“An anchor is something that provides stability
or confidence in an uncertain situation”
– The Uphill Skater –

As I sit down today to write this article, I am very aware of the fact that one of you may be reading it on August 31, and that by the time August 31 arrives, the whole country may have turned upside down, yet again. Life may have changed significantly between then and now. Sometimes I think I should have stayed with writing this column about good food and a healthy diet instead of veering off into the realms of a total healthy life style, which involves much more than food. Mental health and physical health are so intertwined that science tells us that we can no longer separate them.

Countdown to Uranus Retrograde In these final days of Uranus direct, it is prudent to note the many ways in which our lives are enchanted by all that was built before we got here. Usually, what seems like immediate magic is actually the result of a long stretch of work that included hits, failed experiments and predictable wins. Keep this in mind as you go forward creating what someone in the future is likely to experience as immediate magic.

Read on for your horoscope...

Addiction kills thousands of Americans every year and impacts millions of lives, relationships, families and careers. Whether it’s a problem with alcohol or drugs, addiction is a mental disorder which compels someone to repeatedly use substances, or engage in behaviors even though they have harmful consequences. With more than 21 million Americans having at least one addiction, having open dialogue about this topic is imperative to finding help and the road to recovery. There is hope! Addiction doesn’t have to win. With more resources than ever, and addiction on the rise, reaching out for help is the wisest thing to do. Read on for insight and advice from our local experts.

Can you imagine living in a time when your voice, your opinion,
your ability to vote your choice was not recognized? Was not allowed.
Well ladies, that’s the way it was until August 26, 1920, just 100 years ago.

After seven decades of a civil rights movement to allow women to vote,
the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.

In honor of the fearless, brave, courageous and patient women who helped make it happen, I dedicate the Reel Corner column this month with the following films. These are films of resistance, empowerment and justice.

Pain is part of living. Biologically, it’s the part that keeps us alive the best. If we weren’t always running from it, we’d be much more vulnerable to predators and other threats to survival. As much as we like to think we can rid our lives of pain, we can’t, and even if we could, it wouldn’t work to our advantage. The sun/Jupiter opposition from July 12-19 suggests we ascribe a meaning to our pain that will make it easier to embrace.

Read on for your horoscope...

Are you looking to reduce the signs of aging, or get rid of stubborn fat?  Perhaps you have thought about a face or neck lift. Maybe you want your facial skin to regain its more youthful dew. Have you been worried about your feminine health and felt uncomfortable talking to your doctor about it? Whatever you are looking for these days, chances are you can achieve it without going under the knife. We asked local doctors what’s new in non-surgical rejuvenation, and the news is exciting! Yesterday’s surgery is today’s in-office procedure with little to no downtime. You’re going to like what these professionals have in store for you.

“Change your (your word here) and change your life!”
– The Uphill Skater –

I’ve heard it, you’ve heard it. Any number of magazines, self-help books and websites all hold the magic promise. Change your diet, change your life. Change your spending habits and be wealthy. Change your job and change your life, and so on. Well, I am here to add one, so get ready to listen to the REAL thing that can actually change your life if you actually want to do it: Change your attitude, and change your life, and boy, do I really mean it.

We are bombarded daily, hourly, if not minute-by-minute by people trying to tell us what to think and what to do. We are told what to wear, how much to weigh, how much money other people have and how we can get it. Worse yet, we have to look at pictures of the “rest of us” whether we want to or not. The last time I watched network TV, I saw a total of 14 commercials in the one hour time frame. I am not going to put up with it anymore, and I am advising you not to put up with it either.

With much of the U.S. economy shuttered and people still being slow to emerge, families are finding that the drive-in movie theater presents the perfect escape.
The coronavirus has forced traditional movie theaters

to close their doors. That seems to be the recipe for a resurgence of drive-ins—
a slice of Americana that had its heyday in the 1950s and ‘60s.

If you drive on Route 21 from Beaufort toward Charleston,
you will pass the cool retro sign of Highway 21 Drive In reminiscent of days gone by.
Low and behold, this drive-in is alive and well and is an oasis for movie goers!

Locally, Highway 21 Drive In has always had a healthy clientele, states owner Joe Barth, but when the virus hit he was ready to close, even though drive-ins are perfect for social distancing. But the clientele outcry was so strong to stay open, he petitioned the governor, and Highway 21 Drive In was given permission, with certain precautions, to stay open. Highway 21 Drive In was built in 1978, Joe and Bonnie Barth bought it in 2004. They added a second screen in 2007 and went digital in 2014.

Jos Vicars has walked across the burning deserts of New Mexico, eating snakes and rabbits and breaking open cacti for water.

He’s surfed and camped for months at a time on the black sand beaches of Costa Rica. He’s strummed his guitar under northern lights, next to his fire of reindeer poop, while trekking alone near the Arctic Circle. In Amsterdam he slept on scaffolding several stories high, lugging his gear up on ropes every night because he couldn’t afford the hostels. He’s hiked New Zealand and Southeast Asia, kite-surfed and cave-dived in the wild gorges of Dominican Republic. He summited the highest mountain in Central America, 13,845-foot Volcán Tajumulco, where he ate out of the forest the whole way. By the time he reached the top he was so amped up on wild coffee berries and sick from the altitude that he got delirious and started talking to rocks.

The sun and Neptune are like a couple with an annual appointment with a marriage counselor to check in and make sure all is on track. In a safe space, these two air their grievances and attempt the sort of communication style that will allow conflicts to surface in a healthy, productive way. As it goes with these things, feelings are on the line. What’s said and done cannot be unsaid or undone, so go gingerly and with compassion.

Read on for your horoscope...

Maintaining optimal brain health gives us lifelong cognitive power.
Not only does the human brain control bodily functions,
it is the most powerful “computer” on earth, which helps us to understand
and grasp the world around us with a full range of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Keeping your brain in tip top condition is imperative for quality of life.

Think about it! Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to the brain.
Meet our panel of local brain health and wellness experts,
as they give us the facts on protecting our beautiful bustling brains and
discuss needed tools for maintaining optimal
levels of brain clarity and function.

“Summer 2020 may be different, but we can
make the best of it!” – The Uphill Skater

Summer 2020 may kick off with a bang, or with a fizzle, and it may continue locked down, or burst full bloom into the kind of summer we all know and love. This month may or may not tell the tale either. As you read this article, you may be thinking I am a forecasting genius, or I am just another nut case, who thinks she can predict the future. I do not know any more of this story than anyone else, and most likely, neither do you!

With movie theaters closed and blockbusters-in-waiting being postponed all the way to next year, it's a lot for a film fan to take in. Thankfully, there are many, many films, ranging from the fantastic to the fantastically bad, that offer some escape and comfort in a storm of distressing news.

In other words, the Reel Corner’s got you.

Here are a few movies to watch (or perhaps, revisit) that you may have overlooked while we have been sheltering in place. They are perfect for every mood you might be feeling.  
Be Strong…Stay well …and wear your mask!

If the month of May 2020 were a movie, the week of May 10 would be the action sequence. Mercury enters Gemini. Venus retrogrades. And then Jupiter copies that. The omens suggest excellent and fast communication, which we’ll need as relationships and passions swing in an assessing and introspective direction. It’s review time for love, and this will be graded. Then Jupiter backs up, too, which will be felt more strongly in weeks to come.

Read on for your horoscope...

May2020 Issue - Pink Prescriptions
Give It A Boost: Your Immune System Will Thank You!

Your health is your greatest wealth. No doubt, no one wants to be sick, and people with great
wealth have never been able to pay their way out of death. Great health is the foundation of our quality of life; a strong immune system is the foundation of great health. It is the your frontline defense against illness, so the stronger it is, the stronger you are. Let’s find out more on how to boost your immune system to Herculean strength.

“I have been telling you for years to be yourself,
but now I am upping the ante.
Yourself is no longer good enough.”
– The Uphill Skater – 

For years I have been pounding the fact that being yourself is the only way to go for better or worse. Yet, today I am going to eat my words. We are in very troubled times no matter how you look at it, and it is time for all of us to see where we may fit in the new “normal.” Not just you, but “YOU,"  as the very best person you know how to be. The times call for it, and we need to do it for our own emotional and physical health. We are all a part of these unprecedented times, and I have done as I am advising you to do. In this column after all of these years, the only time I have ever given advice that I have not taken my self involved chocolate, so I am not doing badly.

And, what if…
If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, and that there is an intelligence far greater than humans at work…
That all is interconnected.
What if…
the virus is here to help us?
To reset.
To remember.
What is truly important.
Reconnecting with community.
Reconnecting with family, as there is more time at home.

What’s pinker than pink? The super pink moon that is the astrological feature of the first week of April. No, it’s not the official moon of Victoria’s Secret (or Pink Magazine). Rather, the pink moon is named for the flowers that bloom this time of year, specifically the phlox, which comes in other colors besides pink with an impressive intensity of hue. Other names for this moon read like a cosmic menu and include sprouting grass moon, egg moon and fish moon.

Aries (March 21-April 19). Though you have natural abilities and that special X-factor quality that draws people in, these gifts have little to do with long-term success. Wins are contingent on behaviors, habits and routines. The right daily actions are far greater drivers of performance than a flash of ability in the absence of those behaviors.

Eldrick Woods began watching his dad hit golf balls when he was 6-months-old. Eldrick was given the nickname Tiger by his dad, who had a Vietnamese soldier friend by that name. Tiger Woods first appeared on TV at age 2. He shot a 48 on a nine-hole course when he was 5 years old. He has gone on to become one of the best golfers of all times.

Many people are critical of young athletes who start their journey to excellence at a young age. Parents are often accused of pushing their kids “too hard.” Ask Tiger if it was worth it.

Sure, most of us look for that parking space closest to the entry of our favorite store or restaurant, even though we can walk perfectly fine and without pain. It’s an interesting behavior, which seems to point to a conclusion that walking is something people want to minimize, that is until their ability to walk is threatened by pain, injury or degeneration. Then we wish we would have walked more when we could and valued our independent, pain-free mobility. The good news is total joint replacement of the hips or knees can give people a second chance for leading an active and possibly pain-free life. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, total joint replacement is one of the most commonly performed, elective surgical procedures in the United States. This procedure traditionally has been performed on older people, requiring long recovery times, often accompanied by a lot of pain. Now, there are almost 7-million Americans with either knee or hip replacements, and the majority of them now live their lives free again doing things they love to do. Some of them even park far away on purpose so they can walk…just because they can!

“#GoPlay gives us permission
to do exactly that, right?”
– The Uphill Skater –

I love this month’s theme, #GoPlay. It makes me feel empowered by the sheer intention of not only implying permission to play, but also encouraging play to be an important part of our daily lives. I will GoPlay now until my heart’s content, and what better time than the beautiful, colorful spring month of April. It is not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy, and not too dry. It is just perfect, which inspires me to offer a few suggestions. (My husband says I am never without suggestions, but I don’t believe that is a bad thing.)

The supermoon in Virgo is an oxymoronic lunar phenomenon, a mix of ego and humility that shines the light of publicity on often unsung virtues. The path to connecting with others this month will be through such soft and self-less states as gratitude, modesty, empathy and patience. To subvert one's own ego-drives in order to really observe what's going on for others will bring about a great unfolding of magnificent spiritual gifts.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). When someone says, "Let's unpack this..." what they mean is that they care enough to really understand you, or that they are ready to judge you, depending on the person. This week, you're ready to open yourself up to the right people, and you're paying attention so that you'll know who those people are.

You’re thinking of basketball, right? Think again. In the film industry this term refers to a month where films of lesser known actors and directors are introduced in between the award-winning films of 2019 and 2020 summer blockbusters. As in Basketball March Madness a little known team (in this case film or actor) can become a winner and stir up some critical buzz. It’s also a month where actors we haven’t seen for a while are trying to get back into the game.

With the South Korean film, “Parasite,” winning both Best Foreign Language film and Best Film awards, it has given Asian filmmakers confidence and funding for their projects. You can guarantee you will see more films from Asia.

Between conflicting schedules, a looming deadline and an ocean between us, I had almost resorted to interviewing Jolyon Griffiths via Facetime. Thankfully we found a way, meeting in person after Jolyon’s arrival from London.

It was worth the wait.

For the next hour, this quintessential British gentleman regaled me with tales of travel from Vietnam to Botswana, educated me in the time honored traditions of cricket and offered up some surprisingly sage life advice from the field of chemical engineering. All this as I watched the continually changing panorama spilling in from every window of his beloved marsh house. No, Facetime could never have done this story justice.

If you’re overweight, you’re not alone. More than one-third of Americans are obese, and two-thirds are either obese or overweight. All 50 states in the US now have at least a 20 percent obesity rate, with five states at more than 35 percent of their population being obese (South Carolina is not one of them). Just two decades ago, not one state in our nation had over a 15 percents obesity rate. Being overweight and obese is an epidemic, one far more scary and imminent than headline viruses. Obesity is linked to 60 chronic illnesses, and has now surpassed smoking as the No. 1 preventable cause of death. The reason: We are eating more. Way more! We are consuming 23 percent more calories on a daily basis than we did in the 1970s. What that looks like in numbers is a standard 2,000 calorie per day consumption has increased to an average of almost 2,500 calories per day, all while physical activity has decreased. The result: We have become an unhealthy, sick country. Everyone knows losing weight is one of the hardest tasks to conquer. Sometimes we feel defeated before we even start. The good news is, if you are overweight or obese, losing even five percent of your current weight helps reduce your risks for disease. Many wonder where to start. It’s OK to ask for help, and that’s why we went to the experts to really talk about the ins and outs of weight loss and fat reduction, and what the difference is.