Is there a cartoon character you associate me with? I know that’s a strange question, but that’s how my brain works. There is one that I have in mind for me. Here’s a little hint: it’s not a human one.
Bear with me so I can explain. As you all probably know by now, I pride myself on being different. I like to think of it as part of my charm. That being said, it’s not always been easy to be that way. Over the years, I have often said: “You don’t want to be in my head. If you were, you would go running and screaming.” My mind constantly goes from creating/imagining to worrying about problems. To be honest, some of these problems I created myself or I made a small issue seem to be worse than it actually was. I literally made mountains out of mole hills. I would look at others and (don’t repeat this) be a little envious that they seemed to have it all together. You know the ones that don’t seem to have a care in the world. I don’t know how many times I asked the Lord why I couldn’t be like that. He definitely answered me.

My father completed eight grades back in the day when that was all that was offered or needed. He was a farm boy. Dad could have thrived on much less. I wonder what the requirements were for a soldier when he enlisted in the Marines in 1917? Much different than today, I am sure.

Dad figured what was good enough for him was good enough for his children. My two brothers, Rodney and Russell ended their schooling at the eighth grade. Anyway, that was all that was offered in Pulaski Township in Jackson County in the 1940's. Rodney enlisted in the Navy and Russell did, too, a short time later. It was war time again.

I was the only one in our family that liked school. My grades were always at the top of my class. I wanted desperately to go to college, but that was not to be. Dad said unkind things about high school girls. I was encouraged to drop out of school and get a job. Women were only good for keeping house and having babies, he said. I fought to stay in school.

The Union County Extension Office, in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division, is offering a free Mushroom Inoculation Workshop on Wednesday, April 30th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Chuck Swan State Forest.

Participants will meet at the Chuck Swan State Forest Work Center located at 3500 Sharps Chapel Rd, Sharps Chapel, TN 37866.

When you're out of potatoes, rice is the next best to go to. There are so many ways to flavor a bowl of rice. Here is another one.
In skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown the onions, celery, chopped chicken livers, oregano and salt. Add the rice and brown a few minutes more. Add the hot chicken broth. Transfer to baking buttered casserole. Cover and bake at 350 F. for about 40 minutes. Stir at least twice during cooking.

A new study shows that reducing daily sitting prevented back pain from worsening over six months. The result strengthens the current understanding of the link between activity and back pain as well as the mechanisms related to back pain.

I was born in 1965. Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was president. I was not ever interested in LBJ until I became an adult.
I can remember seeing “ESEA-I-66” written on the sides of televisions, projectors, record players, and in some books when I was a student in the Union County Schools. The Arabic and Roman numerals would sometimes change, but “ESEA” stayed the same. I used to wonder what those letters stood for.

The Union County Board of Education will meet at Union County High School on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. for a budget workshop.

The next regular workshop and meeting of the Union County Board of Education will be on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Union County High School. The workshop will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the meeting immediately to follow.

The HMMS Tennis team have had some incredible performances this year, showcasing not only their talent on the court but also their sportsmanship and positive attitudes. The results are speaking for themselves! In a match against JFWA on April 2nd, the team won all three doubles matches and won ten out of eleven singles matches. The teams played again on April 8th, and HMMS won all five doubles matches and eight out of nine singles matches. With these remarkable performances, the team proved they are truly a force to be reckoned with.

It’s Easter—one of the most wonderful times of the year! Easter is often seen as a celebration of resurrection, but the significance of the resurrection goes far beyond the grave. Jesus's death was a pivotal moment in the Christian faith, and Easter invites us to reflect on the transformative impact of what a resurrected and living Jesus means.

During the spring you can look at the mountains and tell where the streams and small drains are by looking for the streaks of green that the early leafing yellow poplar produces. It prefers to grow where the soil is deep and moist.