Azalea Magazine Spring 2023

Made To Be Worn

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The stars are out in Summerville! Meet the Benko family, coming next spring to the new Magnolia Network series, Happy To Be Home With The Benkos.

56

THE HOUSE OF BENKO WING MAN

Robert Hortman’s wood and bronze sculptures capture the Lowcountry’s bird species in uncluttered form highlighting the rich diversity of South Carolina’s wildlife.

The Benkos at home in Summerville. Photo by Dottie Rizzo

Proof Positve

When we started Azalea Magazine, we had a clear purpose, we wanted to tell the stories of the community we loved through words and images. But, not just any stories, they had to be good stories—they had to be positive stories.

There is plenty of bad new, and there always will be. Bad news sells. We are all inundated with it everyday. From the twenty-four hour news cycle and social media to gossip sites and political coverage, there is enough negativity circling our conscience to keep us focused on what's wrong with the world. At Azalea Magazine, we wanted no part in that. There is a lot of good out there, we just had to find it.

Now thirteen years and fifty-five issues later, I'm proud of what we've done. We've told stories that meant something to us—that we felt would add to the collective pride of the Summerville people and of our neighbors in the community. If a story didn't feel right, we didn't tell it. And, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that we never printed a cross word about anyone.

As you read through this issue, take the time to really see these people. They are good people doing good things. There is a lot of good out there. You just have to find it. We have had a lot of fun doing just that.

Will Rizzo Editor In Chief

Will Rizzo Editor in Chief will@azaleamag.com

Dottie Rizzo Managing Editor dottie@azaleamag.com

Susan Frampton Senior Editor Contributors

Tara Bailey

Eliza Chapman Bailey

Jennifer Howard

Ellen Hyatt Diana & Will Thompson

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THE MOST CHARMING

Summerville is directly positioned at the heart of the most beloved attractions in the Lowcountry. Its small town-atmosphere and proximity to Charleston and the beaches makes Summerville the perfect home base for all your adventures . visitsummerville.com

SUSAN FRAMPTON Writer & Editor

Susan Frampton began her second act as a writer over a decade ago. The fascinating people and places she has gotten to know along the way make her appear far more interesting and a much better party guest. She is currently living the dream with husband Lewis, who is mortified by the (true) stories she tells of his adventures, but grateful that she takes first aid supplies everywhere.

Hyatt’s writing has garnered recognition from professional, literary, and mainstream sources. Her works have twice been the recipient of what the Poetry Society of SC refers to as “the big one” (the Dubose & Dorothy Heyward Society Prize). She is a Fellow of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, professor, columnist, and appointee to the Board of Governors of the SC Academy of Authors.

ELIZA CHAPMAN BAILEY Writer

A Lowcountry Native, Eliza grew up in Summerville and Mt. Pleasant. She currently resides in Summerville with her husband, two children, three dogs and two cats. An Elementary School Media Specialist in N.Charleston, Eliza has a BS in Political Science from the College of Charleston, and a Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of SC.

Will and Diana Thompson met while in college at Clemson University and married in 2003. They are parents to three children (Wyatt, Ruthie, and Seth). They have years of experience serving and encouraging others. In their spare time, you can find them supporting their kids at the dance studio, the ball field, or going for a run in Summerville.

ELLEN HYATT Poet

WILL & DIANA THOMPSON Writers

Days begin to get longer in spring because the Earth tilts toward the sun.

It doesn't always rain more in April, but It rains more often.

A BRIEF LOOK at LOCAL CULTURE

Children actually grow faster in the spring than other times of the year.

Spring

Here's to the season of new growth

The first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere is the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

Sense of smell can be more acute in spring due to more moisture in the air.

The first day of spring, the vernal equinox, has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

Photographed by Taylor Rizzo

A fox Hunt in Charleston.

Sip & Stroll

Enjoy a selection of wine and local brews while walking the historic Charleston landscape.

APRIL 8

MAY 13

Advance reservations required.

GO.DRAYTONHALL.ORG/SIP

Going Home

by Jennifer Howard

"Do you leave today?” The message on my phone dings, a check in from a close friend. “No, first thing in the morning and I have a lot of work to do before I get on to that plane.” I’m going “home” to a place that I moved away from nearly 30 years ago.

There wasn’t a whole lot in Roscoe, Illinois. Most folks stopped only because they had to, at the last tollbooth on Interstate 90. It was a sleepy Midwest town, with wide open spaces, tall grass fields flush with pheasant, oak trees that boasted fat, low branches giving a hint that in the past this wasn’t forest. I grew up in those forests and fields with cockleburs clinging to my pant legs and soot-colored mud staining my bare knees. Before the days of step counts, I’m pretty sure I exceeded mine frequently. It was perfect.

In those woods, I honed the art of observation—the electric aroma of a steamy

summer storm, the intense screams and hoots of a great horned owl defending the nest from a hungry raptor, the silky white, fragile petals of the mayapple flower tucked under its umbrella of green leaves. But equally as important, while my mind was on the things around me, it wasn’t on the next math test or girl drama. Research has proven that kids who spend time in nature are more creative, independent, healthy and for adults, time in nature improves mental health.

Tomorrow I’m going home. Unfortunately, as Chicago marched its way north and west, it found Roscoe. Not much of what filled the soul of my youth resembles what it did in 1979. Time hasn’t been particularly kind to my 93year-old dad either. He’s the reason for the visit. We’ve reached the threshold of role reversals, so well-understood by my Gen X friends. The last week has been consumed by running a business, raising teenagers, and internet research in a crash course attempt to differentiate assisted living from skilled nursing from memory care. It’s an overwhelmingly emotional journey, navigated in a very adult manner mostly from my home office and living room, until this morning.

Tomorrow I’m going home but today I’m seated at waters’ edge in the Wassamassaw Swamp, near my “new” home of 20 years. The percussive thunking on hollow cypress by a pair of pileated woodpeckers seems to be setting the beat for the morning. A slight breeze is wiggling the last of the fall leaves from the emerging spring buds. And the morning sun is casting a rippled reflection on to the moss covered, bellbottoms of the tupelo. In this space, I’m just a visitor, albeit not a very welcome one if you listen to the wren.

Tomorrow I am going home to do grown up things and make grown up decisions. And when I return to South Carolina, the swamp will welcome me back. While the days of mud-stained knees are behind me, the healing powers of natural spaces persist—the spaces where the noise of life is irrelevant and the spaces where, by just sitting quietly, our souls are restored. If a true happy place exists, this is mine. What’s yours? Welcome home.

JENNIFER

HOWARD

Jennifer has a passion for land, water, and a good road trip. She spends her days telling the stories of protected places and her free time making memories with her family, taking lousy selfies, and learning new crafts that she never finishes.

Urogynecology & Pelvic Surgery

INTRODUCING DR. BERNARD TAYLOR

• Board Certified Surgeon Specializing in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

• University of North Carolina School of Medicine

• Carolinas Medical Center Residency

Dr. Taylor has more than 20 years of experience caring for women with pelvic floor disorders, including offering the latest medical treatments and innovative minimally invasive gynecologic and reconstructive surgery when needed.

Porch Perfect Brad Erickson and Brian Protheroe at home with their pups.

Photos by Sarah Nell Blackwell

Just north of Camden, the landscape transitions from a bustling urban area to scattered homesteads and expansive longleaf pine forests. Known as the Sandhills Region, the pines grow tall and straight on this edge of the prehistoric Atlantic Ocean and on August 16, 1780, these forests provided the setting for the turning point of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, the Battle of Camden.

After Charleston fell to the British, the hero of Saratoga, Major General Horatio Gates arrived in the South with plans of replicating his victorious campaign in the North. Gates marched for Camden to capture the outpost there. Meanwhile, Major General Baron de Kalb and more than 1,000 Maryland and Delaware Continentals were marching south from New Jersey, with orders from General George Washington. Things were about to get serious in Camden and Gates’ troops were severely compromised. Food rations were nearly nonexistent. The young soldiers foraged on green corn and green peaches a decision that caused them to be “breaking the ranks all night and were certainly much debilitated…”

In the early hours of August 16, the opposing armies literally ran into each other on the Waxhaw’s Road, eight miles north of Camden. After a short skirmish, both sides fell back to regroup. At early morning light, the British force of 2,335 troops, commanded by Cornwallis faced off against the Patriot forces who numbered above 3,500, nearly 2,250 of whom were inexperienced new Virginia and North Carolina militia.

“The battle of course ended up being a total disaster,” commented James Legg, Public Archaeologist for the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA).

“The American Army was destroyed for the second time in four months.”

Legg has spent decades researching the battle and doing fieldwork on

the battlefield. He described a setting where musket fire at close range continued for forty-five minutes or more before the British outflanked the Patriots and claimed victory.

We may never know how many soldiers lost their lives at Camden. When faced with charging bayonets, many Patriot soldiers fled to the north and west. Some were captured. Others were left dead or wounded where they fell. Any who were buried were done so unceremoniously in shallow single or mass graves. Historical records indicate that many others remained on the surface, their remains removed by wolves and other scavengers. Legg continues, “No one was ever removed. They didn’t get up and go home. They are still right where they fell.”

In the years following the battle, the landscape remained remarkedly intact, however, shallow graves left the soldier’s remains vulnerable to the impacts of logging and agriculture. Today, 770 acres of the battlefield are protected under the ownership of South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust and Historic Camden Foundation and under a conservation easement held by the Katawba Valley Land Trust.

Legg describes Camden as a “featureless battlefield,” a pine forest with no structures such as fortifications or trenches. The only evidence comes in the form of artifacts. Much of the early research conducted with Dr. Steven Smith involved the identification of artifacts, located either by interviewing relic hunters or utilizing systematic metal detecting. Their research in early 2000s yielded dense concentrations of lead shot and musket balls; and clothing artifacts such as buttons and clothing clasps, all within six to eighteen inches of the surface. The artifacts were catalogued, and the locations were mapped for later work. It wasn’t until 2020 when Legg confirmed that the collections of buttons marked burials.

South Carolina Battleground Trust CEO, Doug Bostick, worked closely

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Honoring Heroes Continued

with Legg and Smith. He knew that the remains were vulnerable, felt strongly that America’s first veterans deserved a permanent resting place, and set a course to change that. “The soldiers who fell at Camden fought a vicious, bloody battle for the liberties we enjoy today,” Bostick remarked. “They are heroes who deserve to be remembered as such.” He contracted with SCIAA for the excavation of the remains of five to six soldiers and assembled a steering committee to begin the planning for reinterment ceremonies in April 2023.

A cross-disciplinary team of archaeologists from SCIAA and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and biological pathologists from the Richland County Coroner’s Office under the leadership of Smith and Legg began the work to recover the soldiers, over an estimated timeline of four weeks. As the archaeological units were opened, graves that were believed to hold one individual, held several and the timeline extended from four weeks to eight.

John Michael Fisher, a SCIAA archaeologist, has personal connections to Camden and served his country in the Army Reserves. “My grandfather used to take me on rides throughout the state to see battlefield or historic sites. Camden was always important to him.” He continued, “As a veteran I felt humbled to be there. I’m a combat veteran, so seeing these guys who marched all the way from Maryland exhausted, and then died and were thrown into mass graves made me personally attached to this project.”

Fisher and his colleagues worked with excruciating care to remove soil from the remains with a collection of wooden spoons, chopsticks and small brushes; and relied on the biological pathologists from the Richland County Coroner’s office to lead the final removal in a manner that would not cause additional harm to the fragile bones. Deputy Coroner Bill Stevens has extensive experience in the recovery of remains.  “We treat remains with dignity, especially those who have died in the conflict. That was the case for me working in Guatemala later in Cyprus, and here at Richland County, where we are provide services for homeless veterans, dealing directly with Fort Jackson to provide them burial with full military honors.”

The recovery of Revolutionary War soldier remains is rare. The manner of their burials coupled with human or animal disturbance, weather, and soil chemistry often results in the loss of these individuals. Stevens credits the partnership of experts in developing field protocols that will provide insight into these heroes and an opportunity to ensure they are remembered. “The project entailed allowed us to develop many different protocols using each other's expertise. The Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina, and the Richland County Coroner's Office all have different skill sets of dealing with remains material culture artifacts, knowledge about the soil, about the conditions of burial and historical knowledge to identify individuals. It's been a great melding of experts that allowed us to carry out the field recovery and continues into the lab analysis.”

Camden’s artifacts are helping to shed light on the soldiers’ stories. Unique buttons lying among the remains helped researchers identify twelve Continentals, one loyalist militiaman, and one British soldier from the 71st regiment afoot, Fraser’s Highlanders. Continental buttons prominently featured the letters “USA” in an overlapping design. The soldier of the 71st was found with twentytwo uniform buttons with a decorative border and the numbers 7-1. The careful excavation also provided insight on the manner of death for many of the soldiers. A musket ball lodged in the spine of one soldier and in the skull of another.

The manner of burial was emotionally challenging for those who worked daily on the battlefield. While the Fraser’s Highlander was presumed to be respectfully buried, face up with his arms across his chest, the Continentals were found in a much different condition. Four graves were single burials and three were multiple burials. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Archaeologist,

Tariq Gaffar, described his experience. “I’ve done disinternment before both of large cemeteries and individuals but this would be different because this is the first time I’ve dealt with individuals who have died by violent means.” He continued, “There was a tremendously callous and brutal treatment of their bodies. They were not carefully or lovingly buried. They weren’t marked. So I feel as though my role here is not so much as a doctor or healer, but as a rescuer. I’m glad that they are going to finally get the military honors that they have deserved for hundreds of years.”

The feelings Tariq describes were shared among his colleagues, resulting in the creation of a short informal ceremony as each soldier was removed. Bostick described those moments, “They were carefully removed. Each body was wrapped, boxed. Someone would say a few words. Another would offer a prayer. The flag draped box of remains were then carried to the coroner’s van by a member of the team who was also a veteran.”

The Richland County Coroner’s office is studying the remains to learn about where they came from, their diets, their ages and stature, and DNA samples are being collected. They will also prepare the remains to be placed in 18th century handcrafted replica coffins and return to Camden for reinterment ceremonies and reburial in sealed vaults in the precise location the remains were initially recovered. The graves will be marked.

“This will be a one-of-a-kind event. The opportunity to respectfully bury these soldiers who did not have the opportunity to be respectfully buried in 1780,” Bostick reflected. “We invite you to come to Camden immerse yourself in the Revolutionary War. This is going to be a ceremony that none of us will see in our lifetime again. To do so, with full military honors is what these soldiers deserve.” AM

A Rare Find Every artifact that is found is bagged and cataloged

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Faith & Flour

With her hands buried in the mixing bowl, It's All in the Biscuit’s creator Kim Lazarus proves all things are possible if you have a little faith.

by Susan Frampton

he King James Version of the Bible talks a lot about bread, perhaps most famously reminding us that man does not live by bread alone. There are many translations of the Good Book, and none specifically mentions biscuits. But if you've had one of Kim Lazarus', you may have found yourself looking for the chapter and verse. The Bible also talks a lot about faith. If you've ever met Kim Lazarus, you know she has it. Faith is as much a part of her being as the blood running through her veins, and it is a joy to behold. The petite, energetic graphic designer still shakes her head

in the wonder of where she finds herself today. "It's been quite the whirlwind."

Running a thriving graphic design business from home for over twenty years, Kim was ready for a change. She prayed for guidance. She knew she wanted to write a book but needed to figure out how to begin the process. "I was on Facebook one day and ran across a video of a chef and an older lady making these 3 to 4 ingredient biscuits." She realized that she had all the ingredients already in her pantry except for lard. With newly purchased lard in hand, she made the biscuits. "They were horrible, but it was still a sweet video." Something about the process clicked in her. She began seeking other sources for biscuit recipes, experimenting with different ingredients and methods.

Kim admits to never being a baker, saying, "Baking was way outside my comfort zone, but mixing the ingredients felt good." She played with the recipes, tweaking ingredients for several months. "I've never been a fan of biscuits, but knew I really didn't want something dry and crumbly like a cookie. In the UK, they call cookies biscuits. I didn't want that at all." The biscuit of her dreams would be warm and soft inside with a taste like a grandmother's love.

Influenced by her degree in graphic design, she wanted to create a beautiful, golden biscuit that would photograph well. In addition to being good tasting and beautiful, it had to be built right. "I also have a degree in architecture," she drops into the conversation. By May 2022, she created a biscuit that could take the heat. Her standards were high. She deemed it "pretty good."

The Lazarus family always enjoyed sharing meals with family and friends, and Kim often shared her biscuits with neighbors. "We love having people around our table." In the summer, they especially enjoyed seafood. One day, she remembers, "Something said to me, 'Put the shrimp and the crab in the biscuits." Not knowing that she spoke words that would launch a brand and rock her world, she mixed the ingredients and said aloud for the first time, It's All in the Biscuit. Today, looking back on the blessings of that moment, Kim raises her hands skyward. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. When I tasted it, I looked at my husband, Donte, and said, 'This thing is good!'"

It was good. Word of mouth multiplied like the loaves and fishes. She explored adding fruit to

Culinary Heart Kim Lazarus with a few of her creations; a fresh batch of biscuits

UPGRADE YOUR BACKYARD!

the mix and experimented with savory ingredients. Then, in early fall, a cousin called to ask if Kim would make biscuits for her son's football team. So she did, sticking the label a neighbor made for her on the box. Worried that someone would go to the internet to find the business on the label, she called on her graphics skills and quickly created a website. Someone in her Bible Study group posted it on Facebook, and it caught fire. "Thanksgiving and Christmas were just crazy. I was so busy but having the time of my life."

A short time later, she received an email from The Azalea Bar & Garden. Would she be interested in exploring the possibility of making biscuits for their February Biscuits ‘n Bubbles Sunday Brunch? "I'd only been doing this for a month. Maybe I'm supposed to be making biscuits. I had no idea what this would be like, but I knew that God is there for me every time I move forward in faith." The baker's faith is evident in everything she says and does. And she sparkles with its electricity. It is even reflected in the names of the fourteen flavors she currently makes. Each flavor, such as a sweet potato offering called The Great I Yam, and a peach studded favorite, Preachin' Peach has a Biblical connection. "By the way, my husband Donte is a pastor." Kim Lazarus is a woman with many skills and constant surprises. She does not boast or brag— but she is understandably proud when she speaks of her husband and children Remy (25), Amani (20), and Sanaia (16).

Whether savory, sweet, simple, specialty, or plain, Kim Lazarus's inspired biscuits are prepared fresh for the following day. They delight football teams, brunches, church meetings, and anyone with good taste. We know that faith can move mountains, but how lucky we are that it has placed her hands in flour. And soon, that book she wanted to write will be launched. So how does one woman do it all? For her, it’s simply a matter of faith and flour. Her answer can be found in Philippians 4:13. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." AM

Kim's biscuits may be ordered by the half or full dozen via her website: itsallinthebiscuit. com. You’ll find that delivery is even available in some areas.

American Cup

Veterans John Richards and Neil Johnson, owners of OneNation Coffee, are dedicated to helping veterans, first responders and their families one cup of coffee at a time.

by Eliza Chapman Bailey

Companies are founded to fill a void, offer a different level of service or quality not available in the marketplace. The vision usually starts with a simple conversation among friends, ideas are tossed around, acted upon, or passed over. Veteran and part owner of OneNation Coffee, John Richards, had such a discussion with a few friends while sharing, of course, a cup of coffee. His companions were active military, veterans and first responders. They talked about where they could buy a good cup of coffee and support causes the group valued. This dialogue lay the foundation for OneNation Coffee, an online and wholesale veteran and first responder owned coffee business started in 2016.

Home Team John and Michelle Richards in front of the roasters

OneNation Coffee is committed to small batch roasting with part of their proceeds supporting the families of veterans and first responders in need. They purchase Rainforest Alliance Certified farm beans from local distributors. Through small batch roasting, they can control the heat, air flow and cooling which creates the cooking profiles of signature blends. Reiterating their purpose Richards, who led military special operations for over 20 years, states:

Helping Hands Clockwise from top left: Raw beans; fresh from the roaster, bagged and ready.

“I know that by the Grace of God I am alive today. I have buddies that did not come home. Buddies that came home but are struggling. I bear the responsibility of being more than just myself, I believe, through my faith, it is about creating a capacity to take care of people by providing a great coffee that has a purpose: to make a positive impact on veterans, first responders and their families through giving.”

Transforming Dreams...Into Reality

For several years, OneNation leased a space from Coastal Coffee Roasters to roast and sell their products. Richards is grateful for owner Brad Mallett’s willingness to help him learn the industry and grow. In 2019, businessman and former Navy Nuclear Reactor Operator, Neil Johnson, with a passion for investing in nonprofits focused on veteran care, became an equal partner. Johnson’s business acumen helped Richards create a strategy to extend OneNation’s scope, develop branding and merchandise. The company moved to 398 E. 5th North Street in Summerville, hired Doug Heffner to oversee operations, and created a nonprofit arm, OneNation Foundation.

OneNation Foundation, headed by Richards’ wife Michelle, is an organization through which they are able to give veterans and first responders assistance through physical, educational, and emotional support. It serves as a reminder, to families in need, they

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are part of a larger community, and their dedication and sacrifices are all not unnoticed or in vain. It is OneNation Coffee’s commitment to helping and giving back through both a percentage of their proceeds as well as outside donations.

To keep costs competitive, marketing is based on referrals, their website, and social media. Through these outlets, they reach wholesale distributors, bulk customers, independent coffee shops, businesses interested in private labeling and retail consumers. They are in the process of opening a flagship coffee shop/ restaurant in downtown Greenville. Their goal is to become a national company and have a greater impact giving back to the veteran and first responder community “to uplift American heroes who sacrifice so much to serve and protect the freedoms we love.” AM

More information can be found online at OneNationCoffee.com and OneNation-foundation.org.

Oh, Brother!

NATURAL WOMAN

You can’t pick your family, but when you get a winner, hold on tight.

by Susan Frampton

You can’t pick your family, but when you get a winner, hold on tight.

My brother and I are the last twigs on our branch of the Roberts family tree. Arthur is the only son of an only son of an only son, and I'm the last to be born a Roberts. We carry the last flickers of the torch that is our line. His flame is a controlled burn, steady and purposeful. Mine? It’s more of a five-alarm, burn-everything-to-the-ground, out-of-control inferno. Though we share some traits that have marked those who came before us, I wonder how two people with the same parents can be so different.

Arthur is the smartest person I know. He carries a degree in invertebrate zoology (what does that even mean?) and an almost photographic memory of the genus, phylum, class, and species of every plant and animal that has or ever will live. I'm far more likely to rock the pop culture category on Jeopardy. He's fit and athletic—canoeing, cycling, running and eating healthy. My favorite sport is jumping to conclusions, and why, in the name of all that is holy, would I pass up a chocolate for an apple? He can do almost anything well, while I heartily endorse knowing just enough about everything to be danger-

ous. That said, he may not be as bright as I thought, and I now know he definitely cannot fly because a few weeks ago, he tried.

When Arthur's wife, Donna, texted, "Arthur just fell off the roof," I genuinely expected the line to be the lead-in to a great story about him ripping off a thumbnail while leaping to save a rare yellow-throated whatchamacallit from being eaten by an even rarer thingamabob. My sister-in-law is a physician, so my heart stopped when the subsequent text came through. "He landed on the concrete. Calling ambulance. Please come."

For a moment, I was that squirrel in the middle of the road—the one that can't decide whether to go left or right and just jumps straight up in the air. Wearing yesterday's mascara and a severe case of bedhead, I flung the laundry basket I held. Leaving a trail of socks and underwear in my wake, I jumped in my car for the drive to Savannah's Memorial Hospital. I hadn't asked what he was doing on the roof, but since it is a place where I regularly find my husband, I had a few ideas. Unfortunately, neither man has the sense God gave a goat when it comes to living on the edge of handyman highwire acts. "Please be careful" may as well be spoken in Swahili.

For my entire life, Arthur and I have talked almost every day—some-

times to relay information, other times just to follow the current of whatever stream of consciousness floats by. When you've shared a literal lifetime with someone, there are things no one else gets. We drive our spouses crazy when we linger at the table, reminiscing long after the dinner dishes have been cleared, or when a simple phrase sets off fits of laughter that leave the rest of the room shaking their heads. With our parents gone, who else shares our earliest memories? What he has forgotten, I remember, and vice versa (although I remember far more frequently and in greater detail.)

Arthur is patient, while I sometimes physically vibrate with impatience. He's trusting, good-natured, and slow to anger. I'm suspicious and judgmental, with a hair trigger that is exhausting. Sometimes I wonder, if we weren't siblings, would we even be friends? We've never suffered from sibling rivalry. I've always known how lucky I am to have him as my big brother. Though I have been known to make a nun swear, we never really fought. In this terrifying moment, I wondered what in the name of cat fur (his phrase) I would do without him. One hundred miles seemed to take forever with the unknown painting portraits of the unbearable on every interstate billboard.

I'm was about to enter the wildlife refuge this side of Savannah when I got a text. It was from Arthur. What the actual hell? There I was, driving just under the speed of sound to his deathbed, and he's sending me a selfie? Once I crossed the Savannah River and reached a stoplight, I see his face on the screen—beaten, bruised, bleeding, and smiling up at me from his gurney. A few minutes later, I skidded to the door of the ER. I couldn't find Donna in the hospital maze, and despite having been there for over an hour, she couldn’t find Arthur.

*

Here's a little something that everyone needs to know. When your loved one enters the hospital as a trauma patient, they’re admitted under an alias. If you don’t know that, you’re in for a world of frustration. Once explained, it made perfect sense. A bad guy, possibly the one who gave you the trauma, might be looking to finish what he started. (I know this can happen because I’ve watched years of Grey’s Anatomy.) But without the patient’s name, he can't charge in to off you or your caregivers. For everyone’s protection, the hospital assigns the random name of a city and a country. How one would know this is beyond me.

When we finally found Arthur, aka Tulsa Mali, he was connected to every machine imaginable—things that make weird noises and spit out numbers only Hippocrates understands. The parts of his face that weren’t the color of a ripe eggplant were swollen to maximum capacity. The stitched gash on his forehead was Frankenstein worthy. His hip was shattered, his knee fractured, his shoulder was iffy, and his bloody hand boasted a nasty torn fingernail. The only reason I didn’t throw my arms around him was my fear of breaking something he hadn’t already broken. My knees went weak with relief. I had made the Lord a lot of promises I was now on the hook for, and it was possible I might throw up. "The roof? Are you crazy?" I demanded. "And what's with the selfie? I almost wrecked the car!" I swallowed the lump in my throat and croaked, "As soon as you heal up, I'm going to kill you."

Oh, brother! It took surgery, hardware, and physical therapy to restore him to his former glory, but like the overachiever that he is, he’s ahead of the curve. It’s true that you don’t get to pick your family, but if I did, it would be him every time. AM

KIDS THESE DAYS

Fair Trade

by Tara Bailey

One of the first things I learned in an ecology class is that everything is a tradeoff. We can minimize one type of environmental impact by taking a certain action, but the tradeoff is that something else is affected by that decision. For example, we may opt for reusable shopping bags that actually use more plastic and take significantly longer to decompose than single use plastic bags. In this case, multi-use bags may not contribute to the reduction of plastics, but the tradeoff is that they may lower the risk of single use bags ending up in the ocean instead of a landfill. With such tradeoffs in mind, it makes sense to reframe choices as deciding what is more important to us and advancing that priority. To do this we must accept that there are rarely perfect answers—just better ones.

The older I get, the more I realize that the same is true for all areas of life. What makes a career satisfying? Is it the pay, flexibility, location, use of one’s skills and talents? Typically, people are willing to trade one thing—say, work environment—for something else, like an easier commute. If you have everything you want in your work life, congratulations! There are likely other areas where you have had to make big decisions on what to scrap and what to keep. More bedrooms or bigger yard? Better gas mileage or higher safety rating? Affordable college in state or dream school funded by loans? Because we all want different things out of life, what one person decides is a reasonable tradeoff may look bizarre to someone who is more pragmatic. Conversely, the temptation to second guess our own decisions when we see how great our peers seem to have it may lead us to thinking we are the ones doing it all wrong. My tip to you: if you’re making choices based on who you know yourself to be, you’re most likely doing it right.

Case in point: one of my closest friends from college leads an interesting, worldly life. She has lived all over the globe, both as a young single person and now as a wife and mom. Her daughter was born in Palo Alto and has spent her early years in London, though the family is planning a move to Switzerland, where my friend’s husband is from. They travel regularly, visiting family and going on vacations. She sends me photos of her daughter in a French lavender field or of the three of them in the English countryside, a castle blurred in the background like an afterthought. My friend and her husband want to raise their daughter all over, giving her multiple languages and life experiences. They want her to to move with ease through the world and learn through doing. Undoubtedly, she will grow up steeped in cultural enrichment most of us will only wonder about.

In contrast, my own husband is deeply rooted in Summerville. I know when we married that I would likely be here for life. Years ago we toyed with the idea of an new adventure in another state, but not only would he be leaving his home—our children would, too. Kids are flexible, and people move all the time. But we would be going just for the sake of going, and I was really the only one who wanted to go. So we stayed.

As a result, we ended up raising our children with the same friends, attending the same church and schools, and going on the same beach trips year after year. We continue to progress through the seasons with the same traditions, celebrations, and even decorations as always, to the point where there is family mutiny at the slightest variation. My younger self would have felt oppressed at this sameness—hence, my former desire to move.

But now that my daughters are grown, I have come to appreciate something. This New Year’s morning, their same friends had spent the night at our house as have every New Year’s Eve in recent memory. Many are now young adults and have grown up ringing in the New Year with their parents and friends at our house, followed by waking up to a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and grits. They spend the first morning of the year sitting in our den, holding cups of coffee and laughing about the night before. We all hang out in pajamas until afternoon, refilling the coffee cups as many times as needed. They stick around until time to shred the collards. It’s my favorite day of the year, hands down.

My kids, their friends, our friends —we all have a shared history and a home base. They can move and travel and explore for the rest of their lives —and I hope they will—but they will have a familiar setting to return to for wedding, funerals, holidays, or just a visit.

I sometimes wonder what life would be like if we had moved. The What If Game can be a fun but futile exercise, as useful as wondering what life would be like if we were born in a different time or to a different family. Ultimately, things work out because we make them work out, and the choices we make usually serve our priorities. So while I deeply admire and even sometimes envy my friend’s globetrotting life, I also appreciate the mundane familiarity I have in mine. Any time I run into people who ask about my daughters, or when our house fills with grown children on holidays, I know that the decisions we’ve made are the right ones for us. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything. AM

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LIFE & FAITH

Hope For The Hallway

by Diana Thompson

I’ve had a few moments in my life where suddenly, and without warning, everything changed. One of those moments of mine was in 2011. Everything that looked so predictable for the future was suddenly gone, leaving nothing but question marks and blank spaces and uncertainty. During that time, a Bible study leader of mine told me, “When God closes one door, He opens another. But it’s hell in the hallway.”

We know well the “When God closes one door, He opens another” saying. And close doors he does. Careers, jobs, opportuni -

ties we have (or just want!), places we live, relationships we are in… in all of these aspects of life, and so many, we can experience such abundance of joy and blessing. But we can also experience closed doors. Our job gets eliminated or we get let go, relationships end, people move away, we don’t make the cut, opportunities we had or want are given to others, space is limited, finances come up short, or tragedy can strike. And whether it was something we had control over or something totally out of our hands, we experience the closing of a door and the sudden darkness of finding ourselves in “the hallway.”

And as Christians, we’ve read to the end of the Bible. We KNOW that we win. We know that God promises to “turn our mourning

into dancing” (Pslam 30:11, NLT) and that “…the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears” (Phil 1:6 MSG). We know that another door will open. But that doesn’t mean that the hallway between the two doors, the dark space where we don’t know where we are going or what things look like elsewhere is comfortable. Sometimes we can almost immediately see the light peeking through the next door and it doesn’t take much for us to move toward it and fling it wide open. We bask in the new blessings and have almost immediate 20/20 hindsight to see what a blessing that closed door was to us. But sometimes the hallway is pitch black and we couldn’t see our own hand in front of our face.

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) says that “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” When we find ourselves in the darkness of the hallway, freezing in place isn’t going to get us to the next door. Sadness and mourning are completely appropriate and we can acknowledge that our lives may never be the same, but sitting in the hallway won’t ever get us to the next door. So we walk. We can’t see; we may be feeling around in the darkness, but we KEEP WALKING. Because we know our time in the hallway won’t last forever. John 1:5 (NLT) says “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” The hallway teaches us to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep our eyes on God, who is preparing us to be ready to receive the blessing of the next open door with preparation, expectation, and gratitude. We don’t love the hallway, but we need to remember what it is like so we can have empathy for those there now and we won’t fully be able to appreciate the gift of the current opportunities, blessings and relationships we have in the present. AM

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The stars are out in Summerville! Meet the Benko family, coming next spring to the new Magnolia Network series. Happy To Be Home With The Benkos.

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THE HOUSE OF BENKO WING MAN

Robert Hortman’s wood and bronze sculptures capture the Lowcountry’s bird species in uncluttered form highlighting the rich diversity of South Carolina’s wildlife.

THE STARS ARE OUT IN SUMMERVILLE! MEET THE BENKO FAMILY, COMING NEXT SPRING TO THE NEW MAGNOLIA NETWORK SERIES HAPPY TO BE HOME WITH THE BENKOS.

By SUSAN FRAMPTON

Photos by DOTTIE & WILL RIZZO

Color Theory

This page: This sitting room is a whimsical mix of different styles. Opposite page: Bold prints and patterns bring the sunroom to life.

ummerville is a quiet town, so six months of filming a series soon to be the newest addition to Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network went largely under the radar. The pronouncement in Variety described Happy to be Home With the Benkos as a six-episode, hour-long series filmed in the Lowcountry. The news hit the town like a meteor. It introduced Summerville's newest stars, Gray and Mike Benko, reading, "Designer Gray Benko brings color and happiness to historic homes in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Her whimsical vision is brought to life with the help of her thoughtful, craftsman husband, Mike, and eccentric contractor father, Grumpy."

Best known as a world-class photographer, it seems as though everything Gray Benko touches these days turns to living color—from funny faces to historical places. But step back in time to 2008. Gray Benko was not completely sold on Summerville when she and her husband, Mike, moved to a new development across the Ashley River. "I wanted to live in Mt. Pleasant," she admits. "I had friends in Mt. Pleasant, and it seemed like the place that would fit our lifestyle." The realization that Mt. Pleasant prices for comparable houses were far higher made Summerville the most sensible alternative. The newly constructed house had everything they wanted, and they called it home for six years.

"Gray was miserable," says Mike. "She's always had this passion for older homes. There is just something in her brain that draws her. She wants to fix things and leave her mark on them." He

Purple State A combinaion of bold colors and mixed patterns work in harmony to create an inviting space

remembers her talking him into buying their first historic home off Richardson Avenue in 2014. They fell in love with historic downtown Summerville. In the five years they lived there, the Benkos extensively renovated the house, even adding a second story. Mike shakes his head at the memory. "As soon as we bought it, the roof caved in." He was not interested when Gray came across another historic home's listing on the internet. After all, they already had their historic house in town. Mike recalls Gray's invitation to look at the home "just for fun." Every husband knows "just for fun" is code for "this is happening."

The stately white house that has stood since 1815 had weathered storms and an earthquake that shook it to its foundation. Most recently, its owners, Jonathan and Susan Lee, had raised their family here. With their children grown, they were ready to return to their hometown of Hartsville. Gray fell in love immediately. When they discovered the Lees were related to Gray's family, and ironically, she had almost been named for Jonathan's mother, it seemed evident that this was where the Benkos were meant to be.

"I am not going to participate in this one," Mike told her. Having just completed their last renovation, Mike was adamant. "It's too much. I'm out of it." He laughs when he recalls, "The next day, I came home, and there was a For Sale sign in our front yard."

As if things weren't crazy enough, around the same time, Gray and daughter Farris embarked on an Instagram project, #FarrisDoesFaces. With her creative flair, Farris, long fascinated with fun and funky make-up, began painting faces of family and friends. Gray photographed and posted the

Dark Side

By contrast, the Benko's kitchen is dark and moody.

Balancing the Books

The Benkos living room is anchored by a built in book case that is adorned with vintage books that form a large-scale piece of art.

results. The account caught fire, and soon Farris was making up and interviewing inspirational women, celebrating what made these women successful. Actresses, astronauts, singers and drag queens, entrepreneurs, and athletes all signed on to be part of the concept. In 2019, the Today show came calling, and Farris's creations and interviews celebrating female empowerment caught the attention of producers, who proposed creating a series. Then Covid hit. The two adapted to the pandemic by switching from face-to-face interaction to Zoom interviews. Though there was plenty of network interest, the timing just wasn't right.

Meanwhile, work on the Benkos new home renovation project moved forward. Gray injected the house with the whirlwind of color and energy that lit up her Instagram posts. At the same time, Mike hammered it up with his woodworking craftsmanship and creativity. Her unique design style was noticed. When a follower's producer-husband asked if the couple might consider a home renovation show, a chain reaction that changed their lives was set off.

Some things happen by coincidence, and then there is destiny. Gray reached out to Ashley Allen, her best friend from college, who happened to be a producer on The Bachelor and America's Got Talent. Ashley loved the concept and wanted to help make it happen. In a twist of timing that could only have been providence, Magnolia Network, the brainchild of media darlings Chip and Joanna Gaines, sent out feelers for home design and renovation projects. The Benkos still marvel at how

quickly things started moving.

"Just like that, it happened," Gray remembers. "It all seems like a blur. We had two weeks to find six homeowners in Summerville, willing and ready to undergo restoration projects in their historic homes." Gray recruited her friend, Summerville native, Chelcie Eastman, to help identify and enlist prospects. In addition to the Benkos, the cast of characters includes Gray's dad, Joe Highsmith, a long-time high-end contractor in Hilton Head. His self-appointed nickname is Grumpy. "He and Gray are polar opposites," says Mike. He's very black and white, and everything about Gray is color." The banter between the two makes the show's authenticity undoubtedly. "He hates my kitchen," Gray says of their home's dark blue cabinets and ceiling. She laughs, remembering his reaction. "Why on earth would you paint the ceiling blue?"

Before they knew it, it was lights, cameras, and action at the Benko home. "We truly hit the ground running," Gray recalls. "They (the production company) sent a crew to the house and said, "We start filming on Saturday. It was wild!" Three months and six houses later, they called a wrap on Season One.

"There is so much character in historic homes, says Gray. "So much heart and soul." Mike echoes her sentiment. "You know, there are only so many out there. You can't build an old home." The Benkos shared passion for their historic home made them naturals for this exciting endeavor, and Summerville could not be happier to share the spotlight with the dynamic pair. As they say in TV land, stay tuned for more! You'll find it on the Magnolia Network next spring. AM

The Benkos would like to thank Ashley Allen, Ryan Ross, Chelcie Eastman, Bobby McCullough, Justin Allen, Tracy and Russ Norton, Allen Mitchum, and Mary Highsmith.

Home Run The Benkos home is a collection of unique rooms that come together to form a masterpiece.

Robert Hortman’s wood and bronze sculptures capture the Lowcountry’s bird species in uncluttered form highlighting the rich diversity of South Carolina’s wildlife.

Field Shop

This page: Hortman working in his studio. Opposite page: A work in progress.

The experiences and people we meet can have a profound impact on our lives. As we mature, the recollections of our early years fade. However, some linger, and in hindsight we wonder if perhaps these encounters were glimpses of our destiny. Fortuitously foreshadowing a path that we may traverse. Wildlife artist and sculptor Robert Hortman, remembers such an event, flying with his uncle, a pilot, to deliver exotic birds from South America to an American figurative expressionist sculptor, Edward Marshall Boehm, in Princeton, New Jersey. The majestic memory of the birds being released into the aviary still resonates with him.

Not long after that trip, Hortman’s family moved to Summerville. He recounts, “I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven. Every chance I had, I rode my bike to fish at Bacon's Bridge or Jenkins Pond. In nature, I felt at home, a sense of place. I shot my first wood duck on the banks of the Edisto River. I wanted to have my bird mounted so I took a correspondence course in taxidermy offered by Field and Stream Magazine. Throughout high school, I was in the taxidermy business; played football for John McKissick, earned a scholarship at Presbyterian College, met my future wife, and moved back to Summerville.”

Once home, Coy Johnston, a land manager for Westvaco, hired Hortman to be Bonneau Ferry’s taxidermist. Horton was intrigued by Johnston’s job: both managing Westvaco’s property and entertaining their clients on hunting and fishing expeditions. Through his friendship with Johnston, he learned William Baldwin Sr., the natural resource manager for Medway Plantation, would be retiring. In 1978, Hortman was hired by Medway’s owner, socialite, big game hunter and a patron of the arts, Gertrude Sandford Legendre.

Force of Nature

This page: The road to Hortman's home; the studio. Opposite page: Hortman's wooden sculptures are full of detail.

photo by Rick Rhodes

Taking Flight Hortman works to make his sculptures true to nature.

photo by Rick Rhodes

photo by Rick Rhodes

For forty-four years Horton humbly witnessed the interplay between nature and wildlife on the 6,728 acres that encompasses Medway; met conservationists, environmentalists, and artists whose love of nature he shared. Through Legendre, he became friends with accomplished wildlife sculptor Grainger McKoy. McKoy’s work encouraged and inspired Horton to elevate his taxidermy into artistic expression.

Through his own resolve, research, and practice, along with the collective resources of others, Hortman learned to express the sublime beauty and dynamic behavior of birds in carved wood or cast in bronze sculptures.

Using his knowledge of animal physiology, he balances his sculptures to scale, then intricately carves both the diminutive and dominant features of each bird species, one segment at a time. Once completed, his work, meticulously painted or highlighted in bronze patinas, satisfy mother nature's intent. His minimalistic sculptures focus on the species rather than the habitat. Creating an unencumbered symbiosis between art and the observer. His work gives pause and appreciation for the diversity of South Carolina’s avian inhabitants.

Author William “Billy” Baldwin, shares, “There’s something about the Carolina Lowcountry and especially about Medway Plantation, something in the air that nourishes a love of beauty and commitment to nature’s preservation. My naturalist father, William P. Baldwin, and Bob Hortman are testimony to this resolve. Bob’s bird carvings are astonishing in their ability to capture what we should all hold dear—the wilderness, the wildlife and being in nature.”

A true connoisseur of the land, Hortman’s sculptures are a representation of his heart, a tribute to the wonders of wildlife and Lowcountry’s remarkable natural resources. AM

His works are available through private showings and commission. For more information contact 843.860.1445

Using his knowledge of animal physiology, he balances his sculptures to scale, then intricately carves both the diminutive and dominant features of each bird species, one segment at a time.

Animal Instict This page: Hortman in his studio; his pet peacock. Opposite page: A bronze sculpture.

Spring Is

by Ellen E. Hyatt

Spring is healer of winter’s glumness and gloom. days of longer light in town and country. violins turned into playful, fiddled freeform. a juggling of hopefulness and known realities.

Spring is Carolina latitude, its light just right for birds to find their mates. a leaf, a twig; bits of fur and feathers today— a nest with a clutch of wren eggs by Sunday.

Spring is farms brimming with fresh beginnings— a mother cat nursing her litter in the barn, season for lambs and maple sugaring, April’s firsts: arugula, asparagus, and beets.

Spring is townsfolk rushing to Lowe’s, a to-&-fro busyness to replant, refresh, renew, doing, undoing, and redoing agonizing glee of keeping up with the Jonses.

Spring is at worst: a taunt, a tease, a flirt, a player, breaker of promises. at best: merely a moment’s pleasure— here today; gone tomorrow.

Spring is snowdrops, flower of rebirth. crocus and daffodils, but all fleeting— that bouquet too beautiful to last. the white tulip petals cupping quiet tears.

Spring is you and me, always a "shall be,” a some-day us, each offering the other a potful of blue hyacinths— the flowers of regret, some say.

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