I recently went to Taos for adult creative camp. As a former summer camp counselor, I rejoiced in the time to unwind under the enchanting skies of New Mexico. I hung out in the sensational Southwest landscapes, which served as inspiration for one of my favorite artists, Georgia O’Keeffe. This is her cabin at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu. I am restored.

I got totally drunk on a cruise excursion (rum punch). Came back to the ship and broke the card scanner machine. Our 12-year-old daughter never got over her mortification!

I just came back from Europe traveling with a small group, and for some reason I was put on stand-by status. I didn’t know if I’d get to leave Germany! I was then assigned a seat but someone else had the same seat, so I ended up in the front of the plane in the “better” section—wined and dined!

An embarrassing incident occurred when a bus driver would not allow me to get on the bus for a tourist excursion. He thought I was a “native” trying to get a ride into town. Jamaica—hmmm.

I did massage in Los Angeles for 20 years. One time I was referred to a woman in Beverly Hills who was on the phone when I arrived. She had lots of Michael Jackson pictures and gold records on her hallway walls. I said, ‘You sure do like M.J.’ She said, ‘Oh, he is my boss; he’s in Japan right now. I was on the phone with him when you came in.’ OMG!

A total of six community murals are quickly being created by many hands as part of The Brunswick Mural Project. This one is by Artist Jeff Le Mieux. Symbolic in the meaning of justice, this gallant, two-story tall lady faces southeast on Reynolds towards Gloucester Street. Four more will begin soon, so get your creative juices flowing by joining in! Contact Artist Megan Torello at Glynn Visual Arts: 912.638.8770/www.glynnvisualarts.org.

A total of six community murals are quickly being created by many hands as part of The Brunswick Mural Project. This one is by Artist Jeff Le Mieux. Symbolic in the meaning of justice, this gallant, two-story tall lady faces southeast on Reynolds towards Gloucester Street. Four more will begin soon, so get your creative juices flowing by joining in! Contact Artist Megan Torello at Glynn Visual Arts: 912.638.8770/www.glynnvisualarts.org.

Welcome to Paisley Magazine’s 11th Anniversary Issue: #GONECOASTAL, where we are highlighting the multitude of advantages of living in Coastal Georgia. Meet Kelley, Kim, Rev. Abra and five “Men and Their Chairs,” Paisley’s annual salute to some of the coolest guys around.

“I decided that instead of riding on the back of a Harley, I wanted to ride my own. I found a safety course, which I passed, then got my own Harley weeks later. I’ve been riding for 26 years now!”

“I did a Lucille Ball in the kitchen. I owned five restaurants and had just ordered two thousand dollars of fish from Charleston, but when I opened the refrigerator it was hot and the fish were spoiled. It was the last straw. I started throwing plates, food and pans until one of my employees found me in a pile on the floor—crying. He ran out and got my husband, who said we would close the first of the year. My goal was to never have another employee, and so I became a sculptress.”

We were out cruising in our CraigCat and got caught in a storm. We went into a small creek for some protection. Well, we managed to corner a large shark in the creek… talk about scary! Finally it swam between the floaters on the boat. What a relief!

My sister was driving the boat when she was a teenager. We were going pretty fast into a cove at Lake Murray. Dad told her to turn, and she said she couldn’t. As we got closer to running ashore, he screamed, “Turn!” She turned around with the steering wheel in her hands and screamed, “I can’t!” Dad lunged forward to cut the engine, and we barely missed barreling onto land.

One of the best things about Coastal Georgia is the abundance of public places our community affords for adult playtime. It’s no coincidence we are dedicating Paisley’s MAY issue to playing— #THEPOWEROFPLAY.

It’s always a thrill to hear your compliments on how Paisley Magazine has inspired, evoked your thoughts and/or been of great help to you. You save articles and recipes and pass copies on to others. You are our mission and we thank you. We wanted to make the most from your comments, so here’s…

…#EMPOWEREDBYPAISLEY, April’s theme! It exhibits exactly what you’ve told us – the importance of staying informed, in-touch, and empowered by sharing stories of significance. Meet our April lineup: Jennifer, Hilary and Linda. And, check-out Paisley’s April Calendar; chock-full of important and supportive community events.

“On the way to Jamaica, at the tender age of 18, I immediately had guys approaching me saying something I thought was an offer of a picture, and of course, I said – ‘yes’. What they were asking was my hand in marriage!”

“I was traveling in Sweden by train, it stopped, and everyone got off except me and my friend; we were busy talking, not paying attention. The train started moving and rolled into a dark tunnel and turned itself off. We had to pull the windows down and yell for help!”

“I was at Disney World where apparently I had split my pants in the back and did not know. A couple hours later, when I went to ride the magical teacups, I noticed my behind was cold on the seat! Now my family has a joke: ‘Why don’t we do what Mandy’s pants did at Disney and split!’”

#WorldwideWomen is Paisley’s March 2019 theme. We dedicate this issue to local women of a greater world; female entrepreneurs and ambassadors in service to others.

Beginning with Conni Laine (April 2018), local bluesy-soul singer and co-owner of The Blue Door, who recently celebrated a fantastic achievement in winning the 2019 South Florida Folk Festival Songwriting competition. The judges loved both song entries: “You’re not a Kid Anymore” and “Dreamer’s Lane.” Congratulations, Conni!

Thanks to Betty Foy Sanders, I’m back in awe of the color Red. Her intimate creative piece in a swirl of red and pink hues, is prominently displayed in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at Southeast Georgia Health System, Brunswick Campus:

“I met a really nice, well-educated guy back in my single days of the early ‘70s.  He turned out to be a warlock. He put a spell on my roommate and the following week she lost her job and her cat died!”

“I dated two guys at the same time. When they both showed up at my house at the same time, one held me down, while the other wanted to cut all my hair off so no one would date me. LOL! It didn’t happen. I still have all my hair!”

“My blind date was so short he asked me to take my shoes off for a kiss.”

All of us at Paisley Magazine are proud to continue to provide what we call The Best Read. Once again, we’ve found interesting local women and thought evoking editorial features in our first 2019 theme—#Find Your Balance. 

“The doctor I worked for and his wife were coming for a Christmas get-together, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I made two different dishes, covered them with foil, and placed them in the refrigerator in similar oven/fridge safe pans. Minutes before my guests arrived, I put one of the dishes in the oven to cook. When my boss walked in, he pointed out something was burning! I put the wrong dish in the oven; the congealed, strawberry pretzel salad was toast.”

“I gave the wrong present to my old boyfriend; it was supposed to go to my new boyfriend!”

What a year 2018 has been. It’s the year Paisley Magazine aged into 10 strong years of providing the best and most empowering read in South Coastal Georgia. And another year we were able to feature some of the best people in the world; you know, women and men who live right here—our neighbors, sharing their inspirational stories of just being them.

Once again, I’m expressing thanks for the world-wide humanitarian efforts of the Little Free Library non-profit organization. Their mission which encourages the sharing and reading of books within communities such as ours here along Georgia’s southern coast is Just. The. Best. 

Welcome to Fall (finally) and Paisley’s “Against All Odds” issue, we're sharing stories of people in our community and from around the world working to “beat the odds” in everyday challenges and personal wellness. Meet Josie, Shirley, the entire SOAR organization, and Lynda, whose enticing column invites you to buy a ticket to experience WIT at the Brunswick Actors’ Theatre.