MUSC Health at Home by BAYADA now available

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MUSC Health at Home by BAYADA can collaborate with providers to support telehealth services. From navigating technical challenges to reinforcing clinical guidance, our clinicians provide the highest quality home health services. Our goal is to ensure patients have the best continuum of care, all from the comfort of home.

Contact MUSC Health at Home by BAYADA for support with your Telehealth needs and services.
Visit the link for more info: http://ow.ly/CVEZ50D5oo0

2020 summed up through the perspective of the music of John Lennon

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There are thousands of articles, discussions, debates and interpretations of 2020 and we have only tipped the iceberg. History will view this past year with reverance, perseverance, horror and uplifting hope.

After listening. to the words of the legendary John Lennon who lost his life 40 years ago on December 8, 2020, it became clear that he foreshadowed a world he would never see.

With humbleness and humility, we wanted to share some of his compositions that speak so clearly today about the events and feelings we have all lived through in 2020.

The Reality Sinks In of the Pandemic – Nobody Told Me

Quarantine – Watching the Wheels

Starting to see what is really important in life – Oh My Love

Never Take Life for Granted – Borrowed Time

Christmas Time – Happy Xmas (The War is Over)

Hoping for a return to normalcy – Yesterday

We will overcome – Instant Karma

A look to the future – Imagine

We have risen from the ashes – In My Life

Healing Hands – Original Poem

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By Mark A. Leon

Words can heal

They have the power to rise up and overcome the darkness of times

Conquering moments, treading storms, lifting us up to the clouds and giving wings to fly

A beacon of light

Will these words stop the rain and bring sunlight to these worn faces?

The storms; the shadowy clouds; the vicious lightning striking us to our knees?

Not alone

Not without the power of the minds

The profound truth found in the earliest scriptures

It is written to love thy neighbor and do good to others

We are but an unfinished mold formed in the shape of the artist, but self-directed with intellect to continue to smooth out the edges

An artist’s model far from a masterpiece

This is where we must look within and break out

Destroy the outer layer and continue from within

The clay is worn from centuries of decay 

Dark and distorted 

It is but a glimmering memory of the vision of perfection

We have the power to reshape in the eye of our maker and bring pride 

Mold with these hands

Hands that hug

Direct with these words

Words of invitation and acceptance

Dry with the heat of a billion hearts

We can

We will

We must heal this sculpture

 

Photo Credit: Mark A. Leon

The Aku Venue Grand Opening in Moncks Corner, SC – Friday, January 22, 2021

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The Aku Venue Grand Opening

We’re pleased to invite you into Moncks Corner’s newest and freshest event space in town! Stop in to witness us opening the doors!

There always seems to be a shortage of options when looking for a space to host your special event. This is what inspired The Aku Venue (aka T.A.V.) to be birthed to life. We’re so excited to provide our community with exceptional service in an elegantly designed & clean atmosphere.

You may also like the following events from The Aku Venue:

Tickets for The Aku Venue Grand Opening can be booked here.

Brewing In The South: America’s Next Big Beer Brand – Charleston-based Island Brands USA is making waves and suds

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Brewing In The South: America’s Next Big Beer Brand
Island Brands USA raises nearly one million dollars in one month!

Charleston, SC (January 5, 2020) – Island Brands USA, producers of clean, better for you, super premium beer, set at a competitive price point to fill the gap between factory beer corporations and craft breweries, announced today nearly a million dollars in new funding – raised in just one month – on StartEngine, the crowdfunding platform backed by renowned businessman and SharkTank investor, Kevin O’Leary.

The fast-moving campaign (link: https://www.startengine.com/island-brands-usa) offers 7 unique tiers of investment ranging from $250 (Tier 1) to $50,000 (Tier 7). In exchange, investors can gain brand equity, exclusive brand merchandise, and a range of outrageous perks – from creating the next Island Brands beer, to a private seaplane fishing excursion in the Bahamas, and even an oyster bed built in your name. So far, the campaign has attracted over 969 investors and raised over $994,425.

“About 85% of US beer drinkers consume mass-market lagers from multinational corporate beer factories. These beers contain corner-cutting fillers, GMOs, preservatives and other unwelcome ingredients. The remaining 15% of beer drinkers consume what’s commonly known as craft beers – often times heavier beers, and with a higher alcohol content,” explained Brandon Perry, Co-CEO and CMO at Island Brands USA. “We’re convinced there’s another path: a mass-market lager made with only four fresh ingredients (malt, hops, yeast, water), containing zero fillers, but yet still delivering that easy-drinking experience most beer drinkers crave.”

Island Brands’ two flagship beers, Island Coastal Lager and Island Active (containing just 88 calories and 2.6 carbs) deliver on the founder’s vision and in the next 6 months, the brand will introduce two additional varieties: Island Lemonada and Island Southern Peach – just in time for Summer.

“We’re taking on the heavyweights of the beer world in true ‘David vs Goliath’ fashion,” said Scott Hansen, Co-CEO and CRO at Island Brands USA. “Three years ago, we launched with one beer. People in the industry thought we were crazy. But here we are today, in 7 states and 3 countries, with over 6,000 points of distribution. We’re in Publix, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, you name it. Our brand has shown the highest growth in the Southeast’s largest grocer and the second highest YOY growth for beer brands in the Southeast. We struck a deal with Carnival, the world’s largest Cruise company, and we’ve developed a massive, passionate, and growing following on social media. This crowdfunding campaign is an opportunity for people to get on board a rocket ship, or maybe in our case – a speed boat.”

About Island Brands USA
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Island Brands USA is a rapidly expanding domestic super premium lifestyle beer brand, first conceived when the founders took a trip to Cuba in 2016. The following year, the recipe for brand’s first beer, Island Coastal Lager, was developed, brewed, and launched into the marketplace. In 2020, Island Brands launched its second beer, Island Active, a refreshing low-carb alternative to the limited choices available in the market. Island Brands USA is active in coastal conservation efforts through various partnerships and charities. For more, visit: www.islandbrandsusa.com.

Three Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) branches returning to curbside services only

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CHARLESTON, S.C. – After recent temporary closures due to COVID-19, three Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) branches are temporarily suspending in-person services and returning to curbside operations only. The Main Library (68 Calhoun St.), Mt. Pleasant Regional (1133 Mathis Ferry Rd.), and Wando Mount Pleasant Library (1400 Carolina Park Blvd.) will close for in-person services beginning Monday, Jan. 4. 

“With the recent rise in COVID-19 numbers in the County and State, and a number of recent COVID-related closures at these three branches specifically, we felt that it was in the best interest of the safety of our staff and patrons to return these branches to curbside operations,” said CCPL Executive Director Angela Craig. “Curbside service allows us to continue to serve the community in a safe and thoughtful manner. As we have done throughout this entire process, we will continue to work with DHEC and monitor CDC guidelines and recommendations to determine how best to proceed.” 

At the Main, Mt. Pleasant and Wando Mount Pleasant branches, curbside service is available during the following days and hours:  

  • Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  
  • Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m. 
  • Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. (Main Library Only) 

Curbside services are also available at the Edisto, Folly, Village and McClellanville branches (hours vary, please contact the branch or visit ccpl.org for details). All other branches remain open to the public for limited in-person operations.  

For more information, or to schedule a curbside pickup, visit ccpl.or/curbside anytime or call the branch during the operating hours listed above.  

Remember, P.S. I love you all over again – Original Poem

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By Mark A. Leon

I just want to be there ’til the end
I want to hold you and never let go again
My best friend
My best friend
“Remember, P.S. I love you all over again”

Each day I remember what you said
On that night I never felt alone again
Excuse me, but I need to know your name
I’m afraid I have fallen for you and I don’t know how this ends
“Remember, P.S. I love you all over again”

The day I said I do and made love to you
The stars ignited light up in the sky
We danced on clouds until the morning light
And laughed and kissed away the fright
You looked and me and said it once again
“Remember, P.S. I love you all over again”

I promised to grow old and hold you tight
To never stop being your guiding light
I said each day an angel I will be
Protecting and being that beacon out at sea
When the news came that dimmed the light
I heard the voice that regained my sight
“Remember, P.S. I love you all over again”

You held my hand in those final days
Held back the tears and said it will be okay
You laugh away my silent cry
And we knew this was not goodbye
As I lay beside your head
Feeling your breath warm my head
I heard the whisper one more time
“Remember, P.S. I love you all over again”

Tomorrow the sun will rise in the sky
Shining light through the window
Warming you tight
I will not be by your side
But, above high in the sky
Listen closely and you will hear
The soft and familiar phrase we said so many times so clear
“Remember, P.S. I love you all over again”

Live Again – Original Poem (Inspired by the end of 2020)

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By Mark A. Leon

The soul is a disruption of the heart
It intensifies the emotional roller coaster leading us to the edge of insanity
There is hope to bring peace

A calming storm of the heart
A blissful song for the ages

We have touched the eye of the storm and felt its power penetrate
That is the essence of the soul
A chamber of meaning wrestling with a puzzle
A million pieces
Where to begin to see the final work of art

We live a life to unleash it, but rarely ever live it
An eternal home it seeks
A lifetime in search of a definition

Close your eyes
Clear the mechanism
Reset
Again
Reset

Do you hear the silence; the clarity?
It’s powerfully serene

Find the peace inside to begin again
A journey; rebirth; an adventure of the senses

Rewrite the song and let your voice be heard
An audience of one
Too small to be big
Expand the lungs and let the masses in
Sing louder
Find the core of that soul and let the song out for the world to hear
Louder
Don’t hold back
It is your song
Your time
Your legacy

The words of your soul will free you to live again