got two James, two…
- the letters and things
132. HONEY, IT'S MOTHERS DAY!
In this episode, we celebrate US Mother's Day and Thai Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day with Grandma's Mother's Day cards. Confused? So are we! All the time! Happy…
- the letters and things
131. JFK in Mexico
In this episode, we continue reading through the 1960s letters belonging to Lynn, who was a pre teen girl. Many questions arise like why JFK is on a Mexican…
- the letters and things
130. apologies to Puerto Rico
In this episode, we read some letters to Lynn, grandpas second eldest daughter (of three), but in reality all we really want to talk about is unincorporated…
- the letters and things
129. *presidential episode* two bad dudes from Virginia
In this episode, we go over the Aries presidents - Thomas Jefferson and John Tyler. One is considered the worst president in history and the other one of the…
- the letters and things
128. la biblioteca
In this episode, we continue reading through the pre-teen mail of aunt Lynn, the second daughter of dear old grandpa. An emerging theme is Lynn is a absent…
- the letters and things
127. enjoy your (buttered popcorn) jellybeans
In this episode, we exit the season of hate (March) and finally arrive at out favorite holiday - Easter! Dead Jesus, alive Jesus, eggs, chocolate, buttered…
- the letters and things
126. "international something something"
In this episode, we continue reading through the letter belonging to Lynn, who is a tween living in Palo Alto in the 60s. We get even more extreme tween energy…
- the letters and things
125. *presidential episode* the most loved man by men
In this episode we continue with presidential recounting by order of the zodiac. This time we have one sign, two fish: Pisces. We've got a couple of real…
- the letters and things
124. the pain of adulthood: hiding your own eggs
In this episode, we continue the letters belonging to Lynn as a youth. Some letters from sister Kathy One, living in Wisconsin, while Lynn was busy not writing…
- the letters and things
123. turn towards Satan and eat your Cool Ranch Doritos
In this episode, we begin going through the letters of aunt Lynn, grandpa's second daughter. Lynn was trying out living in California so there's the usual…
- the letters and things
122. entering the season of hate (March)
In this episode, we round out Wuthering Heights month with more Valentine's Day cards. A snarky one from Kathy One, the offensive mouse card from Grandma to…
- the letters and things
121. *presidential episode* the ongoing controversy of George Washington
In this episode, we discuss the Aquarius Presidents: the Williams (McKinley and Henry Harrison), Ron Reagan, Abe Lincoln, and FDR. In a shocking twist we…
- the letters and things
120. lusty yearning and haunting (Cherub-related)
In this episode, we continue our reign of terror with Wuthering Heights and Valentine's Day cards. There's demonic human-faced hearts, an upsetting cherub…
- the letters and things
119. it's Wuthering Heights season
In this episode, we honour tortured love stories with several very torturous Valentine's Day cards. While the sentiments are admirable, the cards themselves…
- the letters and things
118. take no nonsense, leave no survivors (ft. Neptune in Aries)
In this episode, we contemplate Neptune, claim Neptune energy, and also blame Neptune. We also get a pre-mail letter warning of mail to come, some post cards…
- the letters and things
117. moving on and out
In this episode we go from depressing to fun - starting from the passing of a family friend, to a card from a beautiful woman throwing away her life with a…
- the letters and things
116. may you stay off the FBI watch list
In this episode, we get letters from across the family. From Auntie talking about a toy horse, to Aunt Florence complaining per usual, to Anne Hill complaining…
- the letters and things
115. *presidential episode* the fed's founding father and other dirtbags
In this episode, we breakdown the four Capricorn US Presidents in honor of Capricorn season! Turns out the one thing that they all have in common is that they…
- the letters and things
114. an absolute unit of a card
In this episode, we read a bunch of anniversary cards, mostly from Grandpa to Grandma, which also come of the promise of future gifts, stocks, and the promise…
- the letters and things
113. plague of tinned fishes
In this episode, we celebrate our newly found appreciation of EDM Catholic Church and all the trimmings. We get one letter from dad-beat Dad Bud Kaisershot and…
- the letters and things
112. shark jamboree
In this episode, we give a very important disclaimer which is none of this is to be taken as fact, particularly if Samantha says it. And Manette relives the…
- the letters and things
111. caught at a later date
In this episode, we get the profound wisdom that comes from trout fishing. Come for the fishing and stay for Samantha trying to say "rural".
- the letters and things
110. il papa and the Iran-Contra affair
This episode ended up being more Catholic than we anticipated and if you Google "British gardening lady boobs" and then "Iran-Contra affair" be prepared to be…
- the letters and things
109. save a turkey, eat a cheese board
In this episode, Sam has two Thanksgiving cards featuring turkeys because of course. Manette rehashes old family drama (over shells?). Both classic holiday…
- the letters and things
108. Scarlet O' Hare Airport
In this episode, we read a letter from Grandma Mickey that was written in air! On American Airlines stationary! Back when they used to feed you on airplanes…
- the letters and things
107. erotic stationary
In this episode, we get three short notes, but the stand out was the debauched marshmallow man card. And then a note passed between Auntie and a friend that is…
- the letters and things
106. pet of the month
In this episode, Sam reads three cards from Auntie that bring up memories of chicken stealer Bogart, shirtless Uncle Bob, and a very special birth! Next we get…
- the letters and things
105. desperately seeking mood shift
In this episode, even with our extensive card experience, we are shocked by how bad this neon yellow cat card is. Grandpa's second daughter Lynn has a new job…
- the letters and things
104. feet swaddled like baby Jesus
In this episode, we don't even get one letter deep before we start waxing lyrical about our patriotism for the land of the bold and the beautiful. Then we move…
- the letters and things
103. patches, stars, points
In this episode, we really lean into the "and things" of it all. We go through Grandpa's junk mail, but then start to understand why Grandpa kept the junk…
- the letters and things
102. 80 degrees in October
In this episode, we read two short letters from granddaughter Jenny and Kathy One/Auntie. But more importantly, Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans…
- the letters and things
101. squirty cream
In this episode, we discuss Sam's favorite method for decluttering, which involves either actual or implied fecal matter. And if you need help with declutter…
- the letters and things
100. Unterseeboot
In this episode we have neither letters nor things, but energy, chaos, and facts as we discuss some of our top emerging topics from all of grandma and…
- the letters and things
99. [Memoirs] the growing season is too long
In this episode, we have our final instalment of the memoirs of Gertrude Ebling (1897-1992). Gertrude is living out the end of her life in optimism, we love to…
- the letters and things
98. [Memoirs] mixing economics and death
In this episode, we're zooming through the golden years of Gertrude Ebling's memoirs as she picks up the pace in the retelling of her life. If you are…
- the letters and things
97. [Memoirs] 2 Christmas 2 Furious
In this episode, we are nearing the home stretch with the memoirs of Gertrude Ebling (1897-1992). Big changes for Gertrude as she enters her retirement years…
- the letters and things
96. [Memoirs] treat yourself (to Googling of Anthrax)
In this episode, we continue the memoirs of great grandaunt Gertrude Ebling 1897-1992, where we learn the family used molten lead to predict their futures???…
- the letters and things
95. [Memoirs] trigger warning: devastation
In this episode, not going to lie, this is some sad stuff we have here. We continue to read through the memoirs of Gertrude Ebling (1897-1992) and like life…
- the letters and things
94. [Memoirs] Walt Disney's frozen head
In this episode, we continue with the memoirs of Gertrude Ebling, 1897-1992. We get the low down on Herb Ebling's siblings and their spouses, some bad…