A conversation between two friends almost five years ago has grown into a major event in Downtown Brunswick, bringing a community together to enjoy music, food and fun. We talked to Jason Umfress and Angie Young about what makes Brunswick’s PorchFest so special.

Jason told us, “The concept is simple, really. Start with a bunch of local performers, set them up on the porches of historic homes in Downtown Brunswick, invite all your friends and let the magic happen.” But where did this simple idea come from? The first PorchFest was held in Ithaca, New York in 2007, but the idea came to Brunswick via the Oakhurst community of Decatur, Georgia.

“In late 2017 or early 2018, my brother-in-law told me about the annual event in Oakhurst,” said Angie, “and it sounded perfect for SoGlo.” SoGlo stands for South of Gloucester and is a name the residents and businesses of Downtown Brunswick have adopted for the area.

Do you love gardening all summer long but feel your inspiration drop with the temperatures?
Dawn Hart from Ace Garden Center on St. Simons Island has tips to get you excited about fall planters!

Picking the Planter
Options are plentiful in this regard but thinking about the placement is important and how the container can accentuate the types of foliage and flowers you want to incorporate. Rustic wood, metal and baskets all work well for a natural, casual look. Ceramic pots in tones of mustard, orange and cobalt blue will give a more formal look to your arrangement.

Our beauty gurus are back with tips to help you look
and feel your best this fall.
Use these tricks to treat yourself this season.
You’ll look spooktacular!

Far more than functional clothing, a bra can be a bold and beautiful artistic creation that conveys powerful messages about breast cancer—such as awareness, hope, empowerment and strength.
The bras created for the annual ARTrageous Bras fundraiser do that and more. The Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation hosts this fun, dynamic annual event in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “ARTrageous is an incredible, attention-grabbing event to increase awareness for breast cancer and raise funds for the Health System’s cancer care programs,” said Krista Robitz, Director, Development, Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation.

One of the strongest things a woman can do is to ask for help when she needs it. No one should have to go through struggles or fight battles alone. For those who want to help, it can be difficult to know how. Luckily, there’s a website for that. Whether what’s needed is financial, emotional or nutritional, helpers and those in need can get connected via some terrific bits of tech.

Financial help:
If you want or need to raise money for personal reasons or your favorite charity, the go-to website is GoFundMe®. The best news is that it’s practically free! There’s no fee to start a fundraiser. Since donations are made through credit or debit cards, GoFundMe® automatically deducts 2.9% and 30 cents from each donation to cover processing charges.

Everything about walking is good for your well-being—unless you're doing it with a bag of Oreos. It builds strength, reduces your risk of heart disease, juices up your joints, calms your mind and helps you and your cocker spaniel live longer, happier lives.

Some scoff at walking, dismissing it as exercise-lite, not cool, maybe even a waste of your recreational time. These people should be taken with a grain of pink Himalayan salt.

Walking works wonders. Even a little bit of walking goes a long way toward shifting you from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one, with more energy and looser jeans. It's that shift from sedentary to active that leapfrogs you down the path to a healthier lifestyle. Not long ago, two scientists sifted through 4,295 published articles on walking written between 1970 and 2007. Their conclusion: Yes, even a modest walking program offers significant protection against many medical problems associated with old age. Death, for instance.

Americans are known around the world for eating too much, but when it comes to time, we are starving ourselves. It's called "time famine"—an unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling that we have too much to do in too little time. Social scientists have been studying it for more than 20 years.

"I'm behind before I get up!" my mother-in-law used to say. Sound familiar? It's that existentially endless to-do list that keeps us feeling rushed, hassled, busy-busy-busy, the opposite of All Is Well.

Sadly, I don't have the time necessary to explain all the reasons why "time famine" is over-whelming so many of us and why "time affluence," the blissful sense of having plenty of time, is so elusive. But you can bet your favorite digital device that it has everything to do with the crush of modern technology and what sociologist Simon Gottschalk calls "the oppression of speed."

Do you want to take a yoga class? Play Scrabble? Learn a new language? Join a book club? Write a better journal? Make a craft? Enjoy an art exhibit? Use a computer? Learn to deal with grief? Listen to some live music? Play chess? All of this and so much more is possible at your public library!
I’ll bet you thought libraries were just for books. Well, think again! Books are the main event, but the learning doesn’t stop there. Public libraries offer a variety of programs, from classes to clubs to concerts. Some even show movies! Even if you just need a place to get out of the heat for a while, your public library is there for you, no purchase necessary!

Your library card (if you don’t have one, go get it) is the key to unlocking all sorts of online content, too. You can stream movies, read magazines and newspapers and do some serious research, all from the comfort of your home computer. It’s not all about staying inside, though. You can even check out a pass to Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites and other fun activities at the information desk (based on availability).

The run-up to Labor Day is always a bit of a letdown. I feel like summer is kaput, vacation is over and Instagrammed, and it's time to sharpen my pencils, buy new notebooks and head back to school.

Who uses pencils? Or notebooks? And what school? I haven't returned to the classroom since computers were the size of a Starbucks, but that's how many of us are hardwired to feel when Labor Day comes and goes.

So lesson up. Back to school isn't just for kids, and that's a good thing. If you're keen on boosting your well-being—and who isn't?—then please welcome this seasonal shift into back-to-school mode. Use it to study and learn new stuff that informs and improves your own vision of living a healthier, happier life.

Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for reading and supporting Paisley Magazine.
We are humbled to be welcomed into your hearts and homes each month.
Whether you are picking us up for our distinctive world-class covers, mouth-watering recipes,
or inspirational stories, we have you covered when it comes to making life better
in our little part of the world. You can count on us to showcase amazing local women,
and that is what sets us apart. We believe every woman has a story, and our forte
is sharing those stories with you.

Summer is in full swing. Expect ever-rising temperatures, melting popsicles and a need to rethink and refresh your warm-weather workouts to prevent that killer of all dreams: boredom.

Boredom is to fitness what a bucket of water is to a flaming marshmallow. Here are three strategies to help you extinguish the possibility of exercise burnout this summer, when you, and most everyone you know, are in a sweat about so many things.

DIVE INTO WATER WORKOUTS.
The downside is that you need a pool. But the upside is so amazing for your overall health and well-being that it’s worth finding one. (Open water works, too.) Aquatic workouts are an increasingly popular training for all ages and shapes, gentle on the joints and remarkably effective for building strength, flexibility and endurance.

If your child has ever been intrigued by alligators, sea turtles, otters and marshlands, or driving golf carts, visiting islands only accessible by boat, pirates or buried treasure, New York Times Bestselling author, Mary Alice Monroe in collaboration with Angela May have a summer read for your 8-12 year old that I promise you will enjoy, too. Mary Alice and Angela have worked together for years, however Search for Treasure is the second book in The Islanders Young Adult adventure series, and we have been assured a third book is coming!

The book opens with Jack, along with his father Eric, going to visit his grandmother for the summer to Dewees Island, which is only accessible by boat. Tragedy has struck Jake’s father and the family is struggling to find a new normal.

Personal well-being is very personal. It's not about the size of your belly or how many crunches you can do, and it's certainly not about how many times you've been to the gym in the last week. Or year. Decade, anyone?

So play along with me here: On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the top of Mount Everest for health and happiness, where would you put yourself right now, today, when it comes to your personal well-being? No excuses, no regrets, no judging—just a number between one and 10.

Think for a minute. Take a few breaths. This is called "tuning in."

There’s just something about a man and his chair. From Archie Bunker’s iconic recliner to Sheldon Cooper’s carefully positioned “spot,” pop culture is filled with men and their chairs. Here at Paisley, we usually focus on the women of our community, but each June we give the guys their time in the spotlight. Some of these gentlemen seem to be always on the move, but our photographers managed to capture them at their favorite resting spots. They graciously answered our questions and opened up about themselves. We proudly present a few of Coastal Georgia’s Men and their Chairs:

The skies over Brunswick were filled with iconic World War II aircraft recently, with the arrival of the Airpower History Tour of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF).

The Tour brings the sights, sounds and stories of World War II aviation to airports across North America each year. In addition to both training and fighter planes, the main attraction of the event at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport was the awesome sight and distinctive engine rumble of two of the rarest WWII bombers, the B-29 Superfortress “FIFI” and the B-24 Liberator “Diamond Lil”.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the largest and most technically advanced aircraft of its time, was first flown in 1942. It began active service in the US Army Air Corp in 1944 and is best known as the aircraft whose missions over Japan helped bring an end to World War II. The B-29 was also used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until 1960. “FIFI”, one of only two B-29s in the world still flying, was acquired by the CAF in 1971. She began touring in 1974 and has been entertaining air show audiences across the country ever since.

“What did you do over Spring Break?”

This question was asked and answered thousands of times last month, but 20 local young people with developmental disabilities had a particularly exciting answer: “I learned to ride a bike!”

SOAR (Social Opportunities & Active Recreation) is a nonprofit organization that provides recreational opportunities for citizens with developmental disabilities in Glynn and McIntosh counties. Through their Special Sports Support Program, SOAR brought the iCan Bike program to Brunswick again this year. More than 100 five-day iCan Bike camps are held annually in 32 states and Canada. Using custom-designed adaptive bike equipment, 3,000 people with disabilities (ages 8 and up) learn to ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle each year. Each camp participant attends camp for 75 minutes each day for five consecutive days, where they are supported by two volunteers.

For a good deal of my life, I lived under a dark cloud of fear that I would end up financially destitute—a bag lady. Studies reveal that I'm not the only one. Most of us have felt that way, not because we're broke but because we lack confidence. That makes us timid, worried and financially insecure.
Look, we don't have to accept financial insecurity as some kind of life sentence. And that constant and gnawing fear of becoming destitute? Forget it! We can do something about this.

Become a saver
Saving money is like magic because it changes your attitude and calms your fears. I saved my way out of a six-figure pile of debt. Knowing I had cash tucked away in a safe place quieted my insatiable desires. That is where I found my determination to stick with repaying the debt. You must start now, today—no matter your situation, even if you are in debt and struggling to catch up, and even if you are already contributing to a 401(k) plan at work. This is different. You need money in the bank to boost your financial confidence.

Memorial Day on St. Simons Island: This phrase conjures images of beach fun and smells of food on the grill. For more than 30 years, however, locals and visitors alike have gathered in Neptune Park for a more somber and holiday-appropriate tradition. Since 1991, the Rotary Club of St. Simons has arranged Taps at Twilight to honor the men and women who have fallen in the service of our country, those who have valiantly served and returned and those who are serving today.

2020 was the only year the program didn’t happen in person, but a fabulous virtual program was arranged and can still be seen on YouTube. Susan Imhoff has chaired the event for four years, and she told us, “Every year it gets better and better!” Last year’s speaker was so popular they have invited him back for 2022. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Bolton will return as keynote speaker with a new message.

Are you into gardening? Please say yes. It’s a kind of miracle. Food you grow tastes better, costs less, has greater nutritional value AND it leaves a carbon footprint the size of a grape.
Gardening isn’t an aerobic sport, and it won’t grow your fitness the way running, walking and biking will, but it sure can produce lots of pleasure, not to mention kale, spinach and tomatoes.
Gardening also helps you cultivate a calm, focused mind while putting all the major muscles of your body to work—digging, lifting and carrying. Besides burning calories, gardening connects us to the earth, and it’s that mindful exchange of energy—you plant; nature grows—that is so joyful and satisfying.

Growing stuff in a garden is also a splendid way to plant ideas in your child’s brain about what is real food, and how good it can taste. Next thing you know, your 10-year-old is snacking on cauliflower chunks instead of corn chips, and goes to sleep at night dreaming of broccoli stalks the size of baseball bats.

I’m a good mom…and I lost my child.

On Memorial Day, 2019, I was served papers for custody and visitation by my daughter’s biological father. This came as quite a surprise, considering the last time he’d seen her was two years before at a Chick-fil-A for an hour.

Rewind to 2015, before my daughter was born. I was pregnant and he and I had broken up after trying to work things out. Nothing had changed: He had a drug and alcohol problem and couldn’t hold down a job. I knew I could do this on my own, and I was on a mission to be the best mom I could be. When she was only 6 months old, he made the decision to move out of state.

I can sum up my response to the soaring price of gasoline in just one word: Aargh!

While waiting for prices to come down (Do you think they will?), don’t sit around complaining all the while paying through the nose to drive your car.

There are lots of things you can do to increase the number of miles you can squeeze out of each gallon of gas, effectively reducing its cost. Here are a few ways to get better gas mileage:

EMPTY THE TRUNK
Call it science. The heavier the car, the harder the engine must work to move it around. The harder the engine works, the more fuel it burns. So, unload all that stuff you’ve been carrying around in the trunk for no good reason. (Please, leave the spare tire and emergency equipment.) It’s a trunk, not a mini storage unit. Unload and you could easily increase your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

It’s April, and my friend Bobby mentions he’s already bored with his running routine. (I’m a certified fitness trainer. People tell me these things.)

He’s on the treadmill most every day, pounding it out, mile after mile, sparking no joy whatsoever. But it’s still good for him, right? Not really. Exercise is the miracle drug we all know, but when your workouts are b-o-r-i-n-g, you’re more likely to get injured. Or quit! Bummer.

This column is dedicated to all the Bobbies out there who feel burned out and bored, who want to shake up their humdrum routine with something new, something fresh—something special from Preston’s Bag of Tricks for Beating the Workout Blahs:

When DeLeon Peacock returned to the Golden Isles after careers in the military, real estate and long-haul trucking, he wasn’t looking to start a brand-new career. “I returned at 50 to retire here. That was my long-term plan.” But fate intervened and now DeLeon is a published author and celebrated abstract artist who recently launched his own line of wearable art.

The unlikely road that brought him to this point began when he was 10 years old. He and his older brother John were brought to what is now Morningstar Family and Children’s Services in Glynn County to live. The boys’ father wasn’t around, and his mentally ill mother was deemed unfit to care for them. “It was Boys’ Estate Georgia then. I was fortunate when I was brought there. It was the first order and discipline I had in my life,” said DeLeon.

DeLeon spent four years at the home, before moving around various foster homes. “The majority were good people,” he said, smiling. He left Georgia after high school. “After four years in the Navy, I was in real estate, then I spent 16 years traveling all over the United States. I saw all these famous sites, but it wasn’t a vacation,” DeLeon laughed. “Any time I came through this area on I-95, I felt this yearning, and I knew one day I wanted to return.”

What is Ferst Readers?
Ferst Readers is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that mails monthly, free, age-specific books to children from birth to five years of age. Ferst Readers’ mission is strengthening communities by providing quality books and literacy resources for children and their families to use at home during the earliest stages of development. We want every child to have the best start in life, and nothing helps a baby’s brain develop more than exposure to rich language and loving interactions. The key is having books in the home and being read to right from birth. Our vision is to create better learners, brighter futures and stronger communities by giving every child under five access to quality books in their homes.

A small team of local ladies, Barbara Young, Jackie Mull, Lynn Lobit, Natale Adorni and I have started a Community Action Team (CAT) in McIntosh County. We are a dedicated local volunteer CAT, which is the driving force behind local implementation, including registration, awareness, fundraising and literacy efforts. There are CAT groups in almost every county in Georgia (including Glynn County) and eight other states.

When she was approached last year with the idea of a golf tournament fundraiser, Eta Gamma Zeta Chapter President Darleen Smith wasn’t sold on the idea. But then she said, “It’s the year of the woman, why not take a chance? That’s what we as women do. We take chances every day.” She took the idea to her chapter of Zeta Phi Beta national sorority, and everyone agreed that it was time for a golf tournament specifically for women in Glynn County. It’s the perfect activity as we come out of the pandemic since it gets everyone out in the fresh air.

“I wanted to have something in the community that women of all colors could come together and unite and have a good time,” said Darleen, “It gives women a chance to shine in a sport that we don’t see them much in.” As if a day on the course with other women doesn’t make you feel fabulous enough, you can take extra pride in knowing all proceeds go to the Eta Gamma Zeta scholarship fund, which supports the educational goals of young women in Glynn County. Considering that goal, the chapter’s decision for the tournament’s namesake was easy.

Learning how to live a happier, healthier lifestyle can be challenging, especially if there are crispy french fries on the table. But unlearning what you think you know is even trickier.

Our brains are constantly being reminded of stuff that simply isn’t true, like popular fitness myths that need unlearning and debunking, and that’s what I’m setting out to do today, aided by a lovely list assembled by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). (Disclaimer: I’m a member. They certify fitness trainers. I am one.)

It’s the time of year when many are shopping for beautiful love tokens, or even engagement rings, which is naturally a matter of the heart. However, you should also use your head when buying jewelry, especially diamonds. After more than 45 years in the business, I can offer some important shopping tips to be sure you are getting the best diamond for your dollar:

Determine your budget:
It’s important to have a firm idea of what you want to spend. If you know what your budget is, you can let your heart guide you to the perfect item within those parameters. Don’t allow an aggressive salesperson to push you to spend beyond your plans. Remind them of your limit and insist they only show you what fits within it.