Widespread pain is linked to a heightened risk of all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and stroke, finds research published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. This association is independent of potentially influential factors, such as age, general health, and lifestyle, the findings indicate.

My sister Icy Madelene (aka Pat) McMurray is famous in our family for her belief in the restorative and healing properties of Vicks VapoRub. She has told me that this marvelous ointment can treat/cure anything.
Because of this, I was most interested in a Facebook post concerning the uses for Vicks VapoRub. I did a quick Google search on Vicks VapoRub and will relate below from memory some of the interesting things I discovered. You can do a Google search for more detailed information, but the Facebook post listed the following uses:

Even though I like winter, when the view in the forest is more open and the air crisp, one does get a craving to see something green. It gives your subconscious satisfaction that things still look alive in the forest and spring is coming.

As people drive through Union County, they find a common theme.
Whether it be in Big Ridge as they drive through the state park, or as they move toward Hickory Star and sit on the swings watching boats come in from a long day of basking in the sun or throwing bait into the water.

For over 100 years now, Farm Bureau has shone a light on rural America by giving farmers and ranchers a voice.
Throughout those 100 years, the Farm Bureau Federation has undergone numerous changes along the way.
Now, Union County is undergoing one of those changes, the transition of agency management as Paul Smith retires from his position.

You know, there is just something to me about the challenge of fitting all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together into a complete picture. Recently, I came to the conclusion that this challenge could be one of the reasons I love to write. Instead of fitting pieces of a picture together, I place words together to come up with a complete, and hopefully meaningful, story.

I watched in surprise (I’m ashamed to admit) as the world became a kinder place with the surge of Covid in 2020, with many people insisting that everyone should pass along that kindness. Many did. It was inspiring.

Winter hiking is wonderful. The air is crisp and clean. The forest is still.
With the air so clear it makes for some amazing sunrises and sunsets. So much is missed by those who only hike in the warmer months.
Hiking around the lake in the winter months will produce lifetime memories of wildlife, God-made ice sculptures and scenery.
Many other outdoor hobbies lend their own rewards for being out in the winter months—like bird watching, fishing, kayaking and viewing the night sky.
I have caught some of my largest fish during the coldest times.

James 2:23 KJV
[23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
I can’t read James 2:23 without the simple lyrics of “I Am a Friend of God, by Israel Houghton and Michael Gungor, playing in my mind. It’s the kind of lyric that can get stuck on replay in your mind for hours. Which in this case is probably not a bad thing, especially if we associate it with the scriptures the lyrics are based upon.

Medical guidelines help doctors understand the best way to treat health conditions. Surprisingly, many doctors do not adhere to them, and this is a problem, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Utah, studying health and MD guidelines. People with lower back pain injury miss 11 more days of work in a year when they only receive treatments for lower back pain that are not recommended by medical guidelines compared to people treated according to guidelines. The findings were published in PLOS ONE. Among the nearly 60,000 people whose medical claims were analyzed:

As the young showmen drive their hogs around the show ring they all intently look at the judge and make every turn smoothly and at the perfect time.
Every showman has their own way of doing things, but each one makes an impression on the judge. The crowd sets on the edge of their seats wondering who will be chosen as the grade champion showman.

“I don’t want to and I won’t go to Grandma’s house this year! She’s old and I never liked her or Grandpa anyway. They always treat me like a child!” Fourteen year old Maisie stomped her foot as she stormed out of the kitchen. Her mother’s gaze followed as her daughter made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, clomping her foot as hard as possible on every step as she went; more like a child than a teenager.

I was talking recently to a lady. In the course of our conversation, she told me that she has two children, one a post high school graduate, the other an early elementary student. I remarked that there was a lot of years between her two children’s ages. She told me that she lost a lot of weight before conceiving her second child. We determined then and there that Big Macs were a good form of birth control.

You can learn a lot from talking with elders. In a conversation about Christmas with my mother some years ago I learned that the Christmas of her childhood had an extra bit of celebration. Her father Sillus Day would always hold back some candy from Christmas in a big, locked chest and would give it out on January 6, a day he called “Old Christmas”.

A tradition since 2014, the Dewey Decimals book club at Sunset Bay made their 8th annual book donation to the Sharps Chapel Elementary School library.

There’s nothing like a good last-minute adventure, especially one on Christmas Eve. This happened to me many years when my daughter Sara was still small.
It started on December 23rd when we went to a cousin’s house for an early Christmas gathering. I so enjoyed being with my family and watching Sara open her gifts. That is until she opened the one with a doll.

It is rarely that anything seems to surprise me. I suppose that is common as one grows older, but occasionally I am reminded that there might be a few surprises yet to come.
I went to the credit union to pay my car payment earlier in the week. I walked in just barely before the lobby closed. I walked up to the only available teller, a friendly young lady who grew prettier in my estimation throughout our brief encounter.

I like sweet potatoes about any way you can fix them. In fact, I buy a 20 pound box of sweet potatoes every fall from a man who brings them up from the Carolinas and parks in front of Janet’s Hair Salon in beautiful downtown Maynardville. It takes me all year to finish that box. I am always looking for new ways to fix them. I come up with this recipe the other day. It is a variation of a rutabaga recipe I tried. They are spicy but not like a pumpkin pie. Try them and see what you think.

Do you love decorating for the holidays? Do you love driving around to see Christmas lights? We have a fun contest for everyone who likes Christmas lights.
UT Extension Union County will host its annual Light Up Union County Contest in 2021 to get our town decorated for the holiday season. Whether your skill is closer to the Charlie Brown tree or Clark Griswold, we want to see your lights.

Periodic absences for various reasons continue to cause the Union County Board of Education to barely have a quorum.
At the November school board meeting, Chairman David Coppock and Vice Chairman Marty Gibbs were absent along with Brad Griffey from Luttrell. Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Union County Schools, chaired the workshop and oversaw the election of Andrew Reed, who represents District 6 (Paulette), as the Chairman Pro Tem to preside at the November meeting.

Last month, Olivia Howard joined the UT Extension Office here in Union County as the full-time 4-H agent. Olivia was born in Kansas, lived in Michigan and moved to the Knoxville area when she was in 4th grade where her love for agriculture started.
This led her to pursue a degree in Animal Science at the University of Tennessee. Olivia’s experience in Extension started when she completed an internship with the Knox County Extension Office in summer of 2020 where she worked in agriculture and natural resources.

Happy Holidays from Union County Farmers Market!
We are really excited to offer a Holiday Market once again this year. We can’t wait to see you there!
At the Holiday Market, you will find some of your favorite market vendors and be able to support your community by shopping local.

By Beth Bergeron
Once again, 4 H members in each elementary school are collecting pop top tabs for their community service project and the first full jug has been turned in. All tabs will be donated to our local Ronald McDonald House for recycling.
In the process of collecting these tabs, the students learn the importance of recycling, and are encourage to recycle the entire aluminum can.

By Mary Johnson
Sharps Chapel residents have been meeting at the Sharps Chapel Senior Center once a month to share the latest news, research and concerns regarding the new Mexican-owned Sanfer SPF egg production factory farm. The facility will eventually house 72,000 chickens in eight concrete block buildings on the historic Sharp family farm on Sharps Chapel Road.