The Story

Birgit Lindemann grew up behind the Berlin Wall. Her uncle would cross the border from West Germany, risking detection by the Stasi, in order to see Birgit's grandmother in the East. Birgit remembers sneaking to her grandmother's house to see her uncle and to take in the smells of cologne and chocolate - things that could not be bought easily in the East. Also in this show: Lessons From Retail

Economic decline has left Detroit with many abandoned buildings. Jim Griffioen lives in the city and has been documenting the destruction of some of those buildings by "scrappers," people who strip abandoned buildings of valuable metals.

Larry Gibson and Dennis Golay are in their 60s. They've been together for 27 years, and both have felt the side effects from their HIV  medications. Despite their wavering health, Larry and Dennis have outlived 60 of their closest friends. They talk with Dick Gordon about how they maintain their optimism - and how a pact they made two decades ago keeps them moving forward.

Victory gardens and backyard chicken coops are making a comeback across American cities and suburbs. Novella Carpenter has been digging in the dirt longer than most, and talks about the joys and pitfalls of self-sufficiency, adventures in raising turkeys, and embracing her identity as an unconventional farmer. Also on the show: two former White House interns remember the summer President Nixon resigned.