Good Memorial Day Morn-Uh, Afternoon Pal!

Yeah yeah big whoop, Clementine and I slept in for the first day of SUMMER VACATION AND MEMORIAL DAY! Journalists gotta rest too, y’know?

Anyway, we were up allll night puttin’ the final touches on this week’s big project! That’s right, today marks the official launch of the Big Feelings Club we talked about a couple weeks ago, and wouldn’t you know it, Clementine’s already cryin’ about baseball. And to make up for the delay, Bubby’s scribbling life advice on a sticky note.

Today's Issue Includes:

• This week's Front Porch Partner: Headway

• Chattanooga's Upcoming Events

• Community Spotlight: The Big Feelings Club

• Stuff I saw on the internet: Finch

• Deep Thoughts with Bubby: Possum Thoughts

• Clementine’s Corner - Rally Caps and Really Good Poptarts

• Wrap Up

Let’s crank up the tunes for today’s featured track from none other than Lizzie McAlpine, the big feeler herself. Yeehaw!

This week’s Front Porch Partner: Headway

$3.20 for Your Clickins’? Say Less. This week’s issue is brought to you in part by our Front Porch Partner: Headway! While they may not be Chattanooga-born, they’ve chipped in $3.20 to help us launch the Big Feelings Club with style (and keep our digital printing press clackin’ like a pencil at a therapy session.)

Even if you don’t end up signin’ up, just clickin’ their ad helps drop a lil’ love into the ol’ Chattynooga piggy bank to support future Chattynooga operations. So if you're feelin’ generous (or just curious) go ahead and give it a tap. I wouldn’t put it here if I didn’t think y’all might like it too.

Anyway, take it away, Headway!

Your best practice starts with accepting insurance

When looking for a mental health provider, over half of patients want one who takes their insurance.

Headway helps you do it with ease. Get credentialed, secure better rates with top plans, and earn a steadier income with bi-weekly payments.

It's all on one free-to-use platform, no commitment required.

Join our network for free

What’s Goin’ On in the Scenic City?

Community

• Night Market + Ren Faire
  Friday, May 30 @ Verre Noir | 7:00-10:00 PM
  Dress up like a ye olde wizard or woodland creature and head to this magical market full of trinkets, tarot, live music, and a costume contest. Best dressed gets a prize—braggin’ rights included.
  🔮Enter Ye Market

• Skate Station Grand Opening
  Saturday, May 31 @ Chattanooga Choo Choo | 2:00 PM
  Example Description
  🛼 Let’s Roll, Bud

• MPRL Summer Kick Off Party
  Saturday, May 31 @ All Library Locations
  The Chattanooga Public Library is launchin’ its summer challenge with a full day of games, crafts, and all-around bookish joy. Swing by your local branch, grab a welcome pack, and get ready to Make. Play. Read. Learn. all summer long!
  📚Start Your Story Here

Music & Entertainment

• Improv Chatt Spring Showcase
  Wednesday, May 28 @ The Chattery | 7:30 PM
  Chattanooga’s improv students are takin’ the stage after 8 weeks of hard work and wacky warmups. $5 gets you a seat full of belly laughs and secondhand stage fright.
  🤣 I Wanna Laugh

• Campfire Concert Series - Et Cetera
  Friday, May 30 @ Reflection Riding
  The last concert of the season: under the stars, beside the fire, with local band Et Cetera bringin’ the tunes. Bring a blanket, grab a s’more, and vibe with nature.
  🎶 Save me a Seat

• Grimoire Gothic Market
  Saturday, May 31 - Sunday, June 1 @ Chattanooga Convention Center
  Two days of moody magic, alt fashion, and oddities galore. If you love skulls, spells, or shopping in eyeliner — this market’s for you.
  🦇 It was NEVER a phase, Meemaw

Outdoors ‘n’ Stuff

• Open Gate Day
  Saturday, May 31 - Sunday, June 1 @ Lula Lake Land Trust
  Get outside and explore 8+ miles of trails, waterfall views, and scenic overlooks. It’s like walking through a postcard; but with more bugs.
  🌲 Take me to the Trails.

• Walnut Street Bridge Festival
  Sunday, June 1 @ Coolidge Park | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  This fest is off the bridge and in the park this year—but still full of pony rides, food trucks, live music, and crafts. Free fun for the whole fam!
  ☀️ Festival All Day Everyday

• The Muffin Man’s Birthday Party
  Sunday, June 1 @ Little Debbie Park | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
  Mini muffins, mascot selfies, and one big birthday bash. Bring some canned food for the Food Bank and help celebrate the most iconic snack guy around: The Muffin Man! LITTLE DEBBIE I’M COMIN’ FOR YA.
  🎉 Wish him a HBD

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, or send a separate one to [email protected]!

Hand-Picked Community Spotlight: The Big Feelings Club

You ever feel so much you think your heart might burst out your ears? This one’s for you, and your friends too!

We made somethin’ called the Big Feelings Club, and it’s for folks who feel things real big, real loud, or real quiet (but deep down in their guts).

If you’ve ever cried in a Sonic parking lot, laughed at a sad meme, or sat on the porch wonderin’ what the heck you're even doin’, well buddy, you’re already a member.

Imagine it as half guide to local and national resources for therapy and therapy-adjacent organizations where just talkin’ may not be the only solution.

That, combined with some interactive activities from our friends here in Chattanooga, and toppin’ it all off with some color pages to go along with it. With the end of May wrapping up Mental Health Awareness Month, we started this up ‘cause we figured maybe feelin’ a lot ain’t a bad thing. Maybe it just means you’re payin’ attention. And if you're carryin' a heavy heart or a goofy grin — or both at the same time — we saved ya a seat. There's no dues, no rules, just a big ol' welcome mat and maybe a Spotify Playlist or two.

So come on in. Bring your baggage. We’ll hold it while you take a rest and read. You can download the full version on your phone below (we’ll be releasing printed versions potentially as well!)

Stuff I Saw on the Internet: Finch

Clementine here! This week, I want to tell you about the most amazing app that goes perfectly with the Big Feelings Club. It’s called Finch, and it’s your new self-care best friend! In the app, you get to create your very own little pet friend and go on adventures together. Every adventure helps you build good habits, feel your feelings, and take care of your mental health, all at the same time!

Finch helps you set goals for yourself so you can stay on track and have a happy, successful day - every single day! You can make your own goals or pick from a big list of suggestions for areas like productivity, nutrition, hygiene, connection, self-kindness, and lots more. Every time you finish a goal, you earn rainbow stones that you can use to buy fun outfits for your pet, decorate their house, and unlock all kinds of cool surprises!

This app is super cool because it helps you slow down and really pay attention to how you’re feeling. There are all kinds of tools like guided meditations, breathing exercises, daily affirmations, and journaling prompts to help you think and reflect. But the best part is that you can invite your friends to join your tree town! Then, you can send them kind messages and cheer each other on as you make progress and reach your goals together.

I love using Finch to take care of myself and keep up with everything I need to do each day! If you decide to check out the app, my Finch and I would love to be your very first friends. Her name is Yappy, and she’s the best! You can find us with my friend code: S8MZ67CREQ. Big feelings, big fun… We got this!

Deep Thoughts with Bubby: Possum Thoughts

Y’know, I was thunkin’— feelings are kinda like possums.

They show up outta nowhere, usually when you’re just tryin’ to eat a granola bar in peace. They spook easy, make a mess if you ignore ‘em, and get mistaken for somethin’ worse than they are. But really, they’re just tryin’ to survive; like the rest of us.

It’s tempting to shove those feelings down, hide ‘em under the bed like dirty laundry. But they don’t stay put. They rattle. They gnaw. What if instead, we let ‘em out in the daylight? Talked to a friend, cried in the shower, wrote a weird poem. You don’t gotta fix it all, you just gotta feel it. That’s how the possum settles down.

Let your heart be messy. Let it be loud. You’re allowed to feel it all, bud.

Clementine’s Corner - Rally Caps and Really Good Poptarts

In our issue this week, we’ve been talking Big Feelings. Perfect timing, really, for me as a dedicated and loyal fan of the Atlanta Braves. This season has been full of ups, downs, highs, lows, and a lot of big feelings.

Friday night was one of those games where you could just feel the energy, even from home. I was so excited that Ronald Acuña Jr. was finally back from being injured, and I just knew we were about to witness something magical. He steps up to the plate, swings, connects, and homers the ball over the dang wall on the first stinkin’ pitch! As you can imagine, I was hootin’ and hollerin’ (in a very dignified manner, of course), right along with the crowd at Truist Park. Acuña was back, baby, and we were gonna crush the Padres. I just knew it.

Fast forward to the 9th inning. We’re down by one and in need of a miracle. So, like any true baseball fan, I knew what had to be done. I flipped my hat inside out, plopped it back on my head upside down, and yelled at the TV, “LET’S GO BRAVES!!!”

But as we all know, my rallying was futile. After a rough play in the bottom of the 9th, we fell to the Padres.

I. Was. Crushed. There had been magic! We had a secret weapon! It was just one bad play! I looked at Bubby, tryin’ real hard not to cry, and said, “But… I wore my rally cap.”

Bubby’s a good friend. He let me rant and rave about the Braves and how unfair it all was. Then he looked at me and asked, “Do you want a homemade nutella poptart?”

Now that stopped me in my tracks because of course I wanted a homemade Nutella poptart. I gave him a confused look, and he handed me one anyway. He took a big bite of his own, so I did the same. I was still upset about the game, but I’ll admit, it was pretty delicious. Flaky and warm and chocolatey. But also, a bit of a mess. Every bite I took, it crumbled more and more. I was getting frustrated, but Bubby didn’t seem bothered at all.

Then, with the last bite in his mouth, he looked over at me and said:

I sat back, rally cap still on, took a deep breath, and popped the last crumbly bite in my mouth. I looked over at Bubby and smiled a little. He was right, of course. The Braves are still my favorite team - win or lose. I’ve got a lot of big feelings about baseball (and maybe a few other things), and you know what? That’s kinda beautiful.

I’m excited to dig into our Big Feelings Club Zine so I’m ready for the boys to take on the Phillies tomorrow. Oh, and Bubby and I have a fresh pan of Nutella poptarts in the oven. So I guess there’s only one thing left to say..

Let’s go Braves!

That’s a Wrap, Bud

Whew! We covered a lot today, huh? From renaissance ruffles to Big ole feelings, s’mores under the stars to sticker-covered emotions, this week was one big porch-swing swirl of feelings. And you showed up for all of it.

Whether you’re still mournin’ that Braves game with Clem, ponderin’ possum metaphors with me, or just here for the weekend recs — we’re mighty glad you stopped by. The Big Feelings Club may have kicked off today, but the truth is… it was always here. 'Cause feelin’ things deeply? That’s just bein’ human, ya silly. And around here, we honor that.

Same time next week? We’ll bring the links, the laughter, and maybe a lil’ lemonade. You just bring your wonderful, feelin’-filled self.

Til then, be good, feel big, and holler if you need us.

— Bubby & Clementine