Cautionary Tale 4 Of a fashion faux pas
South For Winter 6 Musical
Karen Salyer McElmurray 15 At the Conroy Center
Music On Malphrus 7 Matt Nokoa



Cautionary Tale 4 Of a fashion faux pas
South For Winter 6 Musical
Karen Salyer McElmurray 15 At the Conroy Center
Music On Malphrus 7 Matt Nokoa
The image on our cover is "Arbitrary Portrait" by Bluffton High student Bella Wen, from the High School Art Show coming next month to the SOBA Gallery. For more information, see our story on page 5.
January 1 – January 14, 2025
ro w c o unt
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Lowcountry Weekly is published every other Wednesday and distributed throughout Beaufort County at various restaurants, retail locations, hotels and visitor’s centers. The entire contents of Lowcountry Weekly is copyrighted 2025 by P. Podd Press, LLC. No part may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions expected to be returned.
Editor’s Note: The following is an oldie from January 2022. I’d like to say it’s “back by popular demand,” but in reality, I’m suffering post-holiday burnout. Enjoy! – Margaret
Picture this.
You’re aimlessly scrolling down your Facebook feed, when suddenly the most dazzling garment appears before your eyes, that perfect piece of clothing that you may – or may not – have been dreaming of . . . and you know you have to have it. It just screams YOU. Or, more specifically, YOU as you aspire to be. And –praise Jesus! – it’s been “marked down” to a shockingly low price.
We’ve all been there, right?
In this case, it was a Bohemian-style velveteen jacket in a deep, rich blue, with floral embroidery. It would be great for holiday parties, I thought. According to the ad, if I ordered it “today” I would receive it between December 17 and 24. Maybe too late for Christmas parties, but surely in time for New Year’s Eve. Score!
But wait, there’s more . . . After clicking on the ad, I was led to an entire website selling a variety of such jackets. The site called them “cardigans,” which made me giggle. These were not your grandmother’s cardigans. They were cool, funky, hippie-esque.
Best of all, they were cheap. I ordered three.
Reader, you’ve probably already guessed that they did not arrive between December 17 and 24. I wasn’t surprised. By that time, I had figured out that they were coming from China, an unfortunate fact the website had gone to great lengths to disguise. (“Cardigans” should have been my tipoff, but I’m thick when salivating over the prospect of a whole new outerwear wardrobe.)
Still holding out hope for New Year’s Eve, I emailed the company on December 22: “Hello. I placed an order on December 8, based on the statement – on your website – that I would receive it between December 17 and December 24. I have not yet received a Shipping Notice, so I assume that’s not going to happen now, even though I paid extra for faster shipping. Could you please check on my order status and let me know when I might realistically expect to receive it?”
I think I was very polite, considering.
Two days later, I received the following response: “Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting us regarding the status of your order. We have confirmed your order #QQM76449. We are now processing with orders according to the time of the customer places the order. And you will receive a shipping info as it shipped. If you have any questions, pls contact us.”
(This is verbatim. China, remember?) Okay. I’d already figured New Year’s Eve was off the table, but I had some parties coming up in mid-January, then Film Festival in late February. There were still plenty of cool events and cool weather ahead to make use of my cool velveteen jackets.
On December 30, I finally received word that my order had shipped. “Please waiting for the arrival of your package,” I was instructed via email.
In a reply email, I wrote, “Thank you. In the future, perhaps you shouldn’t advertise that an order will be delivered a full month before it can possibly happen. That’s false advertising. I ordered these clothes on December 8, hoping to wear them to parties on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day – all based on your website’s promise of a delivery between December 17 and 24. I even paid extra for shipping, to insure that timely delivery. I have some events to attend in February, and I’m really hoping my order arrives by then. Thank you for your time.”
That poor customer service rep. But I couldn’t help myself. I was a woman possessed.
I began tracking my order obsessively on 4PX. (For those of you smart enough never to have ordered anything from China, that’s their shipping tracker.) I really wanted these jackets. I fantasized about them. I envisioned the way they would change my life, the way I could just throw one on over black leggings and have a whole dang party outfit. I imagined myself wearing them with jeans and boots. I would be so insouciantly fabulous. So effortlessly hip. So Cheryl Crow-meets-Stevie
Nicks-meets-Emmy Lou Harris.
I would be a whole new me in these jackets.
I’m not sure why I let myself dare to dream. The couple of times I’d (accidentally) ordered from China before, I’d been pretty disappointed with my merchandise, which was slow to arrive, ill fitting, and cheaply made. Still, these jackets didn’t look cheap. And they weren’t cheap, originally. According to the website, they were merely “marked down.” Way down.
And so I tracked on. Every morning and evening I’d check 4PX. For days, nothing would happen. But occasionally, there would be an update –my jackets had passed through customs, a shipping label had been created, a partner facility had received them, etc. – and that was enough to keep me hanging on, even as my “estimated delivery date” kept moving further into the future.
Margaret Evans
completely wrong. The first picture here is the merchandise I ordered. The second picture is the merchandise I received. Not only is it ugly, poorly made, and nothing like what I ordered . . . but it appears to be made for Halloween, which happened over two months ago. At this point, I know I will never receive the beautiful velvet jackets I ordered – if they
That delivery date was now January 17, so I knew I wouldn’t have the jackets for my Boys & Girls Club fundraiser. But I was still holding out hope for Film Festival in February when I checked the latest update on 4PX one evening and was shocked to read: “Your item was delivered in or at the mailbox at 5:28 pm on January 11, in Beaufort, SC 29902.”
What?! Somehow, my order had gone from “probably arriving January 17” to “it’s in your mailbox” in less than 24 hours. I was elated! The Boys & Girls Club event was still three days away. Woohoo!
I rushed to the mailbox, and sure enough, there was my package. After all this time, my life-changing fantasy jackets had arrived! Heart pounding, I brought the package inside, ripped it open, and . . . well, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Along with my final email to that poor customer service rep:
“My order finally arrived – 18 days later than promised on your website – and it’s
What I received
even EXIST – and I can’t imagine you’ll refund my money, like you should. But I will never order from your website again, nor will anybody else I know. You are deceiving the public.”
The moral of my story? There are several, I think: 1) You get what you pay for. 2) If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 3) Buy American. 4) No jacket will turn you into Emmy Lou Harris.
Epilogue: The long-suffering customer service rep surprised me by responding to my diatribe, graciously offering me a 10% refund on my order. I don’t even have to return the items. Anybody in the market for a boxy nylon cardigan featuring pumpkins and black cats?
The Society of Bluffton Artists’ (SOBA) annual High School Art Show will return from February 3-28. This much-anticipated exhibition showcases the creative works of talented students from Bluffton High School, Cross High School, and May River High School. The public is invited to celebrate these young artists at a reception from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, February 8, at the SOBA Gallery, located at 6 Church Street in Old Town Bluffton.
“SOBA’s mission is to provide art education and art appreciation to the local community,” said Lynn Newsom, SOBA event organizer. “With this annual high school art show, we’re able to give students an opportunity for public recognition for their talents and achievements, the same that is given to student athletes, science projects, and music concerts.”
The exhibit provides students with a platform to display their creativity in a professional gallery setting while offering the community a chance to appreciate the next generation of artists. Participating students have created works across a variety of mediums, reflecting their unique voices and artistic growth.
Kristen Munroe, Visual Arts Teacher at Bluffton High School, emphasized the value of this event for her students. “This yearly show is a big event for us, especially as a means of exposing students to the real-world gallery experience of the professional artist,” she said.
Bluffton High’s diverse program includes Ceramics, Drawing, Media Arts, Painting, and Photography, giving students the opportunity to explore and refine their creative talents.
Elizabeth Schlieger, AP Studio Art and Visual Art Educator and Fine Arts Department Chair at May River High School, highlighted her students’ commitment to artistic exploration. “Our visual art department strives to develop a strong foundation in art and design while giving students opportunities to refine their skills as they develop their voices as young artists,” she said. A student participating in the exhibit shared, “Ceramics is a great outlet for my creative energy. Creating the stamps for these
mugs was a real learning experience, and I was really happy with the final results.”
Cross School’s growing arts program will showcase a range of works in photography, digital painting, and traditional media. “We are excited to participate again this year and appreciate the opportunity to showcase our work in the community,” said a Cross School representative. This year’s exhibition demonstrates the school’s commitment to fostering creativity and artistic expression among its students.
The reception on February 8 will be an opportunity for the public to meet these talented young artists, view their work, and learn more about the vibrant art education programs offered at their schools.
Have you ever met someone you did not know on the roof of a building? You read this right: on a roof. Even a roofer would probably say: No, of course not. What a weird question. Well, you need to come to Fripp Island Friends of Music’s next concert on January 12, 2025. There, you will hear and, at the reception after the concert, meet Nick Stone from New Zealand and Dani Cichon from Colorado Springs who, believe it or not, met in 2014 in Peru on the roof of a greenhouse that they were helping to build as young volunteers. And there, on the rooftop, Nick and Dani began getting to know each other. They found out that they were both passionate musicians, he playing the guitar, she the mandolin, both singers and songwriters; and so they started jamming together. On the rooftop! The first song they sang there together was “Falling Slowly,” with the clairvoyant lyrics: “I don’t know you, but I want you all the more for that.” Dani remembers thinking: “OK, our voices blend really well together. There’s something really magical here.” The two even wrote, played and sang their very own song there, on the rooftop, called “Fallen Seeds,” which would turn out to be their first single of many more to come. After several years of pursuing musical careers in their respective home countries, on opposite sides of the world, Nick and Dani reconnected and performed publicly as a duo in Christchurch, New Zealand, developing their characteristic blend of dark, bluesy
ballads and dreamy, harmony-filled duets. In 2017 Nick united with Dani in Nashville, where she had earned a degree in nursing, and where they met Alex Stradal from Michigan, a cellist, who had already made a name for himself by playing in the legendary Ryman Auditorium, and who joined the duo, adding classically-trained strings to its blend of storytelling lyrics and genre-defying instrumentation. That was the birth of the trio South for Winter.
And, yes, you guessed it: Nick and Dani did get married, in April 2019. Of course, they wrote and performed a wedding song, which unfolds the petals of the beautiful Colorado wildflower called aster and makes New Zealand’s iconic bellbird sing, treasured for its melodious voice: “How the mountain loves the moon, how the asters love to bloom, how the bellbird loves to sing. I love you more than all those things.”
But Nick and Dani’s marriage is not the only happy ending. The trio’s relationship and musical endeavors blossomed, too. In spite of their demanding day jobs (Dani as a an intensive care unit nurse, Nick as a bartender, and Alex as a temp in a dialysis center), they began touring and putting South for Winter on the map.
South for Winter’s eclectic blend of instrumentation and vocals, their songs, unique and intriguing both musically and lyrically and described as “folk-blues," "roots," or “Renaissance,” soon caught the attention of the music scene worldwide. “With meticulously crafted lyrics, captivating natural charisma, and an impressive assortment of instruments at their command, South for Winter have time and time again established themselves as a crowd favorite.” Their website,
quoted here, is not exaggerating. The many shows the trio has performed every year around the United States, in Canada, New Zealand and all over Europe have always sold out, bringing audiences to their feet and reviewers to reach for their most glowing terms.
American Songwriter praises the trio’s music as “laden with delicate harmonies, intricate guitar-work, and earthy vocals . . . impeccable sound.” Grateful Web finds them "eclectic in the best sense of the word,” and AmericanaUK describes the audience's experience as an “ethereal, dreamy journey . . . a journey well-worth taking.” The list of local
Tues - Sun: 11am-9pm
and international festivals, competitions, award ceremonies and nominations, in which the trio occupied a major presence, is impressive, but too long to quote here.
According to Nashville’s Gazette, the band usually travels modestly in a van which they converted into a “tiny home situation.” They generally spend the night in a Walmart parking lot or at a campsite. But on Fripp Island, they will reside in a real home, most likely quite luxuriously, with easy access to the island’s beautiful beach.
South for Winter will perform on Sunday, January 12, at 5:00 pm in the Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Boulevard. The concert is presented by Fripp Island Friends of Music and supported by the SC Arts Commission. Attendees get a free pass at the Fripp gate. Tickets at the door: adults $30 and free for students, thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund. You are invited to join the musicians at a complimentary reception after the performance, catered deliciously by Harold’s Chef Services.
Do you have questions? Do you want to become a member of FIFOM to save money on tickets and support FIFOM’s missions?
Email or text Vanessa Peñaherrera at vandy116@gmail.com or (704) 807-0255. And go to frippfriendsofmusic.com for information about our upcoming concerts.
Music on Malphrus, the acclaimed concert series held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry, is proud to announce its January and February 2025 performances! From soulful harmonies to toe-tapping modern folk, this concert series brings you incredible artists in an intimate, acoustic listening space.
The shows will be held at 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton, SC. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30pm and performances beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and are available for purchase online or at the door. Refreshments are available for purchase ahead of the show!
January 11, 2025 – Brian Ashley Jones and Melanie Jean
This Nashville-based duo delivers a rich blend of Country and Blues through vocal harmonies, lead guitar, and bass. Brian is an accomplished guitarist and soulful singer, while Melanie is a skilled bassist and vocalist who adds depth to their captivating sound
January 25, 2025 – Friction Farm
Aidan Quinn and Christine Stay bring modern folk to life with their evocative storytelling, sharp social commentary, and humor. Their unique style combines meaningful lyrics with compelling melodies, offering an engaging and memorable experience for all attendees.
February 8, 2025 – Pat Wictor
An acclaimed slide guitarist and songwriter, Pat Wictor masterfully blends poetic lyrics with rural blues and gospel traditions. His innovative approach to folk music creates a rich, heartfelt performance that resonates deeply with audiences.
February 22, 2025 – Matt Nakoa
Award-winning songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Matt Nakoa captivates
audiences with his piano and guitar virtuosity. Known for his dynamic performances, Matt regularly shares the stage with folk legend Tom Rush and has been lauded by The Boston Globe for his talent and authenticity.
Venue Information: Music on Malphrus is hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry, offering a welcoming atmosphere that elevates the live music experience.
Tickets: For tickets and more information, visit our website: https://www.uulowcountry. org/collections/music-on-malphrus
Music on Malphrus is a premier acoustic music series based in Bluffton, SC. Renowned for its intimate performances and exceptional talent lineup, the series has become a must-visit destination for music enthusiasts across the Lowcountry and beyond.
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook. com/Musiconmalphrus/
The USCB Center for the Arts is thrilled to present Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar, a renowned contemporary gospel ensemble celebrated for their electrifying harmonies and innovative arrangements. Join us on Friday, January 17 at 7:30pm for an unforgettable evening of soul and gospel that will leave you inspired and uplifted.
Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar have captivated audiences around the globe with their breathtaking vocal precision and heartfelt performances. Known for
“We are honored to welcome Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar to Beaufort,” said Bonnie Hargrove, Director of the USCB Center for the Arts. “Their extraordinary talent and passion promise a truly moving and memorable evening for our community.”
Don’t miss this must-see performance! Whether you’re a devoted fan or discovering their music for the first time, Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar promises to deliver an extraordinary concert experience.
For information, go to www.uscbcenter forthearts.com or follow the USCB Center for
reimagining contemporary gospel and soul music, their dynamic energy and intricate vocal artistry blend messages of unity, hope, and inspiration, creating an unparalleled musical experience.
the Arts on Facebook and Instagram. Friday, January 17, 2025, USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street, Beaufort. Adults $48, Seniors/Military $45, Child/Students $30. Tickets at uscbcenterforthearts.com
Embark on a mesmerizing journey through the wonders of Sacred Geometry with visionary artist Gloria Owens. This captivating presentation will unveil the hidden patterns and proportions that shape our world, weaving together the threads of nature, history, math, science, art, architecture, and mysticism. Prepare to see the universe in a whole new light!
Gloria’s unique background as a creative artist, graphic designer, and yoga teacher gives her a rare ability to simplify complex concepts, making them accessible, relatable, and profoundly inspiring. Whether you’re an artist eager to infuse sacred geometry into your
work, a seeker curious about the intersection of science, spirituality, and the natural world, or simply someone who loves exploring new ideas, this event is for you!
This free presentation is a perfect opportunity to spark your curiosity and expand your perspective. Plus, don’t miss the chance to view Gloria’s stunning artwork—she’s the Featured Artist at SOBA Gallery from Jan 5th to Feb 1st.
Come for the talk, stay for the art, and leave with a deeper appreciation for the beauty and order of the universe. We can’t wait to see you there!
The presentation will take place on Wednesday, January 15th, 1:30pm - 3:00 pm. It’s free to the public at the SOBA Art School, 8 Church Street, Bluffton.
Paid Advertorial by The Christian Science Society of Beaufort
It’s that time of year when a frequent refrain is that everyone is “over it.” They’re ready for a fresh start, a new leaf.
“I’m tired of everyone and everything,” read a post on social media. “Bring on the new year.”
It raises a thought-provoking question. What makes us new? The inexorable march of time? Our efforts to reinvent ourselves when the calendar tells us to?
A hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal flips the script when it says, “O Life that maketh all things new” (Samuel Longfellow, No. 218), indicating that the ceaselessness of divine Life, a Bible-based name for God, is the ever-present renewing power. It restores, regenerates, and brings freshness to our lives – no matter the season.
More than anyone else, Christ Jesus proved this power of God, Life, to renew and redeem. In his presence, those who’d done wrong found they could do differently – and feel a cleansing, life-restoring sense of being forgiven. Those whose bodies were broken or diseased found healing – and a life-affirming freedom. And yet, even more foundational than the healings was the entirely new view of Life that Jesus revealed to humanity. He called it the kingdom of heaven, and everywhere he went, he greeted people with the news that this kingdom is already here – “at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Just think of the hope, the joyful feeling of newness, that must have bubbled up in his listeners’ hearts when they heard these words. The wait was over. Heaven was here!
Even the smallest acknowledgment of this spiritual reality must have set their lives on a brand-new trajectory. God was no longer far off and abstract, but the living Love that they could experience today.
And so, too, it is for us. We are promised that “of his kingdom there shall be no end,” as the angel says to Jesus’ mother, Mary (Luke 1:33). While it may seem as though our lives are wrapped up in timelines, limitations, and all the other traps and trappings of mortality, the opposite is true. We aren’t mortals destined to an early peak and then inevitable decline, but Life’s own expression – wholly spiritual, and therefore perpetually new. It’s the Christ that makes this evident to us and compels us to live more fully from this basis.
The founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, identified Christ not as the man Jesus, but as “his divine nature, the godliness which animated him” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 26). This animating power of Life is just as present now, and just as actively makes this heavenly kingdom apparent to us. And because this is God’s power, not something self-generated, we can depend on it to continually bless us with a renewed sense of things – sometimes even before we ask.
That was the case for me last December when I was feeling burdened and run down during the last gray weeks of the year. One afternoon while I was out running errands, I felt impelled to take
a moment to do a favor for a stranger. Honestly, it didn’t seem like a big deal, yet with that act I felt a tide of newness rise up and wash over me. Gone were the end-of-year blahs. I felt utterly restored – and that feeling carried me into the New Year.
What happened? I think Mrs. Eddy explained it best when she wrote, “ . . . Love alone is Life” (Poems, p. 7). As I experienced that day, one of the ways Life makes us new is through love – through not only feeling the presence of divine Love but also living love ourselves.
Can we think of anything more valuable – or more transformative – for the world? To know that we not only reside in God’s kingdom now but that we can live and love the way citizens of this kingdom do? It’s this deeply Christian love that brings hope to the world-weary, healing to the heavy-hearted, and the promise of progress to the fearful and dispirited who are wondering if there’s even a way forward.
Newness, it turns out, is guaranteed. Our prayers can reassure us that since we are actually Life’s expression, God’s spiritual likeness, newness is indeed innate to our lives – because it is Life itself that makes us, everyone, and all things new, no matter the need or the season. We can count on it.
By Jenny Sawyer
Silent Book Club Beaufort, a unique take on the traditional book club, is set to launch Saturday, January 11, 2025, from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St. Designed to offer a relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere.
back into reading, everyone is welcome. Participants can drop in late or leave early to fit their schedules, with the simple request to arrive 5-10 minutes early to avoid disruptions.
Silent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced soon via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram. com/silentbookclubbeaufort. Come embrace
The first few events will be co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature.
Unlike traditional book clubs, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading, no deadlines, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks, audiobooks, comic books, textbooks, or paperbacks, readers are invited to bring their book of choice, settle in, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals.
“Our gatherings are designed to provide a relaxed environment where readers can unwind, find inspiration, and connect with others,” said Silent Book Club host and organizer Ashley Meijerink. “There are no expectations, no assignments—just an opportunity to enjoy great books and meaningful connections.”
The casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations, make friends, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting
Every year since 1987, The Friends of the Beaufort Library has hosted Books Sandwiched In, a lunchtime, multi-week series at which a community member talks about a book that has been meaningful to him or her. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, these discussions are free and open to the public. Light refreshments are served and raffle items are available for bidding each week.
“Books Sandwiched In is a beloved community event where you can explore something new, maybe a new book, idea, or experience from a different speaker each week,” shares program co-chair Annette Baker. “You don’t need to read the selected book in advance, just bring a friend or come and make a new one. Everyone is welcome.”
For those interested in joining the Friends to support the work they do in enhancing library services, an annual membership can be purchased at the door or on the Friends website - $25/household, $15/military household.
To learn more about the work of the Friends of the Beaufort Library or to review
the full listing of the books and presenters for the 2025 Books Sandwiched In series, please visit https://friendsofthebeaufort library.com/.
For further information, please contact Carter Hoyt at carterhoyt@comcast.net or (404) 936-5695.
Books Sandwiched In for 2025 will be held Mondays 12pm – 1pm, January 27 through March 10 at the USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St., Beaufort
the joy of reading at Silent Book Club Beaufort!
For more information, email silentbookclubbeaufort@gmail.com or visit www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort
Resolution: Eat well in 2025 and beyond. Well, at least eat better, thanks to Hilton Head Health Wellness Resort & Spa.
Disclosure: To enjoy Hilton Head Health Wellness Resort & Spa’s renowned restaurant, True, you have to be participating in one of Hilton Head Health Wellness Resort & Spa’s varied wellness programs.
True restaurant: True food is local, flavorful, and wholesome. True to nature. True to you.
About six years ago, we wrote a feature for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about our first experience at Hilton Head Island’s well-respected Hilton Head Health Wellness Resort & Spa (aka H3), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year (2026). It remains one of the more popular articles we’ve ever written for their Sunday travel section (along with our lengthy feature for them about Beaufort).
With a busy year that included many tasty meals near and far that weren’t always “healthy,” we felt it was time to return to H3 with a resolution to eat well this year and beyond. Well, at least eat better.
Our timing was great, in that they are now offering shorter wellness programs of three or four nights that are essentially condensed versions of their longer and very popular one- to three-week programs, as well as stays of a month or more (one can dream). And, the only way you can enjoy their restaurant, True, which we consider one of the better restaurants in the Lowcountry, is to be
participating in a H3 program.
Let’s start with H3’s numerous offerings that are included in a “stay.” You can stay at H3’s stunning 30-room Sweetgrass Inn, which opened in 2021 on the H3 campus and which we really enjoyed, or elsewhere (typically at a nearby villa).
Of course, “fitness” is a big part of any wellness resort and H3 doesn’t disappoint, thanks to a wide variety of offerings focusing on cardio; strength; stretch/recovery; and walking (like their trademark post-meal “Thermal Walks”). These daily offerings take place in H3’s world-class facilities, including: their Strength Gym and Functional Gym (both Cele’s jam), Fitness Studio (ditto for Cele); Body + Mind Studio (namaste, y’all); and a heated pool (Lynn’s toasty hangout for a variety of classes).
There are also many lectures each day, featuring a wide range of topics, like: “Motivation Hacks,” “Clearing Up Nutrition Confusion,” “Chronic Inflammation;”
“Dining: The H3 Way,” and many more that we found really helpful for our ongoing wellness journey. Between “fitness” offerings and lectures, each H3 participant has a choice of more than two dozen possibilities every day and can enjoy a packed wellness schedule
or a more relaxed approach, including appointments at H3’s Indigo Spa (which is open to the public, providing a great way to see H3 . . . we promise you’ll return). Pickleball newbies and veterans will be pleased to learn The Blue Zone Sports Court behind True hosts pickleball games, drills, and more.
There’s so much more we could say about a H3 stay, including their incredibly supportive staff and the camaraderie that develops between guests, who often return to H3 together after meeting there. H3 is most popular with individuals, but we can attest to the benefits of going there as a couple (did someone say Lowcountry staycation?). That said, let’s talk about H3’s “food,” which is so much more that tasty meals at True restaurant.
We loved H3’s focus on nutrition, rather than weight loss or what the scales report. It starts with several food- and nutrition focused lectures that we found helpful, but H3 also features a sprawling stand-alone Healthy Kitchen, where many “Cooking Demonstrations” and “Chef’s Table” cooking classes and meals take place. Cooking demo topics (and tastes) can include “Rooted Vegetable Revival” and “Wake Up to Flavor” (featuring healthy breakfast ideas), while delectable Chef’s Table themes might include “Nourished by Lowcountry Tradition” or “Nautical Nights.” The excellent demos and classes are typically led by H3’s Executive Chef, Thomas Carrig (aka “Chef T”), and we learned a lot from
him in the Healthy Kitchen, True restaurant, and elsewhere on H3’s campus.
We also learned a lot of cooking and eating tips in the lectures, like: using fresh non-processed ingredients as much as possible; plating based on colors; putting your utensil(s) down between bites; using your non-dominant hand to take bites; using all five of your senses while eating; taking note of your fullness as you eat; avoiding distracted eating (looking at you, TV); and many more that we’ve found pretty darned easy to further incorporate into our cooking and eating.
Of course, the focus on nutrition (and appearance and flavor) continues in True restaurant, where all three daily meals and healthy snacks (called “Fit Bites”) are included with every stay.
Lobster tacos
There’s lots we can say about True dining, but let’s start with the vegetables, which were quite simply some of the best (and prettiest) veggies we’ve ever enjoyed in any restaurant or at home. Each menu comes with a lot of vegetable choices and we tried most of them during our short stay. From moan-worthy and colorful carrots and beets to their roasted cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, and more, True’s vegetables were a True revelation, as were the varied soups, salads, other starters, and the tasty entrées.
As expected, H3’s lunch and dinner proteins and entrées in general were packed with flavor, though the small portion sizes
We recently enjoyed another fine dining experience at Anchorage 1770’s renowned Ribaut Social Club (www.ribautsocialclub.com), where new-ish Executive Chef Robert Trainer (last at Montage Palmetto Bluff) wowed us with his crispy Brussels sprouts as one of many tasty starters and enticing entrées like a decadent 16-ounce ribeye, a delectable and creative duck a l’orange, chicken marsala (trust us), and his pork ribs special that still has us salivating. Welcome Chef Trainer!
(think three or four ounces) did give us pause at first. Size notwithstanding, Chef T’s servings of salmon and other fresh fish, chicken, lobster tacos, sushi bowls, filet mignon, featured flatbreads, and more (yeap, even including tofu) were also among many True lunch and dinner dining highlights. Breakfast is just as interesting, including seasonal crepes, a morning scramble (using a whole egg and two egg whites), a tofu scramble, oatmeal, and more (we loved their sprouted grain toast). Chef T currently changes the menus every Tuesday and Friday, which is reason enough to return to Hilton Head Health Wellness Resort & Spa and True restaurant — or simply extend our next tasty stay.
Beaufort-based travel journalists Lynn and Cele Seldon (www. seldonink.com) often cover culinary travel around the world and Lowcountry Weekly lured them to write a monthly feature covering the local food scene. This includes articles about restaurants, chefs, food-focused stores, farms, farmers, farmers markets, and more. They welcome suggestions for topics, as well as recommendations for their upcoming book, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die. 14 Valencia Rd. Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 843-785-7292 or 888-329-7989 www.hhhealth.com
Can y'all come over for supper on Friday night? I'm serving my next column.” How's that for a formal invitation? One of my new year's resolutions is to have more dinner parties in our home. We tend to have large events and I never feel like I have an opportunity to participate in a real conversation with any of our friends. Our dining room table only seats six, which is actually a great number for an intimate supper. Vince and I hosted our first tiny soiree a few days after the snowstorm. The temperature was freezing, and the roads were still icy. Lowcountry Weekly publisher and editor, Jeff, and Margaret Evans, and our very first neighbor when we were newly married, Richard Brooks and his wife, Brenda Little were our guests. Greek cuisine has always been one of my favorites. Pastichio, which is kind of like a Greek lasagna, is excellent comfort food on cold winter nights. And, baklava. Who doesn't love baklava? We had a fun night. I served a couple of Mediterranean appetizers and we toasted with Gizmos. I set up a little buffet on the kitchen counter and opened a couple bottles of wine. We spent our time at the table talking and laughing and reminiscing and catching up. Added bonus – I ended up with a new column, complete with food photos and delicious recipes. Will we do it again? You bet! I'm already planning our next little gathering. Life goes by so fast. Enjoy your friends. We all need each other. (Reprinted from January 2018)
GIZMOS
Ouzo is a delightful anise-flavored spirit with a licorice taste that goes down easily but be careful because it's a potent drink!
½ cup ouzo
1½ cups tangerine juice
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Ice cubes
Place all ingredients with ice cubes in a martini shaker, shake and strain into double shot glasses. Serves 6 to 8.
One of the simplest recipes ever. Just a minute or two in the food processor, and you'll have a delicious dip.
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Zest of one lemon, divided
Pita bread, cut into triangles
Place feta, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and half of lemon zest in a small food processor. Process until smooth. Garnish with remaining lemon zest before serving. Serve with fresh pita bread.
(Greek Salad)
Kalamata olives are black Greek olives that are packed in vinegar. Available in most grocery stores, they add a tangy, salty flavor to this popular salad. For the vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Dash sugar
By Debbi Covington
For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, torn
1 large cucumber, halved and sliced
8 to 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 pepperoncini
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Dried oregano
In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette ingredients together until well mixed; set aside. Place lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, red onion and pepperoncini in a large salad bowl. Dress with vinaigrette; toss to coat. Top with feta cheese and season to taste with dried oregano. Serves 6 to 8.
PASTITSIO COVINGTON
This is my rendition of the fabulous Bechamel-topped meat and pasta dish. I pieced together ingredients from several different recipes, and this is what I came up with. It’s so delicious!
1 (16-ounce) package rigatoni
1½ pounds ground sirloin
1 pound ground lamb
1 large sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup red wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 teaspoons oregano
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup ketchup
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter, melted
¾ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, heated
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 (3.8-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large Dutch oven, cook sirloin, lamb, onion, and garlic until meat is browned. Drain well and return to Dutch oven. Add next 8 ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 beaten eggs. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add hot milk all at once. Stir until smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese until well blended. Stir in 2 beaten eggs. Lightly grease a 4-quart baking dish. To assemble, spread 1/3 of cheese mixture in bottom of dish. Layer ½ of pasta, ½ of meat mixture, remaining pasta, and remaining meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese sauce. Garnish with sliced black olives. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until hot. Serves 8 to 10.
Very simple to make – and time well spent!
1 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup honey
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cups (1 pound) walnuts
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups butter, melted
Thaw frozen phyllo dough in refrigerator, according to package directions. Combine 1½ cups sugar and next 4 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Discard cinnamon stick and chill syrup mixture in the refrigerator. Process walnuts in a
food processor until finely ground. Add ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with melted butter. Reserve 4 sheets of phyllo dough for top of baklava. Layer 4 sheets of phyllo in dish, brushing each sheet of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with a portion of the walnut mixture. Continue layering with 3 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter and sprinkling third sheet with walnut mixture until all of the phyllo dough and walnut mixture are used. (You will use both rolls of phyllo dough.) Top with reserved 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter. Cut into diamond-shaped pieces. Pour any remaining butter over top. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Pour chilled syrup evenly over hot pastry. Cool completely. Cut through diagonals again before serving. Serves 15 to 20.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@ cateringbydebbicovington.com
There exists a propensity towards the mundane integrated within the teachings of masters to their students. The 1984 film, The Karate Kid illustrates this magisterial concept casually during the iconic “wax on, wax off” scene. In the movie, Daniel (the protagonist) seeks the help of Mr. Miyagi (a martial arts master) so that he can defend himself against a group of bullies at his school that just so happen to study karate. One of the first lessons Mr. Miyagi gives to Daniel entails washing a car. Frustratedly, Daniel cannot understand the correlation between car detailing and selfdefense skills. Yet, herein lies the dormant butterfly within the caterpillar.
It happens that the deepest spiritual truths are found in shallow waters. Nonetheless, our search for God is limited to the miraculously prodigious. We wait with unabashed eagerness for seas to part and the dead to be resurrected. But if we are to heed the teachings of the master, we must look to the prosaic.
We all seem to be disinterested in the now. This concept is brutally apparent to me whenever I am in traffic. I see drivers all the time, weaving in and out of lanes, furiously accelerating to a red light. An internal dialogue resounds the “weirdness” of this: Why would you be in such a hurry just to have to stop? However, we all take part in this “rushing through” of life in some form or another don’t we?
Whenever we are “here” it seems as if this condition of being human continuously coerces a desire within to be elsewhere. While at work, we endeavor with each passing second to move the clock closer to “time to go home.” While at home, we use our imagination to place ourselves elsewhere than the now as well; perhaps a white sandy beach would suit our disposition better. In the airport on the way to that white sandy beach, we impatiently scoff at the lines and other travelers, dreaming of a time, not right now. We’re poor but we want to be rich. We have money but we want more. Why does it seem as if the present moment is always lacking some sort of Divine anointment only garnered by a future occasion?
I have an inquisitive childlike mind even in my adulthood. I’m always questioning the purpose of life, reality, and the state of things so much so that I know God wants to just answer me with, “because I said so!” But She never does. The profoundly intrinsic theoretical concepts I portray to my Heavenly consort are rebuttal-ed with burning bush like paradigms . . . “shekinah glory!” When it comes to this particular question regarding the topic of our earthly abhorrence towards the now, accompanied with my pestering interminable question concerning my purpose, Spirit replied to me as follows: What if you treated every instance as if it were your purpose, the sole
reason why you were put on this planet?
Simple yet brilliant!
Trying this idea out for myself (treating every instance as if it was my purpose and the sole reason I was put on this planet) somehow changed my entire vibrational frequency every time I practiced it. Something profound happens during the process:
1. Time feels like it ceases to exist.
2. My worries go away.
3. It makes me feel closer to The Divine.
4. I feel more motivated to do whatever it is I am doing with more attention, effort, and heart. Therefore, I tend to excel at the task at hand.
5. A loving humbleness fills my aura because I understand that even if it is washing dishes or folding laundry, I am doing God’s work.
6. Because it feels like I am doing God’s work, it also feels like I have finally figured it all out, even in the simple act of sitting in traffic or tying my shoes. The purpose of all of this is to be here right now, totally, and fully immersed in the present.
Perhaps the most important realization I’ve become aware of through this concept is that, if you keep rushing through life, one day you will look up and it will be over.
Everything is always moving. Our entire
by Jared Madison WHOLLY HOLISTICS
reality is made up of atoms which can behave as matter or light waves. No matter which way they show up to our perception, they are always even at a submicroscopic level, excited (dancing around, vibrating, moving). This signifies that you are always going to be in motion as well because you are made up of atoms. Due to this fact, you really don’t have to concern yourself with rushing through life because, wherever it is that you want to go, you will find yourself there one day.
You go to church, you pray, you read the bible, you search lo here! lo there! Yet if God where a drug, you seemingly fall short of experiencing the highness of His effects. You want to know something super cool? There are cells that lie dormant within the caterpillar that hold the DNA structure of a butterfly. This implies that unbeknownst to a caterpillar he/she is a butterfly the whole time. So, imagine being a caterpillar and being upset and not being able to taste sweet nectar or being worried about never being able to fly because it’s taking you too long to become a butterfly. Imagine a whole world, an entire existence, and a complete life you would miss due to your ignorance and displeasure in the now. Say not then lo here, or lo there, but understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, in the seeming irrelevant and ostensibly mundane present moment. This is why all the spiritual masters of the past and present harp on meditation and its importance. This is why you are Daniel in the story frustrated with Mr. Miyagi. You have come to your higher power and asked for deliverance, yet She will only tell you to sit down and breathe. If you cannot find peace, love, happiness, abundance, joy, and miracles in the now, you will never find them. Next time when you’re late for work and you feel like rushing, or you’re at work and just want to go home, focus on your breath and pretend as if the purpose you were put on earth for was to be exactly where you are in that present moment and see what happens.
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with award-winning writer Karen Salyer McElmurray, author of the essay collection I Could Name God in Twelve Ways and the novel Wanting Radiance, on Friday, January 24, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Sponsored in part by WayWord Books, this author event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
Author Karen Salyer McElmurray
McElmurray will also lead a writing workshop, Endings and Beginnings, on Saturday, January 25, beginning at 9:30am limited to 12 participants, $60/person. Advance registration required: https://endings andbeginningsworkshop.eventbrite.com
Graham Greene once said, “a story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” This arbitrariness—catching hold of an idea or a dream or a moment of insight—is certainly part of the sheer magic of writing. Deciding how to start a story and how to end it involves careful translation of our original moments of insight. Beginnings and endings become careful revision once we capture the arbitrary experience we begin with. This workshop will look at some examples of openings and endings from essays and longer works of
memoir. We will discuss, and we will also begin work on writing some openings of our own.
"McElmurray teaches us how to reckon and ravel, how to unpack secrets, abandon maps, and learn from everything, even vertigo, even a global pandemic. This book is for everyone who has ever felt vulnerable in this world, which is to say, everyone." – Julie Marie Wade, author of Otherwise: Essays and Just an Ordinary Woman Breathing
"The essays in this stunning collection are elegiac, urgent, vulnerable – full of loss and longing. Although the narrative is rooted in Kentucky, the scope is global as the narrator travels literally and metaphorically toward love and away from the ghosts of the past."
– Sue William Silverman, author of Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul
“A poetic tale of a daughter’s quiet exploration of her past and how it pushes her forward.” — The Rumpus
“An incantatory Appalachian gothic tale of love, murder, and restless souls, populated with unforgettable flesh-andblood characters . . . [a] masterpiece.” — Amy Greene, national bestselling author
Karen Salyer McElmurray’s Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey, was an AWP Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction. Her novels are The Motel of the Stars, Editor’s Pick by Oxford American, and Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. As a fiction writer, she is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her work in nonfiction has been a recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for the Essay, the New Southerner Award, the Orison Anthology Award for Creative Nonfiction and, most recently, the LitSouth Award. She has co-edited, with poet Adrian Blevins, an essay collection called Walk till the Dogs Get Mean. Wanting Radiance, a novel, and Voice Lessons, a short collection of lyric essays, came out in 2021. A new essay collection, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways came out in September 2024
from University Press of Kentucky. Learn more about the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroy literarycenter.org
Alisha Doud alisha@dcgilbert.com
Daun Schouten daun@dcgilbert.com
Laure Gallagher laure@dcgilbert.com
Ashley Hart ashley@dcgilbert.com
Joy McConnell joy@dcgilbert.com
Johanna Graham johanna@dcgilbert.com
Kathy Crowley kathy@dcgilbert.com
Dawn Shipsey dawn@dcgilbert.com
ITALY: Tuscany townhouse for rent by the week in historic UNESCO village. Sleeps 4, large furnished garden, easy walk to shops and excellent restaurants. www.cozyholidayrentals.com or 401-862-2377.
FURNISHED LUXURY APT In the heart of downtown Beaufort. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, Housewares. Please call 843-812-4229.
FREE HYPNOSIS/HYPNOTHERAPY INFORMATION
session and guided group meditation workshop. This free session will focus on stress reduction and relaxation. Open to the public, every 3rd Monday of the Month, at 7 pm Eastern via Zoom. Bring a friend, learn more and RSVP for Zoom Link at www.guidepathhypnosis.com or contact Chris at chris.guidepath@gmail.com
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY ONGOING PROGRAMS & CLASSES Stitch Happens, Mondays @ 1:30, Bluffton; Basic Computer Skills Class 1st & 3rd Fridays @ 11:30am, Lobeco; Dungeon & Dragons Teen Club Mondays @ 4; Teen Gaming Club 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 4
FRIDAY SOCIAL DANCES The Hilton Head Carolina Shag Club hosts Friday dances from 6-9:30 pm at Dolphin Head Golf Club, 59 High Bluff Rd, Hilton Head Plantation. Open to the public. Shag, ballroom, swing, country, or line. Singles welcome. Cash bar and light dinners available. $5 floor fee. HHICSC also teaches beginner Shag lessons Tuesday nights. www.hiltonheadshagclub.com, or www.facebook.com/HHICSC
ART LEAGUE OF HH CLASSES & WORKSHOPS With over 25 local professional art educators, and guests from around the world, Art League of Hilton Head offers classes and workshops in all media for all levels of students. Visit www.artleaguehhi.org or email academy@artleaguehhi.org for more info.
POTTERY CLASSES IN BEAUFORT McSweeney Clay Studio offers morning, afternoon and evening classes for children and adults. Pottery dates and parties available as well. Classes are on going. Beginner or advanced welcome. mcsweeneyclaystudio.com or call 843-694-2049.
LOWCOUNTRY SHAGGERS Mondays - Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 6-9pm. Shag Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom and once a month Line Dance. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com or lowcountryshaggers@aol.com
WEDNESDAYS, BEAUFORT SHAG CLUB meets evenings at AMVETS, 1831 Ribaut Rd., Port Royal from 7-9pm, and the 2nd Sat. of the month 7-10pm. Free lessons to members Sep. to June. Visit The Beaufort Shag Club on Facebook
SEA ISLAND ROTARY CLUB has a 12:15 lunch meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information about the Rotary Club of Sea Island please visit our website at www.seaislandrotary.org
BRIDGE CLUB at the Beaufort Branch Library Wednesdays at 11am. Join a session is for beginners new to the game, other sessions will provide some instruction and we will learn as we play. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458 for more information.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for the military lounge at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport. It is operated by a cadre of volunteers. Formerly the USO Lounge it has been renamed “Savannah Salutes,” and continues to provide a respite for travelling active duty, retired and reserve military, veterans and their families. The facility requires volunteers to keep the lounge open from 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. There are three shifts each day, with two volunteers on duty for each shift. Interested in volunteering? More info and application forms are available at the www.savannahsalutes.org or call John Findeis at (912) 507-4848. The airport will provide free parking.
VETERANS FIRST THRIFT STORE is in need of volunteers. Summer hours are Thursday thru Saturday - 10am4pm. Volunteer hours are very flexible! Stop in the store at 612 Robert Smalls Parkway to fill out a volunteer application or call the store at 843-263-4218. Please consider helping this very worthwhile organization!!
SECOND HELPINGS seeks volunteers to crew trucks in Bluffton and Beaufort to distribute food to local charities. Offering a flexible schedule at your convenience. Email officeadmin@secondhelpingslc.org
BEMER LONGEVITY TECHNOLOGY 9a Wednesdays via Zoom. Seen the buzz on “life span VS health span”? Want to grow better, not older? Haven’t heard of BEMER yet? Come for Q&A about how this longevity-enhancing medical device can enhance your health, fitness and overall well-being in just 8 minutes 2X/day. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.
CARIS HEALTHCARE: WE HONOR VETERANS Hospice Program. You a Vet with a little time to share with other Vets with limited time? The We Honor Veterans program seeks volunteers who are Vets to offer a listening ear for our Veteran patients. Volunteers also participate in our Pinning Ceremonies for Veteran patients. Contact 843473-3939 or smilliken@carishealthcare.com
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY: Non-denominational meditation, silent prayer and healing group forming. All welcome. No previous meditation experience needed. Call Michael 843-489-8525.
HABITAT RESTORE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS We're looking for volunteers for cashiers, sales floor associates, donation processing, donor data entry, and donor ambassadors. Interested? Go to lowcountryhabitat.org/volunteer or call 843-525-0055.
LOCO SCRIBBLERS 3:00 5:00 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Are you a scribbler (professional or hobby writer)? Check out our small and informal Beaufort area writers club. All skill levels and subjects welcome including fiction, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, and memoirs. Free. Call or email for more info and the meeting location in Port Royal: beaufdick@gmail. com or 843-322-0616.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Calhoun Station Thrift Store in Bluffton. All funds generated are returned to other nonprofits in the community. Store is open Wed & Sat 10am to 1pm and located at 77 Pritchard St. Volunteers can stop by store or contact Cate Taylor, 843-310-0594 or catetaylor@frontier.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort, 530 Charles St. Looking for committed volunteers for clothes sorting, pantry help, front desk help and Mobile Meals drivers. We are open M-F from 9:30-12:30, Mobile Meals delivers to home bound seniors 5 days/week, routes takes about 30-45 mins. Email Lori at helpbeaufort@gmail.com, or call 843-524-1223, or stop in and fill out an application.
PORT ROYAL MUSEUM is open Thursday through Sunday at 1634 Paris Ave., from 10 - 3 or upon request. Free admission! Call 843-524-4333 or email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com to request a special opening.
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP - First Thursday of the month at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center, from 1:30-2:45pm, 900 Ribaut Rd. Beaufort. We are individuals with Parkinson’s care partners of those with Parkinson’s, and individuals or companies providing products or services for Parkinson’s patients. For more info: Rick Ostrander at pdawaresc@gmail.com or Facebook at Parkinson’s Support Group Of Beaufort SC Port Royal & Lady’s Island
TOUR HISTORIC FORT FREMONT—Travel to the 1800's and the Spanish American War. The Fort Fremont History Center is open from 10am to 2pm Fridays, Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm at Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land's End Road, St. Helena Island. Visitors to Fort Fremont can learn about the fort's history by reading interpretive panels, taking a self-guided tour with a smart phone, visiting the history center exhibit hall, or attending a docent-led tour of the property. The Preserve grounds are open to the public Monday through Sunday from dawn to dusk. For more Information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact the Passive Parks Department Director, Stefanie Nagid, at snagid@bcgov.net
US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY, Flotilla 07-10-01, Port Royal Sound, a uniformed, all volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard. We conduct safety patrols, assist search & rescue, teach boat safety, conduct free vessel safety checks and other boating activities. Monthly meetings are open to all and held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom at 7pm. For info call Flotilla Commander Pattie McGowan (706-633-6192) and visit us on FacebookUSCGA Beaufort
BEAUFORT TOASTMASTERS CLUB meets from 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm the first & third Tuesday, in the Beaufort College Building, Rm. 103 (USC-Beaufort Campus), 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort. To learn more visit beauforttoastmastersclub.toastmastersclubs.org
FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR VETERANS – Veterans, Active Duty, Transition. Their Families and First Responders are Eligible. First & Third Wednesday 46pm. Walk In Clinic. No Need to Pre-Register or Call. Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs Clinic. 1214 Prince Street, Downtown Beaufort
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for a few hours each week at St. Francis Thrift Shop. Open Tuesday thru Saturday. Call 843-689-6563 or come in to speak with Miss Ann. Definitely shop.
CRESCENT HOSPICE SUPPORT GROUP: Last Wed. and Thurs. of the month. Weds. 10-11am at Sun City; Thurs. 121pm Brookdale Hilton Head Ct., Hilton Head; for those who provide physical, emotional or practical support to a family member or friend. Jodi Johnson, LMSW. Bereavement Group: 5-6 pm., Fridays, 10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite A, Bluffton; for those who have experienced a loss and would like support and info associated with grief and bereavement. Corrie VanDyke, LMSW or Marie James, MA. 843-757-9388.
INTERESTED IN HEALTHY EATING? Second Helpings, of Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties, seeks committee members and chairperson for Healthy Food Program. Funding available to procure fresh produce and protein for the 60 food pantries and soup kitchens served by Second Helpings. Contact Exec. Dir. Lili Coleman, 843-689-3616 or execdirector@secondhelpingslc.org
BORN TO READ working for early childhood literacy, needs volunteers to deliver books and materials to new mothers at Coastal Community Hosp., HH Hosp., and BMH. Visits are from 10am – noon. More info at borntoread.org or call 843-379-3350.
ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER BEAUFORT, Support Groups: Caregiver - Fridays., 12:30pm, Living with Alzheimer's - for those in very early stagesMondays 1pm, Respite Programs: Social Day Program10am-1:45pm $40 Day Fee, Weds. & Friday. All meetings are at Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $13-$26. Early Memory Loss: Maintain Your Brain - 2nd & 4th Thursday, 10-11:30am, $10/person, $15 couple, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; Memory Screenings available call 843-5219190 or make an appointment, 1500 King St., Beaufort, free; Purple Haven Project - Educate local establishment staff to better interact with a person with Alzheimer's call 843-521-9190.
THE LITERACY CENTER is seeking volunteers to tutor adults in reading, writing, math and ESL. Students hope to acquire skills to pursue life goals, support families, and contribute to our community. Daytime and evenings in Bluffton and HHI. Call 843-815-6616 (Bluffton); 843-6816655 (HHI). No teaching, tutoring or other language knowledge necessary. www.theliteracycenter.org
THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY. Volunteer-based, non-profit provides groceries, clothing and basic needs items to ANYONE in need. Open Tuesdays 9am-12pm at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds needed. For info: Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson at 843-715-3583 or email sandalwoodpantry@gmail.com
PARRIS ISLAND MUSEUM. The legacy of the Marine Corps and the history of the Port Royal region. Thousands of artifacts, images, and other materials illustrate the stories in exhibit galleries from Native American to modern Marines. FREE admission. Mon-Sat 10am4:30pm and 8am on Family Graduation Days. Closed all Federal Holidays. Info at parrisislandmuseum.org or 843-228-2166.
CHRIST CENTERED RECOVERY MEETINGS At Praise Assembly Church Fridays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems by looking to scripture. Meal at 6pm; Praise, Worship; Big Meeting. 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7pm. 800 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 205-475-3600 or 303-521-1891.
Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. Foolish Frog on Facebook
Luther’s Rare & Well Done, 910 Bay Street. (843) 521-1888 or Luther's on Facebook
Q on Bay, 822 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 524-7771 or www.qonbay.com
Rosie O’Gradys Irish Pub, in Beaufort Town Center. Irish American Sports Pub & Eatery. C'mon down! Rock & Roll Lunch. Monday - 25% Off Burgers; Karaoke Wed, Fri & Sat - 10pm. 25% off Apps & Wings for NFL Ticket; College sports Saturdays. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook
Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 379-3474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com
Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com
Captain Woody’s, 14 Executive Park Rd., Hilton Head, 843-785-2400; - OR - 17 State of Mind St., Bluffton, Thursdays Jevon & Andy, FridaysJason LaPorte. www.captainwoodys.com
The Jazz Corner, Village at Wexf1ord, Hilton Head. Sundays - Deas Guyz; Mondays - A Journey Through Jazz with The Martin Lesch Band; Tuesdays - Fat Tuesdays: A Swingin' Celebration of New Orleans and Beyond; Thursdays - Lavon Stevens with Louise Spencer. 1/3 & 1/4 Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino tribute with Reggie Deas & Deas Guys, 1/6 to 1/16 CLOSED, 1/17 &. 1/18 John Cranford & Friends with Junior Jazz Rising Star Alice Gould. (843) 842-8620 or www.TheJazzCorner.com
The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 1/10 Tycho; Bad Tuner, 1/11 Jupiter Coyote; Gritty Flyright & the Music Family, 1/13 Nile X Six Feet Under; Psycroptic; Embryonic Autopsy, 1/16 Gimme Gimme Disco, 1/18 Boots & Beats, 1/19 Soulfunktion. (843) 8532252 or www.musicfarm.com
The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. 1/3/25 Unheard Experience 3 - NU; Slim Soul; Manny Houston; DJ Dollabenu; Black Nerd Mafia; Rhodium, 1/4 54 Bicycles, 1/8 Chucktown EDM; GRE; DOminO; DBLCRWN, 1/9 Dave Matthews Tribute Band, 1/10 Mr. Fahrenheit, 1/11
The Stolen Faces - Grateful Dead tribute, 1/15 Chucktown EDM; Chris the Almighty; NoahFRiends; DJ DollaMenu, 1/17 Cosmic Charlie. (843) 571-4343 or www. charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.com
Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
Now - 1/3, Holiday Gallery of Gifts at Art League Gallery, featuring gift-worthy original art and crafts from Art League members. Opening reception Wed 12/4, 5-7pm. Inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. 843-681-5060.
Now – 2/22/25, Language of Clay: Catawba Indian Pottery and Oral Tradition at Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, US 17, Ridgeland. www.morrisheritagecenter.org
Now – 3/23, This Is Not: Aldwyth in Retrospect at the Coastal Discover Museum on Hilton Head. www.coastaldiscovery.org
1/5 – 2/1 – Elemental Alchemy: The Visionary Artwork of Gloria Owens at the SOBA Gallery in Old Town Bluffton. Opening reception Fri 1/11, 3-5pm. www.sobagallery.com
1/5 – 3/2, Daniel McSweeney’s Original Pottery & Members’ Impressionist-Style Paintings, a dual exhibit at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery. Opening reception on Fri 1/10 at 913 Bay Street, Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com
1/15, Sacred Geometry, a presentation by visionary artist Gloria Owens at SOBA Art School, 8 Church Street, Bluffton. 1:30-3pm, FREE to the public. www.sobagallery.com
2/3 – 2/28, SOBA Annual High School Art Show.
Opening Reception Sat 2/8 from 3-5pm. SOBA Gallery, 6 Church Street, Bluffton.
Fri 1/24, Evening with Karen Salyer McElmurray, award-winning author of the essay collection I Could Name God in Twelve Ways and the novel Wanting Radiance. Starts at 5pm at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Sponsored in part by WayWord Books, this author event is free and open to the public. Books available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call to reserve: 843-379-7025.
Mondays 1/27 – 3/10, Books Sandwiched In, hosted by Friends of the Beaufort Library. In this popular annual series, community members present books that are meaningful to them. Light refreshments. Noon–1pm at USCB Center for the Arts, Beaufort. For a full schedule of presenters and books, visit www.friendsofthebeaufortlibrary.com
Sat 1/11, USCB Chamber Music’s 2nd Annual Youth Concert at 3pm, USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St, Beaufort. This one-hour concert is FREE for youth. For program information and tickets visit www.uscbchambermusic. com
Sat 1/11, Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean perform at Music on Malphrus as part of the 2025 Singer-Songwriter Series. The show starts at 7pm. Tickets are $25 at door or through www. uulowcountry.org. The UUCL is located at 110 Malphrus Rd, Bluffton.
Sun 1/12, USCB Chamber Music concert at 5pm, USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St, Beaufort. For program information and tickets visit www.uscbchambermusic.com
Sun 1/12, South for Winter will perform at the Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Boulevard, Fripp Island. Tickets at the door: adults $30 and free for students, thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund. Join the musi-
cians at a complimentary reception after the performance. For more info visit
music.com
Fri 1/17, Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar, renowned contemporary gospel ensemble, will perform at 7:30 pm at USCB Center for the Arts. Adults $48, Seniors/Military $45, Child/Students $30. Tickets on sale now at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com
Sat 1/25, Friction Farm will be featured at Music on Malphrus, UUCL, 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton. 7 pm. Tickets are $25 each and are available for purchase online or at the door. Refreshments are available for purchase ahead of the show! https://www.uulowcountry. org/collections/music-on-malphrus
Tuesdays, Tours of Hunting Island sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For info call the Nature Center at 843-8387437. Tours free are and park entry fees apply.
First Saturday of the Month, Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud at Port Royal Farmers Market. DAYLO students and other volunteers will read to young children between 9am and noon. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal.
Third Thursday, TECHconnect, a monthly networking event for professionals working in and around tech. Join the conversation at BASEcamp 500 Carteret 5:30-7:30pm. 843-470-3506. www. beaufortdigital.com
Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchell by Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/Child. 843-686-6560.
Ongoing, Beaufort Tree Walk by the Lady’s Island Garden Club through the historic Old Point. Takes about an hour and is a little over a mile. Starts at the corner of Craven & Carteret Streets ending in Waterfront Park. Booklets with a map and tree info available FREE at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven St.
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