Skating Uphill - February 2023
Living a Healthy Lifestyle
“There is so much beauty surrounding us,
I hardly know where to begin.”
– The Uphill Skater –
Sometimes I gush a little bit. But I have been known to gush a lot if it is about the right thing. Love of our beautiful Lowcountry is, as it happens, just exactly the right thing to gush about. Having lived on Hilton Head Island for 14 years, let me tell you it is, along with the whole area we call Lowcountry, the perfect trifecta of people, scenery and food.
Let’s talk about the people: When we first moved to Hilton Head Island, it took us about one minute to start meeting some of the nicest people, many who are still our friends today. I will simply ask if you know of any other place you have ever been or lived where there is more opportunity to be of service to others. Our churches are the most active I have ever seen. They work and give directly into our communities, and the good they do is obvious. Community agencies like the Boys and Girls Club, the Litter Box, the Church Mouse, and other local outreach organizations are a source of real pride for all of us. I could name many more and so could you, and as I said, we could do it proudly!
There is so much beauty surrounding us, I hardly know where to begin. We used to be sailors and home ported at the South Carolina Yacht Club. No other port along the coast rivals the beauty found in our harbors. We love them all from Charleston south to St. Simon’s Island—a trek of natural beauty unrivaled anywhere else. Honestly, there is nothing like sailing into a harbor surrounded by oak trees with hanging Spanish moss and even a resident dolphin or sea turtle to keep you on your toes for sights to see. We once saw a deer swimming across the Intracoastal Waterway right in front of our boat, and we have seen too many dolphins to count, shore birds beyond compare, and even manatees on occasion! Pictures of our lovely scenery from Daufuskie Island to Beaufort have been in movies for years. Even Tom Hanks loved the town of Beaufort. Pat Conroy, too. You can’t get any better than that, can you?
Now, to the last part of my Lowcountry love story—food! I love fish and shellfish, so I will say I am a bit prejudiced, but when you can buy fresh shrimp right out of an ice chest in a the back of a guy’s pick-up truck by the water’s edge, you know what fresh actually means. When you ask your waiter which fish is the catch of the day, and he yells back to the kitchen to ask what the last boat just brought in, you know what fresh actually means. When you go to a roadside stand for peaches or tomatoes, and you can actually smell them as you get out of the car, you know what fresh actually means. When you go to an oyster roast and you shuck your own oysters, you know what fresh actually means. I get that we all have our favorite restaurant or two or three, but did you know that there are around 250 restaurants on Hilton Head Island alone, and each one is someone’s favorite, and that’s for sure.
Finally, (and on a completely different subject) talking about fresh: Where else can you go every spring to fields of daffodils and pick as many as you want for a nickel each. I have taken home so many beautiful fresh flowers, I sometimes can’t believe how lucky I have been. I’m done now, but I know you are thinking I should work for the Chamber of Commerce, Well, I don’t, but I sure love the Lowcountry! Don’t You?
Visit www.skatinguphill.com blog for new recipes, daily thoughts and décor ideas. Also find reprints of Pink articles and shared comments. Blogging is fun and easy.
Judith Lawrenson is a former Hilton Head Island resident who has a huge heart and is loved by all who meet her. She has served and volunteered with numerous charitable organizations while living in the Lowcontry making an impact wherever she went. She and her husband recently moved to the wild hills of West Virginia to be closer to grandchildren. Judith is an avid sailor, a retired reading resource specialist, and a children's TV host whose local show originated from the Boys and Girls' Club. Judith is also a long-time seeker of healthy, happy living and a lifestyle dedicated to service to others, balanced with love of God and love of self. Check out her blog www.skatinguphill.com for fun info, recipes and nutrition ideas, current updates on nearly everything in the world, and lots of comments and opinions.
Though I do tons of research, and have done so for many years, I am not a doctor and I share only my opinions. I enjoy research and subscribe to several magazines and publications and read up on all new trends. I hope you do, too!