A fun history lesson on Greenville, SC

One of the local TV stations WYFF 4 has this fun little history lesson on Greeenville.  Thought you might enjoy it.

25 Facts about Greenville

High Cotton Peach Dinner

You have heard me comment several times on how wonderful the peaches are here so when I saw this special meal come up a few weeks ago I just had to sign us up.

Last night we celebrated Bob’s birthday again with a fancy night out at our favorite restaurant High Cotton.  They had a special “Peach” of a meal paired with wine.  Below is the menu.  The wine is from Italy.  Besides the great food eaten during this 4 hour meal we had the company of 7 other people at our table.  It was really fun.

Each course was delicious. While you are sitting there eating it is easy to forget one really important thing.   All six courses visually were works of art.  You could taste how good the food would be as soon as you looked at the beautiful plate.     Most of the items weren’t really heavy with peach flavor.  I can’t pick a favorite.  The dessert was a trio of desserts each with a different temperature from warm to chilled and a different texture and flavor.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

The expert that talked about each of the wines really expanded my knowledge of Italian wines.  We had three whites and two reds.  An absolutely perfect dining experience from food to wine to company and conversation and of course the great ambience  of High Cotton and it’s great view.   We even got to take home a couple fresh peaches to enjoy at home.

Thursday, July 26th
6:30pm

First Course
Citrus Poached Wild American Shrimp
peach BBQ glaze, marcona almonds brittle
Mastroberardino Sanno Falanghina

Second Course
Seafood Risotto
grilled white peaches, saffron, crispy ginger
Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi Del Vesuvio Bianco

Third Course
Goat Cheese Tart
lemon thyme braised peaches, roasted beets, local honey
Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino

Fourth Course
Bethel Trails Rabbit
green olives, sage, peach brown butter sauce
Mastroberardino Aglianico

Fifth Course
Slow Roasted Heritage Pork
gorgonzola polenta, braised escarole, peach balsamic glaze
Mastroberardino La Cryma Christi Del Vesuvio Rosso

Dessert
Peach Variation
honey panna cotta, fried pie, peach granite

Travelers Rest – A town remaking itself

It’s probably been 8 years since we first stopped by the city offices of Travelers Rest.   At that time we were driving through North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee looking for a new place to call home.  Remember I grew up in a town of 492 with no mail boxes at your house, no street signs and no stop signs, Nicollet, MN.   Really.  So even though I lived most of my life in the Twin Cities there was always a spot deep inside of me that liked the feel of a small town but also wanted all the things a larger town had.   I wanted my cake and wanted to eat it too.  Travelers Rest has all the necessities like grocery stores, doctors, dentists,  hardware stores, Wal-Mart, restaurants and small shops 10 minutes away and the luxuries like more restaurants, more shopping, concerts, theater, festivals, art museums and Furman University 20-30 minutes away in Greenville.

We had investigated dozens of  small towns and most left something to be desired.  Travelers Rest wasn’t much to look at 8 years ago but we saw their plan of what they wanted it to be and they had the money set aside to do it.   I remember saying to Bob “This is a town with a plan.  It want’s to be more. I think in another 10 years this is going to be a very impressive place.”  It’s a town of about 4500.   To say that in 8 years the town has changed would be an big understatement.  They had a 10 year plan and they have accomplished most of the things on their plan.  We have a beautifully redone main street and new restaurants and other businesses coming in, especially the last year.  The business association became a Chamber of Commerce a few months ago and is really an active group.

One of the most fun new businesses  is the Barker Bar Pub which is a little pub where you can bring your dog inside.   They also have a nice shaded play area for the dogs in the back.  Remember we are near the Swamp Rabbit Trail so lots of dog walkers.   It’s not fancy but its fun.  I heard it referred to as the private club for dogs because you have to register your dog for admittance.  What a cool idea.  I know my dog loving readers and friends will be jealous.

The city has hired back the group that did the first 10 year plan in 2003 and in the last few months I had the opportunity to participate in a little of the planning for the next phase of development.  Last week I saw the presentation on what their findings were and to say I am excited about the possibilities is a major understatement.  I haven’t read the whole report yet but I will soon.  It’s 52 pages.  As you might expect some are relatively easy and low cost items and others are much bigger opportunities but I think most of them can be accomplished, albeit with a lot of hard work by the City and the Chamber of Commerce and other partners they bring in from surrounding communities but they are committed and when I see what has been done the last 10 years I am really encouraged.  Believe it or not the City actually has money to do things from a hospitality tax and an expected large Federal grant.  Keep your fingers crossed for the later one.

Businesses are on the way to making that critical mass of activity that the town needs.  Getting abandon and neglected buildings looking better is one problem that needs to be addressed and it’s not an easy one. The Swamp Rabbit Trail was a huge help to get the momentum going.  It brings 1000 people a day on foot or bike to the town.  We have a reputation as an outdoor, casual place.

Arnett  Muldrow and Associates is the company who did the plan both times  and it sounds like they have deep experience in helping towns remake themselves.  I am quite impressed.  My view of consultants is not usually a positive one but this one really brings good ideas to the table. Arnett Muldrow is an Urban Planning firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in Community Branding, Retail Market Analysis, Historic Preservation and Downtown Masterplanning.

Link to the plan here :http://www.greatertrchamber.com/

This is enough for one post.  I promise you will hear much more about my little town.

Looking forward to the Olympics

Those of you who know me also know that I am not competitive and have about as little interest in sports that anyone could have so you are probably surprised to here I am looking forward to the Olympics but it’s not for the reason you might think.

These last few days with the killings and injuries in Aurora, the Penn State announcements, the ongoing disfunction in congress and the negative presidential race have left me bummed out and negative thinking and I don’t like feeling like that.

My hope is that the Olympics will give the news media something positive to talk about and get away from all this negative news. I know they have to report on some of it but it can get oppressive.  Let’s just not have any more bad stuff happen.

I can be happy thinking about all the great athletes who compete and win medals.   Even if someone does not win a medal they should be very proud to have gotten to the point in their athletic career where they made it to the Olympics.  I look forward to the opening and closing ceremonies, which I will record and aquatics, gymnastics and figure skating events.  I might even be persuaded to record the Today show for their coverage.   I have been been a long time viewer of the Today show but over the last few months it has very few stories I am interested in and the way they handled the Ann Curry departure was the last straw.  Meredith Vieira will be doing some of the Olympic coverage and I like her.  Lets hope for a peaceful, uneventful event.

Here is some information about the Olympic rings from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_the_Olympic_rings_represent

Despite popular misconceptions there is no link between the ring colors and a continent, the colors simply came from those colors that appeared on all the national flags of the world at that time. The five-ringed symbol “represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” Baron Pierre de Coubertin conceived both the symbol and the flag. Not coincidentally, Coubertin was the founder of the modern Olympic Movement.

Symbolism of the Olympic Rings:

The five interlocking rings represent the five continents brought together by the Olympic Movement, or the five main regions: Africa, the Americas (North and South America are combined), Asia, Europe and Oceania. As it says in the Olympic Charter, the five-ringed symbol “represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” The symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field. The colors of the rings represent the flags of the countries that participate in the Olympics. Every flag of a country participating in the Olympics includes one of those colors.

Meaning of the Colors on the Olympic Flag:

The following is quoted directly from the IOC: “The five rings represent the five continents. They are interlaced to show the universality of Olympism and the meeting of the athletes of the whole world during the Olympic Games. On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. This flag translates the idea of the universality of the Olympic Movement. At least one of the colors of the rings, including the white background, can be found on the flag of every nation in the world.”

The way in which the rings are interlaced has changed since the symbol was first introduced. They used to be depicted side-by-side, along a shallow arc. They are now drawn in the familiar offset pattern, with three above and two below. They are colored, from left to right: blue (top), yellow (bottom), black (top), green (bottom), and red (top).

Bob’s Birthday Party

Bob had a great little birthday party Monday night.  We had two couples we met from Newcomers over – G. Ann and Al and Sandy and Mike, and our neighbors across the street Vickie and Ed.  There are usually two other couples we hang out with but they are off doing the things retired folks do so well.   One couple is spending a week in New Orleans and another is heading to the northeast to check on their other house, which is under remodeling.

Our guests brought some very well thought out gifts for Bob, which certainly wasn’t necessary, and we had some great conversation. A gift certificate for a woodworking company he likes and wine, chocolates, and other snacks which he loves.

The dark chocolate zucchini layer cake with nuts and chocolate ganache was delicious.   I can’t take credit for making it, just ordering it.  Too hot to have my oven on.  Cheryl at Upcountry Provisions Bistro and Bakery in downtown  Travelers Rest did a great job.  Even made the cake on a day the Bistro is closed.  What good service.  They also have been at the Saturday Travelers Rest Farmers Market so check them out.

Bob and I went to the Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for Upcountry Provisions a month or so ago.   There is a lovely young couple who run the place.   They found they had enough business to need to quickly expand hours.  I have had their bread and now the cake.   I want to get over to try one of their yummy sounding sandwiches.   They did a great job of decorating the rustic building and putting in a little garden and outdoor seating.   A great place for those on the Swamp Rabbit Trail to stop for a bakery items or a sandwich.

It is so much fun seeing Travelers Rest grow with new businesses and be a part of the community.

An interesting day with a beautiful ending

Bob and I went to the Riley Institute and Furman sponsored program on the “Disparities in the Legal System” and heard from a public defender and an attorney in the juvenile justice system.  I left the program both encouraged  and depressed.  Budget cuts and no new taxes take such a heavy tole on those most vulnerable people in our society.   We heard a similar story  last week when the topic was education.  While MN may complain about high taxes, living in a state where they are low is nothing to be proud of.

On a positive note, the 95 degree temp and high humidity have left and I am enjoying 80 degree weather out on the screened porch watching a stunning sunset with black sky contrasted with beautiful pink, red, orange colors.  The fan on the porch makes it very comfortable.   Am I becoming a southern girl?

The two cats seem to not care about the hot temperatures but I worry about them and only let them out for a little while.  I have to carry them in or push them inside.   Smoky loves to lounge on the cement in the garage where it gets very warm.  Goofy cats.

Way to go Minneapolis restaurants

I was excited to see the Aug. 2012  issue of Food and Wine magazine feature Minneapolis as the new favorite food city.  Check out what they said at http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/twin-cities-restaurants-andrew-zimmern
and
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/best-affordable-restaurants-in-minneapolis

Having fun in the woodworking shop

Bob and I have been having all kinds of fun the last few weeks making gifts to take back to Minnesota.   I got half a dozen pens turned today.  Making those are quick and so rewarding.   I have really fallen in love with some of the exotic woods like ebony and bocate and purple heart.   I never knew there were so many woods.   I can even identify quite a few of them.   Who would ever have thought I would be doing this?    Certainly not me.

Our woodworking journey is such a great example of what people can do that is brand new when they retire.  We keep coming up with relatively simple and easy to do things that are great for gifts.  I just ordered a pattern for something that looks really interesting to make on the scroll saw.   These are some pens I made last year.  Bob is working very hard on his part of the backs of the 12 chairs that the Woodworking Guild needs to make for the new OLLI building.   Quite a learning curve for both Bob and Dan, his fellow woodworker.

Miss Sabrina and Mr Smoky have such healthy fur

A post from the cats Sabrina and Smoky

For quite a few months Fay and Bob have been giving each of us a little bit of fish oil on our nightly treat.   Smoky is especially excited about the results so he gets to tell his story first.

Mr Smoky says “My fur has never been very nice.   I shed a lot and my grey fur was dull, not shiny and worst of all I had lots of dander.   Fay and Bob brush me and tried treatments to make it better but I don’t like being brushed very much and only sit still for a short time.   Now after getting my fish oil for months my fur is nice and shiny and I have almost no dander any more.  I look so handsome.”

Miss Sabrina says “I have always had really pretty fur.  My short black coat is shiny and smooth and I don’t shed much.   Now my fur is not quite as shiny but is it every fluffy and soft.  We aren’t quite sure if it is the fish oil or my summer fur coat or both but I sure like it when Fay pets me and tells me how soft I am.”

Fish oil also has many other benefits for dogs and cats, just like it does for humans.   Here is some information from http://www.judyshealthcafe.com/fishoil.htm.   Fay gets our fish oil from the Vet.  She pokes a hole in each capsule and squeezes it on our treat.   She sure would like to find it as drops, it would be so much easier.

Fish Oil Can Help Keep Your Dogs And Cats Healthy

Fish oil has shown positive benefits in helping dogs and cats with disease. Omega 3 fatty acids are among the most commonly used nutritional supplements used in treating pets. Fish oil helps keep your dogs and cats healthy! Veterinarians first used omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil to treat canine and feline allergies but now recommend it for a wide variety of conditions ranging from kidney disease to arthritis and high cholesterol. Adding fish oil to your pet’s food provides anti-inflammatory effects, can help relieve itching and scratching and allergy related skin conditions.

Fish Oil and Healthy Pets

In research studies, fish oil has shown positive benefits in helping pets with disease. Fatty acids are among the most commonly used nutritional supplements used in treating dogs and cats. Fortunately,they have been used successfully long enough that most conventional veterinarians include their usage in the treatment of at least some diseases. Though some pet diets may include Omega-3 fatty acids, virtually none include satisfactory amounts of the most important Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Many pet foods contain primarily Omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils resulting in a highly unbalanced ratio of Omega-6s to Omega-3s. Research has shown that a ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 of 5:1 to 10:1 is optimal for dogs and cats and therefore supplementing with a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supports pet health.

Omega 3 oils support heart, vision and joint health, provide important nutrients for proper immune function, and nourish the skin and coat. First suggested for use in treating allergies in pets, they are now advocated in cases of kidney disease, elevated cholesterol, and arthritis as well. Veterinarians are discovering that fatty acids can be valuable for a variety of conditions. Fish oil supplementation may be helpful for pets with inflammatory diseases including allergies, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, and cancers. Pets with any type of inflammatory disease may benefit from fish oil supplementation. In general, more severe disease requires doses higher than those commonly recommended.

Fish oil is very effective in some pets with allergies and skin disease. It is easy to administer (via gel caps or liquid) and can reduce the amount of corticosteroid or antihistamine needed to control itching. Most pets take either form well. For pets that are difficult to “pill,” the liquid form is quite popular. Owners of dogs and cats 20 pounds and under find the liquid form more cost effective than the large bottle of fatty acid capsules that we prescribe. The response is variable in other diseases (such as kidney disease) but fish oil appears effective in research studies. In pets with some types of cancer, fish oil has slowed down the growth and spread of the cancer. While more studies are needed on other types of cancer, the general recommendation is to add fish oil to the diets of all pets with cancer.

As with other supplements, the use of fatty acids often allows doctors to lower the dosages of drugs such as corticosteroids or antihistamines. Choosing a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement with exceptional purity and freshness, as well as, high levels of Omega-3s is key to supporting pet health.

Fish Oil Benefits

Now it’s time to give our pets the benefits of the tremendous healing properties of fish oil.

We know intuitively that our pets enrich our lives, so it is not surprising that a growing number of scientific studies are demonstrating the positive effects that animals can have on human health and development. Here is just a partial list of the health benefits of pet ownership, as reported by the Delta Society, a non-profit foundation that promotes research on the bond between humans and their animals:

• Pet owners have lower blood pressure. (Friedmann, 1983, Anderson 1992)
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-owners. (Anderson, 1992)
• Pet owners have better psychological well-being. (Serpel, 1990)
• Seniors who own dogs go to the doctor less than those who do not. In a study of 100 Medicare patients, even the most highly stressed dog owners had 21 percent fewer physician contacts than
  non-dog owners. (Siegel, 1990)
• Contact with pets develops nurturing behavior in children who may grow to be more nurturing
  adults. (Melson, 1990)
• Having a pet may decrease heart attack mortality by 3%. This translates into 30,000 lives saved annually in the U.S. alone. (Friedman, 1980)
• Children’s cognitive development can be enhanced by owning a pet. (Poresky, 1988)
• Children owning pets are more involved in activities such as sports, hobbies, clubs or chores.
  (Melson, 1990)
• Children exposed to pets during the first year of life have a lower frequency of allergic rhintis and asthma. (Hesselmar, 1999)
• Autistic children with pets are more highly socialized and are less self-absorbed. (Redefer, 1989)

Given the strong emotional bonds between humans and animals, it is not surprising that many of us will do almost anything to secure the health and well-being of our pets. According to estimates from the most recent National Pet Owners’ Survey, Americans in 2005 will spend $17 billion on veterinary care and medicine, and those costs are rising sharply.

It is an accepted medical fact that the same treatments are often found to be equally effective in both humans and animals. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration reports that, since the passage of the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA), it has been legal for veterinarians to treat pets with human drugs that have not been approved for animals. Fish oil, of course, is not a drug. Adding it to your pet’s food may very well be one of the best things you can do to help your animal companion to fight infections and to defend against debilitating chronic ailments. With fish oil, you will also know that the benefits you see are real.

How Quickly Will My Pet Benefit From Omega 3 Supplements?

While the pet begins benefiting quickly, you may not notice a difference for 3-4 months. The pet’s body will change from the inside out—first the individual cells, then tissues, then organs. Gradually you’ll notice the coat and skin become more radiant. When you see this, you’ll know the internal organs, including the kidneys, liver, heart, and brain, are also experiencing more radiant health.

Because fats are an expensive component of pet foods, many commercial foods do not contain high levels, especially of the Omega 3 fatty acids. Most pets benefit from fatty acid supplements.

Fish Oil Purity

We have no one but ourselves to blame for the toxic contaminants found in fish oil. These toxins include mercury (from the burning of coal), PCBs (used in electrical insulation), and dioxins (the active ingredient in defoliants used in the Vietnam War). Although production of PCBs and dioxins has long been banned, they rarely break down and thus accumulate in the marine food chain that ends with fish. These toxins are known carcinogens and neurotoxins. In fact, the levels in the Eskimo population, who consume large amounts of fatty fish rich in EPA and EPA, are well above the safety standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), and recent studies indicate that they are approaching the upper limits of safety in the Japanese population.

Here lies the dilemma - how to remove these toxins to obtain all the tremendous health benefits of EPA and DHA. The solution was the development of a new manufacturing process for producing ultra refined EPA/DHA concentrates.

Buyer Beware!

If you or someone you know is using a fish oil that is not tested by an independent laboratory for concentration, purity and stability, it’s buyer beware. Ask the manufacturer of that fish oil what it is trying to hide. It’s one thing to print pharmaceutical-grade on a label, it’s quite another to actually make a truly “pharmaceutical grade ultra refined” fish oil.

Fish Oil Manufacturing

It’s very difficult to remove the toxins out in fish oil. That’s why most fish oils sold in health-food stores and supermarkets should be considered the “sewer of the sea.”  Since the contaminants in fish are oil-soluble, all the toxic contaminants are concentrated in the crude fish oil. Not a very appealing thought if you are taking fish oil for its “health” benefits. Obviously, all crude fish oil is highly contaminated. If you do some minimal processing, you can get rid of the mercury, but not the PCBs and dioxins. This minimally processed product is what you get when you purchase inexpensive brands of fish oil. In other words, you will also be ingesting a good dose of PCBs and dioxins. Slightly more expensive fish oils are given a “touch-up” via crude distillation to remove some of the cholesterol and slight amounts of the remaining toxins, but the EPA and DHA concentration is low. Therefore, to get an adequate dose of these critical long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, you have to consume large amounts of fish oil and, thus, large amounts of toxic contaminants. If you break apart the fatty acids to make ethyl esters, then it is possible to concentrate the oils to higher levels, but the PCBs and dioxins still remain.

May we never forget

Remembering our Vietnam Veterans.  I’m so thankful that my husbands name is not on this list.   Bob could have been so easily killed.  Guess I never would have been fortunate enough to have him for my husband these 37 years.

First click on a state. When it opens, scroll down to the city and the names will appear.

Then click on their names. It should show you a picture of the person, or at least their bio and medals.

Someone spent a lot of time and effort to create it. I hope that everyone who receives this appreciates what those who served in Vietnam sacrificed for our country.

The link below is a virtual wall of all those lost during the Vietnam War on our lost heroes.

Those who remember that time frame, or perhaps lost friends or family can look them up on this site.

http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm