Farmers’ Market Fresh returns to the market

We all know that farmers markets, or your own garden, are the best place to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, but did you know you can learn a lot while at the market? Check in at the Union County Farmers Market information booth when you arrive, as the “Farmers Market Fresh” program has returned to the market.

Moonshining In Union County Part III

Continuing from "Of Hearth And Hoe" by Bonnie Heiskell Peters:
"Although the government began to clamp down on the illegal handling of sugar by requiring store operators to keep records of sugar purchases, there was still little problem in obtaining sugar. Store operators simply juggled their books and falsified their reports. Often merchants sold sugar to still operators and received payment for sugar plus a bonus for allowing the purchase to be made.

The Roarks: From Kentucky to the world

By James and Ellen Perry
As an acorn sprouts and grows into a sapling, then matures into a large oak tree, so did the growth of Paul Roark’s family.
This story begins in the coal mining town of Coxton, Kentucky, which is in Harlan County. Paul was born into a family that had mined coal for generations, as did most boys and men in the region. Paul’s father, after seeing an accident where a miner was killed, decided to move his family north where jobs were more plentiful and safer.

In my Father’s house are many mansions

John 14:2 “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (KJV)
Jesus spoke the words recorded in John 14:2 during the final week of His earthly ministry before His crucifixion! Jesus had been dropping hints to his Disciples about his true intentions as the Lamb of God from the moment he first called his Twelve Apostles, nearly three-and-a-half years earlier.

Fast Words

If I could be a cartoon character, I would have to choose Speedy Gonzales.
Why? Not because I have mouse ears and whiskers. Which I don’t, by the way. It’s because I am always in a hurry. Needless to say, that has caused me a few problems.
One such problem is my handwriting. Ironically, I’m a writer who has horrible handwriting. I am so thankful for the modern convenience of computers. Unfortunately for me (and my teachers) we didn’t have one when I was in high school.

Food preservation yesterday and today

I learned how to preserve food from my mother, sister and mother-in-law. Sadly, just a few years back, canning and preserving had almost become a disappearing ritual due to the busyness of today’s life.
These days, home canning and preserving food is regaining popularity due to the empty grocery shelves that have accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abraham Lincoln (practically) slept at my house

It used to be popular, and may still be, for a place to announce, “George Washington [or other historical figure] slept here.” Goodness knows that if could ever make such a claim, I would want to be able to say, “Abraham Lincoln slept in my house.” Interestingly enough, I have come close to being able to truthfully say this.
One of my former bus drivers accurately characterized me not as a Lincoln scholar, but a Lincoln enthusiast. This began in third grade when I read the first of many books I would one day own and read about Lincoln, a paperback entitled, “The Man on the Penny.”

Chigger trouble: A pain in the belt line

By: Steve Roark
Volunteer Interpreter, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Being outside is normally a lot of fun, but sometimes you pay a price when you run into a nest of chiggers. For their size, these little guys are a real pain in the belt line.
Chiggers are actually baby mites. They are almost too small to be seen with the naked eye, and are red with eight legs. The adults, which can be seen, feed only on plants and are not a problem for us, except for their laying eggs that make more baby chiggers.

Hats

I have been watching the Turner Classic Movie channel quite a bit lately. I found a mystery series based in the 1920s that piqued my interest in that era. The Great War was over. Veterans were trying to adapt to civilian life. Gone were the hobble skirts and ostrich- feathered ladies hats. It sort of reminds me of the aftermath of World War ll. We were in a time of transition then, too.

Country Style Potato Sausage Casserole

Bulk pork sausage is one my favorite "go-to" meats for supper. It's cheap to buy and stores well in the freezer. No worries about getting freezer burnt. It comes well wrapped from the store.
I remember when I was a housewife with small children at home. It seemed that my husband's paycheck had a hard time covering enough groceries to last until the next paycheck, but I always had potatoes and onions. Bulk pork sausage from the freezer was the basis for a number of meals.