When the heat source is wood or coal embers, use a long-handled wire popper. Put only enough corn in popper to cover bottom. Shake gently to get tender puffy kernels.

When popping on your kitchen range, use a large kettle or deep skillet. Add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or shortening. Don't use butter or margarine. Add ½ cup popcorn to hot skillet. Cover and shake gently and constantly over medium heat. You can hear when the popping stops. Remove from heat to a large bowl and add salt. 1 cup unpopped corn makes about 5 cups when popped.

For the second consecutive month, the County Commission opened its meeting with a moment of silence. Hugh Kitts, an employee of the Union County Highway Department, was remembered for his service. For the second consecutive month, the election of Chairman was on the agenda. When Chairman England called for nominees for Chairman, Commissioner Jody Smith nominated Commissioner Gary England. Commissioner England respectfully declined and stated that he felt accepting the nomination would continue to divide the Commission. Chairman England again called for nominees.

I love quilts, coverlets, throws and home-made pieces in general. Recently, I have encountered some particularly moving pieces. Photographs and messages can now be printed on cloth and used in quilts, clothes and many other clever ways. Family stories are being preserved in these pieces in unique ways. Just think what this will mean a hundred years from now. I don’t have a picture of this particular quilt, but the Union County Family and Community Education members sewed and quilted a quilt that hangs at the Union County Museum.

Although the brisk air is blowing, our 4-Hers have hot 4-H camp weather on their mind this season. From October 3-14, 2018, Tractor Supply partnered with Tennessee 4-H holding the Fall edition of the Paper Clover Campaign. The campaign is held biannually at TSC with 4-Hers working by selling paper clovers as a fundraiser to earn scholarship funds to attend 4-H camps. The 4-Hers receive eighty percent of all funds they raise during the campaign towards their personal camp fees.

On October 19 and 20, neighbors worked together at the Sharps Chapel Elementary School to help people in need. The event was sponsored by Chapel of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church which worships in the Community Center at 10:30 AM on Sundays. Over fifty volunteers came. There were Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, non-denominationals, and non-churched. The volunteers ranged in age from children through seniors. Organizers of the event were Karen and Kevin Kitts, members of Chapel of the Good Shepherd.

True love meets "head on."

Much has been written about animals finding their way back home after months, or even years of being lost. This is a true story about a man, a woman and a Mustang that found its way home. The car, not the horse.

Alan Summers bought his first car when he was in high school; a vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback. He dated Lynda Fields in that car; a girl he had known since kindergarten. Alan and Lynda parted, neither can say why, and the Mustang eventually became neglected to the point that Alan decided to sell it to a friend.

I like coconut in just about anything sweet. This is an easy quick recipe that is cheap to make. Do you have all your ingredients measured out before you make a baking recipe? It is wise to do so even if you have made it a dozen times before. Forget any ingredient and the recipe will suffer for it. There is nothing worse than to start on the process of stirring up a batch of cookies and finding you only have one egg when you need two or three. It is also wise to measure everything out in their own dishes so you won't add too much milk for instance.

It’s a southern tradition that I usually experienced at church. On rare occasions it also happened to me at the funeral home or in the store. In those places, in front of God and everybody else, my mother felt the need to give me a spit bath. Yes, you read it right: a spit bath.

Let me tell you, I was such a little tomboy. While I am an only child, I have two uncles who are not that much older than me. Growing up, they were more like brothers. My neighbors and cousins were mainly boys. I didn’t play with other girls on a regular basis until I started kindergarten.

Mincey’s Musings
Year One, Week Forty-One

This is an old story that I heard a long time ago, by a little-known comedian named Cotton Ivy. It was on a 33 1/3 RPM record given to me by a blind man named Earn Hendrix who lived on Dotson’s Creek.

Researchers have reported that one-third of people 40-59 years of age have image-based evidence of moderate to severe degenerative disc disease and more than half had moderate to severe spinal osteoarthritis. Beyond that, the prevalence of disc height narrowing and joint osteoarthritis increased 2- to 4-fold in those aged 60-69 and 70-89, respectively. Furthermore, scientists observed that progression of these conditions occurred 40 - 70% more frequently in women than in men.