In a year of new normals, this Christmas season poses an even greater feeling of excitement. We have stayed in and are accustomed to socially distancing and finding creative ways to share time with our families. It seems, in all of the things that 2020 has challenged us with, that the magic of the Christmas season feels even more joyful and exciting this year. Maybe there is a necessity to fulfill our hearts' needs; maybe we have a stronger, deeper appreciation for the small things; or maybe it is just exciting to say goodbye to this year and hope for a fresh new start for 2021.

The Smoky Mountain Home School 4-H Club met at Big Ridge State Park on Tuesday, October 27. The club brought along many newly-built bluebird boxes. They walked through the whole park and cleaned out all of the existing boxes. Some were occupied with wildlife, but for the most part, they were full with previously used nests. The club replaced some of the old boxes and put up some additional new blue-bird boxes.

Charles “Chuck” Gildrie, a Tennessee Licensed Clinical Social Worker, recently shared with me a glimpse into his early life experiences, family life in Tennessee, getting an education, and the joys of working in a fulfilling career helping others.

Q: Do insurance plans cover chiropractic?

A: Yes. Chiropractic care is included in most health insurance plans, including major medical plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans for federal employees, among others. Chiropractic care is also available to active-duty members of the armed forces at more than 60 military bases and is available to veterans, at more than 60 major veterans medical facilities, but also in offices such as ours that participate directly with the VA to administer care with proper VA authorization..

When I married my wife, she was an avid “rummager”. For those of you who might not be familiar with the term, she was a person who lived to go to rummage sales. Nothing thrilled her more than the hunt for bargains.

There is a book entitled The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I read the book in my younger days of idealism, and admittedly don’t remember a great deal about it. I would recommend it to you, Faithful Reader, as a Google search. The only thing I remember is that one of the ways a person shows their love for another is to give gifts.

It broke my heart. I couldn’t imagine the old tree was dead.

This wasn’t just any old tree. It was a large Maple that stood about 40 feet across from my grandparent’s carport. Except for the last ten years, I had seen that tree almost every day of my life.

Tree leaves are most recognized and appreciated when they go through their fall color blitz that we enjoy every year. But they should also be recognized for all they do throughout the year, including creating food and fiber through the miracle of photosynthesis, and when dead on the ground they supply the raw materials needed for next year’s growth of new leaves. Going from dead leaves to nutrients that can be taken up by the tree requires a recycling system of decomposition.

I like grits. I like anything made with corn. Grits are just gritty cornmeal, wouldn't you say? You don't have to eat grits just for breakfast. A grit casserole would go well with ham or any pork dish, so serve them for supper tonight. Do you suppose a "Grit" looks like my drawing?

Have you ever made bagels? If you are feeling adventurous, try it. I did a few years back. They turned out just fine. However, and this is a big however, I prefer to pick up a package of bagels at Food City. They are a lot of work. If you stir up a batch, you will understand all that is required to do them. If you are bored, it's raining outside and there's nothing on TV, give it a try. They are good, just a lot of work. By the way, potato water is the water you boiled the potatoes in.

When Jack Rhyne, current Maynardville City Manager decided to retire, Maynardville had not completed its search for a replacement. In the October called meeting, the Board of Commissioners accepted Rhyne's retirement and sought the advice of their attorney regarding the next step. According to state law, Maynardville would need to declare the position vacant and then proceed to fill the vacancy. If the vacancy was filled by a current employee other than the recorder then the person would be an acting city manager, not an interim city manager.