April

Debbie Roney Smith on

April showers bring May flowers, or so the rhyme goes. April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and has 30 days. In the northern hemisphere  April is a most confusing month; rainy and wet one day, the next full of a warm promise of green growth to come. Besides the weather, the month is full of surprises and contradictions, prized for rebirth and endings, and a birth month to amazing geniuses and crazed despots both, making fun of astrological predictions. In the Roman calendar April is spelled Aprilis, meaning “to open.” The name Aprilis, then, fits April, because in so many places in the northern hemisphere April is the month when trees and flowers begin to bloom and go on to flower.

~Two flowers signify the month of April the daisy and the sweet pea. The daisy symbolizes innocence, loyal love, and purity; but it also means “I’ll never tell!” The sweat pea signifies blissful pleasure, and are used to say goodbye. Sweet peas may be a pretty flower, but they are also one of the oldest food crops on our planet, domesticated by humans about 11,000 years ago.

~The birthstone for people born in April is the diamond, one of the hardest substances on earth. They are supposed to bring balance, clarity, and abundance, and it is symbolic of eternal love and the bringer of wealth to six centuries of the diamond trade.

~Noah Webster Copyrighted the First Edition of His Dictionary in April. The famous language expert Noah Webster was a bit of an April fool: one of his dearest wishes was to reform English spelling for Americans, to make it simpler and more obvious. While millions of school children could go for that; Webster’s proposals included removing all double vowels. Bread would be spelled bred; friend would become frend; tuf for tuf, laf for laugh, kee for key, and speek for speak. He also wanted us to spell machine masheen, and pique peek.
His successes included changing plough for plow and draught for draft; but if you’re a poor speller, you might just peek your frends and attribute that to your fondness for April’s Noah Webster.

~April marks the birth of arguably the most influential writer of all time – William Shakespeare. Born on the 26th in 1564 he went on to write 36 plays and 154 sonnets. He also died in April.

~Adolf Hitler Was Born in April.

~It was on April 15, 1912 that the Titanic hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean and sank. Only 700 of the 2,224 passengers were rescued.

April has many days it is known for. The most known are ~April 1st being April’s fool day. ~Passover/Easter/Food Friday. ~April 14th Tax Day, although this year it has been extended. And here are a few of the fun days coming up in April ~International Pillow Fight Day ~National No Housework Day ~Blah, Blah, Blah Day ~Go Fly a Kite Day ~National Sense of Smell Day.

 

 

Timber Creek Distillery offers 8oz of free hand sanitizer

Debbie Roney Smith on

Hand sanitizer, one of the hardest things to find during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s so hard to find in stores but they’re lining up at the Timber Creek Distillery to stock up on hand sanitizer along with their liquor. Customers are asked to come with their own bottle and stay ten feet apart. Patrons can buy more than the free eight ounces, and Timber Creek has sold a few hundred gallons to pawn shops, FedEx, and government agencies. Aaron Barnes says he has the coolest job, he gets to make all the booze for the distillery. And now he gets to make hand sanitizer too! They were sitting on 700 gallons of rum that had just distilled, so Aaron distilled it up to 94 percent and then used the World Health Organization formula to make it like the F.D.A. recommends.

The Timber Creek Distillery is located on a family farm just north of Destin, Florida. The vision they have is to take the best local fruits and grains from the Florida Panhandle and turn them into the finest Craft Spirits. They take great pride in hand making every batch and hand bottling every bottle. They opened in 2014. Visit the distillery located at 6358 Lake Ella Rd in Crestview. Be sure to call with any questions or to make sure they are open. 408-439-0973. “BYOB” has a new meaning for this local distillery!

 

 

NATIONAL MOM AND POP BUSINESS OWNERS DAY~March 29

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National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day honors all small business owners each year on March 29th. Small businesses are a vital part of the United States economy, and the critical role they play is sometimes overlooked. You can show them their much-deserved appreciation by shopping locally and at small businesses.

~Give gift cards from your favorite small businesses to encourage others to shop there.
~Share their social media pages to improve their following.
~Talk about them. Word of mouth advertising is some of the best advertising small businesses get.
~Take their business cards and then recommend them to a friend.
~Be a repeat customer. Remember small businesses are the ones who also support local events and schools, too.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are more than 27 million small businesses in the United States. Owning your own business is a goal that many people strive to attain. It takes long hours, hard work, and much dedication. Countless hours of nurturing the business are needed in the process of growing the business. From starting out to building and expanding, a successful small business is the goal of every owner.  Some of these Mom and Pop shops are handed down from one generation to the next while others are new start-ups. “Mom and Pop” businesses offer superior customer service as the owners take personal pride in their operations as well as pride in their communities.

Rick and Margie Segel founded National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day in honor of couples like his parents whose successful hat shop opened in 1939 and grew into a 10,000 square feet and $2 million clothing store.

Especially now please consider sharing a link to a small business owner you know, buying a gift card to be used later, or even giving a shot out to them on your social media page. Thanks to all the mom and pop owners who read this!

 

Free educational sites

Debbie Roney Smith on

With kids home from school many places are offering free educational sites for kids to learn and play. Here are a few and there are many more out there. Scholastic, ABC House, and so many more. Also the Cincinnati Zoo is introducing a daily animal at 3pm. Many other Zoo’s are doing something like this, just go to the actual Zoo and see if they are doing anything. It should be listed on the home page.

COVID-19 Testing Protocol for Jackson County

Debbie Roney Smith on

Hoping you are all safe. However it always help to have the information somewhere you can find it if you get sick. There has been so much information everywhere and many conflicting reports about this virus. Things are changing quickly and things are happening that have never happened before.

IF you think you have COVID-19 you have 4 steps you need to follow to be tested in Jackson County. The flyer below gives all the information but here is the highlights. Many people are going to their local hospital. PLEASE do not do that. If you call the number below and don’t get a response try calling your primary care physician and they can walk you though what to do.

Some information says doing a sinus cleanse at the beginning of symptoms could help, also stay away from others, wash hands often and always after coughing and sneezing. Throw your Kleenex in the trash right away. Clean surfaces often. Do NOT go out into stores.

STAY HOME~ Call the PanCare COVID-19 response line at 850-215-4181. They will prescreen you over the phone. IF you qualify for the test you will be assigned a id number and directions on where to go and when.

Be safe and practice social distancing of 6 to 10 feet with everyone you see.

 

Social Distancing~The new normal

Debbie Roney Smith on

Social Distancing is being said by thousands of people every day. But what does it really mean? Do you need to do it? It seems like so many aren’t even trying, then there is the group that is out daring each other to do stupid things like licking shopping carts, coughing and spitting on things in grocery stores, having and attending parties, etc. This is a chance no matter your political opinions to do the right thing. The longer people don’t social distance the longer we will all be home. Let’s encourage our kids, friends, others on social media, and even our families to stay home if possible and social distance if not. Hope this video makes you laugh at least once. Please be aware this video does contain bad and crude language so turn your volume down if kids are around. We all need to think of the positives as much as possible. Be say and please stay 6 to 10 feet away from everyone you encounter throughout your day.

 

National Corn Yeild Contest has a 1st place winner from Graceville

Debbie Roney Smith on

The National Corn Growers Association represents nearly 40,000 members, 50 affiliated state corn grower and checkoff organizations, and over 300,000 corn farmers who contribute to state checkoff programs.The National Corn Yield Contest began in 1965 with 20 entries from 3 states. At that time, the highest overall yield was 218.9 bushels per acre, while the national yield average was in the mid-60 bushel-per-acre range. The 2019 crop-year winners were recognized February 28th at the 2020 Commodity Classic, the premier convention and trade show of the U.S. corn, soybean, sorghum, wheat and equipment industries, held this year in San Antonio.

Christopher Dietrich of Graceville placed first in the state for his category in the recent National Corn Yield Contest based on 2019 yields. Farmers are encouraged through the contest to utilize new, efficient production techniques. The 2019 contest participation included 7,454 entries from 46 states.

Congrats Christopher Dietrich!

Coronavirus price-gouging hotline is active

Debbie Roney Smith on

A State of Emergency has been declared due to the Coronavirus. With store shelves emptied of soup, tp, and sanitizer, businesses are being warned against raising prices on in-demand items.

Price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on medical supplies, food, gas, and other essential supplies. Price gouging is illegal during a declared state of emergency. In general, stores that carry certain supplies—such as food, emergency supplies, and medical supplies—cannot charge more than 10% of the price of that item before the declaration of emergency.

The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and rental housing.

If you have been the victim of price gouging or know of a situation where a business may be charging excessively for goods in high demand, you should immediately file a complaint. They will ask you to provide as much detail as possible, so take out that smart phone and snap a photo. Price gouging can be reported by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM or by clicking on this link MyFloridaLegal.com

Those who are found guilty of the state’s price-gouging statute are subject to penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.

Thank you and tips to brighten your mood

Debbie Roney Smith on

Are you or loved ones practicing self-isolation? Social distancing is important for helping limit the impact of COVID-19 (the coronavirus) but it can be an emotionally tiring time. If you or someone you know is in need of a pick-me-up, try these self-care ideas to brighten your mood and occupy your mind:

~Write a letter to a friend or family member. Catch them up on the good things your life as well as the bad. Best part? You don’t have to interact with anyone to take your letter to the mailbox or keep ahold of it until business returns to usual. You can also write a thank you letter to a local police station, hospital, trucking company, grocery store, a restaurant, etc. They could use all the kind words you can give!

~Email a local business owner and see what you can do to help. Maybe they are in need of you posting a positive review, buying a gift certificate, ordering food for pick up, or sharing the company website on your social media. Let’s do what we can to help locals.

~Do something you remember bringing you joy when you were younger; blow some bubbles, read a book, play a video game online, call and gossip with your friends/family.

~Take a walk! Going outside is okay as long as you stay 6ft away from others; go visit a state or local park, walk around the neighborhood, or simply try walking in place while looking out an open window. Close enough, right?

~Don’t forget basic self-care such as hydration, gentle stretching, food, and basic grooming. All these activities help lower stress and anxiety because they help instill a sense of normality.

Be safe, and thank you to all those on the front lines dealing with this everyday.

Coronavirus

Debbie Roney Smith on

COVID-19 more commonly being referred to as the coronavirus has changed the norm for everyone. The nation and a lot of the rest of the world is on self-quarantine. The world is battling an outbreak which started in the city of Wuhan, China, and has been spreading around the globe. The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11.

What can you do? Stay home. Unless you are one of those providing for the US. The truck drivers, doctors, nurses, restaurant workers, grocery store employees, police officers, and all of those on the front line that are helping us all. Wash your hands. Surprisingly that isn’t something everyone does! 20 seconds with soap and warm water if it is available. Try to not touch your face. That is a hard one. On line it said that you will touch your face on average of 25 times every hour. Cough/blow your nose into a Kleenex then throw it away! Help to stop spreading the germs even if it is just allergies, or not the COVID-19. It will be a good chance to train you for a healthier habit. And PLEASE stop hoarding toilet paper(and other necessities)! Below is a photo of the shelves at Walmart in Marianna this last week. Not everyone has the money to buy in bulk or a way to get it to and from the store. They may only have $2 to buy one pack a month and now they have none. As for medicine. Do you know that thousands of people are in need of daily vitamins like Vitamin B, C, and D to stay healthy daily. When you go buy it all they have none. Those with already compromised immune systems and the elderly. So please when you purchase enough to last your family for a year, right now that isn’t over buying, that is hoarding! And one more piece of advice don’t believe everything you read and stay calm.