When holidays roll around, I like to poke around for a connection with the natural world, and I found some interesting stuff about The Declaration of Independence. This most revered American document kicked off our nation’s quest to rule itself, which we celebrate on the 4th of July, Independence Day.

On August 3rd, kids from all over Union County will be able to show off their skills in cooking, corn-shucking, joke-telling and so much more at the Annual Youth and Corn Festival.

A contest unique to this event is the Farm to Table Corn Dish. Kids can make the dish of their choice and enter it in the contest. The corn can be obtained from the competitor’s garden or from the farmer’s market. Entries will be judged on taste and overall appearance, and must include a recipe card and at least one item from the farmer’s market.

Kayla Torra, owner of Self Made Fitness, has introduced a new level of fitness classes in Union County. For the month of June, Torra has hosted a Fit Camp at Sweet Southern Tumbling on Durham Drive. Classes are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:00 to 6:00 in the morning; yes, in the morning, before work or school or daily lives typically begin.

Back pain is among the most frequently reported health problems in the world. New research examines patterns in back pain over time and identifies the patient characteristics and the extent of healthcare and medication use (including opioids) associated with different patterns.

The study included 12,782 participants who were interviewed every two years and provided data on factors including comorbidities, pain, disability, opioid and other medication use, and healthcare visits.

A couple of years ago, Bonnie Peters and I were talking about old timey sayings. Later, I sat down and compiled a bunch of them. Back in the day, before television and a movie costing an arm and a leg, we enjoyed sitting around seeing who could remember the most maxims. Most have a kernel of truth in them. See if you remember any of these:

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Twenty-Two

I received an email a few days ago that referenced some of the phrases that my generation adopted as standard language that everyone in that time could understand. One of the phrases identified was “carbon copy”. The explanation of the origin of the phrase was: “Before photocopiers were a thing, copies were made by sliding a piece of carbon paper between an original document and blank paper. It’s also what ‘cc’ means in your email.”

Thousands of years before modern medicine, people depended on medicinal plants to ease pain and aid healing. Our early pioneer ancestors learned from native Indians what plants were useful to treat maladies. Many of these plants are common in our area and easy to identify. What follows is a description of some of the more easy to find medicinals found in our area.

It’s just another way I am not like most people. How many of you think of an ice cream cone when you go to the funeral home?

There is a good reason I do this.

Going to the funeral home was an old family tradition on my mother’s side. They were very involved in the local church and school, so anytime somebody passed away in the community, we all piled into Papaw’s station wagon and headed there.

Now there is something you don't see on a salad bar anymore. I am talking about stuffed celery or celery roses. I remember when I first saw stuffed celery at a potluck. They certainly didn't look like much. But after trying one, I was hooked. I looked for them at every potluck after that. It took a while to learn how to make them. They seemed so simple. There must be a catch to making the filling. What a surprise. There wasn't. I soon learned to make several cheese fillings. See what you think of these. This is how I make stuffed celery.

Not too long ago, I wrote about cats. I figured it was time to give dogs a bit of limelight. Dogs have a lot going for them. They are less independent. Let’s face it, humans love to feel needed, so an adoring set of eyes and a wagging tail appeals to most people. Dogs forgive quickly and are usually gung ho about everything.