Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Thanksgiving and More

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Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! Today is a celebration of family, friends, and tradition.

Over the last decade, many individuals have turned away from the traditional celebration of ‘Thanksgiving’ to celebrate in other ways. People have begun to recognize that the story of a kind, collaborative Thanksgiving between the pilgrims on the Mayflower and the indigenous tribes was nothing more than a myth taught to elementary school children. In fact, the first ‘Thanksgiving’ was likely a celebratory dinner in 1637 following what’s now known as the Pequot Massacre. After killing over 700 men, women, and children of the Pequot Tribe, Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared the next day would be “a day of thanksgiving and celebration for subduing the Pequots.”

Understandably, many people choose to move away from celebrating a tradition rooted in murder, terror, and racism. Still, the celebration of friends, family, and thanks is not something to completely abandon. Many now celebrate the themes of the season via alternative holidays occurring during the same time.

  1. The National Day of Mourning is an annual protest held on Thanksgiving Day. Protesters acknowledge the historical and current suffering of Native American people.
  2. National Day of Listening falls on the day after Thanksgiving. It encourages individuals to broaden their perspective by listening to someone who is a member of a marginalized group.
  3. Friendsgiving. This is a celebration of friendship and found family; gather those closest to you for a potluck, a traditional holiday meal, or a day of snacks and games. 
  4. Thankskilling. A niche celebration that is growing in popularity on the internet. Many combine it with Friendsgiving. This particular celebration brings awareness to the true story of the ‘first thanksgiving’ while also indulging in fun activities such as watching bad movies. There is a growing selection of bad Thanksgiving movies such as Killer Turkey, ThanksKilling, The McPherson Tape, and more. 

2023 Night of Lights

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For 30 years, St. Augustine has helped families celebrate the Christmas season with one of the most highly-acclaimed, citywide light displays in Florida. In fact, it has been listed among the top ten holiday light displays in the world by National Geographic!

Twinkling lights fill the trees, highlight storefronts, and line the downtown buildings. Light Up the Night runs nightly from November 18th to January 28th, so you have plenty of time to make a visit down south. While it’s a bit of a drive down to St. Augustine for those in the Panhandle, it’s still close enough for a day trip or a weekend visit. Locals and tourists can view the magnificent lights by taking a tour on foot, by trolley, boat, golf cart, or a horse-drawn carriage ride. 

The top two spots to visit for the best views and photos are: 1. The Plaza de la Constitución and 2. The Bridge of Lions. Visit the official Night of Lights website for more information including their free park & ride shuttle, special events, and more. 

 

Milk & Honey

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Today’s local business spotlight is Milk & Honey!

Located in Marianna, the shop is a multi-purpose shop that serves coffee, fro-yo, soft serve, and more. They also function as a community center where individuals can hang out doing computer work, catch up with friends, and more. They even rent out their rooms for organizations and groups to host meetings and events.

Visit the Milk & Honey Facebook page to stay up-to-date. 

Jackson County Calls for Citizen Engagement

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Jackson County is proactively addressing the challenges of flooding and its impact on our critical infrastructure with the initiation of a Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment. The County is calling for citizens to partake in the process. There will be three separate in-person meetings held to hear from the community from individual residents to businesses. The goal is to share collective insights to develop strategies for mitigating current and future flood risks. 
These meetings will include experts ready to discuss flood-related challenges, respond to inquiries, and gather valuable community input to shape a resilient Jackson County. Click on the image to enlarge and view meeting details and more. 

Diabetes Awareness in Marianna

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The Florida Health Department of Jackson County is hosting a Community Health Fair tomorrow. From 3-7pm, come out to Madison Street Park in Marianna. The goal is to raise and celebrate diabetes awareness. There will be food, fun, health education, live music, vendors, community resources, and a live DJ. The highlight of the event is the FREE health screenings and HIV testing. Come out for an evening of fun and health safety. 

World Kindness Day

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Today is World Kindness Day! It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations’ kindness NGOs. In a time of worldwide strife and terror, this is a wonderful opportunity to honor, celebrate, and inspire kindness in action.

Celebrate World Kindness Day by committing small acts of kindness; a compliment to a stranger, holding a door open, stopping to help get an item from a tall shelf, and more. Being kind takes so little time but it creates a ripple effect that makes the world a nicer place. 

Walmart’s Sensory Hours

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Walmart’s across the United States and Puerto Rico are implementing semi-permanent sensory hours. The hours will take place every day from 8-10 a.m. Depending on how things go, these hours could become permanent. 

Sensory hours are designed for those who are easily overwhelmed by external stimulation. During as typical Walmart visit, highly-sensitive individuals have to handle an influx of stimuli including stranger’s conversations, accidental touch, bright overhead lights, store music, and more. This can cause irritability, stress, agitation, insomnia, loss of focus, overwhelming feelings and thoughts, and anxiety. Some individuals even experience physical symptoms such as tight, itchy skin or buzzing nerves. 

Kountry Candy Store’s Fall Festival

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Kounty Candy Store is hosting its first Fall Festival! There will be candy, bounce houses, food, live music, games, and vendors galore. The event is being hosted for the benefit of the local no-kill animal shelter, Partners for Pets. The event will take place at Kountry Candy Store on November 18th from 8am-3pm. Learn more by visiting the event’s Facebook page. 

Panhandle Butterfly House

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Did you know that the Panhandle is home to a butterfly house? No, not the world-famous Gainesville Butterfly Rainforest and McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity. The Panhandle Butterfly House had it’s grand reopening this spring and has been slowly improving it’s grounds throughout the year. It was originally located in Navarre but recently relocated to Milton. 

The Panhandle Butterfly House is committed to displaying exclusively Florida-native butterflies; this allows visitors to learn about the butterflies they may encounter in their backyards and throughout nature in their area. Additionally, the House raises native butterflies, allowing volunteers and visitors to witness the full butterfly life cycle from egg to hatching to caterpillar to chrysalis and then – the emerging of adult butterflies! 

Learn more by visiting the official Panhandle Butterfly House website. 

2023: Fall Back Time Change

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Fall Back this weekend!

On Sunday, November 5th at 2am, time is going to fall back an hour. This gives you an extra hour of sleep and gives you more sunlight in the morning. Be sure to change your clocks either before bed on November 4th or once you wake up on November 5th. Most digital clocks such as cell phones and laptops will automatically update.