Here are more strategies to prevent injuries when lifting and carrying luggage:

• If using a backpack, make sure it has two padded and adjustable shoulder straps. Choose one with several compartments to secure various-sized items, packing the heavier things low and towards the center. Always wear a backpack on both shoulders—slinging it over one shoulder does not allow weight to be distributed evenly, which can cause muscle strain.

I know this may sound strange, but one of my favorite childhood memories happened after church let out.
The church we attended at that time was built in the late 1800s. In front of it was an old wooden hitching post that stood about a foot tall. People used to tie their horses to it before service. Best of all, that old post stood underneath a tree. I don’t remember what kind of tree it was, but it never grew to be very tall.

I’m sure most people have at one time or another in their lives heard of a book titled Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. It was published in 1992, and is purported to be the ultimate guide to help men understand the opposite sex.
Let me share something with you. I took a class called Marriage and the Family when I was an undergraduate at Lincoln Memorial University. I made an “A”. I have also read the aforementioned book, long before I got married. Neither experience taught me one thing that I have found useful in my own married life.

I have taught Sunday School for most of my life. I remember the first year I taught a preschool class. Classes were excused for the summer to be resumed in the fall with the beginning of the school year. I wanted to do something special for the four and five year olds. A picnic and party at my house would do the trick. I gave each parent an invitation with the date and location of the event.

I bet you have never heard of this combination: cabbage and noodles. Surprise. It tastes great. Of course you can gussy it up with leftovers, such as crumbled sausage patties or links, crumbled hamburger patties, crumbled small slice of meatloaf. 2 or 3 tablespoons cottage cheese , etc. One of these can be added when the noodles are included in the cooking process.

This fall looks to be a good year for nut producing trees like hickory and beech, and oak acorns aren’t looking bad either. Fruit and nut production varies from year to year, and the reasons are many.

Doug Cheek fondly remembers fishing with his father George, a tradition he was happy to carry on with his son Alex. He began fishing specifically for Striper (also known as Rockfish, but whose proper name is Striped Bass) around the turn of the century. Then, while he was still working, it was just a hobby. Upon the sale of his Ford dealership in 2018 and subsequent retirement, and seeing a need within the community, Doug decided to start a second business as a Fishing Guide.

According to the U.S. Consumer Products safety Commission, in one year more than 50,000 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, clinics and other medical settings for injuries related to luggage.

Here are some strategies to prevent injuries when lifting and carrying luggage:

• Pack lightly. when possible, pack items in a few smaller bags instead of one large luggage piece. It is better—and may prevent muscle sprains and strains—to carry a lighter bag in each hand rather than one heavy bag in one hand or over one shoulder.

While growing up, my mom and Mamaw Girdle/Myrtle would often tell me, “You can’t see diddly squat!” Mamaw Jo was different in that she would say, “I swannie! If it was a snake, it would’ve bitten you!”

I was speaking the other day with one of my nieces. As our conversation progressed, I shared about a particular person who always seems able to irritate me. My niece informed me that this person was my “sandpaper”. Perhaps there is a connection here with the phrase “rubs me the wrong way”. I am grateful that there are few people who have this effect on me, and I hope that I don’t have that effect on many people.