The star has a lot of symbolism this time of year. However, this unique shape is present year-round in our beautiful coastal waters.

It’s in the form of starfish or, more correctly, sea stars; because they aren’t a fish. Sea stars are echinoderms, which means “spiny skin.” There are 512 species documented from the Gulf of Mexico. They are related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

Sea stars can live up to 35 years in the wild. One of their most fascinating attributes is that they can regenerate or regrow a limb if it loses one. They do not have a head, heart, brains or blood and they breathe by filtering ocean water.

It is impossible to tell males from females based solely on outward appearance. They move along the sea floor using suction-cup feet, which also help them capture and consume their prey.

Many unique species make their home in Florida; however, they tend to be a rare sight on the Emerald Coast. The explanation that I have read for this is that there is a series of sandbars that extend into deep water all along the Emerald Coast, and the shells collect on the outermost sandbars and never make it to shore.

But we have seen mass strandings of these creatures. In 2014, west of Pensacola, and again in January 2016 at Port St. Joe, beachgoers reported seeing thousands of stranded starfish over several weeks.

Wildlife officials said cold weather, storms and high tides led the starfish to wash up on the shore. They believe that the starfish congregate in mass during cold weather and the high tides or storms wash them ashore.

Beachcombing for shells and starfish is a popular hobby, especially during winter months when it’s too cold to swim. Early morning is generally a good time to look before everyone else has walked the beach.

However, it’s important to be aware of and follow appropriate harvesting regulations to stay legal and avoid potential fines. A Florida recreational saltwater fishing license is required to harvest a seashell containing a living organism, even when harvesting from shore.

So, look and touch, but toss that sea star back into the ocean to see another season.

Laura Tiu is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LAURA TIU: All about starfish

Most of us need to do some type of estate planning, but it’s especially important if you are part of a “blended” family. And the best time to start is now — before these plans need to be implemented.

Estate planning can be complex, so you will need help from a qualified legal professional. But here are a few general suggestions that can be suitable for blended families:

•Update beneficiary designations — and think about multiple beneficiaries. Update the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts and insurance policies to reflect the reality of your blended family. These designations can supersede the instructions you provided in your will. So if your will states that your current spouse should inherit your assets, but you had named your former spouse, or a child, as the primary beneficiary of an IRA, then your former spouse or your child — not your present-day spouse — will indeed receive the IRA.

To ensure that “everyone gets something,” you could name your current spouse as primary beneficiary and your children from a previous marriage as equal contingent beneficiaries. But the primary beneficiary will receive all the assets and is free to do whatever he or she wants with the money. To enact your wishes, you can name multiple primary beneficiaries and designate the percentage of the asset each beneficiary will receive.

•Create a living trust — and consider a professional trustee. A living trust can help you avoid the time-consuming and costly process of probate, while giving you great freedom to determine how, and when, you want your assets distributed. After you pass away, the trust, if structured properly, can provide your surviving spouse with income for life; then, after your spouse dies, your children from an earlier marriage would receive the remainder of the trust.

So far, so good. However, issues can arise if you name your surviving spouse or one of your children as the “successor trustee” who will take charge of the trust upon your passing. Your spouse, acting as successor trustee, could choose to invest only in bonds for income, but if he or she lives another 20 or so years, the value of the investments within the trust will probably have diminished considerably – leaving your children with very little. Conversely, if you name one of your children as trustee, the child could invest strictly in growth-oriented investments, leaving your surviving spouse with greatly reduced income.

To be fair to everyone, you may want to engage a professional third-party trustee. This individual, or company, is not a beneficiary of the trust, is not entitled to share in the assets of the trust, and, ideally, should have no “rooting interest” in how proceeds of the trust are distributed.

•Consider a prenuptial agreement. When it’s time to settle an estate, a prenuptial agreement can help avoid disputes among members of a blended family. If you and your new spouse have agreed to keep your assets separate so that each of you can pass an inheritance to your own children, you need to spell out that separation in your “prenup,” your will, your living trust and any other relevant estate-planning arrangements.

Above all else, share your estate planning intentions with members of your blended family. You may not be able to satisfy everyone, but through open communications, you can help prevent bad feelings – and unpleasant surprises.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Estate planning tips for blended families

It looks like Christmas around Crestview. Many decorations are up and look beautiful. Jim, my husband, and I enjoy driving around looking at the beautiful lights and decorations on homes and businesses. Some of our residents are so imaginative.

Is your Christmas shopping finished and your gifts wrapped? I still need to wrap and mail packages so they will be on time. Have you begun writing and sending your Christmas cards? I have sent a few cards, but have

Have you begun writing and sending your Christmas cards? I have sent a few cards, but have many more to send. This is our way of staying in touch with our many friends all over the country. My Mother is busy sewing wonderful gifts for the family, she is so creative, but the treasures she creates are very time-consuming. Jim and I are trying not to be too materialistic this year, many people in our city and county could use a helping hand with food, utility bills and other provisions. Check with your church to see what you can do to help a local family in need.

My Mother is busy sewing wonderful gifts for the family; she is so creative, but the treasures she creates are very time-consuming. Jim and I are trying not to be too materialistic this year, many people in our city and county could use a helping hand with food, utility bills and other provisions. Check with your church to see what you can do to help a local family in need.

Jim and I are trying not to be too materialistic this year. Many people in our city and county could use a helping hand with food, utility bills and other provisions. Check with your church to see what you can do to help a local family in need.

There are several Christmas events being held this weekend hosted by local churches. Saturday evening, Dec. 10, from 5:30-8 p.m., Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, located at 8115 4th St., will host their annual "Living Nativity." There will be live animals and actors to tell the traditional Christmas story. This is always a fun and interactive experience for all ages. Light refreshments will be served after the tours.

On Sunday, Dec. 11, from 8:30-10:30 a.m., First United Methodist Church, located at 599 8th St., will host their first annual "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness" in the Crossroads Center. There will be suggestions for you and your family, or if you have a particular idea in mind, bring the supplies you will need. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served. If you have questions, please call April Hight at 682-2018 ext. 102. The Christmas Cantata will be presented across the street at 11 a.m.

Check out the calendar in the Crestview News Bulletin for further Christmas activities. There are plenty of enjoyable events — be sure that you participate in some of them.

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Living Nativity, random acts of kindness among North Okaloosa events