Azalea Magazine Fall 2019

PAINTING CONNECTIONS: THE ART OF ANITA LAUDONE HARLEY CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY / KNOCK ON WOOD: THE SHELBOURNE'S HISTORIC HOME THE SOUTH'S BEST CAST IRON SKILLET / PRESERVING HISTORY AT MCLEOD PLANTATION COPS ATHLETIC PROGRAM / ETIQUETTE: THE LABOR DAY LAW / WOVEN DECOR

Fall 2018 ~ FREE Fall 2019 ~ FREE

Modern Living in the Old South Sweet Dreams Crispy Almond Cookies

Whether you're making them for yourself or gifting them to friends, the art of baking cookies is a meditative exercise that results in a delicious result Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

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A Z A L E A

M A G A Z I N E

F E AT U R E S Fall 2019

Wind Wings A bird in flight at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition

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COOKIES

Classic treats take on new flavors with these delicious recipes.

62

KNOCK ON WOOD

Flowers and family flourish in the light of Pam and Brandt Shelbourne’s historic home.

68

HOPE AND F E AT H E R S

Founded out of an acute awareness for the need of an avian conservation center in South Carolina, The Center for Birds of Prey offers us a bird’s eye view of ourselves and the world we live in.

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PAINTING CONNECTIONS

In a time where people are becoming more divided, one Lowcountry artist encourages her viewers to put differences aside and instead focus on the similarities and connections people can make with one another.

CONT ENT S

/ Fall 2019

51

15

27

33

21 08 Editor’s Letter 12 Contributors

43 Kids These Days

by Tara Bailey

FIELD GUIDE 15 Sport 16 Etiquette - Labor Day Law 19 Art

47 Life & Faith

by Lili Hiser

43

SOUTHERN LIFE 21 Southern Spotlight - Artisan 27 Southern Spotlight - History 33 Southern Spotlight - Community

On The Cover: A warm stack of Crispy Almond Cookies. Photo by Will Rizzo 8

COLUMNS 39 Natural Woman

by Susan Frampton

AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

51 THE GALLERY Grass Roots From handbags and jewelry to kitchen and home decor, not only are natural woven goods in vogue— they're timeless 80 THE VILLAGE POET - Biscotti

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Sweet Moments

“Pinewood is an exciting learning environment where kids who want and need to be challenged have the opportunity. It’s not just about learning but about being problem solvers, serving the greater good, thinking critically, and becoming an independent student learner all rolled into an awesome education!”

- Current Pinewood Parent

Dedicated to Excellence in Pre-K3 through Grade 12 • • • • • • • •

College preparatory curriculum Idea Lab (STEM) program Visual and performing arts Smaller class sizes Interscholastic athletic teams Community engagement opportunities Extracurricular clubs and organizations Experiential learning through class trips

When our daughter Forest was a little under a year old, my husband Dan and I were vigilant about making sure that everything she ate was unprocessed, whole plant food. We steamed sweet potatoes, sliced up avocado, and bought enough blueberries that I’m sure we must legally own stock in the blueberry company now. We treated our daughter’s body like a temple that only accepted organic produce as an offering, but though we were devout, we somehow neglected to make our practices clearly known to my father, who the grandkids affectionately know as “Papa.” After leaving Forest with my parents for an afternoon, Dan and I came back to find our sweet, organicallyfed, plant-based baby absolutely covered in Oreo dust, grinning from ear to ear. My mother had stepped out of the room for just a moment, and Papa had decided to give Forest a taste of the good stuff, completely oblivious to the fact that it was her first cookie rodeo.

It took a day or two of deep breathing exercises and mindful meditation, but I forgave my dad for the misstep. Now, I look back on the incident fondly.

I actually love that we can remember her first cookie experience, and laugh when I recall the stillness that hung in the air, and the expressions on all of our faces. These days, Forest is six, and her little brother, Oscar, is three. Though we still seek healthy living as much as possible, cookies permeate some of our loveliest memories. Watching my mother teach her grandkids how to mix the batter of an old family recipe, cutting out gingerbread men with the kids for class parties, leaving out a plate of freshly-baked, insanely-decorated cookies for Santa...cookies have made sweet moments even sweeter.

One of my favorite things to do with my children is to bake up a batch of cookies when a new neighbor moves in, when someone does something nice for us, or when a friend could use some cheering up. Getting them involved gets them excited about doing a good deed, and I hope these moments make up some of their “loveliest memories” in the future. On page 56 of this issue, we share some of our favorite cookie recipes; consider whipping up an extra batch for someone who may need a little sweetness in their life. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.

Jana Riley

Senior Editor

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Will Rizzo Editor in Chief will@azaleamag.com Dottie Rizzo Managing Editor dottie@azaleamag.com Susan Frampton Senior Editor Jana Riley Senior Editor & Copy Editor Lewis Frampton Distribution Manager

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Leslie Phinney, Personal 843.762.3372 Buck Inabinet, Commercial 843.762.3373

Contributors Tara Bailey Joy Bonala Elizabeth Donehue Susan Frampton Lili Hiser Ellen Hyatt Jana Riley Jason Wagener Pamela J. Browning Publisher Chris Zoeller Chief Marketing Off icer Advertising Inquiries Misty Simons misty@azaleamagazine.com 843.937.5922

Susie Wimberly susie@azaleamag.com 843.568.7830

Subscribe *Available for $16.99 a year (4 Issues). Visit azaleamag.com for details.

Azalea Magazine is a division of:

Azalea Media

114B E. Richardson Ave. Summerville, SC 29483 info@azaleamag.com www.azaleamag.com 843.478.7717

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AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

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CONTRIBUTORS

SUSAN FRAMPTON Writer & Editor

LILI HISER Writer

JOY BONALA Writer

JASON WAGENER Illustrator

TARA BAILEY Writer

Never dreaming that anyone would read her ramblings, Susan Frampton scribbled her way through two wildly different careers before accidently becoming a writer. These days, when away from the keyboard, she follows the antics of her accident-prone husband, nurses pine-coneswallowing wiener dogs, reads late into the night, and counts her many blessings.

Lili Gresham Hiser was born in Charleston, SC and raised in both the Lowcountry and Central Florida. She invested more than ten years of service in the non-profit/higher education sector. She and her husband enjoy re-experiencing life in the South through the eyes of their young children.

Joy lives in Summerville with her husband and daughter. Those two fill her days with laughter, love, and laundry. She works as a multimedia journalist and is passionate about photography, video production, and public radio, among other things.

Jason began his illustrious art career when he won a coloring contest in third grade, subsequently entitling him the proud owner of a Mickey Mouse dry erase board.

He moved to the Lowcountry in 1990 and save an education at the Savannah College of Art and Design, has remained a faithful transplant ever since.

Tara Bailey lives in Summerville with her husband and three daughters, assuming the one in college comes home to visit.

She has worked as a naturalist, a teacher, a writer, and an editor, balancing her love of the outdoors with her compulsion to alter sentences. She enjoys natural history, horror movies, and reads anything in print. She can usually be found on her bike or behind a coffee mug.

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AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

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On August 7, the Summerville Green Wave coaching staff and players hosted their second annual Ladies Footbal Clinic. The evening included a bus ride to the stadium, a presentation of the history of Summerville Football, on-field drills, basic football fundamentals, and a fashion show.

Field Day With a mix of football, fashion, and food, the Summerville Green Wave Ladies Clinic is a unique take on an ultimate fan experience.

Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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ELIZABETH DONEHUE

“Meet Elizabeth... arbiter of social graces. Passionate volunteer with a heart for hospitality and cultivating community.

She lives in Summerville with her husband and two boys (and another on the way)!”

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ETIQUETTE

The Labor Day Law

The post-Labor Day ban on white clothing and accessories has long ranked among the most sacred rules of etiquette.

While strict traditionalists claim steadfast adherence to the rule “no white after Labor Day,” one would be remiss to have not noticed recent skepticism of the Labor Day law and more people than ever breaking the rule.

that the fashion industry abandoned the rule long ago in favor of embracing winter whites.

More surprisingly, Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition, gives the go-ahead for wearing white after Labor Day. Gasp!

Where exactly did the rule come from?

In the early 1900s many of society’s elite spent their summer months at seaside homes. City clothes were left behind in exchange for lighter, whiter, summer outfits. When the well-to-do returned to the ‘real world’ those summer clothes were put away and more formal city clothes donned once more. The signal to mark the change between wardrobes was summed up in the adage “No white after Labor Day.” And it stuck! By the 1950s, women’s magazines made it clear to even middle class America that white clothing came out on Memorial Day and went away on Labor Day.

The Emily Post Institute notes, “Of course you can wear white after Labor Day, and it makes perfect sense to do so in climates where September’s temperatures are hardly fall-like. It’s more about fabric choice today than color. Even in the dead of winter in northern New England the fashionable wear white wools, cashmeres, jeans, and down-filled parkas.”

But does the old adage still apply?

Known for bucking tradition, it is no surprise

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AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

With America's foremost etiquette expert telling us that the rule is passé, this may explain why some who would typically abide by the custom are now willing to compromise.

Ultimately, the true aim is to wear what's appropriate—for the weather, the season, or the occasion... color not withstanding. AM

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During the hottest week of July, six artists worked together to create a collaborative mural at Coastal Coffee Roasters.

Their work was inspired by Mexican Artist Hugo Crosthwaite, who creates a mural variation of the Surrealist drawing game Exquisite Corpse, in which one artist creates a portion of the project in secret and the next artist responds by creating a new section inspired by the previous. For this project, the artists met with Coastal Coffee Roasters Owner Brad Mallett and developed a theme of "community." The artists divided up the wall into sections and coordinated which day each would paint their section so one could go right after the other.

Artists worked independently on their sections at first, and came back to do touch ups together so the final piece had a completed feeling of unity.

Creative Crew Artists Kevin Morrissey, Seth Deitch, Will Rizzo, April Aldrich, Caleb Quire, and Andrew Frye.

Wall Flowers A local business owner and group of multidisciplined artists come together to capture community in bold color Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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L I F E & C U L T U R E from O U R L I T T L E S L I C E of T H E S O U T H

Retro Revival A new twist on a triedand-true classic

Pumping Iron With a dedication to creating heirloom-quality cookware, Smithey Ironware Company is more than just a flash in the pan.

by Jana Riley

Featuring: Pumping Iron pg. 21 / The Voices of McLeod Plantation pg. 27 / The Power of Play pg. 33 / Natural Woman pg. 39 / Kids These Days pg. 43 / Life & Faith pg. 47

Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

23

Pumping Iron

t’s a big day at Smithey Ironware Company, and inside the company’s new North Charleston digs, the air hums with anticipation. This is the day the tight-knit team releases their newest creation: a hand-forged carbon steel beauty of a cooking tool they have dubbed “The Farmhouse Skillet.” Born of an idea kicked around late at night with a neighboring blacksmith, Robert Thomas, the skillet is the result of years of planning, prototypes, and a whole lot of hard work by the Smithey team and Robert Thomas himself. Today, they share it with the world, and nearly every member of the team can be caught stealing glances at the clock, awaiting the official 12pm launch of their newest pride and joy. At the center of it all stands the proud patriarch: the founder of Smithey Ironware Company, Issac Morton.

I

If you had asked Issac Morton, back when he was studying Economics at UNC Chapel Hill or Real Estate at Columbia University in New York, if he saw fire and forge in his future, chances are the Durham native would have responded with a quizzical glance. It wasn’t until his sister-in-law gifted him with a vintage Griswold cast iron skillet a decade ago that he began to study

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AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

the world of thoughtfully-designed cookware. Within months, he bought books on the subject, and was actively collecting cast iron skillets from yard sales, online auctions, and flea markets, restoring and refurbishing them to their original glory before passing them on to family and friends. The work was just a hobby until the recession of 2008 hit, and Morton’s career in banking and investment was heavily impacted. Upon reflection of his options, Morton kept recalling the encouragement of those who had seen his iron restoration work: friends and family members who urged him to do it for a living. And so, he did. Utilizing his breadth of knowledge as a collector and his impeccable business sense, Morton set out to create the best cast iron cookware he had ever seen.

“No one is making modern cookware in a vintage style with a smooth surface,” says Morton. “So I decided I would do it.”

Like most great companies, Smithey Ironware Company started small and humble, with a great deal of focused attention powering the operation in the beginning. Morton spent well over a year working on research and design, and expertly navigated the often disappointing path of finding a foundry willing to take on a new

client. After contacting 200 different foundries, Morton finally found the right fit, and officially opened up shop in a garage on Folly Road in 2015. He hired his first employee, Stephen McClellan, and the two of them worked diligently to grow the company together, designing cookware, loading up unfinished skillets at the foundry in Hanahan, and driving them back to their shop for polishing, packaging, and shipment. Local chefs and gift-givers began to discover their products, and demand for their products rose accordingly. After outgrowing their Folly Road location in 2018, they moved to a shop on the old Naval Base in North Charleston, but quickly outgrew their new space once again. In early 2019, Smithey Ironware Company finally found a solid headquarters, setting up shop on Pipefitter Street at the old shipyard in North Charleston. These days, the team consists of 9 employees on site, and the number expands during the holiday season to accommodate the many gift orders the company receives.

Down at the new Pipefitter Street location, a productive energy propels the process forward, as team members take raw castings delivered from their Indiana and North Carolina forges and

transform them into works of art. Beginning outside, the interior surfaces of the raw skillets are ground down by skilled craftsmen, and then tumbled with ceramic for around 20 minutes. Then, the skillets are transferred to a CNC machine indoors, which brings a brilliant sheen to the previously dull skillets. After that, they head over to get three rounds of hand-seasoning in a careful process that perfects and protects the ironware. When finished, the skillets are a gorgeous blend of traditional cast iron and nonstick cookware; so smooth, you can easily slide an egg on it; so strong, it can be the workhorse of your kitchen. Their final stop is packaging, where the skillets are gently placed in custom boxes, accompanied by information cards, and ready to be shipped to passionate chefs all over the world.

A cursory overview of the Smithey Ironware Company journey shows a lot of smart decisions made at just the right time, a testament to Issac Morton’s business acumen. More than anything, Morton recognizes the value in relationships, and has ensured that Smithey Ironware Company is both made up of and surrounded by talented, driven individuals. One of those is Will Co-

A Culinary Creation Opposite page: Founder Issac Morton; oiling skillets before packaging. This page: Smithey pans are naturally nonstick; Smithey products hang outside during the production phase.

Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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Pumping Iron

This “sweet spot” is what Smithey Ironware is all about: high end, heirloom quality cookware at a reasonable price, each piece backed by a lifetime guarantee. penhaver, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Smithey for over a year now. With almost a decade of experience working for the most recognizable enameled cast iron company in the world, Copenhaver initially fell in love with Smithey Ironware after getting his hands on a skillet and trying it out; the quality was impeccable, and he was pleased to know the brand was based in his hometown. In a twist of fate, Copenhaver and Morton ended up sitting next to each other at the FIG Restaurant community table, and the rest is history. Today, Copenhaver is working with Morton and the team to help branch out and reach customers all over the planet, and is committed to reaching customers who may not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a single piece of cookware, but are far enough along in their culinary journey to want more than a $20 average skillet. This “sweet spot” is what Smithey Ironware is all about: high end, heirloom quality cookware at a reasonable price, each piece backed by a lifetime guarantee.

As it turns out, the Carbon Steel Farmhouse Skillet was a hit, with the first individually-numbered hundred selling out in record time. After the team celebrated, they got back to work, continuing to collaborate with their neighboring blacksmith to keep up with demand for the unique piece of cookware while developing exciting new products to add to their line. As for Issac Morton, his eye remains on the prize: for his company to be recognized and known for their dedication to creating the best.

“We want to be a great American cast iron cookware maker,” says Morton. “Right now, we are a relatively small company, but eventually, we want our name to be synonymous with the highest quality cast iron in the United States. We’ll get there, just one product at a time.” AM For more information about Smithey Ironware Company, visit www.smitheyironware.com

Kitchen Craftsman Clockwise: Smithey Ironware packaging is as beautiful as the product within; small details reflect the handcrafted quality of the pieces; pans fresh from the foundry.

AM

Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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Kitchen Tour

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Lay of the Land Grand oaks welcome visitors; outbuildings tell the tales of those who have lived on the property.

SOUTHERNSPOTLIGHT McLeod Plantation: History

The Voices of McLeod Plantation With a focus on the story of the enslaved, The McLeod Plantation Historic Site offers visitors the opportunity to explore the landscape of history from a new perspective

by Susan Frampton

As the lights flash, the rails are lowered, and the bridge opens to allow a vessel to pass beneath it on Wappoo Creek, traffic comes to a stop. Here, a peninsula city and a sea island meet. Many of those who sit impatiently in the idling cars and trucks are unaware that they sit at the intersection of history and modern life.

A

Hidden just beyond the trees and shrubbery north of the highway, McLeod Plantation Historic Site stands amidst the oaks. Over 150 years ago, the family of William Wallace McLeod looked out the glass panes of the plantation house's newly constructed windows. Despite its location just outside Charleston, until recently, few were aware of the significance of the land beyond the mossdraped live oaks. Little research had been conducted on the site owned and occupied

by William Ellis "Mr. Willie" McLeod, until his death in 1990.

According to Cultural History Interpretation

Coordinator, Shawn Halifax, the little research compiled on McLeod Plantation before its purchase in 2011 by Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission (CCPRC), was largely inaccurate. Since that time, the commission has worked diligently to uncover and tell its story. It is a saga that is written in black and white, of rows of billowing Sea Island cotton, and a war that divided a nation. It speaks of an unjust social structure, an enslaved people freed from bondage, and a world forever changed.

Halifax explains that focusing on the enslaved rather than the McLeod family allows people to experience the plantation from a different point of view. "It allows visitors to hear the voices that were long silent and offers a clear and realistic understanding of what the place was like for the majority of people who were here."

Though the land McLeod Plantation occupies has been found on records dating Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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The Voices of McLeod Plantation

History Lessons Cabins which once housed enslaved people remain standing at McLeod Plantation

as far back as 1671, it was not cultivated until the mid-1700s. When Samuel Perronneau purchased the property, he commanded his executors to buy "such a number of slaves as to enable them to settle, plant, and occupy my plantation and lands [617 acres] on James Island."

Growing in acreage and changing ownership many times over the next century, Edisto Island cotton planter William Wallace McLeod acquired the 914.5 acres of property in 1851. Evidence exists of an earlier home on the land, and outbuildings such as "the gin house" revealed to be constructed of material dating from the 1600s. McLeod's new home on the site was erected in 1856 by men and women bound to him by the institution of slavery.

The plantation was a working property, says Halifax. "The presentday house was approached from the north side of the property via a tree-lined allĂŠe leading from the waterfront of Wappoo Creek. The waterway was not valued for the vista it provided, but as the vital conduit for the plantation's goods to the world."

McLeod vastly improved the soil by using experimental clay tile pipes for drainage, augmenting it with the fertile, organic plough [pluff ] mud of the nearby marshes. He also introduced Sea Island cotton; a tall, long-fiber plant suited to the growing conditions of the coast. The plantation moved to the rhythm of enslaved men and women from the Gambia River region of Africa, whose labor provided as much as 100 bales of cotton from the 90 tons of cotton picked per year. It also made McLeod Plantation one of South 30 AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

Carolina's largest producers of the unique cotton.

History is neither embellished nor diminished in the narrative of McLeod Plantation that explores the lives of its people; men and women, black and white, those enslaved, and those who held them in bondage. Records indicate that in the 1860s, 74 enslaved persons were housed in 26 dwellings on the property. Plantation life was extraordinarily labor-intense for the estimated 50 to 60 men and women delegated to work the land. The rich Gullah/Geechee heritage of that population has been carefully preserved and is recognized as a part of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor for its cultural and historical significance.

When tensions arose before the Civil War, McLeod joined the Charleston Light Dragoons to fight for the Confederacy. Following the mandatory evacuation of James Island in 1862, the plantation home was occupied by the Union Army's New York 54th Infantry, the Massachusetts 55th Volunteer Infantry, and served as a Confederate field hospital, headquarters, and commissary.

Here, Martin Becker, a remarkable free black abolitionist, served as the 55th Infantry's Quartermaster. A field office of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (better known as The Freedmen's Bureau) was also housed on the site, offering food, clothing, medical and educational assistance for thousands of freed slaves and impoverished whites.

Current research has focused on the period beginning with the

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The Voices of McLeod Plantation

plantation's purchase by William McLeod and follows the threads of McLeod Plantation's past to the present. The result is a constantly evolving tapestry of the life and times of those who are forever inexorably tied to this land. Six 20'x12' slave dwellings still exist on the property. Descendants of those enslaved lived in the houses up until the 1990s. Today, the dirt street on which the houses stand is named "Transition Row," an apt acknowledgment of the tumultuous changes its inhabitants endured and overcame.

McLeod Plantation was the last James Island property to return to its prewar owners, but it never returned to the days of prosperity. Though the descendants who remained would never again enslave or be enslaved, there would be many more years of injustice and inequity. The boll weevil stole away cotton as a cash crop, societal changes drastically restructured everyday life, and in place of farming, real estate provided the family income. Changes made to the original home, including the columned, south-facing entrance, were financed by land sales in the early 20th century.

The last of his line, Willie McLeod resided in the family home until the age of 90.

He bequeathed the 37 aces on which it was situated to the Historic Charleston Foundation, with the stipulation that it be preserved. It would change hands several more times before being purchased for $3 million by Charleston County, with widespread support from the community.

CCPRC has invested an additional $7 million since that time in capital improvements.

On the back lawn of the main house, the McLeod Oak, thought to be at least 600 years old, has watched centuries of triumphs, turmoil, and tragedy. Gnarled by time and twisted by the wind, sturdy limbs stretch out as though yearning to tell all that it has witnessed. The land has yet to reveal all that it knows of the years before and after the McLeod's came to hold it. As the past continues to be uncovered, buildings are stabilized and restored, and stories recorded. In 2017, an experimental crop of Sea Island cotton was reintroduced to a small plot of land.

McLeod Plantation welcomes visitors to walk its paths and explore the complex relationships of those who lived on its soil.

Less ornate than most of the Lowcountry

Family Trees The landscape around McLeod Plantation is a picture of Southern beauty; inside the home; the grounds await exploration.

plantations available for exploration, Halifax explains that by design, the McLeod Plantation allows visitors the opportunity to make their own natural and often spiritual connection to the site without the distraction of a refabricated environment. Included in admission to the historic site are 45-60 minute guided tours offered at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Tour guides present themed tours that include sea island cotton cultivation and processing, Gullah/Geechee culture, and organized and individual resistance to slavery and its legacy.

Tours change as ongoing research reveals new information, and Halifax says that anyone with a connection to the plantation or a story to tell is encouraged to share that information with the staff. Providing an experience like no other, the CCPRC Historic Site is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Both guided and self-guided tours are available for the area that stretches approximately two-thirds of a mile. Visitors may enrich their experience by downloading the free Transition to Freedom app, or by borrowing a device from the Welcome Center. AM For more information about programs, events, and rentals, please visit ccprc.com or call (843) 795-4386.

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Team Work Basketball teammates encourage one another before a game

SOUTHERNSPOTLIGHT CAP: Community

The Power of Play The North Charleston Police Department is showing the Lowcountry what successful outreach looks like, one game at a time.

Words and photos by Joy Bonala

Z

i’kia Lewis was always drawn to sports. From a young age, the North Charleston native had all the desired abilities to excel on any field or court; speed, strength, agility, and a competitive spirit.

In high school, she joined Military Magnet High’s volleyball and softball teams. Though she enjoyed the games she played, the teenager had all but given up hope of playing the one sport she always wanted to play: football. Her mother had forbidden her, concerned about the roughness of the typically all-male game.

Zi’kia’s luck changed however, when she learned that the North Charleston Police Department was recruiting girls for a powder puff football league.

“I was the first one ready to play,” Zi’kia says.

“I was passionate about it, I really took it to heart.”

The powder puff league is one of many sports offered to students for free through the North Charleston Police Department’s Cops Athletic Program (CAP). As quarterback, Zi’kia learned how to be resilient, think strategically, and be a team player. She and her teammates were a tight knit group. Zi’kia, an only child, had a sisterhood for the first time in her life. After several successful years of participating in the league, she found herself serving as a role model for younger girls. Zi’kia also formed strong bonds with her coaches, all

of whom were officers or detectives with the police department.

“I love them, they are like my second family,” Zi’kia says.

One of her favorite coaches was PFC Angel Wilcome, coordinator of CAP. For Wilcome, Zi’kia is a shining example of the positive relationships that the CAP fosters between law enforcement officials and community members. The program, which began in 2014, seeks to bridge the differences between police officers and the North Charleston community. It started Fall 2019 AZALEAMAG.COM

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The Power of Play

Coming Together With sports as their focus, local teens and police officers strengthen relationships.

with a summer basketball league, but later evolved and expanded to include 13 different mentorship programs made up of athletic and academic activities. CAP serves students in every single North Charleston school and now reaches into Summerville as well.

Wilcome says over 100 police officers are involved in CAP and upwards of 2500 students take part in the program each year.

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“In the past five years, a simple game of round ball has turned into a program that is becoming a model for agencies around the Lowcountry,” Wilcome says. “From spelling bees and black history month, to powder puff football and lacrosse, we are exposing our kids to the benefits of participating in mentorship programs. We dance, break boards, and shoot pucks while teaching discipline and showing alternative ways of spending time off the streets.”

While he’s too humble to take full credit for it, CAP is the brainchild of North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess. The idea for it started when Burgess was an assistant chief in 2014. Tasked with improving the department’s outreach programs, Burgess decided to create an athletic program that would be free of charge and continue all year long.

The tall, lean man knows the power of sports.

While growing up in North Charleston, he played little league football, basketball, baseball, and even ran track. His involvement in sports helped improve his behavior and taught him that hard work is necessary to achieve goals.

Burgess, a former School Resource Officer, knew that children needed great opportunities to forge relationships with local law enforcement. He organized a summer basketball program with a focus on two traditionally African American communities

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The Power of Play

in North Charleston: Union Heights and Liberty Hill. Historically, people in those neighborhoods did not get along with one another, he says.

“One way to break down barriers is to have a face to face, ‘coming to Jesus’ type situation where people on either side spend quality time in some form or fashion,” Burgess says. “That’s where basketball comes in.”

When the games proved successful in healing the brokenness between the two neighboring areas, officers expanded CAP into other North Charleston communities. Soon, residents realized they had a lot in common with each other and their perception of police also began to change.

In 2015, Burgess expanded CAP to offer basketball, baseball, soccer, karate, a spelling bee, recognition of black history month, and step shows. But he was determined to create more programs for the city’s young girls.

Burgess says he was surprised by how many girls had an interest in powder puff football.

The league started with four teams, but quickly grew to accommodate eight teams. The powder puff league is responsible for one of Burgess’ favorite stories about the good that the Cops Athletic Program has done. Two twin girls played powder puff football for North Charleston, and by the end of their senior year, coaches were informed that one girl had scored perfectly on the SAT, and the other had scored perfectly on the ACT. Police officers, familiar with the girls through CAP, went to school the next day and asked the sisters if they wanted to go to college. Both girls did, but they had been discouraged by the cost. Those same officers arranged for a meeting with the school guidance counselor and the girls’ mother. Soon, the girls were accepted into South Carolina State University.

CAP sponsors helped pay for books, tuition fees and housing. No one could have imagined that playing powder puff football would open up the doors to allow those girls to pursue their dream of higher education. Stories like theirs are what keep the officers coming back, day after day, to positively impact their communities.

Assistant Chief David Cheatle has coached powder puff football each year since Burgess started the league, and he is constantly inspired

by the young women who sign up to play. A white male police officer coaching an all-black female team is rare, but Cheatle has cultivated an unlikely camaraderie. Burgess says Cheatle has also developed trustworthy relationships with the parents of girls involved in the league.

“We realized with powder puff that when girls participate (in sports), more parents come because they want to know who their girls are around,” Burgess says.

“Those games kept a lot of people from being in the streets including brothers, dads, and uncles...”

That was true for Zi’kia’s mother, Dametra James. She reveled in her daughter’s success within the league. James still has Zi’kia’s trophies, cleats, plaques and jerseys displayed proudly within her home.

“It was fun for her, it was a good learning experience, she got to meet a lot of new people, and participating in the sport taught her to be disciplined,” James says.

James was one of many enthusiastic parents packed into the stands during powder puff football games. She says the games were so exciting that they drew in friends, relatives, and neighbors.

“Those games kept a lot of people from being in the streets including brothers, dads, and uncles,” James says.

James, like other parents and fans of the powder puff football league, knows a lot of officers in the North Charleston Police Department.

Burgess says building a trusting relationship between citizens and law enforcement has changed the way his officers can work in the community.

“Those girls and the whole Cops Athletic Program have helped us as officers to prove that we are human beings and we do care for people,” Burgess says. “I truly believe that if we in law enforcement are going to improve conditions in communities by reducing crime and creating safe neighborhoods, we’ve got to have a legitimate relationship with the people. Because at the end of the day, that’s what it's all about: the people. And the Cops Athletic Program has afforded us that because we can go into any of these communities and somebody remembers us.”

Some might say the law enforcement community as a whole is not perceived favorably by the public these days. The North Charleston Police Department itself has seen its fair share of protests and public outcry.

Detective Justice Jenkins says the only way to ease growing tension between the department and community is by continuing to invest in the younger generations.

“We want to continue giving to the community because we want to show that we are able to be trusted,” Jenkins says. “Not only to serve within the community as law enforcement officers, but as mentors and teachers.”

A parent himself, Jenkins recognizes that some of the young people participating in the cops athletic program lack emotional support from their own families.

“A lot of these young men and young women don’t have the extra backing at home, so many of them reach out to us through the program,” Jenkins says. “I’m a big brother, I’m a mentor to somebody. That’s the biggest thing. It’s a joy.”

Through sports, Jenkins is able to guide students through life transitions; from middle to high school, and high school to college and/or the workforce. Some students who have joined the military frequently tout the NCPD for helping them reach their goals. As for the police department, its goal is to grow the program beyond the Lowcountry. Jenkins sees potential for the North Charleston Police Department CAP model to spread across the state and the nation.

“The Cops Athletic Program pays dividends on both sides,” Jenkins says. “(The participants) are winning and we’re winning. We’re winning by giving back.” AM

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N AT U R A L WOMAN

Mud Puddles, Pride, and Spandex When you’re deep in the first one, you can only hold on to one of the other two.

by Susan Frampton

I

'm one of those people who have a hard time asking for help. I'm not sure if it's because of pride, stubbornness, or stupidity, but it's a character flaw that has cost me considerable pain and suffering through the years, not to mention time and money. There are times, however, when you've got to suck it up and accept a hand to get yourself up and out of the mire.

I didn't actually ask for help on the day I found myself hip-deep in a shoe-sucking mud pit. However, when strong hands shoved from below, and steely arms reached from above to propel me up the slippery bank, I'd like to think I was gracious in my acceptance, despite hearing my rescuers yell, "Get her out of the way!" Since the selfrespect ship had long since sailed, I rolled onto my mud-coated back

and burst out laughing as dozens of sneakered feet sailed over and around me.

It had been pride that brought me to the starting line of MudFest 2019 on that steaming summer morning and found me desperately trying to hold in my stomach as hundreds of spandex-clad, hard bodies meandered around me. The year before, I'd watched from the sidelines as my brother, Arthur, made his 3rd finish-line slide in our hometown's annual mud run and race. Not to be outdone, I'd sworn then and there that I'd either do it or die trying. It was big talk—and I'd said it out loud in front of a lot of people. Pride said it was time to put up or shut up.

When my brother talked me through the course the night before, he'd

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N AT U R A L WOMAN

given me advice on the best way to tackle the various obstacles, and tips on how to keep the mud out of my ears. He also recommended periodically tightening my drawstring to prevent my pants from sliding off. Wait‌what? Of all the things I feared, including falling down and/ or throwing up, losing my pants had never once crossed my mind.

Just before the starting horn blasted, I glanced down, hoping that the laws of physics assured that the spandex wrapped around me wasn't going anywhere. As the horn sounded, I looked over at Lewis.

Caught up in the previous night's discussion of the event, my husband had temporarily forgotten the pin in his ankle and his iffy knee.

Signing up at the last minute had seemed a bit crazy, even for him, but fear of missing out can be as contagious as measles, and he'd caught it.

Outfitted in the best running shoes that $9 could buy at the 24-hour Walmart, and a pair of my baggy running shorts, finishing with his pants on might be the best he could hope for.

We weren't fifty yards into the course when mud became the word of the day. It went against everything in me to sit down in the muck at the edge of a steep, slippery slope. I watched the feet of my predecessors fly out from under them, and decided that if I were going to land on my rear, I'd pick the arrival time. Plopping down, I pushed off, promptly lost control, spun wildly, and wiped out a family of three.

"Sorry!" I yelled, flailing my arms.

When I tried to stand, an 8-yearold demonstrated that all is fair in mud and war by unapologetically taking me out at the knees.

I was gasping for breath and the sun was broiling hot by the time we came to the floating bridge. I watched runners bob up and down on the rippling surface like drunks

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on a tilt-a-whirl. Arthur took the lead but was soon catapulted off the side by a rogue wave. A dozen steps behind him, I shot into the air like a champagne cork, my feet peddling wildly in flight. I hit the water and sank like a rock.

"Are you okay?" my brother yelled from upstream. "You were down a really long time!"

Sneezing lake water, I sent a weak thumbs-up, coughed, and thrashed my way to the bank, arriving just in time to see my husband skittering across the foam bridge like a spider on a lily pad. If I'd had enough oxygen, I'd have congratulated him on his technique, but the second I dragged myself to the grass, we were running again.

I'm not sure at what point we lost Lewis. He says that after he boosted me up and over a massive pipe in a deep ditch, all he saw was the soles of my shoes in the distance. Arthur ran alongside me until I set him free at the turn off for the 5-mile course option. He was already a speck in the distance when I turned down the 3-mile path.

Proving the old adage that 'pride goeth before a fall,' I later paused in a mud wallow to recuperate from a spectacularly executed face-plant, and watched the steady stream of runners sweeping past. Though some blew by with serious faces and determined strides, most bellowed with good-natured laughter as they wind-milled over slippery logs, yelped at the freezing spray from fire hoses, and belly-crawled under low-hanging nets.

Just when I could go no farther, a steep, plastic-covered slope marked the end of the race. Liberally lubricated by a stream of Dawn dish detergent that provided a wild, slipand-slide finish, the finale provided comic relief for the appreciative au-

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N AT U R A L WOMAN

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dience at the bottom. I arose with soapy arms proudly raised in victory, and in retrospect, I'm almost certain that the same 8-year-old once again took me out at the knees.

Though we didn't finish together, each of us slid triumphantly over the finish line, with heads held high and pants firmly in place. The faces of the bruised, scraped, and mudspattered trio that peer out from the photo commemorating the event are as proud as any Olympians, and the medals held aloft represent our 3rd, 4th and 5th place finishes in our respective categories.

Next year I'll know to check my pride when I step into my spandex, to never underestimate the velocity of a sliding 8-yearold, and that when you're hot enough, a muddy puddle offers welcome relief.

Next year I'll know to check my pride when I step into my spandex, to never underestimate the velocity of a sliding 8-year-old, and that when you're hot enough, a muddy puddle offers welcome relief. I'll realize that $95 Nikes get just as wet as $9 Walmart sneakers, lake water tastes awful, and that when you're up to your rear in mud, there is no shame at all in accepting a hand up. AM 44

AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

K ID S THESE D AY S

New Kids In Town

by Tara Bailey

I

’m writing this well in advance of publication, so I hope we’re not dealing with a catastrophic hurricane as you read this—or any time, for that matter. But this is the time of year when hurricane season heats up. In fact, I associate the beginning of the school year with hurricanes and am probably not the only one who does. That’s because these storms disrupt everyone’s new routines right when they’re being established. Just as kids are adjusting to the rigor of their daily assignments, they get a spontaneous five-day weekend. Just as teachers are beaming over their carefully crafted syllabi, it’s time to monitor and adjust. Just as parents get their lives back, they have a house full of kids again— but with no electricity. Talk about a tropical depression. There’s no choice but to go home and sit in hot darkness, hoping for Mother Nature’s blessed reprieve.

The anxiety that comes with hurricanes is the uncertainty of what to do once you know one is headed your way. While it’s annoying that many agencies make some of our decisions for us by closing schools and offices on a perfectly pleasant, blue-skied September day, the way I see it, that’s one less thing I have to worry about. My brain is then freed up to agonize over other decisions. Do we evacuate? If so, then where do we go and when do we leave? Should I go in to work tomorrow? Cancel appointments? It’s stressful. That said, it does bring people together in collective angst. Even seasoned Hugo survivors who talk about hurricanes with the same bravado as Quint from Jaws talking about the Indianapolis are at least a tad nervous, if they’re being honest.

Last year during the early warnings of Hurricane Florence my husband and I made a tentative plan. Once we were comfort-

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KIDS THESE D AY S

able with our plan, we then did the same thing as everyone else in town; we headed to the local wine bar to compare everyone’s plans. I’m not at all making light of the storm nor careful planning because between sips of wine I checked the weather maps with the same compulsion my husband checks TigerNet. I’m aware of the devastation caused by hurricanes and know how things ended for Quint. But the sense of community found in that wine bar temporarily eased the tension caused by that knowledge. We met some friends there, and before long we were sharing a large table with neighbors and others who had sought relief from the news in the form of wine and stories. One story led to a discussion of alma maters, which of course led to the singing of said alma maters, which then dominoed into other patrons from the same schools joining in from across the room, which culminated in one gentleman standing to sing God Save the Queen. Hands were clapped, cheers were cheered. The storm was forgotten and all was well.

All was well until we went home, that is. Spoiler alert: we were mercifully spared during Hurricane Florence, unlike many people, including our fellow Sandlappers a little north of us. But at the time, none of us knew for sure what that storm would bring once the tabs were paid and we were all at home, standing in our driveways, squinting at a yellow sky, and assessing the wind. The timbre of a serious storm is vastly different in the solitude of one’s lightless home than the boisterous halls of the community wine garden. We remained confident in our hurricane plan, though maybe not quite as firmly as earlier in the day when the sun was bright and the kids were roaming the streets with their pals. After all, though we have access to the most advanced weather models, choosing not to evacuate is always a gamble, even when the odds are in your favor.

46 AZALEAMAG.COM Fall 2019

Just as the wind picked up later that night, we lost power in the middle of a movie. “Here it is,” I said. We grabbed our flashlights, lit a few candles, and sat in the middle of the house where we would be safest from falling trees.

Twenty minutes passed in near silence, save for the wind. Then, anticlimactically, the power came back on. I also noticed that the wind had seemed to die down, and there was no rain that I could hear. I stepped onto the deck.

A tree frog chirped and a light breeze ushered me back inside. We all turned to each other. “Was that it, you think?”

And then we went to bed, safe until the next storm.

Of course, that was not it for many folks. Hurricane Florence made landfall in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on September 14, 2018.

It brought with it torrential rain, flooding, and wind damage to neighboring communities, including parts of the Pee Dee and Grand Strand. There were twenty-four direct fatalities and thirty indirect deaths as a result of the storm and billions of dollars worth of damage in the Carolinas. And just as people came together to relieve stress before the storm, many came together to relieve suffering afterwards by forming disaster relief groups and donating funds to devastated areas.

So, here we are in peak hurricane season, likely going about life without much concern for anything other than getting through the day. That said, hopefully you have at least a vague hurricane plan that you can modify as needed. Whether or not you decide to evacuate during the next big hurricane, remember the importance of community and offer a hand to your neighbors both before and after the storm. An evening in the wine bar will surely work for both. AM For those who wish to contribute to the One SC Fund, which provides disaster relief following state-declared emergencies, visit onescfund.org.

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L O W C O U N T R Y OYS T E R J E W E L R Y

DOTTIE LANGLEY

T H E F O L LY - h a n d c r a f t e d , s o l i d b r o n z e o y s t e r n e c k l a c e A v a i l a b l e a t F o u r G r e e n F i e l d s - S u m m e r v i l l e o r a t d o t t i e l a n g l e y. c o m

L IF E & F A IT H

Kitchen Theology

by Lili Hiser

I

f you were raised by a Southern mama, you know certain things. Manners are a must, sit up straight, and Sunday is the Lord’s day, just to name a few. I was raised by a genuine Charleston born Southern mama, which means these lessons are engrained in me— especially as I am now a Southern mama myself ! So I know moms in general have a lot of wisdom to share, but I believe some of the best lessons from our mothers are passed down without fanfare.

These gems are disguised in the everyday happenings and interactions which may appear ordinary but are indeed significant.

While I attended Charleston Southern University, my mom visited the campus to help with a student gathering. After the event wrapped up, we walked to her car to load up the left over items.

When attempting to open the door, we realized the car keys had been locked inside the car! With our hands full, the combination of “what now?” and frustration hit us both. Fortunately, one of the university’s well-loved security guards, Roger, noticed our pitiful predicament and walked over to help. Roger’s calm and friendly demeanor put us at ease as he walked around the car assessing the situation. He grabbed a few handy tools and within minutes had the door open! What could have been a long and stressful afternoon was quickly resolved. In appreciation for his kindness, my mom gave Roger an apple pie left over from the gathering, one of her most-loved homemade desserts.

To my mom, her gift was nothing extraordinary or special; it was simply a symbol of her appreciation for someone who went out

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JOIN US FOR A DAY OF GROUND-SHAKING EXCITEMENT The Steeplechase of Charleston returns in November to close out the 2019 National Steeplechase Association Fall Racing Circuit. With deep roots in southern heritage, this Charleston tradition began in 1792 and will be ushered into its new era. The family-friendly Sunday event will feature five high-stakes races with coveted titles on the line. So pack your coolers, grab your big hats and bowties. We’ll see you at the races!

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LIFE & FA I T H of his way for her. Giving Roger the pie took minimal effort yet made a significant impression. I still cross paths with Roger on occasion, and despite the brevity of that single occurrence (and that was the first and only time he met my mom), he faithfully asks how she’s doing.

Nothing makes a Southern daughter happier than hearing others ask, “How’s your mama?” And Roger frequently mentions that apple pie—despite the fact that it has been twenty years since that day.

Proverbs 16:24 reads, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Daily we have opportunities, big or small, to share that honey-like goodness of positivity in someone’s life. Kindness does not have to cost anything and can take a fraction of a minute. Do you need a recipe for kindness? Here are a few ideas: Make eye contact and smile at the stranger in the grocery store, give heart-felt compliments to coworkers, write a note to a teacher doing an extra special job, cut the lawn of an overworked single parent or neighbor on vacation, or perhaps pay for the car behind you in the drive-thru. Kindness leaves a wake of inspiration that can last a lifetime.

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I am only six years into my journey as a Southern mama and grateful for the “steel magnolias” before me who have set the bar high. When it comes to teaching my kids life lessons, I am sticking to my roots— manners and biblical truths. I know this world is more complex than the one I grew up in, and rearing kids to impact our often hardened society can be daunting. We are in a world that needs more goodness, grace, and love than ever—especially when it is not deserved. It is my prayer that even in the most mundane of daily interactions, as my mom demonstrated for me, opportunities occur to demonstrate simple kindness to others can be as sweet to the soul as apple pie. AM

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Grass Roots

From handbags and jewelry to kitchen and home decor, not only are natural woven goods in vogue—they're timeless That's A Wrap A Classic Sweetgrass Trivet, Four Green Fields, $37

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Natural Wonders This page: Rattan Pendant with Natural Fiber Necklace Everything Chic, $22 Opposite page, clockwise: Soy Lemon Candle with Woven Twig Base Everything Chic, $28 Seagrass Tote Bag Everything Chic, $29 Large Water Hyacinth Tray Laura Jones and Co., $129 Mini Handbag with Bow and Brass Stirrup Adornment Piazza Home, $110

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DREAM BIG Summerville DREAM is a 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Summerville by enhancing the aesthetic, cultural, social and economic aspects of the downtown area, while preserving its historic identity.

For information about great downtown Summerville events go to summervilledream.org

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F E AT U R E S Sweet Dreams Crispy Almond Cookies are perfectly goldenbrown and stack beautifully.

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Whether you're making them for yourself or gifting them to friends, the art of baking cookies is a meditative exercise that results in a delicious result. Here, we share our favorite recipes for simple, delicious cookies. photos by

WILL RIZZO

Crispy Almond Cookies Ingredients 1 1/2 cups butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking power 1/8 tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped almonds Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine butter and sugars in mixing bowl, and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes.

Add in eggs and vanilla and beat again for 1 minute.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.

Add flour mixture to dough, one third at a time.

Stir in almonds.

Using a small cookie scoop, place dough on a parchment lined baking sheet three inches apart.

Bake in oven for 8-9 minutes or until edges turn golden.

Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.

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Butter Pecan Cookies Ingredients For the Buttered Pecans: 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, finely chopped 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter For the Butter Pecan Cookies: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp baking soda 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted until browned 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs, at room temperature 16 pecan halves for decoration, optional Preparation For the Buttered Pecans: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in chopped pecans and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside until needed.

For the Butter Pecan Cookies: In a large bowl combine flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda; whisk well to combine then set aside until needed. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Add in both sugars and whisk well to combine. Add in vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until eggs are just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, stirring until just combined. Fold in the buttered pecans. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared sheet, leaving 2 inches in between each cookie for spreading. Firmly press a pecan half on top of each ball of cookie dough, if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 9 minutes, or until edges are set. Sprinkle warm cookies with a little granulated sugar, if desired.

Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

PB&J Drop Cookies Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 1 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup raspberry jam Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium to large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer 5 minutes until light and creamy.

Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, and egg and beat on medium speed until blended.

Fold in sifted flour and mix until combined.

Roll dough into small balls and place on parchment paper, leaving room for spreading.

Press the center of each ball with your thumb or a small lid to make place for the jam.

Fill the indention with jam.

Bake for 10 min or until edges are brown.

Let stand 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool.

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Salted Chocolate Brownie Cookies Ingredients 2/3 cup flour 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 8 ounces semisweet chocolate 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips coarse salt, for topping Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Place 8oz semisweet chocolate and butter in a double boiler and slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Combine eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and whisk together on medium speed for 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and beat in melted chocolate for 1 minute.

Add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 20 seconds, just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Use a cookie scoop coated lightly with nonstick spray to form the cookies, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until tops are shiny and crackly.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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K N O C K B U I LT B Y A L U M B E R M A N O F Y E S T E R Y E A R ,

F L O W E R S A N D FA M I LY F L O U R I S H I N T H E L I G H T O F PA M AND BRANDT SHELBOURNE’S HISTORIC HOME. by

O

SUSAN FRAMPTON

photos by

DOTTIE & WILL RIZZO

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Southern Living Opposite: the grand home welcomes visitors. This page: personal touches dot the Shelbourne home.

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L

Light streaming through the windows of Pam and Brandt Shelbourne's dining room falls across a wood floor that glows with the soft patina of age. It comes to rest on the natural finish of a massive pine table in the center of the room where twelve-year-old Felicity Shelbourne sits. "I think the light is what I like best about this room," she says of the warm and inviting space.

Felicity gives considerable thought before answering the question of what she likes best about Camellia Walk, the historic home her family has occupied since 1997. Given the many virtues of the house and grounds, her answer is surprisingly insightful.

When the family outgrew their Mt. Pleasant home, the Shelbournes looked to his home town to move Brandt's law practice and raise their four children. The large, historic Summerville home had room for the family to grow, which it did later with the arrival of two more daughters. The house that had once seemed cavernous was a perfect fit for their three sons and three daughters, and Summerville proved to be the ideal place for the family.

The Shelbournes are only the third family in over a century to reside in the home built in 1910 by lumberman Cannon Prettyman. Prettyman, whose family moved to Summerville from West Virginia and purchased 75,000 acres of woodlands in the area, was responsible for the introduction of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company to the region. A small green cottage on

A Family Affair This page, clockwise: a pathway leads toward love and light; the living room is warm and inviting; built-ins around the home hold family treasures. Opposite: various textures create a comfortable space for all; the exterior of the home is as beautiful as the interior; pops of color in the kitchen make the space lively; a guesthouse on the property

the property has the distinction of being the original office of the Charleston branch of West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company.

Prettyman was also an active member of the Camellia Society, and the exotic species he collected still flourish on the property.

The house is said to be built on the foundation of a previous structure, and bricks from that structure were used to construct the residence's fence and walkways. The name "Camellia Walk," was bestowed on it in 1994 by second owners, Dr. Joel and Lena Cox, who briefly shared the gracious home with visitors as a bed and breakfast.

Pam refers to the furnishings as a "mish-mash" of family heirlooms, antiques that they picked up through the years, contemporary items and unique pieces that Brandt has made or had made. The result is a perfect balance and creates a home that is as livable as it is lovely. From the dramatic brass grave rubbings that frame the front door to the bowling alley bench that serves as a coffee table in the family room, each piece is thoughtfully placed, and the backstory of each adds rich dimension. The impressive heart-pine dining table seems made for the setting, and that isn't far from

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the reality of its creation. "The day we closed on the house, there was a terrific thunderstorm, and lightning struck two huge, hundred-year-old pines.

Brandt had them milled, and this table was made from the lumber."

Brandt describes the construction of all the structures as what one would imagine befitting a man who made his living in lumber. "The beams and joists are incredibly huge, solid, heart pine, and the siding is also heart pine." In fact, the entire house seems a subtle homage to the tree that Summerville still holds sacred and those that bring color and texture to the landscape of the Lowcountry. The library, a room that Prettyman designed specifically to host weekly poker games, is a celebration of cypress added in the 1950s. "Mr. Prettyman intentionally dropped the ceilings to create a dark, smoky, back-room feel. We raised them up, but you can see how low they once were.

Imagine the wheeling and dealing that took place in there!"

The Shelbournes also reopened the door that fronts Richardson Avenue. Inexplicably boarded over by the second Mrs. Prettyman, the front door now opens once again into the formal living room.

Large windows throughout the house are paned with their original wavy glass and illuminate every room. Those that overlook the wide porch on the family room side of the house filter light onto the room's unique Pecky Cypress wainscoting, created from trees pulled from Lake Moultrie. The characteristic worm-eaten surface of the panels is as strikingly beautiful as it is distinctive. Brandt recalls when the children were small and would ride their bikes through the house. "Thankfully, that cypress is also very forgiving!"

Living History Opposite page, clockwise: southern foliage abounds on the property; wood accents are prevalent in the home; an exterior access point to a rare Lowcountry basement; the dining room provides a formal gathering space; fruit trees on the property are charming; a nook allows space for historic elements to be displayed; front porch views; the guest room is enchanting; looking at the home from the backyard. This page: modern touches meet vintage pieces in a bedroom; a bright and cheery master bath; elements of lives well lived dot the home.

The large, refurbished kitchen, flooded with natural light from bay windows, is another indicator of vibrant family life within the historic residence. Here, a bright yellow cabinet and a repurposed stainless-steel industrial table offer modern touches that meld perfectly into the century-old home. At his mother's urging, Sloan, the Shelbourne's youngest son, pauses from making a cup of tea at the stove to share the outstandingly detailed photographs he has taken on the property, cataloging its wide variety of camellias. "There are fifty-five different species," he says, scrolling through the pictures, "The variety of colors is amazing."

Artwork, including Felicity's hand-drawn doodles on the hallway's chalkboard wall, reflects the family's varied travels and interests. The flotsam and jetsam of sports equipment is a familiar and comfortable reminder that this is home to a family of unique and active individuals. While the light from the windows offers illumination, an afternoon spent with the Shelbournes makes it clear that much of the home's light radiates from those who live within its sturdy walls.

Watching their family flourish within the walls of Camellia Walk, the Shelbournes have every reason to look around themselves and knock on wood. Thanks to a lumberman who built a place for himself in the history of Flowertown in the Pines, they don't have to look far to find a place to do so. AM

RIZZO photos by D O T T I E

by S U S A N F R A M P T O N

HOPE AND

Founded out of an acute awareness for the need of an avian conservation center in South Carolina, The Center for Birds of Prey offers us a bird’s eye view of ourselves and the world we live in.

F E AT H E R S

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul," wrote Emily Dickinson.

It is doubtful that when Dickinson penned the opening line of one of her best-known poems, she realized that her words would one day perfectly describe the philosophical foundation of The Avian Conservation Center, and its principal operating entity, The Center for Birds of Prey. However, one would be hard-pressed to find a better use for Dickinson's eloquent imagery.

Apart from their value as a food source or to sportsmen, birds were near the bottom in the environmental pecking order when Jim Elliott first began working on the birds' behalf. Elliott hardly dared hope that the small avian center he opened in his home might help to mitigate the perils facing the Lowcountry's endangered birds of prey, shorebirds, and wading birds. Three decades later, there has been a considerable shift in attitudes. The Center for Birds of Prey, the 152-acre facility that Elliott founded and directs, has played no small part in the rising tide of appreciation for the role these birds play in the Lowcountry's environmental wellbeing.

"I have traveled worldwide and seen countless centers," says Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds. "This is the absolute best of its kind I have ever seen anywhere," That kind of international recognition, along with the number and enthusiasm of visitors to the multifaceted organization's campus, give Elliott every reason to be hopeful. Immersed in the Center's daily flight demonstration, crowds lean in to follow the hawks, falcons, owls, eagles, and vultures that soar above their heads. As they learn to identify and appreciate the differences in flight and hunting techniques, audiences gasp at the displays of aerial prowess and keen eyesight of each species.

Visitors also have the opportunity to view the more than thirty different species of birds of prey that are housed in aviaries on the campus. Those who walk the refined and tranquil acre owl wood have the chance to encounter an array of owls from around the world. It is a rare experience that often changes the perceptions of both knowledgeable birders and those new to the interest.

The captive breeding program on-site sustains the resident population for education purposes and is a tremendous conservation tool. From the petite, comical

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Burrowing Owl, to the majestic, magnificent American Bald Eagle, each bird holds equal value in the ecosystem.

Whether boasting a unique aerodynamic design, extraordinary vision, vise-like strength, or an uncanny ability to dance on the wind, each resident of the Center contributes something to a story as old as time.

Some of the Center's most critical work happens behind the scenes at the organization's state-of-the-art medical facility. Operating seven days a week, the medical center treats over 600 raptors and shorebirds from an everexpanding geographic area. Sadly, most injuries are sustained through some type of human-based interaction.

Rehabilitated birds are released back into their natural habitat. Birds with injuries that render them unable to survive in the wild become ambassadors for the Center's education programs, guided tours and flight demonstrations.

Whether sitting almost motionless, blinking enormous eyes, or sailing through the air with the precision of fighter pilots, these birds are tangible reminders of the responsibility we bear for their survival. Elliott says that the up-close-and-personal encounters can transform the lives of those who have never viewed them as living, breathing creatures.

The research arm of the Center of Birds of Prey often reveals critical, sometimes surprising, environmental information. "The insights that birds provide, relative to ourselves and our environment, tell us a great deal about who we are, and what we value," he says of a recent study. Focusing on everyday chemicals' effect on the ecosystem, researchers found excessive levels of flame retardant and stain repellant in the organ and tissues of 26 birds taken from varying habitats in the state. "The results were an eye-opening takeaway about the degree to which we are all unknowingly affected."

The ability to combine medical, scientific, and educational components in one place creates a natural synergy that allows research and education programs to evolve, broaden, and deepen when necessary.

The SC Oiled Birds Treatment Facility on campus has been designated in the US Coast Guard Area Contingency Plan as the official repository for oiled birds. It is the only facility of its kind on the eastern seaboard, Elliot explains. "You never want it to be

Flying High A worker shows one of the patients in the process of rehabilitation; pathways at the center; a demonstration flight allows birds to stretch their wings.

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needed, but the presence of this facility allows South Carolina to stay ahead of the issue."

Birds of a Feather Left to right: buildings at the center blend well into the natural landscape; an owl at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition; a specially-built perch for on-site demonstrations; Director Jim Elliott; Next row: bird enclosures on-site allow visitors to see birds of prey during their rehabilitation; a patient receiving care; outbuildings at the center reflect the work done here; the ultimate goal of the center is to see its residents flying high.

Elliott credits the dedicated staff and volunteers for the continued success of The Center for Birds of Prey.

"Our volunteers are the real heroes, he says of those who donate their time for everything from cleaning cages and feeding birds to working in the clinic and conducting outreach programs. "We couldn't do it without them."

"We are an organization with a truly unique, birdseye view of the world," Elliott says. The Center's fall schedule reflects the broad range of interests visitors might explore. Additional weekly programs have been added, designed to engage all ages, areas, and depths of knowledge, allowing visitors to study groups of birds in greater detail, and take a "deep dive" into specific groups of birds like owls, falcons, and vultures.

Photography Day, October 6th, November 24th, and December 22nd, will offer an experience unlike any other in South Carolina, with photographers enjoying unencumbered views of 15 different species of birds of prey outside of their enclosures, in a natural setting.

Attendees will be able to take photographs of birds in both a static, perching perspective, as well as in motion and in flight.

For those looking for an elegant evening program, the Center will be transformed into a different world.

Exploring the mysterious world of nocturnal birds, Owls by Moonlight on November 7th and December 12th will also offer a reception, with beer, wine, and heavy hors-d'oeuvres.

Today, the hope that was once just "a thing with feathers," now soars on the wings of the rescued and rehabilitated birds that tell the story of our past, and perhaps predict the future for us all.

"Whether you're six or sixty, these birds can be aweinspiring," Elliott muses, his eyes looking to the sky.

"They can be intimidating, or they can be endearing, but they never fail to evoke an emotional response and pull something out of those able to experience them personally." AM For more information on how you can participate in programs and view demonstrations, volunteer, or donate, visit thecenterforbirdsofprey.org.

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In a time where people are becoming more divided, one Lowcountry artist encourages her viewers to put differences aside and instead focus on the similarities and connections people can make with one another.

PAINTING

CONNECTIONS

JESSY DEVEREAUX MITCHAM by

This page: “Once Upon a Time There Were Two Sisters…”

Watercolor, Pencil & Acrylic on Paper –28"x18" Opposite: “One Flag” Watercolor – 19"x16"

A

rt has been in Anita Laudone Harley’s life for as long as she can remember. As a young child, she eagerly spent her Saturdays in art class, sparking her passion for creativity and artistic expression.

Experimenting with a variety of mediums as she was growing up, she fell in love with the freedom and beauty of watercolor painting. She continued her journey with art by her side, yet in college, she put her creative mind almost completely to rest as she pursued her degree in Political Science. She graduated from Columbia University in New York, began her career as a lawyer, and raised a beautiful family with her husband. By all accounts, her life was successful, yet Anita often felt something was missing.

Eventually, she realized what it was: the opportunity to express herself creatively. After her children were grown and on their own, she picked up the paintbrush once again, diving head-first into the world of watercolor while working to perfect her craft. With worldrenowned watercolorist Charles Reid as her mentor, she studied watercolor with the same tenacity and determination that she had when she studied Law. Her style flourished over the years to what it is today, reflecting the works of famous artists like Edouard Vuillard with her use of contrasting patterns, and Pierre Bonnard with her use of bold, bright colors. Vivid visuals are a common theme in Anita’s work, but there’s more to her artwork than what meets the eye; she encourages her viewers to not just look at her paintings, but to interact with them on a more personal level.

As Anita’s style evolved over the years, the subjects of her work remained the same; a wide variety of people, offering a glimpse into their world and an opportunity to create a narrative for each person from what is seen in the painting. In her latest series, “Together...We,” she paints men and women she meets every day; she simply asks her prospects if she can paint them, and takes a quick photo with her cell phone to use as her reference.

And while she paints people, she doesn’t paint portraits in the traditional sense. Anita paints her impression of the people she meets, showcasing what stands out to her when she meets them.

“When creating an image to paint, I am looking for the ordinary that captures the extraordinary,” Anita says of her creative process.

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As Anita’s style evolved over the years, the subjects of her work remained the same; a wide variety of people, offering a glimpse into their world and an opportunity to create a narrative for each person from what is seen in the painting.

“I am looking for a connection that is at once intimate and fragile, yet powerful.”

When enjoying her work, the artist asks the viewer to try to establish a connection to the subjects of her paintings, considering the fact that while we enter and exit this world alone, we are all connected to one another through our collective human experience and empathy towards our fellow man. Always fascinated with the human condition and how we interact with one another, she channels that interest into emotional expression

Clockwise: “Invincible Spirit” Watercolor, Pencil & Acrylic on Paper – 27"x18", “A Work of Art” Watercolor, Pencil & Acrylic on Paper – 28"x20", “Shake the Mosquitoes from My Ankles.” Watercolor - 20"x14", “He Comes with All His Winters and His Wounds” [E. Humphreys] Watercolor – 21"x14", “What a Wonderous Life Is This I Lead”, Watercolor – 18"x12", "Playthings" Watercolor, Pencil & Acrylic on Paper – 28"x20", “Another July” Watercolor – 18"x12", “Backgammon and Gin” Watercolor, Pencil & Acrylic on Paper – 26"x18"

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Clockwise: “Instructed

by Heron” Watercolor – 13"x18", “Rules of Civility…Grandmothers Are Never Wrong.” Watercolor – 19"x17", "Untitled" Watercolor, Pencil & Acrylic on Paper – 28"x20"

and empathy with the people she paints, challenging the viewer to focus on what makes people the same, as opposed to focusing on differences. While the message behind her artwork is inspiring, her artistic talent shines through with each of her paintings. Anita has gracefully mastered her style of being a contemporary watercolorist, painting with watercolor in a traditional way, yet adding a modern twist to it. A recipient of many artistic awards and achievements, Anita’s contributions to the art world have not been overlooked. Her piece “Once Upon a Time There Were Two Sisters,” from a painting series that highlights the gracefulness of growing older, won Best Painting at Piccolo Spoleto in 2017, and her work has been shown in countless galleries for the public to admire.

These days, you can find Anita surrounded by beauty both inside and out of her home on Kiawah Island.

The untouched natural beauty of the landscape around the marsh-lined island perfectly complements the breathtaking art collection that lines the walls around her home; each inspiring her to keep her creative habit intact. She doesn’t need much persuasion; she is still as eager to create art as she was when she was a little girl in her Saturday classes. When listening to Anita talk about painting, one can hear the passion in her voice.

“I wake up in the morning looking forward to working,” she says. “I put my feet on the floor, make my coffee, and immediately go to the kitchen to paint. The lighting in the kitchen, no matter what time of day, is perfect for painting.”

Anita’s favorite place to paint is her makeshift studio in her home, with her paints and easel propped right on the kitchen table. A true creative genius, Anita can’t imagine herself anywhere else. And while visitors have pointed out that she has the perfect landscape around her to recreate in her paintings, Anita would rather enjoy the view in real time than paint it, choosing to focus on other subjects instead.

The future holds bigger and better things for Mrs. Harley, quite literally. She aspires to work on a larger scale through the actual size of her paintings, and continues to experiment with different techniques, patterns, colors, and trying her hand in mixed media.

She continues to add to her latest series, “Together...

We,” which reminds viewers that humans are all in this together, again encouraging her viewers to find their own connection to the subject. Anita continues to succeed in her goal of integrating the decorative with the emotional, drawing her viewers in with her bright colors and interesting, sometimes contrasting patterns, connecting them to those they may have not connected with otherwise. No matter what she is painting, one thing is for sure: Anita Harley’s work adds beauty to the human experience. AM For more information on Anita Harley, visit www.anitaharley.com.

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VILLAGE P OET

BISCOTTI

by Ellen E. Hyatt Today, waiting for her thoughts to find themselves, I see the past: A small, blue fan hums. Its oscillation, enough to keep a tiny shell windchime tink- ling somewhere in the kitchen. Tomatoes, the last of summer's, ripen on the window sill.

What, I learned years later, is an aria plays in the background. How special this five-year-old me feels, coming from half-days of kindergarten to her full kitchen. Awaiting me, orange-flavored biscotti—my favorite— and chocolate milk.

I ask, “Would you like to make biscotti?"

Today, I've brought ingredients in hope. One teaspoon of grated rind— like confetti—thrown over flour and white and brown sugars in the large yellow bowl. All readied for eggs and vanilla, currants and almonds.

After we form the dough into two long ropes, her crooked fingers reach for my hand to guide brushing each rope with egg white.

Bake. Cool. Slice. Bake ten minutes more.

What women today call "baking," I’m glad she doesn’t know.

In air-conditioned, stainless kitchens, women with fresh French manicures separate cookies already pre-scored in a tube of processed dough purchased from a grocery store's freezer section.

They pop the slices in the microwave, call them “homemade" (and do fool some, some of the time). Massly-manufactured dough won't hold when dunked like biscotti.

Before she returns to her past— before I rethink what's to come, we two dip our biscotti in dessert wine— savor these few now-moments we share.

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styled by Margie Sutton makeup by Krista Elam photograph by Taylor Kennedy wardrobe by FLY Modern Apparel