Today, we pause to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who reminds us that community is something practiced, over and over again, in what can look like small, ordinary gestures. It can look like showing up, listening more than you speak, and making room at the table for others even when it’s uncomfortable.

The work of love and justice is long, but it’s made lighter when we walk it side by side. Thanks for walking with us even if ya legs and feet hurt, neighbor.

As always, we’ve added a fresh track to this week’s issue purely for vibes as you read (this one’s a screamer). Click the radio below before ya start reading if you wanna listen!

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Got somethin’ cookin’ that the Scenic City oughta know about? Wanna talk about how cool your weekend was? Tell us all about it! Just reply to this message, or send a separate one to [email protected]!

Our pals over at Winder Binder Books on Frazier are kickin’ off their 2026 Reading Challenge, and it ain’t about speed, consistency, or proving anything. It’s just a friendly nudge to pick up a book you might’ve walked past before and spend some time with it. The kind of thing that fits in your bag, your nightstand, or that one chair you always end up in when the house finally gets quiet.

You stop by the shop, grab a challenge booklet, and let your reading wander a bit with all the different challenges inside. If ya read enough, they’ll send you home with a little swag on your next check-in. If you complete ten of them, you get another swag bag AND a chance to win a gift card! Everybody wins, especially the part of you that’s been meaning to read more.

If that sounds like your speed, Winder Binder’s Instagram post has all the details laid out nice and easy. Go take a look, see what they’re cookin’, and maybe let 2026 be the year a few good stories find you when you need ‘em most.

I knew I was in trouble the moment I walked through the door. The kind where your eyes don’t know where to land first, and your brain starts yellin’, “MEEMAW CAN I HAVE THAT?” over and over again.

Steve’s Toys Plus sits right here in Hixson, not far from Berean Academy, lookin’ like a regular ol’ storefront from the outside. But once you step in, it’s like somebody cracked open the locks and let that giraffe that used to own

There’s action figures standing at attention like they’ve been waitin’ on you specifically. Shelves full of trading cards that smell like hope, luck, and maybe a little cardboard dust. Board games, puzzles, backpacks, dolls, Hot Wheels tracks that look like they could absolutely launch a car straight into the sun if you weren’t careful.

This ain’t one of those toy stores in the mall where everything feels rushed or too shiny or like you’re supposed to hurry up and buy somethin’ before a beep goes off. This place feels patient.

Steve and Shirley were behind the counter when I came in, both grinnin’ the kind of smiles that stick around even when nobody’s talkin’. Steve started tellin’ me about the shop; a story he’d been carryin’ around for a long time and finally got to set down on a shelf.

Steve's Toys Plus didn't come from a big plan, but from survivin'. Steve beat cancer and woke up one day knowin' that if you get a second chance, you probably oughta spend it doin' somethin' that makes you feel alive. For him, that was toys.

As we walked around, Steve pointed out different sections like he was introducin’ old friends. Star Wars figures lined up like a tiny rebellion. Marvel heroes frozen mid-pose, ready to save the world again for the first time. Model kits stacked neat and careful, just waitin’ for someone with steady hands and a free afternoon. And then there’s the stuff for littler kids too. Bright boxes, friendly characters, things meant to be loved hard and maybe chewed on a little by accident.

Shirley chimed in with details, prices, and gentle reminders about what kids are into these days. You could tell they’ve been payin’ attention. Not just to trends, but to people.

What stuck with me most wasn’t how much stuff they had (though it is a lot and it rules), but how much they cared about who walks through the door. Steve talked about kids comin’ in wide-eyed while their parents rediscovered things they forgot they loved. Collectors takin’ their time, talkin’ lore, swappin’ stories, and not feelin’ weird about it.

This store feels like permission to be ten years old again, or seven, or sixty-two. To like what you like without explainin' yourself, and be able to slow down and remember that play isn't somethin' you grow out of.

There's a warmth to the place that don't come from the lights or the shelves, but Steve and Shirley’s presence. This store exists because somebody said, "If I get to keep goin', I wanna fill my days with joy."

And now, Hixson’s gotta toy store because of it.

Friends, I’m in my tortured poets era. By that, I mean that it’s cold and I’m getting dramatic about it. When I get big feelings I like to write about them, so enjoy my chilly musings and try to stay warm! Then go take a nap… it’s what I’m doing.

It’s cold, Chattanooga.
It’s so, so cold.
And it’s only getting colder,
or that’s what I’m told.

I know spring is coming,
warmth will come to us again,
but what am I supposed to do
with myself until then?

I could run to the top
of a mountain and back,
but that would mean running,
I’d rather have a snack.

Hot chocolate from Reve,
A mug of tea from Sleepyhead,
Something warm in my belly,
I’m nicer when I’m fed.

The cold of winter
will surely not last,
so I’ll enjoy wearing twelve layers
Til the tundra time has passed.

Anyway, that’s all I got for y’all this week. What’s your favorite winter poem? Drop a line (or stanza if you want) in a reply!

Before you head back out into the world, we just want to say thanks for spending part of this meaningful Monday with us.

May we keep Dr. King’s legacy alive not just in words, but in how we show up for one another today, and the day after that… and the one after that too.

And now, on a much more ✨ rhinestone-covered ✨ note…

Happy Birthday to Dolly Parton, our patron saint of generosity, grit, and mind-your-own-business wisdom. May we all strive to give like Dolly, love like Dolly, and mind our hair like Dolly would want us to.

— Bubby & Clementine