DECEMBER Savannah, GA
free!
skirt!is
www.skirt.com
Shake, rattle and roll the status quo. Move somewhere with a subway. Dye your hair red. Make a list of 10 secret wishes for the coming year.
U! O YY de K t!’s Gui r C i LU sk Gift e y da Insid i l Ho
Make them come true. Go on a guilty pleasure trip instead of a guilt trip.
Celebrate the Solstice and follow the sun. Take a vow of silence that you’ll think before you speak. That you might not speak at all but swallow the need to be heard and seen. Make a date to break up with
Your Biggest Fear. Seek out the oddity, the quirk, the thing or person that doesn’t fit. Shift your gaze sideways...a slanted view of the world will keep you on the offbeat path. Add spice. To everything. Be the guest of honor at the surprise party life is trying to throw you. Cover copy by Nikki Hardin, art by Ali Douglass
“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” Boris Pasternak
DECEMBER
Publisher
Nikki Hardin publisher@skirt.com Art Director
Caitilin McPhillips caitilin.mcphillips@skirt.com National Editor
Margaret Pilarski margaret.pilarski@skirt.com Savannah Editor
Elena Fodera elena.fodera@skirt.com Advertising Director
Jane Townsend jane.townsend@savannahnow.com Sales Executive
Cinda Baker cinda.baker@skirt.com Graphic Designer
Britt Scott Photography
Adriana Iris Boatwright Office: 912.525.0740 Sales: 912.525.0740 FAX:
skirt! is all about women... their work, play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls. skirt! is an attitude...spirited, independent, outspoken, serious, playful and irreverent, sometimes controversial, always passionate. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Send information elena.fodera@skirt.com, or mail to skirt! Savannah, 1375 Chatham Parkway Savannah, GA 31405
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR All letters must include the writer’s name and city/state.
WRITERS & ARTISTS Our guidelines are available online at skirt.com. Submit artwork or essays via e-mail to submissions@skirt.com.
The Surprise Issue
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Food for Thought ������������������������������������������������������������������������13
912.525.0746
Profile: Mary Jane Crouch
Profile: Mary Anne Hogan
A Mom to Many ��������������������������������������������������������������������������14 skirt! is published monthly and distributed free throughout the greater Savannah area. skirt! reserves the right to refuse to sell space for any advertisement the staff deems inappropriate for the publication. Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Letters to the editor are welcome, but may be edited due to space limitations. Press releases must be received by the 1st of the month for the following month’s issue. All content of this magazine, including without limitation the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content, as well as the selection, coordination and arrangement thereof, is Copyright © 2012, Morris Publishing Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher. SKIRT!® is a registered trademark of Morris Publishing Group, LLC.
Women make more than 80% of all purchasing decisions.
Profile: Doretha Rice
Gives Safe Haven ������������������������������������������������������������������������16 Skirt! Holiday Give Book.............................................20 Eyes Wide Open
Women spend almost 2 of every 3 healthcare dollars.
Stephanie Hunt ����������������������������������������������������������������������������26 A Hand In Mine
Tzivia Gover....................................................................................28 Women control 2/3 of the nation’s disposable income.
IN EVERY ISSUE
Letter from the Publisher/Editor ������������������������������������������8 Women influence 80% of all car sales.
Calendar............................................................................................23 He’s So Original ���������������������������������������������������������������������������31 Skirt of the Month ���������������������������������������������������������������������35 Meet.....................................................................................................37 Planet Nikki......................................................................................38
6  december 2012 savannah  www.skirt.com
Illustration by BerinMade Illustrated Paper Goods. berinmade.com
DECEMBER
www.skirt.com   december 2012 savannah  7
THE UNITED SKIRTS OF AMERICA
The United Skirts of America was founded on the blood, sweat and estrogen of our foremothers, who won us the freedom
Ali Douglass Ali Douglass was born in Muncie, Indiana, and after
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Surprise Issue Sometimes the magic appears out of nowhere, like spray-painted graffiti that read “In Pursuit of Magic” that I found on a West Village sidewalk
to choose...to break
in New York. Like the joyous swarm of illegal skateboarders taking over
The Rules, to wear
Broadway one Saturday when I was entering the subway. Like the tiny,
combat boots or high
exquisite woodpecker that appeared at the feeder in my yard long after
heels, to run for office or run a marathon,
I’d given up expecting one. These ordinary surprises still stop me in my tracks because they remind me life can change on a dime—and not for the worse as I’m wont to believe. If you’re brought up by a parent who thinks
enjoying life in Boston, Kansas
to form our own
“quiet desperation” is the default setting for life, you’re always on guard
City, New York City, and San
rock groups instead
for the flat tire, the scary test results, the heartbreak on the heels of love at
Francisco, she is happy to be living in Asheville, NC. She has
of being groupies, to
first sight. Cynicism kicked my capacity for wonder in the butt for a long, long time. Worrying about the dark surprises of life, I sometimes forget
been working as an illustrator
shatter Glass Ceilings
for more than 13 years, illus-
and Glass Slippers, to
my feet or amazed at an unexpected refund check or gobsmacked by an
shoot hoops instead
act of generosity out of the blue. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not all rainbows
more than 25 books.
of settling for hoop
and cupcakes: I still hate chain emails promising miracles or money if I pass
Her work has been recognized
skirts. The ones who
trating magazines, newspapers, greeting cards, advertising, and
by American Illustration,
it’s still possible to be astonished by meeting someone who sweeps me off
them on to 10 friends, and websites about kittens and other cuteness make me want to kick a stuffed animal around. But seeing Monet’s Water Lilies in
came before us made
real, glowing life or walking through Central Park with bright yellow leaves
of Illustrators, readymade.com,
it possible for our
falling like Zeus showering gold coins on Danae, or simply waking up in the
sfgirlbybay.com, and
daughters to dream
middle of the night to the sound of rain and thunder—I hope those kinds of
Step Inside Design, L.A. Society
apartmenttherapy.com. Books she has illustrated
bigger, to have the
for American Girl have
chance to grow up to
been winners of the 2008
be President and turn
Children’s Choice Award, International Reading
experiences never cease to put an exclamation mark on my mind.
Nikki
publisher@skirt.com
the Oval Office into
Association and Children’s
the Ovary Office. In
FROM THE EDITOR
Book Council, and winner of
the United Skirts of
As surprising as it is, 2012 is already coming to a close. Even if the world doesn’t end as some predict
America, every day is
(that would be a real shocker!), I’m foreseeing big changes—good ones, at that. After last month’s elec-
the 2007 Excellence in Financial Literacy Award (EIFLE), Institute for Financial Literacy.
Independence Day! VISIT US ON SKIRT.COM
tions, a historic number of women won seats as U.S. Senators. Voters made unprecedented advances to civil liberties by approving marriage equality for gay couples, not to mention the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, in several states. U.S. Senator-elect Mazie Hirono and U.S. Representative-elect Tulsi Gabbard made history as being the first Buddhist and Hindu, respectively, elected to Congress. Although many of us, myself sometimes included, complain about the country’s leadership, progress is being made on the ground floor. In my time as editor of skirt! Savannah, this is the first letter in which I’ve mentioned politics—I prefer to leave that to Nikki. But that’s the spirit of the Surprise Issue! I’m astounded, inspired even, by the positive social change happening against the odds and in spite of the struggles so many face. I’m reminded that at the core of skirt! is a message of equality for all walks of life. Happy holidays to all!
?!
8 december 2012 savannah www.skirt.com
Elena
elena.fodera@skirt.com
12  december 2012 savannah  www.skirt.com
My Gift List
Mary Jane Crouch | Food for Thought Mary Jane Crouch, director of America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, and her team put food on the table for thousands of people who would otherwise go hungry. “We share more than 10 millions pounds of food with 21 counties in Coastal Georgia each year,” Mary Jane says. The organization’s Kids Café after-school program is the country’s second-largest childhood hunger initiative, serving more than 4,000 children every day. And it provides more than just food—volunteers at Kids Café offer help with homework and more, giving children education and encouragement to succeed. “It’s about breaking the cycle of poverty,” Mary Jane says, “We are here to give a hand up, not just a handout.” What is the best gift you ever gave? “I gave my sons their best friends, their dogs!” What is the best gift you ever received? “Family, friends and life after breast cancer. But I truly love my WeedWacker!” What do you really want this holiday? “I want people in Savannah to realize that others go to bed hungry in our city and to know that it only takes a small gesture to make a huge difference in those lives.” Photo by Adriana Iris Boatwright
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My Gift List
Mary Anne Hogan | A Mom to Many Principal of Savannah’s St. Vincent’s Academy, one of the oldest all-girl Catholic schools in the country, Mary Anne Hogan feels like a mom to 300 girls. “I’m so proud of each of them!” she says. Following the motto “Be good today and better tomorrow,” students take part in a longstanding tradition of community service. “In addition to excellence in academics, service is the second component we teach,” she explains. “I’m thankful to get to nurture them and their dreams and encourage them to think bigger than they ever have before.” The students have a role model cut out for them: Mary Anne also heads up Mom’s Lemonade Fund, a local charity organization that offers support to women and families struggling with ovarian cancer. What is the best gift you ever gave? “Giving my students the opportunity to succeed.” What is the best gift you ever received? “My engagement ring from my husband of 10 years.” What do you really want this holiday? “I wish that everyone would feel a sense of gratitude for what they have … A vacation would be nice, too!” Photo by Adriana Iris Boatwright
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My Gift List
Doretha Rice | Gives Safe Haven As program manager for SAFE Shelter, Doretha Rice’s job is not an easy one. The Savannah Area Family Emergency Shelter assists women and their children who are experiencing domestic violence. The shelter is a 48-bed facility in a confidential location where families can stay up to 90 days. “If someone calls us in need, we provide transportation to get to us safely,” Doretha explains. “Once they are here, we make sure that their basic needs are taken care of: toiletries; clothes; a bed to sleep in; and food to eat.” Individuals meet with a case manager within 72 hours to start a case plan, and the case managers then follow up with clients after the fact to ensure that the individuals have safe housing, child care and employment, Doretha explains. “What’s rewarding is when an especially young girl comes to us in a bad relationship, then through a case plan she is able to stabilize herself,” Doretha says. “When someone comes in feeling without hope, (and you can) encourage and give her the resources she needs—and she takes advantage of those resources—that is an awesome experience.” What is the best gift you ever gave? “When I was little, I gave my mom a T-shirt with The Rock, her favorite wrestler, on it. Her face was priceless!” What is the best gift you ever received? “I got the keys to my own home last Christmas Eve. It was such an exciting feeling.” What do you really want this holiday?“I would most want to have all my family members, near and far, together for Christmas dinner.” Photo by Adriana Iris Boatwright
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LocalLoves Make It Your Own A blend of crisp classic and contemporary cool, No. Four Eleven offers dreamy décor, linens and vintage furniture in the heart of the Downtown Design District. numberfoureleven.com
Coastal Creative Life’s a beach for Savannah Jack’s owner Kristen McAdams, whose philosophy is to “slow down and treasure the small moments,” in true Savannah style. Her shop celebrates life on the coast with clever creations like sea life-embellished handbags, bangles and baubles, plus a fair helping of coral, seersucker and nautical chart dishes featuring low country locales. savannahjacks.com
Add a personalized touch with high-quality, custom heirloom monograms in an array of styles and colors.
Smells Like Home
Savannah Square luxury soy candles come in 24 signature scents, named for each of our cherished city’s original squares. Created by owner Tim Burt, these delicious scents like Johnson Square Luxury Linen, Chippewa Square Gardenia and Troup Square Pineapple Cilantro are available exclusively at D.Luxe. 413 Whitaker St. 205.903.0352
Shake It Off
More than just shakes and bars, OurSkinny pairs simple, nutritious meal plans with guidance from area physicians, dieticians, personal trainers and more.The “Easiest Diet Ever” is helping people lose weight and get healthy, and it all started right here in Savannah. ourskinny.com
Southern Salt Inspired by the sultry South and named after the Roman sea goddess of saltwater, Salacia is a new line of superior bath and body products. Handmixed using natural botanicals, essential oils and Atlantic sea salt, the brand features fine fragrances like Midnight Garden and Southern Pecan. Literally dreamed up by Cari Phelps of Clark Creative design studio, Salacia’s sophisticated packaging features eco-friendly, recyclable materials like repurposed wine bottles. Available at 24e, 24 E. Broughton St. and Herb Creek Landscape Supply, 7402 Skidaway Rd. or salaciasalts.com.
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Women’s Riding Boots Red Clover 244 Bull St. 912.236.4053
StickyBellies Sara Jane Children’s Boutique 202 E. 37th St. 912.234.5266
Knit Wrap Sweater EJ Scandals 8511 Ferguson Ave. 912.356.1477
Tolani Fringe Scarf Terra Cotta 34 Barnard St. 912.236.6150
Noel Soap & Lotion Sentimental Wendell 5002 Paulsen St., Ste. 102 912.358.0676
H OLI DAY 20 1 2
Fire Truck by Green Toys Savannah Baby Co. 5301 Paulsen Street 912.480.0212
Phyto Hair Products B. Street Salon 418 E. Broughton St. 912.443.0043
Neova Creme De La Copper Chatham Skin & Cancer Center 639 Stephenson Ave. 912.354.7124
Whoopie Candle Heavenly Spa at Westin Savannah Harbor 1 Resort Dr. 912.201.2250
Kama Sutra Gift Basket Joker’s of Savannah 111 W. Derenne Ave. 912.352.0709 The Comedy Store 217 Eisenhower Dr. 912.353.7584
Gift Certificate Savannah Plastic Surgery 7208 Hodgson Memorial Dr. 912.351.5050
Gift Certificate Genesis Medical Spa 323 W. 54th St. 912.233.9167
Gift Certificate Coastal Empire Plastic Surgery 900 Mohawk St. 912.920.2090
H OLI DAY 20 1 2
Gift Certificate Scott Cohen, DDS 835 E. 65th St. #108 912.353.9533
Aveda Gift Set Brian Davis Salon 5525 Abercorn St., Ste. 25 912.351.0600
Virgins Saints & Angels Jewelry Copper Penny 22 W. Broughton St. 912.629.6800
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Illustration by Monkey Mind Design, Unique Paper Expressions. monkeymindesign.etsy.com
DECEMBER
1-9
1
AO
AWOL presents the classic story “A Christmas Carol” at Savannah’s Black Box Theatre. 8pm Dec. 1, 7 and 8 and 3pm matinee Dec. 2 and 9. $12. awolinc.org
Brighten your holiday at Savannah Harbor Foundation’s 2012 Festival of Lights. All month, the Grand Prize of America Track will be home to a twinkling winter wonderland. savannahharborfestivaloflights.com
Join GOTR for the holiday 5K Celebration Run. Girls on the Run’s mission is to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Join in by visiting girlsontherun-ga.org.
1 MERRY AND BRIGHT
8 RAINBOW RUN
8-9 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
1 MERRY AND BRIGHT
8 CHRISTMAS COTTAGES
14 JINGLE BELLS
Head to Historic River Street for Christmas on the River, the arrival of Ol’ St. Nick and the one-of-a-kind nighttime Lighted Parade! 9am-8pm, parade at 5:30pm. riverstreetsavannah.com Push yourself to the limit—and over the Talmadge Bridge—at the Enmark Savannah River Bridge Run. Then enjoy Brunswick stew and music by Listen2Three at the post-race party. savannahriverbridgerun.com 2 OVER THE RIVER
Tybee Island’s Floating Christmas Parade is a festive lighted boat parade. Join the fun for free with a food donation to America’s Second Harvest or watch from the docks for $5. 6pm. tybeefortheholidays.com
Join the Color Vibe 5K! This highly anticipated, unique running event is a blast. Runners are blasted with colors at each stop.You’ve got to see it to believe it. thecolorvibe.com/savannah.php Tybee’s Holiday Cottage Tour takes you to the island’s most charming shabby-chic homes decorated for the festive season. $30 benefits the Humane Society for Greater Savannah. tybeefortheholidays.com 8 FAMILY FUN
City Market’s Christmas for Kids Celebration includes cookie-decorating, ornament-making, a toy drive, photos with Father Christmas in a Cinderella carriage and more. 11am-2pm. savannahcitymarket.com
38th Annual Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Holiday Tour of Homes is your chance to see stunning historic homes decorated in their holiday best. dnaholidaytour.com Join the Savannah Philharmonic for “Holiday Pops: The Festive Season” concert, featuring classic tunes and carols guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. 7:30pm. $36. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. savannahphilharmonic.org
12 GIVE BACK
Free Fab’rik offers women and teens in need a chance to do some shopping this holiday season, free of charge. Donate by today or sign up to volunteer. facebook.com/fabriksavannah 31 WITH A BANG
City Market’s New Year's Eve Celebration is your place for the perfect downtown street party. Ring in 2013 with friends and neighbors, live music and fireworks! savannahcitymarket.com
15 RUN, RUN, RUDOLPH
The 3rd Annual Reindeer Run 8K is a merry way to give to a good cause—runners race in holiday costumes, and proceeds help the Rape Crisis Center of Savannah. fleetfeetsavannah.com/jingle-bell-8k
31 BY THE SEA
If you’d rather escape the city bustle, celebrate seaside. Head to Tybee Island for New Year’s Eve Fireworks launched from the pier. tybeefortheholidays.com
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Stephanie Hunt
That’s what the Christmas story does for me, year after year. It takes me back in memory and forward in dreams, transporting me beyond whatever may be happening in the tumult, tragedy and tedium of everyday life, to another time, another place, another vision of reality, one that is bigger, surprising, magnified, and at the same time, humbling.
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Eyes Wide Open
All was not calm, all was not bright in December of 1968. A few months earlier, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King had been assassinated, and not long after that, Bobby Kennedy was gunned down in a hotel lobby. Dogs attacked in Birmingham; sit-ins, boycotts, marches and mayhem were roiling throughout a Civil Rights-racked country. Further away, in the heretofore unheard-of village of My Lai in the lush tropics of South Vietnam, nearly 500 Vietnamese civilians died in what would later be called the My Lai Massacre, murdered by American soldiers from the innocent and juvenile-sounding “Charlie Company.” But all this was way beyond my grasp in 1968. I was oblivious to the protests, assassinations, and massacres of that bitter year. The only Charlie I cared about was Charlie Brown, and my pal Charlie Froelich, who was my partner in crime for that year’s Christmas pageant. I was five years old in 1968, a student in Mrs. Voorhees’s kindergarten class, and I must have been coloring within the lines on my classwork because I was chosen to be Mary. Therefore, I would accompany Charlie Froelich, who scored the role of Joseph, down the long aisle of St. Mary’s Church in High Point, North Carolina, on a dark December night in that dark year of 1968. I still remember standing in the back of that sanctuary, having my costume adjusted. I can still feel the bobby pins digging into my scalp so my head scarf wouldn’t slip off. I recall the slow, terrifying walk, my careful steps down that endless aisle to the front of the church. These memories came swirling back like snowflakes in a shaken snow globe when I found a yellowed newspaper clipping as I was packing up my mother’s house not long ago. A black and white full-page picture of me and Charlie Froelich, our heads bowed over a manger, my hands folded in dramatic prayer, “O Holy Night” printed in an ornate bold headline—our hallowed moment forever captured on page B1 of the High Point Enterprise. I also remember when I returned to St. Mary’s Church years later as a grown-up, for a wedding or a funeral perhaps, and being completely surprised at how tiny the sanctuary actually was. I was astonished at how distorted my five-year-old perspective had been. The grandeur of that long aisle that I held in precious memory was in reality only a distance of 20, maybe 30, feet. That was 44 years ago. But even from a distance of four decades, and now, after 44 other Christmas Eve pageants, a dozen or more of which featured my own daughters as reluctant angels and once even one of them, I think, as Mary (how do I not remember?), I am still startled at how images and memory morph in the deep folds of my brain as if reflected in a funhouse mirror. How at Christmas especially, place and time, size and distance, get magnified and supersized. Another significant thing happened that same December 44 years ago, while our country grieved monumental losses and while Charlie Froelich and I hovered over a baby doll Jesus. On December 21, 1968, three wise men took off to follow a star. Their names were mission commander Frank Borman, module pilot James Lovell and lunar module pilot William Anders, the crew of Apollo 8, who jettisoned themselves into the heavens four days before Christmas. As they left the atmosphere and made their way toward the moon, they became the first humans to enter into the gravitational field of another celestial body. It took them three days to travel down that long aisle to reach the moon. On Christmas Eve, they orbited it ten times and recorded a television broadcast from outer space in which they read the first verses from the Book of Genesis. “In the beginning…,” their muffled, humbled, astronaut voices intoned. At the time, it was the most-watched TV broadcast ever. These three wise, bold men took that amazing iconic photograph of the Earth from afar, allowing humans for the first time to see our planet from an astonishingly new perspective. The Apollo astronauts saw our home that night, our beautiful marble with its swirl of blue water and white cloud, its brown and gray masses of terra firma, just as I had seen the aisle of St. Mary’s Church—with a child’s Christmas eyes. Eyes wide opened, eyes that magnify, because the heart is magnified. Eyes that see grace and hope where there is brokenness and fear. Eyes that see creation and our small place within it from a radically new perspective. That’s what the Christmas story does for me, year after year. It takes me back in memory and forward in dreams, transporting me beyond whatever may be happening in the tumult, tragedy and tedium of everyday life, to another time, another place, another vision of reality, one that is bigger, surprising, magnified, and at the same time, humbling. My imagination gets a jolt, my perspective gets a re-boot, and the aisle stretched out before me seems both impossibly long and looming with possibility. Stephanie Hunt is a Charleston, SC-based writer and editor, who obviously peaked in kindergarten and regrets that her Virgin Mary fame was so short-lived. Well, not really.
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What else didn’t I know about my mother?
I
Tzivia Gover
woke that morning from a dream in which I’d been left behind by a group of people I wanted to be with. Just then, my friend Claudia appeared in the dream and took my hand. I knew there had been more to the dream, but all I could remember was that little fragment. Opening my eyes in the guest bedroom of my mother’s apartment, I knew it was going to be a hard day, and that little dream snippet of a friend’s hand in mine was all that gave me any hope that I could get through it with even a modicum of grace. I’d come to New York City to check on my mother and help her sort out her finances, as she’d been suffering from what the doctors were calling “age-related memory loss,” but which was clearly much, much worse than that. I don’t know who disliked our so-called business meetings more, Mom or me. Talk of money makes my mother anxious and even more confused. She can’t think clearly about these matters anymore, and although she’s accepted that she needs help, that doesn’t necessarily make it easier for her to receive it. For my part, I feel overwhelmed, sad, and so many other shades of emotion in the face of this new phase in her life—in our lives. Before venturing downstairs to eat a bagel with Mom, and then digging into the business at hand, I meditated. With this effort I managed to curb my anxiety and instead approach my mother with gentleness and patience, even as I felt panic rising in me as I faced the scope of the tangles I needed to help her sort out. At the same time, I noticed little flickers of a sweet feeling, which I attributed to the dream fragment, even as it slipped farther and farther away from my memory as the morning progressed. After breakfast we sat at the coffee table in the living room sorting through files of unpaid bills, collection notices, and bank statements. I tried to stay calm and focused as I wrote checks and tried to answer mom’s questions—even as I had more questions of my own that she could no longer formulate responses to. That done, I proposed we take a walk. We left the apartment and headed west on 86th Street on our way to Central Park. Despite the fact that I’d walked down that street countless times before, for the first time I noticed a church. The doors were wide open and a sign read, “Come in and pray or meditate. All are welcome.” I walked right past it—then grabbed my mother’s elbow and asked if she’d mind coming inside with me. We’re Jewish, and for a dozen other reasons, I didn’t know how this request would be received. Mom said, “Good, I do that sometimes.” This was news to me. What else didn’t I know about my mother?
We entered the church looking up and around. It was a charming space. There was a border painted high on the walls in muted-bright colors that I imagined one might find in a European country cottage. It was not what I expected to find in a Methodist church. Mom led us to a pew near the back and we sat side by side on the cushioned bench. I closed my eyes, not knowing what to pray for. I considered asking for help for my mother, myself, my daughter, my family. I considered asking for all the things I don’t have and that I yearn for. Instead, I just started thanking God for all the wonderful things in my life—the beautiful blue sky outside, the sweet visit I had recently with my grown daughter, the kindness of my brother—and suddenly I was carried away in a wave of thank-yous. Nothing had felt that good in a long time. As I continued to express gratitude that I hadn’t even realized I felt, my mother’s hand suddenly took hold of mine. I nearly jumped from the surprise of it. My mother and I have always had a loving relationship, but not an affectionate one. We only hug to say hello and goodbye, and we never hold hands and only rarely kiss each other’s cheeks. And so this loving connection, this unexpected show of physical affection, moved me to tears. Finally, I opened my eyes and my mother opened hers. Hand in hand, we sat a while longer, admiring the church, the chandeliers, and the stained glass. On our way out, we each pulled dollar bills from our wallets to put inside an offering envelope. Before I slipped our donation into the slot in the wooden collection box, my mother said, “Write on it who was here.” I inked our first names on the envelope and dropped it inside. That night, as I was writing in my journal before bed, I remembered the dream again, and especially that feeling I had when my friend Claudia gently took my hand at a time when I was feeling left out and left behind. That sweet sensation of care and connection appeared again, and I had felt it yet again, when my mother took my hand in hers. That little wisp of a dream, it turned out, colored my entire day. But the surprises didn’t stop there. Back home in Massachusetts the next day, I walked into my yoga class as I did most Sunday mornings. I unrolled my mat in the middle row and took my seat. When I looked to my left I saw a woman seated in meditation. It was Claudia. I hadn’t spoken to her in weeks and I’d never seen her in this yoga studio before—but there she was. I waited for her to open her eyes, and when she did, I grasped both her hands in mine. She smiled, and I told her how happy I was to see her—again.
Tzivia Gover is the author of Learning in Mrs. Towne’s House: A Teacher, Her Students, and the Woman Who Inspired Them, and Mindful Moments for Stressful Days, among others. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Creative Nonfiction and The Christian Science Monitor.
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He’s So Original
Tracy Grant | Blast from the Past Lead photographer at the Time Machine Portrait Company, Tracy Grant has one of River Street’s most unique jobs. Using fully designed sets as backdrops, Tracy’s customers let their imaginations run wild—and he captures it on camera. “The fun is not just the photos, it’s in the whole experience,” Tracy explains. “You get to be something different for a change. It’s a way of escaping the routine.” An accomplished local photojournalist, Tracy has shot everything from concerts to military combat as an Army photographer. A fire destroyed the previous Time Machine studio on Broughton Street. “We lost thousands of costumes,” Tracy says. With the help of students and local costume designers, the studio’s collection of Victorian, 1920s, old Western and pirate styles keeps growing. The best thing about reading skirt!? Female fashion is more interesting! You can be infinitely creative with it. Best thing about wearing a skirt? Although skirt! is geared toward women, the stories apply to everyone in the community. Photo by Adriana Iris Boatwright
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Heights Plaza • 66th St. & Paulsen St. Join us for our Holiday Open House December 6th from 5-8pm
H O L I DAY 2 0 1 2
Glitter Acorn Ornament Two Women & A Warehouse 2819 Bull St. 912.351.5040
Wooden "Just Jingle" Sign Sweet Tea Home & Gifts 8409 Ferguson Ave. 912.691.4729 Blown Glass Hummingbird Byrd Cookie Co. 6700 Waters Ave. 912.355.1716
Beaded Octopus Madame Chrysanthemum 101 W. Taylor St. 912.238.3355
Teal & Rhinestone Ball Ornament The Paris Market & Brocante 36 West Broughton St. 912.232.1500
Travel Suitcase Ornament Villa Savannah 109 W. Broughton St. 912.233.2870
Aubergine Blown Glass Boston Terrier D.Luxe 413 Whitaker St. 205.903.0352
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Illustration by Monkey Mind Design, Unique Paper Expressions. monkeymindesign.etsy.com
Skirt of the Month Tinsel Town Skirt Trunk 13 414 Whitaker St. 912.349.4129
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Sandfly Isle of Hope
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Meet My Workout: Savannah Power Yoga.
Beth Logan, Director of Marketing and Volunteer Services at Hospice Savannah. With an ever-positive attitude, she describes working with patients at the end of life as a privilege and an honor.
Favorite Shoes: Red Stilettos.
Favorite Flower: Tulips.
Where You’ll Find Me On Friday Nights: At an art opening.
Red, White or Beer? Bubbly! Prosecco or champagne.
Favorite Restaurant: Cha Bella. Dream Vacation: The Greek Isles. Favorite Local Artists: Daniel Smith and Melinda Borysevicz. My Workspace: Is too small! Signature Scent: Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir. Where I Get My Coffee: Cutter’s Point Coffee in Sandfly. Words I Live By: For everyone
Photo by Adriana Iris Boatwright
to whom much is given, of him shall much be required. Favorite Feminist: My daughter, Molly. My Role Models: The volunteers at Hospice Savannah.
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xoxonikki
I'm clothing myself in winter, loving black on black, layers on layers, leggings and boots, fingerless gloves and cashmere. Cocooning. At heart, I'm a phototropic being, longing for California sun, Hawaiian sun, Caribbean sun. But I know no life is complete without a descent into winter's underworld to face the deepest dark where poems, epiphanies and new ideas struggle to be born.
Looking forward to:
W h a t ’s k e e p i n g m e a w a k e a t n i g h t :
King’s College Choir, silver stars on everything, cups of boiled custard like my grandmother made, a freak snow storm, surprises at my front door, a Winter Solstice party, woodsmoke candles.
Misplacing a $700 refund check. My job. Did I lock the car? My job. Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? My job. Should I drip the faucets? Did my SSN get hacked? Thanks, Nikki Haley. #10 on my 2013 New Year’s Resolutions.
he Call t ife Midw BS On P
Marathon viewing of Call the Midwife Kindle/NY times My job.
W h a t ’s o n m y m i n d :
I am jealous of:
W h a t ’s o n m y i pa d :
I am so proud of the women in this country for electing three new women
I found this image on aubrey-jo.blogspot.com and love the
senators and rejecting the misogynistic rhetoric that pervaded this election cycle. Listen up, politicians…we voted you in and we can vote you out. Try and make political hay by controlling our bodies to get votes and we will give you the smackdown in the polling booth. On the other hand, respect our bodies and minds, and we will carry you into office on our shoulders.
idea of guerilla art projects. I’d love to post something like this on Starbucks and community bulletin boards to
e who Peoppl end s as eve tm Chrins Paris. i
make people think about the intangibles in life.
Never doubt it…we roar.
Note to self:
Meet Jeff for a bowl of mussels and a glass of wine after work at the Rue bar. Make sure Smoak is bartending!
THe BeST uSe Of
$9.00
A book of 20 Forever Stamps.
Must haves this month: Love Balm in my nightstand, my purse, my desk
A frozen cherry pie from momsapplepieco.com in my freezer A loaded New York subway card
An unlimited yoga pass to keep me limber
This Coach puffer in stoplight red
Nikki Hardin is the founder and publisher of skirt! magazine. She blogs at fridaville.com.
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