I would like to start by saying how proud and blessed I am for being raised in East Tennessee. It’s a beautiful culture that compares to no other. There are no other people I’d rather be around than good ole Appalachian folk. With that being said, there is one part of Appalachian culture I would like to improve upon in the future and that is the proper use of a trash can.
I have had folks from other parts ask me about the litter something like this, “You live in such a beautiful place but why is there so much garbage alongside of the road?”

Sweet tasting blueberries are a popular food for animals and humans in mid to late summer. Blueberry jam or fresh blueberries on top of some corn flakes is hard to beat.
We have several types of wild blueberries in our area, but they all have similar features. All are shrubs with many branches, with two-inch leaves that are spear shaped, smooth edged, and a short stem. The spring blooming flowers are small, white, and bell-like.

My momma has an awesome superpower that most people would love to have. She has the quickest and funniest retorts of anybody I know.
A good example of this happened a few years ago when Mom and I went to a restaurant with some friends. She had ordered coleslaw, which is one of her favorite side dishes. They served it to her in a small white bowl with a rounded scoop of it sitting on top of a leaf of lettuce. Simple elegance.

By Gracie Tindell

Hello, my name is Gracie Tindell, I am a 7th grader in Union County. I was able to attend the fashion and design conference at the UT campus n June with fellow Union County 4-Her Khilee Cochran. We spent the day with other
4-H'ers from surrounding counties. We had many projects to accomplish in our time at fashion and design. There were teachers attending who are experienced in the fashion and design industry. They were able to speak on many different topics and give us insights.

When I was around thirteen years old, I decided I wanted my own pet lizard. So, my parents took me to a pet store where I picked out a cute little gecko. And as you can tell by the title, I named it Godzilla. I thought it was funny, but I didn’t realize how apt the name would become.

There once was a man who said he was going to have his patience tested. (I was positive from his demeanor that he would test negative.) I have been told that I have the patience of Job, but it seems that this year in particular my patience has been pushed to its extreme outer limits on a few occasions. Perhaps this comes as a natural part of the aging process. Having never been in my upper 50s before, I have no frame of reference.

Most of us have a box of mac and cheese in our pantries. I usually do. This is an easy salad to throw together. Make it this morning and chill it for supper tonight.

The hummingbird needs no introduction since everyone at one time or other has been mesmerized by its bright color, tiny size and amazing aerial abilities.

There are several hundred species of hummingbirds in the world, but only one is found in the eastern US, the Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). It is around 3 inches long and weighs only one-half ounce (hummingbirds are the smallest of the bird world). Both sexes have metallic green feathers and a long, straw-like bill. The male has a metallic red throat while the female has a white throat.

Area Families Help Operation Christmas Child Change Lives with Simple Gifts

Maynardville, TN, July 2021— Union County families believe it is never too early to make a difference, which is why, whether it is July or December, they are transforming shoeboxes into gifts of joy. Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, delivers the shoeboxes—filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys—to children in need worldwide.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Sew ‘N Vac in Knoxville, TN with my mother-in-law, who had tinkered with her sewing machine and gotten the settings mixed up, so we took it in for service. The owner, Steve Osborne, remembered trading with her more than a decade ago. She traded her mother’s old quilter for a new sewing machine. Osborne looked it over and fixed the settings and replaced a missing foot and refused to take any money for the service. He was just taking care of a customer.