If you have friends who love to email great thoughts and turns of phrase, or if you are a Facebook junkie, you have undoubtedly come across some pretty interesting opinions about the year just about to end approximately 77 hours from the time I type this sentence.
The one that sticks with me the most at present is this: If you had to choose a drink to represent the year 2020, what would it be? Answer: Colonoscopy prep

Many enjoy watching it snow, as the slow-motion quiet of falling flakes provides a peaceful, serene setting. A single snowfall offers a myriad of exquisite ice sculptures that are short-lived, often unnoticed, and worth a closer look. In his book, Snowflake, Kenneth Libbrecht discusses how to observe snow up close.

I recently spoke to Jack Rhyne to learn his story and it is a fascinating one! Like most little boys growing up in a Roy Rogers world, Rhyne hoped to grow up to be a cowboy. That didn’t quite work out, but he has lived an adventurous life. Rhyne grew up in Anderson County, enlisted in the Army as a young man, and married Marie Merritt from Grainger County, who served as Rutledge’s City Recorder.

As we continue in this time of uncertainty and fear, life must go on in some ways. A part of that is that children need an education. There are many aspects of a child’s education that go beyond a classroom or basic learning. These things include but are not limited to sports, band, music lessons, dance lessons, fundraisers, and community support. All of these and more contribute to a child’s education in ways many cannot see.

If you’re suffering from chronic lower back pain, a new review of existing research finds that spinal manipulation—the kind of hands-on regimen that a chiropractor might perform on you—is just as helpful as other frequently employed treatments, like pain killers. Spinal manipulation is also safe, researchers found.

Reindeer are always of interest at Christmas, famously known as the mode of transportation for the Big Fellow on his annual trip around the world. But they are interesting enough animals to talk about for other reasons, so let me provide some interesting facts that you can impress your friends with at Christmas parties.

The Christmas Dance was my favorite high school dance. I saw it as a special evening full of beautiful decorations, friends, and fun. And, to be honest, a little innocent romance was nice too. Fortunately for me, the Christmas dance of 1982 had a little unexpected surprise.

I was especially excited about that dance. Tim agreed to take me even though he had graduated in June of that year. While there, we had the best time with our friends. The slow dances were nice too.

One of the benefits, sometimes the best benefit, and for some the only benefit, of marriage is the occasional free humor it can provide.

This particular tale goes back to the blissful premarital years when I was dating my wife. My wife throughout our entire relationship has seemed to have an uncanny knack of being the living example of “if it can happen to anybody it can happen to her”. In this particular case she contracted cellulitis. Cellulitis, without referencing Google, is an affliction that can turn to gangrene and cause loss of limbs and even death in some cases.

I like cookies with walnuts or pecans. Peanuts, not so much. But most everybody likes Rice Krispies. I thought, “Why not substitute Rice Krispies for nuts in a recipe.” When making my Christmas cookies one year, I came up with this recipe. There is another surprise tucked in that cookie, too. Cayenne pepper. It gives a little zing to the cinnamon spice. You will wonder why the cinnamon tastes so good: cayenne pepper. When you try this recipe, I hope it will become a favorite. Don't tell anyone about the cayenne. Let's keep it our secret.

You won't find any rice in this dish. Spinach is the star here. Use rice or potatoes any way you like in another side dish. Of course, you could use frozen chopped broccoli instead of the spinach. Makes a good meatless supper.