Country Connections By James and Ellen Perry
As I sit here on my porch in the late evening shadows, I am thinking of men’s necessities in life.
They are: at least one good dog, one good old pick-up truck during your life, an understanding wife who never complains and only thinks of you when you are away, bluebird sky days after a soft rain, a fish on the line every cast, grandchildren who sit on your lap and don’t squirm and are very quiet, a good baseball game on TV, a Sunday afternoon nap and sardines for a snack.
Also, a good barber who tells you jokes.

Fancy up some onions and serve this to your guests. It is worth the trouble. Use Vidalia onions if you can find them,

I was recently amused to read the following sentence in a communication from the Tennessee State Department of Education: “Tennessee is preparing to launch its third search in two years for its first superintendent over statewide school turnaround work.”
Honestly, if my wife had been required to conduct three searches for two years to find me one push lawnmower to trim my grass, my yard would have lots more weeds than it did after our fifteenth wedding anniversary.

[1] Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. - Acts 3:1 KJV
I like to do character studies of the Bible patriarchs, because it helps me to better understand the context of their stories. A common theme of these character studies is that all the men and women of the Bible were subject to the same passions as we are today.

I would like to start by saying how proud and blessed I am for being raised in East Tennessee. It’s a beautiful culture that compares to no other. There are no other people I’d rather be around than good ole Appalachian folk. With that being said, there is one part of Appalachian culture I would like to improve upon in the future and that is the proper use of a trash can.
I have had folks from other parts ask me about the litter something like this, “You live in such a beautiful place but why is there so much garbage alongside of the road?”

Sweet tasting blueberries are a popular food for animals and humans in mid to late summer. Blueberry jam or fresh blueberries on top of some corn flakes is hard to beat.
We have several types of wild blueberries in our area, but they all have similar features. All are shrubs with many branches, with two-inch leaves that are spear shaped, smooth edged, and a short stem. The spring blooming flowers are small, white, and bell-like.

My momma has an awesome superpower that most people would love to have. She has the quickest and funniest retorts of anybody I know.
A good example of this happened a few years ago when Mom and I went to a restaurant with some friends. She had ordered coleslaw, which is one of her favorite side dishes. They served it to her in a small white bowl with a rounded scoop of it sitting on top of a leaf of lettuce. Simple elegance.

By Gracie Tindell

Hello, my name is Gracie Tindell, I am a 7th grader in Union County. I was able to attend the fashion and design conference at the UT campus n June with fellow Union County 4-Her Khilee Cochran. We spent the day with other
4-H'ers from surrounding counties. We had many projects to accomplish in our time at fashion and design. There were teachers attending who are experienced in the fashion and design industry. They were able to speak on many different topics and give us insights.

When I was around thirteen years old, I decided I wanted my own pet lizard. So, my parents took me to a pet store where I picked out a cute little gecko. And as you can tell by the title, I named it Godzilla. I thought it was funny, but I didn’t realize how apt the name would become.

There once was a man who said he was going to have his patience tested. (I was positive from his demeanor that he would test negative.) I have been told that I have the patience of Job, but it seems that this year in particular my patience has been pushed to its extreme outer limits on a few occasions. Perhaps this comes as a natural part of the aging process. Having never been in my upper 50s before, I have no frame of reference.