I'm Natalie Moore. I fell in love with soap operas when I was just five years old, and I still

watch them. Their television's longest scripted series and have zero reruns. Now let me tell you,

soap operas aren't just some silly art form. They are significant. In this season of making,

Stories Without End from WB EZ Chicago.

Join me as I share how the genre began, their social impact, and why these stories endure.

Listen wherever you get your podcast.

From WBEZ Chicago, this is Nerdat.

I'm Greta Johnson, and I am still on the floor of my bedroom closet, which means this must be another edition of NERDET's introverts guide to the

Good Life.

So you don't need me to tell you that these are extremely tumultuous times. And something

that we've talked about in various iterations

on this show, especially over the last couple of months, is the importance of slowing down

and taking a breath and making sure you're able to appreciate the small things. One way I've been

doing that, maybe kind of weirdly, is actually through enjoying all of my house plans. I mean, especially since I've been doing that. Maybe kind of weirdly is actually through enjoying all of my house plants. I mean,

especially since I've been like working from home this all time. It's, I'm actually getting a lot of

quality time in with them. And I have a bunch. I've got like a big rubber plant and a little rubber

plan and a fiddlehead of fig and like a little money tree and I've got three

montes now and 14 other ones that I like to think at least need me as much as I need them.

So to explain why you also might enjoy having a plant or two around is expert Tara Heibel.

She's the founder of Sprout Home, which is a plant store.

There's one here in Chicago and there's one in Brooklyn as well.

Tara, hey.

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