Mincey’s Musings
Year One, Week Forty

I have for some time been writing down words that people use in “quirky” ways. I find it interesting the way people often misspeak words unintentionally, often rendering thought provoking meanings. A few examples follow.

A country woman had an opportunity to eat in a fancy restaurant. Trying to impress her companions, she ordered a “ward off” salad. Though that was not on the menu, the waiter directed the lady to the Waldorf salad as an excellent choice to ward off unwanted calories.

This zesty adventure started late one evening as I was walking in the dark by myself. I had just dug my cell phone out of the floorboard of my husband Tim’s truck. Being an old geek, I was gazing up at the stars. It dawned on me that I hadn’t locked Tim’s truck back after retrieving my phone. Without taking my eyes off of the night sky, I tossed my hand back and pressed the lock button on the clicker. Ka-Click. The truck beeped.

Ka-KAW Ka-KAW rang out.

I came to a dead stop and stood there alone in the darkness. Goose bumps ran up my arm.

Back pain, especially chronic back pain, can make life miserable; this condition is quite common in the military. Randomized trials have found that spinal manipulation can be effective for lower back pain. One 2013 study specifically compared chiropractic therapy to general medical care in military personnel, 18-35 years old. The results suggest reduced pain and improved physical wellbeing and function as compared to patients who only received the standard care.

After a long hot summer my favorite time of year is finally here, with its balmy days, cool nights, and eventual forest color display that everyone looks forward to. If you ever wonder why leaves change color, here’s the latest scoop.

Anyone who knows me knows of my taste for black walnuts. When my kids were small and money was tight, I would load the three youngest ones in the pickup. After a fall's hard freeze, we would head for my favorite walnut trees along country roads. Each child would have his or her own pail. “Pick 'em up as fast as you can,” I would yell.

Sometimes, neighbors took offense with our picking up the walnuts, even if the walnuts were out in the roadway. We did get run off occasionally, but it didn't take long to fill the pickup bed with the ones we could get.

I like corn salsa. It is best made in the summertime with fresh vegetables. Red tomatoes in the winter don't taste as good as tomatoes fresh from the garden. That goes for sweet corn, too. We like sweet corn freshly cut from the cob and fried with butter, salt and sugar. Oh well, that is another dish. For this salsa, canned whole kernel corn can be used as well. I learned to appreciate red onions while working at Arby's in Halls. I was introduced to jalapeno peppers when we moved to Tennessee. Before that, I only used the yellow hot banana peppers.

We would like to thank everyone who stopped by our booth at the 14th Annual Union County Heritage Festival on Saturday, October 6, 2018.

As we did last year, we decided to give something back to those who signed up for our weekly newsletter. Everyone who signed up was entered into a drawing to receive their own copy of Betty Bullen’s print, “Fiddlin Around.”

Residents at Willow Ridge Center in Maynardville are feeling the love even more these days. Admissions and marketing director Kathy Chesney said mindfulness and generosity from local organizations have given residents new in-room televisions and a new water fountain with a bottle filling station.

The sun beamed smiles down on Narrow Ridge for the 19th Annual Hogskin History Day. All the rain for a solid week had me antsy a few days before–what can we all do except sit in our cars until the rain stops and the grass dries off? Thankfully, that did not happen and the day could not have been nicer. There were about 10 to 15 tents set up with quality goods and displays. I read a few excerpts from stories from my books and told my story of how Hogskin got its name. Early on in my journey as a County Historian I inquired of local people how place names originated.

Tennessee All Stars was established as a recognition program for outstanding 4-H members. Before a 4-Her can become an All Star member, they have to be a member of their local Honor Club. Union County Honor Club is organized and meets monthly on the second Tuesday at the UT Extension Union County. Students, grades six through twelve, are encouraged to join and become more involved in their community through service projects, volunteering, and leadership. All Stars provide service to others through individual and cooperative efforts.