November 21, 2024 • 24 mins
The OG Lifestyle Influencer Sandra Lee has been showing us how to take our cooking and decor to the next level for years!Now the breast cancer thriver is showing us how to be over 50 and fabulous!In this episode, she is joined by her bestie Carolyn Smith Bryant for a fun and naughty conversation about sex, and dating younger men.Plus, find out what products they swear by when it comes to being naughty AND nice!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is let's be clear with Shannon Doherty. Hello there,
I am Sandra Lee, and I am so excited that
I have been allowed to host this podcast in honor
of Shannon Dwarty. She's such an icon, and I am
so in awe of her bravery, in her inspiration and
(00:24):
her giving to all of us, not just in entertainment,
but even at the end of life, in helping us
understand the disease of cancer. But I myself had breast
cancer and a double mistectomy, and then I went ahead
and had a full hysterect to me and I was thinking,
who are the people who are really involved in my
(00:47):
life and special to me in my life that I
would want to do this podcast with? And so I
called upon one of my very dearest friends, Carolyn Smith Bryant. Carolyn,
what I would love for you to do is share
with everyone kind of what you're working on now, where
you come from, all of those good things. I know everything,
but I want you to say in your own words
(01:09):
right now.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I am the features editor of Sophisticated Living Nashville, which
is super fun. I get to bring cover stories to Nashville.
You know, stories that should be told, so I'm having
a blast doing that. I just finished co writing the
book of a musical called Bye Bye Love, which has
(01:31):
some commercial interest that I can't share at this point.
But you know, musicals are an exciting genre and very speculative,
so I hope that this one comes to Broadway at
some point soon. And I wrote with two very iconic songwriters,
Desmond Child and Sharon Vaughn, and that was super fun.
(01:52):
That was one of our COVID projects. We've been working
on it for about five years. I come from New York,
originally grew up in Kennet, hitting back to New York
Woo and met Sandy. Our eyes met across the room
over a shared love of cream colored clothing. We were
both dressed head to toe in cream. We spotted each
(02:14):
other's outfits and we've been friends ever since. And that
is close to twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And this is all before, you know, our lives changed
when we heard or were fearful of the sea word.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
And so.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
There's only one other woman that I just became friends
with that I've met from across the room. And this
really speaks to like friendships of women and being thoughtful
about those friendships with women. I met a gal named
Nikki Deloche who is on Hallmark. I think she just
launched a movie and she used to be on The
Mickey Mouse Club. She also just started a podcast that's
(02:50):
called Mind What Matters, and her love language is togetherness.
What would you say your love language is?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
My love language is kindness and being a good listener.
And I think you know that about me. I think,
and it's so important and not overrated in these times
that we're going through. I mean, being kind is a
gift to yourself and to everyone else.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Which does not mean that it's not about sex, drugs
and rock and roll. Like let's get down right now,
because when I were being like this very polished, very sweet,
very soft, very kind girlfriend group, and we are we are,
we are naughty too. We can be a little naughty
and which I love about us and then we giggling
cackle depending on the season. But I want to say
(03:37):
that I was I was so taken back that you
moved to Nashville. I stayed in New York in that time,
and I was in the hospital having my double mistectomy,
and you flew in for the day just to sit
with me in the hospital room. And I can't remember
the day I was redecorating my hospital room, which was
the day after my surgery, or if that was the
day I was on my face, you were on.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Your face that day. You were absolutely in pain, you
were exhausted, your body obviously was healing. And no, you
were definitely not redecorating your room or a I would
have helped or be told you to get back to bed.
I didn't know you were redecorating the day after the room.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Next you did the day after. You have a double mistect.
To me, nobody gets the point that you're still amped
up on these drugs and on adrenaline and all those things,
and it's not that painful that first. That first very
next day you're like bionic. I was on the phone
making business calls. I was doing all this stuff, redecorating
my room, reorganizing my flowers, and then the next day, boom.
(04:42):
I was down for two straight weeks, I think. But
you came and then when you had your double misteckt
to me, it was planned. So I got on a
plane and I came to Franklin for a week and
we had so much fun, none of which you remember.
My husband, Della and I which I'm throwing Dell under
the bus in this anaima you.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Would love it. He expects nothing less.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, And I ate everything under the sun. And you
were in bed. I crawled in bed with you more
often than not. And your mom would come in to
change your drains and to do whatever.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And she was always.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Scowling at us like we were twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Absolutely she wanted me to rest.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
I know, and we we're just like giggling. And I think,
but I really think that that is part of healing. Absolutely,
laughing and being together.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Laughing is a part of healing through everything in life.
And it's just a daily mechanism to get through the small,
mundane moments and you know what, tough moments in life.
So smiling and humor is important.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So everybody knows that kind of knows that I've created
semi homemade and I'm a little naughty, mostly nice. I
do the cocktail times and the two shots of vodka,
and I created tablescapes and did all of those things.
After I had my double mastectomy, I actually felt sexier.
I liked being I mean, I've had reconstruction since, but
(06:01):
I liked kind of being flat and free. Does that
sound weird. Does that sound odd?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
No, No, it doesn't. No. Actually, and my doctor took
me in the opposite direction, which I was so annoyed about.
He made me three sizes too big, even though if
I remember that, but they were up to my clavicle
and they were enormous, and I was pissed for about
three years, and then I finally said, I'm going to
(06:29):
do something about this, and I had them redone. But apparently, ladies,
if you're considering this prophylactically or after a battle of
the cancer, sometimes the doctors will make you a little
bit bigger based on your frame or what they think
you ought to look like.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So just something to know, Well, you and I are.
You know we're taller women. I'm five nine. I don't
know how tall you are.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I have ten.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Yeah, I have ten. And I know you have one
size above me and shoe size I do because you
have the best. She's like sex and Okay, everybody who's listening.
First of all, thank you for listening and being patient
with me, because it's my first podcast. I've never done
it before, so I don't know if I'm doing well
or not. But Carolyn Smith Bryant is like the sex
(07:17):
in the City of shoes and bags. I'm just saying,
I mean, you've got to be six five when you
put on your stilettos.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I am, and being back in New York across from
where I used to work in my office, CNN caught
me one time where I'm towering at about six '
three and said, why do you wear heels? And I
just threw my head back in a demonic laugh and
cackled because it brings me power. And they played that
all over the nation. But anyway, I no longer wear
(07:43):
them for power, but just for me. And we talk
about fabulous outfits of your blue ribbon, your blue room championship,
making championship, your outfits. Can we just talk about those
(08:06):
for a moment. They were off the chaine, my friend,
thank you, absolutely gorgeous, one better than the next.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Netflix let me style all that, and I was really
happy because it needed to be my own style. I
created that show, the Blue Ribbon Faking Championship twelve years ago, Carolyn.
It took me twelve years to get that thing on
the air.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Netflix was the perfect place for it. And it's a
fabulous show, not just because you look amazing, but I
love Jason Biggs. He's so funny and your judges are amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Okay, we have to talk about Noddy, not sex. Let's
talk about sex.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Let's do it. Okay, let's go there.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
You first after you had your double instec to me
and had all your stuff. And what I love about
sharing this is we both had these issues. There are
next generations that are going to come with these issues.
There's women going through issue right now. There's women on
the other side of the issues. There's women looking at
what their next journey is going to be because they're
(09:05):
going to join Shannon in heaven for the big cocktail time,
which is you know, your blue ribbon right on that
next journey. So let's talk about did your sex life
change after your double mistectomy or your hysterectomy.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Well, let's just talk about the lack of hormones that
comes with No matter what kind of cancer you have
or if you're doing what I did to prevent cancer,
it does impact your hormones and that always impacts your
intimate life. So I know that.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Carolyn, there's a vagina cream. No, it's like got testosterone
in it, and there's estrogen in it, and that stuff
will light you on fire. I never looked at a
tree that way before.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Hello, send me a link.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Well, I'll take a picture and send it to you.
This stuff is unbelievable. It's like hot to trot. Everybody's like,
you look so young. What's going on? I'm like sex,
That's what's going on a lot of it.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You have a significant other also, that's quite a bit younger.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And Carolyn tormiando thing called Sammy. What's Sammy?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Sammy is a natural mood elevator. It is great. The
first time I took it, I could not stop laughing,
so I'm not sure I took the correct dose. It's
been around for a very long time. And we are
not doctors. Sandy only plays a doctor on TV, so
(10:30):
check check this out with your own doctor. But Samy
over the counter herbal is over the counter, right, and
it's been around for a very long time, which just
means that people have vetted it for a very long time.
But it's great.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Okay that Carolyn takes Sammy's to make her happy, and
I have vaginny cream. All right, So we're going to
talk about something that happened, and you're going to tell me, actually,
what happened. Okay, So I go down to visit Carolyn
on one of my many trips to Franklin, who, by
the way, has the best antiquing. I love Franklin, Tennessee.
It's right next to Leaper's Fork. I think justin Timberlake
(11:07):
owns most of that town. Great Pockets, food, chest pie,
oh God, bands, Sunday Morning, fire Pits, coffee. Can't say
enough about Leaper's Fork. And Franklin is just this is
like jewel of a town.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Like jewel.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Kathylee Giffard lives.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
There, she does, and Shannon live there, and Dann live there.
Shannon lived there.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yes, oh my god where she Yes.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
I'm not exactly sure because unfortunately I met her about
a month before she passed away, and she said we
have to hang out, and then I got the sad
news when the world got the news. But she she
also loved Franklin. Oh my love.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, we shouldn't say too much. Everybody will move there
and then they'll work.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
No.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
So oh, so I come to visit you and we're
sitting in the kitchen and two things, Dell, wouldn't you
put the Christmas tree up? Until like a couple of
days before Christmas.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
And I'm like, hmm, yeah, that doesn't sit well with
someone who invented table scapes.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Now I'm like, Dell, I have good news for you.
She's not putting it up November first, which is my idea,
or even the day after Thanksgiving. And so Carolyn, I
would look at you and I'm like, Carolyn, seriously, you
can't put your Christmas tree up or kind of and
You're like, I'm working on it. So now the Christmas
(12:31):
tree goes up.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
When Christmas tree goes up about mid November, a full
week before Thanksgiving, and you know, you know you're in
a relationship. Everything takes patience from making them think it's
a fair idea, right.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
That is the beautiful thing about being over fifty and fabulous.
I'm part of this QVCS over fifty and fabulous. At
this point, we've been around the turnarounds, you know, those
turnarounds that you can said so many times, and we
weren't doing everything, Like I don't mean that ells not
doing anything, don't get me wrong. But we're organizing the house,
(13:04):
we're organizing the holidays, we're doing the gift giving, we're
making the food, we're doing all this stuff like if
we want to put the Christmas tree up, like, I
got good news for you. Put the Christmas tree up
and we can have sex.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
You've given me that advice before, Dell put the Christmas
tree up, and let me help you.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Help you Carolyn's husband, who is the most charming man
in the world. And we used to go the three
of us used to go everywhere together and a Dell's
parents wrote so many great songs. They wrote Rocky Top,
which is the Tennessee fight song. And I've been to
(13:44):
a Tennessee game with you. Great apparel. I think so
you are helping run that brand for.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
The time being. I absolutely am. We have a bunch
of things in the works.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah. And I went to Walmart with you, and I
have also been with walm Mark, QVC and Walmart for
like over thirty years. It was so nice to see
your stuff in Walmart.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Oh, it's so gratifying to see their works all over
everything from wrapping paper, you know, T shirt, sweatshirts, the
obvious things.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Can you sing Rocky Top? I can't. They'll tell us.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
That I was on old Rocky Top down on the
Tennessee Hills. Ain't no smokey smog on Rocky Top. Ain't
no telephone bills.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So I want to go back to talking about compelling journeys.
We know and are so honored to be here because
Shannon started something pretty fantastic and is an inspiration to
all of us, and her story was so compelling. What
is the one thing that you think that you learned
(15:05):
from you taking control of your health journey yourself? Like,
what did you learn from that experience?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
I've learned that it's okay to be raw and vulnerable
and honest. And I called myself the town crier of
menopause because I found that nobody was talking about it.
Nobody was talking about these intimate things. And I was
the first person to tell people, Yeah, I've got stuff
hanging out and I'm tacking it back up and I'm
(15:35):
taking everything out I don't need, and I'm going to
be perky forever. And to go back to what you
said about laughter, being raw, being honest, being authentic and
laughing about it, and it just this is what Shannon
did with this podcast. It just opens people up to
tell about their own story, or their mother's story, or
(15:55):
their sisters or best friends or you know, we're all impacted.
So we all have stories to tell and it's okay
and younger, yes, frightfully so. But the reason why people
don't talk about it also is they think that sometimes
that it ages them, and age is age is a gift.
I mean, do I like the wrinkle here and there? No?
(16:18):
Do I love and I like your wrinkles. I love
your beautiful face that is so beautiful, and I just
like the inside of you.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You know, some people think because they watched me on
Semi Homemade, we're have in the past, or they see
me on Best and Fair or whatever it is, they
because we're edited so specifically. You know, when I did
Semi home made, it was four recipes, a cocktail, two
wardrobe changes, and a whole table scape. There was no
(16:46):
time to be naughty or to say much other than
you know, put this in the bowl and do that
with the bowl, and you know this that and the
other thing. But there was no time to really have
that kind of like personality. So now that people see
my real personality, some love it, some are horrified, and
you know what, love hurts.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Love hurts, But you know what I know, But you
weren't pooling anyone when it came down to cocktail time.
You're naughtiness came out in that part of the segment.
I used to look at it and see, my god,
I'd be on my face. But you shot the Monca,
always always tasty, and everything you've done is just so beautiful,
so much fun.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So I have a nephew, a godson if you well name,
which is Carolyn's son. And Carolyn you had Tad later
on in life. But before you're going to tell the
Tad story, which is a whole inspiration. Before you tell
the Tad story, I just want to say, Tad, I'm
holding you to the fact that when Aunt Sandy Claws,
(17:46):
Aunt Sandy and your mom were in Paris walking all
over the Shaunsey Leez trying to buy you color markers
when you were five, we had a conversation. Listen to
Aunt Sandy, you are going to be pushing us in
our wheelchairs in Paris when we're old, all of us,
so start working out. But not that you need to
start working out. So tell tell you were Gizelle before
(18:10):
Gizelle was Gizelle in that you were having a later
in life.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Baby, Well, you just made my day being compared to
Giselle in anyway is such an honor. But yes, I
had my well, I had tad at thirty nine and
then quickly turned forty because in New York, as you know,
a lot of women are just career focused, career obsessed.
And then and.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
You were on Wall Street and during all you went
to Harvard I mean yes.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Online the business school to help merchandise Rocky Top and
other parts of our famili's made the catalog.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And later in life you decided to have a baby
and coming into the world. What is it like to
have a baby later on in life? I would think
it would be much better because I feel so much
more solid in myself and where I want to go
and what I want to do and how I want
to do it. And when I was thirty nine and forty,
I was determined. I was not taking no for an answer,
(19:12):
and I was running like a thoroughbread But you were
burthing I was.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
And I can sum it up in one word. I
had patience. I come from a long line of impatient people,
so it wasn't until I was about thirty nine when
I finally was patient enough and I felt like I
had done part one of my journey as a woman,
and accomplishing things, but I was patient enough to just
really enjoy. And you know, I enjoyed every moment of motherhood,
(19:42):
and it's all these different stages. You helped me. You
would go pick them up from school with me after
our Central Park hat luncheons, and it's a beautiful journey.
I've enjoyed it immensely.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Thank you for introducing me to Stevie Nicks, like a
couple times. She literally saved my life in high school.
When I was a junior, I literally did not want
to be here. I wanted to go on that next
journey in the sky and have cocktail time up in
heaven and set up the craft store for everybody, but
that was.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Not to be.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Thank goodness, thank you. But if it wasn't for her
Belladonna album, I would have been not here. I was
so upset and so depressed. And you introduced me to
her several times, So thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Well, she loved meeting you, and she's such good friends
with Dall and it was just another and a long
list of great times that we've had. So I'm thrilled.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
So talk to me about your alchemy.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Well, looping this back to menopause, one of the best
things for menopause is Saint Clarie Sage. It's wonderful. Don't
pretend to know how it works, but it works. It
stops and helps with hot flashes. It is great and
it comes and rollers that you can roll it on
(21:02):
at the post point. You can put it on your pillow.
Larry Sage is amazing. But I also really I live
by things like you know, lavender for stress. I love frankensense.
I don't know what it does, but it just makes
me happy. And when I think of Christmas and Jesus
(21:24):
getting it as a gift, you know who, you can't
go wrong with frankensense. But there are just so many
great herbs out there.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So how is your sex life? Honey?
Speaker 2 (21:33):
While I was going to throw it back to you,
you're the one dating the younger man. Let's talk to you.
Let's talk about your your a handsome young man. We
can talk about mine after. My sex life's great, great,
And Ben is so handsome, so sweet. He's so sweet
for you.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
No, he's super super sweet. And I do have to
say that. I you know, everything's a trade off. You
know that everything in a relationship is a trade off,
and there's nothing you can do that, because nobody is perfect.
What I love about him is that he's transparent, overly transparent,
almost like hey honey, inside voice. He is loyal, he
(22:13):
is connected, and he is available emotionally physically like he's available.
And what I don't like is that he's a little messy.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
And you know me, well, I mean, if that's that's
the worst of it, that's great. I love the way
he looks at you in every picture, and I'm just
happy for you.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Yeah, it's it's been a really interesting ride. I decided
after my double mastectomy and my breast cancer journey and
then my uncle's diagnosis, I just had to change my life.
I just I was in New York. I was in
a totally different situation in life.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
We know, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
That that was a challenging time for a while before
I decided to leave and to change my life. And
I think that that's one of the beautiful things that
I love about Shannon's story is that she was married
and decided to get divorced in her last year of
(23:20):
her life. And I think that that is just right
up there with life too short, Like if you're not
happy or it's not happening, and you need to move on,
like you need to move on, and making those decisions
are They're.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Tough, absolutely, and that's the ultimate. And recharging your battery,
which is what you needed. But back to our Shannon,
Shannon's journey and having the bravery to say, I think
I know where this cancer journey is going, and yet
I'm going to end this relationship and recharge my battery.
(23:57):
She was just a badass and so brave. I'll be
forever grateful to her. She was so kind. That's like
my favorite word these days. She was kind and inspirational.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to
do this podcast. I'm so grateful for you for being
with me on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I'd loved it and we're thinking about you, Shannon and
all the Let's be clear listeners. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Thank you everybody.
This is let's be clear with Shannon Doherty. Hello there,
I am Sandra Lee, and I am so excited that
I have been allowed to host this podcast in honor
of Shannon Dwarty. She's such an icon, and I am
so in awe of her bravery, in her inspiration and
(00:24):
her giving to all of us, not just in entertainment,
but even at the end of life, in helping us
understand the disease of cancer. But I myself had breast
cancer and a double mistectomy, and then I went ahead
and had a full hysterect to me and I was thinking,
who are the people who are really involved in my
(00:47):
life and special to me in my life that I
would want to do this podcast with? And so I
called upon one of my very dearest friends, Carolyn Smith Bryant. Carolyn,
what I would love for you to do is share
with everyone kind of what you're working on now, where
you come from, all of those good things. I know everything,
but I want you to say in your own words
(01:09):
right now.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I am the features editor of Sophisticated Living Nashville, which
is super fun. I get to bring cover stories to Nashville.
You know, stories that should be told, so I'm having
a blast doing that. I just finished co writing the
book of a musical called Bye Bye Love, which has
(01:31):
some commercial interest that I can't share at this point.
But you know, musicals are an exciting genre and very speculative,
so I hope that this one comes to Broadway at
some point soon. And I wrote with two very iconic songwriters,
Desmond Child and Sharon Vaughn, and that was super fun.
(01:52):
That was one of our COVID projects. We've been working
on it for about five years. I come from New York,
originally grew up in Kennet, hitting back to New York
Woo and met Sandy. Our eyes met across the room
over a shared love of cream colored clothing. We were
both dressed head to toe in cream. We spotted each
(02:14):
other's outfits and we've been friends ever since. And that
is close to twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And this is all before, you know, our lives changed
when we heard or were fearful of the sea word.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
And so.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
There's only one other woman that I just became friends
with that I've met from across the room. And this
really speaks to like friendships of women and being thoughtful
about those friendships with women. I met a gal named
Nikki Deloche who is on Hallmark. I think she just
launched a movie and she used to be on The
Mickey Mouse Club. She also just started a podcast that's
(02:50):
called Mind What Matters, and her love language is togetherness.
What would you say your love language is?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
My love language is kindness and being a good listener.
And I think you know that about me. I think,
and it's so important and not overrated in these times
that we're going through. I mean, being kind is a
gift to yourself and to everyone else.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Which does not mean that it's not about sex, drugs
and rock and roll. Like let's get down right now,
because when I were being like this very polished, very sweet,
very soft, very kind girlfriend group, and we are we are,
we are naughty too. We can be a little naughty
and which I love about us and then we giggling
cackle depending on the season. But I want to say
(03:37):
that I was I was so taken back that you
moved to Nashville. I stayed in New York in that time,
and I was in the hospital having my double mistectomy,
and you flew in for the day just to sit
with me in the hospital room. And I can't remember
the day I was redecorating my hospital room, which was
the day after my surgery, or if that was the
day I was on my face, you were on.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Your face that day. You were absolutely in pain, you
were exhausted, your body obviously was healing. And no, you
were definitely not redecorating your room or a I would
have helped or be told you to get back to bed.
I didn't know you were redecorating the day after the room.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Next you did the day after. You have a double mistect.
To me, nobody gets the point that you're still amped
up on these drugs and on adrenaline and all those things,
and it's not that painful that first. That first very
next day you're like bionic. I was on the phone
making business calls. I was doing all this stuff, redecorating
my room, reorganizing my flowers, and then the next day, boom.
(04:42):
I was down for two straight weeks, I think. But
you came and then when you had your double misteckt
to me, it was planned. So I got on a
plane and I came to Franklin for a week and
we had so much fun, none of which you remember.
My husband, Della and I which I'm throwing Dell under
the bus in this anaima you.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Would love it. He expects nothing less.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, And I ate everything under the sun. And you
were in bed. I crawled in bed with you more
often than not. And your mom would come in to
change your drains and to do whatever.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And she was always.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Scowling at us like we were twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Absolutely she wanted me to rest.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
I know, and we we're just like giggling. And I think,
but I really think that that is part of healing. Absolutely,
laughing and being together.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Laughing is a part of healing through everything in life.
And it's just a daily mechanism to get through the small,
mundane moments and you know what, tough moments in life.
So smiling and humor is important.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So everybody knows that kind of knows that I've created
semi homemade and I'm a little naughty, mostly nice. I
do the cocktail times and the two shots of vodka,
and I created tablescapes and did all of those things.
After I had my double mastectomy, I actually felt sexier.
I liked being I mean, I've had reconstruction since, but
(06:01):
I liked kind of being flat and free. Does that
sound weird. Does that sound odd?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
No, No, it doesn't. No. Actually, and my doctor took
me in the opposite direction, which I was so annoyed about.
He made me three sizes too big, even though if
I remember that, but they were up to my clavicle
and they were enormous, and I was pissed for about
three years, and then I finally said, I'm going to
(06:29):
do something about this, and I had them redone. But apparently, ladies,
if you're considering this prophylactically or after a battle of
the cancer, sometimes the doctors will make you a little
bit bigger based on your frame or what they think
you ought to look like.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So just something to know, Well, you and I are.
You know we're taller women. I'm five nine. I don't
know how tall you are.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I have ten.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Yeah, I have ten. And I know you have one
size above me and shoe size I do because you
have the best. She's like sex and Okay, everybody who's listening.
First of all, thank you for listening and being patient
with me, because it's my first podcast. I've never done
it before, so I don't know if I'm doing well
or not. But Carolyn Smith Bryant is like the sex
(07:17):
in the City of shoes and bags. I'm just saying,
I mean, you've got to be six five when you
put on your stilettos.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I am, and being back in New York across from
where I used to work in my office, CNN caught
me one time where I'm towering at about six '
three and said, why do you wear heels? And I
just threw my head back in a demonic laugh and
cackled because it brings me power. And they played that
all over the nation. But anyway, I no longer wear
(07:43):
them for power, but just for me. And we talk
about fabulous outfits of your blue ribbon, your blue room championship,
making championship, your outfits. Can we just talk about those
(08:06):
for a moment. They were off the chaine, my friend,
thank you, absolutely gorgeous, one better than the next.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Netflix let me style all that, and I was really
happy because it needed to be my own style. I
created that show, the Blue Ribbon Faking Championship twelve years ago, Carolyn.
It took me twelve years to get that thing on
the air.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Netflix was the perfect place for it. And it's a
fabulous show, not just because you look amazing, but I
love Jason Biggs. He's so funny and your judges are amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Okay, we have to talk about Noddy, not sex. Let's
talk about sex.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Let's do it. Okay, let's go there.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
You first after you had your double instec to me
and had all your stuff. And what I love about
sharing this is we both had these issues. There are
next generations that are going to come with these issues.
There's women going through issue right now. There's women on
the other side of the issues. There's women looking at
what their next journey is going to be because they're
(09:05):
going to join Shannon in heaven for the big cocktail time,
which is you know, your blue ribbon right on that
next journey. So let's talk about did your sex life
change after your double mistectomy or your hysterectomy.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Well, let's just talk about the lack of hormones that
comes with No matter what kind of cancer you have
or if you're doing what I did to prevent cancer,
it does impact your hormones and that always impacts your
intimate life. So I know that.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Carolyn, there's a vagina cream. No, it's like got testosterone
in it, and there's estrogen in it, and that stuff
will light you on fire. I never looked at a
tree that way before.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Hello, send me a link.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Well, I'll take a picture and send it to you.
This stuff is unbelievable. It's like hot to trot. Everybody's like,
you look so young. What's going on? I'm like sex,
That's what's going on a lot of it.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You have a significant other also, that's quite a bit younger.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And Carolyn tormiando thing called Sammy. What's Sammy?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Sammy is a natural mood elevator. It is great. The
first time I took it, I could not stop laughing,
so I'm not sure I took the correct dose. It's
been around for a very long time. And we are
not doctors. Sandy only plays a doctor on TV, so
(10:30):
check check this out with your own doctor. But Samy
over the counter herbal is over the counter, right, and
it's been around for a very long time, which just
means that people have vetted it for a very long time.
But it's great.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Okay that Carolyn takes Sammy's to make her happy, and
I have vaginny cream. All right, So we're going to
talk about something that happened, and you're going to tell me, actually,
what happened. Okay, So I go down to visit Carolyn
on one of my many trips to Franklin, who, by
the way, has the best antiquing. I love Franklin, Tennessee.
It's right next to Leaper's Fork. I think justin Timberlake
(11:07):
owns most of that town. Great Pockets, food, chest pie,
oh God, bands, Sunday Morning, fire Pits, coffee. Can't say
enough about Leaper's Fork. And Franklin is just this is
like jewel of a town.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Like jewel.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Kathylee Giffard lives.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
There, she does, and Shannon live there, and Dann live there.
Shannon lived there.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yes, oh my god where she Yes.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
I'm not exactly sure because unfortunately I met her about
a month before she passed away, and she said we
have to hang out, and then I got the sad
news when the world got the news. But she she
also loved Franklin. Oh my love.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, we shouldn't say too much. Everybody will move there
and then they'll work.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
No.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
So oh, so I come to visit you and we're
sitting in the kitchen and two things, Dell, wouldn't you
put the Christmas tree up? Until like a couple of
days before Christmas.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
And I'm like, hmm, yeah, that doesn't sit well with
someone who invented table scapes.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Now I'm like, Dell, I have good news for you.
She's not putting it up November first, which is my idea,
or even the day after Thanksgiving. And so Carolyn, I
would look at you and I'm like, Carolyn, seriously, you
can't put your Christmas tree up or kind of and
You're like, I'm working on it. So now the Christmas
(12:31):
tree goes up.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
When Christmas tree goes up about mid November, a full
week before Thanksgiving, and you know, you know you're in
a relationship. Everything takes patience from making them think it's
a fair idea, right.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
That is the beautiful thing about being over fifty and fabulous.
I'm part of this QVCS over fifty and fabulous. At
this point, we've been around the turnarounds, you know, those
turnarounds that you can said so many times, and we
weren't doing everything, Like I don't mean that ells not
doing anything, don't get me wrong. But we're organizing the house,
(13:04):
we're organizing the holidays, we're doing the gift giving, we're
making the food, we're doing all this stuff like if
we want to put the Christmas tree up, like, I
got good news for you. Put the Christmas tree up
and we can have sex.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
You've given me that advice before, Dell put the Christmas
tree up, and let me help you.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Help you Carolyn's husband, who is the most charming man
in the world. And we used to go the three
of us used to go everywhere together and a Dell's
parents wrote so many great songs. They wrote Rocky Top,
which is the Tennessee fight song. And I've been to
(13:44):
a Tennessee game with you. Great apparel. I think so
you are helping run that brand for.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
The time being. I absolutely am. We have a bunch
of things in the works.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah. And I went to Walmart with you, and I
have also been with walm Mark, QVC and Walmart for
like over thirty years. It was so nice to see
your stuff in Walmart.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Oh, it's so gratifying to see their works all over
everything from wrapping paper, you know, T shirt, sweatshirts, the
obvious things.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Can you sing Rocky Top? I can't. They'll tell us.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
That I was on old Rocky Top down on the
Tennessee Hills. Ain't no smokey smog on Rocky Top. Ain't
no telephone bills.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So I want to go back to talking about compelling journeys.
We know and are so honored to be here because
Shannon started something pretty fantastic and is an inspiration to
all of us, and her story was so compelling. What
is the one thing that you think that you learned
(15:05):
from you taking control of your health journey yourself? Like,
what did you learn from that experience?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
I've learned that it's okay to be raw and vulnerable
and honest. And I called myself the town crier of
menopause because I found that nobody was talking about it.
Nobody was talking about these intimate things. And I was
the first person to tell people, Yeah, I've got stuff
hanging out and I'm tacking it back up and I'm
(15:35):
taking everything out I don't need, and I'm going to
be perky forever. And to go back to what you
said about laughter, being raw, being honest, being authentic and
laughing about it, and it just this is what Shannon
did with this podcast. It just opens people up to
tell about their own story, or their mother's story, or
(15:55):
their sisters or best friends or you know, we're all impacted.
So we all have stories to tell and it's okay
and younger, yes, frightfully so. But the reason why people
don't talk about it also is they think that sometimes
that it ages them, and age is age is a gift.
I mean, do I like the wrinkle here and there? No?
(16:18):
Do I love and I like your wrinkles. I love
your beautiful face that is so beautiful, and I just
like the inside of you.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You know, some people think because they watched me on
Semi Homemade, we're have in the past, or they see
me on Best and Fair or whatever it is, they
because we're edited so specifically. You know, when I did
Semi home made, it was four recipes, a cocktail, two
wardrobe changes, and a whole table scape. There was no
(16:46):
time to be naughty or to say much other than
you know, put this in the bowl and do that
with the bowl, and you know this that and the
other thing. But there was no time to really have
that kind of like personality. So now that people see
my real personality, some love it, some are horrified, and
you know what, love hurts.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Love hurts, But you know what I know, But you
weren't pooling anyone when it came down to cocktail time.
You're naughtiness came out in that part of the segment.
I used to look at it and see, my god,
I'd be on my face. But you shot the Monca,
always always tasty, and everything you've done is just so beautiful,
so much fun.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So I have a nephew, a godson if you well name,
which is Carolyn's son. And Carolyn you had Tad later
on in life. But before you're going to tell the
Tad story, which is a whole inspiration. Before you tell
the Tad story, I just want to say, Tad, I'm
holding you to the fact that when Aunt Sandy Claws,
(17:46):
Aunt Sandy and your mom were in Paris walking all
over the Shaunsey Leez trying to buy you color markers
when you were five, we had a conversation. Listen to
Aunt Sandy, you are going to be pushing us in
our wheelchairs in Paris when we're old, all of us,
so start working out. But not that you need to
start working out. So tell tell you were Gizelle before
(18:10):
Gizelle was Gizelle in that you were having a later
in life.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Baby, Well, you just made my day being compared to
Giselle in anyway is such an honor. But yes, I
had my well, I had tad at thirty nine and
then quickly turned forty because in New York, as you know,
a lot of women are just career focused, career obsessed.
And then and.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
You were on Wall Street and during all you went
to Harvard I mean yes.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Online the business school to help merchandise Rocky Top and
other parts of our famili's made the catalog.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And later in life you decided to have a baby
and coming into the world. What is it like to
have a baby later on in life? I would think
it would be much better because I feel so much
more solid in myself and where I want to go
and what I want to do and how I want
to do it. And when I was thirty nine and forty,
I was determined. I was not taking no for an answer,
(19:12):
and I was running like a thoroughbread But you were
burthing I was.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
And I can sum it up in one word. I
had patience. I come from a long line of impatient people,
so it wasn't until I was about thirty nine when
I finally was patient enough and I felt like I
had done part one of my journey as a woman,
and accomplishing things, but I was patient enough to just
really enjoy. And you know, I enjoyed every moment of motherhood,
(19:42):
and it's all these different stages. You helped me. You
would go pick them up from school with me after
our Central Park hat luncheons, and it's a beautiful journey.
I've enjoyed it immensely.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Thank you for introducing me to Stevie Nicks, like a
couple times. She literally saved my life in high school.
When I was a junior, I literally did not want
to be here. I wanted to go on that next
journey in the sky and have cocktail time up in
heaven and set up the craft store for everybody, but
that was.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Not to be.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Thank goodness, thank you. But if it wasn't for her
Belladonna album, I would have been not here. I was
so upset and so depressed. And you introduced me to
her several times, So thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Well, she loved meeting you, and she's such good friends
with Dall and it was just another and a long
list of great times that we've had. So I'm thrilled.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
So talk to me about your alchemy.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Well, looping this back to menopause, one of the best
things for menopause is Saint Clarie Sage. It's wonderful. Don't
pretend to know how it works, but it works. It
stops and helps with hot flashes. It is great and
it comes and rollers that you can roll it on
(21:02):
at the post point. You can put it on your pillow.
Larry Sage is amazing. But I also really I live
by things like you know, lavender for stress. I love frankensense.
I don't know what it does, but it just makes
me happy. And when I think of Christmas and Jesus
(21:24):
getting it as a gift, you know who, you can't
go wrong with frankensense. But there are just so many
great herbs out there.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So how is your sex life? Honey?
Speaker 2 (21:33):
While I was going to throw it back to you,
you're the one dating the younger man. Let's talk to you.
Let's talk about your your a handsome young man. We
can talk about mine after. My sex life's great, great,
And Ben is so handsome, so sweet. He's so sweet
for you.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
No, he's super super sweet. And I do have to
say that. I you know, everything's a trade off. You
know that everything in a relationship is a trade off,
and there's nothing you can do that, because nobody is perfect.
What I love about him is that he's transparent, overly transparent,
almost like hey honey, inside voice. He is loyal, he
(22:13):
is connected, and he is available emotionally physically like he's available.
And what I don't like is that he's a little messy.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
And you know me, well, I mean, if that's that's
the worst of it, that's great. I love the way
he looks at you in every picture, and I'm just
happy for you.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Yeah, it's it's been a really interesting ride. I decided
after my double mastectomy and my breast cancer journey and
then my uncle's diagnosis, I just had to change my life.
I just I was in New York. I was in
a totally different situation in life.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
We know, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
That that was a challenging time for a while before
I decided to leave and to change my life. And
I think that that's one of the beautiful things that
I love about Shannon's story is that she was married
and decided to get divorced in her last year of
(23:20):
her life. And I think that that is just right
up there with life too short, Like if you're not
happy or it's not happening, and you need to move on,
like you need to move on, and making those decisions
are They're.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Tough, absolutely, and that's the ultimate. And recharging your battery,
which is what you needed. But back to our Shannon,
Shannon's journey and having the bravery to say, I think
I know where this cancer journey is going, and yet
I'm going to end this relationship and recharge my battery.
(23:57):
She was just a badass and so brave. I'll be
forever grateful to her. She was so kind. That's like
my favorite word these days. She was kind and inspirational.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to
do this podcast. I'm so grateful for you for being
with me on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I'd loved it and we're thinking about you, Shannon and
all the Let's be clear listeners. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Thank you everybody.
Host
Shannen Doherty
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