Family Magazine Winter 2022

PUBLISHER

Noah Walker

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE DESIGN Sarah

Nichols

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Justin Young Kenny Burt

Cold nights, clear skies, Christmas music, brown boxes piling up on doorsteps, and finally, some change of seasonal color in our area... Winter has come home, and with it, the joy of the holidays! This winter is special to me because it is my first as a father. As such brings a whole new excitement and perspective to every experience and tradition I’ve ever known.

Thank you for picking up this issue of Family Magazine , in which you’ll find great content to enhance your experience of the season. From recipes, book recommendations, tips and seasonal living trends to highlights of incredible artisans and sweet-lasting relationships, we hope you enjoy it all!

Our cover story showcases testimony of perseverance and faith, bringing a family together through a very rough and relevant affliction that has affected many in our area. When I first heard his story, I thought, “We’ve got to get his story in front of as many people as possible!” I hope you find it as powerful as I have.

That being said, I hope you enjoy all you find in this issue, and if you’d like to share a story or contact us, please feel free to shoot me an email or drop by the office in Lake City!

CONTRIBUTORS

Joy Coleman

Jeweliana Curtis

Holly Frazier

Belle Johnson

Carly Meyers

Zoey Nettles

Kayla Perla Hayli Zuccola

Noah Walker, Publisher

Noah@allthingsvisual.com

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.

Beautiful Natural North Florida with Edwin McCook

At The Canopy at Harper Lake, we enable our residents to continue doing the things they love while they receive the care and assistance they need.

With a variety of activities and on-site amenities to choose from, doing the things you love and living the way you live has never been more comfortable.

The holidays are here which means gifting season is in full swing! Whether you are searching for the perfect gifts for your loved ones or just a cool item to bring to your office’s secret Santa gift exchange, Family Magazine has you covered. Read on to check out some of our favorite gifts that can be found both locally and online. Happy gifting!

By Jeweliana Curtis

For Dad

What do you buy the guy who is di cult to shop for? We have a few ideas that will leave dad speechless! If he’s an avid outdoorsman, a large ARTIC cooler would be great for bringing his favorite beverages along. If he loves to grill, a Blackstone is sure to impress him… Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of this gift, too! For a gift that keeps on giving, send dad a fun subscription. From shaving sets to bacon of the month clubs and craft beer boxes, there are so many creative options for Dad to enjoy. For a selection of locally crafted goods, check out Fifth Generation Farms where you can build a great gift basket for dad to enjoy!

Mom

Searching for the perfect gift for the woman who does it all? First, consider her hobbies and brainstorm ways to gift in those areas. If she loves to bake, gift her a new set of high-quality baking dishes. If she loves to garden, a book about horticulture may be a great gift. If she loves to entertain, a beautiful essential oil di user paired with an essential oil set is sure to be a favorite.

To encourage more relaxation, gift mom a towel warmer and a set of luxurious bath salts and oils. Throw in a gift card to a local spa to complete the gift. You can never go wrong with a personalized gift!

From a custom necklace featuring her children’s birthstones to engraved items, there is no shortage of creative ways to show mom that she is so very loved this season! For a local option, visit Chastain Jewelers to nd a meaningful gift that she’ll love for years to come.

For the home chef

If you can typically nd your gift recipient in the kitchen, these gifts are sure to hit the spot! Upgrading a tool they use often is always a great idea, like a new set of kitchen knives or pans from the beloved online brand Caraway. If they love to host, a unique set of cocktail glasses or a serving tray would be the perfect gift. Check out the “Jack of All Trays,” a viral sensation that o ers endless designs for serving with just one tray. For a more sentimental gift, consider a personalized cutting board with their name or a special recipe engraved. Southern Sisters Boutique & Embroidery is a great place to purchase beautiful custom cutting boards locally. Pair it with a collection of local jams and honey from KC’s Produce and a festive kitchen towel to complete the gift!

For the homebody

Does your gift recipient crave that time alone each week and enjoy indulging in self-care? Consider gifting them a self care bundle or a gift basket packed with home favorites to make their space extra cozy. A great option for this may be a comfortable robe or throw blanket, along with a beautiful candle or luxurious laundry soap. Krave’s Boutique carries the Tyler Candle Co. line that is full of beautiful products to make their home smell amazing. A great clutter-free gift

could be a subscription to Audible or a Book of the Month box if they are avid readers. A reading light or a reading pillow may also be right up their alley.

For the outdoors enthusiast

Looking to give something practical to your outdoor enthusiast uncle or best friend? They’ll certainly appreciate a cozy parka or new pair of hiking boots when they head o to their next adventure. For a more a ordable option, pair a collapsible travel mug with a journal to detail their hikes, or a cookbook that shares recipes made by camp re. For a local option, check out the selection of inventory at Russell’s for gifts for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.

For the littles

Shopping for littles? Themed puzzles and books are always a great idea, and they can be bundled with cozy clothing items and sweet stu ed animals to round out the gift. Looking to sharpen your child’s STEM skills this Christmas? There are incredible options for STEM kits on the market from a National Geographic herb growing kit to the Learning Resources switcheroo coding crew kit and much more! If you are scouring the town for out ts to gift littles, be sure to check out the adorable collection at Adeline Hope’s Boutique locally!

For the teens

Struggling to nd a gift for the guys and gals in your life? You can never go wrong with a fun board game or video game. A great option for a techy teen is a

new phone case or upgraded pair of wireless headphones. Does your teen keep up with all of the latest trends? A pack of trendy claw clips paired with a skincare gift set and a cozy lounge set is just the ticket! For a great local option, grab a gift card for their favorite boutique or restaurant.

For the college student

Searching for the perfect gift for your college student? While cash or gift cards seem to always be great options, consider these great gifts that can be wrapped under the tree. For those long nights of studying and completing assignments, gift a home o ce lap desk that conveniently ts a laptop, mouse and more for an on the go desk experience. Add a fun travel mug or a Stanley cup so your college student can enjoy their favorite beverages on the go as well! Go the extra mile and throw in a gift card to their favorite local co ee shop for bonus brownie points. If he or she loves to entertain, an outdoor speaker or record player would make a perfect gift. Pair the record player with a few of their favorite records or a gift card to complete the gift! Furnishings on Marion has a great selection of records to check out locally!

For the furry friends

We couldn’t nish o a gift guide without including something for the fur babies in your life! Pamper your pooch with their favorite treats stu ed in their stocking, along with a fun toy and a stylish sweater to keep them warm this winter. For the felines, we suggest adding in a window perch so they can observe the neighborhood from their favorite spot. Additionally, consider investing in enrichment toys that can keep your furry friend busy all year long!

By Belle Johnson

While scouring the Internet for fun DIYs to share with our readers, I came across many GREAT ideas. I couldn’t decide which ones everyone would enjoy the most or would actually try, so, I decided to share a relatively simple one with you and add a few links to some of my other favorites. They range in DIY crafty skill levels, so don’t be discouraged. Give one a try and let Family Magazine know how it turned out by sharing your photos with us on social media #FamilyMagDIYs.

SUPPLIES

•Jute twine (Or yarn, string or whatever works. You could also use string lights.)

•Assorted colors of felt squares

DIRECTIONS:

•Cut out half-inch sections. Then cut those sections in half.

•Tie the felt sections on with just a single knot and push the knots together tightly to make the garland full. Also, remember to rotate where the knots are facing each time, making the fabric go in di erent directions.

Customize the length, colors and lights to make this easy craft all your own!

Disclaimer: This is time-consuming, so put on your fav Net ix binge or a good movie, get comfy and tie, tie, tie!

Felt garland photos courtesy of tellloveandparty.com

EXPLORING THE BEAUTY OF NATURAL NORTH FLORIDA

By Jeweliana Curtis

What comes to mind when you think of old Florida? Do your thoughts immediately go to sweeping pastures and simpler times? Maybe you imagine beautiful land ready to be explored or seeing friendly faces on your weekly trip to town. Nostalgia of years past may arise, whether it be the distinct scent of your mother’s homemade biscuits baking, or memories of riding your bike to the local neighborhood market for a soda on a hot summer day. These are two special memories that Edwin McCook shared with us from his childhood that still stand out in his mind today. Edwin and his family have a long history in North Florida, and the love of this land has been passed down for many generations.

It all began with Edwin’s greatgrandfather, William A. McCook, who likely operated two ferries on the upper part of the Suwannee. Through various documents, the McCook family identi ed one of these ferries to be up near the Florida Sheri s Youth Ranches at the end of Foxtrail Road, and the second to be just above the Suwannee River State Park. William enjoyed the outdoors and passed on that love to his son.

“My grandfather and my father grew up near the river, and of course they both shed and hunted along the river. My father and I shed the river growing up, and then my son and I got to sh it as well,” Edwin shared. “Back then, we had open access to the properties. As my son grew up, he and I enjoyed the lands along the river under Suwannee River Water Management District land because those were all open to the public. Now, my grandsons and I get to do the same thing.”

As a young boy, Edwin enjoyed bonding with his father on shing trips and outdoor adventures. His dad would take him and his brother to the bank of the river where they would sit for hours and sh.

“We would sit on the bank and catch cat sh, and we spent many an hour having a good time doing that together. He would also carry us squirrel hunting along the river periodically. I remember one story, on a Saturday morning my

father took us cat shing and he shaved before he went. He ended up catching the most that day, and he told us that the reason he caught that many was because he shaved that morning. I was probably 10 or 11 years old at the time, and I remember thinking, ‘Well, maybe I should have shaved, too!’” Edwin laughed. “We had a good time on the river. It wasn’t about what we caught, it was about spending time together.”

Born in the early 1950s, Edwin expressed that he really enjoyed the rural lifestyle of North Florida. He was raised in Live Oak and spent much of his time around family. His grandfather on his mother’s side farmed, so he spent many days on the farm with him, learning how to crop tobacco and pick cotton, along with learning how to grow a garden.

“One year when my grandfather was sick, I actually grew his corn crop for him. I was a freshman in high school at the time and it was really ful lling,” Edwin shared. “My father taught me how to grow things as well. I never understood why my father worked his full-time job then came home and worked in the garden each day. My father was a foreman for a company that made poles for electric utilities and he worked out in the hot sun all day long, then he came home in the afternoon and went right to the vegetable garden. I never understood that until I became an adult. I really enjoy growing vegetables. For him, it served a twofold purpose. It put food on our table, plus it was like therapy for him. He was able to escape the pressures of work.”

Edwin took a page from his father’s handbook and learned how to grow a garden in adulthood as well, enjoying the fruits of his labor and the peace it brought him.

“I built a raised bed a few years ago, and I told my wife that for the money I had into it I could have bought a lot of vegetables at the grocery store, but it would have only paid for a few hours of couch time at the therapist,” Edwin said. “It’s really great therapy to go out and work in the garden, get your hands dirty and just watch things grow.”

Aside from a love of shing and gardening, Edwin shared that his mother and father instilled many values in him that he still honors today. They were family-oriented and adopted the philosophy of God rst, family second and everything else third. If you keep God as your rst priority and family as your next, everything else will fall into place.

for 10 years. Many of his passion projects began at this time, including his involvement with Suwannee Bicycle Association and the Suwannee Bicycle Festival. An avid outdoorsman, this partnership was a match made in heaven as he could help bring tourism and business to the area through an activity he enjoyed. During his time as executive director, Edwin also played an instrumental role in bringing Live Oak’s beloved holiday festival, Christmas on the Square, to life.

The legacy of family continued for Edwin when he met and married his sweetheart of over 45 years, Carolyn. The couple married and ve years later welcomed their son, Adam. Edwin and Adam continued the traditions of exploring Florida and spending quality time together as he grew up. Now, Adam has a family of his own with his wife Jenny. They have two sons, Peyton and Landen, who also have a love for the outdoors.

Along with his personal interests, Edwin has always pursued his passion for serving others and has been working with the public for the entirety of his professional career. At just 13, Edwin began working at a local furniture store, Scott Furniture, in Live Oak where he continued to climb the ladder. In his early thirties, Edwin decided it was time for a career change. He soon took on the role of executive director for the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce where he worked with the community

“I had a great childhood. The things we learned on the farm… Those are things I learned that I wouldn’t take a million dollars for, but I’m also not sure I’d pay 50 cents to learn them again,” Edwin laughed.

Edwin’s next adventure brought him to the Suwannee River Water Management District where he serves as the Public Use Coordinator. This position allows him to play a role in maintaining the district land and help preserve all that beautiful North Florida has to o er. The stars aligned when Edwin joined the team as he brought all of his knowledge of the area to the table all while making a career out of his passion for conservation.

“Working at the Suwannee River Water Management District has been a godsend. I was looking for something like it, and the door opened. It’s truly like working with one big family,” Edwin explained. “Because the Suwannee River Water Management District owns land in this area and it is open to the public, I can continue those traditions that my grandfather did with his father, my father did with his father, and I did with my father. Now I get to continue that legacy with my son and my grandsons.”

Edwin’s passion for conservation and community resources is evident in his work. Over his career, Edwin has been involved with a number of the rail trails around the area, including The Suwannee River Greenway of Branford, O’Leno to Itchetucknee, the Four Freedoms Trail in Madison and the Woodpecker Trail at Big Shoals. He also worked on the bike trails with the Suwannee Bicycle Association both on the private side and now professionally with the Suwannee River Water Management District.

“My hobbies and my work overlap, and my legacy when I retire will be the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail,” Edwin shared. “It’s really unique to drive around the community and see projects that I’ve been involved in. I get a warm and fuzzy feeling.”

Aside from his passion for nature, Edwin also has found ful llment in community service and hobbies over the years. He is an avid conservation photographer of over 30 years and enjoys being a member of the Branford Camera Club. His photography is often utilized professionally by the Suwannee River Water Management District for social media, publications and the like. He is also an advocate for exercise, sharing that he meets up with his walking buddy each morning, ve days a week to walk three miles. Additionally, Edwin is a member of the Florida Trail Association and often utilizes his knowledge of the area to take interested groups on guided hikes, rides and paddling trips.

“Everytime you paddle or hike, you experience something new. Di erent seasons cause a change in scenery, and of course the weather changes things, too,” Edwin stated of his adventures. Whether the sun is shining in the middle of August or there’s an April shower brewing, there’s always a new sight to see in North Florida.

From his appreciation for farming and old Florida to his passion for conservation and preservation of the land, it’s clear to see that Edwin McCook is crafting an important legacy. His family ties in Florida run deep, dating back to his great-grandfather who operated a ferry to his father who passed on a love for shing, gardening and exploring. Edwin continues to pour those same values into his family and his community, creating a bright future for our part of the beloved Sunshine State.

“That’s the advantage of living in a small town; there are so many times that I am able to involve my son and my grandsons in things that we couldn’t do in a big city,” Edwin said. “I love where I live and I am blessed to be able to make such great memories here.” ■

“My life motto is this: Every day is a good day, some are just better than others,” Edwin shared.

B OKS

By Hayli Zuccola

Top 10 Must -Read for 2023

Have a Cozy Winter…

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living

By: Meik Wiking

“Hygge” is a Danish word that doesn’t have a direct English translation, but has been interpreted in many ways including “the art of creating intimacy,” “coziness of the soul” and “cocoa by candlelight.” Want to survive the winter blues? This book o ers advice and ideas on how to add coziness, comfort and togetherness into your own life just like the Danish do.

Out With the Old, In With the New… The Sentimental Person’s Guide to Decluttering

By: Claire Middleton

The decluttering and minimalism movement was made popular by Japanese organizing consultant and author Marie Kondo. Starting o the New Year by getting rid of excess materialistic goods is a great idea, but what about those of us whose sentimental ties to objects make them harder to part with? Author Claire Middleton helps readers “conquer the clutter without losing your nostalgic memories.”

Christmas Cooking…

Let’s Cook…

One-Pot Wonders…

Meal

Prep Recipes on a Budget: Healthy and Delicious Meal Prep Cookbook for Beginners

By: Zach Machin

Cooking at home is certainly cost e ective, but who has the time? Learn how to prep your meals ahead of time with easy and a ordable recipes from refried black bean quesadillas to pulled chicken and stu ed sweet potatoes.

Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals

By: Melissa Clark

Anyone would agree that the worst part about cooking at home is the dishes, but what if you could create delicious, healthy meals using one pan? Sheetpan suppers, skillet dinners and comforting casseroles are at the forefront of this cookbook that doesn’t neglect avor for ease.

Celebrate with Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions

By: Barbara Costello

If you’ve ever scrolled through social media, chances are you’ve come across a tip- lled cooking video from Brunch with Babs who teaches her audience cooking hacks from how to quickly carve a pumpkin to transporting Thanksgiving leftovers with ease, and her holiday cookbook is no di erent. From helpful tips to easy-tofollow recipes, Babs shares over 100 of her family-favorite recipes in this must-have collection.

It’s time to ring in the New Year, and what better way to inspire and help keep a new batch of resolutions than with a good, motivational book?

Get Organized… Cluttered Mess to Organized Success Workbook

By: Cassandra Aarssen

Want to get organized but don’t know where to start? This book provides tips and advice as well as checklists, worksheets and inspirational quotes to help anyone get their life organized.

Less Stress…

The Self-Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety and Increase Well-Being

By: Robyn Gobin

“Self-care” is a buzz term we hear a lot about but don’t always know how to practice. This book teaches the basics of self-care; how to implement it in multiple areas of your life whether it’s spiritual, emotional or intellectual; and strategies to accomplish this successfully.

Setting Boundaries…

The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free

By: Melissa Urban, Ph.D.

Wondering how to set boundaries in your work, personal and romantic life? Learn from writer Melissa Urban on how setting boundaries can help repair your time, energy and overall mental health and how doing so allows readers to gain security, con dence and freedom.

New Year, New You… Lighter: Let Go of the Past, Connect with the Present and Expand the Future

By: Yung Pueblo

Read about Yung Pueblo’s personal journey from drug abuse to inner re ection and the power of letting go. In demonstrating his journey toward healing, the book invites readers to begin their own selfre ective path through selfacceptance, positive habit building and self-love.

Peace of Mind… Meditation for Beginners

By: Michael Dinuri

Have you always wanted to practice meditation but don’t know where to begin? Well, start with the basics. This book provides easyto-follow tips, suggestions and exercises to help any reader begin the meditation lifestyle. ■

With 2022 coming to a close, you may be looking to the future and planning a home refresh in 2023. As you search for inspiration on Pinterest or flip through catalogs for options, we encourage you to take the time to make intentional choices for your home and your family. Interior design has been trending towards functionality along with aesthetic, and we could not be more in love with the idea. Read on to learn more about our top five interior design trends for 2023.

By Jeweliana Curtis

Carefully Curated Collections

One of the biggest trends we are seeing in home design for 2023 is a step away from mass-produced decor and art. The shift brings forward more meaningful pieces, whether that be a piece of one-of-a-kind art, handmade décor or even DIY pieces. This trend of carefully curated collections naturally provides a more organic touch to your home and leans toward a more thoughtful design. Consider picking up pieces while

traveling to style a shelf, purchasing from local artists and makers or creating your own piece of art to hang above the replace. This way of decorating may take a bit longer, but it is certainly worth it to have a story behind each piece that you own. Perfect imperfection is in!

Art Deco Resurgence

According to design experts, the traditional and opulent Art Deco style is making a comeback! We have already witnessed the rounded, arched furniture come back in style in 2022, but it is expected to be uber popular in 2023. To incorporate this style into your home, consider adding pieces that feature sleek geometric patterns, starburst shapes, exaggerated curves and stylized oral patterns. The best part? There are so many unique ways to embrace the beauty of this design in any space.

Blue-Green Hues

Our homes have become our oasis for the past few years, and the year of 2023 is sure to bring more calming interior trends to the forefront. Whereas bold evergreen and dark navy hues were trending previously, they have moved to the side as earthy, blue-green hues take the stage. The calming shade is reminiscent of nature and the seaside, making it the perfect shade for kitchens and bathrooms alike. It complements earthy color palettes well while adding a unique, serene mood to the space. This color pairs well with neutral beige shades, light wood tones and both bronze or champagne bronze xtures.

Multi-Purpose, Intentional Interiors

trendingcolors

Raspberry Blush

Are you ready to add a pop of vibrant color to your space? Look no further than Benjamin Moore’s Raspberry Blush. It’s bright and cheerful, providing much-needed vibrancy and energy to any room. For this shade, try incorporating it on a statement wall, or make it pop by painting it on the ceilings.

Statement Lighting

Are you searching for a way to update your space on a budget? Look no further than updated lighting that makes a statement. This trend o ers an a ordable way to transform your space with minimal e ort, both from a design standpoint and an ambiance standpoint. Lighting plays a key role in not just the mood of the room but also our productivity levels, so it is important to choose the right lighting for each space. A great way to infuse your personal style is to swap out the builder-grade light that you currently have for an upgraded xture. If you love the modern farmhouse aesthetic, opt for a large chandelier with wood accents over your dining room table. Do you have more of a mid-century modern vibe? A sputnik pendant will complement your living room well. Searching for something more traditional? Consider adding in a sleek chandelier. The options are truly endless!

This 2022 trend seems to be continuing into 2023 as designers continue to see an emphasis on multi-functional spaces that are intentional. This may mean that your home o ce space needs to be functional for both you and your spouse, or that you are looking to create a living space that is ideal for relaxing, entertaining and online schooling. Our spaces exist to serve us, so designers encourage you to nd what works for your family and ditch what does not! This may mean revamping a space to create more functionality, or it could mean downsizing to limit your “to do,” or rather “to maintain,” list each week. Functional intentionality is in! ■

Redend Point by Sherwin-Williams

A mix between a blush and a beige, this stunning hue can bring warmth to any space! With many people leaning towards calming and earthy color tones in their interior design, this shade perfectly compliments a neutral color palette. Try this color in a bedroom or bathroom, or use it to give a piece of furniture a refresh!

Canyon Ridge

BY BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS AT WALMART

This orange-meets-pink color o ers an upgrade to the traditional, trending terracotta. Canyon Ridge is desertinspired, yet the versatile hue takes on di erent looks depending on what it is paired with. According to design experts, if you couple it with bright blue, it looks more modern. Pair it with darker denim shades to add rustic air, or with navy for a more traditional style. This color works well in main living spaces or can be utilized as an accent color for a more subtle pop.

by Benjamin Moore

THE PERFECT GIFT Wrap Wrap

‘Tis the season to show your love and appreciation for those special people in your life. Whether you choose to say it with a sweet card, a thoughtful gift or simply quality time spent together, this season is meant to be celebrated. Have you ever spent hours picking out the perfect gift for someone, only to get it home and feel stuck when it comes to wrapping it? Presentation is important, so if you are looking for a way to wrap the perfect present, check out these three helpful tips.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

When it comes to good gift giving, the thought is really what counts. Show that you really thought of the recipient by wrapping their gift in a personal way. For instance, if your mother-in-law loves homemade items, consider having the kids draw on wrapping paper for her gift. If your friend is a true fashionista, search for a foiled rose-gold paper for her gifts. This will show that you took the time to think of the recipient in every little way, from the wrappings to the actual gift inside the box.

PAY ATTENTION TO TEXTURES

One of the best-kept secrets amongst fantastic gift wrappers is that it’s all about the textures! Similar to interior design or fashion design, elevating a simple wrapping paper and inexpensive ribbon is as simple as pairing the perfect textures together. For instance, a classic wood-grain paper can be elevated when a rich velvet bow and sprig of fresh greenery is added. Similarly, an inexpensive ribbon can look like a million bucks when paired with a thick wrapping paper with a festive design.

ADD EMBELLISHMENTS AND EXTRAS

It’s the gift that keeps on giving! If you want to elevate your wrapping game this year, choose to add festive embellishments or small “extra gifts” on the outside of the present. An example of embellishments may be a glittery bow, or a bit of mistletoe and cranberries tied to the box. You could even choose to add a bit of cinnamon tied to your bow for a fragrant giftgiving experience. As for the extra gifts, always consider the usefulness of the item in conjunction with the gift wrapped inside. If you are gifting a prayer journal or a beautiful notebook, consider tying a nice calligraphy pen to the package. Giving the gift of a festive holiday mug? Opt for a few peppermint hot chocolate stirs tied up with string.

You may be reading these tips and tricks, only to wonder how you can possibly make your cards seem more personal and warm this holiday season. First, let’s start with the card. Creating a simple card from materials in your home may be a great start to this. Plus, it’s a great way to get the kids involved in giving this time of year. Next, consider adding personal notes to your

cards—store bought or homemade. This adds a sweet personal touch that cannot be replaced! Lastly, consider adding a fun element to your card, like an elegant hand lettered name on the front or a sweet surprise on the inside. Some items that t nicely may be small peppermint candies, red and green confetti, or even a few holiday stickers. Your recipient will be overjoyed to nd this in their mailbox, and they will certainly feel the love!

By Carly Meyers

With the holidays just around the corner, it's time to come together for some of the grandest feasts of the year. Looking to impress your family with the wine you brought along for dinner? Consider learning the art of wine pairing!

Wine pairing is the tedious process of complementing your meals with the perfect wine in hopes of elevating the dish. Food and wine pairing is a game of matching complementary avors with the goal of highlighting each component and what it o ers to the meal. It’s important that you pair your food with a wine that you’ll actually like. If you usually don’t do white wines, you probably won’t like a glass of it with food. Stick to what you enjoy and branch out from there.

Did you know that there are 20 di erent tastes found within our food?

Fortunately, we focus on 6 tastes when pairing food and wine: salt, acid, sweet, bitter, fat and spice. Wine lacks 3 tastes: fat, spice and salt. But wine does contain acidity, sweetness and bitterness, in varying degrees.

As a rule of thumb:

• Red wines are more bitter.

• White, rosé and sparkling wines have more acidity.

• Sweet wines have mostly sweet notes.

The two methods of wine pairings are congruent pairings and contrasting pairings. Congruent pairings have many shared compounds. By pairing similar avors, they amplify each other and create a nice balance, such as beef and mushrooms. Contrasting pairings have few shared avor compounds but create balance by amplifying the compounds they do have in common, such as coconut and lime.

First, simplify a dish down to its basic, prominent tastes. For example, baked ziti has two primary components: fat and salt. Even dishes without meat can be simpli ed. For example, a salad o ers acidity and bitterness; creamed corn o ers fattiness and sweetness. From there you can decide if a congruent or contrasting pairing would better suit the dish.

Regardless of your personal preferences on wine, we hope you can find a bottle that the entire family will love to share this holiday season!

■

For beginners, keep these tips in mind:

• The wine should be more acidic than the food.

• The wine should be sweeter than the food.

• Red wines pair best with bold avored meats, such as red meats.

• White wines pair best with light-intensity meats, such as sh or chicken.

• Bitter wines are best balanced with fat.

• It is better to match the wine to the sauce than with the meat.

• Most often, white, sparkling and rosé wines create contrasting pairings.

• Most often, red wines create congruent pairings.

TAKE A DIP

By Hayli Zuccola

Gazing into the crystal blue reflection of the Ichetucknee Springs, it’s easy to appreciate its natural beauty and maintain the desire to submerge oneself into the breathtaking 72-degree waters, but not just anyone would dare take the plunge while the outdoor temperature plummets to 50 degrees or below. Nevertheless, every January, crowds gather at the springs to shed their mittens, jackets and scarves and dive in for the beloved Iche Nippy Dip Day.

The history of this chilly, organized event dates back to 2014, but its inspiration stemmed from Earl Kinard who worked for the Ichetucknee Springs State Park back in the ’60s and started a tradition of taking an annual dip in the springs every New Year’s Day. In 2014, multiple groups including Our Santa Fe River, the Ichetucknee Alliance, Friends of Ichetucknee and park management opted to mirror Eral’s ritual for an annual fundraiser benefiting the park, held on the first Saturday of January.

Earl Kinard

“Earl was happy to share his idea with the park, and every year since then we’ve been holding Iche Nippy Dip Day,” said Irene “Trini” Johannesen, who is the current President of the Friends of Ichetucknee nonpro t.

Trini, a Fort White public school teacher, rst gained love for the local springs by participating in PARKnership program, which was developed to bring middle and high school environmental education classes to the park once a month to encourage hands-on learning.

After being involved through the school, Trini took it a step further and joined Friends of Ichetucknee Spring State Park, which invites volunteers to help support the park whether it be removing invasive plants on the park’s surface level with the showy rattlebox or

under the water with a record-breaking removal of 365 5-gallon buckets worth of water lettuce; planting a whopping 10,000 longleaf pines; planning educational events like the Spring Fling environmental showcase; appearing at local events like the High Springs Market; or hosting fundraisers like the Halloween-themed Spooky Springs and, of course, Iche Nippy Dip Day, which has expanded in attendance every year since its inaugural debut in 2014.

“Every year, we’ve been able to hold it, and it has grown, you know; every year it has increased. We started out with, probably, that rst year I think we had like 70, 72 attendees and then over the years we’ve managed to get up close to 200 people that have come out and jumped in,” Trini said.

Pre-registration or tickets aren’t required to participate in the swim, but park admittance grants access to the much-anticipated dip as well as other elements for those who prefer to stay dry.

“The last few years, we started with the bon re and the hot chocolate and the co ee, and Dunkin Donuts always supplies us with donuts for the event. Sometimes we’ve made chili and provided chili for kind of a little bit of a fundraiser. One year we celebrated the park’s 50th year as a state park, so every year, depending on what’s going on, we kind of add a new event to the function to attract more people,” she said.

BECOME AN Iche Nippy Dipper!

Join the fun! Start your new year with a “dip” in the headspring!

The headspring is located at the North Entrance, 8294 Elim Church Road, Fort White.

Pre-registration or tickets aren’t required to participate in the swim. Park admittance grants access to the much-anticipated dip as well as other elements for those who prefer to stay dry.

To learn more about the 2023 event, follow Friends of the Ichetucknee on Facebook, or visit the state park website at oridastateparks.org.

Irene Johannesen

Friends of Ichetucknee President

Though each occurrence brings new activities to the table, the 2023 event will take a more honorary tone as it will be the rst year originator Earl Kinard won’t be involved due to his passing in 2022. Instead, this year will serve as a tribute to Earl, who spent his childhood into his nal years enjoying the warmth and beauty of the springs.

“Every year, Earl Kinard would be there and he would be taking that dip with everybody…He just loved talking to everyone and supporting the Friends group—he served on our Friends group for about 4 years and then his health started to kind of go down. But every

year he would still show up, up until the last one, which he came on January 8, 2022, and passed away—I think it was March of that year,” Trini said.

Whether you attend for the comradery, to nd motivation in Earl’s legacy or simply want an excuse to cozy up by the bon re to ring in the New Year, Iche Nippy Dip Day is a unique tradition you won’t want to miss. ■

“That rst year, I think we had like 70, 72 attendees and then over the years we’ve managed to get up close to 200 people that have come out and jumped in.”

Irene “Trini” Johannesen, Friends of Ichetucknee President

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

This season, Family Magazine takes you worldwide to explore the customs and traditions of New Year’s. We can all agree that the holiday is best spent with family, friends and loved ones, so it’s no surprise that family is at the center of every New Year’s tradition regardless of culture.

SPAIN

In Spain, New Year’s Eve is known as “Noche Vieja’’ which translates to “Old Night.” On this night, there is a televised event which broadcasts the clock in Puerta Del Sol (Door of the Sun), the central square in Madrid. During this event, families gather to listen to the 12 chimes that bring in the New Year. This is a widely anticipated moment because it is custom for each person to eat a single grape for each chime of the clock. This is not an easy feat, as one must consume all 12 grapes in time for the end! It is thought that if a person completes this activity, they will have prosperity and good luck in the coming year. Another tradition found in Spain is the eating of lentils and lentil soup. This custom originates in that lentils symbolize coins and prosperity.

JAPAN

Japan also includes food in their New Year’s traditions in the practice of “toshikoshi soba”, or year-crossing noodles. It is thought that this ritual

The Clock of the Puerta del Sol sits atop the Real Casa de Correos, a signi cant building of the City of Madrid.

began because the buckwheat plant used to make the noodles is very resilient, so people eat the noodles to symbolize their strength and resilience.

Japan also partakes in a tradition known as “Hatsumode,” or the rst shrine visit of the New Year. On January 1st, 2nd and 3rd, it is customary for people to visit a shrine to pay their respects and wish for a healthy New Year.

CHINA

Other Eastern countries, such as China, emphasize the New Year as a major holiday meant to usher in good luck. The Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration full of rich folklore and ancient traditions. The celebrations were born from the myth of “Nian,” a lion who was said to appear at the end of each year and attack villagers. The story states that the only way to protect yourself was to scare him o with loud noises and bright lights.

This is where China gets their use of reworks during the holiday! On January 1st, it is common for people to put on rework displays across the country in a gorgeous array of sound, light and celebration. Other Chinese New Year rituals include businesses setting o recrackers for prosperity and families

sharing red envelopes of money to the younger generations of the family known as “Hong Bao.” In Chinese New Year celebrations, expect to see an abundance of red, as the color is meant to symbolize good fortune.

On the 15th day of the New Year, there is a custom known as the Festival of Lanterns where lanterns are released throughout the towns alongside

that are enjoyed in order to welcome the New Year. In fact, many people in China view the New Year’s meal as the most important dinner of the year! Many families go as far as to hire professional chefs to come to their homes to cook fresh meals for the day. In this important meal, people may eat duck or pork dishes alongside wonton soup, sweet rice cakes and eight treasure rice.

Jewish Traditions

The Jewish have a special holiday centered around New Year’s known as Rosh Hashanah. It is recognized as one of Judaism’s holiest holidays because it commemorates the creation of the world and encourages introspection as well as repentance. The di erence between secular celebrations of New Year’s and Rosh Hashanah is in the dates. According to History.com, “The Hebrew calendar begins with the month of Nisan, but Rosh Hashanah occurs at the start of Tishrei, when God is said to have created the world. For this reason, Rosh Hashanah can be seen as the birthday of the world rather than New Year’s.” Among Jewish traditions commemorating the New Year is a custom of eating apple slices dipped in honey. This practice is often followed by a prayer and is meant to signify hope that the coming year will be sweet!

dancing dragon performances that represent good fortune and prosperity. A country-wide celebration would not be complete without customary foods

A mainstay of Rosh Hashana is the sounding of the shofar.

Tokyo’s oldest temple, Sensoji.

RUSSIA

New Year’s wishes and resolutions are a common practice across a multitude of cultures. In Russia, however, people have put an interesting spin on the tradition. On New Year’s Eve, it is customary to write down one’s wishes for the coming year and then burn the piece of paper into a pile of ashes. These ashes are then saved and put into champagne for the person to drink!

DENMARK

Another interesting tradition is the smashing of plates in Denmark. This is an activity that is meant to usher out aggression in preparation for a happy New Year. The custom entails throwing plates at neighboring houses on New Year’s Eve. It is said that whoever has the largest pile of broken china at their doorstep will have prosperity in the next year.

ICELAND

Other Scandinavian countries, like Iceland, enjoy celebrating with loud traditions. As the end of the year

approaches, locals are allowed to purchase commercial-grade reworks for a country-wide rework release based in Reykjavik. Once the clock strikes 12, citizens across the city and neighboring towns release reworks. This tradition is quite the spectacle and has attracted tourists in recent years.

GREECE

Another country that releases reworks in unison on New Year’s Eve is Greece. Among their traditions includes the hanging of onions and pummeling of pomegranates. It is thought, in Greek culture, that hanging onions on one’s door will bring many blessings and good luck in the New Year. It is also custom to smash a pomegranate against the door and count the amount of seeds that scatter. This amount of seeds is said to correlate to the amount of good luck the family will have.

SCOTLAND

Singing “Auld Lang Syne” and toasting the bells with whisky are two Scottish New Year traditions that have spread across the world. However, some things have stayed within the country, such as the term “Hogmanay” and the custom of rst-footing.

Since ancient times, households across Scotland have welcomed strangers

through their doors with the aim of bringing good fortune for the year ahead. First footing, which stems from the Gaelic practice of “qualtagh,” is still practiced today and while some individuals can bring good luck for the upcoming year —others can be seen as a precursor of ill fate.

a days-long festival and street party. It is believed that many traditional Hogmanay celebrations were originally brought to Scotland by the invading Vikings in the early 8th and 9th centuries.

So, whether we resolve to return borrowed farm equipment (as did the Babylonians) or drop a few pounds, most traditions around the world are aimed at ringing in the new year with a fresh start and good fortune for the year to come.

Native Scots also celebrate Hogmanay, the Scots word for the last day of the old year and popularly celebrated with

New Year’s Eve reworks over the Acropolis of Athens, Greece.

Fireworks shine above Hallgrímskirkja, a church in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A traditional Hogmanay re celebration in Edinburgh, Scotland.

All Aboard!

By Hayli Zuccola

Informally established in 1985, the Lake City Train Club originated as a way for train enthusiasts to showcase their collections and model layouts with other passionate hobbyists who bonded over recollections of their youth.

“A lot of people don’t realize, the trains were a big factor—if you want to call it that—in our life. Real trains were important in our lives when we were small kids,” said Mason Farnell, one of the founding members of the club.

In the 1940s and ’50s, life-size locomotives were used for transporting traveling passengers, hauling fruit and other freight—a phenomenon that captured

people’s fascination, which, like most things, progressed into the toy industry.

“Sears had a little train set that ran around the Christmas tree there, and I kept my nose pressed up against the glass watching that train go ’round and ’round,” Mason said. “It’s amazing to me, it’s just amazing to me that you can turn this machine on and you punch a button and tell it to do whatever and it goes around this track and it follows this track.”

While toy trains may have been the Nintendo of their time, many people ultimately lost interest in their childhood trains, but Mason never did—receiving his rst as a gift when he was four years old and adding to his supply ever since, which today encompasses around 100 to 150 older models dating from 1927 to 1970 and about 50 new, computerized gures.

For years, the Lake City Train Club, which has ranged in size anywhere from six to 12 members, met in a casual manner rotating from house to house and appearing at small events to demonstrate their models. But in 2009, the group was asked to create a Christmas layout for Stephen Foster and accepted the ambitious feat in 2011.

Mason, a retired physical education teacher who taught at Eastside Elementary School for 42 years, had prior experience in designing Christmas train scenes for his students, but lling the park’s 70-foot by 40-foot auditorium would be a project larger than anyone in the club had ever dealt with.

Never having done a design of this magnitude, the society’s rst attempt wasn’t exactly a success. The following year, they changed their initial U-shaped layout for a triangle outline, which allowed guests to walk around the display in its entirety while the member conductors remained in the center to easily monitor the trains on the tracks. The last design they undertook in 2019 was a rectangular arrangement, which turned out to be the largest portable O-Gauge layout in north Florida and Georgia, and marked the last time the club attended the Festival of Lights, that is, until now. For the last two years, members of the Lake City Train Club have been working on a new con guration set to debut at the 2022 holiday celebration.

“This year, everything from the oor up is going to be new. It’s going to be a brand new setup,” Mason said. “I’m gonna guess—I haven’t counted—but there’s, I’d say there are 30 to 35 buildings that are brand new; there’s going to be 200 vehicles like trucks, cars, tractors—that type of thing; and there’s about over 1,000 feet of wiring, there’s 500 feet of track and, you know, hopefully gonna have a lot of stu detailed.”

This developing structure, which was put together in Mason’s barn to accommodate the much-needed work space, has taken 9 months of electrical work alone and was consciously crafted to reduce the setup time from eight days down to four while also taking into consideration the weight of past displays—switching from wood tables to easy-to-dismantle aluminum tables.

“Before, for the 9 years that we were up there, it averaged seven to eight days of putting that thing up; I mean from 8 o’clock to 8 o’clock, so we knew that we had to do something di erent,” he said.

Putting together an awe-inspiring design like this one, as well as the club’s past exhibits, requires far more than simply arranging and connecting the tracks. Each one has combined woodworking elements, artistic skills, an eye for design, electrical know-how and other talents that come together to provide a glimmer of magic to all those who witness them.

“We live through the model trains of yesteryear, you know, thinking about the past and all that kind of stu ,” Mason said. “When we look at the layouts that we’ve done and all that, you have dreams of what yesteryear was, you know, I mean like, you can really get involved and just close your eyes and remember all that.”

While park guests Mason’s age get happily lost in memories of what once was, whether that be playing with model trains themselves or recalling family members who worked in the railroad industry, Mason, who spent his career as a teacher, gets the ultimate satisfaction in the pure excitement of the younger audience.

“To me, the smile and the happiness on a kid is the whole thing; I mean, that makes my whole day, and so when we go up there to Stephen Foster and those kids start coming around and you see their eyes dancing and you see them grinning from ear to ear like all the stu that you’ve done is worth it and it’s simply ful lling,” he said.

The amount of time and e ort it’s taken to complete this year’s composition has been extensive, to say the least, and has required expanding beyond club members to include the assistance of other friends and volunteers to turn the vision into a reality.

“These guys spend hours—hours and hours and hours out here,” Mason said. “If it wasn’t for them, this stu would not happen.”

To see the Lake City Train Club’s newest holiday arrangement rsthand, stop by the auditorium at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park located between the tower and the museum during the annual Festival of Lights, which runs from Friday, December 9th to Friday, December 23rd, every night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

If you’re interested in joining the Lake City Train Club, which also xes model trains, contact Mason Farnell directly at (386) 365-0890.

By Hayli Zuccola

Holly Frazier Photography

Melinda and Je Jerome

Nick,

The Jerome family’s traumatic journey began during a 4th of July cookout in the summer of 2021, which ended in a severe case of food poisoning for Je . Little did he know this singular incident would compromise his immune system and leave him vulnerable to the new Delta variant making waves across the state. A week later, Je noticed his symptoms had returned, which he assumed was just a lingering side e ect of the holiday food asco. Nevertheless, when his temperature stayed a consistent 104-degree Fahrenheit for over a week, his daughter, Schyler, who was studying to be a nurse, encouraged him to go to the hospital.

and Schyler Jerome

Je and his wife, Melinda, drove to the hospital the evening of July 25th where a blood oxygen test showed Je ’s level was at 83 percent with a normal reading ranging from 95 to 100 percent. With a positive COVID test, Je was admitted to the hospital and separated from his wife, whose negative results allowed her to quarantine at home.

“So, I’m thinking, ‘ok great, you know, I’m at the right place, I got medicine, I’ll get some antibiotics or whatever they’re going to give me and I’ll go home and I’ll be ne.’ Well, that was basically the beginning of the end,” Je recalled.

Even with medication, which caused his kidneys to start failing, Je ’s COVID pneumonia only worsened and with, his oxygen level continuing to plummet, it was time to consider intubation—a realization that Je feared was a death sentence. Despite his hesitation, Je had no choice and was placed on a ventilator and put into a medically-induced coma when his oxygen dipped to 57.

Melinda, Jeff

A near-death experience can change how a person views the world and their place within it— at least, that’s what happened for Je Jerome after a grueling battle with COVID.

“From that point on, everything just tumbled. I was in six di erent hospitals—one of them twice,” he said.

Overrun with patients and unequipped to handle his rapid decline, Je was transferred to Gainesville where the doctors’ bleak outlook for his survival left Melinda ghting to have him transferred to another hospital a few days later. As a Marine Corps veteran, Je was brought to the Gainesville VA on August 20th where he arrived impaired with a fungal and bacterial infection along with COVID -induced pneumonia, bed sores and an endotracheal tube used to assist him with his breathing. While in the VA, Je ’s family was nally able to visit him, but having lost over 100 pounds, being under sedation and looking frail and void of color, he was like a di erent person. “That was very traumatic to experience when we did get to go see him; he looked nothing like what he looked like when we took him in there,” Schyler said.

“It was just like an emotional roller coaster, up, down. One day he’d be doing great, next day crash, you know, and then it would just be back and forth, but I was like if anybody is gonna make it, he’s gonna make it. Y’all don’t know him, y’all don’t know how strong-willed he is, and I said if you could wake him up right now from the coma, he would tell you to try anything to save my life even if it’s experimental, try it,” Je ’s wife, Melinda, said.

After being taken o sedation, Je slowly came out of his coma—the next hurdle of which was learning that he had su ered multiple strokes during that period. While his mind was left unscathed, it was at this point that the Jerome family learned just how damaged Je ’s lungs had become and were told by multiple doctors that he would either need a lung transplant or would have to stay on a ventilator for the rest of his life.

“With that news, most people probably would’ve been mad or frustrated or had a bunch of emotions going on, but I really didn’t have a thought at all on it, to be honest with you,” Je recalled.

“I just kind of processed it and basically that night I asked God, at rst I told him I said, ‘thank you for saving my life. If this is the best that I can get, I’ll deal with it. I’ll go the rest of my life and I’ll make the

best of it; thank you for saving my life.’ The second part I added to it was, ‘if you can give me more, I will work so hard to get better and to get stronger and to break free of this oxygen and hopefully make the best life I can with what I got.’ And I kind of kept my end of that bargain up,” he said.

In what the Jeromes equate to nothing short of a miracle, Je suddenly began to see a signi cant improvement.

Je drew encouragement from Joshua 1:9, which tells us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

“I put my faith in God at that point and all of the worries and cares vanished instantly, and I mean instantly. And until people really believe in their heart, I don’t think they really understand the power of prayer and the power of faith in God because it’s so easy to say it but not believe it and I believed it in my heart and it was amazing, the transformation. It was so crazy how fast things started getting better in my life. I mean, they were taking the GI

< Je and Melinda Jerome holding the quilt made by the ladies of St. Margaret’s that had been blessed by a priest and tied with knots of prayers. Je with his children Nick and Schyler.

tube out. I had a nose tube earlier they took that out. The trach was all of a sudden coming out. I was on less oxygen. I went from barely being able to sit up for 20 seconds in the bed to starting to take steps and walk. And each part of that journey I worked hard for,” Je said.

“I’m a rm believer in prayer, and we just watched it unfold before our eyes…I just knew he was going to be okay and the best way I can say that is because I just had peace knowing that God was going to take care of him and everything the doctors kept telling us, he would do better than they said,” Melinda said.

Je ’s road to recovery was also fueled by thoughts and prayers that stretched beyond his tight-knit family as Melinda’s daily updates on social media garnered support from the community beyond anything they could have ever imagined. From organized poker runs, cookout fundraisers and online drives to help with monetary needs to heartfelt well-wishes, food donations and even a quilt made by the ladies of St. Margaret’s that had been blessed by a priest and tied with knots of prayers, the community followed Je ’s journey every step of the way and o ered assistance whenever possible.

“The community was just unbelievable as far as the support, whether it be nancial or meals, through prayer. When I was able to look at my phone and look at the messages I received, whether it be text messages or on social media, it was just unbelievable. It was one of those things that you couldn’t imagine them trying any harder to help,” Je said. “I’ve always been a giving person in my life, but to see it come back a hundredfold was just unbelievable.”

“Our friends and community helped us out very much, not only with prayers and things like that but also nancially because there’s—I’m a teacher so, you know, and so Je was the main provider of the family, so when he got down and the shop basically closed, we didn’t know how we were gonna make it,” Melinda said. “We would not have been able to do it without the community; we would’ve lost everything.”

Je had another handful of ups and downs— like discovering a nicked artery found when the blood thinners prescribed to stop his strokes had caused internal stomach bleeding —but after a lengthy stint in the rehab facility, Je was nally able to come home on December 13, 2021.

“It was a huge relief o of me to nally step through that door and to sit down on that couch. One of the things you don’t really think it’s ever gonna end and then it does and you do get out. I really felt so blessed,”

“I put my faith in God at that point and all of the worries and cares vanished instantly and I mean instantly. And until people really believe in their heart, I don’t think they really understand the power of prayer and the power of faith in God. . .”

Je said. “I felt like the weight of the world came o of my shoulders once I nally got in the door and I knew that it was just going to get nothing but better from here on out.”

“We did not expect him to come home on December 13th. They had told us it was going to be April or May, and then he just started doing so good,” Melinda said.

Since that rst day home, Je has only continued to improve— graduating from a wheelchair to a walker, strengthening his lungs to wean o oxygen and pushing his limits to come back stronger and healthier than anyone thought possible.

“Every day I got up, I was just happy to be here. I wanted to do better than the day before and I knew that it wasn’t going to happen overnight and I knew it was going to be hard work and I was ne with that, and the journey has just been incredible. I mean, still to this day, I’m amazed at the progress, the love and everything coming together; it just couldn’t have worked out better,” Je said.

As a marine veteran, Je already had the heart and inner strength of a ghter, but it was his family that made all the di erence in the world.

“I watched so many people in the six hospitals that I was in die alone,” Je said. “It’s very sad to watch that, and I know that every day I would look at the clock and couldn’t wait till my family got there and that’s what drove me each day. People don’t understand the power of that, and to me, I couldn’t wait. The whole day didn’t matter until they showed up, and then I savored every moment of it.”

“Me and mom went to the hospital every single day, since we were able to see him, there was not a day that went by that we did not go and see him,” Schyler said.

“I don’t know how they did it to be honest with you because my wife worked a full-time job, then she took care of the kids— cooked, cleaned, fed them—and then drove to Gainesville every day of the week that they would let her, nonstop the entire four and a half months I was in the hospital,” Je said. “I don’t know how these kids went to school each day, in the beginning knowing that, the last report they got from me was that he may not make it, you may want to make arrangements. How in the world do you function as a 20-year-old kid, going to college knowing that the last report you heard was it doesn’t look good, he’s probably not going to make it?”

To the amazement of his doctors, nurses and physical therapists, Je had narrowly escaped from the brink of death and made it to his most recent achievement of rehabilitating 77 percent of his lung function. Despite spending four and a half months in the hospital, the daily struggles and at times wondering whether or not he had a future to look forward to, Je ’s faith never wavered; in fact, it only grew stronger and has become an even bigger part of his life and overall sense of being.

“To look at him, you would think he’s this big, rough and tough marine and probably mean, but he’s the complete opposite. He’s a big teddy bear on the inside. This journey that he has taken with his health crisis has brought him closer to God and made him a better person and Christian than he was even before,” Melinda said.

“The basic takeaway is to put your faith and trust in God; I mean, he has a plan for everyone, and the test and trials that we go through in life are necessary. We’re right where we need to be, and to realize that and to understand that and to be at peace with that is one of the main things that got me and my family through this ordeal. I believe that all of this was for a reason and I would go through it in a second if I knew God wanted me to go through it,” Je said. ■

Making Memories Last

By Joy H. Coleman

Every year we go into our overstuffed garage with the honest intent of purging as much ‘stuff’ as possible. To some degree, we do the deed. But no one has the nerve to look into our boxes of family photographs, videos, slides and negatives from the last 30 years plus. The thought of organizing them is simply overwhelming.

The problem with photographs or film is that they aren’t made to last. Photos stored in shoeboxes will be in a fair condition in 20 years, but they will fade and disintegrate. What if we had a fire or flood? With every year that passes, we have less family or friends to tell us who’s in the photo, what’s going on or where the picture was taken. Those pictures – and our family history –are getting lost.

Here’s a Plan: Start the project by setting small goals. Realize this job will not be nished in a day and may not be nished for months. Small goals help us avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Organize Photos by One of These:

• Decade (1980-1989, etc.) arrange by year.

—Then go back and break them down into smaller groups (months or events).

• Era (grade school, teenage years, college, etc.)

• Category (school events, family vacations, holidays, etc.)

• Side of the family.

that hold both personal or historical value. Then, consider whether the faces in the photo are in focus and are large enough to recognize. A place of interest in the background (family home?) or an important event (a wedding?) adds points.

Focus

On Photo Quality: Focus on the Quality of the Photo

We all have priceless moments mixed with food shots from forgotten restaurants. A useful photo collection is thoughtfully chosen. For example: we have many photos of Bridal Veil Falls, but only one includes us and our loved ones in the picture. Keep the pictures

Store Photos to Last Generations

If you want to keep photos in a box, use an archival-quality acid and lignin–free box. Just say “No!” to plastic or shoeboxes. When using an album, use acid-free plastic sleeves. If a photo is already deteriorating or is especially precious, use a Mylar sleeve for extra protection. The boxes and album sleeves aren’t expensive. Shop archival methods short top boxes, Pioneer photo albums, University Products, or Mylar sleeves from Talas. A safe location for storage is where it’s not too hot, cold or humid. Try an upstairs closet that’s less likely a ected by ooding. If you choose to frame and display an old photo, have it matted and mounted under archival glass.

While keeping photos in archival boxes, handling them sparingly and never exposing them to light is great advice; it’s just not practical. Most of us learned our family stories at Grandma’s table going through those old pictures and hearing her talk about relatives pictured in them. So, while keeping family photos in a safe place, know that their purpose is remembering those who are gone.

If our precious stories or photo details aren’t recorded or saved, they are lost. Family stories plus digging through old photos tends to tickle our ‘want to know thread’ about where we came from and who we are. Here are three strategies for safeguarding your family’s memories.

First, Get The Information Now:

Those who have the knowledge we need may not always be here to ask. Take them the photos, etc. and ask questions about them. To preserve verbal family stories, here are two starting questions: What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life? Do you remember stories your favorite relatives used to tell you? Record every conversation and, in time, have it transcribed to print.

Making Digital Copies, Part I:

Second, after you’ve gone through your collection of photos, consider digitizing them and saving the originals.

The absolute best way to make sure your photos are protected and safe is to have them digitized, as all physical items will degrade over time. There are software apps and scanners available to do this yourself. There are great YouTube videos guiding the DIY crowd. Digitizing with a high-speed scanner comes down to two choices: more expensive scanners copy a bulk load of photos and cheaper scanners only do one at a time. The cost of DIY is time and, unfortunately, the end result is usually poor.

Making Digital Copies, Part ll:

Third, to ensure quality or provide restoration, hire a digitization service with trained professionals. If you balk at spending money for digital copies, then a reasonable plan is to send them your photos in smaller groups. Don’t send everything all at once. Choose a company to try rst. Then, evaluate the quality of their work and decide whether to send the next group of photos to the same service or choose another company. If you freak out at sending precious photos in the mail, realize most companies o er delivery guarantees. Highly recommended services include FotoBridge, ScanMyPhotos or Kodak Digitizing Box, among others. StarTech is a good regional company providing quality work.

Whatever you have on CDs or VHS, please transfer them now to your computer or an external hard drive as those players are growing less available. Always copy the original material. If you have an 8mm lm reel, don’t digitize the CD/VHS it was converted to in the ‘80s. Have the original 8mm lm digitally copied. Then, back up everything, storing copies in three places: a computer, an external hard drive and a cloud service. Then, you’re protected if your computer dies, gets stolen or a natural disaster hits home.

Scan Old Photos

With Your

PHONE

If you have old family photos you wish to save, there are several apps that can help turn your phone into a scanner. Check these popular apps: Google PhotoScan, Microsoft O ce Lens and TurboScan.

If you have a large collection of old printed photos, you can digitize them using a scanner attached to your computer. However, the easiest and cheapest way is to use a photoscanning app like Google PhotoScan, Microsoft O ce Lens or TurboScan to help scan, rotate, crop and add lters to your photos.

Despite the bene ts of using an app, be aware that it may not be the best choice in every situation. The main drawback is that the overall picture quality and resolution achieved through a mobile app won’t compare with what you can get from a dedicated scanner. You also won’t have access to advanced settings like output le type, color mode, resolution, size, brightness and contrast with an app.

Instead, a mobile app comes in handy if you want to scan a collection of photos quickly and don’t need top quality or resolution. You also won’t need to deal with connection issues or tricky scanning setups; just point and scan.

PIE REVIEW

By Carly Meyers

Biscoff Cookie Pie

This season, we held our Second Annual Great Family Pie Review. We welcomed those in our community to bake pies to compete for prize baskets that included gift cards to Fifth Generation Farms, in addition to having their recipe featured in Family Magazine!

This year, the pies were judged on both objective and subjective scores; the objective score rated the taste, texture, appearance and creativity while the subjective score ranked the pies out of eight total. Winning by two points objectively and one point subjectively was Richard Crawford, a now two-time winner!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 cups graham crackers

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 6 tablespoons melted butter

• Half teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup Bisco creamy cookie spread

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 6 cups whipped cream (homemade recipe below) or 2 8-ounce containers, thawed

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• Double this recipe for the pie.

Topping:

• 1/4 cup caramel sundae syrup

• Bisco cookies, crushed

Directions:

Mix graham crackers, sugar, melted butter and ground cinnamon. Press into pie plate with a spoon and set aside.

If using homemade whipped cream, whip heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and almond extract for 7 minutes, or until sti peaks form. Set aside and repeat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and Bisco cookie spread until well blended.

Fold in half the whipped cream into the mixture, then pour out the contents into the crust and atten evenly with a spatula or knife.

Top with remaining whipped cream. Then, drizzle caramel on top and sprinkle with crushed cookies.

Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until rm.

First Place: Richard Crawford

Third Place: Madison Bedenbaugh

Apple Crisp Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling:

• 2 3/4 cups apples diced in half-inch cubes (3 medium apples)

• 1 tablespoon melted butter

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cooked pie crust (Pioneer Woman’s recipe preferred)

Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 4 ounces whipped topping

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 3 1/2 cups blueberries

Topping:

• 1 cup our

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup cold butter

Directions

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold in 4 ounces of whipped topping and put at the bottom of cooled pie crust.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and corn starch. Add water salt, and 1 cup of blueberries. Cook until thick and bubbly.

Add 2 1/2 cups more of blueberries and 3 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Remove from heat to cool. Pour blueberry mixture over the cream cheese mixture in the pie pan.

Combine our and brown sugar. Cut in 1/2 cup cold butter, until it resembles a crumble. Put the topping over the blueberry mixture. Chill. Once cold, place under the broiler. Broil until topping is browned. Refrigerate.

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 1/2 tablespoon corn starch

• 1/2 cup of water

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1–2 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Crisp Topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose our

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

• 12 ounces cream cheese

• 1/2 cup of sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 tablespoons  our

• 1 large egg

For Serving:

Salted caramel sauce, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Directions

Apple Pie Filling:

Peel the apples and dice in about half-inch cubes. In a large saucepan melt 1 tablespoon butter, add chopped apples, brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, corn starch, water and spices.

Stir everything well, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat until the apples are slightly softened and the sauce is thickened. It will take about 10-15 minutes, just don’t forget to stir occasionally or the sauce will stick at the bottom. Set aside and cool before using.

Graham Cracker Crust:

Preheat the oven to degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and brown sugar. Add melted butter and stir until everything is evenly moistened. Press the mixture in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake 8 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Crisp Topping:

Stir together our, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and whisk with a fork to make the crumbs; set aside.

Cheesecake Filling:

Beat softened cream cheese with sugar, vanilla and our. Add slightly beaten egg and mix just to combine. Spread the mixture in prebaked crust. Next, spread the apples over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake 35-40 minutes. If it starts browning too much, tent the top with aluminum foil.

Cool completely before serving.

Second Place: Ashley Culley

Celebrating 70 Years

By Jeweliana Curtis

or better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. These vows are commonly recited at wedding ceremonies to portray the commitment that the couple is making to each other, along with well wishes for a lifetime of love together. These are the very vows that Herman and Katherine Katie Griffin committed to, and the very vows they have lived out over the past 70 years of marriage.

Statistically, only one tenth of one percent of married couples make it to their 70th wedding anniversary. This incredible achievement by the Gri ns displays their faithfulness and commitment to each other, as well as to the life they created together. Through trying times and adventures, Herman and Katie have honored their vows and been partners for life.

Herman and Katie’s love story began in Ocilla, Georgia, when the pair were still in high school. Katie lived in the country and Herman lived in town, and it was typical in this time for families to venture into town on Saturdays to complete their errands. One Saturday, Katie visited town and

met up with some friends from school, and one of her friends decided that they needed to visit the local drugstore for a Coke. There was a classmate of hers that she wanted Katie to meet. Herman was a soda jerk at the local drugstore and went to Katie’s school, but he was a year behind her, so they never met in classes until this fateful day. Herman and Katie hit it o that day, and next thing they knew, Herman was walking Katie to class each day. The pair enjoyed spending time together in between classes, and they began to go on dates together soon after, accompanied by friends with drivers licenses.

Fast forward a few years, and Katie has graduated high school at the age of

16 and began taking college courses to obtain her associates degree, which

she earned at the age of 18. Herman graduated from high school a year after Katie, and the couple got engaged and began planning their wedding.

“She waited for me to grow up,” Herman laughed.

On July 18, 1952, Herman and Katie said “I do” in a country church, Holt Baptist Church. It was a simple wedding, but

n uly , , Herman and Katie said I do in a country church.

the day brings back many special memories for the couple. Since they were married in July, it is to be expected that it was a hot summer day in Georgia. Coupled with the fact that there was no air conditioning at the time, the wedding candles were frozen the night before to ensure they would not melt during the ceremony. To the bride and groom’s surprise, the candles on the right side of the altar were melted and bent, a funny memory that the couple can laugh about today. Finally, the pair were married, and they could embark on their honeymoon to Jacksonville Beach.

Local Women’s Cancer Support Group

One of Katie Gri n’s biggest passions in life is helping others. The American Cancer Society has played a large role in her life, and she even volunteered with the organization long before she was ever diagnosed. Her heart for helping other women through the process led her to the local women’s cancer support group in Lake City, where Katie is the co-chair of the group.

If you or someone you know is battling cancer or has beaten cancer, we encourage you to invite them into this incredible community for support. The group meets on the second Monday of each month at the Woman’s Club of Lake City. For more information, please contact Katie Gri n at 386-623-1932.

the oldest daughter of her family, and had only one younger sister. Because Katie’s parents never had a boy, they enjoyed having Herman as part of the family, and the couple often spent the evenings having dinner with her family in the early years of the marriage. The couple lived in a tiny apartment in their town with a rent rate of $35 per month. At the time, the couple made roughly $70 a week from their jobs and often budgeted just $1 each week for gas. Katie worked at the welfare department, while Herman apprenticed with a watch repairman.

Soon into their marriage, Herman was drafted. While this was not ideal, Herman gave up his job and the couple prepared for his departure.

“The night Herman left, I decided to go to my mother’s house. My sister was still living at home at that time, and that night her boyfriend stood her up. So, Herman was gone and I was crying, and my sister was crying, and nally my mother said, ‘Alright girls, get in the car. Let’s go for a ride,” Katie recalled. “Well, we didn’t get too far down the road before we saw Herman’s dad driving past us, bringing Herman home. Herman had been discharged at the induction because of his asthma.”

With Herman’s release came some decisions for the couple, and Herman

pursued a career in banking for some time. The couple went on to have their son, Wade, and began to think about where they wanted to live long term. They always loved Florida and toyed with the idea of moving to Ocala to be close to family. When Herman made the trip to Ocala to apply for jobs, he made a pit stop in Lake City that would change their plans.

Katie’s uncle, Jimmy Tyson, was the mayor of Lake City at this time and he told Herman that they did not need to move to Ocala, they needed to move to

Lake City. A job had just opened up that morning, and Jimmy was prepared to hold it for Herman while he discussed the possibility with his wife. Herman and Katie weighed the pros and cons and ultimately made the decision to plant roots in Lake City in 1962. It was here that they welcomed their daughter, Debbie, and spent time raising their family. Herman worked for the city for a few years, then managed a local grocery store for some time before working for the United States Post O ce. Herman also pastored the congregation at Salem Primitive Baptist Church, the oldest church in the county, for 30 years.

Katie worked for the welfare department in Lake City, working her way through the ranks from transcriber operator to social worker. Her passion has always been to help people, so she enjoyed meeting and assisting many families through her work, as well as volunteering for the American Cancer Society. Katie retired after working in Aging and Adult Services for 33 years at the age of 62, and Herman retired from the post o ce in 1998 at the age of 65.

Their life was full of many amazing memories and opportunities to serve each other well, but there were trials along the way. At the age of 57, Katie was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, and the doctors did not think she would live six more months. Though the diagnosis was grim, Herman and Katie did not lose hope. Per her doctor’s orders, Katie continued to work as much as she could to keep a sense of normalcy through it all. Herman and the kids picked up extra duties to help Katie through, and many friends, family and church family rallied around them in prayer and support. She had a community backing her, and she had her faith to stand on.

“After I did ve rounds of treatments in Jacksonville, I then completed radiation in Gainesville. The actual radiation appointments were only about ve minutes, with the sta exiting the room after starting the radiation,” Katie explained. “I memorized a lot of Bible verses as a kid, and they served me well. During those ve minutes of solitude, I would say the Lord’s prayer and a few other verses, all while I did my treatment before the sta came back into the room. It helped provide peace in those moments.”

Since those treatments ended, Katie has o cially been breast cancer free! At the time, the Gri n family threw a 40th wedding anniversary celebration for Herman and Katie as they did not think Katie had much time left. This July, Herman and Katie celebrated 70 years of marriage!

As you can imagine, the 70th celebration was a sweet and joyous affair. The celebration was held at Herman and Katie’s home with their family. The Griffins have been blessed with two children, four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, all of which were thrilled to celebrate their anniversary.

To keep with tradition, the party colors were purple and gold to represent 70 years. Food was served on Katie’s china and crystal, which happened to be purple. Katie received a huge bouquet of yellow roses and beautiful purple owers from Herman. Their daughter-in-law baked a cake for the occasion and even bent candlesticks to replicate the funny memory from their wedding day in 1952. The day was full of reminiscing and family fun, all because of the commitment that Herman and Katie made to each other 70-plus years ago.

Katie and Herman’s daughter-in-law melted the candles at the anniversary celebration to resemble the melted candles from the couple’s wedding in 1952.

Katie and Herman’s children: Wade and Debbie.

“A lot of people say that young marriages don’t last, but I think that was good for us. We weren’t so set in our ways and we really did grow up together,” Katie expressed. “We’ve been through some trying times, but communication has been key. We always talk things out, and we’ve never been separated or even spent very many nights apart. You have to be committed. It’s not just words when you make a vow, there’s a commitment behind it.”

As for advice for newly married couples, the Griffins emphasized the importance of committing to each other and communicating with each other. If there is an issue, address it so it does not keep growing.

“I learned how to say “yes ma’am” early on,” Herman joked. “I always told the kids that I am the head of the household, but your mama is the neck. The head doesn’t go where the neck doesn’t turn.”

Katie added, “He’s always had a great sense of humor, and that’s what rst attracted me to him—though Herman jokes that his good looks rst attracted me!”

When asked what his favorite quality Katie has, Herman responded, “Her compassion to help others. She’s always had a heart for helping people.”

As the couple celebrates their 70th year of marriage, they have a lifetime of love to look back on. Their family friends, and community is a testament to their

faithfulness and commitment to each other. The legacy they have created is truly incredible, and there is so much wisdom to be gleaned from Herman and Katie’s marriage.

“My advice for any newlyweds is to keep living and do right. Trust in the Lord always,” Katie expressed. “With a positive attitude and the Lord looking after us, we made it through. We’ve had a good life and we hope we have more years ahead of us.” ■

By Kayla Perla

ANY INDISCRIMINATE PRUNING OF A CREPE MYRTLE COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS CREPE MURDER, BUT THE WORST OFFENDERS ARE THOSE WHO SHORTEN TALL CREPE MYRTLES BY SIX FEET, TURNING BEAUTIFUL TRUNKS INTO THICK, UGLY STUBS. THIS ATROCITY IS OFTEN PERPETRATED WITH A CHAINSAW WITH THE OFFENDER MAKING BLUNT CUTS ACROSS ALL THE TRUNKS OF THE TREE AND CUTTING THEM TO THE SAME, UNIFORM HEIGHT.

Winter, the season of the year that your crepe myrtles will look dead… Let’s just make sure they will not be dead in the spring. Here are the top ways to ensure you don’t commit crepe murder this year.

Even well-intentioned crepe owners using shears and loppers can be guilty of crepe murder. Repeated pruning to the same point creates gnarled, knobby “knuckles” on the ends of the trunks. In short order, a thicket of long, weak, whiplike branches sprout from each

knuckle. These whips are too weak to support the owers and hang straight down like cooked spaghetti.

THINGS

TO KNOW WHEN PRUNING: The best time to prune a crepe myrtle is once the plant is dormant and there are no signs of new growth. In North Florida, the plant typically goes dormant around January to February. Pruning a crepe myrtle at the wrong time can lead to the plant’s death.

When pruning, you don’t want to remove more than a third of the tree. You want to leave part of the old branch behind so that new growth can sprout.

To prune a young tree or shrub crepe myrtle, thinning the branches from the limb up is the correct method. To do this, remove lower limbs narrower than a pencil diameter. While the plant is young, it is acceptable to prune the top of the branches. When it gets older, this is unacceptable.

As your crepe myrtle grows, it will be necessary to remove low branches to raise the canopy. Do this by pruning out the side branches on the main trunks— up to about four to six feet, but not up to a size of more than half of the total tree height.

Just getting started along your crepe myrtle journey? Here are a few planting tips to ensure your plant has the highest survival rate.

THINGS TO KNOW WHEN PLANTING:

• Crepe myrtles do very well in zones 7 through 9.

• Plant the crepe myrtle in good draining soil, as overwatering and wet soil can lead to problems.

• Crepe myrtles need at least one inch of water per week, with more water during especially hot and dry weather. They are fairly drought-resistant once they’ve matured.

• Don’t plant in the shade.

• Plant the crepe myrtles in fall or early spring. It is not recommended to plant in the summer when the plant is in full bloom.

CONSEQUENCES OF SEVERE CREPE MYRTLE PRUNING:

Unfortunately, many homeowners and landscape professionals prune crepe myrtle trees too severely. Topping— commonly called “crepe murder” —can damage and dis gure the tree. This practice results in a “witch’s broom” appearance and a tree that is no longer in proportion.

Topping causes profuse growth at the pruning site and basal sprouting, increasing susceptibility to disease and insects. It encourages new growth that is too dense to allow air movement and light to reach the inner branches. Large “knobs” appear where trees have been trimmed repeatedly, and the topped tree has an unsightly appearance until new growth appears.

Although topping may result in larger blooms, those owers will grow on thinner, weaker branches that will droop—especially after rain—and may even break. Topping may also shorten the life of your trees.

REHABILITATION:

You

• The rst method is to choose the strongest two or three sprouts from each stub and remove all other sprouts. This will encourage the remaining sprouts to be stronger and the tree’s canopy to be airier. If you follow this procedure for a couple of seasons, the tree is sure to be much improved in health and appearance.

• The second—and more drastic— technique is to cut the tree back to within one to two inches of the ground while the tree is dormant. After two to three weeks of growth, select three to ve of the most vigorous new shoots on each trunk and remove all others. Remove any new shoots that emerge later. Within three to ve years, you will again have a natural-looking crepe myrtle.

Spread the word among your friends and neighbors and eliminate crepe murder. Remember to choose the appropriate size plant for the right site, and prune very sparingly for beautiful and healthy crepe myrtles. ■

Instead:

Use “Naturalistic Pruning” to remove small twigs (or leave un-pruned).

Incorrect Pruning: “Topping” crepe myrtles ruins the natural form of the plant.

have two options for rehabilitating a “murdered” crepe myrtle:

a stapleholiday

By Hayli Zuccola Holly Frazier Photography

tasty concept was a success and was later out and I knew of no cakes left anywhere. have one for Christmas,” wrote Fred and Barbara Watson, recalling their involvement with the project.

Leeta, who oversees Live Oak’s fruitcake operations, is an expert on making the perfect Christmas cake and has been involved with Live Oak’s charitable event since its inception.

“When we rst started out, we probably only did a couple hundred cakes. It was very small. It was a test to see how it was going to go and we did not have the big facility at that point, so we couldn’t bake. However, we started baking and built the new church, and the fruitcake project actually helped us pay the church o early. All the pro ts from the fruitcakes at that point went to pay o the church,” Bronson said.

What began as a small-scale e ort has grown exponentially over the last three decades.

“We do 600 pounds of batter a week and that equates to somewhere around 250 cakes each bake. We do a total of approximately 1,280 cakes a season—6 bakes is what we do at 600 pounds, so that’s 3,600 pounds,” she said.

So, what’s the secret to turning the holiday’s most notorious dessert into a coveted and festive favorite? Well, for the church’s take, the ingredients are kept simple with candied cherries and pineapple from Plant City and pecans harvested in Georgia mixed with butter, eggs, our and sugar, which makes for a delicious, moist cake that isn’t overpowered by an abundance of fruit and spices.

With the ingredients set, the prep work to whip up over a thousand cakes begins in August with the purchase of a whopping 1,440 pounds of fruit and 1,080 pounds of nuts. At the end of September, it’s time for the group of 13 to 15 volunteers to conduct their rst bake. Monday mornings are reserved for measuring dry ingredients and greasing pans, but the real progress starts on Tuesdays at 6 a.m. This is the day of the week when batters are mixed; fruit and nuts are folded in; pans for ve-pound, three-pound, two-and-a-half-pound and one-pound cakes are lled and baked until golden. The cakes are then cooled before being wrapped and stored for purchase.

“Our method is a tried-and-true method,” Leeta said. “We have tried all kinds of shortcuts throughout the years and it just does not work. Everything is mixed by hand.”

Once the batter is mixed and the nut and fruit elements are folded in, the consistency is double-checked by Leeta before being sent to the packers who ll the cake molds, pack them down, shape them and nally decorate the tops before loading them on trays ready for the oven, after which they’re closely monitored to ensure an even, golden bake.

With nearly 40 years of practice, there’s no denying they have the recipe and assembly down to a science.

“It runs like a well-oiled machine and it’s because the people come and they volunteer and we’re so appreciative to them and we’re appreciative to the community for supporting us, but it’s just amazing how the people come together and everybody just knows what they’re supposed to do and they just kind of work together so good. It’s amazing, it really is,” she said.

Whether it’s the large ve-pound Bundt or the mini one-pound loaf, each fruitcake is made with love and provides a burst of seasonal avor in every bite. Customers can either visit or call the church o ce located on US Highway 129 in Live Oak or stop at the annual Christmas on the Square celebration in December—if there are any left over by then.

“Over the years it’s been word of mouth and, believe it or not, people start calling us the rst of October wanting to know if we’ve started baking. We don’t have any problem selling them… we sell all over the place. We ship all over the place,” Leeta said. “The community has really been good to support us—really been good to support us.”

For 37 years, Leeta has o ered her time and e ort toward the annual baking event where she’s helped create thousands upon thousands of fruitcakes—a tradition she’s yet to tire of both in assembly of or hunger for, well, at least for their version of the winter confection.

“The vision that Pastor Watson and his wife gave to the church that this project could help us pay the church

o early and how hard that he and she worked—they worked just as hard as any of the rest of us, if not harder—and it just inspired me to continue with it. It helps the church, it helps the community, you know; people look forward to them, and I love the fellowship; I love getting with the people and working. It’s hard work, but it’s a lot of fun, so that’s why I do it.”

So set aside those fruitcake fears and don’t let the jolly jokes fool you, because a slice of this Christmas cake is sure to change your perception and become an annual “must-have” on your holiday table. ■

Believe it or not, people start calling us the first of October wanting to know if we’ve started baking. We don’t have any problem selling them, we ship all over the place.”

—Leeta Bronson

By Joy H. Coleman

The holidays are a wonderful time lled with anticipation and happiness for many families. But for some, winter holidays can bring di cult thoughts about family, relationships and social lives. We dread managing di cult family con icts, meeting perceived social standards and smothering feelings of grief and loss to present the façade of “happiness.” Even our most optimistic friends—and ourselves— can develop the blues.

To avoid them, we’re guided to do many things. Foremost is working to keep personal expectations realistic and doable. So often, we forget that our holidays don’t have to be perfect to be special. They don’t have to be like past experiences to have meaning. Holidays change just as we change. Kids grow up, people move away and new people become a part of our lives. But, for many of us, stress, change and emotions are a risky business. Regardless of why the blues appear, in addition to talking with a counselor, here are some ideas to make your holidays comfortable.

REACH OUT

Share how you feel during your worst day with trusted loved ones. If possible, surround yourself with family members and friends. If you’re grieving a death, down in the dumps or if you can’t be with your loved ones for any reason, it’s natural to feel sad. Sometimes, it’s natural to be sad for no reason. Loved ones will support your hope that better days are ahead. It’s di cult, but work to listen to their experiences so you will feel less alone. Try to recognize they may provide options for support that you don’t yet know about or understand. Never underestimate the power and love of your tribe.

REASSESS YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND BUILD REALISTIC ONES

Expectations set us up for disappointment. If you’re dissatis ed, work to let go of what you thought things “should” or “ought” to be. Many people think of holidays in terms of what “always” happened. That’s not quite on target. Holidays can be appreciated today with what is here, in front of us, instead of seeing disappointment because today isn’t a picture-perfect holiday of past memories or what we usually see in advertising photos.

DETERMINE WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO

Holidays can mean there are too many people asking for your time. Parties can become stressful obligations, and favors for friends can morph into something much more. It’s ok to say, “No” and pace yourself. You’re one person and there is only so much you can do on a given holiday. Try not to take on more than you can handle. Pay attention to your feelings and, if you’re overwhelmed, respond and act on it. Limit your time with those who add to your blues. Counselors can teach you how to set boundaries.

WORK TO ENJOY THE PRESENT

Make an e ort to be optimistic. Don’t embrace failure by comparing “today” with past “good old days.”

Isolation is a huge risk factor for the blues and they can make you want to hide. Lonely? Ask a friend over, meet somewhere or volunteer to help others. Helping out in any way connects you with others and can ease loneliness. Yes, it sounds hokey, but volunteering is healthy. It gives meaning and purpose, builds empathy for others, shows that you do matter and are contributing to society.

HOLIDAY SELF-CARE

With seasonal stressors like end-of-year work deadlines, gift shopping and hosting potentially weighing on you, plus all those extra sweets and indulgent foods to nibble on, the holiday season may be the happiest time of year, but it’s not always the healthiest. Here’s a few tips to help you take better care of yourself during the holiday season.

PROTECT YOUR SKIN

You may be aware that the more free radicals you have in your body, the more skin damage can accumulate over time. But did you know that exposure can be particularly high during the holiday season? There are a few reasons for this. One is that cooler temperatures are linked to sugar cravings, making sweet treats especially hard to resist at a time of year when there are so many to choose from. Increased sugar intake can boost the production of advanced glycation end products, and ultimately unwanted free radicals. In general, diets high in fat, sugar and processed foods can contribute to free radical production, as can stress.

Fortunately, you can take steps to protect your skin by using skincare products that incorporate collagen-stimulating ingredients like vitamin C, retinoids and peptides in addition to using a topical broad-spectrum sunscreen.

MOVE DAILY

Be sure to take time for yourself each day to receive the combined physical and mental health bene ts of movement. Head outdoors for a morning or afternoon walk to get some fresh air, improved blood circulation and some moodboosting sunlight during the short, dark days of winter. To promote agility, exibility and relaxation, take a few minutes to unwind with some meditation or gentle yoga.

PRACTICE HEALTHY HABITS

Holiday o ce parties and family gatherings often involve indulging in the kinds of food and drink that can leave you feeling more dehydrated, bloated and fatigued than you might normally. Counteract these e ects by adopting healthy habits now that you can carry into the new year. Drink plenty of water each day, and incorporate deca einated green tea, coconut water or smoothies into your routine for added electrolytes.

GET HIGH-QUALITY SLEEP EACH NIGHT

For better shut-eye, avoid ca eine and blue-light exposure before bedtime, and keep your bedroom temperature comfortable and consistent.

While it can be hard to set aside time in your schedule when there’s so much to do, a bit of daily self-care is sure to have a restorative e ect that helps you refresh, reset and be more focused.

Volunteering gives the gift of being part of something more than yourself. VolunteerMatch.com can help you nd the right t in your area. The best gift we can give is our focused attention. There’s always work and we must answer emails, return calls, etc. But, while you are with loved ones, erase those thoughts. Put away everything that reminds you of stu that has nothing to do with the moment. Join conversations without thinking about what’s waiting for you. Be there, with them, right then.

MAKE A LIST AND PRIORITIZE

Certain activities are important to you. Listing and prioritizing them helps holiday tasks become manageable. Don’t pour all your talent into one day. Let go of frustration, resentment and anger. Sometimes emotions get the better of us. Negative emotions don’t hurt anyone but us. Step back to review and understand your feelings. You might be able to lose negativity, maybe forgive and move on with your life. Consider: create a gratitude list. Listing what we’re thankful for is a powerful exercise. This can be anything—such as health or family—but the act of identifying gratitude increases joy.

PLAN AHEAD

On your calendar, set speci c days and times for shopping, cooking, connecting with friends and other activities. You might want to try something new: maybe even create your own traditions!

Every holiday brings new blessings and challenges. Build exibility in your traditions by making room for the zigs and zags of life. Who knows? A new door may open.

KEEP HEALTHY HABITS

Don’t let your holidays overcome your habits. Overindulgence only adds to stress and guilt. Things to do: stay active and get outdoors. It’s hard to stick to a workout schedule when you’re down, but staying active is one of the best ways to cope with the blues. Limit your drinking: alcohol is a depressant that only magni es negative feelings. Avoid using it as a way to deal with di cult emotions. Do not overspend: keep track of holiday spending. You will only set yourself up for trouble.

TAKE A BREATHER AND MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

Taking care of yourself is especially important at this time. Find a way to clear your mind. Set aside speci c times to relax: even 15 minutes a day to rest quietly, listen to music, take a bath or do yoga greatly reduces stress levels. Also, write down your favorite coping tools to beat the blues back. Write it yourself, get ideas from family members or from your therapist. Tape it to the refrigerator as a daily reminder there is always something you can do to lift your mood.

May the season bring you peace, serenity, happy memories and joy. ■

Do you experience depression during the holidays?

45%

of Americans dread the holiday season.

WOMEN

are more likely than men to be negatively a ected during the holidays.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

HOLIDAY STRESS

has a bigger impact on lower middle income individuals.

of people feel an increase in stress over the holidays A lack of time replaces work as the #1 cause of stress during the holidays

YOUNG ADULTS

Coming home from college for the holidays often experience depression from a loss of their newfound independence.

of people stress out over the pressure to give gifts of people report eating to reduce stress during the holiday season

SAD

In areas without much sunlight during the winter, people are susceptible to Seasonal A ective Disorder (SAD)

MORE THAN

THIS

of Americans feel the last three months of the year are the most stressful

NEARLY

are more concerned about the price of holiday meals, than gifts or travel

CLAIM THAT blowouts among extended family members causes serious stress and tension during the holidays

Sourcees: www.psychologytoday.com, www.apa.org, www.dana.org, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

No one will ever guess this gorgeous Christmas wall art is made from old tea towels. It’s super simple, just smooth out vintage tea towels or any scrap of holiday linen and place them in upcycled picture frames. A variety of shapes and sizes make an eye-catching display above a replace or on a kitchen counter. You can also create smaller-scale decor items with old Christmas cards.

Keep an eye out for tea towels at yard sales and thrift stores.

You can usually find some great holiday throwbacks and it makes this project easy on your pockets.

Photo courtesy of:2beesinapod.com

by the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Gateway and the State of Florida Division of Early Learning. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Registration #CH27655

CREATING steps to in your everyday life

By Joy H. Coleman

Happiness is a choice. Have you ever heard of the phrase? It may seem impossible, but there is some truth to it.

Genetics and life circumstances can indeed play a role in your level of happiness. However, there are things you do to increase your enjoyment in life. Although it’s not realistic to expect happiness just to appear, you can learn how to increase your level of happiness. Try these steps to create happiness. If they don’t work for you, build a list of what DOES work!

HOBBIES

During the pandemic, you may have picked up a hobby, such as puzzles, to pass the time at home while reducing worrying thoughts and appreciating completing tasks. Hobbies are what we do outside of work that gives us pleasure and relaxation. Pick something that brings you pleasure, no matter how silly.

GET OUTDOORS

Go outside and inhale the goodness of nature. Seek moments that resonate in your heart and capture Mother Nature deep into your soul. If nature isn’t your thing, nd your comfort and go!

SIMPLICITY

Sometimes, a simple life expands happiness. The pursuit of a simple life is about rejecting what is unnecessarily complicated. It’s about pursuing people over things, living with less, enjoying the small things in life and no longer chasing more, more, more. Focus on the simple things in life and realize that you don’t need mountains of tangible “things” in your life to be happy. Ultimately, it’s about experiencing the most out of the essentials in life, and not being bogged down by the inessentials. Recognize what helps you and embrace it.

SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS

Acts of kindness lift us up and the results are huge. Don’t look down, obsessed with yourself. Look at others and share a smile. Let someone else go rst in line; put money in the animal rescue bin; give to a needy street

person. It costs so little. You don’t have to believe in their needs, but be willing to help.

INSPIRATION

Distressed hearts and minds respond: when reading, watching or listening to inspirational content, our spirits are lifted. Hearing a positive speaker is like getting a virtual hug.

MINDFULNESS

Practicing mindfulness illustrates how quickly our thoughts and emotions change. The choice is to focus on negative thoughts or to let them go. Anyone can choose a reaction that makes today feel good—or makes us miserable in the long run. Choosing to pause and not just react makes room for ideas we haven’t considered.

MEDITATION & happiness

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

The Mayo Clinic notes that meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine that intends to produce a tranquil, relaxed state of mind. When practicing meditation, individuals focus their attention and aspire to remove potentially stressinducing, jumbled thoughts from their mind.

Taking steps to safeguard mental health is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that mental health a ects how individuals think and feel, the choices they make and how they relate to others, which underscores just how important it is to prioritize mental health.

Meditation is a popular practice with a history so lengthy it may surprise even its most devoted practitioners. The global spread of the practice is believed to have started around the fth or sixth century. The lengthy history of meditation is proof that the practice is no mere fad. In fact, people from all walks of life have much to gain from meditation. Meditation is both simpler and more complex than most people think. The following steps can get any novice started.

• Take a seat. Individuals are urged to nd a calm, quiet place to sit.

DAYS OFF

Sometimes, we burst as Friday ticks around. We’re taught to keep going, no matter what. The lesson is to stop before we fry our nervous system. Why not just “putter” about? Take a break and do whatever needs doing: change light bulbs. Do what helps you relax and rejuvenate. Don’t miss your day o .

It’s when you decide to make better decisions for yourself, that ultimately lead you to nding happiness.

• Set a time limit. A short session between ve and 10 minutes can help novices.

• Notice your body. Individuals should be stable and sit in a position they can maintain for a while.

• Feel your breath. As you breath in and out, make an e ort to feel the sensation of your breath.

• Notice if your mind wanders. It’s likely that your mind will wander to other places during your sessions. Pay attention to when it does and then refocus your attention to your breathing.

• Don’t judge yourself. Wandering thoughts during meditation are not deserving of scorn. When the mind wanders, simply return to meditating without obsessing over the thoughts that came into your head when your mind wandered o .

• Close with kindness. As your session draws to a close, gently lift your gaze and take a moment to notice your surrounding environment, how your body feels and your thoughts and emotions.

THE TASTE OF

By Hayli Zuccola Holly Frazier Photography

Located on Duval Street in the heart of downtown Live Oak, The 406 restaurant was originally built as the home of Thomas Dowling in 1896, and while it’s changed hands in ownership and purpose throughout the last century, this grand, two-story structure has become an icon of the city—one that new owners Gary and Dana Sandlin aimed to maintain and improve upon after buying the property in the fall of 2021.

“When people found out we were going to reopen The 406 or heard something about The 406, the town went wild, so now we just felt an obligation to bring it back to Live Oak but better,” Gary Sandlin said.

Before taking over The 406 namesake, the Sandlins had zero prior experience in the culinary industry; in fact, they both had careers as nurses and were planning on starting travel nursing once their youngest son left the nest. Those aspirations soon changed when a friend mentioned the restaurant they frequented until its pandemic-driven closure was up for sale. Despite their initial hesitation, the Sandlins took a leap of faith and purchased the business

in September 2021. With plenty of community support; encouragement from the last property owner; a crash course on ne dining from the previous restaurateur and having secured the former chef and manager, things seamlessly fell into place and the Sandlins reopened The 406 to the public on New Year’s Eve that same year.

“It was sort of like the stars were just in alignment, I guess, for lack of a better word; it was like fate,” Gary said.

Lack of familiarity in the restaurant business aside, the crux of The 406 had always been the food itself, and from the beginning, the Sandlins have operated with a focus on quality over pro t. Using produce from local farms whenever possible; incorporating seasonal ingredients; combining madefrom-scratch juices, purees and sours for handcrafted cocktails; cooking up homemade pasta and fresh seafood delivered daily and serving vegetarian,

vegan and gluten-free options as well as pet-friendly dishes, The 406 strives to o er patrons gourmet food that memories are made around.

“We have people that travel the world and they say that our restaurant is within the top ve of the best food they have ever eaten in their life,” Dana Sandlin said.

Apart from wanting to provide customers with unforgettable avors, when taking over The 406, the Sandlins wanted to give their guests more than a place to eat, but a big-city experience without the drive.

SANDLIN

“Us being nurses, we were so busy all the time, really our only out was we went out to eat to the nice places and we wanted to bring that kind of gourmet feel but with a hometown setting to Live Oak because it’s great going out to, you know, Jacksonville and Tallahassee and Orlando, Tampa to these nice places, but then you got to drive back,” Gary said.

In addition to remodeling the back deck—with plans to expand it further to allow for live music—o ering casual and ne dining opportunities with both indoor and outdoor seating and sprucing up the ner details throughout with new coats of paint, plumbing and electrical work, the most notable project the Sandlins undertook was renovating the second oor of the building and transforming it into a quaint, speakeasystyle bourbon bar, which opened in November 2022.

Mirrored after the breweries and distilleries they enjoyed visiting, the bourbon bar area, which can only be accessed through a secret bookshelf as an homage to the previous owner’s father who was a librarian, was designed to be a relaxed atmosphere and lay the groundwork to be a future space ideal for hosting more intimate events like openmic nights and musical performances. Though specialty drinks are o ered on the rst oor, this new setting features more high-end liquors and bourbons not commonly found locally.

“Because the house was built in 1896, we’re going to really try to focus on bringing back some of the old-school drinks with our own little twist on them like last words and Sazeracs and oldfashioneds and things like that,” said The 406 Manager Casey Hull.

“We’re just going to try to take advantage of every chance we get just to bring something new to this area, you know, to our friends and our community because we’re fortunate to be able to do that and we’re in a position we can do that and it’s a lot of fun,” Gary added. “Suwannee County is beautiful, of course; we’ve got the glorious Suwannee River and we’ve got all the springs around here and all the outdoor things that happen year-round. There are a lot of things to do here, so we just want to add on to that.”

From mouthwatering cuisine and upscale drinks to witnessing memories of proposals, birthdays and baby showers;

giving back to the community in the form of an annual Christmas Eve fundraiser bene ting the culinary students at RIVEROAK Technical College; blending elements of the past like using wooden coins inspired by those once used by Thomas Dowling, mixing prohibition-era drinks and preserving garden camellias originally planted in the early 1900s with a future of endless potential whether it be hosting indoor comedy sets and jazz concerts or enhancing the koi pond-centered gardens to create an outdoor wedding space, the Sandlins have honored tradition with each advancement and built upon the restaurant’s legacy to make The 406 bigger and better than ever.

“The biggest thing for us, I think, is that we never took this project on to make money because we have our own jobs still; we still are working at the hospital, so we have taken this project on as a love and a need in our community and we are not over here trying to make a million dollars. We’re just trying to make a great place for people to come and have in this area to enjoy memories and have a great place; I mean, that’s really what I feel like has made us successful because we’re

looking at it from our hearts and not from our minds,” Dana said.

“Our lifestyle raising our children, we always ate dinner together at the table. We always had some of our best memories around the table.”

That familial sentiment is built into every aspect of The 406 to accomplish the Sandlins’ vision of developing more than just a local eatery.

“Our ‘slogan’ is it’s not just about the food, it’s about the feeling, and I think that sums up our restaurant perfectly,” Dana said.

■

A Trip of Luck & Lottery

By Carly Meyers

Coyote Buttes National Park in Utah is a small part of the 112,500acre Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cli s Wilderness and has some of the most visually striking geologic sandstone formations in the world. The most well-known area of the park is referred to as ‘The Wave’ due to its striking, wavelike rock formations. To preserve the wilderness and limit damage to the fragile area, the Bureau of Land Management limits visitation to Coyote Buttes through a lottery system to obtain permits. Without a permit, you cannot enter the park.

There are two lottery systems to obtain a visitation permit: the daily lottery and the advanced lottery. If applying to the advanced lottery system, applications are submitted four months out from the hike date. You can apply from anywhere in the world and from any device on the recreation.gov website. Whatever comes rst, 48 people or 12 groups containing up to 6, are allocated for each day.

Amy Smith

Joy Lutz

The daily lottery system works a bit di erently. Applications must be submitted two days before the hiking date and can only be submitted from a mobile device on the recreation.gov website. The applications are geofenced, so if you’re more than a 3-hour drive from the park, it won’t allow you to apply for a daily permit. Whatever comes rst, 16 people or 4 groups containing up to 6, are allocated for each day.

When Lake City’s Amy Smith rst saw pictures of The Wave, she made it her goal to one day visit the park with her best friend, Joy Lutz. After months of continually not winning the advanced lottery system for a permit, one day she nally won. Amy and Joy had won permits for April, so they bought ights from Jacksonville to Las Vegas and waited for their day to come. The day they were set to y out, terrible weather in Jacksonville delayed and later canceled their ights to Las Vegas. When you win a permit, it’s for

the day assigned. You cannot change the date, and if you’re not there on that day, you’ve lost your opportunity. Knowing the women couldn’t make it in time on the rst ights out the next morning, they were forced to forfeit their permits and cancel the trip. Amy was devastated.

As seeing and hiking The Wave was very important to Amy, she had hired a photographer to document their once in a lifetime trip. The photographer, Shelly Wayne, was also a tour guide, and over time, befriended Amy and Joy and grew close. Living near the park, she promised to continue applying to the daily lottery system in hopes that Amy and Joy could one day join her.

On a Wednesday night in July at 10 p.m., Amy received a call she never expected: Shelly won permits through the daily lottery system for attendance to the park on Friday morning. Amy and Joy not only both have families, but they also run their own businesses. Amongst the busyness of their lives, the women decided they had to take advantage of the opportunity and ew to Las Vegas Thursday morning. After a two-hour drive, Joy, Amy and Shelly entered Coyote Buttes National Park Friday morning with their visitation permits.

“I like how spontaneous this was,” Joy said. “We didn’t have time to think if we should or shouldn’t go—we just went. I am a planner. I need to know what’s coming up and what’s on the list, but being spontaneous every now and then elevates life.”

The Coyote Buttes permit area is within a backcountry, undeveloped wilderness area and does not contain any developed trails or facilities. Permit-holders are given a route description, which includes a route map, photo guide and GPS coordinates along the suggested route to The Wave. Be warned that the hike is not for beginners. The hike to The Wave is a physically demanding 6.4-mile round-trip hike. Permit-holders should be in good physical condition and be comfortable navigating undeveloped areas.

“I like how spontaneous this was. We didn’t have time to think if we should or shouldn’t go—we just went. I am a planner. I need to know what’s coming up and what’s on the list, but being spontaneous every now and then elevates life.”

— Joy Lutz

There was a downside to the timing of their visit: it was July. Though a dry heat, the women experienced temperatures well over 100 degrees, but they came prepared. They both carried two gallons of water and many protein-nutrient snacks. Dehydration is a huge issue in the park. The dry heat makes it harder for hikers to notice they’re becoming dehydrated. The heat is so intense that there are checkpoints where rangers provide water or medical service to y hikers to the nearest hospital to seek medical attention. Amy and Joy came prepared and spent over nine hours hiking the park that day.

For those one day wanting to hike The Wave, Joy suggests not only being active cardio-wise on treadmill inclines to gain endurance, but to get outside, too! “If this is something you aspire to do, start small,” Joy said. “Start local, like O’Leno” or Big Shoals, and then elevate the hikes you do, such as to the Little Grand Canyon (Providence Canyon) in Southern Georgia!”

Since it was such a last-minute trip, the women were in and out. They spent Saturday driving back to Las Vegas, stopping for landmarks and hikes along the way. They even took a dip in a manmade lake they found on the drive, and later that night got to experience the Las Vegas nightlife at the Michael Jackson One show by Cirque du Soleil. The women ew back home at 3 a.m. Sunday morning to make it back to their families by Sunday afternoon.

Joy noted that one of the best parts of their trip was getting to see dinosaur tracks that their tour guide pointed out. She also noted that from their experience, hiring a tour guide is a necessity. “You can do it without a tour guide, but I absolutely would not,” Joy said. “They know the special spots to take you to see…but AllTrails (a hiking map app) showed us a di erent trail than our tour guide showed us, and we would have never noticed them without her pointing them out and explaining it to us.”

Re ecting on the trip, Joy said one of the best parts was that, above all, she got to do it with her best friend, Amy. “Take the time to cultivate the relationship with your girlfriends, even in all the busyness,” Joy said. “The comradery and support that I’m able to have from great friendships is irreplicable.”

“Take the trip. Life is short. You don’t know what’s up ahead, so if you have the ability to, take the trip. Don’t think about it, just go! I will remember this trip for the rest of my life. And the irony is, I couldn’t have planned it any better!” ■

“You can do it without a tour guide, but I absolutely would not. They know the special spots to take you to see…”

By Belle Johnson

Sparkling wines are made by sealing the beverages before the fermentation process is complete, causing the e ervescent bubbles that are their hallmark. Sparkling wines are produced in various regions of the world, but champagne is unique to an area of northeast France, where vines were introduced by the Romans many centuries ago.

One of the most legendary and heralded brands of champagne was created by a French monk named Pérignon. Historians say Pérignon lived from 1638 to 1715 and was admitted in his lifetime to the abbey of Saint-Vanne. He acquired the honorary title of Dom while there. Also, he served as cellar master, creating what later would be known as the “vins de Pérignon.”

Dom Pérignon champagne is still a prestigious brand today, joined by other industry leaders like Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Nicolas Feuilatte and Pol Roger. French champagnes are part of elegant toasts, A-list events and ve-star dining experiences. They also may be poured on New Year’s Eve. All champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne.

Enjoying champagne on its own in the requisite stemmed glass is tradition. Still, champagne can also be mixed into cocktails — from bellinis to mimosas. This blood-orange champagne cocktail is a variation of the classic mimosa and doesn’t necessarily need to be enjoyed at brunch. Serve it on New Year’s Eve or for any special occasion, courtesy of Martha Stewart.

• 2 1⁄4 cups freshly squeezed or frozen blood-orange juice

• 2 750-ml bottles champagne, chilled

Pour 3 tablespoons juice in each champagne ute. Fill utes with champagne, and serve.