All kinds of posts

I posted a bunch of photos from the local paper and website that I work for, just in case they decided to nix the site.

So, read the dates published and decided wither you want to read them

phew~ that was a lot of work getting them all copied send sent here, we need to get jump drives here at home.

Easter Morning, Bluegrass Style

Submitted by on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 14:09. Faith

Easter is all about family, and xxxxxxx had an Easter morning treat from The Flowers Family Band this Sunday morning as they presented a free bluegrass gospel service during RenoFest at 9:00 a.m. in the All Saint’s Hall at xxxxxxxxxxx Church.

Prior to their performance, the family sent this message:

“We are excited and honored to be a part of xxxxxx this year. This is our fourth consecutive year, and it has become a family tradition for our band to attend. We are especially honored to be a part of the Easter morning celebration service. When we think of xxxxxxx, this thought comes to mind- “The people make the festival”. We try to encourage others who have not visited this festival to stop in and get a feel of the small town friendliness of xxxxxx and xxxxxxxxxx.”

The Flowers Family Band is a xxxxxxxx favorite, and tied for 2nd Place Band in 2006.

seated, left to right: Alana, Dillon and Hannah Flowers.
Standing, left to right: Phil Bentley, Joel Little, and Donnie Little.

The Flowers Family Band hails from Mt. Holly, NC consists of six band members, including; Alana Flowers, age 19, the group’s lead singer. Alana has played the banjo since she was 8 years old, and was the 2nd place winner in last year’s xxxxxxxxxBanjo Contest. This talented young lady is currently a sophomore in the English program at Belmont Abbey College, and works part-time at the law firm of Kemp Michael and Brooke Shepherd in Mount Holly. She lost her voice over the weekend, but told me that they are eager to compete again next year for the Bluegrass Band title next year!

Alana is joined on stage by her siblings; Hannah, age 13, has played the fiddle since she was five years old and sings harmony vocals. She is aptly nicknamed “Hurricane Hannah”, and she loves to read almost as much as she loves to sing and play fiddle! She maintains new myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/ffbbluegrass. She has the voice of an angel!

Dillon, age 9 ½, has played the mandolin since he was 4 years old and amazes audiences with his instrumentals and his singing voice.

Dillon Flowers

Their little sister, Ellie, age 4, plays fiddle and told her mother that she “has been playing for five years” on Easter morning. She is just adorable!

Ellie Flowers, age 4.

Donnie Little sings harmony and lead vocals, and plays guitar and banjo with the family since 2001. He began playing the banjo back in 1964 at the age of five, and represents Yates Banjos in Hickory, NC as a technician, with his own “Donnie Little Signature Model” banjo featured on their impressive list of hand built banjos.

Joel Little plays the fiddle, mandolin and guitar, and sings lead in The Little Family Bluegrass Band. He has taught fiddle for forty years, (although he looks only about 40 himself!) and has taught both Hannah and Dillon Flowers. Joel has been a member of the band since 2001.

Phil Bentley, who is the group's bassist, became a part of The Flowers Family Band in 2004. He has been performing music for over forty years, and also plays guitar, banjo, and other instruments. He sings harmony with the band.

The group sang their last song with Pastor Terry Martin, himself a big bluegrass fan.

Fans that attended the early Easter morning concert contributed nearly $240.00 for xxxxxxxxxxx, a charity near and dear to our hearts and truly in keeping with the Easter message.

Join us next year as xxxxxxxxx hosts the Gospel Sing in our historic sanctuary.... we cannot have it in there on Easter Sunday because of all the gorgeous lilies and the brass instruments...no room for a bluegrass band on Easter, so the All Saint's Hall is the location. See why:

See all of the infamous "Lillian Galloway's Lilies"????

Happy Easter Everyone!

Artists in Town for RenoFest Find "Divine Inspiration"!

Three artists in search of an interesting place to paint during Easter weekend found xxxxxxxxx to be just the inspiration they hoped it would be. Their easels set up on 4th Street this morning created a small crowd, it's not every day that we see artists at work on a Friday morning, but with bluegrass fans in town, anything goes!

Grady Sullivan gave me a call, and said, "We've got some really interesting artists in front of the church, you may want to drive down and take a look." Here are some photos that Grady got of the ladies.

photo courtesy of Grady Sullivan

Willard Jacobs, one of our own artists, talks to the artists in town for RenoFest. Photo courtesy of Grady Sullivan

Have easel, will travel! Photo courtesy of Grady Sullivan.

It didn't take long, and I was on the way uptown to meet them!

Please click on their names for a link to their website.

Diana Pratt Dice an artist from Lilburn, GA, shown below with her painting of the Ladies Parlor stained glass windows at Wesley UMC, said that she and her friend Judith Surowiec looked around for a great place to paint this weekend and learned about the RenoFest weekend. "The weather is just perfect!" she grinned, her bubbly personality just as effusive as her colorful palette. Judy had met the other painter, Amy, when they painted at Callaway Gardens a few years ago. They got back in contact with each other and thought it'd be fun to paint somewhere really different, and here we are!"

The effervescent Diana Pratt Dice with her rendition of the Ladies Parlor windows at Wesley UMC on the first day of RenoFest 2008

Amy Ringholz, an artist from Jackson Hole, WY, usually paints with oils and found the blustery day to be a challenge, "The acrylic is really drying quickly!", she said. "I usually do animals, this is something completely different for me." Amy gave me one of her business cards, and it has a Grizzly Bear on one side, and a wolf on the other...go to her website to see all her "critters". Below, Amy is shown with her painting of the stained glass windows from outside the 1903 sanctuary at xxxxxxxxx on the corner of 4th Street and College Avenue.

The gorgeous palette of Amy Ringholz of Jackson Hole, WY as she paints the stained glass windows at xxxxxxxxx on the first day of RenoFest 2008

Judith Surowiec, an artist from Buford, GA, was the woman that found the RenoFest on line and decided this was a great place to come for the weekend. "There wasn't much going on for Easter weekend, but since we all love bluegrass music and love painting in different places, we decided to come!" See her vision of the outside of Wesley UMC below.

The vibrant, lighthearted view of Wesley UMC from GA artist Judith Suroweic on the first day of RenoFest 2008

I asked if ladies' families' were in town with them, and they all laughed, "No, way, someone has to be home making the money...I left my husband at home!" said Diana. Her husband does love bluegrass and even plays the banjo, and Judy's husband loves it too, so maybe the guys will join the artists next year! You may get a chance to see them painting in town this weekend, make sure to catch a peek at their awesome work!

Earn This T-Shirt

WWJD?

Well, for one, He'd want you to sign a team up for Christmas in April 2008.

....and, honestly, don't you want to own a shirt like this?

“Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.” Hebrew 10:24 (NCV)

Christmas in April is nearly a month from now… would you like to spend a day that will bless you with memories for a lifetime?

The Christmas in April Board of Directors have selected 54 homes to be worked on this year, and already have over 20 teams signed up to renovate homes of low income, elderly families living in owner occupied homes in the area.

The Chairman, Walt Harvey, says that there are still homes needing teams, “We’d love to have more!”

The mission first began in Midland, Texas in 1973 by an oil scout named Bobby Trimble and a group of his friends who saw a need in their community to renovate homes of the needy in a group effort, a “barn-raising” idea that caught on. There is a national headquarters in Washington, DC, and now volunteers in over 240 towns in all 50 states in America participate in this worthy event.

xxxxxxx first Christmas in April was in 1989, and since that time over 12,500 volunteers have refurbished 550 homes and a non-profit day care. The residents of the selected homes are unable to maintain repair and upkeep on their homes due to limitations of their health and finances. They have gone on to maintain their renovations, and give thanks to the generosity of their neighbors for lending a hand.

If you have a team of cheerful workers willing to give a Saturday (or perhaps a few Saturdays!) to take on a Christmas in April, here are some general facts to consider:

Attire: dress in clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty or paint on; shirts and shoes are required, work gloves and safety glasses recommended.

Promptness: all work teams will report to their house by 8:00 a.m., and each volunteer is vital to insure the crew can finish the job.

Tools & Equipment: Each team must provide their own tools and equipment, marked with their names and phone numbers. The tools needed will vary for each home, but usually each team needs paint brushes, pans, rollers, sandpaper, rags, drop cloths, masking tape, paint remover, broom, tape measures, scrapers, screwdrivers, hammers, hand-saws, etc.
Materials: teams are encouraged to pick up their materials the week before the Christmas in April day to avoid a “traffic jam” that Saturday. Large lots of lumber or roofing can be delivered to the site, but arrangements must be made ahead of time. There is no warehouse to store materials, so plan on finding secure storage before that Saturday. Projects requiring storm doors and windows should be measured by the supplier and ordered as soon as possible.

Teams are encouraged to contact a Board Member with questions about their projects well in advance of the actual work day.

If you have a group of co-workers, friends, softball team members, Sunday School class members, civic group, or just a great group of neighbors willing to roll up your sleeves for a day, give a the Chamber of Commerce at xxxxx ASAP! The final house assignment meeting will be Friday, March 28.

Hartsville Christmas in April Board Members for 2008 are:
Willie & Patsy Alcorn, Winky Black, Adlena Graham, Walt Harvey, Levi Johnson, Mike McConnell, Bob McWatty, Ed Rothe, and Grady Sullivan. Members Emeritus are Carl Bacote and Buster Love.

Some Photos from a Week in March....

Easter Egg Hunts on windy days....

with a special candy treat in each bright egg...

Rotarians visit from South Africa, here with their host families...

The cast of The Last Supper directed by Willard Jacobs, performed on Maunday Thursday March 20, 2008 at Wesley UMC.

The streets lined with trees, and shops full of goods....

And trees with blossoms to delight your eyes (but make you sneeze!)

Centennial Park with it's fountain... blue?

Is the blue New? Or for Bluegrass?

Happy Easter Weekend!

Swag,

Swag, xxxxx Style

Swag: items given freely, such as to promote a band, event or company. "Stuff" obtained for free.

When you write for a major publication, you are often invited to black tie events and dine for free. Covering something like the Oscars, and you may go home with a coveted "goodie bag" worth a lot of money.

When you write for a community website and a paper in a small town and write about the lack of anything remotely resembling baby Jesus at Christmas time that was not a Christmas ornament, you may be lucky enough to get a "fan gift" like this one:

A real talking Jesus doll was dropped off at my office by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous, but would like to see their special gift on-line.

Here's a view of talking Jesus out of the box:

You can get your own locally at Bi Lo on Carolina Avenue, or read about them on their website: http://www.one2believe.com/

Thank you, my friend, for the most surprising gift of 2008!

Early Spring

For all my friends that live far away from SC, here's a little peek at how gorgeous a day we had today..chilly in the 50's, but a beautiful sunny day.

a Bradford Pear tree blooming at SPC,

and another blooming at Black Creek Arts Center.

The trees in front of Center Theater getting full and green.

The new entrance to Coker College and their impressive new library, with red bud trees in bloom.

The Red Bud tree with it's lovely purple bloom against the blue, blue sky.

Forsythia bushes in their yellow splendor.

Camellias on Church Street with their waxy red blooms evoke another era.

Pansies at St. Mary's reminding us of the Lenten Season.

The Prettiest Stree, Laurel Oak Drive, getting greener every day.

The Country Club with their cheerful pansies in bloom.

Spring in the Carolinas is a treasure!

It's Their Birthday.... Finally!

Happy Birthday, Leap Day Birthday Babies!

”Anyone can be born IN a Leap Year.

We were born ON Leap Day.
There's a big difference there!”
http://www.leapyearday.com/

These folks celebrate two birthdays, their Leap Day Birthday every four years, and their year of birth is celebrated on either February 28th, March 1st, or all week long!

Bennett Joyce is the son of Bunky and Lyn Joyce , and attends Thomas Hart Academy in Mrs. Jenner’s Second Grade Class. He will be turning 8 years old, but will celebrate his 2nd Leap Day birthday. “It’s cool having my real birthday this year,” says Bennett, “I get to have my birthday party on the real day this year.”

His mom, Lyn, remembers walking the halls of McLeod Hospital in labor, and her husband telling her, “It’s just 11 o’clock, honey, if you just hang on we can have a Leap Day baby!” And nearly two hours later, she did just that. Bennett was born at 12:55 a.m., the first of six Leap Day Babies born at McLeod Regional Hospital on February 29, 2000. His big sister, Brittany, says she “loves to tease him about his birthday… but, I really do love him!” The Build-A-Bear company surprised him with a gift certificate to make a free bear to celebrate his Real Birthday, something that he will certainly enjoy at his football theme party at his grandparents house… it sure is great having your birthday actually on the calendar this year, Bennett!

Another Hartsville resident, Patrick “Pat” Irvin, really got a kick out of meeting young Bennett Joyce at the Memorial Library this week. Neither one had ever met anyone that shared their birthday; after all, Pat is only turning 15, and Bennett is turning 2- this Leap Day Birthday talk is really fun!

Pat Irvin was born on February 29, 1948, and remembers that when he was a kid, other kids used to tease him for not having his birthday on the calendar every year. “I felt like the red-headed step child,” he laughs; “My mother always celebrated my non-Leap Year birthday on March 1st, but my February the 29th birthdays always seemed bigger.” He nodded towards Bennett, who bobbed his head in agreement.

Over the phone prior to the library interview, Pat shared that one of the most neat things about having a Leap Day birthday is that most presidential elections are held that year; he has vivid memories of the presidents getting elected on his “special birthday year”, such as Eisenhower when he was 4, and then again re-elected when he was 8; John F. Kennedy in 1960 when Pat turned 12; and Lyndon Johnson in 1964 when Pat turned 16, and so on.

The Leap Year Day 1968, however, was the most memorable, as Pat turned 20 in the jungles of Vietnam. “I was in the Air Force fighting in the Vietnam War, and I was just happy to be alive to see another Leap Year birthday. You know, life goes by a little fast after age 20!” Pat makes his home here with his wife, Sandie, and will be celebrating his 15th “real birthday” this Friday.

Photo by Fentress Smith

Patricia Smith born in the Mount Claire Community of Darlington on February 29, 1952 will be celebrating her 14th Leap Day Birthday today! Her daughter, Fentress Smith, an Internal Auditor for Sonoco, was delighted to share her mother’s special birthday after reading the “call for birthdays” on HV TD. “My brother and I love to tease my mother for not having a “real” birthday; we have a lot of fun when it is actually her real day!” Fentress, her brother (currently a Helicopter Mechanic on contract in Iraq) and her grandchild (an Honor Roll student at St. John's Elementary), are all glad that Patricia has a real birthday this year, not a “fake” one as they like to tease her.

Patricia is one of 15 children, and was always told by her mother that her birthday was special; in their family, her birthday was celebrated on February 28th on non-Leap Day years, since “wasn’t a March baby”, recalls Patricia. “I remember as a child that I had a special cousin that used to tease me that I was a baby since I only had a birthday every four years; back then, I wanted to be older, and so I didn’t like that teasing. Now that I am getting older, I want him to tell me that!” Patricia thanks God that she is celebrating yet another four years since her last real birthday, and her husband of 39 years adds that she’ll be looking for birthday gifts from him on both the 28th and the 29th for years to come!

photo from the Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center Website

Rumor has it that Hartsville has yet another Leap Year Baby in town, Dr. James O. Morphis, and that his office celebrated his “Sweet 16” birthday party for him a few years ago… no counting the years, now, being a Leap Day baby means that you get to stay younger than the rest of us!

Photo by Cheryl Smith, with Fentress Smith's camera! :)

Dana Banister of Sonoco will be celebrating her 9th Leap Day birthday this Friday. She was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 29, 1972 and was only one of two babies born that day in that hospital. Her father’s birthday is on February 27th, so on non-Leap Year birthdays they shared their birthdays… but now that Dana is a “grown-up”, if Dad is not in town, she chooses to celebrate her birthday on the closest Friday! “I figured, since I get to choose, I may as well have a Friday!”

Dana was never teased by her siblings or friends for her unusual birthday, in fact, they thought it was really neat. Her favorite memory was when she turned 16 years of age… and her 4th Leap Day Birthday… she and her father got dressed up for a very formal birthday dinner together. Dana was raised in Charleston, SC, got married in Vegas, lived here for a while, moved to Florence, and plans to move back to here in a few years- “I like to move!”, she chuckles. She has never met another person born on her special birthday, and really loves the fact that she has such an unusual birth date. Dana has been with Sonoco for a year and a half and loves it. Apparently being a Leap Day baby makes for a happy person, as Dana is truly a delightful person like the other “Leap-lings” I interviewed for this story!

A HartsvilleToday reader, Tim Spears, just sent in his photo and I'll share what he has to say about being a Leap Year Baby:

Tim Spears"Yup, born on leap year in 1968.. :) Born in East Brewton Alabama. I've only met one other person in my life born on leap year. It's cool because no one ever forgets your birthday, however these days I'd like for them too. I can remember being 4 for the longest time. (in leap years that is). There used to be a party held every year in Pensacola Florida, which I never got to attend. Ever hear of any elsewhere?"

Happy Birthday, Leap Day Babies~!

Want to know more?

The composer Gioacchino Rossini (The William Tell Overture), the astronaut Jack Lousma, the football player Fran Tarkenton and the band leader Jimmy Dorsey, entertainer Dinah Shore, American Idol judge Randy Jackson and rapper JaRule share this day.

Why do we have Leap Year?
The Gregorian calendar, which now serves as the standard calendar for civil use throughout the world, has both common years and leap years. A common year has 365 days and a leap year 366 days, with the extra, or intercalary, day designated as February 29. A leap year occurs every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year, or the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun, which is about 365¼ days.
The length of the solar year, however, is slightly less than 365¼ days—by about 11 minutes. To compensate for this discrepancy, the leap year is omitted three times every four hundred years.
In other words, a century year cannot be a leap year unless it is divisible by 400. Thus 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years.

What are your chances of being born on leap day?
About 1 in 1500.

Visit these fun websites to learn more about this very special day!

http://www.leapyearday.com/

http://www.leapyearcapital.com

www.leapdaybabies.com

http://leapyearday.com/LeapZineHomePage.htm

High School Musical - Opening Night Review

The Disney Channel made-for-TV musical “High School Musical” took the nation by storm, and now is going to light up the stages in xxxxxxxxx. Last night was the first of six performances for the cast, led by Ms. Paulette Lunn of xxx High School and Dr. Jim Beaumier of xxxx School, and the students are doing a tremendous job. The audience loved the show last night, and plenty of little ones were singing along to every song.

Cast of High School Musical during rehearsals.

The theme of the movie is that kids from different cliques can come together with more open-minded thinking and acceptance of their differences and strengths. Just like the show, the cast is made up of kids from varied backgrounds that come together to make a great night at the theater. Not only are the students from two different schools, they comprise students that also members of choir, band, academic clubs, sports, dance, artistic talents and more. The kids have helped each other by choreographing different numbers, lending assistance on singing, and generally all playing a part in making their production wonderful.

Hannah Stanley and Weldon Mumford, both seniors, have sung together many times in their school careers together will play the leads of Gabriella and Troy, strangers by chance that end up finding that they both love to sing. They decide to try out for the school play, and that revelation startles the students of East High, as Troy was only known as a “jock”, and the new student at East High, Gabriella, has an IQ that makes her invaluable to the academic challenge team. Their friends plot to insure that they cannot audition for the school play, which makes the Queen of the Stage only too happy- Sharpay, played by freshman Amelia Little and her stage brother Ryan, played by Noah Stanley (real-life brother to Hannah), are always the leads of the school play. The show has a lot of great songs that you’ll leave the theater singing, but chances are if you have a pre-teen in your home you’ve heard them a million times already!

By the end of the play, everyone realizes that they need not be just in one clique, that the students can blend their talents together. The premise is a bit corny, but an ideal that is a positive message for all of us- which may be why High School Musical has been so popular all along.

We support our sports teams; we need to give our other groups of students with our attendance at what they do best. Our academic challenge teams, our band concerts, and our theater students need and deserve good support and audiences. Support these kids that have worked so hard….GO SEE THIS SHOW!

Cast of High School Musical in rehearsal prior to opening night.

Weldon Mumford and Hannah Stanley during rehearsals.

Memorizing lines is a tough job when you are also juggling a ton of homework!

And who says rehearsals can't be fun? Seated is Coleen Kelly, who plays the piano playing playwright, Kelsie...she did a great job helping to choreograph the show. (The kid in yellow is mine, she gets to be Gabriella when Hannah Stanley competes in Miss Hartsville High on March 1st...good luck to both girls that night!)

Rehearsals for a musical are challenging.... memorizing dance steps and songs!

Opening Night in Hartsville, February 21st

Flowers from Dad make it all worthwhile! Amelia Little as Sharpay with her proud Papa!

HMS Auditorium
February 21, 22, & 23 at 7:00 p.m.

St. John's Elementary Auditorium
February 28, 29, & March 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $3 for Students, and $5 for Adults

This performance is a XXXXXXXXX Collaboration... fun for the whole family!

Valentine's Day Eve

Submitted by on Wed, 02/13/2008

My goodness, can it be Valentine's Day already? I hadn't noticed.....

Ha!

Red and pink Valentine's Day swag is all over the stores, and there is love in the air. Many of our local restaurants and businesses are having special deals for those last minute shoppers (this means you, guys) to insure that your love will not be forgotten this Valentine's Day.

I cannot give away too many details of plans that I've heard about town, but there will be at least one or two proposals, a very enterprising young man from Mayo High School is adopting his sweetheart a kitten from the Darlington County Animal Shelter (awww!), and I hear of many folks making neat "homemade" gifts of mixed music cd's with special cd jackets of photos together. Mama's are making special cupcakes for their little one's school parties, and children have just one more day to make out all those little tiny cards for their classmates.

Advice to all my male friends out there: It's not all about how much money you spend, it's about the effort. You are creating a memory... this is the only holiday that is unabashedly gushy and romantic, have fun and try to be as creative as possible!

1. Do NOT forget to do something tomorrow. The day after just won't do. Having something at her workplace...very good idea.

2. Women like something that is uniquely YOU. They chose you, correct? So, don't do something that is totally out of character. Like...if you are a farmer, it'd be strange for you to put on an uncomfortable suit and take her ballroom dancing if she knows you hate to dance and you'll be tugging at your necktie all night. Planting her some insanely delicious smelling roses, gardenias, etc. is more YOUR style, and she'll love it.

3. Most women, not all, but most love pretty sparkly things.

4. You cannot go wrong with chocolate, but, you'd better find out what kind she likes the best. Most women/young ladies really do like stuffed animals, too....some just don't outgrow that. Books are a great choice too, as are romantic movies like Chocolat, The Notebook, Amelie, When Harry Met Sally, and others.

5. Buy flowers if she loves them, but buy what you can comfortably afford. This won't make me popular with the florists, but, you can buy gorgeous roses in other stores that may suit your wallet a little easier. Just don't forget to take the price sticker off and all that dumb plastic wrap; if you can get some real satin ribbon to tie around them, even better.

6. A handwritten love letter or card will be saved forever.

7. Find a romantic poem by her favorite poet if she has one, and copy it for her in your very own handwriting, adding that you feel exactly the same way about her. This can be done with a favorite song, too... some song lyrics really are beautiful!

8. Extra points for singing a song to her, even if you cannot sing! On second thought, maybe try the mix cd idea.... or purchase a cd of her favorite singer.

Do you have a romantic wedding proposal to share? This is one from last year that was pretty neat, Once Upon a Time......and that happy couple ended up marrying in October and moving all the way to Texas together and doing fantastic in their new life together.

What are your special ideas to celebrate this romantic holiday?