MAY 2014 - Aiken Bella Magazine

Transcription

MAY 2014
contents
• Intriguing • Empowering • Entertaining
May Features
Bella Favorites
10 Remembering My Mother
3
by Kathy Urban Huff
12 The Decline of Air Travel:
From the Lack of Appropriate Dress
To Paid Baggage Check
By The Anonymous Traveler
May 2014, Volume 11, No.4
Mailing Address
124 Trafalgar St., SW
Aiken, SC 29801
Ciao Bella: Frivol!
4 Bella Buzz/May Community
Calendar
8
Publisher
Kathy Urban Huff
[email protected]
The Flying Foodie:
When is a Pie NOT a Pie?
Advertising
Kathy Huff
803/439-4026
[email protected]
by Chef Belinda
14 The Pit and the Perspiration:
the History of Deodorant
24 Roots and Wings:
Short-circuiting Sibling Rivalry
by Phyllis Maclay
16 Passionate About Hydrangeas
by Susan Elder
by Betts Hunter Gatewood
Staff Writers
Anna Dangerfield, Phyllis Maclay,
Susan Elder, Tony Baughman,
Sally Bradley, Stephen Delaney Hale,
Karen Guevara
26 The Art of Accessorizing
18 Merging Black and White High Schools in 1970-71
Part 1: The Right Men at the Right Time
by Susan Victor
by Anna Dangerfield
28 Good Sense Medicine:
How Does Hormone Imbalance
PutYou at Risk for Diabetes?
20 All About Gold!
Part I: Tears of the Sun
30 Scene Around Town
Graphic Design
Jim Stafford
by Zoom Heaton
by Phyllis Maclay
Bella is now online!
www.aikenbellamagazine.com
22 Ah, Spring! Cleaning?
by Karen Guevara
29 The Ones Daddy Left Behind
?
by Debra Ann Halborn
www.facebook.com/aikenbellamagazine
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Bella Magazine
124 Trafalgar Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801
May 2014 Ad Directory
Aiken Artist Guild..............................................................28
Aiken Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates ................ 15
Aiken Vein...........................................................................9.
Aiken Regional Medical Centers..................................3, 32
AllStar Tents and Events..................................................31
Auto Tech.......................................................................... 15.
Barbara Sue Brodie Needleworks....................................29.
Barbranne Clinton, Hair Stylist.........................................25
Celebrity Waiter Night, Children’s Place............................6
Cookin’ with Celebrity Chefs,
Mental Health America-Aiken.............................................6.
Chef Belinda Spices.........................................................25
City of Aiken-National Train Day......................................24.
Cynthia Catts, RD, LD, Nutrition Therapist......................25
Daybreak Adult Services.................................................. 10.
Doncaster—Lee Cavanaugh............................................25.
Floyd & Green Jewelers................................................... 13.
Guest Cottage...................................................................29.
Janney Montgomery Smith-Ken Wiland, Sr.....................27.
Mead Hall Strawberry Festival...........................................8
Nights of Horseplay anthology, Aiken Scribblers ............25
Nandina............................................................................. 11
Palmetto Ballroom ........................................................... 15.
Palmetto Cakes.................................................................25.
Palmetto Lane Cottage Rental.........................................25.
Palmetto Package & Fine Wines......................................25.
Ray Massey, Attorney.........................................................5.
Richards Furriers..............................................................25.
Rose Hill Estate ...............................................................25.
Ruby Masters, Mark Taylor Insurance.............................25.
Shellhouse Funeral Home..................................................4.
Oh, Schmidt! Shelly Schmidt, Photographer................... 13.
Shops on Hayne...............................................................29.
Stables Restaurant at Rose Hill.........................................2.
TLC Medical Centre..........................................................21.
The Tailor Shop.................................................................25.
Unique Expressions............................................................7.
Wayne’s Automotive & Towing Center...............................9
WKSX-92.7 FM Radio.......................................................21.
The Willcox-- Hotel, Restaurant, Spa...............................30
York Cottage Antiques......................................................29
Restaurant at Rose Hill
H
H
H
H
“Fresh on the Menu”Indoor/Outdoor Seating
Fabulous Food Cooked to Order
Additional Bar/Patio Menu Available
Weekly Live Music
803.648.1181 • www.rosehillestate.com
Cover photo by Susan Elder
2
BELLA MAGAZINE MAY 2014
Ciao Bella!
Frivol!
With the coming of Spring, thoughts turn more
and more to the outdoors. With my wedding day
in countdown mode, I have asked a legion of friends
and family to pray for a beautiful day. I know that
our wedding day will be beautiful despite any kind
of weather, but all of our plans—ceremony and lawn
party—are predicated on a balmy day. Of course
there are contingency arrangements that include a
tent, but the average recorded temperature that day is
77º, perfect! And I don’t mind clouds, but please, no
rain! We want that afternoon to be perfect so we can
frivol!
Take time to frivol!
Frivol is a new word to me. It came up as the
word of the day on my iPhone dictionary app. We’re
all familiar with “frivolous,” but I never suspected a
verb associated with it. It means to behave frivolously;
trifle; or to spend frivolously, as to frivol away one’s
time. Isn’t that what we like to do outdoors? Remember when our parents sent us outside to play? In
essence, we frivoled!
Now that the Frivolous, Merry Month of May
is upon us, I am enchanted with the metamorphosis
of Aiken since the infamous Ice Storm of February
11. Gone are the total winter grayout of skies and
landscape, the ground littered with storm debris too
terrible to imagine if we had not lived through it, the
“dodgem car” exercises we went through on roadways
until the major limbs and piles had been removed.
Spring’s transformation has brought us blue skies,
gentle sunshine and temperatures, azaleas in profusion
(in time for a glorious Masters week), and nursery ads
beckoning us to plant colorful flowers and healthy vegetables for summer dining. Now we can arrange our
schedules to frivol, to bask in the sunshine, glory in
nature’s bounty, breathe deeply of the fresh air, while
suspending duty and worry. What a gift Spring is!
you must punch in a security code on the door to gain
access, just like in Prohibition. (Don’t worry; the code
is posted on the chalkboard beside the door.) Servers
sport garters on their shirts, and their hair styles looks
suspiciously retro to that time period, perhaps with the
aid of pomade? Well, sometimes my imagination runs
wild while frivoling—that’s easy to do when experiencing a new place, well decorated, and offering an
extensive, delicious menu and wine list for diners who
want to feel “illegal” or “naughty,” as club-goers did in
the 1920s. Movies depicting that time period showed
frivoling at its best. (Think of The Thin Man.)
Frivoling al fresco
Annual frivolity at the Masters
and elsewhere
Most of Aiken’s restaurants that can possibly
manage it have outdoor venues for dining these days.
Later on, when it gets humid and buggy, we opt for
indoor seating, but now dining al fresco is enormously
appealing, even if only in our own yards.
Rob and I have frivoled at and enjoyed the new
restaurants recently opened downtown. Catch 231
in the Alley has the best of both indoor/outdoor
worlds—a “regular” restaurant dining room plus an
outside, shaded area that can be enclosed if the weather turns cool or rainy. With a menu covering many
different catches and preparations of fish and seafood,
it is a welcome addition to the downtown fraternity
of places to dine. Good food, excellent service, and
a pleasant atmosphere in which to frivol—what more
could you ask for?
Then there’s Speakeasy on Laurens Street, where
Those of us lucky enough to have Masters tickets
frivoled while under the spell of that unique tournament. We watched Bubba Watson make two birdies
on 15 and on 16 during his five-hole birdie streak
Masters Friday. Coming up are two May opportunities
for excellent frivoling: the Lobster Race downtown on
May 2 and the Bluegrass Festival at the Fairgrounds
on May 9-10. (See Bella Buzz for details.)
The possibilities for frivoling are endless. And
the benefits are healthful and enjoyable, providing
much-needed balance with the cares of the workaday
world. So here is the Bella prescription for that annual
condition called Spring Fever: Frivol! Frivol often
and well! Spring is fleeting at best, so frivol while you
may—in May!
Kathy Huff
3
bella B U Z Z Z Z Z
MAYcommunitycalendar
Downtown Aiken
May 4, 11, 18, 25
Aiken Polo Club’s Polo Sunday, 3 p.m.,
Historic Whitney Field. Admission to
Sunday games is $5 per person at the gate,
$25 for a ticket to the social tent. Social
and playing members are admitted free all
season long.
May 2
2014 Lobster Races, Newberry Festival
Site, Newberry Street and The Alley,
5-11 p.m. Lobster Race T-shirts are
available for sale at Atlantic Broadband,
Hitchcock Healthcare, AllStar Rents, Lionel
Smith, Ltd., Ingate Pharmacy, Auten’s, and
Screenprint Factory. T-shirt will count as
your admission at the gate. Tickets are
$10 at the gate, T-shirts are $20, students
are $5, and children under 6 are free. For
more details, visit lobsterrace.com.
May 6
Aiken Center for the Arts
May 22
www.aikencenterforthearts.org
Hours: Monday through Saturday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Aiken County
Historical Museum
122 Laurens St. SW
803-641-9094
433 Newberry St. SW
803-642-2015
May 1
Artist Reception, 6- 8 p.m.
May 13
Aiken Youth Orchestra Spring Concert,
7 p.m. Admission is free of charge.
May 1–19
Bottles and Brushes Art Parties,
6 p.m. A step-by-step fine painting for
you and your friends. Bring your own
snacks, glasses, and a bottle of wine or
cocktails. No experience with painting
necessary.
May 1–31
Converse College Faculty Show
The Fall Line, seminar at Birds and
Butterflies, 117 Laurens St., Aiken, 7 p.m.
The Fall Line is a geological, biological and
cultural boundary separating two distinct
regions, whose history helped shape the
CSRA. The program will be presented by
Dr. Walt Kubilius, environmental geologist
at SRNS.
May 1–June 6
May 10, 11
www.abbe-lib.org
May 3
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AIKEN
for Fine and Performing Arts
Color Theory Workshop, 9:30 a.m.–
4 p.m. Sponsored by the Aiken Artist
Guild. The cost is $35 and includes
some supplies but participants are
asked to bring supplies of their own.
Registration includes food and drinks.
Please visit aikenartistguild.org for more
information.
471 University Parkway
URS Center for the
Performing Arts
May 9
Aiken County
Public Library
803-648-1438
Tickets and information:
803-641-3305 • www.usca.edu/ec
May 3
Russian Landscapes, 7:30 p.m. Symphony
Orchestra of Augusta in Aiken presents
guest artist Rio Yanagatani. For ticket and
event info, please call the box office.
The Garcia Theatre Project, 12:30 p.m.
A showcase of local high school drama.
Tickets and information:
May 1
314 Chesterfield St. SW
803-642-2020,
David Osborne, “Pianist to the
Presidents,” 7:30 p.m.
May 11, 12
May 18
May 3
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Aiken Choral Society collaborative concert
with Bound to Sing boys’ choir from
First Baptist Church, 3 p.m. at St. John’s
Methodist Church. Tickets are $20 at the
door.
Movie, Mary Poppins, 1 p.m. Rated G.
May 10
Lego Club, 4 p.m. Grades K- 5 can show
off their incredible imaginations and super
building skills every second Thursday of the
month. LEGOs supplied.
Aiken Community Playhouse Auditions for
Nunsense. Auditions will be held May 18
at 3 p.m. and May 19 at 7 p.m. Nunsense
will be perfomed July 18-9, 25-26 at 8 p.m.,
and July 20 at 3 p.m.
Movie, Saving Mr. Banks, 3:30 p.m.
Rated PG-13.
May 8
May 10
Doin’ the Charleston: Origins of Jazz,
4 p.m. Mark Jones will discuss the origins
of jazz music, as presented in his book,
Doin’ the Charleston: Black Roots of
American Popular Music and the
Jenkins Orphanage Legacy.
Literature and Medicine, talk and book
discussion of Abraham Verghese’s
Cutting for Stone, 7 p.m.
Aiken Regional
Medical Centers
803-641-5000
www.aikenregional.com
Support Group Meetings:
AA: Every Sunday and Wednesday
evening, 7:15 p.m., Aurora Pavilion.
May 23, 24
Bariatric: 2nd Wednesday, 6-7 p.m.,
ARMC, Bariatric Services, 2nd floor, room
209; register at 641-5751.
DuPont Planetarium
The Lunch Bunch–Bereavement-Grief
Support for Adults: 1st Wednesday, noon
to 1 p.m., ARMC, Cafeteria Dining Room A.
9 to 5 The Musical, 8 p.m.
May 20
Shellhouse
Funeral Home, Inc.
The Etherredge Center
126 Newberry St. SW
Story Time Friday. Ages 0- 24 months at
10:15 a.m., ages 2- 3 at 11 a.m., and ages
4- 5 at 11:45 a.m.
National Train Day, Aiken Train Museum,
405 Park Ave. SE, Aiken, 10 a.m. There will
be train rides for kids, balloon artist and
crafts.
Blown Away: Wild World of Weather,
9 p.m. Viewers will be blown away as they
experience the fascinating world of weather
in this planetarium show. Along with
spectacular weather images, this program
features a journey into space to explore the
sun’s effect on weather.
www.aikencountyhistoricalmuseum.org
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday,
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, 2 - 5 p.m.
Jeannette Shoemaker Exhibition
Highfields Spring Festival, 118 Gaston St.,
Aiken, SC, 7:45 a.m. Part of Progressive
Show Jumping, Inc.’s “Spring into Summer.”
Visit psjshows.com/shows for more
information.
Mead Hall Strawberry Festival, 10 a.m.–
3 p.m. This fundraiser benefiting Mead Hall
Episcopal School will feature games, food,
a bake sale, entertainment, and plenty of
fresh strawberries. Call (803) 644-1122 for
more information.
Summer Reading registration begins.
Ruth Patrick Science
Education Center
http://rpsec.usca.edu/Planetarium/
pubshows.html
Tickets and information: 803-641-3654
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Solar System Adventure Tour, 8 p.m.
Become a planet specialist, math expert,
or flight engineer while your planetarium
“spaceship” takes you on an education
adventure past the sun, moon, and planets
of our solar system. Appropriate for all
ages.
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
Cancer: 3rd Wednesday, 3-4 p.m., First
Baptist Church parlor.
CSRA Dream Catchers -Traumatic
Brain Injury and Disability, 1st Monday
every month, 6-7 p.m., Walton Options
for Independent Living, 325 Georgia Ave.,
North Augusta; register at 803-279-9611.
Diabetes: 2nd Tuesday, 3-4 p.m., Odell
Weeks Activity Center. Registration: 803293-0023.
Lupus: 3rd Thursday of the month, 7-9
p.m., ARMC, Dining Room A
Shellhouse-Rivers
Funeral Home, Inc.
JASON B.
HUCKS
Funeral Director
JASON B.
HUCKS
Funeral Director
924 Hayne Ave., Aiken, SC 29801
642-3456
GRAHAM P.
HALL
Funeral Director
ROBERT W.
SHELLHOUSE, Jr
Funeral Director
CODY
ANDERSON
Funeral Director
C. MITCHELL
RIVERS
Funeral Director
Aiken’s Only On-site Crematory
www.shellhousefuneralhome.com
4
715 E. Pine Log Rd., Aiken, SC 29803
641-4401
www.shellhouseriversfuneralhome.com
ZZZ
Bella Magazine will run announcements for free for non-profit organizations,
community events, and Bella advertisers. Space may be limited.
Please email event information to [email protected]
by the 15th of the month before the event.
ZZZ
Mended Hearts: 2nd Friday, 10:30
a.m. to 1:30 p.m., USCA Aiken Business
Conference Center
May 6
Pink Ribbonettes, the American Cancer
Society Breast Cancer Self-Help Group
for women diagnosed with breast cancer;
guest speakers; 10:30 a.m. to noon at
Millbrook Baptist Church. To register, call
Irene Howley at 803-649-9267 or
Diane Hadley at 803-644-3902.
May 13
Zumba Toning, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Rooms
6 & 7, every Tuesday and Thursday. Zumba
Toning combines targeted body sculpting
exercises and high energy cardio work with
Latin-infused Zumba moves. $35 for
10 tickets.
Zumba Sentao, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Rooms
6 & 7, every Tuesday. Zumba Sentao
workout takes the thrill of the fitness party
and partners it with explosive, chair based
choreography. $35 for 10 tickets.
May 17- 19
Aiken Cares, Alzheimer’s Support Group,
for family members and caregivers, 11 a.m.
to noon, Cumberland Village Library, 2nd
floor.
Adult 40 & Over Tennis Tournament,
1700 Whiskey Rd., Aiken, 8 a.m. Call
(803) 642-7631 for more information.
May 21
Miscellaneous Venues
and Events
Look Good … Feel Better, free program for
female cancer patients actively undergoing
or about to start treatment, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
at the Cancer Care Institute of Carolina at
ARMC. To register, call 803-641-6044.
May 26
Teens Under Fire, ARMC Dining Room, 4-6
p.m. This prevention/intervention program
looks at youth drug abuse, violence and
crime by exposing teens ages 12-18 to the
harsh consequences of high-risk decisions.
Odell Weeks Center
1700 Whiskey Road
803-642-7631
May 1–31
Fit 4 Ever, 10-11 a.m., Rooms 6 & 7,
Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This lowimpact, moderate-paced fitness class is
great for a total body workout. $27 for
10 tickets for residents and members.
$56 for 10 tickets for non-residents.
Yoga I, II, and Evening Yoga, Rooms
6 & 7. Yoga I: Tuesdays and Thursdays,
8:45 a.m. Yoga II: Fridays, 8:45 a.m.
Evening yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays,
5:30 p.m. Cost is $31 for 10 tickets for
residents and members. $56 for 10 tickets
for non-residents.
Zumba Gold, 2- 3 p.m., Rooms 6 & 7,
Tuesday and Wednesday. Low-impact,
high-energy, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired
Zumba fitness party. $35 for 10 tickets.
Line Dance, 10-11 a.m., Weeks Center
Rooms 6 & 7, every Tuesday. Learn country
dances as well as those taught to jazz, big
band and modern music in this moderately
paced fitness class. $27 for 10 tickets for
residents and members. $56 for 10 tickets
for non-residents.
Tax Planning
Medicaid Planning
Elder Law
Estate Planning
Revocable Trust
Probate
May 3
The Brandisa Tour, Millbrook Baptist
Church, 223 South Aiken Blvd., Aiken,
7 p.m. Two-time Gospel Music Association
Male Vocalist of the Year Brandon Heath
and two-time Grammy award winner
Mandisa come together to combine their
talents for an unforgettable evening of story
and song. General admission is $23, VIP
tickets are $45, priority seating is $35. Visit
wafj.com for tickets and more information.
Woofstock, Aiken SPCA, 333 Wire Rd.,
Aiken, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Woofstock,
Dogs, Cats, and Music will be a day
of fun for the whole family including
demonstrations, contests, vendors, dogs,
cats, and music. Entry to the event is free.
Entry in the dog show is $10. Visit fotas.org
for more information.
Trolley Run, 9 a.m. Trolley Run is a 5K and
Kids’ Fun Run held at the Family Y of Aiken
County. Registration begins at 8 a.m.
Aiken Horsepower Cruise-In, Home Depot
parking lot, 1785 Whiskey Rd., Aiken, 6 p.m.
This car show is the first Saturday of every
month and is a great opportunity to see
classic cars.
May 4–31
Storytime in the Gardens, Hopelands
Gardens (behind the Thoroughbred Racing
Hall of Fame) 4 p.m. This free event, for
children 8 years and under accompanied by
an adult, will be held every Tuesday. In case
of inclement weather, story time will be held
inside the Weeks Activity Center.
May 9, 10
May 6
Aiken Bluegrass Festival, Aiken
Fairgrounds, 561 May Royal Drive, Aiken,
SC, 5 p.m. 10th Annual Bluegrass Festival is
gearing up for another stellar year of music,
food, family fun, bike riding and camping.
Proceeds from the festival benefit STAR
Riding, a safe and effective therapeutic
riding program for adults and children
with mental and physical disabilities. Visit
aikenbluegrassfestival.org for updates
on the event schedule and to purchase
tickets. General admission for Friday is $20,
Saturday is $30 online and $35 at the gate.
Savannah River Site Public Tour, Applied
Research Center, Hwy 278 near the
northern boundary of the site, 12:30 p.m.
Call (803) 952-8994 for more information.
Tours are free of charge and visitors must
be at least 18 years of age. Must provide
two forms of identification.
May 10
LIFE Healthy Lifestyle Expo, USCA
Convocation Center, 471 University
Parkway, Aiken, SC, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
This event will have fitness information,
demonstrations and health screenings for
all who attend provided by Aiken Regional.
May 12
Celebrity Waiter Night, various locations.
This is an annual fundraiser benefiting
The Children’s Place, Inc. Local
“celebrities” serve dinner at Aiken’s finest
restaurants. $25/ticket. Please call (
803) 641-4114 for more information.
May 20
Critters of the Night, Birds and Butterflies
seminar at Silver Bluff Audubon Center,
4542 Silver Bluff Rd., Aiken, 7:30 p.m.
Director Paul Koehler will teach us to listen
for the calls of the whip-poor-will, Chuckwill’s-widow, owls, frogs and other night
dwellers. Rain date will be May 22. Call
(803) 649-7999 for more information.
Outside Aiken
May 2-3-4
3rd Annual Heritage Trail Pottery Tour
featuring a reception at the Museum in
Greenwood and weekend demonstrations
and kiln openings at five host studios.
Free. Visit www.facebook.com/
HeritageTrailPotteryTourSale or
[email protected] for more
information.
May 3
Run for the Nations, North Augusta
Greenway, 100 Georgia Ave., 8:30 a.m.
North Augusta’s Greenway race with a
mission. There are three different races:
a 1 mile Family Fun Run (great for younger
kids), a 5K and an 8K. All races start and
finish on the Greenway Trail at the Brick
Pond Park. Call (803) 279-6370.
Wm. Ray Massey
Tax Attorney
Smith, Massey, Brodie, Guynn & Mayes, P.A.
May 16
Savannah River Classic Fishing
Tournament, Lower Savannah River
Alliance, 12049 Burton’s Ferry Hwy,
Allendale, SC, 29810. This is a two-day
event that promotes youth and adult
fishing. Friday night is a barbeque dinner
and entertainment. The tournament is on
Saturday with fishing beginning at 6 a.m.
and weigh-in from 4 to 6 p.m.
May 16, 17
Blackville Music and Arts Festival,
4717 Legion Rd., Blackville, 4 p.m. For
more information, visit bmafestival.com.
May 31
Last Saturday at the Park, The Living
History Park, 299 W. Spring Grove Ave,
North Augusta, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Perry Hill,
the Backwoods Cabin, will be bustling with
activities of the 18th century.
Coming in June
June 1
Gravatt’s Fishing Tournament, Gravatt
Camp and Conference Center, 1006 Camp
Gravatt Rd., 7:30 a.m. This 5th Annual
Bass Fishing Tournament benefits the
Camp Scholarship Fund and the Gravatt
Environment Education Fund. Preregistration is required with a deadline
of May 26. For more information, or to
register, call (803) 648-1817.
June 14
Beach Blast, Newberry Festival Site,
11 a.m.- 10 p.m. There will be food, and
retail vendors, kids activity area, two
water slides, and a dunking booth. Shag
lessons and cornhole for adults. For
more information, please call the Aiken
Downtown Development Association at
(803) 649-2221.
June 20, 21
Aiken Jazz Festival, Newberry Street, Aiken.
This annual event is ticketed on Friday
followed by a free event on Saturday.
June 21
Business and Industrial Showcase, hosted
by the City of Aiken, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., USCA
Convocation Center, 375 Robert M. Bell
Parkway.
Phone
803-643-4110
Facsimile
803-644-9057
[email protected]
www.smbgm.com
5
Aiken Choral Society
Collaborates with
Bound to Sing
in Spring Concert
The Aiken Choral Society and
Bound to Sing, the newly formed
auditioned boys’ choir at First
Baptist Church, are collaborating
to present a spring concert on
May 18 at St. John’s Methodist
Church at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20
at the door.
The boys, most of whom are
shown in the photo, will begin
the program with selections that
highlight their treble voices.
Both groups will sing the Mass of
the Children by British composer
John Rutter.
Following this
will be a composition by jazz
artist Dave Brubeck sung by the
6
Aiken Choral Society, featuring
I Have a Little Shadow by famous
children’s literature author R. L.
Stevenson. The final selection
will be Prayer from the opera
Hansel and Gretel, sung by both
groups.
The Aiken Choral Society is
led by Maureen Simpson, Director
of Music at St. Mary’s Help of
Christians Catholic Church. The
Bound to Sing choir is directed
by James Bennett, Minister of
Music at First Baptist Church.
Accompanists are Kathleen
Cartledge and Diane Mangiante.
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1521 Whiskey Road, Aiken • 803-641-7906 M–F: 9-6 • Sat: 9-5
7
The Flyin
g Fo ie
od
by Chef Belinda
When Is a Pie NOT a Pie?
Last month the Flying Foodie attended the
annual cheffie conference of IACP (International
Association of Culinary Professionals) in Chicago.
The conference consisted of four 12-hour days,
session after session of food and industry-related
topics, trends, best practices and a plethora of
expert guest speakers. The days ended with
additional “culinary research” in the bar. That
was where and when we solved the major culinary
issues of the world! And it is one of those
revelations that I bring to you.
We had just come out of a 90-minute session
discussing the correct way to prepare cornbread.
Whether to add sugar or not; buttermilk or whole
milk; yellow or white corn meal; cast iron skillet
or glass casserole dish, and lard or oil. There were
40 participants in that session, which means there
were 40-plus different opinions. Nothing was
resolved - there are some things even chefs can’t
agree on! So on to our research....
After having received our first research beverage
of the evening, someone asked the question, “What
is pie?” The room went quiet as we all looked
around hoping there were baking and pastry chefs
among us - surely they would be able to answer
this question quickly so we could get back to
our research efforts. I have to admit I didn’t see
that [question] coming! So I pulled out my iPad
because I wanted to capture the wisdom of all the
food writers and cookbook gurus in the room to
share with Bella readers.
8
A Pie by Any Other Name
When we use the term “pie,” most of the
time we use it incorrectly without knowing it.
Like cornbread, there is no right or wrong way to
prepare it, but depending on the techniques used
and the outcomes realized, the name changes.
What follows are the names and descriptions for
the different variations of these pie-like pastries.
All of these have two things in common - fruit
filling and dough; but that is where the similarities
end.
Why is it important to understand the
differences and make the effort to use the names
correctly? Because these are techniques and
outcomes that are steeped in tradition, and
they deserve to have their integrity maintained.
Otherwise we may as well just call it “food.” Never
underestimate the importance of good research!
Pie
Pastry crust
on the bottom,
fruit in the
middle, and
pastry on the
top - either fully
covering the
pie, or in strips,
woven together in a lattice. The latter is almost
always misrepresented as a “cobbler,” which it is
not.
Cobbler
Fruit on
the bottom and
biscuit dough in
pieces on top.
The rounds of
dough resemble
cobblestones
when baked. Thus, a cobbler.
Crisp
Fruit on the
bottom, and a
crispy layer on
top. Unlike a
crumble, a
crisp usually
has oatmeal
and/or nuts in the topping.
Crumble
Fruit on the
bottom, with a
crumbly layer of
streusel, usually
made from only
sugar, flour and
butter (unlike
the crisp, which
contains oats and nuts).
Grunt or
Slump
Buckle
Placed in the
pan with cakelike batter on the
bottom, and fruit
on the top. As it
bakes, the fruit
settles toward the
bottom and is suspended in the cake/dough.
Like a
cobbler, but made
on the stovetop
in a skillet,
with fruit on
the bottom and
spooned biscuit-style dough on top.
Pandowdy
Betty or
Brown
Betty
Fruit on
the bottom, and
rolled pastry on
the top. Once
out of the oven,
the pastry is
broken into
pieces, allowing the edges to absorb the juices.
Alternating
layers of fruit and
bread pieces or
crumbs.
Tart
Pastry on the
bottom only, with
filling on top.
Examples are
Boston Cream,
cheesecake, pecan
or pumpkin.
Belinda Smith-Sullivan
is a food writer, personal
chef, and pilot who enjoys
exploring the “off the
beaten path” culinary world. Her love of cooking and
entertaining motivated
her to give up a corporate career to pursue a degree in
Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University. Now living
in Aiken, she currently markets her own spice line called
Chef Belinda Spices. Recently she was named “Artisan of
the Month” by Augusta Magazine.
Unveil Your Legs
DR. ARTHUR
DR. PENNINGTON
Shorter
Wait Times
(803) 641-4874
•
AIKENVEIN.COM
9
Remembering My Mother
by Kathy Urban Huff
For a Mother’s Day gift in the early 1990s,
when my mother’s health was failing, I bought a
beautiful, large journal with blank pages. Then
I set about writing (in third person) many of my
favorite memories of her during my childhood years
in Oakland, Nebraska, and in Aiken. In honor
of Marian Paden Stewart Urban on this Mother’s
Day, and in honor of all mothers, an excerpt from
that journal is reprinted.
One of the most fun occasions any child can
spend with her/his mother is baking cookies.
The earliest recollection I have of baking
cookies is at the little house in Morningside [a
neighborhood in Oakland, Nebraska]. What my
role was in this tradition I have no idea, but it
was always my job to lick the beaters … and the
bowl… and the rubber scraper. To this day, I
still lick them and enjoy the dough as much as—
if not more than— the finished baked product.
[Please understand that in later years, I dutifully
offered them to my sons first, who traditionally
refused that singular honor. Their refusal has
always confounded me. I mean, it is just plain
un-American not to lick the beaters!]
Shampoo as an Art Form
Now, having started me on my way to a
later career in catering, Mom taught me how
to perform various chores in the kitchen. In
our various abodes, many domestic chores were
performed in the kitchen, that were not at all
food-related. For instance, when I was very young,
probably less than five, Mom always washed my
hair in the kitchen sink. I feel sure this was to
10
another function performed in the kitchen. In
recollecting these things, it occurs to me that
kitchens are always the chief “living” room of
the house. Why is that party guests always
congregate in the kitchen? Perhaps because
the socializing of everyday life centered around
kitchen activities: cooking, preparation for the
next meal, cleanup—and even laundry and
ironing in the days when the kitchen fire or
water were required for these. And what about
Saturday night baths?
But I digress. Back to ironing.
Ye Olde Ironing Board
Kathy Urban Huff and Marian Paden Urban
save her back, bending over the tub. It was great,
glorious fun to see what work of art she could
create out of my bubblehead! When she had
enough shampoo to make me white-headed with
suds, up went the horns, in all directions! Or
curls! Or fearsome shapes, or wig-like, Martha
Washington resemblances! And with every new
“hairdo,” she carried me into the living room so I
could appreciate my new image in the big mirror.
Screams of laughter! Endless giggles! Shampooing
has never been fun like that again. Too bad!
Ironing, that odious household chore, was
In the “olden days,” our ironing board was
nearly always set up in the kitchen. In fact, I
can’t remember setting up the ironing board in
any other room, ever! The ironing board was
very important for teenagers who had to look
their crisp best. This look required “sprinkling”
with water. (Nowadays we use spray bottles,
with options marked “spray” and “stream.”) Or
the garment might require starch, which, coming
out of then-newfangled aerosol cans, might gum
up the bottom of the iron.
Most of the household’s fabric items
crossed the ironing board: sheets, underwear,
handkerchiefs, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, blouses;
even, I think, tea towels! Unfortunately, because
of its position of importance in the dominant
household room, it also gathered many non-related
items: books, mail, dishes, toys, etc. Poor Mom! I
am sure she yelled at us constantly to take care of
things instead of depositing them on the ironing
board.
Celebrations
When I was a little girl, the most special
dinners we ever had occurred on Sunday nights
in front of the TV set. Mom called them
“celebrations.” Why they were called celebrations
I don’t know. Perhaps we celebrated that fact that
Mom didn’t have to cook.
Our celebrations generally consisted of a series
of spreads, crackers, and canapés, made ingeniously
out of leftovers and things like Vienna sausages.
All menu items were served on a lazy susan
where egg salad, roast beef spread, and Vienna
sausages with chunks of sweet pickle speared with
a toothpick alternated with crackers or party rye
and slices of cheese. Yummy! [Editor’s note: I
included the Celebration as a “recipe” in the Aiken
Historical Cookbook because it was so meaningful
to me.]
In later years, when Mom became a dyed-inthe-wool college football fan, the celebrations grew
more elaborate and were served to guests invited
to watch football. Then came chipped beef dip,
various cheese balls, and even hot hors d’oeuvres.
One Christmas Mom gave me my very own lazy
susan, which I actually wore out in my catering
business. The sight of a lazy susan still takes me
back to those Sunday night celebrations on the
coffee table. What a great way to eat!
The Beloved Typewriter
Mom has always been a typing whiz. Along
with pots and pans, dishes and glasses, a typewriter
has long been a kitchen staple. Set up on the end
of the kitchen dinette, the typewriter came in
handy for copies of recipes, high school reports and
letters to a large family. When Ann and I went off
to college (Florida State University), Mom never
missed writing us letters from home—twice a
week!!! This remarkable gift of love inspired in us
both a love for the mailbox which is active to this
day. Imagine getting a letter from someone you
love two times every week for four years?!?
Mom’s efforts at filling the front and back sides
of her typing paper were sometimes laborious. I
mean, twice a week meant we had to hear the
neighbors’ news too. We loved it all: what last
night’s menu was, how she and Daddy felt about
the interim minister and his sermons, Daddy’s
latest woodworking project, new recipes, and who
was winning this week at their nightly after-dinner
games of Yahtzee or Scrabble or Cribbage.
Our friends at college loved the news too.
It was a link for all of us with the stable life we
missed at home. The letters didn’t stop coming
either. They “slowed” to once a week to both of
us. Mom used carbon paper since the news was
identical, and sometimes enclosing original (no
carbon) notes dealing with gift ideas for another
family member or concerns over some recent or
dreaded future happening. In fact, those letters
kept coming for 27 years, surely a record! And
even though phone calls started taking the place of
some of those letters, I still get an occasional letter
from Mom and I am grateful for the typewriter
on the kitchen table and her love for us expressed
through that typewriter for so many, many years.
Kathy Urban Huff
1992
Happy
Mother’s Day!
11 The Decline of Air Travel:
From the Lack of Appropriate Dress
to Paid Baggage Check
by The Anonymous Traveler
The way we were
charge me $7 for a sandwich, why not
just include it in the price of the ticket
and serve it to me? No one wants to
listen to the flight attendant announce
the various “choices of the day” over the
P.A. system! It makes you feel as if you’re
in a downtown deli, not on your way
to a very important business meeting
or a romantic getaway. I still believe
this does not warrant bringing a loaded
hamburger or burrito onboard and
eating it while seated next to your fellow
passenger. How rude!
Dressing Up, then Undressing
I am sitting in the ATL (Atlanta Hartsfield)
airport drafting a letter to the airlines asking them
to ban, jeans, sneakers, flip-flops —oh hell, for
that matter, ALL open-toed shoes— more than
one piece of carry-on luggage, ugly people (I will
supply them with this standard) and babies (okay, I
am the wicked witch of the west on this one)!!!!!!! And while they are at it, they should block
all cell phone usage until the federal government
implements mandatory cell phone etiquette
training and issues a certificate that all users
must carry with them verifying successful
completion. Most importantly, there should be a
“sniff” machine, so anyone who has not had a
bath or shower within the last 24 hours is not
allowed to board. I also think—although I
probably won’t get this one—that IQ’s should
be a criteria for who gets to buy a ticket in the
first place.
I am ready to give up my business to go
“lobby” Washington ...
Now I will admit, it is difficult to
dress your best knowing that when you
get to the airport, you are going to have
to practically strip down to your skivvies
and/or be subjected to a “pat down.”
Not even your six-year-old kid is exempt
from this humiliation. The worst of
it is removing your shoes and walk
around on a nasty floor in your bare
feet. I wonder how many people have contracted
“who knows what” fungi because of this? Have
you ever noticed that the person or people who are
scrutinizing you all are wearing latex gloves? If
you are required to remove your shoes, shouldn’t
you at least be given a pair of disposable socks?
(What am I thinking? - there goes another $25
charge.) According to USA Today, “The floor at
The way we are
The Glory Days
I would like to restore air travel to its
original glory days, when it was considered
an event, not a cattle call. The Anonymous
Traveler started her career as what was then
called a “stewardess.” Yes, that was many years
ago. That was when there was an unwritten code
of travel dress and etiquette. Somewhere along the
way, we settled into the idea that it was acceptable
to dress inappropriately and behave in a manner
more consistent with riding Greyhound (or a less
desirable form of travel). And it disheartens me
that modern day flight attendants have also fallen
victim to these more “relaxed” travel rules.
Back in the day, we served hot, tasty meals on
any flight over an hour long. I remember serving
120 passengers a full dinner with cocktail service
between Detroit and New York City. And we did
it without the help of those fancy push carts that
are on board now. And yes (for you Ginger Rogers
fans) we did it in high heels! I have watched the
decline of airline meal service and food over the
years - from full meals to sandwiches to peanuts
to nothing - especially on flights between Augusta
or Columbia and Atlanta. If you are going to
12
security is the second germiest place in the airport.
As you stroll barefooted through the security
checkpoint, have you considered the millions who
have gone before you? Athlete’s foot and other
fungal infections can easily be left behind, just
waiting for their next host.” The antidote: Wear or
bring socks when traveling to avoid going barefoot.
Period!
What’s up with —
• Charging for checked luggage; then providing
“free” valet luggage checking at the gate?
• People bringing on more luggage than the
carry-on limit, then asking you if they can put
their extra baggage under your seat?
• Stuffing oversized bags in the overhead bin and
damaging others’ computers, hats and coats,
etc.?
• Overweight people asking you if you “mind
leaving up the armrest” so they can take up
half of your already too-small seat? (If you
need a seatbelt extension, you probably need to
purchase two seats.)
• People asking you, while you are obviously
enjoying your magazine or book, “So
you’re going to Chicago too?” Hell no, I
am purposefully taking the wrong plane to
Phoenix! Unless I invite conversation, assume
silence is what I want.
• Flight attendants who could benefit from a
year’s worth of Nutri-System?
• Allowing food to be brought onto the airplane?
The smells! Eat before you leave home or allow
enough time for a leisurely meal in the airport.
Good air quality on the long flight is much
more important. Why do you think in-flight
smoking was banned?
• Trying to board the airplane before your row
is called? On-time departure is based on
everyone following the rules. Just do it!
• Lack of compassion for the elderly and families
traveling with small children? Run them over,
why don’t ya?
• Everyone needing three seats in the waiting
area?—One to sit in and the other two for bags
and briefcases, so no one else can sit near them.
• Canceling flights at the last minute? Okay,
so only 10 people bought tickets. The airline
is just figuring that out when we are close
to boarding? And now we have to miss
connections because somebody in charge
wasn’t smart enough to cancel the flight ahead
of time and rebook us so we don’t miss our
events or appointments?
• Mishandling and ruining my luggage
while it is in the airline’s protective custody in
the luggage area? Or making them disappear
altogether? Not to mention cutting off my
TSA-approved lock and tossing my clothing
around. Now I have to iron everything
(again) when I get to my destination!!
• Airlines charging different prices for the
same seat on the airplane based on when it was
purchased? Unfortunately, my emergencies
aren’t scheduled, and you want to add
monetary insult to the injury I am suffering
over the death of a loved one. One last thought. During peak seasons,
holidays and weekends, flights get overbooked
(I still haven’t been able to figure this one
out!). Often there are still empty seats in First
Class. On such occasions, the agents must upgrade
passengers to First Class seats in an attempt to
accommodate as many inconvenienced passengers
as possible. Guess who gets upgraded? Not the
jeans-wearing, McDonald’s bag-toting, lookinglike-you-just-rolled-out-of-bed passenger. Keep this
in mind! Well, The Anonymous Traveler will be taking
several air trips over the course of the summer; and
will be watching, photographing and writing about
your traveling faux pas. This summer, as you plan
your vacation, if your plans call for air travel, think
about more than just getting there in the sloppiest
way possible. Remember what your mama always
told you. “If you are unfortunate enough to get
into an accident, what would you want to be
wearing, other than clean underwear?”
Bon voyage!
13 The Pit and
the Perspiration
Weapons for protection in the
battle against body odor
Do you lose your charm
When ya raise your arm?
–Ray Stevens
Everdry followed as the first effective antiperspirant
and was dabbed on with a cotton pad. It took a
long time to dry, stung the armpits, and made
holes in clothing.
By the 1950s the ballpoint pen inspired
marketers to create a roll-on deodorant called Ban.
The early ‘60s brought the first aerosol can named
Right Guard, and a million-dollar industry was
born.
In 1977 the Environmental Protection
Agency restricted the use
of chlorofluorocarbon
propellants and the Food
and Drug Administration
prohibited using aluminum
zirconium, both ingredients
in aerosol antiperspirants.
Sprays’ popularity tanked and
companies scrambled to create
alternative ingredients. Stick
antiperspirants became, and
remain, the most popular kind
of deodorant and antiperspirant
today.
by Phyllis Maclay
• Fragrance. They mask bad odors and make
the user feel clean.
• Alcohol. It feels cool on the skin and helps
the deodorant to dry quickly.
• Talcum powder. Absorbing oil and moisture,
it reduces friction and chafing, and helps the
underarm to feel dry.
• Emollient oil. Castor, mineral, or sunflower
oils can be used as moisturizers to help stick
antiperspirants glide on easily. Emollients also
keep the antiperspirant from flaking off.
• PEG Distearates. Polyethylene glycol is an
emulsifying agent that allows easy washing
off of the product.
• Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Slows
down the deterioration of the product as it is
exposed to oxygen.
Back when humans were hanging around caves
and carrying fire, there was no doubt about it; they
stank. Their foul smell helped protect them from
hungry predators that preferred better aromatic
dinners than a rank caveman.
Ancient Egyptians
invented the forerunner
of deodorant by masking
their body odor with
concoctions of cinnamon
and citrus in their baths
and direct application on
their underarms. Carob
and incense were also
rubbed on their bodies to
battle the bad body stench.
Egyptian ladies liberally
lathered layers of scented
wax on their heads so it
would melt in the desert
sun, spreading a pleasant
Risk or Rumor?
scent that slid down their
The effects of
sweaty skin.
antiperspirants
on the body
The Greeks were
have been debated for decades.
constantly bathing in
Health
issues
are
often
disputed, but after sifting
scented waters and liberally splashed perfumes on
through
rumors
and
questions,
scientists seem to
their bodies. Good (and more probably wise) hosts
agree
on
these
findings:
A
small
percentage of users
gave their guests baths and bottle of aromatic oils.
In the battle against bad body odor, there is a
Ancient Romans not only bathed in scented baths, develop contact dermatitis from aluminum-based
vast selection of deodorants and antiperspirants to
products. Alcohol can also cause irritation, along
but they also soaked their togas in vats of oilwage the war on funky body aromas. Whether you
with propylene glycol.
doused water. The household pets and horses were
swipe it, roll it, or spray it, nobody said it better
Rumors persist on the Internet about a
drenched in perfumes.
than Ray Stevens in this song:
connection between the use of antiperspirants and
Things got really funky in the Middle Ages
breast cancer. The American Cancer Society and
when the Church deemed it a sin to be naked—
the National Cancer Institute
Perspiration Zone
even in the bath. It was
state
there
is
no
evidence
easier for the populace
Alfred McKelvy, owner of a
linking the two.
Do you want your love life to bloom?
to simply skip bath time
deodorant named Sea-Forth, sold
Do you lose your charm
and instead use perfume
his product in ceramic whiskey
When ya raise your arm?
How Does It Do That?
jugs because he “couldn’t think of
to disguise the rank
Antiperspirants
have
anything
more
manly
than
whiskey.”
smells of their bodies.
Then run out and buy some
agents that are classified by
Those with not enough
Tear out and get some
the
FDA
as
drugs
that
reduce
money to buy perfumes
Search around and find some
or stop sweat, which help to eliminate bacteria,
and scented oils simply … stank.
You gotta have some
which in turn eliminates body odor. Aluminumbased
ingredients
interact
with
electrolytes
in
the
Mum’s the Word
Worry free, sweet smelling, easy to apply
body to create a type of gel plug in the sweat gland,
In 1888 the first trademarked deodorant
Hours of protection, keeps you dry
which inhibits the secretion of sweat. Aluminum
named Mum was marketed out of Philadelphia
Spray
it on, roll it on, spit it on, wipe it on
salts
also
make
a
plug
in
the
ducts
that
blocks
using zinc chloride and a wax paste that was
Rub
it
on, splash it on, put it on, get it on
perspiration.
applied to the underarms. It was sticky and tacky,
Your perspiration zone
Here
are
some
ingredients
found
in
many
but it killed bacteria which decreased body odor.
[Continued on next page]
antiperspirants:
14
BELLA MAGAZINE MAY 2014 When you exercise, do you draw flies?
You gotta have some
Spray it on, roll it on, spit it on, wipe it on
Rub it on, splash it on, put it on, get it on
Your perspiration zone!
Spray it on, roll it on, spit it on, wipe it on
Rub it on, splash it on, put it on, get it on
Your perspiration zone
Do you want your love life to bloom?
Then you’ve got to put a stop to all those fumes
Natural Deodorant Crystals
have become a popular alternative
to commercial deodorants,
especially in the Far East,
Thailand, and Mexico.
Phyllis MacLay is a published
writer of articles in Country Woman
Magazine, Parent Magazine, Easy
Street Magazine, and Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, newspapers. Originally from Pennsylvania,
Phyllis moved to Aiken from Texas. She has published children’s plays
and is now selling online and at
Booklovers Store in Aiken her latest novel, A Bone for the
Dog, the chilling story of a father trying to rescue his little
girl. (Visit www.PhyllisMaclay.com) Her latest published
work Sweet Brew and a Cherry Cane appears in the
anthology Nights of Horseplay by the Aiken Scribblers.
Do you offend, all of your friends?
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James F. Boehner, MD
Robert D. Boone, MD
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Andreina Angle, RNC, WHNP
Janet Powell, MSN, WHNP
15 Passionate About
Hydrangeas
“My passion for this genus, and
certainly Hydrangea macrophylla,
knows no bounds.”
— Michael A. Dirr
from Hydrangeas for American Gardens
Many of us are passionate about hydrangeas.
We love the perfect, dinner-plate sized mopheads
in shades that range from palest pink to midnight
blue; the lacecaps, with their merry florets; or
the oakleafs, sturdy and robust. Hydrangeas
are cool and reliable, and no Southern garden is
complete without at least one. Hydrangeas are
easy to grow, there are dozens and dozens of kinds
of hydrangeas, and many of those are available
nearby.
Nurseries Caroliniana, located in North
Augusta, lists about 60 hydrangeas in its online
catalog, subdivided into different species, with
many cultivars listed under each species, complete
with photos. Cold Creek Nursery, Palmetto
Nursery, and Woodlanders carry them as well, and
so do all the big stores. Many grocery stores even
carry them in the floral department.
Some hydrangeas are more sun tolerant than
others, and different species have different pruning
demands, but overall the demands are the same:
morning sun, afternoon shade and plenty of water,
but good drainage.
Mopheads and Lacecaps
The mophead, in the species H. macrophylla is
the most popular of the Hydrangeas. Soon they’ll
be in bloom around town and they do make quite
a show. Also in the species H. macrophylla are
the lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla
normalis). They are identical in nearly every way,
except in appearance. Up close you can see that
H. macrophylla — Photo by Susan Elder
the mopheads have tiny fertile flowers, hidden
beside large, snowball-shaped clusters of sterile
flowers. Lacecaps display a ring of showy, sterile
flowers around a disc of tiny fertile flowers.
“Ayesha” is a slightly fragrant mophead with
a large “mop” composed of dainty, cupped lilac16
like petals in many shades of pink, blue and
mauve. Another macrophylla, “Fuji Waterfall,” is
an irregularly shaped lacecap with double florets
of white with the slightest blush of pink. “Lemon
Wave” has variegated foliage in shades of green
and yellow. “Blushing Bride” has the palest pink
florets and claims to bloom all summer long.
“Penny Mac,” named for the late Penny McHenry
of Atlanta, who founded the American Hydrangea
Society, is a popular pink/blue mophead that is
said to bloom all summer also.
Repeat bloomers appear to have been a boon
to hydrangea popularity, promising us a hint of
that beautiful blast of blue well into October. The
“Endless Summer” group has gotten a lot of press,
but some of our nearby experts say that there
are other repeat bloomers that are as good. One
called “Eva Lyon Holmes” is offered at Nurseries
Caroliniana.
New cultivars of H. macrophylla appear every
year, and if you’ve decided to plant a hydrangea
garden, you will be thankful that your nursery of
choice doesn’t offer every one, because then you
could never decide which plant to take home.
First consider, how large is your space? Most
hydrangeas grow 4-6 feet tall, though there are
some compact cultivars. Do you prefer mophead or
lacecap? Blue, pink, red, or white flowers? Don’t get
too hung up on red around here – those brilliant
colors usually don’t stand up in our heat.
There are so many choices, but you can change
your mind! How many plants let you do that?
If you plant a hydrangea that’s pink, you can
in many cases turn it to blue, according to Ted
Stephens of Nurseries Caroliniana. He reminds
us that if we want really blue hydrangeas, we can
put aluminum sulfate around them. Aluminum
sulfate can be found at most garden centers, and it
works pretty fast. If you see early stages of flower
bud formation, you can still put
out the aluminum sulfate and get
the “bluing” effect a month later.
Be careful not to overdo or the
aluminum sulfate can burn your
plant.
Turning from blue to pink, or
keeping a pink hydrangea pink,
is a bit more difficult around
here. Our soils are typically acidic
and so, left alone, most pink/
blue hydrangeas will go to blue.
You want to block the aluminum
from the plant to keep it pink,
and, according to the website
www.hydrangeashydrangeas,
which claims to be “all about the
enjoyment and care of hydrangeas,”
you might try using a high
phosphate fertilizer, applying
dolomitic lime several times a year, or by just
keeping your plant in a separate pot.
by Susan Elder
Hydrangea serrata is considered by some to be
a subspecies of H. macrophylla and by others to
be its own species. In any case, reviews on it are
mixed. Michael Dirr declares he hasn’t been able to
open his garden heart to it. Nurseries Caroliniana
Hydrangea serrata — Photo by Susan Elder
lists 12 different Hydrangeas serrata in its online
catalog, so Ted Stephens must be a fan. Most
are lacecaps (save a cultivar called “Maiko”) and
appear to be more cold hardy than H. macrophylla.
The flowers of H. serrata are somewhat more
subdued. Woodlanders Nursery here in Aiken
lists a cultivar of serrata called “Woodlander” that
was grown from seed obtained from a Korean
arboretum. All of these are certainly worth a look.
Oakleaf
Probably the next most popular in this huge
clan is the Hydrangea quercifolia, or “Oakleaf
Hydrangea.” Dirr calls it “this most beautiful
native shrub.” And it is indeed. With leaves shaped
like those of an oak tree that change from green
to deep red over the summer and fall, interesting
bark, and grand flowers, it’s a winner. Though
it’s a bit tricky to find the right place for your
Serrata
Perhaps you have packed your garden full of
mopheads and you want to try something else.
Hydrangea quercifolia — Photo by Susan Elder
white in July. There are many other cultivars in
this group, among them “Lime Light” which is
promoted as having lime-green flowers. Annette
Weese at Cold Creek Nursery told me she waited
three years to get “Strawberry Vanilla” paniculatas
in stock. This is a winsome shrub that produces
large, pointed flowerheads in midsummer that
begin green, turn creamy white, then blushing pink
and finally to a rich shade of rose. New flowerheads
continue to come up so that different shades are
present all at once. I want one.
Arborescence
Hydrangea quercifolia - Snowflake
Photo by Susan Elder
Oakleaf, you will be happy when it is happy. After
trying unsuccessfully to grow “Snowflake,” I
finally put out an S.O.S. to Bob McCartney from
Woodlanders Nursery, where I’d bought the plant,
and he suggested I pull up something else that he
considered unworthy of the place it was holding in
my small garden, to make room. Once ensconced
on the west side of my house, where it got no
morning sun and blasting late afternoon sun, my
“Snowflake” and “Snow Queen” have thrived. Go
figure. Sometimes there’s just no substitute for
expertise, no matter how well you can google.
Next to last, but not least, is the Hydrangea
arborescence. Dirr tells us that the natives in the
Paniculata
Hydrangea paniculatas, so called because the
flowers grow on long, cone shaped panicles, grow
well in a variety of climates, and tolerate pruning,
if size is an issue, or if your spouse has a heavy
hand with the clippers. H. Paniculatas need more
sun than macrophyllas. “Chantilly Lace” is a
popular cultivar with large, well-balanced flower
heads. Flowers open in mid-June and are still
Hydrangea arborescence
species “meld into the shadows
of the eastern North American
forests,” though nothing jumps
out and screams, “LOOK AT
ME, LOOK AT ME!” like a
border of “Annabelles.” Mopheads
“Annabelle” and “Grandiflora”
are certainly the most outgoing
members of the clan, often
producing such large heads that
they need to be propped up so as
not to drag in the dirt. In the wild,
H. arborescence gets plenty of shade.
In the home garden, plant it as you
would a H. macrophylla – morning
sun, afternoon shade. It may be cut
back in winter to tidy up.
And the last to mention,
though there are other hydrangeas
not so well known, is the climbing
hydrangea. It is a climbing vine
which seems to me to be difficult to
grow in these parts, though I hear it
can be done.
To Prune or Not to Prune?
Arborescence and paniculatas can be pruned
nearly any time except right before they bloom. For
macrophyllas, regular pruning is seldom necessary.
However, Ted Stephens says, “All hydrangeas
benefit from some rejuvenation pruning sooner
or later. If you need to cut them back, I would
also suggest using something other than 10-1010 fertilizer. This has way too much phosphorus
and phosphorus tends to build up in the soil since
it doesn’t leach. I much suggest a much higher
nitrogen rate and a slow release fertilizer. We
(Nurseries Caroliniana) sell a 12-6-6 which has
trace elements and is slow release for three to four
months.
“I would also suggest a liberal application
of lime, for the calcium needed for plants to
rejuvenate. If you were to apply a cup of a fertilizer,
then apply four cups of lime. Use the highest
quality lime that you can get, which means that
it has a high screen test. That means you will
get the effects of the lime in three to four weeks
rather than months. The lime might make your
hydrangeas pink rather than blue, because it might
raise the pH just enough to tie up the aluminum
in the soil. And it is the aluminum which makes
hydrangeas blue, not the pH, even though they are
connected.”
In my garden, the macrophyllas seem to have
suffered the most over the winter. Even the old
established bushes have new growth at the bottom,
and the old branches above are either bare or have
sparse growth on the top and sides. It seems best
to wait and see if the bare branches fill in. If they
don’t, remove them. If they do fill in, celebrate.
Then, after the bloom time is past, it might be
time for that rejuvenation pruning Ted Stephens
mentioned.
Speaking further of pruning, my friend and
fellow Bulldog, Don Connelly, went to hear a
talk given by our favorite coach, Vince Dooley,
also a hydrangea lover, and Dr. Michael Dirr,
who literally wrote the book on hydrangeas for
American gardens (Hydrangeas for American
Gardens). Don asked Dr. Dirr about the “Vince
Dooley” hydrangea that drapes onto the pathway
through his garden and asked whether he should
tie it back or trim it. Dirr looked at him and said,
“Can you walk around it?” Don said, “Well ... yes.” Dirr said, “Well, then, walk around it.” Don’s
wife, my old friend Kay, pointed out that she’d
been telling him that for years.
Susan Elder is a former elementary
school teacher and garden writer.
These days she spends her
time babysitting for her adorable
granddaughter.
Hydrangea paniculatas
17 Merging
Black and White
High Schools
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme
Court handed down Brown vs. Board of Education,
the decision that outlawed segregated public schools.
But it was not until the 1960s that South Carolina
schools began to integrate, with a few black students
attending previously all-white schools.
Harvey Gantt integrated Clemson College (now
Clemson University) in 1963, and Henrie Monteith
Treadwell, Robert Anderson and James Solomon
followed suit at the University of South Carolina a
few months later.
Two federal laws helped South Carolina’s
desegregation process. One was the 1964 Civil
Rights Act which banned segregation. The other was
the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Educational
Act which offered millions of dollars in federal
aid to school districts that increased their AfricanAmerican enrollment.
South Carolina’s governor from 1965-1971,
Robert E. McNair, was instrumental in seeking
peaceful solutions to comply with federal court
rulings. Compared to that in other Southern states,
South Carolina’s desegregation was not as violent.
McNair’s handling of the process was praised by
ABC television commentator Howard K. Smith,
Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy and others.
While the voices of musicians Jimi Hendrix and
Janis Joplin became silent in 1970, the voices of antiVietnam War protestors could be heard throughout
the United States. In May of that year, four Kent
State University students were killed in an anti-war
rally, and nine more were injured. It was an intense
and turbulent time for the country.
The Right Men at the Right Time:
The Leadership of J.O. Willis
and James A. Taylor
by Anna Dangerfield
Schofield High School, soon to be called Aiken
High School-Schofield Campus. Aiken High School
would house the 11th and 12th grade black and
white students.
Many credited two leaders with the peaceful
transition of the 1970-1971 school year. They were
J.O. Willis, principal of Aiken High School, and
James A. Taylor, principal of Aiken High SchoolSchofield Campus.
Mr. James Otis “J.O.” Willis
Dr. Evan Flynn agreed about Mr. Willis’s focus
on academics.
“J.O. was very supportive of academics and
was an academician. He got along well with those
teaching in the higher academic area such as
Mrs. Bobo and Miss Barlow. We were usually
number one in the state for National Merit finalists,
due to the academic focus and the outstanding
teachers,” Dr. Flynn said.
“My brother worked in the State Department of
Education and helped me with places to apply when
I graduated from college,” Dr. Flynn continued.
“The draw for me to Aiken High School was that it
was the third largest high school in South Carolina
at that time, and it ranked high in academics. That
ranking was attributed to the students’ performances
and to J.O.’s leadership. He understood what Aiken
High School should be. I was hired as an assistant
principal in the early 1970s.”
Dr. Flynn found Mr. Willis to be an open
and understanding person
who guided his staff. “As
an assistant principal, I
disciplined the students.
Once I had to appear before
the school board for something
about which the board did not
support us. J.O. went with me
and could tell I was antsy. He
simply reached his arm around
me and told me to settle
down. I figured if my quiet,
supportive boss wasn’t upset,
then I wasn’t either. I always
later thought of him as my
quiet boss,” he said.
“My dad and mom moved me and my brother
Jim to Aiken in the late ‘40s from Bishopville, South
Carolina,” said daughter Carolyn Willis Williams.
“Dad had been the high school principal and
football coach in Bishopville and came to serve as
principal at Aiken High School.
“His passions were his family, St. John’s
Methodist Church, and Aiken High School.
He also liked to garden, walk
his dogs, watch USC sports,
and play the piano while at
home. However, he spent
the majority of his time on
the weekends doing school
work,” she said.
Carolyn and Jim
remembered their father as a
soft-spoken man who ran a
tight ship at Aiken High.
“Behind his back,
some of the students would
affectionately refer to him
as ‘J.O.,’” Carolyn said.
“He spent a great deal of
Closer to Home
time in his office listening
In the 1960s, Notice of Transfer Opportunito students, saying that he
ties for Desegregation began appearing in the Aiken
received the most satisfaction
He Knew His Faculty
Standard newspaper. These were student opportuniJ.O. Willis, principal of Aiken High School
from
working
with
the
Mr. Willis also knew how
ties to transfer to schools where they could obtain a
troubled
ones.
His
door
was
always
open
to
students,
to find the right person on campus to get the job
desegregated education. Though compliance prepafaculty members, and parents.”
done. “When older teachers retired, J.O. tried to
ration had begun long before, all South Carolina
bring in good, young teachers who wanted to come
public schools were desegregated beginning with the
to Aiken High School. He’d talk about his policies,
1970-1971 school year.
Pushing Higher
but couldn’t get some to consider Aiken High School
because they thought he was the ‘old guard,’” Dr.
Academics
Flynn said. “He would call me into his office and
Mr. Willis pushed for high
tell me to talk with them. I was the same age as they
academics at Aiken High School,
and could often gain their confidence to see him
which was known for its large
in a different light. He knew which faculty or staff
number of yearly National Merit
member could handle which situation on campus.
Scholars. Students also received
“J.O. delegated responsibility to assistant
scholarships to some of the top
principals
and department heads, and then subtly
colleges in the country.
held them accountable. You knew he was there, and
you knew what he wanted. You’d go talk and ask for
something and if he said no, he would encourage you
to go back and rethink and strengthen your request.
But after a third request with no as a response, there
Aiken High School – 1970-1971
would be no fourth.”
Mr. Willis must have enjoyed spending time
One of the many changes
with his faculty because Dr. Flynn remembered that
to Aiken’s Area One school
he always ate lunch in the lounge with his teachers.
district would be the integration
“He’d walk in with a brown paper bag, always eating
of Aiken’s previously all-white
the same things,” Dr. Flynn said. “First he would eat
Aiken High School and the
his banana, and then share stories with the faculty.
previously all-black Martha
He was a thin man with slender fingers and when
Schofield High School. Both
he was upset, he would go to C wing into the small
races of 9th and 10th grade
Martha Schofield High School – 1970-1971
auditorium and play the piano. He was a good
students would attend Martha
18
organist and pianist and his music was enjoyable.
I would eventually have to go down to find him and
see what was bothering him.”
AHS Becomes Comprehensive
He was key in making Aiken High School
a comprehensive high school by fighting for the
vocational wing to be used for vocational skills and
horticulture. “He fought hard and forcefully,”
Dr. Flynn said. “They named the wing after him.
“He was a strong leader who was ahead of his
time with some of his beliefs about how things
should go. When some of the decisions were out
of his control, he dealt with them. He got what he
wanted, and he always wanted what was good for the
kids,” Dr. Flynn said.
They must have been aware of this support,
because the Key Club organized a tribute to honor
him and express appreciation for “his constant
interest and concern for those under his supervision,”
and the Eight-Fifteen Club presented an award for
his devotion to the school.
Carolyn remembers there were many meetings
in preparation for the 1970 school year. “My
father and Mr. Taylor worked closely together and
became strong allies,” she said. “They wanted to
make each student’s education their top priority. In
this endeavor, they developed a deep respect and
friendship.
“It was a trying time for all to make sure it
worked. Dad was determined that Aiken High
would remain a top school in the state. With the
changes, new people, and turmoil that accompanied
the Savannah River Plant’s arrival in Aiken in the
‘50s, he was well-prepared for the changes that came
in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s,” she said.
Mr. Willis’s 29 years of service as principal
of Aiken High School and 40-year career as an
educator ended when he retired at the end of the
1975-1976 school year.
Mr. James A. Taylor
“This time was stressful for my dad,” said
daughter Dr. Dorothea Taylor. “He was a religious
man and went to Cumberland AME church every
day and prayed before school. He believed that God
was the head of his life.
“Dad was a disciplined man and a strong
disciplinarian: he said what he meant and meant
what he said. There was no wavering, no gray area.
He raised me to believe that as long as I studied,
I could achieve anything. He always said to be a
person of your word, and expected others to be the
same,” she said.
“Education was important to him, believing it
to be the key to success. His dad died when he was
young, and he worked since he was seven years old.
His grandfather and grandmother instilled in him
that for a black family, the key
in life was to get an education.
They told him that would be
his only way out,” Dr. Taylor
said.
He was always a hard
worker, working every day
except Saturday. That was
the day he went fishing. On
Sunday, Mr. Taylor even
worked before he attended
church.
Mentoring Students
“Some of my dental
patients today credit my father
for putting them back on
the right track. Though he
had a degree in chemistry, he
was also a coach,” Dr. Taylor continued. “He made
sure that his players were well-rounded, including
taking them to Smith Hazel Center to swim. On
game day, he expected his players to wear shirts and
ties—even if he had to buy some—because he said
they represented the school and needed to dress
accordingly,” she said. “He’d scold his athletes, but
they knew he was there for them. Perhaps God knew
Dad had many kids to care for, so that’s why He sent
him only one biological child.”
She remembers that he worried about everyone,
especially about her. “Paint was thrown on his
new car at home,” she said. “And there were death
threats at our home and at school. Around the
time of integration, when I was in the 7th or 8th
grade, someone called our house and told me that
my mother was dead. Dad was at work, and I went
ballistic. It turned out to be a prank. I was usually
shielded because Mom always answered the phone.
“Dad was concerned about the transition in
1970, and he wanted to make it smooth. Whether it
was the parents, staff, or students, he wanted to try
to make certain that blacks and whites were treated
fairly. He was fair and he compromised, but when
he made a decision, that was it. He was not one to
delegate but wanted to see things through. He talked
to people how he wanted to be talked to.
“On reflection, he was proud of Aiken and how
easy the transition was without all of the violence.
On TV there were riots, but we did not have that
behavior. The tension here was kept under wraps,”
she said.
“After my father died, Mr. Taylor became a
surrogate to us,” Martha Schofield High School
graduate Ernestine Pressly Thompson said. “We
were neighbors. He took us to games and expected
us to be at his car afterwards with NO boyfriends
along. Once my boyfriend and I were walking down
Richland Avenue, and we were holding hands. Mr.
Taylor passed by in his car. The next day at school,
he called us into the office and told us never to hold
hands in public. He was such a disciplinarian. He
gave people a choice when they were in trouble—
three days or three licks.”
Points Well Taken
William Price knew Mr. Taylor well. “He was a
character and a cut above,” said Mr. Price, principal
of Second Baptist Preparatory School. “He did not
play. When I was in the 7th grade at Schofield, Mr.
Taylor taught PE. I was in his class, and I was a
mouthy student. There were about 45 boys in our
class, and Mr. Taylor was holding a football and
going over the fundamentals of the game. I sat in
the back of the class, and all of a sudden, I realized
everything had grown quiet. I saw the football
coming directly at me. I ducked, and it hit the wall.
He never said a word, and I never opened my mouth
in his class again.
“He coached me in
basketball and track in the
late ’50s. We won state
championships in basketball
under him, though football
was his forté. One night, we
played against a rival out of
Orangeburg, and we lost. Mr.
Taylor didn’t say a word as we
later put our stuff up in the gym
locker rooms back in Aiken.
As we passed his office on our
way out of the gym, he simply
said, ‘Practice in the morning at
8:30.’ At 8:15 the next morning,
unplanned, we players met on
the street corner and entered the
locker room together. Football
equipment sat everywhere.
James A. Taylor, principal of
Shoulder pads were in one area,
Aiken High School - Schofield Campus
shoes in another. Mr. Taylor said, ‘Find something
that fits you, and put it on.’ We didn’t play football,
we played basketball! But we did as we were told.
“After we were dressed, he made us jog behind
his Pontiac car—which everybody around the
Schofield community knew. We jogged behind as
he drove down Sumter Street, past Smith Hazel
and on. He wanted to embarrass us for our sluggish
performances the night before. He knew we could
do better. After that experience, we averaged 105
points per game and went through people like
water,” he said.
Saturday Fishing
Mr. Taylor’s relaxation was fishing. “After I
was married and had come back to work for him
in 1968, Mr. Taylor would arrive at my house
unannounced early on Saturday mornings. He was
there with his boat, wanting me to go fishing. And I
would go,” Mr. Price said. “We bonded over fishing,
work, coaching and athletics. Not only was he my
principal and boss, but he was also my mentor.
When he later moved to Aiken High School as
principal over both campuses in 1976, he invited me
to follow him. I became his assistant principal and
stayed until he retired. Though it was hard, I made
remarks at his funeral. It was something I wanted to
do.”
The Challenges
Both former students and teachers credited Mr.
Taylor and Mr. Willis for their leadership during this
turbulent time. Both men were veteran educators,
both well-educated—with bachelor’s and master’s
degrees. Mr. Willis earned his undergraduate and
master’s degrees from the University of South
Carolina while Mr. Taylor earned his bachelor’s
from Shaw University and his master’s from New
York’s Columbia University. They also both had the
support of their wives.
They were held in high esteem by those with
whom they worked and are still remembered by
students and faculty who had been under their
leadership. The vocational wing at Aiken High
School was named for Mr. Willis, and The James A.
Taylor Student Activities Center sits on the Aiken
High campus.
The accolades and honors would come later. But
in 1970-1971, they faced a challenging school year.
With differing leadership skills, they needed to bring
their schools through important changes.
In the Summer issue of Bella: Merging Black and
White High Schools, Part II: Second to None in
‘71—The Transition for Teachers and Students
Anna Dangerfield is a freelance writer whom readers
will recognize from her long
association with BELLA
Magazine. She has also been
published in other secular and
religious magazines. Anna has a
BA in English, a BS in Pharmacy,
and is a volunteer with Mental
Health America of Aiken County.
She and her husband have three
sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandsons with whom
they enjoy travelling and spending time at their beach home
on the South Carolina coast.
19 AU Atomic #79
Gleaming, Glistening Gold
Part I: Tears of the Sun
by Phyllis Maclay
Are you looking for
gold, friend?
Look around you;
anything useful to you
is pure gold,
pure silver!
— Mehmet Murat ildan
Since 3000 BCE it has been beaten, twisted,
embossed, soldered, and melted into jewelry, idols,
coins, and dental fillings. The most malleable
metal, gold gleams and glistens as nuggets and
bars, or settings for precious gems.
This chemical element, atomic number 79
(symbol AU), can be hammered to the point of
transparency. Alloys are often added because of its
softness. Gold content is measured in carats, with
25k gold being the purest.
Ka-ching!
The first gold
coins were probably
used in Asia Minor
around 600 BCE in
Lydia, with images of
their King Croesus stamped on them.
Lydian gold for coins was refined by using high
furnace temperatures and salt mixed with silver.
The use of gold coins spread to other
civilizations, and soon joined silver as currency in
parts of Greece and Rome.
You Had to Be Special
To ancient Egyptians, the sun god Ra was
their highest and most holy god. They equated the
brilliance of gold to sunlight, even believing the
precious metal was the skin of the gods. In the
earliest periods of Egyptian history, only kings
could wear gold. As years passed, others wore gold
as a status symbol, and demand for the treasured
metal led to mining done by slaves who labored in
oppressive conditions.
A panning and
processing camp was
discovered along the
Nile in 2007 where
grindstones were
unearthed. These twofoot high rocks were
used to crush ore for
processing gold.
The Egyptians
crafted funeral
masks that were
King Tut
to be permanent
substitutes for the pharaohs’ faces for eternity.
King Tutankhamen’s tomb was said to contain
more than a ton of gold. His mummy rested inside
sarcophagi nested inside each other; each one was
20
crucifixes, and other religious artifacts were
almost exclusive in their usage of gold. The
light of God is symbolized by golden icons
and mosaic backgrounds. During the
12th century, the Zeno Chapel in Rome
was designed with walls and ceilings
adorned in golden mosaics. The gold
leaf was a common decoration during the
Middle Ages.
solid gold,
engraved
and adorned
with gemstones.
These ancients were also
the first to become experts in
crafting gold. They created idols,
jewelry, and vases used in religious
ceremonies. Because gold was
considered to be divine, it was not
made into coins nor used in daily life.
Rams and Mines
Ever wonder why Jason and his Argonauts were
chasing the golden fleece?
Greek miners took the hide of a sheep to use as
a sieve to trap the heavier flecks of gold while sand
would pass through when mixed with propelled
water. When saturated, the “golden fleece” was
hung to dry then gently hit to remove the gold that
would then be gathered from the ground.
Ancient Greece used gold for money, and
mined it in the Middle East and Mediterranean
regions. Since most of it was discovered in streams,
gold was believed to be a dense form of combined
sunlight and water.
It was the Romans who used massive mining
techniques to obtain gold. In the Spanish mine
of Las Medullas, this civilization built gigantic
aqueducts in the mountains to mine more than 30
million ounces of gold, equivalent to 1,218 tons.
The Roman economy relied on the acquisition
of gold, and it became the heart of the monetary
system. Roman emperors designed coins with their
own images minted on them, giving them a sense
of importance knowing their picture was in their
subjects’ purses, pockets, and palms.
The Imperial Treasury had a
monopoly on gold mining, and the
treasury was run by the Senate.
The Empire’s salaries were paid
with this gold, as were the
funds for imported goods for
the State’s pleasure.
Romans were not
interested in artistic or
decorative uses of gold. Smithies
did craft jewelry for women who
adorned themselves with gold bracelets, earrings,
and pendants.
During the Middle Ages gold was equated
with the brilliance of heaven and used for creating
images of God. Church buildings, furniture,
Asian Treasures
In the center of Beijing lies the Forbidden
City with a palace built using gold leaf motifs
and decorations. The Chinese
rulers who lived there used
gold in creating their furniture,
decorations, draperies, and
clothing. The majestic palace was
used during the Ming and Qing
Dynasties, when the emperors
spent almost their entire lives
inside its walls. Housing
8,704 rooms, this palace had
courtyards, pavilions, workrooms, and apartments
for the imperial families. Gold was used liberally to
adorn this luxurious structure.
The largest statue made of gold is the Golden
Buddha in Bangkok.
Weighing 5.5 tons, this
creation was produced
between 1600 and 1750
and encased in wood
to disguise its value.
Many years later, during
an attempt to move
the statue, the casing
cracked open and movers
discovered the Buddha
was solid gold.
El Dorado
The Aztecs of Latin America scorned the
Spaniards for their obsession with gold; they
preferred the beauty of jade. While gold jewelry
was sometimes worn as nose and lip ornaments, the
Aztecs liked their ornamental face masks, bracelets,
and necklaces made with jade. Only royalty could
wear headdresses decorated with gold since gold
was believed to hold the sun’s rays, earning it the
phrase tears of the sun. Aztec chiefs ordered that
their images be created in gold, along with idols of
their gods. Some of the temples used gold coins as
decoration.
Like the Aztecs,
Mayans used gold
primarily for religious
purposes and funeral
relics. In Peru, the
Incas worshiped the
sun, stars, and nature,
and created temples
adorned with gold;
some were filled with
jars of gold and silver. In the Temple of the Sun in
Cuzco, Peru, a golden circle representing the sun
looks over a sacred garden where each element of
nature is symbolized by a pure gold statue.
In a few Incan tribes the warriors wore gold
necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and headbands.
When the Spaniards learned gold artifacts were
buried with the dead, they looted the graves and
bragged of their riches. This sparked the rumor
that a land of gold (El Dorado) existed somewhere
in South America, which was one of the main
catalysts for colonization in Latin America.
Look for Part II of AU Atomic #79 Gold in the
Summer issue of Bella.
Phyllis MacLay is a published
writer of articles in Country Woman
Magazine, Parent Magazine, Easy
Street Magazine, and Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, newspapers. Originally from Pennsylvania, Phyllis
moved to Aiken from Texas. She
has published children’s plays and is
now selling online and at Booklovers
Store in Aiken her latest novel, A Bone for the Dog, the
chilling story of a father trying to rescue his little girl. (Visit
www.PhyllisMaclay.com) Her latest published work Sweet
Brew and a Cherry Cane appears in the anthology Nights
of Horseplay by the Aiken Scribblers.
Frank Davis In The Morning
Tony B In The Afternoon
...and Carolina Beach Music
All Weekend Long!
DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT TRAINING
Medicare Approved
and Billable
as well as most insurance companies
From a pharmacist’s perspective
and a nationally recognized
Diabetes Educator,
ZOOM H. HEATON
RPh • CDE
Clinical Nutritionist
TLC Medical Centre, Inc.
190 Crepe Myrtle Drive • Aiken, SC 29803
Call Jackie for appointment 803.648.7800
21 Ah, Spring! Cleaning?
by Karen Guevara
What is it about the arrival of Spring that
evokes the primal need to clean our nests? There
are theories about the healthfulness of airing out
our “caves” to eliminate illness-carrying filth and
staleness accumulated during the long cold winter.
But even without that less-than-lovely image,
there’s something about Spring that evokes new
beginnings. Don’t we all just want to throw open
our doors and windows to let in a spring breeze?
(Now that the pines have spewed their
pollen plumes into the air, we can
breathe again. Rivers running red is a
sign of the apocalypse; rivers running
yellow-green is a sign of Masters Week!)
And once we let all of that light in, we
often discover the need to purge some
of the clutter we’ve accumulated.
I got an early start with our
February snow/ice event. With my
normal daily functions all canceled
or postponed, I looked around the
house and thought it a wonderful time
to embark on cleaning out the back
bedroom – you know the one – the “I
need to sort through this but I don’t
have time so I’ll just put it here until I
get around to it” room.
Guilt and Decision Making
The dilemma, of course, is to determine what
to keep and what to discard. I realized that:
1. Some things deserve to be saved and cherished
2. Some things deserve to have an example or two
saved, and the remainder discarded
3. Some things are perfectly useful items that
I don’t use and deserve a new home
4. Some things are just junk and deserve to be
trashed
The greatest dilemma of all, though, is to
make decisions on individual items, and to make
them without guilt! For me, the secret of purging
items that were “emotionally packed” was to give
them each a few dedicated minutes. I would hold
it and examine it, allowing myself a few minutes
to relive the happy or painful memories it evoked.
(I actually set a timer for two minutes, just to
keep me moving through the process.) I sat with
the memory for a few minutes, and then held
my thoughts and let go of the physical object. I
realized that allowing myself those moments of
reflection allowed me to let it go of things I’d been
hanging onto for years.
Strategies
Here are some of my purging strategies for
your consideration.
Old family photos
For my favorite photos of family ancestors,
I snapped Smart Phone digital images of them
and shared them with family members. If no one
expressed interest in having the originals, I threw
them out. My logic – these photos were destined
to continue collecting dust bunnies under my bed,
unseen and unappreciated. I gave them digital life,
and they will live on in that format. No guilt.
22
Childhood memorabilia
For my son’s youth, sports, and academic
achievements, I created shadow boxes (glassfronted wooden boxes that sit on shelves or hang
on the wall). In one, I mounted each of my son’s
Cub Scout Pinewood Derby vehicles along with
various pins and patches. In another, I mounted
the personalized nameplates stripped from his
multiple sports trophies, along with one actual
trophy figure
from each
of the sports
he played
(baseball,
soccer,
lacrosse and
football) and
a few special
game balls
he’d earned.
(I donated
the blank
trophies
to a local non-profit children’s club for their
use.) In another, I mounted my son’s high school
graduation announcement, mortarboard and stole,
varsity patches, homecoming court sash, and a
few other mementos. He treasures these displays
– tangible memories from his childhood versus
forgotten boxes in mom’s garage.
Childhood clothing
I have kept various favorite T-shirts from
my son’s childhood to make into a quilt. Hobby
stores sell materials to stabilize the T-shirt fabrics
and provide easy-to-follow guides for making
a quilt top to display the shirt logos. There are
even quilters who can quilt the entire thing for
you. This project is on my “to do” list, and I think
it would be wonderful to make this quilt for a
grandchild using the parent’s childhood clothing.
I’ve seen some who have mounted a favorite
baby outfit into a shadow box, along with photos
capturing the child wearing the item. This is
perfect for those lovely smocked outfits that babies
so quickly outgrow but are so beautifully detailed.
Adult clothing
Okay, so I may never fit into my bell bottoms
from 1976 again. My strategy for dealing with
clothing that I no longer wear is first to ask myself
whether I would wear it if I could wear it. Styles
change, and my tastes change. Every Spring, I do
a very quick swipe through my closet to identify
“maybes” and move them to a spare closet. If I
never go retrieve an item in the ensuing year, it gets
dropped into a bag for donation. If I still can’t let
something go, it stays in the closet another year.
Family letters
I have taken Smart Phone digital images of
many old letters and shared them with family
members. I have also scheduled time with my son
to read through old letters. When my son was in
college, we pulled out a box of my mother’s old
letters, written to her parents when she was away at
college. My son was only eight months old when
my Mama died, so he never had the opportunity
to know her. But through these letters, he met
her. He was delighted to “hear” her talk about
hating some of her classes, having to keep up her
grades to maintain her scholarship, worries about
getting a job, troubles with friends, and dating. I
loved sharing my Mama
with him this way. For
me, keeping those letters
all those years was about
this one sharing moment
with my son.
Childhood art and
schoolwork
I have taken Smart
Phone digital images
of many favorite pieces
of art, where they
will live on digitally
forever. Some friends
have mounted hooks,
about three feet apart
along a wall, with a wire
running between. They then insert their children’s
masterpieces into clear plastic sleeves and clothes
pin them along the wire. As the children and their
portfolios grow, the wire displays the best of a
child’s early and more recent pieces. I kept digital
images of the haiku poetry my son wrote about the
family dog and his self-assured fame as a football
superstar. I kept a digital image of the note from
my son’s teacher telling me he’d had to go to see
the school nurse because he’d picked his nose until
it bled… Ahh, now that one has some serious
blackmail potential when he eventually brings
home the girl of his dreams!
Knickknacks
I was surprised at how many nice but useless
items I had accumulated over time. I ended up
placing unused or very gently used items into
a box for charity donation. One of my favorite
destinations for these items is Sand River Woman’s
Club for its two-day holiday store in December,
where children from Children’s Place, Brothers and
Sisters, and Habitat for Humanity homes can come
shop for gifts for their family. What to me is just
another unused Christmas mug is, to those who
shop in their “store,” a wonderful gift to give to a
loved one.
There are many worthy, local charities that
accept donated items. Many of them even pick
up from your home. The November 2013 edition
of Bella listed local charities and their “Wish
Lists” (an archived copy can be found at www.
aikenbellamagazine.com). Call the numbers below
or look at the archived issue to best match your
items with interested organizations.
• Aiken Area Council on Aging (803) 649-100
• Aiken Boxing Youth Development Pal
(803) 645-6338
• Aiken Center for the Arts (803)641-9094
• Aiken Churches Together Serving (ACTS)
(803)649-3800
• Aiken County Habitat for Humanity
(803) 642-9295
• Aiken County Historical Museum
(803) 642-2015
• Aiken County Public Library (803) 642-2020
• American Red Cross – Aiken Area Chapter
(803) 641-4152
• Brothers and Sisters of Aiken County
(803) 641-3888
• Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County
(803) 644-5100
• Children’s Place, Inc. (803) 641-4145
• Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County
(803) 226-0630
• Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons
(803) 649-0480
• Formula for Life (803) 644-9624
• Golden Harvest Food Bank (803) 640-6793
• Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and
the CSRA (803) 659-7694
• Helping Hands (803) 648-3456
• Hitchcock Healthcare (803) 293-4322
• Medication Assistance Program Lower
Savannah (803) 649-7981
• Nurture Home (MHA Aiken County)
803-641-4164
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta
(706) 724-5901
• Rural Health Services (803) 380-7013
• Tri-Development Center of Aiken County
(803) 642-8811
• The Family Y of Aiken County (803) 349-8102
• The Salvation Army (803) 641-4141
Can’t bear to think of donating items that still
have good monetary value? Consider options to
sell your unwanted treasures. Those of you who
are technically savvy may consider selling items
online through eBay or Craigslist. eBay is one of
the largest online market places, reaching over 100
million users globally. The eBay.com website offers
easy advice on how to describe items, price them,
ship them and pocket the proceeds. Craigslist is a
regional online classified ad service, with hubs in
Augusta and Columbia to reach a broad audience.
Of course you can always pursue printed classified
ads in local and regional newspapers.
There are multiple consignment shops in the
local area, where you can have a retailer sell your
merchandise and return a portion of the proceeds
to you. Here are a few located in Aiken:
• Audrea’s Consignment Formal Wear –
(803) 642-3169
• Found Treasures – (803) 226-0203
• Upscale Resale – (803) 641-6404
• Aiken Consignment Gallery – (803) 226-0203
• Centsibly Chic Consignment Boutique –
(803) 641-3100
• Kid To Kid – (803) 648-0063
• Closet Collection – (803) 641-3100
You may also decide to have a yard sale to sell
your items. Consider joining neighbors to host
a collective event, since the bigger the sale, the
larger the customer draw. The CSRA hosts one
of the largest community yard sale events on the
first Saturday in June each year. The Peach Tree
23 Yard Sale is a 44-mile-long yard sale along
SC Highway 23, between Batesburg-Leesville
and Modoc, South Carolina. Their website at
Peachtree23.com provides details on how to get a
vendor space, or you can contact them at
(803) 275-0010.
Important papers
This was a hard one for me! After all, what
papers are important, and which ones can be
thrown out? And oh my, what about all those old
papers that have my social security number printed
on them – even old checks! The www.USA.gov
website offers some excellent guidelines on “Managing Household Records.” They recommend
Many offer strategies and coaching, and many can
be hired on a “by room” basis. Their services are
offered as “Professional Organizers” and include
some in Aiken, Columbia, and Augusta. Here are
just a few local companies who offer this service:
• All About Organizing – Augusta
(706) 513-8912
• At Your Service – Aiken (803) 292-8081
• Clutter Fairies – Grovetown (706) 373-3739
• Organizing with a Personal Touch – Columbia
(803) 202-0204
In addition, Shred360, offers a free-to-thepublic Shred Day on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at
Security Federal Bank, 2587 Whiskey Road in
Aiken from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Shred360 regularly
organizes free Shred Days within the community
in an effort to raise awareness to the ongoing issues
of identity fraud. You may drop off personal items
for immediate, secure destruction.
Happy Spring! Happy cleaning!
Document
Bank statements
Birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, passports,
education records, military service records
Contracts
Credit card records
Home purchase and improvement records
Household Inventory
Insurance, life
Insurance, car, home, etc.
How Long to Keep It
1 year, unless needed to support tax filings
Forever
Until updated
Until paid, unless needed to support tax filings
As long as you own the property
Forever; update as needed
Forever
Until you renew the policy
Investment statements
Shred monthly statements; keep annual statements until you
sell the investments
Investment certificates
Until you cash or sell the item
Loan documents
Until you sell the item the loan was for
Real estate deeds
As long as you own the property
Receipts for large purchases
Until you sell or discard the item
Service contracts and warranties
Until you sell or discard the item
Social Security card
Social Security statement
Forever
When you get your new statement online, shred the old one
Tax records
7 years from the filing date
Vehicle titles
Until you sell or dispose of the car
Will
Bank statements
what to keep in Active Files, what constitutes Dead
Storage (most things older than three years), what
Items to Discard, and How Long to Keep various
documents (see table). They offer great guidance
on creating a filing system, and what documents
should be in a “Grab and Go” kit for emergencies.
Papers with Personal
Identification Information:
One of the hardest areas for many of us is what
to do with those reams of old papers we’d love to
just throw away but which boldly display Social
Security Numbers or other sensitive information.
I do not have a paper shredder, so for these, I stand
at the sink, with a stopper in the bottom and start
a small trickle of warm water from the tap. Then
I look at each paper to see how much of the page I
need to “destroy.” I tear off the sensitive parts and
throw them into the water, and throw the rest of
the page into a recycle bin. After about 30 pages or
so, I slurry the wet paper pieces into a sort of papier
maché gunk, then squeeze the pulp into fistfuls
and throw them into a trash bag for disposal. It
goes surprisingly quickly as an alternative to
shredding the documents.
Until updated
1 year, unless needed to support tax filings
Karen Guevara is a recently
retired executive from the
Department of Energy, where
she most recently served as
a Savannah River Site senior
manager. She spent much of her
federal career in Washington,
D.C., including a stint in the White
House Office of Management and
Budget. She has wisely decided to remain in Aiken where
she is an active Rotarian, recreational golfer, choir singer,
and budding writer.
Professional Assistance
Because for many of us, the need to free
ourselves from “stuff” can be so overwhelming,
there are actually companies who offer this service.
23
by Betts Hunter Gatewood
Short-circuiting
Sibling Rivalry
If you have more than one child, you have
probably faced the issues of sibling bickering,
rivalry, jealousy, and other unpleasant emotions
felt by otherwise loving family members. The first
thing we all need to know is that these interactions
are normal even in the healthiest of families and
are felt by all brothers and sisters whether they
are the youngest, oldest, or middle child. These
feelings are felt by children as young as two when
the newest family member comes home from the
hospital and also by the preteen as she watches her
older sister get all the attention when she goes to
her first prom.
So if these feelings are normal, then why do
some of us outgrow them and others carry them
into adulthood, sometimes poisoning an otherwise
beneficial relationship? How can we raise our
children through these emotionally immature
years to give them the best chance of getting along
with their siblings? If we are able to do this, we
can watch them mature and evolve into adults who
enjoy the wonderful relationships adult siblings can
have with each other. Here are three ideas to consider that will help
your children act like they are glad they have
brothers and/or sisters every now and then:
24
Divide and conquer
From time to time plan special time with one
child at a time. This could be an outing, an hour or
two, or a weekend if you are fortunate enough to
have someone close by to help with the care of the
other child(ren). Focus on this child’s individuality
and interests without talking about the brother or
sister. This undivided time with you will go far in
establishing each child’s sense of your love, interest,
and fairness the next time you are perceived siding
with or favoring the brother or sister.
Stay out of it
“It” refers to squabbling, arguing, and other
scenes that you hear from the other room. So
often one child is very good at setting the stage
for the issue, then plays the innocent one whom
we rush to rescue. This will certainly fan the fires
of sibling resentment. Of course you need to be
aware of serious belittling and physical abuse and
administer serious consequences if it occurs.
Have no assumptions and
make no comparisons
If your older child likes broccoli, action
movies, and the color purple, be open to the
younger one hating all green foods, loving Disney,
and the color aqua. Try not to say, “Well, your
sister always eats her veggies ...” The more we can
help each child have a sense of self without being
compared to siblings, the more he or she will feel
secure in his or her own skin and not need to put
down anyone else.
Families see our best and our worst sides, but
the more we can help our children appreciate and
respect themselves and each other, the more we
will see their “best” sides.
Betts Hunter Gatewood is
a National Board Certified
school counselor with 28 years’
experience in elementary and
middle school counseling.
She holds an EdS degree
from USC and has authored
or co-authored four books on
school counseling strategies and
activities. She and her husband
are the proud parents of three adult children and have four
granddaughters and a grandson.
Celebrate the Year of
the Horse with Aiken’s
own collection of
horse tales..
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Nights of Horseplay
is available locally and
at Amazon.com.
See www.stevethewriter.com/Nights-of-Horseplay.html
FUR STORAGE TIME
MARK TAYLOR
A N D A S S O C I AT E S , L L C
Ruby Masters
FURRIERS
Ask me about aging into Medicare
620 ELLIS ST.
AUGUSTA, GA
(706) 722-5138
803-349-7468
CLEANING & GLAZING
EXPERT REPAIRS
Barbranne Clinton
Call Barbranne Clinton for
a New Spring Look!
Chesterfield Court
A Full Service Salon
124 Chesterfield Street, South • Aiken, SC 29801
Tuesday – Saturday
803.648.1181
www.rosehillestate.com
• Inn&VRBOCottage
• CateringforPrivate DinnerParties,
Receptions&
CocktailParties
• SeveralWedding
Ceremony&
ReceptionSites
Barbranne Clinton
The Tailor Shop
Alterations of all types
Vilva Bell
owner
For
chef-quality
taste
803-642-6187
220 Park Ave., Aiken, SC
Hours: Tuesday – Friday / 9am – 5pm
www.chefbelinda.com
www.doncaster.com
Cynthia F. Catts, RD
Nutrition Therapist
• Weight Reduction
• Menopause Issues
• Cholesterol & Blood Pressure Lowering
• Eating Disorders
• One-on-One Counseling
Call today for more information or to schedule an appointment!
803-642-9360 • [email protected]
Lee Cavanaugh
Wardrobe Consultant
803.649.1583
[email protected]
5 Burgundy Road SW, Aiken SC 29801
5160 Woodside Executive Court in Aiken, SC
Palmetto Package
& Fine Wine Shop
“It’s our pleasure to serve you!”
803.649.6961
[email protected]
Downtown Aiken Cottage for Rent
230 Park Ave SW • Downtown Aiken
531 Palmetto Lane
Call 803-645-9917 for details
25
The Art of Home Accessorizing
by Susan Victor, Guest Writer
Every city has iconic landmarks that may draw
tourists to visit, but if you ask locals of that city
what to see or do, many do not name things like
the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Times Square in New
York. In fact, many will describe to you the smaller
details—the café tucked away that always smells of
coffee beans and fresh croissants or the red door on
the townhouse across the street. When you return
home, you find yourself describing your favorite
little café or side street too.
Oftentimes, the best part of the city you
visit, the meal you eat, the outfit you wear,
or your favorite room in the house is in the
details. The final stages of a home design
project are often the most frustrating for
clients. After investing money, time, energy,
and emotion, the home owner will say, “It
just doesn’t look pulled together,” or “It isn’t
what I envisioned.”
The art of successful accessorizing is not
rocket science. Just follow these quick and
easy six steps and you will find that your
home will not only be beautiful, but it will
also have soul.
2. Consider the scale and composition of the
room you are accessorizing.
If a furniture piece is large, consider one or
two small accessories for balance. Create groupings
of things, like bowls or picture frames, to keep
your eye moving around the room. A good rule
of thumb is that the largest accessory item should
be no more than two times the size of the smallest
item.
4. Mix texture and colors to create contrasts. Many clients are often similarly wedded to
one texture or color scheme in a room. Instead,
consider the unexpectedness of different textures
and color contrasts in a space. Vary accessories
from surface glass, metal, and ceramic on wood.
Introduce tactile warmth by adding a soft rug
under a metal coffee table. Combining glass, shell,
granite and mirror can make your bathroom shine!
Similarly, on a mirrored table, use natural
wood, copper and silver to make the surface
pop!
This antique chest functions as a bar and the scale and composition of the
accessories provide a beautiful still life.
1. Edit, Edit, Edit.
Coco Chanel warned women, “When you
accessorize, always take off the last thing you put
on.” Similarly, when accessorizing a room, less is
always more.
This well-edited dining room has a simple center table
scape and plenty of white space around the china and
silver in the cases.
3. Balance symmetry and asymmetry.
One design faux pas that homeowners often
make is relying on constant symmetry when
accessorizing. A home should have a balance of
symmetry (e.g., the same nightstand and lamp on
both sides of a bed) and asymmetry (e.g., a mantel
with a group of candles on one side and a large
vase on the other). Similarly, when combining
accessories in an asymmetrical fashion, consider
varying heights by using books as risers on a table.
In this way, you can create groups of small, but
interesting, still lifes.
In this master bathroom there is a perfect mix of symmetry
(paired vanities, sconces, mirrors and rolled towels) and
asymmetry (vase of tulips on one side and a freestanding
mirror on the other side.)
Depth of design is achieved in this sunny den
with a metal wall hanging and side table, a
woven basket full of colorful glass balls on a
wooden table, and a mix of textured fabrics on
the blue sofa.
5. Showcase collections.
Collections
of things show
our personality
and are great
conversation
starters with
guests! Do
you have a
collection of
antique jewelry
boxes? How
about ceramics
or antique hats?
These items
should be on
display, as they
help to create a
space that feels
inviting and
warm because it
is personal and
unique.
This homeowner artfully showcased
her collection of antique hats in the
master bathroom.
26
6. Develop an expressive design.
This step is the most difficult to describe to a
client because it is very personal to the homeowner.
In many ways, expressive design is just another way
evoking a “Wow! That’s you!” response from your
guests. These surprising accessories can often end
up being the centerpiece of a space. For instance,
a red painting in a muted black and white room,
a zebra print rug, or a blown up black and white
photograph above a flowery chair can transform a
room.
The bottom line ... be brave, show the world or
at least the guests you invite into your home, your
wonderful personality and style.
Susan Victor is co-owner and
a lead designer for Nandina
Home & Design with locations
in Aiken and Atlanta. Susan
believes that memorable
home interiors are defined as
much by emotion as they are
by beauty. They make us feel
happy, comfortable, inspired,
and alive. A successful
design project in her opinion is one that reflects her client’s
personal style and delivers both emotion and beauty.
Susan loves every aspect of the interior design business
and feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to be the
lead designer on projects ranging from simple paint and
furniture selection to full-scale renovation and ground-up
construction.
Honor Our Military
on Memorial Day
with a Flag
A personal collection of pottery plates are
expressively displayed above a simple vignette
on a hall table.
27
Good Sense Medicine
by Zoom Heaton
How Does
Hormone Imbalance
Put You at Risk
for Diabetes?
When we think of hormonal imbalance
we often think of hot flashes, night sweats,
moodiness, brain fog, and low libido. What if
you’re experiencing fatigue, anxiety, irritability
and sleepiness, and these symptoms worsen after
a meal? These symptoms could be diabetes
related. Blood sugar disorders can range from low
blood sugar (hypoglycemia) to high blood sugar
(hyperglycemia and diabetes). These conditions
should be taken seriously. What many people don’t
realize is these problems may be hormone related.
Let’s begin with basic physiology. When
we eat, insulin—a hormone secreted by the
pancreas— is released to carry the sugar that was
made from the breakdown of our foods into our
cells in the form of glucose for energy. Insulin
also promotes sugar and fat storage for long-term
energy reserve. The balancing act is a very delicate
one and many factors can interfere with it. Years
of eating too much of processed foods can vex the
pancreas so much that it stops producing insulin
properly. This can cause a very serious debilitating
disease called diabetes.
Diabetes is a life-threatening disease affecting
all major organ systems, nerves and tissues.
Complications of diabetes include: heart disease;
blindness; kidney disease/failure; nerve damage
(neuropathy) and pain; foot ulcers, leading to
lower limb amputations; skin problems such as
infections, sores, and itching; and dental disease
involving teeth and gums.
2014
Aiken Artist
Guild
Member
Show
June 8th—July 3rd
Hypothyroidism
Low thyroid function affects blood sugar.
When you’re hypothyroid, your cells aren’t very
sensitive to glucose. So even though you may have
normal levels of glucose in your blood, you’ll have
symptoms of hypoglycemia (fatigue, headache,
irritability, etc.). Also, since your cells aren’t
getting the glucose they need, your adrenals will
release cortisol (your stress hormone) to increase
the amount of glucose available to them. This
causes a chronic stress response that suppresses
thyroid function.
Adrenal Dysfunction
The adrenal glands are responsible for many
functions in the body including blood sugar
regulation, producing and maintaining the body’s
energy levels in conjunction with the thyroid,
and producing stress-monitoring hormones
like adrenaline and cortisol. High cortisol
due to prolonged stress can create weight gain
(particularly around the mid-section), muscle
wasting, high blood pressure, and blood sugar
imbalances that can lead to diabetes.
Overworked adrenals eventually crash, leading
to adrenal exhaustion where the body is unable to
maintain adequate adrenal hormone production.
Symptoms of overtaxed adrenals include extreme
fatigue, irritability, inability to concentrate,
insomnia, addictions to either sweet or salty foods,
anxiety, depression, sensitivity to cold, allergies and
diabetes.
Location: Aiken Center
for the Arts
Reception—June 12, 6-8 pm
awards announced at 7:00
Free and open to the public—
wine and music
Public will vote at the
reception on the Van Zile
People’s Choice Award
Further information visit:
www.aikenartistguild.org
2013 Best of Show Award
by Deborah Tidwell-Holzcheiter
28
Every aspect of our lifestyle can
affect hormone balance and, just
as importantly, hormone balance
can profoundly influence every
aspect of our lives.
Sex Hormone
Imbalances
Decreased
estrogen and excessive
testosterone levels in
women may contribute
to abnormal sugar and
insulin resistance (when
cells are not able to take
in glucose, amino acids
and fatty acid). Estrogen
is responsible for 400
different functions in
the female body. One
important function
is improving blood
sugar metabolism and
decreasing the risk of
developing diabetes. On
the other hand, excessive
amounts of testosterone
levels in women
can result in insulin
resistance with increased glucose and insulin levels.
This may contribute to increased obesity, risk of
heart disease and diabetes.
On the flip side, testosterone levels in men
generally decline with age. But this decrease in
testosterone can also result in insulin resistance.
Unfortunately, men make more estrogen as their
testosterone levels decrease. This promotes fat
storage in men, interferes with the actions of
testosterone and increases their risk for insulin
resistance and diabetes.
In conclusion, hormonal imbalances have an
impact on your health putting you at risk for a lifelong devastating disease that can kill.
Next month: Dry eye sufferers, look for the Good
Sense Medicine column on how hormones affect
dry eyes in the Summer issue of Bella.
If you or someone you know who may be
experiencing hormonal imbalance putting them at
risk for diabetes, please call TLC Medical Centre
Pharmacy for a hormone and nutritional evaluation
by our compounding pharmacist specially trained
in integrative medicine to help you get your
health back before it’s too late. If you are newly
diagnosed with diabetes or just needing a refresher
course, please call to make an appointment with
our nationally Certified Diabetes Educator for
education and management sessions. We are an
AADE accredited diabetes self-management facility
taking all insurances.
Zoom Heaton is the owner
of TLC Medical Centre Inc.,
an Independent Community
Pharmacy and Medical
Equipment facility located at
190 Crepe Myrtle Drive
off Silver Bluff Road. A
pharmacist, she is a graduate
of the University of South
Carolina. She is a Certified
Diabetes Educator and is certified in Immunization; she
is also the chief compounding pharmacist at Custom
Prescription Compounders, LLC, inside TLC Medical
Centre, Inc., specializing in Bio-Identical Hormone
Replacement Therapy and Women’s Health. Saliva testing
is available at TLC/CPC. Call 803.648.7800 or visit
nooneshoerx.com for more information.
© Debra Ann Halborn
The Ones Daddy Left Behind
In 2008, while living in Bath, Maine, I attended a Memorial Day
ceremony at one of the local cemeteries. After the morning’s program of
heartfelt speeches by veterans and tributes by local politicos, the crowd slowly
dispersed.
I lingered, walking sedately along the pathways amid the graves and the
flags, thinking of my Dad (a WWII vet) and of all soldiers who’ve stood tall in
defense of our freedom.
A winding path led to shady respite under a grove of trees at the far end
of the cemetery. A soft breeze and the twittering of birds gentled the air. My
camera was still slung around my neck in hopes that a pretty butterfly or bird
might find its way into my viewfinder.
And then I heard it: a hushed whispering off to the left. From under my
leafy canopy, I peered out to the source of the sound – and beheld the tableau
you see in the photograph: a mother and her three young children sitting on
a concrete bench amid a sea of American flags. And my heart clutched in my
chest.
To have come upon so poignant a scene, I felt like an intruder – would I
dare steal this moment from them, in a sense, by capturing them in millions
of pixels? To photograph would be to trespass – however, to delay or to deny
this moment would become a rueful regret.
I slowly raised my camera, zoomed in, snapped a single image, and silently
retreated. Back in town, I resumed taking photos of families, kids with their
Daddies, folks out enjoying the sunny holiday.
That evening I downloaded a plethora of images into iPhoto. Scrolling
past the pictures of happy revelers, I clicked on this image to enlarge it. And
my heart ached anew. Out of respect to this anonymous mother and her
beautiful children, and out of respect for their Daddy, I deleted all the pictures
except this one, as my eyes stung with tears.
This is the first time in six years that I have publicly shared this image;
for, somehow, this forlorn family became dear to me, and I could not part
with them, until now.
Debra Ann Halborn
Memorial Day 2014
The
Shops on Hayne at Pendleton
Guest Cottage
345 Hayne Avenue SW • 803-644-0990
[email protected]
Linens & Gifts
405 Hayne Avenue SW • 803-649-4565
Antiques & Accessories • Sterling Silver & Old Plate
409 Hayne Avenue SW • 803-642-9524
[email protected]
29
Strawberries and Cream Tea
Following the St. Thaddeus Home & Garden Tour
Benefiting various Aiken charities
St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church
April 5, 2014
Babs de Palermo, Irene Hawley, Susan Leith and
Nancy Gardzina
Nancy Thorne and Pam Kolb
Sandra Thomas and Philomena Guerin
Grayson and Ashley Warren
Skipper and Anne Perry
Sally Bradley and Jo Anne Leopold
Patty McEachern, Lin Sweeten,
and Kathy Glaser
Mary Frances McGill
Anne Owen and Grace Chadwick
Seated: Ellen Burroughs and Irene Whyte;
back: Paige Whyte and Ashley Boyd
TOP 50 HOTELS IN THE WORLD
— Travel + Leisure
100 COLLETON AVENUE SW • AIKEN SC
30
Pam and Morris Deason
TOP 100 HOTELS IN THE WORLD
— Condé Nast Traveler
The Quintessential Southern Experience
THEWILLCOX.COM • 803.648.1898
The 98th annual
Aiken Horse Show
in the Hitchcock Woods
April 4–6, 2014
Palmer Rowan
and Luna
Hallie Anderson and Aurora
Audrey Dietzel on
U Missed a Spot
as Bubble Bath
Hannah King and Gail Balding
King in Leadline class
Jenna Weiner on Nevada, Josh Corriveau on
Ben Venin, and Eric McCarthy on Cleopatra
Foxhunter Teams
Karen Dempsey
on Casual Friday
Linda Knox McLean
and Namon Corley
McCall Massey and pony
Loved by the Buffalo
The Burns family –
Cawtha Burns, Paddy Ann Burns,
Aisley Burns, and Isobel Burns
Tommy Fenwick
on Bonjour
Chris Powers and Olive Molly Springer
on Knosey
Photos by Shelly Marshall Schmidt
31 32

MAY 2014 - Aiken Bella Magazine

Transcription

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