Okay….I confess….I have become a die hard, Michael Hulett fan!  Mr. T and I stumbled into Tipsy McSway’s a couple of Sundays ago and Michael was performing that evening.  This man has such soul and such PRESENCE, who wouldn’t love him.  Michael’s range of music, his beautiful falsetto voice, used as need, and his prowess with the saxophone is second to none that I know of.

I’m sharing his upcoming calendar with you today so you can hear him at his best!  He performs for the benefit of others all over our area.  This photo has him doing his thing at Golden Isles Hospice.  He’s like the gentle giant of soul….giving, giving and giving.

Michael will be performing Sunday 6-9 at Sunbery Crab Co. In Sunbery.  December 23rd Ludichristmas at Tipsy McSways and December 24, Christmas Eve, ugly sweater contest and ramily get together with food wine and song from 6-9 pm. Ocean Lodge is where you’ll find Michael on Dec 26th from  7-10 pm.  For New Year’s Eve Michael will perform at Brunswick Country Club from 6-9 pm.

We heard Michael sing his rendition of “Ave Maria” a perfect choice for the Christmas Holidays.  Listen to his amazing voice as he sings this classic tribute to the Christmas story.

Melissa | people | 12 18th, 2014 | 8 Comments »

I interviewed local writer/blogger/entrepreneur, Bud Hearn, on the radio show a couple of weeks ago.  We mentioned his lively and entertaining blog posts that are written as “The Weakly Post”.  Mr. T and I read this past week’s post and laughed with delight through the entire thing.  I decided, with the permission of Bud, to share this with my readers today!  It’s funny, light hearted and filled with his wit!  I’ll be having him on the radio as a guest again soon!  In the meantime enjoy this holiday read!  And then go here to read more from Bud:  www.theweaklypost.com.

The Weakly Post

This Time of Year

Christmas begins earlier each year. It now kicks off around Labor Day.

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Somebody resurrected Burl Ives who woke singing in CVS about a Holly Jolly season. Legions of chocolate marshmallow Santas populate the aisles at Walmart. They keep company next with last year’s Easter bunnies. Walmart squeezes pennies.

Our household stoically refuses to buy into the early frenzy. We don’t budge until December bumps up on the refrig calendar and pictures of poinsettias and dollar-down mattresses dominate the newspaper inserts. Everybody’s selling something.

Last Sunday on the coast was bleak, cold, rainy and windy.  A perfect day to begin the tradition of Christmas preparation. Maybe it was the Advent sermon, the one about light coming into the world and how men loved darkness because their deeds were evil.

People react to sermons differently. Some people listen and are inspired. As for me, I tend to doze off and miss the punch line, but always wake up refreshed. Listen, women love darkness, too. It covers a multitude of evils, not to mention wrinkles and blemishes. Chew on that candy cane.

Anyway, a lady of antiquity in the pew in front kept humming Deck the Halls. It energized my Christmas spirit. She had a wicked smile and a heavy emphasis on Falalalalalalalala. It led me to believe she was remembering a time long ago. Maybe the Christmas when Santa slid down the chimney with his bag of gifts, anticipating more than milk and cookies. Whatever. Church is a safe place to air such memories.

On the way home we stopped into the vacant lot and bought a nice 8 foot Balsam fir tree. Two high school boys did the heavy lifting. One attempted to master the chain saw to square off the end. Unfortunately, the saw got away from him. The mechanical monster spun round and round on the ground in a bizarre rampage. It chewed up dirt as well as my tree before it headed on its own down the row of trees. The scene was surreal. We bought another tree.

We tied the Balsam on the roof of the car and headed home.  I felt like a member of the Joad clan en route from Oklahoma to California with a mattress strapped on top of the jalopy. Chevy Chase adopted this scene.

We dusted off the decorations boxes and unpacked elves, the candles and the lights. I unwrapped the manger scene, which after almost 50 years looks about as ragged as I suspect Joseph felt. The ninety and nine manger animals were out to pasture, lost sheep forever. Mary was missing four fingers, Joseph’s staff was broken and the angel’s feathers were falling out. Even the baby Jesus looked disgusted. Shelf lives are getting shorter.

The tree occupied a nice corner spot over the heat register, a hospice of sorts. It was the least we could do to insure its comfort, seeing as it was already on its last leg. I felt sorry for it, so my daughter and I clothed its nakedness with about five thousand tiny lights, remembering the sermon.

I like to name our Christmas trees after biblical characters.  This year its name is Amos. The name is translated from Hebrew, of course, which means literally ‘fire tower.’ It didn’t improve Amos’ disposition that Mac, our male Westie, found its vertical stature intimidating. While the challenge was enormous for him, he never failed to give it his best squirts. Amos is well-watered.

In a few hours the house looked festive, ready for whoever might be coming down the chimney in a couple of weeks. As the day closed, we turned down the lights and admired our handiwork. We poured ourselves some eggnog, spiked with a skosh of brandy. The gathering gloom began to close in. Our eyes got heavy.

Conversation in these reflective moments is sparse, lacking all evidence of intellectual profundity.

I say, “Beautiful, huh?” Silence.

“Yes, beautiful,” she answers. More silence.

     “Our best tree ever,” I say.

“Yes, it is,” she replies.

“Lots of space for presents, huh?”  I’m ever hopeful.

“Yes, seems so,” the reply.

And on and on with longer gaps in silence as conversation transcends into sleep, allowing visions of sugar plums to dance in our heads. Through the darkness Amos shone brightly.

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“….(And) The Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness overcommeth it not.”  Amen!

Bud Hearn

December 12, 2014

Melissa | people | 12 16th, 2014 | 2 Comments »

Continuing my journey through the marshes and barrier islands of Coastal Georgia.  Today I’m going to share the beautiful lodge on Eagle Island with you.

crab trap planters

This is the perfect place for a quiet getaway.  You can design your stay in whatever way you would like.  If you want complete peace and quiet, bringing your own food and libations on island with you and another person or family or if you want an all out girls’ weekend with all the bells and whistles you can have it on Eagle Island.

Capt. Andy will arrange for one of his crew to prepare a low country boil and five moon oysters for a meal.   Upon arrival you’ll be greeted with a whole ham, or smoked turkey, a bushel of fresh raw oysters and other special items to liven up your stay.

You can arrange to bring your own boat and have Capt. Andy guide you through the waterways taking you to such beautiful places as Sapelo Island where he keeps a couple of vehicles parked for guests to use.  Go shelling for an afternoon or visit the historic Reynolds Estate.

Spend an evening in front of the outdoor fireplace, soaking in the oversized hot tub.

Prepare a fabulous seafood feast in the outdoor kitchen.

Or end your evening around a roaring fire in the pit that has been prepared just a short walk from the lodge.

Perhaps a soothing experience in the exotic five moon shower before bedtime?  There’s plenty of room for two!

Anyway you book it, you’ll be in for an exprerience you will never, ever forget.

I, for one, could spend an entire afternoon on the 1,500 square foot, screened porch, reading, napping in the hanging bed that gently sways to you sleep or writing, I’m always writing.

For more information on the Lodge at Eagle Island go here:  www.privateislandsofgeorgia.com.

Melissa | people | 12 10th, 2014 | No Comments »

Brunswick Manor is a turn of the century mansion, owned by Stacy Bass and Jay Anderson of Straton Hall Events.  The property is kept as a lovely bed and breakfast year round as well as the site for specialty theme dinners and weddings.  But at Christmas it is a magical wonderland!  Full of decorations to feast the eye on!

You’ll see ornaments from Christopher Radko everywhere you look.  Trees laden from top to bottom with pure holiday fantasy.

A bit of whimsy is always in order!

Loving the arrangement that goes down the middle of the elegant dining table…set and ready to go!

Every guest room has a bit of Christmas to share as well.

Look through the back door and you’ll find this lovely orchid nursery, the smell, the feel….heavenly!

Stacy and Jay always add something splendid to any setting.  Their catered events are unforgettable as anyone who has attended one will tell you!  Visit Brunswick Manor here:  http://www.brunswickmanor.com/

Happy Christmas to all as the season continues!

Melissa | people | 12 8th, 2014 | 3 Comments »

I first knew of Nancy Kirkpatrick when, through mutual friends, she began to follow The Permanent Tourist.  Then, when I attended the Witches Hour event in October, there she was snapping photographs of all of the ladies in their witchy costumes.  I knew from the way she had me pose before taking my picture that she truly knew what she was doing.  I will always treasure that photograph and I now have a wonderful new friend to treasure as well.  When Nancy and I met to discuss my writing a post about her work we talked for well over an hour about our lives, where we’ve been and where we hope to go.  Then she mentioned that she really loves photographing flowers.  She even returned to the Market at Sea Island, where we met for coffee, and snapped  a photo of one of the beautiful zinnias blooming in the lovely gardens there.

After our meeting Nancy began to send me her floral photographs and I was just blown away.  First of all, she is a very talented photographer, but secondly, her ability to capture a bloom with the right light and shadow is just spectacular.

White peonies have long been my favorite flower and this photo sends waves of happiness wafting through me!  Isn’t it fabulous?

And these flowers in tones of pink and, what I call, ashes of roses!

Hydrangea?  Yep, Nancy photographs them in all their glory.

Calla lilies, gardenia and ranunculus….so feminine and soft.

She’s working on a line of cards using her photographs with soft graphics, I want the entire collection!

Nancy will be launching her Fine Art Photography, featuring these wonderful floral beauties and more!  She also continues her work with portrait photography, capturing the soul of her subject in magical ways!  You can visit Nancy’s website here to view her beautiful floral photography:  http://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/nancy+kirkpatrick/all

Melissa | people | 11 24th, 2014 | 4 Comments »

I

I thought about whether to categorize this post under food & entertaining or people.  I opted for people because I truly feel the people who own Cj’s Pizza here on St. Simons Island are what make this restaurant so special! I first met Graham Owens and his lovely wife, Ada, at the pier crawl during the Food & Spirits festival last October.  One bite of the pizza samples they were offering festival goer’s that evening and was I impressed.  What I tasted was so reminiscent of a particular pizza I loved while living in New York City years ago.  I knew I wanted more and I wanted to meet the people behind the name Cl’s.

Graham spent his teenage years here on St. Simons Island working his way through high school and then some as a pizza maker at Cj’s.  He has a special place in his heart for the recipes he learned, the making of the dough and the relationship with clients who come to enjoy one of the most delicious pizza’s I’ve had in a long time.  His heart is in this business in every way.  He shared with me the fact that the pizza sauce he starts every pie with is made from scratch with the original recipe that has been in use for over twenty years.

The pans that hold the dough for the famous deep dish pizza are aged and seasoned to perfection so that they produce a perfect crust every time.  Each pie is hand made with the freshest toppings you can imagine.

I highly recommend the Magic Mushroom pizza that features homemade basil pesto, plenty of pine nuts, shitake mushrooms, red onion, the famous red sauce and lots of freshly grated mozzarella cheese.

And Graham makes regular pizza as well.  Mr. T prefers this to deep dish so I had a Margherita Madness pizza prepared to take home and found it to be just as delicious as the deep dish.

I love the fact that this is a family owned business.  When Ada and Graham graduated from the University of Georgia and moved to Atlanta, seeking positions in their selected fields of marketing, for Ada, and landscape design, for Graham, they were not successful.  The rest is history.  Graham’s lovely mother who maintained a friendship with Terri, then owner of Cj’s, told Terri of the kid’s plight and the offer to buy Cj’s began.  These two have it going in a big way with wonderful customer service and an excellent product that has kept us going back for pizza almost once a week since that first taste!  I haven’t made it to the other items on the menu yet, but I plan too.  Lasagna, eggplant parmesan and so many other favorite Italian dishes all hand prepared with the most delicious ingredients…how could you go wrong?  Everything about this restaurant reminds me of neighborhood, family owned Italian restaurants in New York City and that is a VERY good memory!

And there is Arthur!  Is he a cutie or what?  At almost two years old he’s learning the family trade from the ground floor up.  There is just something wonderful about the special restaurants on this island that are not a part of major corporations.  It’s what makes the island interesting and keeps us coming back for more!  Now that my mouth is watering for the crunchy goodness of that deep dish pizza, I’ve got to end for now!  I hope you’ll try Cj’s if you haven’t, I know you’ll love it!   In fact, this is the perfect place to go when you’ve had too much turkey next week….pizza is always on our list for the weekend after Thanksgiving!   Don’t forget to tell them you read about them on The Permanent Tourist…you’ll be rewarded with 10% off.  Go here to see the menu and read more:  http://www.cjsitalianrestaurant.com/index.html

Cj’s Italian Restaurant – 405 Mallery Street – St. Simons Island, GA – 912-634-2711

Melissa | people | 11 20th, 2014 | 4 Comments »

You’re in for a treat when you visit Pier Village!  Ed Hose has opened her new retail shop, filled with fantastic flights of fantasy all courtesy of her amazing imagination!

You’ll be surrounded by line drawings she has created that are just waiting to be colored.  Magnets, posters and more!

Would you love a personalized print colored just for you by Ed….you’ll find it here!

Her colorful sense of whimsy is everywhere you look…what a fun shop!

Ed is available for all sorts of work, custom made for you and yours.  My news is that my publisher has selected Ed Hose to illustrate the “Emmeline” children’s series I have written, for publication in hardcover.  The first book will be released on February 17, 2015, right in the middle of Mardi Gras!  You know where I’ll be….signing and celebrating!

Ed Hose – 135 Pier Village Market – St. Simons Island, Ga 31522 – 912-399-4533 – www.edhose.com

Melissa | people | 11 12th, 2014 | No Comments »

Taking something from nothing is Anthony Quickle’s passion.  Some of you may know Anthony as a local realtor, which he is, and an excellent one at that.  By day he works with Sea Palms Coastal Realty, but at other times you’ll find him in his studio working at his craft….sculpting.

I spent some time with Anthony last week talking about his work, where it has taken him and where he would like it to go.  I immediately noticed the influence of the fine sculptor, Ralph Hurst, whose work I have written about in a past post.  The smoothly sculpted lines that curve and turn making you have to reach out and touch it is unforgettable.  When I mentioned this to Anthony he instantly perked up to tell me that Ralph was his mentor.  The two met in Tallahassee years ago while Anthony was attending law school.  But a career in law was not to be his calling.  He learned to cut stone with Ralph as his guide and fell in love with the art, the organic beauty, of taking something from nature, making it a piece to be treasured.

He works in all sorts of stone as well as bronze and is now talking about venturing into the world of wood.  I can only imagine how wonderfully he’ll work with the burls and textures he’ll find in that realm.  He also does abstract work like the piece you see in the first picture with Anthony standing in front of it.  No size is too great for his imagination to grasp and run with!

Anthony works on commission.  You might be familiar with some of his work if you have visited Epworth by the Sea and seen his bust of Charles Wesley.  Or you may have seen the bronze sculpture that sits in the garden at Hospice of the Golden Isles.  His ability to capture the essence of a person or an animal is amazing.  I am always in awe of anyone who can take a block of stone and sculpt it into a thing of beauty.  Anthony Quickle does a masterful job!

Since today is Veteran’s Day I think it appropriate to share a bronze sculpture Anthony created to honor the many dogs who have been of service in our armed forces.  This fabulous piece was created in 2001 and stands in Streamwood, Illinois.  Good job, sir….and to all veteran’s both two legged and four…we salute you on this, your special day!

Melissa | people | 11 11th, 2014 | 2 Comments »

Dave Olender joined me as my guest on the radio show last week.  Dave is the Council Chair of the Veteran’s Council of the Golden Isles.  We talked about the upcoming celebration of our countries veteran’s this coming Tuesday, November 11th.  This year’s parade and official ceremony to honor veteran’s begins at the Mallory Ball Fields where participants will gather to begin the parade which will make its way to Casino Band Stand near Neptune Park in the village.

Keynote speaker for the event is Navy Rear Admiral Charles A. Richard, Commander, Submarine Group 10.  The actual ceremonies begin at 11:00.  The “Veteran of the Year” will be awarded to Air Force Veteran Jack Donald Campbell this year,  Music for the ceremonies will be provided by Mickey Wnedel and his Community Concert Band, offering patriotic melodies for all to enjoy.

Bring your lawn chairs join in this celebration of those who have served our country so well.  If you are a veteran and need information about participation or you need transportation please contact Matt Joyner at 912-261-4504. he’ll be happy to assist!

No matter what day of the week the 11th falls on in November we always celebrate our veteran’s.  This holiday originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

Please plan to attend this important celebration of our nation’s service people!

Melissa | people | 11 5th, 2014 | No Comments »

Mildred Huie Wilcox Collection

Anyone who lives on St. Simons Island and hears the name Mildred Wilcox, known to her friends as Millie, thinks of art.  The Left Bank Art Gallery is closing its doors on November 1st after almost forty years of providing locals and tourists with artistic greatness.

Millie grew up on St. Simons Island.  Her connection to the history and the land are deeply rooted.  She loves nothing more than to talk of Coastal Georgia and how her life has been enriched by living here.

In the 1950’s Millie left the area and pursued a fashion career in New York City, where she worked with Madame Eleanora Garnett’s Fashion House, selecting fabrics for the great designer’s line.  Then on to Rome she traveled, working as a high fashion model.  Her great beauty has not diminished to this day.  Millie has a “joie de vivre” that is second to none!

Mildred Nix Huie Collection

She returned to the island in 1966 where she met and married her husband, Robert Wilcox. Having been born in France, Robert’s knowledge and passion for all things French ignited Millie’s desire to travel and expand the portfolio of artwork showcased at Left Bank.  But along with the French artists she has always integrated artists from all over our area into the galleries offerings.  Millie continues to promote and preserve the beautiful artwork that her mother, Mildred Nix Huie, created.  Such finely detailed pieces that show the plantations, from bygone days, that stood here on the island.

Left Bank Art Gallery has been the place to be displayed for local and European artist’s as well.  Millie has a passion for France and to this day makes trips to see and purchase artwork that she then brings home to share with us all.  I had lunch with Millie last year when she returned from her last trip to France.  A friend and I asked what her doctor said when she asked him about taking the trip alone, since she had been experiencing some minor health problems.  Her response…”I sent him a postcard”.  That’s Millie!

Her tireless work to promote and exhibit the work of fine artist’s has brought the world to life for so many of us.  The art openings at Left Bank Art Gallery have always been a place to be, milling about, enjoying the beautiful paintings and connecting with friends and others.

Without fail, when I ask any of Millie’s friends what they love the most about her it is undoubtedly her knowledge of art and her joy for life.  On Saturday, November 1st, Millie celebrates her birthday.  This post is in honor of that great occasion.  Millie is a treasure to me.  She has always believed in my writing and encouraged me to continue.  She has been a guest on my radio show and will be many times to come.  She taught me to raise my head high when looking into the camera and smile with confidence.  She is the quintessential Southern Lady in every way.   Dear Millie, we’ll miss the art gallery, but I have a feeling you’ll be sharing art in many other ways for all of us enjoy!  We love you and look forward to the new chapter you are beginning in your fascinating life!

Melissa | people | 10 30th, 2014 | 5 Comments »