Living In Charleston

With the price of fuel skyrocketing along with everything else, a major summer trip may be out of the question. Here are some day trips around the state that may give you some ideas.

• 7/1-5 The Miss South Carolina and Miss Teen S.C. Pageants in Spartanburg
• 7/4 The Firecracker 5000 Road Race and Fun Walk on Hilton Head Island
• 7/4 The Lexington County Peach Festival in Gilbert
• 7/4 The Murrell’s Inlet Boat Parade and Fireworks
• 7/9-12 HMY-Viking-MEGADOCK Billfish Tournament in Charleston
• 7/10-12 S.C. Festival of Discovery in Greenwood
• 7/11-12 S.C. Genealogical Society Annual Workshop in Columbia
• 7/11-20 Beaufort Water Festival
• 7/12 Jammin’ in July outdoor festival at Camden’s Revolutionary War site
• 7/12-13 Reenactment of the Battle of Huck’s Defeat at Brattonsville (York Co.)
• 7/14-19 S.C. Fire-Rescue Conference in Myrtle Beach
• 7/15-20 Jr SOS Shag Dancing in North Myrtle Beach
• 7/17-19 Father and Son Team Classic Golf Tournament in Myrtle Beach
• 7/18-20 Pageland’s Watermelon Festival
• 7/26 The Isle of Palms Beach Run 4 mile run/walk+ youth fun runs
• 7/26-8/2 Big League World Series in Easley for players 16-18 years old

Don’t let the kids even breathe the word “bored” this month! There’s Family Fiesta Night at Freshfields near Kiawah on the 10th and 24th, Mining for gems at the Charleston Museum on the 17th, weekly Island Adventure camp at the Family Circle Tennis Center where kids can learn about tennis, soccer or nature. The Charleston Museum will have a History Girl Party on the 12th to coincide with the movie release of ‘Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.”

Looking for a little romance? Try the Wednesday Wine Strolls each week at Middleton Place. If you’re looking for a little more, try the full moon harbor cruise on the Schooner Pride on the 18th.

Speaking of BBQ (and Men’s Vogue June 6 issue was recently), Charleston native Jimmy Hagood was pulling his Blackjack BBQ rig into NYC for the 6th Annual Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block party in Madison Square Park. 14 pit masters from around the country served up plates of their specialties for an appreciative crowd. This is just a teaser for the Southern National BBQ Championships and Bluegrass Festival to be held the end of August at Boone Hall.

This is one fundraiser that you won’t need to dress to impress. It’s all fun, dancing and pigging out on great BBQ and enjoying the liquid refreshments for a good cause on Gold Bug Island 7-11pm

If you’re holding out for some more outdoor fun, James Island County Park will be jamming with the latest installment of the Reggae Nights Summer Concert Series on the 19th.

Anyone not get their fill of music during Spoleto? You’re in luck! Chamber Music Charleston performs at the Old Exchange on the 15th.
If opera is your choice, head down to the Charleston Library on Calhoun Street. On the 18th they will show “La Traviata” with Beverly Sills filmed at Wolf Trap in 1976. On the 22nd, “Don Carlo” will be shown, recorded live at La Scala.

Brings us 2 hours of unforgettable memories of the Broadway stage from the Ziegfield Follies through today’s hits. July 10-13 at the Charleston Music Hall. Then the small screen gives way to the stage on the 14th ,when Emmy award-winning Leslie Jordan, the 4’11” funny man from Will and Grace, Ugly Betty, Reba and Boston Legal just to name a few, will present his southern humor show, “My trip Down the Pink Carpet” at the same venue.

I decided after 21 years as a business owner to close it last October. I had started the business with my parents four months before my wedding. The funny thing is, I had started real estate school and then decided to work with my parents. As it turns out it was a good decision. A year and two days after my wedding I was blessed with the birth of a beautiful daughter. Then three years later blessed with the birth of another beautiful daughter. I was able to take them to work with me and their Honey and Pop, (grandparents), were able to enjoy each day with them. My dad died and four years later my mom died, so I decided I needed to go back to my dream of real estate. The scariest part of this dream was going back to school and having to pass a test. This delayed the process for about a year and a half. I worried, can I make a living doing this? Will I be able to learn everything there is to this business? Most of all I wondered if was I to old too old to start over. How dumb is that? Once I passed the test I was so ready to get to work. I love what I do each and everyday. I meet and work with great people from every walk of life and backgrounds. I work with couples who are just starting out and buying their first home, some are starting families and need a larger home and some who are ready to retire and want to down-size. There are also those relocating here for their jobs and those who are retiring to Charleston for the great life style Charleston, South Carolina affords them. I will never second guess my decision to make a career change this late in life. I finally feel as though I make a difference in other peoples lives. It is a huge decision to buy a home and I love helping my clients feel comfortable with their decisions. What it boils down to is things happen for a reason and had I gone into real estate when my girls were little I may have missed out on softball games, practices, swim meets and field trips. Those years you can not get back. I hope if a mid-life job change is in your future you research and go for it today! Good Luck!

The Spoletians are here in record numbers!!! They seem to be quite happy with the events of the 17 day festival this year: Over 120 performances covering opera, theatre, music theatre, dance, and chamber, symphonic, choral and jazz music. And don’t forget the visual arts. This year’s productions will include a few American premieres. Sister festival, Piccolo Spoleto, has grown to a full festival in its own right.

The 2007 Sweetgrass Festival, part of Piccolo, will be held on the 7th, 8th and 9th. The festivities will be held at Laing middle School in Mt Pleasant and are free, as is the parking. Over 100 basket weavers will be on hand demonstrating their craft plus authentic Gullah musical groups, praise dancing, Gullah cuisine and storytellers.

Don’t miss the 31st Spoleto Finale at Middleton Gardens on June 10th. The gates open for picnicking at 3:30 and the concert is slated to start at 8:30. The fireworks are always worth the wait.

If what you’re really looking is Reggae music, then James Island County Park has your ticket. June 23rd is the first of three summer concerts by Jah Works.

The US Air Force Celtic band will be playing a free evening concert in Summerville’s town square on June 19th. The Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble will perform at 6:30

The Flowertown Players will stage Brighton Beach Memoirs June 15th-17th at the James Dean Community Theatre. They
Will also host a children’s studio workshop June 13– July 18th.

The Folly Fishing Pier wants you to stop by and dance the night away as they present their Moonlight Mixers, Shaggin’ on the Pier. Advance tickets only for the events that run one Friday in each month through September.

A major date on the calendar for our state is June 28 - Carolina Day. Celebrated as a day of recognition by South Carolinians for all the patriots who fought and died for American and our state’s freedom. The day will start with the bells from St Michael’s and St Phillip’s Churches. At noon all the church bells will ring. The Fireproof Building will be open to the public. A procession from Washington Park on Broad and Meeting will make its way to the Battery for the unveiling and dedication of the Statue of William Moultrie.

The Deseret News in Salt Lake City sang the praise of the Holy City recently. They commented on Gullah Tours, Gallery Chuma, Culinary Tours by Carolina Food Pros and the Avery Research Center.

The Lowcountry certainly got some good coverage in Southern Living. Opening up the June issue was a feature on the East Cooper area. Mt Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms’ restaurants, shops and activities from the Boulevard Diner to Wild Dunes were highlighted. Next, the magazine ran a one page story on the artsy side of Daufuskie Island across from Harbor Town on Hilton Head. It showed how the ocean has inspired the works of island craftspeople.

Southern Living also paid tribute to the top five fragrances of the south: Gardenia, Magnolia, Oriental Lily, Four O’Clocks and Ginger Lily. You can’t beat that list. The one pest that threatens the sanity of southern gardeners is moles. So many people are complaining that their tip of the month suggested one teaspoon of chili powder in each hole.

The American Association of Landscape Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have announced that Charleston Waterfront Park will receive the 2007 Landmark Award. This award recognizes a distinguished landscape architecture project completed in the last 15-50 years.

Middleton Gardens debuts its Summer Wine Strolls two Wednesday evenings a month. Each tasting will be held in a different garden location. A garden interpreter will be on hand to answer questions about the history of America’s oldest garden.