Sasee Magazine - June 2023

June 2023 June 2023

“Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor.”

-William Cowper

High Art in the Lowcountry

• Fully staged and costumed operas

• Maestro Gregory Buchalter of the Metropolitan Opera Conducting

• Dr. Charles Evans, Long Bay Symphony Conducting

• Broadway Revue featuring selections from the golden era of Broadway to today’s modern classics

• Soloists from the NY Metropolitan Opera

• FREE admission to the July 8 Broadway Revue at Beach Church, courtesy of The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

June 27, 7 pm

Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem St. Michael’s Church, Murrells Inlet

June 29, 7 pm

David Crawford, Metropolitan Opera Soloist Voice Recital, Pawleys Island Community Church

June 30, 7 pm

Renee Tatum, Metropolitan Opera Soloist, Voice Recital, Winyah Auditorium, Georgetown

July 1, 1 pm

Instrumental Chamber Ensemble, Horry County Museum, Conway

July 1, 7 pm

Broadway Revue, Winyah Auditorium, Georgetown

July 3, 8 pm

Serenata Italiana, Italian Art Songs, United Methodist Church, Conway

July 6, 7 pm

Kurt Weill’s Street Scene Opera, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown

July 7, 2 pm & 7 pm

Kurt Weill’s Street Scene Opera, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown

July 8, 7 pm

Broadway Revue, Beach Church, Myrtle Beach

July 9, 4 pm

Chamber Instrumental, Burroughs & Chapin Museum, Myrtle Beach

July 9, 6 pm

Chamber Music Recital, United Methodist Church, Murrells Inlet

July 10, 7 pm

Liederabend, an evening of German Songs, Trinity Church, Myrtle Beach

July 11, 7 pm

Instrumental Chamber Ensemble, Duncan Memorial Church, Georgetown

July 14, 7 pm

Mozart Opera, The Marriage of Figaro, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown

July 15, 2 pm & 7 pm

Mozart Opera, The Marriage of Figaro, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown

About the Cover Artist: Kathy Womack’s inspiration for the Women and Wine series was not originally with the intent to capture girlfriends in fits of laughter, enjoying the said company. She explained, “As an artist, I am drawn to the dramatic or emotionally provocative imagery, so I think I was trying to capture the emotion of the moment. We cherish our friendships, so the nature of that is pretty relatable to most women and obviously had broad appeal.”

After working in advertising for a decade as a fashion illustrator, she craved freedom from the nine to five and looked to a different outlet. She picked up her brushes and never looked back. She still refers to herself as an illustrator, rather than a painter though. This series has allowed her to open two successful galleries in Austin and Houston. Though they had to shut down during the pandemic, she plans on reopening in the future.

All of her work (original paintings, limited editions, etc.) is still available on www.kwomack.com and her sketch site, www.womackstudioshop.com.

“Spice Up Your Life”

June 2023

Volume 22, Issue 6 The Waccamaw Market Cooperative: Spice Up Your Shopping by Sarah Elaine Hawkinson

from the Editor

Keeping my life spicy means applying the concept of variety. Variety, as in the absence of monotony. While I still value my Saturday to-do list and other specific routines that help me stay sane and healthy, the idea of variation is still present in much of my lifestyle.

Due to having multiple jobs, I enjoy that my tasks at work are ever-changing. In my effort to cultivate genuine connections during this journey of human existence, I love building friendships with different people to learn from and gain alternative perspectives. Another way to add a dash of pizzazz is by accumulating a diverse plethora of interests and passions. Forms of movement such as baton twirling, dancing, yoga, and other types of rhythmic flow help me remain engaged with my body and improve my capabilities. These activities as well as other creative outlets like writing, crafting, and designing art allow my mind to be open to new learning potentials. Utilizing creativity to discover new depths is a useful foundation for growth that enhances my sense of feeling alive. As our focus and mood naturally shift from day to day, or even moment to moment, I count on my array of music genres to accompany my personal variation. Exploring new tunes is an extra sprinkle of spice that truly amplifies my life’s fulfillment.

More literally speaking, adding actual spices to my everyday food consumption has redefined my cooking and baking skills. Because I am careful about what I eat, the cleanest and greenest way to shop is to support fresh, local businesses at the many farmer’s markets offered along the Grand Strand. Check out the features in this special Sasee issue about how to best “Spice Up Your Life.”

The purpose of living is not meant to be humdrum. Continuing to find newness leads to abundant experiences. The spice of life you crave is within reach, you just have to imagine the possibilities, manifest the opportunities, and create your own unique flavor – the spicier, the better!

Publisher

Delores Blount

Sales & Marketing Director

Susan Bryant

Editor Sarah Elaine Hawkinson

Account Executives

Erica Schneider

Gay Stackhouse

Art Director Patrick Sullivan

Contributing Photographer

Chasing the Light Photography

Web Developer

Scott Konradt

Accounting Gail Knowles

Executive Publishers

Jim Creel

Bill Hennecy

Suzette Rogers PO Box 1389, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 fax 843-626-6452 • phone 843-626-8911 www.sasee.com • info@sasee.com

Sasee is a Strand Media Group, Inc. publication.

vibrant communities to come home to. A lifestyle that embraces true independence, friendships, culinary celebrations, and the safety of community. It’s time to enjoy retirement the way it’s meant to be.

The Waccamaw Market Cooperative: Spice Up Your Shopping

by Sarah Elaine Hawkinson

“Every time you visit the market, you will have a new experience!” Executive Director, Samantha Tipton continued, “The harvest changes day to day so you’re really getting the freshest local product you can, picked at the peak of freshness (and not flown). When you spend your hard-earned dollars with local vendors at the market, you are keeping your money in the community. Cutting out the middleman means that the producer or creator gets to keep more of the money to continue their work. Our members truly feel like family, and they work hard to create items and events you want to keep coming back to and continue supporting.”

The Waccamaw Market Cooperative (WMC) was the brainchild of a Clemson Extension Agent, Blake Landford, around 2009. Before it became the Cooperative it is today, it was originally founded as the Conway Farmers Market. Blake recognized the need when he heard of local residents looking for fresh produce on a regular basis and heard of smaller farmers who were looking for help to get their products out to residents. So, under the Clemson Extension belt, the Conway Farmers Market was born as a reoccurring weekly farmers market under the Main Street bridge. It was an immediate hit, and it didn’t take long for surrounding areas along the Grand Strand to want the same opportunity. Over time, it has changed into a Cooperative of multiple market locations and has grown to need its own non-profit staff.

The mission of WMC is to coordinate and manage community-based farmer’s markets throughout Horry and Georgetown Counties. WMC includes a regional

network of markets sponsored in partnership with public and private organizations. The vision has always been simple; connect Grand Strand residents to local growers, producers, artisans, and makers by way of consistent and reoccurring family-friendly markets sprinkled throughout the region.

Growing well beyond fresh produce and prepared foods, the WMC members also offer their crafty creations for a fair price. Experiencing the quality of the goods and the authenticity of the services provided by our local growers and makers is the best way to shop. The businesses involved in this cooperative showcase local honey, farm fresh eggs, meats, baked goods, artisanal soaps, potted plants, cut flowers, knife sharpening services, natural dog treats, handmade jewelry, coffee, pottery, woven baskets, kombucha, gourmet popcorn, hand-poured candles, and many more!

Successful markets create numerous benefits that directly help grow and connect urban and rural communities. From increasing access to fresh food to providing important revenue streams, markets positively impact local businesses, governments, and residents. Markets serve as public gathering places where people from different ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic communities can connect and learn from one another in a uniquely curated atmosphere.

The Father of My Children

by Keely Brice

They really shouldn’t let you get married until you’ve been married to one another for ten years. You read that right – when you pledge your vows on the day of your wedding, even the wisest of us doesn’t know what lies beyond the next bend.

When I married my husband, Alex, we were young, aesthetically pleasing, full of passion and hope for the future. We had promising careers and plans, plans, plans.

A lot happened over the first ten years of our marriage: we traveled the world, owned our first homes together, brought two beautiful children into the world, and saw old dreams disintegrate and new dreams take root. We lost a parent, helped parents through poor health and strife, weathered bad jobs and bosses, said goodbye to friends, made new friends, and sheltered together in a global pandemic. There were bad years. Yes, I’ll say it: entire years of struggle and heartbreak. A chronically ill infant daughter who needed our care and attention more than our marriage. Career disappointments and unforeseen financial hardships that trashed our careful planning. We had thought we would be exceptional, and there were times when I felt we’d only cultivated a plain ol’ garden variety life.

It was at the end of one of these challenging times near the ten-year mark that I really “got” marriage. We were in it together. We said our vows and stepped into the future with faith in each other, in ourselves. Through all this, I’ve never had to doubt Alex was on my side. His love is loyal, biased in the way of a person who makes a promise and keeps it.

For the next ten years, I didn’t naively wish for us only good times and adventures, or even that we resolved conflicts with grace, but that we continued to

withstand challenges hand in hand, that our children would witness us all as a package deal, one that loves without asking for love, that gives without expecting to receive. It is what our vows have asked of us when we promised “two become one,” a vow that ironically few can understand before the first ten years of marriage.

One evening, it was Father’s Day, and he fell asleep well ahead of me. For better or worse, we let our kids be the master of ceremonies, and they had put him through a rigorous Father’s Day program of picnicking and swimming. In the pool, he launched them up into the air dozens of times, over and over. I looked down at the stubble on his face and the wrinkles above his brow. I wanted both to let him rest, and I wanted to kiss him. So I did both with the lightest of lips. I was truly happy he was there, alive with me. Thank you, I thought. Thank you so much for growing with me in this garden variety life.

Keely Brice

lives in a haunted historic house in Bentonville, AR, where she raises two children, a flock of chickens, and enough houseplants to offset her carbon footprint.

A Spicy Palette

by Jessi Waugh

Once upon a time, my kitchen was beige. Not literally – it’s been painted antique white, cantaloupe orange, and palest blue, but never beige. No - it was the food itself that lacked color. The palette of my palate was beige.

Part of the problem was that I didn’t know how to cook. Meal prep involved either a drive-thru window or a can opener, with a bag of microwave popcorn on the side. Life was bland - well-salted and shelf stable – but bland.

This is the story of how my kitchen changed, from bland and beige, to spicy and colorful.

It all began when I met the man of my dreams - a tall, red-headed construction worker who made me laugh and liked to read. We made plans: we’d marry and have kids; I’d stay home while they were young. Life would be perfect. But first, I needed to learn how to cook (in fairness, my husband already knew how to cook – it’s how he romanced me).

I started with meals from my childhood - “cream of” casseroles, (undercooked) bean soup with cornbread, soggy fried pork chops, big pots of collards, and mashed potatoes with gravy. The first time both the potatoes and the gravy were lump-free, I thought I can cook!

But the recipe I most wanted to make was my greatgrandmother’s anchovy pizza.

My great-grandmother was from Sicily. My dad says that when he was a child, she had a pizza drawer in her kitchen. The grandkids would come over, open the drawer, and ta-da! Pizza! It was probably the warming compartment of an old stove, but still - a pizza drawer. It’s the stuff that childhood fantasies are made of; I’d always wanted to make that pizza.

So, I drove to Maryland, to visit my grandmother and learn about yeast dough. She made pizza like her mother did - kneading the dough, letting it rise, then dividing it

into two rectangular pans. She pushed anchovies into the dough and smeared their oil on top - followed by tomato sauce, parmesan, and basil.

After the first successful pizza (I added pepperoni, mozzarella, and spinach), I thought now I can really cook. I moved on to grandma’s yeast rolls, eggplant parmesan, lasagna, manicotti, and layered bell pepper casserole. I’d discovered basil, oregano, olive oil, and, of course, anchovies. I’d discovered slow-simmered tomato sauces; my kitchen was the colors of an Italian flag.

Until my step-sister married an Indian man. My husband and I came to visit, and she made butter chicken for dinner. It was a flavor revelation. Sure, I was pregnant and eating for twenty at the time, but it was also just that good. I begged her to teach me, and she did.

It was a whole new world of flavor – did you know there’s more than one kind of curry powder? Indian cooking painted my kitchen yellow, green, and rosewood red. It’s not just curry, either – there are other spice blends just as complex and impossible to live without, like garam masala. It’s in rajma, the Indian version of red beans and rice; you’ll also find it sprinkled on my bowl of popcorn.

My step-sister opened my eyes to flatbreads, too –they’re so quick to make, you can throw them together in less than thirty minutes and cook them to order on the stovetop. I wonder if my great-grandmother knew about flatbreads.

Now I had it all – Southern, Italian, and Indian cuisine. My kitchen was complete. Until my dad married a lovely lady from Nigeria.

The first time she cooked for me, she prepared a stew that made me want to marry her, too. She’s made it many times since, varying the meat – sometimes it’s fish, sometimes it’s chicken gizzards, beef ribs, or

turkey necks. Sometimes, I don’t ask. She serves that stew with fried plantains, jollof rice, and blackeyed peas pureed with coconut milk. She encourages me to take a second helping, a third, a fourth, to take some home for later. From my stepmother, I learned to always make enough extra to send home with guests.

She also taught me to blend my own seasoning pastes with fresh ingredients. The pastes are poured into a pan of hot oil to pop and simmer. The scents of ginger, garlic, and onion fill my once-bland kitchen. Their colors are pale yellow, turning to golden brown and bubbly.

My kitchen is no longer beige – it’s a colorful melting pot of spices, recipes, and family. I’ve learned to cook, I’ve learned to listen, and I’ve learned that food brings us together. That education has been delicious.

Jessi Waugh lives at the Carolina coast with her husband and two young boys; her background is in science and education. She teaches yoga, writes fiction, poetry, and essays, and maintains a blog at www.reader-writer.com.

Tom Mullally: Culinary Creations

by Sarah Elaine Hawkinson

Starting as a reliable dishwasher at age fifteen, Tom climbed his way out of the suds and into the chef’s kitchen swiftly. From prepping salads and vegetables at sixteen to using the grill and cutting steaks at seventeen, he learned early on how much a person could accomplish with a dedicated work ethic and a positive attitude. These fundamentals of life paired with his kitchen etiquette are essential for Chef Tom and his teaching methods at the International Culinary Institute (ICI) of Myrtle Beach.

As an extension of Horry Georgetown Technical College, ICI is a state-of-the-art palace (as Tom says) with the highest quality culinary gadgets, spotless kitchens, and professional chef instructors. The facility includes a student-operated restaurant (Fowler Dining Room) where guests can enjoy various changing menus focused on taste, texture, color, and creativity. Guests can even make a reservation at the Chef’s Bar to watch the students create their meals. The ICI Bakery offers freshly baked cakes, cookies, soups, salads, sandwiches, and more. The institute also features a beautiful greenhouse and a vibrant garden as well as customized grills and a Brazilian smoker. From broth and sausage to cheese and chocolate, everything is homemade at ICI.

For 23 years and counting, Chef Tom has taken pride as a veteran chef instructor for ICI as he continues “sculpting his student chefs for the future.” Although Chef Tom was introduced to the culinary arts as a teenager in Boston, he was sculpted through his diverse learning experiences. After receiving his culinary degree at Johnson & Wales, he was an apprentice at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in

Orlando, Florida, alongside a dozen Swiss and Germans. These connections landed him a job overseas where he expanded his training for four and a half years across many European countries. Once he returned to the States with an impressive resume, he secured an executive chef position at the Sea Captain’s House along the Grand Strand’s oceanfront.

Chef Tom quickly made a name for himself in his new home. In the first six state food competitions he entered, he won first place in all six. Overall, he has collected eleven first places and forty-five awards. His local earnings brought him recognition from ICI and his delicious creations led him to his instructor job offer. As a well-rounded, achieved chef, he now judges competitions and has his own business, Strand Catering. He is known for his attention to detail and prized presentation skills that he has mastered throughout his culinary experiences. Tom enjoys the fact that he can pass along his knowledge just as easily as he can always continue to gain more because the culinary arts is an endless learning profession.

At ICI, the students learn how food should be prepared. Chef Tom explained, “We don’t buy any parts…we use the whole bird, the whole hog, or whole fresh fish. We utilize our connections to support locally for all our cooking.” One particular class that takes place during the summer is the Farm-to-Table course. The students go out to local farms, dig in the dirt, harvest their own produce, and bring it back to the college to prepare. The next day is their 4-course gourmet lunch that is served in their restaurant. ICI also hosts a farmer’s market every Thursday (Noon-4 pm) where ICI sells its own special cuisine, and the main hall is filled with local businesses selling their creations and in-season produce.

One of ICI’s main goals is to teach their future chefs how to source fresh, sustainable ingredients straight from local docks, fields, and farms so specifically cooking to the seasons

is an important aspect of Chef Tom’s curriculum. At any restaurant where he was executive chef, he would change the menu every three months. His favorite summer dishes involve local grouper, snapper, flounder, shrimp, colorful vegetables, and various grains and starches. He teaches firsthand that the best way to achieve high-quality, wellexecuted food is to cook with what’s local, fresh, and of course, lots of spices.

Spices are the special ingredients that give a dish the “wow factor” Chef Tom is always striving to achieve. There is “no bland food allowed” in his kitchen so salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and onion are always a must. The more out-of-theordinary spices he likes to use are turmeric, paprika, curry, and various salts: Himalayan, Black Sea, and finishing salt. Creating culinary dishes is an art form that brings people together. As Chef Tom continues to spice up his life and his customers’ palates, he is not only dedicated to creating “5star, 5-diamond” food but also “5-star, 5-diamond” student chefs.

At Home, Cookin’

by Jeffery Cohen

I recently attended the funeral of a dear friend’s mother. The eulogy delivered by her daughter was warm, heartfelt, and brought a smile to people’s faces when she spoke about her mother – the worst cook she’d ever known. She explained in great detail how her mother prepared her specialty. She’d line a casserole pan with canned ravioli, then pour two cans of spaghetti and meatballs over it, top it off with American cheese, and bake it until the cheese turned brown. I had to laugh, but it did surprise me. I thought everyone felt, as I did, that their mother was the greatest cook in the world.

My mom was the queen of good, down-home cooking. What always amazed me was that my mother was the youngest in a family of twelve and was raised during the Great Depression years. I remember her telling me that her family was lucky if they could afford meat on their plates once a week – usually Sunday dinner. But somehow, she’d managed to master the kitchen. Every meal was a wonder. Pork chops, steak, meatloaf, fried chicken. Potatoes of every style…mashed, fried, scalloped, boiled, baked, braised. And each dinner she served up included two vegetables topped with butter, a fresh green salad, a slice of bread, and a homebaked dessert. I sometimes wondered if she had actually been trained in an army barracks, by the quantities she put out.

When it came to baking an apple pie, crockery bowls filled high with peeled apples would be sliced, dusted with sugar and cinnamon, and by day’s end, eight pies would be cooling on every windowsill. My mother felt that, if you were going to go through all that trouble to bake a pie, why stop at just one? That same principle applied to donuts. I can still see her dropping dozens of circles of dough she’d punched out into pots of gurgling hot oil as they floated to the surface, a golden brown. And when it came to Christmas cookies, she made so many that there were still leftovers the following Christmas!

My father was also a great cook. After leaving home at seventeen, he hopped in a boxcar and rode the rails for a couple of years. Hobo jungles and fellow travelers had taught him the fine art of what he called, ‘making something from nothing’. He was like a magician. He would open the refrigerator, grab a handful of this, a bit of that. He’d slice and chop, tossing ingredients into a sizzling pan. A splash of catsup, a pinch of salt, and... presto! A delicious meal would appear before your eyes. He simply called it ‘slumgullion’.

Dad wasn’t big on fancy names. He called his chicken chow mien “Chop Suey”. He called his beef and vegetables “Chop Suey”. In fact, anything he used soy sauce on he called “Chop Suey”. He would labor for hours over a pot of steaming soup. The perfect amount of fish, the right amount of potato, a splash of white wine, a hint of saffron, thyme, and cloves. Then he’d carry his masterpiece to the dinner table and ask if anyone wanted a bowl of ‘fish head soup’. Who knew we were actually slurping up Bouillabaisse?

And each dish that he presented had to be adorned with some sort of garnish. Dad loved garnishes, and wouldn’t serve a pancake unless it had a sprig of parsley or a radish carved into a rosebud next to it.

With Betty Crocker as a mother and Chef Boyardee as a father, learning to cook was inevitable.

Mom would say, “If you don’t learn to cook, you’ll wind up marrying some girl for her pot roast.”

So, I began simply. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

“Just the right amount of peanut butter,” my mother would warn.

“Not too much jelly,” Pop would coach. “And a nice orange slice on the side.”

Next came tuna salad.

“Just a touch of mayonnaise,” Mom would say.

“A pinch of dill,” Pop would add, “and a sprig of mint on the side.”

It wasn’t long before I started to come up with recipes of my own. Hot dogs and lima beans with pineapple preserves. An egg and lettuce omelet smothered in French dressing. Fish sticks and carrots simmered in a fine peanut butter and jelly sauce. There were some very creative concoctions.

Over the years, I plowed through dozens of cookbooks, exercised my share of trial-and-error, and with the encouragement and helpful hints of my folks, I actually turned out to be a pretty good cook. Mom was pleased to know that I did, in fact, marry for love. What I can’t help but wonder is…did my wife marry me for my pot roast?

Jeffery Cohen, a freelance writer who wrote a weekly newspaper humor column for six years. His work has appeared in Sasee Magazine. He was a finalist in the 2011 Women-OnWriting Flash Fiction Contest, won second place in Vocabula’s 2011 Well Written Writing Contest, and placed second in the National League of American Pen Womens’ 2011 Soul Making Literary Competition for short stories.

Lingerie Drawer

by Erica Allen McGee

I have always had a lingerie drawer. A working actress for almost my whole life, I suppose I considered my closet to be a sort of a costume room and all the world a stage. Dressing daily for mood or situations, my clothes have always been in a relationship with me. I would dress to elicit emotion and portray image. Monday meeting? A 50’s style skirt and cardigan. Drinks with the girls? A boho swing top and some flare jeans. Sunday? Church clothes, of course…maybe a floral dress and some patent leather slingbacks. I love clothes. So, it would stand to reason that my unmentionables are prone to be something worthy of mention. I have always had a special place for them to live. And while I know not everyone has a lingerie drawer, we all have those items of clothing we wear that make us feel beautiful, covering that can be a kind of armor against a judging world, items that give us comfort and make us feel safe. Some even make us brave. In those garments, I feel powerful, confident, and able to take risks or even be vulnerable. Lacy trim and floral patterns can make me feel romantic, black nylon elicits a sass. And who doesn’t love a glamourous nightgown? Every woman should have at least one! I have even donned feathers now and again if I was feeling particularly fabulous!

However, as the years have gone on, my lingerie drawer has been opened less and less. I’ve been married for over 20 years and while I love my husband more than I did when we first met, let’s face it, things change. Babies, teenagers, work, family obligations, illness, and general all-around life can make you feel less than “spicy”. My drawer didn’t feel as important as it once did. Neither did I. It’s hard to feel fabulous with spit-up on your neck or want to stay up late when you were up the night before helping on a last-minute project. It’s not easy to feel wanted when the only time you see your spouse is passing each other in the garage as you trade off kids or errands.

So, my frilly, fancy collection became neglected. I would open all the other drawers around it to get out my leggings and t-shirts which had become my “Mom uniform”. I would put away laundry and mourn its slinky contents, some of which at this point were more than two decades old! How could I get rid of my wedding night trousseau? What about

the tropical silk robe I wore on our honeymoon? The black slip I felt so beautiful in when my husband and I finally got away, just the two of us after my daughter was born? The funny red strappy thing he bought me one Valentine’s Day where we set off the hotel smoke alarm frying bacon for our breakfast in bed? The blue gown with boa fur trim that shed so badly it looked like a Muppet exploded! (I still find a random blue feather when I pull something out from under the bed.) The cheap glittery number that turned my skin iridescent and made me look like a magical fairy for a week. These weren’t just articles of clothing. They were characters in the love story of my life. Memories made up of gauzy, ornate elegance.

Still…there they sat, mocking me. Silent in my lingerie drawer like corpses in a coffin, calling out to me. “Remember us? You used to be wild and daring! Look at you now, with your tummy control workout pants and your oversized t-shirt! We don’t even know who you are anymore!” Was it them talking to me, or my own inner monologue keeping me from pulling out something from my ancient crypt?

On our 24th anniversary, after a bottle or two of wine, I mustered up the courage to dive into my delicate collection. With liquid courage, I began trying things on. Oh. Mhy. God. I put on the first item. Black is slimming, right? Nope. This thing pulled and tugged its way onto my body like a sausage casing being over-stuffed. Standing in my bathroom mirror, I thought, “Where did I even get this thing?! Did I ever look good in this?” I immediately took it off and threw it on the floor. Next, something simple, a pink silk nightgown. That should look good! Nope. The back wouldn’t even clasp. Off it went into the pile. The white lace corset I used to adore, not a hook and eye would meet. Another, then another. A few items I pulled out were so old the material was breaking down. That old lingerie was frayed and loose and not as attractive as it had once been which was exactly how I was feeling. What happened? I thought just yesterday these were viable options for me to wear. I was seriously wrong. Of course, they didn’t fit. Almost no one wears things after 20 years. Styles, preferences, and most importantly, people change! And why was I holding onto all these relationship

relics anyway? I looked at myself and tried to figure out what outfit would “suit” me best and decided only one would do and it was the one I was born with.

I woke up the next morning to find a Matterhorn-sized mountain of dainty attire hiding in the corner of my bathroom. I hazily recalled my Tasmanian Devil quick changes and how horrible that moment felt. Suddenly, I grabbed a trash bag and began tossing the seductive garb away. The whole sexy lot of it. I realized I could have worn a burlap sack the night before and my husband would have just laughed and thought, “Oh, wow! That’s new!” I also recognized while I had changed over the years, my “costumes” had not. Am I not still the same woman who collected all of those tempting treasures? Yes! I am! What makes them special in the first place is the person inside them. It’s not even how I look, but how I feel in them that makes them special. I decided then and there I was going to refurbish my lingerie drawer for the present day. Find new ways to keep things spicy for the person I am now. Oh, I held onto a couple of gems, just for old times’ sake, but it was time to let my old friends go. I would lose the lingerie but not the memories and I would make new ones with fantastic “fits” found for the powerful, confident, vulnerable, and fabulous woman I am today.

The only thing to worry about now was what to do with this provocative trash? I hoped my garbage man wouldn’t get curious. Unless he’s into that kind of thing. Who am I to judge?!

Erica Allen McGee is a playwright, actress, singer/ songwriter, and teacher. She is more importantly mom to Tara, wife to Ryan, person to Chi-Weenie Lizzie, and lives in Charlotte, NC.

Gets Personal with Samantha Spalti, Gallery Director & Studio 8 Art Group : Sunset River Gallery

Q: Who is Studio 8 Art Group?

“We’ve been painting and laughing together since 2020. Seven women and one lone male voice - Rachel Sunnell, Judi Moore, Vicki Neilon, Brenda Riggins, Barbara Kohn, Linda Karaskevicus, Linda Hester, and Donn McCrary. Our goals are to grow as individuals and artists as well as continue to support each other through thick and thin as we share our life experiences. We’re also committed to paying back. Last year, it was one of our members, Vicki, who spearheaded the gallery’s benefit, Prayers for Ukraine, an art show and sale that donated 100% of sales to Project Hope/Crisis in Ukraine.”

Q: In what ways do y’all like to “Spice Up Your Life”?

Q: What led you to become the Gallery Director of Sunset River Gallery?

“I joined the gallery after it changed hands last Summer. The new owner, Larry Johnson, and I share a love of art history and fine contemporary art. We have a shared vision of where the gallery will go in the coming years. One of the most important things is to maintain its involvement with the local community.”

Q: What does art mean to you and why do you think it’s important to be shared?

“Art is everything to me - and I don’t just mean the fine contemporary art like Wolf Kahn and Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer that we sell in the gallery. I include our amateur Paint & Party classes, Mimic the Masters, and other events, too. Art is more than just a painting that you may or may not understand. Art is an action. Art is creation. Art belongs to everyone. One of my main goals as Gallery Director is to make art accessible to everyone. The Studio 8 artists, whose work we’re featuring this month, are a great example. As individuals, they stand alone as talented award-winning artists. But as a group, they come together as super ambassadors of art, love, and life! The laughter that bursts out of the classroom when they’re there is contagious. That’s probably why so many gallery visitors can’t resist checking them out, and Studio 8 makes it clear they welcome the visits.”

“We meet every Tuesday at Sunset River Gallery to paint together and share new ideas and art techniques. For us, art isn’t a competitive sport. Instead, although we maintain our individuality as artists, we happily share our knowledge. We also share our lives. Donn lives at the harbor in North Myrtle Beach and always regales us with his nautical adventures (which sometimes take place at the local watering hole). We love to travel and can’t wait to share stories with each other. We all love music, too, and come out for the gallery’s Third Thursday Jazz Night as often as we can. And don’t get us started talking about our kids and grandkids!”

Q: What upcoming event details would you like to share with Sasee readers?

“The gallery is featuring the group in an upcoming show, Diversity by Studio 8, which includes several pieces by each of us and really demonstrates our artistic diversity. Thanks in part to the support of the group, we often experiment with different media and techniques. We also came together as a group to sponsor the gallery’s Hearts & Art benefit for Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, which provides hospice, palliative and grief care for residents of nearby counties in both North and South Carolina. The event, which includes live music, great hors d’oeuvres, and a fine art silent auction, is being held at the gallery on June 2nd.”

THE ROOT CAUSE OF CHRONIC PAIN

A local Doctor explains the correlation between stress and debilitating pain.

Inflammation is an integral part of your body’s defense system

You twist your ankle stepping off the curb and the area around the injury immediately begins to swell and fill with heat Blood circulation increases and an army of white blood cells rush the area to ward off the perceived threat and prevent further injury. The same happens if you cut your foot on a sharp shell while walking the beach, when you get the flu from your grandchildren, or if you bump your head on a cabinet door that your spouse forgot to shut.

In acute doses, inflammation is a vital immune response that harnesses the potential to protect us So why is inflammation always getting a bad rap?

“Unfortunately this immune response sometimes occurs when it shouldn’t and for longer periods of times than is necessary,” shares Dr. Tonya Weber of AIM Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine in North Myrtle Beach. “Autoimmune disorders, untreated injuries, exposure to toxins - all of these can be causes for chronic inflammation The biggest culprit though, stress ”

Catherine F. of Myrtle Beach sought treatment at AIM after several doctors and specialists were unable to treat what she thought was run-of-the-mill arthritis. “I hurt all the time and while I’ve always managed to get out of bed, some days it felt like getting up in the morning was going to be the hardest thing I did in this life.”

Prior to her consultation with Dr Weber, Catherine had tried prescription medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy with little to no success. “I was at the end of my rope My husband was at the end of his He is actually the one who first read about AIM and how they were using acupuncture and ozone therapy to treat pain and fatigue. The only thing I had to lose at that point was him He’s been so kind and patient through this whole ordeal but I could tell this was just as hard on him as it was on me. I mean who wants to watch while the person they love suffers nearly everyday ”

The staff at AIM understands that the chronic pain and complicated conditions

they specialize in treating are often a family affair and encour-age loved ones to accompany patients to their consultation, even treatments Dr Weber explains, “it’s very rare that the kind of pain our patients suffer from is felt alone It causes disappointment when they have to cancel plans with their family. It causes resentment when they don’t feel well enough to do the things their spouse wants to do It causes frustra-tion when they are unable to play with their grandchildren So when our patients have a support system on their healing journey, it greatly increases their chances of success, of getting back to living their life.”

Having a loved one present has also proven to be beneficial during the consultation process “As we discussed Catherine’s medical history and delved into when her pain and fatigue started, her husband mentioned that it was around the time they lost their daughter,” shares Dr. Weber

“It’s just not something I normally discuss,” tells Catherine, “especially with people I just meet There are still so many emotions surrounding that day ”

In Catherine’s case, this turned out to be vital information. As Dr. Weber shared, stress can be a major contributor to chronic inflammation and the emotional turmoil from losing a loved one, especially a child, is quite simply unfathomable. Studies have shown that people who have recently lost a loved one have inflammation levels 54% higher than average. And when you consider that chronic inflammation is at the root of major health disorders like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and autoimmune conditions it’s safe to say that you can quite literally die from a broken heart.

Of course, inflammation caused by stress goes way beyond grief and stress goes way beyond grief and loss The staff at AIM have seen chronic inflammation in patients with high-stress jobs, couples who are going through a divorce, and even people in the process of building their dream home The body reacts to stress by releasing chemicals and hormones that are meant to be short term but when that stress is unmanageable or continues for long periods of time it can

cause increased inflammation and a myriad of other chronic health problems

Catherine has been a patient of Dr. Weber for almost three months and couldn’t wait for the opportunity to sit down and share her success story. “I’ll never understand how tiny needles and oxygen can make such a huge difference, but at this point I’m so happy it doesn’t really matter.. [Dr. Weber] saved my life, and my marriage! I’m still grieving and I’m not sure that will ever go away but the treatments, the staff - it’s reduced my physical pain so I finally have the energy to face life, to show up.”

AIM specializes in treating chronic pain and complicated conditions by seamlessly blending the time-tested science of acupuncture with modern, medical solutions like their O3 ReBoot Therapy™ and ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ For a comprehensive list of services and what they treat visit AIMLiveLife com For more incredible patient success stories you can search ‘AIM Acupuncture’ on YouTube where they have an extensive library of patient testimonials covering everything from neuropathy to postherpetic neuralgia to fibromyalgia! But don’t wait too long to reach out, while AIM is currently taking new patients, first time consultations are being scheduled 4-6 weeks out. Call (843)273-4467 to schedule today!

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