April 2021 Issue

Are You Concerned about Coronavirus Variants?

COVID-19 vaccines are all the buzz right now as people scramble to get their lives back to a semblance of normalcy. Millions have been vaccinated, but new, mutated strains of coronavirus are causing concern around the world. COVID-19 cases have fallen nationwide, but health officials warn that these variants could trigger a new surge of infections. A new variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was first reported in December 2020. Since then other variants have been identified. Are the new variants more contagious? Will the current vaccines cover them? Variants occur when there is a change (mutation) to the virus’s genes. As a virus mutates, mistakes and changes are

Is Your Child Experiencing Stress

Like adults, kids and teens experience stress too. While small amounts of stress are a normal part of life, some young people may have worrisome responses to disrupted routines, school closures, social distancing, event cancellations, and missed milestones. Stress that occurs continually, or is triggered by multiple sources, can take a toll on a child’s physical as well as emotional health. Can stress be helpful or good? Stress is a body’s reaction to situations that occur within and outside the body. Stress can be helpful — it has been hard-wired into human physiology for survival. For example, imagine you are hiking in the forest and are confronted with a bear.

Take Action to Change Your Results

Did you gain the “COVID-19” over the past year? It is similar to the “Freshman 15” — a number of studies show that many people did gain weight in 2020. In a poll taken by WebMD®, 50% of women and 25% of men reported they had gained weight during the pandemic lockdowns. Another survey by Weight Watchers® had similar results. About a third of the Weight Watchers respondents said they gained weight, with the average gain of 12 1/2 pounds. Another study of nearly 8000 adults was taken last April, with results published in the Journal of Obesity. Almost 28% of the total sample reported weight gain. Individually we can

The Challenges of Building Wealth

The use of the word wealth automatically creates a mindset that is as different for each of us as is our appearance. For most of us, wealth is defined as assets minus liabilities — that is, net worth. As an advisor, we try to communicate that wealth is more than money, but for the most part, the public usually sees wealth as financial assets. Having an abundance of wealth is often referred to as being rich, but in my opinion, these definitions do not define what I have experienced with clients and associates who are wealthy or rich. For the sake of this article, I will focus on the meaning

Combine Your Favorite Edibles into Your Landscape

Spring is a great time to start planting your summer vegetables, fruits, and herbs. A designated row garden is great and a lot of fun, and it can provide baskets of fresh foods to eat or give away to friends and family. But there is another way — adding vegetables and herbs into your landscape adds color and texture and gives a fresh new look to your outdoor space that can otherwise feel mundane. Most summer vegetables need around 6 – 8 hours of full sun per day, so make sure they are not planted in the shade of larger shrubs or trees. They need adequate water from either irrigation

What’s the Buzzzzz?

When I think of spring I think of two buzz words — bees and hummingbirds. The buzz word this month is hummingbirds. I just love the precious little birds! Hummingbirds are native to North America. As the smallest of birds, they measure approximately 3 — 5 inches in length and get their name from the humming noise their wings make when they fly. All 350 species of hummingbirds are native to the Americas; by far most of them are tropical. The life of a hummingbird is quite solitary. The males arrive in an area and stake out their territories before the females arrive. A male lets the female hummingbirds know

Gardening is a Lifelong Active Lifestyle

South Carolina Garden Clubs provide education and beautification for their cities. Master Gardeners are artists at work. When they add color and texture to a yard or landscape, the result can evoke emotions of joy and completeness. Landscaping is not only big business — it is also therapy for those who love to be outdoors and have made gardening a hobby. A well tended garden can enhance curb appeal for a home, and on a grander scale, beautify parks and recreation areas. The number of amateur gardeners has grown in the past year while people stayed home and looked for purposeful activities that avoided the risk of the pandemic. The

The UdogU Adventure Begins

UdogU was born out of Sherry’s creative ability as a seamstress and her love for dogs. She developed her ability to design and sew articles of clothing for herself at an early age. Sherry and I began our lives together in 1989, and we soon added a Shetland Sheepdog named Cushla McCree (Beat of My Heart in Gaelic) to our lives. Cushla quickly became the focus of Sherry’s apparel designing projects — the first project was a hat. Cushla was a handsome male Sheltie and I got the feeling he believed wearing a hat was beneath his dignity. This was reason enough for us to add another dog to our

Taylor Reynolds | Photo Of The Month

On the surface this photo is just a picture of a beer, but to me it captures so much more. It was taken on a sunset paddle tour of Stallings Island on the Savannah River. To me this photo encompasses the sense of community built around the love of the outdoors. It was sunset. People were paddling around, jumping off the large rocks that sit on this part of the Savannah River, and gushing over the adorable donkeys that reside on the island. It was my favorite day of summer and for that reason it is my favorite photo that I’ve ever taken.