John's Vote, John's Voice

Politics…  it’s not great.

Generally speaking, the parties aren’t as important as the ideas. What the issues are and how they solve them. I look for the right information and who’s telling the truth. Not giving you the wrong idea in a candidate.

We talk about politics in the house with my family - Mom, Dad and Brandon. Sometimes we talk about it with friends. I listen to the news, the TV and get my information from here to base my opinions and thoughts.

I follow all the politics: National, State, Local because I like to know what’s going on around me.  I find it hard to follow politics because it’s hard to tell who’s telling the truth or lying.

I want the best candidate. I do my research. Oh, you know what... I don’t really do my research—I watch all the news though, like CBS, CNN, NBC.

I vote for the person that I like. If I don’t like them, then I don’t vote for them.

Who you choose for President...?

Certain candidates stick out in my mind. I had a feeling for Bush, Sr. And then when Clinton came in it [things] kept doing good. And then Obama didn’t do too good. And then the Jr. And now Trump... it’s still going good. And that’s my opinion.

Local Politics- the mayor isn’t doing a good job. In general, the job isn’t as important because I call it [through laughs... no, I can’t say that... well, it’s] “crap”... because the issues should be important but they don’t always do their job.

Voting...

Ok, I’m going to sleep.

I’m kidding.

I was 19 when I voted for the first time, maybe I was 18. It was Bush versus Dukakis. I chose Bush. It was my decision. But these days, it’s very hard to choose who to vote for. Because they’re holding off the voting... it’s hard during the times of COVID it’s all I’m saying.

Right now... The vaccine is taking long because some viruses are easy and some are not and trying to get the vaccines settled. We know Trump’s trying to do the right thing. Because the virus is strong (it’s a lot faster). You have to use certain medicines because some are good and some are bad and it’s hard to get the vaccine level[ed].

All in all, it’s hard right now.

What is my political affiliation? Conservative or liberal?

I think I’m liberal.

Wait...

Liberal? I can’t be liberal, can I?!?!

I don’t know.

The Spans of Time

(A Brief History of the Cooper River Bridges)

During their existence, the “old” Cooper River bridges enjoyed a number of accolades which included being the longest of its kind, and then the longest in the state. Many of Charleston’s population will remember both the “old” and “new” bridges... 

Charleston Mayor John Grace and friends had long dreamed of a bridge across the inner harbor connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant.  The ferry service between the city and East Cooper had become irregular. The mayor and his taskforce began a renovation of the city’s waterfront and fostered a campaign for new tourism in Charleston. The positive responses to the mayor’s initiatives quickly led to a new push for the bridge across the Cooper.  

In 1901, Charleston’s mayor and other determined entrepreneurs and investors pushed their plan to expand the city from the peninsula out to the large island areas both to the north and south. In 1926, The Cooper River Bridge, Inc., began their efforts with John Grace as their attorney with construction beginning in May of 1928. It was completed 15 months later, 3 months ahead of schedule, but at a cost of 5.75 million dollars and fourteen lives. 

Three days of events of various nature illustrated the joy and hope for the future growth of the greater Charleston area. More than 11,000 vehicles crossed the NEW Cooper River Bridge, spanning 210 feet in length and 20 feet in width that weekend. Almost $5,000.00 in tolls were collected. The growth of the Mount Pleasant area began with new schools being built and industries locating in the surrounding community because of the new connection to the Charleston peninsula. 

The euphoria surrounding the bridge project was cut short by the stock market crash merely months later. The great Depression didn’t cause the bridge to collapse, but the diverse enterprises launched with hope for the future did suffer. The bridge corporation, faced with financial failure and bankruptcy, sold its interest to Charleston County (1941) who subsequently sold the bridge to the state (1945). The sale included the removal of the tolls which the local populace found oppressive.   

Over the years it became obvious that the Grace bridge wasn’t enough for the volume of traffic making the trip over the Cooper. Many collisions forced the widening of the structure, adding a 20-foot buffer in the middle, to allow damaged vehicles to be moved to the safety zone freeing up the travel lanes. The “new” bridge was opened to the public in 1968 without the fanfare of its twin just a few yards up the river. With just three lanes, the Silas Pearman bridge helped alleviate the current logjam but illustrated the continuing demand for a more viable road, resulting in opening the Arthur Ravenal bridge in 2005. 

The “old” Grace Memorial bridge and the “new” Silas Pearman bridge were subsequently scheduled for demolition due to the ravages of age and obsoletion. Eighty years of use had taken its toll and the bridges came tumblin’ down with great sadness and public attention. Portions of the Grace bridge foundation can still be seen at the Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park on the East Cooper side of the bridge.   

The Cooper River Bridge Run originated on these bridges on April 2, 1978 with over 1,000 participants who began the race, but only 766 who completed it due to the heat (not the humidity, in this case)! 

Whether you were here to enjoy the beautiful silhouettes of this pair of truss bridges or just want to drink in our take on them—they were quite the sight. Charleston’s skyline has changed slightly upon the replacement of the Old Bridges with the diamond of the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge, but it is just as breathtaking! 

~  David Joyner and Kristen N. Granet 

The Ghost Whisperer

Who you going to call?

That's right! Who ARE you going to call when one has an encounter with a ghost, a spirit, the supernatural? I suppose if someone has never had an encounter with one of these, then it might be difficult to believe. Let me tell you about a couple of my experiences with “Casper.”

One of the theaters where I had worked was well known for its ghosts. Most workers would not work in the theater alone and most would leave around 5 p.m. unless rehearsals were in full swing. I usually worked crazy hours way into the night. That was a great time for me ‘cause no one was there to bother me – or so I thought...

This particular night I was on the second floor of the costume facility far removed from everyone or anything. My husband did not want me to work alone in this large facility so he would get comfortable in a cozy chair downstairs and sleep until I was ready to go home... usually, about 2 am.

One evening, while I was going through a section of vintage costumes looking for something from the 50s, I was mesmerized by all of the “one-of-a-kind" runway dresses that I was finding. I had struck gold as far as I was concerned, and I wasn't paying any attention to anything around me. I was happy, happy, happy!

"Jeannie!” someone said.

“Yes...?” I answered as I thought for sure that I had heard someone call my name.

“Goodness! I must have imagined that,” I thought to myself.

"Jeannie!” someone said again.

"What?!” I blurted out. “Who is that?” I asked.

Again... nothing.

“You really are tired, girl. You need to go home and rest!” I said to myself.

"Jeannie...” the voice whispered this time.

“Oh, I really must be going crazy,” I said out loud. “OK. Okay, I hear you. What do you want? I'm not scared of you so if you want to talk, we can.”

So, I carried on a conversation with “Casper.” It didn't seem like it was there to hurt me or to really scare me. Maybe no one else had actually stuck around long enough to talk.

Anyway, as the night went on, I heard from the very back of the costume facility, on the same aisle that I was working, footsteps that started running from the very back wall, passing right behind me and abruptly stopping right in front of the windows about 10 feet on the other side of me.

All this while whispering... “Jeannie...”

“Okay,” I said to myself. “That's just weird! But if you are lonely, I'm here to talk so.” So, I continue to talk to “my friend. “

When I was finished working with the costumes, I went downstairs to collect my husband and let him know I was ready to leave.

“Did you happen to hear anything or any conversation I was having?” I asked.

“No,” he said, “I was sound asleep!”

I realized that I would have had to be screaming at the top of my lungs for him to hear me from that far away.

I had a number of encounters with the “Friendly Ghost” in the theater. And, no, I was never scared and, no, I never felt threatened.

Another evening, I had a few interns working with me on a show and as usual we worked into the night. We had discussed the ghost in the theater before and they were intrigued by all of it. Some had witnessed “ghostly activities,” while others had not.

As we were leaving the theater, one of the interns pulled out a camera turned around and snapped a picture of the second story window. You might be surprised, there in the window was a figure all in white. It looked like a female. The theater was empty. And yet... they still have that picture!

Spooky, huh?

I could go on and on about the encounters that took place in this building. Can you imagine all of the characters who have passed through these theater halls and walls– all the stories THEY could tell! I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to EXPERIENCE some of them. The opportunity to TELL about some of these. After all, who said all the experiences with ghosts have to be scary?

I did get my chance to meet “Casper” and he was friendly!

~ Jeannie Joyner

This Is Halloween

Halloween? It’s all kids' stuff. I don’t really do stuff that’s kids' stuff. I used to go out, but I give out candy now.

I loved wearing different costumes—it's gonna be very difficult to tell you which one’s my favorite. I’m not gonna tell you all of them, ‘cause that’s too many... But I’ll tell you a few of what I remember: Captain America, KISS—the mask and all black & white outfit... Oh, and Zorro! I do remember that now—the TV show Zorro with a black mask and a hat and a cape... and, I think... yeah, I had a sword!

Let’s see what else... when Brandon started [dressing up with me] ... We did like Batman and Robin. I was Batman and he was Robin. After that, I dressed up as the Devil and Brandon was the Angel even though we dressed up the wrong way... I was supposed to be good and he was supposed to be bad. I don’t know why it happened that way. But [through laughs] … it’s just fun. He should have been the bad one.

I do remember getting candy! We would drive some and then walk from neighborhood to neighborhood and go to the houses to get it; some to houses of friends that I know and then some that I didn’t know as well. When I said “Trick or Treat,” then I’d get the candy.

My favorite candy? It would be Nestle Crunch. There’s so much though... like Reese’s pieces and M&Ms. Some of the candy I don’t eat... ‘cause I don’t like it. I always like chocolate. I would either give what I didn’t to Brandon or Mom or Dad.

Halloween didn’t ever really get rained out for me or we would go in-between the showers if so. It never rained on my parade.

I love Halloween cupcakes and chocolate M&Ms—the Halloween colors—I like those! Sometimes they have faces on the cupcakes and pumpkins and the Halloween colors. Orange is my favorite Halloween color! Food-wise, everything we really eat is orange and has witches.

We did other things too for Halloween besides getting candy. We had Halloween parties, but I don’t remember that too well. Sometimes whenever we had Halloween... mom had stage shows to costume for, so maybe that’s why I don’t remember the parties too much.

I still watch scary movies and fun movies. Some Halloween movies I watch that I wouldn’t necessarily go to the movie theater for. Generally speaking, I don’t love horror movies that scare me, but if they are fun, then YES! I like to watch those! Beetlejuice is one of them. I also enjoy watching cartoon-like movies (animated) sorta like Coco... but for real ones... it’s Hocus Pocus! Haunted Mansion is another I enjoy. And Monster Squad—the first time I watched this was with Brandon and Kristen and Brooke in the movie theater and I liked it so much that I got it on blu-ray. Casper, the Classic Universal Monsters, the Munsters, Addams Family, Nightmare Before Christmas, I watch all those.

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights! I love going there. You see scary stuff even though I don’t get scared like Mom does. There’s different scary stuff like characters from the movies and stories, places you can walk through [scare-zones] and haunted houses. Halloween the movie had a haunted house one year. And, last year they had Ghostbusters and Killer Klowns from Outerspace.

I used to get scared at Clam [the clown that sat up in my closet] but now, I don’t get scared anymore. Clowns in general don’t scare me because they can be fun and have lots of colors. If it’s plain and dark things then I get a little scared but I realize that it’s only make-believe. Things that are bright, cheery and colorful don’t frighten me though.

When I go through the haunted houses, Brandon pushes me with the wheelchair. People and things tend to jump at me all the time and probably more so than if I walked. I know it’s just make-believe. And it doesn’t really scare me. But when they get in my face, Brandon does get scared. And sometimes I laugh.

Some advice on Halloween?

For the kids: It’s really only make-believe. Don’t worry about being scared. And maybe don’t watch things that are too scary.

For the adults: Only see scary stuff in the daytime and not at nighttime. Take the children trick or treating while it’s still light outside. For those young at heart adults, it’s still ok to keep dressing up! It’s all in good fun!

~ John Joyner

Treehouse of Horror

I saw a little ghost.  

He saw me too.  

I said, “Hi.” 

And he said, “Boo!” 

This is this was how I felt on a clear, crisp, chilly (I mean COLD!) evening just before sunset. I didn't believe in ghosts but I guess at 8 years old, I never gave it much thought.  

My dad was a tease, prankster, a kidder. My mom on the other hand, not so much. She would always fuss at my dad if he played a joke on anyone... Especially me.  

I remember one evening. I had invited a friend over to watch television. That was special—but remember—back in ancient times, when you invited someone over to watch television, you watched it in the living room, WITH YOUR PARENTS, and you watched whatever they wanted to watch.  

After a while my father left the room and I didn't think much about it. My friend and I were sitting together on our living room couch right in front of a big picture window. We were thoroughly involved in what we were watching when all of a sudden, we heard a tapping on the window behind our heads. 

We both whirled around in our seats only to be staring into this horrible, ugly, distorted face of “something!” We screamed one of those “blood-curdling” screams that could have shattered all the windows.  

(You know how little girls can scream—EEEEEeeeeeek!)  

At that moment my mother who realized what was actually happening, yelled out, “Frankie, stop that right this minute. You are going to give those girls nightmares!” 

And with that, he jerked off the ladies' hose that he had so carefully pulled over his head, to reveal himself to us. To this day, I still have a clear picture of what he looked like with his face all squished and disfigured in the ladies’ stocking – and it wasn't purdy!  

The same little girl invited me over to her house not long after this episode. Can you imagine her parents letting her continue to play with me? But she never told them.  

Anyway, we lived on an oval “cul-de-sac" area with apartment buildings all around the outside of the oval – all facing the oval in the middle of the oval was grass where all the kids would play. It could not have been a better setup for the kids in the 50s—the 1950s not the 1850s!  

I was briskly walking over to her house when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.  

“Oh, my goodness,” I frantically said to myself. “There is a ghost coming after me!” 

With my heart pounding in my chest, my feet started running. I ran into the apartment building up to the second floor.  

Safe!  

I was safe for the moment. The ghost wouldn't dare come into the building with all the light all the bright lights. So, I'm okay for now!  

We played until her mom said it was time for her bed.  

“Oh no,” I thought, “What if the ghost is waiting for me outside?” 

The only thing I could do was to run as fast as I could to my house and never look back. 

That's exactly what I did. 

I ran in to my apartment and slammed the door behind me—just in case that ghost was running right behind me.  

“Whew! I made it,” I said to myself, never saying a word to anyone about what had just happened. 

Next morning, all I could think about was the ghost that was haunting me. I had to get up enough nerve to peek out the window to see if he was still waiting for me.  

“Well, what do you know!” I said. The ghost was still in the yard, still in the very same spot, still watching me. He hadn’t moved all night long.  

“Who is that man walking over to the ghost?” I thought, “He must be very brave.”  

He was grabbing at the ghost.  

Why was he doing that?  

So, with one good yank, the white cloth covering came off in his hands. He folded it, walked over to the shed and put it away.  

Oh... it wasn't a ghost at all. I had nothing to be afraid of, right? It was a small tree that was covered to keep the frost from killing the new growth. That new growth almost killed me.  

As children, our imaginations can really “run wild,” can't they? 

I still love sharing the stories of my youth whether the stories are happy, sad or scary. And I hope that you have tails that you can share with your family and friends—whomever is willing to sit and listen for a moment.  

Come into my parlor... Shall we have a glass of wine and sit and chat for a while? 

Devil Or Angel?

Like most of my friends know, I have been sewing most of my life and I love it. My mom didn't own a sewing machine but she could sew “by hand’ with the best of them. She designed a can and constructed all of my doll clothes and I watched as she meticulously sewed each piece.  

When I was in eighth grade the opportunity for me to take home a home economics class came along.  

“Oh my... How could I pass this up?” I thought. But not having a sewing machine at home for me to practice on was really going to be a problem. My dear, sweet Aunt Esther heard me talking about it and told me she had a sewing machine in her attic and I was welcome to go up there and use this machine whenever I needed to practice.  

So there!  

Problem solved.  

“New clothes for me!” I thought.  

So as soon as I finished my first project in class (and we all know the project was an apron, gathered, with a wide waistband) I was off to the fabric store for a pattern and fabric so I could make my first outfit! The more difficult the pattern, the better... I wanted to learn it all!  

Whenever I could get a little money, I would head to the store for fabric. I ended up making most of my clothes in high school.  

Jump Ahead.  

Married.  

Still sewing but now sewing for home and for my boys. Picking out fabric for little boys' clothes, designing, smocking, and sewing appliques was so much fun for me. And when it came to Halloween costumes, I never bought a “ready-made” one. I enjoyed thinking up ideas and constructing them.  

John was everything from Zorro to Captain America and even Gene Simmons from Kiss. But when Brandon came along, I tried to make costumes that were similar like Batman and Robin, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket and Sesame Street characters. I had sewed the Pinocchio costume for John and was very satisfied with the results. Now I was working on Jiminy Cricket for Brandon. The top hat was a stinker to make but I did get it finished and thought Brandon looked especially adorable in the little gray coat and tails.  

We were getting ready to go out for trick-or-treat and Brandon was in a “poopy” mood and refused to put on the green face makeup. No green face for him. He wasn't going to put green makeup on no matter what I said so we headed out to trick or treat. I just knew everyone would know that be was Jiminy Cricket even without the makeup because John was obviously Pinocchio!  

The first house we came to I was totally insulted because they thought John and Brandon were Pinocchio and W.C. Fields!  

What?  

Are you kidding me?  

How could they think that I would dare dress my little boy like WC Fields??? You know, without the green makeup he did look like W.C. Fields! 

Another year, I decided to dress my boys up as a devil and an angel. So, I busily constructed the red devil costume with horns, long tail and a pitchfork. The angel costume had a long white gown (with glitter on it, of course) and a sparkly halo. I thought they were perfect.  

We hopped in the car to go out for the evening.  

Our Halloween evenings were just a little different because we didn't trick or treat door to door-- we went by car to visit close friends and family. We got out of the car, walked up to the front door and when they spotted John and Brandon blurted out, “Don't you have those costumes backwards? Shouldn't John be the angel and Brandon be the devil?” 

Everyone burst out laughing because we all knew it was true!  

Need I say more?  

Sometimes you think you hit a homerun and then you realize you just struck out! It just took someone else to point it out!  

So... Who's the devil? Who's the angel? 

Faster Than Lightening

(A Brief History of the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin)

Tuna may be the chicken of the sea, but dolphins? Dolphins are the elephants of the ocean! These fascinating mammals never forget... 

From Myrtle Beach throughout Charleston and down into Hilton Head, Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins find the bountiful blue waters of our salt-marshy areas a nice home and key to their migratory pattern.  

Although they themselves are quite cognizant and self-aware, we as humans have labeled them with a name that is quite the misnomer. These sea creatures have a protruding jawline due to an impressive 104 teeth; however, they don’t breathe through their mouths. Instead, they use their blowhole and must surface to take in air. 

As newborns, they must first breach the surface in order to breathe but are unable to swim, so their mothers must push them up and within 30 minutes after birth they will become fairly adept swimmers. Dolphins can measure from 10-14 feet long (12 feet on average), weighing around 1500 pounds and have a lifespan of 20-50 years. 

On average dolphins hold their breath 5-8 minutes (longest recorded is 15 minutes) but they typically come up for air approximately every 2 minutes. All this in and out of water motion is obviously taxing on the bottlenose’s epithelial cells as they are constantly shedding that outer layer of skin—every 2 hours! 

These highly intelligent mammals each have their own unique whistle to distinguish one from the other. Scientists even believe that they “name” each other. They have also been known to pass things down, like humans, from one generation to the next. 

Although they are social animals and friendly toward humans, they are protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act and swimming with these creatures in the wild is, unfortunately, prohibited by law. Dolphins are what we consider “helpers” in that they come to each other’s aide when in need: sick, injured or in danger; not only do they assist their own species but have been known to come to help other animals and even humans when in distress. 

Dolphins use an advanced method of sonar known as echolocation sending off sounds—anywhere from 300-1000 sounds a second—to “see where things are” and avoid running into each other or things ahead of them.  

Boasting the aforementioned 104 teeth, dolphins do not actually chew their food. They simply use their teeth to catch their prey, swallowing them whole. Using the hunting technique of strand feeding by encircling a school, these water creatures dine on squid, shrimp & fish. Many times, cunningly so, they can be found near fishing boats as they gobble up scraps and the catch that are attempting to swim away. 

They can be found swimming in pods of up to approximately 12 members and congregations of several hundreds of pods. Bow riders ride the waves at the front of the ship using the built-up water pressure and can reach speeds up to 35mph. This smart technique allows them to conserve energy by riding the waves. But, also, dolphins just like to have fun! Dolphins use their “flukes” (horizontal boneless paddles) along with their tails and can dive more than 1000 feet and jump up 20 feet out of the water. 

So, when you’re out taking in the beautiful views of the Atlantic anywhere around Charleston—be it Shem Creek, the Battery, Folly Beach, or even in an estuary off of the harbor—you might just spot one of these glorious gray bottlenoses breaking the surface for a breath of fresh air or taking in the sites for themselves. 

~ Kristen N. Granet 

They’re Gonna Put Me in the Movies

When our family was participating in lots of extras work in the movies, we got a call from the casting director wanting Brandon to audition for an upcoming movie being shot in the area. It was a role playing the part of Timothy Hutton’s character as a child.  

Simple enough, right?  

Not so simple as far as Brandon was concerned.  

I told Brandon about the call and when he was supposed to audition. “Ha!” He's more interested in playing with his friends so this was going to be an inconvenience to him.  

“Ah-ha!” I thought.  

Bribe him! 

“Brandon,” I said, “if you go to the audition for this role, I'll take you to McDonald's for a Happy Meal and prize!”  

BINGO! It worked.  

So, AFTER the visit to McDonald's and carrying the prized toy with him to the audition, we were very successful. He received a “call back.” Now we were told he needed to be able to play the piano or at least look like he could play it. 

Bummer!  

The only instrument he had ever thought about playing was the viola. He hated practicing so need I say more?  

We drove downtown for the re-audition and he was called into an area where the piano was set up so he could exhibit his piano playing skills. He was in the audition for a few minutes and was escorted out to join us in the holding area. I was waiting for someone to say, “so long, farewell, aufedersehen, adieu,” because his piano skills were non-existent.  

We were told that he had a wonderful audition and that he did great on the piano.  

What?  

David and I just looked at each other thinking they must be talking about some other kid. We ask Brandon how he could play the piano when he had never had a lesson and to our surprise he said, “I watch John, Mama.” Brandon had been standing by the keyboard when John had his lessons and Brandon had picked up enough from watching John that he was able to pretend that he could play.  

Who knew?  

From that audition he got another call back. This time it was to check to see how close he looked the part and to see how well he did on screen.  

Again, according to the assistant, he did great.  

Another “call back.” 

No more bribes with McDonalds. He was enjoying this.  

He began to recognize some of the people and they him. This time they were checking facial characteristics and coloring. One more addition down. Casting took a few days to make a formal decision. They called to let us know that it had been narrowed down to three children. The child they would select needed to have brown hair.   

“Brandon’s hair can be dyed, right?” they said. We said it would be no problem.  

When it came to his eyebrows, they were so white you couldn’t see them-- they would have to be dyed as well. Because they preferred not to take that risk around his eyes, they thought it best to go with one of the other two children. 

We broke the news to Brandon thinking he would be upset. Not so!  

“Okay,” Brandon replied as he was grabbing a toy and running out the door to join his friends.  

“Well, that was easy,” I thought. I just knew he was going to feel upset & rejected. We had always explained to him that he got the role great and if not so what. You never knew exactly what the directors were looking for.  

As I looked out the window and witnessed him running over to join his friends on the front yard, I knew why he was not upset. They were all happy just to be together and to be able to spend the day together. He had spent many days going back and forth to auditions and even though he really enjoyed it, he was really ready to spend time with his friends.  

Which would you choose?  

Being cooped up shooting a movie? Or running, jumping and laughing in the warm sunshine with your besties? After all, they could all play with the collection of toys from McDonald's Happy Meals!  

Notice that I said: “Collection!” 

Read All Over

What’s the word on the street? Not much... 

I watch the news. I watch different ones—used to just be 3 channels, but now there are a LOT of them! 

I don’t read the newspaper. I’ll watch the news for a long time, but when I get bored? I will change the channel. 

My favorite topic? I’m not really sure but if I had to pick, I think it would be SPORTS! I enjoy basketball and football. I don’t watch games now but I enjoy viewing the Super Bowl. 

I didn’t play games growing up but always enjoyed watching them. In the 70s there was a team in North Charleston called the Chicora Eagles and I loved seeing them live.  

The Olympics! I followed the Olympics on tv too. I was 14 when they came to LA and I would also watch the Winter Olympics. They used to only come on at night so I had to stay up late to see them. But now, I can view them any time. 

Weather—I also enjoy the weather. It tells you when it’s gonna rain or when there’s gonna be sunshine. I like to be able to plan my week out. Sometimes they [the forecasters] aren’t right—in the summer... thunder showers happen. Sometimes they say it’s not supposed to rain and then it does. We have a little “liquid sunshine.” I really like to go to the beach when there’s sunshine.  

Sometimes when it’s cold you like to stay inside. So, knowing the temperature is a good thing to know what to wear. In my teens, I would watch the news and report what I heard on the tv to my teacher. And, we would talk about the weather. We would talk about how it was supposed to be sunny. But then it would rain. [John says through laughter...] You never know what’s gonna happen. 

I also enjoy the politics of news. I love watching the polls come in on election day. I also enjoy watching the debates, especially the presidential debates. The 80s had many controversial politics and I would watch and hear this come through on the news daily. 

News Anchor? Nah. I didn’t ever have a favorite news reporter neither locally nor nationally, but I would watch whoever was on the screen reporting the news. 

The first major news story I ever remember -- it would’ve been about Clemson. Sometimes they win and sometimes they lose. But I enjoyed watching them either way. 

HUGO is the most important and largest news story that I can remember. I was 19 and not only did I live through it, but I heard all about it from every news station in town and on the airwaves. When the power went out for the tv we listened to the news coming in on the weather radio. 

The news is important because you can see what’s happening in the world. Some things are good and some are bad. But I like to hear about the spectacular things that happen. 

You hear that people are tired of the news. You don’t really get tired of it you just get tired of hearing the same thing over and over. I just think that news in general when it’s repeated could be boring. 

Should people trust the news media? Some yea and some nay. I say, “YES!” Because they give you the right report and you can be educated. But you also shouldn’t trust the news because they give you the same thing on different stories—a biased viewpoint. People giving their opinion versus fact... might have a good opinion but based on bad facts. But it goes both ways. 

If you don’t know what’s right or wrong... I recommend staying with the good reporters you do trust. You still want to pay attention to take in all the information so you can fact check the people even if you believe you can trust them.  

In order to be informed, you should watch the news. Watch it to see what’s going on and to see what’s happening in real life. [There’s always] something that people need to learn about.

~ John Joyner 

Modesty Blaise

A number of years ago my husband and I were involved in a stage play at the Footlight Theater. He had a fairly sizable role and I was a singer/dancer. He played a preacher (Imagine that!) and I played an Indian maiden -- 1 of the 4 in the show. 

Lots of research had gone into writing this script to make it fun but also as accurate as possible. It was decided to bring in a consultant from North Carolina from the Cherokee Nation Cultural Affairs Department who could help with the details and correct any discrepancies concerning the Kiawah tribe. Also, a costume designer, who was willing to take on this complicated production was hired. 

After a week or so of rehearsals it became evident that we had “too many chiefs and not enough Indians!” That was the perfect way to describe those rehearsals. 

Oh my! 

Changes took place on a regular basis which were not good if you were someone trying to memorize lines, music, or dance. There were so many discussions about how accurate certain scenes were and whether or not to change them. Did I say this was supposed to be fun? 

Well, anyway, with all the rewrites and compromises a product was finalized. At least we could “get on with it!” 

Did I mention that through all of this, directors as well as cast members could be very temperamental? I guess you didn't know that, huh? You have heard the term “temperamental artist?” Sure you have. Well it's true. I think every production that we have been in or involved with had a “temperamental artist” or “Diva.” Sometimes those people could be reasoned with, sometimes not. It's very unfortunate but at times those involved were a legend in their own minds, know what I mean? 

Let's face it, this was not Hollywood – this was Community Theater! 

I did mention that a costume designer had been hired to work with us. Measurements and sizes were taken. Costumes were constructed and brought back for the Indian maidens to try. I went into the dressing room and proceeded to try on the costume.  

Hmmm... I thought. 

Something seems funny about this tunic-like garment. 

“Jeannie,” I said to myself, “you must have this thing on wrong.” So, I try to adjust it. It would not adjust. (I've been a costume designer since high school so I was pretty sure I could figure out how to put a costume on myself.) I pulled in tug on this costume and couldn't get it to go over my left boob.  

“Na – this just isn't going to work!” I said to myself as I stared into the mirror. 

Now I wasn't ashamed of my boobs but I didn't want to put them on display either! I was not going out of the dressing room dressed like that. 

So, I took that costume off, got dressed, walked over to the costume designer, handed her the costume and I told her that I would not be wearing that outfit. 

“You didn't even let me see you in it.” She said. 

“No, no I didn't and that will not be happening.” I replied. 

“Well,” she said, “truth be known, they wouldn't have worn anything above the waist anyway.” 

I just looked at her and replied. “My pastor may come to see me in this production and for the life of me I can't see myself dancing naked on stage in front of him. Besides this is a play-- not a documentary!” 

No response from her. 

The Indian Maiden costumes were collected by her and taken back to her studio. Next time she came to fit us at rehearsal she had made us tie-dyed, t-shirts. Those shirts covered all the necessary parts so the four of us could perform and not feel self-conscious about what we were wearing. 

Too many times “artists” try to get away with certain things in the name of the Arts. Could I have done that in the name of the Arts? I think not! 

This was not National Geographic—it was a play. 

It was not a documentary – it was a community theater. 

The situation with the play has always made for interesting conversations and I have laughed about it to this day. Had I not chosen this path; I would not be laughing about it today. 

So be careful, ladies and gents, about the decisions we make in our lives. We would much rather be proud of our accomplishments rather than having to cover them up. 

Get it? Cover them up? (OK—read the blog again and then maybe you'll get it!) 

~ Jeannie Joyner

Island In the Stream

(A Brief History of Kiawah Island)

There are so many places in the Charleston area where you can slip your toes in the sand. But there are fewer where you can take a 3-Wood to whack a tiny speckled ball down an endlessly long fairway as hard as you can. From said greenway, you can view the water from the ocean lap against the shore within spitting distance as you do so.

But the serene beauty of these fairways and the surrounding area wouldn’t be located in the South if the history wasn’t sprinkled with its share of tears and heartache.

Up until the 1600s the island was home to the “Kiawah” (KEE-a-wah) Indians. Invaders carrying guns and diseases (such as small pox) eliminated those that were not held in captivity until only the name of the tribe remained. The land granted to and stolen by literal pirates of the time; the entire 10-mile island would eventually be owned by a one John Stanyarne in 1737.

Eventually turned over to the Vanderhorsts, Kiawah was owned by this famous family for over two centuries. During this period, the island saw the successful planting and harvesting of cotton, invasion by enemy armies during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and the eventual destruction of the family business by natural disasters and mismanagement.

One of the few memorials from that day and age is the Vanderhorst Mansion. It wasn’t added to the National Registry of Historic Places until 1974!

Fast forward to 1951. A lumberman from Georgia named C.C. Royal purchased the island for a mere $125,000. This investment paid off when the property eventually sold for over 18 million dollars to a real estate/resort developer just 20 plus years later in 1974.

In 1976, two major parts of the island opened. The Kiawah Inn (according to Kiawahisland.org) sported “two swimming pools, two restaurants and a bar.” It also included the Marsh Point golf course designed by a South African professional golfer, Gary Player, beginning a long-held tradition of the links on this gorgeous barrier island.

It wouldn’t be until the early 90s that Kiawah, in its current state, would come into focus. This was mostly due to the reevaluation of the land and surroundings after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The bedrock of the tourism and ownership of the island would revolve around the golf courses.

Turtle Point, designed by (possibly the most famous golfer ever) Jack Nicklaus, opened in 1981, and the Tom Fazio designed Osprey Point opened in 1988. They would be joined by their sister courses, the Oak Point (designed by Clyde Johnston) and the Cougar Point (built on the original Marsh Point course and redesigned again by Gary Player) in 1997 and 1996 respectively.

But these many successes would be overshadowed by the singular success of the middle child, the Ocean Course (featured in the Legend of Bagger Vance).

The Post and Courier reported, “The Ocean Course has owned the No. 1 spot in the biennial S.C. Golf Course Ratings Panel’s Top 50 rankings at least since 2014.” This is no small feat. Designed by Pete and Alice Dye, the course was built next to the panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. This also adds to the mystique of the par 72 course. The strong winds blowing in from the ocean combined with the “large slopes, numerous bunkers, and challenging Bermuda grass,” it’s also been named by Gold Digest as the most difficult course in America.

During its birth year of 1991, the Ocean Course hosted the Ryder Cup. The ever-popular PGA Championship was played here in 2012, preceded by the PGA Club Professional Championship in 2005. And, in 2007, saw the Senior PGA Championship played on Kiawah. Charleston and golf fans are excited to see the Ocean Course once again host the PGA Championship in 2021.

Whether visiting with friends who own property, taking a morning on the greens or celebrating the cuisine of the master chefs working at the Sanctuary, Kiawah Island has grown to become one of the most sought-after resort destinations not only in the South or America, but the entire world as a whole.

~ Brandon L. Joyner

A Bad Education

Changing schools can be difficult at any age, but when you are 15 years old it can be hell. Most kids have developed lifelong friendships (their little cliques) and really don't want the “new kid” around.  

I had attended Memminger Elementary School in downtown Charleston and in 7th grade graduated and went on to Charleston High School in the 8th grade. Most of us, coming over from Memminger knew someone in high school and we didn't feel so alone.  

Unfortunately, we moved to West Ashley and I had to change schools. In the 10th grade my new school was St. Andrews Parish High School. It was a very uncomfortable situation for me. I knew NO ONE in the 10th grade. I felt really alone and we all know how pleasant and inviting high school students can be, right?  

As I watched everyone around me running over, hugging friends and getting reacquainted after a long summer vacation, everyone was laughing and talking and just enjoying seeing each other again. I really did realize how alone I was. Me – standing around feeling awkward, not wanting anyone to even look at me because I was so shy. I wouldn't have known what to say anyway.  

My cousin (whom I never expected to see) had also transferred to St. Andrews. He was older and in another class. He happened to see me and came over to where I was standing. “Thank goodness,” I thought, “Maybe he will stand here with me at least until the bell rings!” He didn't really want to be bothered with me but he did say hello and then turned around to leave with some of his friends.  

A very cute guy walked up to my cousin and asked him who I was. My cousin, who was rather rude responded with, “Don't worry. You'll never know, David.”  

Strange conversation, right?  

How did my cousin even know this guy? And why did he respond that way to him? Long story short they all went to church together at Citadel Square Baptist Church in downtown Charleston and his dad was my cousin's Sunday school teacher.  

Small world, right?  

Charleston High and St. Andrews Parish High were rival schools and when my cousin had to leave Charleston High and “crossover” to St. Andrews he was not a happy camper. David and my cousin were also rivals so when David expressed interest in getting to know me, my cousin was going to make sure he never did.  

This guy, David, was so cute and I want to get to know him whether my cousin approved or not. I knew his first name was David but what was his last name? I had to find out what his last name was. Since I was too shy, how I was I going to find out?  

Algebra class – “Birdie” McLaughlin was my teacher and – yes! - David was in my class. Now, all I would have to do is listen when the teacher was calling the roll and I would be able to find out. So, I listened... David Joyner? “Huh?” I thought, “I have never heard that name!” But I liked it... 

Jeannie Joyner... It has a nice ring to it!  

You all know how shy I was and I didn't like “any” attention. After a few days in algebra class I noticed that David had managed to change his seat and was sitting behind me. Hmmm... I thought, “how did that happen?” I wore my hair in different styles: sometimes a ponytail, sometimes braids, even Princess Leia braids (I had it before she did), etc. So, he was always messing in my hair with his pencil. I was constantly turning around to tell him to “knock it off.” Or to slap his hand away.  

That was when the teacher fussed at me - never him! Could she not see what was really happening? My face would turn red and I just wanted to hide under my desk. I had never gotten in trouble at school in my entire life and now I was. It wasn't even my fault.  

This went on for a couple of weeks and it was always me she would blame. One day “Birdie” turned around while I was fussing at David and said “I will solve this problem. Jeannie, you move to the front of the class right in front of my desk so I can keep an eye on you!”  

So, embarrassed, and with a red face, I packed up my books and planted myself in front of her.  

“Oh, my goodness,” I thought. “Here I am where everyone can see me and I know they're all snickering behind my back!” After all, the kids all knew what was really happening.  

This separation lasted for about a week and one day when I walked into algebra class and sat down at my desk still in the front of the class, there behind me was guess who? Yup - David -  and he had the biggest grin on his face.  

“Oh my goodness,” I thought. “I guess now I'm going to be expelled!” The teacher came in, started algebra class, stopped, looked at us, paused, sort of shrugged her shoulders, turned towards the blackboard and went on teaching never to say another word to the two of us for the rest of the year. 

I often wondered how I even passed algebra class that year. It's a wonder my teacher had not failed me because of all the trouble we caused in her class. Or maybe by the end of the year she had seen how David had snuck into the seat right behind me, right under her nose and she finally realized who the real culprit was?  

This was the only class that David and I ever had together. It was probably a good thing. My parents had put all their efforts into educating me. So, to find out that it could be completely destroyed by a cute boy who was distracting me every day in class, would not have made them happy with me at all.  

Fortunately for me, (and David, I hope) they grew to love him just as much as I did. After all - 52 years of married bliss and 2 sons - we had to learn something in algebra class, right?

~ Jeannie Joyner

Stormy Weather

My favorite season is Spring.  

It feels nice with a gentle breeze but not so hot, because it’s before Summer and it gets too hot outside here in Charleston. The flowers start to bloom and it’s very pretty. My favorite flower is honeysuckle because it smells so sweet. You can eat the drops of nectar if you take the tips of the flower off. I don’t really eat it, but I enjoy smelling it. 

I enjoy the sunshine. It brightens my day. 

The sun gives you vitamins—Vitamin D so that I can absorb Vitamin C! The sun feels good as long as you don’t stay in it too long. Cause when you stay too long, you get burnt and skin peels off. I love going to Florida to get my sunshine—It is the Sunshine State after all—the Keys, more so than Orlando—that's the end of the Earth sun! That’s my favorite place to soak in the rays... I love to go swimming in the ocean there because it’s so clear and cool and I can see everything. 

Least favorite weather would have to be when it’s cold—it's alright to have cold, but not too much cold. You can get storms and snow. Oh, I like snow, but I wouldn’t want a lot of it. It’s fun when it’s here for a little while, but I need it to go away. Once when it snowed, before it melted, we went to play with the snow on the street and had a snowball fight. That was a lot of fun! But there wasn’t enough snow to build a snowman... 

Thunderstorms scare me...  

I know it’s only lightening, but I do get nervous. I listen to music or watch tv. If the power goes out, I get my sad little cup that has lights on it... for those of you who don’t know what this is... please see exhibit A— EXHIBIT A: Halloween Horror Nights Glass that is multicolored and lights up when you push the button on the bottom! This soothes me because of all the flashing colors... especially when I can’t find a flashlight. 

There has been some really bad weather. 

Some of the worst weather I’ve been in were hurricanes.  

During Hurricane David I got pushed out in the rain—I thought the rain would be freezing but it wasn’t that cold. They locked me outside as a joke and I wasn’t laughing at the time... now, I do. We were just playing in general, opening and closing the door. Mom said she wanted me to see something and she jokingly pushed me outside, locking the door afterward. When I came back in, I was soaked from head to toe.  

But when a more severe hurricane came—Hurricane Hugo—I couldn’t do anything except play my radio. Then we lost power and I could only listen to the transistor radio. Being in the dark and not being able to go anywhere was scary. After a little while (after the hurricane hit), we had some people bring generators in (my uncle Ronnie brought us one).  

Afterward, things were a little strange. It took 20 or more days for power to be restored—it felt like so many more! Now, it’s easier to prepare for hurricanes. We stock up on everything that is needed: batteries, flashlights, candles and my London light (in John speak) -- it’s basically a flashlight with a handle—a lantern.  

I watch the weather channel to see how the storm is progressing and to see where it’s going—where it might or might not hit. I feel like I know where it’s going to go—I have a sense that sometimes it will come and sometimes it won’t come. I just have a feeling—mainly in my head—like sometimes the storm will be big or die down a bit and where it will grasp up water and build back up. I’m right most of the time. I’ve been right 2 out of 3 times! 

If bad weather is coming for someone—I would tell them to stay safe, keep focused and don’t worry! 

But... if I could go anywhere in the world to see any season, I would go to Japan to see the Cherry Blossoms in the Spring. 

~ John Joyner

Catch a Wave

Let me start by saying this... my brother and I have always been competitive. And I guess that by using the tired narrative device of “Let me start by saying this...” I may have lost you already. But, please, stick with me.  

When we were kids, John and I used to race to see who could not put on our pajamas faster. Rushing from the drawers where they were located to the bathroom where we would brush our teeth back to our He-Man and the Masters of the Universe sleeping bags. Whoever could get there quickest would be the champion for the night.  

I would win most nights. Maybe all of them. Who’s gonna argue? John’s not writing this piece.  

That somehow leads us to a gigantic cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean... 

One other important detail, John has had several surgeries on his right eye. They worked and worked to keep his retina attached. This was largely unsuccessful leaving him with very limited sight (if any) in that eye and concern from his parents (rightly so) about the possibility of losing the other one. This didn’t slow John down but did change the perception of his abilities.  

All fun, slightly depressing details that will become important. Another overused writing device... obvious FORESHADOWING!  

On the back of some cruise ships, they have surfing machines. (Am I 400 years old? Surfing machines?)  It’s called a FlowRider. Cruisedeals.expert (a classy website, I’m sure) has this to say about the contraption: 

A FlowRider is a 40-foot-long surf simulator constructed on dry land, or in the case of Royal Caribbean ships, a free attraction located on the deck at the rear of the vessel. A FlowRider wave is formed by water rushing upwards at 40kph, mimicking the feel of the ocean surf. 

(That’s 24.8548 mph for those of you not on the metric system. I know. I Googled it.) 

After long and somewhat deliberate conversation within the family, it was decided that John could try the boogie board version of this. Questions were asked. Safety was inquired about. The kids running the show took John under their wing. And they were fantastic.  

They rode right beside him. He laughed and rode and had one of the best times that I’ve ever seen John have. Not to get too sentimental but when John accomplishes something that he or especially others don’t think he’ll be able to do, it’s an amazing accomplishment. A day for celebration. While some of the other guests might have gotten upset at how long it took the cruise team to get him set up and extending their wait or giving John a little bit longer on the waves—taking them longer to get into the water themselves—there was no animosity whatsoever. Excitement truly prevailed. They were not only not mad, they cheered him on, this weeble wobble of a man.  

I thought, “well... damn. He made it look easy.” I, being the loving brother that I am, must destroy the memory of my sibling, salt the earth and spread the word of my greatness. It's what any good family member would do.  

It’s in the Bible.  

Check it out. 

I can’t remember the specific passage or page off top. Sorry. 

So... I hop in the line for this manmade surfing construct. This is going to end so well... Said no one. Ever.  

One of the guys in front of me is a ringer. Has to be. He hops on the board provided by Royal Caribbean and... goes... off. He flips around on the board. Jumps into the air. Zigzags left and right, to and fro. You name it. He did it.  

I thought, “well... damn. He made it look easy.” And now, I’ll show him.  

The time arrives. And I take the board. I plunge the faux wood short longboard into the foam created by the water throttled at my being.  

I want to say that I took to this activity like a duck to... well... water. I want to say that without knowing what I was doing I switch stances, kickflipped and tail slid with the best of them. I want to say that the crowd jumped to their feet cheering as they had never seen a first-timer be so successful at riding the waves.  

A literary reference comes to mind... (Another overused device. How meta!)  

But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out. 

In reality, I looked like a 250lb newborn foal who, instead of being birthed on dry land, was instantaneously sent onto the roughest of seas and told that I would need to run before I could walk. Immediately I plunged forward in front of the board and it flew backward into the wall with me to follow shortly. The crew must have felt bad for me as they placed me right back into the water rather than moving onto the next victim. 

Now that I think about it, maybe they were just having a laugh... 

I made a second attempt and stood on that board and wobbled back and forth and stood up about four times as long! Which probably came out to something like 6 or so seconds.  

Endless Summer, thy name is Brandon. 

I got out of the water, kept my head held high and waited until I got back to the room before breaking down in tears. Like a real man. 

What is the moral of the story? Sheesh. I’m hard pressed to put a fancy cap on this one. Let’s see... 

Sometimes you feel beaten down. Sometimes you feel like nothing is going right. Like you can’t get anything right. When this happens, stand up and brush yourself off. Think of me getting my butt handed to me by my loveable but cycloptic brother.  

Remember me and my failures and think to yourself, “well... damn. He made it look easy. I can do better than that at least.” 

Also, I love you, John! You’re doing great! 

~ Brandon L. Joyner

A Shell of a Good Time

I feel so lucky to have grown up on the coast and to be able to spend time on Folly Beach, Kiawah, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Myrtle Beach, and Edisto just to name a few.

Food tastes better at the beach!

The air smells fresher at the beach!

A nap is more relaxing at the beach!

Let's face it -- a day at the beach is like a mini vacation. Walking barefoot on the soft, warm sand, sunbathing till you are so hot you just have to run and jump in the surf to cool off, pouring yourself a tall glass of sweet tea (tea like Grandma used to make), and don't forget about the shell collecting.

You would think that Charleston beaches would have no shells, but not so. I have collected shells for years and Folly is one of my favorite all-time collecting areas. I’ve found lettered olives, oyster shells, horse conchs, whelks, etc. And, I’ve never been disappointed by what I’ve collected! After emptying the bags of shells, I would put them out in the sun to dry or clean them up with a muriatic acid and water solution. Every trip to the beach was more exciting than the last.

In my childhood, I had the opportunity to spend time with my aunt and uncle at their summer house on Edisto. This particular aunt was my favorite; she was the one that would let me eat what I wanted when I wanted. So, for breakfast, ice cream was at the top of my list. Couldn't ask for a better aunt, right?

And, my uncle was the one that kept a kitchen cabinet designated for cookies and candy (at child-level)! What more could a kid want?

Activities were important to them and on those long summer days, shell art was usually planned for a couple of evenings a week. My uncle would collect all the materials -- shells, paint, electrical wiring, wood pieces, plaster of Paris, etc. We would work for hours on our designs of ashtrays, lamps, small boxes, and more. I thought our finished products were the most beautiful creations I had ever seen.

How beautiful do you think shells stuck in a blob of plaster of Paris could be?

As I think back on these “art projects,” I have to laugh. True, they were very tacky – but, it wasn't what we produced that was beautiful—it was the time we, as a family, got to spend together. Money could never buy that!

After these sessions, we would clean off the tables, put away the supplies, and put our art projects away to cure! Then, off to bed. The windows would be left open and the ocean breeze would cool the rooms as we drifted off to sleep, listening to the sound of the waves.

Such a soothing, restful sound.

I hope each of you has memories like these. Memories made with family members who took their time to make summer special—not because they had to—but, because they wanted to do something special for you!

I cherish those memories to this day.

Oh, FYI! I will be displaying my blob plaster of Paris pieces this week in a shell art showing at an exclusive Art Gallery in Charleston.

Please take this opportunity to come out and join us for this exciting event... Not!

~ Jeannie Joyner

The Inner Light

(A Brief History of the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse)

There is a bit of romantic imagery that flashes to our minds when we talk about lighthouses. The history of these truly life-saving beacons has given rise to this. The reality regarding these spires is not far off the mark.

We – humanity—have moved from fires along the shore manned by families and communities waiting for our men offshore to return safely through the dark. Those bonfires are, today, a web of markers and instruments that include fixed offshore lights, buoys with bells and traditional lighthouses.

The Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse is situated on the south end of the island with the 1898 Sullivan’s Island Lifesaving Station at its base. Within walking distance, you will find Fort Moultrie and other Revolutionary War landmarks which are also a part of the National Park Service.

The lighthouse construction began in 1960 and was dedicated upon completion in 1962. The Charleston Light, the name given by the Coast Guard, was transferred from the Morris Island Lighthouse to the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse because Morris Island’s foundation became unstable.

As our ideas have modernized, so has the look and construction of lighthouses. The new Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse design separated itself from history with its triangular-shaped, towering facility which looms over the sands of the island some 140 ft. The aforementioned Sullivan’s Island Lifesaving Station facilities are still used as maintenance and housing units for the Park Service. It’s also notable that it contains the only elevator known to exist in a lighthouse within the United States!

As noted, the building is triangular, designed by Jack Graham. Mr. Graham, a budding architect, had joined the Coast Guard and was stationed at the Washington, DC headquarters when he was tasked with designing the lighthouse.

The beam from the Lighthouse has been seen for over 50 years. The original light of 28 million candlepower was too strong – the keepers wore welding garb with filtered shields to prevent being burned. The reduced 1.2 million candle-powered light can be seen some 26 miles at sea.

Aside from its historic neighbors which have helped shape the fate of the lighthouse, the permanent residents have also shaped the use and operation of the structure. When constructed, the tower was painted with a white bottom and an orange upper portion in keeping with Coast Guard tradition. The local population petitioned and won the argument to have the upper portion repainted black. The active locals have been proponents of all the efforts to accentuate the history of the island town.

Its strength has been tested many times over the years, but none so notable as Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The winds exceeded 125 miles per hour but did not functionally damage the lighthouse. The Charleston Light is the last shore-bound light constructed in the US.

At only 60 years of age, this young lighthouse is now in retirement being passed over by technology and the changing of times. The lighthouse became a ward of the service in 2008 when it was deemed surplus by the Coast Guard.

So… If you’re ever lost at sea off the Southern Coast, look up! The Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse may just guide you home.

~ David Joyner

Fame Monster

People who are in a lot of movies or sing a lot of music are seen as famous and are pretty well liked by others. To me—they are people that I really like. Famous people also have a lot of money and are well known. Sometimes they’re famous and sometimes they’re infamous—like it or not! 

To be honest with you—I'm not sure WHY they’re famous... Most of the famous people I’ve met have been singers... Mel Tillis, Louis Mandrel, Statler Bros, Oak Ridge Brothers (in Columbia), Ronnie Milsap, John Michael Montgomery (I have an autographed CD of his.), The Lettermen (in Savannah). 

I’ve seen them all over: Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Florida—just so many different places. Sometimes I get to take pictures with them and sometimes not—my favorite was probably Mel Tillis back at the Gaillard in Charleston. 

A couple people that I would love to meet, but never have—well, to be honest with you, I’m not really sure... I’m glad I got to see Kenny Rogers while I still could. And for someone living that I’ve never seen in concert or never met—I'd choose: Reba McEntire. I enjoy her TV show. There are a lot of movie stars that I think I’d like to see, but that is very iffy—cause it’s very hard to remember because there are WAY TOO MANY! 

If it were a dream and I were the director and I could cast anyone living or dead in my movie, here’s what you would get: 

• A Romance/Comedy or RomCom set in Italy. It’s not quite Summer yet.  

• The Title: The Magic Town of Love 

• Think: Sleepless in Seattle Meets House Sitter. 

• What’s it all about?  

• They (Goldie Hawn and Tom Hanks) meet up with the couple (Meg Ryan and Steve Martin). They go sailing out on the ocean in a yacht—they get up early that morning so they can have a full day out on the water. They sail across to the island of Sicily where they have a reservation at the best Italian restaurant.  

• Everything goes swimmingly until their return to the mainland. That’s when things go awry and the magic begins to set in.  

• How does it end—well, you’re just gonna have to wait for it to get made! 

• I’ll have to take meets with all of the actors to decide on the best ending... 

If I could be FAMOUS for any one thing—I would be famous for singing. I would be the best country singer out there. I would have an entire album that’s full of HITS—I would get help from my friends Brandon and Kristen. But I think they would be pretty good and everyone would listen to me on the radio.  

I would travel and do 12 places a year—with long weekends at each stop—I could spend some time at home and not have to be on the road as much. Some places I’d fly to, but I would also have a tour bus. I would have my name emblazoned in white on the outside of the bus. The bus itself would be different colors—purple of course being the main color. Inside the bus there would be a couch to sit on, a bed to sleep in, there would be a refrigerator and microwave, but if we were hungry, we could stop for some good food, oh yeah... and a bathroom (the necessary room).  

I wouldn’t travel alone—there would be room for all my family and the band (of course) inside. Maybe Brandon, I’m not sure. Maybe Kristen, but I’m not sure. Definitely Mom and Dad. And then... out back I would have a jacuzzi possibly—not sure on how this would work though! 

In short—There are many different and interesting people out there in the world and I have been lucky to have met some of them. 

Without a Paddle

Come sail away...

Come sail away...

Come sail away with me!

Oh goodness, how I wish all of you could have gone sailing with us on that beautiful 27-foot Catalina sailboat. This particular weekend the weather was delightful... beautiful blue skies, feathery white clouds, and just the right amount of breeze to help us “sail away” out into Charleston Harbor.

We raised the mainsail, the breeze grabbed it and, before we knew it, we were out in the harbor. The breeze felt wonderful.

On our boating outings we always packed mouth-watering lunches and today was no exception. Fried chicken, potato salad, snacks, and plenty to drink (or so we thought).

We had been sailing most of the day relaxing, sunbathing, eating, laughing-- just enjoying each other’s company until we felt it was time to head back to dock the sailboat at the marina.

As we approached the neck of the harbor, we spotted two men standing up in their boat and it looked like they were waving something in the air. “Oh.” I said, “They sure are friendly!” And we waved back.

All of a sudden, we heard a sound like we had never heard before – the sailboat came to a sudden stop as the keel sliced deep into the sandbar that we never saw until it was too late! We were dead in the water.

“So that was what those guys were trying to tell us,” I said, “too shallow!”

All the guys in the boat looked at each other with expressions on their faces like “did I do that?” like Urkel would have said.

Well, yes, they did! The girls were on their boat to relax not watch out for situations like the one we found ourselves in, right? How are we ever going to get out of this? We were really stuck!

We were spotted by two men from the US Fish and Wildlife Services as they were patrolling the area. They suggested that they take the ladies off the boat and deliver us somewhere so we can be picked up later. They gave us a lift to a bait shop near the marina where the boat was kept.

The guys-- being the Macho men that they were-- decided to go down with the ship; I mean-- they decided that they would want with the boat till the tide turned and then they would head over to pick us up.

It was a very long afternoon as we waited at the bait shop.

Meanwhile, back at the sandbar, the guys had gotten out of the boat and were in the water trying to see what they could do to lighten the load. They were trying to pry the boat loose from the sandbar. All of a sudden, with the tide having turned, the wind picked up, caught the sail, and the boat was free.

The guys, still in the water, managed to pull themselves out of the water and onto the boat... Except for one person. And, he had managed to grab a rope that was hanging over the edge. He was holding on for dear life. The boat was slicing through the water at great speed, dragging him along, and he looked like he was going to drown as all the water slapped him in his face. The guys scrambled to pull him on board. All safe. The guys said it was quite a sight to see him struggling and stay afloat.

Once off the sandbar, the guys quickly headed over to the bait shop to pick us up. Boy were we glad to see them! Hungry, tired, thirsty, and cold – by this time, we just wanted to go home.

What started out to be an unremarkable day of sailing turned out to be an adventure that we talk about to this day and will for years to come.

~ Jeannie Joyner

Song on the Fourth of July

I don't know of a single soul who does not love the Fourth of July with its picnics, patriotic music, parades, and spectacular fireworks. It's just a “feel-good” celebration, isn't it?

One of those celebrations was at our church. We always had a patriotic extravaganza the Sunday before the “Fourth” with a concert followed by a church-wide lunch of good ole hot dogs, hamburgers and all the fixins.

In 1968, this particular time, we decided we would do things a little differently. So, with the help of many people, the production “This Is My Country” was born. Written, rehearsed, performed at the (at that time, “new “) Gaillard Auditorium, it was quite a production. We had taken the production outside the walls of the church into the community—something that had not been done in the Charleston area. The result was amazing with a lot of positive feedback. It was the first time the Gaillard Auditorium had been packed to capacity.

Fast forward 20 years.

Having such fond memories of the 1968 program, it was decided to reprise “This Is My Country.” Easier said than done, right? We tossed around all the pros and cons of “why we should... why we shouldn't” and the ”shoulds” won.

We were really that crazy? Yes, we were!

It was going to be hard work. Rules and regulations were quite different than in ‘68 so we had many new hoops to jump through and a list of things that we needed to accomplish was endless.

Hopefully, our location for this event was available for the dates that we needed.

Money? We needed a lot of that, but how do we raise it?

We needed a great staff dedicated to basically giving up a year-and-a-half of their time to work on a show.

We needed a board of directors, orchestra, choir, actors, costumers, set designers, prop builders, dance instructors, lighting designers, etc., etc., etc....

Well... surprise, surprise...

Before we knew it, we had our staff, our board, our money... And all had to be very dependable and dedicated. They all had to be. We couldn't afford a weak link in the chain.

For almost two years we had numerous weekly meetings, auditions for instrumentalists and vocalists, wrote and rewrote scripts (thank you, David), gathered sponsors, designed and constructed sets and costumes, rehearsed, rehearsed and rehearsed. We were very fortunate to have some of the best talent Charleston had to offer to help make their performances a success. And a success it was!

For two nights we packed the Gaillard Auditorium with standing room only.

Performance night and our fearless leader, John Hutto, was in his element as he directed the 80-voice choir. Our orchestra, directed by Herb Day and Ashley Gardner, was superb as was the dance troupe directed by Bob Ivey. The color guard, the Washington Light Infantry, the actors, the guest choirs all had such wonderful attitudes. It was a privilege to be associated with all of those wonderful, giving, talented, performers. And a great honor to be the co-producer, alongside John Hutto, for this production.

We have many opportunities each Fourth of July to view fabulous fireworks (live or on TV). We can tune-in to spectacular performances across our nation with all the best talent money can buy. But, none of these can compare to all the joy and love that we ALL felt having accomplished a production of this magnitude in our beautiful city of Charleston. This was our gift to our church and our community on the 4th of July as we all celebrated our Independence Day..

We hope and pray that you all have a safe, happy, and healthy 4th.

And, GOD BLESS THE USA!

~ Jeannie Joyner

The Iron Giant

A forge. Sparks and flame shooting forth from the impact of a heavy sledgehammer. This evokes a sense of strength of purpose. The same as that of our image of the country which we call home.

As early as the founding of this country, many have come with the desire to fulfill their dreams for health, wealth, and happiness. Christopher Werner, immigrated from Prussia—now the North Rhine—Westphalia region of Germany.

Werner was born into the family of prominent carriage builder/blacksmith, Burnhard Werner. Faced with the compulsory duty to serve in the Prussian military, Werner decided to immigrate to the United States. He set up his business in Charleston in the early 1830s and was naturalized in 1839. He quickly became known for his skills in metalwork and business. He was particularly well trained in the processes of manufacturing wrought iron and had early demonstrated his artistic and metalworking talents with the creation of many detailed pieces.

Werner, along with two other German immigrants, was determined to, ¨show what could be accomplished in Charleston in the adornment of edifices to make it worthy of the name of ´Queen city of the South.´¨ He involved himself in the remodeling of older buildings and the construction of new ones which exhibited his artwork. While moving from one address to another for these purposes, Werner maintained his foundry near State and Cumberland Streets in Charleston. Because of the quality and beauty of his work, he soon expanded his business, reaching throughout the state of South Carolina.

Due to miscommunication between the city of Charleston and Werner, two sets of gate panels were constructed. One set of the sword gates was subsequently sold to the British consul, Geroge Hopley. Mr. Hopley had bought and restored the home at the corners of Legare & Tradd Streets (32 Legare & 109 Tradd respectively). Today, this home is referred to as the Sword Gate House because of these gates.

The matching pair of gates is now prominently displayed and open to the main entrance of the Citadel campus at the foot of Huger Street.

Werner´s attention to detail and his artistic flourish made his products easily recognized for their beauty and style. He used a wrought iron snake to hang signs from the walls of his clients’ businesses. His works include the spiral and finial of Saint Matthew’s Church, numerous decorative fences and other items throughout Charleston and various locations around South Carolina. He was an entrepreneur who would invest in projects such as the Palmetto Regiment Monument (1853) on the grounds of the SC state capital. It is a palmetto tree, notable for its size and detail, leaving many to remark about its realistic appearance. Made without commission, Werner speculated that its significance would elicit payment from the state to compensate him for the project. He only realized $5,000 from the state for his $11,000 investment.

Werner's productivity and popularity are evidenced by the number of his works seen throughout the city. It is quite fitting that Werner's final constructed piece of ironwork is the giant filigreed cross and stanchion marking his burial site. Although his body may be laid to rest, his monumental giants will withstand the tests of time

~ David Joyner