It broke my heart. I couldn’t imagine the old tree was dead.

This wasn’t just any old tree. It was a large Maple that stood about 40 feet across from my grandparent’s carport. Except for the last ten years, I had seen that tree almost every day of my life.

Tree leaves are most recognized and appreciated when they go through their fall color blitz that we enjoy every year. But they should also be recognized for all they do throughout the year, including creating food and fiber through the miracle of photosynthesis, and when dead on the ground they supply the raw materials needed for next year’s growth of new leaves. Going from dead leaves to nutrients that can be taken up by the tree requires a recycling system of decomposition.

I like grits. I like anything made with corn. Grits are just gritty cornmeal, wouldn't you say? You don't have to eat grits just for breakfast. A grit casserole would go well with ham or any pork dish, so serve them for supper tonight. Do you suppose a "Grit" looks like my drawing?

Have you ever made bagels? If you are feeling adventurous, try it. I did a few years back. They turned out just fine. However, and this is a big however, I prefer to pick up a package of bagels at Food City. They are a lot of work. If you stir up a batch, you will understand all that is required to do them. If you are bored, it's raining outside and there's nothing on TV, give it a try. They are good, just a lot of work. By the way, potato water is the water you boiled the potatoes in.

When Jack Rhyne, current Maynardville City Manager decided to retire, Maynardville had not completed its search for a replacement. In the October called meeting, the Board of Commissioners accepted Rhyne's retirement and sought the advice of their attorney regarding the next step. According to state law, Maynardville would need to declare the position vacant and then proceed to fill the vacancy. If the vacancy was filled by a current employee other than the recorder then the person would be an acting city manager, not an interim city manager.

Maynardville Mayor Ty Blakely can be described as the city’s website describes the town: friendly, with an eye on the future.
He had an unusual habit for a small boy — he enjoyed reading the daily newspaper! As a child, he looked up to his grandfather who was a math teacher and coach at Powell High School. He wanted to be like his grandfather and expected to follow in his footsteps in the teaching profession, but life presented other opportunities.

Q: Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?
A: A referral is usually not needed to see a doctor of chiropractic (DC); however, your health plan may have specific referral requirements. you may want to contact your employer’s human resources department—or the insurance plan directly—to find out if there are any referral requirements. Most plans allow you to just call and schedule an appointment with a DC.

Plant life is very lush in our area. If the landscape is not paved or has a building on it, it has plants growing on it if it sits long enough. Which begs the question: How do plants spread if they are literally rooted to the ground? The answer is in seed design, and several ingenious mechanisms are used to allow plant embryos (seeds) to move away from the shadows of the mother plant.

When I was a “tiny twig”, before I became a “bent branch” (or a “twisted trunk”), I owned a handful of records. Only a few of those were Christmas records, but one of the records advertised a Charley Pride album “Christmas in My Home Town”. I had one Charley gospel album, and I for years wanted his Christmas album. In my adult life, I was able to get my copy of “Christmas in My Home Town”. As irony often dictates, when we want something and don’t have it, there is a void. When we get what we want, it sometimes comes to us multiple times.

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved going to the fair. In my mind, it was a night of fun adventure. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

A few years back, we were visiting friends in another state. One evening, they took us to their local fair. I was so excited and we were having fun until we walked by the Ferris wheel.