Lowcountry Weekly March 27 – April 9

cover notes

The painting on our cover is "Night Light" by John Crum, April's featured artist at the Pluff Mud Gallery in Bluffton. To learn more, see our story on page 11.

y

rWeekly

March 27 – April 9, 2024

Publisher: Jeff Evans — Jeff@LCWeekly.com

Editor: Margaret Evans — Editor@LCWeekly.com

Marketing Director: Amanda Hanna — 843-343-8483 or Amanda@LCWeekly.com

Advertising Sales: Hope Falls — 757-274-7184 or Ads.TheIslandNews@Gmail.com

Sandy Schepis — 678-641-4495 or SandySchepis@Gmail.com

Art Director: Lydia Inglett

Layout & Design: Amalgamated Sprinkleworks

Contributing Writers: Vivian Bikulege, Katherine Tandy Brown, Debbi Covington, Sandra Educate, Wendy Hilte, Michael Johns, Carolyn Mason, Murray Sease, Cele & Lynn Seldon, and Sutty Suddeth

What’s Happening Calendar: Staff – Editor@LCWeekly.com

Letters to the Editor, comments or suggestions can be addressed to: Lowcountry Weekly

106 West Street Extension, Beaufort, SC 29902 Call: 843-986-9059 or Email: editor@lcweekly.com

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 2024 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.

In Praise of Dull Women

I’ve been writing this column for almost 25 years now, and I must tell you, it’s not always easy. I don’t always have a burning issue on my mind, or even a lukewarm issue. Sometimes I do, but I’m not in the mood to write. Or I’m in the mood to write, but I’m not sure what I want to say. Or I know exactly what I want to say, but I don’t feel like sending half my readers into a tizzy.

No matter what you write – and by “you” I mean “I”– there will always be a sizable contingent of readers who seem deeply committed to misunderstanding you and/or impugning your character. (Those readers are currently thinking, “Oh, I understand you and your ‘character’ just fine, lady!”) This fact used to bother me a great deal. After 25 years, it just leaves me numb and a little bored.

My last column – about 60 Minutes and book banning – got a lot of feedback. Facebook discussions ensued. Words were exchanged. Sometimes angry words. People talked past each other – even about each other – within virtual earshot. A few people actually talked to each other, for which I was grateful. I’m always grateful for feedback, but, again, the whole experience – which once would have energized me – left me feeling blah. Our social media jousts are just so predictable now – you know exactly who the team players are, and what they’ll say, and nobody EVER surprises you by breaking rank, and you despair for the future of this country – and it all feels rather rote and ho-hum.

Maybe I’m just in a rut. Or a slump. Or something.

Nevertheless, this page must be filled. I have a publisher who won’t let me miss a

deadline. I’ve been married to him for as long as I’ve been writing this column, and he’s a stickler. A taskmaster. Couldn’t care less about my ruts nor my slumps.

There’s a nice man I run into around town who really wants me to write about pickleball. He lobbies me every time I see him. Now, I’m entirely open to publishing a pickleball article – in fact, we have – but it’s probably not going to happen on this page. This page is where I write about the things that keep me up at night. The things that break my heart or tickle my fancy or make me go hmmmmm . . .

Perhaps it’s something that happens with age, but the “things of this world” that once consumed me – politics, culture wars, media wars, actual wars – seem to leave me cold lately. There’s so much information coming at me all the time, from so many directions, I often feel like turning my back on it altogether. Or curling up in the fetal position and just letting it wash over me. Like many of my fellow Americans, my sensibilities have been lulled – even dulled – by info overload.

But most of my fellow Americans don’t have a column to write.

Recently, as if on cue, Facebook (aka Big Brother) picked up on my malaise and directed me to a group called The Dull Women’s Club. I owe Mark Zuckerberg a thank-you note, because seldom have the algorithmic powers been in such fine form. It was a match made in heaven. I was smitten.

The Dull Women hail from all over the world. Though many are British, I’ve come across members from Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Romania, and even Ukraine. Plenty of Americans, too, of course. We are not

without our dullards here in the States.

I use that term “dullards” with newfound affection, because the Dull Women’s Club has turned out to be the most charming destination on the internet. A refuge, of sorts.

Women post selfies, accompanied by introductions like the following:

“I am quite certain I belong to the Hobbit family. I, too, enjoy first breakfast, second breakfast, and so on. I just want a cabin in the woods with a mossy roof, a fire, many books and strong tea. By strong tea, I mean a hot toddy. My new hobby of creating the perfect scone is packing on some extra pounds, which just means I get to wear comfy clothes.”

“I’m a dull woman in the U.K. in her early 40s. I never used to be this dull, but perimenopause has made me into a middle-aged introvert that gets her thrills from trips to Waitrose, using my new Vax carpet cleaner, and bird bothering. Here I am, in my dull coloured bobble hat, having just driven four hours to stare at a river in the freezing cold on a dull winter day for eight hours, before driving home again. I had hoped to see a rare bird that had made the pilgrimage to our shores from the States, but alas, all I saw was an empty river and people’s legs.”

The Dull Women seem to have a few things in common. They are nature lovers. They have pets. They’re homebodies, but many like to travel. Baking is a common pastime. There are lots of painters, and even more who knit or crochet. They love books.

And most of them are really, really funny.

Here are some Big Announcements recently posted on the Dull Women’s Club Facebook page:

“Hello, I'm Erin, and something to know about me is that I can fold a fitted sheet.”

“Hi, new to the group – just after an opinion: Does anyone else not bother to make their bed because you are just going to get back in later in the day and mess it up? I really can't see the point.”

“I'm a bit nervous posting this as it may be too exciting. But here goes. I'm very good at selecting the perfectly sized container for leftovers. A smaller one would not fit everything, and anything larger would be inefficient. I'm very proud of this ability and call it my dull superpower.” (This one came with a photo of leftover broccoli!)

“My husband’s pacemaker battery is

going, so every morning it beeps at 8:48 am. We set a timer and wait for the beep. Today the beeper was turned off by technicians so not sure what to look forward to in the morning to enhance our coffee and Wordle experience.”

“My greatest aspiration is to be nothing more than a feral housewife and a dirt gremlin.”

“My husband says it’s possible to think about nothing. Like your mind is completely blank. I don’t agree. My mind is always thinking about something even if it’s the idea of trying to think about nothing.”’

“I just finished up a container of cottage cheese and thought you’d like to know.”

“Well, this has caused quite a ripple in my world. Silicone muffin cups. The mini quiches just literally tipped out of them when they were done. No more scrubbing muffin tins or seeing half your quiche stuck to a paper liner. It’s a gamechanger!”

“Anyone else planning to turn over the stones in their driveway this weekend?”

“I just ate granola for DINNER.”

“I am now transitioning from Winter black to Spring black. This is a reflection of my personality.” (This one came with a photo of her closet.)

“Once my bra comes off, it’s game over. I don’t care what event is happening, I am not going.”

“My containers to lids ratio is perfect.”

“I fell in love with my current husband because he had a shop vac.”

“I recently accepted that I don’t need to double space at the end of a sentence and I’m contemplating ditching the Oxford comma.”

“Later today, I plan on putting a new sponge in the kitchen.”

Reader, I realize some of you won’t find these Big Announcements as amusing, endearing, and downright refreshing as I do. And that’s okay.

Not everyone is Dull Woman material.

Margaret

Celebrate the Arts

By Michael Johns

USCB Chamber Music has an unparalleled 44-year history of bringing great chamber music performances and internationally acclaimed artists to Lowcountry audiences but it has never presented a schedule-packed weekend of USCB Chamber Music sponsored events like the one that will unfold from April 4-8. The season-ending concert is Sunday, April 7, 5:00 pm. Alto saxophonist, flutist, and composer Alison Shearer makes her Beaufort debut and will be joined by violinists Abigél Králik and Karl Stobbe, violist Joan DerHovsepian, cellist Ani Aznavoorian, and bassist Marguerite Cox. Artistic Director, pianist, and host Andrew Armstrong has gone over the top in providing a concert filled with brand-new and traditional, jazz and classical, relaxed and kinetic music for saxophone, flute, strings and piano.

The concert begins with a trio of late nineteenth/early twentieth century works from the US and Europe representative of late-romantic expressivity, virtuosity, brilliance, and scene painting. Boston composer Arthur Foote's gentle, rhapsodic fantasy, A Night Piece, for flute and strings, is a study on the tender, non-threatening aspects of nighttime. Ernst von Dohnányi, a dominant force in Hungarian music, is represented by Serenade for String Trio, Opus 10, a short, multi-movement suite of driving counterpoint and tuneful, Magyar-inflected melodies. Cécile Chaminade, a talented and wide-ranging French composer and pianist, specialized in writing evocative, carefree vignettes for the parlor and salon. Capriccio, Opus 18, for violin and piano, is a lighthearted idyll that seems to float on air. The first half closes with the world premiere of Alison Shearer's Apollosis , for alto saxophone, strings, and piano. The University and the community are grateful to Walda Wildman and Katherine Wells for commissioning Apollosis. It is a fool's errand to put in print how a new work from a creative artist will sound. Appollo was the classical Greek and Roman god of music, dance, and poetry for starters, but he also was the god of archery, sun, light, truth, prophecy, healing, and disease. There are many possible avenues to explore. Two things are certain: there will be jazz influences, and it will be exciting to be in attendance for the birthing of a new artistic creation.

Rachmaninov's haunting Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14, arranged for alto saxophone and piano, follows intermission. Originally for wordless-voice, its unhurried suspension, aching lyricism, and lack of text have made it an appealing utterance for a vast assortment of instruments. Concluding the concert is a major, youthful work by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Piano Quintet in C minor. Scored for piano and a quartet of violin, viola, cello, and bass, its three bold movements explore the textual possibilities of this combination. Written and rewritten over three years, it provides a glimpse into the composer's maturation-path towards forming his distinctly English style revolving around folksong and broad, sweeping vistas of sound.

The artists bring enormous talent and wide ranging expertise to Beaufort. Alison Shearer will provide introductory remarks about, and perform in, her world-premiere composition, and be a featured soloist on woodwind cousins: flute and alto saxophone. Ms. Shearer has toured extensively around the US, Canada, and South Asia, performing at jazz festivals, arts centers and clubs large and small. She formed her own quintet in 2015, and its debut album, View From Above, received immediate critical acclaim. Violinist Abigél Králik earned multiple performance degrees from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Itzhak Perlman and is now Artist in Residence at the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel. She is well on the way to a major solo, chamber music, and recording career. Karl Stobbe, one of Canada's most accomplished violinists, has been cited by London's Sunday Times as “an artist with soulful musicianship” and Gramophone Magazine has praised his playing as “full of spirit and energy . . . exciting, fearless . . . ” Violist Joan DerHovsepian has an extensive chamber music, festival, and teaching

resume, and is newly appointed to the Principal Viola position of the Houston Symphony. This performance marks a return to the Lowcountry: Ms. DerHovsepian served as principal viola of the Charleston Symphony for two seasons. Cellist Ani Aznavoorian returns with her warm sound, spotless technique, impassioned interpretations and many new honors garnered since her last appearance on the series. Bassist Marguerite Cox also returns to the Lowcountry where she served as acting principal bass of the Charleston Symphony and participated in the Spoleto Festival. As a Rice University undergraduate she received degrees in Double Bass Performance and Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities, then received a double-bass Master's degree (the first!) from the Curtis Institute of Music. Complimenting this accomplished group is Andrew Armstrong, Artistic Director, pianist extraordinaire, host, and series musicalmajordomo, who does everything from

presenting and acting on ideas to casually yakking it up onstage, then sitting down, flipping the switch, and instantly performing with complete concentration, commitment, and incandescent artistry.

Andy has again provided a masterful mashup of musical marvels. Experience inthe-moment creativity with musicians who are crafting major careers and arrive in Beaufort with performance-earned reputations that they will deliver an intriguing, soothing, probing, joyous, and memorable concert. The last two concerts were near or complete sell-outs, a plateau that is the goal and envy of every presenting organization. Don't take a chance at missing this exciting event; reserve your seat today for the Lowcountry's premiere chamber music series. There are three ways to enjoy the concert: in person and virtually by Live-Stream and On-Demand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced, creating great viewing opportunities. On-Demand is accessible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks. For concert, artist, event, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic. com or call 843-208-8246, Mon thru Friday. The concert is Sunday, April 7, 5:00 pm at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort in the downtown historic district.

Saxophonist Alison Shearer

Beaufort Writer Consolidates the Gospels

Born of a desire to make the New Testament’s Gospels flow as a smooth narrative for both experienced Bible readers and new seekers, The Consolidated Gospel is David D. Boggs’ lovingly-researched work from the King James Version.

Author David Boggs

Telling the life of Jesus as a single storyline, combining Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Boggs has created a moving version that uses language direct from the King James Version, but eliminates duplication and conflicts from the different Gospels.

For deeper study, and especially useful for church leaders in writing sermons, the book includes a comprehensive index that cross-references elements from Jesus’ life and cites each mention. For instance, the story of Jesus healing the blind and lame in the Temple is mentioned only in Matthew 21:14-16, but the Parable of the Wedding Feast is in both Matthew and Luke.

Boggs explains that scholars believe the Book of Matthew was written around AD 90, primarily for the Greek-speaking Christian-Jewish people; Mark, dated 20 years earlier, was written for non-Jewish people, particularly those with Roman background. Luke was written between AD 70-80, focusing on the universal nature of Christianity.

The Book of John was written last, probably around AD 90-100, and wasn’t written as a biography of Christ. Instead, it’s an interpretation of his life and was an early attempt to establish Christian doctrine.

“How many people, when deciding to read about Christ Jesus’ life and teachings, begin and finish after one Gospel, satisfied that they’ve read enough?” Boggs asks.

“Or when reading the four Gospels, grow bewildered stumbling on the path of duplications, inconsistencies and contradictions? To read one consolidated version is to focus on a clear path with a singular view of all the occurrences and details the writers of the four Gospels intended us to know.”

A retired executive and student of religion, world and ancient history, philosophy, classic literature, and biographies, Boggs lives in Beaufort with his wife. He enjoys reading, woodworking, exercising, and travel, and holds religious services at Parris Island.

David Boggs will be signing copies of The Consolidated Gospel at 1 pm on Saturday, April 6th at Urban Brew + Co, 2139 Boundary Street, Suite

Beaufort’s “Forgotten Novelist” Makes Literary Hall of Fame

The South Carolina Academy of Authors (SCAA), in partnership with the Pat Conroy Literary Center, will hold its biennial induction weekend in Beaufort County this May 3-5.

The SCAA selects new inductees whose works have been judged culturally important. Each inductee, whether living or deceased, has added to South Carolina’s literary legacy by earning notable scholarly attention or achieving historical prominence. Including this year’s induction, the SCAA, founded in 1986, will have officially inducted more than 100 authors into its literary hall of fame. This year’s honorees are Marcus Amaker, William P. Baldwin, Harlan Greene, and the late Ann Head.

Beaufort-born Ann Head (1915-1968) published several novels as well as over 50 short stories and novelettes in major magazines, both here and abroad. She is best remembered as the author of the novels Fair with Rain, Always in August, Everybody Adored Clara, and Mr .and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, which was made into a TV movie and stayed in print for four decades. Head was also the first writing mentor to bestselling author Pat Conroy, who was himself inducted by the SCAA in 1988. During the SCAA induction weekend, Head will be represented by her daughters, Nancy Thode and Stacey Ahner.

The weekend features a robust schedule of free and ticketed events in Beaufort County, the highlight of which is an awards dinner ceremony on Saturday, May 4, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Culinary Institute of the South in Bluffton. Registration is $55/person.

Additionally, author presentations will be held at the Beaufort County Main Branch Library and Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort.

And a reading by the winners of the SCAA’s fellowships in poetry and prose will be held at the Rhett House Inn, also in Beaufort.

Of Head’s trio of fellow 2024 inductees, Marcus Amaker served as the first Poet Laureate of Charleston from 2016 to 2022, William P. Baldwin was awarded the prestigious Lillian Smith Book Award for his novel The Hard to Catch Mercy, and archivist and historian Harlan Greene is the author of such works as The Real Rainbow Row: Explorations in Charleston’s LGBTQ History.

The 2024 SCAA induction weekend is funded in part by a grant from South Carolina Humanities, a not-for-profit organization inspiring, engaging, and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture, and heritage.

For a complete schedule of events, May 3-5, and to register in advance, please visit: scaa2024inductionweekend.eventbrite.com

About the SCAA: The South Carolina Academy of Authors seeks to identify and recognize the state's distinguished writers and to promote their literature's influence on our cultural heritage. The Academy's educational focus serves to publicize works by South Carolina authors, to connect the writers with their audience, to nurture and support South Carolina's literary talent, and to foster the love of reading and writing among the people of South Carolina. Learn more and donate at www.scacademyofauthors.com

Learn more about the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

Ann Head

Time Again to Lunch and Learn

Lunch and Learn is back for its 14th year, offering classes and lectures on all things gardening. This free program begins the first Saturday in April and continues every Saturday until the end of June.

It’s held at the Port Royal Farmers Market on Saturday at noon, next to the gazebo. No registration is necessary. Just bring a folding chair.

Many come early and visit some of the wonderful vendors for fresh fruits and veggies. Many buy lunch so they can literally and lunch and learn.

There are usually door prizes of plants that have been donated by the lecturers or by the attendees. Some of them bring descendants of plants they have won at previous Lunch and Learns.

LUNCH & LEARN SCHEDULE, SPRING 2024

Noon at Heritage Park, Port Royal Farmers’ Market Under the Live Oak Tree

April 6

April 13

April 20

April 27

May 4

May 11

May 18

May 25

June 1

June 8

June 15

June 22

June 29

Ready for Spring

Left for Dead Gardening Tips

Favorite Pollinators

Citrus

Bananas

Flowering Natives

Irrigation

Gravel Gardening

Propagating Camellias

Vines

Gingers Hot Summer Coming

Jay Weidner

Victoria Bergesen

Jennie Staton

Wendy Hilty

Joe Allard

Pat Jauson

Laura Lee Rose

Glen Payne

Wendy Hilty

Wendy Dickes

Victoria Bergesen

Susan Heinrich

Jay Weidner

Necessary chores

Reviving plants from the sale rack

Tips from a Master Gardener

Attracting nectar & pollen diners

All around citrus culture

Yes, we do have bananas

Suitable for the suburban garden

A necessary chore in the South

A new concept

It's easier than you think

Beautiful climbers or thugs?

Wild & wonderful world of gingers

Probably gonna be a sizzler

DAYLO Honored with National Commendation

Founded in 2021, DAYLO, or Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization, is a student-led book club and community literacy service group fostering empathy and understanding through the power of story, with a growing number of chapters across South Carolina.

DAYLO was recently honored with a national commendation from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) at the recommendation of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL), which was presented at an awards luncheon at the SCASL annual conference in Columbia on March 6. The award was accepted by Beaufort High School DAYLO alumna Millie Bennett, Madelyn Confare, and Mickie Thompson, and DAYLO’s mentors Claire Bennett and Jonathan Haupt. DAYLO also presented a conference session for educators on student engagement and pro-literacy community service.

As noted on the AASL commendation, “DAYLO is being recognized for helping

defend the intellectual freedom of all South Carolina students by mobilizing young leaders to speak up for First Amendment rights . . . The mission of AASL is to empower leaders to transform teaching and learning. AASL works to ensure that all members of the school library field collaborate to connect learners with ideas and information and to prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love of reading, and the use of information technologies. Please let us acknowledge and congratulate you for bringing educators a step closer in the shared responsibility of helping all children learn.”

DAYLO was first established at Beaufort High School in 2001 by Holland Perryman, then a high school junior. During the 20222023 school year, DAYLO student leaders Millie Bennett and Madelyn Confare from Beaufort High School; Elizabeth Foster, Patrick Good, and Pete Cooper from Beaufort Academy; and Isabella Troy Brazoban from Battery Creek High School spoke out in public comments at Beaufort County School

Board meetings in response to two challenges against 97 books in district school libraries. The successful advocacy of DAYLO students led to additional advocacy opportunities regionally and nationally, and has since inspired the creation of new DAYLO chapters across South Carolina.

DAYLO’s student-led advocacy efforts have been profiled as front-page news stories in the Charleston Post and Courier and Island News; in articles featured in Education Week, Book Riot, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal; and in national livestream discussions for the American Library Association, the Children’s Book Council, and the Kids Right to Read Network of the National Coalition Against Censorship. To learn more about DAYLO’s pro-literacy community service outreach programs and continued advocacy for the right to read freely, please follow DAYLO on Instagram at www.instagram.com/daylo_reads or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DAYLO.reads

Jacob Johnson Plays Music on Malphrus

Join us Friday, April 19th as Jacob Johnson captivates us with his unique double-hand-tap & strum technique. His famous, highly caffeinated brand of acoustic guitar promises to bring down the house. As a singer/songwriter Johnson’s heartfelt tunes fill the air at the most prestigious music festivals. Johnson garnered Songwriter of the Year at the Nashville Connection as well as capturing the Don Gibson Songwriter Award. Johnson has shared the stage with Grammy winners Tommy Emmanuel and Victor Wooten. As an adjunct faculty member at North Greenville University, he resides in Greenville, SC with his wife Jessica. Yes! The very same college he dropped out of to pursue his career in music!

Tickets $25 available at door or from www. uulowcountry.org. The show starts at 7 pm, Doors open at 6:15 pm. At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry, 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton. 843-837-3330. www.uulowcountry.org UPCOMING

Saturday, May 4 2024

Saturday, May 18 2024

Saturday, June 8 2024

DAYLO students Mickie Thompson, Madelyn Confare, and Millie Bennett

Jacob Johnson

‘Dry Spell’ & WayWord Books

Local novelist discusses new book and publishing venture

By Carolyn Mason

Dry Spell, written by Beaufort writer Leslie Rindoks, is the story of two families with very different backgrounds who become entangled during an unrelenting drought. There’s magic, Gullah healing practices, teenage angst and the conflict of generational expectations of perfectionism and letting go. Rindoks, who writes under the pen name Avery Caswell, is an award-winning writer and designer originally from the Chicago area. She studied at Iowa Writers’ Workshop and holds MFAs in both creative writing and design. She says her writing is often inspired by the blurred edges between religion and magic, along with a love of history.

She and Lowcountry Weekly recently discussed her new novel and publishing venture located here in Beaufort.

LCW: What is your Beaufort connection?

LR: In 2005, our family spent a week on Hilton Head. Under a tight deadline for a book, my schedule allowed one free day, which we spent in Beaufort. Four years ago, ready for a new chapter in our lives, we recalled how much we had enjoyed Beaufort and decided to move here.

LCW: I love the character Maggie and her Gullah/Hoodoo conjuring and healing practice. How did you research this topic?

LR: I became fascinated by Gullah traditions when researching another project. I attended a Gullah Festival where I found a book titled Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect and began a deep dive into the language. I connected with a root worker who now lives in California to learn more about the healing practice. Many of my projects overlap, and when researching European witch hunts, I learned more about wise women and their roles in communities. So much of their “medicine” developed into what pharmaceutical companies base medicine on today, in other words, plants. Much of what Maggie uses comes from her garden, mixed with a bit of mystery. She understands that well-being depends on a good mix of what comes from the earth, common sense, and belief in the unseen.

LCW: Eileen, Maggie’s neighbor, is trying to be the perfect mom to her four kids but the whole family seems to be falling apart. What are some of the unspoken truths about motherhood you explore?

Author and publisher Leslie Rindoks

LR: There’s an adage that mothers are only as happy as their least happy child. We want the best for our children, even when they may not deserve it or even benefit from having it. There are some mothers whose identity is tied to the success of their offspring. They feel equally tied to their failures, and in many cases, the failures are not forgotten or easily erased. Perfection is the goal; it’s unattainable.

LCW: Maggie faces a crisis of her own when her daughter rejects her healing practices and wants to put her in an assisted-living facility. What themes of generational trauma play a part in that crisis?

LR: I’m not sure I realized the depth of generational trauma that exists in Maggie’s family until answering this question, but you are spot on, generational trauma is in full play. Maggie’s daughter Bella had a stable, loving childhood but as an adult she is certain she is a victim of her mother’s failings, or “otherness.” Bella rejects her mother’s way of life much like Maggie rejects her own mother; Maggie’s mother rejected the Gullah way of life by making questionable choices and running away, leaving Maggie to be raised by her grandmother . . . The cycle of rejection seems doomed to repeat itself if no healing takes place.

LCW: Is Thorne based on a real town?

LR: Though the characters are completely fictitious, the town of Thorne is loosely based on Davidson, NC, a small Southern college town where I lived for more than 25 years. The town has grown and changed a lot, but in its earlier days, I witnessed firsthand how relationships were forged and then sometimes destroyed and often misunderstood. Everyone seemed to know what everyone else was doing, and they’d have an opinion about it, too. There’s a lot of charm in the small-town dynamic, but sometimes close environments help create a judgmental atmosphere . . . which is a perfect landscape for a novel, if you ask me!

LCW: Tell us about your new Beaufort adventure with WayWord Books and the subscription concept?

LR: For the past two decades, working as an editor, book designer, writer, and publisher, I’ve watched big box stores shift the publishing industry to a distributordependent model, eroding publisher profits and subsequently author royalties. At the same time, technological advances made it possible for anyone with a computer to “publish,” flooding the market with books of questionable quality. As a subscription-based publisher, WayWord breaks the mold by delivering quality, first-edition books directly to readers, eliminating the need for distributors, many of which earn far more than authors, and sometimes even more than publishers. We venture off the beaten path to find new work by topnotch writers and combine beautifully designed books with carefully curated gifts that complement the authors’ work. I am meeting and working with some wonderful authors who will be getting published through WayWord in the coming months, I am honored and excited to be providing a platform to help showcase their incredible talents.

LCW: Your editing class at the Pat Conroy Center was a hit. How do you balance your teaching and writing?

LR: I’m very grateful to Jonathan Haupt and Stephanie Edwards Coffman for welcoming me to Beaufort and introducing

me to the area’s vibrant writing community. I met some lovely people, and I really enjoyed having an opportunity to talk to fellow writers about editing. Learning how to edit saves valuable time and money and leads to better writing. Revision is a passion of mine, so helping others with the process did not feel like a balancing act to me. It was an absolute joy to engage with the Beaufort writing community and I hope we can offer more classes like it in the future.

LCW: What is your writing process?

LR: I try to find time to write a little each day; my most productive time is early in the morning. My mentor, Abigail DeWitt, is a staunch advocate of writing 15 minutes every day. In fact, that is largely how Dry Spell was written, in short 15-20 minute increments, a little bit every day. The key is consistency.

LCW: What are you working on now?

LR: I recently completed a murder mystery which I am shopping around, and am working on a new novel about a Creative Writing MFA workshop (as they say, write what you know!); the working title is Devil’s Workshop, and so far, it has been wicked fun to write.

For more information about WayWord Books, visit www.waywordbooks.com

Rice, Ghana, Charleston, the World

Alvin B. Glen Features his Work at Art League Gallery this April

Beginning April 10, Art League of Hilton Head will host Rice, Ghana, Charleston, the World, an exhibit of soft pastels by Lowcountry artist Alvin B. Glen. The collection, depictions of men, women, and children farming and processing rice, highlights the hard labor of slaves that made Charleston one of the richest cities in the world. “Their cultivation of Carolina Gold rice forever changed the Lowcountry and added significant cultural influences felt nationwide,” says Glen.

Glen, a retired art teacher from Dorchester, SC, began creating historically based works full of social commentary when he taught high school art classes in the late 80s and early 90s. “The students had difficulty seeing a positive image of themselves in history and society. I began creating drawings based on the concerns raised by my students.”

Glen has exhibited widely throughout South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. He was awarded Best in Show at Charleston’s Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit and was the featured artist at the Moja Arts Festival in Charleston and Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration.

The show runs April 9 through May 10. An opening reception will be held Wednesday, April 10, 5-7pm. Glen will also host a Gallery Walk on Friday, April 11, 11am12pm, discussing his work, influences, and process. The exhibit, reception, and gallery walk are free to attend and open to the public.

Artist Alvin B. Glen

John Crum: Art That Makes You Smile

The Pluff Mudd Gallery in Bluffton is celebrating the art of John Crum as their April Artist of the Month. Crum’s art can be best described as “gently surreal,” offering a dreamlike quality that invites viewers to explore and interpret each piece in their own unique way. It’s art that makes you smile.

John’s paintings aim to break from reality and ignite thought, memories, and ideas.

Each painting is a journey, filled with happy accidents and unexpected discoveries, leaving viewers with a sense of wonder and a smile. John’s technique of starting with loose sketches and building up layers of color creates a depth that draws viewers in and encourages them to delve deeper into the hidden images, messages and meanings within each piece.

With a background in whimsical illustration, John’s work is infused with curiosity and fantasy, creating narrative landscapes that spark imagination and evoke emotion. Through layers of vibrant color and imaginative scenes,

Ultimately, John’s goal is to create art that resonates with the viewer, offering a break from the ordinary and a glimpse into a world where imagination is limitless.

Come celebrate spring with the Pluff Mudd Gallery at 27 Calhoun Street in beautiful and historic old town Bluffton. The gallery is open 7 days a week from 11am to 5pm. On Friday, April 26, we will be joining the other shops and galleries in the village for Spring Art Walk, staying open until 7pm with refreshments. John will be on hand that evening to show you his work and answer questions. Enter a drawing to win his hand-embellished, one-of-a-kind giclee print, “A Tree of Life.”

For more information, please visit our website at www.pluffmuddart.com or call the gallery at 843-757-5590

A Field of Dreams

Artist John Crum

Celebrate The Risen Christ!

Sunday Morning Easter Brunch

Easter is my favorite holiday! It's better than Christmas. It's better than Thanksgiving. Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Christians believe occurred on the third day after his crucifixion some time in the period AD 27 to 33. As with many other Christian dates, the celebration of Easter extends beyond the church. Since its origin, Easter has been a time of celebration and feasting. Celebrate the glorious gift of Easter with a scrumptious buffet brunch. The entire menu can be made ahead and combines traditional holiday fare with a few fun surprises. After church, invite friends and family over for bloody Mary’s and mimosas. Add a platter of deviled eggs and your delectable Easter brunch menu will be complete. Happy Easter!

SAUSAGE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

I love this easy and cheesy breakfast casserole!

Best of all, it’s gluten free.

1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

2 tablespoons salted butter

Salt and pepper

1 pound breakfast sausage (hot or mild) cooked and drained on paper towels

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ small onion, diced

½ cup chopped green onions

Salt and pepper, to taste

5 Campari tomatoes, sliced

Chopped fresh Italian parsley, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread hash browns evenly on a large baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add 2

tablespoons melted butter; season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and some are starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Place cooked potatoes in a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add the cooked sausage in an even layer over the top. Sprinkle both cheeses over the sausage. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, diced onion and chopped green onions together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the casserole, making sure to distribute evenly. Top with

slices of Campari tomatoes. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Before baking, remove casserole from refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 1 hour. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove aluminum foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until the edges are browned and center is set. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley. Serves 10.

PECAN PIE MUFFINS

These yummy muffins are delicious when served warm or at room temperature. Be sure to grease and flour your muffin pan. The muffins are slightly sticky – just like pecan pie! (For a detailed demonstration, please visit the Lowcountry Weekly website or @chefdebbicovington on YouTube to watch this short cooking video.)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

½ cup butter, melted Combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, and flour in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir together eggs and butter; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Grease and flour a muffin pan. Spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire racks. Serves 9.

By Debbi Covington

Fresh mint leaves

For the vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baby

ROASTED CARROT SALAD

The perfect salad to complement your delicious Easter Sunday brunch!

1 (12-ounce) bag baby

carrots

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons honey

Arugula

Blueberries

Blackberries

Cherries, pitted and halved

carrots on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast carrots for 25 minutes until they’re soft and edges start to turn brown. Drizzle with honey and return to oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Place arugula in a large bowl. Top with blueberries, blackberries, cherry halves, carrots, and mint leaves. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and serve. Refrigerate any unused vinaigrette. Serves 6 to 8.

Studio in the Suburbs: Mary Burrell

By Murray Sease

Winding through the sprawling suburban neighborhoods at New Riverside between Bluffton and Pritchardville, lies a pretty cream colored home that contains a creative surprise! It houses the well organized art studio belonging to Mary Burrell, a very talented paint and pencil virtuoso.

When I went to interview her on a recent almost-spring day, she met me at her bright

blue front door which gives a clue to her cheerful personality and artistic disposition. Immediately I was greeted by Stanley, a sweet black lab who rules the household with his big smile and wagging tail. Mary lives here with her husband Mark, Stanley, and Mia the studio cat who sat comfortably in her window perch for our interview.

Mary came to Bluffton from New City NY with Mark, who is in the golf course business, seven years ago and became thoroughly immersed in the local art scene. She comes from a big family with an artistic mother and sister, and has been drawing and painting since she was a small child. Her family owned and ran health food stores. Mary managed wholesale greenhouses and garden center in New York where she obtained retail experience and a background in nutrition and gardening. She is a certified Master Gardener – and the botanical inspiration is clear in many of her drawings and paintings.

Primarily self-taught, Mary is always looking for new venues to explore. Her favorite medium is pencil, with which she has developed her own technique by working in many layers. She also enjoys working with watercolor pencil, watercolor paints, and acrylic. As well as plants and flowers her favorite subjects seem to be animals. She has a rare talent of capturing the essence of the

animal through her incredible detailed rendering of the eyes, fur, feathers, and scales. Not limited to living creatures, she captures the nostalgia of an old pickup truck, and the magnificence of a marble sculpture in pencil with complete precision. In her words “I have built a collection of work that is known for its distinctive texture and shading with attention to detail. Drawing is a form of meditation for me, and oddly enough, the more intense the drawing the more enjoyable.”

In addition to blessing the local scene with her drawings and paintings, Mary is a skilled instructor, especially adept at leading children into a love of art. She now leads the children's’ program at the Society of Bluffton Artists and no doubt will have generations of homeschoolers, after school, and summer camp kids that will remember her fondly for instilling in them an appreciation of art. In fact, in her studio are bins, drawers and shelves all devoted to children’s art supplies.

As for Mary’s own supplies – they are as neat as a pin. Pencils and paints are organized perfectly, mattes and papers are stacked and filed by color and size. Her favorite pencils are worn to nubs from hours of detailed use. The studio is peaceful and quiet, Stanley and Mia

Beth Tockey

Williams

Studio #9

Atelier Off Bay

14 art galleries and studios open to the public

Mon.-Sat.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment (843) 379-0186

203 West Street, Historic Beaufort

always close by in comfortable silence. They seem to be keeping a close eye on everything that happens here and whispered to me that they are so grateful that Mary works at home! Mary Burrell is one of six artist/owners of the cooperative La Petite Gallerie in Old Town Bluffton. She generally works there Sundays welcoming visitors, human and canine, with a smile and comprehensive knowledge of art. Please visit soon to see Mary’s excellent work!

Artist Mary Burrell

Simplexity

“When you get to the fork in the road, take it.”

– Yogi Berra

What would it feel like to get an hour or two of extra life per day? I am about to find out. I’ve just had my third minor surgery on the same issue. I’m hoping the third time is a charm. It’s all minor until it happens to you, right? Regardless, it has given me the opportunity to ask this question because of the time involved with my wound care.

I, for one, don’t want to find out what it feels like to do less with more. I’ll leave that to Coach Calipari and Kentucky Basketball. Take it easy, UK fans, I got that from a Kentucky person and couldn’t resist. If you got red-faced there, it’s likely you sense the truth in the statement. We’ll see how March Madness plays out. Not everyone can be a Coach Staley.

Back to my point. I want to piggyback off something my writing partner in Wholly Holistics, the wonderful Katherine Brown, put forth in her most recent column. “Give yourself permission to change your beliefs, especially about yourself.” Genius should not be confused with wisdom. How often do we see talent that doesn’t translate into success?

The title, Simplexity , another Yogi Berraism, speaks to our human nature of mountaining those mole hills. Just because it’s human nature doesn’t mean we can’t evolve. Now is the time.

There will always be those in the crowd that say the world has gotten so terrible because of this or that. Guess what, they heard it said from previous generations about their generation, then before that generation, it was said of that generation, then before that generation, it was said of that generation, then before that generation . . .

Well, you get it. So, let’s say and do something else. I recommend listening, I mean really listening, to the lyrics of the Billy Joel classic Keepin’ the Faith. “'Cause the good ole days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.. . . .” That line sums it up, but the entire song speaks to this notion. (By the way, while writing this column, I watched the Keepin’ the Faith video for the first time. It’s cute and very 80s. I know, but I never had cable growing up until I went to college.)

It’s okay to be nostalgic. It’s an understandable human emotion that deems some movies, like some fashions, never go out of style. That’s why some people, places, and things become classic. Nostalgia aside, it’s a brand-new day when Old Spice deodorant has aluminum-free options. Who’s spicy now? Some things were never needed and were always going to be detrimental. As I have said on more than one occasion, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Back to my opening line, what if you could get an extra bit of life like it’s a video game? This could go beyond medical issues and jump to energy vampires. You know, the ones that place land mines in your path on the reg that suck the ever-loving life out of you. It could be a habit you no longer find habitable. It could be something bitter-sweet like a child no longer needing you to drive them to school and activities daily. It could be a new job that employs you in a much more efficient manner. It could be agility with your time management skills. I would love to have the forgotten time spent in my phone. Whatever it is, try thinking of it this way and see what you come up with. The mere thought and excitement over the possibilities could inspire change. I’m seriously considering using my time to dive in to fiction for the first real time since my novel’s debacle. That’s a story for another day. See what I did there?

What do you keep in your keep? Keep is defined by the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows as an important part of your personality that others seldom see. It could be time to shine the light on what you’re keeping inside. After all, spring is springing.

As to my medical issue, apparently, I’m not a freak. Here’s where I wasn’t nice to myself like I preach to y’all. I should not have had to have a doctor tell me this, but I am glad I asked the question, just the same. When I

by Sutty Suddeth WHOLLY

HOLISTICS

asked her if I was a freak, she told me she did six similar surgeries the previous day, so there. Honestly, we’re all freaks of nature in our own beautiful ways.

Superman had to have his kryptonite, didn’t he? In his vulnerability, we see his strength. It’s why we’re still attracted to his story nearly a century after the man “who could leap tall buildings with a single bound” landed on planet Houston, I mean Earth. It’s why the story continues to be added to and retold. Do not be ashamed of your kryptonite, it’s part of you like it was part of Superman’s home.

Allow me to digress here, but I, for one, don’t know why anyone would bother rehashing Superman after Christopher Reeve.

I mean, you gotta at least give me that he was the best Clark Kent. Overall, I wish they’d stop with the remakes. Roadhouse? Puhlease. What does this say about originality in Hollywood, when you’re remaking a marginal Patrick Swayze movie? No shade meant against Swayze, he was one of the best to don the silver screen, but stop with the remakes. Okay, now I will stop and return to my point like Superman returning to Smallville to see Mama Kent.

So often, we’re hell bent that strength comes from white-knuckling things by the throat. “If you have to reach for it, it’s not yours.” (Coach Taylor) Release the grasp and see what happens. We no longer must use course sandpaper. Fine grain texture will smooth things just fine.

I’ll end with something I’ll paraphrase from Coach Prime with a dash of the Golden Rule sprinkled in. I see more in people than they see in themselves, and hope to be done unto, likewise. It can be how it works as we evolve the human race for generations to come. Evolution starts at the granular, or individual, level and spreads like wildfire when we take that fork in the road.

The year: 1987. The setting: The Rocks of Fripp Island, SC. Sutty first answers the siren call of writing. In the years and publications since, the destination has been Divinely timed, while being Divinely unknown. A reformed Reiki Master of more than a dozen years, an emotional energetic alchemist, as well as a student in various energetic modalities. My favorite Buddha quote is, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” Visit Home / Chris Suddeth (journoportfolio.com) for more info.

Southern Shrubs: The Iconic Three

We are so lucky here in the Lowcountry to have three of the most beautiful iconic southern shrubs in our yards – camellia, azalea, and gardenia. Blooming from late fall to late spring, these shrubs provide a spark of color and/or fragrance that cannot be measured. None of these shrubs are native to North America except for one variety of azalea, but all three had their beginnings in this country right here in the Lowcountry.

Camellias are the first to bloom. Camellia sasanqua flowers in late fall. Their leaves are small and their blossoms are usually more open than Japonica. Camellia japonica puts on its display from late January through to early March. Camellias are native to Asia, particularly China south of the Yangtze River. Most of the early plants were first brought to Europe and Britain by ships owned by the East India Company. Camellia sinensis is actually the tea plant and their leaves gave the Brits their beloved “cuppa.” The earliest camellias in America are said to have been presented to Charleston's Middleton family in 1786 by French botanist Andrè Michaux. Middleton Place today claims to be America’s first formal garden. There are hundreds of species of Camellias worldwide and many are bred to be cold hardy for more northern climates. Camellias are slow to grow and some are hundreds of years old.

The second iconic southern shrub to bloom in our garden season is the azalea. Azaleas are members of the Rhododendron family and most of our ornamental varieties are native to Asia. There is one type of azalea commonly known as the “Piedmont azalea” that is native to the southeastern United States. According to historians, in the United States, Azalea indica was first introduced to the outdoor landscape in the 1830’s at a rice plantation on the Ashby River near Charleston, South Carolina. John Grimké Drayton, the owner of Magnolia Plantation, imported the plants for use in his estate garden. The director of Harvard's Arnold Arboretum encouraged Drayton to open Magnolia’s gardens to the public in 1871. Magnolia is one of the oldest public gardens in America. Since the late 19th century, in late March and early April, thousands visit to see the azaleas bloom in their full glory.

Our third iconic southern shrub and my favorite is the Gardenia . The only thing I really remember well about living in

Louisiana when I was five years old was the smell of a Gardenia flower. I also remember fishing for crawdads with string and a piece of bacon!

Gardenias are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, the Pacific islands, and Australia. It is a member of the coffee family and was originally known as Cape jasmine. How the shrub got its name is an interesting story. A Scottish physician named Alexander Garden (who incidentally graduated from my alma mater, the University of Aberdeen) moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 1755. He had a busy medical practice, but his real joy and interest was

studying flora and fauna. He sent many plant specimens to John Ellis, a zoologist in London, and to Botanist Carl Linnaeus in Sweden. In Garden’s honor, they renamed the Cape jasmine, Gardenia jasminoides.

Of the three iconic shrubs, Gardenias are the fussiest and most difficult to grow. I feel that it is worth the extra effort just for the fragrance and glossy leaves. The shrub likes full sun, but afternoon shade in our hot climate is welcome and moist, well drained acidic soil.

They like to be fertilized every two-three weeks during the growing season and I have found that extra iron keeps the leaves from yellowing. If Gardenias are grown next to a concrete or tabby wall, they tend to receive too high pH and do not thrive. I keep cutting off the blossoms and bringing them inside to float in a decorative bowl. This keeps them re-blooming as well as makes my house smell heavenly. I am sure that there are people who find the smell cloying, but I personally love it.

By Wendy Hilty

blooming but no later than mid-summer. Our soil tends to be acidic and these plants love acid. The introduction of these lovely plants was a match made in heaven for our Lowcountry gardens.

Even those these shrubs did not originate in North America, they got their introduction to American gardens here in the Lowcountry. All three of these shrubs can be pruned and shaped after they stop

Wendy Hilty is a Master Gardener and member of the Lowcountry Master Gardeners organization. She is also a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and likes to spend her time attempting to grow an English Cottage Garden in our heat and humidity. Her Comyagardener blog won a state-wide award from Clemson University last year. Wendy firmly believes that the most important tool for a gardener is a good sense of humor.

Vince Covington, Owner

Camellia

Gardenia

Classifieds Classifieds

TO RENT or OWN

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.

CLASSES & SEMINARS

FREE HYPNOSIS INFORMATION PRESENTATION and guided group meditation workshop. This free session will focus on anxiety reduction and relaxation. Open to the public, Tuesday, November 14th at 7 pm EST via Zoom. 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 Knitting/Crochet Club

1st Tuesdays @ 2:30; Line Dance Class 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 3:30; Basic Computer Skills Class Wednesdays @ 9; Hoopla Class 2nd Mondays @ 10 and 4th Wednesdays @ 4; Escape Quest Games daily during library hours; Dungeon & Dragons Teen Club Mondays @ 4; Teen Art Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 4; Teen Anime Club 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 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 is offering 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 at the Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 6-9pm. Carolina Shag Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom and once a month Line Dance is taught. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Beginner classes in Jan., Mar, May, and Sep. 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

MAYE RIVER QUILTERS meets 1st Saturday of Every Month, at Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. Members meet at 9:30am for social exchange. The meeting starts at 10 am. We welcome new members. Please call 843-707-6034.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 843-473-3939 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.

KARAOKE AT THE MOOSE Sing with us Thursday evenings at The Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 7:30-10:30pm. Brought to you by #top6entertainment Mardi & Dennis Topcik. The Moose is a family friendly place and Thursdays are also Pizza Night!

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, 1810 Ribaut Road. 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. From 10am to 2pm Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm at the Fort Fremont History Center at the Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land's End Road, St. Helena Island is open. Docent-led tours are every Saturday at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. 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 is open to the public Monday through Sunday from dawn to dusk. For more Information visit www.forttremont. org or contact Passive Parks manager 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 Facebook - USCGA 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 www.beauforttoastmastersclub.org

FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR VETERANS – Veterans, Active Duty, Transition. Their Families and First Responders are Eligible. First & Third Wednesday 4 - 6pm. 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 Mr. Hal. Definitely shop.

COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE Safe & effective centuries old healing system treats and prevents many health-related conditions. Experience individualized treatment in a peaceful group setting. Sliding scale fee. Beaufort Acupuncture, 12 Fairfield Rd, 5B, Lady’s Island. For info and to schedule: (843) 694-0050 or www.BeaufortAcupuncture.com

SECOND HELPINGS seeking Day Captains and other volunteers to crew our trucks distributing food to local charities. Flexible schedule at your convenience. Email officeadmin@secondhelpingslc.org

AGAPE HOSPICE seeks volunteers to spend time bringing joy to our patients and families during a difficult time. Activities include playing music, baking, arts and crafts, pet therapy, manicures, listening to stories, holding hands, etc. Provide companionship to the elderly who often feel lonely and unappreciated. Contact Ashlee Powers at 843-592-8453 or apowers@ agapehospice.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort. Come join the team providing food, mobile meals, clothing and emergency financial assistance to those in need in our community. Open Mon-Fri 9:30-12:30. 2 Ice House Rd., Beaufort. Call or email Jennifer 843-524-1223 or info@helpofbeaufort.org

TIDEWATER HOSPICE SUPPORT GROUP: Last Wed. and Thurs. of the month. Weds. 10-11am at Sun City; Thurs. 12-1pm 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., Thursdays, 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, 843-6893616 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 - Weds., 12:30pm, Senior Services of Beaufort, 1408 Paris Ave., Port Royal; Living with Alzheimer's - for those in very early stages - Mondays 1pm, Parsons Parlor, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret, Beaufort. Respite Programs: Social Day Program10am-1:45pm $40 Day Fee, Mon. at Cornerstone Christian Church, 2301 First Blvd., Beaufort, Weds. & Friday at Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $12-$24. Early Memory Loss: Maintain Your Brain - 2nd & 4th Thursday, 1011:30am, $10/person, $15 couple, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; Memory Screenings available call 843-521-9190, 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 843815-6616 (Bluffton); 843-681-6655 (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 Tues & Fri 11:30am-1pm at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds needed. For info: Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson at 843715-3583 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 10am-4:30pm and 8am on Family Graduation Days. Closed all Federal Holidays. Info at parrisislandmuseum.org or 843-228-2166.

MEDICAL SERVICES OF AMERICA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS - Volunteers needed for companionship or skills like yard work, music, and crafts to patients and their families or assist in the office with admin tasks.

Volunteers needed in Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties. For info contact 843-322-0063.

CHRIST CENTERED RECOVERY MEETINGS At Praise Assembly Church Fridays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems and looking to scripture for solutions. Meal at 6pm; Praise and Worship 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7pm. 800 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 205-4753600 or 303-521-1891.

Check Out the 4th Edition of the Beaufort Human Library

Where oral history meets speed dating.” The Beaufort Human Library project promotes empathy and understanding across communities by offering the public opportunities to “check out” more than a dozen volunteer Human Books who will be sharing their personal stories of facing challenges and striving for acceptance. These engaging conversations will cover topics including education, military service, healthcare, gender, race, faith, immigration, addiction, abuse, and widowhood, among others. The dialogues focus on building bridges of understanding, person to person, through storytelling.

The fourth edition of the Beaufort Human Library will be held on opening day of National Library Week: Sunday, April 7, from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. in MacLean Hall, building 12 of the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), at 104 Reynolds Street

in Beaufort. Free and open to the public, the event is hosted by TCL; the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center; DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization; and volunteer community organizers.

The afternoon begins at 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. with this year’s featured Human Book, Karen Gareis, a U.S. Navy veteran turned high school librarian who was recently featured in a 60 Minutes news story on education censorship. Following that featured conversation, all of the volunteer Human Books will be available throughout MacLean Hall to be checked out for 30-minute small group conversations from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Attendees (the “Readers”) may choose to participate in a new conversation every half-hour throughout the afternoon. Advance registration is not required, nor are attendees required to

stay for the whole afternoon. Check out just one Human Book, or six, or any number in between. Volunteer Librarians and student Bookmarks from DAYLO will be on hand to help guests navigate their Beaufort Human Library experience and answer questions.

This year’s Human Books include community members Xzorion Berry, Isabella Troy Brazoban, Cesar Clavijo, Ana Delvalle, Paulette Edwards, Catherine Forester, Ashley Gardner, Karen Gareis, Col. Richard Geier (U.S.A. ret.), Ben Jacoby, Aki Kato, Sally Sue Lavigne, Jared Madison, Gwenn McClune, Elizabeth Robin, Bradley Tarrance, and Beth Young.

To learn more about the Beaufort Human Library, please visit www.facebook. com/beauforthumanlibrary

Karen Gareis

Bradley Tarrance

Cesar Clavijo

Isabella Troy

BEAUFORT/PORT ROYAL

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 www.luthersrareandwelldone.com

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. Mondays-25% off Burgers! Tuesdays – 25% off Shrimp & Chips Baskets! Wednesdays-25% off Philly Cheese Steaks! Wednesdays, Friday & SaturdayKaraoke. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook

Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 3793474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com

BLUFFTON/HILTON HEAD

Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com

Captain Woody’s, 6 Target Rd., Hilton Head or 17 State of Mind St., Bluffton. 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. 3/27 The Lavon Stevens Band, 3/29 & 3/30

The Jazz Corner's 25th Anniversary Celebration honoring George Shearing with The Noel Freidline Quintet and Howard Paul, 4/3 Bobby Ryder, 4/5 & 4/6 Randy Napoleon Trio, 4/10 The Lavon Stevens Quartet with Saxophonist Kebbi Williams. (843) 8428620 or www.TheJazzCorner.com

Omni Hilton Head Ocean Front in Palmetto Dunes. Buoy Bar - HH Prime - (843) 842-8000 or www. omnihotels.com

OUT OF TOWN

The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 3/28 MF Metal Night with GOW; Hymns of Blasphemy; Darlington Chainsaw, 3/29 & 3/30 Before Eve - A Faé Menagerie., 4/4 Daft Punk Night, 4/5 The First Cut is the Deepest - 90s Tribute Show, 4/6 Maoli; Andrew Duhon, 4/7 Slaughter Beach; Dog, 4/11 90s & 2000s

R & B and Hip Hop Party, 4/12 Gimme Gimme Disco, 4/13 Emo Night Brooklyn, 4/14 Fastball; Heffner. (843) 408-1599 or www.musicfarm.com

The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. 3/27 Snakes & Stars, 3/28, 3/29 & 3/30 Doom Flamingo, 4/3 Moontricks; Will Evans, 4/4 Josh Meloy; Trenton Fletcher, 4/5 Steely DeadGrateful Dead/Steely Dan tribute, 4/6 Machine Funk - Widespread Panic tribute, 4/7 Robert Jon & the Wreck, 4/10 Dirtwire, 4/11 Underground Springhouse; Sneezy, 4/12 Illiterate Light, 4/13 Butcher Brown X; Son Little, 4/14 Bit Brigade. (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com

Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 3/29 David Higgins Band, 3/30 Warrick McZeke; Austin McNeill, 4/4 Hardwired - Metallica tribute, 4/5 Jebb Mac Band, 4/6 Charles Esten, 4/12 Chase Matthew, 4/13 The Brook & The Bluff; Hotel Fiction, . (843) 8868596 or www.the-windjammer.com

Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.

GALLERIES/ART

Now – 3/29, Celebrating Black Mermaids, an exhibit of black mermaid art by award-winning artists from across the US at USCB Center for the Arts. Opening reception, Fri 1/19, 6-8pm. Mermaid Artist Fair & Film Screenings, Sat 1/20, 12-4pm. Meet the Curator, Tues 1/27, 12-3pm. Closing Event/Water Blessing Fri 3/29, 5-7 pm. All events are free and open to the public.

Now – 4/5, Gestures in Nature: The Allure of the Landscape, featuring the work of Ellen DeFazio, at the Art League Gallery. Opening Reception Wed 3/6, 5-7pm. 14 Shelter Cover Lane, Hilton Head. 843-681-5060.

Now – 4/26, Heart to Heart, a new art exhibit by the Artists of Sea Pines at the Sea Pines Community Center. Opening reception 2/1, 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Ten % of every sale will be donated to Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) on Hilton Head Island. 71 Lighthouse Road (next to the fitness center) in Sea Pines Shopping Center.

Now – 4/28, ‘Art Beyond Boundaries,’ featuring Penny Beesley and Amy Whitehouse at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery. Join the artists for an opening night reception on Fri 3/1, 5-8 pm, at the BAA Gallery, 913 Bay Street. www.beaufortart.org

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

3/14, Jewelry Re-Design Consultation with Peggy Carvell at Pluff Mudd Art Gallery, 27 Calhoun St, Bluffton. 11am – 3pm. Re-imagine your old jewelry! Reserve a time slot by calling or texting Peggy at 843-597-1071.

3/15 – 5/5, Nikon’s Small World Competition Winners Exhibit at the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head. In the Sea Island Gallery. Admission is free. www.coastaldiscovery.org

4/1 – 4/28, Carolina Colors by Marianne Stillwagon at The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) gallery in Old Town Bluffton. Opening reception from 5-7 pm on 4/9. Free and open to the public. www.sobagallery.com

4/1 – 5/7, Beaufort County High School Art Exhibition at The Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head. Main gallery. Opening reception 4/3, from 5 - 7 pm, with awards at 6 pm. www.coastaldiscovery.org

Thur 4/4, Civil Rights Photo Exhibit, Lecture & Reception featuring American Moments, a collection of works by John Shearer. Starting at 4 pm at USCB Center for the Arts. Free and open to the public www.uscbcenterforthearts. com

Sun 4/7, The Sound of Art: Emerging Artists Competition Winners & John Shearer: American Moments, on exhibit at USCB Center for the Arts. Both exhibitions are free and open to the public. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com

4/9 – 5/10, Rice, Ghana, Charleston, the World, an exhibit of soft pastels by Lowcountry artist Alvin B. Glen at Art League Gallery. Opening reception Wed 4/10, 5-7pm. Gallery Walk Friday, 4/11, 11am-12pm. Free and open to the public. 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. www.artleaguehhi.org

Fri 4/26, Spring Art Walk in Old Town Bluffton, 5-7pm.

BOOKS & WRITERS

Sat 4/6, David Boggs will sign copies of his new book The Consolidated Gospel at 1 pm at Urban Brew + Co, 2139 Boundary Street, Suite 104.

MUSIC

Sat 4/6, Youth Concert, an hour of classical music featuring Alison Shearer and 6 other world-class musicians. Children 5-18 are free. Adults, $25. Sponsored by USCB Chamber Music. www.uscbchambermusic.com

Sun 4/7, USCB Chamber Music, featuring saxophonist, flutist, and composer Alison Shearer performing with other world class artists in the world premiere of her original composition, Apollosis. For more information and tickets, visit www.uscbchambermusic.com

Sat 4/13, 17th Annual Duke Symphony Orchestra Benefit Concert, 7pm at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. Proceeds benefit the Foundation for

Leadership Education. Purchase tickets at www.lowcountryleaders.com

Fri 4/15, Jacob Johnson plays Music on Malphrus. Tickets are $25. Show starts at 7pm, doors open at 6:30. At the UUCL, 110 Malphrus Rd, Bluffton. www.uulowcountry.org

OTHER EVENTS

Sat 4/6, Maye River Quilters meeting at 10 am at Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way in Hardeeville. To attend as a guest, please email RSVP to mayeriverquilters@gmail.com. For more information and membership forms to join the group, call 978-464-0585.

Sat 4/6, Historic Mitchellville's Annual Blue & BBQ. Live music, BBQ, beer and wine, proceeds benefit Mitchelville School Outreach Program. Tickets $125, available at www.exploremitchelville.org Noon –3pm, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Part, 40 Harriet Tubman Way, Hilton Head.

Sun 4/7, Beaufort Human Library, fourth edition, from 12:30 to 4 pm in MacLean Hall, building 12 of the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), at 104 Reynolds Street in Beaufort. Free and open to the public, the event is hosted by TCL; the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center; DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization; and volunteer community organizers. www.facebook.com/ beauforthumanlibrary

Sat 4/13, Community-wide Yard Sale on Coosaw Point, from 8am – 2pm. Sixteen residences will participate. The public is invited. A welcome table will be near the entrance when turning onto Coosaw Point Boulevard, manned with volunteers who will provide a map highlighting location of sale residences.

Every Saturday 4/6 – 6/29, Lunch and Learn at the Port Royal Farmers Market. A weekly series of classes and lectures on gardening. Under the gazebo, starting at noon. Free to the public. Bring a folding chair!

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.

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.

Third Thursday, TECHconnect is a monthly networking event for professionals working in and around technology. Come and join on the for the conversation at BASEcamp 500 Carteret 5:307:30pm. 843-470-3506. www.beaufortdigital.com

Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchell by the 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 enjoying some unique and noteworthy trees. Takes about an hour and is a little over a mile, starting at the corner of Craven & Carteret Streets and ending in Waterfront Park. Booklets with a map and info about each tree available FREE at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street.

Alisha

alisha@dcgilbert.com

Daun

daun@dcgilbert.com

Laure

laure@dcgilbert.com

Ashley

ashley@dcgilbert.com

Joy

joy@dcgilbert.com

Dawn

dawn@dcgilbert.com

Johanna

johanna@dcgilbert.com

Kathy

kathy@dcgilbert.com

Kaitlyn

reception@dcgilbert.com Derek

Melissa

melissa@dcgilbert.com

Sam

samuel@dcgilbert.com

MLS