Don’t mind the mess, we’ve been cookin’ up a storm with Meemaw since this morning!

March has rolled into town, which means two things around the Chattynooga porch this week. First, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month by lookin’ back at some of the remarkable women we’ve had the joy of yappin’ with over the past year. And second, we’re gettin’ mighty excited about this Friday’s community potluck with our pals at Roundabout and The Garden House.

If you’ve ever brought a casserole to a potluck and wondered where that tradition came from, Bubby did a little diggin’. Turns out there’s a whole story behind the phrase “luck of the pot.” So grab a coffee and pull up a porch seat, let’s see what the city’s been cookin’ up lately.

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Got somethin’ cookin’ that the Scenic City oughta know about?

Tell us all about it with our new and improved events form, or just reply to this email with your event details and we’ll go from there!

March is Women’s History Month, and ‘round here at Chattynooga we’ve had the joy of sittin’ down with some truly remarkable women during our Yap Sessions over the past year. From scientists helping us understand the soil beneath our feeties, organizers building stronger community for rural parts of Chattanooga, and young artists and entrepreneurs adding color and creativity to their daily lives, each conversation has been a reminder that Chattanooga runs on the care and dedication of people who show up for their neighbors.

Take a look at just a few of our previous Yap Sessions if you’re curious:

This month, we wanna open this pit widen the circle a little by asking no one better than you, our lovely reader: Who’s a woman in your world that deserves a shoutout?

Maybe it’s a mentor, a neighbor, a small business owner, a teacher, a mom, or a friend who’s quietly doin’ big things around town. Reply to this email and tell us who she is and why you’re proud to know her, and throughout March we’ll highlight a few of these community heroes right here on the porch.

The best stories in Chattanooga usually start with someone simply showing up and caring, and the women in this town sure know how to be there for one another.

Has your brain ever made ya stop mid-bite at a get together with yer buds and force you to wonder, “This sandwich didn’t come from a pot, it came from the Publix Deli folks. So why in the world have we stuck with the word ‘potluck’?”

Well wonder no more, Bubby’s got the scoop to put your goofy mind at ease. I got curious about it the other day while thinkin’ about this Friday’s big community dinner — which you’re invited to, by the way — and it turns out the phrase has been kickin’ around for a mighty long time.

Way back in the 1500s, folks used to say you were eatin’ the “luck of the pot” which, when translated into normal-people talk, basically meant this: if you showed up hungry at somebody’s house, whatever happened to be bubblin’ in that kitchen pot… well partner, that was your supper (for better or worse back then).

You didn’t really get the luxury of orderin’ ahead, or even seein’ the menu to make sure they had something ya liked, just a bowl and spoon, and hopes that whoever was in charge of food that night knew what they were doing.

As crazy as it sounds, I gotta say that I kinda enjoy the chaos.

And that right there is the real luck of the pot, if you ask me. It ain’t really abouut what’s in the dishes (‘cause it all tastes good on one plate), but the folks who bring ’em through the door.

Oh, which reminds me…

This Friday, Roundabout North Chatt and The Garden House are hostin’ a community potluck over at the Soddy-Daisy Community Center, and it’s shaping up to be exactly that kind of evening, plus learning how we can all stay connected as neighbors and help one another!

Bring a dish if you’ve got one handy, or just bring yourself and an appetite. Either way, there’ll be a seat waitin’ for ya.

One thing about Clementine McBride, as much as I love a good adventure, I’m a creature of habit. A chocolate chip cookie before bed every night. A bubble bath and a book to unwind. And that means that no matter how hard I try, I find myself going to the same places all the time.

Bubby and I love our local faves: BeCaff, Reve, Winder Binder, the ever-classic Clumpies. But listen, I know Chattanooga has the coolest people and places in the whole world. So as much as I love my staples, I wanna try some new places this spring.

So I ask you, Dear Reader, your favorite hang in town? Coffee shops, thrift stores, taco trucks, I wanna hear ‘em. Maybe we can meet up and check out the scene together one day! Because right in our backyard, Chattanooga is a whole world ready to be explored.

Whether you’re nominatin’ a woman in your life who deserves a little spotlight, checkin’ out what’s happenin’ around town, or plannin’ what dish you might bring to Friday’s potluck, we’re mighty glad you stopped by the porch to catch up with us.

If you do make it out to the Soddy-Daisy Community Center this Friday, come say howdy. There’ll be good food, and a whole lotta community packed into one lucky pot for us all to enjoy.

Until next Monday, keep lookin’ out for your neighbors bud.

— Bubby & Clementine