Footnotes and Add-ons

This is our 159th episode. Wow. So obviously we have learned a lot of new things from doing this podcast. And every once in a while we wish we could go back and insert a nugget of info into an episode. So today, we are taking the chance to insert those nuggets. Meet us at the table for pearls of wisdom we wish we'd said and those that we continue to insert into conversations

I'm Lainie, and I'm Laura Beth. And we are Steel Magnolias, the strength of steel with the grace of a magnolia.

We are here to have uplifting conversations about life in the south.  And we've got plenty of room at our table. So pull up a chair

Welcome back to Steel Magnolias podcast episode 159. Now they don't look like it's that many episodes because we split it up into into seasons. Yeah. So this is season four, Episode 11. But can you believe this

passion project has gone this long? Well, sometimes it's nice to just say episode 159. So like I said in the intro, you know, we're natives of the South who do not know at all, but we want to know more.  We are always learning and we have learned a ton in doing research and from each other. And from other people. I learned so much from messages we get on Instagram.

Now there's some things I wish we could answer. I'm not gonna go and talk about all of those. But where somebody's like, oh, you should go here in Birmingham, or you should

read this book or right? Yeah, because not always messages but love Instagram comments on something that's actually where it appears mostly, is in the comment section of a post. So if you're not following us on Instagram, go over and do that right now at Steel Magnolias podcast. So, you know, we oftentimes are like, wow, I'm gonna remember that. So you said early on, there's some things even that you feel like come up in conversation now that you're like, Well, we did an episode on that.

I feel like just in doing the research, I have so much more to contribute in conversations than I ever could have on certain subjects. Right. Like, if it's about having people over or, you know, just hospitality kind of things. That's kind of just our overflow. Yeah, yeah. But when it's the Mississippi River, or how the TVA changed the South, I had to research sure to know Yes, things about that. I knew in coming up with those topics that they were important yet. I didn't have much to contribute to a conversation until after Yeah, I it keeps coming up. Like it's funny how things like that come up.

I wish I would retain even more, there's probably some sort of like, blueberry or something, I could include more in my diet that would you know, like, make memory retention even stronger, because you are really, really good at that. So there's even things that we've touched on, that we researched in the past that I would have to remind myself, even again.

Well, we both have those strengths and weaknesses, the history of that. And then also, there's so many times where I'm in the editing of an episode. And I'm like, I cannot even believe that I forgot to mention blah, blah, blah. So this is our little addendum sort of episode today. We're not going to catch it all. In fact, there's going to be things that even while I'm editing this episode, I'm like, I can't believe I say that, but we just thought it would be fun to circle back if you will on lots of things and then even share just specifics of things that we like to or that seem to come up a lot.

Well I have started this off with this observation it's really more of an observation. I think it's so funny when I go back to the very very beginning

Yes. Oh, episode one two Southern 123

that we thought we needed like three separate subjects to keep it interesting.

Oh my gosh, yes.

Why one subject would have been plenty yes just cover it well, it because we crammed we crammed stuff in and then thinking that's what we needed to do. And then sometimes stuff didn't even need to be paired together. So yes, actually season one we need some forgiveness on because we were very much on a learning curve and still are but that was pretty funny. Yeah, like there were certain things that did go well together peaches and beaches, because you get them on the way to the beach. But you know, some other ones As we prepared, I'm like that was just trying to keep it interesting for no reason.

I guess we thought that we weren't going to have enough to say about the one. And also, I think stylistically, there was a lot of podcasts that were doing that. Almost like a hot topics, format. So I think we felt like we had to hit lots of things. But what we have found is one subject and keep it straightforward. Yeah, not a lot of chit chat, you know, leading up to the episode. We cut a lot of that, too. We used to do that a lot more. Now. We do all that in our sister chat. So if you like that format, you need to join our patrons on our Patreon page.

I love the sister chat just because we even talk about current events and spiritual things. Yeah, all of that. 

No, but that's a great point. So early, early season one episodes contained multiple topics per episode. Well, one that's fresh on my mind, because it was just last week's episode was southern funerals. So southern. We said southerners throw the best funerals, right? We talked to Elizabeth Pasarella in doing that episode, but I cannot believe that I didn't say what is so true. And something I really, really try and live by, which is show up, meaning. Let's say it's somebody that you are very distant today from that is experiencing loss. I'm just going to give an example of your kindergarten teachers husband passed away. Okay, you haven't seen her since kindergarten, but she was super impactful. Maybe you call her your favorite teacher of all time. Maybe you never even met her husband. But if you are local to that funeral, stop by the visitation. Yes, it is so honoring.

Yes. And maybe you don't feel comfortable. You know, stepping up to her to say some words maybe you're at a loss for words. That's fine. Sign the book and just sit there Yes, sign the guest book. Your presence is going to be seen and acknowledged.

And yeah, that speaks volumes to people.  Yes, it really does. That's a good point. Laura Beth. So it really does make the person that in the family that has experienced loss really feel like they're surrounded by love, you know, that they're not in it alone that people care. They feel seen and known. And yeah, so anyway, I can't believe I forgot to say that. That was when I was like, Well, you know, we had we had a lot to cover. So we didn't say everything we wanted to.  Okay, You just jump in here. 

Well, a lot of mine are more observations of things I've learned about myself or about just likes, dislikes all of that. And I was thinking back to several different episodes, but the ones that come to mind having Laura Stockett Roberts and Shawn Dietrich. Yes, the Thrasher brothers, just people who love this region. Yeah. I love talking to people that also love this region. So good. Like, it's just, yeah, I could do that all day long. Yeah. The list that you just went through, we're both in person and via zoom interviews. But in either scenario, it's like we're automatically on Common Ground. Yeah. And it's so nice to go right into an interview with that and learn from them. Because they've seen things we haven't seen. And yeah, but I just love sitting with people. Metaphorically or literally. Yeah. And chatting about the South. Yes. There's just so much beauty in seeing it even through other people's eyes.

Yes, yeah. Yeah. Because then even if they're on a topic that you love talking about, let's say, you know, covered dish or dinner on the grounds. I love that. But even talking to Sean Dietrich, like he has a different perspective of that in the way that he grew up and the community that that brought him and yeah, that's really fun. And it reminds me to Gosh, when we talked to Fannie Flagg that was on my list as something that I wish that we would have just asked her more questions and asked for forgiveness at the end if we went way beyond

Well, I think we were so wanting to honor her time. She was just such a valuable person to us. But she was loving talking to us. She was a great we both later said it seemed like she didn't want it to end right. She would have easily gone another 15 to 30 minutes easy and we wanted to we did in the morning to honor her time we wrapped it up and I agree so

that's something I'm like, I wish that would have gotten better, you know, but you don't want to step on toes. We really did. You know, feel like it was a bit big deal for us to get to talk to her. So we didn't want to push it. But we wish we learned maybe I should have just pushed it. I kind of wish that I had been more quiet during our Jenna Bush Hager episode because I had so much nervous energy and excitement to talk to her that in a 30 minute episode, I'm like, you know, because I do our editing. So I watched the little squiggle lines of who's talking. And like my squiggle line was pretty lengthy. And then there's like a little bit of Jenna and then a lot of Laura Beth.

I think the other thing is we felt so connected all right away to her that it made us want to just chit chat. Like, yeah, some of it was probably nervous energy, but because of reading at least two books by her Didn't you feel like you knew her? Absolutely. Yes. Well, so we were just ready to chat with our buddy.  So, roll right into it. 

So. Okay, here's one that is funny to me, and will continue to evolve. So we did an episode called celebrity run ins in the south, which will allow two extra stories that happened in Los Angeles to appear in that episode, because they were too good not to. I'll link to any of these episodes as well in our show notes. If you want to go back and listen. And if you don't know what I mean, by show notes, I just mean the overview section of this podcast episode. So there's, there's been a few that I was like, I can't believe I forgot to mention these people. So I'm going to mention them. And some of it has happened since then. So of course, that's why I didn't mention it. So a couple that we've run into you and I ran into Mike Wolfe of American Pickers.  I've run into him a few times.  We saw him at a very small little breakfast spot called the Country Boy, it's in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, which is not far, far from here. I've seen him several times. I heard his voice before I saw him.  He has a distinct voice to me, so I heard his voice which made me turn to see that it was him. He does, he could do radio. He has a great voice. Yeah. So we've seen him that was since the episode but I completely forgot to mention that I'd seen Hootie of Hootie and the Blowfish, I can't even think of his actual name… Darius Rucker. I saw him in the parking lot of Kroger.  I wish you would have talked to him.  But, again trying to honor the boundaries.

Yeah, he was he wasn't alone. He was with someone else. And I mean, I was just pushing my cart back to the cart corral the Kroger parking lot. And here he comes. Lainie sings, “Hold my Hand…”. Yes, it is echoing in my mind.  yeah, like everything 90s Just came flooding into me and I just kind of froze. Honestly, I'm sure I did a you know, a double take just because you do naturally do that sometimes. Oh, yeah. When you see somebody even if it's not somebody famous, just somebody you recognize. So I'm sure I did one of those which he probably gets all the time, but no, I did not say anything. I've also run into Elizabeth Hasselback formerly on The View, she lives here now she was on the view for quite some time. And she's an author and speaker and has just her hand in lots of things here in Nashville now. So I've seen her at a boutique but they're pretty active in the community here with their kids. So I'm sure others have seen her out and about.

Okay, this is not our own sighting. But one of our good friends, Christine had a sighting this weekend. Did you see her social media post that went down on the square on Columbia in Columbia, Tennessee.

I know who was there. I didn't know we knew anybody that saw him. Oh, she has a video of him dancing.  So it’s, Mario Lopez.  aka AC Slater from Saved by the Bell and he was making a Hallmark movie down on the square in Colombia. And she like I guess snuck a little clip that video fun days and it looks so cute. He's darlin. Well, I knew he was in town visit Colombia the Instagram page for the city of Columbia, Tennessee. They had posted that he was coming and it was also mule day, which is a large celebration in Colombia. Just to commemorate the fact that at one time they were the mule mule capital you'll capital of the world you'll trading capital. Yeah, that's fun. Oh, fun. Yeah, he's darlin

There's some big ones so those were a few I'm sure there are others again. Oh it's an ongoing list and I going through we did try and in that episode only talk about true run ins, it's not like we were at a meet and greet right or we went to a concert and I mean obviously you're gonna see that this was like bumped into this is Kroger parking lot stories. Yeah, love that. Yeah, so much. 

Okay, again, so many of mine are observation But the college football traditions episode was so fun one of my favorites of all time. And I want to do a tour of campuses in the south someday. Oh, like just that could be an entire season or series. So fun. Okay, bookmark that. I like that idea a lot.

And now we'll know about some of the traditions participate.

We just need a different t shirt to go into each township so we don't stand out. You know, too much or so we blend because we'll know the tradition just like all the locals. I like dreaming of things like that.

That's fun. That's really fun. I saw that Dolly Parton was down at Ole Miss this weekend for a fundraiser. And did you see her with Elizabeth Heiskell? We have done an interview with TODAY show correspondent, Elizabeth’s catering company very jealous. I was to slash happy for her.  

Okay, so do you remember the episode from that came from a TED talk? How a dinner party can save your life?

I have a note about that as well. Obviously,

you remember, I don't know why I said it like that. I wish for that episode. This would have taken a lot of work and research. But I wish that we'd had a component to that episode of people's lives who have been changed through gestures of hospitality? Would that not have been so cool? Like we don't even think that would be possible in an episode. I feel like that is a mini series. It is like an episode zero. It is really like that would be amazing, Laura Beth. But like,

like, do you remember in the Masters episode, you know, we kind of put an all call out to if you've been to the Masters send us a voicemail of what your experience was, Oh, I

see where you're saying we had little snippets of that's too good. Well, we need a true series of that. That's a great idea.

But there's so many people out there that I know have stories of it doesn't have to be a dinner party saving your life, but some sort of gesture of hospitality, whether it have been a single incident or repeated gestures by someone that you can look back and go okay, in hindsight, that pivoted me into a better direction. Yeah. Anyway, I thought that would be cool. But it was still a great interview.

I loved it. It was so great. And I love that guy. Like, it was full on COVID at that time, it was so we didn't get to do as much like fun interactions with him. Right? It was so full on and very new. He brought a mask just to be kind like it was all very like, what are you doing? I don't know what I'm doing. 

Well, out of that interview, like because he's a psychologist. It's so amazing to me how he was talking about community and breaking bread together is literally good for our mental health. Yes. But what out my observation? I don't think I said this in the episode because I was just so in awe of like the science. Me too. He was saying phrases and words that I didn't know. But I understood once he said it.

Yes. And it made me go i love how so often. science confirms what's in the Word of God. Like the word of God says that communities important. breaking bread together is important. It doesn't say because it does this to your brain and this to your stomach and this to your you know, yeah. We just know if God said it. It's true. And so I just think that's so cool. How so often people think science in the Bible clash, and I do not think that I it's 100% points to God.  It meshes. Well, it all feeds into Yeah, I agree. Anyway, that's so good. 

We had an episode recently on Chattanooga. Yes, yes. And we titled it 24 hours in Chattanooga, because that's about what we spent there. So it was not an all inclusive by

any stretch of the imagination. But we didn't share

that we stayed in Ottawa which is right outside of Chattanooga.   I mean it's it's part of Chattanooga, yeah, I mean, it's its own little township. I didn't share it because I didn't really think like nobody's gonna know about this, or I don't really have anything specific to bring up. Well, I should have brought up that we stayed right off of Little Debbie Parkway because I had a couple of people write me to let me know. You know that little Debbie's headquartered there. And I kind of did. I mean, I kind of gathered that from the Little Debbie Parkway, but that's cool. Like, you can go and tour the parent company is called McKee foods. Okay, that's a family name McKee and So this is you know, a little Debbie makes Swiss cake rolls Nutty Bars, so many things… oatmeal  pies, oatmeal cream pies.  That is my favorite. But I just wanted to share real quickly because I didn't get to on that episode, the McKee story and you can go tour the factory, so I'm sure they have school groups all the time there. I would imagine this is like the field trip zone. But the McKee story began during the height of the Great Depression. When a young entrepreneur O.D. McKee began selling five cent snack cakes from the back of his 1928 Whippit, I guess it's a I'm not familiar with it with it, but you know the dog.   In 1934 He and his wife Ruth bought a small failing bakery using the family car as collateral. Wow, money was so tight. They had to put up a sheet near the back of the bakery for the families living quarters. Yeah, hello.  Wow, that's being ALL IN.  

After years of great adversity,  O.D. and Ruth's rare determination finally began to pay off in 1960, when they began selling the first family pack of baked goods, naming them after their granddaughter Debbie. Around this time, the company finally began making a steady profit. The bakery continued to grow but remained a family bakery O.D. and Ruth sons Ellsworth and Jack eventually took leadership positions. And today Ellsworth and Jack's children hold leadership roles, they are beginning to introduce the fourth generation of the McKee family business. And I thought it was so cute the name Little Debbie came again from their granddaughter. O.D. arrived at the name of his four year old granddaughter Debbie inspired by a photo of Debbie and play clothes in her favorite straw hat. He decided to use the name Little Debbie in the image of her on the logo. So now you can picture if you weren't thinking of the Little Debbie logo, you can picture Cute Little Debbie reminds me of like the Wendy’s story. Yes. But yeah, I mean, again, you can't cover everything- such a piece of culture and that's national, not just Southern. So anyway, again, I wish I would have mentioned it. But now I can say I have. 

So, you know, I enjoyed when we did a multi generational chat. Me too. I think that would be a cool thing to do in the future, like where we pull in younger than our ages and older than our ages, and just chat about different aspects of life in the South. I love that because we need each other, the generations need each other. In fact, I loved one time when the observation was made about so often in the Bible, God is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yeah, because he's very generational. That's so good. I love that. I liked that chat, too. I think a lot of people did, I remember we got a lot of messages around that.  We’ll have to make that be a thing. 

Well, another one that I wish I had known about this book, when we did the time to plant episode recently, and I mentioned Lady Bird, Johnson’s Wildflowers in Texas. Yes. We had a listener that was talking about a book called Miss Lady Birds Wildflowers that tells more on that project. And so I just wanted to mention that book. And I'm so glad you mentioned that. I forgot. I saw that note that somebody sent that.  And I definitely want to make a trip to the Texas Hill Country.  

I know. Okay, speaking of places that you wanted to go some you had mentioned that you wanted to go to Little Rock or Arkansas. Sorry, I mentioned Arkansas and beautiful things outdoorsy things in Arkansas, and so somebody said okay, if you're going to visit Arkansas, make sure you go to Moss Mountain Farm. That's P Allen Smith's home. P Allen Smith is a television host. So just outside of Little Rock, he opens his home to share designed gardening preservation all these eco friendly, very cool, very cool. He planted 1 million Daffodil blooms this year. And they bloom on the hill, in front of his house each spring. And all of this apparently is open to see beautiful. So anyway, I can't imagine a million.  I know. That's

yeah, that's I don't know how many acres that covers. But that's a lot. Well, that's just a touch. But that's a few of our add on. Yeah, So we love hearing from you all if you if you do hear stuff and you forget or you don't think to message us,

please do. It makes us feel more well rounded. Like we've got all the details. That's right.

Well, we will be back next week with more southern culture. We hope you have a great week. And until then Lainie, Peace be with you…and also with y’all!