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Little known holidays on January 31st.

Fun at Work Day, Backward Day, and Gorilla Suit Day.

I don’t have a job, and don’t really like to do that whole ‘backward’ stuff but I would enjoy having a Gorilla Suit. Just to wear one day a year. According to an obscure website, Mad Magazine started this holiday back in 1963. What! I read Mad as a young person. I knew nothing about this holiday and if you doubt that this is a real holiday, check out this article from Wired (one of my favorite magazines that I read when I can get it for free.)

January is also “Get a Balanced Life” month, “Clean up your Computer” month, and “Get Organized” month. I was not able to accomplish any of these feats. Hopefully February will have more realistic goals!

On to local events. Starting Monday, February 3rd, Captain Mike Baize will be heading up the “Book, Line, and Thinker” outing with the 5th grade students at Homosassa Elementary and Lecanto Elementary. This will continue for three weeks, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. (Except for President’s Day, February 17th because it’s a school holiday!) I’m looking forward to getting some photos of the kids and the fun.

Almost finished with the kitchen improvements at the Old Homosassa Learning Center. I was stitching up the curtains today in our Sew Cool! Workshop. I updated the upper cabinets in a very bright blue chalkboard paint. Have had mixed reviews on my color choice. It’s bright. It’s blue. I think it’s happy. You might think it’s glaring. Maybe photos will be posted next week! And you can give me your opinion!

Don’t forget Captain William Toney’s seminar on Thursday, February 6th at 7 pm at the Homosassa Civic Club. This is the third time he has spoke at the civic club. It will be standing room only. He is an amazing captain, speaker, and a kind person.

Next week our Sew Cool! Workshop will be having a special sewing project. We will be making toiletry bags. All are welcome. You need a placemat and a 14″ zipper. I’m buying the vinyl for the inside. (Unless I run out!) This is what it might look like when you get it finished. I haven’t made it yet. And I don’t plan on being the instructor but it might happen!

Now here is some important stuff. Steve and Cyndi Minguy–the Homosassa River Restoration Project People–went to Tallahassee last week for legislature days. They have worked incredibly hard to get money for this project. And they reported that it was all about HOMOSASSA RIVER! Starting in April, after manatee season (no we don’t hunt them, we protect them cause they like to hang out in the warm springs in the winter) the cleaning of the river starts. The state government awarded the project $2 million last year. This year they have been advised that a lot more is coming. Woo Hoo! And we are friends with this power couple! Go Steve and Cyndi!

I’m also hearing about some other important events going on. As soon as I get better info, I will report it here.

All good stuff!

Just wish I had a gorilla suit!

Have a spectacular weekend!

Kathy

I live in central Florida. It’s been cold but no iguanas are falling out of our trees. That was in south Florida. It was big national news. Something you might not know is that iguanas are invasive to Florida and it is legal and even encouraged to humanely kill them. They are very destructive–destroying crops and plants and digging holes under buildings that causes structural damage. Being non-natives and obviously migrating here illegally, like all nonnative, invasive species, they are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty law.

Back in 1999, I made my one and only trip to Miami. Played golf at Key Biscayne and was amazed at the size of the iguanas on the course. And they were everywhere! We have small lizards in Homosassa and they leave big poo behind. I can just imagine what these huge iguanas leave behind.

Anyhow. My first thought when I read about the iguanas falling out of trees was that the property owners might just take the opportunity to scoop them up and “humanely” rid the problematic creature! But I haven’t seen any news reports on that.

Today is “Beer Can Appreciation Day”. The special holiday celebrates that great day in 1935 when beer was first sold in cans. I do not believe that this is a national holiday. Banks do not have it off. But maybe they should consider it.

Okay. So now I’m on to local events.

I had a goal of getting the kitchen in the Old Homosassa Learning Center painted and new curtains hung. Didn’t quite get that far. Lots of work was done. Just a little more to go! Like Terry always says about my plans–Trying to fit 10 pounds in a 5 pound sack. Yep. That’s me! I’m kinda proud of that statement ’cause sometimes I actually do it!

We have a really great fishing seminar on February 6th with Captain William Toney. Captain Toney. I don’t really know him–or maybe I should say that he doesn’t really know me. But he is always gracious. Always a gentleman. Seriously. He does this once a year for the Homosassa Civic Club. After a full day of working on the water, he comes into the civic club at 7 pm and tells all about fishing on the waters and answers a thousand questions. He is such a good captain that captains come to hear him speak. If you are coming to this seminar, get there early. Cause the club can only seat 75!

Also want to put a big shout out to Captain Mike Baize. Mike was a teacher at Homosassa Elementary. A VERY popular teacher. He is now a full-time captain but he has not forgotten the kids. Every February the captains take out the 5th grade students from Homosassa Elementary on a fishing trip. This year Captain Baize is spearheading an effort to spread this to the entire county. Lecanto Elementary is being included this year. And the education foundation wants to bring it to all the elementary schools in Citrus County.

This is very cool. The Homosassa Civic Club was asked to help out. They will be having lunch at our facilities and then have learning stations at the Old Homosassa Learning Center. Perfect since we are a LEARNING CENTER!

The learning center will have to shift some classes around but everything is cool. Because, as I always say, our mission is the kids. That’s what we do!

Oh. I have photos of dogs! I haven’t had a “dogs in the hood” in forever.

This is Barkley. I’ve known him for a few years. He pretty much ignores me because he is the king of the house and doesn’t need new friends.

Until two weeks ago. Barkley got a new brother. And suddenly Barkley is my new best friend!

Ahhhhh. Too cute.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Kathy

I was looking for a great holiday to put up for the today’s title but nothing was appropriate. It was all boring and mundane…….

But today is Michelle Obama’s birthday. I think all the first ladies are unsung heroes for many reasons but mostly having to raise your children in the public eye. I can remember back to the Nixon years (faintly) and all those first ladies trying to raise wonderful children with all that media exposure. Happy birthday Michelle.

Terry and I along with volunteers Steve and Cyndi Minguy have been working on updating the Old Homosassa Learning Center’s kitchen. At some point, there was some water damage to the area. This was before Terry was president of the Homosassa Civic Club and assumed control over the learning center. All that nastiness from water damage has been creeping me out. The upper cabinets were not effected so I just repainted the doors but those base cabinets were nasty, nasty, nasty. And now they are bright, shiny, and NEW! Looking forward to finishing everything up this weekend. Hopefully will have a photo to share of the updates next week!

I don’t have an update on the bus situation. One of the volunteers at the learning center said that there are an awful lot of people that ride bikes in Homosassa. She wasn’t just referring to Old Homosassa but included Homosassa Springs which is a much larger section of Citrus County. Yes. There are. A lot of people do not have cars for many different reasons. There are not a lot of sidewalks. This is not a walkable community. Terry got responses from his last email from Carnahan (oh, I gotta take this up with someone else, yawn) and an offer to lunch and perhaps a cigar from Jimmy T. Smith. (Terry said I don’t think so) We aren’t finished with this. I just need to put some thought to the issue. I believe in presenting a solution to every problem. Just working on that. And I plan on talking to some of the people that used the bus to find out what they are doing now.

Okay. Next up. I went to the dentist this week. This is not a pleasant event for me. I think I was scarred from a young age. I SO remember going under the dentist’s care as a very small child and the pain. He would say ” okay here comes Mr. Wood Pecker”. No Novocaine. Of course, I was the perfect child so just sat in the chair, sinking my small hands into the chair rests, and dying inside. Now I go to the dentist with dread to this day. But I LOVE my dentist and Lindy (my dental hygienist) who is wonderful. I count them in my list of blessings. (but I am always that small child) I digress….

I walked in to the dentist office and DeeDee (another dental hygienist that also lives here in Old Homosassa and is a friend) greeted me with “congratulations”! And I said “why?”

For being one of the 47 caring people in Citrus County! People do read the paper!

My daughter does not read my blog But she made a comment on last week’s post So I am assuming her MIL told her to check it out. Because my good friend Terry does read it and might actually be her MIL and might actually tell my daughter what I write about it. (now I have to say that my DIL does read this blog!) My daughter Jes wanted to see the article about Terry and I being nominated for the Citizen of the Year!

There should be some kind of weird noise every time I typed that …….citizenoftheyear…..

So I’m going to post this really BIG photo of the whole article ……

and then the wee blip about Terry and me. Which I love that we are one peep. Right? I mean that. We are a TEAM! And we are kicking butt and making things better here in our little community…

but we still don’t have bus service.

have a great weekend….

Kathy