From the Publisher

December 2011    

Wishing you a very

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!

Get those lights down!  I know you don’t want to decorate, but this year we all need a little bit of Christmas.  When you plug them in at night to create a Winter Wonderland on your street, it will bring a bit of cheer.  It’s been a tough year for many folks, so come on.  Get the ladder down, pull the big box out of the attic, and get to it!  After all, we’re celebrating a wonderful solution to the problems of many.  Join in the fun, and let’s really do Christmas this year.

Our December / January issue is chock-full of ways to make the season bright.  Make sure you check out the article by Vero Quest.  It is sure to give you some health and spirit connection as we brace ourselves for 2012.  The cover story on pages 14–16 tells about a family that is dedicated to an important place in our community — St. Francis Manor.  Read all about it, and realize that even if you were an only child, the Big Family Christmas could be yours one day.  Granny Gunk Gunk talks about the blessings of giving back on page 18.  We’re suggesting an important New Year’s resolution for the whole family on page 20.  And the folks at the Indian River Federal Credit Union are helping us to remember that when our wallets don’t match our hearts, there is still a way to bring joy to those we love.

You have been spotted!  Check out the Facebook pages to see the big, colorful photos of the posts you might have missed that show how others will start 2012.  Then, turn to the Education Station and Local Color to find local people living large all around us.  We are so blessed to be in this community.  The calendar is so packed, we needed four pages.  Find out what’s going on so your little clan can make merry.  (Check out the latest edition online: http://www.floridafamilynews.com/Community-Calendar.html )

This season, be mindful of your needs for rest, nutrition, and quiet.  It seems that when I skip these important parts of the day, my family bears the brunt of it.  Not this year!  This year I will Live My Priorities and put love first.  This year I will listen patiently instead of running in frenzy.  This year I will spend less and give more.  This year, I will celebrate LOVE, and, after all, that’s what family is all about.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Beth