The Union County Senior Outdoor Meat Cookery Team strutted their stuff at the Eastern Region 4-H Grill Master Challenge held on Tuesday, September 19, in Maryville, Tennessee. Sporting new team shirts and armed with aprons and tongs, they fired up their charcoal grills as the competition kicked off midday at the Blount County 4-H office. Teams from counties all across East Tennessee crowded the grounds with their tents and grills and entourages of coaches and sponsors, vying to earn bragging rights as the best grillers in four categories: beef, pork, chicken, and lamb.

It’s good, of course, to keep all your muscles strong and limber. But the strength of the body’s core — the muscles in your belly and mid- and lower back — is one of the keys to long term health and stability as you grow older.

On most Saturdays I am not obligated to do anything other than mow my yard or “piddle” around the house. One such Saturday I was hauling my trash to throw away. There was a lot of stuff that could only be placed in a “big” dumpster.
It just so happened on that particular day there were two men, each with a truck, also depositing into the “big” dumpsters. It seemed both had already thrown their trash away, but they were in the lot, talking at great length to each other, just exactly in position to block my access to get rid of my own junk.

I’ve heard of water witching all my life and heard many a story about people doing it successfully. I even played around with it some with interesting results that I’ll share later. It perked my curiosity enough to learn more about the topic.
Water witching, also referred to as dowsing or divining, is the art of locating a good underground source of water that is reasonably close to the surface to make digging a well easier and less expensive.

One of my memories of elementary school was thinking I was just not very smart. In 1st 2nd and 3rd grades, I was having trouble understanding things that the other students seemed to grasp. Most of the class instruction in the mid-1950’s was done on a blackboard. We used worksheets to show our comprehension of what was being taught. I was not doing well. I was struggling to see the world around me. At some point in the 3rd grade our school had a vision screening. My parents were advised that I needed an eye exam. Mom took me to the ophthalmologist for a vision test.

Have you ever had an eye-opening experience? I did when I was thirteen years old. That’s when one I went on a day trip to Cades Cove with my friend and her family. Early that Saturday morning we all piled into her parents’ van. I love the Smokey Mountains, so I was very excited.

It’s hard to spot Katydids because they are so well camouflaged. But anyone who sits on their porch on a late summer’s night has enjoyed hearing their “katy did….katy didn’t” song, along with their chirping cousin, the cricket.

Samantha Brantley stood in front of 30 attendees from the community at Miller’s Chapel UMC, with purple lights and beautiful stained-glass windows positioned behind her, and a memorial board in the foyer in front of her. The memorial board displayed some of the many faces and names of people in our community who have been lost to substance use and addiction.

Managing the stress in your life — and most of us experience stress to one degree or another — is essential to keeping a healthy lifestyle. Stress comes from many directions and makes itself known in a variety of ways. It might manifest as a headache, tight muscles, nausea or back pain.

I remember when I was a kid in the 1970s and 1980s there was a Mazola Corn Oil commercial. I searched Google to see if I could find that old commercial.
I was, of course, successful, and I learned some things that I had forgotten, and other things that I did not know.

You don't usually think of pork chops in the same sentence as "Stew," but here it is. Preheat oven to 350 F. In skillet over medium heat, brown pork chops. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. When browned on both sides remove from skillet and place in 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

Bluegrass, gospel, country and traditional Appalachian music resounded throughout the ridges of Big Ridge State Park as quartets, quintets and duos took the stage at the 42nd Annual Bluegrass Festival in August.

The Union County Board of Education shared tentative timelines for school building projects at its August board meeting and workshop.
According to Chairman Marty Gibbs, the new middle school is on track to be bid in the spring of 2024, to begin construction in the summer of 2024, to be completed in the spring of 2026, and to open to students in August of 2026. Chairman Gibbs noted that the wings had been rotated 90 degrees to allow for expansion and the sports fields had been relocated on the site.

From Connecticut to the hills of Union County, Tennessee, Olivia Hill and her husband have settled into a slice of serenity.
While this serenity has come with challenges and is an ongoing work in progress, the Hills are ecstatic to share their slice with the community.

I usually don’t brag on my own work, but this article surely must be a good one. At least it was that good. How do I know? My computer “ate” it just as I was copying it to a jump drive. Let’s see if I can re-create it and make it even better.
I was going into the men’s bathroom at work a few weeks ago when a sign to the left caught my eye: Meals And Memories Are Made Here

Here is a good salad to make for a holiday meal. Of course, it is delicious anytime. You should have everything in your pantry. It's cheap to make, easy and tasty. Put first six ingredients in large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients, except salad greens, and add to first mixture. Toss well. Chill overnight before using. Drain and serve plain as a relish or on greens for a salad. Makes about 1 quart. Mixture will keep several days in the fridge. Drain only amount required for each meal.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
[10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
[11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Many consider forestry to only mean growing trees to cut for lumber, and in the old days that was true. But the forest is much more than a place to produce wood fiber and it has multiple uses it can be managed for. Many of these uses can be managed simultaneously with proper planning.
Here is a list of the major uses.

Right here in Union County is a family deeply involved in Mustang rescue. Loretta Morris and her teenagers Ariana and Ayden have prevented these horses from being shipped to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico. The Morrises care for these animals on a daily basis. Today, there is a total of 52 Mustangs, donkeys, mules, and mulestangs (part mule and part Mustang). Some arrive at the Cherokee Spirit Mustang Rescue in Washburn fairly healthy, while others are in need of extra care, nutrients and feed.

Have you ever chug-a-lugged a drink? That’s when you turn the drink container up and guzzle it down as fast and as noisily as you can.
Unless I was playing ball on a hot summer day, I wasn’t allowed to chug -a-lug a drink. Why? If you have ever read any of my articles, you know that my family was and still is very steeped in southern etiquette. Part of that was how you ate and drink. For one, you didn’t make any unnecessary noises such as smacking your lips or slurping. When somebody (usually me) slipped up and did that at the table, they were met with scowls and an uncomfortable silence. That experience stayed with me for years. That is until I was carrying my daughter Sara.

This bread snack goes well with pizza and just about anything else. Spaghetti, for instance. Add more garlic, if you like. Prepare pizza crust according to package directions. Pat onto a 12 inch round pizza pan. In small bowl combine melted margarine, garlic, Italian seasoning and seasoned salt. Brush onto prepared crust. Sprinkle generously with cheese.

Calling all motorcyclists to “Ride like an Animal” in the Annual Union County Humane Society Motorcycle Ride.
This year marks the 16th annual motorcycle ride to raise funds for the humane society.
The Union County Humane Society is a no fee animal shelter for unwanted or abandoned pets. The shelter also provides a low cost spay, neuter and vaccine clinic. Alongside these services, they work closely with local law enforcement to assist in animal-related issues across the county.

Union County Business & Professional Association has enjoyed a variety of speakers at its meetings this spring and summer.
In August, Sharon Hudson, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of East Tennessee, shared the mission and services of the nonprofit. Hudson stated that besides disaster relief, the Red Cross operates an international blood bank that specializes in the storage of rare blood. She noted that the bank has been used in not only recent tornadoes and storms but also in Ukraine.

This fall would be a great time to take another look at lettuce and experiment with some new options in your fall garden. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is the vegetable cousin in one of the largest ornamental plant families, Asteraceae. As the third most consumed fresh vegetable in the United States, it hardly flies under the radar for gardeners. However, lettuce often doesn’t get the love it deserves because many gardeners may feel limited to leaf types if they have struggled with the more challenging iceberg or romaine lettuces. If that is you, this is the year to check out beautiful oakleaf lettuces that can be a tasty, productive and unique crop.