Many of you may know the origins of the name Union County; although there are two possibilities. The first explanation is based on the "union" of land from the 5 surrounding counties: Knox, Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell and Anderson. The second is based on the area's support for remaining in the United States during the secession crises in the 1850's, the decade of formation of our county. Perhaps, it is a mixture of both.

When I was growing up, almost every meal I ate was at home or school. At home, our fare was usually pinto beans, potatoes, and corn bread with onions. One thing that without doubt developed my taste buds was Mother’s liberal use of Lay’s Clover Leaf® Brand Pure Lard.

If only once more I could go back through time and sit down to one of Mother’s meals. I would want it to be spring so we could have killed (“kilt”) lettuce, soup beans, fried taters with fresh garden peas, cornbread, and a good glass of store-bought buttermilk to wash it all down.

There are teachers and there are teachers. They come in all sizes and ages. I had one in Junior High School that I will never forget. To save her family embarrassment, I won't mention her name.

She was old, really old. Of course, that was the opinion of an eighth-grader. I don't remember ever seeing her smile. Her teaching style left a lot to be desired. I didn't help the situation either. School was always easy for me as anyone who knows me can attest. I am easily bored. That is a dangerous combination. I tried to stay under her radar.

Okra is easy to fix, that is if you choose the young tender pods. If you didn't know better, you might think the larger pods are the better choice. Boy oh boy, would you be wrong. Okra gets woody and tough as it matures. Only the young ones are tender. I learned this the hard way the first time I grew okra in my garden here in Tennessee. It only happened once. My mother never raised okra. I did, but at that time only used the dried stalks as part of a dried flower arrangement. I had no idea they were edible.

The standard definition of a plant is a life form that is green and capable of making its own food through photosynthesis, and for the majority of plant families that is true, and are designated as autotrophs, meaning “self-feeding”. But there are plants that defy the status quo and lack the green chlorophyll needed for food production, and must get their nourishment through other means, some by taking it from other plants by sucking their version lifeblood, sap.

A few years ago, my daughter (who lives in Oklahoma City) sent me a text. It was simply a picture of a grocery store freezer compartment stacked with a bunch of yellow Mayfield’s ice cream cartons. It took me a moment before I realized this was a picture taken in OKC. What? Mayfield’s Ice Cream was in Oklahoma City? Needless to say, she told me she had bought several different flavors, and she and her husband and four kids had enjoyed the Tennessee goodness. Sadly, it was a temporary thing. Guess thirteen hours on the road in a big yellow truck was too long to sustain.

Back in the 1930s, a guy who went by the extraordinarily fun-to-say name of Fritz Zwicky said something that made everyone think he was nuts. Fritz was a Swiss astronomer who, while peering into the depths of the inky canopy over Pasadena, California, saw something that made him look away from his telescope’s eyepiece, grind his fists into his eyes to clear them, return his gaze to the stars, and gasp in disbelief.

For (1 ) 1998 Huskee 20 HP 46” cut lawnmower . Minimum Bid $100.00. Bids must be received no later than October 7, 2019 to be considered. All bids will be opened on October 8, 2019. Award will go to the highest bidder. To see the mower, contact Vice-Mayor Richard D. Phillips 865-766- 7272. Please include your Name, Address, and contract information inside your sealed envelope. Mailing address for bids is City of Plainview, PO Box 37, Luttrell, TN 37779 or bids may be dropped off at 1037 Tazewell Pike. Office hours are 9AM to 4:30 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

As the spooky October season sneaks around the corner, Big Ridge State Park has some ghostly adventures planned for the community and visitors. As you may know, there are some mysterious stories from past generations that spook the park this time of year. These stories are shared amongst hikers at the Annual Ghost House Hikes which have been happening for more than a decade.

The Annual 4-H Chick Chain Show and Sale was held Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at Darrell’s Auction & Livestock.