Observations from my Backpack

                                                            The Flying Pine Cone Early morning, and there it was!  A broken side window.  Looked at first like someone had tried to break into my car.  Waited for the Police to arrive, and only to hear - "well, ma'am I think it was a pine cone'? Huh I thought.  You mean like a pine cone could hit the window hard enough to break? South Carolina has "GLASS" coverage.  So the loss was not the case.  More so was the fact that a pine cone could hit so hard my window to break? Looking around, the sounds nearby was of a lawn mower?  There was a worker trimming the shrubs. Take heed friends.  Pine Cones can travel in the air once mobilized by the blade of a lawn mower or trimming device.   While I could laugh about this as it did seem far-fetched at first,...

                                                                                                         💔💔💔 Alone - has no discrimination. Recently appearing  in the "news",  various articles about how the pandemic quarantines are affecting many older people, as to be safe, they must keep a distance from their families, especially young children. Then there are the issues of keeping children out of school, often delaying school or offering only a virtual school.  Do not need here to provide any links or repeat here the negative reviews, only wish to share several recent conversations that I found most interesting. First, a new retired colleague from the medic...

Hesitating and then the wind... They say that three times is a charm. A charm?  Tonight while traveling back to Mt. Pleasant, the third time was almost a terrible broadside collide.  Let me explain. Hesitate and then the wind.. While traveling in Houston, a colleague and I were traveling back to the airport.  We stopped at the intersection, and when the light changed to green, were to turn left onto the main highway.  Checking both the left and right, no cars were visible but something did not feel correct.  Like I could hear the wind.  About the time we were to turn left, a white car came zooming by.  We were barely into the intersection when this white car went through the red light at a high rate of speed.  Slamming on my brakes, he missed us, and then not to far behind, came the red flashing lights with no sound, came the police car. Next, one early Sunday morning,  while waiting on my Mother to appear for a short beach trip, out of ...

Alas!  A plastic bottle found today in the inland waterway - Shem Creek One of the joys of walking here by the coastal creeks and the inland waterways of South Carolina is that if I am so fortunate, I may get to see beautiful ocean creatures swim by.  Each sea creature, swimming with such grace as they come up out of the water and then gently down with their fin high in the air.  Just have to stop and wait and wait until they swim again by.  Pure nature at it's best. Shem Creek, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina has built multiple walking bridges next to dock areas where local shrimpers park their working boats, and leisure boaters often pull in to pick up friends or to eat at one of the local restaurants.  Any given day out in the creek, Dolphins swim by, and just recently a group of Manatees were under one of the walking bridges.  The Dolphins were swimming about. TODAY,  I asked.  What ia a plastic bottle doing floating about in the...

On a lighter note?  Tomatoe Pie, a  Southern Tradition Friday, June 12, 2020 Two pies just came out of my oven as I can't just seem to make one Tomato Pie. I purchased heirloom tomatoes grown on Johns Island, SC today, and added in two types of cheese, Dukes, sprinkled Bacon and small cuts of onion, Italian seasoning (even though a true southern cook would only use Basil) and decided at the last minute to try a little sour cream in the mixture.  Just tried a small taste, and really good with the cheeses and the thin slices of tomatoes.  Next time I will return to the Dukes only, and no sour cream! It is that time of the year when the home grown tomatoes start coming in from the islands nearby where I live.  I once asked the chef of One Broad his secret for the BLT that he serves only a few months of the year. He always uses his homemade breads, gently grilled.  His secret - were the tomatoes grown on Johns Island, SC.  He shared that it is th...

Our Holy City - Reflections June 17, 2015 Early in the day, 2 teachers and myself and 18 African American boys (3 were Backpack Journalists from Sanders Clyde) had our last waffle breakfast at the student center of Voorhees College.  We had spent 3 days exercising learning more about football plays. Evenings were spent together in the dorm, in open discussions about how to grow up, safely, as a African American youth.  Dr. Cleveland Sellers and his son, Bakari Sellers also spoke to our group.   It was an amazing few days! June 18, 2015 Exhausted from the days before, awoke up late to news radio, and at first I thought I was in another world.  Thus began the journey that we, the Backpack Journalists, walked in following the murder of 9 people at Mother Emanuel Church Bible study.  We attended many of the prayer sessions, visited the church with flowers and messages, and at one point, was ushered into the NBC trailer to view their production at the same ...

May - Military Appreciation Month Throughout the month of May, we recognize and celebrate the dedication and service to our country  and freedoms by Americans who serve presently, our veterans and those who gave their lives in our nation's military.   Not sure if today many understand how important our military is, and what services they provide in support of America.  They don't just go and fight off shore protecting the freedoms of others, and often ours. COVID19 while it is still ongoing, without the support of the military and their efforts to provide engineering and medical and research services throughout our country, not sure what the outcome would have been.  Just learning about the research labs in Maryland and their ongoing commitment to find the vaccine. For many years before returning home to Charleston, working with military families and their children, and often older youth, consumed my life with many others who joined us on th...

Home schooling End of this week brings to a close the second semester of our schools in our local district.  Quietly, the week of March 9, 2020, teachers and schools were beginning to plan to send home students to finish out the semester, iPads and chrome books in hand.  Parents learned that they would be soon taking over the home schooling. The COVID19 had started to appear to be deadly, and therefore the schools had to be closed. Closing schools aligned with all of us to stay home also.  Lock down was the other description, and now we are beginning to open up and start back out into our world only 60-days later. Prayers now that as we go back into our world, it will come back stronger, and we will be able to join back into life with new habits to help keep us safe from this virus that in the beginning when the projections were first assembled by some of the finest researchers, well, the devastation was to be in the millions.  Any loss is serious and bad enou...

Mama, standing on the edge of the Myrtle Court Fountain Columbia, SC - 1945 Mother's Day, 2020, as we move towards learning a new way to live  in our world.   COVID19 has shaken up our day to day activities, from our attending school, going to work and in general socializing.  Not sure what the new normal will look like, but I do know that my Mother would have fit right in, and in fact probably would smile and say:  "Yes I told you to wash your hands, keep your hands off your face and cover your mouth with tissue when you sneeze". Growing up in a neighborhood filled with relatives, from aunts and uncles and cousins, and on a street that seemed to run in between all of them, we were often raised and watched over.  In my mother's later years, she lived in the house that I grew up in, and spent her last days there.  She would mow her grass, enjoy the rock pond she had built on the side yard, and lead an independent life into her 80's.  Then one da...

Clara Barton, founder of American Red Cross Nurses Week Upon paying respect. first and foremost, a week honoring our nation's nurses, is not long enough.  every day, we should thank them for their nurturing care and wealth of knowledge, especially those that have taken the extra time to study and take on becoming Nurse Practitioner. Quietly, going back in my memory many years, as a little girl-child, one of my first Santa gifts was a nurse's kit.  I remember a black cape with the Red Cross button, and a little black bag.  As a Mom, on our trip to Washington, DC,  my daughter and I traveled to Glen Cove Maryland, to visit the Clara Barton National Historic Site.  Some earlier childhood dreams are never forgotten.  My daughter too had had a little black bag, and was often taking the heart beats of her dolls. We arrived just about the closing time, but the National Park Ranger, opened up and we were able to view the interior, where Clara Barton began...

May 4, 2020 So May Day, has passed.  My plan was to blog about my growing up in Columbia, SC and the May Day Celebration at Valley Park, in Five Points.  It was called the May Pole and the park was filled with poles and bright colors of crepe paper and lots of "little and big girls" dancing and weaving around the poles.  Quite a site to see.  May 1 my fingers and keyboard were not working quite so well on that day. Why my tennis shoes here?  My excuse for not blogging on that day, is because I had been moving.  Yep, in this time of COVID 19,  my lease came to a close, and I needed to relocate due to "mold" and other "air" coming out of the AC unit.  Even with the filters put on the AC unit, still the "Dust" was most colorful, and can you imagine when the cleaners and I did the 'deep clean" we found a colony of maggot eggs (from part of a dead rat's carcass left in the attic left in attic by maintenance). Not a very healthy env...

Dancing on the Ceiling Tonight in chatting with a friend and colleague about our new sleeping habits, I described to her that I had been "Dancing on the ceiling."  She laughed, and we then discussed how we both had always been great sleepers and never, never had any trouble sleeping, or falling asleep.  So now she says: "I am asleep by 8 and up early, like before the sun comes up. So I have discovered a wonderful walking path by the DNR location that borders the inland waterways.  It's just beautiful and I watch the sun come up."   Made me wish I was there with her.  So now back to my dancing on the ceiling.  No, I am not counting sheep, but visually first counting the sprayed on paint, and then shutting my eyes and going back into my memory for some of my favorite places I have visited, and enjoyed. I love taking lots of photos, and whether it's on my phone, or by camera.   I have taken photos of windows, columns, front doors and even ceilin...

April 24, 2020 So how's it going?  Sheltering at home.  Wearing a bright yellow mask when I make that ONE trip out, and some days not.  Watching amazon prime movies. Cleaning out closets and going through and taking bags to the Goodwill and waiting to take the good stuff to the battered women's shelter.  Now, going through my beloved books and thousands of photos. Daily listening to: "Daily Devotion with each of the priests"  and then the Sunday service and finally one lesson I look forward to and love of my life:  CS Lewis Class with Father Brian McGreevy. I have started walking.  I cook at home.  I have I think probably lost some weight.  GO figure, and all good, sort of.  My cooking is ok, and I can measure my amounts, and how surprised I was to see that I had been eating way to much.  I found I love garlic salt, and artichoke sauce on anything and cranberry relish on dry chicken.  Thank you Publix! One of the many l...

 April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day - what about Larry Doby? April 15 is JACKIE ROBINSON DAY - as celebrated by the Major League Baseball. Robinson, the first African American ball player to break the "color line" in National League Baseball in 1947. Just ask anybody and they will recognize Robinson's name and know a fact about his life.  Often during Black History Month, students in schools will study his life as there are a wide assortment of books written. Shown here, our Backpack Journalists last year as we celebrated the opening day celebration to honor Larry Doby, who also broke the color line in 1947 for the American Baseball Leagues, as #2 African American player. Our local MiLb team - Charleston Riverdogs playing at the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Stadium host a Doby Deck, and at the end of the deck the above wall mural contains key accomplishments made by him during his Baseball career. Annually there is a celebration usually in June. We study Larry Do...

Today, Hank is 7, soon to be 8, at home with his Mom, Dad, and Ruthie and Celia.  All schools closed, as we all sheltered at  home to help send away the COVID19.   We can FaceTime, wave at each other from a distance.  There is the zoom also.  Schools held the last day on March 13, and the following week, all collected their tools, lessons and assignments and headed home for schooling, and to be "sheltered".   Now schools are closed until end of April, and I fully believe they will be closed further, until the hot summer arrives.  Our heat should help take the virus away. So counting the days: 28.  Easter, April 12 - makes it 29. St. Philips Church recently invited in the Rev. Canon J. John, from England to speak and share his ministry with us.  One evening he spoke about the practice of praying, caring and sharing:  Natural Evangelism. Most inspiring, and I learned so much, and  I signed up for his newsletter.  Today, ...

In thinking over what used to be a normal activity for me, something creative and fun, what can I do? With all the sheltering at home, I really needed to find "normal", and not just a cleaning chore. I choose an activity that I began to enjoy as far back as 1973.  Baking Sugar Cookies. I donated the recipe to the Central Methodist Church Cookbook, Spartanburg, SC.  Actually, I searched today other sugar cookie recipes on the Internet, thinking maybe there is one "better" and healthier?  I could not find it exactly as I used, and have used for years and I know this recipe tastes great, and rolls out well.  It's in the chilling, and use of flour as your cut the shape. More info with the recipe! First up during this Easter Season, making little sugar cookies.  Of course I had a lot of help and company before, with the grands (Ruthie, Celia and Hank).  Making Sugar Cookies was one our annual "fellowship" activities to do:  Nana and the grands. ...

April 1, 2020 In reading today, I learned that even google is doing away with jokes and pranks for April 1st - often referred to as April Fool's Day.  Life is to serious now with the Cronovirus traveling all over  the world and now our nation, and so close to home.  No jokes please they say.  Time to shelter in for thirty days.   Why the picture above?  That's me at 5 years old, with my younger brother at 3.  My father gave us this for our backyard to play in. He was a big guy and could not fit through the door, and that's about the only memory that I found as I ran across this picture today, sorting and still preparing to move. The other memory was of the day that same brother sitting next to me decided to build a camp fire inside.  No, did not burn down the dollhouse, but did leave a dark brown burn on the floor.   Daddy's birthday was on April 1, and he would have been 95 this year.  He would not have enjoyed this year...

Linda Hiers Dennis - Freshman Year - Columbia High School Writing Book For me, I have passed 14-days of sheltering and other than the yellow stuff that makes me sneeze, and my sinuses to stop up, all is well here.  Just really miss the kiddos (even though Hankie facetimes with me, and I have now learned how to use the Emojis). Plus the girls are also around chatting about.  I do miss the backpack journalists, and keep sending out email updates and sharing the VIMEO channel. The time has given me the chance to begin to prepare my move to a new apartment, and that said, go through my "stuff". It's been an interesting journey, and time consuming as I had to stop and look and read, and reminice.  Here goes: Pictured here is a page out of my high school "Writing Yearbook" that brought back alot of memories. We used typewriters back then.  I am seated at the top left, in front of a typewriter - editing.  Our team all working also.  And, the outcome was ...

March 9, 2020 Spring Break - coming to the lowcountry from other parts of the US!  There once was a time when I was allowed to go on a Spring Break with my friends.  We headed to the beach and spent alot of time enjoying the sand, surf and being with each other.  Seems like these memories are now falling into the "ancient" times, like perhaps my young friends would ask me if that was "in the olden times?" My Renewed Spirit - College Youth Today Members of a choir from Grove City College in Pennsylvania sang a "thank you" to me as they traveled through our town. All I did was offer them "Free" cookies from a sample bar. They had recently performed at St. Helena, 1712 Church in Beaufort, SC. They asked me if knew Rev.Jeff Miller?  He was once at the church that they had performed in, and now here in Charleston.  They knew he was at St. Philips and he and his family had been so loved in Beaufort. https://vimeo.com/396593562 Then a...

March 5, 2020 Beginning again.  A busy year, and now busier.  Yesterday, after sitting down with a theologian and sharing my desire to seek a sabbatical, he commented, "well, you are on one.  The whales - are God's wonder! That is your sabbatical." Sitting back deep into the wingback chair, I realized that he was so right. As I reflected over the past 6 months of working with the beautiful whale films from Ocean Alliance, and doing research via N.O.A.A Fisheries and then sharing with 180 students, I recalled  the feelings of wonder and awe I felt.   Many times, the students and I would watch the whales play in the water and the Mama and her calve swim closely together, and more than one time, with all engaged with eyes on the large Smart Board Screen.  Never tiring of watching the large Blue Whale in the ocean coming up and down, playing it appeared. Lots of blow coming up also. Then I,  collecting the questions and trying to answer them from ...