There were two things that I dreaded as a child. One was getting a shot. I still do. The other was having my picture made.

Researchers at Texas A & M University gathered demographic data on workers and information on how they used office equipment such as footrests, monitor arms, keyboard trays or anti fatigue mats at their workstation. They also collected data on the amount of time the workers spent standing at their workstation and their use of a sit-stand or stand- biased workstation. Participants were asked about discomfort in the neck, upper back, lower back, shoulder, wrist and hand, hips, knees, and ankles and feet.

I’ve lived in a lot of places and under a lot of different living conditions in my long life. Snow anywhere has never been an issue. I’ve driven in snow and often kept a shovel and sand in the car or truck, just in case I got stuck. I have been stuck a few times, but I always managed to use the shovel, sand, cardboard, and ice melt to get unstuck. Nope, not worried about driving in snow. And I have often lived remotely. Very remotely. Once with only a woodstove and kerosene lamps, a half mile from the nearest plowed road.

I have always been a volunteer. For instance, it pains me to see others go without. The Great Depression marks a person. It was only natural that I would become involved in the United Way.

I do not remember how it came about, but l found myself on the United Way's Speakers Bureau in Jackson, Michigan under the direction of Charlotte Minnette. She trained me in the art of public speaking. Armed with campaign literature, l was sent out to various working class job sites"

In a large bowl, combine vegetables. Add salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the corn oil, wine vinegar and sugar. Pour over vegetables and marinate 1 hour or more

Join Us for a 2-Part Gardening Class at the Union County Extension Office!
Part 1: Raised Bed Gardening
Learn the basics of designing, building, and maintaining raised garden beds to create a successful and productive garden.
• Wednesday, February 5 at 4:30 p.m. OR
• Friday, February 7 at 10 a.m.
Part 2: Vegetable Planning, Planting, and Growing
Discover tips and techniques for selecting, planting, and nurturing your vegetable garden for a bountiful harvest.
• Wednesday, February 12th at 4:30 p.m. OR
• Friday, February 14th at 10 a.m.

My job as a forester was a blessing that allowed me to get out and enjoy the beauty of our woods and fields and get paid for it. But there were plants out there that would suck some of the joy of being outside. Plants that can make you bleed because of their thorns; things like blackberry, escaped rose bushes, and my worst nemesis: sawbriar. I’ve come off wildfires with literally every square inch of my legs scratched from these painful vines.

The old cliché says “Many truths are said in jest.” Sometimes the truth is just plain funny. There is no better form of entertainment than truth that just seems too funny to be real. And there is no greater tribute to a fine joke (or funny bit of truth) than repeating it for the further enjoyment of others.
While visiting my niece and her husband during the holiday break, in conversation he revealed that two of the vocational teachers in his high school were named Mr. Hogg and Mr. Butcher. As proof, he pulled out his sophomore yearbook and showed me their pictures.

Mayor Beeler's promise to clear the roads of ice and snow was fulfilled during the snow on January 10, that brought three to four inches to Plainview and varied amounts throughout Union County. Lynn VanDyke and Wendell Wise, Plainview's snow crew, spent several hours over the weekend to make sure citizens could get to Tazewell Pike which had been cleared by TDOT.

New research finds that alternate workstation options, such as standing and sit-stand desks, can be a win-win solution for both employees and employers.