Oh man. Do we have a great magazine for you this month.

I don’t know about you, but right now I’m still kicking the thermostat back over to heat during the night. I like my house temperature to be comfortable – no matter what toll it takes on the power bill. But even with that continuing concession to chilly nights, one thought persists in my head as we enter May: Summer is coming.

Oh, it’s coming.

As spring winds down toward summer, this edition of Franklin Living is bringing you some great ideas for embracing the season.

With the coronavirus pandemic finally beginning to fade and vaccine distribution in full swing, many of us are looking for opportunities to carefully gather again with friends and neighbors. That’s a pervading theme in this edition of the magazine, for sure.

I know I’m ready to host people at my home again, whether it’s for a cookout, a campfire or even just a quick coffee catch-up. If you’re in a hospitable frame of mind, Katernia Cole-Coffey has some great tips to spruce up your space and prepare for an evening of entertaining.

Need something sweet to serve your guests? With her cottage food license, Amy Gandy is whipping up tasty treats nearly every day in her home bakery. From impressive cookies and cakes to deliciously delicate macarons, Gandy has found her niche in the world of sweets.

In another realm of dessert favorites, Abby and Jake Ward have been hitting the streets with their Ice Cream Truck to bring a little chill to our sunshiny days. The Wards said they have loved seeing the excitement from children and adults alike when they come rolling up. You are also likely to run into them at community events and birthday parties this summer – because yes, we are having events again.

We even got to add a What’s Happening calendar back into this issue of Franklin Living! It seems like it’s been a long time since anything was happening to highlight.

For a feature with a different focus, we turn our attention to a special group of unsung heroes: foster parents. I don’t think it’s an overstatement at all to assign hero status to these special moms and dads.

You might not know May is National Foster Care Month, but for some Franklin families, fostering children in need has become their life’s work. Through their stories of loving and caring for foster children – and a look at the need for even more loving people to step up and serve in this way – I hope we are able to shine a light on the crucial cornerstone the foster care system is in our community.

All in all, there’s plenty going on in Franklin County – plenty to get excited about. I hope you enjoy this issue of Franklin Living and use it as a springboard to everything you love about our community. Pick up a hard copy at our office or view it online by clicking here.