Random Connect Points:
Reba's Stories

It's National Record Store Day so I dusted off one of my favorite articles I've gotten to write for Columbia Metropolitan Magazine - it was  about record stores in Columbia.  Who remembers Meri's at Richland Mall? I got to interview Meri's son and gin up some great memories about the rite of passage to browse the bins and pick out a 45 to take home to spin on my "close and play" record player.

Columbia cookbook author Mary Martha Greene comes by cooking and storytelling naturally. Both are as an integral a part of her life as waking and sleeping. She grew up with meals made from handwritten family recipes, parties thrown using family china and silver, and tables lovingly set with crystal vases filled with fresh flowers. The people who know Mary best reflect on her love of telling humorous, inspiring and sometimes raucous stories about her family, their adventures and their cooking. This combination of food and stories produces the perfect recipe for Mary’s recently released cookbook, The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All, which hit bookstores around the country on Mother’s Day in May.  Mary's young years were spent in Beaufort where she cultivated her love of cooking. The pleasure she gets from sharing her cooking with others is directly attributable to her grandmother, her mother, and her two aunts whose names she bears and who are frequently referenced and credited thro...

Each year on May 23, I celebrate my “adultiversary,” the first day of my first “real job.” I was a week out from getting my journalism degree at USC. That day, I arrived on Capitol Hill sporting big hair, a shoulder-padded power suit and aspirations to be a press secretary. That first job was the front office receptionist for a freshman Congressman from Florence, SC. I’ve always been grateful for the fact I was able to land my dream job as my first job (or at least the "foot in the door" job that got me to my dream job). Every year on my “adultiversary,” I update my list of career lessons to share with new graduates. Last year, I dedicated the list to my UofSC students who were graduating and struggling into the work world amid COVID. This year, my list goes out to my nephew, John Peters. He graduated in April from Belmont University with aspirations for success in the film industry. I couldn’t be more proud of this young man! He followed his creative and professional d...

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...