A 2016 study on back pain caused by backpacks revealed two notable findings: Teen girls appear to experience more severe backpack-related pain compared to boys, and the time carrying the backpack—not the weight—is likely causing that pain.

The study covered 5,318 students aged 6 to 19 years. The researchers broke the student sample into three age groups: children, younger adolescents, and older adolescents.

I recently came across the question, “When is the last time you did something nice for a stranger?” There are indeed instances when we encounter strangers who have legitimate needs, but the bad experiences that we have with strangers who do not seem to be “on the level” make us cautious when dealing with all people unknown to us.

Most of us were probably taught as children to not talk to strangers. This was sound advice from our parents to prevent us from being harmed or kidnapped, and I believe in my case it once possibly saved my life.

The Autumn season tends to stir up a lot of nostalgia for how things used to be done in the country. Back in my grandparents and their parent’s day our society was predominately rural, and folks lived on subsistence farms growing and processing much of their own food and animal feed to support large families. Fall was a particularly busy time of year when many crops, fruits, and vegetables matured and needed storing or processing for use during the rest of the year. It made sense to help each other with the large quantity of crops that came in.

You don't usually think of a bullfrog as a pet, but I had one back in the 1980s. I remember him well. I never checked his gender, but he looked like a “he” to me. He lived at our house for about three years. Let me tell you about him.

I sent away for a bullfrog pollywog from a company that sold water lilies. One was all I wanted. We had built a cement goldfish pond in our backyard. It had a waterfall that came out of an old pitcher pump. What a perfect setting for a bullfrog.

When you need more than one pound of hotdogs, this is a good way to fix them. Whether for a potluck or a picnic, they will be hot and ready when you need them. I prepared frankfurters, or hotdogs, this way when I was doing the Wednesday night suppers at church. They hold well if the meal is delayed or if you are driving to the lake. Leftovers can be reheated after cooling in the fridge. They should all be eaten by then.

Boxelder bugs can make a nuisance of themselves by gathering around the house in large numbers. They usually do this in the autumn in preparation to move into protected areas to over-winter. While they do not cause physical damage to the house, they may stain walls and curtains with brown fecal matter.

I have a friend who has recently received the shock of his life. It’s a personal matter, so I won’t use his real name to relay the story. I’ll call him Mortimer.

Sonja DuBois is a hidden child surviving the Holocaust. She was twenty-two months old when her parents were deported to Auschwitz and never heard from again.

She has written the book, Finding Schifrah after her Hebrew name, about her quest for her identity. The author is available to give presentations about the Holocaust and WWII.

DuBois will present Preserving the Legacy at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S Gay St, Knoxville on Tuesday, October 22 at noon. A book signing of her memoir Finding Schifrah will follow.

Author Randall Carpenter will be one of the talented exhibitors at the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair to be held Wednesday, October 16 through Monday, October 21.

Carpenter will have five of his books on hand for sale and signing, and several framed and unframed writings. The fair will be held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Admission is $7 for adults for an all-day pass. The Convention Center is located at the corner of Traffic Light 8 in Gatlinburg.   

The 15th Annual Union County Heritage Festival offers a multitude of ways to just do more fiddlin' around on Saturday, October 5. With three venues and three music stages, there will be sights, sounds, and activities for all ages.