Monthly Archives: May 2012

Food Allergies Are On The Rise: Speak Out!

Posted on by Barbara Dab

Hi everyone!  Yes, I’m posting again!  So much important information to share.  

I don’t know about you, but when I was in school kids with food allergies were very rare.  These days so many kids are being diagnosed with allergies that foods like peanut butter are are actually being banned from schools and camps.  And studies show there really are more cases of allergies being diagnosed in young children.  Unfortunately in our litigious society, schools in many states are not allowed to stock and administer that small, yet lifesaving device known as the Epi-pen, which can save lives.  Last week I spoke with a couple of people who are working to raise awareness about this issue, and to offer support for families living with this life-threatening condition.  Listen to Dr. Keegan Smith, allergist with Heritage Medical Associates and Heather Duncan, a mom to a teen with severe food allergies.  Then jump on Facebook and join the Food Allergy Community of Tennessee, otherwise known as FACT!  

Do you really know what the First Amendment to the Constitution means?  As a reporter, I focused on my freedom of speech everyday.  But there is so much more to this often misunderstood Amendment.  Recently, challenges to the rights outlined in it have made headlines, so I went to the expert!  Gene Policinski, Sr. Vice President and Executive Director of the First Amendment Center, explained what the First Amendment actually says and why it has everyone so confused these days.    If you have additional questions, check out the First Amendment Center’s website just to your right!

Have a great day Nashville!

Salute to Mother’s Day

Posted on by Barbara Dab

This has been quite a week for us!  All the kids are home and the house is alive with the sound of….laundry!!!!  Yep, it’s a mess around here, but a happy mess and I’m grateful for it.  I hope you are a enjoying this transitional time, school ending, summer almost here, the anticipation of a vacation.

Last week was Mother’s Day and I was so privileged to talk to one of my favorite authors, Mary Higgins Clark.  She is one of those rare women who has lived a very full life, overcome hardship and had one heck of an adventure.  Her latest book “The Lost Years” is another blockbuster you simply must read this summer.  Consider that an order from your mother!  Listen to some stories from Mary’s amazing life!  

If you’re as big a fan of Cheekwood as I am, you’re not going to want to miss their latest exhibit.  This weekend marked the opening of the new Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden and it’s gorgeous!  Consider this your own private (well not quite) space to relax and enjoy.  I talked to Jane Offenbach, the lovely President and CEO of Cheekwood about this new garden.  It’s the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Middle Tennessee and it’s right in our own backyard.  Jane also told me about some other fun things happening at Cheekwood this summer, so check out my interview, then pack a picnic and head over.  Aaaaah, summer in Nashville!  

Well, that’s about it for now.  Check back later in the week for some more fab interviews with folks you’re going to want to hear from.  Have a great week, everyone!

Springtime Goings On in Middle TN

Posted on by Barbara Dab

Been a busy few weeks for me!  Personally, my honey and I took a dream trip to Paris, France.!  And when I say a dream trip, I mean it was a dream come true for me.  We’ve been there once before but it was so long ago, it feels like another lifetime.  This time around, all I can say is “Wow”!  Even the cold, rainy weather couldn’t dampen my spirits as we wandered around and through the streets, countryside and even the underground catacombs.  Upon our return, our daughter completed her degree and graduated from MTSU!  It was a long-awaited and hard fought victory for her and we are elated and proud!  So, it’s back to reality for me and I’ve got some amazing folks for you to listen to.

While I was away, Nashville hosted its annual Film Festival.  I was fortunate to speak with someone who has made it his mission to bring the Batman story to the big screen.  Michael Uslan, executive produced every incarnation of the Dark Knight since the campy but, for me, beloved TV version of  the 1960s.  He’s written a fabulously entertaining book that is both inspirational and funny.  Listen to his interview and then get your own copy of “The Boy Who Loved Batman” and live your own dreams!  

Next up is a really special guest for me!  My cousin, Bill Sebastian, an extremely talented filmmaker.  He and his wife Dana and their newborn daughter Amelia were in town for a screening of their film “Qwerty”.  This true indie film follows the story of a scrabble nerd and her blossoming romance with a curmudgeonly  recluse.  Bill talks about the journey of QWERTY and what it’s like to follow the dream.  

This past weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of talking to a dear friend of mine who is also one of the most awesome women I’ve ever met!  Laura Reinbold is the Nashville Branch Manager of TTL, a geo-professional engineering firm.  Laura talks about what it takes to make it in a man’s world and how she’s developed her own unique leadership style.  Listen and learn, my friends!  

Autism Awareness Month just wrapped up and I had my annual talk with the folks from Autism Society of Middle Tennessee.  This year, their spokesperson was someone many of you will know.  Melissa Meadows, AKA Wylie Rose of WKDF, is the new Community Outreach Director for ASMT!  She speaks so movingly about her own journey raising a child with Aspberger’s, one of the disorders on the Autism spectrum.  Listen to Melissa and then check out ASMT’s website for support and information.  

Well friends, that’s about it for now.  This coming weekend, we’re off to Steeplechase again!  I’ve got my hat and my dress ready to go.  And Sunday is Mother’s Day.  So a very Happy Mother’s Day to anyone who mothers people.  It’s a tough job, definitely not for sissies!  And, listen on Sunday to a couple of great interviews.  One is with a very famous author, and that’s all I’m going to tell you.

Au revoir, mes aimees!