This nutcracker painted by Danie Connolly is one of over 50 on display throughout Beaufort though December 11th, courtesy of the Beaufort Art Association and local business sponsors. See more nutcrackers in our Holiday Gift Guide, starting on page 11.
November 23 – December 6, 2022
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Iwas on the phone with my friend Marly Rusoff the other day, debriefing after this year’s Pat Conroy Literary Festival. Marly was Pat’s agent throughout most of his career, and as a founding board member of the Conroy Center who’s now also a parttime Beaufort resident, she was very involved in this year’s festival – which, in case you missed it, was absolutely amazing.
Marly told me she was headed to NYC the next day for the book launch of her longtime client and friend, Paulina Porizkova. Maybe you remember Paulina? 1980s super model? Married to the late Ric Ocasek, lead singer of The Cars? Drop-dead gorgeous?
I’d almost forgotten that Marly was Paulina’s literary agent. She’d sent me an essay Paulina wrote back in March, soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – a reflection on her own childhood in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia. The essay had stunned me. Who knew this Sports Illustrated cover girl could write with such beauty and insight? Almost didn’t seem fair.
But lately, I’ve gotten to “know” and like Paulina on Instagram, where we are engaged in a common pursuit – she at the superstar level, and I at the level of . . . well, me. I’ve hesitated to mention that pursuit here in my column because it feels a bit unseemly. Or maybe just unserious. But it’s starting
to feel like I’m hiding something, and I’m an over-sharer, not a hider, so it’s time to come clean.
Y’all, I’ve become an influencer. Okay, I can literally hear you laughing. I can also hear you saying, “But wait, influencers are young. They’re hip and cool and at least semi-famous. And, again . . . young.”
That’s what I thought, too! But there’s a movement afoot in the country – the world, actually – and it’s happening on Instagram. It goes by names like “Pro-Age Revolution” and “Silver Sisters” and it’s made up of thousands of older women encouraging other older women to stop pursuing the fountain of youth and embrace their age.
I have been waiting to join this movement all my adult life. Except, for most of my adult life, it didn’t exist.
I remember writing a column lamenting the prevalence of cosmetic surgery when I was in my 30s, which was so long ago now that I can’t even find it, because Lowcountry Weekly didn’t have a website then. Looking back, I realize it was pretty damn cheeky of me – no pun intended – since a 30-something woman has no real idea what it’s like to age in our youth-obsessed culture. I regret that past arrogance, but at 58, my feelings about cosmetic surgery haven’t really changed. At
this age, I’ve learned never to say never – and most of all, never to judge others for their different choices – but my hope today is that I won’t succumb to the pressure to stick knives – or needles – in my face. Ever.
My entree into the world of “influence” came via an old enemy turned friend – my gray hair. On Instagram, they call it “silver” hair – silver being a substance of value – and it’s something I’d been battling since a gray (um, silver) streak first appeared in the middle of my head at the tender age of 22. Imagine my horror at the time! I colored my streak for decades, but as anybody with gray hair knows, it doesn’t hold color very well and, more importantly, it always grows back. Fast. By my late 40s, I’d begun to grudgingly accept my streak – to think of it as a “natural highlight” –but I still felt the need to lighten the rest of my dirty blond/mousy brown hair so the streak wasn’t so flagrantly… streaky. Then the streak began to expand, and I could no longer pretend I was “prematurely gray.” This was full-on middle age and I was only gonna get grayer. When the pandemic rolled around, I joined the thousands of women nation-wide who stopped coloring their hair entirely. For most of them, it started by necessity – their salons had closed – but since I had always colored my own oddball hair, for me, it was just a giving in. An exhale. A relief.
And here I am almost three years later, loving my silver hair and encouraging other women to embrace theirs. But only if they want to.
That’s the great thing about the Pro-Age movement. It’s not about telling women how they should age. It’s about relieving the social pressure to age in any particular way at all. I’m not judging women who take a different approach from mine. Do what you gotta do, ladies! Whatever feels right. I’m just trying to open up a space for those of us who have a natural inclination to age . . . naturally. I believe deep in my soul that aging naturally should be completely acceptable. Commonplace, even. I want to banish the popular notion that women who don’t go the cosmetic surgery route – or use Botox or fillers – are “letting themselves go.” I find that idea appalling and always have.
I’ll never forget an interview I read with Joan Rivers, many years ago, after she’d attended her 50th college reunion. She told
the interviewer how stunned she was that some of her classmates had gray hair and wrinkles. “They looked like a bunch of grandmothers!” she said, horrified. I remember thinking at the time, “Well, at age 72, they probably are a bunch of grandmothers! Why shouldn’t they look like what they are?”
Fortunately, there are women with far more “influence” than I beginning to take up the cause of natural aging. Actresses like Helen Mirren and Emma Thompson – and people like Paulina Porizkova, who is leading the way on Instagram, and in her new book of essays, No Filter. These women have real skin in the game. (Pun intended.) It’s easy for a small-town journalist to grow old naturally. But a super model? A movie star? The pressure on these women to stay young-looking is beyond intense, and they are heroes to me.
What’s weird about Instagram is that, in order to have “influence,” you kind of have to turn yourself into a brand. My brand is all about natural aging. This includes natural skincare, natural hair, natural wellness, and spending lots of time in the natural world. These are all things I sincerely believe in, so it’s not like I’m lying or selling out in any way. But I’m posting a lot of photos of my aging face and body – Instagram is all about images – and for someone who’s more comfortable revealing herself through words, it’s a little unsettling.
But I’ll keep doing it – for a while, anyway – because this matters to me. It feels important. I want my daughter to grow old in a world that allows her to do so honestly, joyfully, and without any shame. A world where there’s no stigma attached to aging. Where it’s okay for grandmothers to look like grandmothers. I want that for all our daughters. I want it for myself.
Also, I’ll be honest: I’m totally loving the free skincare products, haircare products, makeup, and clothes that companies are sending me to promote. I may be an older woman, but I enjoy being a girl.
Edisto Island is a flat sub-tropical barrier island just south of Charleston - a place of majestic live oaks, heavily laden with Spanish moss that form cathedral-like canopies over ever-winding sandy roads. Black gum trees,
live oaks and scrub brush line the sides of Hwy. 174 as it winds its way toward the sea. Oysters crowd the creek banks and shrimp, blue crab, and mullet are there for the taking for anyone with a cast net. Most of the land is a jungle of tangled oaks, magnolia trees, palmettos, and yuccas standing high above a woodland floor.
Once this land was a refuge for escaped slaves who armed themselves, joined Confederate forces and clashed with Union soldiers during the Civil War. Union forces later positioned themselves on Edisto where they developed a staging area for future campaigns against Charleston, just twenty-five miles away. Eventually, the colony of African Americans grew and the Union Army protected thousands of freed slaves who had taken refuge on this barrier island.
This historic island deep in the heart of the Lowcountry of South Carolina is the location for the farm where Caroline (pronounced care-oh-lean) and her husband David Harper grow indigo.
For 50 years, starting in the late 1740’s, indigo was a major South Carolina cash crop, second only to rice. At one time, the extracted pigment, dried and shaped into circular cakes, was so prized that it was sometimes called blue gold, and used as currency - even as barter for slaves.
After the Revolu tionary War, indigo processing fell into obscurity, relegated to the fringes of the agri cultural conversation as a historical oddity.
Today’s farmers, textile dyers and fabric artists on John’s Island near Charleston and in the greater region, are championing indigo as a sustainable, regenerative alternative to modern-day, petroleum-based dyes. As more residents learn about indigo’s former prominence, they are beginning to cultivate the plant and experiment with its many uses. With the crop’s resurgence, the Lowcountry is in the midst of an unexpected indigo revival.
Caroline Harper will be hosted by The Social Betty, 204 Carteret Street on Saturday, November 26, from 1-4 pm. She will be speaking about the art of indigo and offering many of her products for sale. Drinks and light refreshments will be served throughout the afternoon.
Indigo is making a comeback on Edisto Island thanks to artisan and farmer Caroline Harper
One of my most memorable birthday gifts was one of those that just keeps on giving, and has since the mid1980s. This was truly an experiential gift, as I grew up in a music-centric household. My dad played eight instruments, my mother crooned Frank Sinatra as she cleaned house, and classical music filled our home on numerous occasions. As I’ve mentioned previously, my earliest memory –while in my playpen – was listening to Mario Lanza singing The Student Prince.
So when a New York City boyfriend treated me to a Lincoln Center concert featuring brilliant cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing the music of Franz Joseph Haydn (whose birthday is the day after mine), I was enthralled for the entire performance and high on life when we left the hall. Recently, that happened again.
Music can be a wonderful “connector,” of audience members with musicians, of listen ers with other listeners, and of individuals with their own hearts. Music lowers cortisol levels and increases dopamine, thus relieving stress and boosting the immune system. Calming music can help muscles relax and can even alleviate pain.
All that said, we in the Lowcountry have a gift just waiting to be experienced at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) Center for the Arts – The USCB Chamber Music Series. Full disclosure here: chamber music was
rarely part of my childhood experience. As a result, though I adored much classical repertoire, I thought of chamber music as “longhair” and “dull,” perhaps much like an extra-inning baseball game. Bless my heart!
That misconception lasted until I moved to Beaufort 15 years ago and met the remarkable Shirley Parsons, who immediately recruited me as an usher for the university’s performances, then called the USCB Festival Series. Just try saying no to one of Shirley’s requests!
So for the first wintertime concert, I donned black, welcomed attendees, collected tickets, and found a seat in the auditorium, considering a nap if things got boring. While waiting for the musicians to commence, I perused the program. When I began reading their creds, I was dumbfounded . . . these were internationally-recognized performers. Big time. We’re talking talent known and honored throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Though I wanted to keep reading, the theater lights went down, and the legendary Charles Wadsworth took the stage, entering with wild applause.
Charles Wadsworth? I thought. The Charles Wadsworth, founding Artistic Direc tor of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the chamber concert series at Spo leto USA in Charleston? In Beaufort? Remark ably, I’d heard of him.
If by chance you haven’t, just Google the Noonan, Georgia, native and prepare to be awestruck. How’d a musician of his stature end up in Beaufort? The story’s a good one.
Founded in 1979 by USCB Art History professor Mary Whisonant, USCB Chamber Music has presented stellar, internationallyrecognized artists, the likes of pianist Jean Yves Thibaudet, violinists Joshua Bell and Robert McDuffie, flutist Paula Robison, cellist Carter Bray, and the Brooklyn Rider, Emerson, Tokyo, and St. Lawrence String Quartets. Area banks and churches and the MCAS theater hosted early performances. At that time, Professor Whisonant’s hats included those of artistic director, ticket seller, airport taxi driver, caterer, and funding seeker. In 1983, once the USCB Center for the Arts (CFA) had opened, the series found a permanent home and the good professor retired.
Beaufort County’s 16-year Representative in the South Carolina House, Harriet Keyserling, then prevailed upon Wadsworth to
bring chamber music to Beaufort. In addition, over a twenty-year period, the talented pianist, harpsichordist, and music promoter delivered lively and informative introductions of featured artists and compositions, inventive programming, the best young musicians in the world, and his own brilliant, unique style at the keyboard. (At my initial exposure, I was hooked before the actual performance started!)
During those two decades, the illustrious raconteur transformed many area residents and visitors into fans of chamber music, present company included. As his own eightieth decade approached, Wadsworth retired, turning over the reins to cellist Edward Arron, his assistant for the previous two years and 10-year Artistic Director for the Metropolitan Museum’s Artists in Concert Series. For 12 years, Arron brought to his role warm, thoughtful commentary, his artistry on the cello, and the most significant young artists playing and composing chamber music.
At the series’s 40th birthday, Arron passed the baton along to the marvelously talented, delightfully engaging pianist, Andrew Armstrong. Amazingly, Arron and Armstrong didn’t miss a beat through the pandemic, keeping concerts rolling for musicians and audiences with limited-live and virtual performances, thanks to the financial stability provided by the establishment of the Chamber Music Endowment. As long as funding allows, a virtual live-streaming option will continue to be available to folks who can’t attend in person plus the option of three-week access to the recorded concert at your leisure.
Last year, in the series’s 43rd season and Armstrong’s first at the helm, audiences reveled in a recital by Gramophone’s Artist of the Year, violinist James Ehnes in 2021’s first offering, and closed the five-series season with an original composition by noted American composer, conductor and multiinstrumentalist Jeremy Turner (another Google opportunity).
As for the USCB Chamber Music Series being a gift to those of us who live near South Carolina’s ocean, I’ve digressed a wee bit. However, last Sunday’s concert was in my opinion, the best I’ve attended. Period. Right up there with Bruce Springsteen. Really.
The event began with the introduction of a brand new Steinway grand piano named Miss Flora. Andy Armstrong presented the new lady in his life with humor, respect and a
WHOLLY HOLISTICS
by Katherine Tandy Brown
marvelous performance of Julia Perry’s Prelude for Piano. Oh my! If you’d been there, you’d no doubt agree. A Covid-related cancellation by a scheduled musician caused the artistic director to make last-minute program changes, and the show went on.
Did it ever! On clarinet, violin, viola, and the illustrious Miss Flora. From the minute the music began, the audience was completely captivated. I looked around and saw that on every face nearby. Any remnants of a too-busy weekend melted away with those expertly-played notes, the facial cues between the musicians, and the pure joy with which each played. Not a whit of longhair or dull here. Apparently, these serious, world class performers were having a ball, often smiling at one another and grooving on whatever piece they were playing.
The mood at intermission seemed especially jovial among patrons and continued through the rest of the program, during which the musicians simply cranked up the ante with breathtaking enthusiasm and expertise in each piece. A standing ovation followed, as did many a vocal “Wow!” as people filed out.
That concert did my soul good.
Though I’m a music appreciator and not a musician, take it from me that even if you think you don’t like chamber music, the USCB series might well change your mind. Give it a try. Between Armstrong’s chatty, educational intro of the featured program, fascinating observation of the musicians, relaxing atmosphere, and passion-filled music, you might just find a new way to spend a few late Sunday afternoons.
After all, says integrative medicine practitioner Teresa Hubkova, “Love for music is something we all share, no matter where we are from or our political background.”
Maybe it’s time to ignore the news and connect through music.
For concert and ticketing info, go to uscb chambermusic.com or call (843) 208 – 8246.
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)
On December 11, 5:00pm USCB Chamber Music ushers in the holiday season with a concert featuring four engaging and emotional works. Three composers are represented with masterful summations from lifetimes of creation; the fourth composer was a youth trying to find his own unique voice. Artistic Director and pianist Andrew Armstrong, flutist Tara Helen O'Connor, and cellist Edward Arron will bring the compositions to life through a blend of technical mastery, evocative colors, insightful interpretations, and high-spirited energy. Their joyful merging of these elements will create a memorable experience that exceeds the sum of its parts. The concert will be book-ended with trios by Louise Farrenc (Trio in E minor, Op. 45) and Claude Debussy (Trio in G Major, L.5). Prokofiev's Cello Sonata, Op 119 and Arron Copland's Duo for Flute and Piano will be heard before and after intermission.
Louise Farrenc was a formidable nineteenth-century piano prodigy and composer. For thirty years she served as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire, the only woman to continuously hold such a prestigious European position during the entire century. Her composing career began with piano miniatures and progressively expanded to include chamber ensembles and larger pieces for orchestra. Chamber music is generally considered her finest genre and the last of these, Trio in E minor, is a skillfully crafted, accessible, and selfpossessed work with considerable appeal.
In 1936, expat Sergei Prokofiev returned to Russia to claim a position as one of Russia's great composers. His timing could not have been worse. Prokofiev's passport was revoked, he never again traveled outside the country, much of his music was banned, and he was required to compose reams of Soviet-realist claptrap. In 1950, Cello Sonata, Op 119 miraculously slid past the censors and its earthy, rich, direct, and remarkable expression was brought into the sunlight.
Aaron Copland set out to create a new “American” sound by incorporating folk music and wide-open-spaces into an approachable musical language. Copland described his 1971 Duo for Flute and Piano as lyrical and in a pastoral style: ". . . a work of comparatively simple harmonic and melodic outline, direct in expression.” As if to preface these qualities he titled its three movements Flowing, Poetic, and Lively.
Claude Debussy desired to create a French musical style rivaling German traditions. To this task he applied new formal, harmonic, and tone-color approaches that revolutionized western music. Before this could be accomplished, however, he needed to learn the craft of putting tones together. Trio in G Major, L.5, composed at age 18, was part of this process. In the style of light and pleasing French salon music, the trio's four movements leisurely unfold with lyricism, clarity, and charm. It points in the direction of the mature Debussy's 1904 statement that “The primary aim of French music is to give pleasure.”
with his warm humanity, insightful musicianship, and impeccable technique. Ed's appreciation for the communicative power of chamber music has been at the center of his distinguished career, leading to performances throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Festival appearances have included Ravinia, Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Bravo! Vail, Tanglewood, Bridgehampton, Spoleto USA, Santa Fe, Seattle Chamber Music, Bowdoin, Telluride Musicfest, La Jolla Summerfest, and Bard Music Festival.
It is an axiom of the human condition that over time 'familiar' may settle into 'comfortablyrespected.' This expression does not do justice to pianist and host Andrew Armstrong, now in his third season as USCB Chamber Music Artistic Director, who is the epitome of a unique and electrifying individual. His witty, self-effacing remarks, hyperkinetic personality, and seemingly effortless pianism have regularly delighted audiences across Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the United States as a recitalist and concertosoloist, in chamber music concerts with the Elias, Alexander, American, and Manhattan String Quartets, and as a member of the Caramoor Virtuosi, Boston Chamber Music Society, Seattle Chamber Music Society, and Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players.
To play this attractive, passionate, pastoral, and expressive music are three superbly qualified artists who are in the chamber music vanguard. Flutist Tara Helen O'Connor was a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, is a two-time Grammy nominee, and continues as a multiyear Season Artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Ms. O'Connor is a sought-after chamber music colleague who regularly participates in festivals such as the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music@ Menlo, Spoleto USA, Chamber Music Northwest, Mainly Mozart Festival, the Banff Centre, Chesapeake Music Festival and Bravo! Vail. Former USCB Chamber Music Artistic Director and current University of Massachusetts Amherst Associate Professor, cellist Edward Arron makes a welcome return
Support the Arts! Come and listen to these remarkable artists perform intriguing
and gratifying music. There are multiple ways to enjoy the concerts—In Person, Live-Stream and On-Demand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced, creating great viewing opportunities. On-Demand is acces sible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks. For concert/ticket information, go to www.uscb chambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246, Monday through Friday. The concert is Sunday, December 11, 5:00pm at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort.
Pianist and Artistic Director Andrew ArmstrongThe Freedman Arts District markets and promotes, arts, artists, venues, and arts education within the Arts District and nearby areas. The goal is for artists to be successful, and for students, residents, and visitors to be engaged in a vibrant, arts-in fused experience. Increasing enrollment and expanded arts education programming at USCB in the District is an important measurement of the Districts’ success. The Freedman Arts District actively supports heirs and families retaining property ownership, by working with property owners within the District to restore and renovate buildings while contributing to neighborhood prosperity and vitality.
Calling All Artists and Art Lovers: Live, create, and market art in the District. The Freedman Arts District is ready to assist in finding a place, securing permits, signage, marketing and more. Artists are encouraged to submit their information online at FreedmanArtsDistrict.org for promotion.
Arts Venues and Events: Event organizers within the District can send their published Facebook Event URL to stacy@freedmanarts district.org for review to be added to the Districts’ events calendar. An arts calendar for events happening in and around the District can be viewed at FreedmanArtsDistrict.org/calendar
For Heirs and Property Owners: Those owning property in the District and that would
like assistance with heirs’ property issues, with renovation and restoration, or simply to discuss how the property might be used to benefit the owner and their family, the Freedman Arts District is interested in learning more.
The District and Office: The map can be found at freedmanartsdistrict.org. The Freedman Arts District office will be located at 1401 Duke Street in the Arts District. Watch for renovations to begin in January.
Executive Director, Stacy Applegate lives in the Freedman Arts District where she renovated and restored her home. Stacy comments, “I am excited to be involved in an effort that will enhance the community and the city and enable families to maintain ownership of their property. Assisting in creating family wealth and supporting an artistically rich environment has been a goal of mine for years.”
The Freedman Arts District is pleased to have the support of many organizations and partners. All are invited to visit the website, use the events calendar, and sign up for the newsletter.
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with awardwinning novelist Carla Damron, author of The Orchid Tattoo, in conversation with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt on Tuesday, November 29, at 6:00 p.m. at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.). This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
About the Orchid Tattoo: "The pages of Carla Damron's The Orchid Tattoo whiz by so fast, so easily, I have to say it is one of the best nail-biters I’ve read in a while. Not only that, this well-crafted thriller features a smart, likeable hospital social worker—Georgia Thayer—as protagonist. She is pitted against a human trafficking ring. In short, The Orchid Tattoo is a great read with a social message." — Southern Literary Review
Crime fiction that makes a difference: in The Orchid Tattoo, author Carla Damron
delves into the disturbing world of human trafficking. Social worker Georgia Thayer can balance her own mental illness with the demands of an impossible job. Mostly. But when her sister vanishes in the dead of night, her desperate quest to find Peyton takes her into the tentacles of a human trafficking network-where she encounters a young victim called "Kitten."
Kitten is determined to escape. She won't be trapped like the others. She won't sell her soul like Lillian, victim-turned-madam, feeding the dark appetites of international business moguls and government leaders. But the Estate won't let her out of its lethal grip, and her attempts at freedom threaten her very life.
Aided by Kitten and, at times, by the voices in her head, Georgia maneuvers to bring down the kingpin of Estate and expose its dark secrets, but her efforts place her-and the few people she allows to get close-in grave danger.
Carla Damron is a social worker, advocate, and author whose last novel, The Stone Necklace (about grief and addiction), won the 2017 Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel and was selected as the One Community Read for Columbia, South Carolina. Damron is also the author of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels and has published numerous short stories, essays, and op-eds. Damron holds an MSW and an MFA. Her careers as a social worker and writer are intricately intertwined; all of her novels explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, mental illness, and human trafficking. Damron volunteers with the League of Women Voters, Sisters in Crime, Palmetto Chapter (president), and Mutual Aid Midlands. She lives with her husband, Jim Hussey, and their large family of spoiled rescue animals.
For more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center, visit in person at 601 Bladen Street Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m. or online at patconroyliterarycenter.org
Beaufort is one of many cities featured in Jewels of the Southern Coast, which showcases the spectacular historic architecture found in cities along the South Carolina and Georgia coast, with special emphasis on Charleston and Savannah. This 160-page coffee table book is the culmination of over 20 years of work by Asheville, NC, photographer and author Tim Barnwell.
This collection of over 130 elegant black and white photographs focuses on civic, religious, business, and residential structures including churches, synagogues, and cemeteries as well as courthouses, city halls, and post offices. Additionally, theatres, schools, public buildings, and historic residences along with forts and lighthouses were included. A few parks and landscapes were chosen to provide a sense of place for the buildings.
From the mass and weight of marble and stone construction to the intricate details carved in wood and sculpted in iron, the structures and spaces featured in this book surpass the ordinary. They have stood the test of time, touchstones to the past and centers of life that provide strong foundations for the future.
In addition to Charleston and Savannah, other towns featured include Brunswick, Darien, St.
Simons, Tybee Island, St. Marys, Midway, and Jekyll Island in Georgia, and Beaufort, Hunting Island, McClellanville, Sullivans island, and Huntington Beach in South Carolina. The book includes an Introduction by writer Robert Salvo, where he details a brief history of the area with an emphasis on architecture, providing readers with added context for Mr. Barnwell’s remarkable images.
Tim Barnwell will be signing books at McIntosh Book Shoppe, 917 Bay Street, on Saturday, December 3rd from 1-4 pm.
First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort will present its annual Nativity Celebration during the first weekend in December. Featuring more than 100 nativity scenes from around the world, the event is hosted by the women of the church and is a gift to the community.
“These are truly one-of-a-kind pieces of art from across the globe,” said Donna Sheetz of First Pres. “They are all telling the same story of Jesus’ birth, but each scene showcases the rich culture of the people who created it.”
The nativities will be on display in the church’s Fellowship Hall on December 2nd
and 3rd from 10 am – 4 pm, and on December 5th from Noon to 2 pm. First Presbyterian is located in downtown Beaufort at the corner of North and Church Streets. For more information visit www.firstpresbeaufort.org
The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff is excited to announce their first annual Holiday Artisan Market on Sunday, December 4, 2022 from Noon to 5 pm. Kindle the spirit of the season and join for an afternoon of comfort, joy, and magnificent art. Guests can finish their holiday shopping with an incredible selection of original pieces from local artists and craftsmen. There will also be live entertainment from Shay Martin Lovette, children’s activities. and a visit with Santa Claus to bolster the seasonal merriment and 20% of the ticket price and 10% of participating artisan sales will benefit Family Promise of Beaufort County.
The Artisan Market will be held at Boathouse Row at Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Village and fare from local food trucks and holiday libations will be available for sale. Parking + Shuttle will be available at RT’s Market and children under 10 are free. Palmetto Bluff loves does but this will be strictly a two-legged-only event.
Tickets are $15 and 10% of ticket and artisan sales will benefit Family Promise of Beaufort County - tickets can be purchased ahead of time online or in cash at the entrance: https://tickets.completeticket solutions.com/HAM/Online/default.asp
Looking for a truly unique holiday gift for that special someone in your life? How about a magical night of dancing to live music performed by Motown royalty?
The Voices of Classic Soul will be in Beaufort in early January for the Boys & Girls Clubs’ annual fundraising gala, Notes, performing with crooner Landau Eugene Murphy, winner of America’s Got Talent. For several years, Murphy has thrilled gala attendees with his elegance and Sinatraesque charm, selling out every event. To attend Notes, you must purchase a table for 8 or more. These sponsorships are still available, but limited.
most legendary vocal groups of all time: the Temptations, Platters, the Four Tops, and Drifters. The three singers have a back-story right out of a Hollywood movie; Joe Coleman, Joe Blunt and Theo Peoples grew up singing together in church and on street corners throughout the 1960s before finding fame and fortune separately, then reuniting after 30 years to harmonize together once again.
Joe Coleman joined the Platters for a two-decade stint as the group’s lead singer in addition to gaining a successful career as a songwriter and playwright. Joe Blunt performed and recorded with the Drifters for over a decade in venues all over the world
music. Kim Sullivan says, “It is our hope that guests will have an amazing night of Motown and learn more about the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs, the benefits of these programs and services to the youth in our community, and how donations are used to support these programs.”
For a donation of $75 per guest, you’ll enjoy an evening of dancing, along with delicious appetizers and beverages, while benefitting a great cause – the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Beaufort. To reserve your space, visit https://secureonlinegiving.com/events/site/index.as
p?eventID=2375
Motown Dance Party with Voices of Classic Soul
Thursday, January 12, 2023 • 7-9pm Tabby Place, Downtown Beaufort
To Benefit: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Beaufort
Tickets:
What’s new and exciting this year is that the Boys & Girls Club is adding a second night of music! This extra night –happening on Thursday, January 12 – has been dubbed the Motown Dance Party, and will feature the Voices of Classic Soul. For a donation of $75 to the organization, you can secure your spot on the dance floor!
“Beaufort fell in love with the Voices of Classic Soul during last year's Notes event, when they performed with Landau Eugene Murphy,” says Kim Sullivan, Director of Resource Development for the Boys &B Girls Clubs. “When we discussed providing an additional evening of music with their manager, it was an immediate YES!”
The Voices of Classic Soul have been around the world and back again several times each as the lead singers of four of the
alongside Ben E. King and Johnny Moore, earning a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sony Records. Theo Peoples was discovered and hand-selected to join the ‘Temptations’ group in 1992 and made Motown history by becoming the first musician to be in both The Temptations and The Four Tops.
Motown Dance Party attendees will be treated to incredible showmanship, classic dance moves, and some of the biggest hits of all time, including My Girl, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Get Ready, The Great Pretender, Only You, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Under The Boardwalk, On Broadway, Save The Last Dance For Me, and many, many more.
Boys & Girls Clubs supporters are hoping to introduce more Beaufortonians to their cause with this extra night of
The Social Betty at 204 Carteret Street on downtown Beaufort has some festive hol iday events on the calendar.
Charles Dickens High Tea
Wednesday, November 30th at 3 pm
Wear your fanciest hat or we will provide you with one as you enjoy this delightful “The Tradition Begins” mother-daughter team who will entertain you throughout the afternoon.
Tickets are $120.00 For reservations call 410-456-2303
Frosted Artistry with Rachel Thursday. December 8th or Wednesday, December 14th, 6 – 8 pm
Learn all the tricks to making beautiful holiday confections and leave with your own tray of decorated cookies.
Tickets-$65
Reservations: 631-793-7386
The Beaufort Wine Club “Wine Down With Betty” Monday, December 12th 6 – 7:30 pm
Hosted by Bob LeFavi
Reservations: socialbetty@gmail.com
It’s that time of year again. It’s time to decorate for Christmas. Don’t let stringing lights and hanging ornaments become a task, turn it into an event – a Tree Trimming Party! Invite your friends and family over to help you turn your home into a festive winter wonderland. Many hands do make for light work, you know. My recipes are perfect for a pre-holiday soiree. If you’d like to add several delicious appetizers to your menu, be sure to read this week’s Celebrate Every Day food column in Lowcountry Weekly. Merry Christmas!
and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add sausage back to the pot. Stir in chopped kale. Cook until kale is wilted. Stir in heavy cream and milk. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.
Sourdough bread is a delicious substitute!
1 (16-ounce) ciabatta, unsliced
8 ounces jalapeno-jack cheese, thinly sliced ½ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Garlic salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread lengthwise and crosswise without cutting through the bottom crust. (The bread slices easier if it’s a day or two old.) Place a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Spray foil lightly with canola oil cooking spray. Place the prepared bread on the foil. Insert cheese slices between cuts. In a small bowl combine melted butter with mustard and parsley; drizzle evenly over bread. Wrap loosely in foil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap the bread
Chef’s Notes: I don’t peel the potatoes. The skins are tender and very healthy. If you’re in a pinch for time, use frozen chopped onion.
I love shortcuts!
20 oz spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
5 medium red skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
4 cups chopped kale
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
Salt and pepper, to taste Brown sausage in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Remove sausage and drain on paper towels. Add onion to pan drippings. (You’ll only need about 1 tablespoon of sausage grease to cook the onion. Remove any excess.) Cook onion until tender. Stir in garlic
Hallsand bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with garlic salt before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
For the cheesecake layer: 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar Pinch of salt 2 eggs ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup heavy cream ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
¾ cup roughly chopped peppermint candies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” springform pan with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, mix cream cheese with sugar, salt eggs, sour cream, heavy cream and peppermint extract. Stir in peppermint candies. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
For the cake layers:
1 dark chocolate cake mix Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Bake in two 9” round pans. Cool completely on baking racks.
For the white chocolate ganache frosting: 2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (12 oz) package white chocolate morsels
½ tsp peppermint extract
Heat whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl until creams begins to steam but not boil. Stir in white chocolate morsels until morsels are melted and mixture is well combined. Stir in peppermint extract. Place bowl in refrigerator for
By Debbi Covington
The Beaufort Garden Club will hold its fifth Smile for Santa event in the Gazebo at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market on three consecutive Saturdays – De cember 3, December 10 and Decem ber 17 from 9:30 am to Noon.
“After a three year hiatus because of the pandemic, we are pleased to of fer this event again to our communi ty,” said Lora Quincy, President of the Beaufort Garden Club.
Bring your children, grandchil dren and/or pets to the Gazebo area at the market and take your photo with Santa. Garden Club members
also will gladly take photos with your phones.
Donations will be accepted and all proceeds will go to local charities.
at least 2 hours. Remove ganache from the refrigerator and beat with an electric mixer until frosting is fluffy and stiff peaks form.
To assemble cake: 60 soft peppermint candy sticks
Place one layer of chocolate cake on a cake platter. Top with cheesecake layer. Place remaining chocolate cake layer on top. Frost the cake with white chocolate ganache frosting. Trim soft peppermint candy sticks to the height of the cake. Line the sides of the cake with peppermint sticks. Crush some of the broken peppermint pieces to sprinkle on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 12.
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.cater ingbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-5250350 or by email at dbc@cateringbydebbicovington.com
Happy holidays! Kick off December and enjoy a festive evening doing your holiday shopping under twinkling lights with a seasonal cocktail in hand at Lowcountry Made’s monthly Bluffton Night Bazaar on Thursday, December 1. Shop local for the holidays by browsing stalls of local artisans in the courtyard of Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road, from 5-8 p.m.
All of Lowcountry Made’s markets feature only local artisans and makers.
These local artisans will have tons of festive goodies to choose from — including sweet treats like hot cocoa bombs and decorate holiday cookies; Christmas decorations, ornaments and other seasonal decor; holiday-themed clothing and accessories, and more.
You’ll also find plenty of handcrafted, custom items that will make the best holiday gifts!
This special holiday Bluffton Night Bazaar will also include festive, live music and seasonal food and drinks.
The market is free to attend; all ages are welcome.
Lowcountry Made is hosting several other holiday markets this December: Including the Port Royal Lowcountry Made Market on December 10, the Bluffton Lowcountry Made Market on December 17, and a special Holiday Artisan Market in Palmetto Bluff on December 4.
The Bluffton Night Bazaar is hosted by Lowcountry Made and Burnt Church Distillery. It’s sponsored by E-Z-GO of Hilton Head, a new golf cart showroom and service center located in Sheridan Park, and Bluffton Aesthetics, a local medical spa that provides physician-directed, skincare enhancement treatments, laser hair removal services, botox, fat elimination solutions, and anti-aging aesthetic treatments.
Burnt Church Distillery also has several corporate sponsors: Triad, Engel & Volker, The Grind, Shoreline and Pearce Scott.
Singer/guitarist Vic Varner has been playing solo on Saturdays at Marker 244 for a while now, and for the month of December, he’s giving his gigs a holiday twist.
Varner says he misses the comradery and musical interaction with other musicians, but there are advantages to playing solo, as well. “I can practice whenever I want to and learn new repertoire quickly. I'm also going back and re-working some old arrangements of tunes such as ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and ‘If You Could Read My Mind.’ Marker 244 is the perfect spot. Great view and great food! The patrons there have been very receptive to my Americana style.”
In December, Varner will be deep diving into his holiday repertoire. “I’m really looking forward to playing out of my Christmas book,” he says. “Through the years I’ve learned quite an eclectic group of holiday songs, and I love to encourage people to sing along on key phrases.”
Varner will also be playing Christmas music at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market on December 3rd.
“When Covid hit, I gave up all of my gigs,” says Varner. “Younger pickers around town played right through it but I didn’t think it was safe for me. But I’m back now, and doing it differently. Instead of combos, I’ve gone solo, back to my roots. All during the 70s and 80s I worked as a solo performer in Charleston.”
Solo - Christmas Music in December Saturdays, 5:30-8pm
Marker 244
1 Port Royal Landing, Port Royal
Vic Varner, Singer/GuitaristThe 20th Annual Sea Island Gullah Christmas Celebration comes to Beaufort Dec. 1-4. for three days of culture, food, and fun enjoying the yuletide season Gullah Geechee style. The Sea Island Gullah Christmas Celebration will be magical, kicking off the weekend with the Gullah Geechee-Sierra Leone Cultural Connection Symposium Thursday, Dec. 1, 8:30am-5pm; Friday, Dec. 2, Gullah Geechee Cultural Tour and Christmas Market, and Saturday, Dec. 3, the Gullah Taste of Christmas, featuring the Gullah Geechee Rice Cook-off competition.
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, 8 am – Gullah Geechee-Sierra Leone Cultural Connection Symposium – USCB Center for the Arts The symposium will explore and celebrate the Gullah Geechee-Sierra Leonean cultural connection and its strides in education and travel and tourism. Attendees will attend seven panel discussions including a Lunch & Learn dedicated to showcasing traditional Gullah Geechee rice dishes, and its origins.
Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 – Gullah Tour & Christmas Market – USCB Center for the Arts – Attendees will take part in a three-hour extensive tour to learn about
the history of Gullah people in the Greater Beaufort area. After the tour, get your Christmas shopping done by participating in the Gullah Christmas Market. Purchase one-of-a-kind gifts from Gullah Geechee vendors to give as the perfect gifts for Christmas.
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, 11 AM – Gullah Taste of Christmas –Beaufort, SC Water front Park – The Gullah Taste of Christmas will showcase vendors and performances by the Gullah Kinfolk Traveling Theater and local artists, with the highlight of the event being the Rice Cook-off. The competition gathers professional Gullah
Geechee chefs, caterers, restaurateurs, and home cooks from the Gullah Geechee Corridor – Florida to North Carolina – to participate in the cook-off, showing off their culinary skill preparing the rice dish for which they are known.
Gullah Homecomings Symposium: Four Sierra Leone – Gullah Homecomings – 2 PM – Technical College of the Low Country – After Many Years, the participants of the four trips to Sierra Leone come together to share their memories and increasing the awareness of the major historical and cultural connections between Sierra Leone and the Gullah Geechee people that historians have uncovered.
In addition, enjoy the annual Beaufort Christmas Boat Parade Saturday evening at 5 pm at Beaufort’s Waterfront Park and the annual Christmas parade on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022 at 3 pm.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.beaufort.com/ events/event/sea-island-gullah-christmascelebration/
Any flavored (or unflavored) olive oil can be substituted for the blood orange olive oil. The easy vinaigrette is completely interchangeable with vinegars and oils. Use your favorites to invent your own special salad dressing. This recipe makes a little over ½ cup. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
Fresh blueberries
Pomegranate arils
For the vinaigrette: ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup blood orange flavored olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad: Mixed salad greens
Thinly sliced red onion
Red grapefruit premiums Mandarin orange pieces
Carambola (star fruit), sliced
Place all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Place salad greens on a large platter.
wTop with, grapefruit, red onion, mandarin oranges, blueberries, pomegranate arils and sliced carambola. Serve with the vinaigrette on the side.
Tummy-warming and completely satisfying. A great winter dinner option.
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 (14.5 0z) can chicken broth
1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
1 small onion, diced
2 (16oz) cans navy beans
2 (16 oz) cans cannellini or great northern beans
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high until browned. Drain on paper towels. In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth to a boil; add carrot and onion and cook until tender. Stir in beans and tomatoes; do not drain; heat through. Stir in cooked sausage. Sea son with oregano and pepper. Heat through. Stir in parsley before serving. Serves 10 - 12.
Are you planning a party? A church luncheon? Are you going to a soiree where you have to take an appetizer? Are you staying at home with family and watching Christmas movies? Whatever's happening, hungry people will certainly be involved. Earlier this week, I tested some new holiday recipes. These three are a few of my favorites. They're easy, delicious and absolutely destined to become annual requested repeats. If you’re looking for more holiday receipts, check out the Gift Guide in the center section of this week's edition of Lowcountry Weekly. Merry Christmas!
Mix cream cheese with chicken in a small bowl. Using assorted star-shaped cookie cutters, cut out bread layers. Slice roma tomatoes, thinly. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. To make the sandwiches, spread a thin layer of cream cheese mixture on largest bread star. Top with a piece of lettuce, and repeat with two more layers of bread stars, cream chicken mixture and lettuce, using smaller stars as you work your way up. Add a slice of tomato and another bread star, spread with cream cheese and topped with a piece of lettuce. End with a the smallest bread star. Using a very small cookie cutter, cut out a piece of cheddar cheese to top the sandwich.
9 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (31 to 35 per pound)
9 white mushrooms, stems removed 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian parsley, chopped Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add garlic and shrimp and cook over medium heat until shrimp just turn pink. Place one shrimp into each mushroom cap and place in a small baking dish. Spoon the garlic butter over the shrimp and mushrooms and sprinkle each with a pinch of shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered, in preheated oven, until mushrooms are tender and cheese is golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the garlic butter. Makes 9.
By Debbi CovingtonAren't these sandwiches the cutest things you've ever seen?! Best part is, they're totally easy to make and they're also yummy. You'll need assorted sizes of star shaped cookie cut ters. You can buy them year-round at craft stores and online. One loaf of sandwich bread will fashion between 6 and 8 sandwiches, depending on the sizes of your cookie cutters and how many layers you choose to make.
1 (8 0z.) container refrigerated cream cheese and chive spread
1 (4.5 oz.) can chicken breast meat, drained Sandwich bread
Roma tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Lettuce
1 (8 oz.) block cheddar cheese, at room temp 4-inch wooden skewers
Room temperature is easier to cut and skewer. Cold cheese tends to break easily. Gently run a skewer through the cheese stars and skewer the entire sandwich to make a Christmas tree. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
You could absolutely make this elegant shrimp dish in mini ramekins for passing at a cocktail party.
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Baking time varies, depending on humidity. Just keep stirring the cereal-pecan mixture every 20 minutes until dry and crispy. I like to make Praline Crunch at night and then leave it in the oven after it's done (with the heat off) until the next morning, to be sure that the cereal and pecans are completely dry.
8 cups Crispix cereal
2 cups pecan halves
½ cup butter
½ cup light brown sugar, packed ½ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place cereal and pecans in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Pour hot mixture over cereal and pecans. Gently toss to coat evenly. Pour cereal mixture on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 90 to 120 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until mixture is dry and crispy. Store in airtight container. Makes 10 cups.
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.
CHRISTMAS TREE TEA SANDWICHESUSCB Center for the Arts invites you to “Be at the CENTER of it all” with a fantastic line-up of events for the upcoming season, including A Swingin’ Little Christmas with Suzy Bogguss! Suzy Bogguss’ Swingin’ Little Christmas is a joyous, festive evening of traditional songs
and spontaneity. “The audience is different every night and so is our performance. The folks that come out are always in the spirit and eager to participate. They're very much a part of the show," says Suzy.
The musicianship is jaw-dropping and Suzy’s rich and fluid voice takes us through
sentimental songs like: “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” to her own raucous “Two Step Round The Christmas Tree.” It’s a fun-filled night of all the Christmas classics sprinkled with some of Suzy’s hits through the years and select songs from her recent releases American Folk Songbook, Lucky and Aces Redux. The whole family will enjoy this Swingin’ Little Christmas Show!
Suzy exclaims, “My favorite thing is watching the people who were pretty much dragged to the show, and seeing their faces change as the night goes on! I love the whole Scrooge transition.”
Tickets are on sale now for this one night only performance, December 8th at 7:30 PM and performed at the USCB Center for the Arts located at 801 Carteret Street in historic downtown Beaufort.
Tickets and details are available online at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com or by calling 843-521-4145.
Editor’s Note: This is Part Two of a three-part essay. To read the entire piece, visit https://lcweekly.com/culture/ finding-felix-part-one/
After a few pictures of the landing zone, we were back on the road to St. MereEglise, the heart of the 82nd’s landing area. The beautiful church dominates the square, hanging from the steeple is a white parachute and a dummy dressed to represent Private John Steele, who got stuck on the steeple of the church coming down. He was hanging there for most of the battle, but fortunately on the opposite side from where most of the German troops were positioned. There were two German snipers in the steeple, but they were afraid if they fired at him, it would give away their position to an American sniper, so they left him there until the bulk of the battle was over with. The people of St. Mere-Eglise really weren’t aware of Pvt. Steele’s story until the film “The Longest Day” began filming there in 1961.
The church itself contains many beautiful stained-glass windows, two of which are dedicated to the airborne operations. The first one was dedicated in 1946 and was designed by the son of the mayor of St. Mere-Eglise who was 10 years old at the time of the D-Day landings. It depicts the Virgin Mary and Christ child above a burning Sainte Mere-Eglise with paratroopers and planes descending around her.
The second window, Eva explained, was given by the people of St. Mere-Eglise to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the invasion. It seems that many of the soldiers who participated in the battle did not start returning to Normandy until the 25th Anniversary in 1969. This window depicts Saint Michael, the patron saint of paratroopers and includes the 82nd Airborne Division, the lion of Normandy, and the Saint Mere-Eglise insignia. Symbols for each of the combat jumps made by the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II are also represented in the window. The same artist that designed the first window also designed the second.
Seeing these windows made me realize it must have taken time for the participants of the battle to begin to talk about it and share with their families -- I don’t remember Daddy
really talking about it, at least not the me, until the 30th Anniversary in 1974, when I was a teenager.
On the opposite end of the square, they have built a museum dedicated to the Airbourne assault. One building houses a glider made from wood and canvas, although apparently the kind of glider Daddy landed in where the British Horsa gliders, made completely out of plywood and thought to be more “secure” Can you imagine? These gliders contained no engine, were towed across the channel by a C-47 some of which had already made one drop previously of paratroopers. The planes delivering the paratroopers flew
west to east across the Cherbourg Peninsula, but the gliders had to be going into the wind to get them to slow down enough to land, so they were towed east to west, meaning they had to be towed over Utah beach, were the aerial bombardment was still going on to knock out some of the German Atlantic line defensive positions that still had troops pinned down on the beach. Surviving the crossing was their first challenge, surviving the landing was their next challenge. The planners of the mission, including Gen. Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower and General Omar Bradley expected a 50% casualty rate for the paratroopers and a 70% casualty rate of killed, wounded or seriously impaired in the gliders before their units could assemble on French soil. Thankfully, those rates did not materialize, although looking in the glider and some of the footage from the landings, I realized how lucky my dad was to survive it and how lucky I am to ever have been born.
At the museum, they had a display of the different colors of parachutes that were used in drops. Of course, the paratroopers had camouflage patterned chutes, and their back-up shoots were white. (This is often portrayed wrong in the movies showing them descending with the white chutes.) But they would also drop supplies using a color-coded system of chutes – a red chute indicated ammo, a bright blue chute indicated medical supplies, and yellow was small artillery equipment and ammo such as shells and mortars.
From St. Mere-Eglise, we headed north to see were the 319th established their headquarters on the high ground about the town. On the way, we stopped at a cornfield – it pretty much looked like many of our cornfields on St. Helena Island in the early fall with the brown cornstalks. But a marker explained that on this site they built an airfield. In order for the planes to have something more substantial to land on, the engineers brought in large rolls of what appeared to be squared off chain length fence. They laid them down to build the runway, so that the planes would not get mired down in the mud. Ava showed me a picture of what the runway looked like when it was completed, then she said, “Now turn around and look at that fence.”
Sure enough, if you looked closely at the fence of the adjacent farm, after the war, the farmer had used the leftover landing strip material to rebuild his fence, part of the famous hedgerows, that had been destroyed by the battle. This scene was repeated in numerous locations with sections of the airfield repairing and replacing fences all over the countryside. Reuse and recycle were important to people who had been living under German occupation for 4 years and had very limited resources after the war.
After a look at the site of their HQ, we headed south to the small town of Chef Du Pont, where the 319th provided artillery support to the 508th paratroopers who were to take and hold the bridge to secure the way for the troops when they could begin moving out from the beaches. The “Battery” book described this in great detail, and there is now a passive park there to commemorate the fierce fighting that took place. The area reminds you a lot of our South Carolina Lowcountry, with a meandering stream of water and low, marshy areas. It was incredible to be standing where I knew my father had been, and as a friend of mine put it, “Can you imagine what he’d have said if at that point during that battle someone told him many years in the future he’d have a daughter that came back here to see it all.”
To be continued in our next issue . . .
Mary Martha Greene is a Beaufort native who has had a 45-year career in lobbying, government relations and grass roots organizing. She is also the author of The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All, a cookbook/food memoir published by USC Press. She divides her time between Beaufort and Columbia.
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly virtual Open Mic Night will conclude for the year on Thursday, December 8, at 6:00-7:30 p.m., headlined by special guest writer Juan Eugenio Ramirez, author of the newly published novel The Man with Wolves for Hands, winner of the Nilsen Prize for First Novel.
Live-streamed on the Conroy Center’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pat conroyliterarycenter) the Open Mic Night is presented in partnership with the statewide nonprofit South Carolina Writers Association and features short readings of poetry and prose by a rotating cast of writers from across and well beyond the lowcountry. All genres and all levels of writing and publishing experience are welcome in the open mic format. The monthly program concludes with longer readings by special guest writers. Recent headliners have included Angelo Geter, the Poet Laureate of Rock Hill, South Carolina; Monica Lee Weatherly, winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry; and Susan Cushman, author of Pilgrim Interrupted.
December’s featured writer Juan Eugenio Ramirez is the author of The Man with Wolves for Hands, published by Southeast Missouri State University Press in September 2022 and selected as the winner of the Nilsen Prize for First Novel. Though born in Washington state, Ramirez spent most of his formative years in Florida. Having taught both middle
school and high school these past fifteen years, he holds an MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and a BA from Florida State University. His work has appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, Armchair/Shotgun, and Madcap Review. He currently teaches high school English at St. Francis School, an independent, progressive education school in Louisville, Kentucky.
"Juan Eugenio Ramirez renders the colorful denizens and stark strangeness of the Sunshine State with a poet’s eye and an absurdist’s heart. Weirdly funny and wildly fun, The Man with Wolves for Hands is a marvel of a novel. Ramirez might be our new Harry Crews—or maybe our Lorca."
— Ryan Ridge, author of New Bad News and American Homes
"The Man with Wolves for Hands blends origin myths and apocalyptic revelations, feral fairy-tale and sharp-toothed satire, whimsical daydreams and vivid nightmares. Weird fiction just got wilder—and more beautiful."
— Annie McClanahan, author of Dead Pledges: Debt, Crisis, and 21st Century Culture
Writers interested in participating in future Open Mic Nights can email the Conroy Center at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. For more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center, visit in person at 601 Bladen Street Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m. or online at patconroyliterarycenter.org
The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry witnesses the incredible charitable spirit exhibited in our four-county service area on a daily basis.
The majority of these people’s good deeds go largely unnoticed by the general public, but are critical to the success of the organizations and/or communities they support. So we, along with a longtime Foundation philanthropic partner, set out to develop something that would acknowledge a deserving individual while benefitting a local nonprofit. I am excited to announce the creation of the Joan and Wade Webster Community Impact Award!
Established as an endowed fund in 2022 with the generous support of Joan and Wade Webster, the Community Impact Award will be presented to an individual who has
made a positive impact in the Lowcountry quality of life and has demonstrated visionary leadership in a community activity or on behalf of a community organization. This is not a lifetime achievement award and is designed to recognize an individual for a recent charitable act. The nominee is required to be a resident of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, or Jasper County,
The Joan and Wade Webster Community Impact Award is the Foundation’s highest honor presented on behalf of a grateful community. The winner will receive a $10,000 grant to bestow to a charitable/nonprofit organization based in the Foundation’s service territory, as well as a piece of art to memorialize the honor.
The fillable nomination form is now available to download on the Community
Foundation’s website at cf-lowcountry.org. Please complete your nomination form and email it to info@cf-lowcountry.org (along with your answers to the three questions). You can also pick up a nomination form at our office located on 4 Northridge Drive, Suite A, Hilton Head Island, SC or request that a nomination form be mailed to you.
The nomination deadline is January 17, 2023. A selection committee, chosen by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry Board of Directors, will review the nominations and select the award winner.
The following are ineligible to receive the award: current board and staff of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry; individuals currently serving in a public elected office; and individuals who are paid staff of a nonprofit.
The inaugural Community Impact Award will be presented on March 29, 2023 at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Annual Community Meeting being held at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. We are extremely excited to announce that the featured speaker at the Annual Community Meeting will be Habitat for Humanity
International CEO Jonathan Reckford. More details about the free event, as well as registration information, will be coming in the near future.
Scott Wierman is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. For more information, visit cf-lowcountry.org
Scott Wierman
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FURNISHED LUXURY APT Heart of downtown Beaufort. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, Housewares. $600/ wk. $2200/mo. 522-9003.
ISLAND NEWS & LOWCOUNTRY WEEKLY are looking for 2-3 sales people. Print and digital. Flexible hours. Perfect for part-time or semi-retired. Generous commissions. Interesting perks. Join up with the Newspapers of Record in Beaufort County. 843-522-0418.
REAL ESTATE LICENSING CLASS Weekend Real Estate Licensing class offered Jan 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29; Feb 4, 5. Held at the Beaufort-Jasper Realtor Association. Time: 9am -5pm. Cost $450 to Register: www.CarolinaRealEstateAcademy.com Kim Matthews 803-460-2131
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 Caroli na 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, ball room, swing, country, or line. Singles welcome. Cash bar and light dinners available. $5 floor fee. HHICSC also teaches beginner Shag lessons Tues day nights. www.hiltonheadshagclub.com, or www.facebook.com/HHICSC
STAINED GLASS CLASSES IN BEAUFORT South ern Sky Glass Studio is forming morning and after noon classes for adults 18 and older. Beginning to advanced classes. Cynthia Buckley 508-280-9792 or southernskyglassstudio@gmail.com
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. mcsween eyclaystudio.com or call 843-694-2049.
BEAUFORT ART ASSOCIATION offers classes for artists at all levels. For info visit www.beaufortar tassociation.com. or 913 Bay St.
LOWCOUNTRY SHAGGERS Mondays at the Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 6-9pm. Caro lina Shag Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom Dance and once a
month a Line Dance is taught. Beginners, Interme diate and Advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com or lowcountryshaggers@aol.com
WEDNESDAYS, BEAUFORT SHAG CLUB founded '02, meets Wed evenings at AMVETS on Ribaut Rd., Port Royal. Free lessons to members. The club is an ACSC, SOS, and the National Fastdance Association member. For info visit www.beaufortshagclub.com
WILDFLOWER FAMILY THERAPY CENTER offers in dividual, couple, and family therapy for children, teens, and adults. Visit us at www.wildflower center.org
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 Pin ning Ceremonies for Veteran patients. Contact 843-473-3939 or smilliken@carishealthcare.com
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 #top6entertain ment 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 locat ed at 77 Pritchard St. Volunteers can stop by store or contact Cate Taylor, 843-310-0594 or catetaylor@frontier.com
MAYE RIVER QUILTERS meets 1st Saturday of Every Month, at Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Coopera tive 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.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort, 1810 Ribaut Road. Looking for committed volunteers for clothes sorting, pantry help, front desk help and Mo bile 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 pa tients. 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 10:00
am until 2:00 pm every Friday and every Saturday from 10:00 until 4:00pm at the Fort Fremont Histo ry 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 his tory 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 compo nent of the U.S. Coast Guard. We conduct safety pa trols, assist search & rescue, teach boat safety, con duct 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 (706-6336192) 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 – Veter ans, 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 Satur day. 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 a wide range of health-related conditions. Experience individualized treatment in a peaceful group set ting. Sliding scale fee. Beaufort Acupuncture, 12 Fairfield Rd, 5B, Lady’s Island. For info and to schedule: (843) 694-0050 or www.BeaufortAcu puncture.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@secondhelping slc.org
AGAPE HOSPICE seeks volunteers to spend time bringing joy to our patients and families during a difficult time. Activities include playing music, bak ing, arts and crafts, pet therapy, manicures, listening to stories, holding hands, etc. Provide companion ship to the elderly who often feel lonely and unap preciated. Contact Ashlee Powers at 843-592-8453 or apowers@agapehospice.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort. Come join the team providing food, mobile meals, clothing and emergency financial assistance to those in need in our community. Open Mon-Fri 9:30-12:30. 2 Ice House Rd., Beaufort. Call or email Jennifer 843-524-1223 or info@helpofbeaufort.org
TIDEWATER HOSPICE SUPPORT GROUP: Last Wed. and Thurs. of the month. Weds. 10-11am at Sun City; Thurs. 12-1pm Brookdale Hilton Head Ct., Hilton Head; for those who provide physical, emotional or practical support to a family member or friend. Jodi Johnson, LMSW. Bereavement Group: 5-6 pm., Thursdays, 10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite A, Bluffton; for those who have experienced a loss and would like support and info associated with grief and bereavement. Corrie VanDyke, LMSW or Marie James, MA. 843-757-9388
INTERESTED IN HEALTHY EATING? Second Help ings, of Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties, seeks committee members and chairperson for Healthy Food Program. Funding available to pro cure fresh produce and protein for the 60 food pan tries 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 liter acy, needs volunteers to deliver books and materi als 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. Re spite 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 estab lishment staff to better interact with a person with Alzheimer's call 843-521-9190.
THRESHOLD SINGERS OF THE LOWCOUNTRY A choir to ease and comfort people at bedside by of fering gentle voices and sacred songs, with sincere kindness. Two to four singers go to bedside when asked and sing a cappella and in harmony. Practice at St. John's Lutheran Church the 2nd & 4th Sun days of the month from 2:30-4:00 pm. Our songs are our gift of service for no charge. Call Pat Keown at 843-476-6073 to either join or ask us to sing for a loved one.
THE LITERACY CENTER is seeking volunteers to tutor adults in reading, writing, math and ESL. Stu dents hope to acquire skills to pursue life goals, sup port families, and contribute to our community. Daytime and evenings in Bluffton and HHI. Call 843815-6616 (Bluffton); 843-681-6655 (HHI). No teach ing, tutoring or other language knowledge neces sary. www.theliteracycenter.org
THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PAN TRY. Volunteer-based, non-profit provides grocer ies, 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 Ma rine 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 Gradua tion Days. Closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanks giving, and Christmas. Info at parrisislandmuseum. com 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 Jas per counties. For info contact 843-322-0063
CHRIST CENTERED
Join Shell Point Baptist Church Saturdays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems and looking to scripture for solutions. Meal at 6pm; Praise and Worship at 6:30pm followed by Small Groups at 7:15pm. 871 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 843-592-1046.
Ginger’ is an appellation used by so many species, it’s impossible to know just which species they are. Only one, however, is the edible ginger we buy in ‘hands’ at the market; Zingiber officinale. You can easily grow this rhizome by breaking off a piece of the hand which has a node, and planting it. All gingers prefer dappled sunlight and moist, but well drained soil. However, I’ve seen some in full, all-day sun which are thriving
All true gingers belong to the family Zingiberaceae, but here it gets really confusing as to orders, genus and species, so we’re not going to go there. Suffice to know that gingers grow in tropical and subtropical areas, and since we’re sub-tropical, we can grow most of them.
Some gingers, as we all know, can quickly outgrow their space and would be considered invasive in tropical areas. Even here, they can be thugs . . . lovable, but none the less, they can be a nuisance.
The flowers of almost all gingers are exotic and colorful. Some, like the Butterfly Gingers (Hedychium) are also deliciously fragrant. They’re great pass-along plants because they belong in the “thug” category. You’ll always have plenty to give away to an unsuspecting neighbor. The flowers of these gingers can vary in shape considerably. Most stay in the white to salmon range and are very desirable as cut flowers.
Many years ago, a nationally known shampoo company touted their product as containing “Awapui”; supposed to make your hair glossy and beautiful. Well, Awapui is the Hawaiian name for Zingiber zerumbet, also known as “Shampoo Ginger.” The flower is a bright red, pinecone shaped flower, about 4 inches tall, which when squeezed, will emit a sap which can be used to shampoo your hair. Even today, a high-end shampoo by Paul Mitchell is said to contain it. The cone stays vibrant on the plant for quite a while, so it’s a desirable landscape plant, too.
Some gingers are called ‘Hidden Gingers” because the flower is at the base of the plant and obscured by the foliage. If it’s colorful enough, though, you can find it.
Others, like Heliconias, known as Lobster-Claws, are dramatic and very visible. These can sometimes be grown here if you have a spot in your garden that is protected, but it’s iffy. In the tropics, they can get 15 feet tall and are popular landscape plants in South Florida.
Shell Ginger, or Alpinia zerumbet, is a great accent plant. Its variegated foliage is a stand-out in shade, but given enough sunlight,
it will produce a raceme of lovely, funnel shaped flowers. Their foliage can be either green and white, or yellow and green.
The intensity of variation varies from plant to plant. When mature, they can get quite large; up to 5 or 6 feet, as just as wide.
Costus is another plant that hardly knows where it belongs in the botanical table. Costus alone has over 150 species and the one most often found is Costas barbatus, also known as Spiral Ginger. They’re so named because the stems can often spiral with the rigid leaves on the outside of the spiral. Unique with interesting flowers. You don’t see them much down here, but they’re said to be hardy in the Lowcountry. There is even one species of Costus that has sweet and nutritious flowers!
By Sandra Educate
The ‘Siam Tulip’ is actually a ginger – a Curcuma, and can often be found in box stores in early summer. The delightful pink flowers do look somewhat like tulips. The powdered rhizome of another Curcuma is the source for the spice Turmeric.
By and large, Gingers are quite carefree. Plant them where they’re happy – part shade or sunny but protected from hot afternoon soon, and in moist but well drained soil and you won’t have much to do except enjoy the show. They are enthusiastic reproducers, so you’ll need to thin them out from time to time. Deer don’t seem to like them much, and will rarely nibble on most. The selection of species and cultivars is very wide, and almost any garden could benefit from a few.
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."
Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. thefoolishfrog.com
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. November! All About Family! We're open thru the Holidays. C'mon down! Mondays & Tuesdays F&B Nights with Discounts; Wednesday, Friday & SaturdayKaraoke at 10pm. Open daily at 11:30am. 17 Years & Counting! (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook
Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 379-3474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com
Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com
Captain Woody’s, 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. 11/23 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler, 11/24 CLOSED - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!, 11/25 & 11/26 Piano 2 Piano - Salute to Jazz Piano Greats with Noel Freidline, 11/30 Bobby Ryder, 12/2 & 12/3 Lowcountry Boil, 12/7 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler, 12/9 & 12/10 Rat Pack Salute to the Holidays with the Bobby Ryder Quintet. (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. 11/25 World Cup Screening - Ecuador v Netherlands & USA v. England, 11/29 World Cup Screening - USA v. Iran, 11/30 Moonchild, 12/1 Kaivon, 12/2 Gimme Gimme Disco, 12/3 Margo Price, 12/8 Laughzilla - standup comedy with Dedrick Flynn, Shawna Jarrett, and Sarah Hartmann, 12/9 World Cup Screening - Quarter Finals; Dolly Disco - Dolly Parton inspired Country Western Disco Dance Party, 12/10 Machine Head. (843) 408-1599 or www. musicfarm.com
The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. Sundays - The Motown Throwdown, Mondays - Slim & Friends; Tuesdays - Fusion Jonez, WednesdaysGrateful Dead Wednesday with Reckoning. 11/23 Maxwell's Silver Jammer - Beatles, 11/24 CLOSED - Happy Thanksgiving, 11/25 Machine Funk - Widespread Panic tribute, 11/26 Drivin' n' Cryin', 11/30 The Kind Thieves, 12/1 Son Little; Lizzie No, 12/2 Al Schnier, 12/3 Funk You; Yam Yam, 12/5 M!ke Live, 12/6 John R. Miller, 12/9 Mike Quinn Super Funk, 12/10 Bendigo Fletcher. (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 11/25 Greg Keys & Co., 11/26 Getaway Bronco, 12/17 The Piedmont Boys; Drew Dangerfield. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.com
Gallery, 913 Bay Street, Beaufort,“ along with a poem written by the photographer, Melissa Whiteford St. Clair.
Now – 12/9, Amiri Gueka Farris exhibit at the FOODseum at the Culinary Institute of the South. The exhibit, at the Technical Col lege of the Lowcountry’s newest campus, fea tures paintings and original works inspired by Lowcountry cuisine and Gullah culture. For more information visit www.tcl.edu/ culinary-institute.
Now – 12/12, Portraits & More at USCB Center for the Arts. Featuring 30-plus works by 15 South Carolina members of the Portrait Society of America (PSA). 801 Carteret St. in Beaufort.
Now – 12/31, Holiday Gallery of Gifts at Art League Gallery. 10am-4pm and Sundays 124pm. Opening reception Wed, 11/16, 5-7pm. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Art League Gallery is located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Car olina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Is land, 843-681-5060.
Now – 1/1, SOBA Christmas Bazaar, at the SOBA Gallery in Old Town Bluffton. www.so bagallery.com
Now – 2/25/23, The Food We Celebrate. This traveling exhibit tells the story of select ed foodways and how they are celebrated and shared. Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage in downtown Ridgeland. www.mor risheritagecenter.org
Sun 12/4, Holiday Artisan Market at Palmet to Bluff from Noon to 5 pm. Boathouse Row at Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Village. Fare from lo cal food trucks and holiday libations will be available for sale. https://tickets.com pleteticketsolutions.com/HAM/Online/de fault.asp
Tues 11/22, USCB Lunch with Author featur ing Karen Grassle at The Belfair Clubhouse be ginning at noon. Grassle will be discussing her memoir Bright Lights, Prairie Dust. Reserva tions must be made by 11/15. Tickets are $50. www.uscbcenterforthearts
Literary Center. 6-7:30 pm. Live-streamed on the Conroy Center’s Facebook page (www. facebook.com/patconroyliterarycenter).
Sun 12/11, USCB Chamber Music, featuring works by Debussy, Copland, Farrenc, and Prokoviev. Concert/ticket information at www.uscbchambermusic.com or 843-2088246. 5 pm at USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St, Beaufort.
Sat 11/26, Indigo Farmer/Artisan Caroline Harper at The Social Betty from 1-4pm. Light refreshments served throughout the after noon. 204 Carteret St, Beaufort.
Thur 12/1, Lowcountry Made’s Bluffton Night Bazaar. Shop local for the holidays by browsing stalls of local artisans in the court yard of Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road, from 5-8 pm.
Fri 12/2, Night on the Town, streets of down town Beaufort, 6-9pm. www.beaufortsc.org/ events/holidays/
Sat 12/3, 12/10 & 12/17, Smile for Santa pho to op event in the Gazebo at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market, from 9:30 am to Noon. Spon sored by the Beaufort Garden Club.
Sat 12/3, Gullah Taste of Christmas, Water front Park, Beaufort, 11 am. www.beaufortsc. org/events/holidays/
Sat 12/3, Lighted Boat Parade, View from sea wall in Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Starting at 5:30 pm. www.beaufortsc.org/events/holidays/
Sun 12/4, Christmas Parade through down town Beaufort, starting at 3pm. www.beau fortsc.org/events/holidays/
Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
Now – 11/30, Winning Photo selected by the South Carolina Society of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) “Rise and Shine: What American Means To Me” Committee will be on display at the Beaufort Art Association
Tues 11/29, Novelist Carla Damron (The Orchid Tattoo), in conversation with execu tive director Jonathan Haupt at 6 pm at the Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St, Beaufort. Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Thur 12/8, Juan Eugenio Ramirez, author of the newly published novel The Man with Wolves for Hands, winner of the Nilsen Prize for First Novel, will headline at the virtual Open Mic Night hosted by the Pat Conroy
Thursdays and some Tuesdays, Tours of the Historic Hunting Island Lighthouse sponsored by the Friends of Hunting Island. Keeper Ted and his team will tell you about the history of the Lighthouse built in 1875. The only Lighthouse in South Caroli na open to visitors. If you're 44 inches tall you may climb the 167 steps to the top for a 360 degree view. Reservations are recom mended - call the Nature Center at 843-8387437. Tours are $2 a person 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 5:30-7:30pm. 843-470-3506. www. beaufortdigital.com
Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchel by the Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/ Child. 843-686-6560.
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