“Burlington-the end of the line” the motormen would call as the streetcar would cross McCalla Avenue and loop around a set of commercial structures. Passengers who had boarded on Knoxville’s South Gay Street would disembark and make their way home or perhaps stop at one of the shops at the end of the line. In time, an entire retail district comparable in size to a small town would evolve along McCalla on both sides of the streetcar crossings. People continued to shop in Burlington long after the last streetcar had run.

There is a vegetable salad I have been making since back in the 70s. Green Pea Salad. When I think of Green Pea Salad, I think of my years in a sewing factory and that reminds me of Arlene. She was on a perpetual diet. Poor soul, she couldn't lose an ounce. It was a time when Weight Watchers was on top of the diet schemes. They are still around. Arlene very carefully ate every morsel of every dish she was allowed to have on their diet plan. I have watched her chase that one last green grape around her plate.

U. S. Representative Diane Black says that hard work and accountability are Tennessee values she learned from her parents. Black, a registered nurse, small businesswoman, and former educator, is a candidate in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Black recently took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for Historic Union County. Below are our questions with her direct and unedited responses.

At the May Meeting, Union County Commission received the proposed budget, accepted several resolutions, contracted to save money and time, and approved the Mayor's appointment on the Board of Health.

Sheri Hensley, my daughter, and I had a great book signing Saturday at Okie’s in Maynardville.

Sheri did the cover illustration for More Tales. Look for us next Saturday, May 19, 2018 at the Plainview Spring Festival. The festival is being held at the Plainview Community Center from 9 am until 6 pm. We’ll plan to be there signing from 10 am until 1pm. We’ll be at the west end of the building near the deserts. If the deserts are anything like last year you won’t want to miss the opportunity to sample more than one.

Name the hardest rug to clean. Did you say shag? If you did, you are right. Shag rugs are a bugger to clean. Eating supper in the living room while watching TV on your portable TV tray? Did some baked beans roll off your plate and onto the rug? Sorry. The pile will instantly snap them up. Watch where you step. Smashed baked beans are hard to find and hard to remove.

Do you believe that you have a destiny or a calling? One of the greatest reformers in U.S. History, left a legacy in word and action that continues to inspire me today. Of her motivation, she explained “In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do.”

Since Mother’s Day was Sunday, I want to pay tribute to my feisty mom who tries to get a laugh whenever she can. It’s part of her charm.

Before GPS, Google Maps, and cell phones, if you were lost, you stopped and asked a stranger for directions. My mom had her own unique and humorous (in her mind) way of doing that: “Can we get there from here?”

Light is something we don’t think about much, but almost everything that’s alive on the planet needs light for sight and energy. Human eats cow, cow eats grass, grass grows on light… you get the picture. Scientists have studied light for centuries, but still don’t fully understand it.

A few interesting facts about back pain: low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the global Burden of disease 2010. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. Experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.