More Than the Food
Thanksgiving is a holiday most people connect to food—turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing (or stuffing), cranberry sauce, yams, green bean casserole, pumpkin or apple pie—ideally shared with a lot of family members around a big table, followed by dessert in a cozy den while watching football games on a big-screen TV.

I think about Thanksgiving along those lines, too, but my favorite memory has little to do with the food. As a kid growing up in the suburbs of Long Island, New York, I ran downstairs on Thanksgiving morning to turn the TV on at precisely 9 o’clock for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I didn’t want to miss any float, marching band, or giant balloon—cartoon characters like Popeye, Underdog, the Cat in the Hat, as well as a giant turkey—floating high above the streets. I wanted to see what the Rockettes were wearing, and which celebrities on the floats stopped to sing and wave to the crowd in front of Macy’s Herald Square. It could be raining, snowing, windy and cold, or as pleasant as a spring day, and families still lined up on the sidewalks in droves, while some were lucky enough to be standing in the windows of buildings along the parade route on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Sickness happens. It’s part of life, the not-fun part. Even though you’re a ferocious warrior for your own well-being, doing all you can do to exercise with joy, keep your immune system strong, get enough sleep, eat real food and help love, or at least like, your neighbor, still, health setbacks are unavoidable.

That’s why I want to share this recent email from Theresa G.:
Dear Marilynn: I try hard as I can to stay healthy, eat right and exercise. I was on a good roll recently. I would go to the gym in the morning, do a 30-minute workout and then head out to a trail close to my home and ride my bike for an hour. Then I hit a brick wall. What I thought was a cold turned out to be pneumonia. I have been down for almost a month. The medicine helped to reduce the symptoms, but the side effects took a (different) toll on my body. I had insomnia, jitters, weight gain because of the prednisone and a horrible taste in my mouth because of the antibiotic. What is your advice about getting back to a healthy routine while still recovering from such a blow? Thanks. —Theresa G.

One of the strongest things a woman can do is to ask for help when she needs it. No one should have to go through struggles or fight battles alone. For those who want to help, it can be difficult to know how. Luckily, there’s a website for that. Whether what’s needed is financial, emotional or nutritional, helpers and those in need can get connected via some terrific bits of tech.

Financial help:
If you want or need to raise money for personal reasons or your favorite charity, the go-to website is GoFundMe®. The best news is that it’s practically free! There’s no fee to start a fundraiser. Since donations are made through credit or debit cards, GoFundMe® automatically deducts 2.9% and 30 cents from each donation to cover processing charges.

“When I received my own diagnosis, I evaluated a half-dozen organizations for where to put my work and support,” said local art photographer Jeff Keefer. “I chose the Michael J. Fox Foundation, because they combine the efforts of everybody to find the cure and close the door based on science.”

Jeff has been a supporter of the organization’s work since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2005. He has chaired the national Michael J. Fox Foundation and is its current vice chair. In addition, he donates the proceeds from his VIVID Gallery in Sea Pines to the Foundation.

But he wanted to do more—both to raise funds and create awareness.

Everything about walking is good for your well-being—unless you're doing it with a bag of Oreos. It builds strength, reduces your risk of heart disease, juices up your joints, calms your mind and helps you and your cocker spaniel live longer, happier lives.

Some scoff at walking, dismissing it as exercise-lite, not cool, maybe even a waste of your recreational time. These people should be taken with a grain of pink Himalayan salt.

Walking works wonders. Even a little bit of walking goes a long way toward shifting you from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one, with more energy and looser jeans. It's that shift from sedentary to active that leapfrogs you down the path to a healthier lifestyle. Not long ago, two scientists sifted through 4,295 published articles on walking written between 1970 and 2007. Their conclusion: Yes, even a modest walking program offers significant protection against many medical problems associated with old age. Death, for instance.

Have you ever wondered what the Art League of Hilton Head is all about? Well look no further because I’m excited to fill you in on the past five decades—that’s right, 50 years!—of this amazing little gem that sits on our island. In fact, it actually sits in two places on our island.

The Arts Center at Shelter Cove houses the Art League’s incredible gallery space, where member’s art is exhibited six times a year with a featured artist, as well as the popular Gullah Art wall. There is also a “small art” wall and a selection of one-of-a-kind custom jewelry. The next time you attend an Arts Center show, be sure to stop in the gallery; you’ll be amazed at the talent on our island.

As both the Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) and Executive Director of the USCB Education Foundation, Dr. Anna Ponder knows what it takes to help a university and its students succeed. She also knows a great deal about the power of forgiveness—a topic close to her heart, which she will share when TEDx Hilton Head makes its much-anticipated return to the stage this fall.

Dr. Ponder is one of 12 dynamic speakers who will present their “Ideas Worth Spreading” at TEDxHiltonHead, which will take place on November 4 at the Seahawk Cultural Center on Hilton Head Island from 6:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. This year’s TEDxHiltonHead, “Making Waves”, will feature speakers who not only represent the movers and shakers in their communities, but also those who are committed to “making waves” by creating real change to make a positive impact in the world—a perfect description of Dr. Ponder’s work throughout her career.

For Chris Altieri, the sudden onset of hip pain threatened to disrupt the comfortable retirement that she and her husband Mike had long looked forward to.

When the cold winters in her native Massachusetts began to wreak havoc on her arthritis, the couple looked for warmer climes to spend their retirement. That brought them to Sun City three years ago, and they’ve been enjoying warm, snow-free South Carolina ever since.

“We’ve done our tour of duty with kids, work and all that,” Chris said. “Now it’s just time to relax and have fun.”

Americans are known around the world for eating too much, but when it comes to time, we are starving ourselves. It's called "time famine"—an unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling that we have too much to do in too little time. Social scientists have been studying it for more than 20 years.

"I'm behind before I get up!" my mother-in-law used to say. Sound familiar? It's that existentially endless to-do list that keeps us feeling rushed, hassled, busy-busy-busy, the opposite of All Is Well.

Sadly, I don't have the time necessary to explain all the reasons why "time famine" is over-whelming so many of us and why "time affluence," the blissful sense of having plenty of time, is so elusive. But you can bet your favorite digital device that it has everything to do with the crush of modern technology and what sociologist Simon Gottschalk calls "the oppression of speed."

Excitement is in the air as plans are in place for the impactful 30th Annual Beaufort County Youth Conference! This year’s theme is “Through Our Eyes…R.O.A.R. (Redefining Our Actions & Responsibilities). This conference, which is designed by teens for teens, strives to enhance the abilities of middle and high school youth to make healthy choices and positive decisions when confronted with difficult and life-altering situations.

Regina Bolden, now Petty Officer 3rd Class, participated in this conference for three years and acknowledges it made a huge difference in her mindset as she approached adulthood. “My attendance and participation with the various workshops, such as drug awareness and dealing with peer pressure, helped build my self-esteem and enabled me to focus on my future endeavors. Many thanks to the Beaufort County Youth Conference for preparing me for college and my military career.”

Do you want to join a knitting club? Learn to play chess? Find an anime club for your teen? Join a book club? Write a better journal? Make a craft? Enjoy an art exhibit? Use a computer? Learn to deal with legal matters? Listen to music? Play chess? All of this and so much more is possible at your public library!

I’ll bet you thought libraries were just for books. Well, think again! Books are the main event, but the learning doesn’t stop there. Public libraries offer a variety of programs, from classes to clubs to storytelling to book talks for both children and adults. Some even show movies! Even if you just need a place to get out of the heat for a while, your public library is there for you, no purchase necessary!

The run-up to Labor Day is always a bit of a letdown. I feel like summer is kaput, vacation is over and Instagrammed, and it's time to sharpen my pencils, buy new notebooks and head back to school.

Who uses pencils? Or notebooks? And what school? I haven't returned to the classroom since computers were the size of a Starbucks, but that's how many of us are hardwired to feel when Labor Day comes and goes.

So lesson up. Back to school isn't just for kids, and that's a good thing. If you're keen on boosting your well-being—and who isn't?—then please welcome this seasonal shift into back-to-school mode. Use it to study and learn new stuff that informs and improves your own vision of living a healthier, happier life.

If your child has ever been intrigued by alligators, sea turtles, otters and marshlands, or driving golf carts, visiting islands only accessible by boat, pirates or buried treasure, New York Times Bestselling author, Mary Alice Monroe in collaboration with Angela May have a summer read for your 8-12 year old that I promise you will enjoy, too. Mary Alice and Angela have worked together for years, however Search for Treasure is the second book in The Islanders Young Adult adventure series, and we have been assured a third book is coming!

The book opens with Jack, along with his father Eric, going to visit his grandmother for the summer to Dewees Island, which is only accessible by boat. Tragedy has struck Jake’s father and the family is struggling to find a new normal.

Summer is in full swing. Expect ever-rising temperatures, melting popsicles and a need to rethink and refresh your warm-weather workouts to prevent that killer of all dreams: boredom.

Boredom is to fitness what a bucket of water is to a flaming marshmallow. Here are three strategies to help you extinguish the possibility of exercise burnout this summer, when you, and most everyone you know, are in a sweat about so many things.

DIVE INTO WATER WORKOUTS.
The downside is that you need a pool. But the upside is so amazing for your overall health and well-being that it’s worth finding one. (Open water works, too.) Aquatic workouts are an increasingly popular training for all ages and shapes, gentle on the joints and remarkably effective for building strength, flexibility and endurance.

When longtime educator Iris Jackson was locked down for Covid, naturally her mind worried about the children. She, like many teachers, knew online learning wasn’t enough to quell the growing minds and curiosities of kindergartners. These little minds and bodies aren’t meant for sitting still in front of a computer, tuning into class meetings, all in a hands-off learning environment.

That’s why Telling Trails, Iris Jackson’s new book, was born—out of an idea to help little ones connect the world around them to their thoughts, words and imaginations. A letter—A, B, C, D—a picture, a place, an experience, all became prompts for creativity and fun.

In the world we live in today, one thing that is never changing is everyone needs support. Whether financial, emotional or physical, having support is one key component to being happy, successful and sane.

This past January, Hope for the Community, a new non-profit organization was created from the vision of Pastor John Ring. WIth a long local background in counseling, as well as serving as the chaplain for Bluffton Police Department and Bluffton Fire District for more than 12 years, John saw a real need in our Beaufort County community and decided to act.

Personal well-being is very personal. It's not about the size of your belly or how many crunches you can do, and it's certainly not about how many times you've been to the gym in the last week. Or year. Decade, anyone?

So play along with me here: On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the top of Mount Everest for health and happiness, where would you put yourself right now, today, when it comes to your personal well-being? No excuses, no regrets, no judging—just a number between one and 10.

Think for a minute. Take a few breaths. This is called "tuning in."

I’m a good mom…and I lost my child.

On Memorial Day, 2019, I was served papers for custody and visitation by my daughter’s biological father. This came as quite a surprise, considering the last time he’d seen her was two years before at a Chick-fil-A for an hour.

Rewind to 2015, before my daughter was born. I was pregnant and he and I had broken up after trying to work things out. Nothing had changed: He had a drug and alcohol problem and couldn’t hold down a job. I knew I could do this on my own, and I was on a mission to be the best mom I could be. When she was only 6 months old, he made the decision to move out of state.

Are you into gardening? Please say yes. It’s a kind of miracle. Food you grow tastes better, costs less, has greater nutritional value AND it leaves a carbon footprint the size of a grape.
Gardening isn’t an aerobic sport, and it won’t grow your fitness the way running, walking and biking will, but it sure can produce lots of pleasure, not to mention kale, spinach and tomatoes.
Gardening also helps you cultivate a calm, focused mind while putting all the major muscles of your body to work—digging, lifting and carrying. Besides burning calories, gardening connects us to the earth, and it’s that mindful exchange of energy—you plant; nature grows—that is so joyful and satisfying.

Growing stuff in a garden is also a splendid way to plant ideas in your child’s brain about what is real food, and how good it can taste. Next thing you know, your 10-year-old is snacking on cauliflower chunks instead of corn chips, and goes to sleep at night dreaming of broccoli stalks the size of baseball bats.

When you were in school did you:
Have books to read at home?
Have your own textbooks?
Did your school have a library?

Rural schools in Kenya have few books, and in some cases, no books. Often 20-30 children must share one textbook. How would your education have been affected if you had to share your English, Math or Science book with even one other child?

The mission of Libraries for Kids, International, which is a South Carolina non-profit corporation, is to help rural schools with little or no electricity or internet establish libraries. The goal is to get as many books as possible in the hands of as many children as possible. Currently, the organization is operating in Kenya where there are more than 6,700 rural schools averaging about 225 students in each for a total of about 1.5 million children. So far, Libraries for Kids has created libraries in 1,609 schools, impacting 360,000 children.

With the advent of Botox and Dysport and various fillers to restore facial volume such as the Juvederm and Restylane products, Sculptra, etc., men and women alike have jumped on the bandwagon to take advantage of these products to look more youthful.

The goal should be to look younger and better, but not look freakish or different. Most patients want to enhance their looks and look more youthful. What they don’t want is to have others look at them and wonder “Why do you look strange and even disfigured?”

A little over ten years ago, local attorney and self-proclaimed “wild woman” Molly Day saw the need for a fundraiser that not only brought women together, but also supported and empowered women.

Enter the Wild Women’s Tea Party, an annual fundraising event of Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, that pairs champagne, food, fashion, prizes and fun during an afternoon that is a far cry from your grandmother’s tea party. This party is not only energetic, it is the epitome of women helping women!

It’s April, and my friend Bobby mentions he’s already bored with his running routine. (I’m a certified fitness trainer. People tell me these things.)

He’s on the treadmill most every day, pounding it out, mile after mile, sparking no joy whatsoever. But it’s still good for him, right? Not really. Exercise is the miracle drug we all know, but when your workouts are b-o-r-i-n-g, you’re more likely to get injured. Or quit! Bummer.

This column is dedicated to all the Bobbies out there who feel burned out and bored, who want to shake up their humdrum routine with something new, something fresh—something special from Preston’s Bag of Tricks for Beating the Workout Blahs:

I can sum up my response to the soaring price of gasoline in just one word: Aargh!

While waiting for prices to come down (Do you think they will?), don’t sit around complaining all the while paying through the nose to drive your car.

There are lots of things you can do to increase the number of miles you can squeeze out of each gallon of gas, effectively reducing its cost. Here are a few ways to get better gas mileage:

EMPTY THE TRUNK
Call it science. The heavier the car, the harder the engine must work to move it around. The harder the engine works, the more fuel it burns. So, unload all that stuff you’ve been carrying around in the trunk for no good reason. (Please, leave the spare tire and emergency equipment.) It’s a trunk, not a mini storage unit. Unload and you could easily increase your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

Beautiful container gardens can be showstoppers and brighten up the smallest of spaces. When #naturescalling, it's the perfect time to start planting. Your efforts will be rewarded, time-and-time again as you enjoy the fruits of your labor. This container garden is a work of art and you can play with and adjust it as the seasons change.

Learning how to live a happier, healthier lifestyle can be challenging, especially if there are crispy french fries on the table. But unlearning what you think you know is even trickier.

Our brains are constantly being reminded of stuff that simply isn’t true, like popular fitness myths that need unlearning and debunking, and that’s what I’m setting out to do today, aided by a lovely list assembled by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). (Disclaimer: I’m a member. They certify fitness trainers. I am one.)

I had never heard of a sugar scrub until the day I got too much sun. I asked my friend, who was a makeup artist, if she had a remedy for being too tan. I had an audition for some TV thing, and too tan is a no-no. She told me to mix some sugar and coconut oil together and rub it all over myself in the shower. Wow! That was a good time and it felt amazing! My skin felt as soft as a baby seal except without the fish breath. I was hooked but still tan. Oh well, no acting career for me but at least now I know what a sugar scrub is and how fantastic it makes your skin feel. It’s nature’s extra sweet exfoliant!

Ann Marie and Rob McPherson love living on Hilton Head Island.

They came here for years from the Washington, DC area for mini vacations to visit Rob’s parents, who had retired to the Island and settled in the beautiful Wexford community. After building a successful career, first as an officer on the USS Jacksonville fast attack submarine, then joining Accenture and rising quickly to partner, Rob and Ann Marie decided to join his parents in making Hilton Head their permanent home when Rob retired early. Naturally they bought in Wexford, too.

They had a beautiful, large home, but that house became a monstrosity when, soon after his retirement, Rob suffered a debilitating stroke at the age of 51, even though he was the picture of health. Left with many unknowns and a lot of new responsibilities, Ann Marie’s life also changed drastically, catapulting her into the driver’s seat for all McPherson family duties, responsibilities and decisions.