February 2021 Issue

Monthly Articles

The Quaker Gun | Palmetto Bella

The Quaker Gun

The Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, arose in England in the mid 17th century. They were early settlers to the Colonies (future United States) and prominent in many regions until the Revolutionary War. Although Quaker worship varies widely, from silent meetings (about 10% of Quakers) to evangelical services, nearly all are pacifists. The religion has a long history of supporting equality for women, abolition of slavery, non-violence, co-education, prison reform, and social justice. Today there are fewer than 400,000 Quakers world-wide, and about 50% of them live in Africa. Really? A Quaker gun? Aren’t Quakers those ardent pacifists who refuse military service and believe all conflict can

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The Augusta-Aiken Trolley Line | A History | Palmetto Bella

The Augusta-Aiken Trolley Line | A History

The Augusta-Aiken Railway, better known as the Trolley, was established in 1902 by the Augusta-Aiken Electric Railroad Company. James U. Jackson, who owned the Hampton Terrace Hotel and Golf Course in North Augusta, was one of the principal promoters of the Trolley Line. The route started in Aiken near the current Aiken Visitor’s Center, went down Park Avenue, and turned onto Laurens Street. It proceeded into Graniteville via Hampton Avenue and on what is Trolley Line Road today. Graniteville was the first stop in the “Valley,” and stops followed in Warrenville, Langley, and Clearwater. The Trolley then made its way into North Augusta and on into Augusta. It was a

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The Sport of Flirting | Cabinet of Curiosities | Palmetto Bella

The Sport of Flirting | Cabinet of Curiosities

The history of flirting is a long and seductive tale, stretching back to the first stolen glance across a primitive cave lit by fire. Long before language was conceived, we were flirting. It has been employed as a social tool since the dawn of creation, from insects to fish to birds and all mammals. Now, let us step back in time to the Victorian and Edwardian eras when the sport of flirting was given its own instructional manuals. Valentine postcard, postmarked in 1916. ACHM Collection There’s something in my eye … The first step in flirting is most often establishing eye contact, and it can include a wink or a

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The Ripple Effect of Love | Palmetto Bella

The Ripple Effect of Love

This is a love story that feels like a movie script set in the 1950s. A tall, handsome stranger walks into a Michigan pharmacy with a prescription for his mother. He spies a woman behind the back counter, the most beautiful redhead he has ever seen. The woman is Virginia “Ginny” Hersz. She graduated from college in 1955 with a degree in pharmacy. At the time, less than 5% of the nation’s pharmacists were female, but Ginny was fearless and ready to take on any challenge. When she sees the handsome stranger, she is definitely intrigued. The man is Gary Albrecht. He was drafted into the United States Army at

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Don’t Get It Twisted | Untwist the Love | Palmetto Bella

Don’t Get It Twisted | Untwist the Love

Let’s not get it twisted. When it comes to matters of the heart, one word tells the story — that word is love. If you are living in this world you have experienced acts of kindness and compassion, butterflies in your tummy, tears in your eyes, and maybe something that feels like a massive heart attack, but not entirely — these characteristics can be feelings associated with love. Some people say, “I had love in my life” or “I am too young to know what love is” or “I was in love once.” Guess what? Love doesn’t have an age limit! Love never leaves us! Love never dies! Love lasts

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For the Love of Your Dog | Palmetto Bella

For the Love of Your Dog

It surprised me when I realized I haven’t put a lot of thought into how my dog’s collar and leash fit him. It makes me wonder what else I take for granted… I have a 12-year-old Maltese named Pip (PIP – Pretty Important Puppy). He was supposed to be my daughter’s dog, but ended up mine, and I totally love the little guy. He is usually pretty content to stay right beside me when we walk. He never pulled on the leash, but as he has gotten older, the collar and leash seem a little more challenging. I was introduced to UDogU last month, and I have fallen in love

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Romance in the Rural South | Palmetto Bella

Romance in the Rural South

Humor is everywhere — you just have to keep your eyes and ears open. As I have always said, you can’t make this stuff up. I was speaking in a small town outside of Winchester, Virginia, around Valentine’s Day, and I mentioned to the audience that it warms a wife’s heart to be given fancy lingerie. After the program, a sweet young woman approached me and said how glad she was I had made that suggestion. “My husband only buys me the Hanes Her Way drawers that come up real high. They are nice drawers, but I sure would like some of them fancy high-cut drawers. The only thing I

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Scraps of Love | Palmetto Bella

Scraps of Love

It is a rather small scrap of simple cotton cloth. It is faded cream in color with a pattern of soft blue leaves printed across it. And it is fastened onto a large page of paper, along with half-a-dozen other small lengths of different bits of cloth and folds of ribbon. The page is one of many pages, bound into a very large, very old, book. And there are rows and rows of books just like it. And they are shelved and preserved within the Foundling Museum in London, England. England in the 1700s was constantly wet, slicked and grimed, bone-deep cold, with steel-colored skies and frozen rivers, struggling through

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An Interview with Trip Buchanan: February’s Mr. Bella | Palmetto Bella

An Interview with Trip Buchanan: February’s Mr. Bella

Name: Robert Lee Buchanan III (Third – Triple – Trip) Occupation: Dentist First Job: Construction in the summer in High School Worst Job: I had a construction Job in downtown Charleston when I was in dental school. They were gutting an old building facing King Street. My roommate and I came home the first day and all you could see was our eyes and teeth. We were coughing up black stuff. We quit after 2 days. Greatest career challenge: Running a business where you are managing a staff and trying to get everyone on the same page. Role model: My dad. Happiest when: My wife and kids are happy. What

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