Spelling bees help to promote literacy by providing children with a positive goal to strive for, while giving them a forum to display the results of their dedication to work hard. Not only does the event improve their spelling, the bees also aid children in learning concepts, improving comprehension, and developing study skills that will benefit them through their school years and later. Benefits extend beyond language and skill, though.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Ten

My nephew Jeff was graduating from Marine basic training at Paris Island, South Carolina in the early 1990s. His parents, sister, his two grandmothers and I decided to make the trip to see the ceremony.

Don’t believe it. I found out the hard way that ignorance is not always bliss.

While attending college, I worked part-time in a hematology lab. Part of my duties there were prepping blood slides for pathologists to study under a microscope. One day, I snatched a flask full of slides off the counter and quickly spun around.

Being the klutz that I am, I should’ve known better.

Chiropractors offer several adjunctive therapies that can help treat arthritis. Ultrasound: Many think of ultrasound as imaging technology, but when applied to soft tissues and joints, sound waves can also produce a massaging effect that helps reduce swelling and decrease pain and stiffness.

Electrotherapy: These tiny electric pulses are not painful. They treat soft tissue injuries by stimulating nerves and muscles.

What child doesn't like a decorated cookie? What mother likes to do the decorating? Some do. Some don't. If you have a couple preschoolers tearing up the house, the last thing you have time to tackle is decorating fancy cookies.

The word “COOKIE” has a magic sound to a child's ears. You might even get them to lie down for a nap, if you promise cookies when they wake up. I know. I used bribery as a parenting tool when mine were at that changeable stage between diapers and pull-ups. It works, if you vary the bribe.

Having faith can sometimes be a struggle. Have you ever believed your faith was strong only to discover it wasn’t where you thought it was? We believe God for a miracle, we believe Him to bring about a change in our life. We believe it is going to happen, it has been ordained, however we get anxious because what we are believing Him for hasn’t come to pass yet.

Something I like to do when hiking in the woods is to look out for old house sites. It’s maybe not as grand as finding ancient ruins in Rome or South America, but it’s still historic evidence that someone was here during an earlier time and impacted the land. It’s still archeology, just more recent, say within the last 200 years. Like ancient ruins, usually the only manmade structures remaining are stonework, such as chimneys, foundations, and retaining walls.

Can you sing? I can't. Does your bucket have a hole in it? Mine looks like it was used for shot gun target practice. Let me tell you about it. I was looking through an old photo album the other day and came across a picture of my youngest daughter, Elizabeth, singing with her high school chorale group. She even learned to read music.

Homemaking soaps is a centuries old skill that many have the desire to learn. Recently, Big Ridge State Park has offered a class teaching these skills to pupils from the community. Ranger Hannah Paschall, who has been with the park for ten years, has led three sessions, only generating more interest. Classes were held in January, February, and are scheduled for March at the Big Ridge State Park Rec Hall. Ranger Hannah says that she expected the first class to fill up quickly, but she did not realize a second class would fill up in a day.

Union County’s JC Baker Lodge hosted a Scholarship Fundraiser Breakfast on Saturday, February 16. Members began to arrive for preparation at 4:00am with the breakfast being served from 7:00 – 11:00am. The goal of the breakfast was for lodge members to do their part in helping students from the community further their educations. Initially the goal was to kick this off as an annual event and with much support and success that goal seems hopeful.