The painting on our cover is "Summer Morning" by Wendy Cunico, one of 100 pieces on offer at Got Art?, the annual fundraiser for Art League of Hilton Head coming up in November. For more information, visit www. artleaguehhi.org
September 13 – September 26, 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: Katherine Tandy Brown, Debbi Covington, Sandra Educate, Wendy Hilty, Carolyn Mason, 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 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 following is loosely based on a conversation between my husband and me in our kitchen one morning last week. Emphasis on loosely . . .
Me: You know how sometimes you’re lying in bed, and you’re half asleep but half awake, and you have all these fantastic ideas floating through your head, and they make so much SENSE at 3 AM, but then you wake up later and go, “What was I thinking?”
Jeff: Um . . . not really.
Me: Okay, maybe it’s a writer thing. Anyway, the cats were sleeping on me again last night – Sully on my chest and Gilbert across my thighs – and I, of course, was NOT sleeping – as usual – but then I finally started drifting off, and as I drifted, I started writing a column in my head. Or I THINK it was a column, anyway, and it was partly based on the cats – or maybe entirely based on the cats,
but not exactly – and I was having all these great insights and epiphanies and making all these connections – it was about the cats, but everything else, too, you know? – and it was just brilliant and kind of like a dream – but not exactly – and I wrote pretty much an entire column in my head and I couldn’t wait to get up and get to my computer.
Jeff: Yeah, and . . . ?
Me: Well, now I’m up. And I can barely remember any of it. And what I do remember seems completely absurd. Except for the title. I remember the title, and it’s still fabulous! I was gonna call it – long pause – “A Tale of Two Kitties.”
Jeff: (Rolling eyes.) Oh, right. I’m sure nobody’s ever used THAT one before.
Me: Wait, have they? Have you ever actually read a column called “A Tale of Two Kitties”? ‘Cause I haven’t. And I think it’s pretty damn clever. I just wish could remember the rest of the column. Trust me, it was great.
Jeff: Uh huh.
Me: It was! I promise. And it wasn’t just about cats, either. It was deeper than that. I swear. I know I wrote about my window box again last issue, but . . .
Jeff: I actually liked that one.
Me: Well, thanks. But I’ve been writing this column for almost 25 years, and the window box thing is getting old. Do you know how hard it is to come up with a topic every issue? After 25 years? That’s a quarter of a century! I can NOT keep writing about our crazy bipolar country and our dishonest political narratives and our ridiculous dual realities. It’s just untenable. I can’t take it anymore! I can’t stand to THINK about it anymore. My sanity. I have to protect my sanity.
Jeff: I think that ship has sailed. Just write about the outrage.
Me: You ALWAYS say “write about the outrage.” I’m sick of writing about the outrage. But I don’t really want to write about window boxes, either. Or cats. Somewhere between cats and the outrage is where I want to be, creatively-speaking.
Jeff: Uh huh. I think you’ve had too much coffee.
Me: For instance, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed yesterday, and everybody was talking about Jimmy Buffett. And I’m reading all these long, thoughtful, beautiful tributes from people like Paul McCartney and James Taylor, and just regular people like us. And it was just so touching! To see people come together like that? Such a rare thing anymore.
A guy I went to college with posted, “Everybody loved Jimmy Buffett. He must have done something right.” Another friend responded, “He made people feel good. He made people happy.” Truth bomb! So simple, yet so profound. And who can do it consistently? Make people feel good? And happy? I want to do that with my writing! I’m tired of making people “think.” Nobody really wants to think. They only THINK they want to think. What people really want is to feel good. Be happy.
Jeff: Mmhmm . . .
Me: Or they want to be moved. Jimmy Buffett moved people. You know, when I was younger I thought his music was just this shallow fluff. Just these fun, carefree tunes for frat parties and tiki bars and such. But as I got older, something changed. I started being
Margaret Evansmoved by Jimmy Buffett songs. I literally found myself crying in the car a few months ago over Margaritaville on the radio. MARGARITAVILLE. Who does that? Thing is, I suddenly heard that old song in a whole new way. The sadness and despair beneath the beachy, breezy vibe. The man is lonely. He’s been jilted. He’s drinking too much. He can’t even find his shaker of salt, for God’s sake! It’s a very poignant song.
Jeff: Okay.
Me: Anyway, people don’t always need to be moved, I guess. Sometimes, they just want some good gossip. Speaking of which . . . Did you hear there might be a new Murdaugh trial? Something about jury tampering? I don’t know if I can go through another Murdaugh trial.
Jeff: “Go through” another Murdaugh trial? The first one had nothing to do with you and this one won’t, either.
Me: Right, but the podcast. I’ll become obsessed with the podcast again! And Court TV. Who even knew there WAS a Court TV before the Murdaugh trial? Not me! I do need something new to obsess over, though. Something to fill the void. I just finished binging all eight seasons of ‘Inspector Lewis,’ and I feel like I’ve lost my best friends. My life has no meaning without Lewis and Hathaway.
Robbie and James. I miss Oxford. Sigh . . .
Jeff: What are you even talking about?
Me: That Masterpiece mystery series I’ve been watching late at night, on my Kindle? Oh, never mind. I guess we’ve got one more season of Jack Ryan, right? I still can’t believe Season 3 was all about evil Russians! Pretty cheeky of them releasing that season after the invasion of Ukraine. If things go all to hell –if we find ourselves in full-on World War III –I’m gonna blame it on Jack Ryan.
Jeff: That’s nice, honey.
Me: Are you even listening to me?
Jeff: Of course I am. You were saying something about cats . . .
Deus ex machina is any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot. We know what this looks like in fiction and how frustrating it can be to a reader or a watcher of a story. It feels like a betrayal because you’ve put all this time, effort, emotion, and, often times, hardearned money into the story just to have the rug pulled out from under you. It’s the bait and switch of the fiction world and it makes us feel cheated and used.
How do we do this in our everyday lives?
I mean, it was embarrassing when Fonzie jumped the shark, wasn’t it? Now it’s a pop culture reference that everyone understands is like when Jennie married Major Nelson. A dud, not a stud. We do this because we may have chosen to live in an acid bath of fear without even noticing. This makes us only as sick as our secrets. It’s the secrets close to home that concern me here. Let’s focus on the only thing any of us can control and that’s the person steering the ship.
For example, I need to ask myself questions like: is it a fallacy to believe that my heart chakra is closed or constricted in some way by something I said or did, didn’t say or didn’t do? What if it’s never not open? What if we’re only disconnected from Spirit because we think we are or think we deserve disconnection? One could insert whatever chakra comes to mind here, but this is what hit for me in this
moment. I mean, think about how much Spiritual bulls*** gets cleared out with the outgoing tide if I/we conceptualize it that way.
Obviously, we all need to ask such questions, but it’s my duty on top of my duty to myself since I aim to have an honest and helpful platform with Wholly Holistics. Another way to phrase this question for those that don’t understand woo-woo, nor do they care to learn woo-woo: am I fooling myself if I don’t hold my mouth right for this particular situation? I mean, it’s Wednesday and I usually wear my lucky underwear on hump day, for obvious reasons. Oh crap, I forgot my lucky underwear, does this mean I don’t get the prize? Does this mean all is lost because I neglected my superstition? What else could go wrong? Something probably already did and I just don’t know it yet, but I will find it, or something worse, because I’m looking for it . . .
In the above case, if we assume that the heart is always open, it’s just a matter of our perception that makes it one way or the next. It’s amazing what we find when we’re looking for it. What if our perceptions lie to us? Even though perception often is reality, it’s a choice, isn’t it? What if our thoughts are merely just that and nothing more, assuming they were our thoughts to begin with?
If it feels superstitious, it is. If you do something or don’t do something out of fear, bargaining, ego, or hedging for a different
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.
outcome, let’s classify it superstition for the purposes of this discussion. Motives matter. Is denial a darker energy than anger? By “darker” I don’t necessarily mean demons, I mean hard to see through.
Sometimes we’re too smart for our own good, aren’t we? Worse yet, assuming everyone is on the same level as you are. This has been my sin, in one form or the other, for as long as I can recall. I have long underestimated myself to detriments I never want to fully appreciate on this side of the veil. However we hamstring ourselves matters very little other than knowing that the knife fight in the closet is occurring.
For you sensitive types, like myself, consider that the other may have been the asshole and your ire was justified. Wild concept, isn’t it? For others, they never consider a situation could be anyone but someone else’s fault. How does this line of questioning make you feel? I hope it feels as good as ramming a Q-Tip down your ear until you hit brain after a hot shower.
For many, this concept will be alarming. Be wary of confusing dissent with disloyalty. Yes, we can be ferociously loyal to our thoughts and feelings. After all, they lie with us while we’re awake at night. Let’s just make it okay to question our thoughts and feelings, that’s all.
This morning, as I was preparing to polish this article off by meditating a bit, an alligator
WHOLLY HOLISTICS by Sutty Suddethpopped in my head. Generally, I take this sort of thing as a cue to look up this animal’s totem, so I did. Here’s what Google told me: “ . . . the alligator exemplifies power gained through experience. If you want to master an area of your life, whether it’s getting in shape, excelling in your career, or becoming an expert at a skill, the spirit of the alligator reminds you that with practice and dedication comes power.”
Let’s end by asking the question that should never be asked nor answered in fiction unless it’s for the sake of comedy: is it really that hard? What if life isn’t the fiction we make it out to be? Shouldn’t we be looking for ideas large enough to be afraid of? Simpler still, does life offer deus ex machina when we make a conscious decision to change our perception?
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.
“With gratitude, optimism is sustainable.” – Michael J. Fox
Beaufort Theatre Company will present the classic musical The Sound of Music from September 23 to October 1. The show will be directed by Christi Barr and will feature a cast of thirty local actors at the USCB Center for the Arts, located at 801 Carteret St in historic downtown Beaufort.
The winner of six Tony Awards, The Sound of Music tells the story of Maria, a young woman who becomes a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer in late 1930s Austria. Maria brings music and love into the lives of the children, and they eventually come to love her. However, the family’s happiness is threatened when the Nazis invade Austria.
The Sound of Music is a beloved musical that has been enjoyed by audiences of all ages for generations. Featuring classic Rodgers and Hammerstein songs such as "Do-Re-Mi," "My Favorite Things," and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," The Sound of Music is based on a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp.
Tickets are adults-$30, $25-seniors & military, students-$15 and may be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 843-521-4145. The USCB Center for the Arts is wheelchair accessible, with free parking. For a complete listing of adult and children's events, visit us online at USCBCenterForTheArts.com
Beaufort Theater Company presents
USCB Center for the Arts
September, 23, 29 & 30 • 7:30pm
September 24 & October 1 • 1pm & 3pm
Adults - $30 • Seniors & Military - $25 Students $15
I’m not a world traveler by any means, but I do love a travel-tip list. I’ll leave a comprehensive curated list to the experts, but as Jeff and I prepare for our next adventure, my top two travel tips are foremost in my mind. The first one is for after the trip and the second one is for during the trip. (You should also buy trip insurance. Just sneaking that one in without the story behind it, but trust me on that one.)
My mother once imparted a harsh truth: “Nobody wants to hear about your trip, view photos of your trip or listen to your trip’s travails,” she said, eyebrows arched. Wow, Mom, I thought at the time, that’s pretty harsh! But, as the way it is with motherly advice, I grudgingly came to agree with her, although with a few caveats.
People don’t want to hear about your travel
unless they have recently been there or are about to go there. Or unless disaster strikes. And by disaster, I don’t mean a casual case of Covid, or the trains going on strike, or that it rained during your entire time in Scotland. That doesn’t count. But, if you get caught up in coup, a volcano eruption, a tsunami, or an earthquake, do tell! Getting taken hostage by rebel forces or performing the Heimlich maneuver on a princess would work. Running into Willie Nelson at a dive bar in Mexico or Mick Jagger jamming with some blokes in a London pub meets the criteria. You get the idea.
One time, I got fed up with the sales guys in my company droning on about their terrible business travel delays and canceled flights. My mother’s advice came back to me, unbidden (funny how that happens) and I responded thusly: “Unless your plane is hijacked or it crashed and you survived on a frozen mountain ledge where cannibalism was
contemplated, nobody wants to hear about how you missed your connection in Atlanta.” Of course, my mother would never be that rude, but, seriously, enough already.
The second tip involves less prep than deciding what shoes to pack. It does require a bit of personal transformation, but, come on, isn’t that why we seek a travel adventure in the first place?
You must veer from your itinerary, step away from your tour, close out the Trip Advisor app and be present when moments of awe and small truths are revealed. This is not something the concierge can arrange for you. It’s as simple — and as difficult — as opening your heart and mind. Be on the lookout for the smallest of moments, the oddest of sights, the strangest of sounds and examine how it makes you feel.
You may find, suddenly within your reach, your world view slightly shifted, a cherished belief upended or a new way of thinking about an old thing. You may feel the pull of the first threads of a connected human experience.
Later, you may chew over how you once thought this and now believe that. Perhaps, it’s prompted by a random conversation with a local revealing a point of view you’ve never considered. You may gently rethink your positions on big things such as transportation, politics, health care, poverty, homelessness, refugees or the environment. Or, you may look
By Carolyn Masondifferently at joy or love or warm beer. It’s possible you may shed biases you didn’t even know you carried or gain insights on issues you didn’t know exist.
Some things will surely remain a mystery . . . or prove resistant to description with mere words.
Can I really explain the moment I impulsively stepped into a non-descript church where the sun burst through ancient stained glass and flooded my heart and soul with exquisite grace? Can I describe the wave of grief I felt from seeing an unnamed infant’s gravestone carved from crumbling marble? Perhaps, on the darkest of days, your future self will tap into the smell of a field of lavender, the sound of laughter from old men playing dominoes in the park, or the taste of a fried ocean creature you’d never find on a Beaufort menu.
The great thing is you can unpack such moments, hold them up to the light, then return them to the easily accessible carry-on luggage of your heart. And, you can be sure that’s one item that you won’t lose when you miss your connection in Atlanta. Bon Voyage!
The Pat Conroy Literary Festival began as Pat Conroy’s 70th birthday celebration in October 2015 and now continues as an annual signature event of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. The 8th Annual Conroy Festival will be held on Thursday, October 26, through Sunday, October 29, as a series of free and ticketed events in Beaufort, SC, featuring author discussions, writers workshops, a poetry reading, a screening of the film The Lords of Discipline, and a musical performance by the Beaufort Mass Choir.
Presenting writers, poets, and instructors include bestselling authors Ron Rash (The Caretaker), Mary Alice Monroe (The Summer of Lost and Found), Mary Kay Andrews (Bright Lights, Big Christmas), Victoria Benton Frank (My Magnolia Summer), Cassandra King (Tell
Me a Story), Homeria Quaderi (Dancing in the Mosque), and Mitchell Zuckoff (The Secret Gate); screenwriter Thomas Pope (The Lords of Discipline); Galley Books executive editor Carrie Feron; poets Jennifer Bartell Boykin (Traveling Mercy), Freya Manfred (When I Was Young and Old), and Tim Conroy (No True Route); English professors and literary scholars Valerie Sayers, Sean Heuston, and Ellen Malphrus; and many more.
Lowcountry Real Estate, Bay Street Jewelers, Grayco, Alpha Graphics, the Rhett House Inn, Lucius and Darryl Laffitte, Patricia A. Denkler, Mike McFee, Marly Rusoff and Mihai Radulesco, and others.
Advance registration is requested. If a festival event is not sold out beforehand, tickets will also be available for sale at the door on the day of. (There is no cost or advance registration needed for students to attend author presentations events.)
For all details on the Pat Conroy Literary Festival’s schedule of events, presenter and instructor lineup, sponsors, and how to register in advance for author events, workshops, the film screening, and reception, please visit www.patconroyliteraryfestival.org or https://patconroyliteraryfestival2023. eventbrite.com
To learn more about the year-round educational programming of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, please visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org. The Conroy Center is
located at 601 Bladen Street in historic downtown Beaufort and open to the public for guided tours on Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. (or other times by appointment).
The 8th Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival is made possible by the generous support and collaboration of the Robert S. Handler Charitable Trust, the South Carolina Arts Commission, The Cunningham TeamMerrill Lynch Wealth Management, Bank of America, Oyster Cay Collection, Eugene A. Rugala & Associates, Hahn Family Wines,
La Petite Gallerie, an intimate Old Town Bluffton shop featuring local art, is introducing the gallery artists to newcomers to our area, and reintroducing to old friends . . .
In September the gallery is spotlighting artist Sue Grilli, whose work is a delightful treat to experience! Her floral paintings, as well as her abstract creations elicit more than just visual pleasure. Describing her florals she says, “A garden filled with flowers presents an everlasting inspiration for art. Although there is so much beauty in nature, I am not just painting the flowers. I am painting how the flowers make you feel.”
Sue is a happy painter, possibly because she is surrounded by a loving and supportive family. Three grown children, a brand new granddaughter, her delightful parents, and her husband Mike, who skillfully supplies quality hand-built frames for her art.
She is a mixed media artist – always trying something new and exploring the interaction of her paints, inks, and whatever other form of color making materials she can lay her hands on, with
different painting surfaces. She is intrigued with texture and often incorporates collage –including cut or torn painted paper – into her work. Her latest pieces are her “Mod Florals,’’ acrylic and ink painted directly on a wood surface with the grain of the wood adding interest to the compositions. They have a bit of a retro 60s vibe which is quite fun! Whether using watercolor, oil or acrylic, she paints intuitive abstracts and landscapes that don’t just capture nature at its best, but how experiencing it makes you feel.
Sue is very active in our local community arts centers and teaching at local venues including the Sun City Art Club. She loves our booming Bluffton art-centric town, sharing her joy of painting with others, and inviting that spark of creativity within all of us.
Sue is generally on hand Wednesdays to greet you – her day to work the desk at La Petite Gallerie. She is delighted to share and let you in on her latest artistic experiments. Stop by to see her soon!
I am past what is commonly called retirement age, and several years ago I noticed I was having mental conversations with myself that began something like this: “I wonder how much longer I will be able to hike these steep trails.” Or, “I hope I will be able to continue taking care of my yard.”
Christian Science teaches that we can challenge the limiting notion of an expected decline of strength and vigor. So I turned to the Bible and to the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, to gain some spiritual insights on this.
The Bible is full of examples of people overcoming limiting claims of old age. Abraham and Sarah conceived and bore Isaac in very advanced years. Moses was 80 when he confronted Pharaoh in order to free the children of Israel. And the writer of Job encourages an expectancy of health, not decay: “Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning” (11:17).
Science and Health offers this encouraging insight: “God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis” (p. 258). “Forever developing,” “broadening,” “rising higher and higher.” This is our continuing identity! Not mortals subject to inevitable decay, but God’s spiritual offspring, reflecting His forever-unfolding goodness.
As I prayed with these and other ideas, the
negative metal conversations dramatically decreased.
A few months later, I began to have trouble with my right knee. I had not injured myself, but it was becoming painful to walk or to bend the knee. I could not sit cross-legged on the sofa, which is my preferred position when relaxing. It seemed to be a condition associated with old age.
The insights I’d been gaining from my prayers prior to this situation gave me confidence to replace thoughts of pain and limited mobility with spiritual facts about our true nature as spiritual, not material. I was able to continue with normal activities, including going for walks in the hills behind my house – not by willing my way through them, but through prayer, rejecting the thought that anything could interfere with the freedom and strength we reflect as God’s spiritual ideas.
One morning about a year later, as I was walking up one of the steeper hills, I noticed that my knee was less painful. I remember thinking, “Well, my prayers must finally be working because my knee is feeling better!” Then it was as if I heard a voice saying, “Pam, are you really going to let your knee tell you if your prayers are working?”
The question stopped me in my tracks. Was I letting my knee tell me how I was, or was I turning to God to learn about the state of my well-being?
Science and Health says, “To be immortal, we must forsake the mortal sense of things, turn from the lie of
false belief to Truth, and gather the facts of being from the divine Mind” (p. 370). Truth and Mind are Bible-based synonyms for God, and right then on that hill, I determined that I was going to gather the facts about my being only from God. My very brief mental conversation went like this: “No, knee, I am not well because you tell me I am well. I am well because God has made me well– now and always! And I know it!”
That was the very last time I even thought about my knee. I realized it had stopped being a problem perhaps a week or two later, when I found myself sitting cross-legged on the sofa. This healing occurred over two years ago, and has remained permanent. I have taken many strenuous hikes in the mountains and done many strenuous chores outside since that time, without a speck of discomfort.
We have a divine right to challenge thoughts based on mortal, human beliefs instead of the spiritual facts of being. It’s from God, not matter, that we discern the state of our true being as spiritual and whole – a healing perspective. We can take to heart this instruction in Science and Health: “Mortals must look beyond fading, finite forms, if they would gain the true sense of things. Where shall the gaze rest but in the unsearchable realm of Mind?” (p. 264)
By Pamela McKnightThe Arts of Port Royal opened softly in June, started by Susan Stone, former owner and founder of ZenDen also in Port Royal.
When Susan sold her store at the end of last year, she needed a quiet place to finish her next book. It didn’t take long to find the large studio and office space right down the street on Paris Ave.
Formally the Town Hall of Port Royal and the Southern Elk, the huge building spans almost the entire 1400 block! The new classroom is the old courtroom, and the old administrative offices are now healing and consultation rooms. The whole second floor has been transformed.
After five years of meeting locals through ZenDen, Stone realized that the community
had needs and talents as well. With few art and creative programs in the areas, she realized that she could serve the community in a new way, by offering classes in what she would eventually call The Arts.
With her vast experience as an artist and instructor, writer, ordained minister, shaman and healer, she began to create a program of classes including ALL the arts.
The creative or fine arts includes drawing, painting in abstract as well as realism, landscape design. Not to mention drum and jewelry making. The list grows every month! The mystic arts include classes on shamanism, tarot and meditation. The healing arts will include Reiki instruction and classes like tapping (EFT), ADHD for all ages, and organic gardening! Just last week a music
teacher stepped forward to offer her services. So, ukelele and guitar lessons are being added to the calendar as well.
When Susan first found the space, she enlisted the help of some very talented friends. Anne Wilson was the first to join and has made The Arts her new home studio. Anne has also rented some of the space to add private energy sessions and a consultation room.
Their combined effort has not only transformed the old Town Hall but has also culminated in the Stone-Wilson Art Gallery. The common spaces will showcase not only students’ art but will be open for locals to show their talents as well.
Two established programs have followed Susan to The Arts, that first got their start under the big oak tree behind ZenDen; First Sunday
Meditation 11:00-12:00 is a free program for all ages. A different style of meditation is presented to the group each month to give people a variety of ways to still their minds and go within. Second Sundays host a group called Spiritual Frontiers 9:00-12:00. This is an educational program conducted by Bob Quinn. The Celestine Prophecy has been this year’s focus of study. All are welcome. This program operates on Love donations as well.
Registration for Fall classes is now open. To explore all the possibilities, go to theartsportroyal.com to sign up!
The Arts of Port Royal is located at 1404-B Paris Ave. The school is open every day in which classes are running. If you’re interested in a tour or a visit, please call 843-379-2211 to make an appointment.
When we first saw the ad for “Off the Eaten Path: Port Royal” in Lowcountry Weekly, we were hungry to pursue it and happy to be in town the last half of August for the first helping of a concept we really hope they’ll repeat next year.
The authors enjoying scallops at Fat Patties.
Held from August 17th to August 27th, this progressive culinary tour featured 11 participating establishments this year, with 11 unique offerings and a lot of variety. That gave us 11 days to complete it, which most definitely wasn’t a hardship for these two self-professed foodies. The laminated “Port Royal Plate Pass” had space for checking off each stop and encouraged participants to use #PORTROYALFOODIE in their foodie photos on social media, giving them a chance to win a free gift card.
Some hotspots featured something that was already a favorite on their menu and others offered a new creation. Here’s a rundown in alphabetical order of what we (and many other participants) enjoyed:
• Carolina Cuppity Cakes: Mystery Cupcake (which was their tasty chocolate-y and mocha Pluff Mud cupcake the day we visited)
• Carolina Tavern: Pretzel Dippers (their fresh baked pretzels, rubbed in garlic butter and dusted with parmesan cheese and served with yummy cheese sauce and honey mustard for dipping)
• Chef Frank’s Bistro: Grilled Swordfish (pesto crusted swordfish, roasted garlic and vegetable risotto, summer asparagus, and lemon butter)
• Fat Patties: Seared Sea Scallops (with roasted cauliflower puree, applewood smoked bacon lardon, and sundried tomato basil oil, CHECK)
• Fish Camp on 11th Street: Calamari & Pickles (crispy fried calamari and dill pickles, lemon aioli, and spicy tomato sauce)
• La Nopalera: Sharkarita (a bright blue Port Royal-themed margarita)
• Madison’s: Shrimp and Grits (local shrimp, tasso ham, mushroom, and tomato in shrimp gravy over smoked cheddar grits)
• Sea Sea’s Honey Hole: Cuban Sandwich (a huge and tasty riff on a classic Cuban)
• Shell Ring Ale Works: Harissa Grilled Chicken (with Moroccan quinoa salad and green tahini and black garlic sauces)
• The Smokehouse at Paris Avenue: Pork Loaded Fries (a huge helping of pork barbecue-smothered French fries, drizzled with barbecue sauce, shredded cheese, tomatoes and green onions)
• Toot Suite: Dessert for 2 (a special combo selection of macarons and allergen friendly desserts from Cappy’s) We had already experienced nine of the participants many times, but Off the Eaten Path provided the impetus to revisit them and to try several new (for us) offerings as well. It was thus our visits to Chef Frank’s Bistro and Sea Sea’s. We loved both and already plan to return (often).
Some days, we completed just one stop; other days, we nailed two checks by making one stop our appetizer and the next stop our entrée; and on another day we even completed three stops in two hours (app, entrée, and dessert). Speaking of dessert, we enjoyed finishing off Toot Suite’s offering on August 27th to celebrate completion of Off the Beaten Pat (and Lynn’s birthday) on the final day.
The Off the Eaten Path concept came from the creative minds at the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association (BAHA), Visit Beaufort, Port Royal & the Sea Islands, the Town of Port Royal, and Nick Borreggine of Shellring Ale Works and Fat Patties fame. Ashlee Houck, president of BAHA, reports that they all wanted to celebrate Port Royal’s varied food and beverage offerings in a unique way, saying, “We got great feedback on the event and hope to have it next year.”
The concept was made possible with County ATAX Grant funding under the Activate Grant, an initiative brought on by BAHA to add activities to the area to promote
economic activity and support local businesses.
Sponsors included: BAHA; Visit Beaufort, Port Royal & the Sea Islands; the Town of Port Royal; and Beaufort County.
“Events like ‘Off the Eaten Path: Port Royal’ play a crucial role in celebrating and promoting local restaurants and eateries,” Ashlee says. “These small businesses not only help define a community’s identity, but also contribute to its economic stability. By supporting our local restaurants and eateries, we play a significant role in our community’s growth and wellbeing. We must continue to appreciate and celebrate our local culinary culture to help our businesses thrive and communities flourish.”
“Local restaurants aren’t just about the food,” Ashlee continues. “It’s about the people who prepare it, the atmosphere that surrounds it, and the stories that make every bite special. By venturing ‘off the eaten path,’ we’re not just exploring new dishes, we’re contributing to the economic vitality of our town. Every culinary experience we have at a locally owned eatery puts money back into our community, creates jobs, and helps to build a thriving culinary scene.”
For lunch one day, we started at the Carolina Tavern and enjoyed their pretzel dippers as an appetizer before heading to The Smokehouse at Paris Avenue for their pork loaded fries and to Sea Sea’s for their huge and tasty Cuban sandwich.
For lunch another day, we shared Madison’s beloved version of shrimp and grits, which features local shrimp, tasso ham, mushrooms, and tomato and shrimp gravy over smoked cheddar grits. We also added a classic Caesar salad, which made for a perfect lunch to share.
For dinner one night, we started with calamari and pickles at the bustling bar at Fish Camp on 11th Street as our appetizer (accompanied by live music), and, for our entree, we strolled over to Shellring Ale Works for their flavorful harissa grilled chicken (accompanied by a cold beer for Nautical Light 98 wheat beer for Lynn, a crisp white wine for Cele (there wines are great, BTW), and a sublime Port Royal sunset).
Of the event, restauranteur participant Nick Borreggine from Fat Patties and Shellring Ale Works says, “Normally, when school starts, the local restaurant business slows down a bit. We wanted to create a fun new event for this slower season. It is always nice when the local restaurant community gets to work together.”
It was most definitely a fun (and tasty) event and we’re so glad we were in town for this first helping of Off the Eaten Path: Port Royal. We can’t wait to see what’s on the menu next year.
For more about area food and beverage offerings, head to www.bfthospitality.com and www.beaufortsc.org
Beaufort-based travel journalists Lynn and Cele Seldon (www. seldonink.com) often cover culinary travel around the world, and Lowcountry Weekly recently lured them to write a monthly feature covering the local food scene. This will include articles about restaurants, chefs, food-focused stores, farms, farmers, farmers markets, and more. They welcome suggestions for topics.
Ilove this time of year! Temperatures are cooling a bit; the days are still long, and sunshine remains abundant. Best of all, we’re beginning to venture out of our air-conditioned homes and join the world again. My fall catering season is in full swing and managing supper for Vince and me in between events can be challenging. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been playing with some simple-to-prepare recipes. At the tail-end of a really hot summer, and after eating a bunch of salads, new items on our home menu are most welcome. This weeks’ recipes are quick and easy to prepare and cook. I hope you’ll give them a try. Stay cool, pumpkin pie spice weather is coming.
Fresh herbs and lime juice add a bright flavor to almost any meat. Try this delicious chimichurri with steak, chicken, pork, or fish. For the chimichurri sauce:
1 bunch (about 1 cup) fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 bunch (about 1 cup) fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup olive oil
¼ medium Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.
For the smoked sausage:
1 (16-ounce) beef smoked sausage
Cut the sausage in half and then split it from top to bottom to flay it open without cutting all the way through the meat. Grill over medium high heat until the sausage has grill marks and is heated through.
Top cooked sausage with chimichurri sauce and serve.
Serves 2 to 3.
This super-simple side dish is one of our summer favorites!
2 tablespoons butter
2½ cups sliced
Vidalia onions
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
4 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup milk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Paprika
Chopped green onions, to garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook onions in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Mix cracker
By Debbi Covington
Mark Twain called cauliflower “cabbage with a college education.” Cauliflower is high in vitamin C and is a fair source of iron.
6 cups (1 head) cauliflower florets
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¾ cup grated Swiss cheese
Paprika, to garnish
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
Boil cauliflower in hot water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, transfer to a food
crumbs with 4 tablespoons melted butter in a pie dish to form a crust. Add cooked onions to crust. Mix milk with eggs, salt and pepper and pour over onions. Top with cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of paprika. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
processor with the cream, sour cream, butter, mustard, salt, and pepper. Process until mixture is a smooth, thick puree. Pulse in ½ cup of the cheese. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chives to garnish. Serves 4 to 6.
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center and NeverMore Books will host an evening with novelist Susan Beckham Zurenda, author of The Girl from the Red Rose Motel, on Tues, September 19, at 5:00 pm. Zurenda will be joined in conversation by bestselling author Cassandra King (Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy). Free and open to the public, this special event will be held at the Conroy Center, 601 Bladen St. Light refreshments will be provided, books available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call 843-379-7025 to reserve in advance.
would a psychologist say about me? I don’t think I want to know. On a conscious level, at least, I believe I have created these unusual love stories because at heart I’m a romantic who believes in the power of love to supersede seemingly insurmountable difficulties.
I didn’t intentionally create differing styles and tones in the two novels. It happens in part because the characters’ perspectives differ. In Bells for Eli we are always in grown-up Delia’s head looking back on her formative years with her cousin Eli. Delia takes us through the emotional arcs of their lives with a grounded voice and mostly sympathetic tone. On the other hand, in The Girl From the Red Rose Motel, the story is told through the three main characters’ points of view, the voices interweaving among the chapters. The tone shifts more in The Girl From the Red Rose Motel as each character’s experiences build layers of the story. Hazel’s tone tends to be tentative; Sterling’s is often full of earnest optimism, and Angela’s varies depending on whether she’s dealing confidently with her students or expresses more vulnerability in her personal life.
ME: Both your books feature teenagers and might be called “coming of age” stories, but you don’t consider yourself a YA novelist. In your mind, what’s the difference between a YA novel and just a novel?
of the years I taught in public high school after a twenty-year career at my local community college was full of unexpected situations and exhausting obligations. Two events in the novel are based on my real life in the classroom. One is the scene in Chapter 2 when Sterling and his classmates usurp their teacher Angela Wilmore’s 5th period AP Class, causing her to send these brilliant but rebellious boys to in-school suspension. The other event is very loosely based on a horrific meeting I endured with a student’s parents who objected to a short story I taught in my AP classroom. I created the characters of Donovan Powell and his mousy wife to emphasize the challenges of censorship and to champion an administration that supported me. I should also add that Angela is a much funkier teacher than I ever was!
ME: You never shy away from uncomfortable social issues in your novels. In The Girl from the Red Rose Motel, the divide separating Hazel and Sterling seems mainly socioeconomic. Hazel is a girl of mixed race, but racism doesn’t seem to be an issue in the novel. Do you believe today’s young people are simply post-racial?
ME: Your multi-award-winning first novel, Bells for Eli, was published during the Covid pandemic. I imagine that put a real crimp in your book tour. How important is it for writers to get out and promote their work at public events?
Inspired by Susan’s experiences teaching in a Spartanburg, SC public high school and her knowledge of homeless students living in motels, The Girl From the Red Rose Motel is set in 2012, in a fictitious southern town. It revolves around two high school students from vastly different backgrounds who fall in love, and with the support of their sympathetic English teacher, attempt to navigate complications readers might never imagine. Susan and I recently discussed her new novel via email.
Margaret Evans: I’m a big fan of your debut novel, Bells for Eli, and was expecting something similar this time around. But reading The Girl from the Red Rose Motel was a completely different experience. Both are compelling Southern novels about young, forbidden love – among other things – but their style and tone are miles apart. Was that intentional?
Susan Zurenda: Wow, until you asked this question, I hadn’t realized the connection of the “forbidden” (though forbidden in different ways) love theme in both my novels. What
SZ: Though both of my novels focus on young characters, they are written for adults. Also, The Girl From the Red Rose Motel has an adult character with a story arc. That said, I hope that my novels will also speak to older teenagers. Many of my favorite novels with young protagonists are adult novels that cross over to teens: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers, Atonement by Ian McEwan, and Normal People by Sally Rooney, to name a few. Even though I taught a graduate-level course in Adolescent Literature a number of times during my career, I don’t know how to precisely define a YA novel, except to say it might be how the themes are explored. A YA novel is specifically pitched to the adolescent reading level and interests between the approximate ages of 13-18.
ME: How much of this story is based on your own teaching experience?
SZ: My character Angela Wilmore is a dedicated teacher who is fortunate to teach in a high school that treats her professionally. The same was true for me. Even so, every day
SZ: Yes, Hazel is biracial, but I don’t consider racism to be a primary issue in the novel. In giving Hazel a Caucasian father and an African American mother, I wanted to emphasize a broad spectrum of society to illustrate that it isn’t race as much as poverty that affects Hazel’s circumstances. It is my fervent hope, as expressed in the novel through Sterling and friends, that the current generation of young people are moving us toward a post-racial world.
SZ: My debut novel came out the week the pandemic was declared in March 2020. Though I connected with readers online and am grateful for the awards Bells for Eli garnered, I was devastated to cancel a 50-event tour. I believe meeting readers in person is essential to promoting a book. Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun! I have about 40 events lined up for The Girl From the Red Rose Motel and hope Covid doesn’t come back with a vengeance to impede my tour. My events are listed on my website: www.susanzurenda.com
Tues - Sun: 11am-9pm
Contemporary abstract mixed-media artist Pat McGreevey will exhibit her paintings in Tangled Up in Hues, on view at Art League of Hilton Head this October.
McGreevey's work, characterized by vibrant color combinations, contrasting shapes, and deep dimensions, depicts the world through a lovingly fragmented lens that conveys sheer energy and emotion.
“I want to create art that people love. Art that is thought provoking and emotionally evocative. Art is one of life’s luxuries that moves us in a myriad of emotional directions, and we want it around us to continually generate those emotions.”
McGreevey enjoys working intuitively, employing brush, scraper, palette knife, her hands, and anything else she can think of using. She works on multiple artworks simultaneously. She's inspired by the very idea of creating that which didn't exist before. “As artists we have the God-given talent to create whatever we want and this gives us a sense of freedom and excitement
in the endless possibilities. The hard part is stepping out of our own comfort zone, letting go of the fear of failure, and making that first brush stroke."
In conjunction with the exhibit, Art League is offering a one-day workshop with the artist entitled "Contemporary Abstract Art: Letting Loose," suited to beginner and intermediate students interested in learning to become more confident in taking chances in their work. The class is $100 ($90 for Art League members), with a $20 supply fee, and will take place October 31, 10am-4pm.
Tangled Up in Hues is open October 3-November 3. An artist's reception will be held Wednesday, October 11, 5-7pm. McGreevey will hold a demo of her work on
Friday, October 13, 11am-12pm. The exhibit, reception, and demo are all free and open to the public.
Art League Gallery is located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head, 843-681-5060.
Tuesday - Sunday 11am-4pm
Now ~ October 29
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
Iwas fortunate to spend two weeks in Scotland – probably my favorite place in the world besides the Lowcountry. We enjoyed cool weather, played 90 holes of golf at some magnificent golf courses, met wonderful people, and saw some beautiful scenery. One of the things that struck me, especially because I had not been in Scotland since before Covid, was the amount of wilding and rewilding that is taking place. What are wilding and rewilding? Wilding is allowing a patch of ground to return to its wild natural state such as a wildflower meadow or even a bramble patch. This provides visual interest as well as a place for wildlife to inhabit and get their food. It can be large or small such as the inside of a traffic circle or round-about as they call them in Britain. Rewilding involves the introduction of species that had originally been in that location but was lost usually due to human intervention. The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone or bringing in native plant species that might have been there originally is an example of rewilding. Often the creation of a wildflower meadow involves both concepts as the land is allowed to return to a wild state with native grasses and weeds. Wildflower seeds might then be planted to increase the biodiversity.
A traffic circle right next to the Culloden Battlefield (for all you Outlander fans) was a mass of yellow flowers. This did not impede visibility for motorists which is a common excuse for not allowing our roadways to grow naturally. The sides of our roadways in South Carolina are often mowed so that nothing is allowed to grow. Shrubs and trees are cleared in a large swath away from the roadbed. In the few areas where the roadsides are allowed to flourish naturally, there can be a profusion of wildflowers – black-eyed Susan, wild asters, goldenrod, clover, and mullein. I noticed along parts of route 278 that highway crews have sprayed shrubs and trees with some sort of powerful herbicide and they are an unsightly brown. It is nice to see that Bluffton has planted the median strip of 278 that runs through its jurisdiction.
If you travel through other states on major highways, you can often see the median strip planted with flowers, usually natives. North Carolina does this on routes 95 and 77. Not so South Carolina. Perhaps state monies are used up in cleaning the roads from debris and trash.
A few hefty fines might discourage those open trucks from spewing their contents onto the roads—both dangerous and unsightly.
Enough of my pet peeve. How can we in our own ways, wild or rewild and increase our biodiversity? Unless you have strict POA regulations, allow a section of your yard to just go wild.
You will probably get lots of yaupon holly, wax myrtle, grasses, and maybe some smilax vines. The birds will be very happy. You can decrease the size of your lawn and increase the number of flowers and/or ornamental grasses in your yard. There are recent studies being done that planting any kind of flowering plant is beneficial for pollinators. Perennials are sustainable because they come up every year. Try seeds of annuals for summer color and make bees and butterflies happy. No room in your yard or no yard? Plant a container with flowers.
My own experiment with wilding did not go so well, I will be the first to admit. I set off a corner of my yard to let go to native grasses. I had some black-eyed Susan and native St. John’s wort come up and was thrilled. Enter the mow and blow guys. They mowed the entire area down. They had never done that before. I put a fence around it. The following week, they lifted the mower over the fence and mowed it down again. I tried to communicate, but they are different workers every week. I gave up and now have a big log and debris pile in one corner for the wildlife. I certainly
By Wendy Hiltydo have plenty of flowers in my garden and a minimum of lawn so at least I do my part in keeping the pollinators happy.
If you live in a community with some common land, see if you are fortunate enough to convince the powers-that-be to just leave it fallow and see what happens. After seeing what works in Britain on common land, traffic circles, and along roadways, it is certainly something that we can try here. Go a little wild with wilding.
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.
ITALY: Tuscany townhouse for rent by the week in historic UNESCO village. Sleeps 4, large furnished garden, easy walk to shops and excellent restaurants. www.cozyholidayrentals. com or 401-862-2377.
FURNISHED LUXURY APT In the heart of downtown Beaufort. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, Housewares. Please call 843-812-4229.
FREE 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!
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.
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 843-5256115 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 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 Face-
Community Announcements & Classes are FREE
Merchandise · Employment
Automobiles · Motorcycles
Boats
Pets
$25 Up to 25 Words • $35 Up to 25 Words with a Photo
book 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 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 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.
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a panel discussion and book signing for the anthology All Night, All Day: Life, Death & Angels on Thursday, September 21, at 5:00 p.m. Free and open to the public, this event will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call 843-379-7025 to reserve in advance.
The panel discussion will include editor Susan Cushman and contributing writers Cassandra King, Wendy Reed, and Nancy Dorman-Hickson.
"All Night, All Day is an inspirational collection of personal essays, stories, and poems by outstanding women authors who write about the appearance of the divine in their lives. Some of these angels come to save a life or change a flat tire. Some appear to warn people, tell them what to do, suggest more vegetables and maybe better shoes . . .
In this stunning anthology which explores so many heartwarming brushes with celestial beings, all these angels are messengers come to assure us we are not alone, and we are loved."—Margaret
McMullan,award-winning authorof
Where the Angels Lived
This is Susan Cushman’s fourth anthology to edit. She is also the author of two novels, two
memoirs, and a short story collection. Pat Conroy and Cassandra King are her two favorite authors and inspired her to write.
Cassandra King is the author of five best-selling novels and two nonfiction books. Her latest book, Tell Me a Story, a memoir about life with her late husband Pat Conroy, was named SIBA’s 2020 non-fiction Book of the Year. A conversation with Cassandra at her home in 2018 about angels—and particularly about the one that visited Pat as he was dying was the inspiration for this book.
Wendy Reed is an Emmy-winning writer and producer, whose work include documentaries and the long-running series Bookmark with Don Noble and Discovering Alabama. She is the author of An Accidental Memoir: How I Killed Someone and Other Stories and the co-editor of All Out of Faith and Circling Faith: Southern Women on Spirituality.
After almost twenty years as a features editor at Southern Living magazine, Nancy Dorman-Hickson now freelances in Birmingham, Alabama. She co-authored Diplomacy and Diamonds, the best-selling memoir of Joanne King Herring who was portrayed by Julia Roberts in the movie Charlie Wilson’s War. Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
The Coastal Discovery Museum’s popular Native Plant Sale returns this Fall on Saturday, September 23rd from 10am to 1pm. The museum will have over 90 native plant species to cover diverse landscaping needs, from vines to blooming bushes to butterfly friendly landscaping. Native plants have the advantage of being adapted to the local environment and therefore require little to no care at all. Native plants are also used by local wildlife in a number of ways and are perfect for attracting pollinators. The museum will have the majority of native Lowcountry butterfly host plants, which are used by native butterflies to lay their eggs and raise their larvae, and without which they cannot survive.
Museum volunteers and representatives from the Lowcountry Master Gardeners will be available to explain the value of the different species and answer questions. This will be a great opportunity to enhance your garden with plants that require little care and provide important benefits to the environment, all at an affordable price.
Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Saturday, September, 23 • 10am – 1pm
1 Gallon Potted Plants $9
3 Gallon Potted Plants $16
CASH or CHECK ONLY
Over 90 Native Plant Species For a complete list visit: www.coastaldiscovery.org/explore/events/native-plant-sale/
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 & Saturday - Karaoke. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook
Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 3793474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com
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. 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", 9/20 Bobby Ryder, 9/22 & 9/23 New Orleans
All-Star Swing, 9/27 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler, 9/29 & 9/30 Noel Freidline & Maria Howell - a Jazz Celebration of Hall & Oates. (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
The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 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, 9/19 OhGeesy, 9/20 Beats
Soundsystem; Equanimous, 9/21 Candlelight: Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder & more, 9/22 Jake Shore, 9/23 Gimme Gimme Disco, 9/27 Circle Jerks; TSOL; Negative Approach, 9/28 Jimmy Eat World; The Pauses, 9/29 The War & Treaty, 9/30 Terror Reid, 10/1 Poolside. (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. 9/13
Schema, 9/14 Vanessa Collier, 9/15 Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, 9/16 Fortunate Youth; Kash'd Out; Dubbest, 9/20 Jimkata, 9/21 of Montreal; Locate S, 1, 9/22 The Psycodelics; The Mobros, 9/23 Frankie & the Witch Fingers; Wine Lips, 9/24 Slim & Manny's International Players Band - OutKast tribute, 9/26 Banditos; The Pink Stones, 9/27 Midnight North, 9/28 Karina Rykman; Guerilla Toss, 9/29 Steeln' Peaches - Allman Bros. tribute, 9/30 Lureto & Friends Zambi Jam. (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 9/13 Josh Ross, 9/16 The Yacht Club, 9/17 The Paul Thorn Band, 9/22 Ray Fulcher & Cody Webb. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.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 – 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
Now – 10/31, Seasons of Life by Wyn Foland at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery, 913 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com
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
9/23 – 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
10/3 – 11/3, Tangled Up in Hues, featuring the work of Pat McGreevey at Art League of Hilton Head Gallery. Reception Wed, 10/11, 5-7pm. Demo Fri, 10/13, 11am-12pm. Free and open to the public. Located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head, 843-681-5060.
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.
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.
Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
9/23, 9/24, 9/29, 9/30, 10/1, The Sound of Music, performed by the Beaufort Theatre Company at USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St., Beaufort. Fri & Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 3 pm. $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and military, and $15 for students. 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
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
Tues 9/19, Susan Beckham Zurenda will give a talk and sign copies of her new novel The Girl from the Red Rose Motel at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.) in partnership with NeverMore Books, at 5 pm. Light refreshments, books available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call 843-379-7025 to reserve in advance.
Thur 9/21, All Night, All Day: Life, Death & Angels panel discussion and book signing hosted by the Pat Conroy Literary Center at 5 pm. Free and open to the public at the Conroy Center, 601 Bladen St., Beaufort. Books available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; call 843-379-7025 to reserve.
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
10/26 – 10/29, 8th Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival, featuring discussions, writer workshops, a poetry reading, screening of The Lords of Discipline, and a musical performance by the Beaufort Mass Choir. For more info or tickets, visit www. patconroyliteraryfestival.org
Fri 9/29, Andrew Armstrong piano concert at 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
9/21 – 9/23, Wings Over Beaufort: Ecotourism & Birding Festival. For tickets and schedule of events, visit https://birdingbeaufort.com/ tours/
Sat 9/23, Fall Native Plant Sale at Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. 10 am – 1 pm. One-gallon potted plants $9; three-gallon potted plants $16, CASH OR CHECK ONLY. For more info, visit www.coastaldiscovery.org
Sat 9/23, Beaufort County Youth Conference. For teens, by teens. Food, music, fun, breakout sessions. 9am - 3pm at TCL, 921 Ribaut Rd, Building 9, Beaufort. (Gangs & Violence Prevention Workshop for Adults at 1:30 pm, Building 4) For more info, call 843-812-4399
Sat 10/7, Lowcountry Fish & Grits Music Festival on Hilton Head Island, at Lowcountry Celebration Park. Featuring art and craft vendors, live music, food trucks, and more. From Noon – 6 pm. For more info, visit www.fishandgritsmusicfest.com
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
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 Doud alisha@dcgilbert.com
Daun Schouten daun@dcgilbert.com
Laure Gallagher laure@dcgilbert.com
Ashley Hart ashley@dcgilbert.com
Joy McConnell joy@dcgilbert.com
Dawn Shipsey dawn@dcgilbert.com
Johanna Graham johanna@dcgilbert.com
Kathy Crowley kathy@dcgilbert.com
Kaitlyn Kintz reception@dcgilbert.com
Derek C. Gilbert derek@dcgilbert.com
Melissa R. Wicker melissa@dcgilbert.com
Sam Bailey samuel@dcgilbert.com
