Lowcountry Weekly August 30 – September 12

cover notes

Win Foland, the Beaufort Art Association's

August 30 – September 12, 2023

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, Lila Meeks, Laura Lee Rose, 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

LLowcountry 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 2023 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.

The painting on our cover is "Best of Friends"

by

featured artist for September and October. To learn more, see our story on page 11.

The World in a Window Box RANTS & RAVES

To say Mother Nature’s been temperamental this summer would be an understatement. Unprecedented heat all over the US, droughts in the Midwest, deadly forest fires in Maui, a hurricane strike to the California coast . . .

And then there’s the small drama that’s been playing out in my window box.

A quick search of our website reveals that I’ve subjected you readers to a ridiculous number of window box references over the years.

There was the time my window box fell off the side of my house for no apparent reason. The time Hurricane Matthew crushed my window box and my husband rebuilt it. There was the time I panicked because my mom was coming for a mid-winter visit and my window box was empty. The time I nurtured spring annuals all the way through the winter – in my window box – and the time (or two) a wren built a nest in my window box.

I even wrote a column featuring my window box as a metaphor for the United States of America.

(Hey, I made it work.)

For regaling y’all with way too many window box meditations, I sincerely apologize. Especially since I’m about to do it again. We have a rotating roster of excellent, learned gardening columnists here at

Lowcountry Weekly. This column should never be mistaken for THAT column. My own botanical ruminations always tend to be window box-centric, because – aside from a few potted plants here and there – my window box is the setting of all my gardening adventures.

I once confessed – in a column referencing my window box – that I’m a woman of low energy, and easily overwhelmed. The things that many (most?) women tackle with ease, or at least cheerful aplomb, tend to lay me low. Housekeeping, cooking, and, yes, gardening – all the usual domestic stuff? Overwhelming.

“I engage in these activities, sparingly,” I wrote, “because I have a family and a decent sense of shame. But the idea of a Big Project – organizing the closets, for instance, or redecorating, or “spring cleaning” – can actually paralyze me.”

I wrote those words over a decade ago, and unfortunately, I haven’t changed, which is why my “gardening” remains confined to a window box. I’m not proud, but I’m honest. My window box has always brought me great joy with minimal effort. That’s my jam.

But this summer, things got weird in my window box. Chalk it up to climate change, I suppose. I won’t argue with you. (I don’t argue with anybody about climate change. Nor do I bash myself over the head with a ball peen hammer.)

So, here’s how things typically go down in my window box. I faithfully plant impatiens every spring, then watch them flourish all summer, become leggy in the fall, and finally peter out somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s the routine.

(There was that one year I managed to nurture the impatiens all the way through the winter – but they turned yellowy-brown and croaked the following spring, so I still had to replant. After that, I didn’t bother.)

Anyway, this year, my impatiens, after getting off to a splendid start in late March, were stalky and dull by early July –something that usually doesn’t happen till October or November – and I couldn’t figure out what to do. No amount of dead-heading or pinching back seemed to help.

By mid-July, the impatiens appeared to be dying. The stems were thick, the flowers were splotchy, and the leaves were turning yellow. What?! Was I going to have to

replant?! In the mid-summer heat!? Shudder.

(I’m low energy and easily overwhelmed, remember?)

Feeling I had nothing left to lose, I decided to try something drastic. I took the garden shears and cut those impatiens down to nubs. Hacked them to within an inch of their lives. Then I watered them and waited.

For a couple of weeks, I thought I’d made a terrible mistake. My poor window box –usually so effusive and colorful all summer –was sad and forlorn. My once vibrant, extravagant impatiens were now spikey, unsightly little clumps. They seemed lifeless. What had I done?

Finally, tiny green shoots began to appear on the clumps, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Within another week, the clumps were leafing out riotously, and I happily began anticipating flowers.

But there were no flowers. Not one. Not even those little white bulb thingies that turn into flowers. Just leafy-green plants that, frankly, aren’t all that without their peachy-pink blooms.

This went on for weeks. Weeks became a month. I became obsessed.

I was heading outside to inspect my impatiens several times a day. Gazing at them through the living room window while watching the evening news. Wandering around the house muttering, “Where are the flowers?” My husband and daughter began to fear for my sanity.

My impatience with my impatiens drove me to consult The Google. There, I learned that, perhaps, I had traumatized the plants by cutting them back too radically. Seems you’re not supposed to cut more than 1/3 of the plant away. Who knew?

(Okay, most people probably knew.)

I might also have been watering them too frequently. Apparently, that’s a thing, too.

None of the experts could guarantee that my flowers would return, ever. All I could do was wait, ease off on the water, and try to stop obsessing.

Pro tip: A watched window box never blooms.

A couple of years ago, when I wrangled my window box into metaphorical service here, my impatiens plants had been growing up, but failing to grow out. They weren’t spreading and merging and tangling together as they normally do. I determined

Margaret Evans

that I hadn’t planted them deep enough; their root balls were exposed, so there wasn’t enough shared soil between them. They had room to burrow down, but no room to grow sideways.

That’s when I went all metaphorical, comparing plants to people:

“Our current failure to thrive, I think, is similar,” I wrote. “More and more Americans are sinking themselves deep into their respective ‘plots’ – their political tribes, their trusted media sources, their favored narratives – where they have increasingly less contact with those in the other ‘plots.’

“There is simply not enough shared soil – not enough common ground – between us anymore. We have different beliefs and value systems, and they barely overlap. Without this common ground – this shared soil – it’s much harder now to reach out toward one another. It’s harder to stretch beyond our comfort zones, to bridge the spaces between us. It’s harder to mingle and blend and bloom.”

Nothing has changed since I conjured up that metaphor, strained as it was. In fact, I’d say things have only gotten worse.

I think I’ve been using my current window box obsession as a distraction from all the anger, division, and misapprehension in our country – an effort to assert a tiny bit of control, cultivate a tiny bit of beauty, in a world gone horribly haywire.

I’m pleased to report that, in late August, my impatiens finally started blooming. But it was definitely touch and go for a while. By hacking away too much of their substance –their very essence – then giving them too much of a good thing (water), I traumatized the little darlings and almost killed them. All with the best of intentions.

I think there’s another metaphor in there somewhere, but for now, I’m just enjoying my flowers.

Margaret Evans is the editor of Lowcountry Weekly. She has been writing her award winning column, Rants & Raves, for over 20 years.

Try Your Luck…Win a Buck

Or maybe 100 bucks! Whether you’re a published writer, a dabbler in the craft of writing, or a wannabe writer 18 years old and up, this column will give you a heads-up about an opportunity to test your pen-to-paper or keyboard tap-tap-tap skills in the Sea Island Spirit Writers’ Annual Short Story Contest. Hard for those of us involved to believe, but the challenge is currently in its ninth year, presented in partnership with Lowcountry Weekly. As the deadline for entry is Friday, October 6th, those interested in giving their storytelling skills a shot still have a month-ish to get cracking on an entry. First place nets $100, second place is $50, and third place is $25, plus several honorable mentions. All for a mere $15 entry fee.

The top three stories will be published in the October 25th edition of Lowcountry Weekly. As the saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t enter. You know, like the lottery, but with more creativity involved.

Following is a kind of tutorial for those inclined to enter, just a few suggestions that might help your contest entry, or at least add a bit of freshness to your writing and/or writing process.

Many writers will admit that writing itself can be the fun part. Finding a market for a particular story, not so much, unless they’re fortunate enough to have scored a publisher. That’s a completely different column. One of the beauties about this contest is that a story

need only be 750 words, or about 3 typewritten pages . . . or less. An entry can even be flash fiction, or a brief story of, say, 300 words. As in all good short story writing, in flash, every word must count toward a meaningful tale.

Another plus for this challenge is that you as a writer don’t have to try to think too hard of a direction to take your story. We’ve given you a prompt, i.e. a word that must appear in the story. You can even use the prompt – which is the word “alone” – to begin your story. Pretty cool.

A bit of background here. Though creating a story from a prompt may have been around for years, a classic book called Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by writing workshop guru Natalie Goldberg, beautifully birthed writing-from-prompt as a part of a method she calls “writing practice.” In this timed writing exercise, usually lasting for five to ten minutes initially, writers/students are given a word or phrase and specific instructions to follow during that time.

The Writing Down the Bones part of the book’s title simply means allowing yourself to get down to the nitty gritty in your heart and soul of what you want to say, what’s at your core that needs to be talked about, whether your focus is fiction or nonfiction. The other half, Freeing the Writer Within, is what makes writing practice such a powerful tool. I have yet to meet a writer who doesn’t at least occasionally have a self-critic whispering – sometimes yelling – in their ear, assuring that their writing is a

9th Annual Sea Island Spirit Writers Short Story Contest

Writers, Far and Wide – Here’s a chance to get paid for writing! Sea Island Spirit Writers’ critique group is again sponsoring a short story contest open to all writers 18 years old and up. The word “alone” must appear in your story of 750 words or less. Your story could net you $100 for first place, $50 for second place, or $25 for third, and publication in Lowcountry Weekly

THE RULES ARE SIMPLE:

• Entry fee is $15 per story. Only one entry per person please.

• All entries must include your name, address, email address and phone number.

• Entries must be received by Friday, October 6, 2023.

• Entries cannot have been previously published. We want new, fresh fiction.

• Digital entries only please. Submit to editor@lcweekly.com by email with “Short Story Contest” in the subject line.

• Payment may be made either by check or credit card. To pay by credit card, call Lowcountry Weekly at 843-522-0418. To pay by check, make checks out to “Lowcountry Weekly” with “Short Story Contest” in the memo line. Mail to Lowcountry Weekly, 106 West Street Extension, Beaufort SC 29902.

• Winners will be published in the October 25th issue of Lowcountry Weekly.

piece of garbage that no one in his right mind would want to read. I certainly know that rascal intimately. By design, writing practice defuses the self-critic, at least for the time you’re writing, long enough for you to start learning to trust your own writing voice and process.

Doing writing practice, as Golberg recommends, “in a café with a friend,” then reading what you’ve written aloud to each other, can be helpful for developing your writing voice. During that process, the ol’ critic simply can’t interject any negativity into your mind if you keep your pen moving forward. Don’t think; just write. But once you put the pen down, it can roar back in with such slams as: That’s crappy writing. You should be ashamed. You should have written about something else. Et cetera. But when you read aloud and get back positives from another writer, that critical voice can be quelled.

Creating a complete story or essay during writing practice is not required, though some people do just that. With an emphasis on detailed description and the use of sensory input, this tool is a terrific way to create chunks of writing to develop into stories to be completed later. And by all means, let go of the outcome of where you may think the story is heading when you begin. Trust your gut if it suggests a possible change in direction. The gut’s neurons can often reveal some darn good alternatives. Of learning to trust your writing voice through writing practice, Goldberg says, “Be present with an open heart and mind.”

WHOLLY HOLISTICS

by Katherine Tandy Brown

Reading Natalie’s book is not required for entering the Spirit Writers’ contest, though my discussion about it may lead you to think otherwise. But no matter what level of experienced writer you are, reading the insightful Writing Down the Bones will likely help you to get deeper in touch with your creative capacities. I highly recommend it . . . but there won’t be a quiz!

In case you’re not clear about what exactly a short story is and what it includes, here’s a leg up for you. By definition, a short story is a narrative of interrelated events, involving a conflict and a resolution. A good one should have:

• A clear beginning, middle and end.

• An attention-grabbing beginning. Go to a bookstore and peruse first lines of novels. Do most lead you into wanting to read on?

• Engaging plot and storyline. The protagonist (main character) has a goal to achieve.

• Action and tension.

• Conflict, i.e. obstacles and/or setbacks before the protagonist can reach the goal.

• Turning point in which the protagonist confronts the obstacle or setback.

• Satisfying resolution to tie up loose ends and answer unresolved questions.

• Strong narrative voice.

• Engaging story line.

• Character developed only to the extent required in the story.

Don’t be intimidated by this list. To enter the contest, just write what you know and send in your best story. Occasionally, in writing, as in life, if you break a rule and it works, that can be golden. Except in the case of the 9th Annual Sea Island Spirit Writers Short Story Contest Rules, which you’ll find right here on this page.

Says Goldberg, “I don’t think everyone wants to create the great American novel, but we all have a dream of telling our stories – of realizing what we think, feel, and see before we die. Writing is a path to meet ourselves and become intimate.”

And the better you know yourself, the better writer you become.

Katherine Tandy Brown has traveled the world as a freelance writer for 25 years. She teaches memoir, travel writing and writing practice in USCB’s OLLI Continuing Ed program and in her downtown cottage. A certified writing coach, she is penning her first novel, One to Go: An Equine Thriller. ktandybrown@gmail.com or (859) 312-6706

Shop to Save Animals During PAL’s Online Auction

People shop for different reasons. Some shop out of necessity, some enjoy the thrill of the buy, and others go in search of quality items that can last a lifetime. Once a year, Lowcountry residents get a special opportunity to shop for a different reason; to save lives! Palmetto Animal League’s 14th Annual Bid for PAL Online Auction will take place Thursday, September 7 at 8am through Sunday, September 10 at 8pm, offering a wide variety of items to satisfy any shopper.

some of the most sought-after items Bluffton, Hilton Head, and Beaufort have to offer!

“While people love to shop the great items in our auction, I think they really value the emotional component to this virtual event,” explains PAL President Amy Campanini. “PAL rescues animals from shelters that euthanize for space. We are a safety net for the most vulnerable animals in our community, and people know that when they bid on an item, they are having a hand in one of our rescues.”

PAL’s auction, which is powered by the love and support of so many, includes golf rounds at renowned clubs, restaurant certificates, relaxing getaways, clothing, jewelry, home décor, and more. It’s an exciting, virtual marketplace that provides medical treatment, dedicated care, and a fresh new start to pets the rest of the world has forgotten.

“PAL is fortunate to be part of a community that cares about homeless pets and believes their lives are worth saving,” says PAL Development Coordinator Stephanie Bashaw. “From locally owned shops to large companies, a wide range of animal loving businesses donate products and services to our auction, making it an online shopping experience like no other.”

Participants look forward to browsing through PAL’s online catalog filled with

“PAL’s cozy, upbeat, no kill adoption center in Okatie is home to some 200 cats and dogs,” says Campanini.

“For me, there is something remarkable about being in the presence of that much unconditional love all under one roof.”

Every contribution, no matter the size, can rescue a pet for which PAL is their only hope. When people browse and bid on the amazing items offered in the Bid for PAL Online Auction, they have a hand in saving a life before it’s too late.

“PAL is a grassroots rescue organization that receives no government funding,” explains Campanini. “Our compassionate approach to animal rescue is fueled by caring individuals and businesses that want to be a part of the miracles that take place at PAL.”

PAL’s auction also offers an option to bid on essential equipment for the PAL Adoption Center or sponsor a special needs pet, a hospice pet, or a freedom flight that saves dozens of animals.

New items are being added to their online catalog every day, so PAL encourages

everyone to start browsing now.

“For those who enjoy the thrill of the buy, this auction is a fun, competitive experience that’s all for the animals,” says Bashaw. “Many people say they have fun bidding against others, not only hoping to win their favorite items but more importantly, to help save an animal’s life.”

The Bid for PAL Online Auction goes live on September 7 at PALauction.org. PAL encourages everyone to join in the excitement of the auction and let their heart do the bidding.

Doing More For Maui: One Island Helps Another

The community of Hilton Head Island, in collaboration with the Rotary Lowcountry Environmental Club, is pleased to announce the upcoming "Kokua" fundraiser to benefit the people of Maui. Kokua is the Hawaiian word for help. It’s deeper meaning is to extend help to others with no intent of personal gain.

This event will be held at Soundwaves, located at 7 Lagoon Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 5 to 8pm. The fundraiser will feature a silent auction, LIVE music and mingling, and is open to all members of the community.

“We invite you to join us for an evening of fun and philanthropy as we come together to support those in need. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to aid the people of Maui during this difficult time,” Says Richard Grant, curator for the exhibit. “We encourage attendees to

consider making a donation or participating in the silent auction to help us achieve our goal of making a difference in the lives of those affected by recent events.”

Children’s Book Signing at Beaufort Bookstore

Local children's book author Kellie Savery Langan will be reading an excerpt and signing copies of her first book in The Adventures of Tinkie and Bobo series, A Magical Adventure Begins. The event will be held at the Beaufort Bookstore Saturday, September 16, from 10 – 11:30 am.

“Cut to 2022 and my son, Tyler, is asking me to tell him a story. I started making up stories by just making the two original characters friends and creating my own plots. I of course began running out of material quickly and had to start writing these stories down so I had more content for my storyloving child. This is how The Adventures of Tinkie and Bobo, the series began.”

Langan plans to release Book 2 in her series later this year, and a 3rd book in 2024.

Please note that flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts are optional but highly encouraged! We hope to see you there for this important and meaningful event.

The Beaufort Bookstore is located at 2127 Boundary St. #15 in Beaufort. Admission to this event is free.

In a recent interview with Ellen Feld of Feathered Quill, Langan described her inspiration for the book.

“When my sister and I were young my mom would tell us stories about a mermaid named Tinkie. We then conned my unsuspecting father into telling us stories too. His were about a bunny named Bobo.

“I am very excited about the other two books,” she says. “They both are very special to me. I have songs I sang to my son as a baby and sayings from my dad. I cannot wait to share these books with my readers.”

To read more of this interview with Kellie Langan, visit https://featheredquill.com/ author-interview-kellie-savery-langan/

Lahaina, by Lyndsi Caulder

Writer Kellie Savery Langan

World Class Pianist Brings Free Concert to Port Royal

By Lila Meeks

Andrew Armstrong is a brilliant pianist whose talents are in great demand by major concert halls in the world’s grand cities. During the last and upcoming seasons, you could and will find him at the keyboard in Glasgow, Geneva, Dresden, Halifax, London, Paris, Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, and others, but the really good news for the South Carolina Lowcountry is that he will be at it 7 times this season right here in our community. As the Artistic Director of USCB Chamber Music, Andy brings his exuberant personality, his vast knowledge of and passion for the world’s great classical repertoire, and his extremely talented fingers and friends to the Carteret Street Center for the Arts for five Sunday evening concerts from November through April. Because he loves Beaufort and feels a missionary zeal to bring Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Gershwin to everyone, not just to those who are already their ardent fans, last August he offered to give a free pre-season concert, and Port Royal St. Marks’ church took him up on the offer.

It was standing room only as Mr. Armstrong sat down and played hit, after hit, after hit. Rector Roy Tripp was blown away by the response of the audience to the music and has been working to garner just such a response on Sundays ever since. Again and again, the clapping was loud and prolonged; again and again, the audience was on its feet demanding more. It was clear that they loved Andy and the music he brought. The feeling was mutual, and he is coming back for round II.

Please join us at 5 pm on Friday, September 29 for more commentary and music with Andy. If you have someone you truly care about, bring them with you because you will never find a better spot for falling in love with the music of the masters. Of course, you could catch him in Hong Kong, but Port Royal is so close and the price of a ticket is so right.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is located at 1004 11th St. in Port Royal. www.stmarksc.org

Of Water: Aquascapes Photography

Jean Macaluso featured at the SOBA Gallery

Jean Macaluso will present a photography exhibition throughout September at The Society of Bluffton Artists Gallery, located in Old Town Bluffton. The exhibit will run Sept. 5-Oct. 1 with an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Sept.14th at the SOBA Gallery. These events are free and open to the public.

The overall theme of Macaluso’s body of work focuses on the calming properties of water as a symbol of healing and power for cultures around the world. “Aquascapes” taps into the mystical nature of oceans, lakes, rivers, or bays.

“Through these images, I hope to provide you with the opportunity to ponder what water means to you,” Macaluso said. “Whether as a symbol of hope and healing, or one of beauty and change, we can not deny the impact that water had, has, and will have on our lives. Art gifts us a chance to review things that we tend to gloss over as we go

about our day. It is my desire that my artwork is that chance to discover your own meaning in what is so often overlooked.”

As a Fine Arts Photographer, Macaluso uses many different cameras, from old or “toy” cameras to digital ones. She uses modern technology to print them digitally. Together, this produces the look and feel that appeals to her aesthetically in black and white.

Working in color, Macaluso captures nature’s essence by presenting visual beauty through a still moment in time providing the viewer with a simple, vivid, and direct experience.

Macaluso graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with a degree in Art and Art History. Her passion for photography includes a special interest in the black and white process, both traditional and digital. Other interests include painting, wheel thrown pottery, hand built pottery, and clay sculpture. Her artwork can be found in the United States, France, and the Netherlands in collegiate, private collections, and offices.

Jean recently relocated to the Low Country with her husband and Golden Retriever Mylie.

SOBA is the heart of the flourishing art hub in Old Town Bluffton’s historic district at the corner of Church and Calhoun streets. As a non-profit art organization, SOBA offers regular classes, featured artist shows, exhibitions, scholarships, outreach programs and more. The gallery is open from 10am-5pm Monday through Saturday, and 11am-3pm on Sundays. Please visit www.sobagallery.com for a complete calendar of events and other information or call 843-757-6586.

Photographer Jean Macaluso

Tide Table Sunset

Wyn Foland’s Seasons of Life

Wyn Foland will be the featured artist at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery in September and October. A local impressionist painter, Wyn has been a working artist for 50 years. Her new exhibit ‘Seasons of Life’ showcases a range of styles, expressing a lifetime of personal perceptions of the world. Gallery visitors will find connection to the ever-changing rhythms of people, places and seasons.

Her subjects include travel, gardening, seasons, Gullah culture, endless Lowcountry vistas, and perceptions of the world through free-fl owing abstract designs. She is greatly inspired by vast cloud formations and landscapes of the Lowcountry.

“I will continue to experiment, problem-solve, take classes and travel to capture the world in a meaningful way,” says Wyn. “I wanted to be an artist in third grade and now in my eightieth year, I have fulfilled that dream.”

Wyn has exhibited in local, national and international shows, produced a cable art

program, taught classes and conducted art demonstrations. She is a member of many art societies, and currently paints from her studio at Lady’s Island Marina.

Join Wyn Foland for an opening night

reception on Friday, September 1, from 5-8pm, at the Gallery of the Beaufort Art Association, 913 Bay St., downtown Beaufort, under the black awning.

Gallery Gathering Generations

Hiking in the Mountains

Friendship Forever

Celebrate A Taste of Thailand!

Dinner parties are so much fun! When Vince and I host a large party, I find that I don’t get to spend much quality time with our guests. Small is often better. Last Friday night, we invited a couple of our friends over for supper. I had absolutely no menu ideas in mind. No new-found recipe seemed interesting enough to attempt, so I reached for a copy of my cookbook, Celebrate Everything, and flipped it open. Lo and behold, the chapter that features Thai food magically appeared. My dinner party menu was set. I do have a confession; I hadn’t made Shrimp Pad Thai since the evening that the photography for Celebrate Everything was shot. That was over ten years ago. It was kind of a thrill to recreate the original recipe and the Vegetable Salad with Spicy Thai Vinaigrette and Indian-Spiced Cashews. Most of all, everything was delicious! I’ll be making both dishes again soon and often. The Coffee Ice Cream Cake was a last-minute creation. Use your favorite flavors to create your own unique version of a very easy to prepare frozen dessert. Your guests will be so impressed and will never know just how simple it was to make.

VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SPICY THAI VINAIGRETTE AND INDIAN-SPICED CASHEWS

For the salad:

1 bunch green-leaf lettuce, torn

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions

1 carrot, sliced

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 medium tomato, diced

1 small cucumber, halved and sliced

1 (6-ounce) package wide-style chow mein noodles

4 tablespoons brown sugar

9 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons mild Thai chili sauce

4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 shallot, chopped

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

½ cup sliced green onions

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

By Debbi Covington

¼ cup coffee liqueur (Kahlua)

1 quart coffee flavored ice cream

2 cups whipped cream or frozen whipped topping Cocoa powder, optional

I often substitute edamame for the green peas in this salad. Look for shelled edamame in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. Sriracha is a spicy chile sauce and can be found in the Asian section. p.s. This salad is also good as an entree – just top it with roasted chicken or grilled shrimp.

For the cashews:

1 egg white

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1½ teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups lightly salted cashews

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste

3 tablespoons sriracha sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint

1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground coriander

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine egg white, brown sugar, curry powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir in cashews. Toss to coat well. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the nut mixture onto the prepared foil. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, spread the nuts evenly on the pan. Bake until nuts are almost dry, about 15 to 18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. In a medium bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients except oils. Slowly drizzle oils while whisking. Taste and adjust seasonings with more salt and lime juice, if needed. Set aside. Combine lettuce and vegetables in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette, to taste. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles and spiced cashews before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

SHRIMP PAD THAI

For a spicier version of this dish, sprinkle in crushed red pepper flakes when you add in the chili sauce. If you can't find rice noodles in your local grocery store, substitute 8 ounces of fettuccine or linguine, cooked according to package directions and drained. Stir in with bean sprouts.

16 ounces rice noodles

½ cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

Zest of 2 limes

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Place rice noodles in a large bowl. Add enough hot tap water to cover; let stand 10 to 15 minutes (or according to package directions) until pliable, but not soft. Drain well in a colander; set aside. In a small bowl combine peanuts, sugar and lime zest; set aside. In another small bowl combine the lime juice, brown sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and chili sauce; stir until smooth and set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add shrimp and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes until shrimp turns pink. Transfer to a bowl. Add eggs to the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Turn eggs with spatula and cook 30 to 60 seconds more, just until set. Remove and chop; set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and sprouts; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and shrimp mixture; cook 1 to 2 minutes more until heated through. Place in a serving dish. Top with chopped eggs and peanut topping. Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serves 8.

COFFEE ICED CREAM CAKE

1 (15.25-ounce) dark chocolate cake mix

Cold coffee

Bake cake in a 9x13-inch baking pan according to package directions and substituting cold coffee for the water. Cool completely. Take ice cream out of the freezer and allow time for it to soften; about 10 minutes. Line a large loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing extra wrap to hang over the edges of the pan. Slice the cake horizontally into three equal pieces. Place one slice in the prepared pan and drizzle it with ½ of the coffee liqueur. Top the cake with softened ice cream. Add another piece of cake to the pan; drizzle with remaining coffee liqueur. Using the plastic wrap that is hanging outside of the loaf pan, wrap the ice cream and cake tightly to form a loaf. Freeze for at least 4 hours. Remove cake from the freezer. Remove cake from loaf pan and place on a serving dish. Frost the cake with prepared whipped cream and return to freezer for at least 2 hours. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. Serves 8.

*Note: You will only need two pieces of the cake. Use the left-over piece for another recipe or to make a mini ice cream cake.

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

Plan Now for HBF’s Fall Festival Oyster Cay Collection

Tickets are on sale now for Historic Beaufort Foundation’s popular Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens, set for Oct. 21-22.

“The Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens is the best time to experience Beaufort's extraordinary setting and architecture as gracious property owners open their private homes and exquisite gardens to public view.” said Cynthia Jenkins, executive director of Historic Beaufort Foundation. “To witness the interiors of these houses and to walk their gardens is truly magical.”

Tickets are available online at https://historicbeaufort.org/ . Organizers encourage early ticket purchases because these tours typically sell out, attracting visitors from across the country.

The Saturday tour will lead visitors through an historic and architectural timeline dating from the 19th century and into the economic recovery of the early 20th Century. Saturday highlights include the George Moss Stoney House, built ca. 1823 and remodeled in the 1840s; the Berners Barnwell Sams House, #1, ca. 1810; the Joseph Hazel House, ca. 1815-1820; and First African Baptist Church, ca. 1861.

Another highlight is the John Mark Verdier House, which underwent a comprehensive exterior renovation in 2021 followed by a rare restoration in 2023 of the Federal Period door surround and entrance.

Tickets for Saturday’s tour are $65 for HBF members and $75 for non-members. The tour is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 21.

Sunday’s tour and Southern brunch will showcase a 15-acre farmstead and former plantation nestled among pecan trees and mature live oaks less than half a mile from one of Beaufort’s busiest intersections.

This property, which was the center of one of the Lowcountry's earliest truck farming properties, includes the impressive ca.1905 farmhouse with wraparound piazzas, a barn and packing shed now transformed for use as an event venue that maintains the property’s rich agricultural character and history. Join us for a rare glimpse at this important phase of Beaufort’s early 20th century economy and way of life.

Tickets to the Sunday event are $130 for members and $150 for non-members of HBF. The Sunday brunch and tour are from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All sales are final and the tours will be held rain or shine.

Historic Beaufort Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education foundation created to preserve, protect, and present sites and artifacts of historic, architectural, and cultural interest throughout Beaufort County, South Carolina. For more information on the entity's mission and history, please visit historicbeaufort.org and follow them on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.

Mark Catesby Lecture at Maritime Center

As part of their Tuesday Talks series, the Port Royal Sound Foundation, in partnership with the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, will host an afternoon lecture by Patrick Dean, author of the recently published book Nature's Messenger: Mark Catesby and His Adventures in a New World. This program will be held on September 12, 3:00 p.m., at the Maritime Center’s education classroom, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie. $10/person. Books will be available for sale and signing. Register in advance via the Book a Program button at https://portroyalsoundfoundation.org/ About Nature’s Messenger

"In this enlightening biography, nature writer Dean traces the life of British naturalist Mark Catesby (1683–1749), whose The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands was among the first European accounts of the flora and fauna of the Americas and influenced John James Audubon. An informative account of an important if lesser-known naturalist." – Publishers Weekly

In 1722, Mark Catesby stepped ashore in Charles Town in the Carolina colony. Over the next four years, this young naturalist made

history as he explored deep into America’s natural wonders, collecting and drawing plants and animals which had never been seen back in the Old World. Nine years later Catesby produced his magnificent and groundbreaking book, The Natural History of Carolina, the first-ever illustrated account of American flora and fauna.

In Nature’s Messenger, acclaimed writer Patrick Dean follows Catesby from his youth as a landed gentleman in rural England to his

early work as a naturalist and his adventurous travels. A pioneer in many ways, Catesby’s careful attention to the knowledge of non-Europeans in America — the enslaved Africans and Native Americans who had their own sources of food and medicine from nature—set him apart from others of his time.

Nature’s Messenger takes us from the rice plantations of the Carolina Lowcountry to the bustling coffeehouses of 18th-century England, from the sun-drenched islands of the Bahamas to the austere meeting-rooms of London’s Royal Society, then presided over by Isaac Newton. It was a time of discovery, of intellectual ferment, and of the rise of the British Empire. And there on history’s leading edge, recording the extraordinary and often violent mingling of cultures as well as of nature, was Mark Catesby.

Patrick Dean writes on the outdoors and the environment. He has worked as a teacher, a political media director, and is presently the executive director of a rail-trail nonprofit. An avid trail-runner, paddler, and mountainbiker, he lives with his wife and dogs on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, and is the author of A Window to Heaven, about the summit of Denali.

Learn more about the Port Royal Sound Foundation at https://portroyalsoundfoundation.org. Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center at https://patconroyliterarycenter.org

Tuesday - Sunday 11am-4pm John Kenney

Simply Sea Islands

Now ~ August 26

913 Bay Street • 843.521.4444 www.beaufortartassociation.com

Southern Sweets Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor

40 Flavors. Ice Cream Sodas, Floats, Sundaes, Banana Splits!

Best Hot Dog on the Street!! Sandwich Specials 9.25 917 Bay Street in the Old Bay Marketplace

A Bolt from the Blue

oy Oh Boy, have we been having great lightning shows the past few weeks! Not only have I been awakened from sound sleeps, the thunderclaps and lightning have chased my dogs, trembling and shaking, into the closet to hide.

Being fully awakened, I kinda enjoyed the cracks of lightening that lit up my room like a summer afternoon. The thunder claps made my whole body thrum like the big drums do in a parade, and like the song says, I love a parade!

Unable to fall back asleep, I started musing about thunder and lightning, and the accompanying rainfall, so I decided to do some research. It was difficult to extract myself from the rabbit hole I fell into; there was so much information on the Internet, but a lot of it was way above my pay grade for technical info.

I did find out what thunder and lightning actually are. Lightening is the discharge of electricity built up in the atmosphere caused by the convection of air. Earth and its surrounding atmosphere are like a huge global electric battery – the earth is the negative charge and the atmosphere is the positive, and lightning keeps the atmosphere within the parameters that allow life. The sound of thunder is created by the shockwave which is a result of the 100 million to one billion volts of electricity released into the atmosphere. You can never have thunder without lightning. In fact, without lightning, the earth-atmosphere electrical balance which supports all life would disappear in about 5 minutes. We’d all be toast, along with every living thing.

Just another thing to worry about.

But let’s look at the benefits, too, and they are many.

Plants can’t absorb the nitrogen that is in the air but the heat generated by lightning strikes (up to 50,000 degrees in a millisecond!) converts it into a usable form which is diluted by rain.

You have all probably heard of rain lilies (Zephranthes) which tend to bloom after a heavy rain. That’s because the rain gathers the lightning-converted nitrogen from the atmosphere on its way down and fertilizes both the soil and the plants. Ta Da!!! Free fertilizer! The only thing that gardeners like more than free plants is free fertilizer. We’ll talk more about that later.

The rain saturates the soil, and the plant roots take up the nitrogen along with the water. But wait. There’s more! The rain also fertilizes the above the ground parts of the plant on contact. Makes me want to install a rain barrel tomorrow. In fact, Beaufort County occasionally offers deeply discounted rain barrels, so keep your eyes open.

Rainwater can also contain micronutrients like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc. and is usually slightly acidic. It is normally considered to be “soft” and contains none of the chemicals added to tap water to regulate the acidity and to make it safe to drink. Great for washing your hair!

I can’t guarantee that I have all the facts and technical terms absolutely correct, but you get the drift. Right?

When we get the next thunderstorm (maybe tonight), I’ll cuddle with the dogs and think of how grateful all the plants are for their kind of manna from heaven.

Rain should always be welcomed as a gift from above. Unless, of course, it ruins your day at the beach, outdoor weddings and the like, or comes down in quantities that overpower the earth’s ability to absorb it and causes flooding. A growing peril.

By Sandra Educate

Who knew that lightning would have anything to do with gardening? I guess that everything is symbiotic with something! P.S. A "bolt from the blue" refers to lightning that comes from the far edge of a thunderstorm, often several miles from the rain cloud, so it appears to come from a clear blue sky. Therefore, something unexpected.

Sandra Educate is active in the local Master Gardeners Association and the Beaufort Garden Club, and she produces the annual Lunch and Learn series at the Port Royal Farmers Market. She loves strange and unusual plants and hates weeds. Sandra won’t give away her age, but takes her inspiration from Thomas Jefferson, who said, "though an old man, I am but a young gardener."

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.

FOR SALE/FREE

P0TOMAC KAYAK BY PELICAN Single seat, hatch with bungee, Ergoform backrest & seat cushion. Also includes, manual, Force paddle, Yakima carrier, life vest, & replacement parts. $300. Call 859-312-6706.

FREE TO A GOOD HOME Heavy metal office desk with glass top. Circa 1960s. Great condition! 34" x 46". Bullet proof. Call 843522-0418. Come get it and it's yours!

CLASSES & SEMINARS

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. Call 843-707-6034.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

WILDFLOWER FAMILY THERAPY CENTER offers individual, couple, and family therapy for children, teens, and adults. Visit us at www.wildflowercenter.org

EVERY 2ND TUESDAY, SHARING HEARTS SUPPORT

GROUP Tell your 10-minute story of a life lesson or healing message using your own song, poetry, reading, art or verbal storytelling. Come away with an uplifting sense of support and connections or to just listen. To register leave voice mail with name, and phone number at 843-525-6115 or email reneesutton@healthierhealing.com. Notification will be done of any location change. Free. 2201 Boundary St. #208, Beaufort.

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

Automobiles

$25 Up to 25 Words

$35

25 Words with a Photo To

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 843592-8453 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, 843-689-3616 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 - 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 Program- 10am-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, 10-11:30am, $10/person, $15 couple, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; Memory Screenings available call 843-5219190, 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 VOLUN-

TEERS - 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 Shell Point Baptist Church Saturdays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems and looking to scripture for solutions. Meal at 6pm; Praise and Worship 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7:15pm. 871 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 843-592-1046.

Novelist T.M. Brown at Conroy Center

The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist T.M. Brown, author of The Last Laird of Sapelo, in conversation with Willie Morris Award-winning novelist Bren McClain, author of One Good Mama Bone. This free event will be held on Tuesday, September 12, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.). Books will be available for sale and signing. Please register in advance at 843-379-7025.

The Last Laird of Sapelo is based on the tragic story of Randolph Spalding, the youngest son of Georgia's most well-known antebellum-era coastal planter and influential political figure, Thomas Spalding. Following his father's death in 1851, Randolph parlays his father's fame and gifted landholdings on Sapelo Island, hobnobbing from Charleston to Savannah to Milledgeville and ultimately failing to thwart Georgia's decision to follow South Carolina into secession by early 1861.

Within weeks after the assault on Fort Sumter, Lincoln's naval blockade threatens the entire southern coast. Colonel Randolph Spalding, now a reluctant commander of militia, faces a storm of life-altering events in the months that follow, imperiling his family's legacy, livelihood, and lands. He ultimately must decide between supposed justice and saving the life of a slave who exacted revenge for the murder and rape of two children on Sapelo Island.

Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center at https://patconroyliterarycenter.org

About The Last Laird of Sapelo

"A heart-wrenching and beautiful story of a man and his family brought to its knees by the Civil War . . . historical fiction at its finest." –

Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Author T. M. Brown went back to school after a thirty-year sales and marketing career; his lifelong love for history, teaching, and coaching landed him in the classroom until he retired in 2014. He took up writing novels and has published four awardwinning Southern novels. He is a member of the Atlanta Writers Club, Southeastern Writers Association, Broadleaf Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and founding president of Hometown Novel Writers Association, Inc., in Newnan, Georgia.

Author T. M. Brown

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 Philly Cheese Steaks! Wednesdays-25% off Fish & Chips! Wednesdays, Friday & Saturday - Karaoke. (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. 8/30 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler, 9/1 & 9/2 John Brackett Band, 9/6 Bobby Ryder, 9/8 & 9/9 Amos Hoffman Quartet, 9/13 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler, 9/15 & 9/16 Svetlana & the Delancey Five - A Night at the Speakeasy - "Making Hot Jazz Sound Cool". (843) 842-8620 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. 8/31 Majic Dust; Godwin Falcon; Tiger Beach, 9/1 Fo Daniels; The Simplicity; Deaf Andrews, 9/2 Big Bubble Rave, 9/6 Bowling for Soup; Mest; Authority Zero, 9/7 Polyphia, 9/8 Metal Night

with Homicyde; Omenkiller; Kept in Ruins; Denounced Disgraced, 9/9 Broadway RaveMusical theater dance party, 9/12 Dropout Kings; Outline in Color; Vrsty, 9/13 Soulja Boy; DJ Scrib, 9/14 LGBTLOL; Pride Pageant, 9/15 Take On Me

- 80s Dance Party, 9/16 Old 97's; John Hollier.

(843) 408-1599 or www.musicfarm.com

The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. Sundays - The Motown Throwdown, Mondays

- Slim & Friends; Tuesdays - Fusion Jonez, Wednesdays - Grateful Dead Wednesday with The Reckoning; Thursdays - iLLA ZiLLA. 8/31

Broken Speakers, 9/1 Love & Happiness - Al Green tribute, 9/2 The Travelin' Kine; Josh Roberts & the Hinges, 9/3 Dangermuffin, 9/7 TAUK Moore; Sicard Hollow, 9/8 The Fake News

- Huey Lewis & the News tribute, 9/9 Machine Funk - Widespread Panic tribute, 9/12 The Nude Party; Lady Apple Tree, 9/13 Schema, 9/14

Vanessa Collier, 9/15 Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, 9/16 Fortunate Youth; Kash'd Out; Dubbest.

(843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com

Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 9/1 49 Winchester, 9/2 Conner Smith, 9/3

Broken Hearts - Tom Petty tribute, 9/7 Colony House, 9/13 Josh Ross, 9/16 The Yacht Club, 9/17 The Paul Thorn Band. (843) 886-8596 or www. the-windjammer.com

GALLERIES/ART

Now – 9/1, Abstract View, an exhibit of work by teenage artist Ellie Hicks at Hilton Head Island Recreation Center, 20 Wilburn Road, Hilton Head.

Now – 9/3, Myriad of Visual Expressions, an exhibit of art work by Haldora at the Society of Bluffton Artists Gallery. Corner of Church and Calhoun Streets in Old Town Bluffton. www.sobagallery.com

Now – 9/29, Below the Surface at Art League Gallery. Acrylic and charcoal paintings of underwater environments by Judy Blahut. Inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, 843-681-5060.

Now – 2/10/24, Anonymous Ancestors at Morris Center in Ridgeland. Artist Susan Lenz uses hundreds of anonymous vintage photographs, letters, and printed materials to form a societal family tree. www.morrisheritagecenter.org

9/1 – 10/31, Seasons of Life by Wyn Foland at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery. Opening reception Fri, 9/1, from 5-8pm, at the BAA Gallery, 913 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. www. beaufortartassociation.com

9/5 – 10/1, Of Water: Aquascapes, Photography by Jean Macaluso at The Society of Bluffton Artists Gallery, in Old Town Bluffton, corner of Church and Calhoun. Opening reception 9/14 from 5-7 pm. www.sobagallery.com

9/23 – 3/24, Intimate Oceans: Coral in Contemporary Art at Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head. 70 Honey Horn Dr., Hilton Head. 843-689-6767. www.coastaldiscovery.org

BOOKS & WRITERS

Tues 9/12, Novelist T.M. Brown (The Last Laird of Sapelo) in conservation with novelist Bren McClain (One Good Mama Bone) at the Pat Conroy Literary Center at 5pm. Books available for sale and signing. Please register in advance at 843379-7025. 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1004 11th Street, Port Royal. Starting at 5 pm, this concert by the world class pianist is free and open to the public. www.stmarksc.org

OTHER EVENTS

Wed 9/6, Kokua, a fundraiser to benefit the people of Maui. At Soundwaves, 7 Lagoon Road, Hilton Head Island, from 5 - 8pm. Featuring a silent auction, live music and mingling. Open to all members of the community. Flip flops and Hawaiian shirts encouraged!

Fri 9/8, Beaufort Drum Circle meets at 6:30 pm in the Gazebo in Waterfront Park. Free and open to the public. Bring a percussion instrument or borrow one there. Come to dance, hula hoop, chant, or just watch and listen. All are welcome!

9/8 – 9/10, Bid for PAL Online Auction to benefit Palmetto Animal League. For more information, visit www.PALauction.org

9/12, Lecture by Patrick Dean, author of Nature's Messenger: Mark Catesby and His Adventures in a New World, hosted by the Port Royal Sound Foundation in partnership with the Pat Conroy Literary Center. 3 p.m. at the Maritime Center’s education classroom, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie. $10/person. Books available for sale and signing. Register in advance via the Book a Program button at https://portroyalsoundfoundation.org/

10/21 – 10/22, Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens, sponsored by the Historic Beaufort Foundation. For a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets, visit www.historicbeaufort.org

9/21 – 9/23, Wings Over Beaufort: Ecotourism & Birding Festival. For tickets and a complete schedule of events, visit https:// birdingbeaufort.com/tours/

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.

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

THEATER/FILM/DANCE

Mon 9/11, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be the Monday Movie at USCB Center for the Arts in Beaufort. Screening at 7pm. $8 admission. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com

Mon 9/25, Barbie will be the Monday Movie at USCB Center for the Arts in Beaufort. Screening at 7pm. $8 admission. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com

9/27 – 10/29, Clue, the murder mystery comedy, at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cover Lane, Hilton Head Island. For tickets, call 843-842-2787

Sat 9/16, Children’s book author Kellie Savery Langan will be reading an excerpt and signing copies of her first book in The Adventures of Tinkie and Bobo series, A Magical Adventure Begins. 10 – 11:30am at Beaufort Bookstore, 2127 Boundary St. #15, Beaufort. Free and open to the public.

Sat 9/30, 7th Annual Book Club Convention hosted by the Pat Conroy Literary Center at the Culinary Institute of the South at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Bluffton, SC. For a full schedule of events, visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org Register in advance at https://lowcountrybookclubconvention2023.eventbrite.com

MUSIC

Tuesday, 9/5, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra’s Jazz in the Park series. At 7:30 pm in Lowcountry Celebration Park. These concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, visit hhso.org or call 843-842-2055.

Fri 9/29, Andrew Armstrong piano concert at

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.