Well Happy Monday, Neighboroonies!

We’ve got a heart-full issue for ya this week, just in time for Mother’s Day and Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s a celebration of the folks who raised us, taught us, packed our snacks, and hollered when we left the door open too long.

We’re talkin’ shout-outs for mamas, sweet teacher stories, and a peek into Clem’s own favorite classroom hero. You’ll also find Bubby’s chaotic (but loveable) first-time camp prep, a wild video from OK GO, and a brand-new Front Porch Partner that helps keep this whole thing hummin’.

Today's Issue Includes:

• This week's Front Porch Partner: The Hustle

• Chattanooga's Upcoming Events

• Community Activity: Mother's Day Shout-Outs!

• Stuff I saw on the internet: OK GO

• Letters From Lookout: First-Time Camper Files

• Clementine's Corner: Teacher Appreciation Week (featurin' her favorite teacher!)

• Wrap Up

Anyway, crank up that Lee Ann Womack for a good cry session and lets get to readin’! Heads up: Is yer email lookin’ odd? Try viewin’ it in your browser instead by clickin’ the “Read Online” button at the top!

Together with

Front Porch Partnerships: The Hustle

Alright y’all, lemme tell ya somethin’ real quick: this here’s what we call a Front Porch Partnership. Now I know it ain’t ya neighborhood lemonade stand or Noke’s Granola o’er there at the Chattanooga Market (side note: y’all are missin’ OUT if ya ain’t checkin’ out the folks over there), but it does help keep our newsletter printin’ pixels and passin’ stories ‘round the porch.

This week, we’re teamin’ up with The Hustle, and get this: they’re droppin’ $1.20 into the Chattynooga piggy bank every time somebody clicks their ad. Just a click! Like… no forms, no fuss, just a little ^boop from your finger that helps us do more cool stuff - like makin’ stickers, potential in-person events in the future, and allowin’ us to be silly on this here newsletter.

So if you’ve ever enjoyed a yap from me or a thought from Clem, this is your moment to give back with one lil’ click. We appreciate the heck outta ya, and thanks for bein’ along for this journey the past three months we been ‘round. 🫶🏻 Anyway, take it away The Hustle!

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What’s Goin’ On in the Scenic City?

Community

• Day of Play Block Party
  Saturday, May 10 @ Creative Discovery Museum | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  CDM is turning 30 and they’re throwing a party! Enjoy hands-on activities, live performances, inflatables, food trucks, and more, all for free. Plus, museum admission will be available at throwback 1995 prices!
  🧩 Celebrate 30 years of play

• Dolly Day Dash
  Saturday, May 10 @ Downtown Ringgold Date | Starts at 7:30 AM
  Ringgold’s rollin’ out the rhinestones for a full day of Dolly fun—live music, food trucks, shopping, line dancing, and a Dolly look-alike contest! Kick things off with the Dolly Dash and spend the day celebrating the queen of country.
  🩷 What would Dolly do, y’all?

• Rock On Kelly McCoy Adopt-A-Thon
  Saturday, May 10 @ Humane Educational Society | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  Crank up the classic rock and cuddle some adoptable pets at this paws-itively awesome day of music, food, and free adoptions—honoring the legacy of local radio legend Kelly McCoy. Live music, local vendors, and furry friends await.
  🐾 Rock out and rescue

Music & Entertainment

• Red Bank Active Older Adults Music Jam
  Wednesday, 5/7 (every 1st and 3rd Wed!) @ Red Bank Community Center | 1:00 PM
  Calling all music lovers ages 55 and up! Whether you sing, strum, hum, or just love a good toe-tap, this twice-a-month jam session is the place to be. Bring your instrument (or just your ears) and join the fun.
  🎶 Play a tune or stay for the vibe

• Open Mic Night
  Wednesday, May 7 @ The Comedy Catch | 7:00 PM
  Chattanooga’s longest-running open mic is still going strong! Catch local legends and up-and-comers as they test out new material and bring the laughs in a fast-paced showcase format.
  🎤 Big laughs, small stage

Outdoors ‘n’ Stuff

• North Chatt Play Streets
  Friday, May 9 @ Hanover Street | 5:00 - 6:30 PM
  Remember when the street was your playground? North Chattanooga’s bringing it back with Play Streets — a safe, car-free evening where kids can run free and neighbors can connect. Hanover Street (between Endicott and Winthrop) will be closed to traffic for a throwback to simpler, play-filled times.
  🛴 Play in the street (on purpose!)

• Full Moon (Flower Moon) Adventure
  Monday, May 12 @ Stringer’s Ridge | 7:00 - 9:00 PM
  Unwind under the Flower Moon with a guided forest-bathing walk through Stringers Ridge. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, this moonlit adventure invites you to slow down, tune in, and find peace in nature. Space is limited, and registration is required—be sure to sign up by May 21 to save your spot.

  🌕 Breathe deep under the full moon

Got somethin’ cookin’ that the Scenic City oughta know about? Wanna talk about how cool your weekend was? Tell us all about it! We’d love to yap it up and holler all about it from the porch! Just reply to this message, drop a tag at @letschattynooga or send a separate one to [email protected]!

This week’s Community Spotlight: Mother’s Day Shout-Outs!

Got a Mother Figure Worth Shoutin’ About?

Mother’s Day is comin’ up, and we wanna fill the porch with stories about the women who raised us, hugged us, fed us, hollered at us (lovingly), and taught us how to be decent human beans.

Whether she’s yer mom, your meemaw, your bonus mama, or someone who stepped up when you needed it most - we wanna hear about her. We’re collectin’ shout-outs to share on Instagram this Sunday, and yours could be one of ’em!

Tell us her best one-liner, what makes her magic, or just why she deserves a big ol’ “Thank ya kindly, ma’am.”

Stuff I Saw on the Internet: OK Go

Fun fact: I, Clementine McBride, have excellent taste in music. I especially like the oldies but goodies. Like this crazy cool little indie band, OK Go. They’ve made some great music over the years, but their music videos are where the magic really happens. Remember their first big hit, “Here It Goes Again?” Those fellas made a one-take wonder on treadmills and made it look easy! Well, they’re back with a new hit and a new music video. This one’s got robots and mirrors, y’all. It’s called “Love” and, in my expert music-video-production opinion, it’s their wildest video yet!

OK Go is made up of the brilliant minds of Damian, Tim, Dan, and Andy, and let me tell ya, these guys really threw me for a loop with this music video. To set the stage, they’re in an old train station in Budapest. They used 60 mirrors to create some trippy optical illusions and (are you ready for this?) they used robot arms to move the mirrors as they went! The mirrors were flying, the robots were roboting, and they just kept going and going until I was dizzy! Even the band says this was their most complicated video yet… but man oh man, the payoff was worth it. Do yourself a favor and check out this masterpiece of a music video. If you ask me, it’s a ton of fun and a whole experience.

OK Go’s new album And the Adjacent Possible, is available now to stream or buy wherever you get your tunes!

Letters from Lookout: The First-Time Camper Files

When I found out we were goin’ to Camp Lookout this summer, I did what any reasonable, adventure-bound individual would do: I panicked slightly and then made a packing list that could rival a Navy SEAL drop mission.

I’m talkin’ three flashlights (backup for the backup), two bug zappers (one for mosquitos, one just to flex), a gallon of pickle juice (hydration and emergency electrolyte replacement), a slingshot (for raccoon defense, obviously), and duct tape. So much duct tape. You never know when someone’s gonna bust a canoe in half or need an impromptu splint. Or both.

But then Clem looked at my list, let out one of those sighs that sounded like it came from deep inside her soul, and said:

“Bubby. You forgot socks.”

Now look, I did pack socks. I just… ranked them below the glow sticks and emergency poncho. But Clem’s right (as usual). There are things you pack for camp that matter more than gadgets and gear.

So we sat down and made a new kind of list. A shared one:

• Bubby’s Over-the-Top Essentials on one side.

• Clem’s Actually-Helpful Stuff on the other.

(We’ll let y’all decide which is better.)

Clem says the most important thing you can pack is the belief that you belong—even if you feel a little nervous. And I gotta admit: even I, Bubby the Brave, get the jitters thinkin’ about bunk beds and cafeteria lines and wonderin’ if I’ll forget someone’s name or accidentally sit on a banana.

But here’s what Camp Lookout reminded us: every first-time camper feels a little weird. That’s part of the magic. Ya show up with butterflies, and ya leave with stories. The kind that smell like campfire smoke and sound like a thousand inside jokes.

So if you’re readin’ this and you’re nervous (or if you’ve got a kiddo, cousin, or neighbor headin’ to camp for the first time) this one’s for you.

You don’t have to pack perfection. Ya just have to pack yourself.
(And maybe, maybe a slingshot. Just in case.)

Still unsure what to pack after scrollin’ through our lists? Thankfully Camp Lookout’s got us both covered with their handy packin’ guide.

See y’all at camp in a month, buds!

Clementine’s Corner: Teacher Appreciation Week

Have you ever had a really good teacher? The kind who makes learning fun, helps things finally click, and has that perfect “teacher voice” that makes everyone sit up straight? Here at Chattynooga, we love our teachers something fierce and today, I am so excited to tell you about one of the coolest I have ever known. Her name is Mrs. Cheryl Walls, and I think everyone deserves a teacher like her.

Before I moved here, I lived in Chestnut Mountain, Georgia, where I went to Chestnut Mountain Elementary School. That’s where Mrs. Walls makes a difference every single day! She’s the cool teacher… and I wasn’t even in her class! This year, she’s retiring after 27 years as a public school teacher, and my Chestnut Mountain Warrior heart could not be more proud.

Mrs. Walls always says Chestnut Mountain is a really special place and boy, she’s right. There is a lot she will miss about teaching, especially the kids she got to see and grow with every day. And of course, the coworkers who made even the craziest days feel special. And get this… Chestnut Mountain is not just where she worked, it is part of her family story, too. Her husband and all three of her kids went to the very same school where she has been teaching since 2002! Talk about a LEGACY.

Mrs. Walls has taught a whole bunch of grades and subjects over the years, but her favorite - no question - is math. She says the kids taught her plenty, too, like patience and forgiveness. And speaking of kids, that’s my favorite thing about her; she really loves every single one that walks into her classroom! Even the grumpy ones who seem like they are always having a bad day… they know she is in their corner anyway. She’s just great like that. 

Now, I always remember her having the most teacher-stare-of-all-teacher-stares in the hallway, but she says her real superpower is convincing kids there’s a technology ghost in the room anytime the internet goes out or the computer acts funny. Bubby asked if she had ever confiscated anything wild, and would y’all believe that some of her students would chew up plastic forks and play with them in class?? She definitely did not keep those!

Yeah, Chestnut Mountain Elementary sure has been blessed to have Mrs. Cheryl Walls teaching there and I know everyone around there’s gonna miss her next year! She’s been an amazing influence on so many people’s lives - not just kids but coworkers, families, and friends! She’s got a lot to be proud of!

Even though she’ll miss being Mrs. Walls every day, she’s excited for retirement. I asked her what’s next for her and here’s what she had to say:

And just like that, a new adventure begins for one of the very best teachers I have ever known. Mrs. Walls, thank you for everything you’ve done and for always showing up in the ways that matter most.

Oh, and by the way, if you have a teacher in your life like Mrs. Walls who deserves a shout-out, we want to hear about them and give ‘em their own shoutout on our Instagram!

Oops, we ran outta stuff to talk about.

Guess that’s it for this week, buds.

Whether you’re plannin’ a backyard picnic, sendin’ a thank-you text to your old homeroom teacher, or just takin’ a moment to soak in some sunshine—we hope this issue gave you something good to carry with you.

Tell your mama you love her. Thank your teachers. Drink some water. And don’t forget: joy’s out there in the wild, just waitin’ on someone to scoop it up.

See ya next week on the porch,

— Bubby & Clementine