Oysters and crafts and really big frogs ...

Festival time again! Yep, yep, yep ... the fun never ends! Remember Fredrico? Well, we got his cousin Carlita to come over and hang out with Peggy on the beach the other day. You know all the guys were checking out her long legs!

Carlita is going to stay with us until she gets a new place to live - and that could be with YOU!, provided you come see her at the Skinfood Works booth at the Hilton Head Oyster Festival this coming weekend and register to win this totally awesome red eyed tree frog ... and, of course, check out the original skinfood while you're there!

Hilton Head Oyster Festival at Shelter Cove Community Park, November 13-14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oysters and shrimp, beer and wine, live music, a kid’s zone, Holiday Craft Show and Silent Auction, NFL and college games on TV and more. Sponsored by South Carolina Bank & Trust and the Island Rec. Center. (843) 681-7273 or islandreccenter.org.

Play it again, Sam ...

In a recent internet search for a headboard for our bedroom I came across these two interesting things ... and you're right, they have nothing to do with headboards. I just thought they were very creative ways of recycling and wanted to share them with you.

Table made of magazines! at Natural Buy

Ottoman tub! at REcreate

Namaste, y'all ...
Carol

It all started with a pretty, white rock..

My story begins last March when the trees were still bare and the grass was still cold from the winter's chill. I had taken my babies Piper and Buddy (cocker spaniel and jack russel terrier) out to do their business. We strolled down to the edge of the property where my back yard then turns into the wooded abyss, now keep in mind I do live in town, in city limits and only a stone's throw from Main St so wooded may be a bit strong- let's say lots of trees and some brush.

 Ok, back to the story, my little darlings had done their business and as I was calling for them to come play, I noticed a bright flash of white and at first I thought it was an early spring flower but it wasn't it was a rock and so I tried to wedge it out of the ground but this little sucker was not moving. So, I did what anyone would do, got on my hands and knees and started to dig in the clay and dirt because now, I just wanted the rock and nothing was going to stop me not even the onset of rain and it did start to rain and the more it rain the harder I tried until finally it popped out of the ground as if something was underneath it and was pushing it to the top of the surface. Well I was just tickled and ready to go in with my treasure and then I noticed another flash of white to the right of me and then to the left and in front of me and essentially all around me. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen, the more it rained the more these white rocks were blooming as if the rain was pushing them to the surface so that I could see them and rescue all of them.

My eyes could not believe what I was seeing, I ran Piper and Buddy back to the house and called for my husband, Scott to come look at the blooming of the rocks. He came outside and walked with me in the rain to the back yard and the more we dug in the mud and clay, the more white flashes we saw. But the beauty of it was not that my yard contained hundreds of white rocks but hundreds of snow quartz, a truly amazing site to see. They came in all sizes, from bite-size to loaf-bread size, and I even have some that ended up being the size of a laptop. It was a few hours of digging in the rain when my long suffering husband turned to me and said, "We're going to do what with these?" and I really didn't have an answer just yet because all I knew was I had a field of quartz and that had to good, right?

I spoke to many people over the next few weeks about my wonderful find and most of them said that the quartz was an indicator of gold and since McDowell County was once known for it's "Gold Rush" (http://www.mcdowellnc.org/video_gallery/) and veins of gold have been discovered running right through the city and the many mines spread all over the county have been mined for over a hundred years or more, I took this to mean that there is gold in these hills of mine. Ok well a very small hill and more like a downward slope but anyway I have the prospect of gold but I think I was and still am more fascinated with the prospect of having quartz in them hills.

Quartz has many qualities, it draws energy and holds energy and all my little "rocks" have made a protective boarder around my home, they have outlined my flower garden and they have brought so many creatures to my property that sometimes I feel like I live in Wild Kingdom. Keep in mind, I live in town and I mean downtown but with that being said, here are just a few animals that call "me casa su casa"....
We have the lovely red bird or cardinal- now that is not that unusual you would say but when you have on average 10 to 15 of these things hanging out, it freaks you out.

We have had a family of silver foxes.....

Screech Owls...

Red Foxes..

And did I mention the Mountain Lions?

Now the above pictures are not those from my property obviously and we are trying desperately to get the cameras up and the night vision rolling because when you have seen what we have seen, you kinda have to ask, "why?"  why here?, why our property? and all I can say is,  I blame it on the little white rock!

Blessings,

Rena Harp

OOPS!!! Missed my turn! !#{/?X#?!!//!!!

    I missed my turn on the way to check out a friend’s new restaurant a few days ago.

    Could’ve simply turned around and gone back, but the closest turnaround just happened to be the entrance to a preserve I’d been hoping to check out for months. Not in a hurry, I decided to take advantage of my ‘mistake’ and walk the small preserve, Audubon-Newhall, here on Hilton Head Island.
    Here’s what I discovered:
    Easy trails through a forest of long-needle pines, live oaks, saw palmettos and ferns are lined with a plethora of indigenous plants, shrubs and trees with well-placed placards identifying each: Witch Hazel, Red Buckeye, Sweetgrass, Chickasaw Plum, Coral Bean (Cherokee Bean), Inkberry, Narrow-leaf Silkgrass, Bald Cypress, Southern Red Cedar, French Mulberry, Fetterbush, Dog Fennel, Elephant’s Foot, Rusty Lyonia (a critically imperiled plant according to the sign), Wax Myrtle, Savannah Holly and on and on and on. How wonderful!!!

                                                         CYPRESS KNEES
    I was delighted!
    For more than 50 years I lived in the Appalachian Mountains and am familiar with the wide-range of plants found throughout her peaks and valleys. The mountains are part of my heart (you can take the girl out of the mountains but you can’t take the mountains out of the girl!), but when my youngest daughter asked me to come live in Hilton Head last year, I took the opportunity to be closer to her and explore a new land(sea)scape.
    But after getting settled, I was shocked to discover how little I knew about the local flora. In one way or another, plants have been a constant in my life. Being surrounded with plants I couldn’t call by name was more startling and uncomfortable for me than being around the many strangers that come by the thousands to discover the charm of Hilton Head. So I was definitely overjoyed with all the signs and explanations along the trails at the preserve…the chance to learn my surroundings…a living classroom…yippee-Yay!!

    In the middle of Audubon-Newhall Preserve (www.hiltonheadaudubon.org) is a small pond,

one of the preserves’ three distinct wetlands. The pond is absolutely exploding with life - lily pads, reeds and grasses intermingling with the trees and shrubs lining the shore…frogs, bees, dragonflies, turtles and toads filling every nook and cranny…a veritable nursery for aquatic insects, fish and reptiles.

    After walking some of the trails and around the pond for a while - taking pictures of plants and anything that moved - I finally put the camera down and sat on the wooden deck overlooking the pond, settling into the rhythm of this oasis. The richly-scented air…red cedar and pine combined with the amazing smell of Georgia Mint…cleansed me with every breath I inhaled. I was complete; thinking of nothing, longing for nothing, aware only of the air and water, the warmth of the sun on my face and feet…lost somewhere wonderful, outside my never-ending stream of thoughts and feelings.
   I was filled with awe at my newly discovered treasure and gratitude for all creation, all of life, and thankful for Caroline Newhall (and those like her) who had the foresight 45 years ago to preserve these 50 acres so I could be here this minute, in the bosom of creation.

    Just as I had thoughts of leaving, a baby gator (more of a toddler perhaps) came around the shrubs drooping in the pond, swimming right in front of me. At first, I thought he might eat the fish I’d been watching, but by their actions it was obvious that neither the turtle in front of him, nor the fish underneath and around him, felt threatened…perhaps they knew he wasn’t hungry…???

      In Native American tradition, this ancient creature represents primal energies, the forces of creation and destruction rolled into one, which can only happen with utmost balance. In the eco-system at Audubon Newhall, one can experience this alpha and omega firsthand. Even after such a brief visit, I felt calm, refreshed and (well, yes) balanced – as I do every time I allow myself to get lost in the natural world.
    This is what it’s all about (for me) – enjoying and preserving the Earth and all her vast array of life forms…balancing the human presence here with respect and consideration for all life - living in peace and harmony. I can’t imagine the loss of even one of the species of creation I saw this day…not one. 
    I made it to my friend’s restaurant, a lot more at peace and a little later than planned – which turned out to be perfect timing (imagine that!). I ate an awesome fried green tomato sandwich and reconnected with good friends. It was an excellent afternoon, made all the better because I missed my turn.
   In gratitude…Peggy

A lesson in friendship, taught by a fly.

Every year, summer and fall, for the past several years I've been visited almost daily by some very friendly critters, a.k.a., the 'Good News Bee'. Sometimes the whole GNB family comes over and hangs out. We sit in the sun, chat, drink sweet tea, watch Junior practice his hovering technique, and have a great time. 

I remember the first time I met one of these handsome fellows. It scared the beejeebees out of me. He was big, buzzing like a chain saw, and was intent on getting up close and into my personal space. Now, y'all, I'm a believer in co-existing with other critters. They have as much right to be here as I do. I just don't like 'em to get all up in my face. Keep your distance and it's all good. This particular guy obviously was not aware of the personal space rule.

I was sitting on my back steps, soaking up some sunshine, just chillin'. This ginormous bee came flying out of nowhere, made a crazy fly-by pass, zoomed around the end of the house, braked hard, and then zoomed back toward me again. Like I was some unexpected curiosity who had mysteriously appeared and needed to be investigated. He buzzed right up to me, maybe 10 inches from my face, and hovered. Eye ball to eye ball. 

My instinctual reaction was to swat him away. Then I thought that that might not be such a good idea. He was, after all, a really big bee. I know all too well that swattin' a bee can make them rather cranky. I figured from the size of him that he'd have an attitude to match, with a stinger at least twice that big. So I leaned back and told him to get out of my face. 

He backed up.

I'm positive the look on my face was priceless. I'm also positive he laughed at me.

But, I think his curiosity was four times his size. As if he couldn't control himself, he buzzed a few inches forward in my direction again. He did this crazy side-to-side, up-and-down hover trick, moving somewhat like a hummingbird. I repeated, "Get out of my face, mister." Again, he moved backward. I said, "Oh, funny man, aren't ya'?" Buzz. Up. Down. Left. Right. Then he flew off, zoomed around the car, checked out a tail light, and zoomed back at me, circling my head several times. He ended this demonstration of superior flight skills with another up-down-left-right finale in front of my face.

I told him, "Buster, if you're gonna' hang with me you gotta' stop this gettin' in my face thing. You're freakin' me out." I pointed to the step and said, "Sit down."

He did.

I was flabbergasted.

He sat there, preening. I sat there, stunned, watching him. 

After a few seconds he turns in my direction, levitates about half an inch, then sat back down. I swear to God it looked like he cocked his head up at me with a "Well, what now?" look. "Um, hello. I'm Carol. What's you're name?", I asked. Okay, odd, talking to a bee. I didn't know what else to do. He didn't move. "It's some foreign thing I can't pronounce, isn't it?" He levitated. "I'll just call you Bob. Is that okay?" He walked a little closer. "You live around here?" He lifted off and flew around the house. I guessed my conversation skills weren't inadequate.

For about a week this social bee-man would come buzz, hover, zig-zag a bit, and sit with me on the steps if I was outside. I named him Bob. We discovered we communicated better if I didn't ask questions. Instead, I just told him stuff. I told him about the book I was reading - he seemed to enjoy sitting on the pages. I told him about the painting I was working on, and how frustrated I was that I couldn't get a particular color right. I told him I was behind on my housework because all I wanted to do was stay in my studio and work. I told him about good things going on, some bad things going on, and that I wished I had the space to plant a garden. I told him all kinds of stuff. He just buzzed, hovered, sat and listened.

One Saturday afternoon, my husband was home off of a road trip and he and I were outside. I was watching him wash the car. Bob showed up. Naturally, I said, "Hi, Bob!" The husband gave me a look over the hood of the car. "Bob? Who's Bob?" I pointed at Bob, who was hovering all around me. "Him," I said, "That's Bob. We're friends. He sits with me on the steps and we talk." 

"He's been buzzing all around me while I've been washing the car." the husband said. "Yeah," I replied, "He's a curious sort. He's just checking you out, trying to see if you're friendly." Bob seemed to be excited that day. Zooming around, flying to the end of the house and back again. Hovering back and forth between me sitting on the steps and my husband beside the car.

"He sits down when I tell him to." I said. "No way!" the husband exclaimed. "Uh huh." I say back at him. I watched as the husband dropped his sponge back into the wash bucket and rinsed off the suds. When he finished rinsing he came and sat beside me on the step. Bob was doing his up-down-left-right thing all around us. Of course, Bob also had to investigate the husband's personal space boundaries.

"Okay, Bob, that's enough. You need to sit." He did. "Now say a proper 'hello' to my husband." Bob levitated, hovered around for a second or two, then landed on my husband's outstretched hand. The husband was speechless. Bob even sat perfectly still and patiently allowed my husband to pet him a couple of times. Then, he sort of wiggled his butt, lifted himself up and zoomed off. The husband was impressed. Really impressed. "Told ya' so." I smirked. "Bob's my bee friend."

The husband asked me what kind of bee Bob was and I told him that Bob is commonly called a "Good News Bee". Some time later we Goggled the 'good news bee' and discovered that they are actually a bee mimic. They are referred to as 'good news bees' because of the habit of hovering in front of a person and 'giving  them the news'. It is said to be good luck to get one to land on your finger. In Latin, it is Milesia viriniensis. In layman's lingo, it's a Yellowjacket Hover Fly. They look like a yellowjacket on steroids, but they don't sting. They feed on nectar and pollen from plants like Queen Anne's Lace.

I consider myself fortunate to have lots of Queen Anne's Lace around my house! I also consider myself pretty fortunate to have met Bob, a most interesting creature, that summer. He taught me the importance of not passing judgment on another creature or person before I know all the facts. He taught me it's important to be patient and listen, even when what the other person is saying sounds like a lot of gibberish to me. He taught me that it's okay if sometimes a friend flies off on another path for awhile - that it is more important to enjoy the time you are together because those moments, even if they are short, are truly precious. And Bob taught me that although somethings makes you happy, sometimes sharing that thing or experience with someone you care about is even better. Thanks, Bob.

Namaste, y'all ...

Carol

Great balls of sunshine, polished chrome, and buckets of lemonade, too!

To be such a small thing, the humble lemon is a powerhouse. I must confess that one of my favorite things about lemons is their beautiful color. Artist = Color = Love. A bowl of lemons on my kitchen counter is like sunshine, even in the coldest days of winter. Second on list of reasons to like lemons is their ability to multi-task. They may have actually invented the word.

Sure, most people think of lemons as the main ingredient in lemonade. Nothing wrong with a tall, cold glass of sweet-sour deliciousness. I make it for my husband all the time. He thinks I’m being a nice wife, slicing lemons and stirring up a pitcher full for his drinking pleasure. What he doesn’t know, and I don’t bother to tell him, is I have ulterior motives. Lemonade is good for him.

The husband is a truck driver. This means, for two weeks at a time he’s out there on the road, cruising the interstate highways in a big ol’ truck. To look at him, you wouldn’t guess he’s a truck driver. He’s skinny. No truck-driver belly on my guy. He’s got a physique better suited to rodeo riding than truck driving. (And he’s from Texas!) Despite his small frame, he’s in that truck, sitting on his small butt, 14 hours a day. It’s hard on a body, even a small one. He’s 48 years old and has had kidney stones four times. Not a good thing.

Of course, it didn’t help that the husband was a Coke-aholic when I got him back in January 2000. Used to be a iced tea-aholic but his doctor made him stop drinking it because of the urinary tract problems it caused him. As if Coke was any better! I used to be a Coke-aholic, too. So I knew the dangers hidden in those bottles of fizz. Most of the tales about Coke dissolving nails and distributors of Coke using it to clean engines is urban legend. (Check out Snopes.com when you hear stuff like that.) Although, Coke will put a serious shine on an old penny.

Now, what I’m talking about is the fact there is nothing, absolutely nothing, nutritious about Coke. Published versions say it contains sugar, caramel color, caffeine, phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, cocoa extract, lime extract, vanilla and glycerin. The original version had a higher content of cocaine from the cocoa leaves than today’s current version. Not only is it nutritionally useless, it swells your stomach, giving you the sensation of being full. This kills your appetite, as well as fills you up with more soda than food when you do eat a meal. Hard on your system.

I will never forget the day I told the husband he needed to stop drinking all that Coke and drink water. His words,  “No way! I ain’t drinkin’ no stinkin’ buncha’ water!” Today, nearly 10 years later, the husband usually only drinks Coke with a meal, and then only about a ½ cup full. He takes cases of water on the road with him. At home, he likes lemonade and I am more than happy to fix it for him.

Lemons are effective diuretics which help the body eliminate excess fluids. Beside cleansing the body of toxins and bad bacteria, the natural diuretics in the juice of lemons help prevent a host of problems associated with water retention, such as glaucoma, edema (swelling), high blood pressure and bloating. They are also effective in combating urinary tract infections and bladder disorders, as well as conditions associated with a high uric acid concentration, such as arthritis and rheumatism.

Wait, there’s more.

Although the lemon is often thought of as acidic, it is very effective in curing many digestion problems when mixed with hot water, including biliousness, nausea, heartburn, disorders of the lower intestines like constipation and worm infestations. It is even known to relieve hiccups. Lemon juice, when taken regularly in the morning, acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to produce bile making it ready to digest the day's food. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones. Because of its high vitamin C content, it is thought to help prevent and treat many infections, hasten wound healing and temper down high fever. Lemon juice also relieves symptoms of asthma, tonsillitis and sore throat. When lemon is mixed with coffee, it is thought to help treat malaria. This concoction is also effective for headaches.

Lemons help remove warts, relieve rough hands and sore feet, soothe poison ivy, disinfect cuts and scrapes, soften dry elbows, treats dandruff, freshens your breath, treats acne, cleans and whitens your nails, lighten age spots, highlights your hair, calms your nerves or gives you a pick-me-up when you need it.

That’s just a few health benefits. This is where a lemons’ multi-tasking comes in.

Around the house, lemons can be used for removing stains, neutralize cat box odors, clean tarnished brass and polish chrome, brighten dull aluminum, freshen the fridge, sanitize and deodorize cutting boards, keep insects out of the house, clean your microwave, deodorize your garbage disposal, bleach delicate fabrics and whiten whites, boost laundry detergent, rid clothes of mildew, used in dishwashing they are a mild de-greaser, get rid of rust, get rid of hard water spots, clean your drain – especially if you have a septic system, and a lot more.

What about with food? 

Oh yes, lemons keep potatoes and other fruits and vegetables from turning brown, keeps rice from sticking,  make soggy lettuce crisp and …

There is lemon sorbet, lemon pound cake, lemon icing, lemon- thyme asparagus, sautéed green beans with lemon, lemon butter, lemon anise bread, lemon salsa, lemon wild rice risotto, lemon vinaigrette, lemon gum drops, lemon tarts, lemon cookies, lemon sour cream sauce, mushrooms with lemon sauce, lemon drop martini, lemon chicken, lemon-dill grilled fish, lemon-garlic potatoes, lemon-poppy seed muffins, lemon-pepper chicken or fish, lemon-blueberry-walnut bread, lemon-berry trifle, lemon basmati rice, chocolate-lemon cream bars, lemon-zucchini bread, raspberry-lemon smoothie, lemon-shrimp linguini, lemon-dill cucumber salad, almond-lemon cake, baked lemon-basil pasta, lemon meringue pie, and of course, lemonade. Hundreds of ways to eat (or drink) a lovely, sunny yellow lemon.

Impressive for something that fits in the palm of your hand, isn’t it?

Namaste, y’all …

Carol

I would not eat my cats.

Nor use their body parts for clothing, medicine, or hair care products.

 This is Zipper. He's a little different.

 This is Tuck. He just wants to be kissed on the head.

I love my cats. In fact, I love animals of all kinds. Okay, yeah, spiders and snakes creep me out. I might not like them as much as my cats, but I still wouldn’t eat them. I respect their place and honor their purpose in the scheme of things.

Truth is, I probably like animals better than I like people. They are what they are. Not a game-playin’ bone in their bodies – even the ones that don’t have bones. They do their thing, live their lives, and balance out our world on more levels than you can shake a stick at. Even a tiny little phytoplankton is worthy of immense respect.

When I think back to my many years as a meat-eater, I am deeply ashamed. True, I was taught, as millions of others are taught, meat eating was a vital part of a humans’ diet. Must have protein from meat to grow big and strong. What I wasn’t taught, again, as millions of others aren’t taught, what the true impact of that belief system really is.

It all started back on March 19, 2004 with an article about a cow. A ‘downed’ cow. I stumbled across it online. Don’t remember how I got to it. Doesn’t even matter. What I do remember, with gut wrenching clarity, was the effect reading that article had on me. I was barely half-way through reading when I had to stop. Not because it wasn’t interesting, it was. Not because it was poorly written, it was eloquent. I stopped because I simply couldn’t see the computer screen anymore. My eyes were so full of tears, pouring out and down my face like an eyeball-sized version of Niagara Falls.

The article was entitled, “This Story Will Change Your Life”. It did. It changed my life. That is the day I became a vegetarian. I printed that story out and put it on my refrigerator. It is still there. Every time I look at the picture of that cow, I still have a strong urge to sit right down in the middle of my kitchen floor and cry. To think I played any part, no matter how misguided and ignorantly done, in the suffering of that cow – or others like it – breaks my heart. It is even difficult to write this and not stop, hang my head, and shed a bucket full of tears. It is deep, deep sorrow and regret.

As difficult as it was to research and educate myself on the realities behind the meat industry I still did it. I had read some of the most horrifying, brutal, and inhuman stories and facts about how that seemingly innocent cheeseburger or crispy fried chicken leg ends up on a plate. I have lost loved ones, lived through mental and physical abuse, have suffered depression to the point of attempting suicide. None of those things has been as torturous to my soul as learning about the cruelty we humans inflict on the creatures of this earth – all in the name of a great pair of shoes, soft skin, or laundry detergent. We are monsters, and sad to say, most people don’t even realize it. What could be worse? Those who know it and don’t care. I will never understand them. Not even if I live a thousand lifetimes.

Becoming vegetarian wasn’t too difficult. I thought, okay, I’ll just stop eating meat. Ta-Da! Problem solved. Unfortunately, it turn out not to be so simple. Sure, lots of stuff out there for vegetarians to eat. Way more than lettuce and carrot sticks. It was discovering the choice to not eat meat did not stop other kinds of animal cruelty. Far from it.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you’re bound to be aware by now I’m all about research. The more you know, the more thoroughly informed you are, the more able you are to make intelligent decisions about yourself, your life and how you choose to live. Learning about vegetarianism led me on a direct path to veganism. The two are very, very different. There’s a dozen and ten different types of vegetarians. Some still eat dairy products. Some eat fish but no red meat. Some eat eggs but won’t eat the chicken. Some just eat fruit. On and on. Vegan, by definition, is No Animal Products. None. And it’s not limited to just your food. It’s everything. Every.Single.Thing.

Out there in the world, every single day, animals are beaten, abused, kept in cages or chained. We call it the Circus. They are force fed hormones, suffer mutilations, contained in such small places they can’t even move, often for their entire lives. We use them for food. They are tortured, burned, blinded with chemicals, dissected alive for medical experimentation and so-called science. In my eyes, the abuse they suffer, just so someone can label a bottle of shampoo or dish detergent as “Safe For Human Use”, is an act against nature and all that is holy.

Veganism is also about saying No, I won’t be a party to such atrocities against animals. They have as much right to a life well lived as I do. I won’t spend my dollars for creature comforts at the expense of another creatures’ life. Sadly, it’s not always easy to do. We have been so blinded to what goes on behind a company’s doors. We no longer question how all those products get on the shelves at the store, we just demand they be there, for our instant gratification and convenience. Products which seem so far removed from even the remote possibility of any form of animal cruelty will surprise you. Someone, please tell me why white sugar refineries use animal charcoal filters?

Here’s a website, SourceWatch. Look it up for yourselves. If it doesn’t make you sick, you don’t have a heart.

Yes, I’ve also heard and read the arguments for the use of animals, whether for testing or human consumption. 99% of my own friends eat meat. My husband eats meat. And they all use products which contain animal ingredients or were (and still are) developed through animal testing. My friends are still my friends. My husband is still my husband – and I have to make him cheeseburgers and buy his brand of shampoo for him when I go shopping. As I said, it isn’t easy begin vegan in a non-vegan world.

But it’s the choice I have made.

I pray, some day, a lot of other people will make the same choice as well.

Namaste, y'all ...

Carol