Quote of the Week

It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.  - Sally Kempton

This would seem to imply that someone is reading your thoughts.  However, the only one truly inside your head is you, but negative thoughts are one of your greatest enemies.  So go ahead and purge your mind and make sure everyone in your head is on your side.

What is a Myrtle?

The Boardwalk at Myrtle Beach

Having just been to Myrtle Beach for a long-awaited getaway, we pondered this question as we strolled the new boardwalk which opened in May 2010.  Just what is a Myrtle, my hubby asked?  I thought maybe it was named after a woman.  If you ask people how Myrtle Beach got its name, you get a variety of answers from the Indians to someone's daughter.  All are good guesses.  The area has had many names over its history.  When the Waccamaw Indians inhabited the land, it was known as Long Bay.  You may recognize the name Waccamaw from the river and pottery named for it.  It was later known as Withers for a family who had had property there since the 1700s.  There was even a post office named for them.

In 1881 the Burroughs and Collins Company of Conway purchased much of the land long held by the Withers family and Withers was now called New Town.  As you can see there have been many changes and many names as is often the case with developing lands.

Getting to the story behind the current name, in 1900 a contest was held to choose an official name for their town.*   Credit is given to Addie Burroughs who suggested the name Myrtle Beach, named for the abundant growth of the Wax Myrtle bushes.  

Image Attribution: Mary Keim

The Wax Myrtle is a North American native, and is a small tree or large shrub depending on it's environment.  It is often found in landscaping, especially around the beaches but is also used in candle making, as well as having medicinal uses.

And that is how Myrtle Beach got it's name.
 
*Myrtle Beach officially became a town in 1938, then a city in 1957.

Quote of the Week

Life is short, live it.  

Love is rare, grab it.  

Anger is bad, dump it.  

Fear is awful, face it.  

Memories are sweet, cherish it.  

– Unknown

 

Just a few thoughts for today as we look forward to Thanksgiving.  Live life fully, count your blessings and make memories to carry with you forever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Colors of Fall

Each season has its own special beauty.  Here are some of the colors and textures of Fall.

Caught on a spider web, this leaf is swinging in the breeze.

A friend of his landed on this old stump.

 These two are sharing a little leaf love.

 Red

 Gold and Green

Colors explode in the late evening sun.

An early Fall sunset paints the sky.

Quote of the Week

Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.  After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.   
- Zen Buddhist Proverb

What is enlightenment?  In a nutshell it was "a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine".  - Dictionary.com

I think that what the proverb is telling us is that whether or not we have attained an enlightened state per the above definition, the basic human needs remain the same.