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Vero Beach, Fl - Ed. 10.29.2015
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN, FLASHERS!
In past years, FLASH has written about the history of Halloween and how it evolved from a truly spooky event practiced by the Celts 2,000 years ago. It seems the Celts celebrated the end of the harvest season with the festival of Samhain (sah-win) on November 1st. This was basically a big party to say goodbye to summer and hello to winter. Since winter was cold, dark, and damp, it was depressing and became a time of year associated with death. With that association, the Celts believed that the dead returned as ghosts on the night before Samhain, October 31st. (Oooooh, spooky!) Accordingly, they put out offerings of food and other goods to appease these spirits. (Treats!) Likewise, in order to fit in with all of the ghosts that were out and about, they'd put on masks and costumes to avoid being possessed.
We can thank the Irish and Scottish immigrants as descendants of the Celts for bringing Halloween to the U.S., along with a more light-hearted version of 'Trick or Treating'. The 'Trick' part has almost vanished from the celebration. It used to be that if children were denied a treat by a neighbor or no one was home, windows were marked with soap or some other harmless trick was played. Then, in the 1970s, articles started appearing in the press that some treats were being poisoned or injected with needles or razor blades or contained dope. Children were told not to eat unwrapped candy or cookies or fruit and that parents should inspect all treats before they were eaten. Most of the incidents reported turned out to be myths. (To read an interesting report on this Click here. Nevertheless, the rules for Halloween were forever changed, but certainly still celebrated. Second only to Christmas, Americans spend more on Halloween, $6 billion, than any other holiday.
Growing up I remember that money was spent on candy, but little else. Mom made most of our costumes from whatever was lying around the house. I don't remember ever buying a 'store bought' costume. One Halloween I wore one of my older sister's flowered dresses, one of Mom's aprons and a straw hat tied like a bonnet. I carried a cane as my staff and with big tears painted on my face, I was 'Little Bo Peep!' Mom still loves Halloween and won a prize last year as 'Mary Poppins'. She dressed in a black skirt and hat, a white blouse with a red bow and carried an open umbrella. You don't have to spend a lot of money, but whether you buy or make the costumes, a major part of the fun for kids is planning what to wear. I hope all of you parents will get in the spirit with your kids and make your own memories. Enjoy the holiday, Flashers and don't eat too much candy!
Thank you~
Valerie Watkins
Publisher
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57th Annual Halloween
Parade & Costume Contest
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Saturday, October 31st - Line up begins at 9:30am in the Women's Club parking lot (1534 21st Street). Parade begins at 10am and ends with a costume contest at the Vero Beach Community Center. Enter a float or walking group - or participate as an individual (no entry fee)! Prizes for outstanding winners! Free goody bags to all children with or without a costume at the VB Community Center. Call Gaby Dwyer at 231-4787 for information & parade application or if interested in sponsoring the Halloween Parade.
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WARNING FROM THE FDA
If you buy imported products marketed as "dietary supplements" and nonprescription drug or products from ethnic or international stores, flea markets, swap meets, infomercials or online, be especially careful. The Federal Drug administration warns that health fraud scams abound and wants you to watch out for these claims:
- One product does it all. Be suspicious of products that claim to cure a wide range of diseases.
- Personal testimonials. Success stories such as "It cured my diabetes," or "My tumors are gone," are easy to make up and are not a substitution for scientific evidence.
- Quick fixes. Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, even with legitimate products. Beware of language such as "lose 30 pounds in 30 days," or "eliminates skin cancer in days."
- "All natural" doesn't mean safe. Some plants found in nature can kill if you eat them. Plus, FDA has found products promoted as "all natural" that contain hidden and dangerously high doses of prescription drug ingredients.
- "Miracle cure." Alarms should go off when you see this claim or others like it such as "new discovery" or "scientific breakthrough." A real cure for a serious disease would be all over the media and prescribed by doctors-not buried in print ads, TV infomercials, or on Internet sites.
- FDA-Approved. Domestic or imported dietary supplements are not approved by FDA.
Finally, if you're tempted to buy an unproven product or one with questionable claims, check with your doctor or other health care professional first. You can also check FDA's website to see if the agency has already taken action on it.
If you or someone in your family uses a product and has a bad reaction to it, that's something the FDA wants to know about so it can investigate. You can report a bad reaction or a product defect by calling the Consumer Complaint Coordinator in Florida at 866-337-6272 or you can report online at FDA's MedWatch at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm?action=reporting.home Your report will remain confidential. |
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WEEKEND PROJECT
LAST MINUTE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
|  Ceiling Fan
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Scarecrow |  i-Phone
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I told you about Little Bo Peep and Mary Poppins in my publisher's note, and here's another one I really like!
And here are some other easy ideas:
* Rosy the Riveter from the World War II poster
* Tom Cruise in a long white shirt and sunglasses in Risky Business
* Attach purple or blue balloons and leaves to yourself as a bunch of grapes
* A clear plastic dry cleaning bag filled with multicolored balloons = jelly beans
* A black plastic trash bag can become a witch or a bat
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If you're lost in a parking lot, you don't have to waste time looking for your car. If you have an iPhone, get the Autopark App at http://autoparkapp.com and you can prevent the situation. When you park your car, simply set a marker on the map with a single tap and find your way back to the car with the built-in GPS. The Autopark App also keeps track of time left on parking meters. You can set an alarm that alerts you before the meter runs out. Keep in mind though, that the Autopark APP requires iPhone OS 3.0 or higher.
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A Few Last Minute Decorations
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DID YOU KNOW?
GLASS HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 4000 B.C.!
Archaeologists have found evidence of man-made glass which dates back to 4000 BC. This took the form of glazes used for coating stone beads.
It was not until 1500 BC that the first hollow glass container was made by covering a sand core with a layer of molten glass.
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Invest early and aggressively!
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The first dollar you save is the most important. Compounding is the ability of an asset to generate earnings which are then reinvested in order to generate their own earnings. The younger you are when investing, the better chance you have of a secure retirement.
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Contact me if you would like to learn more.
LIFE WELL PLANNED Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC
Earnings are not guarantees. Investing involves risk and Investors may incur a profit or a loss.
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 Next Tuesday, November 3rd . Get out and vote! You can see your sample ballot by going to the Supervisor of Elections website. Get to know each candidate. Click on the image below to learn more about them.
Brian Heady
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Amelia Graves
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Dick Winger
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Laura Moss
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Harry Howle
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 TODAY'S CHUCKLE
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FLASH TIP OF THE WEEK
FOR SAFETY, LIGHT UP YOUR KIDS!
Kids love glow sticks. They can make bracelets, necklaces, lassos or whatever else they can conjure up, with a glow stick party pack. Just break, shake, and glow. You can also find glow-in-the-dark duct tape to add to their costumes. Your 'glowing kids' will show up on those dark streets!
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FLASH VIDEO OF THE WEEK
This deer joined in the soccer game and scored a goal!
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WE LOVE OUR FLASHERS WHO DON'T KEEP US A SECRET! PLEASE SHARE US WITH EVERYONE!
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Click below to follow us on Facebook where there's a lot more in store! :)
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 DOES THIS JUICE REDUCE PAIN, BEAT INSOMNIA AND HELP GOUT?
Prevention.com has some incredible things to say about tart cherry juice. It says that it is very high in antioxidant-rich liquid that can help various ailments. If you want to learn more...Click Here.
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FISH CALENDAR
The darker the fish...The better the fishing!
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RECIPE OF THE WEEK
PUMPKIN DESSERT DIP
For Halloween, you may want to serve this in a small, hollowed out pumpkin.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- apple slices, ginger snaps and cinnamon graham crackers
Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple slices and crackers.
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TRY OUT OUR BULLETIN BOARD
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VOLUNTEER NEEDED
FROM STACEY WASHBURN: Reply
Youth Guidance is looking for a volunteer to help us every Wednesday morning for an hour and a half from 8:30am - 10:00am. We have received a generous food offering that helps us provide dinner to 100 children each week. We need help brining the food from the Housing Authority (in the same building as Youth Guidance) to Youth Guidance and organizing the contents. Please reply above if you can help.
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