Random Connect Points:
Reba's Stories

Ever wonder why Malfunction Junction at I-20 and I-26 is the mess that it is?  It's actually a pretty interesting story that I got to research for an article in the March issue of Columbia Metropolitan Magazine . The whole project, now named Carolina Crossroads, will span 14 interstate miles with 43 new bridges, seven reconstructed interchanges and 132 additional lane miles. In the article, I interviewed Jenny Boulware who lives in Chapin and works in downtown Columbia. She gave her tips and tricks for navigating this strip of interstate (pre-COVID anyway). It was interesting to note that the whole Carolina Crossroads project will be finished when her seven year-old daughter gets her driver's license.  Read the article here to get the whole story .

I've been an associate member of the SC Press Association for more than 20 years. This membership has kept me connected to the news media community around the state through job transitions and now into retirement. I always encourage my fellow communications colleagues to join the Press Association - if for no other reason to get a copy of the their excellent membership directory! Recently, I started contributing to the SCPA's news exchange that provides content for its member newspapers. And just last month, I found out that my article for Columbia Metro Magazine about hemp farming was recognized the Press Association with an award for business writing.  I was pretty excited when last week's Press Association newsletter featured a short article about my connection to the organization. You can read it here (scroll down to the second story).

Woe is I. She is going with Margaret and I. Which one is grammatically correct? The first one might sound wrong to the ear but is actually correct. The second one might sound right, but isn’t.   Did you have to stop and think about this? You’re not alone. In her national bestseller, “Woe is I,” author Patricia T. O’Connor spends 250ish easy-to-read pages tackling these and many other ticklish grammatical issues. I recently spent a rainy Saturday browsing through my collection of books about writing looking for something to re-read. This one was just too good to pass up. Using humor, puns and clever “turns of words,” O’Connor makes even the most dedicated grammarphobe discover topics like commas and capitalization, plurals and participles can be interesting and, yes - even fun - to read about. The best line in the book’s introduction says “Most of us don’t know a gerund from a gerbil and don’t care, but we’d like to speak and write as though we did.” Without technical jargon or...

Taken Feb '12. One of my favorite photos of the Capitol Lots of Americans probably sat in front of their screens on January 6 like I did. We watched the events unfold in complete disbelief with the feeling that the attack on the Capitol was personal. It is, after all, the people’s house – our seat of government, safe and welcoming, open and accessible to all. The U.S. Capitol is a magical building. The majestic entrances. The mysterious tunnels. The history that reeks from every nook and cranny. The ghosts of past debates, statesmanship and diplomacy. The odd architectural quirks. The winding hallways, hideaway offices and expansive staircases. The imposing statues of American heroes. The massive artwork that tells the story of our country’s history. The Capitol Connection My first “real life” job out of college was working on Capitol Hill as the receptionist for a freshman SC congressman. Our office was less than two football field lengths across the street from the Capitol. I pas...

One surprising joy of this strange COVID holiday season has been the unexpected reminder of how my wider circles of friends and acquaintances provide necessary threads in my life fabric.  As a hearty extrovert who is an Enneagram Two and ENFJ, I thrive on being around people and finding connect points between them. But the opportunity for this type of interaction has been in short supply the past ten months. It wasn’t until the holiday season arrived that I realized how much I miss this wider circle of people in my world and the connections they bring. While I’ve made a real effort to stay connected to my family and inner circle of friends through frequent texts, Facetime, Zoom happy hours and outdoor visits, these wider circles of friends and acquaintances have been neglected - not intentionally so, but sidelined because of circumstance.  Regardless of how you may define them, we all have these wider circles of people in our lives who connect us to the world outside our own....

Once upon a time some 55 years ago, a sweet grandmother in Virginia sent her three young granddaughters small stuffed angels to nestle in their Christmas trees. Two went to sisters in Columbia and one went to Alabama. Little did the cousins know that, over the next 40+ years, these angels tagged along with all three of them through moves and life transitions. It was just a couple of years ago that the cousins realized all three of them were still lovingly putting their angels on their trees each year in Columbia, Mt. Pleasant and Columbus GA. Thanks to LeDare Wyndham for your thoughtful idea to capture these angels on a Christmas ornament for Bootie and me this year. Something we’ll always treasure.  

Birthdays ending with zero are supposed to gin up angst, right? For some, this angst may be related to visions of new skin potions, increasingly frequent hair color appointments or bone density tests. For others, it could be more about regret over unmet goals or unchecked bucket list items.  This week I turn 60. But, for some reason, I’m not feeling that angst. Maybe it’s because I’ve never bought into the black balloons and tombstone visuals about birthdays. Also, birthdays have never been a dreaded day for me. I see birthdays as a reason for reflection, a chance to hear from old friends and a day (OK, well, maybe a week this year) to allow myself to do my favorite things. This year, those favorite things may include an early morning birthday workout, my weekly Eggs Up breakfast, a long bike ride or dog walk, happy hour and dinner with friends, a pedi and my birthday evening spent with my Sip N Strum tribe.   But this “zero” birthday did get me to thinking about what dri...