Okay, okay, corny joke I know. That said, this is our very first porch sit of 2026, and we’re comin’ in with just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

We’re lookin’ ahead to a big ol’ birthdayversary, yappin’ with you about where this thing is goin’ next, roundin’ up what’s happenin’ around town, and lettin’ Clementine loose in the kitchen. New year, same porch, even more to celebrate.

Let’s get to catchin’ up!

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

We’ve gotta mighty helpful Front Porch Partner back again this week buds, Attio! Their ad helps keep our digital porch lights on, and here’s the real kicker: every single click sends $2.25 straight into the Chattynooga piggy bank.

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If you’ve gotta second, give it a look and help us keep our cozy corner of the innernet runnin’. Take it away, Attio!

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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!

Well would ya look at that… we’ve really been doin this for almost a year on February 10. 🎈We can hardly believe it ourselves.

If ya missed our Year in Review post on Instygram last week, we’ve had almost an entire year of stories, community conversations, neighborly yappin’, and buildin’ somethin’ special together right here in the Scenic City. We couldn’t let that pass by without sayin’ thank you the proper way.

So we’re thinkin’ about gatherin’ up a small group of pals for a cozy lil’ birthdayversary shindig. Nothin’ fancy, just good company and conversations, and a chance to celebrate an incredible first year with some of the folks who have made it possible.

If that sounds like your kinda fun, raise your hand below. We’ll share more details real soon if you wanna hang out in person!

Heya friend! Usually I save this space to yap about what’s on my mind, but this week I really wanna pick your brain instead, so I’m shuttin’ my trap and keepin’ it short.

We’re super excited to letcha know that we’ve already got three Yap Session interviews lined up for this month with some mighty awesome Chattanoogans that are doin’ cool things in our community. But before we sprint headfirst into 2026 with a pocket full of ideas, Meemaw reminded me to slow down just a smidge and hear from y’all first.

We put together a short lil’ feedback survey to ask what you’ve been enjoyin’ about Chattynooga: what you look forward to each week, what parts of Chattanooga you wanna explore next, and where we could do a bit better as we start sprucin’ up our newsletter with exciting new gizmos and gadgets.

We ain’t askin’ a lot, just honest porch talk and a few more minutes outta your day. It’d mean the world if you filled it out, so thanks so much if ya do!

Happy new year! I love this time of year, it’s a time to reflect, but especially a time to look forward. And I love, love, love making New Year’s resolutions. You might remember that I made them in July as well, but I am of the firm belief that every day is a chance to do something to make someone’s day, your little spot of the world, or even just yourself a little bit better. We also asked in last week’s issue if you had any questions for us that you were curious about, and our reader Gwen wanted to know if we had any recipes that we could share that we liked to eat, and I’ve got just the one for ya.

This year, I’ve decided to learn how to cook. And I’m excited to tell you my very first recipe! As you may know, I love pickles. I named my dog after pickles, I love them so much. I love pickles like Oprah loves bread, y’all, and I’m telling you, if you like pickles, this recipe is for you.

For this recipe, you’re going to need: 1 box (16 oz) of little bitty spiral pastas (my favorite are rotini), 2 cups of lil baby dill pickles (kosher or nothing), 1 block of diced up cheese cubes (Colby Jack or sharp cheddar), and 1 small white onion diced super duper fine. For the dressing, you need 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 1/3 cup pickle juice. You’ll also need salt, pepper, and a couple tablespoons of chopped dill (get the real deal, not the stuff in the shaker. It’ll make you feel fancy, I promise).

Start by cooking the pasta. Once it’s done, drain it and rinse it with cold water. Put the pasta in a bowl and cover it with a healthy splash of pickle juice. Let it sit there for a bit and soak up all the pickley goodness.

Get a grownup, because the next part involves a knife. Go full hibachi choppy choppy on the pickles, cheese, and onion. The pickles and cheese should be cut into small cubes, but the onion should be hacked up until it’s just a pungent whisper of an onion.

Now you’re gonna get the pasta salad all dressed up. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, salt, pepper, and fancy chopped dill. Drain the pickle juice off the pasta and put it in a bowl with the pickles, cheese, onions, and dressing. Mix that mess together. Really go to town so everything is combined and cozy.

Next comes the hardest part… you put it in the fridge and WAIT. You wait and wait and think about pickles and wait. Ask Bubby—the congealing and cooling in the fridge is where the magic happens. After an hour or so (or however long you feel like waiting, ten minutes is good too), it’s ready to eat!

—

So that’s my first dish, I hope you like it as much as Bubby does. Seriously, after he ate one bite, he was hooked. He might’ve cried actual tears. All I know is that it’s seriously that good.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Let us know so we can cheer you on! Oh, one more thing… Bon appétit!

Thank you for kickin’ off the new year with us and being the best part of Chattanooga! We know this week was a bit of a lighter issue, but we appreciate ya showin’ up curious and ready to help shape what 2026 looks like on this porch.

From feedback and festivities to the best pasta salad this side of the Northshore, we’re mighty excited for what’s ahead. Keep them ideas comin’, and we’ll see ya right back here next week with our first special guest of the year! Any guesses? 👀

— Bubby & Clementine