The Southern Edge Magazine - Winter 2022 Issue

F I RST L A D Y o f C H A R L A NE ART D O E S N ’ T J U S T HA NG O N A W ALL Br ian B o g gs C ha i r m a k e rs

M AK I N G S P IR IT S BR IG H T

W in e T i p s f o r Fe s t ive C h e e r

29 Waterfall Hikes

Clean Mountain Water

Two Wild & Scenic Rivers

Four Amazing Lakes Endless Sunsets

Fresh Air

This is Oconee , SC…

And yes, we are people friendly!!

OCONEE, SC is a cool place to play!

VisitOconeeSC.com

Philosophy We believe the idea of tradition is ingrained in the souls of Southerners. We have a relentless respect for our deep heritage and an unwavering dedication to living out the traditions of the past.

We believe tradition can be honored while simultaneously welcoming contemporary thought and style and that there is a movement to merge these two lifestyles through intentional, healthy and meaningful living.

We believe happiness is rooted in simplicity. If our minds and places are free of clutter, there is more room for things that matter.

We believe local is better. It’s about being a part of a larger community. It’s about connecting with

those who grow, catch, brew and create our food and that closer means fresher, tastier and healthier.

It’s choosing fruits and vegetables in season, drinking wines from vineyards in the region, seeking out the work of local artisans and supporting independent, locally owned stores.

We believe in leaving a positive fingerprint. The measure of our success will be the condition on which we leave the world for the next generation.

We believe these thoughts embody the emergence of the “New South” and we’re honored to be presenting this movement in our pages.

Thank you for joining us on this journey.

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Magnolia Adam's Photography

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FLAVOR 38-43: MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT Wine Tips for Festive Cheer 44-47: NOT ALL TREATS ARE BAD Adding Nutrition to your Holiday Treats

LIFE

16-21: MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES One man's love for and lifelong experiences in and across the Blue Ridge and a few mountains around the world 22-27: ROSE LANE LEAVELL, FIRST LADY OF CHARLANE The Embodiment of a Strong Southern Woman 28-29: THAT DOG WON'T HUNT and other colorful Southern Phrases

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INNOVATION

54-59: ART DOESN'T JUST HANG on a WALL 60-68: Q&A with MERRIT MCNEELY Chief Executive Officer, Flock and Rally

WELLNESS 68-73: FINDING YOUR PATH to HEALING the BODY NATURALLY

“Eat, Drink, and Be Native.” This is a slogan that our team adopted many years ago. To us being “native” is about being part of a larger community. It’s about consciously choosing to explore through food, drink, art, and activity that which is enjoyed by the locals. For visitors to our region of the country, it’s about immersion into the culinary, natural environment, and social culture of The South. For residents, it’s about connecting in a meaningful way to our communities and supporting local establishments that continue to sustain our culture.

It's about making a connection with those who grew, caught, brewed, or created the food.

It’s choosing to patron restaurants that create menus from food grown nearby with the belief that closer means fresher, tastier, and healthier.

It’s choosing fruits and vegetables in season, drinking wines from vineyards in the region, seeking out the work of local artisans, and supporting independent, locally owned stores.

Being “native”brings you closer to the community in which you live and the communities you wish to visit. It’s the truest way to experience, grow, and sustain everything we love about the South.

This holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s), join The Southern Edge Magazine team as we shop local and support our small businesses. Together we can make a difference to our communities.

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and the most wonderful New Year’s yet.

thesouthernedgemagazine.com 3

Michelle McCollum CEO & Editor in Chief Anna Joyner Artistic Director & Production Manager Yuka Greer Managing Editor & Operations Director Abbey Stevens Editorial Assistant

Cover Photo by Louis Cahill

SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Don Alexander

Ken Durham

Bob Alexander

Rhoda Green

Donna Livingston

Pete Weathers

Neal Workman

Hope Blackley

Dr. Susan Johnson

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National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to tell nationally significant stories.

JANE JENKINS HERLONG - WRITER

Jane Jenkins Herlong is a Sirius XM Humorist, bestselling/award-winning author, professional singer, recording artist and professional Southern humorist. A recent inductee into the prestigious Speakers Hall of Fame, Jane is the best-selling author of four books. A former Miss America contestant, Jane’s award-winning singing and comedy is featured on Sirius XM Radio, Spotify and Pandora Internet Radio. For speaking engagements visitjaneherlong.com

JAMES SAXON WRITER

James "Jamie" Saxon is a Red Hills and Cotton native of the South Carolina Upcountry, to which he returned after a couple of decades in other places. A graduate of Furman University, the University of South Carolina, and the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, he has been a college administrator, worked in private practice and public service, and former associate probate judge for Anderson County. He loves books, jazz, food, friends, labs, and his crazy Southern family.

We are always willing to consider freelance photographers & contributors.

Please send queries to info@thesouthernedgemagazine.com

TOM POLANDWRITER

Tom Poland grew up in Lincoln County, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in Journalism and Education. He taught at the University of Georgia, Columbia College, and the University of South Carolina. He writes about nature and the South and its people, traditions, and lifestyles. His work appears in books & magazines, journals, and newspapers throughout the South. He’s a member of the S.C. Humanities Speakers Bureau.

Tom is a recipient of the Order of Palmetto. He lives in Columbia, South Carolina. tompoland.net

DARLENE GREENE WRITER

W. THOMAS SMITH, JR. WRITER

A graduate of both Anderson W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a formerly deployed U.S. Marine Infantry and Clemson Universities, Darlene has degrees in Journalism leader, counterterrorism instructor, and retired colonel in the S.C. and English. She has written Military Department. A New professionally for both corporate York Times bestselling editor and news publications for over and an internationally acclaimed 35 years. At the same time, she writer whose work has appeared has sought knowledge, training in countless newspapers and and tools to live a healthier, magazines worldwide, Tom has more spiritually connected traveled to Iraq, the Balkans, life. Certified in energy healing elsewhere and other wars. He modalities including Reiki, Ama is also a senior officer with the Deus, Access Bars & Intuitive Counseling, Darlene loves helping National Security Task Force, S.C. others find their truth and life’s Floodwater Commission. Among passions. She is married, has one Tom’s awards, honors, and military decorations, he is a recipient of grown son, two rescued dogs, Finn the Order of the Palmetto. (pictured) and Ginger, and two uswriter.com rescued cats, Smokey & Bandit. healingwithsoundsoflove.com

This season, put your money where your home is!

Shopping small and shopping local has a big benefit on our local communities.

When you support small businesses your money simply matters more; it stimulates the local economy and stimulates local job creation.

6 ways to shop local this holiday season: Do your research and identify local online businesses in the region Buy books from an independent book store Make holiday meals from local ingredients or give a basket of local foods/wines/craft beers Give the gift of experiences unique to your area (rafting, wine tasting, yoga classes, spa treatments, etc.)

Seek out local artisans at regional art centers Simply shop along Main Street

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GIVE A GIFT THEY CAN OPEN AGAIN & AGAIN

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GIVE A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! Annual gift subscriptions are available for The Southern Edge Magazine.

Gift subscription orders placed before December 19th will send the recipient the current Winter issue along with a card announcing the gift of four issues in 2023.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY CHESHIRE

Give the gift of fashion this season.

Shop Myly for Southern-inspired gifts for the special lady in your life.

From cozy sweaters to shoes and accessories, Myly has everything she loves for Christmas and Valentines.

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MAKE IT A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER...

Shop local this Christmas and find something special for everyone on your list.

HOME DECOR HANDCRAFTED GIFTS LOCAL FARM TO TABLE GOODIES & ALL THINGS SOUTHERN

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PASSION

BREWS

PURPOSE

CIO ARMCHAIR

Photo By: Miles Sherrill

A Charleston Gathering Place Wine & Company was born out of good friendships and warm memories made over a great bottle of wine, and we hope to extend this experience to you and yours here at our shop. Whether you are looking to enjoy a glass of champagne and a bite to eat, buy a special bottle for a friend or restock your wine cellar — Wine & Compay is the perfect Midtown spot to meet your needs.

441 MEETING STREET STE. B CHARLESTON, SC

Magnolia Adam's Photography

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BRING THE ENJOYMENT OF SMOKED COCKTAILS FROM YOUR FAVORITE BAR TO YOUR HOME KITCHEN OR BAR. ENJOY THE SWEET SMOKED FLAVOR ADDED BY OUR SPECIALLY SOURCED BOURBON BARREL STAVES. UNLIKE OTHER SMOKING KITS MADE FROM BARREL STAVES, OURS ARE DESIGNED TO FIT A LARGE RANGE OF GLASSES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR HOME BAR OR KITCHEN. TREAT YOURSELF OR GIVE THE PREFECT GIFT FOR THAT WHISKEY LOVER IN YOUR FAMILY OR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

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TAB L E RO C K STAT E PA R K

Whether you’re looking for a way to spend quality time with your family or the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast in your life, a Park Passport is a great way to explore the Palmetto State. Park Passports are valid for a year from the date of purchase, so you can take the time to experience everything South Carolina state parks have to offer.

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Order your Park Passport, shop for official park gear and find unique gifts at SCParkStore.com

LIFE

mountain

ADVENTURES One man’s love for and lifelong experiences in-and-across the Blue Ridge and a few mountains around the world Words by W. Thomas Smith Jr.

I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS; always have, since at least the summer of 1966 when I was seven-years-old and my family and I traveled from Columbia, South Carolina north toward Tweetsie Railroad near Blowing Rock, North Carolina before turning west toward Maggie Valley (what we called Maggie’s Valley) then finally the town of Cherokee.

Naturally, as a young boy I was thrilled to see cowboys and Indians shooting it out on the dusty streets of Ghost Town in Maggie’s Valley. And in Cherokee, we bought a bunch of great souvenirs, including bows and arrows, spears with red and white feathers on them, beads and Cherokee headdresses.

We even talked with the natives who made everything, and an old Cherokee man with a wrinkled smiling face and feathers in his hair reached out and held my hand. I never forgot that even though it was now 56 years ago.

I associated it all, then and now, with the famed Blue Ridge mountains which I first glimpsed and remembered as “those blueish gray hills” rising in the distance as we drove north from Columbia. The first time I saw them and over the decades since, they quite literally took my breath away. I tend to think all of us may experience those smoky blue hills similarly.

When I was a little older and in the Boy Scouts, I remember we went on numerous camping trips, rarely to the mountains because we were based in the South Carolina Midlands, but occasionally to the foothills of the Blue Ridge which were almost as thrilling. The higher the elevation, the better it was for stargazing, which I developed a love for at an early age (for more about my love of the stars and celestial navigation, please see previous editions of THE SOUTHERN EDGE).

When I was a teenager, several of us – high school buddies – would drive up to Whitewater Falls, North Carolina for the weekend: We would head up midday Friday, cutting the last couple of classes to go (or maybe we cut the entire day, I don’t really remember now).

We always timed it perfectly to arrive at some point in the late afternoon when it was still light enough to hike with all of our gear to a somewhat remote destination-camp spot alongside a wide rushing stream, not quite a river, but swift and in some places “rapids.” There we would set up camp: Two classic triangular canvas pup tents, one for our food and gear, and one which we planned to cram ourselves into if it started to rain, which it fortunately never did. Then we’d gather wood and build a fire.

There, deep in the mountains with a huge campfire and the swift rushing water only a few yards away from us, we would spend both Friday and Saturday nights. Keep in mind, back then there were no phones, and the only transistor radio we had only picked up maybe one static-riddled station which crackled into nothing but static as soon as the sun dropped behind the western ridgeline.

On Saturdays, we would explore the mountains all around us, sometimes risking and often getting temporarily lost, but always managing to find our way back to camp. In the nearby deep-water stream, we would swim or attempt to swim further out where the stream turned to marginal rapids.

There was also a big flat rock that the water surged over, which we would run across, slip, slide and fall, slamming our rear-ends hard on the rock (surprisingly we never got hurt), as the water would then whisk us away to a big pool about 100 yards from the actual Whitewater Falls.

At the point of the falls themselves, there was a narrow animal path that enabled us to climb below, around, and beneath the cascading water, and explore a bit more, always enjoying the natural shower of the falls and fancying ourselves as mountain men.

WHITEWATER FALLS, NORTH CAROLINA

PHOTO BY: STACY REDMON

We would pack-up and drive back Sunday morning and, along the way, stop at some backcountry restaurant and eat a huge breakfast before continuing home.

the morning and look where we are” soul stirring encounters with surrounding mountains that are infinitely better experienced than described.

We went on these weekend excursions several times (at least four times as I recall): Always sleeping under the stars, sitting around an enormous campfire (sometimes pouring pure gasoline in the fire, which was absolutely crazy), telling stories, laughing harder than we had (I had) ever laughed before – until years later in the Marines – and otherwise HOWLING AT THE MOON.

Of course, my mountaineering fun would increase exponentially in college – where I first learned to rock climb and rappel – and later in the Marine Corps throughout the 1980s.

O’ the adventures we had at Whitewater Falls in the mid-to-late 1970s: Hard if not impossible to adequately describe here.

Then there was Windy Gap, a Young Life Christian retreat, also in the Blue Ridge wherein we behaved better – sort of – and experienced the same kind of “wake up in

In college, I served as a senior counselor and chief riflery instructor at Camp Pinnacle, near Hendersonville, North Carolina, yes, in the Blue Ridge. On the weekends, my thengirlfriend would drive up from Columbia and we would visit Hendersonville, nearby Asheville, of course Biltmore Estate, and myriad little villages and townships along the way.

A few years later, in the Marines, I attended a bitter-cold course of survival training near Plattsburgh in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Later I attended USMC mountain warfare training in the High Sierras of northern California, which – like Plattsburgh – was intense but tremendous fun; followed by a course of instruction at the ROK Marines mountain warfare school near Muchuk, Korea.

At the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, California, we perfected the art of operating in the mountains.

W. Thomas Smith Jr. as a U.S. Marine riflesquad leader during mountain warfare training, High Sierras, Bridgeport, CA. PHOTO ABOVE LEFT Panoramic view of the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA. PHOTO ABOVE U.S. Marines setting up overwatch during

I attended the summer package, so we climbed a lot of sheer rock faces, rappelled (both traditionally and Australian facingdown the descent style). We also spent a lot of time navigating over great distances, practiced setting up ambushes, scouting, patrolling, building and crossing rope bridges, and crossing huge gorges on a single rope (hand-over-hand with our bodies parallel to the jagged rocks below and legs crossed in front of us on the rope).

We also climbed well above the benchmark “ninety four, ninety four” – 9,494 feet in elevation – though I’m not sure how high we ventured above 9,494. Granted, 9,494 and immediately above is not nearly as high as the elevations of the world’s seven great summits (with which my good friend and global expedition leader Dr. Tom Mullikin is intimately familiar), but it is close to 3,000 feet higher than anything experienced here in the Appalachians of the Eastern United States.

training at the Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA. PHOTO BY: BRADLEY HURLEY

Mount Mitchell (aka Attakulla in Cherokee), for example, is the highest peak in the Appalachian chain and across eastern North America. Located about 19 miles northeast of Asheville, North Carolina, Mount Mitchell is a beautiful commanding eminence within the Black Mountains of the Tarheel State.

Is the summit of Mount Mitchell considered high? At 6,684 feet, yes. Nothing higher around these parts, but relative to some of the great mountains of the world like Everest at 29,000-plus – even those of my beloved Bridgeport at close to 10,000 feet – Mitchell is not even close.

I think Mitchell’s claim to fame would be that it is not only relatively high, but nestled among some of the oldest mountains in the

world, certainly the most beautiful, and it is ranked fifth in terms of the most isolated summits in North America, and 31st among the most topographically isolated summits on earth.

Then there was the previously mentioned Mountain Warfare Training Center in the Republic of Korea. Similar in training and conditioning to what we learned at Bridgeport, but the course was much shorter in duration. It snowed while we were there. And upon completion of the Korean mountain warfare school, we were named “Honorary Rangers” in the South Korean Marine Corps.

A few years later, I had the opportunity with my then-brother-in-law, an active duty sailor on leave, and some of his friends to hunt elk in the Colorado Rockies.

Already a deer hunter here in South Carolina and having once hunted and killed a wild boar literally with my USMC K-Bar knife (that’s another story), I jumped at the chance.

It was an unbelievable two-week adventure, literally camping deep in the black timber and eating only the game (mostly deer) we shot and the fish we caught. We bathed in natural hot springs situated in a cleft of the Rockies high above the Colorado River which looked like a small stream from our lofty vantage point. The vistas from where we were and trekked, were incredible and impossible to describe. The starry nights, amazing. And the wildness around the campfire – which included some bourbon-fueled tag-team wrestling matches – was as fun and crazy for all of us as I had remembered from my teenage years at Whitewater Falls. The proverbial icing on the cake was that it also snowed while we were in the Rockies, just like we had experienced in the mountains of Korea.

Not sure of the varying elevations we were in while in the Rockies, but we were infinitely higher and far distant from mile-high Denver which we passed through enroute to our destination and on the way out. This would have been somewhere around 19891990.

During the Bosnia War in 1995, I spent a great deal of time hiking in the mountains of the Croatian backcountry – both alone and with Croatian soldiers – all the way up to the Croatian-Bosnia border and the frontlines.

Like so many of us who have traveled to Europe, I have flown above the majestic Alps – impressive even from 30,000 feet – and I even trekked through some of the lower ranges of the Italian Alps on my return trip from Bosnia.

In 1996, I spent several weeks in Israel and on the West Bank. Yes, there are lovely mountains in Judea and elsewhere across the region; not as high as others around the world, but very old and storied. Same in Lebanon, which I was blessed to venture across as late as 2007.

Since then, I’ve enjoyed several trips north from central South Carolina up into my beloved Blue Ridge mountains.

Remembering now making my way across a particularly rugged ridge running along a stretch of the Pisgah National Forest near the French Broad River in North Carolina in 2012. The wind was gradually picking up as a few storm clouds were moving into and beyond the region from an unanticipated tropical system originating from the Gulf of Mexico about 800-900 miles away.

Then as now, I remember there being nothing else like it: The crisp, dry air (surprising since most breezes from the tropics are warm and humid), the crystalclear skies excepting a few fast-moving clouds, the food, the flowers, the trees, and the crackle and smell of the campfire. But since most of you reading this are less than a couple hours or less from the Appalachian foothills, I am likely preaching to the choir.

Rose Lane Leavell

the embodiment of a strong southern woman Words by Tom Poland

PHOTO BY TOM POLAND

“Daddy taught me to hammer a nail into a tree and to shoot straight.” On a cool January day the woman behind that southern stance wore a black velvet jacket embroidered with roses, a gift from Mick Jagger. It’s an appropriate and special gift to the First Lady of Charlane Woodlands, Rose Lane Leavell.

Rose Lane and husband, Chuck, live on a beautiful plot of land nestled among pines and hardwoods. They call it Charlane. Char from Charles and lane from Rose Lane.

Charlane.

PHOTO BY CHERRIE SMEAL

Call it fate, call it destiny, call it what you will but know this. The threads of life can weave beautiful tapestries. All it takes is a bit of serendipity, as Rose Lane and Chuck Leavell’s lives reveal.

In 1969, music introduced Rose Lane to Chuck Leavell at Capricorn Records, a legendary recording studio in Macon, Georgia. Before that there had always been her connection with the land. This Southern woman’s story, you see, goes back to a rural setting where family roots reach deep. thesouthernedgemagazine.com 23

“I grew up on the farm, on a dirt road, as a matter of fact. I’m going to show you the painting of my farm where I grew up.”

We were in her studio, a place of brushes, books, beautiful wood, shades and tints, and curiosities, a place of mineral spirits and tubes of colors. She led me to an easel holding a painting of a barn beneath a radiant sun, a log outbuilding, and a grazing hereford. And two trees, of course.

“This is where I grew up. This was the barn.

This was the dirt road. It was literally a white dirt road and this is where you kept the milk cow. And this was a log barn. And this is the cow pasture.”

The barn is gone, but it lives on, a memory transformed into art. “They tore it down in 1973. My brother asked me to paint it for him. That was back when daddy died. My brother wanted it. So this is his painting.”

PHOTOS BY TOM POLAND

And This Is Rose Lane’s Story This Georgia girl who grew up on the farm, this Georgia girl who’s toured with the Rolling Stones, tells a story of love, land, and the good fortune music generates. Capricorn Records is synonymous with Southern rock.

Music historians credit it for creating the Southern Rock genre. It’s hallowed ground.

The Allman Brothers, Wet Willie, Elvin Bishop, and the Marshall Tucker Band, among others, recorded there. Hallowed ground, most assuredly. It was at Capricorn Records where a tall beautiful woman met a young musician from Alabama. Chuck Leavell was his name, and he would join the Allman Brothers Band in 1972.

To chart the events that led Rose Lane to Capricorn Records and thus to Chuck, we go back to the early 1960s when Phil Walden managed and represented R&B performers. Among them were Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Al Green, and Percy Sledge. After Redding’s death in 1967, Walden’s plan for an R&B-driven label lost its appeal. Consulting with Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records he decided to found a record label. Plans included building a studio with a session band. Named for their shared astrological sign, Walden and Wexler formed Capricorn Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records.

Rose Lane sensed an opportunity.

“I would tell them that I know what I’m doing, and I’m a woman of the world.

I’m very honored to have the life that I have. First of all, honored because my grandmother left the farm to me and she was a strong woman. My mother was a strong woman. Chuck is my nucleus.”

He’s her nucleus and she’s his. Rose Lane ran a boutique women’s store in Macon called Cornucopia. It demanded her time and attention as retail does. But then she fell off a horse.

“I broke myself really bad. Chuck came in the bedroom and said, ‘You’ve got to get rid of that store and start touring with me.’

“Oh, I can’t give up my store. I had had it for 20 years.”

In time she let go of Cornucopia.

“I was meant to be an entrepreneur and I still am. I just moved the focus to our land.”

The focus is laser sharp. In the Leavells’ words, they turned the family land into a “text book tree farm.” In 1999, the American Tree Farm System named Rose Lane and Chuck “National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year.” They’re the only two-time recipients of Georgia Tree Farmers of the Year.

“I had been working at a Chevrolet dealer. I asked for an audition at Capricorn and they asked me to go to dinner. Frank got a writer from Blues and Soul magazine to come. We all went to dinner and that was it. I started working there for co-founder Frank Fenter.”

She met the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band, Atlanta Rhythm section, and Wet Willie.

“Otis died before I got there. But Zelma, she’s still my friend.” (Otis Redding’s widow) Since those early days Rose Lane has walked among rock greats, but she remains grounded. I asked Rose Lane a question.

“If someone asked, ‘Are you a strong, independent woman?’ What would you say?”

IMAGE: FARM BUREAU, GEORGIA

The farmhouse they live in, The Home Place, circa 1850, consists of pine harvested from their land. Rose Lane and Chuck, stewards of 4,000 acres, manage their woodlands as sustainable forestland and hunting preserve.

Rose Lane hunted quail with a .410. “I was a pretty good wing shooter. Daddy used to make us go out and put targets up when I was a little girl.”

While Rose Lane doesn’t shoot anymore, she remains a tough, independent Southern woman. Managing Charlane for hunting and timber has been a labor of love for Rose Lane and Chuck. The Leavells love the land, life, and each other.

“We have been together forty-eight years and we have a lot of fun together,” said Chuck. “We are together just about every day.”

Among those happy days one day stands out. It came during a tough stretch for Chuck. Back in 1972, Chuck had felt most fortunate to join the Allman Brothers Band. The band scored hits off Brothers and Sisters, a #1 record. “Ramblin’ Man” ranked #1 on US Cashbox’s top 100. “Jessica,” the instrumental featuring Chuck’s mesmerizing piano, made Billboards Hot 100, but then the band broke up in 1976.

What now?

A Defining Day With music in his blood, Chuck formed Sea Level, which fused elements of funk, blues, Latin, and rock. The band cut five records, four at Capricorn, but all that ended in 1981. A dead zone of sorts set in. The phone wasn’t ringing very much as sessions went.

Around this time Rose Lane had inherited about 1,000 acres from her grandmother and the Leavells moved to what would become Charlane where Chuck’s interest in forestry and the environment would blossom.

His music life, however, languished. Chuck came home a bit frustrated one day in 1981. “Listen honey, I am never going to quit music, but things aren’t really going so great right now and I am very interested in forestry and maybe I should just not worry about music, leave it alone and just pursue this forest interest.”

Rose Lane listened patiently and said, “Well, Chuck, that’s interesting … but guess what?

The Rolling Stones called you today.”

Chuck thought she was teasing.

“Don’t do this to me.”

“Here’s the number. Go to the phone over there and call.”

Chuck did, and within 36 hours, he was on a plane for an audition at Longview Farm in Massachusetts. The audition went great and six months later the Stones called. “We’re going to tour Europe and we want you onboard.”

Rose Lane and Chuck joined the Stones.

An inch shy of six feet, Rose Lane cuts a striking figure. She’s modelesque, to coin a word. That boutique-clothing store on Second Street in Macon? The eclectic and haute couture frequented it. That experience helped prepare her for backstage duties with the Rolling Stones. Considered the Stones’ band mother, she helps with wardrobe, hair and makeup, and something most helpful: mapping the enormous stages they play on these days. Case in point. On March 25, 2016, the Stones performed a free two-hour concert at Ciudad Deportiva in Havana.

Rose Lane was there.

“You know how many people we had in Cuba? Over 700,000. You couldn’t see.

You couldn’t see anything.” According to Billboard, half a million more could not get into the venue. The Rolling Stones were the biggest international act to play Cuba since the Cuban revolution. The woman who could hammer a nail into a tree and shoot straight found herself at a most historic show. There she was touring with the world’s greatest rock and roll band, her husband their keyboardist and musical director, light years from that day in 1981 when Chuck considered putting music aside.

And the woman whose ancestors have been in Georgia since the 1790s? She has friends all over the world today thanks to music.

Family, however, is never far from her mind.

Rose Lane reflected on her father, “The sweetest, kindest man ever, he wanted me to be able to take care of myself.” She reflected on her mom. “She could shoot a penny off a post.”

Rose Lane’s is a heritage of kindness and toughness topped by double blessings. She and Chuck find in each other their core.

Chuck calls Rose Lane, “Rosie.” You cannot miss the affection in his voice. They’ve been married not quite fifty years and have two daughters, Amy and Ashley, and four grandkids…two by each daughter.

When not traveling the world, Rose Lane and Chuck complement and balance each other out at a sustainable forestland and hunting preserve in the heart of Georgia, a fitting setting for their tale of family land, music, and matters of the heart. Theirs is an endearing, enduring love.

The Many Hats of Rose Lane White Leavell

PHOTO BY CHERRIE SMEAL

Rose Lane continues her family’s long-running message of sustainability, conservation and love for the planet. She gardens, manages the work staff, and directs traffic, all while beautifying Charlane Woodlands. She plans meals and books hunts. In her spare time, she paints and creates in her horse barn studio. She’s involved with organizations such as The Georgia Humanities Council where she served as campaign chair for The New Harmonies Exhibit that traveled through Georgia 2012-2013. Georgia Women of Achievement is especially important to her. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal appointed her a member of The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Authority. The Forest Landowner Association named her Forest Landowner of 2012. And she’s there to answer the phone when Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, David Gilmour, and other top-tier artists call.

THAT DOG WON'T HUNT...

AND OTHER COLORFUL SOUTHERN PHRASES Words by Darlene Greene Anywhere you go in the world, no matter the language spoken, natives will always have some phrases or idioms that may not translate their intended meaning when spoken to a “foreigner.”

Learning the idioms spoken in various parts of the U.S. is interesting because they are unique to the area. Southerners seem to have quite a few of these and, when researched, their origins help make sense out of the often-non-sensical phrases.

One of the first idioms I learned the true meaning of was “mind your Ps and Qs,” which, whenever it was said to me as a child, meant “mind your manners.” The original meaning is quite different and not something that would be said to a small child. It translates to “mind your pints and quarts” and when spoken in the early American colonies meant “watch your alcohol consumption and don’t get drunk.”

“I swanee” used to be heard frequently in the South, back when swearing was simply not considered acceptable behavior. Any good southern lady or gentleman will tell you that manners matter and making their southern Mama’s proud is a way of life.

The source of this phrase dates to the 13th century from northern England. The original phrase “I shall warrant ye” meaning “I guarantee you” was parsed down to “I swanee.”

“Scarce as Hen’s teeth” is a popular way of saying that something is hard to find or is rare. Since hens don’t have teeth, this idiom is easy to understand. However, being in “high cotton” to someone from outside the South might be a little more difficult to translate.

If you don’t know anything about how cotton grows, this idiom might not make sense. Basically, the taller the cotton plants, the larger the harvest and being in “high cotton” became a colloquial way of saying someone had a lot of money or other luxuries. For example, if a man was seen driving a new sports car, his friends would say he was in “high cotton.”

Speaking of southern Mamas, you never want to hear your Mama tell you “We are going to have a 'come to Jesus'" conversation.

That was a slang way of saying, you are in serious trouble and were going to hear about it. A “come to Jesus” moment is actually defined as a “a moment of sudden realization, comprehension, or recognition that often precipitates a major change.” When a southern Mama says it, you can bet your last dollar, you are going to experience a “major change” in your behavior, or else!!!

“Having a conniption fit” is often spoken in the South. The exact source of this phrase is not known but it originated sometime in the 1830s and was possibly derived from the word corruption.

It means to “have a hysterical attack or a fit of rage.” However, “having a hissy fit” is altogether different from having a “conniption fit.” “Hissy fits” are meant to describe the tantrums of a small child or silly behavior. To tell an adult they are having a “hissy fit” is to say they are acting silly or like a 2-year-old and they need to get their act together. Never confuse the two when speaking to a Southerner.

“Too big for his britches” is a commonly heard phrase which is easy to figure out, even if you are not from the South. The individual is just too full of himself and needs a reality check. It translates to being very conceited or overly proud of oneself.

Children are often told this in the South when they are acting out or talking back to their parent. This phrase is also thought to originate in the 1830s but the first written account of it was published by Davy Crockett in 1835.

When someone in the South, especially a senior, is asked “How are you doing?” they will often respond with the phrase “fair to middlin’.” You can easily guess this means something like “slightly above average” and that is correct. What many do not know is the source of this phrase is from the description of farming products. Best quality was called fine or good. The next class was fair to middling. This phrase’s origins are found in the early 1800s in Liverpool as part of cotton’s appraisal process.

“Up to snuff” as a phrase partly originated with the famous bard, Shakespeare, but was popularized in the early 19th century by a clever Brit named John Poole. In 1810, Poole wrote a burlesque of the bard’s tragedy Hamlet called Hamlet Travestie: in Three Acts. In the burlesque, the phrase is spoken by one of Hamlet’s friends to describe their intention to sniff out or discover the source of Hamlet’s insanity. In 1823, there was a dictionary of slang called Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

In it, the definition of “being up to snuff, and a pinch above it” was considered “flash.” To be “flash” was to be “in the know.” In 1864, Webster printed its Unabridged Dictionary which defined “up to snuff” as “colloquial” and was defined as a savvy person “not likely to be imposed upon; knowing; acute; alert.” Webster’s next edition, published in 1909 labeled the phrase as “slang” and defined it as “not easily deceived, worldly-wise.”

“Preaching to the choir,” is a commonly heard phrase in the South since you can’t “swing a dead cat” without hitting a church anywhere in the South. The idiom is a simple way of saying “don’t waste your time arguing your point with me because I already agree with you.” “Swinging a dead cat” is a phrase that originates in the 16th century when sailors were punished by lashes with a cat o’ nine tails. Below decks was too confining to be able to swing the lash. It became a colloquial description of small or crowded space if it was not possible to “swing a dead cat.”

Whether you are a hunter or not, you understand the phrase “that dog won’t hunt.” The literal translation is a hunter has a dog that doesn’t want to hunt game. The idiom is a reference to an idea or excuse that is inadequate or will not work. It can also be used to imply that someone is a wimp or a sissy. In the South, where dogs are often used to hunt raccoons and other wild animals, the folksy expression is used frequently.

Last, we hear the idiom “playing possum” often, which implies the pretense of being dead. While it is a common turn of phrase in the South, few people know that it is based specifically on the behavior of the Virginia opossum which feigns death when threatened. It can also mean to “play stupid or innocent.” It has been a common saying since the early 1800s. While opossums are frequently a source of jokes or ridicule, they are actually very beneficial animals to have around since they keep neighborhoods clear of unwanted pests like cockroaches, rats and mice. They also eat 95% of the ticks that cross their paths reducing risk of Lyme’s disease in areas they inhabit. They are not susceptible to snake venom and eat venomous species.

Now that up are "up to snuff" on your Southern-speak, you can tell your friends you are "flash!"

thesouthernedgemagazine.com 29

100 CHRISTMASES

I walked into the old farmhouse that housed four generations of the Jenkins family. Suddenly, memories of Christmas Eve flooded my mind. I remembered so many details of that special night that made me laugh and shed a tear but mostly, my heart swelled with gratitude.

I visualized Uncle Bill, standing in the doorway with his fancy video camera with enough lights to illuminate a football stadium. So what I did I get for Christmas that year? Retina damage…

My Grandfather, Gumpa was quite a character.

He always sat in his old burgundy chair with the wooden arms. It was his corner; almost a sacred place. He had a bird’s eye view of the front door and saw who was coming to celebrate and he probably celebrated more when some left.

His unopened gifts practically made a fort around him. All he wanted was a pack of Butterfingers.

My favorite, too but I was way too excited to eat.

Gumpa never knew my name—he referred to me as Benjamin’s child. I guess I should have worn a name tag.

Besides all the unruly cousins, sugar high and endless pairs of unwanted socks, there was another feeling that engulfed the room—unconditional love. The sights and smells of Benne Seed cookies and fruitcake only heightened our senses of how special it was to be together. I especially loved the Moravian Star that was hung from the porch ceiling representing the star of Bethlehem—a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

Those beautiful Christmas Eves that we referred to as “going up to the yard” were amazing. Sadly those 100 Christmases are now over, but they will never be forgotten.

Gone but Never Forgotten I miss the faces, the warmth, and the anticipation for the next day. I miss my parents, sister, my grandparents, cousin, uncles, my aunt, and even the antics of that crazy cousin who hurt my arm.

It was so innocent, magical and just plain fun. We didn’t know what would happen and we really did not care because, on that magical night we celebrated the best gift of all-each other.

And there was my Grandmother, Lou. Her white hair and wide smile appeared almost as angelic as the radiant star on the top of the tree.

She cooked our favorite dishes and loved sitting in the center of her living room surrounded by tons of family.

I remembered the Christmas tree; it was huge and always had strands of popcorn and enough silver icicles to rock the living room with shimmering enchantment. Greeting cards were taped along the frames of the windows; gifts nearly exploded under that Norfolk Island pine.

Now Available for purchase.

Crazy Cousins And there was that pesky first cousin who always wanted to give you his special Christmas present— wringing his hands on your arm till the skin turned blood red. Or that other wild cousin who poked our doll baby’s eyes out; we cried out eyes out, too.

30

thesouthernedgemagazine.com

Jane is the best-selling author of four books and a professional Southern humorist.

For speaking engagements visit janeherlong.com

HOLIDAYS and a SOUTHERN WINTER WONDERLAND

There are those who view the word “holidays” with something akin to disdain—try hard not to be one of those persons. The use of holidays or Xmas is not removing Jesus from the equation. Holidays is short for holy days, and the X in Xmas is Jesus’ initial (and you know how southerners love monograms). When someone greets you by saying “Happy Holidays,” the only appropriate, non-tacky, non-rude response, is “thank you, to you, too.” Frankly, it is this writer’s opinion that folks who worry about such petty things don’t understand their God is bigger than that; in other words, get over yourselves. If you know the person you’re greeting is Christian, by all means feel free to say “Merry Christmas (or “Happy Christmas” if you’re speaking to someone from the UK). If you know the person you’re greeting is Jewish, I’m sure they’ll be pleased to be wished a Happy Hanukkah. If you don’t know a person’s religious beliefs, remember that you’re greeting them, not preaching, so a heartfelt, genuine “Happy Holidays” is just right. My personal habit is to say “Happy Holidays” before Happy Thanksgiving, moving toward Advent when I wish people a Blessed Advent then on to Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah, and finally a Happy New Year. As long as your greeting is sincere and kind, no rightminded person should take offense.

But we all know that the holidays are about much more than greetings. For that matter, they’re about much more than decorations and presents. That annoying Elf on a Shelf, the constant Christmas music blaring in every store and elevator beginning at Halloween, a gazillion movies from a certain card producer, all of which have the same plot—these are pleasant, but are not the meaning of holidays, do you agree? (By the way, Christmas Carols and Christmas music are different types: the former is sacred—what you’d sing in church—while the latter is pop music like Jingle Bells or White Christmas.

A fine holiday includes both.)

The holidays aren’t even about Santa Claus; and lest you doubt, of course I believe in Santa Claus, aka Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Père Noël, etc. Until someone proves he doesn’t exist, I’ll continue to believe. For more information on the existence of Santa Claus (often pronounced Santy Claus in the south), I refer you to A Visit from St. Nicholas, also called ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement Moore. As an aside (spoiler alert, don’t let kids read this), our daddy put out cookies and coffee for Santa. Coffee? Yes, it’s late, it’s cold up there in an un-heated sleigh, and he needs coffee, not milk (daddy hated milk).

The holidays, I propose to you, are about God coming into our real, sometimes surreal, lives and hearts, kindness towards others (whether or not we like them), the search for a little peace and contentment, and the joy of worship, listening to those songs—and singing along with them, however badly—joyfulness in the midst of a world sorely in need of joy and quiet and healing. Most of all, though, don’t you think it’s about love? Love of our Creator, love of our families and friends, even our furry friends. I don’t think I’m going out on the proverbial limb by writing that Love is What It’s All About. Love came to us, and gratitude is the sure response.

We all love the trappings of the holidays that I gently made fun of earlier. A decorated house, lights on trees, stockings hung. Or a simple twiglike Charlie Brown tree with tinsel, home-strung popcorn, and tin foil stars. The fineness or expense of one’s decorations matters not one bit, nor do the packages beneath the tree! Previous generations of southerners, if they got anything at all, may have gotten only a sock filled with an orange, some nuts, and a candy cane, and they were mighty glad to get it.

Here Down South, what we do not have for the holidays and winter is, well, winter. Yes, I’m aware if the temperature dips below 65°F, we grab our heavy coats and gloves and hats, but we have a snow during the holidays, maybe, once every few decades.

We don’t have jingling bells on the horses pulling the sleigh—the old Norelco commercials or TV shows are as close as we get, which may be a reason those movies are so popular. It isn’t unusual to be in shorts on December 25. We have a cozy fire with a hot beverage only when we turn the AC as high as it’ll blow so we can pretend it’s freezing outside.

With the time and resources, we have many places to go, however, such as the North Carolina and Tennessee mountains. We can go skiing there and get a short taste of winter before we return home to a season that is called winter only on the calendar.

But our dear northern friends, you can have your winter of heaters in the engine bay of your vehicles, snowplows blocking your driveways, and shoveling snow. We don’t have to shovel humidity.

You can celebrate a southern New Year’s Eve in a number of ways, at home with friends (my preference) or with friends at their home, but I imagine you have ways that are great fun. But no area of this great nation does New Year’s Day “dinner” better than the south. The menu will

include pork of some kind, whether fried, baked, roasted, grilled, or smoked. You’ll have vats of greens, whether collards, turnip, mustard, or a mixture. Next come the peas, and there can be set-tos over the type of pea. Your choices generally are black-eyed, field, crowder, red, or yellow, and what you use largely depends on your family’s traditions and where in the south you live. There may be sweet potatoes, either baked, roasted, in a casserole, or candied. But the pièce de resistance is Hoppin’ John. For you poor northerners who don’t know any better, this is a delicacy that can be a meal in itself. It involves rice, peas, bacon or salt pork or fat back, diced onions (in some places it may include diced celery and bell pepper to make up the holy trinity, but these additions are not traditional in many parts of the south), chicken broth, and lots of seasoning (e.g., garlic, Creole, salt and pepper, cayenne—it is a spicy dish). It’s cooked on the stove in a very large pot, and stock or broth is added so it never becomes dry. All this is rounded out with corn bread, maybe several kinds; the only kind you won’t find on a respectable southern table is the kind from a mix or any including sugar—as fine cooks are wont to say “if God intended cornbread to have sugar, He’d have called it cake.” Many a joyful New Year’s Day Dinner was spent around Aunt Mary’s and Uncle Carl’s dining table with her having fried about a hundred pork chops. Since her passing, we’re more likely to have pork loins or tenderloins. I’m told the greens symbolize prosperity and the peas symbolize good luck. Taken all together, the season between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Advent, Christmas, New Year’s, and Winter itself symbolize thankfulness.

Southerners know very well that, no matter the trials and tribulations and sorrows of life, being thankful and grateful are the only ways to live.

Visit thesouthernedgemagazine.com to get Jamie's Hoppin' John recipe.

thesouthernedgemagazine.com 31

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F L AVO R

Magnolia Adam's Photography

making spirits bright

Does the idea of picking wine for your party make all your holidays feel as scary as

Halloween? This list of tips

is sure to restore your festive cheer. Here are a couple of

ways to make you a pro this season.

Words by Joshua Walker Photos by Magnolia Adam's Photography

Think about skin contact.

We love to categorize wines by color, but contrary to popular opinion, red wines do not just derive their color from the juice from red grapes and white wines from white grapes. Classic French champagne, for example, is made primarily from red varietals (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) along with Chardonnay. Reds and whites are created in very similar fashions. First, ripe grapes are harvested, then crushed leaving a mixture of juice, stems, skins, and seeds. For white wines, the grapes are then pressed and just the juice is fermented to produce fresh and bright wine. Red wines are fermented with their skins which gives the wine its pigment and tannin (that mouth drying sensation) Rosé is often made with red grapes that only spend a short period of time with the skins, sharing a small amount of pigment and sometimes even tannin.

To further complicate matters, you may have noticed orange wine making an appearance at your favorite restaurant or wine shop. Orange wine is a term referring to white wines made in a traditional red wine style. It is synonymous with “skincontact white wine,” meaning white grapes are pressed and then fermented with the skins, producing a richer orange color in the wine. The orange wine process dates back thousands of years to the area in Eastern Europe that is now modern-day Georgia.

This ancient technique slowly resurfaced in modern winemaking in the early 2000’s when Italian winemakers visited the region and began recreating this process. When you are grabbing wine for the holidays, instead of picking a random color, think about the skin and how much bitter intensity you are looking for in the wine you are choosing.

Cork or no cork?

Does a screw cap mean the wine is cheap?

The short answer is no. While perhaps screw top’s reputation as low quality was once deserved, it is now outdated. Corks have traditionally been used to provide a tight seal that slows the oxidation process that occurs with air exposure, but their porous nature allows a tiny amount of oxygen exchange through which can help soften the wine over time. Screw caps do not let any oxygen in.

When winemakers choose to use a Stelvin closure (the fancy, official name for a screw cap), they are insinuating that the wine should be drunk young. So next time you are grabbing wine for your party, just know that if it is missing a cork, the wine is likely fresh and juicy. While it may lack the romance of cork top, some of the most delicious (and easiest to open) wines have that twist top opening.

Sugar pie, honey bun.

Wine with residual sugar (leftover natural sugars that were not fermented into alcohol) are a major point of contention in the world of wine. Navigating the world of sweetness can be difficult when solo shopping, but it doesn’t have to be. For simplicity’s sake, we can consider alcohol and sugar similarly during fermentation. It is not possible to both keep the sugar and convert it to alcohol. Look at the label of the wine that you are considering, the higher the alcohol, the less sugar is left over after fermentation. The alcohol by volume (ABV) tends to be an underutilized indicator.

It runs on a sliding scale—as the ABV goes down, the leftover sugar tends to go up. Lastly, if you are using wine to pair with dessert, you need to have wine that is sweeter than the food it is being paired with. Pairing a sweet dessert with a dry wine is rarely a good idea.

This is a great opportunity to grab that Mosel Riesling or even a lovely Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley.

Should we love acid?

Often wine evokes similar compliments—this is so soft, this wine is smooth, how complex… but rarely does anyone glow over acidity.

Acidity tends to be the biggest unsung hero in wine. Good structure, complexity, and a long finish are basically impossible to capture without acidity. Wines from regions that are cooler, or have colder nights tend to capture the most acidity to create nice complexity. So next time you are stuck between two options, opt for the wine from the colder growing area for more versatility.

Drink more bubbly.

The world of wine has not been fair to its sparkling members. So often we limit the range of the most versatile wines on the planet to simple toast or celebratory speeches. Sparkling wine can be the swiss army knife of holiday beverages, but there are a few key points to remember.

Prosecco and Champagne are simply not interchangeable. A simple tip if you want something light, refreshing, and easy, grab prosecco. If you want something rich, bold, and powerful opt for Champagne, or Traditional Method sparkling wine. When you decide to pair Champagne with your

classic holiday meals, do not be afraid to pour it in a white wine stem to show off the full intensity of the wine. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, spring for a Petillant Natural (affectionately called Pet Nat). These unadulterated sparklers can be wild and vivacious, and tend to come with reasonable price tags. No matter your selection, just know that utilizing bubbly for your next dinner is always a good call.

chswine.com

NOT ALL TREATS ARE BAD: adding nutrition to your holiday treats Knowledge by Mayumi / Words by Yuka Greer

Parties and family gatherings make it challenging to stick to a strict diet during the holiday season. Our healthy eating expert, Mayumi, suggests adding fruits and nuts to your recipes to give your treats a healthy twist. Fruits are a natural way to sweeten your treats without adding processed sugars and nuts are a great source of added protein.

Be adventurous and explore your favorite combinations.

Mayumi, a certified anti-aging food advisor and a fermented food sommelier, has lived in Upstate South Carolina and now bases her living in Yokohama, Japan where she continues to spread the philosophy of healthyeating and share healthy recipes with The Southern Edge. Her motto is to create simple, healthy (calorie, sugar, fat, sodium, etc.) and nutritious recipes that can be made ahead.

She maintains her health by exercising, eating healthy, watching calories, avoiding snacks between meals, avoiding food and drinks after 8 pm, and taking a bath for detoxing. She enjoys cooking, photography and hiking.

Avocados

Walnuts

Pumpkin

Nutrition POLYUNSATURATED FATS (OLEIC ACID) DIETARY FIBER FOLATE (VITAMIN BS) VITAMIN E POTASSIUM

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACID ANTIOXIDANTS VITAMINS MINERALS PROTEIN DIETARY FIBER POLYPHENOL

BETA CAROTENE POTASSIUM VITAMIN A VITAMIN C VITAMIN E

Health Benefits Helps prevent skin and blood vessels from aging Helps prevent atherosclerosis Aids recovery from fatigue Prevents anemia Improves blood pressure/swelling Potassium in the avocado prevents excess sodium intake Folate maintains healthy brain function

Helps reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) – aka “bad cholesterol – and neutral fat thanks to omega 3 fatty acid Fights against aging (helps prevent oxidation of cells) Helps prevent chronic diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesities Activates brain functions Improves eye health Helps control weight

Detox Fights against aging Boosts immune system Lowers cancer risks Relieves constipation Improves swelling Maintains eye health Helps reducing blood pressure

Improves skin health thesouthernedgemagazine.com 45

AV O C A D O

&

LEMON CAKE Fresh and tangy lemon surprisingly conceals the distinctive avocado flavor. Avocados provide not only a dense, velvety, and ultra-moist texture, but also a vibrant green color.

INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup cane sugar 1.5 teaspoon baking soda 2 beaten eggs 2 very ripe avocados Zest from 1 lemon

P R E P A R AT I O N Preheat oven at 350°F. Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper.

INSTRUCTIONS In a large bowl, mash the avocados.

Mix in sugar to the mashed avocados.

Add eggs, lemon zest, flour, and baking soda in this order.

Notes: The cake can be store in the refrigerator for 3 days.

You can microwave it or eat it as is.

The texture becomes more dense and moist the following day.

Pour batter into the pan. Drop the pan on the kitchen counter a couple of times to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Eat as an afternoon-snack or as breakfast.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Perfect base for maple syrup or a dollop of whip cream.

Turn the cake out of the pan to cool on a rack.

PUMPKIN MOCHI CAKE A combination of pumpkin with its antioxidation effect and the well-known super food, walnuts, make this cake not only guilt-free but also anti-aging. If you are eating the next day, make sure to heat it up in the microwave (refrigerated cake may be hard).

WET INGREDIENTS 1 (15 oz./425 g) can Libby’s Pumpkin 7 oz. canned CARNATION® sweetened condensed milk ¼ cup butter, softened 2 beaten eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DRY INGREDIENTS ½ lb. sweet rice flour 1/3 cup cane sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients well.

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.

2 pinches of salt

Mix together the wet and the dry ingredients.

TOPPING

Add eggs, lemon zest, flour, and baking soda in this order.

Walnuts

Pour batter into the pan. Drop the pan on the kitchen counter a couple of times to remove air bubbles.

P R E P A R AT I O N

Bake at 350°F for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Preheat oven at 350°F.

Cool for 2-3 hours and cut into serving pieces.

Line a 9" x 12" loaf pan with parchment paper.

Serve by itself or with some vanilla ice cream.

wassail: the taste — and smell — of Christmas

W

assail is a tradition in many Southern homes during the holidays, but the tradition actually has medieval origins. Meaning “be hale,” or be healthy, in Old Norse, Wassail was a sentiment of well-wishing expressed during the apple harvest season. Wassailing was an act of gathering in the orchards to sing to the trees, hoping it would help the trees yield better crops. Many people would go doorto-door singing on their way to sing to the trees; some say this eventually led to the tradition of caroling door-to-door during the Christmas season.

With a spike of alcohol, or not, Wassail has a wonderful way of warming up our body and our senses. There is no better way to naturally bring the smell of Christmas into your home this holiday season.

INGREDIENTS: 8 cups apple cider 2 cups orange juice 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, plus more for garnish 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish 12 whole cloves 4 whole cinnamon sticks, extra for options garnish 1 cup brandy or cognac; optional Apple slices or orange wheels, for garnish

Add the apple cider, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Add brandy or cognac if desired.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes.

Ladle the wassail into mugs and garnish with spices and apple slices or orange wheels. For extra garnish add one cinnamon stick to each mug.

Uptown Greenwood and Discover Greenwood encourage you to Jingle and Mingle with us this holiday season!

Be sure to shop and support local businesses as you check off that holiday list. For more information on holiday events, visit discovergreenwood.com or Greenwood, South Carolina. uptowngreenwood.com Love it like a local.

After leading environmental expeditions to all continents and dives in all of the world’s oceans, a South Carolina native returns home in response to the state’s increasing floodwater devastation, inspiring local action while exploring and protecting the state’s natural wonders and fragile ecosystems.

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DOESN'T JUST HANG ON A WALL Words by Michelle McCollum

“An artist who works with his hands, his head, and his heart at the same time creates a masterpiece.” - AMIT KALANTRI

I

was greeted at the shop entrance

by Blue and River, two adorable Goldendoodles, who, let me tell you, take their job very seriously.

They knew the drill; run to the door, wag your tail, make the visitor feel they are the most important guest ever, and become best friends immediately. It was easy to fall in love quickly with my two new best friends, especially Blue, who remained my official tour-guide for the entire visit and sat by my side during the interview.

It was also easy to fall in love with the craftsmanship of Brian Boggs Chairmakers.

Before I sat down for the interview with Brian and Melanie, the husband-and-wife duo who is trumped only by the dynamic duo door greeters, I was treated to a tour of the shop. My tour was amazing, and the conversation with Brian and Melanie afterward was as comfortable as their chairs.

They are genuinely great people, producing really great products.

thesouthernedgemagazine.com 55

Founder & chief designer Brian Boggs and his wife, Melanie, the president & CEO.

A masterpiece is defined as a work of art done with extraordinary skill. Each piece produced by Brian Boggs Chairmakers is nothing less than a masterpiece, but it is so much more. There is a philosophy behind the furniture and you can sense it as soon as you sit down. This philosophy begins with the tree. Brian explained, “our lumber was a tree whose second life will be honored for generations.”

The wood used by the company is only sourced from carefully managed forests and only from trees at their peak and about to transfer into a state of decline.

Brian explained they focus on premium domestic hardwoods sustainably harvested in Western North Carolina and surrounding areas, choosing each specimen by the log.

They seldom use commercial lumber. For projects requiring specialized wood outside of domestic hardwoods, they import exotic species under exacting standards, most often Honduran mahogany supplied through a partnership with GreenWood (more on GreenWood in just a bit).

“Our company motto is DO YOUR BEST,” Brian continued. “We seek out the best wood, create the best designs, with the best intentions…for the environment and our customers.”

Brian grew up in the woods of Kentucky, where he developed a love affair with trees.

As a teenager he began searching for an outlet for his creativity. He dabbled in pottery for a while which he learned from a neighbor who had a pottery studio in her home. In his early adult years, Brian found his passion for woodworking, and he wanted his work to express his personal values as much as his artistry. “If you build so that people fall in love with the pieces, these pieces will be passed down for generations, thus limiting the carbon footprint,” stressed Brian. Sustainability: it was important to him before it was a buzzword and would become the cornerstone of his life’s work.

In the 1990s, Brian joined Curtis Buchanan and Scott Landis to found GreenWood, a nonprofit organization that works alongside residents of remote forest communities to help them economically by managing their forests and creating valuable wood products.

GreenWood trains people of all ages to become skilled artisans and producers of high-value woodwork and helps these artisans sell their products in local, regional, and export markets.

thesouthernedgemagazine.com 57

GreenWood’s mission to strengthen the local livelihoods of these remote areas while also preserving precious natural resources made an enormous impact on Brian.

Through his work with this organization, he has trained artisans in both Honduras and Peru and continues to serve on the advisory board of the program.

In addition to his work across the globe, Brian was also busy building his own business, which he eventually moved to Asheville because he felt the culture of the city matched his love of art and environmental sustainability. And, he joked, “I’ve always been a little bit of a hippie, and Asheville matched my vibe.” Brian met Melanie in 2009 when he hired her as a consultant for his growing company. At the time, Melanie was an organizational development consultant, and she immediately realized there was something special about Brian’s work. He was much more than a furniture maker; he had a vision to align innovation, integrity, and environmental responsibility, and she knew just how to help him reach that goal.

sat in a rocker quite like the Cio Ladderback Rocker. Let me warn you; once you sit in one, no other rocker will ever measure up.

Chairs, of course, are their foundational product. But also check out their amazing desks, tables, and outdoor furniture. The beauty and craftsmanship in each design are truly unmatched. And give them a call. They will work directly with you to bring your vision to life.

During the interview, I was honored to sit in the first chair Brian had ever made. It is an heirloom piece, a small yet very significant testament to his life’s purpose. A building block. A steppingstone. He makes much more than chairs now, but one thing has not changed – the love he puts into each piece.

They later married, and they now work together as business partners to grow the company. The bond they share sets the tone for their entire company, where everyone seems more like family than employees. Brian and Melanie take great pride in mentoring the next generation of craftsmen and the care they invest into their team translates into the quality of the work they produce. Again, truly great people, producing really great products.

To begin your exploration of product offerings from Brian Boggs Chairmakers, let me suggest researching the Cio collection.

This collection of chairs and rockers was designed by rethinking how the traditional ladderback chair supports the body through good ergonomic design. The design uses your body’s soft areas for support, eliminating the need for padding. The careful revision of the chair’s design, along with the use of linen composite that was first used 3,000 years ago, inspired the collection name of Cio (chee-o, Latin meaning revitalized or renewed). We Southerners are rocker aficionados. But I’ll guarantee you’ve never

2022 Winner Cio Arm Chair

brianboggschairmakers.com

with

MERRITT MCNEELY Chief Executive Officer, Flock and Rally

MERRITT, YOU WERE RECENTLY NAMED THE NEW CEO OF FLOCK AND RALLY. FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS! TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT FLOCK AND RALLY. Flock and Rally is a women-owned and led, full-service integrated marketing agency, providing a variety of services to clients across South Carolina and beyond.

We have been in business, officially, since 2010 and pride ourselves in being community connectors and collaborators. Although we offer a variety of excellent marketing services and solutions that clients need, we believe our people and the relationships they develop truly make us different from our competitors. Along with our core values that define what it means to work for Flock and Rally, our fundamentals center around providing the type of relationship support that is often lost in bigger agencies. We show immense value over time as we service more than just marketing needs — we become extensions of our clients’ teams.

When it comes to marketing, we also pride ourselves in being out-of-the-box thinkers that provide truly customized solutions for our clients’ marketing and communications needs.

We started in the event planning space, moved into media relations and storytelling, and over the last five years, have expanded our offerings to include a robust roster of marketing services. We work across multiple channels to achieve excellent brand stewardship, create marketing cohesion and move the needle for our clients. From brand and visual development, to advertising and public relations, to website development, social media and beyond, Flock and Rally helps clients tell beautiful brand stories that elevate them above their competition.

HAVE THERE BEEN CHALLENGES IN YOUR CAREER THAT ARE UNIQUE TO BEING A WOMAN? I think, overall, it took longer for people in the business community to take me seriously. But that isn’t just because I am female. It didn’t help, but it wasn’t the only factor. I became the executive director of the Five Points Association right after college so my age and inexperience added to people’s uncertainty about me in a leadership role. I believe that if I had been male, the acceptance of the idea that I was capable wouldn’t have taken as long. I deployed tactics early on in my career to adapt to the culture and society norms — essentially playing the game to get what I needed. Case in point: I bought a pair of fake glasses and wore them to my all-male meetings in the first year as executive director with the hope people would take me seriously. I also worked to “dress up” my wardrobe early in my career to be perceived as more professional.

Unfortunately, I do not think men have the same issue — determining that showing less equates to being more professional.

People don’t think about men’s bodies the same in the workplace as they do women’s bodies. Ultimately, I found out that if I wanted to match my wardrobe to my level of professionalism, I had to take a hard look in the mirror and grow up awfully fast.

I also think being a woman meant, on a broad scale, that I have always made less than males in similar roles. If you couple my gender with the fact that I haven’t always been motivated by money, it equates to a slower increase over my career in the financial realm. As I ascended into major responsibilities, my pay didn’t always reflect that same level of responsibility and authority. Considering that women couldn’t even carry their own debt in the decade in which I was born, it’s not wrong to assume I haven’t been paid what I am worth throughout my career. But some of that was also my own doing. I followed my heart to the jobs I have had and the moves I made have never been about accumulating financial wealth, rather I was motivated to choose places where I could have impact.

YOU ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT EMPOWERING WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE. EXPLAIN WHAT LED TO THAT PASSION. I believe strongly that women lifting women creates a rising tide. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about empowering women to move into leadership roles. I am fortunate to have had people, many of whom are women, shape me throughout my professional journey. These individuals believed in me, pushed me to be better (even when it may have felt uncomfortable) and helped open doors that helped lead me to where I am today. The mentorship that I have received throughout my career has been a key driver behind my commitment to lifting up women and giving them opportunities to develop both personally and professionally.

Thanks to what was allotted to me, I have been able to see something early on in women leaders — from identifying the incredible talent of my successor at the Five Points Association, to hiring two female executive directors for the Vista Guild, and, recently, another female executive director who currently serves over the Five Points Association.

Over the last four years at Flock and Rally, I have channeled energy into supporting and guiding the almost all-female-staff.

I have worked alongside the firm’s two co-founding partners, promoted team members within, hired new staff, expanded leadership opportunities and have collaborated with several contractors and partners — most of which I am proud to say are females. Additionally, I have developed strong relationships with several femaleleader clients that will last a lifetime. From Kim Jamieson Crafton at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, to Pamela BynoeReed at The COMET, to Nancy Smith and Kathy Allen at the South Carolina State Fair — the relationships I have developed with these amazing women elevate us all and provide increased opportunity to support one another as we ascend in our careers.

WHO HAS SERVED AS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION AND HOW? There is no way I can select only one person. I admit that I am inspired by our clients every day. At Flock and Rally, we are intentional about the clients with which we work and will not accept work just for financial gain. We believe in our clients and know that in some way they are making our world a better place. Watching our clients do the work they do is a daily reminder of inspiration.

Pamela Bynoe-Reed with The COMET has been a source of inspiration for as long as we have been working together. I had the unique privilege of sitting in her interview as The COMET determined that she was the right person for the job and have watched her become a fierce advocate not only for the staff, the board and those who manage the transit system, but a true fighter for the people who rely on The COMET to make it in life. Pam has ascended in her role since she started, gathering additional responsibilities along the way as she poured her heart and soul into the organization. She inspires me each and every day as I watch her navigate with ease, the complications of a government-funded service and all of the challenges that come with it.

Pamela Bynoe-Reed, Director of Marketing and Community Affairs

L to R: Nancy Smith, Merritt McNeely, Kathy Allen

Nancy Smith and Kathy Allen of the South Carolina State Fair are also moving our community forward through their dedication of celebrating South Carolina during our annual 12-day fair, but also beyond the fair gates as the S.C. State Fair is a nonprofit that gives back throughout the year. Watching the two of them pull off great feats year after year, observing the hard decisions they make – especially during the pandemic — has often left me in awe of their excellent decisionmaking ability when faced with hundreds of opinions and an ever-changing event landscape.

Kim Jamieson Craft with the Columbia Metropolitan Airport has done more to elevate the brand and reputation of our local airport than anyone before her.

Her tireless creativity, her out-of-the-box thinking and her resistance to the status quo makes her an inspirational marketing professional and leader who is on her way to creating great, massive change and success.

Kim Jameson Crafton, Director of Marketing and Air Services Development

AS A BUSY WOMAN, WHAT ARE THE WAYS YOU STAY GROUNDED AND BALANCE WORK AND HOME LIFE? Now that I am in my early 40s, I feel like I have been working my entire life to achieve true balance, and I am not quite there yet.

However, I have learned so much about myself over the years and know what I need, at least right now, is to manage my wild and crazy life. First, I run to achieve balance, mentally and emotionally, and require about 10 miles a week to keep me grounded. Second, I have analyzed my relationship with alcohol over the last few years and have determined not only that it needs to be very small in my life, but that my head is so much clearer when there is no wine involved in my evenings. I am a better wife, mom, employee and boss when I am in a clear head space and after drinking alcohol for the better part of 25 years, I feel like I discovered this magical secret that so few people know — and there is power in that for me. Lastly, I have given birth to one child and there will not be any more, so I take the time every day to relish in the little moments with him and do not take any of it for granted. I make time to just be with him and talk and stay close because it provides a richness to my life that I never had before, and I know how precious it is. I also never want to regret putting anything over him or my husband, so there are times where I choose them over my job and my social life, and I feel no guilt as a result.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 25 YEAR-OLD SELF?

WHAT'S NEXT FOR MERRITT MCNEELY?

If I could go back and talk to 25-year-old Merritt, first I would give her a hug, tell her to hold on tight and then try to explain how the greatest gift she would ever receive is not something that I could give her then and not something she could just make happen. That the thing she needs to do more than anything is keep her eyes open and listen intently to the people who are there to teach and help her. I would politely tell her that it is actually okay to not know everything and the closer she could get to acting as such, the more freedom and confidence she would actually discover. I would also tell her to not change a thing because I like the 42-year-old version of myself, and I believe every decision I have made has brought me here, therefore, I regret none of them.

Right now, my focus is on our team and our clients. The growth we have experienced over the last two years has provided opportunity to review how we do things and create new processes to ensure the delivery of work is always excellent and clients are happy. I am excited about 2023 because it will be my first real opportunity to lead Flock and Rally, set a vision, create goals and a develop a plan to move our agency into its future. If what I know of myself is true, I will stay in this role as long as I am creating positive impact. As long as I am effective and motivated to make things better, I will enjoy the leadership position for which I am so grateful. After I have succeeded here, who knows what is next, but I guarantee that while I am CEO of Flock and Rally, it will get every ounce of my passion, dedication and support.

AS A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS WOMAN, YOU COULD HAVE BUILT YOUR CAREER ANYWHERE. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SOUTH CAROLINA? Thanks to being promoted to the executive director of the Five Points Association, I quickly understood the value of community.

My job was to lift up the small businesses in Columbia and fight for their rights and in doing so, I saw the city through the eyes of the people who truly create its unique culture. The authentic nuances, the colorful cast of players, the hands-on approach to building community and the direct tangible results that were in everyone’s reach was so appealing and created a true ambassador in me. This is what makes Columbia special.

It’s a place where someone like me, a real no one, forged a massive career and rose to the tops of the leadership circles because of the availability of opportunity.

It exists here unlike other cities in our region. Anyone can be someone here. I chose Columbia more than I chose South Carolina. I am a believer, and I grew up with the perception that “Columbia had nothing to offer.” Oh, how much I love being wrong on that one.

flockandrally.com

PL AN YOUR NEX T

farm adventure AT

SCFARMFUN.ORG

South Carolina

AG RITOU RISM PA SSP O RT Pick up your passport to SC Farm Fun! View the list of participating farms at scagritourism.org.

SCAgritourism_FullPage_Winter2022.indd 1

2/22/22 11:13 AM

WELLNESS

FINDING YOUR PATH TO HEALING THE BODY

Words by Darlene Greene

“What you do today can improve all of your tomorrows.”

–Ralph Marston

H

ealth and Wellness is big business in this country. Medical practitioners, big pharma, insurance companies, and fitness gurus inundate us with the latest “fad” treatments, pharmaceuticals, diets or exercise routines. Medical professionals frequently prescribe the “latest and greatest” pill that the last pharmaceutical representative brought to his/her office.

That is not to say that there are not good doctors and good medicines but, far too often, pills are prescribed to band-aid symptoms, rather than treat the root condition to heal it and prevent reoccurrence.

While technology has made life easier in some ways, in other ways, it is damaging our health. We sit for too long in front of screens for work, school, or entertainment.

We are far more sedentary than previous generations. We commute farther to work, often sitting tensely in traffic to get to and from our jobs. Poor posture, stress and tension, and extended periods hunched in front of a computer or behind the wheel of a car, puts a significant strain on the body.

Even things like sleeping with the wrong type of pillow or on a worn-out mattress can contribute to muscle or joint pain and strain.

The average medical doctor will prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug, even if it is just an over-the-counter pain reliever for these kinds of issues but, it will only mask the symptoms, not correct the problem.

There are other options readily available that can help not only alleviate the pain but correct the source of the problem.

One option is Chiropractic Care.

Chiropractors are trained medical professionals “practicing the system of integrative medicine based on the diagnosis and manipulative treatment of misalignments of the joints.” Based on the knowledge that the body can heal itself when in proper alignment, chiropractic adjustments alleviate the initial pain but also correct the misalignment to help prevent re-occurrence.

Another excellent option for overall health is Yoga. According to John Hopkins’ website, “Yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility, helps ease back pain, can ease arthritis symptoms and, overall, reduces stress levels and body-wide inflammation.”

With deep breathing and gentle movements of yoga, your body will relax and will improve your sleep. With improved sleep, you will experience more energy during the day and a more positive mood.

Chiropractic care is frequently used to correct neck pain, especially common for those that sit for many hours at a computer or other sedentary type work. Chiropractic also treats back pain and is often a good alternative to more invasive treatments like surgery or injections. Chiropractic adjustments are also excellent options for treating headaches, especially those caused by neck and shoulder tension. There is even evidence that adjustments can help minimize or alleviate the pain experienced by those with chronic headaches.

Chiropractic care can help reduce the symptoms of scoliosis and improve overall posture.

Anyone can do Yoga. There are poses created for those with limited movement or balance issues such as chair Yoga. There are many free instructional videos available on YouTube.com. Even if you are the ultimate beginner that has never seen a yoga mat, there are many options available online to help you get started safely and easily. If you prefer a class environment or one-on-one instruction, many exercise studios or gyms offer classes. Search your area for a Yoga studio near your home or office. Even one class a week may significantly improve your overall health. The best part of Yoga is, once you learn a few basics, you can do it anywhere.

So, if you travel for work or pleasure, you can do your stretching and relaxation breathwork wherever you go.

Tai Chi is another excellent wellness tool that most people can do with a little practice. Tai Chi is a practice that encourages flexibility and strengthens both the lower and upper extremities as well as core muscles. It improves balance which is especially beneficial as we age. It is a terrific stress reliever as it requires you to breathe and move with focus.

Aromatherapy is a wonderful wellness tool for a variety of concerns. Most people have experienced a smell that immediately invokes a sense of warmth, relaxation, happiness, or well-being. Aromatherapy uses essential oils for therapeutic benefits such as relaxation, stress relief, alleviation of a specific symptom or malady such as hay fever or chest congestion, just to name a few.

Massage therapists often use diluted essential oils as part of their practice to enhance the many benefits of massage. Studies have shown essential oils are an excellent natural alternative for treating anxiety, depression, nausea, insomnia, and tension headaches. Adding a few drops of essential oils to your favorite unscented lotion or your bath water can offer the same benefits as diffusing. The important aspect of essential oils is understanding that most require dilution with a carrier oil if applied to the skin and the quality of oils can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer so you must do your research to ensure that you are buying a high-quality therapeutic grade oil, preferably, of organic origin.

Crystal therapy is gaining popularity with people seeking alternative wellness tools. Crystals are used in holistic and natural therapy practices, often in conjunction with other modalities, such as Reiki. Crystal therapy is a form of energy healing based on the belief that as energetic beings, we can often have situations or stressors that create energetic blocks or stagnation.

When an individual’s energy is out-of-balance, symptoms of pain, or anxiety and stress can occur. For many, just being in the presence of or holding a crystal brings a sense of calm relief.

Crystal practitioners may also use them as part of a meditation to help increase the recipient’s openness to the crystal’s healing energies. It is also an easy practice to develop on your own if you like the look and feel of crystals. There are many guidebooks to help you learn which crystals are good for different wellness concerns.

“Crystals are part of Mother Earth, connecting, balancing and harmonizing. They also connect with all living things not only within but interconnecting with the energy fields around us too.”

–Therapist Jacky Jueno

“Sound will be the medicine of the future.”

–Edgar Cayce

Sound Therapy is a wonderful modality for increasing wellness in your life. Again, there are many types of sound therapy as well as a wide array of tools for this practice. Crystal singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, alternative music are just a few. A sound therapist will use various tools to help with energetic blocks, pain relief, improved meditation or just general overall wellness. Sound therapy can help ease bouts of insomnia, calm anxiety, ease symptoms of depression and much more. There are lots of YouTube videos and recordings that can give you a better understanding of the many types of sound therapy. A trained practitioner will also be able to guide you to the best tools for your particular concern.

Formal music therapy dates back to 1789 and was even used to treat PTSD in soldiers after WWII. It is a type of energy matching. Certain frequencies can promote feelings as simple as general well-being to more specific relief of concerns like muscle tension, pain, anxiety, and depression. An excellent source of sound therapy are Solfeggio Frequencies, based on ancient Georgian chants. As an individual listens to solfeggio frequencies, the brain senses the vibrations and sends corresponding signals throughout the body to balance the body’s energy. These frequencies can help you relax, relieve pain and even lower blood pressure and heart rate.

“The body’s ability to heal itself is far greater than anyone has permitted you to believe.”

–Unknown

The most important part of choosing any wellness practice is to educate yourself, research options and find a qualified practitioner if you need assistance.

Understand that wellness is a lifestyle and not a “one-size-fits-all” situation. Certain modalities may work better for you than others but, as most described here are accessible and affordable, it is easy to investigate several to find the ones that give you the most benefit and make them a part of your daily or weekly wellness routine.

HEALTH BENEFITS of WALKING Words by Abbey Stevens

Brighten Your Mood:

IMPROVE SLEEP:

When you exercise, your body releases hormones called endorphins. Endorphins interact with receptors in your brain, triggering a feel-good response that has been compared with the effects of morphine. Getting your blood pumping is also a great way to combat the winter blues.

Several studies have shown that exercise helps you to fall asleep faster and get overall better quality of sleep. There is no concrete evidence pointing to what time of day is most effective for better sleep, so try out a few different times and see which one your body responds best to.

Increase Circulation:

A quick-paced, 30-minute walk can burn up to 200 calories. Over time, your body will shed pounds and you will feel healthier overall. Aerobic exercise increases the rate at which oxygen flows through the bloodstream, improves lung function, and increases stamina.

Getting your heart rate up on a regular basis can decrease heart disease, lower blood pressure, and strengthen the heart. Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found that women who walk 30 minutes a day can reduce their risk of stroke by 20%, and by 40% when they stepped up the pace.

Support Joints & Strengthen Muscles: Regular use and movement of muscles and joints increases circulation of blood as well as joint fluid, which provides more widespread nutrients, increasing fitness. Pumping your arms while walking is a full body exercise that is also has positive impact on joints.

LOSE WEIGHT:

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NA S H V I L L E ' S H O U S E P L A N T S T Y L I S T

S AVA N N

Burnt out and unfulfilled by her nine-to-five, Savannah traded the corporate world to venture on her own and establish the passion-based business, Plant Savvy.

In May of 2021, Plant Savvy was founded amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to build sturdy roots out of humble beginnings.

The Nashville-based business’ mission is to provide insightful plant care content, aid in plant installation, and perform effective consultation and maintenance-based appointments.

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CARING FOR YOUR HOUSEPLANTS IN THE WINTER Words by Savannah Toal

The days are getting shorter and colder, so it's time to change up how you care for your houseplants. Here are some quick tips on how to care for your indoor houseplants during the Winter!

D E C R E A S E Y O U R WAT E R I N G Winter is when most plant parents accidentally overwater their plants. During this time, plant’s growth slows, and the days are shorter so they don’t need as much water as they would during the growing season (Spring and Summer).

Winter is when checking the soil and reading your houseplants comes in handy (we plant nerds call this intuitive gardening). As a good rule of thumb, water when the soil is dry one to two inches below the surface. You can also invest in a Soil Sleuth. It checks the moisture levels of pots and is perfect for really deep planters.

Exceptions are those plants that need higher soil moisture like fittonia and ferns!

INCREASE THE HUMIDITY The winter months bring dry air into play. The AC is turned off and the heat cuts on, this takes away humidity in your home that your plants love. One of the easiest ways to add additional moisture is through a humidifier. This will keep plant tips from browning and drying up.

Another easy way to up the humidity is by grouping your plants. Plants release moisture through their leaves (called transpiration). By grouping your plants together, you create a humid “microclimate” that will benefit your plants, especially during the Winter months.

SUNLIGHT IS YOUR FRIEND The days get shorter in the Winter, which means less time for your plants to enjoy the sunlight. To combat this, move your plants closer to the window.

If you notice that the plants are not receiving enough light, invest in some grow lights - one of the easiest ways to increase sunlight during the winter months. You don't have to spend a lot on expensive grow lights; some of my favorites are made by Soltech Solutions. They are aesthetically beautiful and get the job done!

T RY N OT TO R E P OT Most houseplants go dormant during colder months. This is a time of rest for them and repotting can put them under a lot of stress. You can accidently shock and kill them.

Imagine if you were ripped out of your home when you were trying to snuggle in and watch your shows. Just wait for Spring to repot!

The only time I say to do this is if it is an emergency and your plant is going to die if you don’t repot it.

C L E A N T H O S E L E AV E S The sun is less prevalent, so we want to make sure our plant’s foliage is free from dust and debris. This will help them collect as much sunlight and nutrients as possible.

This is also a great activity to do if you want to care for your plants without watering them.

I simply use a microfiber towel and some water. Just make sure you hold the bottom of the leaf as you wipe the top, so nothing accidentally snaps!

DON'T STRESS OVER D R O P P E D L E AV E S It’s completely normal for houseplants to drop older leaves when they go dormant. They are making sure all their energy is focused on newer and healthier leaves.

Also, because there is less sunlight, there is less “food” or nutrients for plants to take up. Photosynthesis slows or shuts off completely. So, if you see a couple leaves drop here and there, don’t worry!

AV O I D C O L D D R A F T S & H E AT S O U R C E S If you have a window that gets cold, you will want to move your plants away from it. Don't crack open windows near plants as these breezes and drafts could chill them.

Most houses stay at a good temperature for plants but be sure you don't allow your house to get too cold at night. You don't want the temp to get too low or your plant could frost and die!

Same goes for heat sources. Too much heat will dry out a plant and kill it. Be sure to move plants away from fireplaces, heaters, and radiators.

Simply, make sure you are watching your plants and if you see signs they are unhappy, do some detective work to figure out what's going on. Intuitive gardening hasn't let me down yet. Trust your plant gut!

A VA I L A B L E F O R R E S I D E N T I A L & C O M M E R C I A L P R O J E C T S . S TA R T Y O U R G R O W T H B Y R E A C H I N G O U T.

p l a n t s a v v y. c o m

RING IN THE THE RIGHT WAY Words by Vanessa Cole

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Of course, as much as we love the holiday season it can also be the most challenging time of the year. The hustle and bustle from Thanksgiving to Christmas certainly takes its toll, but a fun-filled New Year’s Eve party can provide a welcome remedy to holiday stress. Whether you are attending a small get together or a formal ball, here are some suggestions to keep your event enjoyable and worry-free.

Dress appropriately but comfortably.

Spare yourself the embarrassment of being over or underdressed by verifying the proper dress for your party. Unsure what a host means by “Festive Attire” or “Casual Chic?” It never hurts to ask!

Once you have the perfect outfit, give it a test drive before the big event to ensure it will hold up and not be driving you crazy by midnight.

Don’t bring unwelcome guests.

If your invitation allows you to bring a date, by all means take your plus one along. Don’t, however, invite your entire circle of friends without prior approval from your host. And unless the party is a family friendly affair, get a sitter and leave the kids at home.

Come bearing gifts.

Whether it’s a bottle of champagne - or an appetizer or dessert to share - don’t show up empty handed. Always ask if your host needs you to bring anything, and if they say no, bring something anyway. You don’t have to break the bank, but a modest bottle of bubbly will surely be appreciated.

Be thankful.

You can send a card, text, or email, or make a quick phone call the next day, but always make sure to thank your host for a wonderful time.

Taking a moment to show your appreciation will ensure you’re always invited to the party.

Make plans to visit during your trip to Anderson, South Carolina.

OUR NEW MILITARY EXHIBIT IS NOW OPEN!

Bringing home the reality of war.

Freedom isn’t Free

For 40 years the Anderson County Museum has connected people to the history and culture of our area. As a collecting museum with more than 26,000+ artifacts, our galleries bring to life countless stories of upstate South Carolina. With an artifact-driven approach, we offer innovative experiences as we educate visitors on the local, regional and national significance our rich history proclaims.

The Roper Research Room offers researchers a great place to learn about family genealogy and discover their roots. We offer free tours by appointment for groups of all ages.

andersoncountymuseum.sc.gov | 864-260-4737 202 East Greenville Street | Anderson, SC 29621

ACM has free admission, free parking, and accessible facilities. Donations are accepted to continue our free programs and events. Proceeds from donations benefit our educational exhibits and programs.

Advertising funding provided by Anderson County and City Accommodations Tax Fund.

HERE’S TO A NEW YEAR...

ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE.

2023

join the fun and virtually bike, hike, run, walk or paddle from the appalachians to the atlantic with us! a program of SC7, this event will conclude on july 30, 2023.

VISIT EACH OF SOUTH CAROLINA’s 7 WONDERS AS YOU TRACK YOUR MILEAGE AND VIRTUALLY PROGRESS ACROSS THE STATE.