“You can’t read a book here!”

“Why not?” I was totally (as mom would say) “befuzzeled.”

“Because you don’t read a book at a drag race!”

Tim’s answer made no sense to me. I grew up reading. I read anywhere and everywhere; even while riding in the car. That was until Mamaw Jo said, “I get motion sickness when I read in a car.” Once that thought was planted in my brain, I couldn’t read in the car anymore without feeling woozy.

Back pain is pervasive among American adults, however it is not uncommon among children and teens. In a new and disturbing trend, young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations, and the use of overweight backpacks is a contributing factor, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

A certain amount of misadventure can come from dining in public, especially if that public meal is as a student in elementary school.

Recently I was talking with my good friend Chip Brown. We recalled the time when we were having lunch in seventh grade at Maynardville Elementary. In those days, ketchup and mustard were in plastic bottles in the middle of each table. (Even vinegar for the spinach was in glass bottles on the table! Just imagine, spinach for lunch!) I haven’t seen this in a school in decades, and probably in great reason this is due to our misadventures at Maynardville Elementary.

What do you do with leftover ham after a big dinner? I don't like to freeze the leftovers. They get sort of a freezer taste if not used within a week or two. Here is a recipe that looks elegant, that is, if leftover ham can look elegant. Anyway, it tastes good.

ELEGANT CABBAGE AND HAM
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 cups diced cooked leftover ham
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttered bread or saltine crumbs

Since the red grape pie was so good, I decided to try to make a “white” grape pie. Table grapes are available most of the year, so they are around to make a fruit pie when most fresh fruit isn't in season. I use our neighbors as guinea pigs for new recipes. They loved the red grape pie. The same with this pie. “Bring it on,” they said. They will try anything I make. They loved this pie, too.

It’s nice to think that plants produce fruit for our pleasure and that of other creatures. They do want us to eat them but have an ulterior motive of getting their seeds dispersed to other areas.

I recently read a report that said in the past five decades, North America’s bird population has decreased by over 3 billion individuals. That’s Billion with a capital “B.” And that is only in North America. The reports are similar in Europe, South America and other parts of the world. So what happens when we no longer have chance encounters seeing unique and intriguing birds? The norm will be that the next generation won’t miss them because they weren’t ever aware of their existence. Clear as mud?

Trauma—we have all experienced trauma, both little ones like when you lose your keys and you must be at an appointment in the next few minutes, to big ones like the loss of a loved one who was close to you. We all struggle with how to deal with trauma in our lives. Children in state custody live with practically daily trauma. They are taken from their home, and no matter how dysfunctional it seems to other people, it is home. For those who left home to go to college remember the pain in the pit of your stomach when you were driving away that first day?

September is a time of heading into fall festivals, football, and homecoming for communities like Maynardville. On Friday, September20, Maynardville held its annual Homecoming Parade and football game. The parade began at 5:30pm with some beautiful floats and homecoming queen candidates tossing candy to the crowds as they cruised the streets.

Leadership Union County (LUC) proudly gained four new graduates from the local program on September 17. The students enrolled in the six-month course beginning April 2019, attending a monthly class through September. The program focuses on developing leaders to help create a unified and progressive community by identifying opportunities and challenges, developing strategies, and providing resources to achieve community goals.