Spring cleaning demands day in sun
Alison James, Columnists, COLUMNS--FEATURE SPOT, Opinion
 By  Alison James Published 
7:31 am Friday, April 22, 2022

Spring cleaning demands day in sun

The temperatures have warmed, the flowers are blooming, the pollen is beginning to settle thickly on every surface in sight, and that can mean only one thing.

Well actually, I suppose it could be a lot of things, but I have a particular topic in mind: spring cleaning. Am I the only one whose shoulders drooped a little just thinking about it?

Like many of you, I’ve been trying plan some time to buckle down to a little spring cleaning around my home, scrubbing appliances, vacuuming up cobwebs, bringing a breath of fresh air to my home life.

It’s certainly needed, and yet it’s easy to put off. Still, I know everything will feel fresher, brighter and cleaner when I make it happen – I just need to get “a round tuit,” as the joke goes. I hope supply chain issues haven’t affected their availability, though I’m sure inflation has caused their price to soar.

If I ever get around to it for the inside of my home, I hope I can also make a plan for the outside. As the earth turns green, with trees budding and weeds flourishing throughout our landscaping – or is that just at my house? – we need to remember the importance of a little TLC for our outdoor surroundings.

Did you know April is Keep America Beautiful month?

First established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful “inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment,” according to the KAB website. “We envision a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live.”

Of course, we can’t change the whole country, but we can change our little corner of it, can’t we? We can encourage and embrace our personal responsibility to improve and beautify Franklin County, making sure it is a clean, green and beautiful place to live.

It takes each one of us doing our part to reduce waste, prevent litter and make better choices to keep our planet – or at least our portion of the planet – healthy.

The fact is, we all know of a spot that needs a little extra attention, whether it’s our own front yards, a roadside ditch that is crippled by litter or a neighborhood area that is overgrown and under-loved.

Our homes need our attention to be clean and welcoming, and our outdoor environment needs the same thing.

So although I admit I’m groaning about it inside, I’m going to roll up my sleeves and get after it.

Anyone have a round tuit I could borrow?

Also on Franklin County Times
2 pieces of turnout gear lost during fire
Main, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 24, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Two turnout jackets were damaged during a Thanksgiving Day structure fire while firefighters were conducting an interior attack. Fire ...
Council to renew fines and notices
Main, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 24, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Enforcement actions for a group of deteriorating downtown buildings will resume after council members voted Dec. 16 in favor of the ac...
Public donations make baby box possible
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Alyssa Sutherland For the FCT 
December 24, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — City Council members have approved the purchase of a Safe Haven Baby Box using funds donated for that purpose. Two different families, ...
EMS train for K-9 emergency treatment
Franklin County, Main, News, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
December 24, 2025
FLORENCE – Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jaret Yancey and his K-9 officer Mateo have only been together for a few months, but the pair have already...
West Elementary hosts ‘Polar Express’ celebration
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 24, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- West Elementary School marked the Christmas season with a series of activities centered on music, generosity and long-standing holiday...
Innovate Alabama critical to state’s economic future
Columnists, Opinion
December 24, 2025
Alabama has long been recognized for its success in industrial and manufacturing recruitment. Our state offers aggressive incentives and support to at...
Cultura Garden Club celebrates Christmas
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
December 24, 2025
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist Christmas for Cultura Garden Club members this year meant gathering around a table, sharing food made with care and ...
THS assistant principal gets championship ring
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 24, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Tharptown High School’s faculty surprised Assistant Principal Sherry Parker with a championship ring recognizing her role on the 1981 V...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *