Who I Met Today

When I lived in Houston, I watched the NBC news and thought Roseann Rogers had the greatest job in the world. She was known as the Buzz Lady and reported on all the new things—restaurants, events, exhibits—the fun stuff going on around Houston. Fast forward three years ago—I’m living in Nashville, and I get a phone call. Hi Pam, my name is Roseann Rogers, and I just moved here. A mutual friend gave me your contact info. Roseann is still the best at finding great events—and now Nashville things to do—and I thought she’d be perfect for coming up with holiday gift ideas.

The wonderful heavy-duty shopping bags that stand up, stay open, and fold flat

The beautiful watercolor workbook and paints 

Lekue Microwave popcorn popper

Prepared Hero Fire Blanket 

Pam's book

Stephen Joseph Kids Classic rolling luggage

Magnatiles 

Aura digital picture frame

Italian acrylic wine glasses

White's Mercantile in Nashville

Chocolate nuggets by Haute and Cool

Thermopen instant-read thermometer

Millennials vs Boomers trivia game

Plastic wrap and parchment paper dispensers

Frank Billingsley

Stocking Stuffers They'll Appreciate

Stocking Stuffers for Cooks

In this podcast episode, I chat with Bill Nolan, a supervisor at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. This iconic Thanksgiving cooking tradition opens for business today—for the 44th year in a row. Bill and the other turkey experts are standing by and ready to answer whatever problems or questions home chefs may have during this busy turkey-cooking season.

Bill and I discuss the Talk-Line's history, Bill's background and role, and how a food expert might snag one of these coveted positions. He talks about the Butterball kitchens in Naperville, IL, how the Talk-Line employees train, and a couple of his most memorable phone calls. And, a new thing I must try, how to cook "from a frozen turkey!"

The Turkey Talk-Line is open during November and December to answer your turkey questions. Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL or text 844-877-3456 to chat with the turkey experts. Visit the Butterball website for turkey cooking information, how-to videos, or to submit a turkey question.

A woman who traded her pen for a circular saw

Bestselling author Fiona Davis

A dermatologist recommends inexpensive skincare products

A professional bull rider

Anne Byrn's cookbooks

A neuropsychologist discusses Alzheimer's

In this episode, professional bull rider Cody Teel describes what it's like to sit atop a 2000-pound bucking, snorting, spinning bull who is not at all happy to have a human on its back.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Nashville Stampede

Professional Bull Riders 

Empire of the Summer Moon

Neighborlily

Emily Lex

A woman who traded her pen for a circular saw

Bestselling author Fiona Davis

A dermatologist recommends inexpensive skincare products

A physician explains strokes

A pickleball enthusiast

A neuropsychologist discusses Alzheimer's

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and this episode's guest knows a thing or two about that horrific disease. Dr. Katherine Gifford is an assistant professor in The Department of Neurology at VUMC. Her research focuses on disorders of aging, dementia, and developing tools for early detection of cognitive impairment. She also sees patients within the Cognitive and Behavioral Clinic at VUMC. Additionally, Dr. Gifford is the neuropsychologist in the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center, where she treats patients 12 and older who have sustained a sports-related concussion. AND—she is the consulting neuropsychologist for the NFL Tenn Titans, the NHL Nashville Predators, the MLS Nashville Soccer Club, and Vanderbilt Athletics.

Dr. Gifford defines dementia, Alzheimer's, and normal brain aging. She discusses those behaviors that are a part of normal aging and those that are problematic or abnormal. She explains what causes Alzheimer's, the disease's progression, and protective and preventative behaviors we can incorporate into our lives. Unfortunately, this terrifying disease affects every single one of us in some way. Why do some get it and others don't?

Comedian Nate Bargatze

A woman who traded her pen for a circular saw

Bestselling author Fiona Davis

A dermatologist recommends inexpensive skincare products

A physician explains strokes

A pickleball enthusiast

George Strait's backup vocalist

Many of us want to do something but don't know what that something is. Until, one day, we stumble across it. Like Carrington Fox. In podcast episode 35, Carrington discusses how she found her passion, gave up dining in restaurants—for free, and traded her pen for a circular saw.

Carrington, a long-time Nashville newspaper reporter, food critic, and journalist, also talks about her articles with Southern Living and Esquire, the screenplay she is writing, and a frozen ice pop activity with grillmaster Bobby Flay.

And, of course, we each share a new thing!

Build Me Up Buttercup

Tennessee College of Applied Technology

Pam's book

Nashville Scene

Tennessee Screenwriting Association

Bestselling novelist Fiona Davis

What's next? How Aimee Oates determined her IT.

A backup vocalist for a country music superstar

A physician discusses strokes

A dermatologist recommends inexpensive skincare products

I'd love it if you follow me on Instagram (@pamelalamp2) or Facebook (@PamelaLamp) or sign up for my monthly newsletter! Thank you!

In podcast episode 34, bestselling author Fiona Davis chats about her writing, her books, Egyptian research, movie rights, and iconic New York City landmarks. If you aren't familiar with her novels, please sit back and let me introduce you. You're in for a treat! Her books (and I've read them all) combine everything I love—an entertaining story, history, maybe some romance and mystery. Plus I always learn a great deal.

The Gimlet Slip

Brooklyn Laundry Manhattan Theatre Club

The Thursday Authors

The Caretaker by Ron Rash

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

The Spectacular

The Magnolia Palace

The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The Chelsea Girls

The Masterpiece

The Address

The Dollhouse

The Stolen Queen

A dermatologist recommends inexpensive skincare products

Another novelist I enjoy

The Fairmont Hotel's canine ambassador program

What's next? How to determine your IT

A physician discusses strokes

A backup vocalist for a country music superstar

I'd love it if you followed me on Instagram (@pamelalamp2) or Facebook (@PamelaLamp) or signed up for my monthly newsletter! Thank you!

In this episode, Boston dermatologist Dr. Julia Siegel recommends inexpensive skincare products that really work. With so many costly products on the market, it’s nice to know we don’t have to break our budgets to take care of our skin.

Dr. Siegel also discusses facials, brown spots, crepey skin, and her newly discovered hack for stronger, less brittle nails. She suggests ways to nourish our skin as we get older, talks moisturizer sandwiches, and explains the differences between retinals and retinoids. 

Elta MD Sheer Facial Sunscreen

TIZO AM Primer

TIZO AM Replenish

TIZO Sunscreen

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen

Supergoop Sheer Sunscreen

Neutrogena Hydroboost Sunscreen Serum

Equate Sport SPF 50

Coppertone Sport SPF 50

Cerave Facial Cleanser

Cerave Foaming Wash

La Roche Posay Cleanser

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

Vanicream Vitamin C

Olay Vitamin C

Cerave Moisturizing Cream

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer

SkinMedica TNS Serum

Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40 Invisible Gel

Cyspera Cysteamine Cream

Sente Cysteamine Pigment and Tone Corrector

APC All-Purpose Cysteamine Cream

RoC under eye cream with Retinol

RoC upper eye cream with Retinol

RoC eye cream

Vichy Liftactiv eye cream

Neutrogena Hydro Boost eye cream

Women's ROGAINE Hair Loss 5%

Tretinoin cream

Adriene’s Yoga Video for Flexibility

A dermatologist talks Botox

The Maze Man of Sunset Beach

Lyme Disease

Books to tuck into your summer tote bag

A physician discusses bone density

I'd love you to follow me on Instagram (@pamelalamp2) or Facebook @PamelaLamp. I'd also love to hear about a new thing you discover!

In episode 32, Cindy Burnett offers suggestions for our summer reading. She recommends eight books she loves that are perfect for tucking into our beach and travel bags this summer. The books represent all genres—something for every type of reader.

We discuss her podcast—Thoughts From a Page—the Literary Lookbook she co-publishes, her Patreon group, and how to join Net Galley.

In this summer reading episode, we reference:

Cindy's podcast, Thoughts from a Page 

Her Literary Lookbook

Dixon Descending by Karen Outen (Cindy's podcast episode with author) 

Everest, Inc by Will Cockrell

The Daydreams by Laura Rankin

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Cindy's podcast episode with author)

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay (Cindy's podcast episode with author)

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

Whiskey Tender by Deborah Taffy

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Splitwise app

Cindy's Instagram page

How to Listen to a Podcast

Michelle Beckwith—Books to Gift

Ellen Jovin and The Grammar Table

Amanda Skenandore and the Carville Leprosarium

Barbara Pagano—Living an Extraordinary Life in Retirement

Susansnaps Cookies—From Cancer to Cookies

I'd love you to follow me on Instagram (@pamelalamp2) or Facebook @PamelaLamp. I'd also love to hear about a new thing you discover!

In this episode, I chat with Sandell Morse. Our conversation is part of The Orchid Series. The interviews feature inspiring men and women over 75 years young. Curious, engaged, active, interesting. The sort of human we all hope to be when we grow up!

Sandell and I discuss how she and her husband have aged differently, the importance of a community, developing interests separate from our partners, and what we should pay attention to as we age. I loved hearing about her charming town and neighborhood, how living apart works for Sandell and her husband, her furry friend, her writing, and how she keeps active. I especially enjoyed learning about her year as a Radio City Music Hall Rockette!

At age 81, Sandell published her first memoir, The Spiral Shell: A French Village Reveals its Secrets of Jewish Resistance in World War II. According to Sandell, "It's never too late!"

Yoga with Adriene

The newsletter Sandell reads every day

Eulogy For A Dress: Or the Life I Didn't Live

Scandinavian Shrimp Salad

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

For more information, please visit Sandell's website, or follow her on Instagram. 

How to Listen to a Podcast

If you're interested in Botox ...

Exercises Crucial to Aging Well

How Aimee Found her "Thing"

Books and More Books

Have you gotten a Shingles shot? 

 I'd love you to follow me on Instagram (@pamelalamp2) or Facebook @PamelaLamp. I'd also love to hear about a new thing you discover!

What next? Aimee Oates had a happy marriage, a well-adjusted son, and a beautiful life. But she wanted more. Aimee wanted something for herself. A project where she felt accomplished and fulfilled and gave to others. For years, Aimee agonized and struggled with what was next. And then she found her IT.

In this episode, Aimee and I discuss life on the road, raising her son, and what she loves about Aspen. She describes the steps she took to find her passion project, what she learned about herself, and how it feels to be of service while feeling accomplished and productive. And, as always, Aimee shares her one new thing—it's a fun one!

Floral Design Institute in Portland, Oregon

Geny's Flowers

The Nashville Petal Project

John Oates

If you're interested, here is a sample of an Adult Aptitude test. And here is another.

Aspen Animal Shelter

A Backup Vocalist for a Country Music Superstar

The Benefits of Kindness

A Grandmother Stuns on Shark Tank

An Innkeeper in Oregon

Another Woman Who Determined What was Next

And, if you'd like, read How to Listen to a Podcast

Photo credit Debbie Kadota

I'd love you to follow me on Instagram (@pamelalamp2) or Facebook @PamelaLamp. I'd also love to hear about a new thing you discover!