Being the graceful person that I am, nothing is truly safe from my feet . Let me put it to you this way, if it’s on the floor, I will eventually step on it. Or if it’s large like a space heater, I may kick it, knock it over, and then trip over it. Yes, I have done that. Actually, I like to brag that not many people can top my “step on it” abilities. That being said, my Mamaw Jo had a “step on it” occurrence that was unlike anything I had ever achieved.

Having been officially employed to on August 3, 1987 left very few days for mental preparation for the beginning of the school year. That was the only form of preparation I could do, as I did not even know to what grade I would be assigned. At that point, I was just thrilled to have a job.

Back in my working days, i would try to think of what i would fix for supper before I left for home. A little late, you say? Ok, but I did have a few "go-to" menus to dork from. This is one of them.

During World War 11 Dad lived at a hotel in Ypsilanti, Michigan when he was an electrician at the Bomber Plant there. He used his winnings from a poker game as the down payment on the 160 acre farm I remember from my teenage years. In those days you were frozen in your job for the duration of the war. Union electricians worked out of the AFL hiring hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He had been assigned to a rubber plant in Akron, Ohio. That was a hardship for our family living in Bay City, Michigan. I remember Dad bringing home a butyl rubber sample.

On a cold January morning in 2007 the Washington Post conducted an experiment. They invited Joshua Bell, one of the most famous classical violinists of our time, to play music at the Washington DC Metro Train Station. No introductions, no fanfare, simply stand on a busy walkway and play. He did six famous pieces written by J.S. Bach on a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Spring is in the air and Union County High School is bustling with excitement. Service learners in the agriculture department have been incredibly busy these last couple of weeks. Although they have quite a few projects in the works, the most impressive is the aquaponic system the students have built.

Our new Tennessee U.S. Congressman, Tim Burchett, who represents our voice in D.C. is visiting Union County on Monday, March 27 at three different locations. This is an opportunity to meet Mr. Burchett face-to-face and share your concerns and ideas. These “Mobile Office Hours” make it easier for constituents to pass on opinions and get federal agency assistance. Appointments are not necessary. Mark your calendar today and plan on bringing two friends!

Mr. Graham Perry, developer of the Tennessee Historic Cemetery Preservation Program, will address the Union County Historical Society on Sunday, March 19, at 2:30 at the Union County Museum on Maynardville Highway. Mr. Perry will explain the progress of the historic cemetery program and entertain questions regarding cemetery preservation. Mr. Perry previously was the Curator of Social History at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville where he developed the permanent exhibit, Tennessee Transforms: 1945-present.

When I was an undergraduate English major at Lincoln Memorial University, I took a class in Appalachian literature. One of the books we read for that course was Lee Smith’s Oral History. By definition, oral history is a study of the past relayed through the spoken, not the written, word. The transcriptions then are written down for posterity.

My mamaw and papaw’s house was not only one of the oldest in the community where I grew up, but it was also considered the center of the community. I often heard it referred to as: “The Clark’s” or “The Clark’s Place.” They often had visitors. Some of them stayed in the driveway.