We lived near a swamp. Not just any swamp. This one seemed to go on forever. The tenant house we lived in, next to an old cottonwood tree, was at the foot of a steep hill. If we stood in the driveway and looked across the road, the swamp ran to the horizon. On our side of the road, the same swamp continued on. It was our playground. In the spring the swamp would be flooded with the heavy spring rains. We didn't venture out there then, but when the swamp dried up, we would be off and running. It was our playground.

It just so happened that I had a cat that needed a name. He was a petite, mostly white cat with a light brown tail. That entirely light brown tail really stood out in contrast to the almost entirely white fur on the remainder of the cat’s body.

This is part 6 of a continuing series about how to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We are following Jesus' own example for doing this as illustrated in Luke 24:27. In which, Jesus begins at Moses to expound all the scriptures concerning himself. So far, we have lightly examined how that Moses is synonymous with God’s Law or covenant with mankind. The Law (Ten Commandments) teaches us that none of us are perfect. Paul expounds on this in Galatians among other places.

Do you need a dessert for supper? And you can't find a recipe that doesn't need a trip to the store? Custard pie would fit the bill. The ingredients are in every kitchen.

I have a story about one special custard pie. It happened long ago when I was still a teenager and living at home in the 1940s

The winter night sky gives you the opportunity to see a few things you may not have thought you could see. In one small part of the sky you can easily identify a constellation, name two stars, see a sun that has a planet orbiting it, and see a Nebula. This will be the fastest astronomy lesson you'll ever have, so hang on.

Parasites do not have a positive reputation. I mean let’s face it; they live and feed on other living animals. They are considered cheaters, degenerates, thieves, evil things. And yet some of them do amazing amazingly complex things to earn a living, including brain surgery.

The Union County Memoir Class will begin Thursday, February 8 at 9:30 A.M. at the Union County Senior Center, 298 Main Street, behind the Union County Library, in Maynardville. We will meet on the second and fourth Thursdays at 9:30 A.M. The first class will be concerned with how-to-do's and discussion of story topics. We will begin writing stories February 22. If you have questions, please contact me: Shirley McMurtrie, 865-992-1056 or email my at follow8me@aol.com

What started as a hobby has become a family tradition for the Archers of Maynardville. That tradition launched them into the international spotlight last fall as the Archer and Son drag racing team made it to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals, where they placed in the final 13.

The team consists of Floyd Archer Sr., wife Connie Archer and son Floyd "Buddy" Archer Jr. Floyd owns the car, Buddy drives the car, and Connie works support to keep the log book, air up the tires and more.

It looks like the government shutdown, otherwise known as Schumer Shutdown, has come to an end (for now); however, Congress has only temporarily fixed the budget until February 8, 2018. The American people could potentially watch our military, border patrol agents, national park rangers and other government workers be auctioned off AGAIN so the Democrats can force tax payers to support illegal immigrants and their children. Why do the Democrats care so much about granting illegal immigrants amnesty, and what needs to happen next month to avoid another possible shutdown?

Sometimes we just never know what is around the bend! Recently, while driving a Union County road re-surveying historic properties, my friend, Fern Shumate Smyre, pointed out a little late 1800s dentist’s office on Nave Hill Church Road. It was listed in the 1978 survey of the Tennessee Historical Commission, and we were glad to see that it is still there. The dentist was Doctor Ewin Shumate, the eldest of nine children of Daniel and Louisa Shumate of Claiborne County. Dr. Shumate was born February 11, 1867 and died June 14, 1910. He is buried at Andersonville.