Sasee - September 2015

September 2015 Priceless www.sasee.com

September 2015

Volume 14, Issue 8

who’s who Publisher

Delores Blount

Sales & Marketing Director Susan Bryant

Editor

Leslie Moore

Account Executives Amanda Kennedy-Colie Erica Schneider Gay Stackhouse

Art Director

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Patrick Sullivan

Graphic Artists Stephanie Holman Aubrey Plum

Contributing Photographers Leslie Moore Celia Wester

Web Developer

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30

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Featured When Was Your Dancing Heyday by Janey Womeldorf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Cooking With Barbara by Barbara Crady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Almost Playing the Trumpet by Jeffrey Cohen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Singing From the Heart by Diane Stark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 In Perfect Harmony by Rose Ann Sinay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Like a Rolling Stone by Erika Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Notes For Newcomers by Phil La Borie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 When Skies Are Grey by Melissa Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

In This Issue Read It! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Southern Snaps: Get Squonked with Jackie Dempsey by Leslie Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Born to Care: Anita Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Creating Beauty: John Gore, B. Graham Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Helping Neighbors: Doris Gleason, AARP Community Outreach Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Fun and Funky: Barbara Welch, The Shops at Tweaked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sassee Kids: Turn It Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 September Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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Scott Konradt

Accounting

Stacie Sapochak

Administrative & Creative Coordinator Celia Wester

Executive Publishers Jim Creel Bill Hennecy

PO Box 1389 Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 fax 843-626-6452 • phone 843-626-8911 www.sasee.com • info@sasee.com Sasee is published monthly and distributed free along the Grand Strand. Letters to the editor are welcome, but could be edited for length. Submissions of articles and art are welcome.

Visit our website for details on submission. Sasee is a Strand Media Group, Inc. publication.

Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material, in part or in whole, prepared by Strand Media Group, Inc. and appearing within this publication is strictly prohibited. Title “Sasee” is registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

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Pen & Brush readers’ comments RE: “My Geriatric Vacation,” by Diane Stark What a wonderful gift you gave your mother-in-law, and in turn what wonderful intangible gifts you received. I enjoyed your story.

- Linda

letter from the editor The company that owns Sasee, Strand Media Group, also manages a non-profit, Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art. All of us work hard making each year’s event a success, and my duties include making arrangements for and taking musicians into our local schools to do workshops and concerts. I love seeing how talented many of our young people are, and how enthusiastically they respond to the professional artists we bring to our community each year. One of the schools I’ve worked with is Carvers Bay High School, located in a rural area nearly 40 miles inland from Pawleys Island. While many of the music students lack material wealth, they more than make up for it in enthusiasm and incredible musical talent. Led by band director, Floyd Ruffin, both the Carvers Bay Drum Line and Marching Band have won prestigious band competition awards statewide. Last year, I took an award-winning, Julliard-trained group of string musicians to this school and was a little nervous that the young people might not enjoy this particular musical genre, but when the Annie Moses Band started playing…well, the power of music took over and the kids (and I) had a wonderful time listening to and learning more about one of their favorite subjects – music. Some of the students were even given their first violin lesson –bringing on fits of laughter that could be heard throughout the school! This year, while you are enjoying the familiar songs of Aaron Neville or the smooth jazz of Steve Tyrell or any one of the great shows we have planned, you can feel good knowing your ticket or membership helps us bring the beauty and power of the arts to everyone in our community, not just those sitting in the seats around you.

I hope to see you there!

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RE: “Committed,” by Rose Ann Sinay Oh how many times I have searched for my long lost friends. I too have put in numerous names hoping to find my “partners in crime” to no avail. However the memories keep me smiling and I hope one day I will have that friend request accepted!

-Tammy RE: “My Charming Friends,” by Linda O’Connell Beautiful story, Linda. I loved your description of blowing wishes into the tiny box on your bracelet. Our friends are our connective charms. Where would we be without them?

-Theresa RE: “Mary,” by Celina Colby Mary was lucky to have you as “family”; and what wonderful memories you have of her. Such a beautifully written, emotional essay!

-Rose Ann

Cover Artist Emily Balivet

Psychedelic Gypsy, by EmilyBalivet Emily Balivet is an entirely self-taught, freelance artist whose paintings explore the mystical feminine elements of ancient goddess mythologies from around the world.

Her work includes numerous commissions and hangs in private collections and galleries worldwide. Her paintings possess qualities which demonstrate an admiration for the Art Nouveau, pre-Raphaelite, and psychedelic art movements. She also draws inspiration from the natural world, including both her native Vermont and numerous years spent in Alaska.

Presently living in the heart of Vermont, Emily’s creativity continues to explore the nature of the divine feminine as it expands into new formats, such as her latest large-scale endeavor -- the creation of a tarot deck.

Emily’s complete portfolio may be viewed at www.emilybalivet.com. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Emily email- art@emilybalivet.com.

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Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 phone: 843.626.8911 email: info@sasee.com web: www.sasee.com

Sasee Bridal Guide O arriving P October 2015

Voice

When Was Your Dancing Heyday?

By Janey Womeldorf

Whatever happened to the word “discotheque?” Or even

The DJ blasted out hit after hit from his podium of flashing

“disco?” Does anyone even say that anymore? I’d look in our

lights. When each song ended, everybody just stood there

dictionary to see if they are still listed, but we don’t have one.

waiting while he frantically took one record off the turntable

It disappeared into our home’s black hole along with all those

and replaced it with another. We’d dance for hours in our heels,

other “whatever happened to…” items. It was probably time to

rah-rah skirts, and big hair, except for that one song which, for

get a new one anyway -- it had “facsimile” and “record player”

some unexplainable reason, made us all get down on the floor,

in it. Not that I need a dictionary; the only time we ever used

straddle our legs around the hips of total strangers and row a

one was when we played Scrabble. Then they came out with an

boat. As an adult looking back, I shudder to think how dirty

official Scrabble dictionary which had hundreds of two-letter

and icky that floor would have been. I hate it when boring

words in it, and it took out all the fun. Nowadays, if I want to

thoughts like that hijack my mind, because they remind me

look up a word, I go online; the problem is everything ever said

how sensible, predictable and old I’ve become -- a far cry from

or created in the entire universe is online, so it doesn’t really

the carefree, disco-dancing, boat-rowing teenager I once was.

help.

So what if there was dirt on the floor? Those were fun times.

Perhaps for every new word they add to the dictionary—like “selfie”– they have to take one out. Not unlike my memory: Only so much space. When our parents were young, they didn’t even say disco, they would talk about going “to a dance.” It was a noun back then.

My dancing heyday was when disco music was alive and well: Kool & the Gang; Bee Gees; Donna Summer. I was 16 going on 25, and my best friend and I would count the days until the weekend. Our Saturday night ritual for getting ready involved hours of switching outfits and tweaking hair until the look was perfect; then, we’d catch the number five bus into town. We were both underage, but when I was 16, looking older was never a problem; I loved that about my face. At 51, not so much.

Our dancing venue of choice was the local nightclub called “Tiffany’s” -- a good, wholesome name for a club back then.

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That’s the thing about dancing: It doesn’t matter how old you are, dancing makes you feel alive -- and happy. Even watching it is uplifting. Singing has the same effect; it’s impossible to do either and stay miserable.

I grew up in England where the whole culture of men asking women to dance at clubs was different to what I came to discover in the USA. I remember the first time a guy asked me to dance in the States. I said yes, we danced, and when the song ended, he thanked me and walked off. I stood there, gutted. In England, when a man asked a woman to dance, it meant he fancied her, and he wanted to “court” her for the rest of the evening. It was the dance equivalent of a first date.

Consequently, men only approached a woman for a dance if he was sure she was the one; women only said yes, if they wanted him to be. The problem was, this created a country-wide, Saturday-night stalemate.

You could go into any disco in England, and the scene would look the same: Girlfriends dancing together in a circle around a stack of purses piled high for safe keeping. The men, meanwhile, would be propped against the bar or leaned against

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the dance floor rail, chatting and drinking as they scanned the selection of dancing damsels for “the one.”

Courageous ones sometimes broke from their buddies to ask a girl to dance but risked the humiliating walk of rejection back if she said no. I was always the “fat friend” growing up so rarely got asked, but this was never an issue because women danced with other women anyway. Besides, my pretty, skinny, best friend and I made a good team: she had the looks; I had the chat. She always said she got them to the table; I kept them there. Only best friends can be that honest and still love each other. Forty years later, we still are, and we still do.

Fast forward three decades, (okay, closer to four): If songs from that era come on the radio, my feet twitch and my hips jiggle and if I‘m in the car, I’ll crank up the volume to level three and car dance. What blows me away is that even after thirty years, I still know the words to Kool and the Gang’s “Ladies Night.” How can that be when I can’t even remember what I had for dinner two nights ago?

Years after, the name of the nightclub changed to “Chemie’s.”

I guess the new owners thought this sounded foreign and exotic. It was pronounced like the French word “chemise”

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which means shirt. If you were German, it meant chemistry. I guess either was better than Tiffany’s. As trends changed, the chemistry shirt struggled to stay in business, and two decades later it converted to a record store—sad but somehow fitting.

It’s now a coffee shop.

My (still) best friend and I should go in there for coffee one day. We could wear heels and rah-rah skirts, and if there are no seats, no problem, we’ll just get down on the floor -- just like we did in the old days.

Unless, of course, it’s dirty.

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–Read It!– Nicole Says…Read

The Memory House

by Linda Goodnight Review by Nicole McManus

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Julia Presley’s heart is numb from the unsolved disappearance of her son and the demise of her marriage. It doesn’t help that her family refuses to talk about the boy who was ripped from her life. Julia decides to open a bed and breakfast in a charming, antebellum house in Honey Ridge, Tennessee. As she goes through the motions of each day, keeping her hands and mind busy, she appears to be moving forward. Eli Donovan has just learned he has a son and when his car breaks down in this new town, he stops by the Peach Orchard Inn desperate for work. Julia must decide whether she is willing to risk her heart in the company of this duo, in order to get the extra renovations completed and maybe discover some answers about this house’s mysterious history.

This beautiful southern literature novel mixes time periods and pointsof-view to deliver a breathtaking tale of human growth. The author gives readers two stories, delicately blending romance and mystery, in both a contemporary and historical setting. Though there are slow moments,

readers will be engrossed in the storyline and will be cheering for each of the characters. Fans of the Civil War time period will appreciate this story’s subplot. Overall, The Memory House is a very uplifting, poetic read that reminds us that even buildings have hearts.

There seems to be a new trend in books these days, mixing genres and time periods, which I find fascinating. I am excited that this book is the first in a series, as I found myself smiling as I read each chapter. I loved the balance between present day and the past. The Civil War chapters painted vivid scenes that played out in my mind. This was my first time reading a story by Linda Goodnight, and it won’t be my last.

Nicole McManus Nicole McManus loves to read, to the point that she is sure she was born with a book in her hands. She writes book reviews in the hopes of helping others find the magic found through reading. Contact her at

11 ariesgrlreview.com.

Cooking Now for the finale! After slightly stirring the ingredients only to blend, pour into a generously buttered (yes, butter!) baking dish.

And then Adam will place some reserved, thin squares of hoop cheese on top. He likes to have a pattern to the placement of the squares since that’s how his Grandmother Crady did it, but just a tossing on is okay with me.

Cooking with Barbara

Mmmmmac ’n’ Cheese

by Barbara Crady Whitley

On the cook top across the kitchen, the slightly salted water has come to a rapid boil. I add a bit of olive oil and pour in the entire 16 ounce box of old-fashioned, plain-Jane elbow macaroni. I bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions just slightly less than al-dente stage. I want it to be firm because it will continue cooking somewhat when I add the other ingredients for the most comfortable of the comfort foods – macaroni and cheese. Who doesn’t love it? After all, this dish does have it all; creaminess as well as “toothsomeness,” texture, saltiness, the bite of the cheese and aroma! Ahh! Adam has a hand grater out on the counter and a huge wedge of “hoop” cheese. (“Hoop” cheese is a traditional, non-aged, farmers’ cheese and does not keep well, so it should be used fairly quickly after purchase. Not many supermarkets carry it because of its short life, but look for it. It is well worth the effort of finding it.) While I pour off the hot water and place the pasta into a bowl, he grates the cheese, pausing now and again to pop some of the lustrous golden strands into his mouth. We are companionable while the two of us prepare this, his favorite food.

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Next I beat two eggs, lightly salted, until frothy, add a bit of cardamom – not too much - we don’t want any sweetness from this spice, just an indefinable flavor. Then we add about a cup of half and half and 2/3 cup of evaporated milk. Since the pasta has now cooled somewhat, we can add the liquid to the bowl. We can also adjust the liquid at this time, adding more evaporated milk if necessary. We’re careful not to combine the ingredients too soon, since we don’t want the hot pasta to cook the eggs before baking. Adam stirs to meld and then adds the cheese! We think this is the most crucial step. If the milk and macaroni mixture is too warm, the cheese begins to melt too soon, and we want it to blend in the oven, not in the bowl.

We bake the mixture for about twenty minutes in a 350 degree oven, until the edges are crispy and very brown. Adam’s father, Les, spoons his mac ‘n’ cheese from the middle, but the rest of us will fight for the edges! Heather will scrape the corners so clean that sometimes a scrubby is not necessary when washing the dish.

We like mac ‘n’ cheese by itself, but a classic meal in the Whitley household will include chuck roast (bone-in preferred), rice, brown onion gravy, green beans, and, of course, mac ‘n’ cheese, which undeniably is the star of the show.

In homage to Adam Lee Whitley: His memorial Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bake-off will benefit an HGTC Culinary Arts student and will be held on September 19th in Historic Downtown Conway at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Main Street.

Adam’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni 1 teaspoon salt added to water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup half and half 2/3 cup evaporated milk 2 eggs 1tablespoon flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 pound hoop cheese (or mild cheddar) 1/8 teaspoon cardamom (powdered) optional 1/8 teaspoon sage is also good

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, adding salt and olive oil to boiling water. Drain, and set aside. Grate hoop cheese; set aside, reserving about 2 tablespoons for garnish. Beat eggs; add 1 tablespoon flour and ½ teaspoon salt.

Add 1 cup half and half and 2/3 cup evaporated milk.

Mix well; add cheese, being careful not to stir too much. Garnish top with reserved cheese. Pour into buttered baking dish and bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Barbara Crady Whitley Barbara Crady Whitley is a Master Baker and owner of Crady’s Eclectic Cuisine on Main Street in Conway, South Carolina. She offers cooking classes once a month.

For more information visit: cradys.com, find them on Facebook or call 843-248-3321.

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Voice

Almost Playing the Trumpet Jeffry Cohen

From the time I can remember, I was in love with the trumpet.

I had seen Louis Armstrong on TV, listened to my mother play Harry James records on the Hi-Fi and had decided I, too, could play the trumpet...if I had one. How hard could it be? It only had three valves! It sure sounded simple enough. You press the first valve down...the music goes round and round...oh oh oh oh oh oh...and it comes out here. Unfortunately, the best my kindergarten teacher could offer me in the class graduation band was a triangle. Not a trumpet, but it was better than the alternatives -- the blocks or the sticks.

By the time I reached third grade, I was certain the trumpet was for me. Unfortunately, the only instruments available to my third grade class were flute-a-phones. This white, plastic, second or third cousin to the ocarina was a poor substitute for a trumpet, but I patiently waited, biding my time.

When I reached eighth grade, word got around that a school band was being formed under the direction of Mr. Warren, instrumental music teacher extraordinaire. Rumor had it that Mr. Warren had actually played with John Phillip Sousa. No one ever made it clear whether that meant they played in the same band or just shared a see-saw when they were kids, but that didn’t matter to me. All I knew was that Mr. Warren was loaning instruments out to prospective band members, so I got right into the line filtering into the music room. At last, my chance to play the trumpet, I thought, as I watched my friends exit, a grin on their faces, an instrument in hand. After nearly an hour wait, I made my way to the front of the line.

“So, you want to play an instrument?” Mr. Warren asked, raising an eyebrow and twitching his brush of a mustache.

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“Yessir.” I beamed. “A trumpet. A nice, shiny gold trumpet.”

I grinned.

Mr. Warren shook his head. “I’m sorry, but all the trumpets have already been given out.”

“You don’t understand,” I pleaded. “I love the trumpet. Miles Davis is my idol. Dizzy Gillespie is my hero. I’m even thinking of changing my name to Satchmo!”

Mr. Warren shrugged. “Sorry. The trumpets are gone. How about a nice trombone?”

“Okay,” I shrugged. It was better than a flute-a-phone.

As it turned out, I wasn’t a very good trombone player. To begin with, I had a really tough time learning to read music. I wound up leaning over and listening to the guy on my right, and then I’d try to play what he was playing. Mr. Warren would wave his arms wildly, stamp his feet, and the band would come to a blurting halt. Then he’d stare down at me over his glasses.

“You there. Not only are you playing the trumpet part of the piece instead of the trombone part...but you are playing it badly.”

After six months of trying to read music and dragging that trombone back and forth to school, my father asked me to play a little something for him. I set my sheet music up against a milk bottle on the kitchen table, raised my horn to my lips, took a deep breath and began: Bom, bom… one, two, three, four, I counted, measuring the pauses in the music with the tapping of my foot until it was the trombone’s ...bom bom... turn to come in again. One, two, three...bom, bom...slide, two, three, four. That went on for three agonizing minutes before my father stopped me.

“What the heck is that?” he asked.

“Silent Night?” I answered.

“It sure should be,” he said and walked away shaking his head.

I had to admit, it didn’t sound much like “Silent Night” to me either.

Two weeks later I sat at a band practice, desperately straining my ear to the girl next to me who was playing the clarinet, just trying to find out where we were. As I stared over her shoulder, my trombone held slack in my hands, the slide slid...down the arm, right off of the horn and hit the cement floor with a crash that sounded like a gong. The ringing finally settled, only to be replaced by a dead silence. Mr. Warren escorted me into the hallway.

“Young man, I already have a cymbal player, and I don’t need another one.” So, I was finished. It was the end of my somewhat musical career.

When I got into high school, I decided it might be safer for me to play football than the trombone, so I tried out for the team. I was only 5’2” tall, weighed 111 pounds and couldn’t read football plays much better than I could read music. It didn’t take long before the coach was escorting me off the field, suggesting I might be better suited to play in the band. Shows what he knew.

I don’t hear much marching band music these days. Once in a while I do catch a few notes from a passing troupe in a parade. Maybe I recognize a song or two during half time at a football game. And when I do, I must admit, there is a certain feeling that awakens in me. With the pounding of the drums and the blaring of the horns, I feel more than patriotic. I feel more than nostalgic. I feel more than ever...that I could still play the trumpet...if I had one!

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Jeffery Cohen Freelance writer and newspaper humor columnist, Jeffery Cohen, has written for Sasee, Lifetime and Read, Learn, Write. He’s won awards in Women-On-Writing Contest, Vocabula’s Well Written Contest, National League of American Pen Womens’ Competition, Southern California Genealogy Competition, and Writer’s Weekly writing contest.

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Voice

Singing From the Heart

by Diane Stark

“Did you get a solo this time?” My sister asked excitedly.

I shook my head, as disappointed as I’d ever been in all of my eleven years on this earth. “No. Did you?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “No. I guess we just aren’t a very musical family.”

“But I love singing,” I said. “And I’ve tried out for a solo every year since I was in kindergarten. The kids’ choir is fun, but it would be a lot more fun if I could get a special part, even just one time.” I slumped down, disappointed. “I guess I’m just not a good singer.”

My sister patted my shoulder. “It’ll still be fun though. I really like the program we’re doing this year.”

Mandy was right. Our church’s kids’ choir was doing our spring program on the story of Daniel and the lion’s den.

It was one of my favorite Bible stories, but I couldn’t help being disappointed that I didn’t have any lines of my own.

Our choir director gave each of us kids a CD with the songs on it. Over the next several weeks, I practiced singing the songs until my voice was hoarse. One song in particular was my very favorite, and I sang it all the time. I think I even dreamed about it.

The weekend before our big performance at church, the director had arranged for us to sing at a local retirement home. She thought it would be good practice for us, and the elderly people that lived there would enjoy watching us perform.

But when we arrived at the retirement home, the director was really upset. One of the soloists had come down with strep throat and would not be there to sing her part.

“Does anyone know Jessica’s song?” The choir director asked, getting more worried by the minute.

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I raised my hand high. I knew every word of Jessica’s solo.

Her part was my favorite song in the entire program, the one I’d been singing for weeks. I glanced around and realized that no other child had raised his hand.

The director looked past me. “Does any else know Jessica’s part?” But all of the other kids shrugged or shook their heads no.

The choir director finally looked at me and sighed. “I guess you’re going to be doing a solo today.” She had heard me try-out year in and year out, so she knew I wasn’t a good singer. But I was the only one there who knew Jessica’s part.

When my big moment arrived, I stepped onto the stage, gripping the microphone tightly, and I was only a little bit nervous. I got every word of the song right, although I’m sure they were in the wrong key. Even still, singing in front of all of those people made me feel like a star. Many of the old people smiled at me while I sang and a few of them even clapped along with the music. It was really fun, and it made me feel good to know that I’d made them happy.

After the program was over, we enjoyed milk and cookies provided by the retirement home. I had just bitten into an oatmeal raisin cookie, when an elderly woman came up and hugged me. “I loved your song!” She shouted at me. “It was wonderful!” I realized that the woman must be extremely hard of hearing because she was talking so loudly. “I could tell the song came from the bottom of your heart!”

Later, when my mom congratulated me, I shrugged and said, “I only got to sing because nobody else knew the song.”

“But that lady came up and hugged you, and she looked so happy. She loved your song,” my mom reminded me.

I rolled my eyes. “She was practically deaf, Mom. She probably couldn’t even hear me singing.”

“But did you listen to her? She said she could tell the song came from your heart. And that made it beautiful.”

I rolled my eyes again. “Mom, I had a ton of fun singing for those people, and I guess I made that lady happy, but we both know that I’m not a good singer.”

“Honey, what is the purpose of music?”

Mom’s question made me stop and think. “To make people feel good?”

Mom nodded. “You did that today. No matter how you think your voice sounded, your song made people happy.

And that made it beautiful.”

My performance in the retirement home was my only solo throughout my years in the kids’ choir. And now, thirty years later, I still love to sing, even though I haven’t learned to carry a tune without a bucket.

Although I still envy people who can sing, I’ve never forgotten my mom’s advice that day. When my kids and I crank up the car radio, I don’t worry about how I sound. If my singing makes my kids laugh, I don’t take offense.

I remember that the purpose of music is to make people happy. If our concerts in the car make my kids laugh, that creates a memory. They don’t notice my off-key singing.

They only see that we’re having fun together.

God, in His infinite wisdom, did not choose to gift me with any musical ability whatsoever. But I’ve come to accept it.

I’ve learned that being able to sing is a gift, and if your song makes people happy, it always sounds beautiful.

Even when it doesn’t.

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Diane Stark Diane Stark is a wife and mom of five. She loves to write about her family and her faith. Her essays have been published in over 20 Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

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Get

SQUONKED

Jackie Dempsey

with

by Leslie Moore

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Southern Snaps

Squonk Opera: If the name conjures up a fun and unusual image, you’d be right on track. That’s exactly the type of feeling musician Jackie Dempsey and musician/ visual artist Steve O’Hearn, creators of Squonk Opera, want you to experience when you attend one of their performances. Actually, “performance” is too tame a word to describe the wacky, original music, squeaks and honks, puffs of steam and 40 foot climb into the air

by Lady Pneumatica that make up this year’s “Squonk” experience.

Jackie Dempsey and Steve O’Hearn created Squonk Opera 23 years ago, soon after Jackie finished graduate school, earning a Master of Arts in music. Jackie and Steve met when he was doing some small productions with another artist, but there was very little music in the shows. Of course, Jackie was interested in providing the music. The three started working together and soon realized they wanted a full band, with bass and drums, and started holding auditions. “We figured that if we played music that people could tap their toes to, that we could also present them with all sorts of wacky visuals with no storyline, and they would be okay with that.

When people are enjoying music, they tend to be more open to what’s happening in front of them. And we love to surprise people with the unpredictability of the show.”

After a few different names, none of which stuck, they decided to call themselves Squonk Opera. “We call ourselves an opera because we combine all the arts like traditional opera,” Jackie explained. “Then, we put a funny word in front of it so people would know this was something different!” A new show is debuted every other year, each with its own unique name – the current show is called “Pneumatica.”

At first, Squonk Opera travelled around the country like most bands, doing shows in clubs and bars and art gallery basements with whatever props they could squeeze into one van. But soon they were making bigger productions, starting with a 1995 commission from City Theatre’s Marc Masterson to create “Night of the Living Dead: The Opera” based on the cult horror film from the ‘60s. By 1999, they had created five different multimedia shows, one of which was picked up by commercial producers in Toronto, which then led to an Off-Broadway run. The show received rave reviews including “ingenious, hallucinatory, hypnotic” from The New York Times and “surreal and poetic” from USA Today and was transferred to Broadway in 2000. Since then, the Squonkers have created six more original, multimedia spectacles. They have performed on three continents, in over 30 of the United States and even made it to the Top 48 on America’s Got Talent.

Today their productions are combined with educational activities developed by Steve, the science geek of the group, and taken into schools across the country. “Pneumatica,” the show coming to Georgetown County, combines a musical production guaranteed to entertain with a lesson on the science of air. “Steve loves researching and developing the science aspect of our shows.”

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, her hometown, Jackie is understandably proud of the free concerts/ workshops they do each year with Pittsburgh’s inner city

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youth, especially those kids that don’t have access to the arts in their schools. “It’s fun to use the intersection of art and science to excite the kids,” said Jackie. “Children’s programs are a little more hands on – I love seeing the reactions and the wheels starting to turn!

new places,” Jackie told me. “We planned which days we’d be in which towns, but we left the rest to figure out as we went. It was amazing.” David is the guitar player for Squonk Opera as well as a visual artist/musician with his own creative projects.

I asked Jackie about the process of developing a new show, and she told me, “It takes a while to map it out. There’s a lot of planning involved, and we have to raise the money – we’ll first build a model of the potential set to show funders. Then it takes nine months to a year to build the set, write the music and develop staging ideas.”

A range of talents from musicians to engineers to graphic designers

When they aren’t on the road, Jackie and David enjoy quiet, homey pursuits, such as searching for new items for their home in antique stores and quirky junk shops. “We live in an older home in an older neighborhood, and David is a big gardener. Our yard is really gorgeous thanks to him.” The couple also enjoys relaxing evenings at home, watching movies and hanging out with their three kitties. “David cooks and I bake. I love making berry cobbler and can do a nice apple pie. David’s Indian chicken curry

contribute ideas throughout the process of development.

Jackie was named after her father, Jack Dempsey, (no, not that one), and inherited her musical talent from her drummer dad. “My father was a drummer and a singer. In the ‘50s, he was leader of a band called Jack Dempsey and the Pastels – they all wore pastel zoot suits!” Jackie’s mom was the leader of the Pastels fan club, of course, and the couple will celebrate their 60th anniversary next month. They still live in their Pittsburgh home where Jackie grew up with her sister, Debbie, who lives nearby.

“I grew up hearing my dad play,” remembers Jackie. “He played rhythm and blues, jazz and rock, but when I went to college, I studied classical music. My classical training has been invaluable in the creation of Squonk – when Steve asks for musical gymnastics I’m prepared!” Jackie grew up playing piano, taking lessons all through school, and added the accordion after joining Squonk Opera.

Since the show is mainly performed outdoors, Jackie travels a lot between April and November. She and her partner of 15 years, David Wallace, relish the occasional down time that life as a professional musician/performer offers. This past July, the couple was able to travel to Nova Scotia for a vacation. “We love to explore

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is probably my favorite dish, but he does make a wonderful pesto!”

Before Squonk starting touring so much, Jackie had 50 piano students – because she loves it and to make ends meet. “For years Steve and I didn’t get paid. We would pay everyone else but us. At last, we’re both getting a full time salary, but it took us nearly ten years to get to that point.” She still teaches a bit from home but her main focus is Squonk. “We have to be okay with not knowing every year whether or not we’ll make it! That’s just the way it is in the arts.”

Jackie, Steve and the Squonk crew will travel to Georgetown the last week in September. On Friday, September 25th, the group will give concerts/workshops for nearly 2,500 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in the Georgetown County Schools. On Saturday, September 26th, the group will perform three concerts in Downtown Historic Georgetown, on Front Street, at 11 am, 12:30 pm and 2 pm. Both days are gifts to the community by the Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art as the well loved organization celebrates its 25th year of bringing the arts to our community. The concerts are free to the public. Don’t miss getting “Squonked!”

For more information on Squonk Opera’s performance, visit www.pawleysmusic.com or www.squonkopera.org.

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Born to Care

Profiles

Anita Williams

Morningside of Georgetown Five Star Senior Living Tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Georgetown – my dad bought a radio station here when I was in the 5th grade, and we moved here from York, South Carolina. After I graduated from Winyah High School, I went to Lander University for my degree in Social Work and became a licensed social worker. After working in Columbia in a nursing home for a short time, I moved back home in 1991 to work in a local nursing facility. In 1998, I was hired as Executive Director of Morningside, and all we had was a foundation! They set up an office in my house, and I would visit the construction site every day – I know a lot about this facility as I’ve seen it from the ground up! I love this job. I can honestly say I get up every morning excited about coming to work. Sometimes it really doesn’t even feel like work, it’s just something I was born to do.

I have two wonderful children. My daughter, Hunter, is 20 and a junior at Francis Marion University, and my son, Carter, Jr., is a sophomore at Clemson.

Their dad and I are divorced, but I remarried in 2014 – my husband Butch and I live in Wedgefield Plantation in Georgetown. When I’m not working, I love spending time with my family. I do walk every morning and swim during the summer.

What is the last concert you attended? Tell us a little about it.

It was in 2008 – my friends and I saw Kenny Chesney in Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia. I still love Kenny Chesney. It was the concert where he hurt his foot in an elevator during the show. Everyone around me was concerned when it happened, but I didn’t even notice! I saw him limping, but thought it was just some crazy dance. He didn’t even stop the show, but I think he went to the hospital afterwards. I would love to see Darius Rucker in concert – he’s another one of my favorites.

What is your favorite “feel good” music?

When your guests walk into your home for a dinner party, what kind of music is playing?

I listen to ‘80s music for fun, and everything else is country. It’s funny; I never listened to country music growing up. My dad’s radio station played Top 40, and we listened to it all the time.

Do you play an instrument? Did you take lessons growing up?

I played clarinet in Middle School, but I was not very good. The band teacher encouraged everyone to join the high school band – but not me! [laughing] I took piano lessons growing up as well, and today I can play five songs. And, they’re all Christmas Carols.

How can Morningside help our readers who need help with elder care?

At Morningside, we partner with families to meet the challenges of life as their loved ones age. We offer a variety of care levels for those that may need assistance with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, transferring and personal care.

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In addition to providing the highest quality of health and wellness services, creating the comforts of home is very important to us, from three balanced meals a day, plus yummy snacks, to meaningful social events and activities to daily programming focusing on the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional and social areas of life. Residents may choose the layout of their suite, and add an array of special services. We welcome visitors anytime!

To learn more about Morningside of Georgetown Five Star Senior Living, contact Anita at 843-520-0319.

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Creating Beauty

John Gore: B. Graham Interiors Tell us a little about yourself.

I moved to Myrtle Beach from Whiteville in the fall of 1971 after graduating from East Carolina University. I worked as a time keeper in the original Pavilion Amusement Park that summer and decided to stay. The streets rolled up after Labor Day back then. After several hit and miss jobs, I opened an antique shop.

I’ve been a workaholic most of my life, but now, in my 60s, I’m trying to balance

design work and down time. I was a pretty good watercolorist in the ‘80s and gave it up to concentrate on interior design. I’ve added painting back to my enjoyment list – large, contemporary canvases instead of watercolors. Though I’ve slowed myself down, I still have to stay busy. I’ve never been able to just sit around, and when I’m not working or painting, I enjoy working in the yard or swimming in the pool.

What is the last concert you attended? Tell us a little about it.

I saw Patti LaBelle, and it was a fantastic concert. I had seen her at the Beach Club in the ‘60s. When I was in my teens, a group of us would drive down to the beach from Whiteville and somehow talk our way into the Beach Club. I saw all the greats of that era – Smokey Robinson, Martha and the Vandellas, The Tams, The Platters and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells.

What is your favorite “feel good” music? When your guests walk into your home for a dinner party, what kind of music is playing?

Jazz – from the ‘30s to progressive and oldies from the ‘50s.

Do you play an instrument or sing? Did you take lessons growing up?

I tried the trumpet in high school, but my music teacher finally said, “John, you just don’t have it.” My singing is so bad I stay silent at funerals. Other than my one attempt to play the trumpet, I didn’t have any music lessons growing up. I wish I had taken piano lessons – most of my family played, either through lessons or by ear. I missed out on that talent.

You have built a well known and successful business making people’s surroundings beautiful and functional. Tell us a little about B. Graham Interiors.

The name B. Graham Interiors originated with my deceased partner Betty Graham.

After years of John S. Gore Interiors and two unsuccessful partnerships, Betty and I decided to go into business together. We kept her name because at the time she had been in the design business 15 years longer than me. It was a great partnership until her death --I still miss her.

We are a full service design firm. Designer Susie Darrah and I are both Allied Members of the American Society of Interior Designers. The customer will find us going above and beyond the call of duty to make their design experience enjoyable. As a result our client base is mostly referrals and repeat business. We have our own drapery workroom so we can be very creative, and our showroom is indicative of our taste factor – a very eclectic mix, from antiques to contemporary.

Hiring a professional designer can actually save the customer money in the long run, and turn a vision into reality without the often costly mistakes that homeowners can make. As professionals, we are experienced in all phases of new construction and renovation from concept to completion. We draw from over 1,200 manufacturers in our resource library and showroom.

B. Graham Interiors is located 1307 Enterprise Avenue in Myrtle Beach. Contact John at 843-692-7844 or visit www.bgrahaminteriors.com.

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Profiles

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Always There...

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The Cultural Council of Georgetown County’s mission is to promote the arts and enrich the cultural lives of the youth and adults of Georgetown County.

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Profiles

Helping Neighbors Doris Gleason

AARP Community Outreach Director Tell us a little about yourself.

I am originally from New York and, after living in Atlanta for 18 years, moved to Pawleys Island almost 10 years ago. I’ve been with AARP for 23 years and have held the position of Community Outreach Director for almost 11 years, coordinating a variety of events, presentations and educational programs statewide.

What is the last concert you attended? Tell us a little about it.

Wow - I believe the last concert I attended was Elise Testone at Brookgreen Gardens in 2013. It was a fabulous show; she’s a wonderful performer.

Actually, I’m more of a theatre buff; last year we saw ABBA and this year have tickets for The Bee Gees Story: Nights on Broadway. I feel like I’m dating myself, but I clearly remember my first concert of sorts - it was Billy Joel playing at a local bar in West Orange, New Jersey. He said he’d never go big…

What is your favorite “feel good” music? When your guests walk into your home for a dinner party, what kind of music is playing?

My taste in music varies dramatically; I love anything from oldies to jazz to Zac Brown or Walk the Moon. For a dinner party, I’d probably play some instrumental light jazz to kick off the evening and depending on the night that might change into some soft rock or beach music.

Do you play an instrument or sing? Did you take lessons growing up?

No and no. I play no instrument, can’t sing and never took a lesson. I did play a Billy goat in The Three Billy Goats Gruff in kindergarten, but it was just a braying role.

What’s coming up next with AARP’s community outreach, and how can our readers get involved?

Our next big project is September 18th - it’s called a “Stand Down” and it’s an event targeted to veterans, especially those without permanent housing or those at risk of losing their homes. It’ll be at the U.S. Army Reserve, 3392 Philips Boulevard in Market Common, beginning at 8 am and running until 2 pm. Setup is the day before, from 11am - 3 pm.

We provide no-cost access to address medical and dental needs, eyeglasses, mental health screenings, access to attorneys, showers and clean clothes, haircuts and two hot meals. We’ll also have over 40 agencies there to help sign folks up for services and plenty of non-perishable foods and army surplus goods, like sleeping bags, jackets, etc. to help make life a little easier for those living outside.

This is our second year and we’re hoping for 200 veterans - last year we served 153. It’s an event that will break your heart and make you laugh all in the same minute. It’s incredible to witness, and I’m so proud of everyone that turns out to help.

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If folks want to volunteer or donate items such as non-perishable foods, underwear, socks or items for breakfast such as donuts, muffins, bagels, fresh fruit, etc., they can contact me on my cell 803-873-2266 or email dgleason@aarp.org.

The AARP Myrtle Beach Veteran’s Stand Down will be held on September 18th in Market Common, from 8 am-2 pm. For more information about AARP, contact Doris or visit www.aarp.org.

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Voice

In Perfect Harmony

by Rose Ann Sinay

When the folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel split up, my teen-aged heart broke in half. I cried and prayed that they would mend their relationship.

I didn’t think there were any other singers that were as introspective and talented as they were. It was a huge crisis in my young, impressionable life.

Of course, I had their most recent album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, to help me through the pain of their parting. It was my most treasured possession -- one of the only four records that I owned. I played it over and over again. When the black vinyl became so scratched it started hiccupping Paul and Art’s words, I bought my first compact cassette tape.

Years later, it was replaced with a shiny, silver CD and played, full blast, every Saturday and Sunday morning. My children would start their day with “Wake up Little Susie,” (wake up!) and “Baby Driver” to get them moving.

Sometimes I feared I had spoiled folk-rock for my kids with the weekend barrages of my favorite oldies. Country-western music had filled my parents’ home when I was a child, and I disliked it -- it was their music.

it was punctuated by Nirvana, Radiohead, Metallica and Jessica Simpson. I learned to enjoy the kids’ music (some of it), but perfect harmony, it was not.

In 2003, Simon and Garfunkel temporarily reunited, and I learned that they were in the concert line-up at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, not far from where we lived. I was so excited; I rushed home with the news.

After all the years of listening to their music and sharing them with my family, we were actually going to see them in person. I called our friends; it would be a celebration -- a party. I would officially be a groupie!

When my husband came home, he looked at his calendar. “I hate to tell you this,” he said, “but we leave for our trip during that week.”

Nooooo! How could this happen? They may never sing together again -ever! I’d forgotten about the business trip/vacation. “The Sounds of Silence” filled my head. I contemplated staying home. Ireland would always be there.

Simon and Garfunkel would not.

Fortunately, my kids loved the songs that I sang along with at the top of my lungs: “El Condor Pasa (If I Could),” and “Keep the Customer Satisfied.” I clapped my hands and tapped my feet in time to “Cecilia.” I would unconsciously sing “Scarborough Fair” while rubbing those herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) into the skin of the roasting chicken I was making for dinner. We all knew the words to those songs by heart.

So…we went to Ireland. I sulked and was sad for a few days, but who could be unhappy for long in the land of leprechauns, shamrocks and a pot of gold for a lucky soul. We made plans to visit the Blarney Castle. I knew I could make a wish when I kissed the Blarney Stone. I felt a bit of guilt as I held onto the metal rails, dropped my head back, and kissed the famous rock.

I probably should have wished for world peace, or that our plane wouldn’t crash on the trip back --but, well, you know what I wished for.

“Why don’t you have any Beatles records?” my son once asked as he and his sister went through my meager collection of albums and 45s. “Weren’t they the most popular group back in the old days?”

Time went by, our children grew into adults, and the music became the background for our lives. My secret wish, silly and frivolous, was forgotten.

“Music is personal and timeless,” I explained. “Simon and Garfunkel spoke to me then, and they still speak to me now.”

“Are you saying they “sang” to you personally,” he joked.

I smiled. “You should know that “Bridge Over Troubled Water” got me through those long, agonizing hours of labor bringing you into this world. It was the first, pure sound you ever heard. I would say that was very personal.”

My son’s face turned red as he backed out of my line of fire.

I turned up the volume.

The years passed. I continued to play my music on the weekends, but now

32

On my son’s wedding day, after the nuptials and toasts (ah, it was a beautiful wedding), he pulled me from my chair and led me to the dance floor. When the music started, it took only a few notes to recognize the song he had chosen for our dance. It was the song that had greeted him into the world, and it brought tears to my eyes.

Art Garfunkel’s beautiful voice gave life to Paul Simon’s lyrics in “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” My family had gone full circle, kept together by strong threads of love, values and yes, music, melded together to set that bridge firmly in place. We sang along with those words like they were our own -- in perfect harmony.

Rose Ann Sinay Rose Ann Sinay is a freelance writer typing away in sunny North Carolina. Her articles/stories have been published in The Carolinas Today, The Oddville Press and The Brunswick Beacon.

Shops at Oak Lea 11096 Ocean Highway Pawleys Island, SC 29585 (843) 237-8080 www.eleanorpitts.com

843.314.9314

11378 Ocean Hwy., Unit 3 (Across from the Fresh Market) Pawleys Island

www.MilliesClothing.com

Tickets On Sale Now!

AAron neville october 3

For Ticket Information pawleysmusic.com or 843-626-8911

Even the best parent, grandparent, or caregiver can overlook a sleeping child in a car. The end result can be devastating!

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Like us on facebook for occasional special offers!

Where our unique treasures will tickle you PINK!

Consignments & more Kids are back in school so now is the time to think about redecorating for the holidays!

Come shop and consign with Flamingo Porch. Store is packed full with goodies from furniture, home décor, beach and red hat jewelry and other vintage pieces, Frank Sinatra Memorabilia, and everything in between!

843-651-9570

Located between Food Lion & Tuesday Morning • 752 Mink Avenue, Murrells Inlet Monday - Saturday 10 - 5

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Taylor’s

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fall into fashion

Visit us at our new location!

We’re packing our pouch and hopping over to 40th Ave North on Kings Hwy! Don’t forget to visit our location in The Market Common: 3320 Reed Street Myrtle Beach

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Upscale Consignment Shop 11115 Ocean Hwy., Pawleys Island (Next to Habaneros) • 843-237-8447 Monday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm • take2resale@yahoo.com

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Fun and Funky Barbara Welch

The Shops at Tweaked Tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in a very close-knit family and community in Scranton, South Carolina.

After college I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and lived there for 20 years, and we moved back to South Carolina in 2001.

My husband Bob and I have been married for 28 years and have two children; our daughter, Bess, lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the E-Commerce Merchandise Planner for Southern Tide, and our son, Sam, is a junior at Clemson, majoring in Computer Engineering. Yes we are huge Clemson football fans. Bob’s family has had the same seats for over 50 years -- our blood runs orange! We have lived in Murrells Inlet for six years and opened our business, Tweaked, here, two and a half years ago.

What is the last concert you attended? Tell us a little about it.

The last concert I attended was held at my favorite place in Atlanta -- Chastain Park Amphitheater. It was my daughter’s birthday, and we met some friends to see the Goo Goo Dolls, Colbie Caillat and Lifehouse.

What is your favorite “feel good” music?

When your guests walk into your home for a dinner party, what kind of music is playing?

I have a long list of “feel good” music ranging from ‘70’s funk, classic rock to classical. As far as music for a dinner party, I prefer smooth jazz from the old and new crooners like Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé.

Do you play an instrument or sing? Did you take lessons growing up?

I can play the piano; I took lessons for ten years. My favorite songs to play are hymns, and no, I do not play well enough to play for church!

What keeps customers coming back to The Shops at Tweaked?

What’s new and exciting for fall?

Our customers say that they love coming in to see what’s new and different. I spend a great deal of time and energy researching to find unique, good quality items.

Sometimes I find an item and know exactly how I want to use it or repurpose it, but am not sure how to make it happen. Fortunately my mechanically-inclined husband can bring my visions to life. We work very well together. We have a wide array of new, vintage, antique, locally made, made in the U.S.A. and repurposed items at great prices. Also, we offer shipping because many of our customers are from out of state.

This fall, we have some fun and fabulous holiday decorations coming in. Also we are in the process of planning some trunk shows with some awesome ladies. As usual, we will have a lot going on so be sure to stop in regularly.

The Shops at Tweaked are located at 4491 Highway 17 Business in Murrells Inlet, just south of Lee’s Inlet Kitchen. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 am - 5:30 pm.

Contact Barbara at 843-651-5560.

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Profiles

Enjoy High Tea in a Quaint Cottage Setting Celebrating our 8th anniversary

Thanks for your support

Furniture

Calabash Garden TEA ROOM

Call for reservation & Gift Shop 10152 Beach Dr. Calabash, NC 28467 910.579.9500

www.CalabashGardenTeaRoom.com

Hours Wed. - Sat. 11:30am - 3:00pm

Home Décor Apparel Jewelry Custom Services

Vintage & Shabby Chic Home Décor 843-651-5560 • 4491 Hwy. 17 Business (One Mile South of the Marsh Walk) Murrells Inlet

Tues - Sat 10 - 5:30

Tickets On Sale Now!

Davis & Johnson

The Oasis Shopping Center 2520 Hwy. 17 Business Garden City 817-235-6875 717-451-2856 2sisters@hotmail.com

anD The Fabulous equinox orchesTra

ocTober 16

www.gymetiquette101.com

For Ticket Information pawleysmusic.com or 843-626-8911 37

Voice

Like a Rolling Stone

by Erika Hoffman

I never went to concerts when I was a teen or a college

congregants represented other generations as well, but

student. They were expensive, and I was not musically

not many concert goers were of an age less than thirty.

inclined, which was a disappointment to my mother

My son and daughter-in-law, who accompanied us,

who during the ‘60s played her accordion avidly and

appeared younger than most in attendance.

joyfully many afternoons in our split level in New Jersey.

Of course, I was aware of the rock stars of my day and enjoyed the ditties of the Beatles but felt overwhelmed and threatened by the Rolling Stones’ music, as if listening to it was something akin to watching porn.

I didn’t think of my childhood home as Puritanical or straight-laced at the time, but I guess my parents’ disapproval of certain types of concerts or entertainers did filter down to me, and any celebrity who acted too irreverent or too sexual or too druggy-like was anathema to my folks. I wasn’t particularly curious about that world either; I wasn’t rebellious. I just accepted that strange people existed, as well as dangerous men, and it was best to stay away from a certain sort, like wild musicians. Nor was it smart to listen to their music.

drunks although the ambulance did come twice and carry folks off on stretchers. My husband commented that breaking a hip might have been more a probability than any under-age- consumption of liquor causing problems.

The stadium for NC State is gargantuan. Ergo, the Stones seemed like tiny specks from where we sat; however, three huge screens provided close-ups.

Outdoors in the hot night air, people focused on those large screen images more than they did on the dancing mosquito-legged performers on the far off platform.

Mick asked in his distinctly Brit accent: “Are there any Blue Devils, Tar Heels, or Wolf Packs here tonight?”

The added “s” on NC State’s Wolf Pack amused my son.

So, what made me now, in my sixth decade of life, buy

Then, Mick commented on how it was unusual to have

expensive tickets to the Rolling Stones concert when

these three groups all in the same place at the same time

they came to perform July 1st at Carter- Finley Stadium

and yet not be contending with each other. Applause

in Raleigh? To me now, those tickets didn’t seem out

erupted. And then he began singing.

of reach. In light of today’s society, the British band’s lyrics seem rather innocuous. And Mick’s androgynous, frenzied, gyrating dance moves appeared humorously odd more than sensual.

38

I didn’t smell any weed nor did I spy any falling down

His voice was the same as always. A youthful voice with a huge range, I thought, but then again I’m not able to sing so my analysis has to be taken with a bucket of salt. What diverted my attention at times from listening

The folks around us were predominantly older than I

was watching his prepubescent body writhe and trot

by a decade or more, like Mick. Many men sported gray-

and flutter frenetically around the stage while the next

haired pony tails or had a frizzy, white untamed “do” like

screen flashed his face—that of an octogenarian! It

Keith Richards’ haircut or lack thereof. The women, if

almost looked as if some mad Dr. Frankenstein scientist

I squinted my eyes, had that vague, innocuous look of

had drafted a 73 year old head onto the physique of a

the flower children half a century ago. Of course, the

malnourished sixteen year old. Keith Richards and the

others also looked emaciated with craggy countenances, but they didn’t act as vibrantly and aerobically fit as old

I’m so glad I went. Some folks as they age get stodgier and more conservative. Not me. I am sort of a Benjamin

Saint Mick.

Button type. I started off stodgy and serious and as the

When they finished their performance, they had not yet howled that they can’t get no satisfaction so I knew there’d be an encore to give everyone satisfaction which everyone needed after the snarled traffic jams and lengthy hikes from the sundry parking lots. As the four originals took their final bow, they looked winded but were still standing after two intense hours of entertaining us. On the other hand, after two hours of sitting on hard bleachers, I struggled to stand up. That’s how stiff my

years peel off, I find myself enjoying the antics of wild ---albeit ancient rock stars--- and long in the tooth party goers! Life is too short to be too serious! As the cliché goes: “Better late than never.” Not only should we go out and smell the roses, but also plant roses and then under the moonlight, from the garden, we need to invite someone to tiptoe through the tulips, by the willow tree to live life fully, unafraid, unencumbered by doubts. Like a rolling stone.

old body was!

On the way out, my son grumbled that Jagger didn’t converse much or have any sort of banter with his cohorts the way most musicians do in concerts nowadays. I replied, “Son, the guy is 73! He had to conserve every

Erika Hoffman

has lived her adult life in North Carolina, and briefly in Georgia, but in her early years she was a Jersey girl. She always wanted to be a writer, but her practical mother insisted she get a teaching certificate, which she did, of course.

breath!”

39

Norman Rockwell’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn exhibit

Notes for Newcomers The Art of Making Art Accessible

by Phil LaBorie

If you’re anything like me, the idea of exploring an art museum can be somewhat intimidating. First of all, there’s usually an admission fee. Once you pay it, you’ve invested in the process, so you want to get something worthwhile out of it. Right? Fair enough. However, there’s all that artwork hanging about to look at and artists’ names to remember -- a tough enough task in and of itself.

For instance, I recently visited the new Whitney Museum in New York City. Talk about intimidating! Eight (count ‘em 8) floors of modern art on display for your viewing pleasure or brain pain depending on your point of view. In my case, while I loved the work, my head simply went into overload mode. After seven floors, I simply couldn’t face the eighth.

Far too much information!

And how about those knowledgeable comments from fellow spectators? They always seem to be very authoritative, at least they sound that way to me; so when I hear them, I always wonder if I really understand what I’m looking at.

Fortunately, the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum (The Art Museum) in Myrtle Beach is just the opposite. The Art Museum displays wonderful work from both local and nationally recognized artists in relaxed and manageable surroundings.

Then there’s the final, haunting question when you’re done looking at all the work: “Can you remember who painted, drew, sculpted, photographed or created what, and when was it done?”

With 3,100 square feet of exhibition space in 11 galleries, The Art Museum visitors have the opportunity to take their own sweet time to examine and enjoy the individual works of art, leisurely read the background explanations and artists’ statements, and fully absorb the work on display.

And in some cases, while it is significant and important work that has been created by well-known artists, there’s simply too much to take in.

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And even if there’s a good-sized crowd of gallery-goers, it never feels overcrowded. As Goldilocks said, “It’s just right!”

Voice

Norman Rockwell’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn exhibit Located in a former beach house 300 yards or so from the ocean at Springmaid Pier, the Art Museum provides a breath of fresh air that will invigorate your senses, enliven your sensibilities and awaken your soul without overloading your brain.

According to Patricia Goodwin, The Art Museum’s Executive Director, “We see ourselves as sort of our community’s front porch. The Art Museum is a comfortable place where visitors can enjoy a welcoming atmosphere, explore the art at their own pace, or even take a guided tour, if they wish. We’re dedicated to being one of the finest visual arts museums in the Carolinas with an aim to inform, educate and celebrate the arts through unique exhibitions and interactive educational and creative programs for people of all ages.”

Museum Curator Liz Miller adds, “With ten to twelve exhibits a year, there’s always something new on display.

And with nearly 200 pieces in our permanent collection, we have a wide variety of older and newer work to draw from.”

Education Coordinator Arielle Fatuova says, “The kid’s classes here are so much fun. It’s very rewarding to watch how involved children get when they really get into a project and make it their own.”

In a world that can sometimes be remarkably devoid of the vision, understanding and compassion that art can

Steve Jameson’s Ode to the Grand Strand engender in all of us, the Art Museum is a welcoming beacon to hone in on.

Admission to The Art Museum is free-of-charge, but donations are always appreciated.

When you do visit The Art Museum, be sure to stop by the Museum Shop. An extensive display of local artists’ and artisans’ work is always on display. Take a minute and have a look, you just might find something you can’t live without.

As a final thought, I’d like to quote from the Swiss artist Paul Klee.

Many years ago, Klee wrote, “A line is a dot that went for a walk.”

In this writer’s opinion, the Franklin G. BurroughsSimeon B. Chapin Art Museum is much more than simply a dot on a map; it’s a direct line to a thoroughly rewarding experience. And even better, it’s a short trip because the Art Museum is right in our own backyard.

You can call The Art Museum for current exhibit details at 843-238-2510 or email them at info@myrtlebeachmuseum.org.

Phil LaBorie

is an award-winning writer/ artist based in Garden City, South Carolina. His work has been published in AdWeek, The Kaiser-Permanente Journal , Westworld Magazine and online at smilesforall. com. Phil is the 2015 winner of the Alice Conger Patterson Award offered through the Emrys Foundation.

He can be reached at plaborie@voxinc.net.

41

Sasee Kids

Turn it Up! M A K usic

pps for

ids

Kids of all ages love music, and devices such as smart phones and tablets give them the opportunity to connect with a wealth of musical learning

tools that encourage creativity and provide an entertaining, educational experience. To help get your little Mozart started, Sasee has selected her favorite kids’ music apps available for download at Google Play and the iTunes store:

DoReMi 1-2-3: Music for Kids

Music Tutor

Age: 10 and up Price: Free About: Music Tutor helps older children (and adults) learn to read music and hone their sight reading skills through various, timed challenges.

Animal Band 3D

Age: 2 and up Price: $0-$.99 About: Animal Band 3D introduces toddlers to different instruments and their sounds through interactive and entertaining renditions of their favorite kids’ songs.

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Age: 4 and up Price: $2.99 About: DoReMi 1-2-3 uses adorable cartoon characters to teach kids to learn to play by ear and introduce them to elementary musical concepts.

Music Superheroes Age: 6 and Up Price: $1.99 About: Music Superheroes teaches kids about tempo, rhythm, notes and instruments through a series of challenging games.

Voice

When Skies Are Grey

by Melissa Face

I crouch at the bottom of the stairs and listen as my husband, Craig, sings Evan to sleep. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” It’s a bit pitchy in places; my husband is not a singer. “You make me happy, when skies are grey.” I strain to hear more because I know the beauty in this song, and I know why he sings it. For our family, it is much more than a simple song.

My husband’s mother passed away years ago. And though some memories have faded throughout time, Craig still remembers his mom lulling his brother to sleep with this tune. He might recall how her voice sounded, but he undoubtedly recollects how the song made him feel: warm and loved.

Last fall, our Evan entered preschool and participated in his first music performance for parents and grandparents.

The program, entitled “You Are My Sunshine,” began with the song by the same name. Along with his classmates, Evan stood straight and proud and confidently sang the familiar lyrics in a way that I had never heard before. It was hard to not cry.

While my precious preschooler sang out the words he had practiced for weeks, I thought back to my pregnancy and his birth. Evan was born just a few months after my father-in-law, David, passed away. David was able to pat my pregnant belly that summer. That was his and Evan’s only earthly connection. His illness progressed rapidly. David died in August, and Evan was born in November.

To say that his passing devastated the family would be a gross understatement. It was a trying, difficult time. How unfair it was for David to never meet Evan. How unfair for Evan to miss out on the love of a special grandparent.

We soon realized that Evan’s birth brought light to a very dark time. The coos, smiles and snuggles of a newborn warmed our souls. Evan made us happy when our skies were grey.

It’s funny how we become attached to certain songs throughout our lives. And sometimes, we are so connected that it is difficult to separate life and music, conversations and lyrics. That is why the sound of a simple melody can bring on a smile or a torrent of tears. We are intertwined: the music is in us, and we are in the music.

Just a few months ago, I went online to create some wall art. I had a candid of Evan at a fall festival, and I wanted to turn it into a canvas. The photo is a close-up of his face, looking over his shoulder and smiling at me.

I perused the online merchandise for a template with an interesting quote or background. On the last page of options, I found it: a twelve by twelve canvas with the lyrics, “You Are My Sunshine” in the bottom left corner. I created the picture and added it to my online shopping cart without even checking the price. Sometimes cost is just irrelevant.

Every now and then, these little pieces of sunshine surface in our lives. Sometimes they are on picture frames or Christmas ornaments, and we buy them when we can. Perhaps they are mere coincidences, perhaps a little something more.

I have lived long enough to experience my share of grief.

I have known great loss. And because I have fought my way through darkness, it is easy to recognize the sunshine when it peeks through the clouds. I can feel it in a song. I can feel it in a memory. I can see it on Evan’s face when he hands me a yellow flower on a rainy day.

Melissa Face Melissa Face lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband and two children. She teaches English, writes essays, and spends a little too much time on Facebook.

Email Melissa at writermsface@yahoo.com.

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september 6 13 20 27 11

Annual 9/11 Benefit Dead Dog

Saloon, Murrells Inlet, doors open at 11 am, free All American Buffet all day, live auctions, silent auctions, 50/50 raffle, all proceeds to benefit local police and fire departments. For more info, call 843-651-0664 or visit www.deaddogsaloon.com.

13

Chocolate Sunday annual fund-

raising event for the Cultural Council of Georgetown County, Palmetto House, Historic Georgetown, desserts, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, iced tea, chocolate martinis and live performances. For more info, call 843-359-1078 or visit www.culturalcouncilofgeorgetown.com

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

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Myrtle Beach Veteran’s Stand Down 8am-2pm, U.S. Army

Reserve, 2292 Phillips Blvd. (Market Common), free services for veterans include dental, medical, counseling, haircuts and more. Breakfast and lunch provided. For more info, call 843-4274568.

3 10 17 24

2015 4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

18-27

SOS Fall Migration various events, Main St., North Myrtle Beach.

For more info, call 843-281-2662 or visit www.shagdance.com.

19 25-26 24-27 25-27 Purple Feet Festival, Silver Coast Winery, 6680 Barbeque Road, Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., 11am - 5pm.

Live music, arts & crafts, food and more! Call 910-287-2800 for more info.

Seaside Palette En Plein Myrtle Beach Greek Festival, Air, Chalk Walk and perfor- Thurs. 11 am-9 pm, Fri. & Sat. 11 ammances by Squonk Opera on the 10 pm, Sun. noon-7 pm, St John the

26th, Front Street in Historic Georgetown, Fri. 9am-7pm, Sat. 9am-5pm with Wet Paint sale at 3 pm on Kaminski House lawn, free to public. For more info, call 943-6268911 or visit www.pawleysmusic.com.

Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 3301 33rd Avenue N., Myrtle Beach. For more info, call 843-448-3773 or visit www.stjohn-mb.org.

25-27 Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival, Huntington Beach State Park, daily fee is $8, multi-day pass is $10. For more info, call 843-237-4440.

26 10/1 10/2 10/3 Annual Irish-Italian Festival, 10am-4 pm, Main Street, North Myrtle Beach. For more info, call 843-2813737 or visit www.nmbevents.com.

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16th Annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala, 7 pm, The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, $100. Reverse drawing with 5K prize, hors d’oeuvres, wine and cordial tastings, silent auction, and more. For more info, call 843-6268911 or visit www.pawleysmusic.com.

A.J. Croce, 7 pm, The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, $45, $35, $25, For more info, call 843-626-8911 or visit www.pawleysmusic.com.

Aaron Neville, 7 pm, The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, $85, $45, $30. For more info, call 843-626-8911 or visit www.pawleysmusic.com.

Your Tailgating headquarters!

Available in 7 Fun Colors!

Palmetto Ace Home Center 8317 S. Ocean Highway Pawleys Island, SC 29585 (843) 235-3555 www.palmettoace.com

Foreign • Domestic • Cars • Trucks • SUVs

Carolina Car Care “Your Hometown Auto Repair”

Bob & Myra Levine, Owners

Locally Owned & Operated!

860 Inlet Square Drive Full t Keep I Murrells Inlet S e rvice ! l Loca

843-357-0862

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Join us for great specialty drinks, craft beers & Great PDQ teas Fresh brisket burgers, delicious Certified Angus Beef steaks and locally caught seafood!

Pastries and desserts prepared daily by our in-house pastry chef!

Antiques • Avon • Baby & Toddler Boutique Collectibles • Country Decor Fabrics + Notions • Wood Products Unique Handmade Crafts Handbags • Jewelry • Vintage Items Glassware • WoodWick Candles

843-238-3622 • www.homespuncrafters.com 114-A Hwy. 17 N. • Surfside Shopping Center, Surfside Beach Mon - Fri: 9am to 6pm • Sat: 10am to 5pm • Sun: 1pm to 5pm

RK CONSIGNMENTS AND INTERIORS

Authentic Smokehouse Barbecue and Locally-Sourced Lowcountry Favorites

Great PeeDee Q

HANDMADE JEWELRY BY NORA SPEIGHT

843-314-3928 • 251 Willbrook Boulevard, Pawleys Island, SC 29585 11am-10pm 7 days a week • extended bar hours

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ExclusivE stockist

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HIGH-END DESIGNER HOME FURNISHINGS AND ACCESSORIES ON SITE UPHOLSTERY & WINDOW TREATMENT WORKROOMS CONSIGNED FABRICS & INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTATIONS AVAILABLE (IN-STORE OR IN-HOME) Kalina PetRova • 843.503.3234 KALINA_VP@YAHOO.COM

843-390-2600 1510 Highway 9 East, Longs, SC (across from large Little River water tower) www.RusticallyRefined.com

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Ryan Smith • 843.283.8517 RMSUNLIMITED@YAHOO.COM

4533 HWY. 17 BYPASS S., MYRTLE BEACH SC 29577 WWW.RKCONSIGNMENTS.COM

32nd Anniversary Specials throughout September!

BENEFITING THE PAWLEYS ISLAND FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & ART

All Inclusive Winee Ga Gala Ticket for $100 includes: THE C HANCE TO WIN $5000!

W INE TASTING FABULOUS H ORS D ’ OEUVRES D ESSERTS … AND A G REAT TIME !

Join us at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island Thursday, October 1, 2015 • 7:00 pm

Locally owned and operated

The Collector’s Circle Ticket for $175 includes:

Owl’s Nest Furniture

All of the above plus the Collector’s Circle Private Tasting.

This is a great opportunity to taste some rare and unusual wines.

Tickets must be purchased in advance at pawleysmusic.com or 843-626-8911 A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization

The Accessory Cottage.. .................................................... 27 B. Graham Interiors.. .................................................... 9, 27 Barbara’s Fine Gifts.......................................................... 25 Belk................................................................................ 15 Bienvenue Home............................................................. 21 Blue Heron...................................................................... 13 Brookgreen Gardens.. ....................................................... 10 Butler Lighting................................................................ 28 Calabash Garden Tearoom................................................ 37 Callahan’s of Calabash. . ...................................................... 2 Carolina Car Care............................................................. 45 CHD Interiors..................................................................... 3 Chocolate Sunday............................................................ 28 The Citizens Bank............................................................ 28 Coastal Dance.................................................................. 27 Coastal Luxe.................................................................... 17 Crady’s............................................................................ 13 David Grabeman, D.D.S., P.A............................................... 5 Dickens Show.................................................................. 13 Doodlebugs..................................................................... 21 Dr. Sattele’s Rapid Weight Loss & Esthetic Centers.. ............ 29

Your Wise Choice for Coastal Furnishings! Great Values.

410-A Hwy. 17 Bus. North, Surfside Beach (Next to Post Office)

843-238-1902 www.owlsnestfurniture.com

Advertiser Index

Eleanor Pitts Fine Gifts & Jewelry..................................... 33 Finders Keepers............................................................... 23 Flamingo Porch............................................................... 34 Grady’s Jewelers.............................................................. 10 Great Pee Dee Q. . ............................................................. 46 Gym Etiquette 101.. ......................................................... 37 Homespun Crafters Mall. . ................................................. 46 Homewatch Caregivers.. ................................................... 45 Kangaroo Pouch.............................................................. 35 Long Bay Symphony.. ....................................................... 34 Low Country Rice Culture................................................. 31 Millies.. ........................................................................... 33 Morningside of Georgetown.. ........................................... 23 Off The Wall & Onto The Stage.......................................... 11 Owl’s Nest Furniture.. ....................................................... 47 Palm Shoe. . ..................................................................... 13 Palmetto Ace Hardware. . .................................................. 45 Pawley’s Island Festival of Music & Art. . ............. 31, 33,37,47 The Pink Cabana.............................................................. 24 Pluff Mud.. ...................................................................... 23 Pounds Away. . ................................................................. 34

Prince George Framing. .................................................... 21 River Room Restaurant.................................................... 21 RK Consignments............................................................. 46 Rose Arbor Fabrics & Interiors........................................... 25 Rustically Refined............................................................ 46 Sea Island Trading Company............................................. 48 Seaside Furniture............................................................. 11 Seven Seas Seafood......................................................... 23 Shades & Draperies. ........................................................... 5 The Shops at Tweaked...................................................... 37 Studio 77........................................................................ 25 Sully and Bay.................................................................. 21 Take 2 Resale................................................................... 35 Talk of the Town.............................................................. 34 Taylors............................................................................ 35 Treasures Jewelers........................................................... 31 Two Sisters...................................................................... 37 WEZV.............................................................................. 39 Wine & Design................................................................... 5

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