Family Magazine Winter 2018

FAMILY MAGAZINE

Issue 01: Volume 05 Winter 2018

Wheeler Family THE

SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER

WINTER 2018

Skydiving

EXTREME JUMPS

Civic Clubs

GIVING BACK WITH CONFIDENCE

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Deserrai Goosen, Patricia Stuart, Cammy Scott, Philip J. Moses, Jr., Tammy Hall, Clarence Brown III

As 2018 comes to a close, know that we continue to be committed to excellence for you in 2019. Working diligently, we endeavor to continue to provide the highest quality professional service and guidance.

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AND

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H A P P Y NHEAWP PYYENAERW Y E A R Norbie Sr.

Norbie Jr.

You Can Count On Us! Four generations have upheld our founding grandfather’s reputation of reliable service, quality workmanship, and dependability.

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F RO M T H E E D I TO R

With the holiday season in full swing, we can’t help but take a minute to appreciate our readers for their support and kindness over the past year. We love being able to share amazing local stories with you, and this issue is packed to the brim with ones you’ll love! So, cozy up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate or a glass of eggnog and dive into this special winter issue.

Have you ever wondered how the decked-out Christmas house behind the McDonald’s on Highway 90 came to be? Read all about the Wheelers’ favorite family tradition from Lorrie Wheeler’s perspective. We trust you will Jeweliana Register find inspiration from a behind-the-scenes look at Christmas time at the Denmark Cottage and you’ll enjoy Tammy’s tips on creating a warm home. Allow yourself to be inspired by Chip Parker asking the question, “What’s your life story?” Oh, and you won’t want to miss the chance to learn about Alden Rosner’s latest adventure to the Little Grand Canyon, or miss the opportunity to hear about Esta Eberhardt’s skydiving experiences.

Flip through the pages that highlight local civic clubs and organizations to be inspired this season, and don’t forget to try out a recipe or two from these pages at your next get together! Find the perfect outfit for your celebrations within the pages of our fashion shoot with OML Bridal & Formal with the stylish Ericka McGee, and grab a great date night idea from Sean and Bridget Adams. With so many stories of giving back and impacting the community, be encouraged to shine your light this season in any way you can.

Jeweliana “The holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better for those around us.”

—Terri Marshall

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PUBLISHER Mantha Young EDITOR- IN- CHIEF Jeweliana Register TRIUMPH EDITOR Ruth Williams CREATIVE DESIGN Sarah Nichols Karen Leslie DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Shellie Young MARKETING TEAM Cindy Ricketson Abbey Rocco CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Terri Andrews Joy H. Coleman Rita Dopp June Durbin Dr. Christopher M. Esing Holly Frazier Tammy Johns Susan K. Lamb Isaac Myers Kimberlynne Norman Chip Parker Lorrie Wheeler Hayli Zuccola

Member of the Florida Magazine Association

North Central Florida Advertiser, Inc 358 NW Main Blvd, Lake City, FL 32055 (386) 752-8280 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photography, or illustration only with written consent of the publisher. Family Magazine, its officers, staff members or contributors do not warrant the accuracy of or assume a responsibility for any of the material contained herein. All submissions, text, and photography received by Family Magazine has been considered authorized for publication.

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Winter 2018 | 3

Table of Contents Christmas at the Denmark Cottage. Be inspired by Tammy Denmark and her beautiful holiday decor.

Holiday Jewels......................6 Festive Holiday Starters............................8 Did You Know? Christmas Facts........................10

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Bold and Beautiful Makeup...............12 Local Gift Guide................20 Gifts For Your Holiday Host.....................22 Thumbprint Cookies Recipes...............24 The Little Grand Canyon.............26 Holidays In The Norman Kitchen...................32 Christmas Crafts.......................34 The Wheeler Family: Cover Story...................36 Chastain Jewelers: Since 1995....................42 Tickled Pink..........44

49

A Season of Giving Learn how you can give back through local civic organizations.

14

Date night perfection in the small town of High Springs.

110

Succulent Care.............................46 The Great British Bake Off: Blackberry Cake.........48 Dream Big with the McLean Family............58 Gateway City Big Band........................60 Sweet Potato Bites..................62 Book Review...........................................64 Catholic Charities......................66 ARC Job-A-Palooza..............70

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Agape Green Acres................................72 Skydiving with Esta Eberhardt......................76 Infant Safe Sleep.......................78 Mother Harriet, Pure Heart & Soul............82 Suwannee Song Designs Jewelry.................84 On The Cover: Haley Wheeler,

Charlie and Holly Wheeler Cowen, Brad and Lorrie Wheeler, Hanna Wheeler, B.J. Wheeler and Hanna Perry. Brad and Lorrie Wheeler have been spreading holiday cheer for quite some time! See article on Page 36.

Photo by Holly Frazier Photography

Olustee......................86 Change Your Story.........................96 Organization and Planning.................100 Wilson Park...................102 New Year’s Eve Fashion.............................105 Staying Healthy with Vonda Frazier................112

H O L I D AY J E W E L S

By Jeweliana Register

It’s officially our favorite time of the year, which means family gatherings and holiday parties galore. This time of year gives us the perfect excuse to break out our beloved holiday jewelry, whether that be our timeless pearls or our glittery hoops. If you’re in need of some holiday bling inspiration, check out these local finds and add some sparkle to your collection.

Stunning stacks One of the biggest trends in recent months is the art of stacking bracelets of all shapes, sizes and colors to create a chunky effect. Arm candy is all the rage right now, so check out these beautiful bracelets that will make stacking so simple.

Extravagant earrings Nothing makes a statement quite like bold earrings. Dress up a casual sweater combo with a stunning pair of brightly colored tassels or pop on a pair of dazzling diamonds to elevate your cocktail dress.

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Magnificent necklaces Whether you are a fan of chokers or pendants, you can’t go wrong with a little bit of sparkle. Check out this beautiful piece from Mariana that is guaranteed to add that “wow” factor to any ensemble. We love the versatility of their pieces, and these jewels will carry you from Christmas dinner to cocktails on New Year’s to date night for Valentine’s.

Try On a New Look For The Holidays!

&

Happy New Year

Thank you for being such an important part of our year. For your support and friendship, we feel blessed and grateful.

t Gif te a tific r e C

Always In Style & Always In Season!

• Christmas • Birthday • Anniversary • Thank You • Graduation • Thinking of You

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Winter 2018 | 7

Festive and Simple Holiday Starters

By Isaac Myers

The joy of the holiday season is built around family, friends, parties, and all kinds of festivities—and, if you’re Brandi Linton, your house is always full of hungry kids and adults alike. As a mother of three and the owner of Rustic Bliss Weddings, a local wedding styling and consulting company, Brandi knows a thing or two about charming crowds both big and small. Here are some of Brandi’s holiday favorites, perfect for a party filled with delicious treats, drinks, and Christmas cheer!

Brandi’s Hot Chocolate Mix 8 packages powdered instant milk 21 ounces chocolate milk mix 16 ounces Coffee-Mate creamer 1 small box powdered sugar Instructions Add 1/3 cup of powdered mix per 1 cup of water or milk. To make the hot chocolate, stir together all ingredients with milk and heat on stove top until desired temperature is reached. Serve hot with garnishing of your choice. This would work perfectly as the base of a hot chocolate bar with peppermint, caramel sauce, and gingerbread cookies!

“

I like to make this mix at the beginning of the season and have it ready to go for all of winter. It also makes a perfect gift if you divide it up and put it into cute little tins.

”

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Frozen Egg Nog

Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes

Makes 6 servings

Makes 12 cheesecakes

4 cups egg nog 1/2 cup milk 1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream 1 teaspoon nutmeg 10 ice cubes 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust: 10 whole Oreo cookies, minus the cream filling (or 20 halves) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions Combine all ingredients in a blender, and then pour into your favorite mug or glass and garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon. For the adults: add 1-2 shots of brandy or rum to each individual cup.

Cranberry Brie Appetizers Makes 24 servings

For the filling: 12 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup eggnog 1 tablespoon allpurpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg For the whipped cream: 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 12 strawberries

1 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups fresh cranberries 1 loaf 1-pound French bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices 3 tablespoons melted butter 8 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini-cheesecake pan.

Instructions

In a large bowl or mixer, beat together cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy and smooth. With mixer running on low, slowly add eggnog, flour, vanilla, and salt. Gradually increase speed, mixing until no lumps remain. Finally, add egg, mixing until combined and no streaks remain.

For the cranberry sauce: Bring sugar, water, orange zest, and salt to a boil in a large sauce pan over high heat. Stir frequently until sugar dissolves.

Add cranberries to pan and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until a thick sauce forms and most of the berries have popped open (about 7-9 minutes). You want the sauce thick like a jam so that it doesn’t slide off of the toast.

Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool completely before using.

Assembling the appetizers: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Brush melted butter over each slice of bread. Place bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet and toast in oven for 1-2 minutes.

Add a slice of Brie to the top of each toast. Bake for about 5-7 more minutes, or until cheese melts. Then top it off with about 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce.

In a food processor, blend cookies into fine crumbs. Combine crumbs with butter and sugar. Divide between prepared cheesecake cavities, adding 1 small cookie scoop of crust mixture to each cavity. Press down firmly to create an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Divide batter between cheesecake pan cavities using a medium scoop. Add roughly 1 and 1/4 medium scoop or a heaping scoop to each cavity.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cheesecakes are set.

Allow cheesecakes to sit in pan on a wire rack until they are room temperature. Transfer cheesecakes to refrigerator to chill overnight or until chilled through.

In a medium bowl, beat together heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan, removing the pan disc from the crust. Top off with whipped cream and strawberries, and maybe even sprinkle some powdered sugar for a snow dusted look!

Winter 2018 | 9

$$$$$$ 687,870,000,000 $$$$$$ 2017 holiday spending in the U.S.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25 each year, with the first recorded celebration on this date taking place in 336 during the time of the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine. Over the years, a variety of beloved customs have become associated with the Christmas holiday all over the world.

90% 46% 50

U.S. states grow Christmas trees

of Americans say they celebrate Christmas of Americans say they celebrate Christmas primarily as a religious holiday

40 Million

34 Million poinsettias are sold annually in the U.S., making it the country’s highest-selling potted plant

“

How do you say Santa?

The name Santa Claus evolved from Sinterklaas, a shortened form of Saint Nicholas in Dutch. Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop in ancient Greece (modernday Turkey) known for his generosity and dedication to helping children and the needy.

Papá Noel - Spain Mikulás - Hungary Weihnachtsmann - Germany Julemanden- Denmark Père Noël - France

” 100 feet The size of the tallest tree displayed at Rockefeller Center in 1999

live Christmas trees are sold in North America each year

30%

of Americans will still be shopping on Christmas Eve

Sources: History.com, National Christmas Tree Association, National Retail Federation, CreditCards.com, ING, Pew Research Center, 2013 USDA Floriculture Statistics

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Winter 2018 | 11

bold & beautiful

By Jeweliana Register

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‘Tis the season for red lips, bold smokey eyes and a lot of fun with glitter. Are you loving that dewy skin look this year? Pop on the Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Lunch Money for a glassy look to your skin, and finish by spritzing your face with the Milani Make It Dewy Setting Spray to keep your look locked in all night. For a perfect pout, reach for the Wet n Wild Liquid Catsuit in Missy and Fierce, a perfect match for the shades in the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette. Complete your look with big, voluminous lashes and a touch of glitter if you’re feeling daring. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and be bold this season!

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Wet N Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit in shade Missy and Fierce $4.99, wetnwildbeauty.com NYX Face and Body Glitter in shade Crystal - $6.50, nyxcosmetics.com

the perfect touches to dress up your holidays 12 |

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Winter 2018 | 13

Christmas at the en a Cottage

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estled between beautiful pines in the middle of a hayfield, the affectionately named Denmark Cottage sits in all of its glory. Home to the Todd and Tammy Denmark family, this beloved house is filled with laughter, love and creative spaces. Its eclectic, cottage flair provides the perfect backdrop for unwinding with family time around the fire.

Todd and Tammy’s love story began when the pair were just 18 and 16 years old. The high school sweethearts were just acquaintances at first, but their love story blossomed over the years, and at 21 and 19, they married and began building a home. They joke now that if a couple can make it through building a home and planning a wedding, they can make it through anything! Over the past 25 years, the couple has renovated and modernized their forever home, making countless memories along the way.

Todd is the marketing director at Baya Pharmacy and Urgent Care, a company he has been with for 22 years, and Tammy is a lab technologist at Lake City Medical Center. Both are very passionate about their chosen career fields, but they also enjoy a variety of creative outlets. Todd loves building and restoring bikes, and Tammy finds joy in refurbishing and decorating her home. Exploring the outdoors is a huge part of their life as well, and the couple loves to load up their bikes and spend a day exploring a nearby town. The Denmark family also includes their son, Jackson, and their daughter, son-in-law and grandson: Zoey, Alex and Collin. Oh, and we can’t forget about their sweet family dog, Grendel!

A few years ago, Tammy was staying busy baking cakes for all occasions, but eventually became burned out on the process.

To get her creative juices flowing again, she began Denmark Cottage on Instagram and Facebook, where she shares her thoughts, tips and tricks on anything from home decor to makeup for women over 40, to raising children.

“I started Denmark Cottage to encourage women of all ages,” Tammy expresses. “I love to go online and find inspiration in what others are doing, so I thought maybe I could offer that to others. I find so much joy in encouraging other women and building them up.”

By Jeweliana Register June Rose Photography Hair and makeup by Zoey Moore

During this time of year, Denmark Cottage is festively adorned with beautiful decorations, unique antiques and lots of pops of natural greenery. Tammy pulls inspiration from anything and everything, but she explains that sometimes with so much creativity, she can end up overdoing her decor.

In an effort to stay on track, Tammy names every one of her “themes” so that when she is shopping she does not overbuy.

Her theme for Christmas this year was Rustic Elegance. Check out Tammy’s tips for creating a festive, warm home on a budget!

Winter 2018 | 15

REPURPOSE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE In a world that constantly tells us we need the next big thing, Tammy tries to utilize and repurpose what she already has in her home. For instance, she has owned the reindeer she utilized on her fireplace display for years, but she simply spray-painted them gold to give them a fresh, new feel. Tammy also incorporated copper mugs and small vintage pieces from her collection into her tree, giving the tree an eclectic, natural vibe.

TAKE A CUE FROM NATURE The Denmark home can always be found bustling with life—both from those who inhabit it and from the live greenery peeking in every corner. The festive trees that surround their home not only make for a gorgeous backdrop, but they also provide the family with natural greenery inside the home. Tammy utilized greenery throughout her centerpieces and small branches and twigs in her Christmas tree to give it a more rustic, outdoorsy feel.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX While the holiday aisles at your favorite craft store may be tempting, Tammy suggests venturing out into the rest of the store as well. When browsing the aisles at Hobby Lobby, Tammy found the wooden roses she used on her mantle. You never know what you’ll find when you think outside of the box!

SUPPORT LOCAL CREATORS Tammy always tries to keep Christ at the center of her home, and the print on her mantle (top left) was the perfect way to do just that. Using the lyrics of her favorite song, Laura Maxwell of farmhousechic.org created a statement piece that fit perfectly with the rustic elegance theme.

Supporting small business is so important, and Tammy loves being able to support her friends in their creative endeavors.

CREATE SPACES WITH INTENTION While having stunning decor is wonderful, always be sure that your vision fits your needs. Tammy loves adding fun seasonal decor in all areas of her home, but if her family cannot enjoy it, what’s the point? Take some inspiration from Tammy’s whimsical winter wonderland playroom for her grandson, Collin. The adorable teepee and fluffy snowballs make for the perfect afternoon play session for her favorite little guy, all while still keeping her home cohesive.

Check out our Facebook page for a tutorial on these simple, fun Christmas hymn decorations.

With passion and creativity, the Denmarks are proud to share little pieces of their lives with their followers and friends. Whether you are looking for a new makeup recommendation or searching for living room decor inspiration, you’re sure to find something that lifts you up on their platforms. With big dreams of blogs and books in the future, the journey has just begun for the Denmark family!

Looking to get connected and get creative? Follow the Denmark’s journey online through Facebook and Instagram at @denmarkcottage, or check out Tammy’s blog at denmarkcottage.com

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Recipes from the Denmark Cottage Kitchen Tammy’s Red Velvet Cake Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

(Tammy suggests White Lily)

(Tammy suggests Nielsen Massey)

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 2 ounces red food coloring 1/2 cup hot coffee

1 cup vegetable oil

Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.

In a large mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix on low to medium speed to combine. In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and food coloring. Pour buttermilk mixture slowly into mixer with other ingredients. Mix on low speed and then add the coffee. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, one cup at a time, while scraping down sides of bowl. Mix at low to medium speed. Mixture will be very thin.

Spray three 8-inch pans generously with flour cooking spray. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire rack before turning out of pan. Thinly ice two and in between layers of cake with cream cheese frosting. For a taller and more decorative cake, double recipe.

Delicious Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

Whether you're searching for the perfect starter for your meal or wanting a quick and easy lunch idea, this salad recipe is sure to be a hit!

Tammy says this is the recipe she is asked to bring over and over again to her family gatherings!

Denmark Cottage Salad Ingredients: 1 bag chopped Romaine lettuce 1/2 chopped red onion

1 bag dried cranberries 1 cup toasted pecan pieces

1 container feta cheese

In large bowl, layer romaine lettuce, then add toppings, one by one, arranging as you’d like. Top with a red wine vinaigrette to complete the dish.

Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients: 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 1/2 blocks (12 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons of Good vanilla (Nielsen Massey)

1/2 cup olive oil or canola oil

1 teaspoon oregano

3 sticks salted sweet cream butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup sugar (for low fat

Add cream cheese and butter to mixer and mix on medium to high speed until combined. Add vanilla. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time while mixer is on low speed. After all powdered sugar is added, whip icing on high about a minute or so.

For decoration, Tammy added toasted pecans to the sides of her cake and then topped it with sprigs of fresh rosemary.

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1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

version, use 8 packets low calorie sweetener)

Pour all ingredients into mason jar and shake well. Store in refrigerator up to two to three months. Add about 1/4 of dressing to taste right before serving, or serve alongside the salad and let guests add as they wish.

Who doesn’t love a good red velvet cake this time of year? Tammy’s recipe is not only festive and delicious, but it has a few secret ingredients to take this classic cake to the next level!

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Winter 2018 | 19

local

GIFT guide

For Everyone On Your List

By Jeweliana Register

With the shopping days numbered, you may find yourself scouring the stores for those perfect items for everyone on your list. If you’re anything like us, you love to spend your dollars supporting small business and finding those one-of-a-kind items! Check out our comprehensive local gift guide that can inspire you to check off every gift on your list.

for your SPECIAL GUY Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite guy? Check out JW Weaponry’s selection of outdoor accessories and grown-up toys. Whether he is an outdoorsman who loves to hunt or is just wanting a new knife to add to his collection, you’re sure to find something he will love. If your man is in the market for new power equipment, look no further than Mikells of Lake City. Check out their stock of power tools, like their Husqvarna chainsaws and Bob-Cat mowers for a gift he will love.

for your SWEETHEART If you’ve been wracking your brain to find the perfect gift for your girl, we’ve got you covered! Buy her something sparkly at Chastain Jewelers, whether it’s a beautiful new Mariana piece or a fun stack of bangle bracelets.

Consider stuffing her stocking with hair care items from her favorite salon and gift certificates to SOL Studio, The Spa on Marion and Jasmine’s Nail Spa for the ultimate pampering session.

for your GAL PAL What’s better than a best friend? Show your bestie some love this season with a stylish accessory from The Dirty Gringa, located in Branford. Not only do they carry beautiful turquoise pendants and blingy earrings, but they also carry fun gift items. Another great option is Southern Sisters in Lake City.

This store carries everything from trendy tees and decadent candles to luxurious bath bombs and body bars. If you are on the hunt for the perfect monogrammed accessory, stop in and take a look at their selection!

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for the world’s best GRANDMA She’s the kindest woman you know, so why not treat her like a queen? Check out The Spa on Marion’s gift certificates for the perfect holiday treat. With services that range from deep tissue massages to natural salt scrubs to personalized facials, you’re guaranteed to find a gift that says thanks for all she does. Is your grandmother an avid sports fan? Does she love all things fashion?

Well, look no further than Diva Daisies of Branford. Their selection of fan apparel, cute shoes and fun tees are unique and fun additions to any Christmas gift.

for the world’s best GRANDPA When it comes to finding a cool gift for the coolest guy you know, a quick trip to Wilson’s Outfitters is just the ticket.

Browse their selection of fishing and hunting gear to find a gift your grandpa will love. If western gear is more his speed, drop

by Russell’s Western Wear to pick up some new boots and western apparel to update his wardrobe.

Winter 2018 | 21

The perfect gifts for the

“hostess with the mostest” YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHOOSING A GREAT GIFT

By Jeweliana Register

A bottle of wine If you’re searching for a simple yet thoughtful gift, consider opting for a classic wine or your favorite bubbly. If you are feeling extra festive, you can tie a holiday ribbon around the bottle or purchase a decorative sleeve to accompany the wine. Just be sure to mention to the hostess that it is intended for her to enjoy later, so as not to disrupt her menu for the evening.

A set of glass markers Along the lines of the serving platter, this gift will help your hostess execute her next party. Glass markers can be used on a variety of different glasses to ensure guests do not mix up their drinks all night—a problem we know all too well. The best part? There are so many designs to choose from, like the multi-colored crystal studs for the exterior of the glass, the Christmas-themed charms for the stems and the quirky animals that hang off the lip of

Cute kitchen essentials Does your host love to cook? If so, create a gift bundle full of fun kitchen utensils and accessories. Think wooden spoons with patterned necks or engraved words, accompanied with a decorative seasonal dish towel and scented soap. Tie your gift together with a bow or a sprig of greenery and you’re done!

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A family recipe box What better gift is there than the gift of memories? We all talk of writing down our recipes to pass on to the next generation, but sometimes the action does not follow the intention. Gift your hostess a tin recipe box to fill with her favorite baking recipes and amazing dinner choices—you know she has so many that everyone loves!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with the holidays come dozens of celebrations of all kinds. Whether it is an intimate dinner party with your closest friends or a cocktail party hosted by your colleague, a simple, thoughtful gift for the host or hostess may be on your mind.

Show your host that you appreciate all the work they did to invite you over to their home and serve you with one of these gift ideas.

Elegant serving platters This would be the perfect gift for an avid party planner. If your hostess is known for her shindigs, consider gifting her a decorative platter that can be utilized at her next gathering. A great option is a marble cheese board or an embellished tray for appetizers.

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Winter 2018 | 23

Photo courtesy of www.halfbakedharvest.com

What’s better than homemade baked goods this time of year? If you’re looking for a fun twist on the classic thumbprint cookies, you’re in luck! Check out these simple recipes that make for a delicious treat any day of the week. Make a large batch of traditional thumbprints, decorating each one uniquely before packing up a variety of them in baking tins to share —that is, if they make it out of your kitchen before being devoured!

5 Throwback thumprint

By Jeweliana Register

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Recipes You’ll Love

Decadent chocolateespresso ganache thumbprints (via halfbakedharvest.com) Who doesn’t love chocolate and a nice caffeine boost? Start by using your favorite chocolate thumbprint recipe and baking until done. For the ganache filling, microwave 8 ounces of your choice of chocolate, chopped, with 1/3 cup of heavy cream. Once melted, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder. Spoon ganache onto thumbprints and top with edible glitter or edible gold flakes for an extra special touch!

Pretty peppermint thumbprints (via countryliving.com) ‘Tis the season for peppermint everything!

Start with a basic recipe for your favorite thumbprint, then add a red-and-white striped peppermint Hershey Kiss. The kiss will melt into the thumbprint, creating a beautiful design. If you are looking to take your treat to the next level, drizzle on some chocolate sauce or add green sprinkles to up the holiday glam.

Ravishing raspberry cheesecake thumbprints (via bakerbynature.com) Both sweet and tart, these thumbprints are sure to be a hit!

Once you’ve baked your favorite thumbprint recipe, spoon in a dollop of cheesecake filling and top with raspberry jam, and viola, your masterpiece is ready to be enjoyed by the masses!

These throwback thumbprints would make the perfect gift to give this season! Take a few tins to your local first responders unit and nursing home staff to thank them for working so diligently this holiday season.

These occupations are often overlooked, so let them know you appreciate their sacrifice this season with this simple act of kindness.

Precious PB&J thumbprints (via cookingclassy.com) This lunchtime staple just got an upgrade. Start with your favorite thumbprint recipe, but add peanut butter.

Spoon in an assortment of jellies in each individual thumbprint to complete the pair. This makes the perfect treat for kids and kids-at-heart this holiday season!

Totally terrific turtle thumbprints (via tastesbetterfromscratch.com) What better combination is there than chocolate and caramel? Start with a classic chocolate thumbprint cookie recipe and roll the dough into balls, coating each one with finely chopped pecans. Press your thumbprint into it, then bake until desired consistency is reached. Fill thumbprint with the creamy caramel sauce of your choosing and drizzle with chocolate sauce to finish. If you’re wanting to add a special kick, sprinkle sea salt on top to balance out the sweetness.

Winter 2018 | 25

THE LITTLE

GRAND CANYON OR NORTH GEORGIA

By Isaac Myers

Escape to the (Little) Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is an absolute must-see destination, and a favorite of visitors from all around the world.

But you don’t have to travel all the way to Arizona to experience a slice of the steep-sided gorges painted in colorful earth tones. Providence Canyon State Park located in southern Georgia is a perfect overnight escape for anyone wanting to experience a bit of the magic of the Grand Canyon without straying too far from home.

Alden Rosner, avid traveler and Lake City resident, made the weekend trip in early November, just in time for the fall colors and cooler weather, and he shared his weekend getaway itinerary with Family Magazine.

The Journey Everyone knows on any good road trip, the stops along the way are almost as important as the final destination itself. Alden’s first stop on the roughly threeand-a-half-hour drive from Lake City was lunch at 41 and Main, a favorite local BBQ restaurant located in Tifton, Georgia. He also didn’t miss his chance to scout out downtown shops around Tifton, either.

Alden Rosner

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The next stop on his journey took him to downtown Albany, Georgia, for a visit to a craft brewery. Pretoria Fields is the first craft brewery of its kind in Albany, and it was a perfect pit stop for Alden during his weekend adventure. “I’m an avid beer guy, and Pretoria was a great spot to just hang out and enjoy the atmosphere,” Alden says. “It had that great ‘small town by the river’ feel.”

Winter 2018 | 27

The Stay Though Providence Canyon State Park boasts nine campgrounds, Alden opted to spend the night at the Columbus Marriott, located just steps from the Chattahoochee River in downtown Columbus, Georgia, which is the most populous nearby city to the park. The next morning, he stopped at Ruth Ann’s Restaurant on his way out of Columbus to experience their famous pancakes. He opted to try their pancake of the month: S’mores! Now fueled and ready for the day, he headed to his final stop of the weekend: Providence Canyon State Park.

The Destination Providence Canyon State Park makes up over one-thousand acres of the landscape in Southwest Georgia, and is the home of many interesting features, such as the rare Plumleaf Azalea, and even an abandoned farm with a dozen old cars. The state park’s most significant feature is its namesake, the Providence Canyon, also called Little Grand Canyon, a miniature version of one of the United States’ most popular landmarks.

Little Grand Canyon was not born of

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thousands of years of erosion as its larger Western doppelgänger is believed.

Instead, it was the result of decades of poor farming practices through the 1800s. The deepest gullies in the canyons reach 150 feet and are a true testament to the power of man’s influence on the environment.

Alden chose the three-mile hike around the ridge of the canyon, stopping for frequent photos from both above and inside the canyon. The hues of red, orange, and pink overtake the land, making for some of the most beautiful and photogenic landscape in the South. He remarks about its beauty: “It’s truly like nothing you’ve ever seen before, certainly anywhere near here.”

After taking in the view and enjoying the natural beauty of the land, he was homeward bound.

Alden summarizes his trip: “It’s so incredible to be able to experience something like this so close to home without having to go all the way out West.” He adds, “It was a fantastic experience and I would recommend everyone try to make the trip at some point. It’ll be well worth your time.”

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CHICKEN

Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Tons of spice, corn and bell pepper give this healthy one-pot chicken chili recipe Southwestern flair. Serve with your favorite hot sauce and tortilla chips.

Ingredients: • tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • large onion chopped • cloves garlic inced • cups cubed s eet potato ( -inch) ediu green bell pepper chopped • tablespoons chili po der • teaspoons ground cu in • teaspoon dried oregano • -ounce can lo -sodiu cannellini beans rinsed • cups lo -sodiu chicken broth or ho e ade chicken stock • cups frozen corn • cups cubed cooked chicken • teaspoon salt • teaspoon ground pepper • our crea avocado and or cilantro for garnish

From: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2016 By: David Bonom • EatingWell Recipe Contributor

Preparation eat oil in a large pot over ediu -high heat dd onion garlic s eet potato and bell pepper cook stirring occasionall until the vegetables are slightl softened to inutes tir in chili po der cu in and oregano and cook stirring until fragrant inute dd beans and broth (or stock) and bring to a boil educe heat partiall cover and si er gentl for inutes ncrease heat to ediu -high and stir in corn cook inute dd chicken and cook until heated through to inutes ore e ove fro heat tir in salt and pepper erve topped ith sour crea avocado and or cilantro if desired Winter 2018 | 29

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Winter 2018 | 31

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS in the

Norman Kitchen

By Kimberlynne Norman

Ever since I was a small child, the holidays have been a joyful time for me. I was raised in a household where everyone Kimberlynne Norman loves to cook, bake, and— above all—eat. Therefore, the apple did not fall far from the tree when I realized I had a love for cooking and baking.

Most people start getting ready for Christmas after celebrating Thanksgiving, but that’s not how it unfolds at our house. Once Halloween is over, you’ll find Christmas decorations popping up in every nook and cranny on my side of the house. I had my bathroom and Christmas tree decorated long before Thanksgiving, but the only rule is we have to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to decorate the rest of the house. Since I work and attend school full time, personal time is sparse, but I always manage to make time for one of my favorite Christmas traditions: baking Christmas sweets.

My Mom, Aunt Genie, and I reserve a full day to make some of our family recipes. My personal favorite is the buckeyes—made with lots of peanut butter! My mom loves the brownies.

Aunt Genie’s favorite is her great aunt’s recipe of fondant that we have kept in the family for nearly a century. By the time we finish baking, our kitchen table is loaded, and the house is filled with the smell of sweets and laughter throughout the rest of the holiday. I can assure you, you can’t find that in a Christmas tin!

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Holiday Buckeyes: ½ pound soft margarine 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 ½ pounds powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 12 ounces chocolate bits 3 ounces paraffin Begin by creaming together the margarine and peanut butter. Add vanilla and sugar to the mix. When combined, roll into balls. Melt chocolate and paraffin in a double boiler; keep warm. Dip each ball into the chocolate and lay on waxed paper to dry. Use a toothpick to dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate, only about ¾ of the way. Leave the area with the pick unsubmerged so the peanut butter mixture shows and the treat looks like an eye. Use your finger to smooth the hole where you inserted the pick to ensure it does not show. Recipe makes 5 ½ dozen.

Fabulous Fondant:

1 stick of butter 2 pounds powdered sugar 1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk 3 cups chopped pecans 2 teaspoons vanilla Pinch of salt By hand, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add milk, vanilla, nuts, and salt. Mixture will be very thick and you may have to use your hands to mix it well. Let sit for a few minutes, then roll into sticks or balls; lay on wax paper to dry thoroughly (about 45 minutes).

Gooey Brownies with Coca-Cola Icing: 1 pan of brownies, preparedas normal 1 bag of mini marshmallows

For this recipe, you will need a pan of brownies, prepared the way you like them in a 9x13 sprayed pan.

When they are completely finished baking, sprinkle mini marshmallows on top and leave in the oven for 5-6 additional minutes, or until marshmallows are slightly toasted.

Remove from oven.

Using a fork, spread the marshmallows to cover the top of brownies. Pour Coca-Cola icing over brownies and enjoy!

Kimberlynne’s tip: Place brownies in refrigerator for an hour to give them a firm, crunchy texture!

Coca-Cola Icing:

1 stick margarine or butter 2 tablespoons cocoa 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola 1 pound powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) Begin by heating margarine, cocoa and Coca-Cola to boiling point.

Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. It’s easier to use an electric mixer for this step.

Stir in nuts (optional) and spoon mixture over brownies. Let cool before cutting. Can be stored in refrigerator.

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Winter 2018 | 33

A M T S I R H GE T C

S

y t f a cr ME WITH HO

M

ENT M A N R O ADE

S

Handmade gifts, trinkets, and treats help make the holiday season special. Although cookies and other baked goods are some of the most popular homemade creations this time of year, gift-givers young and old can put their talents to use with various craft projects. Ornaments and decorations are one such idea. Here are some clever and not-too-time-consuming craft projects to try this holiday season. These are great to do with the kids on Christmas Eve and save for next year!

• Create miniature replicas of Santa’s famous sleigh. Paint several popsicle sticks to form the main body of the sleigh and glue them together.

Put one at the top perpendicular to the others to serve as the steering rudder. Two silver-painted popsicle sticks placed on their thin sides act as the blades of a sled.

• Garland made of popcorn is a classic handmade holiday project. For a new twist, toss the popcorn with food coloring and allow it to dry before stringing for some bright color on the tree. photo courtesy of ideas.evite.com

• Print out several different photos you love. Purchase round or square thin wood pieces from a craft store and attach the photos with Mod Podge®. When dry, drill a hole through the top and thread with twine.

• Make an Advent calendar to count down to Christmas by covering a foam board with fabric. Use paper tags or small ornaments and write a number on each for each day of the month.

Hang these all from the board. As each day passes, move the tag or ornament to the tree.

• Have children collect small twigs from outdoors, as well as holly leaves and sprigs of evergreen. Arrange similarly sized twigs in the shape of snowflakes and glue together, or tie with twine. Embellish with stickers, glitter, dried berries, and more.

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• Anyone can have fun molding their own ornaments, letting them dry, and then painting them. Use cookie cutters to get perfect holiday shapes. Craft stores sell various types of modeling clays and lightweight modeling materials.

Or, make your own salt dough.

• Put to use any wine corks you have lying around. Attach googly eyes and a small fuzzy nose to the front of a cork. Insert twisted, brown pipe cleaners to make the antlers up top.

Add ribbons, small snippets of faux fur or any other extras you desire.

• Use old Scrabble® letter tiles to form a favorite holiday phrase, like Joy to the World.

Glue the tiles together and hang from the tree on a piece of ribbon.

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When Holly Noelle Wheeler—yes, she was named for Christmas—was born in December 1994, her daddy Brad had to decorate for his newborn little girl… about four strings of lights with a plastic molded Santa and Frosty on the roof!

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Spreading Holiday Cheer & Embracing the Season

By Lorrie Wheeler

Left to right: Haley Wheeler, Charlie and Holly Wheeler Cowen, Brad and Lorrie Wheeler, Hanna Wheeler, B.J. Wheeler and Hanna Perry.

even more than he had previously. The start of a community tradition began that year. My one-year-old Holly, along with a patient representative of the VA “flipped the switch” during the Christmas Parade, signifying the beginning of the holiday season. The ceremonial stopping of the parade at the VA continues to honor those veterans’ service and sacrifice.

We moved into our “new house” in 1997, and the four strings of lights and two blow molds were definitely not enough for this monstrosity of a house! We had added little sister Haley by then, as well as more lights, more characters, and more trees.

The addition of inflatable characters started, and the details about which ones and when are a bit sketchy, depending on who you ask, but there have definitely been some favorites over the years: the Grinch, the shivering bear, the hot-air balloon, and now Elsa and the Minions. We have approximately 80 inflatable decorations in all sizes from two-feet to sixteenfeet tall. There are some that are discarded and replaced with new ones yearly as they eventually disintegrate, tear, or the motors and lights wear out. Believe me, Brad is a master at making them last as long as he can! That includes packing and storing them dry between display times.

The passion, however, came from my dad, Paul Cason, an electrician and all-around great guy, who lit up the VA Hospital entrance for many Christmas seasons. He died suddenly of a heart attack in July of 1995 at 50 years old. It was devastating to our family and the VA family. During the Christmas season of 1995, the engineering department and staff of the Lake City VA went all out in memory of my dad to decorate

Winter 2018 | 37

I adore the nativity and its crèche we built to house baby Jesus every year. It was a gift to Brad at least 10 years ago. There are also the popular wooden figures, many cut out by Papa Mike Roberts and hand painted by Brad’s brother Blaine. From deer and angels, to Santa, Mrs. Clause, and the extremely popular and appropriate Santa kneeling at the cross, they, too, get repainted on a regular basis and stored in our not one, but two storage sheds!

With this tradition comes many questions, so I will try to answer the most often-asked questions:

How long does it take to set it all up?

Setting up Christmas: Charlie and Holly Wheeler Cowen

We start November 1, and depending on the date of Thanksgiving, that gives us three to four weeks to get it ready. The lights “officially” start on Thanksgiving night, but we have to test them a few days before!

How many lights?

We actually have no idea…. However, Brad guesses it to be about 80,000-100,000.

Do you have to turn them on and off?

The entire production is on daylight timers—they come on automatically at dark and stay on approximately 6 hours, then go off automatically. And yes, that means we listen to that music for 6 hours!

How much is your light bill?

Holly and Lorrie

Taking it down New Year’s: David Bedenbaugh

It has actually decreased somewhat as we converted to mostly LED bulbs. It costs about $600 extra on our light bills. Luckily, it is usually spread over two billing cycles in November through January!

Do the donations pay the light bill?

How much do you raise? No, all the donations go to Happy House Daycare, Inc. and the Christian Service Center. But more about that later!

How long does it take to take it down?

Lorrie Wheeler

Charlie Cowen

Usually about five to six hours with 10 or more helpers.

This is done on New Year’s Day. The horrible New Year Storm of 2018, however, had us all messed up! We finally finished on January 5, thanks to my two younger kids, Hanna and B.J., helping Brad as we thawed and dried out.

On that note, let me give some credit for how this all gets done... many helpers! Brad is the brains and primary force behind all of it! Blaine, his brother, helps with the layout and initial setup. B.J. and Blaine are the roof guys, and B.J. is typically his Dad’s sidekick. Holly and husband Charlie Cowen are instrumental in getting the shrub lights and front trees wrapped—which are trimmed each year

by Tom Coleman. Charlie has also stepped in as a general helper since B.J. went off to college. Over the

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years, we have had many helpers, especially taking it all down and storing. Back when my kids were younger, Steven Khachigan would help. Of course, our kids, Holly, Haley, B.J., and Hanna have all been dragged into this, and now Charlie too! Sometimes, our kids’ friends have been snagged to help in a pinch as well. Our extended family and friends, Bill and Blaine Wheeler, the David Bedenbaugh family, the Mitch Ronsonet family, Darrin and Josh Ryder, Ross Golden, and the Barbara Bass family have helped; and this year Sam Walker and Hunter Houston stepped in for B.J.’s absence in tear down!

B.J. still ended up working because of the storm, though! We could not do this without all these wonderful people helping us.

Our decorations inside are overshadowed by the amount of work it takes for outside, so we have the requisite Christmas tree, which is adorned with treasured family ornaments (pre-school pictures, paper chains, and personal themes for each child) and my Willow tree nativity in the foyer. Some years, the snow village gets assembled too by Blaine, with its churches, cityscape, tiny cars and people!

Our fireplace is a classic with hand cross-stitched stockings for each of my kids from their Mimi, Jan Wheeler.

Back to the donations story. We did not take donations for many years, as it was our gift to the community. In 2006, we decided to take donations for Happy House Daycare and added the Christian Service Center the following year. Brad and I had served many years on the board of directors for these two organizations and know firsthand what they are doing in our community. Whatever amount you put in, we match. You may recall an incident several years ago: the donation box was stolen. It made the Lake City Reporter, and we had recouped the lost day’s funds plus some by the end of the season! After that, my Uncle James Smith, a welder, made the beautiful, very unstealable lockbox that now collects your donations. I am humbled to say that this community has partnered with us to donate in excess of $50,000 over 11 years to these amazing service-based entities!

“In 2006, we decided to take donations for Happy House Daycare and added the Christian Service Center the following year.”

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When “the Christmas Light House behind McDonald’s and Sonny’s” is mentioned, I am often delighted to hear people say in surprise “that’s your house??” It has become a tradition for us, but more so, a tradition for our community. It is all about the reason for the season, not about us. Thank you all for your support.

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I N C

Winter 2018 | 41

A piece of jewelry can not only be timeless, AUTHORIZED DEALER but also priceless to its owner. Whether it’s the engraved watch given to the son as he leaves to serve in the military, a son’s birthstone pendant gifted to his mother on Christmas morning, or the ring that has been passed down for generations, the jewelry from Chastain can serve as beautiful reminders of the time shared between families.

“Jewelry touches people,” Linda Dowling, store manager, expresses. “The sentimental feelings attached to these special pieces are unexplainable, and I love hearing the story behind each one.”

“Jewelry touches people.”

Opening a new piece of jewelry can be fun and exciting for both you and your loved one.

—Linda Dowling, Store Manager

SPREADING JOY AND SPARKLE SINCE 1995

Independently owned and operated since 1995, Chastain Jewelers specializes in finding perfect pieces of jewelry for customers in Lake City and throughout the region.

From a stunning pair of gold hoops to custom engagement rings, Chastain Jewelers is there to add that personal wow factor to your look.

The owners and staff at Chastain Jewelers consider community service to be the heart of the company. You may have mingled with their sales consultants at the annual trunkor-treat for kids or chatted about the hottest trends in jewelry at a Lake City Chamber function. Whether it’s a recommendation for an anniversary gift she’ll love or a tip on how to wear the newest fashion craze, the consultants at Chastain Jewelers love to help customers find that dazzling piece for any occasion.

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With such special memories and moments attached to each piece, there can be comfort in knowing your priceless pieces will be taken care of in-house.

Chastain Jewelers employs a local bench jeweler. So when it is time for a free cleaning, sizings, or repairing your beloved watches, rings, and necklaces, your items are kept safely in the store. Unlike other companies that ship your items to outside repair warehouses in other states, and even other countries, Chastain knows where your valuables are around the clock!

Opening a new piece of jewelry can be fun and exciting for both you and your loved one. Knowing this, the consultants at Chastain Jewelers love to help you find that stunning addition to your collection or assist you in finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list this year. They have thousands of pieces to choose from.

Some of the most popular gifts are watches from Citizen, Movado and Caravelle, as well as jewelry from Pandora. From classic charms to trendy rings and enchanting earrings as well as their collection of on-trend rose gold, Pandora is

MORGAN LAW CENTER

ESTATE, ELDER & LEGACY PLANNING

Located in the Lake City Mall for over 20 years. a great gift choice, as a person can buy a starter bracelet and a few beads, then keep adding as time goes on. Instead of having to ask, “What do you want for your (insert holiday)?” every year, you can simply add on with Pandora charms and accents.

Another top seller is Mariana. Founded in 2007 by Karen Collins, the creative designs and colors of Mariana’s exquisite pieces boast distinctive and varied styles in an outstanding array of colors to take your holiday look to the next level. Another classic and trendy company, Imperial Pearls combines a passion for fine pearls with fresh, innovative designs.

Teresa Byrd Morgan, JD, BCS

Attorney at Law Florida Bar Board Certified in Elder Law

Attorney at Law

WITH OUR THANKS FOR YOUR TRUST

our con dence means ever t ing to us. it best wis es for a a and ealt olida to all.

386.755.1977

MorganLawCenter.com

234 East Duval Street Lake City, FL 32055

If engagement rings are on your mind, come into Chastain Jewelers to learn all about the practical considerations that go into buying an engagement ring. For example, different rings flatter different finger types. They can help you find the most flattering ring for your unique finger shape and size, whether it’s short, long, slender, or wide. Luckily, with a small amount of guidance from the salespeople at Chastain Jewelers, you don’t need to spend hours trying on rings from a display case in order to narrow down your options.

No matter your style or your price range, the consultants at Chastain Jewelers are ready to help you choose your next favorite piece you’ll never want to take off!

Roberta Olguin Getzan, JD

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Tickled Pink Move over, reindeer! Flamingos are the new Christmas icon!

T

By Hayli Zuccola

erry Whitlock adopted a love of flamingos from her grandmother who always mentioned her adoration for the shrimp-eating birds when she’d visit her in Miami. However, despite their shared affection, Terry’s fondness for flamingos didn’t transcend to the ever-popular lawn ornaments perched in grassy yards across the state.

Years passed, and eventually her children learned of her distaste for the plastic décor. As a joke, they would gift their mother with her least-favorite item. One Christmas, she discovered her yard was adorned with ten pink birds, some of which were paired with outfits for the changing seasons. Instead of plucking them from the dirt and

throwing each one in the garbage, she decided to do something more creative and embrace her family’s desire to fill her house with flamingos. who works at Michaels of Lake City, is no stranger to the craft world.

Colored felt in hand and pipe cleaners and scissors ready, she got to work cutting, gluing and piecing together three-dimensional flamingos, all while keeping it a secret 44 |

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David, and the rest of her

Instead of making them look uniform, she decided to give each one some personality.

After creating her first basic bird, she found inspiration from her granddaughter and decided to make one look like a baby duck, and her designs continued to flourish from there.

“That’s what started me off on this wild... I don’t even know what happened,” she says.

When it came time to decorate for Christmas, Terry waited until her husband fell asleep and acquired the help of her children and grandchildren to cover the tree with her handiwork. Sitting on top were two flamingos that read, “If you can’t beat them, join them,” and since then, the birds have had a permanent place on her Christmas tree.

Although David has since passed, she credits him for igniting her creative spark to make her much-loved tree decorations.

“My husband was one of my biggest fans for the flamingos,” she expresses.

What began with a simple blush stuffed figure grew into over 90 flamingos over the course of three years. From ones dressed in beach wear or disguised as giraffes and zebras, to more seasonal staples like reindeer, snowmen, elves, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Terry has created a flamingo for every occasion and still has a growing to-do list.

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the dos & dont’s of

By Jeweliana Register

Succulent Care WITH NOBLES GREENHOUSE

Do Allow Your Succulent to Sunbathe Natives to sunny environments, these tiny plants love to soak up the sun.

Leave your succulents in direct sunlight or provide plenty of artificial light for at least six hours each day to keep your botanical in optimal health.

Do provide proper soil Succulents thrive in soil that does not retain lots of water.

Plant your plants in soil that is premixed for succulents, or consider adding in pumice or crushed granite to absorb excess water.

Don ’t OverWater It Unlike most plants, succulents do not require copious amounts of water to survive. Only water your plants after their soil has been dry for several days to keep from drowning it.

Don ’t use a spray bottle While it may be tempting to spritz your succulent, this may cause your plant to develop shallow and thin roots, or even begin to grow mold. Instead, directly drench the succulent with water from a can or spout.

th Road • Li e Oak

www oblesGreenhouse com

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FamilyMagazine

Trendy and versatile, succulents are all the rage right now—and for good reason! Not only are these little plants adorable in any space, but they are perfect for those of us who may not have green thumbs. These 5 dos and don’ts for these low-maintenance botanicals will help your succulents thrive!

lantnt to p r u o u’ll wa pot y

do repurchasing, yothat the rootsa

After ur plant so and. Grab or a o p repot y to easily ex your choice ur e f o are abl ive planter o t and place y t o a decor erra-cotta p w home! e t sturdy nts in their n e succul

Get your Succulent Garden Started at obles.

We have a large selection of sizes & varieties!

Designing the Wedding of Your Dreams

Missy Wigglesworth greenhouse sales and container garden specialist (left) and Sandy Bailey General Manager (right) We are ready to help you with your succulent questions and purchases.

Brandi Linton th Road • Li e Oak

386-362-2333

Call or Text Brandi Linton to Schedule Your FREE Consultation

(386) 456-3883 or Visit www.RusticBlissWeddings.com/Free Consultation

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Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

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386-623-7109

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WE ARE A REGISTERED NON PROFIT 501(c)(3) Photo courtesy of Jessica Spears of JC Photography

Winter 2018 | 47

Blackberry Genoise

CAKE Inspired by the Great British Bake Off

with Lemon

Blackberry Frosting

Blackberry Cake Ingredients: 6 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Simple Lemon Syrup: 3/4 cup warm water 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 4 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

Blackberry Frosting Ingredients: 3 cups powdered sugar 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 packages (6 ounces each) Driscoll’s blackberries, divided (1 cup for frosting, 1 cup sliced for layers, 6 berries for decor) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon) Crystal sprinkles, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk

attachment, beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed.

With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 minutes, until thick and fluffy.

2. Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking

powder, then sift mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition, just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.

3. Divide evenly between prepared cake pans. (It helps if

you have a kitchen scale to weigh the pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 23-28 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula around the edges, then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temperature, then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.

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WHAT IS THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF? The Great British Bake Off is the ultimate baking battle where passionate amateur baking fans compete to be crowned the UK’s Best Amateur Baker. Over the course of 10 hour-long episodes, the series follows the trials and tribulations of the competitors, young and old, from every background and every corner of Britain, as they attempt to prove their baking prowess. Each week the bakers tackle a different baking skill, which becomes progressively more difficult as the competition unfolds. Find out more at thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk.

Lemon Blackberry Frosting: 1. Combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 1 cup blackberries in small saucepan. Simmer 6-7 minutes or until berries easily mash up with a fork, then turn off heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing blackberries through with a spatula until only seeds are left in strainer.

Discard seeds and set puree aside to cool to room temperature. Should yield 5 tablespoons puree.

2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted

with whisk attachment, cream together 3 sticks butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt on low speed until combined, scraping as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until white and fluffy—2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add cream cheese in small pieces, one at a time,

and mix until combined, then continue to beat 2 minutes until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on, drizzle in blackberry syrup 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat another minute.

Assemble Blackberry Cake: 1. Slice 1 cup blackberries and set aside. Make

your lemon syrup by combining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 4 tablespoons lemon juice.

2. Place first cake layer on serving platter, cut-side

up. Brush with 1/4 of the lemon syrup. Spread frosting over the top; layer with 1/3 sliced berries.

Repeat with remaining layers, placing the final layer cut-side down, then frost the top and sides. (Tip: For the smoothest results, reserve flattest cake layer for the top.)

3. Pipe remaining frosting onto cake. Decorate with

remaining blackberries.

RECIPE NOTES *Divide berries as follows: 1 cup for frosting, 1 cup sliced for layers, 6 berries for decor **Tip: For the smoothest results, reserve flattest cake layer for the top

With the holiday season upon us, Family Magazine wants to take the time to recognize several of our local organizations that give back all year round. These civic clubs are committed to enhancing our communities and enriching the lives of others, whether it is through acts of service or monetary contributions. We have so much to be thankful for, and these civic organizations are truly invested in spreading kindness and love to all.

Winter 2018 | 49

Family Magazine recognize people have various reasons for getting involved in philanthropic efforts.

More than half of volunteers do it because they like helping others. About 40 percent said they volunteer to feel good about themselves. As many volunteers already know, people who give get something in return. Here are just a few ways why giving back can be good for you.

Volunteer work broadens your skills.

Volunteer work allows many people to learn entirely new sets of skills. Volunteering may feel good, but it also can boost your résumé. The experience you gain working with a charity can help you in future professional endeavors.

Philanthropy produces a ‘helper’s high.’

Volunteer work produces a natural feeling of euphoria that’s measurable and can produce some positive side effects. This euphoria can help decrease chronic pain,

depression, and disability.

Charity work can keep you connected.

Volunteering is a great way to get out and meet new people who share similar goals and interests. People who are new to an area or are recent retirees may find that volunteering helps them make new friends, alleviating feelings of isolation. Volunteer work also provides a great way to network for business contacts or to find out what’s newsworthy in the community.

Volunteerism boosts self-esteem. Working

with a nonprofit or charitable group often provides immediate results. In turn, this immediate gratification can show you that you have a purpose and are assisting others who need a helping hand. Volunteer work can help you become more confident and assertive and provide you with a great sense of self-worth.

Giving can inspire others. Many researchers have determined that giving can be contagious. Much like the ‘pay it forward’ movement, those who observe charitable efforts are more likely to give to or help different people down the road.

Founded in 1923, this organization has historically Their mottoes of “Service Above Self” and “One profits most who serves best” is a clear indication of the organization’s vision: to put others’ needs before their own.

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Interested in learning more about the Rotary Club? Visit rotary.org. Check out Lake City’s chapter on Facebook at @ RotaryClubOfLakeCity, or call 386-269-9777.

Live Oak’s chapter can be reached at: @rotaryliveoak on Facebook

The American Legion An organization comprised of U.S. war veterans and their spouses, the American Legion has many local posts across the country.

While each post is focused on volunteerism and citizenship, our local posts enjoy investing in the lives of young people.

Each year, the local chapter sponsors upcoming high school seniors to attend Boys State and Girls State in our state capitol of Tallahassee.

The students in attendance learn how to be active citizens, give to others and embrace

their role in government.

The organization also invests in the lives of veterans and soldiers, offering the utmost respect to those who choose to so bravely serve our country.

Lake City: americanlegion57.org American Legion/Jasper: centennial.legion.org/florida/post215 American Legion/Live Oak: centennial.legion.org/florida/post107

Charitable giving is a family tradition in many households.

Many parents find that the earlier they introduce their children to charitable giving and volunteering, the more likely their kids are to embrace these efforts. Giving increases self-esteem and self-confidence, and children who learn that they can help others will soon realize they have the power to make a difference. Here’s how parents can foster a love of giving.

✔ Choose age-appropriate tasks.

Find charitable tasks that allow them to donate their time and skills.

✔ Let children choose the beneficiary of their efforts.

Children may have their own ideas about who they want to help. Let them choose because they’re more likely to get behind the effort if they feel their input is valued.

✔ Lead by example.

Don’t just pay lip service to the idea of being charitable.

Provide a good example by getting involved yourself.

Involve the entire family with the effort of giving.

✔ Let children see where their efforts are going.

Celebrating 150 years of service this year, the Elks Lodge was founded as an organization that seeks to provide veteran and youth services, promote Americanism, and benefit their communities.

The local chapter in Lake

City is known for the service to the youth in the community, especially during the holiday season.

For more information about the Elks, visit their website at elks.org, or to get in touch with the local chapter, call 386-752-2284.

Writing a check is a rather unceremonious way of giving that may not resonate with youth children. But if they can see food being delivered to the hungry or pet supplies going to an animal shelter, they can see the fruits of their efforts paying off.

✔ Create a giving account or box.

Make it a family tradition for members of the household to donate an item or a small amount of money each money to the box. At the end of the year, you and your family can deliver those funds and gifts to a charity of choice.

✔ Talk about giving at dinner.

Regularly talk about the value of volunteering and how your family can help others in need.

Winter 2018 | 51

Volunteers may not think of money when they donate their time, but there is no denying the financial value that millions of volunteers provide to the organizations they help. If forced to pay for the services volunteers provide free, many charities would no doubt fold, negatively affecting the missions of people who rely on nonprofit organizations to provide services and programs they sorely need.

As volunteers lend their hands to nonprofit organizations or other charitable endeavors, their selflessness plays a crucial role in improving their communities and helping organizations that do so much good stay afloat.

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Founded in 1916 as a non-political organization, the Lions Club now has over 1.7 million members worldwide. With the motto “We Serve,� it is clear that this organization seeks to serve others and better their communities. With diabetes research being one of their biggest campaigns of 2018, the Lions also seek to support other global causes through

Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 as an organization that reaches out to children in their developmental years by fighting hunger, offering guidance and working to improve literacy in communities. Their mission is to improve the lives of children one community at a time, and most Kiwanians would

partnership with local chapters.

For more information about the Lions Club vision, visit lionsclubs. org or check out org, their Facebook page at @ lionsclub. To learn more about the Lake City and Live Oak chapters, visit their websites at e-clubhouse.org/sites/ lakecityfl or e-clubhouse.org/ sites/liveoakfl/

consider themselves kids at heart.

Lake City: Facebook @KiwanisClubLC Live Oak: Facebook @Kiwanis of Live Oak

“Is a little chest pain normal?”

Emergency symptoms are good at hiding.

Not all signs of an emergency are obvious. Ongoing symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pain could be an emergency in disguise. Thankfully, Lake City Medical Center has an Emergency Department that is biggER and fastER in the area to serve you. With dedicated emergency experts and fast wait times, you can trust us for even better care. We’re serving our community for mo here Proudly for you 24/7 to help you through any emergency—even the tricky ones

Lake City Medical Center has grown from a small commun recognized for key quality measures and patient safety. W Emergency Room, and addedour a 3rd floor onto the Proudly serving community forfacilit mo remains the same: We want to provide the best care a Lake City Medical Center has grown from a small communit community.

ER

recognized for key quality measures and patient safety. We

Emergency Room, and added a 3rd floor onto the facility Proudly serving our community for mo

remains the same: We want to provide the best care an

Superior committed care. Close to home.

Lake City Medical Center has grown from a small community hospital to a facility that is nationally community. recognized for key quality measures and patient safety. We’ve added new services, expanded our Emergency Room, and added a 3rd floor onto the facility. Through all of the growth, our focus remains the same: We want to provide the best care and patient experience possible for our community.

PCMCFL.com

Superior committed care. Close to home.

Superior committed care. Close to home.

LakeCityMedical.com PCMCFL.com

Text “ER” 32222 Wait Times.

32222 for Average ext “ER” to 32222 for Average Wait Times. to

for Average Wait Times.

Have Questions? Consult-A-Nurse® by calling 800-525-3248 Winter 2018 | 53

Part of raising money for a good cause involves raising awareness of that cause. Established nonprofit organizations typically devote substantial resources to raising awareness, but individuals devoted to less publicized causes face an uphill battle as they work to raise awareness. The following are some strategies you can use to raise awareness for causes that may fall under the general public’s radar.

Establish a website. You can build a simple website and have it running in a matter of hours using an online open-source content manager like WordPress. Have your site ready before beginning any other efforts to raise awareness so you can refer people to it as a source of information in your ensuing promotional efforts.

Committed to enriching the lives of young people, our local Boys and Girls Clubs provide services to the youth of our community in a multitude of ways. Not only do these organizations provide programs for boys and girls, respectively, but they also have after-school and summer care to school-aged children and teens. Some of their programs include arts and crafts making, cooking lessons,

indoor and outdoor play, and even special field trips. Mentorship is crucial during these developing years, and their dedication to serving benefits our community immensely.

For more information about the Girl’s Club of Lake City, call 386-719-5840. To get in touch with the Boy’s Club of Lake City, call 386-754-3607.

Take to social media. Social media has made it

easier than ever to raise awareness about a particular cause. Share information about the cause, including your personal connection to it, on Facebook. This can be a quick and effective way to educate friends and family members about a particular cause. In your post, encourage them to share information about the cause and your efforts with their own network of friends and family. Be prepared to answer any questions!

Make use of traditional media. Local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations are great platforms to spread the word about a cause. Ask news reporters to cover an event or check with a local station about an interview.

Plan a fun event that appeals to all ages.

Another great way to raise awareness is to plan a fun event that everyone in the community can enjoy. Walks, block parties, and charity sports games are popular choices. Choose a time of year when the weather is mild and comfortable so more people are encouraged to participate.

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A fraternal and service organization, the Loyal Order of Moose has roughly 1 million members across the United States. While the majority of membership is men, it is considered a family affair, so women are included as well.

The motto of the organization is “A burden heavy to one is borne lightly by many,” a philosophy that is at the center of their mission. The Loyal Order of Moose supports many philanthropies, like the Salvation Army, St. Jude and Tommy Moose, a community

effort that gives plush dolls to children in traumatic situations in collaboration with law enforcement and emergency care teams.

For more information about this organization, check out mooseintl.org. To get in touch with the Lake City chapter, email lodge624@mooseunits.org.

CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTER OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, INC.

We ask that you consider partnering with us this end of the year quarter and help us to help those in need within our community. Every donation we receive is graciously appreciated and are tax deductible. If you are unable to give at this time, please join with us in prayer for our community and help spread the word about who we are and who we serve.

2017 TOTALS

The Christian Service Center has been faithfully serving the residents of Columbia County for the past 35 years with care and compassion.

The Center was formed in 1982 by local pastors and laymen from our community to assist the churches in benevolence when the other assistance was needed. Through prayer, dedication, and caring people, the Christian Service Center has become one of the most utilized non-profit organizations in North Florida. We are governed by a devoted board of directors, representing many churches and denominations from our area. The Center also is supported by a group of amazing volunteers that dedicate their time and energy to make sure we are able the meet the needs within our community.

The Christian Center is supported solely by private donations from churches, individuals, and businesses. Our annual fund drive runs from October 1st to December 31st and plays a huge role in the operations of the Center. On average the Center provides about $250,000 worth of services to residents within our community every year!

421 NW Washington St., Lake City, FL 32055

386-755-1770 www.CSCOFCC.org

Winter 2018 | 55

Giving back to seniors in your town or city is another way to strengthen your community.

Many seniors maintain their independence long past retirement age, but some may need a helping hand as they get older. The following are a handful of ways you can improve the quality of life of seniors in your community.

Deliver meals. Seniors who are confined to their

homes typically need to have their meals delivered to them.

Help around the house. The work required to maintain a home is considerable no matter a person’s age, but that task is even more difficult for seniors. Offering to help a senior maintain his or her home is a great way to improve their quality of life.

Performing a few chores around a senior’s house won’t take long, but such gestures can have a big impact on seniors’ lives.

Founded in Lake City, this organization is focused on building community and furthering leadership development of women as business leaders through friendship and mentoring. The ladies involved in this organization strive to be community minded, passionate business women who serve with heart. Their heart for mentorship drives their annual “Purses of Destiny” scholarship, awarded to high school seniors who exemplify

the characteristics of a strong leader. Look out for their ‘Just for Her: Girls Day Out” event that happens annually in the spring, an event just for ladies to build community and have some fun!

If you are interested in learning more about the organization, check out the organization on Facebook at Women In Business, Lake City, FL, or contact Paula Wheeler Jenkins at 386-365-2307.

Invite seniors over for dinner.

Many seniors suffer from feelings of isolation, which can contribute to depression. Families are now more geographically diverse, and a senior’s children and grandchildren may not live nearby. Inviting seniors over for a weekly dinner or to backyard social gatherings can help them maintain a connection to their communities and reduce their feelings of isolation.

Arrange transportation. Many seniors stop driving when they realize their skills behind the wheel have diminished. Offer to drive seniors to the grocery store when making your own shopping trips or to take them to doctor’s appointments. Many seniors made valuable contributions to the communities they call home, and those communities can give back by helping seniors overcome the demands of aging.

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An International organization for women, Altrusa strives to provide community service opportunities and leadership development to professionals in any career field. Focused on fellowship and philanthropy, this group of women are passionate about bettering the communities they are apart of. Our local chapter is known for their support to a number

of literacy foundations and community outreach projects.

For more information about membership, or to learn more about Altrusa’s vision, visit altrusa.org, or check out the local Facebook page at @altrusalakecity or @altrusainternationalofliveoak

Volunteering is a great way for us to give back to our communities. Many nonprofit organizations rely on the unsung contributions of volunteers to meet their mission statements, which may otherwise never be realized. When seeking volunteer opportunities, one can quickly become overwhelmed by the volume of available options. But not all volunteering opportunities are equal, so prospective volunteers who want to be certain their efforts make a difference can take the following steps as they search for the right fit.

Determine what you can offer. Before beginning your search for a volunteering opportunity, determine what you have to offer and what you hope to offer. Prospective volunteers with extensive business experience may serve best by offering their professional expertise to a fledgling nonprofit organization, while athletic men and women may find coaching provides the best chance to combine their skill set and experience with their desire to give back.

Determine how much time you can offer.

Some volunteer opportunities are more demanding than others, so figure out in advance how much of your time you can realistically devote to volunteering. Can you volunteer on weeknights or just weekends? Which times of day are you available to volunteer? Answering these questions in advance will ensure you find a volunteering opportunity that won’t prove too much to handle.

Find something you want to do. As previously noted, sometimes the volunteers who get the most out of their experiences are those who offer their expertise in a given area.

But it’s perfectly alright to look for a volunteering opportunity that is a star departure from your professional life. Determine what you want to do, whether it’s tutoring youth, raising funds, or anything else you may have a passion for, and then find an opportunity that allows you to do that.

Investigate the organization. You will likely take your volunteering efforts seriously, so you want to be sure the organization you ultimately work with is serious about its mission. Ask each organization you speak with about their programs and how those programs relate to their mission. Ask about their successes as well as the challenges they face.

Keep your word. Upon committing to volunteer with an organization, many volunteers initially feel uncomfortable or hesitant to offer their input. That compels many to abandon their efforts entirely. But organizations truly rely on their volunteers to help them meet their goals, so keep your word and stay committed, even if you feel some beginner’s anxiety.

Arrive on time and do your best to live up to the commitment you made. Before you know it, you will feel right at home in your new role.

During 2019, we want to encourage you to take a few moments to be truly grateful for the blessings in

your life, and then take a moment to share joy

with someone else. Whether it’s through a service

project, a cup of coffee with a friend, or just a random

act of kindness, we hope you feel inspired to

shine your light with others.

Winter 2018 | 57

With The McLean Family Lake City natives Sean and Kim McLean have a pretty incredible story. The question is where to begin…

As if getting married at 19 years old wasn’t enough, they had their first-born a year and half later while opening their first business.

“Everyone thought we were crazy. They didn’t believe that we would make it, much less be able to run a business.” Kim explains.

“What they failed to understand was not only our love for each other, but our love to serve and lift others up.”

called That Keto Life. With around 57,000 organic followers, they teach the ketogenic diet for free. And this is where the story gets elevated!

The lessons learned launching the other company prepared them for what was coming next. They share that they probably learned what they didn’t want to do and how not to do things more than they learned how to and what to do. With this knowledge, they joined a few other friends and set out to do the impossible: build a business that will truly change lives, driven by loving, serving, and empowering others.

A platform where entrepreneurs elevate

This desire and passion led them to sell their business in 2010, load up all 3 kids and their “We have gone from $5000 in sales basset hound, and move per month to $10 million per month to Honduras serving on in less than a year. Something the mission field. They sold magical is happening, and we can’t everything with no plans stop sharing this coffee!” to move back to the States, only to find themselves —Sean McLean back two years later. With their hearts feeling as though they had been ripped from their other entrepreneurs, they did it all centered chests and their heads in a whirlwind, they around coffee. Yes, you read it correctly, searched for what was to come next. coffee! Happy Coffee to be exact—coffee that helps your body produce its own Soon enough, they reopened their dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and landscape and irrigation business—and endorphins—your happy hormones. are currently in their 20th year serving the North Florida area—but what happened Launching less than a year ago, they have next changed everything. taken Happy Coffee global, 15 countries to be exact. How How, you ask? By sharing a cup A phone call from an old friend led Sean of coffee and empowering others to do and Kim to a company that supported their the same. “Our affiliate marketing platform other passion: health and fitness. “We are allows anyone with the desire to do better addicted to helping people better their for themselves to achieve it here. We teach, health,” says Sean. In helping to launch serve, and mentor people to the level that that company, they were able to help they want to succeed. Whether that’s an bring back a 100-year-old lifestyle called extra $500 to $1000 a month, or 10 times ketosis or the ketogenic diet and impact that amount, it is being achieved here,” hundreds of thousands of lives around the says Kim. “We have gone from $5000 in world. They have since moved on from that sales per month to $10 million per month company, but still run a Facebook page in less than a year. Something magical is

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Kelcey, Sean, Kim, Kyler, Kassady happening, and we can’t stop sharing this coffee!” Sean excitingly explains.

As amazing as the coffee is, Sean and Kim believe what has allowed this business to flourish so fast is the culture they have helped develop with their friends and business partners. “It’s all about the culture.

People don’t want to be sold. They want to be served and loved and appreciated.

Servitude and gratitude—that’s the magic.

That’s the currency of our modern society,” they passionately explain.

Taking their business global and seeing lives changed worldwide, they feel an overwhelming desire to see the people in their own community have the same opportunity to better their lives. “We feel that we have a responsibility to give back to the community that has contributed to our lives,” Sean shares.

Their mission is clear: to serve others at a high level, inspiring people to live their passion, and empowering people with the tools, mindset, and skills to achieve their dreams. In making this their purpose, it has become their profession.

If you would like to try this amazing Happy Coffee or are interested in contacting the McLeans, you can check them out on Facebook under Kim Sandage McLean, Sean Michael McLean, or That Keto Life. You can also send them an email at mysmartbrew@ gmail.com; or for direct contact, you can call 386-466-8269.

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Winter 2018 | 59

Vocalist Tammy Michal Saxophonists Jacob Price, Ben Champion, Johnny Hodges and Cameron Blow Trombone Artists Ed Henderson, Donovan Bryant, Ed Amaya and Mark Branham Trumpet Players Ken Michal, Ron Barker, Warren Johnson and Tyler Sapperstein.

Rhythm Section Jennifer Bennefield on piano, Jonathan Bennefield on bass, Colton Stone on guitar, and Kayton Lane on drums.

Get more information on Facebook at: GatewayCity/BB

BRINGING WORLD CLASS MUSIC TO NORTH FLORIDA

Matt Johns, Band Leader

By Susan K. Lamb Tammy Johns Photography

as well as a musician in bands playing in all music genres. He is also one of the vocalists and plays saxophone for GCBB.

Gateway City Big Band (GCBB) of Lake City is one of the few bands still playing the big band music in North Florida. And do they ever play astounding, world class music!

“The studio teaches artist development and records for local artists seeking to further their musical career with a professional product,” Matt states. As a devoted Christian husband and father, he tries to always dedicate time for family and church along with the music.

This jamming band, led by Matt Johns, is blessed to have about 20 extremely talented musicians dedicated to playing every type of music to soothe the mind and soul, and get those feet moving. The band also adds selected music students to the group each year.

“Individual invitations go to area high school or college students we know would be a good fit, as well as students who take the credit course with Florida Gateway College,” Matt elaborates. “We invite others we know are good and proven musicians.”

Matt, a local vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, has been a performer since childhood. At age 19, he was hired by the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, and he performed more than 600 shows from 2003 to 2007 as a saxophonist and lead vocalist traveling the world. He also performed with other artists like the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

“When I returned to Lake City, I continued to work as a full-time musician, instructor, composer and arranger,” he notes. He is in business with his dad, Donald Johns, at Starlight Studios where Matt is a session player and utility man for their studio and others, 60 |

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“The late music icon Harry Wuest formed the band in 1993. This impresario and former conductor of Walt Disney’s Top of the World Orchestra retired from full-time performing, conducting, producing and managing some of the most popular artists of the big band world,” Matt relates. “He chose to retire in Lake City, and thus was born The Gateway City Big Band.”

Wuest brought in established and aspiring musicians, and the band flourished. Today, the band continues to echo the sounds of the great big bands of the 1930s and 40s, but still mixing in original arrangements and compositions. This incredible band is sure to delight any audience with selections from Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor and on and on.

Our backyard is your backyard.

feeding the future™ Winter 2018 | 61

2014 Columbia County Information Guide | 21

sweet potato bites Are you stuck in the holiday rut and searching for a new dish to throw in the mix? If so, consider trying out these adorable sweet potato bites everyone will love! Not only do they put a delicious twist on the holiday staple, but they are so easy to assemble!

INGREDIENTS 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon maple syrup A pinch of salt 10-ounce bag of marshmallows 1/2 cup pecan halves

DIRECTIONS Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. On a large baking sheet, toss sweet potato slices with melted butter and maple syrup, then arrange them in an even layer.

Season with a pinch of salt. Bake the slices for 20 minutes (or until tender), flipping them over halfway through. Remove baking sheet from oven and switch oven to broil. Top each sweet potato round with a marshmallow and broil until they are puffed and golden. Immediately top each marshmallow with a pecan half and serve warm.

Photo: Ethan Calabrese/delish.com

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Recipe: Lauren Miyashiro/delish.com

40 Years

Celebrating

Located in the town of Live Oak, The Music Center has been serving musicians of all ages for 40 years.

Their staff of 11 music instructors teach lessons each week to over 150 students, and their storefront offers a variety of services and products for music lovers of all kinds. Music lessons are given on piano, guitar, violin, clarinet, saxophone, and banjo, just to name a few. The center also offers voice lessons for students who are interested in expanding their range and exploring new genres of sound.

There is no age limit for those who are wanting to learn an instrument or explore their vocal chords - in fact, The Music Center has assisted music students from age 4 to age 84 for the past four decades!

Over the years, music has evolved to encompass more technology, digital, and electric sounds.

With new decades came fun new music trends and exciting new instruments which can be used with computers and apps on smart devices to help make music more fun - all of which were welcomed into the store family for students to explore. Much has changed since owner and pianist Sheila Burnham opened the store in January of 1979, but her passion for music has never wavered.

see the joy that music “I love to see the joy“I love thatto music brings to brings to both budding and both budding and seasoned seasoned musicians,” musicians, ” Burnham —Sheila Burnhamexpressed.

386-362-5816 897 Pinewood Dr. SW Live Oak, FL 32064 www.TheMusicCenterFL.com

Ken Dolingo, sales manager, has worked with Burnham for most of these years, working on instrument repairs, installing sounds systems, and helping Burnham’s husband, George, with piano deliveries. Burnham stated, “When it come to music, Ken and I enjoy being the go to in our community and beyond for music needs.”

The Music Center represents prestigious brands such as Yamaha, Peavey, C. F. Martin & Co., and many others. The center has over 10,000 musical sku’s from instruments and accessories, sheet music, as well as gift items such as t-shirts, scarves, etc., ranging from 35 cents to $25,000. They truly are musicians serving musicians from Baldwin to Tallahassee and Gainesville to Valdosta.

Aside from her love of music, Burnham is also very passionate about serving the community. The Music Center loves to collaborate with local organizations, like installing sound systems in local churches and supporting the Suwannee and Branford school bands. Some of the other causes they support are Live! At Dowling Park, Community Concerts of Lake City, Habitat for Humanity, the Pregnancy Care Center, the Suwannee Quarterback Club, March of Dimes, and Haven Hospice, among many others.

Most recently, The Music Center has joined hands with Skip and Linda Johns for starting a Songfarmers affiliate. This is held on the last Thursday evening of each month from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at The Suwannee River Regional Library, where local musicians come together to play their acoustic instruments and get the audience to join in singing.

With a passion for seeing that spark in a student’s eyes after picking up an instrument, Burnham is proud to be celebrating 40 years of business in Live Oak. Whether you are looking to pick up a new instrument or learn how to read sheet music, The Music Center is there to lend a helping hand - and help you have some fun along the way! Just think of how boring our lives would be without the gift of music!

Connect with The Music Center on Facebook! @themusiccenterfl

Winter 2018 | 63

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Review

By Jeweliana Register

How to Catch an Elf

By Adam Wallace Wallace’s How to Catch an Elf tells a silly Christmas tale involving elves.

This book is written in rhyme-scheme, describing a child’s antics to capture an elf on Christmas Eve. Will this be the year that Santa’s little helper gets caught? Read on to find out!

Whiskey in a Teacup:

What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits

By Reese Witherspoon Inspired by her grandmother’s saying that Southern women should be a combination of beauty and strength, or “whiskey in a teacup,” this book dives into Witherspoon’s life and the lessons she has learned growing up in the South. Covering topics like hosting backyard parties and cooking the perfect fried chicken, this book is a must-read for tips, tricks and funny stories from this actress’ life. Check it out to gain some charming inspiration for your next holiday get-together.

Starry Eyes

By Jenn Bennett Described as a romantic dramedy, this teen-fiction read really has it all! The story focuses on 17-year-old Zorie, a high school senior who is plannerobsessed and leaves nothing to chance. Her plan is then thrown out of the window when she attends a school camping trip and is abandoned with the boy who broke her heart, Lennon. Their families are basically the modern-day Montagues and Capulets, so how will this pair survive?

100 Days to Brave:

Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self

By Annie F. Downs Are you in need of a confidence boost? Follow along as Downs walks you through 100 devotionals that build confidence and instill bravery.

Whether you are facing a fear or dealing with a major life change, this book can give you the biblical tools to walk through the fire with a brave face and confident heart.

Girl, Wash Your Face:

Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

By Rachel Hollis Since releasing in February, this book has become a New York Times bestseller and has taken the world by storm. Hollis is the founder of lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and the CEO of a media company, and her “keep it real� attitude has brought her a following who loves to hear her words of wisdom. Grab a copy of her book and join her as she discusses topics like faith, fear, confidence, passion and so much more.

Winter 2018 | 65

Transforming Lives Through Giving

By Joy Coleman

With dignity and respect, Catholic Charities of Lake City serves individuals, families, and communities in need. They provide a food pantry, rent and utility assistance, disaster support, holiday assistance programs, homeless services including for homeless veterans, and they even assist cancer patients throughout Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton, Lafayette, and Union Counties.

For years, Catholic Charities of Lake City returns 97 percent of every dollar donated directly to their programs. They utilize three cents per dollar donated to keep their operation open, when the bulk of charitable organizations consider 9 to 15 percent acceptable. Our Catholic Charities beats most of them by 6 to 12 percent.

Suzanne Edwards, regional director, and the staff deeply appreciate the volunteer services of the area supporting their Thanksgiving baskets of not only meat, but all the traditional sides including sweet potatoes, corn, vegetables, and stuffing.

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During this recent Thanksgiving, their 19th year of operation, Catholic Charities provided 550 families with Thanksgiving baskets.

Each family had anywhere from four to eleven members. For two days, they hosted giving baskets to two packed vehicle lanes of people visiting the organization to gather their food.

During the 2018–2019 Homecoming Week, public and private schools in the Columbia County School System collected canned items and additional foods to be placed in each basket. Together, the schools raised over 58,000 pounds of canned goods! Students then volunteered through the entire month of October to sort and re-bag the baskets’ components. The individual families blessed were chosen by guidance counselors in each school. Each basket also included a $10 gift card for the family.

The Florida Gateway Food Bank stays open throughout the year, feeding approximately 482,466 meals to those in need in our area.

They are affiliated members of Feeding Florida and a distribution partner of Feeding America. Catholic Charities focuses on what the organization does in the community, and residents are always welcome to get involved. Here are just a few of the many services Catholic Charities provide:

Winter 2018 | 67

Did you know…

For five days a week, the staff works with families who are homeless, in imminent danger of becoming homeless, or who may have just been given an eviction notice. Alicia Worley, case manager, works to help them create a budget and plan for the future—even if it’s just the next week. She offers guidance, hope, boundaries, plans, and accountability through working a case plan for each family. Success is measured by making baby steps—maybe two steps forward and one step back per month—but developing financial responsibility.

Catholic Charities works with cancer patients through our local “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” organization. They provide case management, needs, and financial assistance, developing a strategy for obtaining immediately necessary services, applying for appropriate insurance, supporting those struggling to pay for medication or rent. They manage and advocate for about 125 to 140 patients yearly, seeing long-term patients about three times a month, and hopefully seeing them to a positive resolve. By collaborating with the many organizations and people in our fivecounty area, Catholic Charities interweaves their work through others, continuing to support and grow those in our communities into vigorous and growing individuals.

It is only through charitable donations of goods, services and direct financial contributions that Catholic Charities is able to offer assistance to those in need. Your generosity is tremendously appreciated by those served. Thank you for your continued support!

97%

of the people served are not Catholic

97 cents

of every dollar goes into programs

5

Catholic Charities serves five counties in the North Central Florida Region: Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton, Lafayette, and Union

4

The Florida Gateway Food Bank serves four counties: Columbia, Hamilton, Suwannee, and Union

Visit DomesticFashionista.com for further inspiration on how to pack a ‘blessing bag.”

You probably have a friend, neighbor, or coworker who has been helped by Catholic Charities!

It’s the season of giving, so you may be wondering what you can do for the homeless in our community during these chilly winter months. Grab your kids and let them help make “blessing bags” for those with whom you may come into contact. Of course, you can get creative and add anything you’d like to these bags, but think along the lines of soap, socks, water bottles, crackers, granola bars, hand wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste and chapstick. Note that while baked goods are delicious and in abundance this year, it is not ideal to give these to the homeless, as they may have been negatively affected by homemade goods in the past. Stick to non-perishable, sealed foods and consider including an inspirational note or letter. You never know how you will impact a person’s life, even if it’s with a simple note and a friendly smile.

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JOB-A-PALOOZA Fun for all!

By Jeweliana Register

W ith a passion for helping those

with excitement and chatter. The students roamed the booths, learning about the skills needed for each job and even having the opportunity to try their hand at some of the daily operations.

with intellectual and developmental disabilities, The Arc North Florida has set a goal to instill mentorship within schools across the counties they service.

For starters, the “We have local This fall, the UF IFAS Extension organization held businesses offered attendees their first ever that come useful tips on Job-A-Palooza, out and personal hygiene an event that show these and dressing the welcomed local students part for a job businesses to job skills interview. Local showcase their that they can have—and first responders careers and allow allowed students potentially jobs they can be members to to try on their looking towards after they participate gear; First Federal finish school.” in job employees —Adam Bricker simulations taught attendees Secretary of The Arc for a variety of how to operate North Florida career fields. a cash register; Local high Cheek and Scott school students were invited to explained how to properly package attend, and each student with medications; and local hairstylists disabilities was paired helped students experience the with a mentor to art of hairstyling fi rsthand.

The assist in operations Suwannee County Operation Bed for the day.

Roll Ministry was also in attendance, teaching attendees how to weave The event was held together plastic shopping bags into at the Suwannee sleeping mats for homeless people County Agricultural in the community.

Coliseum in Live Oak, and the entire “The focus is to get them included area was bustling in everything else that is going on. They’re not separated or pushed to the side; they are a part of the community,” Adam Bricker, Secretary of The Arc North Florida, expresses. “We have local businesses that come out and show these students job skills that they can have and potentially jobs they can be looking towards after they finish school.”

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Kelly Klingensmith

Member of The Arc North Florida

Kelly Klingensmith, a member of The Arc North Florida, expressed how much she enjoyed the event. Kelly works with The Arc to help with their shredding operations, and she works to produce their snack boxes in collaboration with Walt’s Live Oak Ford. In addition to having fun packing boxes, Kelly loves to go on community outings with The Arc, like their monthly visit to the Advent Christian Village for singing and dancing, and their bowling trips and pool parties.

The Arc North Florida A registered 501(c)(3) organization, The Arc North Florida was founded in 1981 to serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Suwannee, Hamilton, Lafayette, Columbia, and Baker Counties. The goal of the organization is to bring advocacy, employment training, and living services to the communities they service, all while enriching lives along the way. The Arc provides services to all adults with a variety of disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and autism, as well as those with hearing, visual, physical and emotional disabilities. For more information on how you can get involved, give them a call at 386-362-7143, or check out their website at arcnfl.com.

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{

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}

Serving the Hamilton County Community

By Jeweliana Register

Established in the town of Jasper, Agape Green Acres Ministry (AGAMi) seeks to provide resources to meet the needs of women and children within the community. Upon retiring and moving to North Florida, Earlene Green saw a great need for an outreach of this kind. Her dream for the ministry is to provide a Earlene Green space for education to the community in areas such as nutrition, health, parenting and literacy. The ministry also focuses on providing counseling for addiction and abuse, as well as offering assistance to individuals needing government benefits.

Mentorship and community outreach also make up a large portion of what AGAMi stands for.

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A retired judge with a background in children and family services, Earlene is ecstatic to bring this nondenominational ministry to her new home. Not only does she have experience working with women who suffered from opioid addiction and various other social issues, but she also has a passion for serving and bettering her community. After graduating with her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree from Temple University, Earlene founded Agape House, Inc., in Pennsylvania in 1989. The ministry served as a transitional home for women coming out of substance abuse, and AGAMi is an extension of Agape House, Inc. Earlene has also served as a counselor in many different areas such as mental health and substance abuse, and has even served in correctional institutions.

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Winter 2018 | 73

‘‘

‘‘ —Earlene Green

With passion and heart, Green is working to bring her dreams for AGAMi to life. Though AGAMi has yet to find a brick-and-mortar home in Hamilton County, Green and her team are working towards their vision. Joining Green is President and CEO Angela M. Waller and Treasurer and CFO Jared Lee Taylor.

Green is proud to have her daughter and son join her on this journey, as well as her grandson, Sabbath S. Taylor. It truly is a family affair, and the Green family encompasses the spirit of charitable giving!

Jared Lee Taylor Earlene Green, Jared Lee Taylor and Angela M. Waller

Jared Lee Taylor and Angela M. Waller

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Did you know the word Agape is meant to express the highest form of charity and love? It also is defined as the love of God for man and the love of man for God. This ministry strives to express the highest form of love to those that it assists and aims to spread grace to all. Keep an eye out for the exciting adventures to come for AGAMi, like a mother and daughter conference/ workshop planned for May 2019, as well as various other community events in the future. With dreams like this, the team is sure to make an impact for God’s kingdom.

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Winter 2018 | 75

skydiving Extreme Jumps with Esta Eberhardt

By Jeweliana Register

Have you ever dreamed of seeing the world from a different perspective? Do you live for the adrenaline rush that comes with new experiences? If so, then skydiving may just be your next big adventure. While the idea of jumping out of planes may seem scary to some, the thrill and excitement of each skydiving experience is what drives local photographer Esta Eberhardt to keep jumping.

“During the jump, you have someone connected to you, so you can’t stop it, but I didn’t want to anyway. It was weird, I never had any butterflies in my stomach,” Esta describes. “It was just kind of like, Hmm, maybe I’m meant to do this. This is a good feeling.”

While Esta has always had an interest in skydiving, she had never fully committed to the activity… That is until she found a Groupon deal for skydiving in Tampa that she could not pass up. To Esta’s surprise, her daughter Kaitlin, who has always been afraid of heights, expressed her interest in skydiving with her.

The pair booked their jump, and next thing you know, they were in a plane headed 13,000 feet into the air.

The view from the air is unlike anything they had ever seen before. Much different from simply sitting in a plane at a few thousand feet above the ground, Esta and Kaitlin seized their opportunity to see the world from a bird’s eye view.

Esta explains the entire experience was much more relaxed than she expected. She anticipated Kaitlin would freak when she realized how high they were, or that she herself would be nervous. Luckily, Esta and Kaitlin were skydiving tandem, so the professional skydiver attached to them was guiding them the whole way down, making the whole experience very smooth and enjoyable.

Flash forward a few months, and Esta is planning a trip to the gorgeous tropical destination of Hawaii. While her bucket list for the island consisted of experiencing the wildlife and hiking through the land, would a trip to Hawaii really be complete without a skydiving excursion?

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“It was such an amazing experience,” Esta expresses. “I just knew I had to do it again and again.”

This jump was much different from her previous one. She had the chance to admire the rugged mountains and beautiful terrain while in the air, but her favorite part was jumping out of the plane directly above the sparkling, clear blue waters. The water was so clear that she could see the whales swimming and jumping in the ocean below her. Esta witnessed the most breathtaking view, and it was this trip that made her realize she wanted to see as many areas of the world from this perspective as she possibly could.

Following the trip, Esta began the process of becoming certified to skydive solo. Currently a student skydiver, Esta has completed half of the necessary jumps to receive her certificate from Skydive Palatka and is well on her way to becoming an experienced skydiver. The sky is just the beginning for this adventure lover, as she has dreams to skydive in Europe within the next year.

“It’s all about the excitement and adrenaline of it, and just living your best life,” Esta says. “That’s a rule I would encourage anyone to live by.”

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“It’s all about the excitement and adrenaline of it, and just living your best life. That’s a rule I would encourage anyone to live by.”

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Winter 2018 | 77

United Way of Suwannee Valley and the Department of Health

Infant Safe Sleep

By Rita Dopp

It was an absolute “no-brainer” when the United Way of Suwannee Valley Planning Committee meeting agenda included plans for the use of anonymous grant funds together in the same meeting at which the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) was presented, particularly when the plan included a goal of addressing infant mortality.

Mark Lander, then administrator of the Departments of Health in Columbia and Hamilton Counties, reviewed the Community Health Improvement Plan via conference call while en route out of town, assisted by Rel Perea, then planner of the Health Department in Columbia County and faithful member of the United Way Planning Committee. Nancy Roberts, another devoted Planning Committee member and participant on the Suwannee and Lafayette Counties’ Community Health Improvement Plan Committees, cited the parallels between each of the counties’ plans.

Lander recommended investigating the distribution of baby boxes, which was being done by Department of Health offices in other counties in Florida and, in fact, by some states. Suddenly, committee members noticed each other all engaged in a cell phone Google search of baby boxes.

Whoever heard of a baby box? The one exception was Perea, who instead accessed the information online for viewing on the United Way conference room computer screen. There was obviously an opportunity to educate community members— and not just expectant mothers and mothers of infants—of an option to promote infant safe sleep, exactly what the committee wanted.

The infant safe sleep project focuses on the County Health Improvement Plan goal to improve the health of babies. One of the objectives for this goal is reducing infant mortality. One of the biggest risk factors for Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), formerly known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is an infant’s sleep environment. The purpose of the baby box is to provide a safe sleep environment for babies.

Caregivers are encouraged to put babies to sleep alone, on their backs, and in a crib without any pillows, blankets or stuffed animals. This is known as the ABCs of infant safe sleep: Alone on their Back in the Crib.

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The Florida Department of Health in Suwannee and Lafayette Counties is distributing the infant safe sleep initiative items through the Pregnancy Care Center. Pictured with a supply of the baby boxes and their contents is Vickie Hicks, center director of the Pregnancy Care Center in Live Oak.

A safe sleep environment for a baby has been shown to decrease the number of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death incidents by 50 percent over the last 20 years throughout the country. The baby box provides such an environment.

Also because of the size of the box, it is portable and can easily fit in the room with the parent, particularly for those who may not be able to afford a bassinet.

The baby box program originated in Finland in the 1930s as a way to help decrease the rate of infant deaths.

Finland had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Since the implementation of the baby box program to include proper health care and education, Finland now has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. In Finland, 1.9 out of 1,000 children died during infancy in 2016, compared to a rolling threeyear period between 2015 and 2017 during which the rate was 6.1 in the State of Florida. Infant mortality rates locally are Columbia County, 9.9; Hamilton County, 8.3; Suwannee County, 7.4; and Lafayette County, 10.1, for the same time period.

(Source: FLHealthCHARTS)

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Janie Richardson, chair, United Way of Suwannee Valley Planning Committee, joins Halie Corbitt, health educator consultant, Florida Department of Health in Columbia and Hamilton Counties, to display the many items included with the baby boxes provided to caregivers of infants. The baby boxes promote infant safe sleep by providing a sleep environment free of pillows, blankets or stuffed animals.

United Way of Suwannee Valley partnered with the Health Department to address infant mortality. A doll is used at various community events to educate community members of the ABCs of infant safe sleep: Alone on their Back in the Crib.

Initially, the United Way Planning Committee allocated funds to purchase the baby boxes and a book, Sleep Baby Safe and Snug, distributed by Charlie’s Kids Foundation, such that each box would be distributed with the accompanying infant safe sleep literature including a board book parents could read aloud to their children. The baby Sleep Baby box provided serves Safe and Snug, as a bassinet and with a firm dist�ibuted by comes mattress and fitted sheet, and can sleep Charlie’s Kids one infant, usually Foundation birth to six months.

Enthusiasm among committee members and other community organizations resulted in more items being provided.

The contents of the box include a onesie provided by the Florida Department of

Caregivers of infants can qualify for a free baby box and its contents of baby supplies and educational information after watching a selection of short educational videos. The infant safe sleep materials are available to all caregivers of infants who are residents of Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette or Suwannee Counties, after completing the required education. Residents of Columbia and Hamilton Counties may contact the Florida Department of Health at 386-754-7083. Residents of Suwannee and Lafayette Counties may contact the Pregnancy Care Center, through which the Florida Department of Health for Suwannee and Lafayette Counties is distributing the infant safe sleep initiative items. The phone number is 386-3302229.

United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person through community impact and fundraising efforts utilizing volunteers on all levels to advance the common good by identifying unmet community needs and seeking to alleviate those needs through United Way of Suwannee Valley initiatives and the funding of local, affiliated health and human service agencies.

Children and Families; pampers, wipes, and diaper rash cream contributed by the Partnership for Strong Families Children’s Partnership Councils; and infant hats knitted by participants of the Columbia County Senior Services LifeStyle Enrichment Center. The boxes distributed are nicely supplied with additional goodies for the recipient caregivers.

Janie Richardson, chair of the United Way’s Planning Committee, notes, “The committee has been fortunate to have the participation of Health Department staff members who are enthusiastic about providing safe sleep information to caregivers of infants.”

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Mother Harriett

Pure Heart & Soul

By Ruth Williams

Nestled in the community is a haven where lots of laughter, snuggles, cuddles, and hugs take place.

Harriette’s Right Way Nursery, owned and operated by Harriett Williamson, affectionately known as Mother Harriett, has been in business for 34 years. Through her work, she says it has been a privilege for her to be a part of little ones’ start in life. “I wanted to work with older people or little kids. Just so happened that my dream and God’s vision for my life was little ones.” Her daycare serves infants through 12-year-olds.

Her staff, directed by Harriett’s graceful compassion for children, are experts in providing a wonderful environment for children, primarily specializing in building self-esteem through positive experiences. She shares that year after year, her work has taught her that when children have good experiences, such experiences give rise to a genuine sense of accomplishment, pride and belonging. “What I love is being able to love, inspire, and encourage children to know that they are

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intelligent, capable, winners who can accomplish anything they make up their minds to do,” Harriett says.

Parents and past nursery attendants come to realize their foundation laid at Mother Harriett’s is a sweet reflection of beautiful memories. One parent’s proclamation, loud and clear before other parents and staff, is that “this place is ‘pure heart and soul.’”

Serving so many children and their families in the community, generation after generation, is an act of loving what you do. An example of the center’s positive impact, Harriett remembers when a 7-year-old listless boy enrolled at the nursery.

“He was unable to talk, walk, or communicate. As I worked with this child, loved this child, eventually he learned to smile, walk and interact as a child should.”

Another affirmation was made by a recent visit from a young man who is living in California and preparing to take his bar exam to become a lawyer. Not seeing him since childhood, Harriett instantly knew

What I love is being able to love, inspire, and encourage children to know that they are intelligent, capable, winners who can accomplish anything they make up their minds to do.

—Mother Harriett Williamson

him by his contagious smile, which made her smile. He had come so far to say, “I just want to give you a hug.”

A few months ago, Mother Harriett turned 70 years old, another milestone in longevity and testimony of loving what you do and doing what you love by going the right way.

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y r l e w e

Suwannee Song Designs

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Inspired by Nature

Jewelry is often categorized as merely an accessory, but for Lynne Hutchins, it’s a canvas to design one-of-a-kind works of art that capture the natural wonders of Florida.

After teaching a rocks and minerals course, Lynne was reminded of her long-held admiration for stones—as if the collection stowed under her bed for years wasn’t proof enough. In order to showcase Mother Nature’s artistry, she began designing jewelry around the fragments of rock themselves, thereby creating something unique and eye-catching. Though her pieces have evolved over the years—some of which lack any stones at all— they all still evoke the imagery and sense of nature.

“My inspiration has always been the environment of North Florida,” Lynne explains. “I live on the Suwannee River, and the river is this coppery wonderful color, so copper is my favorite metal to work with.”

Besides using the earth tones of copper, Lynne weaves Florida’s landscape into her jewelry by incorporating shades of lush greens to represent the forest, deep blues and teals to mimic water, and detailed metal embellishments folded and etched to reflect leaves. Of course, using the environment as inspiration is easy for Lynne who spends her free time scuba diving, hiking, kayaking and enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors—a theme that washes over every bit of jewelry she makes.

By Hayli Zuccola

Tammy Johns Photography

Braising, silk knotting, wire wrapping, soldering and riveting are just a fraction of the techniques Lynne uses to highlight her favorite element to work with: colorful natural stones. From the frosted blue larimar that hails from the Dominican Republic or the ribbon of peacock feathers bottled into chrysocolla, to the labradorite (which according to Lynne was believed by the arctic people to be the Northern Lights trapped in stone) from Labrador, Canada—whatever mineral she chooses to feature—each one adds an earthy, distinct feel to her work.

“The stones draw me in, and then the millions of things that you can do with them are what keep me inspired,” she says.

You can see more of Lynne’s work displayed at Live Oak Jewelry, the Stephen Foster State Park gift shop, and the Gateway Art Gallery, as well as on her website at suwanneesongdesigns.com.

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Winter 2018 | 85

ORANGES AND ABOLITIONISTS: How Land Speculators Laid the Union Path to Olustee

By Dr. Christopher M. Esing

The Civil War revolutionized the political, social, and economic foundations of Florida, transforming the state from the largest tract of untouched wilderness in the continental U.S. before the war to becoming the nation’s leading sanatorium and health resort by the turn of the twentieth century. Union strategists planted the seeds of change as they sought to colonize Florida with northern sympathizers by promoting citriculture, market gardening, and tropical fruits.

The origins of these developments emerged with Union strategists who desired to use the Florida state tax board to confiscate Confederate lands and sell them to pro-Union immigrants in hopes of switching Florida from a southern state into one sympathetic to the Union. Northern merchants pushed for control of Florida to protect the $450,000,000 annual trade with Central America. Businessmen feared “piracy” and “free-booting” by Confederates, and at the outset of the war, federal troops moved to fortify costal military bases to protect trade along the Atlantic and Gulf seizing most outpost and forts along Florida’s waterways and securing a Federal Blockade. In turn, the Confederates seized control over the mainland.

As federal troops captured Fernandina, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville, many

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were met by Union sympathizers seeking to sell cotton, sugar, tobacco, rice, and timber to the government. Harrison O. Briggs, a Boston ship builder, pushed Senator Charles Sumner to make arrangements with the Secretary of the Treasury to open up trade and safeguard access to Florida’s raw materials by coaxing the loyalty of its population.

Salmon P. Chase, the head of the Treasury Department, sent agents to Florida to seize all abandoned property and directed the bounty to New York. In turn, Union assembled in Jacksonville and called for a convention to establish a new government in the state. Their efforts failed, and federal troops and treasury department agents were recalled from Jacksonville. Fearing reprisal, Florida’s union sympathizers fled to New York and Washington, D.C.

commission to execute the Direct Tax Laws of June 7, 1862, which ordered the confiscation of property by southern landholders who had unpaid taxes and to sell the property if payment was not received. Along with John S. Sammis, another Florida loyalist, and Harrison Reed, a Wisconsin editor, the three made up the presiding members of the Tax Commission.

Many of Florida’s refugees urged New York businessmen and the federal government to renew a military campaign to recapture Jacksonville and take control of the Florida interior. In particular, Lyman D. Stickney, a fly-bynight speculator, emerged from the New York crowd to win favor in the treasury department. Stickney had established a legislative grant from Florida in 1861 for two townships outside of Fort Myers. He secured dozens of settlers with the promise of 40-acre homesteads, but when he was unable to come up with the capital for improvements, many of these colonists left the state in disgust.

Stickney remained in Florida, operating a sloop along the Florida coast. When union sympathizers fled to New York, he joined them and obtained a position on Florida’s Direct Tax Commission. The Treasury Department entrusted the

He also suggested that through tax sales, northern settlement could remake Florida into a “free labor” market. These sentiments brought Stickney to the

As the head of the Tax Commission, Stickney used his position to lay the framework for the political settlement of Florida for those sympathetic to the northern cause. He wrote an article for the 1861 Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture entitled “Tropical Florida,” which described Florida’s agricultural possibilities. He proposed that cultivation of tropical fruits and sugar could make Florida into the rival of Cuba.

Lyman D. Stickney

attention of Eli Thayer, an advocate for mass northern immigration into the South to create free labor economies and end sectional discord. Thayer convinced Northern capitalists to form the New England Emigrant Aid Company, to plant free-soil colonies in Kansas, the Upper South, and Florida.

Eli Thayer, United States House of Representatives

Thayer believed that military force was wasteful and would require a long occupation of the South. He felt that mass migration could produce the same results without the financial costs of war and in turn create a new army of producers within the region. He urged President Lincoln to create a “Homestead and Emigration Department” to take charge of confiscated property from rebels and divide the property into homesteads for loyal southerners.

Thayer devised a plan to send 50,000 volunteers to Florida to clear the state of Confederate forces, after which they could take up abandoned properties.

Edwin M. Stanton and Abraham Lincoln saw possibilities in Thayer’s vision and encouraged him to search for recruits for his Florida campaign.

One of Thayer’s leading proponents was Reverend Edward Everett Hale of Boston, a member of the Emigrant Aid Society, who envisioned a Florida in which discharged federal troops would establish a winter refuge for northerners who might “need a summer in January.”

In September 1862, there were calls to create a “Department of Florida” with Thayer as the military governor of the state, but disastrous losses for the North resulted in delays, causing

Lincoln and Stanton to sour towards the idea. Thayer and Stickney saw opportunity after Jacksonville had been recaptured by Union forces; however, the city was quickly lost again. During the war, neither Confederate nor Union troops could hold the city, and each withdrawal prevented the tax board from implementing its plan to settle the state.

Thayer and Stickney, with the backing of Chase, released a settlement pamphlet entitled Florida: Its Climate, Soil, Productions, Resources, and Capabilities; Also a Plan For Colonizing the State and Information to Emigrants, which described the agricultural possibilities of Florida if cultivated by the hands of industrious and enterprising settlers.

Union newspapers also took up advertising the advantages of the state to immigrants. Radical Republicans in Congress moved to force Lincoln to make a decision about Thayer’s plan. A resolution was introduced to authorize 20,000 volunteers to serve nine months in Florida and then be disbanded there to settle the state. The house referred the matter to the Committee of Military Affairs. During the meeting, the economic advantages of the state were discussed at length, in particular the natural resources that Florida offered to the Union cause. In these meetings, Senators discussed making Florida into a refuge for freedmen, and the northern press helped foster the idea among the populace. General William T. Sherman wrote his brother that he opposed blacks serving with his white troops, but he would not mind seeing “them armed and colonizing Florida.” Thayer gave the idea lip service, but his main focus remained upon free enterprise and labor for white settlers. Through his speeches, he captured the attention of a number of Northern newspapers, including William Cullen Bryant’s New York Evening Post and the New York Times, both of which praised Thayer’s proposals.

William Cullen Bryant headed a committee of five, which presented Thayer’s plan to the House of Representatives. The discussion never came to a vote, as most representatives saw Thayer’s proposals as a distraction to the Union war efforts and an affront to private property rights. Congress tabled all discussion of Union efforts

KELLI K. RONSONET

Well-known and successful artist from Lake City, artist of the 2019 Olustee Poster

The 2019 Olustee Festival theme is Experience Olustee. Kelli brought this theme to life with the visual components of the children centered around the storytellers.

Kelli’s work is on display in many businesses in North Florida. One of her exquisite murals is located inside the Columbia Bank at Commons Loop on Highway 90 in Lake City—definitely worth the time to visit and appreciate the work of this talented artist.

Kelli K.Ronsonet, 2019 Olustee Poster Artist, with Commander General Tom Coleman at the Unveiling of the Poster held at the Lake City Historical Museum.

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The 41st Annual Olustee Battle Festival and Reenactment will be held February 15-17, 2019. Thousands will flock to the arts and crafts festival, which will encompass all of Downtown Lake City.

The reenactment itself will be Sunday, February 17, 2019, at the Olustee Battlefield. For complete information, visit olusteefestival.com.

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to colonize Florida, and Thayer cut his ties with the state, setting his sights on other colonization schemes in the West. Unwilling to see his efforts and vision for Florida destroyed, Lyman Stickney used his role as the head of the Tax Commission to continue to push for military campaigns into the state to secure Jacksonville to sell delinquent lands and encourage northern migration.

In turn, Stickney established a political ring by taking money from the Interior Department to buy cotton and tobacco in the occupied ports of Florida while retaining one-third of the profits.

Stickney also formed a commercial venture that sold supplies intended for the Tax Commission. Stickney’s fellow Tax Commissioners remained oblivious to his underhandedness.

Looking to garner support in Washington and maintain good standing with Chase, Stickney began encouraging black regiments to make forays into Florida. In particular, Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson and the First South Carolina Regiment were encouraged to make foraging trips up the St. Mary’s River, returning with lumber, bricks, resin, and railroad iron. With the success of this mission, Stickney asked for and was granted permission by General Rufus Saxton for Higginson to march his troops into Florida with the hopes of carrying the Emancipation Proclamation and recruiting newly freed slaves along the route. Saxton, an ardent abolitionist, hoped that Florida could be made into an asylum for freed slaves. Higginson’s expedition successfully captured Jacksonville and moved to take the St. Johns River but failed to maintain control over occupied lands. His second in command, Colonel James Montgomery, plundered along the river to Palatka, provoking outrage among locals and drawing fire from Confederate forces under Captain Dickenson. Montgomery and his troops fled to Jacksonville setting the town on fire as they exited.

Despite the setback, Stickney returned to Washington to see Chase and convince him that a quick reconstruction of the state was still possible if he forced the War Department to send gunboats, four regiments, and two companies of cavalry to help the Tax Commission pursue its aims.

Stickney learned that Massachusetts’ businessmen were recruiting “colored” regiments, and the government was enlisting black refugees in the Mississippi Valley. Mansfield French, a northern missionary in the Sea Islands, drafted colored troops in New York and Brooklyn.

General Quincy A. Gillmore, Commander of the Department of the South, consented to another Florida campaign if the War Department agreed. With the backing of Stanton, Major General Henry Halleck granted permission to undertake a new campaign in Florida. The Free South and other radical newspapers discussed a glorious commonwealth of Northerners and freedmen “who will bring commerce to Florida’s rivers and soil and relieve it William Cullen Bryant, Editor of the Evening Post

from the blight of slavery.” In efforts to get presidential support, Stickney sold tax commission lands in St. Augustine to John Hay, Lincoln’s private secretary, and gained backing from Lincoln with the concession that John Hay oversee Lincoln’s new 10 percent plan after troops captured the state. Gillmore announced that he intended to return Florida to the Union and ordered Brigadier General Truman Seymor to Jacksonville on February 5. John Hay landed in Jacksonville soon afterwards to administer loyalty oaths, and Chase lifted restrictions on trade opening a floodgate of pent up resources that engulfed the streets with activity. The Boston Advertiser glowed with reports on

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the promise of Florida’s future and the natural resources that the state offered.

A union army officer waxed poetic over an American Italy that needed only Northern hands to work the soil. While Hay managed to get loyalty oaths from Confederate prisoners and merchants, he was still unable to enroll ten percent of the Florida population, and he conceded that Lincoln’s reconstruction plan proved ineffective for Florida.

Federal troops were also sent to Olustee to cut off the Confederate supply chain that was moving out of Florida through Lake City. A week later, federal troops suffered a decisive defeat in Florida at the Battle of Olustee.

Union forces were routed by an equal number of Confederate troops and forced to retreat to Jacksonville. Radicals lambasted the campaign as political maneuvering

by Lincoln to prove his policies before the Republican Primary and garner delegates from the newly reconstructed Florida. The failure of the Florida campaign forced Chase to resign from the Treasury Department in June.

With his departure, Stickney’s control over the Florida Tax Commission was severely weakened. Stickney had made many enemies, among them his fellow commissioners, Sammis and Reed, both of whom resigned due to misgivings about Stickney after he objected to them selling confiscated lands to themselves and friends. Reed saw the failure of Union forces as an opportunity to attack Stickney and released documents showing Stickney profiteering as the head of a ring that conducted illegal trade with Confederates. Stickney resigned within the year. Reed would use his new clout to become the Reconstruction Governor of Florida.

Stickney continued to advertise the state and its possibilities though newspapers that he had established with money from the Tax Commission until 1867.

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Stickney used his articles to firmly root the imagery of Florida within the American consciousness and vernacular.

By working with abolitionists and radicals, Stickney imbued Florida and its many possibilities within the public imagination using northern newspapers, political discussions, and military strategies. By polarizing the settlement of the state in favor of northerner Salmon P. Chase, sympathizers, Secretary of U.S. Stickney set a tone Treasury that later Florida boosters would seek to emulate when discussing the benefits and advantages of settlement. With his encouragement of a free black settlement and push to have black troops liberate the state from the Confederacy, he left an enduring legacy within the minds of later African American settlers who hoped for better economic opportunities. Stickney’s work with Thayer and the New England Emigrant Aid Society also laid a foundation from which the society continued its work in Florida; with Reconstruction Governor Harrison Reed pushing its creed.

Another society proponent, author and abolitionist, Harriet Beecher Stowe, also began encouraging interest in Florida with her own writings and advocacy.

Many of these boosters built on the national dialogue established by the Florida Tax Commission, and helped propel the settlement and development of Florida following the war.

Family Magazine recognizes the importance of education and history. This article was submitted

by Dr. Christopher M. Esing, the Blue–Grey Army’s historian. The intent is to share the significance of the Battle of Olustee, the largest battle fought in Florida during the Civil War.

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Impacting the Community Through Research and Healthcare

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Founded in November of 2016, Multi-Specialty Research Associates (MSRA) seeks to conduct Phase I-IV clinical trials to those in Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton and surrounding counties. With over 50 years of combined research experience, Multi-Specialty and their experienced staff ensures the highest caliber of patient care, while gathering the most accurate and evaluable data.

Lauri Adams

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Modern medical advances have helped millions of people live longer, healthier lives. We owe these improvements to decades of investment in medical research.

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The basis of these Phase I-IV clinical trials is to test investigational medications and devices being developed by pharmaceutical and biotech companies. These clinical trials are designed to evaluate not only the safety, but also the efficacy of innovative drugs and treatments in humans. MSRA specializes in providing individualized studies for those in our community, whether that be on depression, anxiety, allergies, migraines, Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease or, other therapeutic areas.

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Dr. Kelly Tepedino

“is this something we would want our family members to participate in? Would I want my mother, my brother, my grandmother or my son to participate in this trial?” With that in mind, as well as the therapeutic benefits of each trial outlined, the staff works to bring only the best trials to our area.

Community is so important to MSRA - in fact, owner Lauri Adams opened the research facility because of the need she saw in the community for health assistance. After talking with her peers, she found a need to help others meet their health goals, and her background in medical research prompted the founding of MSRA. Community involvement is their passion, and MSRA is proud to support many worthy causes and businesses within the community, such as the Columbia County Humane Society, UCI Rock Hounds, Florida Gateway College, the Columbia County Public Library and the Columbia County Senior Services Lifestyle Enrichment Center.

—Lauri Adams

The company also enjoys supporting those who served our country so fearlessly through their Veteran socials each year.

“Our desire is to help our community and make a difference in our community,” Lauri Adams expressed. “It is such a joy to be given the opportunity to serve.”

So, what exactly does a clinical trial entail? The answer is that each trial is different, so the time commitment and intensity of the program varies depending on the type of trial. Some trials may require simple blood work and some may last for an entire year. A research coordinator at MSRA will provide all the information necessary to Did you know that make an informed decision about patients involved participating, and one is never in these trials may required to participate. Some benefits be compensated for of participating in a trial may be the their participation services a client is eligible to receive. and time.

If a study calls for a physical exam, bloodwork, an EKG, X-Rays or other lab work, all of that will be done at no fee to the client. Plus, if you’re looking to craft a personal medical history for yourself, MSRA will provide their participants with copies of these medical documents. Most times compensation is available for those in clinical trials for their time and travel.

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Every trial that passes through their office is approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

Before the trials are brought to the table for consideration, the FDA must approve each trial for human trial, meaning one can rest assured knowing the trials are reviewed by the FDA and all the study information is conveyed to the research participant prior to their participation is clearly outlined in the informed consent.

Additionally, opportunity will be given to speak with a physician about your specific health history to determine if a trial is the right fit for every individual.

Trials being offered are always changing as modern medicine evolves. MSRA is currently conducting studies

in migraines, asthma and agitation in Alzheimer’s patients.. MSRA is also conducting a trial on a vaccine for C. Difficile, a disease that can cause abdominal pain and inflammation of the colon, ultimately resulting in extended hospital stays.

Interested in a clinical trial?

There are a few ways to proceed. Stop by the office during operating hours to set up a consultation, give the office a call, or visit their website to fill out a complete medical history and the staff will reach out. Health is a top priority, For more information about current and future trials, or to learn more about the Multi-Specialty Research Associates, visit msrainc.com, or call at 386-438-8977.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IF I PARTICIPATE IN A TRIAL? Multi-Specialty Research Associates is set up in a manner similar to a physician’s office. The office typically sees about 8-10 people each day as to give individualized care to each participant.

When you begin your trial, you will read an informed consent form that details the study (the details, the potential benefits, the potential risks, etc.) and make the decision to participate or opt out of the study. Patients are also given specific instructions on how to effectively complete the trail and are given contacts for those to call if they have questions or concerns during the trial. You will then be given the opportunity to ask questions to the physician and begin your trial.

“Working Today With The Drugs of Tomorrow.”

4551 West US 90, Suite 101 Lake City, FL

WORKING TODAY

Multi-Speciality Research Associates Committed to Community MSRA is committed to supporting this community through not only their practice but also through community fundraising efforts. In September of 2018 MSRA hosted the First Annual Community Appreciation Football Fan Bash.

This was a day of fun that was free to the community with donations raised going to the Lake City Humane Society and the UCI Rockhounds.

MSRA looks forward to hosting the Second Annual Community Fan Bash in 2019.

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WITH THE D

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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN A

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED All of our studies are at NO COST to you and you may be compensated for your time and participation.

CURRENT STUDIES: • Migraine Headaches (6 visits - Compensation up to $775) • Migraine Headaches (3 visits - Compensation up to $425) • Asthma (10 visits – Compensation up to $1,066) • Asthma (4 visits – Compensation up to $450) • Parkinson’s Disease (1 visit - Compensation $50)

NO COST TO YOU! + NO INSURANC E REQUIRED !

• Diagnosed with Flu (1 visit - Compensation $50) • Chronic Kidney Disease (1 visit – Compensation up to $50) • Alzheimer’s with Agitation (7 visits - Compensation $750 each caregiver and patient) • ne (5 visits – Compensation up to $375)

“Working Today With The Drugs of Tomorrow.”

Please contact us for information on upcoming studies not listed.

4551 West US 90, Suite 101 Lake City, FL

386-438-8977 www.msrainc.com

All Multi-Specialty Research Associates studies meet applicable FDA guidelines.

Working today with the drugs of tomorrow

Winter 2018 | 95

Change your

By Chip Parker

Everyone loves a good story.

As children, we loved hearing great tales of imagination and wonder woven into our dreams before we would drift off into sleep for the night. As adults, we settle into our couches to binge on riveting plotlines and magnetic characters, only to have Netflix ruthlessly judge us by asking â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you still watching?â&#x20AC;?

Of course we are! We love stories!

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Stories have a power over us that we rarely stop to think about. They can bring us joy, or cause us to fear. They can inspire us to action, or make our hearts break. Good stories can help us better understand our world, and even better, understand ourselves. In a very real way, stories help bring meaning into our lives. More than that, stories help us to live meaningful lives.

First, if we want to change our story, we must understand that it is not over yet.

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Winter 2018 | 97

Three books to help you change your story: Start With Why, Simon Sinek A great guide for anyone looking to discover meaning, purpose, and inspiration in their everyday work.

Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin Take control of your story by owning every part of it.

A great read!

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Timothy Keller Find your place in a story bigger than your own.

About Chip Parker

A pastor, mentor and friend, Chip Parker loves to offer wisdom and guidance to those in transitional seasons and turning points in life. He currently resides in Lake City with his wife Leigh Anne and his boys Haddon and Chasen. Chip’s biggest passion is leadership development, and he loves to serve others through his position in ministry development at The Orchard Community Church. To connect with Chip, send him a message at chip@theorchardcc.org.

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Each of our lives are telling a story. Some seem like fairytales while others seem like tragedies. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve all seen some of both in our own story. Our lives are full of challenges and triumphs. We’ve all experienced plot twists we never saw coming, and ran into some mustachetwirling villains along the way. Make no mistake, our lives are telling a story, a story that is uniquely ours.

But here’s the question that has to be asked: What if I don’t like my story? What if my story isn’t the one I wanted my life to tell?

What if I feel that instead of bringing meaning and purpose, my story only reminds me that my happy ending is nowhere in sight?

What do I do then? Simple. Change your story.

Changing your story may sound difficult and intimidating at best, or downright impossible at worst. However, I believe that if we change the way we understand our story, it will change the story itself. Let me offer two simple adjustments to the way we understand our stories that can bring a big difference to our lives.

First, if we want to change our story, we must understand that it is not over yet. The great American storyteller Orson Wells once said, “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” Think about it, if you favorite show stopped mid-season, there would be no happy ending. In fact, there’s a good chance in that moment, circumstances will be more hopeless than ever. It’s only after the characters face their hardest challenges that they find contentment and rest— until the next season at least.

Imagine how your life would change if you began to see obstacles as opportunities and tough times as merely temporary. I tell people all the time, there’s nothing you can’t make it through as long as you don’t stop in the middle. Just keep going. Don’t give up. Change your story. There’s no telling what the next chapter of your life holds.

Maybe the most impactful way we can change our story is by understanding that our story is not the only story. In fact, I would argue that the way we find the most satisfaction in our own personal story is by finding our place in a story bigger than ourselves. When our story is the most important story, we live and die a thousand times with the ups and downs of every day, but when we see ourselves as a part of something much larger, the good days can’t push up too high, and the bad days can’t pull us too low. We can begin to enjoy the beauty, wonder, and adventure to be found in a story far bigger than we’d ever imagined. As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” Or as one of my favorite authors Pastor Timothy Keller would say, “There is freedom in self-forgetfulness.” You can change your story by finding your place in a bigger story.

Let me challenge you to take some time today and reflect on the story your life is telling. Remember your triumphs and your tragedies. Think back over the wonderful cast of characters you have known. Dream about the chapters that are yet to be written.

And if you don’t like what’s on the pages, change your story.

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Intentional Planning for the New Year from your smartphone

By Jeweliana Register

There’s truly nothing like a fresh start, and the beginning of a new calendar year offers the perfect opportunity to get organized. It’s no secret our lives can be hectic at times. Between family events, work meetings and social activities, you may find yourself running from place to place, feeling frazzled and stressed out. In order to cope with the busyness of everyday life, consider implementing some of these virtual tools for intentional planning that can help streamline your days.

FUTURE PLANNING AND PRESENT TRACKING: THE BULLET JOURNAL Gaining popularity over the internet in recent years, the bullet journaling method has revolutionized planning. With it’s system that clearly outlines your daily tasks and events, combined with its ability to plan way in advance, this system is sure to help keep you on track in the new year. Whether you want to create simple spreads to track your budget each month or you like to create elaborate doodles to track your habits, the Bullet Journal offers a unique planning experience for every creator. For more information about the bullet journal system, as well as the mobile app, visit bulletjournal.com.

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KEEPING TRACK OF THOSE LISTS: EVERNOTE How many times have you sat down and made a list of all the errands you needed to run or every grocery item you wanted to pick up, only to realize you left the list at home? If this sounds like a familiar struggle, check out the list-making app we love: Evernote. Not only does it keep your lists digitally organized in your pocket, but it also gives you access to hundreds of templates to use and love. Another bonus is its feature that allows you to doodle on your notes, making it easy to cross off those to-dos on your list.

ORGANIZATION FOR THE WHOLE OFFICE: ASANA Do you manage an all-star team of coworkers?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with all the amazing projects your crew is working on? If so, Asana just may be the program for you.

With both a desktop version and an app, this program is perfect for keeping everyone in the loop and ensuring your information is all accounted for. It gives users the ability to see projects at a glance, everything from individual tasks to be completed to comments from team members. Not only does it help eliminate the guesswork of whether or not a task has been done, but it helps assign an even workload.

FOR PROJECT ORGANIZATION: TRELLO

“When starting an

Whether you are keeping track of your monthly to-dos around the house or organizing a huge work proposal, Trello may just be your new best friend. Utilize its collaboration feature to invite your colleagues into the project, or set up a personal board your backyard task list lives on. If you prefer to work off of a desktop, this application offers a website, but the smartphone application allows you to take your projects on the go.

organizing project, it is

THE PERFECT FAMILY ORGANIZER: COZI

your main project categories in either a list

Do you ever feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with the soccer practices, dance recitals and school functions you’ve committed to? If so, you are not alone! While shared calendars may not be a new concept, this digital app may revolutionize the way your family plans. Not only does it offer color-coded tasks and events for each family member, but it also sends notifications with reminders of important events and tasks. The best part? Cozi gives all family members access to the family’s “recipe box,” which makes planning weekly dinners easy and breezy!

or kanban style format. For individuals, I

helpful to lay out your goals and maintain a task list to keep your project on track. With businesses, I recommend the use of a program called Asana. Asana allows you to customize

recommend using Evernote. With both of these programs, the user can access their projects from any device in any location.

Whether using an app or a physical paper task list, the ultimate goal is to realize what you want to accomplish, mapping out the steps you need to take and earning the feeling of accomplishment by crossing off the completed steps. This builds a feeling of pride and encourages you to keep the project moving forward. Remember, small progress is still progress!”

Sandy Thompson, Organize Me Happy

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CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY.

Projected plans include a 20 ft. x 50 ft. bandshell over the lake for concerts, weddings and other events. Tiered seating will be available for 500. The north side will have an oval path with electricity for festival booths. It will also include a playground and fountain behind the bandshell.

wilson park

“Downtown Lake City is growing and expanding and we couldn’t be more excited.

The improvements and renovations by the City of Lake City at Wilson Park are going to draw even more people into downtown and definitely add a lot to that area. Looking forward to the future of downtown!”

big —Abbie Chasteen, Lake City Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Interim Director

PLANS wonderful additions

LAKE CITY • COLUMBIA COUNTY

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w e N r’s a e Y e v E THE PERFECT

N O I H S FA

By Jeweliana Register Holly Frazier Photography Hair and Makeup by Alissa Novak of “Alissa and Crew for your I Do”

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, y t r a p a s i e f i “l er li e it ” —audrey hepburn

The start of 2019 is quickly approaching, and what better way is there to ring in the new year than with a fabulous new outfit? Whether you are attending the party of the year or having a get together at home, celebrating the New Year gives you the perfect opportunity to get all dolled up. These girls know a thing or two about dressing to impress, so check out these trendy outfits by OML Bridal & Formal that will bring in the new year with a bang!

Would you believe that all of the pieces in this shoot are available for under $50? You don’t have to break the bank to look and feel amazing!

iche e ec

ree lac

Every body is different, and everyone deserves to find that dress that makes them look and feel amazing. Embrace your inner diva or show off your girly side in an ensemble that makes you feel confident and beautiful!

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c en ie a ghte

so e cite to o er so ething i erent an bring eo le o t o the bo . his is tr l a ion an lo e e er in te o it ” —Ericka McGee, OML Owner

shle a i

About OML Bridal & Formal Oh My Love Bridal & Formal is Lake City’s newest stop for all things wedding, prom and formal wear. Not only does the shop carry beautiful classic dresses and the latest trendsetting designers, but the store also features boutique pieces, making it easy to find the perfect outfit for weddings, bachelorette parties, photoshoots and special date nights - and the list goes on!

Owner and style consultant Ericka McGee is excited to offer the perfect outfits to girls and guys of all ages, sizes and styles through this exciting new adventure.

Get connected with OML on social!

Facebook: OML Bridal & Formal Instagram: @omlbridal

Jordyn Wentworth

o els or n entworth iche e ec c en ie a ghte shle a i ree lac

The heart and soul behind OML: Sisters and beauty experts Ericka McGee and Alissa Novak.

t r o h s o o “life’s t ng i r o b r a to we clothes.” et ochs —cushnie

May Your New Year Sparkle & Shine

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Winter 2018 | 109

A PICTUREPERFECT

Date Night In High Springs

By Jeweliana Register Holly Frazier Photography

t for the on the hun n e e b e ’v ay for you If you Day getaw e t a d ct e ip to High perf then a tr , e v o l r u o ur speed! and y be just yo y a m s g in City and Spr ween Lake t e b ow n d e t a Loc ic small t ct e l c e is h e, t ploration Gainesvill ance of ex d n u b a n a ab your has ies. So, gr opportunit tick and call the d lips ate! trusty re ime for a d t ’s it : r e babysitt

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Family Magazine thanks Sean and Bridget Adams for sharing their date night in High Springs with us!

Check out The Talented Cookie Nothing beats a great latte and cookie combo, and this local coffeehouse takes them both to the next level! Drop by to browse their selection of homemade cookies, cupcakes, brownies and treat bars, and choose your favorite combination of coffee syrups that are made in-house. Their treats are perfect for sharing, but they are so good you may not want to!

Browse the local storefronts Take your favorite coffee or tea on the go and take a stroll through downtown. This charming area is bursting with unique shops and specialty goods. Be sure to stop by the River Run Olive Oil Company for a taste test of some of their bestsellers, and stop in to browse the amazing antiques at The Bird’s Nest.

You’ll be amazed at the talent that is tucked away downtown!

Dine at the Great Outdoors After touring downtown, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to dine at The Great Outdoors. Grab a seat inside for a more intimate meal, or find a place on the patio to get some fresh air. Between the awesome appetizers, delicious main courses and decadent desserts, you’ll have plenty of options for dinner. Enjoy a cocktail or a draft beer with your honey while listening to the live performances every weekend.

Visit the Priest Theatre Built in 1910, this beloved theatre is filled with nostalgia and character. With its charming exterior and friendly staff, this theatre is a must when you are visiting the area. After dinner, pop by this cash-only theatre to see a movie with your sweetheart. Oh, and don’t forget to grab a bucket of buttery popcorn and your favorite candy from their concession stand!

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Staying healthy

By Ruth Williams

in

2019

A guru driven to live healthy, eat healthy, and stay healthy, Vonda Frazier is on a mission to teach as many as she can about the benefits of healthy eating habits.

Vonda Frazier Through healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle, Vonda shed 100 pounds of body fat.

A certified nutritionist, wellness coach, and personal trainer, Vonda’s journey to good health came after an episode with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks healthy tissue, along with a host of other infectious illnesses that made her overweight, feeling drained and lethargic.

Nowadays, Vonda is in optimal health, inspired and eager to share what it looks like to make lifestyle changes for the best existence. Creating her platform, she now religiously teaches and demonstrates that eating better is feeling better.

Arriving in Lake City from New York in 2017, Vonda and husband Joe Frazier have both benefited from healthy eating, getting their weight down, becoming more active, growing their own food in their garden, and raising chickens, pigs, goats, and a cow on six acres of land.

When giving presentations, she lets her audience know that God created the Garden of Eden with

unlimited fruits and vegetables that have healing properties to help the body function in an optimal way—as long as those food items are not loaded down with processed sugars, excessive salts, heavy creams, and butter.

Spending most of her time in her garden while “communing with God of His wondrous creations,” Vonda says she learned how to grow and harvest food from her father and comes from a family of three generations of gardeners. Today, gardening is her sanctuary, and she delights in making nutritious meals for wholesome living so she will be able to enjoy her husband and children, Veva, Joe Jr., Erica and Jerald, along with her grandchildren, Kaden and Ava.

Good health is not merely the absence of disease for Vonda. It’s deciding to live, eat, and stay healthy every day.

Visit fraziervonda.wixsite.com/website or connect with Vonda on Facebook

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