Hillbilly Podcast

My friend, Matt Newman, from Southwest Virginia's Coal Country talks about cooking under quarantine, getting back to his roots in the garden, and the ever-fascinating subject of foreign-style commodes and commode accessories, if that's what you want to call them??? Lol. We're talking about bidets and squatty potties, people. It's riveting! Tune in and tell all your friends!

Shane Simmons is an expert on all things Appalachia. I came into contact with him when he started a podcast called Hillbilly Talk and then kept following him and a group he co-founded called the Appalachian Project. Shane loves to promote Appalachia and all that's good about our region and I'm a fan of what he does. Shane is also an author and co-author - Legends & Lore of East Tennessee, and most recently, a children's book entitled Petey the Pink-Tailed Possum: A School Tail. Maybe the most knowledgeable guest we've had to date on the ins and outs of what makes Appalachia tick, I think you're going to love hearing from Shane. Enjoy and share with friends!

Kenneth Conkin tells us about growing up in Sullivan Gardens, in Kingsport, TN. His stories of farm life, momma's cooking, and getting electricity for the first time are priceless. You are going to loving hearing from Kenneth, who also happens to be one of the biggest Tennessee Vols fans I know. He's good people. Go Big Orange!

Octogenarian, Madeline Alley, and her daughter, Geneva Browder, talk about growing up and living life in the coal camps of Southwest Virginia, where going to the company store, existing without electricity or indoor plumbing, and entertaining yourself with mischief were just part of daily life. Madeline tells about a simple life, but insists that having plenty to eat and having their basic needs and wants met was enough to keep them from understanding that they would be considered "poor" to much of the outside world. Madline's daughter, Geneva Browder, helps tell the tales of their lives from the coal mining towns of Imboden and Exeter, Virginia, to the city of Kingsport, TN. These two ladies are wonderful guests and are full of spunk. You'll love hearing their stories!

In Part 3 of our One Year Anniversary set of episodes, Guest Host, Mandie Carter, talks with me about my travel experiences in Portugal, Ukraine, England, Ireland, and Honduras. We discuss my espresso habit I developed in Lisbon, Fan Zone football excitement in Kiev, beautiful landscape in Bootle, England, Waterford Crystal in Ireland, and adventures on medical missions in Choluteca, Honduras. I'm enjoying talking about all these wild times we've had in all these wild places we've been and I really hope that these stories have been a source of blessing and entertainment to you all! Relax and enjoy yourselves!

Our celebration of our One Year Anniversary continues this week as Mandie Carter interviews me about my trips to the Far East. Twice I've been to China, visiting universities and working in conjunction with English professors to serve as a guest speaker in English classes. From my first time as a guest to primarily Mongolian, first year English students in Lanzhou, Northern China, to my second trip, working alongside English students studying to attain their Masters degree in Zhuzhou, Southern China, I've got some wild tales to tell. I so enjoyed remembering these stories and I hope you'll enjoy hearing them too. Thanks for all your support and thanks for listening!

Special guest host, Mandie Carter, turns the tables on me and interviews the interviewer. The next few episodes with Mandie at the helm give me the opportunity to recount some of my tales of world travel. In this episode, we go to Africa to talk about Masai warriors, safari animals, and dress code violations and to Central America to talk about the beautiful people and culture of Nicaragua. I hope you enjoy our talk as much as I did!

This is the start of a month-long celebration for our One Year Anniversary! How exciting! We have been so blessed to have been able to share the stories of the people of Southern Appalachia with you over the last year, so in honor of our milestone, we're throwing back to the first episode with the now-famous Wayne Bledsoe, my dad. I hope you love it just as much now as you did then. Thanks for listening and for all your shares and support!

Ingrid Luffman is a fascinating lady. An athlete, a distance runner, university professor, mom, daughter of British immigrants, and a Canadian transplant to Appalachia, Ingrid has a wealth of life experiences in her background that give her such an interesting story and a unique perspective on life between cultures. You're going to enjoy this lady so much!

Health Coach Mandie sits down with me on the porch, at a safe distance, for a chat about wellness during Corona virus quarantine. She talks about self-care and using your gifts to be of service to others. We discuss lessons being learned while at home and we chat about these crazy times that we're living in. Enjoy our conversation on the porch during our Corona-cation!

Bryan Underwood is a brilliant musician. He left Wytheville, VA as a teenager to attend Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. There, he honed his craft, spread some Appalachian culture, and finally "learned" how to make spaghetti. Bryan is an awesome guest, because he recognizes how special his Appalachian roots are, in spite of having a broad background that includes a New England education. Bryan talks about his family, their cooking traditions, holiday gatherings, and family heirlooms. He is so charming and witty, you're going to love hearing from him in this episode. Get comfy, we know you're not going anywhere, and enjoy the show with Bryan Underwood.

Jason Salley is an adventurer. From his first trip overseas to Italy to his 6 month journey around the world, he truly believes in sucking the marrow out of life, as the saying goes. Jason tells of his travels, the things he saw, the people he met, and the tragedy that shortly followed one of the crowing achievements of his life. Throughout the telling of his story, you can see this guy's character shine through. Truly humble and always genuine, you're going to love hearing Jason's heart for people, for his family, and for his Appalachian roots. Enjoy your time in quarantine with us here on the porch and enjoy Jason Salley!

Mandie Carter talks about growing up learning to be fierce and fabulous from her mamaws and her mama. Sewing, canning, cooking are just some of the skills these hillbilly women passed on to Mandie and her twin sister Barbie, along with their strength, independence, and love of the arts and simple joys. I hope you enjoy hearing from Mandie again and getting to know her story better.

Heather Watts picks up in this week's episode with "the rest of the story," so to speak. She tells us of how her family has expanded in the last few years and the miraculous story of families within families, coming together to create a whole new family! :) That's a riddle, so if you want the answer, you'll just have to listen to how the Watts's journey is continuing on, always with their Princess, Delilah, in the foreground, shaping the context of their lives. This story is going to bless your socks off, so be prepared!

Heather Childress Watts tells us about the journey she and her husband are on as the parents of a Princess. Their daughter, Delilah, was born prematurely and fought a hard battle to live to see her first birthday. After Princess Delilah left this world to live in Heaven, not too long after turning one, Heather and Jeff set about to memorialize "D" in a way that would bless others for years to come. The Princess Delilah Foundation ministers to nurses, doctors, NICU and PICU families and patients, college students, families grieving lost children, and many, many more. Delilah's life and spirit lives on in the work that her parents are doing to give back to others and Heather's convinced that D sends signs of her approval from above. This is such a special family and this is a very special episode. Enjoy Heather, Jeff, and Delilah's story and please consider donating to the Princess Delilah Foundation.

Health Coach Mandie is my pal. She has a calling on her life to help people achieve their goals, whether they be for physical, spiritual, or emotional health. I reconnected with her at just the right time in my life and she has been instrumental in getting me on track with my health and has become a dear, dear friend. Listen, share, and be blessed!

Tony Dingus is a local legend on the dobro and pedal steel. He is also now instructing the younger generations coming up through the bluegrass and country program at East Tennessee State University. Tony is one of the sweetest men you'll ever meet and even though there's no better pedal steel player anywhere around, he's as humble as can be. I know you'll love hearing from him on this episode. Enjoy!

Eddie and Janey Lane are back with Part 2 of our conversation and this time we get hillbilly. Eddie talks about growing up in "the Valley," Carter's Valley, that is, and Janey recounts her happy childhood in her Kingsport neighborhood, where all you needed for a great Independence Day parade was a riding lawn mower and a wagon train full of kids in their Radio Flyers. I love this couple! Hope you're enjoying them too!

Eddie and Janey Lane have true servants' hearts. They became involved in missions many years ago and have been serving in ministry in Nicaragua, among other places, for nearly two decades. Known in Nicaragua as Mama Janey and Papa Du, they talk about how they got started going to Central America and how the borders of their ministries have expanded over the years. As we close Part 1 of our talk, we start getting into growing up hillbilly, so you surely won't want to miss the second half of our conversation next week. For now, I'll leave you with Mama Janey and Eddie. Enjoy!

Chris and Kristina Alford talk about understanding and blending cultures on today's episode. Kristina has a part hillbilly-part Northwestern family background and Chris is a true citizen of the world. Between them, they've lived in Appalachia, the Deep South, the EXTREME Deep South (South America!) and the sort-of South, Oklahoma. Each has their own stories of cultural exchange and learning how to understand and participate in the cultures of others, while maintaining a connection to their own heritage. You're going to love hearing from Christ and Kristina today! Enjoy!

Dan Moneyhun was suggested to me as a guest by Kathy Martin-Stricker, my friend and previous podcast guest, and boy was she ever right! Dan has always worked multiple jobs, from employee at Tennessee Eastman to real estate agent to full-time bluegrass gospel music musician. His family history is full of faith, music, and a dedication to "the simple things." Dan is appreciative of his upbringing in Bear Town, in Kingsport, TN, and is proud of his Appalachian heritage. However, Dan is also a "hillbilly" who likes to travel and tells us about his love of mission work in Nicaragua, which I always refer to as my "second home." Dan and I share a lot in common and I had so much fun doing this interview and getting to know a new kindred spirit. You're going to enjoy hearing from Dan so much! Listen and share with your friends and kin!

Recently, I discovered that two people who I've known for years and years are my distant cousins. As it turns out, they are first cousins and grew up together as close as brother and sister. Through a conversation on a previous podcast, my running friend (and new cousin) Teresa, figured out that she and I were related through my grandfather and her great-grandfather, which also led her to connect her cousin Brian and myself. Brian was my co-worker at LifeWay bookstore years ago and has remained a dear friend of mine. Anyway, on Christmas Eve, these cousins of mine got together and we talked about their upbringing on the farm in Snowflake, Virginia, the family stomping grounds. They tell about the values they learned through family, farming, and faith and it just made my Christmas to get to share these experiences with my old friends and new cousins. I hope you all enjoy this cousin Christmas conversation as much as I did!

Amanda McCoy, my friend from college, meets with me on her birthday AND the day after the Garth Brooks concert at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville to catch up and talk about her adventure working as a healthcare professional overseas in London. Amanda is as charming and engaging a Southern Appalachian lady as there ever was and I'm sure the Brits were enthralled with her speech, her personality, and her Appalachian ways during her time living there. Amanda tells us about her personal journey as well as her geographic journey, as she developed new and diverse perspectives on life due to the foreign friends she encountered abroad. I absolutely loved talking to Amanda and I trust that you will thoroughly enjoy this first episode of the New Year!

Pat Cronin, a theater and acting professor at East Tennessee State University has led quite a life. Growing up in Philadelphia, the son of Irish immigrants, he developed and honed his acting skills trying to avoid being beaten up at school and performing at parties in his strictly Irish neighborhood. Pat has acted in over 200 television shows, like Star Trek, Seinfeld, Night Court, Home Improvement, and the list goes on. In addition to the T.V. shows, there have been movies, stage productions, commercials, etc. Pat has had a full life and career. While it was a major life tragedy, the passing of his wife Betsy, that initially helped to lead him to a teaching position at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, it was his love of the students and the people he came to know as friends that has kept him in Appalachia all this time. This year, he's celebrating his 20th year at the university and he's preparing to retire. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to sit down with him and hear some of his story. I know you're going to enjoy Patrick Cronin.

Wayne Buchanan's family has been getting together one weekend in the fall for generations to make apple butter in his great-grandmother's kettle, which dates back to the pre-Civil War era. She originally started making the apple butter, but wouldn't let a soul help her work. Somewhere along the line, the whole family started chipping in and for decades, they've collaborated to produce a delicious haul that keeps them eating good through the coming year. Wayne teaches Latin at the high school where I teach and is a brilliant man. He's learned and sophisticated and talking to him, you may not guess that he and his siblings, some of whom are chemical engineers, grew up doing subsistence farming to raise all their own food. Wayne's dad, a professional and engineer himself, believed that the years he spent farming as a youngster were so beneficial to his character, that he wanted to make sure his children had the same opportunity to learn lessons that only hard work can teach. Wayne tells us about apple butter and education - both formal and informal - and gives us a look at his Appalachian family and heritage. I know you're going to enjoy hearing from him. Relax and listen...and have a biscuit with apple butter while you're at it.

Elena Allen talks about pig roasting through the years with family and friends, her Cuban heritage, and her family's rich history as they emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. after Fidel Castro's rise to power in the late 50's-early 60's. The stories her family can tell are many. In her background are physicians, chefs, governors, diplomats, military veterans, college professors...it boggles the mind to think so much talent, skill, intelligence, class, kindness, humility, loyalty, and love can be contained in one big family, but that seems to be the case. I can't even provide a good introduction to this episode, because the glimpses into this family history that Elena gives us are so fascinating and intriguing, that it's just best to let her tell it. I have nothing more to add. I can't wait for you all to meet Elena Allen and, through her, this beautiful family.

Rachel Hillman and Rebekah Wilson are a pair of sisters and are two of the most outstanding, nicest girls I've ever had the pleasure to be around. I've known both of them since they were in high school and even back then, they were hardworking, smart, go-getters who were always up for an adventure or to learn a new skill. I've been around the world with them on mission trips through church and have seen them in action enough to know that they are the real deal. They can paint, build, and lay a roof with the best of them and are also both pharmacists. So, you're not messing with dummies when you're dealing with the "Littleton" Sisters. They come from a wonderful family, that, in my opinion, embodies the essence of the hillbilly spirit. They're salt-of-the-earth folks and I'm blessed to call them friends. I hope you enjoy Rachel and Rebekah!

Kelly West, an award winning real estate agent, is taking the Tri-Cities by storm. Her vibrant attitude, cheery personality, and flare for putting people in the perfect home is making her one of the top agents in the area. The same bubbly, joyful nature that made her a standout cheerleader when we were in high school together is also serving her well in adulthood. Kelly not only talks about finding her passion in the real estate business, but she tells about her hillbilly roots, growing up close to grandparents who instilled in her an appreciation for mountain traditions and the "old ways." You will love her recollections of them as well as hearing about her current life and career. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my talk with Kelly West.

Todd McKinley retired from the military and moved back home to become a servant leader. He leads a fascinating life even after retirement, working regularly for the Vice President of the United States and being active in the political arena in the 1st Congressional District of Tennessee. Todd talks about education, leadership qualities, the needs of our region, and personal responsibility. He tells us how things he learned in the military help him to live a life of character on a daily basis and how desperately we need our elected officials to show the same diligence as they serve and represent us in Washington and Nashville. This is a great show. Enjoy Todd and go be engaged! :)

Robby Spencer is somewhat of a local celebrity in my neck of the woods in Upper East TN and Southwest VA. His cable access show that aired in the early 2000's, Robby Spencer's Adventures, was a favorite program in my home. He baked biscuits, volunteered with the Fire Department for a day, bathed a kitty cat, and cracked us up as he did it. Now, Robby is a machinist and would-be farmer by day and is still pickin' the banjo for folks when the opportunity presents itself. He's a great guest for the podcast, loves the old-time ways of doing things, and is a top-notch hillbilly in my book. Enjoy the show with Robby Spencer.

Lonnie Salyer is a crate digging, record collecting connoisseur of local treasures. On his radio program, Dig It with Big Lon, he spins the best vinyl our local area has to offer. Airing on Radio Bristol, out of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, you can hear everything from the early Country and Bluegrass of the '20's and '30's, to R&B, Soul, and Gospel of the '60's and '70's, and all of it was recorded and put out by local studios, here in the Tri-Cities Region. Lonnie talks about getting into record collecting and how he came to be an appreciator of Appalachian culture a little bit later in life primarily through his interest in music. I loved this interview and loved meeting a like-minded person, interested in preserving and promoting our rich heritage here in Southern Appalachia. Sit back and enjoy our time together with Lonnie "Big Lon" Salyer.

Brad and I sit on the porch, surrounded by our neighborhood wildlife, kitties and deer, and talk about our big annual trip to Cherokee, North Carolina for the 3 Doors Down Better Life Foundation benefit event weekend. We discuss the band, the foundation, the silent auction, the FOOD of the weekend, the trailer park painting I've become obsessed with, our special friend, Mr. Ralph, and much more. This is the greatest getaway weekend Brad and I have every year and we've come to look forward to spending time in Cherokee as much as we look forward to seeing 3 Doors Down and the gang each year. Hope you enjoy and hope you'll go and look into getting involved with The Better Life Foundation; it's a worthwhile cause.

I have to school Brad on some Mountain talk, 'cause he's too fancy and citified for phrases like "done did" and "'Ell, I swan...". However, I'm still kindly fond of him and sortly smitten by him, so I won't tease him too much for not being up on all the good hill speech he's missed for being so highfalutin. Hope you enjoy all our ramblings and goings-on. God bless y'all!

Prof. Dan Boner, head of the Bluegrass Department at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, talks about growing up "southern" in South New Jersey. His family's roots go deep into the highlands of West Virginia and his musical roots are imbedded in the bluegrass traditions of the Mountain South. Dan promotes education and academics, and he equally champions those who without the benefits of formal education laid the foundation for and contributed greatly to the art form to which he's dedicated his life. Please take your hat off and join me in applauding and saluting Prof. Dan for all that he's done and is doing to bear the torch for the continuation and promotion of Old Time and Bluegrass Music throughout Southern Appalachia and the World. Enjoy Dan Boner!

When I think of my life's heroes, Jane Murphy is number 1 at the top of the list. As my Spanish teacher in high school, she turned my life around before I knew where it was even going and set me on a course that would lead me to serve people in and travel to places like Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania, Indonesia...and the list goes on from there. Now, because of her impact on my life, I'm a Spanish teacher myself and I hope I can touch the lives of my students like she did mine. Not only did we have the classroom connection that we did, but later in life, quite by accident, I came to know and dearly love both of her parents, Mr. Ralph and Miss Iris. I'd like to dedicate this episode to them, as much of it serves as a tribute to their influence on the life of their daughter, which in turn, poured out to me and so many others. This one is special, folks. Hope you enjoy.

Kathy Martin-Stricker has been like a second mama to me most of my life. Her son and daughter are two of my dearest, life-long friends and their family has always felt like my family. Kathy was raised up in a real-deal, mountain holler. In fact, the holler was named after its residents, her dad's family, the Stapletons. Kathy tells us about life in Stapleton Holler - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the funny. I can't even do justice to the tales she tells about growing up hillbilly, so you're just going to have to relax, listen, and enjoy it for yourself. Share this one with all your rowdy friends and family. ;)

Joe Maye is a Bloomingdale boy that has made his mark on the region in more ways than one. He talks about growing up as a trailer park, Manwich-eating kid with an artistic bent and a hillbilly work ethic - the best combination of traits I can think of. Now, he co-owns his own tattoo parlor, Now or Never Gallery, with his little sister and he's beautifying the city of Kingsport, TN one body and one wall at a time with tattoos and downtown murals. Joe likes art, salmon patties, and wrastlin' and it doesn't get more hillbilly than that. Hope you enjoy this show! Go check out Joe and his team's work on Instagram. @now_or_never_gallery

Originally from Western New York, Elinor LeClaire talks about life growing up in the rural north. Life on a farm, wanting to be the President of the United States, and sneaking extra dessert are just a few of the topics we cover on this week's show. A country girl all around, Elinor gives us a unique perspective of growing up country, and then making her way to settle back in the country of Southern Appalachia. If you're a native "hillbilly," you'll probably relate to a lot of her upbringing and you'll be amused at some of the things she's learned during her time in the mountains - like "cuttin' a shine," soup beans and cornbread, and Baptist teachings on drinkin', dancin', and gamblin', among other things. I hope you enjoy my friend Elinor as much as I do! God bless!

John Baty is 83 years old. He's a native of Mentone, Alabama, where he still lives, on the property where he and his wife used to run a juke joint years ago. Mr. Baty has a belief that "You can tell it funny, or you can tell it sad..." but that the truth of a story, or history, is the truth, plain and simple. He tells the story of Mentone, Moon Lake, and the people there as it is, not as we would have it. There's the good, the bad, and the ugly, all represented here, but John tells the stories in such a way that even from the bad, the good shines through. That's the way with history. There's always two sides to that coin. The On the Porch segment this week returns to a topic brought up in a previous episode, where my friend Beth and I talked about the proposal to rename the Tri-Cities/Mountain Empire region of Upper East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky. The powers that be, movers and shakers, leaders of the area came to a decision that we'd be henceforth (until the next time) be known as The Appalachian Highlands, which, I must say, has a certain ring to it. I like it, in fact. However, there's a certain sting to the pride of a people when someone tells them their name isn't good enough and needs to be changed. I discuss all this and more this week "On the Porch." You'll want to slow down, sip on some tea, and really take in this week's interview. Don't rush. Sit a spell. Really listen to the living history of an Appalachian Treasure that we have in Mr. John Baty. You'll be glad you did. God bless!

Our guest, Gary Carlyle talks about growing up on Sand Mountain in North Alabama. Sand Mountain, which is most famous for its snake-handling culture, as told about in the book by Dennis Covington, Salvation on Sand Mountain, provided lots for a growing boy to get into and Gary is full of stories that will make you laugh and make you wish you were a mischievous kid again. Mentoring and educating young people is at the top of Gary's priorities and he's dedicated his life to teaching young men and women, through word and deed, the life skills necessary to survive and flourish in life. Next, I'm feeling nostalgic and a little homesick after traveling the last two weekends, so I'm inspired to write a little ode to Home. Be it ever so humble, there's no place like it.

Jay Page and Tracy Mullins share tales of growing up hillbilly in Kingsport, TN. Y'all are going to love their stories! They are hilarious together and Jay is a larger-than-life character who will draw you into his tales of busted cars, neighborhood shenanigans, and feats of strength as an MMA fighter. Tracy, the yin to his yang, is full of country wisdom and sensibility. She is the perfect balance to his antics and they are great together on the show, and in real life, too, from what I understand. The show this week ends with a tribute to The Carter Family, in the form of a rendition of the song they made famous in the 1930's, Where We'll Never Grow Old. I know you all are going to fall in love with Jay and Tracy today - relax, listen, and share with your friends. This one's a good one!

Alyson Neel moved from big city living to Asheville, North Carolina to find her "blyss." Her company, Blyss Running, gives women who are passionate about running the best attire out there for all their individual needs. I'm a customer and a fan and love her story. She's a great representative for Asheville and for the region as a whole. To keep with the theme of running and outdoorsy-ness, we go to a Fleet Feet-sponsored Pub Run in downtown Kingsport to chat with runners and find out where are their hot spots for getting outside and experiencing all the beauty that Southern Appalachia has to offer. You're going to love discovering the places they mention for yourselves! Kick back and enjoy this episode - then, go for a run!

My buddy, Jason Anderson, or "Bumpkin" as I know him, comes to the house for a Special On the Porch edition. Bumpkin chats about social media and the loss of the personal connection we used to have between friends, family, and neighbors and also laments the basic life skills that youngsters today seemingly lack. "Get offa my lawn, you darn kids!" Bumpkin's really not a cantankerous old man, but he is and always has been an old soul. He is a hoot and today's chat demonstrates to the world what wild, wonderful, crazy friends I've been blessed with in my life. Next, we get into what I think of as Part 2 - Follow-up to the How Sweet It Is: Sweet Tea Episode. We get our results from the Sweet Tea Poll that Brad suggested last week and then I sit down with Lara Potter from Visit Kingsport to hear all about the Y'all vs. Yous Guys Battle of the Long Island Iced Tea. Kingsport's Long Island Iced Tea not only claims to be first, but now can also claim to be best...or can they??? Y'all are going to love this episode, you're going to love Bumpkin, and you're going to love the story of Kingsport's Original Long Island Iced Tea. Sit back, relax, and pull up a rocking chair. It's porch time!

In this episode, we're testing two tried and true sweet tea recipes. Lipton or Luzianne? More bags and less steep time vs. Less bags with more steep time? Boil the bags? Kettles or pots? The methods are infinite, but one thing's for sure, you can't have a proper hillbilly home without a jug in the fridge! Listen, enjoy, and dream of the sweet, sugary, liquid gold you know you're craving. Then, go make a pot and drink up with your friends and kin. Life's too short to do without a glass of sweet tea.

Could you live off the land if you had to? Even if you don't have much of a green thumb or don't have a big plot of land to work with, have you ever used things that you've grown, foraged, hunted for, or sought out? Have you felt that special, sweet, satisfied feeling you get when you do successfully grow something, then are able to go harvest it and use it to benefit yourself or your friends and family? Did you know there's Danish word to express that almost-inexpressible sensation of deep down contentment that you get from such an accomplishment? Well, listen close and you'll have a whole new term up your sleeve with which you can impress folks from here to yon. This is the theme of my musings on the porch this week. This week's theme is all about being connected to the land, using what we find around us to sustain and even cure ourselves. Listen as I experiment with home remedies, by making an herbal tea with a common herb that I've got growing in my own front yard. Then, hear from my Cousin Aimee as she talks about just some of the many home remedies and natural cures she uses to help keep her family healthy and happy. She gives us a honey-ginger poultice for chest congestion and an elderberry syrup recipe to boost the immune system. We talk tea, essential oils, Vick's Vapor Rub, and much more! Listen, enjoy, and learn some new things about the bounty of nature that surrounds us every day. God bless!

Our most musical episode yet, we go to the world famous center of the Country Music Universe, the Carter Family Fold, to ask our Question of the Week, “What’s for supper on the hillbilly table?,” and to get perspective on the question, “What exactly is a hillbilly anyway?” Then, for Hillbillies and Friends, Vicki Shell tells us about her forefather, William Bean, the first non-native settler in Tennessee, her fierce advocacy of our Upper East Tennessee heritage, which we find out has spanned her entire lifetime since childhood, and we hear about how music has shaped her life and how she, in turn, is using music to better and benefit her community of Boones Creek. Finally we end the show with a forgotten favorite hillbilly hymn. Hope y’all enjoy this week’s episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together! God bless y’all and your’n.

Grab yourself a seat, a bottle of Dr. Enuf, and a warm fried pie and relax while my closest friend and I discuss superstitions passed down by sweet mountain grannies, the merits of our two most celebrated local fried pies, and the proposed renaming of the Tri-Cities region, here in Upper East Tennessee. Beth Sproles shares this Special On the Porch Edition with me and we give listeners a taste of what Southern Appalachian women talk about when we get together for a visit. Rabbits are chased, stories are told, laughter ensues, and a good time is had by all. After the porch talk winds down, we go to Warriors Path State Park in Kingsport, TN and Music Alley in Boones Creek, TN for a special "Hillbilly on the Street" edition of our Question of the Week segment to ask folks the pressing question: "Where is the 'hillbilliest' place you've ever been?" Our responses range from old fashioned "dairy bars" in East Tennessee to coal-mining communities in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, and my husband Brad and I start building and adding to our list of places to visit on a series of hillbilly-inspired road trips we're planning to take this summer. Hopefully, these adventures will lead to more great episodes, where we'll take listeners on journeys to discover, re-discover, promote and celebrate the last great vestiges of pure mountain culture. We are so excited to lead y'all on this expedition into Southern Appalachia! Buckle up and enjoy the ride! God bless!

Pull up a rocker, sit a spell, and let's chat. Tragedy strikes Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, with a murderous attack on the Appalachian Trail and a serial killer uncovered and caught in Mendota, Virginia. Sadness and fear grips the region, but there are still valuable lessons to be learned as we continue forward through the shock of recent events. On the porch this week, Saturdays are made for backyards, barns, and sipping our favorite local beverage, Dr. Enuf. Groundhogs and yard dogs are also in the mix, as per usual, and all is well in my hillbilly paradise. Our guests for Hillbillies and Friends this week are the Lafollettes. They talk about growing up hillbilly, neighborhood games of hide-and-seek, moving mountains by faith, and how a chance meeting decades earlier overseas, wove itself into the fabric of their families - either by chance or by Providence, it's a great story! Join us for a down-home, great time this week on Hillbilly Podcast!

Come, sit on the porch with me and slow down a bit. Experience a snapshot of an Upper East Tennessee neighborhood on a late Spring afternoon from the perspective of a front porch swing. Next, a chat with Dad reveals his most fortunate purchase, his most treasured family heirlooms, and his views on faith, family, and growing up in the mountains. Finally, we hear what folks on social media had to say about old barns and memories that they invoke. My husband Brad and I riff on what barns mean to us, and we start daydreaming about the possibilities held by the barn in our own backyard. Enjoy a look at our hillbilly life in the hills of the Mountain Empire, Upper East Tennessee/Southwest Virginia.