There is a wonderful episode of The Twilight Zone that features a hunter portrayed by the late Arthur Hunicutt. The hunter takes his dog and goes hunting, but both drown. The story relates how the hunter and his faithful dog make their journey to the hereafter. The farmer is almost lured by trickery into entering hell (which the gatekeeper tries to disguise as Heaven). The gatekeeper tells the farmer that dogs are not allowed in Heaven, so the hunter says he’ll just keep going down the road. A little further the farmer indeed finds Heaven, to which his dog is also welcome.

Chicken Alfredo is great, but so is this dish with the shrimp. Don't buy raw shrimp you have to fuss with. Instead use a bag of frozen cooked salad shrimp. the only prep needed is cutting off their tails. Over medium heat, heat olive oil and garlic in skillet until starting to be bubbly. Add thawed shrimp (tails removed), cooked until heated through. Add mushrooms, tossing to combine. add chicken broth and the softened cream cheese. Simmer and stir until a smooth sauce emerges. Add grated Parmesan cheese and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In mid to late summer if you’re out and about you will likely see plants bearing fruit going through color stages, especially blackberries right now. Blackberry and several other wild fruits go from green to red and finally black or blue when they fully ripen. As is almost everything in creation, there is a purpose to the color change.

Union County Extension will be hosting a Backyard Chicken Class.
Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, this class is for you! Learn everything you need to know about raising healthy chickens in your own backyard to sell or consume yourself.

In the fall of 1986, Wanda Woods Cox (later Byerley), a former teacher at Pine Grove Elementary, a school with grades first through eighth, organized a reunion of former students and teachers.
Since the school was located close to the county line, students attended from Anderson and Union County. Most walked to school. Many of the early students went home for lunch.

Frequent musculoskeletal pain is linked with an increased risk of exiting work and retiring earlier, according to a new study from the University of Portsmouth. The paper found the association between musculoskeletal pain and retiring earlier persisted even after accounting for working conditions, job satisfaction and gender. The researchers found that people with musculoskeletal pain complaints tended to retire earlier compared to pain-free participants.

“It’s here!” Carefully I opened the cardboard envelope that my step mother had mailed to me and pulled out the yellowing piece of paper. When I first looked at it, I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. On it was a drawing I had made for my daddy when I was a child. I was simply amazed that it hadn’t been lost or torn after everything it had been through.

Lorrie Morgan once did an excellent remake of an old George Jones song “A Picture of Me Without You”. The song asked the listener to imagine several things.
Imagine with me, Dear Reader, an America:

With only 48 states;
When gasoline cost anywhere from 13 to 25 cents per gallon;
When alcohol had been illegal for four years;
When the following products were available for the very first time—
Wheaties cereal;
Dum Dum “suckers” (lollipops);
Iodized table salt;
Kleenex facial tissues;
Locking pliers;
Marlboro cigarettes.

When fresh corn is in season this is a good soup for a rainy day. In large pot, stir together the celery sou. 4 cups corn, curry powder and 2 cups water. Over medium heat , bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook until flavors blend, 10 minutes. Serve topped with remaining corn. Sprinkle with chopped green onions, tomato and parsley. Makes 6 servings.

It interests me how trees are so often intertwined with our culture and history. The July celebration of our independence is a good time to review the history of the Liberty Tree, a symbol for individual liberty and resistance to tyranny.