Reelfoot Forward

Stacie and Larry Overton visited Tennessee and discovered what Stacie calls “heaven on earth.” After purchasing a farm in Hollow Rock, they embarked on an inspiring journey that resulted in Lavender Kisses Farm. Located between Memphis and Nashville, visitors to the farm can experience fields of lavender, shopping, hayrides and a small herd of shaggy Highland Coos, a Scottish breed of rustic cattle. In this episode, Stacy shares details about her life as a widow, career as a talent agent, years on reality television, traveling around the country in an RV and how it all led to a field in Tennessee where she planted 4,000 lavender plugs. After this episode, you’ll want to plan a Lavender Kisses Farm experience for you and your family, so visit lavenderkissesfarm.com.

This episode is sponsored by The Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge.

In anticipation of the David Crockett Birthday Celebration at Discovery Park on Sat. August 12, 2023, this special episode features Wade Dillon, a professional illustrator, historian and David Crockett tribute artist.

Included in the books he has illustrated is “Davy Crockett from A to Z.” Wade is currently working on a graphic novel based on Crockett’s life. In this episode, he shares how, as a young boy living in Florida, he discovered the “King of the Wild Frontier,” and how his lifelong passion for art, film and history led him to a career at The Alamo in Texas and to his current role as museum manager at the Freeport Historical Museum.

You can follow him and check out his illustrations at wadedillonart.com and facebook.com/wdillonillustrator.

Rev. Brad Barton is the author of the popular young-adult Enchanted Bell Tower series. After spending time in full-time ministry, Brad and his wife Susan, also a minister, traveled the United States in a tiny trailer producing a travel blog and podcast. In this episode, he shares more about his favorite camping spots, the importance of travel to his family and tips and tricks on writing, publishing and marketing a book series. Fun fact: Brad’s father was a packaging engineer who invented the metallic balloon. You can download and order Brad’s book series on Amazon.com.

Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, Tennessee is an author, physical therapist, blogger and host of the “Raising Kellan” podcast. Her son, Kellan, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. In Marsh’s blog and podcast she shares her journey negotiating the uncharted territory of raising a child with developmental delay. In this episode, Marsh talks about some of the challenges and many rewards of raising Kellan, the importance of travel in her life, how she thrives in a rural community after a lifetime in big cities and more. Currently, Marsh is planning a conference for parents, grandparents, educators and others who are working with children with developmental delays to be held August 26, 2023 at Fyrne Lake Farms in Dyersburg. For more information and links to her blog, podcast and books, visit www.raisingkellan.org.

This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps.

This episode is sponsored by White Squirrel Winery.

Steve Watkins has spent time as a journalist, capitol hill press secretary, rancher, publisher, marketer, author of two award-winning books and is an excellent chef of “down-home cooking.” His work has garnered him a reputation as a champion of authentic Southern culture. Steve and his wife Dana have recently moved into the Discovery Park neighborhood, making their home on Reelfoot Lake in Samburg, Tenn. There, he’s building a hunter’s lodge and planning a weekend retreat for writers Sept. 21-24, 2023. In this episode, Steve shares how a letter from Jimmy Carter he received as a child started him down the path as a writer, his philosophy for handling life when times get hard and where he finds the inspiration to continue to try new things that make a difference in the lives of those he encounters. For more about Steve and his upcoming writer’s conference, visit www.steve-watkins.com.

Obion County, Tennessee native Philip Jett has released his third book, “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy.” It tells the fascinating true story of four Pan Am flying clippers with wealthy and affluent passengers on board on December 7, 1941. After the assault on Pearl Harbor, they were stranded within the vast boundaries of the Pacific Ocean. Pan Am crews and their frightened passengers were left with no choice but to make their own way across the volatile Pacific Ocean and do their best to survive—if they could. In this episode, Jett shares details about some of those on board, insights into his writing process and why he believes this is a story that needs to be told.

You can purchase “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy” on Amazon and many other places books are sold.

This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps.

This episode is sponsored by the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.

Lisa Smartt of Dresden, Tennessee loves to make people laugh. A motivational humorist and writer, she travels nationally speaking to groups on a variety of fun and interesting topics. In her own words, “I'm always open to designing new talks to meet a group's needs as long as they don’t need insight into algebra, organizational skills, map reading or pet counseling.” She’s also a writer who has published a number of books and a popular newspaper column. In this episode, Lisa shares stories from her childhood, how she discovered her talent for public speaking and tips to use when listeners find themselves in front of an audience. Tip number one: be your authentic self. You can follow Lisa at lisasmartt.com.

This episode is sponsored by the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge.

This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps.

This week's episode features two guests who have the unique opportunity to impact the lives of young people every single day—Chase Treece, the current youth pastor for Crosswind Church and NWTN Young Life Staff Associate for Union City, Tenn., and Morgan Goodman, the NWTN Young Life Staff Associate for the Martin, Tenn.

They both share a passion for connecting with students in the most transformational times of their lives—middle and high school.

Chase takes us on an adventure into the great outdoors, sharing his love for hunting in the region, specifically Reelfoot Lake. He also shares his insights on the importance of community involvement and his rewarding experiences working with young people. During our conversation with Morgan, he shares his personal experiences with Young Life and how the program has inspired him to help others.

To learn more about Young Life, visit https://giving.younglife.org/.

This episode is sponsored by Leaders Credit Union.

This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps.

The popular Cooper family, led by father Josh, recently visited Discovery Park and created content already receiving thousands of views. The family is well known for creating off-beat comedy, under the name Uploads of Fun, which has captured the attention of millions of viewers across various social media platforms. You’ll have to watch their video to find out if they rated Discovery Park as “slay or no way.”

In this podcast episode, we discuss Josh Cooper’s background in brand management, his journey to becoming a full-time content creator, the power of social media in today's digital age and the role his family plays in his work. We also explore his family’s unique style of humor and discover why it resonates with such a broad audience.

You can check out their visit to Discovery Park here: https://youtu.be/O3emNrrYahg.

This episode is sponsored by The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

On the morning of Friday, April 5, 1968, West Tennessean Norman Lane, a recent casualty of the Vietnam War, lay in repose in a government-issued casket at the Brownsville, Tennessee Funeral Home. On the same morning, at the R.S. Lewis Funeral Home in Memphis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lay in repose in a temporary bronze casket. The world knows the story of Dr. King’s life and his legacy. Now, thanks to the research and work of Al Claiborne, the world will discover the sacrifice of Lane.

In this episode, Claiborne, Brownsville native and Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, shares details from his new book, “A Time Past, Or What Might Have Been . . . The Odyssey of Norman Lane.” Included in the conversation is how Claiborne used letters, interviews with his friends and colleagues and a thorough dive into all kinds of archival materials to tell one soldier’s inspiring story.

You can purchase the book at https://a.co/d/eUAsawu or find out more about Norman Lane at normanlanejrmemorialproject.org/

This episode is sponsored by the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge.

This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps.