The Tri-County’s Premier Publication for the Young and Active After 50

Serving Berkeley, Dorchester

and Charleston Counties
Volume 9, No 3 www.lowcountrysun.sc March, 2010

That’s Cookie Lockhart!

son City, Iowa, where

she was the lone female
Above: Cookie poses at Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant wearing one of her spectacular among 127 students.
“Diva Hats”. One can only imagine
the attention she re-
By Don Gordon throughout the country in the practice ceived from her fellow
Looking at her now, it is not easy to of her art. students, so much so that
believe that Cookie Lockhart reached The Charleston area, Daniel Island the head of the school
young adulthood without expecting ever to be exact, is now home to the native felt obliged to post an
to be an auctioneer, or even wanting to of Colorado, meaning she can be seen armed guard at her door.
be.. For one thing, that sort of thing was around this region presiding over an Her education in the
for guys. auction sale of some sort. Mostly what craft did not end with the
But she and the world would come she does is real estate sales. Mason City school, as
to know that ladies not only can make it “I say that when the market is hot, auc- she continued to learn.
in the auction business, they can excel at tions are the best way to sell property; Developing the rapid-
it. They don’t call her the Queen of Auc- when the market is cold, it’s the only Photo courtesy © 2007 Auction Network fire sales delivery, for
tioneering for nothing.. way,” Ms. Lockhart commented. instance, takes much
Today, 40 years after she began, Ms. Cookie - she is one of those whose practice, the auctioneer
Lockhart still takes her resonant chant first name can stand alone for iden- types of the time, Cookie did not aspire commented.
and trademark hat and glasses to venues tification at least in the auction world It took Ms. Lockhart some time to
to the auction stage despite growing up
as she did. “I don’t think break into the business. “I would drive
I ever thought about no matter how far it was, anywhere they
it,” Ms. Lockhart said. would let me sell when I got there,” Ms.

INSIDE “What I wanted to be

was a trick rider. I was
born on a horse.”
Lockhart
she
first
was
real
recalled.
willing
auction
to
And

sales
if
work
she
the
didn’t sell,
ring.” Her
opportunity came
Lowcountry Sun As often is the case, it
took personal circum-
at a livestock
father, Si
sales
Lockhart,
barn
was
near Denver.
primarily a
Her
live-
stance to change her stock dealer, trader and auctioneer dur-
Page 12 life’s direction. That ing his active years, and in the early days
came in the form of a both she and her brother Darwin would
America’s Best Hospitals divorce, leaving the drive the trucks taking stock to market.
young mother of two That experience led to one of her
Page 24 facing the need to go it favorite anecdotes: “My father asked
What Will YOUR Epitaph Be? alone. It was her mother my brother why when he drove the
who suggested auction truck, it would take him three days to
Page 9 school, to which young get back, and it would cost $150, while
Photo courtesy © 2007 Auction Network
-comes by her talent naturally.
Cookie raised the natu- when Cookie drove, she would be back
Bottom Line on Welfare Her father was a noted auctioneer out of
ral objection.. “Isn’t that for boys? She in 16 hours without having spent any.
Steamboat Springs, Colo. Her brother My brother’s answer was, ‘It’s girls like
asked.
Page10 followed in his father’s career path, his Cookie that I spend the money on.’ “
Nevertheless, auction school it was.
own son and Cookie’s daughter has fol-
NEW March Tidetables lowed that of her mother.
Ms. Lockhart enrolled in the World- Her brother Darwin died at the age
wide College of Auctioneering in Ma- Cookie continued on page 2
Partly because of the gender stereo-

Visit us online at www.lowcountrysun.sc


Cookie
continued from page 1
of 40, and Ms. Lockhart keeps
him close to her heart. “When
I’m selling, sometimes I hear
my brother’s voice bouncing
back,“ she said.
Her strong deep voice,
which she said can sound like a
man’s during an auction, is one
reason she cites for her success
as a female auctioneer.
Another has to do with ap-
pearance. She typically wears a
large hat and a variety of glitzy
glasses. “To be successful,”
Cookie says, “You must look
successful. I see women who
want to be in the auction busi-
ness wearing T-shirts and ten-
nis shoes. In my opinion, they
aren’t going to make it.”
Even today, auctioneering
is dominated by males. Ms.
Lockhart estimates the busi-
ness is about 7 percent female,
of which she was the first, or at
least the first to own her own
auction business.
She has other distinctions,
such as being the first and only
female inductee into both the
Colorado Auction Hall of Fame
and National Auction Hall of
Fame. Her father was the first
auctioneer voted into the Colo-
rado Hall.
Being a lady auctioneer
when there were few if any oth-
ers also landed her a spot as a
contestant on the game show,
To Tell the Truth. Three con-
testants all claimed to be the Cookie’s big smile and trademark big glasses make her a favorite at auctions
same person and the panel, by all across the country.
asking questions, tried to figure
out which was the real one. At
least one panel member cor-
rectly identified Cookie as the
real auctioneer. Each panelist
she fooled meant $250 in prize
money.
“I was very nervous. Being on
national television in those days
was a big deal,” Ms. Lockhart
commented. At the end of the
game, she treated the audience
with a brief rendition of her auc-
tion delivery.
But the biggest challenge of
Cookie Lockhart’s life probably
was not standing before an au-
dience, whether at an auction or
on a televised game show. Sev-
Photo courtesy © 2007 Auction Network
eral years ago, she was found to
Cookie got her legs in the world have breast cancer, and after a
of auctioneering after overcoming period of remission, the cancer With her unlimited energy, humor and “bigger than life” personality, Cookie when,
gender stereotypes
returned, which curtailed her “on stage”, captures all the attention on auction day. Cookie pulls in the crowds
activities for a time. with her strong voice, confidence and “bigger than life” personality.
She faced her cancer philosoph- time soon. Upon her induction
ically. “What are you going to into the National Auction Hall
do? It’s not anything ;you can of Fame, she had this to say: “I
change,” she said. “You have to don’t consider this a destina-
play the hand your dealt with.” tion, but rather an inspiration to
Today, Ms. Lcckhart stays busy, go on.”
not just as an auction seller but It was her father, Si Lock-
as an entrepreneur. Businesses hart, who started the family tra-
include the Lockhart Auction dition in the auction business.
and Real Estate Company; in He also left his daughter with
Colorado, the Lockhart Com- his personal outlook, which she
pany in South Carolina and the herself shares: “When you retire
Real Estate Auction Association from life, life retires from you.”
of Huntington Beach, Calif., of
which she is a partner. You can contact Ms. Lockhart at
Her daughter Jo runs the 800-850-3303.
family auction business in
Steamboat Springs and her
other daughter Jean divides her Readers!
time between Alaska and the Go to our website
Colorado town.
www.lowcountrysun.sc
to see much more on
No one should anticipate a re- Cookie on our on-line
tirement speech by Cookie any
video feature.

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2 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

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www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 3
 Contrast Between Age Groups Are Striking
In a series of publications,
the Mature Market Institute Distribution Locations
provides a history of the genera-
tions born since the early 1900s. Kiawah/Seabrook
-Indigo Books
Humanity
-Island Oaks
-Ruth’s Hallmark
-Simply Delicious
There are almost as many mem- -Kiawah Real Estate
N. Charleston -God’s Green Acre
bers of Gen Y (born 1977-1994) -Vincent’s Drugs
-BC Liquors
-Lowcountry Adult -Carousel Boutique
-Breck’s
in the U.S. As there are in the -Newton Farms
Services
-Gerald’s Tires -O’lacy’s Pub
largest group, the baby boom- Downtown Charleston -Marie’s Diner -Flowertowne
ers. Younger baby boomers, -Hardee’s
-VA Hospital
-Chas. Denture Center
-Jones Ford
-El Rosarito
-Dorchester Senior
those 45-50, have the highest -MUSC -La Hacienda Center
average income. All groups -Roper -Rogers Tax Advisors -Paul Lawton Construc-
-Norm’s Pizza -Starbucks
spend most of their money on -Kim’s Express -Hudson Nissan
tion
-Cardiology Consultants
housing and transportation. The -LaHacienda -Perkins
-Village at Summerville
youngest, Gen Y, say they are viewpoints,” said Sandra Tim- job market during one of the -Diana’s -Jiffy Lube
-Trident Cardiology
-Joseph’s -Chik-fil-A
the healthiest; they are also pro- mermann, Ed.D., Director of most challenging times since -Canterbury House -Utopia Homecare -Summerville Library

jected to live the longest. The
fastest growing sub-group is the
over 85 group who number six
million, including 99,000 cente-
narians. They have also seen the
the metlife mature market in- the 1930s. Although previous -Chas. Crab House -Odyssey Healthcare -Beaner’s Coffee
-Pivotal Fitness
-AW Shuck’s -Dr. Hugh Robinson
stitute. “These profiles will be generations have been relatively -Blossom’s -Castle Keepers -Chas. Brace
useful tools for anyone studying stable financially, many lived -Khouri Chiropractic -True Value Hardware -ProMed
-Tommy Condon’s -Planter’s Crossing -Advanced Centers for
the generations and for all of us through war, the cold war, ko- -T-Bonz Apartments Internal Medicine
interested in relating personally rea, and vietnam, social unrest -Chas. Bone & Joint -Dr. Gail Rearden -China Wok

most change as some were born and professionally to those older and discrimination,” Timmer- -Delta Pharmacy
-Chas. Library
-Northtowne Restaurant
-Otranto Library
-Tricounty Radiology
-Hibachi Fusion
before cars and central heat. Re- and younger than we are. There mann said. -Chas. Visitor’s Center -North Rivers Dental -Anytime Fitness
frigerators were ubiquitous. are implications for parenting, The profiles, which pull to- -Radcliffe Manor
-Arby’s
-Palmetto Family Care -China City
-Vitamin Shoppe -Philly’s
Individual profiles are caregiving, financial and estate gether federal data from sources West Ashley -Hardee’s -Southern Palms
available for Gen Y, Gen X, planning, health care, relation- such as the U.S. Census bureau -Pearl Vision -Dr. Thaddeus Bell

the younger boomers, middle ships, employment, diversity and the U.S. Department of -Jiffy Lube
-Groucho’s Deli
-Center Pointe Bar &
Grill
Goose Creek
-Alex’s
boomers, older boomers and and the economy.” Labor, delve into information -Doctors Care -Quizno’s -Dunkin Donuts
americans 65+. “While the younger groups on population, life expectancy, -SAS Shoes
-Appel Vision
-Hardee’s -Chas. Active Day
-Lowcountry Cardiology
“The profiles provide a have had advantages, like ac- health status, marital status, -Nelda’s Barbershop -Aunt Bea’s Restaurant
Center
-Hardee’s
snapshot of four generations. cess to pre-school education, housing arrangements, racial/ -Palmetto Hearing
-Heartland of West
-The Bridge Assisted
They look at demographics and, technology and advanced medi- ethnic composition, geography, Ashley Living Mount Pleasant/Isle of
-Life Care Center of Palms
perhaps more importantly, the cal care, there are disadvantages employment status, income -Sunfire Grill
-Senior Tequila Chas. -MUSC Pathology
events occurring during their as well. The economy has not level, spending preferences and -Arby’s -Amedisys -Labcorp
teen and young adult years that been kind to those coming of generational influencers. -St. Andrew’s Library -Dunkin’ Donuts
-Nason Medical
-East Cooper Womens
-Kassis Bros. Shoes Ctr.
influenced their values and their age in the 21st century; they -Precision Tune -SC Sports Medicine -Chas. Cornea
will struggle as they enter the -Palmetto Orthopedics -Ladson Seafood -MUSC Heart &Vas
-Lowcountry Medical -Lowcountry Lung cular
Assoc. -Pain Specialists of -Mt. Pleasant Dermatol
-Dr.’s Cain & Lackey

Drug Use Still Rising Among Boomers

Chas. ogy
-Cardiology Assoc. -Lowcountry Rheuma -MUSC Medicine
-Total Wine tology
-Easterby’s
-Lowcountry Gastroen
-Lowcountry Ortho terology

While Teen Use Drops

-Hardee’s
-Lowcountry Tobacco pedics -Chas. Pulmonary
-Edenbrook -Carolina Eyecare -East Cooper Rehab
-Carolina Eyecare -Palmetto Urology -Lowcountry Obstetrics
-MUSC Family Care -Chas. Cancer Center -Tidewater Neurology
For the third year in a row, illicit drug use among men and women in their 50’s has -MUSC Bone & Joint -Tricounty Radiology -Hollings Cancer Ctr.
gone up, while during the same period use among young teens has dropped. -Palmetto Digestive -Trident Senior Center -East Cooper Hospital
Disease -Trident Surgery -Lowcountry Hemato-
-Jewish Community -Trident Diagnostics logy
Dr. David Murray: “Rarely have we seen a story like this where this is such an obvi- Center -Trident Breast Care -Mt. Pleasant Family
-Trinity Mission -Palmetto Primary Care Practice
ous contrast as one generation goes off stage right, and entering stage left is a gen- -Ashley Park -Lowcountry Hematol- -The Palms of Mt.
-Roper St. Francis ogy & Oncology
eration that learned a lesson somehow and they’re doing something very different.” Hospital
-Pleasant
-Dr. Marzluff -Palmetto Medical
-Tidewater Internal
Medicine
-Northwoods Family Research
Murray, a special assistant to the director of the Office of National Drug Control -Chas. Hematology Practice -Mt. Pleasant Visitors
-Lowcountry Cardiology -Lowcountry Family Center
Policy, also said that youth drug used peaked in the late 1970’s, “and they brought -Ashley Oaks OBGYN Podiatry -Hardees
-Carolina Lung -Chas. Neurology -Whole Foods
it with them like baggage when they hit 50 or 60.” -Dematology & Laser -Chas. Radiology -Smoothie King
Ctr. of Chas. -Alex’s -Carpentiers Wine &
-Endocrine Center -Gerald’s Tires Deli
-Parson Jack’s -East Bay Deli -Bacco’s
-Doctors Care -Premier Medical Center -Locklears
-Star Motors -Dunkin Donuts -Boulevard Diner
-Ye Old Fashioned Ice

www.
-State Farm Insurance -Pitt St. Pharmacy
Cream -Tire Kingdom -Alex’s
-Sojourn Coffee
-Eastern Buffet -Abes Oyster House
James & Johns Island -Coosaw Creek Crab -Mozzo Deli
-EarthFare Shack -Dunkin Donuts

low
-Osaka -Advanced Dentistry -SouthEastern Spine
-La Carreta -Medcare Express -Coastal Carolina
-Arbys

Service When You Need It

-Ladies Choice Fitness Research
-Roper -Rolly Pollie’s -Sandpiper
-Doctors’ Care
-Senior Tequila -MUSC Storm Eye
-Sweetwater Café

country 100 off Complete Car Care

-Kronic Coffee
-Wescott Liquors Institute
-Mom & Pop’s Pizza -Mother Nature -Franke Home
$ -Foresberg Wine -Lifetrust Financial -A Dough Re Mi
✔ Transmission Repair
any
-Great Wall
-Gold’s Gym Summerville
-China Dragon
-Betty’s Hair

sun. ✔ Auto Repair Towing

-BC Liquors -Platts HVAC -Goin’ Postal
transmission ✔ -Pan Garden -Doctors’ Care -Banana Cabana
rebuild -American Legion Post -Wendy’s -Morgan Creek Grill
(with this ad) Certified Master Hours: Mon-Fri -James Island County -Bill’s Liquors -Pelican Cleaners
Mechanics 7:30am - 6:30pm Library -Ye Old Fashioned Ice -Bagel Nation

sc
-Ravenous Reader Cream

Charleston
-Boone Hall Farms
-Dunkin Donuts -Allcare -Jack’s Cosmic Dogs
-Plantation Pharmacy -Hardee’s -Just Fresh

Transmission
-Palmetto Vision Care
-Old South Diner -KHM Gas Station
-Lowcountry Hearing
-Chas. Crabhouse
-Starbucks -The Denture Center
Locally Owned and Operated -Chas. Muni Golf -Massage Envy -Cutchin Law

843-769-5600
-Tire Kingdom -Geralds Tires
Jeff Memering -Lowcountry Senior
-Anytime Fitness
Owner/Manager Center -Chas. Bone & Joint
-Sea Island Habitat for -Eclectic Chef -Boulevard Diner
1746 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. • Charleston, SC 29407

4 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

 from

Visit or call for a tour,

Sandpiper Village, Independent Living
1224 Village Creek Lane
843.884.5735
Sandpiper Courtyard, Assisted Living
1047 Anna Knapp Blvd
843.884.7977
Sandpiper Rehab and Nursing Center
1049 Anna Knapp Blvd
843.881.3210

www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 5

 Life Settlement Could Put Money in Your Pocket
There’s a mounting mo-
mentum to expand awareness
among seniors that there might
hidden assets tucked away in a
drawer.
The topic is “life settle-
ments.” And the subject deals
with cashing in life-insurance
policies.
Such an option can sound
extremely attractive in these
lean times.
Some states have already
passed legislation, and several
other are considering similar
laws, requiring insurance com-
panies to educate policy holders
about the possible benefits of
turning a life-insurance policy
into cash and to institute en-
abling mechanisms to make the
process clearer and simpler.
Many policies never pay
death benefits because the pre-
mium payments have lapsed for
an array of reasons. The policy
holder may have decided he or
she no longer needs life insur-
ance and just quits paying the
premium. t’s complicates the transaction.
Policy holders who feel they
no longer need coverage can ap-
proach the insurance company
and turn in their policies for a
cash-surrender value. This sum
usually is peanuts. Enter the
life-settlement alternative.
Before going any further in
this direction, discuss the pos-
sibilities with your family, your
tax advisor, estate attorney, fi-
nancial planner, and anyone else
involved in your money matters.
The concept sounds simple.
Sell your insurance policy to a
third party for much more than
the cash-surrender value but
much less than the benefit paid
on your death. The buyer is
named beneficiary and cashes in
when you die.
But, like so many contracts,
dotting the i’s and crossing the
You can see, also, how
members of your family who
are named beneficiaries on the
policy could be disturbed and
distressed because they no lon-
ger can expect a financial wind-
fall when you die.
When discussing alterna-
tives with them, you might ask
them to make the premium pay-
ments since they’re going to
benefit from your death. You
might consider renegotiating
your premium payments with
the insurance company. Be sure
you research your options and
get professional advice.
Mature Life Features
Planning for Boomers’
Expanding Expectations
Less than half of U.S. com-
munities have begun planning
for the needs and accommoda-
tions of the Baby Boomer ex-
plosion. The vanguard of the
boomers that reached age 60 in
2006 will be 65 in 2011. This
population phalanx will
hit its peak in 2030,
at which time the
number of people
older than 65 will
soar past 71 million,
or one in every five
Americans.
The Foundation, along with
Partners for Livable Communi-
ties and the National Associa-
tion of Area Agencies on Aging,
began sponsoring workshops
around the country as part of
a nationwide campaign to pro-
mote “Aging in Place.”
Linked to the sessions de-
signed to help local organiza-
tions originate and execute ideas
aimed at helping the elderly re-
main in their communities were
grants to support ideas and pro-
grams tailored along these lines.
Among the in-
novations that have
emerged are a map
notifying seniors
of different trans-
portation options
in Miami, a seniors-
youth drumming program
in San Diego to reinforce ben-
efits of a healthy active lifestyle
to benefit everyone, and the re-
cruitment of a team of home-re-
pair and lawn-maintenance pro-
fessionals to help older adults
remain in their homes as long as
possible.

The Arrival of 2010 Brings Hope
to Consumers Regarding Their Debt
Newswise Consumers are
feeling a little bit better about the
amount of money they owe to
creditors, a new survey suggests.
The Consumer Debt Stress
Index (DSI) dropped by slightly
more than 2 percent in January,
from 119.8 to 117.4
“We’re seeing increased con-
fidence among consumers that
they will be able to stay on top of
their debts and ride out the eco-
nomic storm,” said Lucia Dunn,
professor of economics at Ohio
State University and one of the
leaders of the DSI. “It’s a good
start for the new year.”
The DSI is conducted by
Ohio State’s Center for Human
Resource Research and is based
on telephone interviews of ran-
domly selected Americans. Each
month’s index score is based on
the past three months of inter-
views, with the average sample
size being 673.
The DSI has been conduct-
ed monthly since January 2006,
where its base value was set at
100.
The outlook is much rosier
than this time last year, when the
DSI was on the rise, peaking at an
all-time high of 155.3 in July.
The July figure meant that
consumers were experiencing
stress levels from their debts that
were more than 50 percent higher
than they had been in January
2006, when the index had a value
of 100.
In general, the index has
been on the decline since then.
Findings showed that stress
levels are declining faster for men
than they are for women. The
DSI dropped 3.6 points for men
in January, compared to only 2.5
One Year’s IRA Contribution Can
Really Make a Difference in Savings
points for women.
The survey also examines
how debt stress is affecting con-
sumers’ family life, job perfor-
mance and health. In general, the
negative effects that debt stress
has on family life and job perfor-
mance have stabilized or shown
small improvements in the past
several months.
However, the negative im-
pact of debt on health is still
somewhat higher than it was a
year ago, results showed.
Slightly more than 23 per-
cent of respondents said their
health was somewhat, quite or
very much affected by their debt.
One year ago, 20.6 percent an-
swered that way.
“The affect that debt stress
has on health continues to be
Investments found that more are facing a challeging economic
troubling,” Dunn said.
than eight out of 10 Americans environment, it’s important to
have cut back on discretionary prepare for the future by making
purchases because of the recent annual contributions.”
economic crisis, and nearly half For example, an investor
of respondents are now saving who makes a single contribu-
money. But many are unsure tion of $5,000 to a Roth IRA now
where to place the savings for the could see that amount potentially
greatest benefit. grow to more than $53,000 in 35
“After maximizing work- years, assuming an annual rate
place savings plans and paying of return of 7 percent. Addition-
off credit card debt, investors ally, consolidating old workplace
should consider saving more for savings accounts at former em-
retirement using an Individual ployers into an IRA may offer
Are you over 65? Retirement Account or IRA,” the most compelling benefits for
Do you have a said John Ragnoni, senior vice managing one’s retirement sav-
TERM president, Fidelity Investments. ings, including a broader range
Life Insurance policy that “Even though Americans of investment choices.
will expire soon?
We might be able to This hypothetical example assumes the following: (1) one annual $5,000 Roth IRA
contribution made on January 1 of the first year, and (2) an annual rate of return of 7
buy it from you for percent, and (3) no taxes on any earnings within the IRA. The ending values do not
CASH. reflect taxes, fees or inflation. If they did, amounts would be lower. Earnings and pretax
(deductible) contributions from a Traditional IRA are subject to taxes when withdrawn.
Earnings distributed from Roth IRAs are income tax-free, provided certain require-
Call Wayne ments are met. IRA distributions before age 59 1/2 may also be subject to a 10 percent
843.693.9925 penalty. Systematic investing does not ensure a profit and does not protect against loss
in a declining market. Tax-free growth* in a Roth IRA means that every dollar that is
to see if you qualify. earned is available to you in retirement.

6 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 7
 Character as Valuable as Cash to Get Out of Debt
Power corrupts, a wise man once said. So does credit, as millions of people have learned while they
climb and claw their way out of the economic hole they’ve dug for themselves over the past few years.
Blame is plastered on remain debt-free, or at least in can discuss both to establish low you to consolidate all your bankruptcy. Such a move shat-
anything that doesn’t move. a position to manage all your a plan that will enable you to debt and establish a monthly ters your credit and remains on
The banks made short-sighted debt. eradicate the debt. See if you payment plan you can main- our record for a decade. Some
loans. The government didn’t First of all, you can collect can eliminate late fees and try tain. debt, such as alimony, might
clamp down on those insidi- all your outstanding accounts, to lower the interest rate. Cred- But call quickly. Ignoring not be discharged by your pro-
ous bankers. Mortgage lenders from credit card companies to it-card companies have been the problem only makes it big- ceedings. Talk to an attorney
made no-down-payment loans phone firms. If you’re facing known to renegotiate the terms ger. If you’re already late with before you take this step.
sound so enticing. Credit-card the possibility of missing any and amount of a debt to cut payments and can see no way So you can see, unless you
companies made it too easy to payments, contact the company their losses. You may need pro- to catch up, discuss a debt set- win a lottery, cash alone won’t
buy everything without money. concerned immediately. fessional help, such as a debt- tlement with the company. Try solve your debt problem. It
Few folks assume any re- Credit card debt default consolidation service, to work to work out some deal that will takes some resolve to rebuild
sponsibility for their debt. They rates have been climbing for this out. allow you to clear this hurdle and maintain your credit.
were confused or cajoled or the past several months. So If you’re sagging under the without adding to your prob- You can begin shoveling
both by slick-talking suits. have the rates of foreclosures weight of credit-card debt, you lem. Beware of debt-settlement yourself out of the hole by be-
So let’s be clear on one and bankruptcies. As has the might consider a personal loan, ads because many of these ginning to dig for information
thing: if you’re in debt and incidence of people just walk- which will allow you to spread firms charge up-front fees and at the U.S. Department of Jus-
don’t think you did it yourself, ing away from their homes as out (and lower) the payments as offer no assurance that you’ll tice Web site, www.usdoj.gov.
it’s highly unlikely you’re go- the price of the property sank well as lower the interest rate. be better off when they’re Seniors can check with their
ing to do anything about get- well below the amount of the If your bank or credit union through with you. local Area Agency on Aging by
ting out of that debt. No stimu- mortgage. isn’t about to provide a person- If you don’t need a credit typing that into your search en-
lus package of any size is going While creditors don’t look al loan, consider a home-equity card and if you don’t see any gine and finding the one nearest
to succeed. It takes character forward to lowering payments loan, which should not only way out of the hole you’re in, you.
as well as cash to become and or dropping interest rates, you lower your interest rate but al- you can consider declaring Mature Life Features

8 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

 Public assistance takes many forms and benefits mount up
By Lt. Governor André Bauer
What we call welfare is not
a single benefit as much as a se-
ries of uncoordinated programs
offered by numerous state and
federal agencies. This web of
public assistance does not in-
clude business, church, commu-
nity, or charity efforts.
When we say the word wel-
fare, we primarily think of the
Department of Social Services’
(DSS) Family Independence
program, which in 1995 began
limiting the time families could
draw cash benefits and began
tying that assistance to training
and job searches. Here are sev-
eral other forms of public assis-
tance:
• Food stamps from the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, with eligi-
bility verified by DSS.
• Housing/rental assistance
from the State Housing and
Development Board and local
housing authorities.
• Medicaid health care from the
Department of Health and Hu-
man Services (DHHS).
REVERSE
MORTGAGES
MADE EASY
• Child care through the DSS.
• Women, Infants and Children
(WIC) supports from the De-
partment of Health and Envi-
ronmental Control.
• Subsidized school lunches
from the Department of Educa-
tion.
• Earned Income Tax Credits
from the IRS.
• LIHEAP energy assistance
through the Governor’s Office
and community action agencies.
• Transportation from DSS,
DHHS, and the Office on Ag-
ing.
The bottom line is that al-
though welfare reform reduced
“welfare” dependency, a great
deal of it is now diffused and
masked within other larger so-
cial welfare programs. This was
the exact point made by Doug-
las J. Besharov of the American
Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research in a New York
Times article.
People leave “welfare” pro-
grams like those operated by
DSS, he said, and even though
they are “off” welfare, “some
of these families survive only
because they still receive gov-
ernment assistance, through
food stamps (an average of
more than $2,500), the Women,
Infants and Children program
(about $1,800 for infants and
new mothers), Supplemental
Security Income (an average
of over $6,500), or housing aid
(an average of $6,000). Their
children also qualify for Med-
icaid. In reality, these families
are still on welfare because they
are still receiving benefits.”
DSS says the maximum an-
nual cash assistance for a moth-
er of two comes to just over
$3,250. Just three additional
programs -- food stamps, WIC,
and housing assistance -- create
an additional $10,000 in bene-
fits -- not too far off what might
be earned in a minimum wage
job.
Accordingly, as I wrote
members of the General Assem-
bly recently, we do not have an
accurate picture of dependency
in this state. “The information
needed is scattered and large-
ly inaccessible. It’s difficult
enough to grasp all the differ-
ent welfare programs available,
much less monitor the effec-
tiveness and efficiency of each.
Lacking is a comprehensive ac-
counting factor that we elected
officials must require in order
to reconcile the public’s frustra-
tions.”
For months I have been
trying to spark a discussion on
how South Carolina will break
the culture of dependency that
pervades these programs. (The
media now has finally joined
that discussion, albeit adversari-
ally.) We are sending the abso-
lutely wrong signal to the next
generation about what is needed
to get ahead in life if we don’t
threaten benefits for recipients
who won’t even lift a finger to
help themselves or their chil-
dren. The flood of emails, calls,
personal contacts, voice mails,
and television website polls tell
me most people agree with me.
And even while the large
majority of South Carolina’s
taxpayers are in agreement with
my intentions, the news media’s
editorials have attacked me per-
sonally, questioning my morals,
intellect, leadership, historical
understanding, and background.
Many of the critics are of-
fended because they believe that
I am a privileged, born-with-a-
silver-spoon lawyer. The truth
could not be more different. I
am the product of a broken
home who qualified for, but re-
jected, the free lunch program.
As a child, I chose to cut grass
and rake leaves, dig gardens,
paint, and do whatever chores
my neighbors would pay me to
do so that my sister and I could
pay for our lunches. I know the
meaning of sweat labor and I
have been a proud businessman
since middle school. I am not
a lawyer. I graduated from the
University of South Carolina
while running my business.
I am hearing from people
who accept random drug test-
ing as a condition for their jobs.
They see no problem with hav-
ing people on public assistance
doing the same. Like the private
sector, the first offense should
mean mandatory counseling
and the second one termination.
People ask me not to give
up on trying to rethink a broken
system.
By the way, we were
warned: in his 1935 State of
the Union message proposing
Social Security and welfare,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
cautioned that: “The lessons of
history, confirmed by evidence
immediately before me, show
conclusively that continued
dependence on relief induces a
spiritual and moral disintegra-
tion fundamentally destructive
to the national fiber. To dole out
relief in this way is to adminis-
ter a narcotic, a subtle destroyer
of the human spirit. It is inimi-
cal to the dictates of sound pol-
icy. It is a violation of the tradi-
tions of America.”
What are the traditions of
our country? Certainly among
them are ideas like jobs for peo-
ple so we can restore our econo-
my, a government that empow-
ers individuals and strengthens
our communities, and making
our government work for ordi-
nary citizens again.

Greg
Americans Look to Strike Gold With Coins
Schoonover A gold coin worth $7 mil-
Reverse Mortgagee lion dollars. What could make
Specialist one coin so valuable? The coin,
purchased at an auction in 2002,
was a 1933 Double Eagle, a sur-
vivor from a time when the U.S.
government made owning gold il-
legal. Now, due to the economic
downturn, Americans might be
turning their attention to gold
once again.
People have used goldcoins
since 640 B.C. The metal has
(843) 708-3776 inherent value, making its value
(843) 256-5100 more stable than paper currency.
It is soft, malleable and easily
hammered thin. Pure gold does
not rust or tarnish -; it keeps its
beauty and value, no matter its
age.
The U.S. first produced offi-
cial gold coins in 1795, with $5
and $10 coins that still remain
attractive to serious collectors.
Massive amounts of gold were
later discovered in the U.S. in
1848. By 1849, America was
making the Double Eagle, or the
Twenty Dollar Gold Coin. Con-
taining nearly a full ounce of
pure gold, Double Eagles remain
some of the most famous coins
ever minted. The first U.S. Mint,
located in Philadelphia, produced
gold coins up until 1933.
So, why did they stop? The
U.S. entered a financial crisis.
Banks failed, and the U.S. econo-
my started to fall fast. Americans
no longer wanted unreliable pa-
per or cheap-metal currencies in a
time of economic insecurity, gold
coins promised to retain their val-
ue. In response, the federal gov-
ernment decided to outlaw gold.
Americans exchanged their gold
coins with the federal govern-
ment, where the Double Eagles
were melted into gold bars.
Those same gold bars still ex-
ist, in storage, at Fort Knox. A few
straggling Double Eagle coins es-
caped the recall. Now, they fetch
millions of dollars at auction.And
they might soon become more
valuable. The current financial
crisis has once again made gold
interesting to investors. Accord-
ing to the New York Mint, gold is
selling at unprecedented levels.

Attention:
For those over 65 with Life Insurance Policies
If you or someone you know is over 65 and con-
sidering surrendering or allowing their life in-
surance policy to lapse, please talk to us before
doing so.
We may be able to obtain value for your policy
that the insurance companies will never explain
to you.
If you or someone you know is over 65 and con-
sidering surrendering or allowing their life in-
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Senior Life, LLC
doing so.
843-388-7001
Qualified policies may be worth double the surrender value of the policy.
For a free confidential review, please call Senior Life at 843-338-7001

www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 9

 The Village at Summerville
and Trident Health System
Invite You To Lunch & Learn

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Speaker: William S. Corey, MD
12 Noon
Topic: “A Step in the Right Direction”
Taking Care of Your Feet

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Speaker: Jerry G. Back, MD
12 Noon
Topic: “The Southern Trinity:
Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure
& Diabetes”

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Speaker: Theodore E. Brisson, MD
12 Noon
Topic: “When Your Plumbing Leaks”
Advances in Treatment of Urinary
Incontinence & Prostate Health

Please call
843-797-3463
to make a reservation for

PC
a complimentary lunch
The Village at Summerville

SC
201 W. 9th North Street March average High temp for Charleston 69 degrees
Summerville, SC
March average Sunrise: 7:30a/Sunset 7:28p

residential, commercial

move in, move out

post-construction
initial cleaning for
insured & bonded new customers only

843-225-7366
www.springcleaningservices.net

10 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

 62-Year-Old Sledder Burned When
Improvised Sled Rocket Explodes

A 62-year-old unnamed bobsledder from Michigan has
suffered burns to 20% of his body after an incident at a sled
party saw the rocket blow up that he had been using to launch
his sled. The rocket was a car muffler filled with gasoline and
gun powder.

He strapped the contraption to his body and launched his

sled downhill. The rocket blew up and burned his face and
right side of his body. He may have also suffered some eye
damage. The man is known for doing “outrageous things” at
parties.

Solution to Word Search

from page 31

Answer to Who Am I?
Page 31
Fred Rogers
(March 20, 1928- February 27, 2003)
Host of PBS’s
“Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”

Crossword Solution
from page 30

www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 11

Health clubs are no longer the ex-
clusive territory of the young and
buff. Walk into a gym on any giv-
en day and you’ll see a represen-
tative number of the 50+ crowd.
When Miriam Uni-Karp de-
cided to join a health club after
knee replacement surgery, she
knew what she didn’t want. A
lot of sweaty, testosterone-laden
weight lifters, and a staff that
knew more about fashion than
they did about physiology, or
a club where, at 77, she’d feel
out of place. “I was looking for
a comfortable environment,” the
Massachusetts resident says.
Depending on how long it’s been
since you stepped inside a gym,
you might be surprised at the
changes. Health clubs have be-
come conscious of the desires of
older members. They are actively
recruiting people from the 50+
age group and they are creating
special programs and tailored in-
formation for them.
Don’t fear that you’ll be the
only one with gray hair amidst
a sea of spandex and college T-
shirts. Most club memberships
reflect the demographics of the
surrounding area. The time of
day you work out influences the
demographic mix of your fellow
exercisers. For instance, clubs
typically experience an upsurge
in younger members during early
mornings and weekday evenings.
Uni-Karp says, “I’m retired, so I
go during the day, when
most of the people
working out are
also retired.”
In addition
to finding a
club mem-
bership of
all sizes
and ages,
you’ll also
find a variety
of programs
appealing to the
over-50 crowd.
Many health clubs pro-
vide a one-on-one health assess-
ment and personalized workout
consultation as part of the mem-
bership package. Bally and Well-
bridge give all enrollees an indi-
vidual program set-up that creates
a workout designed with your fit-
ness level and goals in mind. This
is especially important if it has
been a long time since you’ve ex-
ercised or you aren’t sure how to
use the equipment. Proper train-
ing is essential to ensure you are
comfortable with the exercises,
and that your exercise routine is
in line with your capa-
bilities and goals.
Many clubs
offer a spe-
cial series
of classes
for mature
members
called “For-
ever Fit.”
Starting
with ex-
ercises that
can be done
in a chair for
the lower mobility
group and progressing to
aerobics, this plan gives partici-
pants the opportunity to socialize
and get fit at the same time.
Fie Maxwell of Naturally
Women says the female-only
chain offers classes in chair aero-
bics, senior aerobics, and “stretch
and tone.” “Our water aerobics
classes are also especially popu-
lar with a more mature member-
ship because they are so easy on
the bones.
Another thing that might cause
your heart to beat a little faster
is the cost of some gyms. Many
clubs offer discounted rates to
boomers, so if no one mentions
it, ask!
Before you sign on the dotted
line, visit several clubs to see
where you feel most comfortable.
Most clubs will offer prospective
members free passes so you can
actually try the gym before you
decide to join. Schedule your
visit for the time of day you plan
to use the facilities so you can see
who is there at that time and how
crowded it is. After all, your heart
won’t get much of a workout if
you spend most of your visit wait-
ing in line to use the equipment.
By choosing the right club,
though, you give yourself an
edge with qualified staff, good
equipment, and like-minded col-
leagues.
We’ve certainly heard that
making a few ‘green’ changes
can be good for the planet. But
did you also know that it can
help shed pounds? Move over
popular diet plans, the best
way to trim your waistline could
be to think green.
1. Grow your own food: A
backyard vegetable or herb
garden can produce a number
of edibles that are healthy, in-
expensive and can help keep
a trim figure. Gardening has
been shown to be a very effec-
tive means to burning calories,
especially when you rely on
manual tools for the work.
The rewards of digging,
planting and sowing could be
better meals and a lighter you
when you step on the scale.
2. Skip the car on occasion:
A study of households with
at least one vehicle by Ex-
perian Automotive revealed
that households with three or
more cars are the single larg-

America’s Best Hospitals

est group among American car
owners.
Personalized Guidance For Heart Keeping the car parked
in the driveway or garage
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Health management Available Online and taking a greener mode of
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles transportation once in a while
Cleveland Clinic By Dr. Stephen Kopecky, Cardiologist, is a healthy option. Walking,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health Manager Expert bicycling or in-line skating to
New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia www.mayoclinic.com nearby stores or even your job
and Cornell will help to burn calories and
University of California, San Francisco Medical Center Managing heart disease can be overwhelming and demanding – clear the air.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia for the person diagnosed with the condition and for his or her care-
Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis taker. Keeping track of medications and doctor appointments are
3. Limit beef and dairy products:
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Cutting back on fatty meats
just the beginning, especially for those who also deal with other and high-calorie dairy items
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. related health issues.
University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle and substituting more fresh
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center The Internet has become an increasingly important resource for vegetables and legumes can
University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor people managing health information for themselves and their fami- lead to a smaller waistline and
Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, Calif. lies. People go online to educate themselves about health condi- improve other aspects of your
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville health. What’s more, according
NYU Medical Center, New York
tions or to connect with communities of patients. Online applica-
to the Alternative Consumer,
Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Conn. tions called personal health records (PHRs) allow users to store the 1.5 billion cattle required to
Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York and update their personal health information online as a way to meet dairy and beef needs are
Methodist Hospital, Houston stay on top of their healthcare. estimated to produce up to 18
Ohio State University Hospital, Columbus percent of the world’s green-
Other applications have expanded on the basic functionality of a
The criteria: PHR to enable online storage and access of health information.
house gas emissions.
Reputation-the percentage of board-certified physicians responding Mayo Clinic and Microsoft last year launched Mayo Clinic Health 4. Take the stairs: Elevators
to recent survey(s) recommending a hospital as among the best in Manager, which goes one step further to engage users in their and escalators require a lot
their specialty for the most challenging cases and procedures. health by providing actionable and personalized recommenda- of energy for operation. When
Nurse Staffing-hospitals that meet standards for nursing excellence possible, skip these conve-
tions based on clinical expertise from the Mayo Clinic – using the
as set by the American Nurses Association and demonstrates the niences for the classic method
health information that you have entered in your online account. of scaling different levels -- the
relative balance of nurses to patients.
For individuals managing chronic conditions, online health man- staircase. Feel the burn as all
Patient Safety- indicates success in minimizing avoidable deaths
agement applications can be particularly useful as they manage parts of your legs get a workout
and injuries to patients from seven types of accidents and improper
health information from a number of different sources – lab results, and your heart starts pumping.
medical care, such as deaths of low-risk patients, postoperative hip
fractures, and incisions that reopen after surgery. medications, and medical appointments at multiple clinics. Users 5. Start recycling in earnest:
Mortality- compares the number of Medicare inpatient deaths oc- can enter details about each family member’s immunizations, Fill up pails of used aluminum
curring within 30 days of admission in a three-year period with the medications, family history and other health information, where it cans, plastic products and
number of deaths expected after adjusting for the severity of each can be easily updated and retrieved to share with health care pro- newspapers. The simple act of
patient’s condition. fessionals and others. hauling those pails to the curb
or to the nearest recycling cen-
Discharges-the number of Medicare inpatients that received certain These applications can also help people keep track of important ter can burn a few extra calo-
medical or surgical care during 2005, 2006, and 2007.
information, like blood pressure numbers, between doctors’ vis- ries.
Key technologies- the extent to which significant advanced tech- its, providing some peace of mind that they are in-control of their
nologies are offered to patients. 6. Reduce your dependence
health information and can access it and share it as they wish. on fast food or prepackaged
Trauma center-hospital is a state-certified Level 1 or 2 trauma cen- meals: These convenience
ter that can provide advanced care to severely injured patients. Cer- People are increasingly searching out online resources to help
foods tend to be high in pack-
tification is correlated with overall quality of care. them manage their health, but no one solution is right for all peo-
aging and preservatives -- two
Patient services -Various services related to overall quality of pa- ple. To make sure you invest your time and energy with online ap- items that spell trouble for the
tient care. The number and mix vary by specialty. plications that meets your needs, review your options. planet and your health and the
nvironment!
Courtesy: www.usnews.com/health/best-hospitals/

12 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

Keep an eye on ‘silent killers’ in the golden years
Getting older is not easy, es-
pecially when it comes to making
sure your body is healthy. Doc-
tors probably have you watching
your weight, your cholesterol and
other health vitals in every effort
to make sure you have a happy
and full life.
But there are conditions that
many times do not get mentioned
during visits to the doctor be-
cause they often don’t exhibit any
symptoms until it’s too late. One
such “silent killer” is an abdomi-
nal aortic aneurysm (also known
as “AAA”). Today, it’s estimated
that more than one million people
are living with an AAA, and don’t
even know it.
An AAA is a blood-filled
bulge or ballooning of the ab-
dominal aorta, the artery that car-
ries blood away from the heart to
the lower part of the body. Over
time, the bulge (known as an an-
eurysm) can become weak and
the force of normal blood pres-
Hip and Knee News
sure can cause the aorta to rup-
Diagnosis and
Management
of Hip Pain
The hip is a ball and socket
joint that is composed of the
junction between the acetabulum
(the socket portion of the pelvis)
and the femur (thigh bone). The
hip joint is located deep in the
groin, where the leg connects
to the pelvis, not higher on the
pelvis where “hip huggers” are
worn. The region of the pelvis
that is considered the waist or
“hips” is actually where the low-
er back joins the pelvis.
Hip pain can be caused
by a variety of sources. Strains
and injuries to one of the many
muscles, ligaments and tendons
around the hip is a common
cause of hip pain. Resting and
icing the joint helps to decrease
the swelling in and around the
joint. Keeping the leg elevated,
preferably above the level of
the heart, also decreases pain
and swelling. In addition, the
use of over the counter anti-
inflammatory medications, such
as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or
naproxen (Aleve), can also al-
leviate the pain and swelling.
Taking these medications on a
regular schedule (as directed on
the bottle) is more effective than
taking them periodically.
Hip pain that persists or
worsens over time warrants fur-
ther evaluation. You may con-
sider seeing your primary care
physician for the initial evalua-
tion of persistent hip pain. The
diagnosis of hip arthritis can
usually be made with a thor-
ough medical history and physi-
cal exam and x-rays of the hip.
Occasionally, lab tests need to
be performed to differentiate be-
tween rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoarthritis. If the diagnosis is
www.lowcountrysun.sc
ture. This can lead to severe pain,
massive internal bleeding or even
sudden death.
While the exact causes of
AAA are unknown, the risk fac-
tors that increase your chance of
developing an AAA include:
• Age: Individuals over the screened by a simple, painless,
age of 60 are most likely 10-minute ultrasound. Today,
to develop this condition
• Gender: AAAs are be more about AAA and ask their
tween five to 10 times physicians if they qualify for a
more common in men life-saving screening.
than in women
• Family history of AAA
• Smoking or history of aorta, similar to a pregnancy ul-
smoking
• Clogged arteries
• High blood pressure
Keep an eye on ‘silent kill-
ers’ in the golden years. Fortu-
nately, most AAA can be detected
early through a simple ultrasound
screening in which a health care
professional glides a sensor over
still unclear, additional diagnos-
tic tests or referral to an ortho-
paedic specialist may be neces-
sary.
Bursitis is a common in-
flammatory condition of the soft
tissues on the outside of the hip.
This can commonly develop
as a result of trauma, repetitive
activities, gait abnormalities,
or muscle weakness. The pain
is localized to the side of the
hip and can occasionally radi-
ate down the leg. Bursitis can
be improved with a short period
of rest, ice, anti-inflammatory
medication and muscle stretch-
ing and strengthening. In resis-
tant or severe cases, a cortisone
injection into the bursa is helpful
in relieving the pain. At times,
bursitis can be slow to resolve,
and it can recur. Surgery is rarely
indicated for bursitis and has
variable success.
Avascular necrosis or os-
teonecrosis is a condition that
affects the circulation of the hip
ball. The bone loses its blood
flow for poorly understood rea-
sons and portions of the bone
can die. This is most common in
adults 20 to 50 years old and in-
volves women and men equally.
It often begins with vague groin
and hip pain without trauma. The
diagnosis can be made with nor-
mal X-rays, but often an MRI is
necessary to make the diagnosis
and to determine the degree of
bone involvement. Treatment is
dependent on the severity of the
disease and can include activity
modification, pain management,
physical therapy, and surgery
Arthritis, or the deterioration
of the cartilage in the joint, is a
common cause of hip pain. Hip
arthritis is a chronic disease that
typically gets worse over time.
Since no medical treatments
cure hip arthritis, the treatment
of hip arthritis involves manag-
the stomach to view images of the
trasound. The ultrasound screen-
ing takes a few minutes and helps
doctors ‘see’ inside to determine
if an AAA is present. The exam
also measures the size of an
AAA, a key step in identifying
the best treatment option - such
as a watchful, waiting approach,
open surgical repair or endovas-
cular grafting.
ing the pain and stiffness from
the disease. The initial treatment
involves activity modification,
weight management, over the
counter medications, and main-
taining the strength and flexibil-
ity of the hip. Using a cane in
the opposite hand shifts weight
away from the painful hip and
can also help control the symp-
toms. The use of neutraceuti-
cals, such as glucosamine and
chondroitin, may also be ben-
eficial in controlling the pain. If
these treatments do not alleviate
the symptoms, the use of pre-
scription strength non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory medications
(NSAIDs) can be helpful. Nar-
cotic pain medication may also
be used to control the pain, but
these medications need to be
used carefully, as the long term
use of narcotics can lead to de-
pendence and addiction. Occa-
sionally, intra-articular steroid
The good news is that if de-
tected prior to rupture, AAAs can
be successfully treated 95 percent
of the time. On the contrary, only
10 to 25 percent of people sur-
vive a ruptured AAA making it
the third leading cause of sudden
death in men over 60.
Due to his family history of
AAA, professional football leg-
end Joe Theismann understands
the risks associated with the dis-
injections may be given for hip
arthritis pain; however, this is
only provides temporary relief.
When the pain from hip ar-
thritis progresses to the point
that it is no longer controlled by
the above described treatments,
surgery may be considered. Hip
arthroscopy is a surgical inter-
vention that can help smooth
out damaged cartilage in the
hip, as well as flush out loose
bits of cartilage in the hip. Hip
arthroscopy is a consideration if
the pain is mild but mechanical
symptoms exist. Total hip re-
placement is the final treatment
option for hip arthritis. In this
surgery, all of the remaining car-
tilage is removed from the hip
by replacing the ball and resur-
facing the socket. After all of
the cartilage has been removed,
the arthritis is gone and cannot
return.
ease. “My father was lucky. He
wouldn’t be here today if his
aneurysm had not been detected
through a routine exam,” says
Theismann.
Having his father diagnosed
with AAA was a wake-up call
to Theismann to get himself
he encourages everyone to learn
Screenings are held across
the country in an attempt to de-
tect AAAs before they rupture
and to help save lives. You can
find a screening location near you
at www.FindtheAAAnswers.org,
which also has more informa-
tion on AAA risk factors and how
you can “Take the Pledge” to get
screened for AAA and to keep
yourself, and your loved ones,
healthy into your golden years.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Hip & Knee News
By Dr. Eric Stem
Dr. Eric Stem is an Ortho-
paedic Surgeon with subspecial-
ty training in joint replacement
and reconstruction. Give him a
call with any questionsat:
Lowcountry Orthopaedics
and Sports Medicine
2880 Tricom Street
North Charleston, S.C., 29406
(843)797-5050
www.lowcountryortho.com
This article is provided for gen-
eral information only and is not
a substitute for seeking appro-
priate medical care.
• MARCH, 2010 13
 March is National Multiple Sclerosis Month. Probably the
Staying healthy means most famous person of the Boomer generation to have
multiple sclerosis is Annette Funicello, who has estab-
using our own awareness lished a fund to research and cure the neurological dis-
and careful understanding order that affects 300,000 Americans, mostly between the
of our own health. To be ages of 35 and 60.
healthy is to be aware of
what diseases or disorders Annette Funicello Fund For Neurological Disorders
are out there, what may af- Annette Funicello stopped being just another teenager in
fect you and what you can 1955, when she and the rest of the Mousketeers were intro-
do to prevent it or treat it. duced to America in a national TV special that coincided
with the opening of Disneyland. Since that day, she has
lived her life in the spotlight.
What is multiple sclerosis? She first noticed signs of what
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (the would be diagnosed as multiple
brain and spinal cord). People who have multiple sclerosis may lose sclerosis while working on the
coordination and muscle control. However, many people with multiple 1987 film ‘Back to the Beach’.
sclerosis are only mildly affected by the disease and continue to lead In 1992, she made her diag-
their lives much as they did before their diagnosis.
nosis public, saying “I think
There are 2 different patterns of MS symptoms. The more common pat- you only have two choices in
tern shows up in the appearance of symptoms for days or weeks fol- this kind of situation. Either
lowed by periods of having no symptoms lasting weeks or months. This you give in to it or you fight
type of MS is called relapsing-remitting disease. The less common pat-
tern is steady worsening of symptoms from the first signs of illness. This it. I intend to fight.” Funi-
is called primary progressive disease. cello includes details of her
personal experiences with MS — as well as
The cause of multiple sclerosis is still unknown. For reasons not yet un-
derstood, the fatty substance called myelin, which covers nerve fibers, many backstage showbiz stories — in her autobiography,
is damaged in random areas. The myelin normally insulates entire nerve A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.
fibers. It helps the conduction of nerve messages to and from the brain. To battle multiple sclerosis, she established the
The areas of myelin that are damaged are called plaques. The damage Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders at the
can prevent nerves from sending signals to other body parts. The symp- California Community Foundation in 1993.
toms of multiple sclerosis depend on where these plaques are located
in the central nervous system. Symptons can be subtle and may not be
diagnosed for many years.
Currently, most scientists believe that the loss of myelin is caused by an
autoimmune process. This means the body mistakenly reacts to some Multiple Sclerosis Treatment:
part of itself as foreign and attacks it. In the case of MS, the body de- At this time, there is no cure for multiple sclero-
stroys areas of its own myelin. sis, but research continues to improve the under-
Common first symptoms of MS are: standing and treatment of this disease.
• vague feelings of weakness, clumsiness, or exhaustion
• blurry vision Current treatments for multiple sclerosis
• one or more areas of skin that feel numb or tingly.
Other possible symptoms include: focus on controlling the immune system
• double vision and managing these symptoms.
• weakness in your arms or legs To learn more: Extreme fatigue
• muscle stiffness Bladder problems
www.nationalmssociety.org
• dizziness Spasticity (muscle tightness and spasms).
• loss of bladder control www.mayoclinic.com/health/multiple-sclerosis
• depression www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html
Specific multiple sclerosis treatment
• memory loss can include:
Usually the symptoms come and go unpredictably. The times when you Medications
are having symptoms are called episodes. The episodes may last a few Physical or occupational therapy
days or weeks at a time. The times between episodes, when you are not Emotional support.
having symptoms, are called remissions.

www.
Licensed and Insured • Child and Pet Safe

• Full Service Termite

low
and Pest Control
• Termite Damage
Repair Warranties
country
Roaches, Ants, Spiders,
Daniel Garrett
sun.
Fleas, Rats and Mice, etc.
sc
843.452.1133
www.portcitypest.com

14 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc


More than 31 million Americans of all ages live with some level of hearing loss, according to the Better Hearing Institute.
Our increasingly noisy society has, unfortunately, ensured hearing problems are no longer an exclusive affliction of age;
while people 55 to 64 make up the largest group with hearing loss, the second largest segment are people who are just 45
to 54, a time when many of us are in our prime financially, socially and professionally.
Hearing loss can stand in
theHearing loss can stand in the
way of all those positive things
in life. Research has linked
hearing loss to a number of
emotional problems, from neg-
ativism to chronic depression.
Helen Keller, blind and deaf
since infancy, once observed
that while a loss of vision “sep-
arates us from things,” hearing
loss “separates us from people.”
“Wearing a hearing aid has
improved my quality of life,”
says golf legend Arnold Palmer.
“Golf is my business. I found
that when I could hear the click
of a golf ball to actual noise lev-
el, it improved my golf. Once I
could hear the golf club hitting
the ball, it gave me a much bet-
ter definition of what I needed
to do in hitting some shots.”
“Early hearing aids didn’t as-
sist the wearer well in certain
complex sound situations, such
as when using a cell phone or
in a noisy environment like
a concert or crowded restau-
rant,” says Dr. Barry Freeman,
from hearing aid maker Starkey
Laboratories, Inc. “And many
people were concerned with the
cosmetic and social aspects of
wearing an aid.
“Hearing aids are not just large
Knowing more about the hearing aid options available to
you, what to look for when buying a hearing aid and how
to break it in may help in choosing the right one for you.
pieces of plastic sitting behind
your ear any more. Today’s
hearing aids run and process so-
phisticated algorithms just like
a computer to provide the lis-
tener with an excellent experi-
ence - all wrapped in an elegant
package,” Freeman adds. “From
hearing better in noisy situations
like restaurants to eliminating
annoying whistling (feedback),
there is a hearing aid solution to
meet every need.”
Here are some tips and advice
when choosing a hearing aid:
Consider the style.
There are now many op-
tions, including behind-the-ear
(BTE), receiver-in-canal (RIC),
completely-in-canal, in-the-ca-
nal and in-the-ear. Each offers a
different level of assistance and
cosmetic appeal.
· BTE styles are appropriate
for most types of hearing loss.
A BTE sits on the back of the
ear and has a tube that runs to
an ear bud or custom earmold in
the ear.
· RIC styles are appropriate-
for mild to moderate hearing
loss and offer a more discreet,
open-fit solution. They lessen
feedback by widening the dis-
tance between the microphone
and the receiver. The RIC also
sits behind the ear and has a thin
tube that connects to an ear bud
or custom earmold in the ear.
The receiver in a RIC is in the
ear near the ear bud instead of in
the case behind the ear.
· For those seeking a small, dis-
creet aid, completely-in-canal is
a good option. Nearly invisible
when worn, this style is good
for treating mild to moderate
hearing loss and uses the natu-
ral anatomy of the head, pinna
and ear canal to provide a clean,
clear signal. They are custom
designed to fit entirely in the ear
canal, reducing feedback and
improving sound quality.
· In-the-canal styles fit within
the ear canal but are still slightly
visible within the outer ear.
· People with limited dexterity
might also benefit from an in-
the-ear style, which is a custom-
m
Courtesy of ARAcontent
The Link Between
Pancreatic Cancer
and Sugary Pop
A 14-year-long survey made
by experts in Singapore
studying the effects of sugar
has been released. 60,500
people were involved in the
study, and has shown that
people who consume soda
pop on a weekly basis in-
creased their chances of
cancer by 87%.
Pancreatic cancer is usually
rare, but it affects approxi-
mately 7,600 people in the
UK every year. Only 2-3%
of patients diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer will be for-
tunate to continue living for
another five years.
Dr. Mark Pereira of the Uni-
versity of Minnesota is head-
ing the study and said: “The
high levels of sugar in soft
drinks may be increasing the
level of insulin in the body,
which we think contributes
to pancreatic cancer cell
growth.”

Diabetics: Don’t Turn a Blind Eye

to Vision Screening
Diabetics who do not look to their long-term health may find themselves walking blind;
diabetes can cause a cluster of degenerative eye problems. Diabetic retinopathy, the
most common diabetic eye disease, is a leading cause of blindness in the United States.

In diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels in the eye become blocked, encouraging new blood
vessels to grown in abnormal areas, including the retina, or the light-sensitive tissue at
the back of the eye. These new blood vessels are delicate and prone to swelling and
breaking. When they rupture or leak blood, they cause severe vision loss or blindness.

Floating spots, blurred vision, dark streaks, poor night vision and vision loss can all her-
ald diabetic retinopathy, but the disease often develops without symptoms. Both Type 1
and Type 2 diabetics can develop diabetic retinopathy.

The longer a person lives with diabetes, the greater the risk. Approximately two percent
of all people who have diabetes for 15 years go blind, while another 10 percent suffer
severe vision loss. About 74 percent of the people who have diabetes for 10 years or
more will develop some form of diabetic retinopathy.

Early detection and timely treatment prove key -; even diabetics with retinopathy can
reduce their chances of blindness by 95 percent if they receive proper care. But once
damage occurs, it is usually permanent.

The World Health Organization estimates that 246 million people have diabetes world-
wide. The organization expects that number to reach 380 million by 2025. Small lifestyle
changes can help diabetics reduce their risk of developing diabetic eye disease. Diabet-
ics and people at risk for diabetes should schedule annual eye exams.

Organizations such as Lions Clubs International support local and large-scale efforts to
control diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. For more information, visit www.lionsclubs.org.
Courtesy NewsUSA

www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 15


Preserve Your Independence
Stay in the home you love with confidence
and help 24/7 with the push of a button.
Call 720-8440
Roper St. Francis Lifeline
Award Winning Fitness Programs For Adults Age 50+
865 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
(843)762-9555
16 MARCH, 2010 •
REGISTRATION IS NOW !!!!
Little Scholars ( Ages 4yrs-12yrs)
After School Care
$45.00 Registration Fee--$35.00 Weekly Per
Child
Monday-friday 2:15pm-6:15 Pm
Contact Information:
Revelation Church Of Word & Deed
418 Old Back River Road
Goose Creek,sc 29445
Phone : (843) 553-8045
Office Hours 12:00pm-2:00pm
MARCH AND APRIL
COMPUTER CLASSES @ THE LIBRARY
Dorchester County Library will be holding
computer classes during March and April at
the St. George and Summerville branches.
Patrons may begin registering for classes
at both branches beginning February 24th.
Classes will be held on Wednesdays in St.
George and on Wednesdays and Thursdays in
Summerville. Summerville classes are being
held in the computer center from 9:30 - 10:30
am. Public access to the computer center
will be delayed until 10:30am on the days that
classes are being taught.
For imformation, please call Dorchester
County Library at, www.dcl.lib.sc.us/
4-7 CHARLESTON FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL.
This world-class culinary festival showcases
the talents of local and nationally-recognized
Southern chefs in a city widely acclaimed
for its Lowcountry cuisine. This first annual
must-attend event also features some of the
country’s most renowned sommeliers. Semi-
nars, food tastings, a dine-around and culi-
nary village are highlights of the weekend.
For schedules and tickets
call (843) 727-9998
5 BLOOD DRIVE FOR THE AMERICAN
RED CROSS
11:30 am – 4:30 pm, Rodenberg Hall, Franke
at Seaside. “It takes all types to keep the
beat going”—donate blood at Franke at Sea-
side. Every pint of blood can save three lives.
Please call April Dillon, Community Outreach
Director, at 856-4713 to make an appoint-
ment.
7 LOWCOUNTRY ANIMAL RESCUE
DOGMORE STEW FESTIVAL
Magnolia Plantation And Its Gardens
1:00-5:00pm., Adults $17 ($20 At The Door)
$10 Children 12-6/ $5 5-3 / Under 3 Free /
Well Behaved, Leashed Pets Are Free. Tickets
include admission to the plantation & it’s gar-
dens, a lowcountry feast of hors d oeuvres,
Frogmore Stew, and delicious desserts
Tickets are available at All is Well” loca-
tions: 440A Old Trolley Rd Summerville, 1150A
Hungryneck Blvd Mt Pleasant, 3417B Shelby
Ray Court West Ashley, 1409D Folly Rd James
Island. Tickets will also be available at Mag-
nolia Gardens the day of the event.
9 ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR
Kuhn & Kuhn
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Holiday Inn, Mt. Pleasant
250 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.
10 ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR
Kuhn & Kuhn
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
and 6:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Town & Country Inn, West Ashley
2008 Savannah Hwy.
11ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR
Kuhn and Kuhn
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hampton Inn, Mt. Pleasant
1104 Isle of Palms Connector
12 ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR
Kuhn and Kuhn
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Country Inn & Suites, Summerville
220 Holiday Dr. (Exit 199-A)
12 HAT DECORATING CLASS
Presbyterian Home, Summerville, SC,
For info & membership: call Belinda
{843} 330-1395
13 “MURDER ME, I’M IRISH...”
A St Patrick’s Day Murder Mystery DinnerThe
Women’s Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Parish, 6:30 PM, Fr. Kelly Hall, Folly Beach,
Beach, SC. You are invited to join us at the
“Shakin’ Shamrock Pub” for a rocking and
rolling evening with a house full of intriguing
Irish ladies and gentlemen. The party will
start with cocktails and delectable appetizers
and continue until the murder victim is
discovered. A great Irish dinner will be
served as the investigation for the felon con-
tinues. Tickets are now available after each
Sunday Mass (9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 6:00
PM) in front of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Church or from members of the Women’s
Guild. Tickets are $20.00 each.
17 HAT DIVAS SOCIETY and guests partici-
pation in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in his-
toric Charleston, SC.For info & membership:
call Belinda {843} 330-1395
19 SHUCKIN’ & SHAGGIN’ ON
SULLIVAN’S ISLAND
6:30pm-9:00pm. Whether you are a “shucker”
or a “shagger” you should make your way to
Sullivan’s Island for the last (and the best!)
oyster roast of the season. Bring your shag-
gin’ shoes and dance the night awaywhile
listening to the music of the East Coast Party
Band. Oysters, Frogmore stew and of course,
plenty of cold beer, wine and soft drinks.
FREE shag lessons. All proceeds benefit
UMRC, a local non-profit organization com-
mitted to rehabilitating homes and restoring
hope to poverty level families living in sub-
standard housing in the rural communities of
Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, and George-
town Counties. Tickets are $35 and can be
purchased by calling UMRC at (843) 884-4860
or emailing leebutle r@umrc.org.
20 BETHANY FISH FRY
4:00-7:30 PM
Bethany United Methodist Church
1853 Maybank Highway
James Island, SC (843) 795-3527
$6 Bucks - All You Can Eat ($3 for children
under 10)!! Come join us for some gooood
eatin’! Eat in or carry-out. So good you’ll
want to feed your whole family!! World-
Famous Fish Dinners prepared for you by the
Men’s Club of the Bethany United Methodist
Church. Each delicious dinner includes:
20 SHUCK YOUR PAWS OFF FOR
PET HELPERS
Downtown Charleston will fill with the Enjoy
a Saturday evening full of all-you-can-eat
Southern cuisine, set to the swingin’ sounds
of the Shakin’ Martinis at the Pet Helpers 9th
Annual Oyster Roast, presented by Rosebank
Farms Café, Fatboy’s Lowcountry Cook-
ing, and Elizabeth Grace Occasions. Tickets
at www.pethelpers.org, by phone at (843)
795-1110 x11, or at Pet Helpers, 1447 Folly
Road, James Island. Adult tickets are $35
in advance or $40 at the door, with a special
discount for college students. Children ages
www.lowcountrysun.sc
 6-12 are just $10 in advance, $15 at the door,
and kids under 6 eat for free! For sponsorship
opportunities or silent auction donations, Con-
tact Tracey Erwin at (843)795-1110 x11.
21 THE ORDER OF THE SONS OF ITALY
IN AMERICA
Lodge 1060, Meeting: 4 PM. Charleston, SC is
looking for Italian American men, women and
all others who love Italian traditions. We offer
friendship, special events and fabulous food
during our monthly meetings on the 3rd Sun-
day of each month. Our meetings are held at St
Joseph’s Catholic Church Life Center, located
West of the Ashley. The address is 1695 Wal-
lenberg Blvd. Charleston, SC 29407. Please call
Rick Leonardi at 843-556-6236 or Roy Noble
at 843-991-8770. Learn, enjoy and appreciate
Italian heritage.
24 EAST COOPER COFFEE CLUB
Thomasine Stokes Marshall, Mount Pleasant
Councilwoman, 10:00 am
Location: Rodenberg Hall, Franke at Seaside.
The East Cooper Coffee Club presents Thoma-
sine Stokes Marshall, Mount Pleasant Council-
woman. We invite all who have supported the
speaker series and especially those who are
just learning about the wonderful opportunity to
meet friends and neighbors from all over Mount
Pleasant.
26 LIFE LINE SCREENING FOR OLDER ADULTS
10:00 am
Location: Rodenberg Hall, Franke at Seaside
hosts a Life Line Screening for Older Adults. Life
Line Screening will offer five different health
screenings for people 40 years old and older.
These screenings are performed using state-of-
the-art Doppler color flow ultrasound systems.
The screenings offered include:
1) A Carotid Artery Screening
EveryTuesday is
Senior Savings
Day!
• Friendly Atmosphere
• Personalized Service
• Gold Crown
Memberships Available
1219 N. Main Street • Summerville, SC
(In the Main Market Center between Lowes and Belk)
Mon-Sat 10am-8pm • Sun 12 Noon - 5pm
851-2378
www.lowcountrysun.sc
2) An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
3) An Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) –
4) A bone density screening, which tests for s 10-K race draws more than 30,000 partici-
the early detection of osteoporosis.
5) Atrial Fibrillation
You must pre-register by calling 1-800-697-
9693. These screenings are completely pain-
less, non-invasive, and require ten minutes or
less each to complete. The cost is $35-$45
each, or all five for $149. Finger-stick blood
tests are also available. Please enter the
source code HSC6055 for your community if
registering on the website at www.llsa.com.
MARCH 26-APRIL 4 THE PASSION PLAY
Old Fort Baptist Church
Summerville, SC
Friday - Mar 26, 2010 - 7 PM
Saturday - Mar 27, 2010 - 3 PM
Sunday - Mar 28, 2010 - 7 PM
Friday - Apr 2, 2010 - 7 PM
Saturday - Apr 3, 2010 - 3 PM
Sunday - Apr 4, 2010 - 7 PM
Free Admission, For More Information
Call Delores: (843) 873-2283
Experience the wonder and glory of the Great-
est Story Ever Told – The Passion Play in Sum-
merville, SC! The Passion Play brings to life
the thrilling, epic drama surrounding Christ’s
last days on earth, His death, and His resurrec-
tion. The Passion Play features state-of-the-art
sound and lighting effects as well as heartfelt
music in a dramatic two-hour presentation
of the last days in the incarnation of Jesus of
Nazareth. Throughout the years over 65,000
people have witnessed this drama completely
presented by the members of Old Fort Baptist
Church. For free tickets, call or come by the
church office after March 12.
27 COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN.
8:00 AM
pants every year. From lean elite runners to
weight-watching weekend warriors to those
who just run once a year, this race attracts a
diverse crowd from across the state and be-
yond. The 6.2-mile course, which crosses the
Cooper River Bridge before heading into scenic
downtown Charleston. Music, drinks, food, and
revelry continue long after the race is over.
Register:
Bridge Run Office (716 S. Shelmore Blvd Suite
105, Mt Pleasant, near the Bi-Lo Shopping Cen-
ter) 10 am to 5 pm
On-Line (www.bridgerun.com)
Phone: (843) 856-1949
http://www.bridgerun.com/
28 OYSTER ROAST/SILENT AUCTION FUND
RAISER FOR KEEPER OF THE WILD
Magnolia Plantation is sponsoring an for us on
1 - 4 PM. Tickets are $25.00 and includes en-
trance to Magnolia Plantation (Children under
10 -FREE.). We encourage everyone to come
early, enjoy the gardens, and then join us for
Oysters, chili, and a Silent Auction starting at
1 PM. Bring your chairs and blankets, enjoy a
live band on the Ashley River and visiting with
some of our animal ambassadors. For tickets or
more information call (843) 636-1659 or (843)
696-4488.
25 2010 HAT DIVAS SOCIETY
Excursion to historic Ridgeway, SC to Tea Room
for lunch, and shop at the Over The Top hat
shop, members only.
For info & membership: call Belinda {843} 330-
1395
26-28 FLOWERTOWN FESTIVAL
9am-5pm, Saturday, 9am-5pm, Sunday, 9am-
4pm. The Flowertown Festival is a celebration
of Spring with beautiful flowers, arts and crafts,
entertainment and good food. There is some-
thing for people of all ages at this annual event.
Annual attendance of 300,000 people makes
it one of the largest such events in our region.
Please come and join us! and also check out
the festival sponsor’s website, courtesy of the
Summerville YMCA. Summerville Family YMCA
Flowertown Festival,www.flowertownfestival.
com.
• MARCH, 2010 17
The Author Next Door:
The New Reality in Book Publishing
In recent years, the entire
landscape of the publishing in-
dustry has changed, and now
thousands of authors whose
books might otherwise never
have seen the light of day are
getting published. Following in
the footsteps of film and music,
publishing is undergoing an “in-
die” revolution whereby authors
invest in their own work to bring
their books to the marketplace.
“The indie publishing rev-
olution is all about providing
opportunity and expanding the
options for both writers and
readers,” says Kevin Weiss,
CEO of Author Solutions,
whose imprints include Autho-
rHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris and
Trafford. “You no longer need
to wait years for the chance of
being published; becoming an
author is no longer a privilege,
and the literary world is now ac-
cessible to everyone.”
Indie book publishing has
also expanded the reasons peo-
ple write and publish a book.
Books are now being used in
genuinely new ways -- from
raising awareness of important
social causes to adding to a
businessperson’s marketing ar-
senal and providing significant
18 MARCH, 2010 •
leverage to attract the attention
of a major publisher -- books
are now multi-faceted “tools.”
Reg Green is an example of
the wonderful power of a book
to raise awareness of a pressing
social issue. After his son Nich-
olas was tragically murdered,
and he and his wife chose to
donate his organs, Reg became
a leading advocate for organ
transplantation. He turned to
the pen, too, publishing “The
Gift that Heals” through Autho-
rHouse.com, which chronicles
inspirational stories about organ
donation.
Another example, Lisa
Genova, was told that nobody
would want to read her book
“Still Alice,” a novel about a
50-year-old Harvard professor’s
struggle with Alzheimer’s dis-
ease.
After repeated rejections
from traditional publishing
houses, Genova chose to self-
publish through iUniverse. A
literary agent told her she would
be basically committing literary
suicide if she self-published,
and that no publisher would
touch her book once she pub-
lished it independently.
To put it mildly, the agent
Self-publishing is the absence of
a traditional publisher giving the
creator more control.
was wrong.
After a few months and
positive reviews, “Still Alice”
was picked up by Simon &
Schuster and became a New
York Times bestseller.
“If you believe in your
book, I think you should give it
a chance,” Genova said. “Still
Alice was a book that people
already identified with, and a
major publisher saw the book’s
potential in a very real way.”
Courtesy (NewsUSA)
Book Review
How to Retire Happy and Free
Random House, Inc.
Format: Paperback, 256pp
Retirement does not have to
mean the end of life-in fact it can
mean a whole new beginning to
the life you never had time to ex-
plore. In How To Retire Happy,
Wild, And Free, best-selling
author Ernie J. Zelinksi shows
that the key to enjoying an ac-
tive and satisfying retirement
is dependent on much more
than just having adequate fi-
nancial resources. It means
paying attention to all aspects of life, including
leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical and mental well-
being, and solid social support. With its friendly format, lively
cartoons, and captivating quotations, Zelinski’s guide offers
inspirational advice on how to follow your dreams instead of
someone else’s, how to put your retirement in proper perspec-
tive, and how to enjoy life after work.
Ernie J. Zelinski has an Engineering degree and an MBA
from the University of Alberta. Because he is truly organiza-
tionally averse, he has not had a real job for over twenty-five
years. Ernie speaks professionally on the subjects of real suc-
cess, retirement, and applying creativity to business and lei-
sure.
One reader’s opinion:
It’s the best one I’ve read on retirement. I had been looking for a book
that dealt with aspects of retirement that weren’t tied up with all the financial
gobbledygook. As a personal coach who often gives advice to the newly re-
tired, I have already purchased over a hundred copies to give to my clients.
Moreover, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free has given me the inspiration
and incentive to make my own retirement happen earlier than I had planned
for. Ernie Zelinski has an off-the-wall sense of humor and is a master of one-
liners that catch your attention and open you up to new concepts.
www.lowcountrysun.sc

By Cappy Hall Rearick
“They say such nice things
about people at their funerals.
It makes me sad that I’m go-
ing to miss mine by just a few
days.”
— Garrison Keiller
When my old friend Lenny
died, Deelya and I found our-
selves responsible for organiz-
ing the memorial arrangements.
Lenny had requested that
his ashes be scattered in a
peaceful wooded area near the
park where he walked every
morning. What a surprise that
was! Lenny was not a woodsy
person, a hunter or environmen-
talist. He was a sixty-year-old,
rather prissy artist who drew
and painted whimsy. A woodsy
landscape person? Nuh-uh.
Lenny had moved to a small
Virginia town into a duplex
apartment next to the Guidos,
in the other half. That was good
for all concerned ... for a short
while. Soon, Lenny was forced
to admit that he was up the pro-
verbial creek, having chosen to
live next door to the Neighbors
from Hell.
Michael Guido was a fallen
from grace minister. As soon as
he started sermonizing on re-
incarnation and the laws of the
universe, his healthy flock, not
having the slightest idea what
he was talking about, booted
him and his Buddha Banter right
out the back door. He then got a
job teaching at the high school,
which should give us pause.
Guido is tall and was once
skinny. Since the day he got
canned from the church, he and
his Buddha belly wander around
sipping White Zin and having
one-way conversations with his
“guides.” His hands and arms
are huge, both of which fly
around as if in tandem.
Deelya made a mega-mis-
take when she invited him to
“do” the memorial service for
Lenny. The good ex-preacher
arrived dressed in a white cas-
sock over a purple vestment
embroidered with a large yellow
butterfly smack in the middle.
“I designed it myself,”
he bragged. The sleeves were
edged with four rows of glitter-
ing ribbon in every color shade.
When I say that the serious ex-
pression he wore on his face
was incongruous with the garb
he wore, I ain’t just whistling
Dixie.
Fully costumed and loving
every minute of it, he began the
service by spreading those lu-
dicrous bat-wing sleeves. “Cel-
ebrate,” his voice thundered
through the small sanctuary,
jolting the Library League La-
dies out of their tranquil pose.
Only recently had they elected
Lenny as treasurer so it’s safe
to assume their total surprise at
getting up close and personal
with a drag queen preacher.
Lenny was not religious
and Deelya and I’d wanted the
service to be more quietly digni-
fied than steeped in old time re-
ligion. Well, that didn’t happen.
Ignoring our non-religious
request, the FFP (Fallen Fun-
damentalist Preacher) deliv-
ered his sermon while spread-
ing those bat wing sleeves and
shouting, “CELEBRATE!”
every whipstitch to insure no-
body nodded off. Afterwards,
he made us stand and sing ALL
SIX verses of “We Are Climb-
ing Jacob’s Ladder” which I
quit singing after the second
verse. Deelya was bawling and
carrying on and I was praying
God would stop me from hurl-
Puttin’ On The Gritz
By Cappy Hall Rearick
ing the hymn book at the FFP’s
head.
Next came a solo by a tear-
ful young man who sang, “His
Eye is on the Sparrow.” When
that song is sung at a funeral for
somebody like Miz Lillian, it’s
perfect. But Lenny would have
had another heart attack. Nei-
ther climbing Jacob’s ladder nor
sailing through the air in spar-
row mode were ever on his af-
terlife agenda.
My blood pressure climbed
to new heights when the FFP eu-
logized my friend. He grinned,
I groaned and Deelya sobbed.
With each word, Deelya, a Yan-
kee throug and through, cried
harder. The lips on the Library
League Ladies drew up so
tightly they resembled decimal
points.
“Good ol’ Lenny,” the FFP
began, “is here today. Yessiree.
He says there’s a time to live
and a time to die.”
Au contraire. I could have
sworn that was in Ecclesiastes?
Shoot, had Lenny really been
there in spirit or otherwise, he
wouldn’t have quoted scrip-
ture, he’d have stomped his foot
and demanded a Congressional
The Life and Times of
Cappy Hall Rearick
Humor writer, Cappy Hall
Rearick has won numerous
short story awards through-
out California, Pennsylvania,
Minnesota, New York, South
Carolina, Florida and Georgia.
In 2003, she was nominated
for the prestigious Georgia Au-
thor of the Year Award. She is a
member of the National Soci-
ety of Newspaper Columnists,
South Carolina Writers, Geor-
gia Writers Association and
Florida Writers Association.
Cappy and her Yankee hus-
band “Babe” live on St. Si-
mons Island. She is the mother
of two sons and six grandchil-
dren who all live in the South
Carolina lowcountry.
Cappy’s website: www.sim-
plysoutherncappy.com.
hearing.
Later, Deelya and I dis-
cussed the possibility of send-
ing the winged preacher to the
crematoria instead of Lenny.
But since neither of us could
figure out what we could possi-
bly do with Lenny’s body in the
meantime, we decided to settle
for a martini and a heart-felt
toast to our recently departed
dear friend.
In retrospect, if Lenny had
to climb Jacob’s ladder, then he
had what he needed to have a
proper send-off.

“Give yourself credit for all the good

things you do, and forgive yourself
your mistakes. We all do a better job
than we think.” United Arab Emirates: An unnamed Arab diplomat has successfully
had his marriage annulled after discovering that his bride is cross-
-Elizabeth Pantley, Seattle, Wa.
eyed and has a beard. The ambassador saw her face for the first
time after signing the marriage contract.
In testimony to a Sharia court he claimed that the mother of the
bride showed his mother pictures of another more attractive daugh-
ter. The court agreed to the annulment but was unmoved by his
request for the return of the £90,000 he spent on gifts.

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www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 19

Winter Rains May Require Drains
With what appears to be
above average rainfall this past
winter- drainage problems are
beginning to appear. Some-
times people will try to fill in
low areas of the yard to solve
their drainage problems, but
in reality they are just displac-
ing the water to another area of
their yard or home. maintenance to clean out leaves
One of the most important parts
to solving drainage problems is
to prevent your home or struc-
ture from becoming lower than
your yard. Water will always
move to the lowest spot on the
property. If one were to spend
time constantly filling low ar-
eas, they could end up having
that lowest area become the
area underneath their home.
When this happens you may
couple of different drainage all conditions. Some people are
techniques. If raised beds are not fortunate enough to have a
the issue, you should start by low-lying area to drain water
removing the dirt to get the six- to. If you have no low-lying ar-
inch drop from the foundation eas for gravity drains, you will
need to use a sump pump to im-
prove any drainage issues. The
negative side of using a sump
pump is that they often require
Out in the Yard and debris from the pump area.
By James Parker
They also need electricity to
run so they do not work during
is built below the road level. extreme weather conditions,
This may happen over time, as like: hurricane, heavy rains,
cities will repave the asphalt or any time there are power
roads, which can raise them outages. Almost all drainage
slowly over a twenty or thirty problems can be solved with
year period. This will cause the above techniques. Someone
low-lying lots, to hold water who is experienced in the area
during heavy rains. If you are of drainage problems should
building a new home and have evaluate each drainage issue. If
March
Garden Events
Murrells Inlet, S.C.
March 1-April 25
Two new sculpture exhibits at
Brookgreen Gardens. Anna
Hyatt Huntington: A Collecting
Eye and A Taste of Ambrosia:
Mythology in Sculpture. (843)
235-6000. www.brookgreen.org.
Clemson, S.C.
March 4, 11, 25 and April 1
Home Gardening Fundamen-
tals. South Carolina Botanical
Garden. (864) 656-3405. www.
clemson.edu/scbg.
Charlotte, N.C.
March 3-7
Southern Spring Home and
Garden Show. (704) 376-6594.
southernspringhomeand gar-
denshow.com.
Columbia, S.C.
March 12-14
Carolina Classic Home and
Garden Show. www.columbia-
builders.com.

begin to notice mold that can
be hazardous to you and your
families health. I have been
involved in a number of jobs
where this has occurred. We
had to go in and fill underneath
the home in order to raise the
ground level under the home to
exceed the height of the lawn.
Doing this raises the level of
the ground under the house to
be higher than the yard and
prevents water from accumu-
lating there.
On older properties and
even some new ones, the home
purchased a lot that is below
road level -don’t skimp on the
fill dirt required to bring the
yard level higher than the road!
South Carolina build-
ing codes require that the dirt
should slope away from the
house for six inches below the
foundation for 10 feet around
the house. This means “no
raised beds” around the house
or you will create a funnel for
water to be forced under your
foundation. If you find your
yard or home having drain-
age issues we recommend a
you have any questions please
You have to drain low-lying areas feel free to call or email me.
instead of filling it with soil.
and down into the yard. If you
have a low lying area that holds
water and have an area to drain
water to (such as a drainage
culvert, retention pond, marsh
area) then a French Drain is a
good option. These drains can
siphon off water and move it to
the lower, natural water holding
areas. French Drains or “grav-
ity drains” are the best because
they will continue to drain in
James Parker
main office: 843-886-9314
fax: 843-886-4918
email: designer@pleasantland-
scapes.net
Summerville: 843-851-8008,
John’s Island: 843-768-6808
Daniel Island: 843-216-8445
James Parker
Pleasant Landscapeswww.
pleasantlandscapes.com
Charleston, S.C.March 16
Mosses in the Landscape, with
Dr. Robert Wyatt. Sponsored by
the South Carolina Native Plant
Society. 6:30 p.m. The Citadel.
www.scnps.org.
Charleston, S.C.
March 18-April 17
63rd Spring Festival of Houses
and Gardens. Enjoy behind-
the-scenes tours, educational
lunches, concerts and wine
tastings. (843) 722-3405. www.
historiccharleston.org.
Clemson, S.C., March 24
Vegetable Gardening Basics.
South Carolina Botanical
Garden. (864) 656-3405. www.
clemson.edu/scbg.

Gardening Just for Spring?

Many plants do well planted in the Southern winter and will give you a
head start on spring’s foliage and flowers. Certain perennials, such as hostas
and shasta daises, can be cut back or split at this time of year to give you a
greater number of plants without wreaking havoc on the existing plants. Au-
tumn or late winter is also the ideal time for planting bulbs, laying the ground-
work for magnificent early spring color. Bulbs need vernalization, or time spent
dormant during the winter, to flower properly when spring returns. Make sure
you follow the directions for bulb depth and placement when planting. Also,
after planting the bulbs, lay a piece of chicken wire over them and cover with
soil or mulch to keep foraging squirrels at bay.
Another thing to keep in mind this winter is that those multicolored mums
that you purchase for fall garden accents can be left in the ground through the
winter. Come summer they will begin to bloom again and provide color anew
late into the season.
www.lowcountrysun.sc

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for the New Year!
Multiple Manufacturers
Home Visits Available - 30 Day Trial Period
Mail Supplies to Home - Repairs On All Makes
Musicians Earplugs
Joseph Gillespie, Audiologist • 843.881.8666
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20 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

 Is someone “driving you ready, and you can happily stay
crazy”??? If I tell my husband and enjoy more interaction! Potato Sack exercise for improved
he is driving me crazy, he tells
me “well you don’t have far to I’d love to hear from you,
strength and fitness:
go!” True, true. The mentally once you and your partner, fam- Will has just come across this exercise, suggested for ‘se-
healthy reality is to understand ily members or co-workers take niors’, to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders.
that “no one can drive you any- the test through the provided It seems so easy, so I thought I’d pass it on to some of my
thing, without your permission link. Send your questions to me friends and family. The article suggested doing it three days
and cooperation.” This is a hard at: a week.
concept for most of us to grasp. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface where you have
The specific example we all can Asksharpliz@gmail.com plenty of room at each side. With a 5 lb potato sack in each
relate to is the expression “you hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and
make me so angry.” Have a great month, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full min-
My answer as a counselor is find time to get out and enjoy ute, then relax.
“no one has the power to make our much-improving Lowcoun-
you angry (or any feeling) un- try spring weather!! Each day, you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a
less you give that person the bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10 lb potato
power to do so.” In other words, sacks.
WE choose to be angry based “What lies behind us and Then 50 lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to
upon our feelings and reactions what lies before us are tiny where you can lift a 100 lb potato sack in each hand and
to whatever that person said or hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
did. It comes from our wrong
matters compared to what lies
expectations of how we think Dear “Want to Stay” within us”. -Walt Emerson (As I write this I have to admit that I’m at this level)
and expect people to treat us. This is most likely a simple After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of
Our expectations are one thing, example of the differences in the sacks.
but to make another person ulti- your levels of extroversion and
mately responsible for our own introversion. Extroverts get

LOOSE DENTURES?
outlook and attitudes is not a energy from the outer world
very healthy way to go through of people and things--and find
life. For more in depth informa- they develop increasing lev-
tion, and to take an online test els of energy from interactions
and questionnaire, visit http:// with people (at a party, for ex-
www.humanmetrics.com/ ample.) Your husband, on the
Here’s an example of how other hand, may be much more
this understanding can improve introverted. Introverts get their
relationships: energy from the their own inner
world of thoughts and ideas. In-
Dear Liz, troverts can be sociable, but will
Why is it that whenever my tire much more quickly than
husband and I go to a function, their extroverted counterparts.
be it family, church, or social, There are, of course, degrees of
he is always the one who wants extroversion and introversion--
to go home first? He’ll say he’s and certain situations may bring
tired -- and I’m feeling the op- out different responses. Under-
posite. It drives me crazy!!! I standing and acceptance is the
don’t think it’s because he’s get- best way to deal with this dif-
ting “older”, as he’s just always ference in you and your spouse.
been that way. Help! Sometimes the best solution
Wanting to stay and have is to take two cars to an event,
fun. Goose Creek, SC so he can happily go when he’s

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www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 21
Spring Is the Season for Auto Care
After a season of winter driv-
ing, a springtime check-up for
your car might be in order. Most
anyone can do routine auto-
motive housekeeping chores:
Remove unneeded winter gear
from your trunk, clean out trash
and clutter, and wash and wax
your car to remove accumulated
grime and salt deposits. The ex-
perts at the non-profit National
Institute for Automotive Service
Excellence (ASE) offer the fol-
lowing advice for more ambi-
tious automotive projects:
• Read the owner’s manual and
follow the recommended ser-
vice schedules.
• If you are not a do-it-your-
selfer, look for an orderly repair
shop with modern equipment
in the service bays and quali-
fied automotive technicians as
evidenced by trade school di-
plomas, certificates of advanced
courses and ASE certifications.
• Have engine performance
Four Essentials to the Ultimate Home Theater System
The high-definition television
revolution is already under way.
Most of the major TV networks
and cable outlets are quickly
adopting this cutting-edge ver-
sion of digital television as their
broadcasting standard and of-
fering consumers more choices
in high definition.
In fact, according to the
Consumer Electronics Associa-
tion, 9 million households are
likely to purchase HDTV prod-
ucts during the next 18 months.
Another 30 million consumers
consider themselves likely pur-
chasers within the next three
years.
This newer technology can
be overwhelming for consum-
ers, especially when they are
not properly educated about the
tools needed for the best setup
of a high-definition home the-
www. with
UTOPIA
low Home Care
country
sun.
sc 553-6060
22 MARCH, 2010 •
problems, hard starts, rough
idling, stalling, corrected now
before summr’s demanding
stop-and-go vacation traffic.
• For comfort in hot weather,
now’s the time to have a mar-
ginally working air condition-
ing system serviced.
• Flush and refill the cooling
system according to the service
manual’ recommendations. The
level, condition, and concen-
tration of the coolant should
be checked periodically. (Make
sure the engine has cooled down
before removing the radiator
cap.)
• A qualified auto technician
should check the tightness and
condition of belts, clamps and
hoses, but you can look for signs
of wear, cracking, or fraying.
• Replace other filters (air, fuel,
PCV, etc.) as recommended in
the service manual.
• Check the condition of tires,
ater system.
Four basic elements are
needed: picture, source, sound
and assembly. Interestingly
enough, the CEA says that ap-
proximately 30 percent of U.S.
homes already have these basic
ingredients.
• Picture: Most digital, high-
definition televisions feature
large screens in widescreen for-
mats that create a theater-like
experience right in your home.
HDTV delivers crisp images
that make you feel like you’re
part of the action.
Plasma and liquid crystal
display televisions have gener-
ated the most excitement so far.
These thin, lightweight sets can
hang on a wall and only take
up four inches of depth. Other
examples include the microdis-
'Age in Place'
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Serving Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Colleton and Orangeburg Counties
including the spare. Let the tires
“cool down” before checking
their pressure. Uneven wear,
“cupping,” vibrations, or “pull-
ing” to one side indicates prob-
lems with your tires or suspen-
sion system. If applicable, have
snow tires pulled and replaced
with seasonal tires.
• Change the oil and oil filter
as specified in owner’s manual.
Often neglected, this simple ser-
vice is one of the easiest ways to
extend the life of your vehicle.
ASE was founded to improve
the quality of automotive ser-
vice and repair through the
voluntary testing and certifica-
tion of automotive technicians.
ASE-certified technicians wear
blue and white shoulder insig-
nia and carry credentials list-
ing their exact area(s) of certi-
fication. Their employers often
display the blue and white ASE
sign. Visit www.ase.com for
more car care tips.
Courtesy NewsUSA
play rear-projection televisions
such as digital light processing
sets. These TV sets are thinner,
lighter and brighter than tradi-
tional projection TV sets.
Bonded and Insured, Est. 1983
Family-Owned and Operated
today
How to choose a mechanic
• Ask around and see if friends,
family or coworkers have any cred-
ible mechanics they can share the
names with you. Sometimes this
will be dealership owned garages
and with others, it’s Jim (or Jane)
who lives down the street.
• If you have a big job and it is a
large sum of money, consider shop-
ping around for the best mechanic
for the job. Sometimes your regular
mechanic just doesn’t fit the bill and
you need another opinion!
• If you prefer dealership garages
and mechanics, check the Internet
to see which dealerships have the
best service. Usually those garages
with bad service are quoted quicly
in reviews.
• Source: Some high-definition
televisions have a built-in tuner
to receive local high-definition
broadcasts. These are referred
to as having “HD Built-In.”
Sets without an integrated tun-
er are “HD-Ready” and need a
set-top box to decode the high-
definition signal. Starting next
year, many digital televisions
will come with a high-definition
tuner and the cable box built in,
simplifying the connection for
consumers.
• Sound: Most people don’t re-
alize that the high-definition
television format incorporates
digital 5.1 surround sound into
high-definition broadcasts, giv-
ing you that “in the middle of
the action” feel. For a truly en-
gaging viewing experience, it is
important to get a sound system
Home Improvement
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• If you get stuck on the road, don’t
be snickered into one particular ga-
rage or mechanic by the tow truck
driver. Not only are you paying them,
but they get a kickback from the ga-
rage as well. Make sure you go to a
mechanic you want.
• When you are getting an estimate
in person, ask the mechanic to show
you the issues at hand. Try to get an
idea on whether or not this indi-
vidual likes their work or if it’s just
a job. If they are ‘too busy’ to show
you, then consider the options of
moving on as they can easily pack
the invoice. Find the mechanic that
is right for you.
that is comparable in quality to
your television.
• Assembly: To tie it all together,
you need to make sure you have
the right cables and accessories
to connect your system. Many
consumers prefer using service
personnel to deliver and set up
the system at home - making
sure everything is in place, con-
nected and calibrated for the op-
timal home theater experience.
So how much does a home
theater system cost? A wide
range of prices are available,
depending on an individual’s
needs and desires. For example,
high-definition televisions sold
at Best Buy start at less than
$500 and go all the way up to
$10,000, with numerous models
in between.
Licensed & Insured
 Remember when your spring break was a hedonistic ritual that focused on
excesses of sun, wild parties and alcohol? Now that you’ve outgrown that, you
don’t have to give up the spring ritual of getting away from it all.
Whether you are able to travel to a warm, sunny
location for a vacation, or simply need a stay-at-home
break to escape from work, school or daily stress,
there’s a physically and mentally healthy alternative.
Some indulgent applications of aromatherapy pro-
vide a natural way to transport yourself healthfully
and affordably to a well-earned place of springtime
renewal.
According to Tom Havran, aromatherapy formu-
lator at Aura Cacia, essential oils are the key elements
that not only transport the senses, but act physically
on the body’s systems to enhance well-being. “Al-
This recipe is great for reproducing the
therapeutic effect of bobbing in the waves,
right in your own tub. If you are traveling
to the beach, this is a wonderful treatment
to nourish and soothe the skin after a day
spent in sun and surf.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup jojoba or grapeseed oil
2-3 bags of green tea
20 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
10 drops sweet orange
essential oil
Directions: In a glass or porcelain contain-
er, mix salt, baking soda, jojoba or grape-
seed and essential oils, then pour in bath.
Float tea bags in bath and soak away your
worries.
www.lowcountrysun.sc
ways make sure that aromatherapy products contain
100-percent pure and natural essential oils, which are
distilled from plants,” Havran advises. “The cheaper,
synthetic fragrance chemicals in many so-called ‘aro-
matherapy’ products do not have the same effect on
the body and mind that real essential oils provide.”
Which essential oils are best for crafting your
personal spring break getaway? The cheerful, fresh
aromas of citrus oils, such as lemon, lime, sweet
orange, tangerine, grapefruit, bergamot orange and
mandarin orange, evoke sunshine and warm south-
ern breezes. Two precious flower oils also associated
Coconut and
Jasmine Body Butter
Here’s a great after-sun body treatment to
give your skin a healthy, nourishing glow. Ap-
ply just before a night on the town to look and
smell your best.
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
35 drops mandarin orange essential oil
5 drops jasmine
absolute oil
Directions: In a glass or porcelain container,
use a table fork to beat together all four oils
until creamy in texture. Apply as a massage in
gentle circular motions over entire body.
Invoke the heady aroma of an evening breeze
wafting through a flowering grove of citrus
trees with this delightful diffusion.
Ingredients:
4 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops bergamot orange essential oil
1 drop neroli essential oil
1/4 cup water
1 aromatherapycandle lamp
Directions: Place water in candle lamp bowl,
add essential oils, light candle and allow diffu-
sion for 15 to 20 minutes.
with sunny subtropical climates are jasmine and ner-
oli (orange blossom) essences. Jasmine is exotic and
sensual while neroli has the power to ease anxiety.
Whether you are traveling to a sunny beach for
your spring break vacation or just trying to create
a little sunshine during a stay-at-home version, es-
sential oils and aromatherapy will help you make
the most of your escape. Here are some fun and easy
spring break skin care aromatherapy treatments you
can easily make at home for either an at-home es-
cape or to take along on your spring trip to the beach.
Check out www.auracacia.com.for more ideas.
Toes-in-the-Sand
Foot Scrub
Beach sand and ocean water combine natu-
rally to smooth and renew feet and toes. This
scrub replicates the effect of wet sand. Use it
to get your feet looking their best before you
don the flip-flops for your spring break beach
debut.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
15 drops tangerine essential oil
5 drops peppermint essential oil
Directions: In a glass or porcelain container,
combine sugar, sweet almond and essential
oils. Mix thoroughly and massage into feet,
concentrating on toes, heels and soles. Rinse
with warm water and massage feet until the
oil is fully absorbed. Tip: Do the foot scrub
after a long soak in the bath to enhance ex-
foliation.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
• MARCH, 2010 23
 My late aunt and uncle had
one of the most rip-roaring ar-
guments of their marriage over
what to say on their tombstone.
After 60 years of marital bliss,
attempting to agree on an epi-
taphal eulogy almost did them
in.
She wanted simple: Their
names, the dates, and noth-
ing more. He wanted praise,
an embellished testament of
their lives — especially his
— in perpetuity.
As he died first, She
prevailed
Their big mistake had
been in waiting to make this
monumental decision at the
dusk of their lives.
Now is the time to start
thinking about your epitaph. It’s
never too early. As you know,
life after 50 is patch, patch,
patch.
What if you died yester-
day? Your stone might well
read: “Here lies Betty. We’d say
more, but she wasn’t ready.”
Folks spend more thought
picking out their screensaver
than they do their epitaph. This
is a mistake. It can even lead to
tombstone typos like: “Gone to
be an angle” or “Rest in piece.”
Such bloopers are forever.
An epitaph is a public dec-
laration, the last and probably
longest lasting expression of
your life.
For example, what do we
remember about W.C. Fields?
That he was the most success-
ful juggler of his generation?
That he was the first movie
star important enough to have
his name billed above the pro-
ducer’s? No. We remember his
epitaph, “I’d rather be in Phila-
delphia.”
So what can you say about
yourself that’s profound enough
for eternity?
According to Boswell, Dr.
Johnson believed “…allowance
must be made for some degree
of exaggerated praise. In lapi-
dary inscriptions a man is not
upon his oath.”
Maybe Uncle Charlie was
right after all.
One thing is certain, terse-
ness is essential. In 200 years,
how many will choose to read
these faded words on stone?
“Here lies a poor woman
who was always tired;
She lived in a house where
help was not hired.
Her last words on earth
were: “Dear friends, I am
going “Office upstairs.”
Where washing ain’t done, Attorney John Strange had
nor sweeping, no sewing: this to say about himself: “Here More Famous
But everything there is exact lies an honest lawyer. That is Epitaph’s
to my wishes; Strange.” A FRIEND TO
For where they don’t eat A dentist, this: “Filling his HONESTY AND A FOE
there’s no washing of last cavity.” TO CRIME
dishes... Perhaps religion, or the lack -Allan Pinkerton
Don’t mourn for me now; of, is uppermost in your mind. THANK YOU FOR
don’t mourn for me never - Short and to the point are, “Oh ALL THE LOVE YOU
GAVE ME.
I’m going to do nothing reader, be prepared” and “The THERE COULD BE
forever and ever.” Lord don’t make no mistakes.” NO ONE STRONGER.
Nice sentiment, but Geez, More fun, perhaps, is this THANK YOU
FOR THE MANY
it’s way too long. Better, from Thurmont, Maryland: BEAUTIFUL SONGS.
this: “Here lies an Atheist
THEY WILL LIVE LONG
AND LONGER
All dressed up
“Five times five years I -Hank Williams
And no place to go.”
lived a virgin’s life STRANGER !
Nine times five years I Whatever, don’t procras- APPROACH THIS SPOT WITH
GRAVITY !
lived a virtuous wife; tinate. Even if you live to be a JOHN BROWN IS FILLING
Wearied of this mortal life, centenarian, here, from Nova HIS LAST CAVITY.
I rest.” Scotia, is what happens if you - Epitaph of an
unknown dentist
Speaking of virgins, I al- don’t prepare an epitaph for
ways liked this one: yourself: TO SAVE YOUR WORLD YOU
ASKED THIS
“Here lies MAN TO DIE:
“Here lies all that remains Ezekiel Aikle WOULD THIS MAN, COULD
of Charlotte, Age 102 HE SEE YOU NOW,
Born a virgin, died a harlot. ASK WHY?
Proving The Good Epitaph for the Unknown Soldier
For sixteen years she kept Die Young.” - W. H. Auden
her virginity,
A marvelous thing for this For me, I always liked the GOOD FREND FOR JESUS
brevity and wit of Dorothy SAKE FORBEARE TO
vicinity.” DIGG THE DUST
And this: “She sleeps Parker, whose epitaph reads, ENCLOASED HEARE.
BLEST BE YE MAN YT
alone. At last.” “Excuse my dust.”
SPARES THES STONES AND
So how do you begin to But I plan to dodge the bul- CURST BE HE YT
MOVES MY BONES
compose your life in a few short let with cremation. I never did - William Shakespeare
and pithy phrases? like writing deadlines.
If you’re a professional Courtesy:
Courtesy: www.famousquotes.
me.uk/epitaphs/
person, perhaps you begin with www.suddenlysenior.com
your occupation. Here’s an Ar-
kansas doctor’s simple epitaph:

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We can help you breathe cleaner and fresher air today!
ULJKWKHDULQJDLG 7HO SUN.
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 JACKSONVILLE, FL AND tation, boat cruise from Hilton Head Island to
OKEFENOKEE SWAMP, GA Daufuskie Island and back, land tour of the
– MARCH 13 – 14, 2010 island with Daufuskie native Sallie Ann Robin-
– 2 days/1 nights lodg- son, lunch prepared by Sallie Ann Robinson.
ing. 3 Meals. Lunch $127.00 PP/M $134.00 PP/NM BOOK NOW
and show at the Al- AND RECIVE A $25.00 PER PERSON DIS-
hambra Dinner Theatre – “42nd St.”; Jackson- COUNT.
ville Kennel Club with dinner buffet; admission
and tour of the Okefenokee Swamp, guided “MUSIC CITY
boat tour, Pioneer Express Railroad train USA” NASH-
tour and Eye on Nature Show. $262.00 PP/MD VILLE – “THE
$276.00 PP/NMD BOOK NOW AND RECEIVE A BIRTHPLACE OF
$25.00 PER PERSON DISCOUNT ROCK ’N’ ROLL”
MEMPHIS – “THE
CASINO CAPITAL
GOLDEN ISLES & CHERRY OF THE SOUTH”
BLOSSOMS IN GEORGIA – TUNICA- APRIL 8
MARCH 21 – 24, 2010 – 4 – 14, 2010
days/3 nights lodging. 7 days/6 nights lodging. 10 Meals. Two nights
6 Meals. Two nights at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN; Gen-
lodging on Jekyll Is- eral Jackson Showboat Dinner Cruise, driving
land on the beach, tour of Nashville with a step-on guide, Nash-
tram tour of Jekyll Island Historic District, din- ville Nightlife Dinner Show; one night at the
ner at Blackbeard’s Restaurant, guided tour of Memphis Marriott Downtown, driving tour of
Historic Brunswick, GA, guided tour of St. Si- Memphis with a step-on guide, Danny Thomas
mon Island with admission to Fort Frederica, Pavilion at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Mud
dinner in The Village, free time at Center City Island River Park; two night at Fitz’s Casino Ho-
Park in Macon, GA, riding tour of the Macon tel in Tunica, MS, free time in Town of Tunica
Cherry Blossom Trail, tour and dinner at Sidney Historic area, Veteran’s Memorial Park, and
Lanier Cottage, illuminated driving tour of Ma- Tate Log House Museum, plus more. $934.00
con, admission to Hay House and the Cannon- PP/MD $982.00 PP/NMD BOOK NOW AND
ball House and free time at the Mulberry Street RECEIVE A $75.00 PER PERSON DISCOUNT.
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NOW AND RECEIVE A $50.00 PER PERSON AMISH SIGHTS – APRIL 25 – MAY
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DISCOVER DAUFUSKIE Meals. Three nights lodging
ISLAND – MARCH 31, in New York City, driving tour
2010 of New York City with guide,
Trip includes RT mo- Spirit of New York Dinner
torcoach transpor- Cruise, visit Statue of Lib-
erty and Ellis Island, tickets to two Broadway
Shows (TBA), two dinners in New York City,
free time for shopping, tour of West Point US
Military Academy and Museum, two nights in
Lancaster, PA, Amish countryside and farm-
land driving tour with guide, tickets to the Dutch
Apple Dinner Theater, dinner at Good-n-Plenty
Restaurant, tickets to Sight and Sound Theater
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tickets to the Swift Creek Mill Dinner Theater
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14 Meals. Three nights at the Belterra Casino
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a step-on guide and admission to two house
museums, driving tour of Indianapolis, IN, tour
of the Indy Racetrack and Museum, admis-
sion to the Indiana State Museum, dinner and
show at the Boggstown Cabaret, one night at
Harrah’s Metropolis Casino Hotel with dinner
and breakfast, dinner at Cumberland Moun-
tain State Park Restaurant, tickets to the Cum-
berland County Playhouse to see “Tinyard”.
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MAPRIL 1 BLACKVILLE, SC & HEALING SPRINGS SEPT 21 – 29 FALL IN THE OZARKS-EUREKA SPRINGS & BRANSON
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APRIL 23 SANTEE SWAMP BOAT TOUR NOVEMBER 18 – 22 AN AMISH CHRISTMAS-LANCASTER, PA
MAY 4 – 10 AMANA COLONIES & PELLA TULIP FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 27 FT. MILL – NARROWAY – “THE REAL CHRISTMAS STORY”
MAY 12 CYPRESS GARDENS & MEPKIN ABBEY NOV 30 – DEC 5 CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK CITY
MAY 12 – 19 TULIP TIME – NIAGARA FALLS & OTTAWA DECEMBER 7 – 9 CALLAWAY GARDENS & LAKE LANIER CHRISTMAS
MAY 16 – 21 HATS OFF TO LOUISVILLE & ASHEVILLE DECEMBER 12 – 14 CHRISTMAS AT “THE HOMESTEAD”
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1908-G Savannah Plaza • Charleston, SC • 843-766-0747 • 1-800-845-7659

www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 25
 (Hundred thousand welcomes to you!)
Celtic Knots

O
ne of the more popu-
lar holidays across the
globe each year is St.
Patrick’s Day. Whether you’re
of Irish heritage or not, the fes-
tive attitude associated with
Paddy’s Day is fun for all. The
following cities are some of
the more popular haunts for
Paddy’s Day revelry. But even
if you can’t make it to any of
these locales for the big day,
you can still find somewhere
close to home that celebrates
this most festive of holidays.
San Francisco: While it’s
typical for Americans to asso-
ciate the Northeast part of the
country, in particular New York
City and Boston, with Paddy’s
Day, San Francisco will host
their 157th Annual St. Patrick’s
Day Parade in 2009. The ac-
companying St. Patrick’s Day
celebration features a host of
musical acts influenced by tra-
ditional Irish music.
New York City: Perhaps
no St. Patrick’s Day parade is
more widely known than the
42-block stroll uptown along
Manhattan’s famed Fifth Av-
enue. Featuring approximately
150,000 marchers, the New
York Saint Patrick’s Day Pa-
rade is quickly approaching its
250th anniversary. And when
speaking of New York City, one
can’t help but mention the city’s
renowned and thriving night-
life, making it a perfect place
for Paddy’s Day revelers to let
loose and enjoy themselves in
celebration of Saint Patrick.
Tokyo,Japan: Though its his-
tory might not be too deep, the
Tokyo St. Patrick’s Day Parade
is the biggest Irish event in Ja-
pan. A tradition since 1992,
the Tokyo Paddy’s Day Parade
typically features 2,000 par-
ticipants, with several thousand For the hopeless romantic traveler, Clifden Castle in County
more spectators on hand. Past Galway has an intriquing past.
participants in the parade have
even included Irish dignitaries,
including former Deputy Prime May the curse of Mary Malone and her nine blind illegiti-
Minsiter Mary Harney.
Boston: Another city syn-
oymous with St. Patrick’s Day
thanks to its large Irish and
Irish American population,
Boston has hosted a wildly
popular Paddy’s Day parade for
more than 100 years. Featuring
dozens of bands, including lo-
cal favorites as well as bands
from Ireland and across North
America, the Boston St. Pat-
rick’s Day Parade does not al-
ways take place on St. Patrick’s
Day. So those traveling to the
city for the festivities should
look into this important detail
when planning a trip.
Courtesy MS
A typical Irish curse.
mate children chase you so far over the hills of Damna-
tion that the Lord himself can’t find you with a telescope.
A cottage on one of the Aran Islands is surrounded by stone
walls, built with parts of huge boulders believed to be cast
upon the shore by giant waves that occur on average once per
century.
Celtic knots are an Irish symbol you’ll find every-
where from designer jewellery to tattoos worn by rock
n’ rollers to, of course, the original Book of Kells back
in old Dublin. It’s not clear that Celtic knot drawings
were ever meant to symbolize anything, but lots of
modern people think they contain spiritual concepts.
The knots are incredibly popular with followers of new
age religions, magic societies and all sorts of other
groups who want to draw an association with the old-
est traditions of Ireland.
Whether these Irish Celtic symbols were originally
meant to represent anything or were just created to be
pretty pictures isn’t clear. The Celts, who dominated
the culture of pre-Christian Ireland, simply didn’t place
much importance on creating records to help future
generations understand their symbols. Some histo-
rians thing the Celts drew them because they were
prohibited from drawing any other pictures. One of the
more widely accepted theories to explain Celtic knot
meanings says that Celtic religion, like Islam, may
have prohibited realistic depictions of living creatures.
This rule, which gave rise to extraordinary Arabic cal-
ligraphy may have given birth to the complex Irish
knots.
Deep peace of the running waves to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the smiling stars to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you
- AN OLD GAELIC PRAYER

CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS

OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 2 – 5 pm
Visual and Texture Arts by Residents & Staff
Sweetgrass Basket Designer Sharon Perkins
Quilt Artist & Storyteller Peggie Hartwell
Display of work of Art Students
from Rollings Middle School

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BY:

Wallingford Presbyterian Church Gospel Choir
Charleston Barbershop Chorus
The Plantation Singers • Gospel Singer Kim Lee
Charleston Southern University Concert Singers
“Crazy for Christ” from Summerville Presbyterian Church
Music Students from Rollings School of the Arts
& Pinewood Preparatory School

Please enjoy our Celebration of

the Arts and Open House and
Refreshments at no charge.

26 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

 Genealogy -tracing your ancestors and re-
searching your family tree online, is one of
the most popular uses of the web.

There has never been a
better time to take an interest
in genealogy and research your
family tree, because there has
never been so much genealogy
information being made avail-
able online. It used to be a time-
consuming task to visit records
offices and parish registers, but
now you can make major head-
way in doing your genealogy
research from home. thief or if you’re somehow re-
As you get deeper into
it you will no doubt need and
want to visit some places that
are relevant to your search,
which adds to the interest of
your detective work.
On top of all the standard
informational resources there
are now lots of ways of con-
necting with others who are
researching the same family
name. You can find that a vital
hole in tracing your family tree
can be filled because someone
else has done the research be-
fore you.
Researching Your Family
You never know what you
may uncover about your fam-
ily when you start researching
your history. Find out if your
great uncle really was a cattle
lated to the royals. Thanks to
Ancestry.co.uk, you can easily
find out if you are a distant heir
to royal riches or one of Elvis’
cousins.
• Start with what you know.
You can begin by filling out a
pedigree chart – either on paper
or online. You can download a
printable family chart at Ances-
try.co.uk
• Purchase genealogy soft-
ware. Programs such as Family
Tree Maker are indispensable
tools for easily compiling and
organizing data.
• Look for records in your
home, such as family Bibles,
photographs, diaries, letters,
etc.
• Interview relatives. Often, ex-
tended family members will be
able to provide much of your
missing information. Remem-
ber to record or videotape the
interview for posterity.
• Search compiled sources.
Previously researched genealo-
gies, biographies, family trees
and name indexes will save you
a lot of time in the long run.
Online databases, such as those
on Ancestry.co.uk or Geneal-
ogy.com, can be a huge help.
• Pay attention to spelling. Vari-
ations in spelling (especially
surname spellings) can affect
the amount of information that
you find.
• Cite your sources. For every
record that you use, record the
title, a microfilm or volume
number and a page number.
• Read up on history. Learn
more about the historical back-
ground and migration patterns
of your ancestors.
• Share your discoveries. Using
message boards, upload your
tree where others can see your
work and even contact you to
share information they may
have found on the same family
lines.
More than just a hobby, ge-
nealogy is a legacy – a labour
of love to be passed to future
generations. You never know
what exciting information is
waiting for you!

March 1 born, 1841President William March 16 years, 1603

1. Older Americans account
for $2 trillion or 50% of all
spending.
2. Older Americans control
$7 trillion in wealth.
3. We are the only publi-
cation in the Lowcountry
dedicated to reaching older
Americans.
4. The Lowcountry Sun dis-
tributes free newspapers
every month to over 200
premium locations and to
more than 40,000 readers.
5. We target one of the fast-
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The Tri-County’s Premier Publication
For the Young and Active After 50
843-345-1314 March 7
Check us out at
www.lowcountrysun.sc Alexander Graham Bell re-
Check us out
on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/
lowcountrysun
and follow us on twitter
@ LowCountrySun
The Articles of Confederation
were established, 1781
March 2
Texas declared independence
from Mexico, 1836
March 3
Star Spangled Banner adopted
as National Anthem of the
United States, 1931
March 4
England’s King Charles II
granted a charter to William
Penn for an area of land that
later became the Common-
wealth of Pennsylvania, 1681
March 5
The Boston Massacre took
place, 1770
March 6
The Battle of the Alamo ended
after 13-day siege, 1836
ceived a patent for his tele-
phone, 1876
March 8
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was
Howard Taft died, 1930
March 9
The battle of “USS Monitor” &
“CSS Merrimack” occurred at
Hampton Roads, Virginia, 1862
March 10
Daniel Boone’s expedition of
Kentucky began, 1775
March 11
General Douglas MacArthur
vowed “I shall return” 1942
March 12
The Girl Scouts of America
were founded, 1912
March 13
The planet Uranus was discov-
ered by Sir William Herschel,
1781
March 14
Eli Whitney received a patent
for his cotton gin, 1793
March 15
Julius Caesar was assassi-
nated by a group of nobles that
included Brutus and Cassius,
44 B.C.
Congress authorized the
establishment of the United
States Military Academy at
West Point, N.Y., 1802
March 17
Golda Meir became the prime
minister of Israel, 1969
March 18
The Stamp Act was repealed,
1776
March 19
Volcano erupted in Bali, killing
1500, 1963
March 20
Alcatraz prison emptied prison-
ers by the order of Attorney
General Robert F. Kennedy,
1963
March 22
Congress outlawed polygamy,
1882
March 23
The United States Mint pro-
duced its first coins made by a
press, 1836
March 24
Tudor Dynasty ended after 118
March 25
Maryland was founded, by
English colonists sent by the
second Lord Baltimore (Mary-
land Day), 1634
March 26
Poet Walt Whitman died in
Camden, N.J., 1892
March 27
President George Washington
and Congress created United
States Navy, 1794
March 28
Nathaniel Briggs of New
Hampshire patented the wash-
ing machine, 1797
March 29
Julius & Ethel Rosenberg were
convicted of espionage, 1951
March 30
Alaska sold to United States by
Russia, 1867
March 31
Wabash, Indiana was the first
town to be illuminated by elec-
tric lights, 1880

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www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 27

By Schu
Well, butter my behind and call me a
biscuit. - A Southern saying
I’ll go ahead and let the cat out of
the bag now; this article has nothing to
do with biscuits. I just think the quote
is funny.
Regardless of the fact that
Charleston winters are relatively mild,
there is one thing I am certain of – I’m
ready for the cold weather to be over! I
long for warm days when I can pull on
a pair of shorts, throw on a t-shirt and
slide into a pair of flip flops. I know
many of you are saying, “Just wait un-
til July and August when the tempera-
ture climbs to 100 degrees and the hu-
midity is even higher.” Well I say bring
it on!
On the other hand, I do have to
admit there is a certain winter culinary
magic that I do long for when the cold
days fade and the heat begins to en-
velop our hamlet. There are just some
foods that we have a tendency to pre-
pare more often during the winter, and
there are specific methods in which we
prepare these foods. There is nothing
quite like coming home after a cold,
hard day of work and being met by the
waft, warming aura of a slow cooked
one pot miracle.
Take for example the slow cooker. Ac-
cording to a 2009 LA Times article the
relatively recent invention of the crock
pot (1970) has quickly become a staple
in the American kitchen with as many
as 83% of Americans now owning a
crock pot. I also bet you could count
on one hand how many people use
their slow cooker during the summer
months while I know some folks that
use their slow cooker at least once a
week during the winter. Yes, that is one
thing I will miss during the excruciat-
ing heat of the summer.
Crock Pot Guinness Beef Stew
SERVES 10
8-10 red potatoes, skin on, quartered
6 carrots, peeled, sliced into thick
chunks
2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
3 bay leaves
3 lbs stew meat, cubed
1/2 cup flour
1 dash salt
1 dash pepper
1 dash garlic powder
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces baby portabella
mushrooms, halved
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
10 3/4 ounces beef broth
1 (13 g) envelope Lipton
Onion Soup Mix
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
12 ounces beer
(Guinness, draught or stout)
1 cup frozen peas, if desired
Directions
Put potato, carrot, and celery
chunks in the bottom of crock pot. Top
with 2 bay leaves.
Season flour with a dash of salt,
pepper and garlic powder and coat the
beef with the flour. Heat a couple of
tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat in
a large skillet and add 1 bay leaf. Sau-
té beef in batches until just browned,
add more oil to pan as necessary for
each batch. Remove and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to the same pan
and sauté over med heat for a few
minutes, then add about half the can
of beef broth to deglaze, scraping up
the brown bits on the bottom of the
pan.
Add meat and onions to crock pot, top
with mushrooms.
Mix remaining beef broth with tomato
sauce, onion soup mix, remaining
seasonings, and add to crock pot.
Add the beer.
Cook 8 hours on low heat. Stir in
frozen peas when done.
Serve with crusty French bread.
Recipe courtesy of
www.recipezaar.com
No, a Guinness recipe is not a co-
incidence. It is that time of the year to
pay respect to our Irish roots. What’s
that you say “You’re not Irish”? I don’t
believe you – everyone has a little Irish
in them.
• St. Patrick was born in 385 AD
• 34 million Americans have Irish an-
cestry, nine times the population of
Ireland
• One estimate suggests that there are
about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers
for every lucky four-leaf clover.
• Legend says that each leaf of the clo-
ver means something: the first is for
hope, the second for faith, the third for
love and the fourth for luck.
www.holidays.kaboose.com
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Ingredients:
5 lb Corned-Beef brisket
2 Whole cloves
2 Bay Leaves
8 Medium Potatoes, pared
1 Medium cabbage, cut in wedges
Chopped parsley
1 Clove Garlic
10 Whole black peppers
8 Medium Carrots, pared
8 Medium yellow onions, peeled
2 lb Butter
Directions:
Wipe corned beef with damp pa-
per towels. Place in large pan, cover
with water. Add garlic, cloves, black
peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to
boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 5 min-
utes. Skim surface. Cover pan; sim-
mer 3 to 4 hours, or until corned beef
is fork-tender. Add carrots, potatoes,
and onions during last 25 minutes. Add
cabbage wedges during last 15 min-
utes. Cook vegetables just till tender.
Slice across the grain. Arrange slices
on platter with cabbage. Brush pota-
toes with butter, sprinkle with chopped
parsley.
Recipe courtesy of
www.irishabroad.com
A lifelong foodie, Schu has
worked in the food and beverage in-
dustry since the age of 15. From dish-
washer to general manager, from mom
& pop joints to hotels and national
chains, Schu has also written for vari-
ous publications and hosted a weekly
radio show dedicated to food.

What does the lepre- there is on any other day of gan the all American tradi- originates from the Blarney lish Army.
chaun have to do with St. the year. This may well be be- tions of green beer and the Stone, a large stone Legend has it that an
Patrick? Well, the leprechaun cause of St. Patrick’s Pagan wearing of the green. The located in an 18 old woman cast
is actually one of the fairies of based practice of honoring reason people began to pinch foot thick wall a magical spell
ancient Irish mythology. He Brigid with “poteen,” which is those who did not wear green of the Blar- upon the stone,
was feared because he hid an Irish beer made from pota- on St. Patrick’s Day was as ney Castle after a King
from human view, but he was toes. St. Patrick, by the way, a reminder that leprechauns Tower in saved her
also revered because of his is also credited as bringing would sneak up and pinch B l a r n e y, from drown-
riches - in the form of a pot of the art of distillery to Ireland. those who could be seen on Ireland. ing in the
gold. As far as green beer this day. The Cas- moat sur-
Drinking of beer, green goes, it wasn’t until the Irish Blarney is also associ- tle was rounding the
and otherwise is definitely settled in Boston, and faced ated with St. Patrick’s Day. originally castle. The
part of the rituals involved immense discrimination that One usually starts to spout built in magical spell
with this holiday. There is they chose to show their Irish blarney after having one too 1446 to pro- was the gift of
more beer consumed in Ire- pride by using the color green many green beers. The word tect the Irish persuasive elo-
land on St. Patrick’s Day than for all things Irish. Thus be- blarney however actually villagers during quence or blarney.
attacks by the Eng-

28 MARCH, 2010 • www.lowcountrysun.sc

By Belinda Roberts
There is no age limit for
looking stylish. The biological
clock doesn’t stop today’s fash-
ion-forward woman from wear-
ing the latest trends. Women of
all ages want to wear stylish
fashions.
For the mature woman,
select dresses or skirts that hit
just below the knee. Get tops or
blouses  with short,  three quar-
ter or long sleeves, wrap a scarf
around the neck or wear turtle
necks when it is cooler.
What you wear has a lot to
do with attitude. We know that
sixty is the new forty because
women are more health con-
scious and in relatively great
shape.
Watch your handbag, it’s
usually a dead giveaway for
your age. Instead, have some
fun with your handbag. Try
lively colors and different
shapes. Shoulder bags that fit
under the armpit are generally
the most flattering.
   Shop for wearable updat-
ed shoes. Do not wear stock-
ings with any sandals or open
shoes as this will date you.
Women over fifty can look
as chic as anyone half their age,
but be careful not to overdo it.
Don’t gob on the jewelry.
Spring is near. Go from
frump to fabulous and bright-
en up your days with color.
Be bold! Dump the routine of
wearing all black and brown
Beauty & Fashion
By Belinda Roberts
and add corals, pinks, purples
and turquoise.   questions you may have per-
This is the time of year for
putting your best face forward.
Drink plenty of water; it helps
hydrate your skin. Always ap-
ply a good moisturizer at night
and before applying your make
up. I use olive oil on my face
and lips nightly then lightly pat
off the residue. It works for me!
Anytime you wash your
face, use a facial cleanser rather
than soap then immediately ap-
ply a good moisturizer. And
don’t forget your lips.
Finally, stand up straight
with good posture and carry
yourself with grace. You will
appear taller and look chic and
fabulous!
      I’ll be glad to answer any
taining to beauty or fashion tips
as much as space allows.  com.
Belinda Roberts resides in
Charleston, is the Founder, CEO
of The Hat Divas Society, Inc.
The only non-profit hat club in-
corporated in the state of South
Carolina that co-hosts fundrais-
ing benefits for local charities,
has been in the retail business
pertaining to clothing and make
up for women, Real estate in-
vesting, member of a literary
club for thirty years, currently
President of her neighborhood
Civic Club, member of Rotary,
CCRWC, and the CSOL, and
business owner for twenty eight
years.
E-mail me at: gatorbug54@aol.

Women in wheelchairs most wheelchair-appropriate who want to use up-to-date

often find that their physical
condition can severely limit
their choices in clothing as
well as their mobility. Cloth-
ing is manufactured and de-
signed to be comfortable and
easy to use for people with
mobility problems, but there
has been a tendency to de-
sign with a “one size fits all”
approach. his tends to make
clothing that caters to any
kind of disability without tak-
ing style into account. These
days, designers are emerg-
ing who cater to women
who want up-to-date fashion
designed to be stylish and
comfortable in a wheelchair.
Clothing designed for use
in wheelchairs is generally
made to accommodate any
disability. This can be very
important for people who suf-
fer a lack of motor ability in
their hands, as many wheel-
chair clothing manufacturers
include Velcro seams with
feaux buttons, making it pos-
sible to dress themselves in-
The original wheelchair fashionista, 77 yrs. young Elizabeth
Taylor speaks at Macy’s fundraiser fashion show in Santa
Monica.
dependently. If you are able
to use buttons, however, you
may prefer a button-down
shirt, but still want it to be
designed to look good while
you’re in a sitting position.
Clothing is usually designed
to look its best when a per-
son is standing or walking.
Clothing designed for
people who use wheelchairs
has been slower to evolve
than wheelchair design it-
self. You can get a variety
of wheelchairs to match any
disability with any cause, but
clothing is designed to be ac-
cessible to anyone. Clothing
for men with mobility prob-
lems is usually very clas-
sical, including polo shirts,
feaux button-down shirts,
classic pants, jeans, or kha-
kis with elasticized waist-
bands, and sport jackets cut
a little shorter to look good in
a sitting position.
This isn’t as much of
a problem because men’s
clothing design is more uni-
form to begin with. Women’s
clothing is much more com-
plicated and varied. Wom-
en’s wheelchair clothing, in
addition to sometimes not
having the option of exclud-
ing Velcro seams or other
accommodations that, de-
pending on your situation,
you may not need, are often
also very classical or even
targeted towards senior citi-
zens. Senior citizens make
up a large part of the market
for mobility products, and
while there are older people
clothing, the stereotype is
that they may have an anti-
quated fashion sense.
Designers are finally
catching up with wheelchair
fashion. There still
aren’t many sources of fash-
ion clothing for people in
wheelchairs but the market
is expanding. These design-
ers tend to focus on simply
making clothing which looks
good and is comfortable
while sitting down, which
may make them a tempting
option for people who work
in an office as well. Jackets
are designed not to bunch up
when a person is sitting down
with the jacket buttoned, as
are shirts and blouses. Pants
are designed to accommo-
date your stomach in a sit-
ting position, using elastic
or loose-fitting waistbands,
as are skirts, which are cut
at a length which is tasteful
and won’t get caught in your
spokes of your wheelchair.

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www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 29

CLUES ACROSS
1. Self help Carnegie
5. At the peak
9. Syrup tree
14. Gorse genus
15. D____: non-musical play
16. aka
17. A citizen of Denmark
18. N.E. fruit: ____berry
19. Candied fruit
20. Google and Bing
Waller 14. Lawyer 15. Will Rogers.
8. Paula Jones 9. Planet Hollywood 10. Eugene O’Neill 11. Shirley Temple Black 12. George Gershwin 13. Fats
1. Woody Allen 2. Francis Ford Coppola 3. Leonard Bernstein 4.Three 5. Cindy Crawford 6. Prince 7. Max Factor
www.lowcountrysun.sc
30 MARCH, 2010 •
41. Association for Research &
Enlightenment, (abbr.)
42. Santa’s helpers
44. Hitler’s party
45. One who write the words
for songs
47. Two-dimensional
49. Foot digit
50. Where computer nerds
meet
51. Act of making into a prod-
uct
57. In a grip
59. Hebrew kor
60. River into The Baltic
61. Imminent danger
62. Christian ____, designer
63. Swain
64. Comic book hero Dick
65. Man____: type of roof
66. Pinnas
CLUES DOWN
23. Prompted 1. Informal clothes
24. A way to sink 2. Wings
25. Cosseted 3. Singer Horne
28. Standards 4. Workout
33. Expression of sorrow or 5. Bowed
pity 6. S_____: gazed intensely
34. Collect funds for a purpose 7. Arabian Sultanate
35. ___nezer Scrooge 8. Stabbing twinge
36. Nostrils 9. Business leaders
38. Heat unit 10. Assert to be true
39. Indian frocks 11. Uto____: perfect places
The Lowcountry Sun has established
itself as the Premier Mature Market
publication in the Low Country.
We’re committed to keeping you
informed of developments that affect
you at work and at home.
From business and economic
news to social and political
changes, the Lowcountry Sun
keeps you on top of what’s
happening in your community
and around the world.
843.345.1314
www.lowcountrysun.sc
12. ___tose: milk sugar
13. Point midway between E
and SE
21. Signal or prompt
22. Egyptian goddess
25. Unoriginal
26. Wing shaped
27. Less covered
28. Insert mark
29. Tractor-trailers
30. Showed old move
31. Island SW of Majorca
32. Gods dwelling in Asgard
34. Increases motor speed
37. In the second place
40. Organism that does not
require oxygen
43. In place of
46. Right slanting typeface
47. Bomb used to breach a gate
48. Romanian monetary unit
50. Ethereal fluid
51. A short syllable (poetry)
52. Government officials
53. W. Samoan capital
54. The content of cognition
55. Close by
56. Crane genus
57. Strikingly appropriate
58. Of she
Crossword answers
on page 11
www.lowcountrysun.sc
www.lowcountrysun.sc
Trivia
1. Who was born Allen Stewart
Konigsburg?
2.Which film director wrote the
screenplay for Patton?
3.Which composer was the
musical director of the New York
Philharmonic from 1958 to 1970?
4.How many wives had Hum-
phrey Bogart had before Lauren
Bacall?
5.Who in 1994 put an ad in The
Times with Richard Gere to say
their marriage was still strong?
6. Who did Mate Garcia marry in
1996 by pointing to his symbol?
7. Which perfume house did
Madonna advertise in the late
1990s?
8. Who accused Bill Clinton of
sexual harassment after an inci-
dent in a hotel in 1991?
9. Which celebrity restaurants
do Stallone, Willis and Schwar-
zenegger own?
10.Who was Charlie Chaplin’s
final father in law?
11. Who became Ambassador to
Ghana in 1974?
12. Who wrote the music for An
American In Paris?
13. Who wrote “Honeysuckle
Rose” and “Ain’t Misbehavin”?
14. What was Paul Robeson’s
profession before he became a
stage actor?
15. Who was nicknamed the
“cowboy philosopher”?
Turn page upside down
for answers.
 “There’s always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it.
For example, I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don’t hurt.”
- Author Unknown

The Memory Test As soon as she had finished parochial

Three old men are at the doctor for a
memory test. The doctor says to the first
old man, “What is three times three?”
“274” was his reply.
The doctor worriedly says to the second
man, “It’s your turn. What is three times
three?”
“Tuesday” replies the second man.
The doctor sadly says to the third man,
“Okay, your turn. What’s three times
three”?
“Nine” says the third man.
“That’s great!” exclaims the doctor. “How
did you get that”?
“Jeez, Doc, it’s pretty simple,” says the
third man. “I just subtracted 274 from
Tuesday.”
Answers to Word Search, page 11
school, a bright young girl named Lena
shook the dust of Ireland off her shoes and
made her way to New York where before
long, she became a successful performer in
show business.
Eventually she returned to her home town
for a visit and on a Saturday night went to
confession in the church which she had al-
ways attended as a child. In the confessional
Father Sullivan recognized her and began
asking her about her work. She explained
that she was an acrobatic dancer, and he
wanted to know what that meant.
She said she would be happy to show him
the kind of thing she did on stage.
She stepped out of the confessional and
within sight of Father Sullivan, she went
into a series of cartwheels, leaping splits,
handsprings and backflips. Kneeling near the
confessional, waiting their turn, were two
middle-aged ladies. They witnessed Lena’s
acrobatics with wide eyes, and one said to
the other:
“Will you just look at the penance Father
Sullivan is givin’ out this night, and me
without me bloomers on!”

Who am I ?
This sneaker-wearing children’s show host’s
long career included being a puppeteer, an
ordained minister, and a beloved television
neighbor who fed his fish, Fennel and Frieda,
during the tapings of his show.
Answer on page 11
A little boy wanted $100 badly and prayed for two
weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to
write God a letter requesting the funds.
When the postal authorities received the letter ad-
dressed to God, USA, they decided to send it to the
president, who was so touched and amused that he
had his secretary send the boy a $5 bill.
The boy’s response:
Dear God. Thank you very much for sending the
money, however, I noticed that for some reason
you had to send it through Washington D.C. and, as
usual, those (expletives deleted) deducted $95.
A cowboy from Texas walked into a bank in New
York City and asked for the loan officer. He told the
loan officer that he was going to Paris for an inter-
national rodeo for two weeksand needed to borrow
$5,000 and that he was not a depositor of the bank.
The bank officer told him that the bank would need
some form of security for the loan, so the Cowboy
handed over the keys to a new Ferrari. The car was
parked on the street in front of the bank. The Cow-
boy produced the title and everything checked out.
The loan officer agreed to hold the car
as collateral for the loan and apologized for having
to charge 12% interest.
Later, the bank’s president and its officers all en-
joyed a good laugh at the Cowboy from Texas for
using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000
loan. An employee of the bank then drove the Fer-
rari into the bank’s private underground garage and
parked it.
Two weeks later, the Cowboy returned, repaid the
$5,000 and the interest of $23.07. The loan officer
said, “Sir, we are very happy to have had your
business, and this transaction has worked out very
nicely, but we are a little puzzled.
While you were away, we checked you out on
Dunn & Bradstreet and found that you are a
highly sophisticated investor and multimillionaire
with real estate and financial interests all over the
world. Your investments include a large number
of wind turbines around Sweetwater, Texas. What
puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow
$5,000?”
The good ‘ole Texas boy replied, “Where else in
New York City can I park my car for two weeks
for only $23.07 and expect it to be there when I
return?”
Don’t mess with’em.

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www.lowcountrysun.sc • MARCH, 2010 31