For the younger crowd there is the Winter Jam Concert each year also at the Roanoke Civic Center. This is a combination of contemporary Christian music bands and singers that the younger generation (and all ages) loves. You can join the crowd of Christian music lovers for Winter Jam featuring “Firelight” on Thursday, Feb. 18th at 6:20pm.

Whether you have a sweetheart or not, everyone has someone they could choose to honor with a loving note or gift. Share the flowers and other colorful and bright icons of the holiday with your Mom, sister, brother, friend, etc. and take advantage of one of the opportunities offered below.

Casa DiAmici – Wine Pairing Dinner
Will be serving 7 gourmet courses perfectly paired with 9 delicious wines.
Reservations are required. For info. Call 540-296-1329 or sparrish@celebrationsquareproperties.com
February 8, 2010 at 6:30 PM - 09:30 PM
http://www.casadamicisml.com

Many people greatly value the free filing options and the free forms and helpful detailed info. necessary for getting this chore accomplished. If you are looking for tax help, check out some of the websites below for what you need to file your 2009’s taxes.

For finding tax tips, forms and other pertinent info. go to: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=133019,00.html 
or
http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/

For free help in preparing your tax return by local volunteers try: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html

For free online tax filing there are several options:
http://www.irs.gov/efile/index.html
or
http://www.taxact.com/

The Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce will be at the Southwest Virginia Boat Show February 26, 27, & 28 this year, with a specific purpose in mind. They want to help the growth of your business and our Smith Mountain Lake community.

At their table in the boat show, SML Chamber can aid your business by distributing your literature/advertising along with other SML businesses. All you need to do is simply bring your coupons, flyers or small advertising specialties (i.e. key chains, pens, etc.) to the SML Visitor Center. They will then bag and distribute them at the Boat Show, FREE of charge. 

All they ask is that you bring a minimum of 500 pieces to distribute and no large specialty items. Only bring small items easy to pass along to visitors. The deadline to bring your items is Feb. 19th. Volunteers will be needed to help bag literature, etc. For more information contact Jim Shauberger at 540-721-1203.

Oh, and don’t forget to have a good time at the boat show!

Certain illnesses where the body cannot produce sufficient blood, internal bleeding, accident victims, and several other health conditions can make the need for blood a matter of life and death. Please consider donating blood, especially if you have a rare type.

 Give blood from Noon to 6 p.m. at the Trinity Ecumenical Parish, 40 Lakemount Drive, Moneta. Positive ID. will be required. Call for more info. 1-800-448-3543 or visit www.redcrossblood.org.

This singing quartet offers a gift package that your Valentine won’t soon forget. The Smith Mountain Lake Harmeneers will serenade your loved one by delivering not one, but two love songs on February 12 – 14. Even better still your sweetheart will also receive a silk rose and a picture as part of the gift package. 

Honestly it would be hard to beat this combination for effect and making memories. The best part is that you get the whole deal for only $50.00!! Call 540-297-9231 for a reservation!

If you ask the folks at your favorite health food store what herbs and vitamins sell the best this time of year as I did, they will give you a list something like this:

Garlic, ginger and Oregano – These herbs fly off the store shelves for sinus infections, flu and virus, as well as stomach flu, arthritis and inflammation, just to name a few.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids – One lady told me she uses Vitamin C for allergies, colds, arthritis, viral infections and even a mouthwash. Apparently she isn’t the only one, since the cashier sold 2 more bottles of it while I was standing there.

Elderberry – Customers swear by this berry (in syrup and pills) for keeping both viruses and bacteria at bay, as well as for treating sickness they may already have.

Echinacea & Goldenseal – Many say that they use Echinacea at the first sign of any kind of upper respiratory problem with effectiveness. The goldenseal they add to the combo because they believe it has antibiotic effects.

Beta Carotene, zinc, and Vitamin D – These 3 vitamins are touted by those who seem to know, as covering a multitude of immune issues that can arise during the winter.

I know these types of supplements have helped our family to avoid any sickness going around during the past 6 months (of which there have been many). If you need further info. I am sure the people at Nature’s Outlet or Vitazen would be happy to give you reading material or other educational materials to help boost your bodies ability to protect itself.

Some of us are already thinking and planning for this summers vacation and may not realize that Smith Mountain Lake offers all we could imagine. Smith Mountain Lake is a showcase for a variety of uninhabited islands. These old mountaintops spring up all over the place, and most are not privately owned.

Imagine tying off your boat and wandering ashore on a private sandy beach. Don’t forget your picnic basket! Your kids can disperse into the woods to play hide-n-seek or search for buried treasure, while you enjoy the warm summer sun and the sound of waves lapping against your boat. You will swim, fish and dream that it’s yours for awhile.

Stay till evening, watch the sun go down together and start a fire on the beach. Roast hot dogs, make s’mores, and tell stories. You may even decide to pitch a tent and stay overnight. You’re allowed to… and it’s a lot of fun!

Give us a call today if you want to see these islands in person. We’ll send you a map and other information to get you started. (Yes, your kids can mark it up as a treasure map. It has served many families well in this capacity!) Here’s to Island Dreaming! Contact Paul Moore at Smith Mountain Homes at (866) 879-0211 or email Paul today.

PS: If you would really like to own an island in Smith Mountain Lake, there are a few of them which are privately owned. One is for sale. It has two lovely homes, a lighthouse and boathouses…

Hot Fun In The Wintertime
By Lori Wolak

When we first got our hot tub, we didn’t even think about  whether we would use it year round. The cost of the tub was such that we were concerned about getting the best return on our investment. This is especially true since the tub is at the lake house, and we are only there part time.  So it was clear we would use it year-round.

Four seasons of enjoyment

On a chilly winter’s night when our toes have been numb for hours, nothing beats a hot soak in the tub! If there’s snow on the ground, it only adds to the enjoyment as the steam rises off the warm water, and we look out at the beauty of the snow-covered landscape. For many of us, the pleasure of winter hot tubbing is eagerly anticipated every year. So, before you decide to winterize your tub, think about enjoying it all winter.

Some people choose to close their hot tub for the summer months. A friend from Michigan closes his tub in May and re-opens it in October every year. His reasoning was that it was not a lot of fun to sit in a tub of hot water when you had been out in the heat all day, and that the mosquitoes tended to dive-bomb them in the tub on summer evenings.  The mosquito problem can be less severe in other parts of the country.  We do set the temperature a few degrees lower than normal for the summer months.  We do not want or enjoy the deep heating effect when we have just been through a 100 degree day.  After a day of hard work around the yard, or a full day of wakeboarding, our muscles do appreciate the therapeutic effect of the hot tub.

Why Does it Work?

Hot tub therapy works by relieving the body’s natural pressure from gravity. It also stimulates the nerves and circulatory system. By adding movement and air bubbles to the hot water, nerve impulses are created that enhance the body’s immune system, and increase circulation and digestion.

Hot tub therapy also helps relieve pain from arthritis, rheumatism, painful joints, varicose veins and other muscle and back pains. Not only does it feel great, it is actually good for you! For those of us with less than wonderful circulation, bringing that warmth to our extremities in the winter is almost miraculous.

The Right Location

A hot tub under the stars at night is a great experience.  A hot tub under a second story deck is also a great experience, especially when it is raining outside.  My brother suggested we attach a waterproof canopy to the underside of our deck.  It keeps the cold water from rain or snow from hitting us while we are enjoying soaking up the heat in the winter. My brother recommends using corrugated plastic suspended at an angle to accomplish this, but we’ve found that heavy plastic draped at a slight angle can be effective as well. 

Niceties

We like to add a little candlelight to the hot tub experience at night. The soft glow adds to the warmth of the experience. Also, make sure you have a nice fluffy robe and some slip-on shoes handy for your exit from the tub. I put a few hooks on a nearby post to hang robes.

Precautions

If your spa is equipped with a freeze protection system, make sure it is activated and that the heat settings are set higher than the minimum. If you have timer/auto heat mode selector, make sure it is set to the auto heat mode to protect the pipes from freezing. If you do not have freeze protection, set your timer switch to cycle on at frequent intervals. In very cold areas, it may be necessary to cycle on at least 15 minutes every hour. Additional run time is important in very cold weather, around 0°F.

Check your water temperature frequently to make sure the heater is functioning properly. If you use your spa frequently, it actually uses less energy to maintain a constant temperature, than it would to let it cool down and then heat up frequently. It is best to maintain a constant high temperature.

Running the air jets in the winter will greatly increase energy consumption from the injection of the cold air into the water. If you do use your jets in the winter, make sure they are in the off position when you close it up. Keep an eye on the water level, especially if you do not use your spa every day. If your tub loses too much water, the pump will shut down, the water will not circulate, the heater will not run, and your tub could freeze.

Safety First

As always, use hot tubs with caution! Hot tub safety includes consideration of heat. Prolonged soaking in a hot tub at temperatures above 104° Fahrenheit (40° Celsius) can be a safety hazard, as it can dehydrate, scald or cause elevated body temperatures. Most public hot tubs recommend only 15 minutes for healthy adults and many do not allow children under 12 years of age. Most health professionals do not recommend that pregnant women or people with diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease use a hot tub.

Thanks again to Lori Wolak and The Lake Channel for this article.

Grand Home Furnishings will be furnishing 12 small bare wood chairs for 12 different artists to paint in their own unique style. The artistically painted chairs will then be auctioned off on March 6, 2010 at The Grand Winter Gala and all profits will be donated to the above listed charities.

The Grand Winter Gala will be held at the Waters Edge Ball Room on March 6th from 7pm. to 11pm. You can purchase tickets in person from Grand Home Furnishings Westlake, Lynchburg, Valley View and Tanglewood, or fill out an online order form to receive your tickets in the mail. Individuals are $60 and couples are $100.