I have to preface this post with a bit of history and writing about this wonderful event means so much to me.  In March of 2012 my mom had a mild stroke that left her no longer able to live on her own and the home she and my father owned in Florida.  My mom is a “retired” operatic soprano who enjoyed a wonderful career with the Houston Grand Opera, various opera theaters in New York City, Europe and the Far East.  When she suffered the stroke she was acting president of the Gainesville, FL Music Teacher’s Association.  Music has been my mom’s life since, as a teenager, she began to tour with church music groups and perform sacred music part of a choir and quartet.  Our family always enjoyed beautiful music in the home, theater and anywhere we could find it.  One of the things mom enjoyed the most in the past years in Florida was the “Live From The Met” performances offered at a local movie theater there.  It became a ritual, driving across town to make sure tickets were bought in advance, planning the day with friends, enjoying a wonderful lunch prior to the showing and then saving seats for whoever might arrive late.  This event was a monthly treat during opera season each year, growing to the point that two theaters in the cinema complex were used to house all of the eager fans.

I received notice from Susan Garrett that the Georgia Theater Company is debuting two encore presentations of Live From The Met on July 22nd and 27th at The Island Cinema here on St. Simons.  My heart absolutely sang as I quickly dialed mom’s number to share the news.  She is delighted as is my daughter who is also an opera fan.  They are already putting their heads together planning their day, where they will have lunch and what snacks they will splurge on.  The showings are at 2:00pm and will certainly whet the appetite of all classical music lovers!

If you have never experienced Live From The Met you are in for a huge treat!  The event is lively with backstage glimpses of the artists, their dressing rooms, wardrobe and scene changes.  The whole time you really feel like you are at the Met, meeting the people, hearing the music and loving every minute of it!  Interviews with the stars in between acts, words from the Maestro and more will truly delight and lift your spirits like nothing else can.  Music is medicine…it feeds the soul and heals in miraculous ways!  Do not miss this event!  And then you can look forward to the coming opera season when it begins in the Fall and the series really begins!

Melissa | Out&About | 07 20th, 2015 | No Comments »

It’s obvious by now that I love nothing better than to search through hundreds of videos on YouTube to find just the right piece for my Simple Sundays posts.  Here is one I’m especially liking in light of the fact that we saw photographs of Jupiter this week.  There is so much to space, to the Universe, that we are not aware of.  We may not even be able to fathom it all with our human minds.  But it surrounds us and fills our world with energy.  The photos on this spectacular piece were photographed by Hubble and accompanied by words to a beautiful Robert Frost poem, “Choose Something Like A Star”.  The music has a haunting quality that I find peaceful and calming.  I hope you will as well!  Scroll down to read the words to this work by one of our country’s most eloquent poets.  Blessings to you on this new day and peace be with you and yours.

O Star (the fairest one in sight),
We grant your loftiness the right
To some obscurity of cloud �
It will not do to say of night,
Since dark is what brings out your light.
Some mystery becomes the proud.
But to be wholly taciturn
In your reserve is not allowed.
Say something to us we can learn
By heart and when alone repeat.
Say something! And it says “I burn.”
But say with what degree of heat.
Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.
Use language we can comprehend.
Tell us what elements you blend.
It gives us strangely little aid,
But does tell something in the end.
And steadfast as Keats’ Eremite,
Not even stooping from its sphere,
It asks a little of us here.
It asks of us a certain height,
So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.

Melissa | Simple Sundays | 07 19th, 2015 | No Comments »

I welcomed one of my all time favorite guests to the show this week!  Heather Heath, Director of Arts and Humanities for Glynn County.  We discussed all of the summer events and activities for all ages.  You won’t want to miss The Sound Of Music singalong movie event later this month!  It’s always fun when Heather arrives!

Melissa | On The Radio | 07 18th, 2015 | No Comments »

If you are a music lover you’re in for a real treat at The Blue Martini Bar this coming Friday night!  My dear friend, Phil Morrison, will be performing with his trio.  Jazz….Friday night…..GO!

Phil Morrison

The Phil Morrison Trio features the incomparable vocal and pianistic talents of the internationally
acclaimed Joe Watts.

Listen to Joe performing one of my favorite songs!

Enjoy an excellent menu of Latin dishes and some wonderful jazz from a master and his group!  The show begins at 6:00 and goes until 9:00.  The restaurant is in the Glynn Place Mall between Belk and Sears.  Join in for an evening of music and food…..we might just stir up some interest in having more events like this locally.  Phil Morrison is one of the most talented musicians in this country!  Don’t miss this event!

Melissa | Out&About | 07 16th, 2015 | No Comments »

Walkabout Wednesday – The King and Prince Resort

Story and Photos by Nancy Kirkpatrick

Here on St Simons Island we love The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort. And that love is well earned. The accommodations are stellar, the service impeccable and the staff friendly. It’s tough to beat, especially with the Atlantic Ocean only a few steps away.

First opened in 1935 as a seaside dance club, the main hotel building with its gracious Mediterranean architecture opened in July, 1941. It quickly became a popular island resort. Renovations, enhancements, expansions and restorations took place over the years. Then in 1996, the hotel was named to the prestigious Historic Hotels of America. In 2005, the Resort was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

So today I treat you to my “walkabout” images featuring the recently completed renovations. This extensive project brought new culinary offerings, as well as the addition of St Simons Island’s only oceanfront restaurant, ECHO. Here you can enjoy indoor/outdoor dining and broad views of the Atlantic. The updated common areas are naturally crafted to invite visitors to relax and stay awhile. Just as I did while enjoying my job!

Having seen this wonderful transformation, I plan to spend more time here. There is interesting architecture to explore. There is food and wine to sample. Oceanfront views to enjoy. It also is a place I know I can sit in comfort and do some writing from time to time while the rest of the world wanders by. You must go see and spend some time there as well. Plan a party. Spend a weekend. It is truly wonderful.

By Nancy Kirkpatrick

Nancy’s photography can be seen and purchased via:

Facebook: Nancy Kirkpatrick Photography

www.nancykirkpatrickphotography.com

Fine Art America

Melissa | Out&About | 07 15th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Travel Tuesday – London Icons

Story and Photos by Nancy Kirkpatrick

London calls to me on so many levels. My romantic nature wants to fly Mary-Poppins-umbrella high over the rooftops to collect sweet images of blackened chimney sweeps against an orange-red backdrop of Hollywood drama. I want to get lost in the tangle of make believe clockworks high above the busy-bee railway station marble floors. That place where time forgets itself in hidden passageways populated by gargoyles and carved stone gardens.

Then I’d disappear in pieces through the brick wall of Platform 9 3/4, off to an adventure somewhere in the London only the few are privileged to wander.

Then there is the call of the historical novels I’ve devoured since eighth grade, when I hid cumbersome tomes beneath textbooks that didn’t lend enough color to the world I knew was there…somewhere. London brings those novels to life. The tales of bridges dreamed and marvels built from ideas laid down from the long before. History becomes life for me in London.

There is the Tower that London built of stone, iron, wood and rack. The place where names leap from pages into a warren of rooms and dim hallways. Rooms that held the promise of pain and death. The infamous gate, wet with the green, murky Thames, that surely emblazoned a big black “T” on the forehead of the unfortunate as they passed beneath its unyielding bars. Its storied keepers, now merely ghosts, brought alive by the threads of generations present tense, telling those gruesome stories with their iconic British wit. The Tower fascinates now, as before.

My London loves its Eye. Grandly seen from odd angles and vantage points around the teeming city; framed by traditions built long ago, it claims a giant corner of the London sky. This fascinating, mesmerizing circle of life beckons the curious with every sure footed turn. Calling, tantalizing, hypnotizing, it’s everywhere but only in one place.

The bridges, the boats, the Thames, Big Ben and Parliament. All of it is a city at its best. Discovered by foot, by boat, by taxi or red bus, London unfolds its treasures before your eyes like a dancer’s fan. Undulating to reveal a quiet garden this way; then twisting gracefully that way to showcase a beloved Queen’s palace, protective bobbies standing at the gate. Dipping swiftly now we glimpse old-timey performers in green, yellow, white, with simple instruments nearly vanished from the now.

This is my London. The one I looked for; the one I saw. Write and tell me about your London!

By Nancy Kirkpatrick

Nancy’s photography can be seen and purchased via:

Facebook: Nancy Kirkpatrick Photography

www.nancykirkpatrickphotography.com

Fine Art America

Melissa | Out&About | 07 14th, 2015 | No Comments »

I’m sharing some tips for staying cool today!  Driving in Brunswick yesterday, the car showed 102 degrees as the temperature.  Sea breeze or no breeze…..that is HOT!  So sit back, put your feet up, grab a cool drink and read on!

Pinterest

One of my favorite tricks is to keep a bottle of pure peppermint essential oil in the refrigerator.  Dab a bit on your pulse points and feel the chill.  It is a very refreshing way to cool down when you’ve been outdoors. You can also put a few drops in a small spray bottle of purified water and keep in the fridge.  Spray it on your face, eyes closed please, your neck, arms…all over for a complete cool down.

Pinterest

I’m loving cucumber water with lemongrass!  It’s easy to make and worth keeping in the cooler when you go to the beach.  Light and refreshing too!  Add strawberries or mint for a little more flavor.  To make the water simply fill a large pitcher with purified water and cut a large cucumber into chunks or slices.  Put them into the water and chill for several hours.  You can add the fruit or mint as well and enjoy a delicious drink.

Pinterest

Another wonderful drink that is full of anti-inflammatory qualities.  Fill a large pitcher with purified water, chunks of fresh ginger root, lemongrass and fresh thyme.  Yum!

Keep melon of all kinds cut up and refrigerated in a large bin.  Summertime is melon time!  We love it plain or tossed with a bit of honey and fresh mint.  The perfect thing for cooling down and getting rid of excess water that we all tend to retain in the heat.  For a refreshing salad you can also add ripe avocado, cut into chunks and a bit of feta cheese.  The possibilities are limitless!

There are tons of ideas that I could fill these pages with.  Do a Google search and find the things that appeal to you.  Most importantly, stay hydrated and stay cool!  Remember that it’s good to perspire when it’s this hot so outdoor activities are always good for releasing toxins.  Happy Summer….Happy Times!

Melissa | Out&About | 07 13th, 2015 | No Comments »

Eric Whitacre

I’m sharing a wonderful piece I discovered while surfing through YouTube this week.  Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir performing “Fly To Paradise”.  The harmonies and tones are lovely, just right for a quiet Sunday morning!  As a child I always wanted to fly…in fact, I was sure I could!  This video puts it all into perspective as the virtual girl takes off in flight and everything pops with color and life.  I think this is what happens when we take chances and allow our souls to soar.  I hope you’ll enjoy the music and this new day!  Wishing you all the peace of a gentle Sunday!

Melissa | Simple Sundays | 07 12th, 2015 | No Comments »

Having taken a break for several weeks I am pleased to announce that I am back “On The Radio”.  My first new interview will air next Tuesday and Thursday evenings on WWEZ 94.7 FM!  I’ll post the interview on next Saturday’s blog.  You’ll have to wait until then to know who my guest was, just know she was wonderful!

Have a safe weekend!  Get out and walk on the beach, feel the sand between your toes and experience our wonderful lifestyle here on St. Simons Island.  There’s no place like home!

If you happen to be out and about this afternoon between 1:00 and 3:00 stop by GJ Ford Book Shop in the Sea Island Shops!  I’ll be there signing books and would love to see you!

Melissa | On The Radio | 07 11th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

I’ve got the song “Summertime” spinning around in my mind today!  It’s hot, hot, hot and time for some easy cooking and living!  I’m keeping things simple and delicious with my post today.  I’m not a big meat eater, but I do like some good sausage on the grill, it has to be really good for me to bother.

I discovered Holme’s Smokehouse Original Pecan Smoked Sausage from Texas and the rest is history.  My Texas roots took over the moment I read the label and the bonus of it being a BOGO at our local Harris Teeter last week cinched the deal.  I limit my intake of cured meats like this, but this is worth the splurge once in a while.  With the first bite, the snap of the casing and the burst of juicy, pecan smoked flavor, I was in foodie heaven!

So this is what we had for dinner the other evening.  Holme’s sausage on the grill, with ciabatta bread that I brushed with garlic olive oil from Golden Isles Olive Oil and fresh okra and summer squash from Uncle Don’s.  I tossed the veggies with plain extra virgin olive oil, a bit of pink salt and put it right on the grill with the sausage as it cooked.  A nice, crisp Pinot Grigio…cool and refreshing….a perfectly quick summer meal!

Melissa | Finally Friday!, food & entertaining | 07 10th, 2015 | No Comments »