The Good News!

St Simons Pier at Twilight

St Simons Pier at Twilight

 

In several different posts recently I have alluded to the fact that change is in the air.  I am a creature who loves a new challenge.  I always have.  I have featured the wonderful photography and writing of my dear friend, Nancy Kirkpatrick, in several recent posts.  I first met Nancy when she took the now well known picture of me as the “Marsh Island Witch” at the “Witching Hour” party hosted by Donna MacPherson last fall.  Donna asked Nancy to set up her camera and take shots of all of us and the rest is history.

 

 

The Island Marsh Witch

The Island Marsh Witch

 

Nancy is a woman of many talents.  When I first saw her work room on the second floor of her home here on the island I immediately knew we were kindred spirits.  We have so many interests in common, but most of all we believe in living life to the fullest.

 

 

 

Shipping Channel

Shipping Channel

 

With my schedule changing and expanding as my writing career flourishes, I felt it important to make sure The Permanent Tourist is still in action.  So, it is my pleasure to announce that Nancy Kirkpatrick has officially joined the staff of my blog.  I have been loving every minute of this since February 2013, and I know that Nancy will bring a fresh outlook and many wonderful posts for all of my faithful readers to enjoy!

 

Rainbow at Land's End

Rainbow at Land’s End

 

So, Nancy begins her input tomorrow.  I know you’ll love her style and I’ll love having her help and support as we grow our business.  We’re blooming and expanding in so many positive ways!  Stay with us, I can promise you that you will not want to miss one day of the wonderful posts that will be coming your way!

Images of a Golden Isles

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I interviewed Ann Nermoe on this week’s radio show.  Due to technical problems I do not have the actual show to share with you but I did want to let you know about the beautiful book of photographs on St. Simons Island Ann has written, along with her brother.

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Her persepective is so fresh and wonderful!  I highly recommend this book!  Ann is offering a special limited edition as well that comes in a lovely box with a limited edition print of one of her photographs.

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Share this talented artist’s perspective and enjoy one of the most beautifully produced books on our area that I have seen!  This is the perfect gift for anyone who lives or loves St. Simons Island!  “Images of a Golden Isles” by Ann Nermoe……local beauty from one amazing photographer’s point of view!

 

A Way Of Life

 

The publishing company that I am under contract with, Oghma Creative, is working with some of the most talented writers I’ve come across.  Today, I’m featuring a post by Velda Brotherton.  Velda is a wonderful author of fiction!  I think you’ll enjoy her post and her books!  This is a great way to become acquainted with various author’s and their work. You may discover some books for your summer reading list as well!

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Living a life that can be turned into fiction is a good way to write books. For years I didn’t realize that was precisely what I was doing. Up to then I researched and lived in the past. The wild west romanticized. It didn’t dawn on me that my experiences could be turned into another kind of fiction until many years after I retired from my job. What was that? I was a feature reporter and city editor for a rural weekly newspaper in the Arkansas Ozarks. It wasn’t until I decided to try my hand at writing mysteries that I looked back at those nine years at the newspaper and it dawned on me the experiences could be used for a mystery series.

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Thus was born Jessica West, a reporter for a small paper hiding from her failure to succeed in the big time, and sexy Cherokee lawman Dallas Starr, a burnt out narc searching for a peaceful career. Both land in Grace County, Arkansas where all should be crime-free. But that wouldn’t make for good mysteries, so that’s where the fiction begins.

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During all my years on the paper I never covered a crime, and only one murder occurred while I worked there. A State Trooper was shot in his vehicle on the highway near town. The killer was tracked on horseback by deputies and other lawmen till he was cornered in an abandoned shack in the wilderness. The shack caught on fire during the gunfight and he burned to death.

I would never use that in one of my books. So I make up murder and mayhem, in A Twist of Poe mystery series. I write sexy scenes between Dal and Jess and have a lot of fun inserting into my stories characters I’ve met over the years. After all, I have to live up to my brand. Sexy, Dark, and Gritty was conceived by my new publisher, Oghma Creative Media.

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You wouldn’t think that being a reporter for some newspaper in the Ozarks would make for anything terribly exciting. We covered small town city council meetings, school board meetings where the most exciting occurrences were the times one of the members smacked a reporter in the head with her notebook, or the principal showed up drunk.

But guess what? I met and interviewed some fantastic people. America’s first spaceman, Joe Kittinger, who, in 1960 jumped from a balloon at the edge of space and lived to write about it. Later he began flying a stunt plane at airshows. That’s where I met him. He took me up so I could write a good story, and I wrote several stories about him over the years.

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Then there was Apache, Al Houser, who claimed to be the first baby born to Geronimo’s people after they were released from a Florida prison and returned to Oklahoma. The state was then Indian Territory, and today is the home of several tribes including my own ancestors, the Cherokee. Houser was involved in translating and preserving the languages of many tribes before they were lost forever. During World War II he flew a B-24 on night raids over Nazi Germany. Known as The Lone Wolf Raider, this man fought for a country that had imprisoned his people for years. It was an honor to sit down with him. He was a small, soft spoken man, with the strength of the mighty Apache in his soul.

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I walked into a snake house thinking the huge reticulated pythons were in cages only to learn they were lying on shelves, entwined within each other’s embrace. I could hear them breathing, smell the feral wildness of them. It was dark as pitch. The snake man, whom I had come to interview, said, “You can touch them, they like to be touched.” And so I did. Cool, dry, and smooth. Later I, who had an unnatural fear of snakes, sat while one of these exquisite creatures coiled across my lap and into my arms. Looked into his eyes and wondered what he thought of this frail human whom he could crush so easily. Do you want to know what I saw there? I saw the peace of knowing he was all powerful and didn’t have to prove it.

Once I sat in a small enclosure filled with tiger cubs, one in the litter was white. I’ve walked in their compound, taken pictures of these creatures in a preserve where most of the animals were rescued from people who thought they needed an exotic pet until that cute little cub grew into a three- or four-hundred pound tiger. One day when I was focusing the camera, the lens grew dark, and I slowly peered around to see one of the tigers had placed a paw there.

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Funny, isn’t it, that it took years for me to realize that these are experiences that will turn my fiction into something different, something fun and scary and interesting.  Hopefully all at the same time. So I’ve come home to write about what I know, after years of researching a time and place that I can only imagine.  My books include A Twist of Poe mystery series: The Purloined Skull; The Tell-Tale Stone; and coming in 2016 The Pit and the Penance. In October a horror, also set in the Ozarks, A Savage Grace, will be released. In November of last year, my mainstream novel, the book of my heart, Beyond the Moon, came out. I hope to write a sequel next year some time. I still write those western historical romances because I’ll always love tales of the west. Following the release of Wilda’s Outlaw last year, Rowena’s Hellion came out in November and I’m working on Tyra’s Gambler to finish the Victorian Series. See http://www.amazon.com/author/veldabrotherton for my entire publishing history, book at a time.

http://www.veldabrotherton.com

http://www.veldabrotherton.wordpress.com

http://www.facebook.com/authorveldabrotherton

http://www.pinterest.com/veldabrotherton

On The Radio

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The show I taped for this past week was mistakenly not aired.  It was with Dave Olender and we discussed the upcoming Memorial Day events that will be taking place in Brunswick on Monday.  The show will air this evening at 7:05 so that all of you can hear it and plan to attend this very important day of giving thanks and prayers to those who have served our country and lost their lives.  It’s a wonderful show so I hope you’ll listen in!  Have a wonderful weekend!

The Magic!

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I’m passing the platform over to my friend, Nancy Kirkpatrick, today!  She and her lovely husband are on a Disney cruise aboard “The Magic”.  This magnificent ship will take my friends up the East Coast and across the Atlantic to Europe.  Nancy is going to share her experiences, photographs and observations with us as they make their way on this trip.  What a treat for us all!  Enjoy and look forward to more posts from Nancy as she travels!

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The Magic is real. And Disney’s cruise ship, “The Magic”, is a personification of that real magic. Let me explain.

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Walt Disney was a person of this world. Very much of this world, but also of the world of dreams. Big dreams. Huge dreams. And the drive to activate those dreams. And that’s magical. So let me introduce you to the Magic that I discovered on my first ever Disney cruise, beginning on embarkation day and the first day “at sea” (how I love those marine terms!).

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First is an eight year old girl in line for check in. How many cruises have you been on? Eight? And you are eight years old? She giggles and moves on.

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Then there’s Ed. I hear Ed describe himself to another passenger not in terms of what he does for a living, but what gives him pleasure. He loves to help people. As he chats with us at dinner the second evening, he is engaged in the conversation, for sure. But you see his eyes dart here and there. He halts the conversation politely…he’s spotted someone dining alone and that won’t do.

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Ed excuses himself, speaks with the solo diner and shortly she is seated atour table and her story unfolds. Dena’s husband and three daughters missed their plane and won’t be allowed to board until Halifax, she explains. So for five days she sails alone. She is tense. Sad. Trying to make the best of it. So we invite her to become part of our story. And she does. Next night at dinner she joins the table with a huge smile and we all bask in her glow. Thank you Ed, for bringing this new, lovely person into the fold. You do that so well.

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That’s the Magic. The real Magic.

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Then there is Savio, Luis, Lana, David, Linda, Jennifer, Al. Hailing from Brazil,Peru, St Lucia, Ohio and Georgia. And Jerrod, Ellen, Don and Gabrielle (notGabby!). We collect names and nationalities.

disney magic 3 savio
Luis. What do you do when off the ship? I have a restaurant with my father. When I am home, I am building a bigger restaurant with a bar. Talk drifts tophotography and Photoshop. And when we part, he gives us the name of hishometown and restaurant. Says confidently we will have a drink together there some day and I will show you my hometown.

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And that is the Magic. The real Magic. It’s the people. Luis, Lana, Jerrod,Savio, Bianca, Yanupa, Hernando, Francisco. They all know what makes thereal Magic. And and they live it for you. They ARE the Magic.

Nancy Kirkpatrick 

www.nancykirkpatrickphotography.com

The Squares of Brunswick

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This post debuted about a year ago.  In light of the recent blessing of the fleet that Brunswick celebrated over the weekend, I thought it was worth reposting.  I first heard about the Signature Squares project last year when a friend was driving me through the downtown historic district of Brunswick.  I have always been fascinated by the idea of rebuilding the historic parts of cities, unearthing the past and renewing what was into something that is fresh and new.  My friend mentioned Julie Martin as the contact person responsible for the project called Signature Squares of Brunswick.  I made a mental note to find the website and make a connection.  Months passed, life happened and I did not move forward with this plan.

 

Jekyll Square

Jekyll Square

When I began this blog in February, Julie’s name came up again and again.  I finally connected with her last week and made an appointment to get together and discuss Signature Squares.

Hanover Square

Hanover Square

I arrived at Julie’s lovely historic home that sits across the street from Hanover Square.  This is the site of the first renewal project.  A project that began with a group of people living in the area exploring the possibilities and asking “why not?”.  One of the members of the group, Jeremy Spencer, is a well known landscape architect.  He became actively involved in planning the restoration of Hanover Square, put together a viable plan and helped the group move forward.  Julie spent countless hours with the people at the Piedmont Park Conservancy in Atlanta and those involved with the Project for Public Spaces in New York City.

Machen Square

Machen Square

An initial board formed and strategic partnerships were put in place.  Half of the necessary funds were raised privately and the City of Brunswick matched the amount.  That was twelve years ago.  Since then restoration has been completed on several of the fourteen squares in the downtown historic area, but many are left to be renewed.   Jeremy Spencer, Julie Martin and countless others have worked tirelessly to finish these projects to perfection.  They work in partnership with the Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Power and the City of Brunswick as the project continues to grow.

blythe square

The process of renewal doesn’t just happen  overnight.  The past, present and future are taken into consideration before any work is done.  Groups meet to decide what will best serve the neighborhood the squares presently exist in.  Will it be an area within a commercial setting, or is it a place in a neighborhood where families will meet to relax, visit and play?  None of the projects begin without full funding.

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Volunteers do all of the planting of new vegetation in the squares.  They join together out of love for their homes and the history of Brunswick.  Raising the necessary funds to keep these projects alive and growing is part of the process.  Currently, meetings are being planned to expedite upcoming events that enable the Signature Squares project to continue.  It’s not that it takes millions of dollars, but it does take a consistent cash flow to pay to have the heavy work done and to purchase the plants, benches and other components that go into making each square unique.

Hanover Square

Hanover Square

James Oglethorpe planned the city of Savannah around the same kind of network of squares located throughout the central historic district.  These squares have all been renovated and now provide shady parks in which residents and visitors alike can enjoy sitting on a bench, listening to music and people watching.  Brunswick’s squares, though different, can become such places as well.  The squares that have been completed are frequented by families living in the area as well as visitors seeking historic information and a place to sit and relax under the shade of huge live oak trees.  The squares provide a common “green” area in which people can congregate.

Machen Square

Machen Square

The continued work on downtown Brunswick is an ongoing project.  It takes people who are interested, who have ideas and experience in the areas of urban renewal, historic preservation as well as the economics involved.  The raw material is there and key people are emerging.  I have a vision of what Brunswick can become, the Signature Squares project is at the heart of it all.  Providing a beautiful space, restoring the history and using  or duplicating fountains and other architectural features creates a bond with the past that will enable movement into the future.

I’ll be posting about upcoming events and information regarding both Signature Squares of Brunswick and the renewal of the downtown area as things progress.

On the website:  www.signaturesquares.org, you will find more valuable information and history.  One of the quotes I found there really speaks to the work that is being done:

“Make no little plans.  They have no magic to stir men’s blood….make big plans; aim high in hope and work.” – Daniel Burnham (1846-1912) 

Contact information is available on the website.  Please visit the site, read about the project and become involved if you feel a call to.  Be a part of ongoing history!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Life Lessons

I have been reading and following the work of Deepak Chopra for years.  I always find inspiration and guidance in his writing.  I am sharing his top five lessons with you today.  They come from his book “The 13th Disciple” that was published in March.  I felt this would be a wonderful thing to share with my readers and something I am working on myself!  Hope you enjoy!

deepak chopra life advice
Photo: Jeremiah Sullivan
Faith makes all things possible.
Having an inner certainty that there is something—whether it’s a god, a religion, whatever you believe in—behind the events in our lives takes the pressure off us to try to figure everything out. I don’t need to have all the answers because that certainty makes me feel less unsure.Meditation doesn’t have to be hard.
Many people struggle with the exercise because they focus on the end result or worry about what they’re supposed to be doing. But it doesn’t have to be all about emptying your head of thoughts. Just sit. Be still. Of course your mind won’t be completely quiet at first, but if you keep practicing, you’ll find peace.We will never solve the mystery of existence through science.
Sure, science is a great measurement, but it’s just a map. It doesn’t reveal our destination or the stops we’ll make along the way. For example, consider love: It’s a riddle we can’t quantify or prove, but it exists, and it makes life worthwhile.

Love means total acceptance.
Over time, I’ve realized that in a relationship or a marriage, you shouldn’t try to change your partner. We are who we are, and when you accept people instead of trying to change them to fit your needs, your relationships can fully blossom.

I love my family and children, but that’s not enough.
It’s selfish to love only the people in my life. There’s so much conflict today that I think it’s important to expand one’s efforts as far as possible. True love should be expansive. I don’t want to be confined to my own little definition of who I am individually and where in the world I fit in.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/inspiration/Deepak-Chopra-Life-Lessons#ixzz3ZNOD9oKo

On The Radio

Sunday afternoon promises to be a great time at Glynn Academy Auditorium as CristoFouri performs!  Four accomplished pianists and a full program of music and other entertainment will delight the audience.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Jerry Gowan and Ed Barr on the show this week.  We had a great time talking about music, piano and the history of four men who have came together over forty years ago.  They perform together and maintain unbreakable ties of friendship that you’ll love hearing about!  Enjoy this lively converstation and plan to attend on Sunday at 3:00 pm.  This is a wonderful event for the whole family with tickets available at the door!

 

It’s Eclectic!

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I am so excited to share the news I recently received from my friend and well known artist, Jennifer Broadus!  Art lovers all over the area are in for a real treat when ArtTrends opens its doors on May 1st!  ArtTrends is a group of nine uber talented local artists working cooperatively to bring their work into the public eye for all to see and enjoy.  Located at 3305 Frederica Road on St. Simons, you’ll find so many different styles and themes…..definitely something for everyone!

 

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Ella Cart

Colorful Impressionism…..

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Jennifer Broadus

A more traditional work that captures our local landscape…..

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Dottie Clarke

Turtles on the move…..

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Linda Wunder

Or perhaps something with a bit of Asian inspiration and beauty!

You’ll find so many fabulous pieces to add to your collection.  Art is the spice of life, it enlivens our home and work environments like nothing else!  I cannot wait to see the entire offering from so many talented artists!  Put May 1st on your calendar and plan to visit ArtTrends!  I think you’ll be delighted!

Come Together

I cannot think of anything more important than understanding and unity between all people.  Yes, we are different colors, with varied backgrounds, belief systems and values, but, when it comes down to it, we are all connected.  We carry within us the essence of creation and, as we awaken to this, we realize how vitally important it is for us to communicate and share with each other.

On Friday, April 24th, from 2 – 7 pm, Coastal College of Georgia will, once again, team up with the Robert S. Abbott Race Unity Institute in hosting 4th annual International Festival.

 

The event takes place outdoors and offers a full venue of entertainment as well as a market place and global food bazaar where you can experience all sorts of delicious offerings!

This is always a lively event with a great turn out of supporters who enjoy an afternoon of milling around through the grounds of the college and coming together with others to celebrate.

You’ll hear wonderful music by the Phil Morrison Trio, an African drummer and much more.

Make plans to attend and support this wonderful event!