Happiness is a Ferris Groves shake

Yeah Friday!

Please meet my new best friend. That is Jennifer Aitken behind the counter at the Ferris Groves store, serving up my well-earned strawberry shake freebie.

In a county filled with iconic destinations, Ferris Groves stands alone. From its it’ll-never-happen-again parking lot design to its place as THE home for fresh oranges and strawberries, Ferris Groves has not caught up with the times. And we are thankful for that.

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Every March, it’s strawberry shake time. Well, I stopped in a few weeks ago and someone behind the counter, probably Jennifer, handed me a punch card. Ten punches, free shake. If you don’t think that vaulted to the top of my priority list, you don’t know me that well.

I was halfway through at the Floral City Strawberry Festival weekend. I made it to 10 punches a few days ago, meaning the next shake would be free. I’m the person who gives great importance to silly things like that, so I waited for the opportune time.

That came Wednesday afternoon. Incredibly, the customer just before me also turned in his 10-punch card for a free shake. I didn’t see him commemorate the occasion by getting a selfie with Jennifer, though.

Ferris Groves closes for the season on April 11 and will reopen in late October. Stop in for a fresh strawberry shake or other goodies. If Jennifer's behind the counter, say hi for me.

I’m ready to start another punch card. Ten shakes in two weeks? No problem.

— A bit of business left over from the Tallahassee trip. If you know Debbie Reilly, she is one volunteering person. Debbie, with the Citrus County Library System, doesn’t have a moment to herself because she’s so giving to her community. 

During Legislative Day, Debbie was awarded Citrus County Education Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year for her work in Citrus County Schools. That’s nice. Then came the next announcement: She’s the Florida school Volunteer of the Year.

That is a huge honor. As with many giving people, Debbie doesn’t attract attention. She simply gets things done, like helping Citrus County kids learn to read.

We’re fortunate Debbie’s on our team.

— I’ve mentioned the Old Schoolhouse Community Center a few times, and I’m mentioning it again. Anyone with a semblance of memory of the Historic Hernando School really should drop by and see what Club Recovery and other volunteers have done to the place. It’s truly astounding.

I spoke with a community leader on Thursday who had stopped at the old schoolhouse for a visit. She spoke glowingly of the real potential for outreach to those in need. We agreed God is already at work there.

By the way, this is what happens when an impossible idea meets dialogue. Moving Club Recovery to the historic schoolhouse seemed like a longshot at best, but our first conversation with Community Services Director Eric Head was very positive and set the tone.

I mean…he could have been a say-no bureaucrat. Give us a list of do’s and don’ts. Eric, who grew up in this community and knows it well, immediately saw the possibilities. It was Eric and Club Recovery leaders who hammered out the framework for what we see today.

Watch this space for Old Schoolhouse Community Center activities. Seriously, though, stop by and walk around. You’ll be amazed before you’re halfway through.

— Well, apparently my earbuds didn’t make the trip home from the Doubletree to Inverness. I don’t miss earbuds until they’re missing, then I really miss ‘em.

Deb, who has an honorary seat on the Amazon Board of Directors, found deals so good she was able to order me TWO pairs for, you know, those days when one pair of earbuds just won’t cut it.

Music plays a rather vital role in my life. I listen to a variety of it. Where some folks are glued to TV for background noise, my go-to is music. My car stereo includes a CD player. Pandora has revolutionized my life.

The boxes arrived Thursday all charged and ready to go. I rarely listen to music while writing, but the earbuds were in for today’s entire blog. It’s my peace place.

— Don’t forget the county fair ends Saturday with the midway open on Sunday as well. Enjoy this Citrus County weekend, friends.

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