CB2 Magazine: December 2022

GENIUSES AT WORK

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The Referee

Maggie Marie Washo

Miss Livin' My Best Life

Carolyn Hunter Kostylo

Master of Coin

Marion Elizabeth Bowser

Rainmaker

Kim Conrad Crouch

Master Handshaker

“Just Kandace” Cunningham

Lead Door Knocker

Morgan Ambler

Talent Delivery Specialist

Kaila Jeffcoat

Mascot in Training

Buoy Conrad Crouch Pritchard

The Gatekeepers

Greta Von Bowser

Vincent Von Bowser

The Cut & Paste Crew

Catherine Davies

Aspiring Novelists

Jesse Blanco

Becca Edwards

Courtney Hampson

Linda S. Hopkins

Paul Horgan

Barry Kaufman

Amber Hester Kuehn

John McCann Cheryl Ricer

Lisa Sulka

Lighting Experts

Krisztian Lonyai

Two Lights One Stand Photography

Photography By BD Creative

Find Us Here PO Box 22949

Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843.816.6247 maggie@ch2cb2magazine.com

THE WOMEN

As I look at this photo and reflect upon the end of another year at CH2, I am so humbled by the women I’ve managed to attract into my life—and the blessings they’ve brought into it. The magazine business is not an easy one. It requires long hours and an unending passion that, if extinguished, will be apparent to all who observe.

As the “fearless leader” of this tribe for over 16 years, I admit sometimes it is not easy to keep that flame burning. One relies on the inspiration of and collaboration with others. As another year comes to a close, I want to salute the ladies who sit beside me every Monday morning at 10 a.m.—sometimes to come up with an idea so brilliant we can’t believe it just happened, and other times just to gossip, bond with one another, and commiserate about the human experience.

I’ll never forget my first encounter with Morgan O’Banion. Fresh from college, she was working at the Marriott in marketing and chased me across the lobby of a hotel in Palmetto Dunes to introduce herself. After making an impression on me and Pierce Lowrey with her sparkling personality, genuine compassion for others and can-do attitude, she was quickly recruited as part of our team and was one of the original “CH2 girls” back in 2007. She was in the room when we dreamed up the Bachelor of the Year contest (actually, it might have been her idea), and after a brief hiatus, has come back home. She’s been one of my best friends for almost 15 years, and I love her dearly.

Kim Conrad Crouch is also a Marriott alum and almost as native as you can get here on Hilton Head Island. I remember thinking how friendly and happy she was every time I would stroll through the Marriott Vacation Club office back in the day. What a crazy coincidence our paths would cross again almost seven years later as she was looking to get back to work after devoting some time to being a new mom. I am in awe of what a good friend Kim is to her crew and to me. With her easy-going attitude and natural hospitality, she makes everyone feel at home and comfortable. Kim keeps us connected as a team, driving our social activities and hosting us at her home too many times to mention. I love this about her— and the easy way she puts all drama into perspective.

I knew from the moment I met Kaila Jeffcoat she was a keeper. In fact, I remember telling Ashton (another former CH2 girl—shout out!) after meeting her that “Rhett better lock that down.” Rhett was her boyfriend (now husband) at the time, so he clearly saw the same qualities we all do. Kaila pulls double duty with us, excelling in her dual role as salesperson and stylist. She brightens up any room she enters, and we could not do it without her. Well, we could, but the fashion spreads would not look nearly as spectacular, and we’d probably mess up some pricing details.

And speaking of the details … let’s talk about Hunter Kostylo, the computer brain behind the scenes. I say “behind the scenes,” but she’s not really, as you’ve all come to know her as my eye-rolling, long-suffering

sidekick who puts up with the office shenanigans whilst keeping us all organized and on-deadline. She’s my work wifey, the talent behind a lot of our creative videos, and the one who gets the brunt of “Maggie is having a bad day and she just needs to vent.” You know how they say, “Oh if the walls could talk?” Well someday Hunter Kostylo will write that tell-all book and retire a multi-millionaire.

It’s only fitting that the first person in this photo’s idea, lead to the last person in this photo’s being with us. I met Kandace Wightman through the 2013 Bachelorette of the Year contest. It wasn’t long before she went from contestant to teammate. As a fellow upstate New Yorker, we see eye-to-eye on many things (just not the ideal temperature), and she’s always there when I need her—to pinch hit at a photo-shoot, take some #bts video with style, or make her clients feel comfortable in any setting. She’s as gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside. She never exercises but eats fast food on the daily and still looks like this. By all accounts, we should hate her.

I would be remiss without mentioning a few outstanding women who aren’t in this photo but are key in making sure this magazine happens every month. Catherine Davies is the brilliance behind a lot of the graphic design you see every month. Linda Hopkins, Cheryl Ricer, Becca Edwards, Courtney Hampson and Amy Bartlett contribute their words every month; and at its core, that’s what a magazine is. Words. Shared experiences. If I had a dollar for every nice letter I received about a Linda Hopkins article, I’d be retired.

Mame Bowser is behind the scenes handling all the things we creative people abhor … like paperwork, and accounting, and taxes, and payroll—you know, the necessary evils of a successful business. Thank you for doing the hard stuff we’re not so good at, Mame. We appreciate you.

In closing, I’m extremely grateful to Bonnie Lowrey, who took a chance on a bunch of young 20-year-olds, just starting out in new business during a terrible economy, with no experience and very little know-how but a lot of passion. We couldn’t have done it without you. You’ve always known when to advise and encourage or just to sit back and let us figure it out on our own. And that is the sign of a real leader. Here’s to 16 years down and 16 more to go.

Happy New Year to all the important, influential and supportive women in my life. I appreciate you more than you know.

MAGGIE WASHO Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

XOXO. Maggie

PHOTOGRAPHY BY 2LIGHTS, 1STAND

HOLIDAY RECIPES WITH

CHEF LYNN MICHELLE AND CASSANDRA’S KITCHEN

Ilike to cook. No, I love to cook. Generally, a trip to the grocery store is not on my top-10 list of favorite things to do, but if I know I’m going to prepare dinner for a group of family or friends, I enjoy it a lot more. When people find out who my mother is, they assume I’m a fabulous baker. Surprisingly though, I didn’t learn to cook and love it until my early- to mid-20s.

Most of my cooking skills came from watching the men in my life work their magic in the kitchen. My friend, Vinnie (yes, he’s Italian) used to cook big Italian feasts for us to enjoy while watching The Sopranos back in the day. Then one day I crossed over from observer to participant when, in the middle of a 48-hour recipe for Tom Colicchio’s braised short ribs, Vinnie got a call that a family member was sick, and he had to leave town. I remember him looking at me and saying, “Maggie, you have to finish the short ribs!” with all the seriousness an Italian man who loves food could muster.

Oh, I did finish those ribs. It has now become one of my favorite things to make for a group of friends and arguably one of the best dishes in my repertoire.

For a few months now, I have wanted to get together with Chef Lynne Michelle and Cassandra, Schultz, owner of Cassandra’s Kitchen (online and in its new loca tion on Promenade Street in Old Town Bluffton). I’ve photographed these women at work on multiple occasions and thought a collaboration for our Christmas issue would be festive and delicious.

We decided to keep the recipes simple and easy with not too many ingredi ents. These dishes make wonderful appetizers for your holiday table and can be doubled or tripled if you’re feeding a herd.

Look for our next collab this spring. Oh, and a very special shout-out to Vinnie from West Virginia who introduced me to pepperoni rolls.

Cassandra Schultz, Chef Lynn Michelle, and Bodie, looking very guilty after snagging a pepperoni roll off the table.

INTRO BY MAGGIE WASHO

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetable oil

3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 oz.)

2 cups whole walnut halves (7 oz.)

2 cups whole pecan halves (7 oz.)

1/2 cup whole almonds (3 oz.)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder

4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again. Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary. Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Copyright 2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

CHIPOTLE AND ROSEMARY ROASTED NUTS

INA GARTEN’S

INA GARTEN’S

POMEGRANATE COSMOS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (16 ounces) good vodka (recommended: Stolichnaya or Finlandia)

1 cup (8 ounces) orange liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)

1 cup (8 ounces) pomegranate juice (recommended: Pom Wonderful)

1 cup (8 ounces) cranberry juice

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes) Lime peel strips to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the vodka, orange liqueur, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, and lime juice in a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to use. Pour the mixture into frozen martini glasses with a twist of lime.

Copyright 2006, Ina Garten. All Rights Reserved.

CHEF LYNN MICHELLE’S

WHITE TRUFFLE SMOKED SALMON CROSTINIS

WHITE TRUFFLE SMOKED SALMON

INGREDIENTS:

½ pound smoked salmon, cut into small pieces, removing the brownish section ¼ teaspoon, white truffle oil 1 tablespoon light olive oil Salt, to season Black pepper, to season 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1½ tablespoons fresh dill weed, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Place smoked salmon pieces into a medium size bowl. Gentle fold in the white truffle oil, olive oil, salt, black pepper, fresh lemon juice, and freshly chopped dill. Season to taste. NOTE: you can always add more white truffle oil, if desired; a little white truffle oil goes a long way.

Serve cold on top of dilled cream cheese and herbed crostini.

DILLED CREAM CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

Small container whipped cream cheese Salt Black pepper Fresh dill weed, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, blend whipped cream cheese, salt, black pepper and fresh dill weed. Chill.

HERBED CROSTINI

INGREDIENTS:

1 loaf fresh bakery bread, sliced on an angle in thin ½-inch slices. Italian seasonings or dill weed seasoning, to sprinkle on top Salt, to season Black pepper, to season 2 cups robust olive oil, placed in a shallow bowl

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Arrange baguette slices on a large, rimmed baking sheet; dredge the baguette slice quickly into the olive oil on one side and place back onto baking sheet. Sprinkle and season with salt, pepper, Italian seasonings or dried dill weed. Place in hot oven and bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Top crostini with desired toppings and serve.

“THE BEST WAY TO SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER IS SINGING LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR.” -WILL FERRELL

CLASSIC DOUGH

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups warm water

1 tablespoon white sugar

3 envelopes (.25 oz. each) active dry yeast

1⁄4 cup milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1 tablespoon salt

10 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1⁄4 cup shortening

1⁄2 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the top, lightly stir, and let stand for about 10 minutes or until foamy.

In a separate large baking pan, add flour,1 cup sugar, and shortening; using your fingers, mix together until shortening is barely noticeable.

In a small bowl, blend milk, eggs, and salt together; add into the yeast mixture and stir.

Gradually add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, using a wooden spoon or your hands until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a ball. Leave in large pan.

Cover with a hot, damp towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

When the dough has risen, pour melted butter over the top and knead for about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for a few minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1-inch thick. Cut dough into 2-inch squares; roll the squares into balls and place them in greased pans about 1 inch apart. Let rise again until doubled in size. The dough can also be refrigerated and left to rise overnight for baking the next day.

Bake rolls for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

PEPPERONI ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:

Classic Dough recipe or store bought pre-made pizza dough 1 pound pepperoni

Block of cheese, sliced into small strips (optional) ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet.

When using Classic Dough recipe, punch down dough; divide into 20 equal pieces about the size of a 3-inch small circle. Using your hands, flatten each piece into a small rectangle, about 4 inches square.

Place 3 overlapping slices of pepperoni down the center of each dough square. (Optional: this is where you would add the cheese.) Place another row of 3 pepperoni slices next to the first. Roll dough around pepperoni, pinch the edges closed, and place rolls on the prepared cookie sheet.

Brush each pepperoni roll with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake rolls in the preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are barely golden, 14 to 18 minutes.

CINNAMON ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:

Classic Dough recipe or store bought pre-made dough 3 tablespoons cinnamon 4 sticks butter, melted 1 ½ cups brown sugar 2 cups, Pecans (optional), whole or chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish. When using Classic Dough recipe, punch down dough; divide into 20 equal strips, 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.

In a large bowl, blend melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. (Optional: add chopped pecans.) Mix well.

Using your hands, slightly stretch the dough and dredge through the cinnamon butter mixture; tie into a knot and place in baking dish.

Optional: Place the pecans throughout the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish or they can be placed on the bottom of the baking dish with some of the melted butter mixture covering the bottom of dish.

Bake Cinnamon Rolls in the preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are barely golden, 14 to 18 minutes.

GOOEY

Modeled by Caroline Malloy Photography by M.Kat Styled by Kaila Jeffcoat Hair & Makeup by True Beauty by Joanna Marie

Fore dress $60.95, Kylie quilted bag $34.95, Pierre Dumas boots $85.95, flower ear jackets earrings $20

Available at Egan and Ella

TCEC dress $89, Bella Collection clutch $48, Sheila Fajl earrings $120, Shu Shop gold strappy heel- $59.90

Available at Haskins & Co.

Marie Oliver dress $395, Hobo clutch $118, Selina King earrings $335, Selina King cuff $455

Available at Palmettoes

Gretchen Scott dress $195, Quatrafoil hoop earring $28, Quatrafoil charm collar necklace $38

Available at Kelly Caron Curated

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see boutique listed for final pricing on all items.

Christmas Cutback

ARTICLE BY BECCA EDWARDS

Let’s not sugar coat this. The holidays can be all-consuming. From the ever-expanding Christmas card list to the never-ending shopping, the season of giving takes a lot. However, local mom Ramara Garrett, known for her savings savvy, says it doesn’t have to break the bank.

“It is absolutely easy to get caught up in the consumer focus and miss the true meaning of Christmas,” she said. “Even my older children have suggested scaling back so we can relax and enjoy spending more time together. The younger ones are harder to convince. They receive the special holiday toy guides from companies in the mail and eagerly circle about everything in them.”

To spread good tidings while preserving your sanity, your bank account and the environment,

Garrett gives her two cents on penny pinching and being mindful this holiday season:

STEP 1: COMMIT TO A BUDGET

We typically decide on a budget and try to get their most important wish list items within that. Part of growing up is learning that you can’t have everything, and that money has a value, and you have to work for it.

STEP 2: TEACH THE JOY OF RECEIVING

We try to use the holidays to teach our kids that there is just as much joy in giving as in receiving. Since our children were about three, we have let them do chores to earn holiday money. We then take them to the Dollar Tree to pick out something for everyone. They have learned to think more about each person, what they need, what they like, and be mindful to show kindness

Christmas Cutback

THAT’S ONE BIG FAMILY!

(from left to right):

Ramara, Jim, Kali, Caylin, Brooke, Brandin, Ashlyn, Gavin and Payton on Father’s Day 2022.

and thoughtfulness with their gifts. They are so excited on Christmas morning to give out their gifts, which they also wrap. Their joy in watching everyone open the gifts is so real and pure. It really is beautiful.

STEP 3: LOOK FOR THE SALE

My family knows I hate to pay full price for anything. Part of my joy is when I can find what our kids want on sale, which makes our per-kid budget go a lot further. Make a list as early as you can with your kids of things that they really want or need. With this, you can start searching for good deals and discounts. Do a quick Google search online to see what those items usually cost. Then, each week, check again, and you will very likely find a sale price soon.

STEP 4: COUPON CODE-IT

Another simple tip that even my kids use now is coupon code searches. Let’s say you want to order from Lands’ End but don’t have a coupon. Simply Google “Lands’ End coupon code” and several sites will pop up. You may have to copy and paste a few different codes to find one that works, but nine times out of 10, you will easily get a discount.

STEP 5: GIVE AN EXPERIENCE

One of our favorite ways to make Christmas less about “things” is to gift experiences. It forces you to really think about what someone will enjoy and maybe wouldn’t do for themselves. Some things we have given are spa visits, a baking class, a stained glass class, concert tickets, a hotel stay in a special place, a candle making class, and a mixology class. While these things may not be cheap, [the recipients] are excited to do or try something new, and it’s not just “stuff” they may not use.

STEP 6: DELVE INTO VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE

Facebook Marketplace and specifically local buy/sell pages can be a great way to get gifts. Many items are new, and most are gently used. Especially for young kids, this is a great option. Your child wants that $300 ride-on toy you know they will outgrow in a couple of months. Marketplace probably has one in “like new” condition for less than half the cost. Kids don’t care if something is brand new and honestly are so happy to receive something already set up and ready to play. So do yourself a favor.

STEP 7: BE CREATIVE ABOUT WRAPPING

Although you can always make your own wrapping paper with paper grocery bags, tape and imagination using holiday-themed stamps, stickers or hand-drawn elements, we usually wrap with gift bags instead of paper. We re-use the bags and often even the tissue paper. My mom has always done this, having grown up at a time when there wasn’t extra money for these things. I just can’t see throwing away things that are perfectly fine. We even have a few bags that have been used so many times it has become tradition for them to make an appearance under the tree as a joke.

STEP 8: MAKE SOMETHING

My older kids have given some truly beautiful gifts that they have made, and they are treasured. My daughter is a beautiful painter; my oldest son crafted a wire fish; and my youngest son made beautiful ceramics. Our little kids make things like handprint ornaments, handprint or footprint pictures or write a poem. These can often be the best gifts anyone receives, and the kids love to see them displayed. Don’t be afraid to make something. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be treasured. Have a recipe that is special to you? Have it engraved on a cutting board or printed and framed. Maybe there is a special photo that means a lot to another person. Have it beautifully framed as a gift.

“As parents, we are not raising children; we are raising adults,” Garrett said. “Everything we do should be with that goal in mind. While we want our children to experience the magic of Christmas, including the excitement of seeing tons of presents under the tree Christmas morning, we also want them to appreciate and treasure what can’t be purchased. Take the time to do all the small things. Make the cookies. Put out the reindeer food. Move the darn elf every night. Look at the Christmas lights. Make the cocoa and give them extra marshmallows. Watch all the Christmas movies while snuggled on the couch in PJs. Celebrate that time together, knowing that family is unconditional love.” 

Ramara Garrett

FOR HER

Listed left to right, top to bottom: 1. St. Barths Medium Tote - $270, available at Birdie James; 2. Vietri Old Saint Nick Limited Square Santa Platter - $154, available at Le Cookery; 3. Kazuri Wood Horn Necklaces - $125- $150, available at Binya Boutique; 4. Château la Genestière Tavel Rosé - $32.99, Sylviane Rosé of Cab Franc - $39.99, Tu Bois Coâ Rosé - $12.99, available at Rollers; 5. Winter Beanies - $18 available at Egan + Ella Boutique; 6. 1000mg Full Spectrum CBN tincture - $90, 750mg Full Spectrum CBN gummies - $70;available at Your CBD Store 7. Kerisma Soft Iris Sweater - $188, available at Copper Penny; 8. J/SLIDES Mika Platform Slip-On Sneakers - $178, available at Radiance; 9. Sage Candle (Diamond) - $35, available at Collage Boutique

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see boutique listed for final pricing on all items .

Listed left to right, top to bottom:

White Gold Ring with

CTW Round Center

and .91 ctw side baguette diamonds - See Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers for pricing;

Bankuan Cone Tree (small) - $55, available at Eggs ‘n’ Tricities;

Quatrefoil Charm Collar Necklace; $38 availabe at Kelly Caron Curated

Straight Down Misty Pant - $86, Straight Down Misty Top - $106, available at Palmetto Dunes Pro Shop; 5. FHone Eyeglasses - $385, available at Eyeland Optique; 6. Spunky Pup Koala Woolie - $18.99, Spunky Pup Piggy Woolie - $18.99, available at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Palmetto; 7. Mauritius Women’s Star Leather Jacket - $278, available at Haskins; 8. Selina King Earrings - $285, available at Palmettoes; 9. Myra Bag Blending Taste Shoulder Bag - $58, available at 32 North; 10. Pinedrop Lounge Pant - $60, Hot Cocoa Tee$48, available at Southern Tide; 11. The Lillian Hat - $88, available at Outside Hilton Head *Prices change and human error occurs. Please see boutique listed for final pricing on all items .

Listed left to right, top to bottom: 1. Women’s Fendi O’Lock Havana Sunglasses, see Optical Solutions for pricing; 2. 18K yellow and white gold superfine link toggle bracelet with diamond bar by designer Steven Lagos. Retail $2,300, available at Forsythe Jewelers 3. Julie Vos Odette Gift Set - $195, available at Birdie James; 4. Dear John Denim Lexi Drop Shoulder Sweater - $98, Anorak Long Down Puffer Vest - $174, available at Radiance; 5. Tree Dip Bowl - $36, Guest Towels - $12, Red Bird Dip Bowl - $36, Handled Rectangular Platter - $149, available at Le Cookery; 6. Magical Skin Set - $84, available at Merle Norman; 7. HOBO Lauren Cow Print Wallet - $228, available at Radiance; 8. Allison New York Maya Sweater - $148, available at Coastal Bliss; 9. 14KT Yellow Gold Diamond Necklace - Mariner Link with 1.1 CTW Round Diamonds, see Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers for pricing; 10. The Sage Collection 2-oz Perfume - $50, 1/8-oz Oil - $50, available at Collage Boutique, 11. Archipelago Large Candles - $64 each, available at Eggs ’n’ Tricities

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see boutique listed for final pricing on all items .

Listed left to right, top to bottom: 1. Starry Rosé Shadow Palette - $70, available Merle Norman; 2. Leather Star Cuff and Cowhide Cuff - $34/ each, available at Haskins; 3. Farm Rio Full of Hearts Reversible Puffer Jacket - $365, available at Copper Penny; 4. Matisse Footwear Bambi Western Boot - $100, available at Coastal Bliss; 5. Daisy Leash - $26.99, Collar - $23.99, available at Woof Gang Bakery & Gromming Palmetto; 6. Amethyst Quartz Bracelet - $695, available at Collage Boutique; 7. Merry & Bright and Cheers Sweaters - $118, available at Maggie and Me; 8. Women’s Anne et Valentin Transfer Eyeglasses, see Optical Solutions for pricing; 9. Women’s prAna Ice Flow Long Sleeve Shirt - $100, available at 32 North; 10. Holly Dolly Mug - $26, available at Egan + Ella Boutique; 11. Vintage Havana Sneakers - $130, available at Haskins

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see boutique listed for final pricing on all items .

left to right, top to bottom: 1. Studio M Gather Friends Bird Bath - $219.99, available at Wild

2. Show Me Your Mumu Tara Crop Top - $108, available at Coastal Bliss; 3. l.a. Eyeworks Spoons Eyeglasses - $410, available at Eyeland Optique; 4. Kim Bowen Holiday Towels - $20/each, available at Binya Boutique; 5. Straight Down Tundra Quarter-Zip - $120, available at Palmetto Dunes Pro Shop; 6. HHB Imports Leather Bag - $345, available at Palmettoes; 7. Cheers sweater $118, Olukai Kip’s Hey Black Slippers - $120, available at Maggie and Me; 8. Lumen Glow Pads $97; availabe at LUX ~ Medical Spa 9. Archipelago Votive Gift Set - $62, available at Eggs ’n’ Tricities; 10. Vietri Old Saint Nick Jump Santa Cup - $49, Vietri Old Saint Nick Latte Santa Mug - $54, Vietri Old Saint Nick Asst Mug - $49, available at Le Cookery; 11. Waylon Pullover - $118, available at Southern Tide *Prices change and human error occurs. Please see boutique listed for final pricing on all items .

Listed

Birds Unlimited;

J

Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers owners, Nancy and Darrel Quinn.

SPARKLES and Smiles

DIAMOND JEWELERS MAKES MOMENTS MEMORABLE

Article By Cheryl Ricer Photo courtsey of Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers

Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers is a real gem. Not only does their jewelry sparkle and make you smile, Darrel Quinn, the store owner, greets every customer with a twinkle in his eye and a dazzling grin. He admittedly doesn’t take himself too seriously and loves telling tall tales and silly jokes.

One thing Quinn does take seriously, though, is the quality and selection of the jewelry he sells, the expertise he brings to the table, and the level of service. “I try to make everybody laugh,” Quinn said. “I found out I had colon cancer when I was 43. Then, Nancy, my wife and I, were living in Illinois where we had three big jewelry stores and 26 employees. When I got sick, we decided that life was too short, so we sold those stores and moved to Hilton Head. After four months, Nancy was bored with retirement and wanted a small store, so we opened our Wexford location. Now we have one store and two employees—us.”

Quinn is a master jeweler with more than 50 years’ experience in the industry. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a business degree, he earned a degree in jewelry repair as well as horology (the study of time) from Gem City College and a degree in diamonds and diamond grading from the Gemological Institute of America. Additionally, he gained valuable experience working in his parents’ store for many years.

According to Quinn, the jewelry industry, like many others, is changing.

Twenty-five years ago, there were approximately 43,000 registered jewelers; today there are only about 9,000.

“In the past, we had tailors, shoe stores, etc., but not anymore,” he said. “Mom-and-pop stores are slowly dying because people buy from the internet, department stores, big box stores. The demand for the knowledge and education jewelers have is gone. The result is that people are buying inferior products that many times can’t be repaired or serviced. To get a quality product that you will be able to hand down for generations to come, you must buy from a registered, certified jeweler. At Quinn’s, you get that assurance.”

Service at Quinn’s is unmatched. Quinn educates each buyer to make sure they make an informed choice. As a master goldsmith, not only can he create custom pieces; he offers complimentary evaluations on repairs and uses current technology to keep your pieces in the best condition. And because he does everything onsite, express repair service is available. Quinn’s also offers customers an exceptional variety of styles and designs.

“Nancy has been in charge of our inventory for 47 years,” Quinn said. “Her taste and style are phenomenal, and the pieces she chooses for our store are one of a kind.”

Importantly, too, you can upgrade any diamond at a 100 percent trade if you trade up by 20 percent.

“Come see us,” Quinn said. “You’ll experience great quality, unique jewelry, and I promise to make you laugh while you’re here.”

To get a belly laugh or buy some sparkly jewels, visit Quinn’s at 1000 William Hilton Pkwy, Village at Wexford, G-5, Hilton Head Island. For more information, call (843) 342-6663 or visit diamondland.com.

QUINN’S

A CHRISTMAS STORY

YOUR LETTERS TO SANTA HAVE BEEN ANSWERED: THE BELOVED CHRISTMAS CLASSIC IS COMING TO THE ARTS CENTER OF COASTAL CAROLINA.

Despite repeated viewings ensuring that we know every joke before it arrives, every moment before it happens, A Christmas Story always seems to remain fresh. Maybe it’s because of the way it’s become so intrinsically linked with the season. Maybe it is the effortless way Jean Shepherd reminds us all of our own childhoods through the lens of Ralphie and his Indiana upbringing. Regardless, it seems like no matter how many times you see A Christmas Story, it never gets old.

But no matter how many times you’ve seen it, you’ve never seen it like you’ll see it this December at The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Running December 6-13, A Christmas Story: The Musical takes all the great moments that made the 1983 film a classic and puts a Broadway spin on it, courtesy of the songwriting team behind Dear Evan Hansen and La La Land

Making its Broadway debut in 2013, the show became a runaway hit, with three Tony nominations, six Drama Desk nominations and two Outer Critics Circle nominations.

“It’s a fantastic musical version of movie everyone knows,” said Director Mark Martino. “It’s such a good story that isn’t sticky or sentimental, and it’s surrounded with great music.”

Article by Barry Kaufman . Photography by Gustavo Rattia

The Cast of A Christmas Story: The Musical

A CHRISTMAS STORY

For New York City-based Martino, a return to the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina stage represents somewhat of a holiday tradition at this point, having directed Elf, Kiss Me, Kate, An American in Paris, and White Christmas over the last four consecutive holiday seasons. “I’ve been a part of the Arts Center for the last five or six years now, which makes me very happy,” he said. “It’s not a bad place to be at Thanksgiving.”

The joy of returning to direct A Christmas Story is twofold for the director. As a native son of Indiana, the stories that Shepherd spun about his hometown, first on radio, then in the book, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash on which A Christmas Story was based, always resonated with Martino.

“I grew up there. He (Jean Shepherd) and my dad were childhood friends. He grew up in freezing cold Hobart, Indiana (fictionalized in the play as Hohman, Indiana) and these are his stories,” Martino said. “I love Randy in his snowsuit. Why do I want to be on Hilton Head Island when it’s cold? Because of that.”

But beyond his own personal connection, Martino is as much a fan of the classic film as anyone. If the line about Randy in his snowsuit didn’t make sense, go back and rewatch the classic moment when Ralphie’s little brother can’t put his arms down to the layers upon layers of snow jackets. Or the victorious upset against neighborhood

Nicholas Reed as “Ralphie”

MAKING ITS BROADWAY DEBUT IN 2013, THE SHOW BECAME A RUNAWAY HIT, WITH THREE TONY NOMINATIONS, SIX DRAMA DESK NOMINATIONS AND TWO OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE NOMINATIONS.

bully Scut Farkus. Or the moment Santa crushes our hero’s dreams by denying his request for a Red Ryder BB gun.

Or better yet, make this year’s repeat viewing a completely new experience by seeing these classic moments translated to a high-energy blockbuster musical.

“You don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but by choosing a cast that’s vibrant and fun, they help you find new things in the story that you didn’t expect,” he said. “With a project like this, reconceived is ill-conceived. You have to respect the source material.”

Enhancing the classic story is an extraordinarily talented cast, including Sam Hartley as “The Old Man,” and Kelly McCormick as “The Mom.” But the real stars of the show are the precocious youngsters filling out the roles of Ralphie, Randy, Flick, Schwartz and the whole gang.

“It really stars the children. Generally, kids have a supporting role, but these kids are the stars of this musical,” Martino said. “It was a casting challenge, particularly finding the two boys to shoulder the principal roles…. This is a role you want to hand to a seasoned pro, and when you’re 10, that doesn’t exist unless you’re Shirley Temple.”

And while Martino was elated to find talented young actors in Nicholas Reed (Ralphie) in Texas and Max Clifford (Randy) from upstate New York, he was able to round out his cast of talented kids by looking a little closer to home.

“All six of Ralphie’s friends are from the island or Bluffton,” he said. “Their excitement is so much fun to be around. The learning curve for a musical like this is huge, but they’re all so smart.”

Timing-wise, you couldn’t pick a better time to head back to Hohman, especially with the debut of A Christmas Story Christmas on HBO Max bringing back original star Peter Billingsley for a long-anticipated sequel.

“We swear we didn’t know about that when we chose this show,” said the Arts Center’s Andrea Gannon with a laugh. In fact, this isn’t the first time this has happened with an Arts Center production. In 2017, just as they were raising the curtain on their production of Newsies, Disney + began streaming a film version of the Broadway play.

“The relationship between film and theater and television has really become more symbiotic than problematic,” Martino said. “If you like the story, you can enjoy it in a multitude of versions. Where this show really succeeds is in taking something so familiar and adding all these new elements. It really enhances it. When you see this show, your response isn’t, ‘I saw this in the movie.’ You’re just thinking ‘Wow, those eight children just did a fantastic musical number.’”

So, get on your most comfortable pink bunny pajamas, pour a glass of Ovaltine and head to The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina December 6-13 for A Christmas Story: The Musical. You probably won’t shoot your eye out, but you may laugh your butt off. 

Call (843) 842-ARTS (2787) or visit artshhi.com for tickets.

OF RECEIVING THE GIFT

As the season of shopping is underway, many of us are wrapped up in the frenzied pursuit of happiness and satisfaction that goes along with gift-giving. Say what you will about commercialism, but the tradition is here to stay because most people genuinely enjoy giving. And naturally so. Giving is often accompanied by feelings of peace, joy, and connection, and it makes us feel good about ourselves.

Yet, for every giver, there must be a receiver, and some of the most generous givers are a bit awkward on the receiving end. We love giving to others, but we struggle when others give to us. Isn’t this an enigma? By being poor receivers, could we be denying others the excitement and pleasure of giving?

And then there’s that phrase that a lot of us were taught growing up: “It’s better to give than to

receive.” Author and business trainer T. Harv Eker, known for his theories on wealth and motivation, says, “Let’s just call that what it is: bad math! If both have to be there for the other to exist, how on earth could one be better than the other?”

RECEIVING GIFTS

When it comes to tangible gifts, I think some of the discomfort around receiving relates to a general lack of need. Most adults I know buy what they need and want for themselves throughout the year. So, when required to open a package and be “thrilled” with a sweater, socks, CD, trio of jams, or crocheted blanket, some of us get a little squirmy. But there is an art to receiving gifts that goes beyond the gift itself. It requires genuine gratitude for the giver.

I’m reminded of the time when my grandson proudly presented me with a rock he found in the

driveway. He gave it to me as if it were the Hope Diamond, and I naturally responded with appropriate enthusiasm. I didn’t have to think about what to say or drum up a reaction because this little fellow chose to give me something that held value to him.

When you open that box or bag from a loved one this holiday season, respond as you would to a child who is offering you a treasured rock or a freshly picked dandelion. You obviously don’t need or want a pebble or a weed, but when you focus on the spirit in which it is given, you can’t help but express genuine thanks.

Practice this with family and friends. After all, if a person thinks enough of you to give you a present, that is the present. All you need to do is offer a sincere thank you for their thoughtfulness. What’s tied up in a bow is secondary to what can never be measured or wrapped.

RECEIVING COMPLIMENTS

Last August, I was at the grocery store, wearing an inexpensive lavender T-shirt dress (think cool and comfortable). A lady stopped me in the ice cream aisle to say she liked it

and to tell me it was her favorite color. After my face lit up and I said thank you, she asked where I got it, and I took a moment to pull up the website and show her where she could order one for herself. Her compliment made my day, and it reminded me of something I believe strongly: that most people are goodhearted and have pure intentions.

Compliments are gifts. They can make us feel seen and heard. Yet many of us don’t know how to accept them. We sometimes dismiss or deflect compliments as an unconscious act of self-protection—to appear humble or because we feel unworthy of praise. Unfortunately, this can deflate the giver’s spirit and rob us of human connection.

When someone says, “I love your dress,” or “You did a fantastic job on your presentation,” your response should be “thank you.” That’s it. Do not say, “This old rag? I got it for five dollars at the Bargain Box” or “Oh, it was nothing.” These kinds of responses devalue the gift you just received.

Also, resist the urge to return the compliment, which can seem forced and insincere. “Returning a compliment because you think you have to robs them of the full joy of giving you the

COMPLIMENTS ARE GIFTS. THEY CAN MAKE US FEEL SEEN AND HEARD. YET MANY OF US DON’T KNOW HOW TO ACCEPT THEM. WE SOMETIMES DISMISS OR DEFLECT COMPLIMENTS AS AN UNCONSCIOUS ACT OF SELF-PROTECTION—TO APPEAR HUMBLE OR BECAUSE WE FEEL UNWORTHY OF PRAISE.

compliment. And it robs you of receiving,” Eker said. “The key is to recognize that whether you’re ‘worthy’ or not is a feeling, not a fact. It’s a story that you made up and now you own. Disown that! Receive with the same joy that you give.”

Next time someone compliments you, simply say thank you and stay conscious of how your act of gracious receiving blesses those who give the gift of kind words. When we receive a compliment as the gift it is intended to be, we accept an invitation to connect. This is how kindness spreads, even through a brief encounter with a stranger.

RECEIVING HELP

The mere thought of asking for or receiving help can sometimes trigger a desire to declare our independence. Even if we acknowledge how much we rely on others in our everyday lives (our partners, coworkers, teachers, doctors, deliverymen, service providers, etc.), we may still hesitate to be on the receiving end when we are in need. We don’t want to be a burden, and this attitude means we don’t ask for help—or we resist it when offered.

In 2001, when caring for my terminally ill husband, I was forced to face my own stubborn need to prove my autonomy. When I finally humbled myself and asked for the help I desperately needed, the outpouring of love was so profound that, for the first time in my life, I began to see and understand the value of allowing others an opportunity to practice kindness and generosity.

More recently, when I had a major surgery and subsequently became very sick, I again witnessed the sheer magic of opening up to receive the heartfelt, no-strings-attached acts of kindness that were extended to me. I was reminded once again of the power we have to increase someone else’s happiness by accepting their offerings of time, talent, resources, and words of encouragement—all priceless gifts. By receiving, we honor the giver and allow them to recognize the difference they make.

Remember that the gate of giving and receiving swings both ways. Whether it is a package, a compliment, or an act of kindness, when you receive, you’re giving back appreciation and gratitude, and that, in itself, is a gift to the giver. 

GIFT RECEIVING ETIQUETTE

1. Always open the card first. If you receive a card attached to a gift, open it first. If at a party, you can let others know who the gift is from, but do not read the card out loud as the message may be personal.

2. Respond with a simple thank you. Ask permission to open the gift and express yourself with authenticity, saying thank you with sincerity. If you have nothing to give in return, do not make excuses. Unless it is an established tradition to exchange gifts, most people do not give with the expectation of receiving anything other than your acknowledgment and pleasure. You can always reciprocate at another time as a surprise, but do it out of love, not obligation.

3. Write a note of appreciation. While a verbal thank you may be sufficient, you can never go wrong with an old-fashioned, handwritten thank-you note. Regardless of whether you like the gift or not, express appreciation for the person’s thoughtfulness.

4. Be cautious about recycling a gift. Remember the value of the relationship before you dispose of, return, or re-gift something you dislike. Hurting the gift giver’s feelings could damage a friendship that is worth far more than the gift itself. It truly is the thought that counts, even when you wonder what they were thinking. Feel the love, and the contents of the package won’t matter.

HISTORIC HOLIDAYS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND

THIS YEAR, THE HERITAGE LIBRARY IS PUTTING SOMETHING SPECIAL UNDER THE TREE FOR YOU.

ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN

Some gifts, like a rare bottle of wine, are meant to be enjoyed with friends. Some gifts, like a family heirloom, are meant to be treasured for a lifetime. With its Historic Holidays on Hilton Head Island, the Heritage Library is giving the island a gift that is both.

During this special one-day event, December 10 from 12-4 p.m. at USCB’s Hilton Head campus, you’ll be able to gather friends together to enjoy some of the Lowcountry’s most inspiring artists and authors. And while you’re there, you’ll gain an insight into our unique culture that will stay with you forever.

“We wanted to offer something that would give people a greater perspective on the island, its history and its culture,” said Barbara Catenaci, Heritage Library’s executive director. “This event is going to be a great way to get folks out and try to teach them about the island with a whole lot of friends around.”

The idea for this delightful holiday event started with a series of afternoon teas at the Heritage Library, showcasing a different author with every session. When each one sold out in record time, it was clear there was an appetite for learning about the island’s culture right from some of its brightest minds. “These were small events, but it really made us ask how we could do something larger,” Catenaci said.

That something larger became a holiday event filled with special presentations and a chance to browse the wares of area creatives. While visiting with this local talent, guests will enjoy afternoon tea fare like finger sandwiches, sweets, tea (both hot and iced), and a cash bar. In between, they can enjoy the chance for one-one-on time with local artists and authors, plus special events like the “Griot’s Corner,” a storytelling space for children.

“A griot was a traveling storyteller in African culture. Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park does this on a regular basis with students, and it’s a great way to tie the event back to the island’s local history and culture,” Catanaci said. She pointed out that guests will also have a chance to visit with a few historic figures including Mitchelville’s namesake General Ormsby Mitchel (played by Rich Thomas) as well as Francis Gage (Kathy Smith) and Clara Barton (Rosemary Staples), among a slew of talented artists and writers.

The Historic Holidays: Authors, Artists and Afternoon Tea event will be held December 10 from 12-4 p.m. at USCB Hilton Head. Tickets are $15 for admission, $35 for admission and afternoon tea; children 12 and under get in free. Register at heritagelib.org.

Who’s Who at Historic Holidays

Scheduled to appear at the Heritage Library’s Historic Holidays on Hilton Head event are local luminaries including:

AUTHORS

LINE IN THE SANDÊ One Topic

How Early Is Too Early To Listen To Christmas Music?

OPINION 1: BARRY KAUFMAN

November 1. That’s how far I made it this year.

On October 31, I was passing out candy to the neighborhood kids (full-size Kit Kats, because I am a legend). Less than 12 hours later, there was the vilest of human compositions pouring forth from my car stereo, ready to usher in two months of mandatory merriment.

“Last Christmas,” my radio chided me, “I gave you my heart. The very next day, you threw it away.”

Not even a full day into it, and I had already lost the unofficial game of the holidays, Whamageddon. For those unfamiliar, Whamageddon is a game that starts at the crack of midnight on Halloween and goes right up until you inevitably lose. The closest you get to winning is seeing how far into the season you can go without hearing Wham’s “Last Christmas.” (This game was originally played with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” but there were too many fatalities). My record is December 15, for those

Cue the visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. To quote Kenny Rogers and Carrie Underwood, “Christmas is my favorite time of year.”

Unfortunately, in the most recent (um, 15 years) past, I had a little trouble getting into the ho-ho-holiday spirit. For a decade and a half, I was responsible for planning and executing a weeklong event that always took place the week before Thanksgiving. This event rendered me physically, mentally, and emotionally incapable of setting my brain on holiday—of any kind— mode until the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Even four calling birds couldn’t get me out of my work-induced funk.

This meant I rarely celebrated Halloween. I mean I went as far as being “that house” that turned its lights out and didn’t even want trick-ortreaters. It also meant that while I loved hosting Thanksgiving, I couldn’t wrap my head around the task until four days before, which meant all my guests also ended up waiting until the last minute to prepare when I finally doled out the menu delegations.

And because I wasn’t thinking about talking turkey until the third week of November, Christmas never even crossed my mind pre-December. One

holiday at a time was my mantra.

But this year, ah, this year, oh how times have changed. I “retired” last year from that role, and the event retired with me. This year, I dressed up for Halloween and encouraged my colleagues to do the same. We even hosted our inaugural Halloween costume contest, a major move in my holiday recovery plan. When I returned home from work that evening, two enormous bags of Halloween candy beckoned from their bowl. Holiday Courtney was alert and on point.

As the eight o’clock hour struck and trick-or-treating wound down, I lit a “spruce and fir” candle and called out, “Alexa, play holiday music.” And thus began my trip down the chimney of planning for Christmas before the clock struck November.

I have been in fa la la la festive fast

who are curious. And I had already stumbled on the starting block. So being a mature adult, I immediately took to Instagram to complain about losing this year’s Whamageddon in record time. And who should emerge from the digital ether with a sarcastic clapback to my misery but my old nemesis Courtney Hampson. Courtney, it should not surprise anyone, LOVES Wham. She loves Wham so much she even knows the other guy in Wham’s name. I wanna say … Darryl something? I don’t know; I’m pretty sure even George Michael never even bothered to learn that.

Bolstered by her love of disposable 1980s pop duos, Courtney had the audacity to call me that one epithet that seems to strike everyone who doesn’t start trimming the tree in August: She called me a Grinch. This meant war.

OPINION 2: COURTNEY HAMPSON

BarryHow Early Is Too Early To Listen To Christmas Music?

Because I want to be clear on one thing: I love Christmas. I love the look on my kids’ faces when they unwrap presents. I love snuggling under a blanket to hear Linus Van Pelt throw down some of that old time religion. I’m not big on eggnog, but I will make an absolute disgrace of myself over some Christmas cookies.

And the reason I love Christmas is the same reason a lot of you do: the nostalgia for Christmas past. I love thinking back to my snowy memories of waking up Christmas morning to find that Santa had braved the Michigan weather to bring me a bike. I love memories of stringing lights up on the tree, even though these were late ’70s-era bulbs that would heat up to thermonuclear levels within minutes of being plugged in. I even love Christmas music. Not Wham, mind you, but good Christmas music.

And part of what makes those memories special is their scarcity. I have fond memories of Christmas, not fond memories of the entire month of November and maybe parts of October. It’s too much, and by widening the season to encompass basically the entire post-Labor Day year, it cheapens Christmas.

Look, some of us still hold to the old ideals of what Christmas is about. It’s about love for your fellow human beings. It’s about the part of your soul that yearns to give to others. It’s about maintaining good will toward men. And some of us have a really hard time keeping that going for more than a month. If you ask us to start being decent humans for an entire quarter of a year, we’re not going to handle it well.

Plus, at some point we just have to put our foot down.

I know “Christmas starts earlier every year” isn’t really the hottest of takes, and maybe it’s a sign I’m getting older that it’s starting to bother me. But it is. I can remember a time when I was barely cognizant of when Christmas “started.” It just kind of happened some time after Thanksgiving. And then it crept down the calendar. For a while, we drew a line in the cranberries at Black Friday. Absolutely no Christmas until after the Lions have their annual loss, we said.

And for a while, the yuletide zealots kept to their side of that line. Somewhere in the last decade, though, they slipped by us. Now Thanksgiving serves as this sort of island in a sea of red and green, the one day dedicated to something besides flooding the front door with Amazon boxes.

I’ve been over Thanksgiving before; suffice it to say, I like turkey but not enough to spend my whole day on it. So, I wasn’t disappointed to see Thanksgiving overwhelmed by Christmas, but I was alarmed. Because the next bulkhead against this wave of holly jolly Christmas creep is Halloween.

Will it ever get that far? Will Halloween one day just be a brief day of spookiness amid a summer-to-spring Christmas season? I’d be paranoid if I said yes. But then, we said that about Thanksgiving at one point. And now here we are, with another line drawn on either side of Wham’s “Last Christmas.”

Look, I’m not telling you that you can’t enjoy Christmas if you want. There are enough actual Grinches out there, and I certainly don’t want to be one of them. But at least try and tone it down a little bit. You want to listen to songs like “Last Christmas” and “All I Want For Christmas is You,” pop music that’s mostly about sex but also kind of about the holidays? Go for it.

But please, for the sake of those of us with fond memories of a Christmas season that was measured in weeks, not months, keep it off the radio at least until the turkey’s gone. 

Courtneyforward ever since. My Instagram feed runneth over with holiday decorating ideas, and thus my target.com cart followed suit. This year, you can expect to see new boughs of holly and cypress swag donning my mantle. Two trips to Lowes yielded a second family of illuminated and glitter-glowing reindeer and a new 12-foot Christmas tree for good measure. You can never have enough Christmas trees, right? Did I mention the addition of the five foot in diameter wreath that will look “perfect over the garage” and the eight-foot live Leland Cypress that I made hubby plant in the front yard? Why, you ask? So the family of fake deer have a place to lay down their sweet heads. Game on grinches, game on.

Now to be fair to the scrooges, the trees, wreaths, boughs, et al did not deck the halls until post-Thanksgiving. However, Thanksgiving also benefited from my new holiday outlook. For the first time in 15 turkey days, my menu and supporting shopping list were complete by November 13. We cooked two turkeys this year; double the bird, double the fun. A Christmas, er Thanksgiving, miracle. I am all in, people. All. In.

As you’re reading, the calendar has flipped to December, our house is all aglow, and I have been listening to holiday classics for more than 30 days. Christmas lists are complete, and coordinating wrapping paper is poised for ribbons and bows. And now the real work begins, writing and choreographing our annual Christmas Eve performance, as is my family’s tradition. I think we can all agree that the extra planning time this year will catapult my performance to top honors in Santa’s eyes. Will I recreate the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers? Write a song parody to the tune of “Oh, Christmas Tree”? Or lip sync “Away in a Manger” in honor of Uncle Al? So much time, so many possibilities.

Regardless of my much-advanced holiday spirit this year, whatever your pace, and wherever you are, I hope you have a beautiful holiday and a happy new year. (Even you, Barry.) 

SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER

READY FOR A HASSLE-FREE HOLIDAY? LET THE MOSQUITO NIX ELVES HANDLE THE LIGHTS.

ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN

It’s perhaps one of the most iconic moments of any Christmas movie. Clark Griswold, driven once again to the end of his rope by a hilarious string of calamities, desperately plugs together two extension cords in a last-ditch effort to salvage Christmas.

And then, a miracle. All 25,000 twinkling incandescent lights snap on at once, blinding the neighbors and causing a temporary blackout.

It’s a great moment, albeit one that makes you forget why Clark was so frustrated in the first place. Over the course of stringing his lights, he falls off the roof, staples his arm to a cord, rips a gutter off his eaves (sending a block of ice into his neighbors’ pricy stereo), gets trapped in his own attic and ultimately gets so frustrated by the whole ordeal he kicks apart a decorative Santa Claus.

For anyone who has ever struggled to put up lights, it’s all too relatable. That’s why, if you don’t mind, we’re going to skip it this year and let the Mosquito Nix Elves handle it.

“I love what I do,” said Ray Gillespie, head elf at Mosquito Nix. “Bringing smiles to my clients’ faces is the fruit of our labors.”

For the past three years, Mosquito Nix has used the downtime of the relatively mosquito-free holiday season to create beautiful Christmas lightscapes across the Lowcountry. And what they do is far more elegant than the Griswold family eyesore. Working with your home’s landscaping and architecture, these elves string up a glittering winter wonderland of lights, wreaths, garlands and swag that is as awe-inspiring as it is tasteful.

“I mean, we’ll Griswold up a home if you so choose,” Gillespie said. “But I haven’t had anyone ask for that. Most of our clients want something traditional, warm, and elegant.”

If you want to see the results of these elves’ industrious inspiration, you can see the yuletide miracles they’ve worked at the front entrances at Wexford Plantation and Eagle’s Pointe, or at Nunzio’s, Burnt Church Distillery or Chick-fil-A. It’s a beautiful

display that would look equally gorgeous on your home.

As we head into the holiday rush, it might not be a bad idea to put the Mosquito Nix elves to work sooner rather than later. Right now, they’re operating on a two-week lead time, and an army of satisfied repeat customers have already given them plenty to do. That’s just fine with Gillespie.

“I want to be the overachiever,” he said. “We really love what we do.”

That goes beyond the initial install, as well. Once the elves have decked your halls (or at least your walls and roof) with glittering lights and specialty decorations, they will happily replace any burnt-out bulbs within a day. “My fellow elves and I live locally, so we can jump on that really quickly,” he said.

So, if you’re ready to skip the usual wrestling match with that tangled mass of broken lights in your attic, make this the Christmas you call or text the Mosquito Nix Elves. Call (843) 352-8873 or text ELVES. 

What boy band performed the famous Chili’s “Baby Back Ribs” jingle in a 2002 commercial? Who is the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns scored? What is the official language of the African nations Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Guinea-Bissau?

These are questions that few among us can readily answer. Add in the pressure of answering them in a roomful of friends, and with the effects of a few drinks sloshing around in your brain, and it can be a real challenge. It’s the job of the trivia host to ask these questions and tease that information out of your brain. The rest of the teasing they leave to your teammates when you fail to identify (respectively) NSYNC, Jerry Rice, and Portuguese.

Trivia can be an enjoyable way for friends to gather or it can be a cutthroat competition of brainpower and fast reflexes. No matter which way it goes, the nucleus of the whole experience, the ring master of this circus, is the host—there to keep things light and show you how much random information you have squirreled away in your head. Here we meet a few of the area’s finest.

OPENER BY BARRY KAUFMAN . PHOTOGRAPHY BY 2LIGHTS, 1STAND MEET

BARRY KAUFMAN

Where can we find you hosting trivia? Just follow the sounds of The Blues Brothers’ “Rubber Biscuit” to Captain Woody’s Bluffton on Wednesday nights and Lot 9 Brewing Co. on Thursdays. I also do the odd one-off event for private parties every now and again.

What theme night goes over best? As I write this, I’m getting ready to host Hocus Pocus trivia, which is looking like it’s going to be our biggest theme night ever. Which is terrifying since I have never watched that movie.

Where/how do you come up with your questions? Some come from late night inspiration, some from the bottom of a Wikipedia rabbit hole. But a lot of them come from a coop of trivia hosts I joined on Reddit. Shoutout to the mods! What’s your favorite board game? I have been officially banned from playing Scrabble with my family because I’m pretty good at it, and I have no chill about that fact.

How often do you stump the room (meaning no one gets it right)? Twice last night, which was a rarity. Usually, I try to get at least 20 percent of the crowd to feel smarter than the other 80 percent.

Most creative team name you’ve ever heard: I had one team that used to routinely cross the line with their team names, and while they were always creative, none of them are fit for print.

Do you give clues? No, but my song choices do—usually with a degree of subtlety ranging from none at all to a little.

Do you call people out for cheating? Do I look like a cop to you? That’s why I do a speed bonus in the second half. Anyone who has to look up answers is gonna get buried by the folks who don’t.

Q: What is the highest-grossing Broadway show of all time?

“HODGE”

(Michael Hodge)

Where can we find you hosting trivia? Southern Barrel Brewing Co., every Tuesday at 7 p.m. for the last seven years. What theme night goes over best? Harry Potter and Disney theme nights always bring out the crowds. Never hurts that I am in costume those nights, too.

Where/how do you come up with your questions? Well, the internet is certainly helpful, but I like using old Trivial Pursuit questions. I also have a ton of old trivia books. What’s your favorite board game? Risk, but I can never get anyone to play. (Sad Hodge)

How often do you stump the room (meaning no one gets it right)? Usually, at least once a night during general knowledge trivia. However, I have to make the questions significantly more difficult when asking about Harry Potter, Disney, The Office, or Friends. People think, “I love The Office; I will get all of these right.” Then, the whole room doesn’t. Point for Hodge.

Most creative team name you’ve ever heard: We get a lot of these. At the end of the first round, I call out all the

team names and give a round of drinks to the team with the “best” team name. This can get a little graphic to say the least. When I explain this rule each week, I use a few examples we have heard before. Those who have been to Southern Barrel trivia know the answer to this question. Do you give clues? Yes and no. Sometimes, when the answer is a single digit number, I’ll make it that question. Or, after I ask a question a few times, I sometimes give another tidbit of information about the answer that may help someone come up with it.

Do you call people out for cheating? Yes, when it is apparent. Because we don’t do a cumulative trivia (we award a prize at the end of each round and then start over for the next round), we don’t get a lot of cheating. I let everyone know that there are no “life lines” in Southern Barrel trivia. A few years ago, we had a table where everyone was over the age of 70, and they correctly answered, “Chance the Rapper.” Really? Name one of his songs. Hahaha ... cheaters.

Q: What is the capital of India?

CHRIS DAVEY

Where can we find you hosting trivia? I host trivia at Grooby’s Too on Mondays, and R-bar on Wednesdays. What theme night goes over best? Our games do not have a theme, except for the week of Christmas. Our game is four rounds of five questions, each in the general knowledge department: history, geography, sports, TV, movies, and music among some of the topics.

Where/how do you come up with your questions? Our games are downloaded through the national home office at DJ Trivia. We are a franchise for this area of the country. What’s your favorite board game? It’s been a minute since I have played, but my favorite board game is Risk. I just do not have a lot of free time with my current schedule.

How often do you stump the room (meaning no one gets it right)? It’s not as often as you would think; between the three games I do each week, maybe once or twice I have “skunked” the room I preview each game the night before and try to anticipate which question might get them.

Most creative team name you’ve ever heard: Better late than pregnant! It was a group of ladies visiting for a girls’ week a couple of years ago.

Do you give clues? We do have daily clues posted on both Facebook and the website DJtrivia.com which hints at a few answers for that evening’s game. I call it doing your homework before coming to play. We also play a song after each question is read, and sometimes there are hints in the song title, the artist, or the lyrics. Not always, and now and then we might play one that throws you off track with your thinking.

Do you call people out for cheating? Yes, I continuously remind them not to use their phones or ask the servers/ bartenders for the answer. I also ask each team to police each other during the game and to not wait until the end of the game if they see someone cheating so I may address it. The teams that play every week are not the concern. It is usually the new team that needs to be reminded about the no phone rule. Q:

What is the smallest planet in our solar system?

KEITH MCCOOL

Where can we find you hosting trivia? I host trivia every other Tuesday night at Lincoln And South Brewing Company.

What theme night goes over best? The busiest themed trivia I ever hosted was The Office

Where/how do you come up with your questions? I try to first get a category together then go from there. I make up a lot of the questions and try to find others via internet search. Fact checking and the way you present the question are also very important so that it is clear and concise. Knowing your audience is also key.

What’s your favorite board game? My favorite board game is probably Battleship.

How often do you stump the room (meaning no one gets it right)? I would say at least one question a night usually

stumps everyone. It’s a fine line to walk because you don’t want it to be too easy or too difficult. Making sure everyone is having fun is very important.

Most creative team name you’ve ever heard: My favorite name I remember was probably “I got 99 problems but this quiz ain’t one.”

Do you give clues? Clues are tricky because you don’t want to give too big of a hint. However, I will throw a hint out here and there.

Do you call people out for cheating? Cheaters can certainly ruin a good night. I always explain what isn’t allowed at the beginning. I have 100 percent called out several people for cheating.

Q: What year was the first iPhone released?

T-DUBB

Where can we find you hosting trivia? Weekly, Mondays at Local Pie Bluffton, Wednesday Theme Nights at Tio’s Bluffton, and music bingo every third Saturday at Lot 9 Brewing Company (as my alter ego, DJ T-Dubb). Plus, I’m a regular at Sun City neighborhood parties.

What theme night goes over best? Music bingo has taken off; it’s always a packed house. But in terms of trivia, folks love their TV, and specifically Friends, Harry Potter, and Star Wars can draw quite the crowds as well.

Where/how do you come up with your questions?

That’s kind of the secret sauce, isn’t it? I’m always on the lookout, whether it’s interesting shows I see or books I read, how to turn some cool nugget into a fun trivia question.

What’s your favorite board game? I love Monopoly and Catan and Risk. If only I were as good at acquiring island real estate as I am at building hotels on Park Avenue and Boardwalk or taking over neighboring kingdoms.

How often do you stump the room (meaning no one gets it right)? Hopefully not more than once a night. Finding

that perfect balance between too easy and over the top is the key. You want to challenge folks, but above all, it’s fun. And getting every question wrong is the exact opposite of fun. I always tell folks, if you don’t know the answer, at least try to make the room laugh with a fun answer.

Most creative team name you’ve ever heard: I’m a sucker for Joey Triviani or Miss Chanandler Bong. But in general trivia, I love E=MC Hammer. It shows a wide range of knowledge. Of course, “Wood You Please Let Us Win?” always scores brownie points.

Do you give clues? I give a free answer on Facebook, and the music always has clues to the answer. But I am very easily bribable as well.

Do you call people out for cheating? The app we use has some built-in safeguards, but you really have to be blatantly obvious to get called out. And trivia players police themselves. It’s amazing how heated it gets for a restaurant gift card. But there is a code among trivia addicts.

TIM WOOD, AKA DJ

Q: What is the deadliest insect?

MATT STOCK

Where can we find you hosting trivia? The World Famous Cool Cats Lounge, Thursday nights at 6:30!

What theme night goes over best? I have yet to do a theme night. I don’t think my regulars would like it. Around Halloween, I tried to go heavy on horror questions, but none of them even knew Michael Myers’ hometown. I mean, seriously? It’s Haddonfield, Illinois by the way.

Where/how do you come up with your questions? Some from online databases, some from board games, some I make up, and, in a pinch, from Barry Kaufman —the master!

What’s your favorite board game? Oh, Trivial Pursuit forever!

How often do you stump the room (meaning no one gets it right)? I’d say maybe three questions a week. I love it because it gives me a chance to admonish the teams and act superior to them. In a joking fashion. A somewhat joking fashion.

Most creative team name you’ve ever heard: You can’t print it, but it was just last night, and it was a hoot.

Do you give clues? Sure! If I feel like the room is grouchy over a particular question, I’ll throw ’em a bone.

Do you call people out for cheating? Oh, yes. They must be publicly shamed to the best of my abilities! But we’ve got a super honest crowd at the Lounge. I love my teams; we have a blast every week.

Q: How many colors will you find in a regular bag of M&Ms?

THE GREATEST GENERATION

Part Two

In 2009, shortly after my Aunt Madeleine died, my Uncle Al wrote a letter to his (then) nine great grandchildren, which was then shared with his many nieces and nephews as well. It was a brief (he considered 17 pages brief) history of their lives, a gift as we grew older, so that in his words, we would “know something about us, and what shaped our lives, and made us the way we are.”

Uncle Al passed this summer, at the age of 97. His goal of being the last World War II veteran wasn’t realized, but he has left a lasting impression and a story for the ages.

This is his story, told in his voice, interpreted by me, his great-niece who grew up lucky to be surrounded by “Uncle Al,” his humor, his quirks (only buy America), his stories.

When we left off in part one, Uncle Al had just picked up Madeleine for their first date, after having met her while crashing my grandparents’ wedding.

On the way back from the movies I had a flat tire and had to change it. My hands were all greasy, so I did not even kiss Madeleine goodnight, but we did make another date for Saturday night. After that, we started dating almost every night. We met in late October, and by the end of November, I knew she was the girl for me. I proposed and she accepted. I told her I would buy her an engagement ring and give it to her at Christmas. The Army was giving servicemen back pay for furloughs we did not get while in service. I had over $300 coming as I had only one furlough in almost three and a half years. As soon as I cashed the check that night, we went downtown to a jeweler, and she picked out a ring. About a week later, she told me she did not want to wait until Christmas to announce our engagement, as she wanted to show it to the girls she worked with at the telephone company and announce our engagement to her parents. I gave it to her the next night, which meant I had to buy her a Christmas

present, but I was so happy she was going to marry me, so I splurged for another gift. (Oh, Uncle Al was thrifty my friends.)

She wanted a spring wedding and set the date for May 1, 1948, about five and half months after we met. Since her parents were going to pay for the wedding, she had to buy her own wedding dress, but she didn’t have the money, so she borrowed her cousin Ruth’s wedding dress. She had two girls from the Sokols, one from school, and one from work for her bridal party. My brother Edward was best man; Uncle Pete, Georgie Eidel, and Harry, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, were ushers. The next day, we took the train to Miami Beach, Florida for our honeymoon.

Your great grandmother’s family was poorer than mine was. Her father had lost his job and they had nowhere to live, so they had to go live in the country as caretakers, rent-free, for a house at their *Sokol Club or they would have been homeless.

They were on relief. They lived in an old farmhouse

*[The official name of Sokol USA is the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of the USA. It was created as a fraternal benefit society dedicated to providing insurance and physical fitness programs. Sokol was founded on the philosophy that a physically fit, mentally alert and culturally developed people can make a nation strong. The word “sokol” translates to falcon and is symbolic of the Sokol ideals: Courage, Strength, Endurance, Fraternalism, Love of democratic principles, and Pride in country. Tracing it roots to Czechoslovakia in 1862, Sokol USA began in New York City in 1896. The tradition of promoting sound values and a spirit of patriotism has attracted thousands of families for over 100 years.]

that had no running water and no inside bathroom. They had to pump water outside from a well; also, their toilet was an outhouse in the backyard. Your great grandmother and her sister Betty had to walk to a one-room schoolhouse about a mile and half away. She never had any new clothes growing up, only hand-me-downs from her sister and cousins Ruth and Anna. When her father finally got a job, they moved back to Irvington, N.J. Their aunts had gotten married and moved out, so they went to live with her grandfather. All the Jonas family belonged to the D.A. Sokol’s, which was a gymnastic club of Czechoslovakian descent, and she had to go to school on Sundays to learn Czech and take gym classes other days. She and her sister were gymnasts all their lives, and all the Jonas family were active in the club. I, too, joined, and years later was president for 23 years. As president one of my duties was delivering eulogies for all the dying members, which I didn’t like doing, but you do what you have to do.

When she started high school some girls started making fun of her clothes because she was still wearing hand-me-downs and not the latest fashions. That is when she started making her own clothes, and she became an excellent seamstress the rest of her life.

All her life, until she became ill, she was always making something. She made her children’s clothes, drapes, slipcovers, bedspreads, quilts, curtains, hundreds and hundreds of Christmas tree ornaments (which adorn the trees of all the members of our family) and countless cross-stitch pictures. She even made me a formal dress suit when we were going on our first cruise. She was a great cook, but her main love was sewing and crafts. She was always very active in church work and taught Sunday school for years.

When we first got married, there was no housing for the 12 million vets returning as very little had been built during four years of war, so we had to move in with her parents. For you kids in California, your grandmother, Diane, was born there in 1949 in Irvington, N.J.

Every weekend, we would take drives further away from Newark and Irvington looking for something we could afford to buy. I was only making $50

During the Depression, many people made their own clothes. Madeleine made this dress from used flour sacks.

mortgage payment could not be more than one week’s salary. We finally found a new housing development in East Brunswick, N.J. that would fit our budget.

We moved into our new neighborhood in March 1952 with 300 other veterans. We paid $10,000 for our new home, and it took me 30 years to pay it off as they kept raising the taxes every year. That first Thanksgiving in our new home, my wife started a family tradition and had her family and mine down for dinner. We had 55 or 60 people that first year, and dinner was served in our cellar, but all the food had to be carried downstairs from the kitchen. Your great-grandmother was pregnant at the time, and two days later, on November 29, 1952, Chris and Steve were born.

We did not know she was going to have twins because every time she had an appointment with the doctor, he was in the hospital delivering babies. The doctor’s wife would take her blood pressure and make a new appointment two weeks later. It was quite a shock for us when she had two at once.

That first Thanksgiving, Uncle Pete started a new tradition; the men would do the dishes down in the cellar. Then a few years later, he moved to Georgia, but we men kept it up, and we kept up the tradition of having Thanksgiving for 40 of the next 41 years. When we moved to New York to our farm, we continued to host, but we were down to 12 people for the next 10 years. That first year we had a snowstorm during the night, and the kids had a ball. My wife loved to entertain.

We both loved living in New York and always had lots of company on weekends,

and some for weeks at a time. All my grandchildren and our great nieces and nephews enjoyed stays at our farm with the pigs and cows. (Ah, yes. This is where I first saw a pig being slaughtered— rough even for a Jersey girl’s teenage eyes.) When the heavy snows would come, we did not get too much company, but when the snow melted, they would start rolling in.

By 1994, I was 70 years old and that winter we had very heavy snow. The weathermen on the television were saying never let snow build up over two feet on your roof, as that is what causes so many roofs to cave in. The snow was well over that on our roof, so I went up and shoveled it off. Everyone, including my wife, was hollering at me for doing it, saying a 70-year-old should not be on his roof. But the snow was so deep that if I fell off, I could not get hurt.

By then, the school taxes were getting larger than our income; we could not keep up with them, so we had to sell and move. Taxes are very low in Delaware, so we moved there. We only have to pay very little taxes here. They do not even have a sales tax here, while in California it is over 8 percent. My wife and I loved living on our small farm and hated to have to move, but the taxes on our 20+ acres meant we had to find a cheaper state than New York, as selling pigs did not bring in enough money.

After sewing (and me), your great-grandmother’s other love was traveling. We have been to most of the national parks, seen more than half the states—Hawaii twice, Alaska once, Mexico three times, Canada five times or more. We have been to all the big theme parks and almost all the Civil War battlefields in the East, plus four cruises.

Your great-grandmother’s hands were always busy doing something; she never wasted anything all her life, even her time. For over 53 years, we lived a very enjoyable life until she became ill. We even went on a cruise with a lot of you to Mexico. Then we took her last trip to California when her infusion food had to be sent by FedEx and she went to dialysis out there. When the Alzheimer’s took over, we had loved each other for more than 61 years. She was the best wife a man could have, and we always took care of one another.

On television, they are always asking people that have been married 50 or 60 years what kept their marriage going so long when so many other people were getting divorced, and they received many different answers. I asked my wife what she thought kept us together when we had been married 50 years, and her answer was, “In all our married life, we had never had a fight or argued over money.” Anything she ever asked me to buy for her or the house, I bought, and I did it because I knew she never asked for anything she did not need.

When the twins were born, we had a washing machine but no dryer. In those days, there were no credit cards, so if you needed something big, you bought it on the layaway plan. Layaway plans meant you made weekly payments but did not get the item until it was all paid for, then they would deliver it. She said she needed a dryer because of the diapers and baby clothes she had to wash almost every day. So, we bought one on the layaway plan, but I could see she needed it right away, so I got a job working midnights loading supermarket shelves, and in two weeks I had it paid off. A few weeks after we got the dryer, her mother gave her diaper service, but we had that dryer for 31 years.

Most of my life, I worked a second job until I was able to retire at 59, without a pension, as I changed jobs so often. But because my wife was such a good money manager and so thrifty, we could buy our farm and retire.

Your great-grandmother worked in a school cafeteria as an assistant cook, and when she started she was only making one dollar an hour. Later she made more, and later she would work as an assistant cook at the Sokol Children’s camp in the summer so our children could go to camp. All the money she earned working, she used to purchase her sewing and craft supplies and saved me the expense. My wife was always very generous to others, but

I came across to some as a cheapskate, tight with a buck, and not overly generous. However, we both grew up at a time in history when a penny, or nickel, or any coin was big money, and dollars were just a pipe dream.

None of our children ever went hungry or lacked clothes or shoes, and neither of us ever wasted or bought anything because it was the latest fad. We were both what we called “thrifty.”

Unfortunately, our son Steven contracted polio before he was two years of age and spent his early years with braces on his legs and special shoes and frequent hospital stays and physical therapy to improve his mobility. But as he grew older, he became a good gymnast on the parallel bars, and his arm and shoulder strength enabled him to walk on his hands a great distance. He became a mason by trade and brick-coated our house in East Brunswick before moving to Florida.

Steven died at a young age. Now children usually bury their parents, but when a parent has to bury a child, a void forms in your heart for the rest of your life that my vocabulary does not have the words to describe. But I like to think that maybe God wanted him up in Heaven to build locations for the coming battle of Armageddon, as he was a mason. He was the bravest little soldier I ever knew.

I chose to always remember this: “Suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character; character produces hope, and you should never give up hope.”

And I never did.

Growing up in Newark, NJ, the house at 111-11th Avenue, like most crowded tenements, had cockroaches and bed bugs as uninvited guests. Now cockroaches come out only at night and they are different than most other bugs because they do not lay eggs, but the female has a sack coming out of her rear about half an inch long. We would go out in the kitchen when it was dark and put on a light, and there they were, and they can move fast. We would catch as many females as we could, then pull off their egg sack and throw it on the hot stove to watch it pop, then throw on the roach. We would do the light trick two or three times a night. My parents would put out roach poison to kill them. All the boys in our house did the same thing.

Now bedbugs do not eat food, only blood, and it was ours. There was no poison for bedbugs since they don’t eat food. What my brothers and sister had to do when we got up was to go over both sides of the mattress along the edges under the ticking to find them. Like the roaches, they only came out at night to eat and hid in the daytime. A bedbug is very flat and hard to kill. You have to squash it between your thumbnails, and they stink; once you smell a dead bedbug, you will never forget what it smells like.

When my brothers and I fought or were bad, my mother used her laundry paddle on us. Billy Eidel said his mother used a broom handle on them. When we were about nine or 10 years old, we began learning cuss words. If my mother heard us say something bad when fighting with my brothers, she got laundry soap and washed our mouths out. If you ever had laundry soap rubbed over your teeth, you will never forget what it tastes like. Billy said his mother did the same thing. (So did my mother, I guess she learned it from Uncle Al.) We all learned not to use bad words very fast.

For kids, it was not a very bad time growing up poor. At Christmastime, we all went to three Catholic church’s Christmas parties and got hard candy, an apple, orange, and a small toy. The fifth police precinct gave a party with the same gifts, but my father’s Masonic Lodge had a good Christmas party. We got all the Dixie [Ice Cream] Cups we could eat, good chocolate candy, and a big toy.

In the summer, my brother Edward and I went to Camp Newark down at the seashore. My one Aunt’s sister was the director of Camp Newark, and we went to the ocean every day. We did not own bathing suits, but since we were related in some way, they bought us sneakers and bathing suits. The food was not too good, lots of oatmeal

Madeleine and Al’s wedding day, March 1, 1948.

Al said he was so poor growing up that his family never had a camera. His first picture was taken in the Army. He said he always wondered what he looked like as a kid.

and lots of bread with apple butter and not much meat. The Presbyterian churches in Newark owned a good camp out in the country and our church sent us. They had a lake and taught us to swim and row a boat; they had good food, jelly or preserves, and meat every day. Your great grandmother went to the D.A. Sokol Camp every weekend when they moved back to Irvington and learned to swim. Their father did not own a car, so friends would bring them.

We never had much ice cream as kids, but when my Uncle Robert came over, he would stop at Levy’s and buy half a gallon. But we had to eat it up then because ice cream won’t keep on ice.

As we boys got older, we would try and get four guys together and go to an Italian restaurant with a quarter each and buy a “LaBeets.” It was not until after the war LaBeets was called “pizza.” A large pizza cost seventy-five cents and four Pepsis cost 20 cents. When the girl brought us our food, we told her to keep the change. We were the last of the big

spenders—a five-cent tip. Two slices of pizza and a Pepsi … that was living. Also, Spezak’s Bakery made what they called “Washington Pies” for eight cents each. They were made from the leftover bread and cake dough, and inside they would put whatever was left over that day. It could be cheese, apple, peaches, or cherries; you never knew until you bit into it. They were great.

There was no McDonald’s or Burger King in those days, only White Castle hamburgers. They cost 10 cents, but when they had an ad in the papers to “buy them buy the sack,” you got 10 or 12 for 75 cents. We would beg our father to buy two sacks for us, and sometimes he would. The only problem was the nearest White Castle was in East Orange, about a mile and a half from our house. My father would even give us 10 cents to take a trolley back so they stayed warm. Now a White Castle hamburger started out as a scoop as big as a quarter, the cook would put them on the grill and press down on them until they got as big

and Al, circa 1977

as the roll—with a slice of pickle and ketchup, they were really good. My father always said he could read a newspaper through them, they were so thin, but he did like them, too.

The White Castle Bakery was on 11th Avenue and 12th Street next to any empty lot with big billboards on it. We would sneak onto the lot when the bakers finished baking; they would roll carts with shelves on them loaded with batches of 36 rolls stuck together by big awning windows to cool. Some of my friends (alright, me too) would grab a batch, sometimes two batches, and run to what we called our “clubhouse” in Fairmont Cemetery on 12th and Central Avenue, we’d sit under a big pine tree and eat them.

And, for you boys only, I will tell you about rotten things I did as a father when our twins were born. I would get up on Friday and Saturday nights to feed them their bottles so my wife could get a few nights’ sleep without having to take care of them. Your great-grandmother would always say, “If their diapers are dirty, change them.” I would walk into their room while the bottles were warming, and almost gag to death. I would say, “They are not even wet,” and as I gave them their bottles I would breathe through my mouth. I never changed any of my children’s dirty diapers, only the wet ones. Years later when your great-grandmother became ill and could not control her bowels, for nine years I had to clean up many messes and change hundreds of diapers. I think God was getting even with me for what I did as a parent and leaving my wife to do all the dirty jobs. It came back to bite me.

Don’t you boys make the same mistake. Always help around the house; one day you might have to take over your wife’s household work. It won’t kill you.

I will give you all some advice I have picked up over the years. As kids, we all played together. We played with Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Polish, African American kids and everyone else and never had any problems with anyone. Then we grew up, and the hatemongers with their propaganda started showing up. Do not listen to them. All people are the same; they all want the same things for their children as your parents do, and all have the same needs. Please do not become bullies or taunt others viciously. It will only come back to bite you someday.

Some very intelligent and educated people with great minds

Madeline

will tell you there is no God. With D.N.A. samples, they will say they can prove that all the dinosaurs, birds, fish, all animals have some of the same markers in their bones, and we all started in some swamp in Africa when some snail or something with carbon in their make-up crawled from the swamp and over millions and millions of years changed into all these different creatures—even humans, even roaches and bedbugs. I do not know if the grass and trees and flowers came from swamp. I have never read their theory on that.

Darwin showed that all species keep evolving over eons and eons to become slightly different. But inside we all have the same needs and want the same thing for our children and our need to survive. I hope and pray we all keep changing so that we grow to hate war and bigotry in our world.

I do not want to leave you with the impression that we kids had anything to do with surviving the Great Depression. The only heroes in my story were the parents of 111-11th Avenue. They worked their fingers to the bone to feed and clothe us kids, sacrificed for us, and did what they had to do to see we survived to make our future lives better than theirs, and I can tell you they succeeded and taught us to be good parents.

Now, I will ask one thing of you: that you say a prayer for me that I get into Heaven so I can hook up with my wife again. I don’t know what a soul looks like, but I know I will recognize her when I see it.

All my love, Your Great Grandfather (and I mean GREAT), Albert Pohlig 

Uncle Al also left us with his favorite poem, Trees, by Joyce Kilmer saying, “He was killed in WWI. I don’t know why he died so young. Maybe God wanted him up in Heaven to write poetry for the angels. Who knows?”

TREES

I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast

A tree that looks at God all day And lifts her leafy arms to pray

A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair

Upon whose bosom snow has lain Who intimately lives with rain Poems are made by fools like me But only God can make a tree.

BERKELEY HALL CLUB

Bluffton, South Carolina

ARTICLE BY CHERYL RICER . PHOTOGRAPHY BY BD CREATIVE

Located along the still waters of the Okatie River in the heart of South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Berkeley Hall offers residents a lifestyle of impeccable balance, blending private club sophistication and Southern hospitality. As you enter the gates, the scenery changes. Palmettos and live oaks stand like watchmen and the Spanish moss waves gently in the breeze, welcoming you home. The pace slows, people smile, and beauty is all around.

“One of the things I love about the Lowcountry in general is that most people who live here aren’t from here; they choose to move here for the lifestyle and experience,” said Rich Reed, agent, Lowcountry Specialist Team, Charter One Realty.

Originally a native of Tennessee, Reed spent his childhood summers on Hilton Head Island, vacationing with family. He made Bluffton his primary residence in 2001 where he soon met his wife Jamee (formerly a New Jersey native).

“It’s the same with Berkeley Hall,” Reed continued. “Those who live here could choose to live anywhere in the Lowcountry, but they chose Berkeley Hall for a reason: It’s peaceful, active, sincerely friendly, and so much more!”

Lisa and Chris Yale are those people. They moved to Berkeley Hall in January 2020 from San Diego, California, where they were both born and raised. The couple own a business software company that allows them to work anywhere, so, as Reed described, they could have chosen anywhere. But they chose the Lowcountry and Berkeley Hall.

“We knew we wanted to visit somewhere new,” Lisa said, “so Chris literally drew a line on the map from San Diego across the U.S. It landed on Hilton Head Island, so we decided to check it out.”

After doing some research, the Yales knew they preferred Bluffton over the island, and when they arrived, they met Reed who began showing them around. Berkeley Hall stood out

Berkeley Hall Club’s Jeffersonianstyle Clubhouse welcomes you to the distinctive private golf community, in the heart of the coastal Lowcountry.

for the quality of the homes they saw, the amenities, and all the people they met.

“What we found that differentiated Berkeley Hall is that things here are a little more exceptional and elevated,” Chris said, “and it offered us something completely different than what we had experienced before. We found some of the other communities to be awesome, but for us, Berkeley Hall was exactly right.”

One of the details that draw people to Berkeley Hall from all over the country is the low density of homes. “We are an intentionally smaller community,” said Adam Kushner, general manager and COO, Berkeley Hall. “This mindful planning provides a framework for people from all over the world to come together in a close-knit community that feels like family.”

This low density allows you to enjoy the scenic Lowcountry

location, while a myriad of private club activities keep the whole family engaged. While the landscape is plentiful, the homes and homesites are in limited supply. In fact, Berkeley Hall is the lowest density private golf community in the Southeast, with an average of 5.3 homesites per hole. With the ability to design your dream home, the community’s momentum and new home builds have welcomed a good number of new members ready to find their special place in the Lowcountry.

“Berkeley Hall has the core golf experience, meaning all homes are on the periphery of each course,” Reed said. “It contributes to a great golf experience because as soon as you step onto the first tee of either Tom Fazio-designed course, you never cross a road until you come off the eighteenth green. Playing here is more of a walk through a park instead of a ride through a neighborhood. It also benefits the homeowners’

At the River Park – The Community Dock is a wonderful spot to watch the sun set and explore our waterways with kayaks, paddleboards, or a leisurely Pontoon Boat cruise.

#7 North Course – Risk/Reward Par-5 experience because homes on a Berkeley Hall course have views of manicured beauty in all directions instead of simply looking across a fairway at someone else’s backyard. Also, most cart paths are on the opposite side of fairways from the homes and often hidden from view, which improves views and affords added privacy.”

For George McGuire and his family—who’ve been visiting the Lowcountry from Illinois since the 1970s when he was in grade school—it’s all about the golf. Originally a timeshare owner, McGuire and his dad (an avid golfer) began playing the private clubs in the ‘90s. While planning their 2002 trip, he learned about Berkeley Hall.

“A friend told me about a new club my dad and I should check out called Berkeley Hall,” McGuire said. “I was then connected with Rich Reed, who became my Realtor and one of my closest friends, who made us an appointment to play. That started it all for us.”

McGuire and his wife Paula bought their first lot in 2002 to the joy of their parents. Both of their sons got their first birdies at Berkeley Hall, and now there is a whole new generation of McGuires enjoying the Berkeley Hall experience.

The Yales, too, attest to the luxury of having access to great golf as a big draw for them. “We really enjoy the beauty of being able to get into our golf cart and just go,” Lisa said. “Chris is an avid golfer, and I am a novice, so the facilities here are great for both of us.”

Berkeley Hall’s highly acclaimed Golf Learning Center—the crown jewel of the practice facility—is the culmination of extensive research and brainstorming by a panel of golf experts and was designed to make learning both fun and effective. PGA Tour players have ranked the Learning Center among the world’s best.

To help members enjoy the beautifully designed and expertly maintained Tom Fazio golf courses, Berkeley Hall dedicated 33 acres to creating its practice facilities, recognized by Golf Digest as a “Top 75 Golf Practice Facility.” PGA Tour players visit Berkeley Hall with the express purpose of working on their game at the Practice Center, praising it as the best they’ve ever seen. Primarily, though, the members have benefited from and greatly enjoy this amenity.

Krista Dunton, a Top 100 Instructor and Berkeley Hall director of golf instruction, leads the Berkeley Hall Golf Academy’s prestigious three-day golf instruction program, with access to the Learning Center and Practice Facility, including four climate-controlled hitting bays; the “Super Bay” with swing analytics technology including TrackMan

4; the Mobile Canopy Structure for practice regardless of weather; the Short Game Complex, with practice greens and bunkers; and the Tru-Putt indoor putting area with Sam PuttLab system.

“The community has more to offer than great golf,” Reed said. “Berkeley Hall’s developers recognize the value of family and made sure to include something for the non-golfers. There is a world-class spa and fitness center with indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, pickleball and more. There is a River Park with access to all the water fun, including kayaks, paddleboards, and even a community boat great for sunset cruises.”

The two Tom Fazio golf courses, the golf center, and the plethora of other amenities flawlessly complement each other at Berkeley Hall, as does the blend of exquisitely crafted architecture set within the splendor of the natural environment.

“As we are an intentionally smaller community, the home architecture at Berkeley Hall is intentionally diverse,” Kushner said, “and there are a variety of home sizes, too. When people are touring the neighborhood, they

The full season Verandah features 4,500 square feet of casual space for dining, entertaining and social gatherings, with an open kitchen, expanded bar, and seating that offers gorgeous views beyond to the ninth and eighteenth holes on the North Course.

typically remark on our community’s beauty and variety of home designs.”

Styles range from stucco to classic Lowcountry, and the sizes range from 2,500 to 7,000 square feet. There is nothing cookie cutter here. Once you enter, you are greeted by the beauty of the Savannah gardens and the neighborhood flowing around it. The homes are set back in diverse ways, with custom landscaping, to create a welcoming village.

The member experience at Berkeley Hall has been recently enhanced by the completion of Phase I of the Master Plan for the community, which highlights the amenities of the clubhouses.

“Very special attention to Berkeley Hall’s reimagined spaces begins in the central Grand Hall,” said Anne Feldman, director of communications. “As the heart of the clubhouse, the gracious interiors set the tone for a welcoming entrance—a sense of what’s to come.”

These exquisite details include lighter fabrics and textures that elevate formal dining in the Palmetto Room, with luxurious interiors

and a painted coffered ceiling with inset pearlized embossed leather. Handcrafted chandeliers with antiqued gold-leaf finish and quartz crystal accents cast soft light, and the fireplace—a special piece crafted by Francois & Co.—is a nod to the classic architecture of Lowcountry elegance.

The full season Verandah features 4,500 square feet of casual space for dining, entertaining and social gatherings, with an open kitchen, an expanded bar, and seating that offers gorgeous views beyond to the ninth and eighteenth holes on the North Course. Movable glass partitions and screens allow for year-round use, with relaxed sofas and comfortable armchairs anchored by a welcoming, large-scale brick fireplace.

The club’s redesigned ladies locker room also features gracious interiors, with casually elegant seating by the fireplace and large windows open to golf views. Expansive rooms provide space for casual card games and group gatherings, a library, a private locker room area with luxurious showers, lockers, and more. Other club enhancements include a new River Park Pavilion and gathering area, expanded Fazio putting green, updates to the racquet sports facilities with covered seating and refencing and new seating for pickleball court area in process.

“Traditions, too, are a part of what we help create and celebrate,” Kushner said. “For example, our members love sharing the holidays here with their families. We kick off the season the week leading up to Thanksgiving with an oyster roast, steamed up by our St. Helena-based oyster proprietor. That rolls into the Thanksgiving feast at the club. On the following Saturday, we have the Grand Tree Lighting on the Mall. Then everyone who visits has that ‘wow!’ moment as they approach the clubhouse and grand lawn all decked out with lights and holiday cheer.”

With two world-class Tom Fazio golf courses and a stunning Jeffersonian-style clubhouse, the club experience is balanced through a range of indoor and outdoor activities designed for the entire family. And beyond all this amazing lifestyle, there is room for giving back through the Berkeley Hall Charitable Foundation.

“The Berkeley Hall community recognizes that we are part of an even bigger community,” said John Kourakos, Berkeley Hall Charitable Foundation chair, and we are proud to do our part to serve it. Thanks to the generosity of the Berkeley Hall community, the Charitable Foundation has raised more than $2.5 million for Bluffton area charities since its inception in 2008. We are honored to help these worthy nonprofits make important strides in improving the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. Throughout the Lowcountry, Berkeley Hall has become known for the foundation’s incredible impact that we’ve had on so many lives. It’s this compassion that represents the best of our community.”

Berkeley Hall Charitable Foundation’s vision is to “make a difference by addressing the basic human needs of the greater Bluffton Community, especially those who are most vulnerable, promote philanthropy, and be good stewards of the contributions our members donate.”

Natural beauty, incomparable amenities, friendly and professional neighbors, unique and purposeful architecture, big giving hearts … it all comes together, perfectly, in one community. 

Come discover the Berkeley Hall lifestyle! To reserve your personal Berkeley Hall tour, contact Alex Madeiros, director of sales and marketing, at (843) 815-8423 or amadeiros@ berkeleyhallclub.com. To learn more about Berkeley Hall Club, visit berkeleyhallclub.com.

Article by Cheryl

Ricer

Photography by AR Homes Architecture by Mario Vitorino, AR Homes Construction by AR Homes—Blue Ocean Luxury Homes Landscape Design by Sunshine Nursery Interiors by Colleen Roach, AR Homes

HERE TO STAY

COUPLE PUTS DOWN ROOTS IN BERKELEY HALL

Lee and Shannon Peters, both corporate executives (he, CEO at Learning Ally, a Princeton-based tech firm; she, CFO at Lunchskins, a manufacturer of sustainable consumer storage products), have been married for 27 years and only recently moved to Bluffton’s beautiful Berkeley Hall two years ago. Perhaps most remarkable, however, is that in the nearly three decades since they married, they have owned and lived in 17 homes together.

“We met right out of college in our 20s and first lived in the Syracuse area in upstate New York,” Shannon said. “From there, we moved to New Jersey, then to New York City, then to Seattle, Minnesota, Utah, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, back to North Carolina, and now Bluffton. And while our Berkeley Hall home is our primary residence, we still have a home in Southport, North Carolina.”

While almost all these moves were related to vertical career moves, one was distinctly not.

In 2001, Shannon’s office was on Wall Street where she enjoyed a view of the now memorialized World Trade Center. On September 11, 2001, she was in her office looking out the window when she witnessed the plane crash that changed the world.

“Shannon was one of those ash-covered people that everyone saw stumbling around in the aftermath,” Lee said. “She somehow made it out of the city—in a state of shock—across the bridge to New Jersey where I picked her up and brought her home. She never wanted to go back.”

Following that life-altering incident, the couple decided to move as far away from NYC as possible. They moved to Seattle, and because Shannon vowed to never get on another plane, they drove across the country. The couple, previously solely focused on their careers, also decided they wanted to have a child—a son, who was born in Seattle.

So how did they find their way to the Lowcountry? Like most of us, it wasn’t work that brought them here.

More than 20 years ago, the couple began visiting Charleston where they fell in love with the food, the architecture, and the culture. On one of their trips, they began conversing about where they might like to put down roots and retire. They ventured farther south to explore Hilton Head, Savannah, Tybee, Jekyll Island, even Florida. On one of their adventures, they stopped in Old Town Bluffton for coffee and pastries at the Corner Perk, where Shannon took out a notepad and began writing herself notes about what they liked in Bluffton and what they might want to see again.

“We got serious about it in 2020 and began talking to agents in Savannah, Charleston, and Bluffton,” Lee said.

“We were looking for a community where we could get the best amenities and the best neighbors and the best price.”

Their “must-have” list was specific: They wanted access to water; amenities that included an upscale health club, spa, and golf; lots of trees, nature, and places to walk and play with their fur baby; easy access to Charleston and Savannah; a home that included a pool, a modern kitchen and entertaining space; and as working professionals, they desired a similar demographic.

The Peters spent a couple of days touring Bluffton. The first house they visited in Berkeley Hall was too big, according to Shannon. While Lee prefers larger homes, Shannon insisted they downsize. “We are empty-nesters,” she said, “and while our son does visit—he’s in school at the College of Charleston—we don’t need 4,000 square feet.”

Then, they walked into the perfect abode, which was then an AR Homes Model Home. Shannon knew immediately this was their home. As soon as you enter, your eye is drawn through the main living space, which is open and modern, all the way to the back of the house, which is outfitted with

HERE TO STAY

retractable glass doors, to the screened in pool and lanai.

“We can slide the glass doors open and the entire outdoor space becomes accessible to the indoors—a heated, salt-water pool with a five-foot fire trough; open space for ample seating; an outdoor kitchen and dining area… all of which overlooks the third tee box on the North Course. It’s heaven,” Lee said.

The 3,200-square-foot home (close to 5,000 when you count the outdoor living space) feels much larger due to meticulous architecture, like the tray ceilings and open concept. The exterior is charming Lowcountry cottage, while the indoor aesthetic is more contemporary.

When designing this home with the AR Homes architectural team, builders Deb and Doug Durrant wanted to keep open living at the heart of the design. The vision was to have the kitchen, dining room, and great room all within “speaking” distance.

“This openness creates a level of connection within the home that is not present in other designs,” Deb explained. “The way the living areas open up to the screened-in porch adds to that connection among friends and family.”

“Everything else was secondary to that core concept,” Doug added. “Yet, you’ll still see that visual connection between the den to the great room or the owner’s suite to the lanai. We love what the team came up with both

architecturally and in the overall look and feel of the interior color palette. It’s all there.”

Colleen Roach, who designed the interiors for the model home (pictures of her original selections are featured in the photos alongside this article) shared that her selections for the model were inspired by the coastal community surrounding Berkeley Hall.

“Warm tones with splashes of blue highlights are reminiscent of the ever-persistent local shoreline,” Roach said. “Soft curves were incorporated in the original furnishings to create a consistent sense of flow throughout the home. The intent was to create a space that is balanced and soul-soothing.”

Though the Peters did keep some of Roach’s selections, because they have lived all over the country and furnished more than their share of homes, selecting their own furnishings and art is second nature.

“We have our own style,” Shannon said, “so we didn’t keep much of the staged furniture. We incorporated our rather eclectic favorites with new pieces that we chose primarily for comfort. Kind of a rustic-slash-contemporary fusion. Everything must be comfortable or have a story to tell.”

Each piece is thoughtful. For example, the couple commissioned a Warhol-esque profile portrait of their new puppy, an English bulldog named Chief. A treasured antique

cabinet they acquired in Utah lives next to their Manhattanstyle penthouse sofa. Framed photographs from every city they’ve lived in line the walls, along with both recent and historical family photos. The shelves crowning the kitchen cabinets display a collection of art acquired from local artists.

There are pops of bright color—pinks, purples, poppy, and gold—throughout the home to accentuate the neutral tones that define the walls, floors, cabinets, and countertops. Each room has its own personality, incorporating multiple textures, great ceilings, wallpaper, and more. As for their favorite rooms, each has a preference. For Lee, the kitchen

and office run neck and neck. The kitchen offers a crisp, white, clean aesthetic and a view of every common area in the home.

“Not only can the chef interact with everyone in the living area and the outdoor environment, but even the office (another favorite space) is accessible. Typically, home offices are dark and remote places,” Lee said, “but our office is not only front and center, it’s a really inviting room.”

The office boasts an impressive wooden accent wall and two floor-to-ceiling glass panes—one a sliding pocket door, so even when working, the couple isn’t disconnected.

Shannon’s favorite spot is the lanai. Because her job can be stressful, when she needs a moment to breathe, she simply moves outside to allow the sound of the waterspouts in the pool and the ease and natural beauty of the outdoors to shift her perspective.

Both Shannon and Lee love their master suite, which is decorated with an English countryside vibe. Windows and a door offer direct access to the pool deck. The master bath has a soaking tub and a huge walk-in steam shower with three shower heads. The Japanese-style toilet is completely modern, including a remote control, a seat warmer and bidet.

The Peters offer high praise for the AR team. “The entire crew was amazing,” Shannon said. “They take great care with their clients and make the entire process not only easy, but enjoyable. And we loved the virtual tour access, which made preparing to move in quicker and less stressful.”

Because they were able to use the AR Homes online measurement tools and play with arrangement, they knew ahead of time exactly what existing furnishings would work and what they might need to purchase. They bought almost everything prior to moving in and describe their finished home as comfortable, elegant, and inviting— an impressive home in an impressive community where friends and family feel welcome.

Future plans include finishing out the space over the garage and staying put. “This better be the last move we make,” Lee said.

“Unless AR Homes builds another dream spec in this area,” Shannon said. “Then we might have to move again.” 

A BETTER NORMAL FOR CHILDREN

Article by Paul Horgan Photography by M.Kat

Friday March 13, 2020 was the day normal ended. May I suggest… “Good riddance?”

One could argue that the normal of the past wasn’t so great. There are, of course, many things we are thrilled to have back and many laws and conventions of the pandemic we were happy to see go away. I missed handshakes and hugs, big crowds at Friday night games, dances and parties, and the things that bring people together. However, in the years preceding March 2020, we also know that dark clouds were gathering for our children. Teen anxiety and depression were fueled by pressure to overschedule and overachieve, driven by an unhealthy false belief that doing everything well was the key to happiness and success.

Parents and educators began to recognize that children were being spread too thin, but out of fear of letting their kids fall behind, few were willing to stop or take anything off the plate. Testing and measurable performance pressured teachers to heap on the homework and cram everything they could into the curriculum. Students took AP classes in subjects they didn’t like in order to look good for colleges. The tutoring industry blossomed in support of nursing kids through classes that were over their heads. Anything

Paul Horgan, the new Head of School at Hilton Head Prep with Lochlan Hart.

short of an A was a disappointment. Varsity athletes drove from school practice to their club of choice to get in a few more hours of practice. High cost recruiting services made hollow promises to mediocre athletes aspiring to college scholarships. Internships, community service, part-time jobs, nonprofit startups and ambiguous leadership camps garnished the already full plates.

Schools added “wellness” programs and talked about mental health as a crisis. People “talked” about the problem, but when the talk turned to action, few wanted it to be their things that got taken off the plate. Even teachers acknowledged that kids had too much homework, but for too many of them, that concern didn’t apply to their classes. School leaders saw the problem but continued to add programs and opportunities. Parents shared articles on their Facebook feeds about the pressure sports put on kids yet stood on the sidelines screaming at their kid to score the next goal. The problem was evident, but as we celebrated the New Year in 2020, the fear of falling behind the pack was stronger than the clear need for something to change.

This was all normal.

Like a power outage during an all-nighter finishing a term paper, it all stopped abruptly in March 2020. The choices we wouldn’t make were made for us. No more normal.

Suddenly the reality of what we took for granted sunk in like a lead balloon. The joy of what at first felt like a series of snow days turned to deep sadness about the loss that was occurring all around us. Kids had been programmed to do everything and suddenly found themselves in a circumstance in which they could hardly do anything. Our already screen addicted population was driven to a life of Zoom as their only way to connect with others. Schools

scrambled, some amazingly well, to retool their programs and provide the education.

Teachers young and old were forced to rethink their approach and find ways to engage children in meaningful ways that not only delivered content, but also gave them community and connectedness. Mental health conversations took on a heightened sense of urgency, and empathy spread faster than the virus itself. We asked our students and faculty what they felt were the most important things to bring back when we could, and the results reflected an adjustment of values. It wasn’t the exam schedule or more instructional

time. Instead, across all age groups, it was community, connectedness, personal engagement, and fun.

COVID has brought on a global tragedy, however it also provided the hard stop that education needed to make truly transformative changes. A whole new set of technological skills has armed young and old alike to be more collaborative and efficient, while allowing them to be present regardless of their physical locations. They are more resilient, more nimble, more independent and better prepared for a future that is uncertain. Many of the jobs our kids will do don’t even exist yet. They’ll be ready.

Schools like Hilton Head Prep are well equipped to lead in this post pandemic world where connectedness, community and balance will be markers of success and happiness. We have the staff, resources and familial support to ensure our students are known and challenged, pushed to be their best without ignoring the importance of mental health and personal character. Like the students, we can be nimble, forward thinking and committed to ensuring that our students are set up for success beyond high school and prepared to gain admission to excellent colleges.

An environment where students are known is one that allows educators to help kids make choices in their curriculum, find their passions in and out of the classroom and learn to test and understand their comfort zones. Every student doesn’t need to be everything to everyone all the time. Helping them find what is great about themselves and teaching them to find the best versions of themselves requires attentiveness, mentoring, an ambitious climate and excellence across the curricular and co-curricular programs. At a school like Prep, it is an achievable goal to understand that everything we do is curriculum from the time a child walks on the campus to the time they go home. It is also an achievable goal to teach kids to work hard and seek excellence without engendering an unhealthy culture.

A school like Hilton Head Prep can craft the future of normal in a way that is good for kids. The lessons of the past and the pandemic’s reminders of what matters the most can serve as guides. The twenty-first century offers a different path than the one we walked before March 2020, and leaders in education need to have the courage and compassion to take it. 

NESTING SEASON A NOVEL

ARTICLE BY AMBER HESTER KUEHN

Every sea turtle nesting season has its memorable moments. As my role evolves, I look back on all the seasons that have prepared me for the next. Now that 25 years have passed since my first sea turtle patrol on Hilton Head Island, I feel like I should know what to expect. However, an animal that has evolved for 80 million years has lessons for a lifetime. I will never know it all, and I am constantly amazed.

Some of my awe stems from watching others react to the information given at Turtle Talks. Other instances arise when those who happen to be in the right place at the right time see a hatchling making its way to the ocean or an adult loggerhead finishing her nest at sunrise and are obviously overwhelmed. Not all wildlife has this effect on people.

For me personally, the 2022 nesting season was memorable in a novel way. My focus is usually only on sand, numbers, temperature probes, supplies, reporting, etc., but I had to look up this season to address the attention to our program that had quickly exceeded my expectations.

It began with the dedication of nest No.1 to Scott Liggett and the debut of our new video funded by the town’s Accommodation Tax Grant. Shortly after, Sea Turtle Patrol HHI received national recognition on NBC’s TODAY Show on May 20, 2022. A film crew and cast from California, Atlanta, and New York were enthusiastic when they witnessed the discovery of nest No.5. When anchor, Dylan Dreyer saw a freshly laid sea turtle egg for the first time, she said, “Oh my gosh; oh wow. It’s so special, it makes me feel … like … proud.”

She took the words right out of my mouth, even though I have seen it thousands of times. When joined by the rest of the cast, Craig Melvin announced that the sea turtle was the “unofficial mascot of Hilton Head Island”—certainly an honor for Hilton Head Island, because the sea turtle is an ambassador for the ocean, a majestic title.

Then, on June 11, social media influencers, “The Bucket List Family,” joined us for sea turtle patrol. They were very humble when we dedicated a nest on their behalf and grateful when they received a turtle bag filled with small tokens such as the Myrtle the Loggerhead Turtle book, Mermaid of Hilton Head LIGHTS OUT! turtle book, stickers, etc. for the kids. They thanked me via text which allowed me to alert them when a sea turtle was nesting in front of their

beachfront rental during their stay. I was honored to personally introduce them to one of our loggerheads, and they included the experience in their production for 2.6 million followers: youtube.com/watch?v=2_ jFqktu2U0&t=303s.

In addition to the television and social media recognition, I realized that I was being watched on the beach. Several children had begun to recognize the Turtle Truck and interact with us. Some were residents and some were visitors. They began to call us by name and ask us to explain what we were doing.

I’ve never had a child dress up like me for Halloween, but there is a first for everything. I am assured it was a compliment. I have never thought of myself as a role model, but as we raise awareness, we become representatives. I hope that I can live up to this honor.

Despite the fact that my head was not constantly in the sand, over 100 loggerheads (complete 2022 DNA results still pending) and one green sea turtle had laid 423 nests (second highest season) on HHI between May 5 and August 6, resulting in a record emergence success (hatchlings emerging from the sand, 76%) on Hilton Head. Congratulations to 18 Sea Turtle Patrol HHI staff members who relocated 241 nests (57%), marked and gauged the success of each one while hundreds of Turtle Tracker volunteers “put the beach to bed” each night, referring to their efforts to fill holes, clear trash from the beach, flatten the sand, and educate beachgoers.

To prepare for each season, I consider the successes and the failures pertaining to all things sea turtle. This experience includes human interactions/interruptions: artificial light from beachfront homes

and

The Sea Turtle Patrol crew out doing what they love – attracting and educating visitors about Hilton Head Island’s resident loggerheads and how to help them thrive by being good beach stewards.

The well-loved social media influencers “The Bucket List Family” joined Amber & crew for Sea Turtle Patrol this year.

NESTING SEASON

flashlights, personal property/trash left on the beach after sunset, holes left unfilled, and physical interactions with this endangered species. We can use this data to engage tourists.

For example, 19 nests were affected by artificial beachfront lighting in 2022; approximately 2,000 hatchlings perished in the dune. It is unfortunate, but it is an improvement over the 28 nests affected by artificial beachfront lighting in 2021. Our environmental awareness education campaign to improve beach etiquette has proven results if we are persistent, recognizing our failures to ensure our successes.

It is difficult to enforce municipal codes/beach ordinances on 14 miles of beach 24 hours/day. We must continue to attract and educate tourists with our message. The next generation is watching.

If you are local and would like to learn more about sea turtle preservation on HHI, several opportunities will be offered and announced on our website. Training sessions will be held March-April 2023 and will be free of charge at USCB HHI Campus. 

For more information, visit www.SeaTurtlePatrolHHI.org.

THANK YOU, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

When this month’s C2 magazine went to print, I was still holding the title of Mayor of Hilton Head Island, a position I was proud to serve in over the last four years. I congratulate our newly elected mayor on taking the reins of leadership of our great community. My successor takes the oath of office on Tuesday, December 6.

I thank you, our residents, for giving me the opportunity to serve as mayor and work alongside very dedicated town council members. I also thank my town council colleagues for all their hard work, former Town Manager Steve Riley, for his years of service, and current Town Manager Marc Orlando and the staff for their dedication to public service. We have achieved a lot of good.

The future of Hilton Head Island is bright and town leaders and staff are focused on meaningful projects that will benefit our community: the Northpoint Housing Initiative for workforce housing, the mid-island park and district to revitalize the center of the island, traffic and road improvements along major corridors, and water, sewer, and stormwater investments. I am honored to be leaving the town team better than I found it.

The town is financially sound, has a strong strategic plan in place to guide its work, and has a great team that truly cares about the community. I hope you will continue to follow and support the town’s initiatives.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

One of my last official appearances as mayor will be at the town’s inaugural tree lighting ceremony on Friday, December 2, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue. Come with friends and family to enjoy the festivities including entertainment by local performers, caroling, showing of the family-friendly movie Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, and a visit from Santa. We’ll have hot chocolate and other holiday treats. You can

HOLIDAY GIFTS CONTRIBUTE TO BLUFFTON COMMUNITY

One of the town’s accomplishments this year is partnering with the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry (CFL) to formalize avenues for residents to contribute to community projects. CFL, a 501(c )3 non-profit, offers a platform for residents to contribute tax-deductible gifts to town projects that are not traditionally funded by tax dollars. These charitable funds also allow town leaders, staff, and police officers to better serve the community through additional projects. The three charitable funds are the Bluffton Police Department Benevolence Fund, the Bluffton Lutzie 43 Scholarship Fund, and the Town of Bluffton Parks & Public Art Fund.

The immediate need is to raise funds for the town’s annual Bluffton Lutzie 43 Scholarship Fund. The Town awards four $1,000 scholarships to local students who are safe driving ambassadors and who, through their actions, words, and volunteer work, encourage their peers to be safe drivers.

The town partners with The Lutzie Foundation for this campaign. This foundation was founded by Mike Lutzenkirchen, the father of Philip Lutzenkirchen, an Auburn football player who was killed in a distracted driving incident. It is the mission of Lutzenkirchen and his foundation to save the lives of young people through safe driving education.

Join the town for its annual Lutzie 43 5K race at Oyster Factory Park Saturday, February 4, 2023, and/or donate to the fund via cflowcountry. civicore.com/BlufftonLutzie43.

A Note from John McCann

Hilton Head Island Mayor

MAYOR

A Note from Lisa Sulka

Photography by Krisztian Lonyai

Photography by M.Kat

visit with local non-profits that serve our community during the holidays. Everyone is encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy or non-perishable food items that will be donated to local charities.

On Sunday, December 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., we’re hosting the Hilton Head Island Hanukkah Celebration, also at the Lowcountry Celebration Park. All are welcome to participate in this free event featuring the lighting of the Menorah, latkes and sufganiyot (traditional Hanukkah food), music, dreidel games, and more.

In addition, the town’s Fire and Rescue Department will host its annual holiday events to celebrate the season including Santa mail (letters to Santa can be dropped off at Fire Rescue Headquarters on Summit Drive or any fire station on the island) and the holiday light display and toy and food drive at Hilton Head Fire Station No.3, at 534 William Hilton Parkway. And, as always, our fire rescue personnel will be driving Santa around neighborhoods on the island. For details on all these events and more, please visit our website at hiltonheadislandsc.gov.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday. Again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

The Bluffton Police Department, teaming up with Bluffton Self Help, also distributes holiday toys to children in our community whose families may be experiencing financial challenges. They will collect toys until Friday, December 9. Please drop off toys in the lobby of the Bluffton Police Department (101 Progressive Street in Buckwalter Place) or Town Hall (20 Bridge Street in the Historic District). The toys will be delivered to local families through Bluffton Self Help the following Monday.

The second holiday BPD event is “Shop with Cop.” The brainchild of a Bluffton police officer, this event began in 2018. Each Bluffton school resource officer selects two children from a financially challenged family. There are six schools in Bluffton. Those 12 children receive a $100 gift card and with a Bluffton police officer, go to Wal-Mart and Shop with a Cop. The students use the gift cards to purchase holiday gifts for their families or themselves. Shop with a Cop will be held Saturday, December 10, starting at 9 a.m.

To support Shop with a Cop, please send donations to the Bluffton Police Department Benevolence Fund via cflowcountry.civicore. com/BPDBenevolenceFund or mail a check c/o The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, P.O. Box 23019, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29925. Please write Shop with A Cop in the memo section. 

A Note from Lisa Sulka continued

This & That

A Series of Fortunate Events, interesting news and a hodge-podge of other items. You know…this and that! If you would like to submit something for this special section, please email hunter@ch2cb2magazine.com. If we have room and it’s appropriate for public consumption, we’ll be happy to oblige.

MY NEW YORK CITY RUN

ARTICLE BY JESSE BLANCO

Iwasn’t exactly sure what to say in the wake of the completion of my first ever marathon in New York City last month. It was somewhat hard to put into words. On the one hand, over a million people a year are able to complete a full 26.2 run somewhere in the world. On the other hand, that still amounts to less than one percent of the population. When you consider the population of the United States, the number drops to .05 percent of the population. Rare air, indeed.

Maybe that’s why it felt so good. Well, that was certainly one reason. There were so many—too many to get into here. But I will share a few highlights.

My journey to 26.2 at the New York City Marathon was supposed to be a celebration, and it was—a celebration of my daughter’s admission to New York University in December of 2019. Following a successful Savannah Bridge Run, I told her I’d enter the NYC Marathon if she got into NYU.

At times I wished my why was a little heavier, but that was it. It was that simple. NYU was and is her dream school, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate with her. So, I joined a fundraising team and went for it. I enjoy running, but I am not a “runner.” Novices like me don’t just walk up and say, “Hey, can I run in your 26-miler?” Fundraising for charity was the only route.

I met so many people along the way who asked me about my training—strangers who saw me running all over Savannah and later emailed me; people I saw regularly on my route and chatted with, without ever knowing their names. The support from the community was palpable, and I will be forever grateful to Savannah and the Lowcountry for that.

I spent nearly nine months preparing for the run through all of New York’s five boroughs. But I am here to tell you that if you have never done it before, nothing can prepare you for what that race is.

Fifty-three thousand runners on the course, tens of thousands more standing along the route cheering on total strangers. There were some with signs, some without, but all of them with smiles.

Yeah, smiles! Everywhere! In New York City!

That might have been my favorite part of this experience. In a city that gets such a bad rap about being “cold” or “ruthless” or “heartless” and all those other descriptors, it was amazing to see the people rallying, cheering and partying around 53,000 total strangers, wishing them well.

They were passing out candy, water, fruit and so much more. I mean, it’s New York; if you were patient, you could probably get anything along that course. It was impressive.

The other touching part was the brother/sisterhood among competitors—people from all over the world gathering in New York with a common goal, all of them supporting each other. This was my first. I met a lot of other first-timers. But I also met some veterans of 10/20/30 years.

There was one gentleman in his 70s who has run 122 marathons. He continues to do seven per year and obviously has been for quite some time. Rather impressive, no? That makes me wince just thinking about it.

My run was not at all for time. I was not competing. No chance. In fact, my family chased me around the city during the run, and at two different points, I stopped to visit with them. During the second stop, I had a slice of Patsy’s pizza and a Diet Coke while I took in the scene on 1st Avenue and 118th Street in East Harlem— my old neighborhood as a kid. That was pretty special.

I finished about 5:40 p.m. in an electric but already dark Central Park. That Sunday was the first day our clocks fell back for the season. As I crossed the finish line, I went blank. The photos say I closed my eyes. Relief, obviously, but I was done. One medal and a short walk later, and I was celebrating on the corner of Columbus Avenue and 66th Street in front of Lincoln Center. There were smiles, there was champagne, and there was joy. There was official membership into Club NYC 26.2, something less than one percent of the population can lay a similar claim to. Then there was Cuban food and beer.

A very quick thank you to my friends Karin Wilson Best and Drew Edmonds for the physical support here in Savannah and my mentor Robyn Hamilton from Parkland, Florida for always being a text away when it started getting tight toward the end of my training and through race day.

The biggest thank you goes to all of you who supported this crazy idea of mine—anyone and everyone who helped me raise the $3,000 I needed to get it together to make this a reality. It was one of the top two to three days of my life, and it would not have been possible without your support.

There are also a great many congratulations in order to well over a dozen people from our region who I know ran the race as well. I met several of them flying up to New York and on the way back. I know I am not the only one beaming with pride this holiday season.

Now, all I’m left with are memories and some slightly worn running shoes. My running will resume Thanksgiving week in a location I’ve never run before. How far will I run? I’m not sure. But I know it won’t be my last.

I enjoyed it far too much. Happy holidays to you all! See you in the new year!

of the season as the Choral Society presents the Christmas portion of Handel’s classic, Messiah, along with Robert Shaw’s The Many Moods of Christmas. Tickets are available now online at hiltonheadchoralsociety.org. For more information or for assistance placing your ticket order, call (843) 341-3818 or email tickets@hiltonheadchoralsociety.org.

Julie Martin is pleased to announce that she has been awarded the designation of Certified Professional Retirement Coach and has opened a new business, Retire Ready Hilton Head. The CRPC designation is awarded to professionals who have successfully completed advanced coursework, a final exam, and met both experience and skill-based requirements. The training program examines both the art and science of making a successful transition from work-life to home-life and includes practical applications to help people replace their work identity, fill their time, and stay relevant and connected as well as mentally and physically active.

In connection with the training and designation, Martin will be offering clients a suite of tools and resources including upcoming workshops and oneon-one meetings. Her focus is to help people see retirement for what it truly is by taking them through a proven process to follow when planning for the nonfinancial aspects of retirement.

Martin has over 32 years of experience at AT&T, Microsoft and Marriott Vacations Worldwide. Her areas of expertise were in sales and marketing as well as human resources with an emphasis on management and leadership development, career development, succession planning, and coaching.

For more information, visit retirereadyhiltonhead.com or call (425) 241-8808.

The Hilton Head Choral Society presents “The Many Moods of the Season” annual holiday concert on Friday, December 9 at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway. Come celebrate the season through a variety of musical perspectives, cultures and traditions performed by the full chorus, guest soloists, and orchestra. This year’s program will celebrate a very traditional perspective of the many moods

Kamal Patel, MD has changed to a concierge primary care setting located in Hardeeville, S.C. The membership-based program will enable him to deliver improved quality care to patients by increasing the time spent during appointments, allowing for same-day visits when needed, providing after-hours access, and a comprehensive executive physical annually. He has been a physician in the area for the past 16 years. He was a founding partner of Palmetto Medical Group in Bluffton and most recently worked for Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Lambuth Mortgage is thrilled to welcome Danielle Hollman as Senior Loan Officer. She has over 10 years’ experience in the mortgage industry and is excited to have a wide selection of financial lenders to be able to assist all borrowers.

Palmetto Animal League invites the community to a Holiday Open House at their Adoption Center in Okatie. The event will take place Saturday, December 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; guests are invited to drop by for cookies, hot cocoa, and coffee. It’s a great time to spread holiday cheer to shelter pets.

PAL is waiving adoption fees for cats, kittens, and adult dogs during the event as a part of their monthlong Season of Second Chances.

As a part of their mission, PAL will be collecting much needed items for their pet pantry, including cat and dog food, toys, treats, pet beds, and cozy blankets. They will make sure your gifts get to those animals who need them most this holiday season.

Pearce Scott Architects is excited to announce new ownership roles within the firm. Long-term employees Evan Goodwin and Amanda Denmark have accepted their ownership opportunity starting January 1, 2023. Current founding partner, Allison Bonner, has also increased her ownership on October 1, 2022. Pearce Scott will remain the majority partner in the firm.

The Wexford Foundation celebrated its tenth anniversary with an elegant black-tie dinner attended by 130 Wexford owners. A live auction, conducted by well-known local

Sonny

and raffle featuring jewelry from Heritage Jewelers and a bourbon basket, generated almost $70,000 in contributions to the 2022 fundraising campaign. Introductions and appreciation for all who organized and attended this event were made by the Foundation Chair Fred Noonan. The keynote speaker Jim Hicks, who started the Wexford Foundation in 2012, spoke about the early days and how, through the commitment and support of so many generous Wexford owners over the past 10 years, the Foundation has been able to donate $2,000,0000 to over 40 charities in the local area.

This year, the Wexford Foundation has distributed $258,000 in annual sustaining grants as well as awarding four Major Impact Grants totaling $158,000 to The Children’s Center, CAPA, Second Helpings and Bluffton Self Help. These grants bring the total of charitable contributions to local organizations to $2,000,000 in only 10 years, making 2022 a truly memorable year for everyone who has donated to the Wexford Foundation

The Wexford Foundation is an all-volunteer organization that supports charities in the local area who provide humanitarian services to those who suffer from a lack of food, housing, health and education.

auctioneer

Huntley,

ALL MONTH LONG

THE GREENEST TREE ON THE ISLAND

HH HUMANE SHELTER CHRISTMAS PARTY

HH Humane’s Hilton Head Campus 12-2pm (843) 681-8686

HOLLY JOLLY MIXOLOGY

Sea Pines Beach Club; 6:308:30pm

Attendees must be 21 or older. seapines.com/ events

HOLIDAY FUN IN HARBOUR TOWN

Tuesday-Thursday, December 27-29, 5:30-7:30pm

Join us around the Liberty Oak Tree in Harbour Town to watch classic holiday movies, roast marshmallows, enjoy train rides around the harbour. Train rides $5/passenger.

Calhoun Street

ALL MONTH LONG

HOLIDAY LIGHTS Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina

Stroll the promenade, where the harbour & marina will be decorated with holiday lights, and enjoy everything a Lowcountry “winter” has to offer.

POLAR PINES EXPRESSHOLIDAY WAGON RIDE

Sea Pines Resort 1pm and 2:30pm seapines.com/ events.

Harbour Town from 7:30-9pm

Relish the spirit of the holidays with an evening in Harbour Town. Before and after the concert, enjoy a special visit from Santa Claus from 5:30-7pm and 9pm! Complimentary

GREGG RUSSELL CHRISTMAS CONCERT