Author: Katherine Tandy Brown

A few days ago, I “ran” into a neighbor as we rolled our trash containers to the curb for pickup. Six feet apart, of course. He always has a smile and a wave, and I was delighted at the chance to have a chat with him. After establishing the fact that our respective households were well – definitely protocol these days – he said he had a story for me. Turns out his son-in-law, daughter, and their 3-month-old baby had been visiting from Up East when the world scaled back. Several weeks later, they’re still here with grandad Doug and his wife. I’m sure lots of folks who can only see their grands virtually right now would be envious of the quality time this family is experiencing.

In 1776 philosopher and writer Thomas Paine famously penned, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” They were indeed, as the Revolutionary War raged, dividing the populace. Never having experienced a war on American soil in my lifetime, I can only imagine how those people dealt with their day-to-day’s, with no idea what direction tomorrow might take. For many folks the current corona virus pandemic has triggered that fear of the unknown, perhaps mirroring the initial confusion brought about by 9-11. 

Now that January has come and gone, how’re those New Year’s resolutions workin’ for you? It’s only the second month, so maybe you’re still rockin’ along, feeling good, getting things done, fiercely determined to achieve your goal this time. If so, keep up that good work. If not, you may find comfort – and camaraderie – in the following statistics:

   During this all-too-busy season, time can be more precious than the top-of-the-line offerings in the Neiman-Marcus catalogue. Adding the gift of time for certain folks on your holiday list is one sure way to get more bang for your buck. Consider this idea for people you care about and want to spend time with, and also for those you’d really like to see but never seem to be able to squeeze onto your calendar.  

Some of my BFF’s have four legs. Dogs, kitties, horses. For years, my mother begged, cajoled and finally demanded that I give her at least one grandchild. But neither my older sister nor I ever complied. The only blood-related grands she ever had were granddogs, grandcats and grandhorses. As Mom didn’t share our love of animals, she was not amused. 

When I moved to the South Carolina Lowcountry nearly 13 years ago, I was already deeply in love with its luscious expanses of water, diverse species of wildlife and waterfowl, marsh that reflected an ever-changing palette akin to that of Vincent Van Gogh, and an amazingly wide sky so often lit by daily sunshine and cluttered with fat, puffy clouds that would’ve probably inspired Georgia O’Keefe to set up an easel on the Beaufort River Bluff to capture their glory.