The construction Career and Technical (CTE) class at Union County High School spent much of this semester building 20 beautiful, utilitarian storage boxes for folks placed in new homes by the TN Valley Coalition for the Homeless (TVCH).

TVCH is a non-profit organization existing to house the homeless, educate the community, and equip stakeholders to provide lasting solutions to homelessness. They are active in 12 counties, including Union County.

The Union County Family and Community Education (FCE) Club held its December meeting on December 18 at the Union County Extension Office, celebrating the Christmas season with food, games, and fellowship.

Members enjoyed a variety of finger foods while participating in a fun Left-Right Dirty Santa combination game, followed by a festive round of Christmas Bingo. Laughter and conversation filled the room as members gathered to enjoy time together and reflect on the season of giving.

Making Apple Stack Cake has been a holiday tradition for my family and for many other mountain people for generations, and is culturally recognized as an Appalachian heritage. It has a long history that was interesting to sift through, pardon the pun.

The Union County Extension Office recently hosted a successful and festive Christmas Wreath Making Workshop at Chuck Swan State Forest, bringing community members together to celebrate the season while learning new skills.

The primary function of the Union County New Liberty American Legion Post 212 is to support Veterans and their families and widows/widowers of the Vets in the county. Do you know a Veteran who could use a wheelchair or a walker, crutches or potty chair? Or a Veteran who spends a lot of time seated and could benefit from a stunning, handcrafted lap blanket for warmth? The American Legion is there to help! Contact any member of the American Legion Post 212 with your needs, or email Adjutant@ALTNpost212.org

Union County residents living with diabetes or caring for someone with diabetes are invited to participate in Take Charge of Your Diabetes, a free six-week educational series designed to help individuals better manage their condition and improve quality of life.

The program will be held on January 13, 20, and 27, and February 3, 10, and 17, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Union County Senior Center. The classes will be led by Abigail Thomas, Union County Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent, along with Anna-Marie Cooksey, Union County Health Educator.

It was an ordinary night outside of Bethlehem, where a handful of shepherds kept their routine watch under a quiet sky. They were men forgotten by most and noticed by few, who silently carried out one of the lowliest and most forgotten occupations. Yet in that unlikely setting, everything changed in a moment. The stillness of the night was pierced by a sudden blaze of heavenly light as an angel of the Lord appeared, illuminating the hills unlike anything earth had ever seen.

I hit a deer on the way to work on the Clinch River near Clinton, Tennessee. I was working the night shift, relieving Anne. There were two twelve-hour shifts there. The back way into Clinton is a curvy winding country road. There was little traffic in the late evening hours.

Very pretty and tasty Cranberry Cherry Punch, Place 2 to 3 cranberries and a piece of lemon in each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill with water and freeze. In a pinch bowl, dissolve a 3-ounce pkg cherry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Stir in 3 cups cold water, 6 cups chilled cranberry juice and 3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate. Just before serving, stir in 1 liter ginger ale. Serve over the cranberry-lemon ice cubes. Makes 3 1/2 quarts.

Let’s start with a Biblical review: Matthew is the only one of the gospel writers to mention men he refers to as Magi coming out of the east seeking a Jewish king to worship (Matthew 2: 1-12). “Magi” is one of several titles they were given, along with “wise men” and “kings”. So who were they exactly? The book of Matthew was originally written in Greek, and the Greek word used was “magoi”, which in English is translated as “Magi”. People called magi first appear in history around the 7th century B.C in the Median empire. They were an ancient priestly caste dwelling somewhere in the Parthian empire and practiced astrology, which at the time was a mixture of scientific observation of the heavens mixed in with using those observations to interpret future events. They were also known for their ability to interpret dreams. At the time of Jesus’ birth, magi were councilors in the Parthian empire. And since they delved in science and served as councilors to the government, it is easy to see why they were also termed “wise men”. But were they kings? Part of their duties as government councilors included the election of new kings to the empire. So while they were pretty high up on the societal peg, they were likely not kings, but instead king makers.