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www.kevintharpe.com (770) 503-1022 Garnet, Grits, and Gridiron Kevin’s Peace of Mind August 2025
THE HEART OF MY FSU JOURNEY
In the South, football and grits are still the king.
Photo: Ayzmo
While most people in this part of the country would agree wholeheartedly with that statement, which football team is king in their minds is a matter of debate — and it can get colorful in more ways than one! This is serious business, and it can sometimes feel like a personal offense if someone you know didn’t attend the right college or support the right team. With National College Colors Day coming on the 29th and college football season kicking off a few days earlier, I figured I’d weigh in on this ever-important topic. Many people here are emotionally connected to their college teams, and the Tharpe family is no exception. My wife, Missy, attended the University of Georgia, which has red and black as its school colors. Our daughter, Callie, attends Berry College, whose colors are navy blue and white. Both my girls love to display their college colors, but I take my appreciation for my college colors to a new level. You may have noticed everything from this newsletter’s banner to my company website and letterhead — and even my truck — features garnet and gold. Well, that’s how much I love my alma mater, the Florida State University Seminoles. My passion for FSU didn’t develop overnight. I knew from an early age I wanted to be a lawyer as well as be involved in politics and government and the center of government and politics in Florida is the state capitol of Tallahassee, which is also the home of FSU. After I graduated from FSU in 1984, I attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. There were a lot of FSU connections to Samford. Legendary FSU football coach Bobby Bowden attended and played football at Samford’s predecessor Howard University. Many years later, at the time I was attending law school, the head football coach at Samford was Bobby Bowden’s son, Terry Bowden, and the starting quarterback was Jimbo Fisher, who years later became the head football coach for FSU. Coach Fisher
led FSU to a National Championship in 2013. I felt like I had come full circle! The colors of Samford may be red, white, and blue, but garnet and gold blended very well while I was at Samford. I’m grateful for my FSU experience, and I’ll always be proud to display its colors. No matter which college captured your heart, I hope being there helped make you who you are today. If you’re about to see your children or grandchildren head off for their own higher education experiences, I wish them well in what will surely be a wonderful and meaningful time in their lives. Enjoy the thrill of seeing them succeed … even if their beloved football team or school colors differ from yours. Go Noles!!!
—Kevin
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Rethinking Retirement
The Rise of Part-Time Retirees
These days, more people are scaling back on long working hours, especially Gen Z and millennials. Many pick up part-time work or projects that give them space without completely severing ties to working life. It’s a slow shift — not a sudden stop — and it’s gaining traction. And for those approaching retirement, it’s something to consider. Retirement doesn’t have to mean walking away for good. This shift is partly fueled by remote and flexible work options, making it easier to downshift without leaving the workforce. A recent study from Fidelity Investments found that 66% of younger workers would prefer a
phased retirement, and more than half of all respondents said they plan to work part-time during retirement. The reasons vary. Some want more time for travel, hobbies, or personal projects, but still value structure and purpose. Others want to stay active or involved in their field. Working in some capacity can also help with cash flow, delay Social Security, or cover insurance, which is especially important for those retiring before age 65. That said, partial retirement brings its own planning challenges. Health coverage is often limited for part-time workers. Income from consulting or
part-time jobs could also reduce early Social Security benefits. And scaling back hours usually means scaling back contributions to retirement savings. Still, for those who plan ahead, semi- retirement offers a flexible way to ease into the next stage of life. It provides space to try new things without giving up the financial or emotional benefits work can offer.
FOOD ON WHEELS THE NUTTY CRUISER ROLLS OUT
Food companies have tried every trick in the book to get your attention, but few can
on tiny parachutes, just in case the giant almond wasn’t enough to grab your attention. Inside, it has room for 10,000 snack packs, making it one of the tastiest vehicles on the highway. The Nutty Cruiser tours state fairs, sporting events, and festivals and draws a crowd wherever it goes. Drivers say it handles surprisingly well, thanks to its smooth, aerodynamic design — though they still get pulled over by curious police officers who just want a closer look. From hot dogs to nuts, food-shaped vehicles have a strange way of sticking around. Maybe it’s because they’re fun, a little bit ridiculous, and impossible to ignore. In a world full of billboards and pop-up ads, there’s still something special about spotting a giant almond cruising down the highway.
beat the simple charm of a giant snack rolling down the street. It all started early in the 20th century when
people dressed up cars with quirky decorations to drum up business. The most famous example came in 1936, when the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile hit the road and turned heads everywhere it went. The tradition is still alive today, and the newest edition is as nutty as they come. Blue Diamond’s Nutty Cruiser is a 20-foot-long almond on wheels, designed to spread the love for almonds across America. It even has an almond cannon that will shoot small bags of almonds
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TAKE A BREAK
The $100K Reason to Get a Pet
Beer Family Leo Lunchbox Mustard Peridot
New Study Says Pets Are Worth Plenty
Poppy Sisters Twins Vacation Watermelon Zucchini
Most pet owners already know their furry friends make life better, but according to a new study, the value might be higher than anyone realized. Some researchers say it’s close to $100,000. Researchers in the UK aimed to measure how much happiness dogs and cats bring to people’s lives. Using data from more than 700 people, they found that owning a pet can boost life satisfaction as much as getting married or landing a massive raise. In economic terms, it’s the emotional equivalent of earning nearly $93,000 more per year. To determine whether pets actually improve happiness, rather than the opposite — happy people are more likely to have pets — the team factored in things like age, income, personality traits, and family size. They also used a clever workaround: They asked people whether they look after their neighbor’s house while they’re away. That behavior is linked to pet ownership but not directly to happiness, which helped researchers isolate the impact of pet ownership. It’s not just a fun fact, either. Experts say findings like this could affect everything from housing laws to public health programs. If pets fight loneliness and lift people’s moods, it might make sense to rethink rules that prevent pet ownership in some apartments and assisted living facilities. While the researchers focused only on cats and dogs, the message came through clearly. Pets matter, maybe even more than we thought. And if you already live with one and know how they benefit your well-being, the science now backs you up. That wagging tail or soft purr might be worth more than you ever guessed.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM BARS
Ingredients
Inspired by ThePioneerWoman.com
• 1 pt strawberry ice cream • 1/4 cup strawberry preserves • 1 pt vanilla ice cream
• 1 5.25-oz package crispy sugar cookies • 1 0.8-oz package freeze- dried strawberries
Directions 1. Stir strawberry ice cream in a large bowl until spreadable. Fold in preserves until evenly streaked throughout. 2. Stir vanilla ice cream in a separate large bowl until spreadable. 3. Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of the strawberry mixture into the bottom of 8 (1/3-cup) popsicle molds. Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of the vanilla mixture on top of the strawberry mixture into the molds. Repeat, alternating the 2 mixtures, until each mold is full. 4. Place sticks into the popsicles and freeze until solid, 4–6 hours. 5. In a large zip-lock bag, crush sugar cookies with a rolling pin until pieces are rice-size; pour into a shallow dish. 6. Repeat with freeze-dried strawberries and stir the pieces together. 7. Run the ice cream molds under warm water to wiggle popsicles out. 8. Coat bars evenly with cookie mixture. 9. Eat immediately or place on a cookie sheet and freeze.
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(770) 503-1022 www.KevinTharpe.com 405 Broad St. Gainesville, GA 30501
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Pride and Pigskin
2
A Softer Step Into Retirement
The Nuttiest Car in America
3
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Why Pets Beat Pay Raises
The Ghost Flight of L-8
4
The Day a Blimp Lost Its Crew WWII’S REAL-LIFE AVIATION GHOST STORY
In August 1942, a Navy blimp called L-8 floated over a neighborhood near San Francisco. But when it came down, something vitally important was missing. The L-8 had taken off on a routine patrol that morning, scouting for enemy submarines off the California coast. Around 7:50 a.m., the crew radioed that they were checking out a suspicious oil slick. After that, the blimp went silent. Witnesses later reported seeing it drift far off course, rise too high, and then lose altitude and bump into rooftops and power lines. By the time it landed, thousands of locals had gathered. Everyone had the same question: Where did the crew go? Inside the gondola, nothing seemed out of place. The life raft, parachutes, and even a
briefcase full of classified documents were still there. The engines and radio worked, yet Lt. Ernest DeWitt Cody and Ensign Charles Ellis Adams were gone without a trace. Theories popped up fast. Maybe one man fell out, and
the other tried to save him. Maybe both jumped into the ocean and
vanished. Some even whispered about secret missions gone wrong or unknown equipment failures, but no hard evidence ever surfaced.
Following the incident and a thorough review, the Navy repaired the blimp and returned it to service. But the crew’s disappearance never made sense — no wreckage, no radio calls, and not a single clue.
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