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
Watermelon Winners 2026
B: WATERMELON FESTIVAL, Franklin County
Griffin Traylor 
August 20, 2026
MOST UNUSUAL   First place: Lorena Bonilla (Russellville)     BEST DRESSED   First place: Aymar Bonilla (Russellville)   Second place: Candy Owens (La...
Byrd’s final song a fitting tribute
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree 
August 19, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — When organizers landed country music star Tracy Byrd as the headline performer for the 45th annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival,...
Russellville graduate deported
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – A 19-year-old Russellville High School graduate was deported from the United States on Aug. 9, according to the Department of Homeland ...
Locomotive gets new paint at Railroad Park
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RED BAY — The 1923 steam locomotive at the Railroad Park is getting a new paint job as work on a concrete pad, lighting and other features continues. ...
RMS kicks off character program
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RUSSSELLVILLE – Liberty Learning Foundation programs at Russellville Middle School now extend through all three grade levels with sixth graders studyi...
Major hire
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
RUSSELLVILLE GOLDEN TIGERS
RUSSELLVILLE LOOKS TO RIDE HIGGINS’ BOOST
By Matt St. Charles Sports Writer 
August 19, 2026
It was going to take a great opportunity for Darrell Higgins to leave Mars Hill at the end of last season. He’d been there for 10 years, coaching the ...
Obituaries
Obituaries
August 19, 2026
  John Wayne Terry Aug. 12, 2026   John Wayne Terry, 68, of Russellville, passed away Aug. 12. Visitation took place at Spry Memorial Chapel Aug. 18 f...
Still on the hunt
High School Sports, Red Bay Tigers, Sports
RED BAY TIGERS
By A. Stacy Long Sports Writer 
August 19, 2026
After enjoying a major year-over-year leap, Red Bay football instead took a step back over the offseason. Oh, my, boys basketball and baseball, what e...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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