When beauty is only skin deep, and a time to restore and rebalance in beautiful Bluffton

I have always loved Bradford pear trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists developed them in the 1950s. Bradford pear trees are resistant to insects and became a darling of developers and urban planners around the country. The trees look absolutely beautiful in the springtime because of their beautiful white blooms.

I recently read that Bradford pear trees are a sub-variety of an Asian species of a pear tree that has become very invasive and has taken over roadsides, fields and yards — and a tree that is considered a “hazard tree.”

Birds depend on insects to feed their young and this tree is not welcoming to them. It repels insects. The tree has a very weak structure and soft wood that breaks apart and has the ability to spread easily.

The tree is among the first to bloom in the spring so I am like many people who think of the beauty and not the bad effect they have on the environment.

Clemson University has offered a list of other trees as suitable to plant in your yard. Among them are oaks, cypress, magnolia and dogwood.

When I found out Bradford pears are the last thing to plant, I remembered that old saying ... ”beauty is just skin deep.”

Comfort food

Good old comfort food. We need a trailer truck load right now.

I have been making lots of shepherd’s pie, spaghetti, chicken casseroles, and gumbos. I have tried without luck to make a cornbread that tastes like one we got with barbecue in Charleston.

The cornbread is moist, has whole corn kernels and is full of hot pepper. When I first took a bite, it was so hot I could barely stand it and quickly put it down. We were driving back to Bluffton and I was sitting in the back seat when all of a sudden the urge to have another nibble of the cornbread came upon me. By the time we got home I had eaten every crumb of the fiery morsel.

What is it about peppery food that knocks you for a loop, but you can’t stay away from? I am still on the hunt for the perfect combination of fire and corn.

Do you have a favorite food that comforts you?

Restore and rebalance

We are lucky to live in this wonderful spot.

Mayor Lisa Sulka and all of our citizens in charge are doing a marvelous job keeping all of us informed about the events going on here and around our country. We live an eco-inspired lifestyle in Bluffton and this is a great time to restore-rebalance and revive our souls. Now go wash your hands ...!!

Note to children

To all of our area children who are home from school for a while ... remember this: A mother’s love is unconditional ... BUT .... don’t push it ...!!!

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 5:28 PM.