Interested in historic homes? Historic downtown Maynardville? East Tennessee history? Have you ever done a double-take and wondered what is that old building, what stories can it tell? If so, join us for a walk through history.

During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through many changes. Obviously, it’s a wonderful phase of life, but it’s also a challenging time. Extra weight brings a shift to the center of gravity, which causes new sensations, and, in some cases, discomfort.

What came into your mind when you read the title? Did you think I was referring to some kind of circus performer like a trapeze artist? I can see why. They do some amazing stunts while flying through the air. Actually, I am talking about a trampoline that took a famous flight.

As i have said before, bar cookies are the easiest and quickest cookie to make. Who doesn't like peanut butter and jelly? These bar cookies are great

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY BARS
3 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup grape jelly

Union County, a small part of Tennessee and an even smaller part of the United States. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2019, we often wonder what is produced by the endeavors of our families, teachers, and leaders.
One story that I would like to begin to tell over the next few months, is the story of successes that have come from our small part of the world.

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.

Once upon a time a weary Ronnie Mincey prepared himself for bed. His lovely bride had retired some time earlier. He turned on the television to assist his delve into the realms of rest. As he crawled under the covers beside his oblivious wife and wrapped himself “just so” in the sheets, he heard something fall to the floor.

Mountains seem to be a universal attraction to people no matter where they come from. To those who were born and raised in them, they are especially endearing because they were the constant backdrop of our lives: their beauty, their challenges, and their molding of the culture of our ancestors that was passed on to us. Mountains are special, but what is it about them that everybody falls in love with? This will sound over-simplistic, but the answer is their three-dimensional terrain. Let me explain.

Need a plant to beautify your home? Maybe you really wanted to try 3 different varieties of summer squash so you ordered 3 seed packets, and now you have way too many seeds. Perhaps you even started them indoors, afraid they would not all germinate and now you have way too many plants. Plant and Seed Share to the rescue!

When I heard the announcement at church, I was so excited. It was a chance to play on a real softball team again.
You see, I played softball for years when I was kid. My position was second base. I played that position in the Knox County and state championship games. I also played it in invitational tournaments. So, when the church organized a lady’s softball team as part of the outreach ministry, I immediately signed up. I couldn’t wait to smell the infield dirt.

I have several recipes similar to this one. Each is a little different. Most call for corn meal. This recipe uses biscuit mix instead. It goes together quickly.

For all of your Mother’s Day needs visit one of Union County nurseries. Today I had the pleasure of visiting with Allen Beeler at the Little Valley Nursery. He took me on a tour of his greenhouse, showing his hanging baskets and potted plants getting ready for Mother’s Day. This is one of his busiest times of the year. His best seller is the Black Mamba petunia, and the Mother’s Day favorite is the classic petunia, with red being the favorite.

Union County 4-H is going to Clyde Austin 4-H camp June 6-10 in Greeneville, Tennessee. Junior 4-H camp is for 4th-6th grade students in Union County.
Junior 4-H Camp is an engaging program aimed at creating lifelong memories through exciting, constructive activities and fun-filled days. Campers have tons of things to do. The camp features an Olympic-sized pool with a 130-foot long waterslide, a wildlife center, a large recreation hall, ball fields, a basketball court, and shooting and archery ranges.

By Mary Nicholas Johnson
Thirteen hundred stamped letters. One hundred forty-two unique signatures. Hundreds of volunteer man hours.
No response.
Are we starting to see a pattern here from our elected officials? I hope you are waking up to the reality that other forces are shaping the future of our community—and it is not you, the citizens.

April 8, 2022, was a landmark day in Union County. On that date officials from all levels of government along with representatives of the Tennessee Department of Transportation “turned some dirt” to begin the last leg of the widening of SR 33 known as Maynardville Highway from the Knox County line to SR 144 West for a distance of 5.2 miles.

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 show up as a headache, tight muscles, nausea or back pain. It’s generally caused by outside factors, some obvious, like fretting over financial problems, and others not so much, such as planning for a joyous occasion like an impending wedding.

It’s that time again!
Farmers Markets are opening throughout the south, and that includes your Union County Farmers Market. The season kickoff will be Saturday, May 7, and we look forward to seeing you there.
We love to be ‘Where our Community Meets’ and share ideas, thoughts and information with adults and children alike. Perhaps you have wondered if the Union County Farmers Market is the place for you—we definitely think that it is!

The beautiful East Tennessee sunshine is ready to be soaked up. The weather is on point and sets the mood for some outdoor entertainment with the family and friends. Luckily, Meet Me at the Market is bringing the Lemonade and Sunshine Festival to Maynardville, kicking off the season right.
Stop in and enjoy local vendors, crafters, food trucks, music and more at the Union County High School parking area between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on May 14.

On April 11, 4th and 5th graders from Maynardville, Paulette, Big Ridge, Sharps Chapel and Luttrell elementary schools gathered at Horace Maynard Middle School to compete in the Union County 4-H Clover Bowl. Each team previously won their in-school contest to qualify to represent their school in the county contest.

Interviews are a lot of fun for me since I enjoy meeting and getting to know other people. But this one is very special to me. You see, I had the honor of interviewing Sara Cox; the sole proprietor of “Sara’s Waggy Tails.”
Did you notice her last name is the same as mine? That is because she is my daughter.
While she was growing up, we couldn’t help but notice her love of animals. Actually, it went way past that. She seemed to also have a way with them as well. I used to joke that dogs would bite me, but they loved her. She could get them to behave and do things whereas I would receive a menacing growl. No exaggeration there.

Last week I attended the monthly senior citizen luncheon at the Baptist church where I am a member. The pastor announced that next month that we would be doing something different—playing BINGO.
I leaned over and told one of the gentlemen sitting at the table with me, “We’re turning Catholic! Next thing you know we’ll be using real wine at the Lord’s Supper.”

I just want to take a moment to write down some random thoughts that come into my mind as I meditate upon Psalm 23. I have pasted the text below and will comment after each verse.
Psalm 23:1-6 KJV; A Psalm of David. David knew a lot about sheep and shepherding. In 2 Samuel 7, as David sits in his palace admiring its splendor, Nathan the prophet reminded David where God has brought him from. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:”

The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics has hired eight undergraduate researchers during the 2022 spring semester. The students and their mentors are, as follows:

Heather Mannis and Gray Erwin are working with Drs. Jada Thompson and Carlos Trejo-Pech by reviewing financial documents and creating a dataset for an event study on agribusiness firms relating to large animal health outbreaks, which provides an opportunity for these students to learn more about agricultural financial and food markets.

The word “addiction” almost always has a negative connotation. I have a theory that everyone is addicted to something. While I believe that not all addictions are bad, I believe that any addiction can be both good and bad.
Take me, for example. I love to collect books. I also love to read them, but I find as much or more joy in the collecting. I learned on Jeopardy! there is a Japanese term for this—“tsundoku”.