Christmas in Hopelands

Holmes’ Cruise

“I will graduate with Honors,” said our son Holmes proudly. “Need I remind you that you have an F?” I said. To which he replied, “Momma, the F stands for fabulous.” “OK, son, but I’ll bet you a cruise that you will not graduate with Honors.” Thomas shot me a look that years of married life had taught me to interpret — the “have you lost your mind?” look. A week later, we all gathered in the high school gym to watch the graduates receive their scholarships and awards. Holmes turned around and said, “Daddy is coming, right?” “Yes,” I answered. “He’ll be here.” When Thomas arrived, Holmes gave him the thumbs-up sign. Thomas looked at me and I

The Martha Schofield School | A History

Of all the schools in Aiken County, none has had such a long and interesting history of growth and evolution as Schofield School. Martha Schofield, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, came to Aiken from the coast of South Carolina, where she had been teaching the children of newly freed slaves after the end of the Civil War. She chose to come to Aiken because of her fragile health — at the time Aiken had a reputation as a healthy place to live. After a couple of years in Aiken working for the Freedmen’s Bureau, Schofield opened her own school in 1868. Her first school was a small wood-frame building. Miss Schofield

Rocks for Hope

“If one person sees hope out of the darkness with Rocks for Hope, then all the work has been worth it.” ~ Bonnie Anne Fulghum Executive Director of MHA – Aiken The mission of Mental Health America of Aiken County is to serve as an advocate and a community resource by promoting positive mental health in Aiken. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. MHA Aiken County, formerly known as Mental Health Association of Aiken County, has played a vital role in the community since 1967. We are an affiliate of Mental Health America and work closely with MHA South Carolina. With more than 320 affiliates nationwide, Mental Health America works

The Mother’s Gift

The most precious thing I own was made for me by my mother, Margaret Hodges Warren. I have no memory of how our family became so interested in music, because I was too young. The story has it that my older sister Ursula desperately wanted to play the violin, but the family was already quite involved with horses and 4-H and camping and gardening, and so my parents did not encourage her. She made herself a crude instrument out of a cigar box, and then the local violin teacher, Gesa Fiedler (sister-in-law to Max Fiedler, conductor of the Boston Symphony), took pity and gave her a violin and lessons. Soon