The church of which I am currently a member put out a magnet a few years ago with the church’s logo and this catchphrase: Loveland—Where Everybody is Somebody.
I thought this a comforting sentiment. Church should be the one place that everyone feels like someone, no “big ‘I’s or little ‘you’s’”. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

i remember in the late fifties copying this recipe from the television screen. It has been a staple of mine ever since. I have used it on a stew, with tomato sauce instead of potatoes as well as topped with chicken gravy.

By Steve Roark
Volunteer for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

I don’t know of anybody that doesn’t have a fear response when they stumble across a snake in the woods or the tool shed. The usual reaction is to jump back and express a four-letter metaphor. I do it myself, even though I know that snakes are mostly harmless, and the poisonous ones rarely strike a human unless really provoked. But all that knowledge goes out the window when I first see a snake, and I’m instantly in a “get out of here” mode.

One of the most common and well-known therapeutic procedures performed by doctors of chiropractic is spinal manipulation (sometimes referred to as a “chiropractic adjustment”). The purpose of spinal manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile — or restricted in their movement — as a result of a tissue injury.

Having been bundled up by the Covid-19 pandemic and suffering from “cabin fever,” we decided it was time for another travel adventure.
After landing in Vancouver, Canada, we walked to the 44-story Harbor House Tower with its panoramic observation tower on its top floor. Next, we visited the nearby Chinatown which is the second largest Chinatown in North America. I stopped for a moment to photograph the welcoming Chinatown gate.

But first, let’s get out of Yucca Valley. We are heading to Bakersfield only because there is a distinct lack of lodging on the way to Yosemite. Along the route today we will also go through Needles and Barstow. Name that tune!

I will let you in on a little secret: I love loud noises. Not the sudden ones as in a balloon popping or a firecracker exploding. Let’s put it this way; if you’re ever attending a firework show and you see a short woman with glasses and her fingers burrowed inside her ears, it’s probably me.

The first time I remember becoming aware of church dinners was when I was a young child. Maynardville Baptist (now the First Baptist Church of Maynardville) was going to have a homecoming. I didn’t understand at the time that homecoming was a special service to welcome former members and pastors to renew “auld acquaintance.

We package up our ground beef in 1/2 pound freezer bags. Several of our favorite recipes only call for a half pound of ground beef. There is a good casserole for 1/2 pound ground chuck.. Of course, you have to like eggplant. I do.

Biodiversity is a big deal in ecology science these days. The dictionary defines it simply as the variety of living things in a particular area or region. Opinions on the importance of biodiversity vary, but to me the loss of native plant or animal species means something’s wrong, and rightfully raises some concerns.