on Today, November 11th is Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the US. A day to honor military veterans, those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day on Nov 11,1919, at the 1st anniversary of the end of WW1. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.
on Happy Halloween! A few fun facts: ~ 69% of Americans plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. ~36% of parents think 12 or 13 years old is old enough to trick-or-treat alone. ~17% plan to put costumes on pets! ~1927 was the year when the phrase “trick-or-treat” was used for the first time in the US. ~America’s favorite candy, 1. skittles 2. Reese’s cups 3. M&M’s. ~800 is the average number of Halloween house fires. ~$300M plus is the annual revenue generated from ticket sales for haunted attractions with the average price being $15.
Stay safe ~ Have fun ~ Drive slower ~ enjoy the candy!
on Today is National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day(NCYVDT)! The third Monday in October encourages everyone to take time to organize their virtual desktop. The Personal Computer Museum in Brantford, Ontario in 2010 created this day. A clean and organized space offers fewer frustrations. Everything is in a file and you know where to find it. Archive old files. Create shortcuts. This will help your computer run faster and help you find things more quickly. How can you observe NCYVDT? Neaten up your desktop by deleting unneeded items and sorting the rest into folders. If you are tech-savvy share your tips with others. Make sure your virus protection is up to date and run it! Delete unused icons. You can do this with your phone too! Another really good reason to clean your virtual desktop is to mitigate the risk of visual hacking. Visual hacking is a low-tech threat compared to malware. According to a survey 91% of visual hacking attempts are successful and can happen very quickly.
Happy cleaning!
on National Pasta Day, what kind of pasta are you going to eat today? National Pasta Day(NPD) is an unofficial holiday which is celebrated annually on October 17th. No one really knows who started NPD, most likely someone who really loved pasta or a pasta manafacturer. Pasta is one of the world’s most popular foods. Pasta facts: ~ The US makes over 4 billion pounds of pasta a year. ~ Italians eat 60 pounds of pasta per person per year. ~ Macaroni, penne and spaghetti are the most popular forms of pasta. ~ There are over 600 known pasta shapes. ~ Americans eat about 20 pounds of pasta per person per year.
on Today, October 13th is National No Bra Day. The day promotes breast cancer awareness. It encourages wearers to leave the bras at home! It’s also a day when people rally to raise much needed money for breast cancer research. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and National No Bra Day falls almost in the middle. Most kinds of breast cancer can be treated if caught early. The first defense is a monthly self-breast exam. Get yearly physicals with a breast check included. It is also recommended that anyone over the age of 40 get a monogram yearly.
In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the US, along with 62,930 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2019. 62% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, for which the five-year survival rate is 99%.
A place to check for a free mammogram is the Florida Health Department of Jackson County. If you are low income with no health insurance and between the ages of 50-64 you can call them with questions at 850-245-4444.
on October is the 10th month of the year and has 31 days. With the month of October, autumn moves into full swing. Who doesn’t like putting on a sweater and talking a walk through the leaves in the crisp air. With the autumnal equinox in late September, foliage season has officially began around much of the US. The foliage color is triggered by the amount of daylight not the weather. Fall is the best time to plant garlic and bulbs for spring. The birthstone of October is opal which symbolizes faithfulness and confidence.
October is a full month in the panhandle. We have fall festivals, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, Halloween and trick or treating, and the 1 year anniversary of Hurricane Michael. Be sure to check the blog regularly for details.
October 31st, the last day in October is Halloween and also National knock-knock jokes day. Here’s one for you. Knock-knock. Who’s there? A broken pencil. A broken pencil who? Nevermind… it’s pointless.
A few folklore for the season: ~When deer are in a gray coat in October, expect a hard winter. ~A warm October means a cold February. Much wind in October, much wind in December.
on The burn ban got voted on today Monday, September 30th and will be lifted as soon as conditions improve and there is more rainfall. In a special commission meeting this morning a burn ban was suggested by Fire Chief Charlie Brunner for Jackson County. The ban includes outdoor cooking fires, camp fires, and all yard burning. The fire department has responded to 52 outdoor fires in Jackson County since September 13th.
Blountstown in Calhoun County also has a burn ban.
According to the Florida Forest Service website Holmes and Washington County also have a burn ban as of September 25th.
You can always call you local city/county fire department to determine if a local burn ban is in place where you live before you burn.
on It is the last day of September already! This month has flown by. Summer has come and gone and fall has arrived. Well, the calendar says that even if the weather doesn’t. It has been HOT and DRY. We are still in hurricane season and September is Preparedness Month. Even though it is the last day it is never to late for a few reminders to help your family stay safe year around!
National Preparedness Month culminates on September 30th with National Preparedness Day, the national day of action. Step 1~Learn your risks and responses. Sign up for emergency alerts, learn where your local shelters are and what kind of national disasters happen in your area. Step 2~Make a plan! Make sure to include kids and pets. Step 3~Build a supply kit. They recommend 3 to 7 days of food and water for each person. Don’t forget medicines, first aid, and batteries. Step 4~Get Involved. Find opportunities to support community preparedness. There are many ways to get involved before disaster strikes. ex. Red Cross, Neighborhood Watch.
*Reporting emergencies: ~Call 911 if you are in immediate danger, if someone is injured, has troubling breathing, or in unconscious. ~To report oil, chemical or hazardous substance releases or spills call the National Response Center at 800-424-8802. ~Pesticide poisoning call 800-222-1222.
*Download the FEMA app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips.
Below are some photos with more planning ideas. Be safe!
on National Voter Registration Day(NVRD) is a holiday celebrated on the forth Tuesday of every September. To see if you are registered to vote or need to do so, you can go online here: http://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote or visit your local DMV.
This day was first observed in 2012 and has been growing in popularity ever since. National Voter Registration Day is a day of civic unity. It’s an opportunity to set aside differences and celebrate democracy and the rights and opportunities we all share as Americans. Every year millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they missed a registration deadline, didn’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. NVRD wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. NVRD seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.
on September is National Suicide Prevention Month, all month mental health advocates, prevention originations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. It truly is okay if you don’t feel okay. According to the officials with the Life Management Center, Bay and Washington counties rank among the highest in the state for suicide rates. For those dealing with a crisis Life Management has a phone line always open. The 24/7, 365 days a year phone number is 850-522-4485. Research shows people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone asks after them in a caring way. Findings suggest acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce rather then increase suicidal ideation.
Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide, that’s 22 too many. HOPE can help with PTSD, TBI, depression, anxiety, pain, marriage/family issues, spiritual concerns. The HOPE project provides free Equine Assisted Therapy and free counseling for Vets, First Responders and their family members. This is a nonprofit organization that seeks to bring hope and healing through the use or horses who many of which have been rescued from slaughter houses. Call 850-896-4868 for more information.
For outside of Bay County #SuicideAwareness, call 800-273-8255 available 24 hours everyday.
