November 2020 Issue

Employee Engagement in a Pandemic

It seems like an oxymoron. While our teams worry about keeping safe, learn from home, work from home, and alternate schedules, how do we ensure that they remained engaged with their work? Employee engagement has many definitions, but my favorite comes from Wikipedia: An engaged employee has a positive attitude toward an organization and its values. You may want to read that again. More and more employees are placing higher emphasis on organizational values. Employee engagement is infused into every part of the employee life cycle. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, it’s important to ensure that your values are on display, beginning with the hiring process. Keep in

Beyond the Barricade | SRS Ties That Shaped Our Community | Happy Birthday SRS!

This grand lady celebrates her 70th birthday on November 28, 2020. On this date in 1950, President Harry Truman authorized the design, construction, and operation of what was known at the time as the Savannah River Plant. Over the years, the name changed to the Savannah River Site (SRS) but its primary purpose, to keep our nation safe, has never wavered. The brilliance of the early SRS pioneers, who designed and built the facilities that make up SRS, can’t be overstated. With decades of work accomplished within the walls of the early reactors and canyons, these buildings continue to serve our nation. Today, the Site plays a vital role in

Traditions in the Time of Covid

Every family has traditions that mark special occasions, and how families handle them builds connections. We humans are amazing creatures of habit. We love the predictable and seek routine even though we frequently complain about being in a rut. We go on vacation only to long for home to sleep in our own beds, see our friends and family, and re-engage in our lives. Every nation, tribe, culture, and subculture establishes rituals and traditions that are unique and help define its individual, family, and group identity. Every family has traditions that mark special occasions, and how families handle them builds connections. One of the many casualties of the COVID restrictions

Lux Libations | Traditional Sours

Jack Rose — not quite a household name when it comes to cocktails, but maybe it should be. At first glance, there isn’t anything special about a cocktail like this. Simple measurements, three ingredients, two of which are quite common (you’ll recognize them if you read last month’s article), but then you taste it. It’s lush, delicious, clean, and complex, and it’s PINK! What more could you possibly want? A traditional “sour” like the Jack Rose utilizes a tried and true cocktail template. The basic 2:3/4:3/4 ratio is darn-near perfection. Don’t believe me? Ever hear of a gimlet? Whiskey sour? daiquiri? (Yeah, that’s right, a daiquiri!) They all use the

Whose Market Is It?

Selling real estate during COVID-19 is difficult enough, but the increase in finicky buyers falling prey to buyer’s remorse has made this a most challenging year. A lot of buyers don’t understand the full process of purchasing a home in 2020. They think that they have power because they think it’s a buyers’ market. But it’s not a buyers’ market. It’s really a sellers’ market. Interest rates as low as 2.5 –2.9% give sellers confidence that a buyer will soon be knocking. Currently houses sometimes go under contract before potential buyers can even schedule a showing. To add to the challenge, mortgage companies this year are requiring additional documentation to

Traditions!

“But it’s a tradition … because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do.” Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof Traditions are funny things. They occur one moment at a time over a lifetime, and often we don’t even realize they are happening. I remember our granddaughter’s face crumbling into tears one Thanksgiving Day when I mentioned that I had prepared a different sweet potato casserole than our usual. The 4-year-old sobbed, “But Mimi! We always have the one with marshmallows on top!” Guess whose Mimi beat a path to the kitchen to make a real sweet potato casserole! Traditions are nothing to

Golf is a Family Tradition | Our Favorite Golf Course is the Palmetto

The first time I saw my boyfriend wearing loud plaid pants with a white belt and a clashing shirt, my thoughts were something akin to, “What a dork.” He is now my husband and his golf attire has evolved to become more sedate. We have been married 40 years. I decided 35 years ago that I would not become a “golf widow” who wonders where her husband is after five (or more) hours. My mother and sisters-in-law knew how to play, so I decided I had better learn or else be left babysitting all of the children on weekends. At the time, we lived across the street from a golf

What’s In Your Wallet? | Thankful for 2020?

You can control both where your assets are invested and who you choose to take advice from. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It is a reminder that regardless of our circumstances, there are always things to be thankful for. One of the most profound messages that I heard two years ago was on the topic of happiness. The speaker had done years of research on the topic, and one of the consistent mainstays of happiness in the people he researched is that they had an attitude thankfulness. There are people whose wallets (or bank accounts) are filled with wealth, but they are miserable; they will gladly tell you about everything

Baking Traditions: The Search for the Great (Can of) Pumpkin

I have had many conversations about American Thanksgiving. I have been asked many questions. “Why are we all so crazy about them?” So I’m working at a kids’ clothing store in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, and a couple walks into the shop. The man stops, sniffs the air, and puts his hand on her arm to stop her. “There’s a Starbucks. I’m going to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte and no one can stop me!” And he turns on his heels and exits as quickly as he can. “My husband,” she shrugs. “He’s American …” — her way of offering an explanation. I, with my own thick-enough American accent, say, “Don’t