(FYI this is a repost) Ho Ho Ho. Happy Holidays! Christmas is fast approaching and Hanukkah began last evening, meaning that this year the two religious holidays overlap. I love this time of year. And while I hate cold weather, I never mind it over Christmas since it helps me get into the Christmas spirit! We are so lucky to have so many easily accessible Christmas festivities in Charleston. My daughter and a friend went to the James Island County Park Festival of Lights last week, and shockingly, reported no lines! I wish I didn't have a bum ankle, or else I'd try my hand at ice skating at the Credit One Stadium!
I did make it to the Brookgreen Gardens' "Nights of a Thousand Candles," through the generosity of my friend, Russell Holliday, who has been very involved with Brookgreen through the years. Without Russell, I would not have had the opportunity to attend since all tickets were sold out when I went online to purchase tickets! The display was nothing short of magical and I would recommend that everyone who has not seen the lights put it top of their list for next year! What makes Brookgreen so special is the natural beauty of the landscape combined with the magnificent sculptures, with the lights adorning the art. We arrived before dark, which I really appreciated since it was easier to appreciate the sculptures in the light. I have included some of my favorite photos from last evening. Among them is a sculpture/plaque featuring an Emily Dickinson poem. She and Robert Frost are my two favorite poets. Poor Emily would be turning over in her grave watching the social media frenzy that consumes our society these days, and the quest many have for stardom.
I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
When I saw this poem etched in stone, I thought to myself, "How true." And I wonder how many TikTok superstars even know about Emily Dickenson?!
Getting back to the holidays...I realize that this tends to be a busy time of year for everyone...kids are wrapping up school, college students are returning home, family is arriving to celebrate the holidays, and people are running around shopping and decorating their homes. I have decided to make a Christmas purchase myself! The practice is adding a new C02 laser and we are impatiently awaiting Santa's delivery of the device. The laser has a myriad of applications, both cosmetic and medically necessary concerns: fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture issues, scars, and precancerous skin lesions. We have also ordered a new chemical peel which is ideal for stubborn melasma hyperpigmentation. The last bit of "plastics" news is the introduction of another competitor to Botox. The name of the drug is Daxify. The appeal is that it lasts longer than Botox, which sounds like an attractive feature, right? However, this longevity could be problematic, for instance, if a Botox treatment caused excessive or unwanted heaviness of the brow/forehead since it would take a lot longer for the effects to dissipate. Already, people are commenting that Daxify may not be a great product for the novice or inexperienced injectors.
I hope everyone has a great week and gets all of their holiday preparations completed. But most importantly, I hope everyone can focus on what really matters, which is family and friends! I will leave everyone with a little Mariah Carey to get you in the spirit!
Merry Merry,
Heidi Williams