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Essays
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A Constant in Times of Change
With any significant life change comes what I like to call the cleanout phase. The cleanout mechanism is like an instinctual behavior we perform to survive the ‘new’, to adapt to our present environment, to cope with change. And this…
Cover Artist: Dita Omuri
Dita Omuri is a British painter, living and working in the UK. Her sketchbook was a constant companion throughout her childhood in her native country Albania. It was through art competitions she secured herself a scholarship to a School of…
Silver Bell
When I was a kid, my mom, sister, and I would meet up at my grandma’s house with my aunts and cousins and we’d all go caroling around grandma’s neighborhood. Sometimes, it was so cold I swore my nose would…
Historic Holiday Tours
The holidays along the Grand Strand are a beautiful time of year. Although many historical homes have tours and events all year long, the spirited season is extra special. All of these local properties are dressed up in festive décor…
There’s No Such Thing as Too Much Tinsel
I wouldn’t say my mother is my muse; but her opinions, outsize personality, and lifestyle are an endless source of creative content. She is so larger than life, in fact, that one of my colleagues used an article I wrote…
Waccamaw Sings in Hawaii 2023
Waccamaw High School Concert Choir has been selected to represent the state of South Carolina at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Celebration and Parade in December 2023, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Choir is noted for their superior vocals in various state…
Two “Scents” Worth
It’s really amazing how a scent can send you into another world and another time and place. Popcorn, for instance, can take me back a few decades to the movie, Bambi, where I begged my mom for a bag of…
The Great Holiday Porcupine Meatball Pressure Cooker Escapade
No one really knows how this tradition started in my family, but somewhere in her later years, my mother began serving porcupine meatballs as Christmas Eve supper. It was your basic Campbell’s tomato soup recipe from the 1950s, or earlier.…
Pour Me Some Holiday Spirit
Sasee Gets Personal with Sandy Copeland: Physicians Weight Loss Centers
Q: When did you move to the Grand Strand?I moved to Conway in 1985 to open the Physicians Weight Loss franchise and over the years, I continued to open more locations in Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, and North Myrtle Beach.…
Gravy Can Save Anything
When I was a little girl, my father worked as an engineer for an oil company in Alabama, and part of his job required him to wine and dine potential clients. Where we lived in Mobile, there were few fancy…
How to Cook a Turkey
For years, my husband and I would traipse between his parents’ home and mine for Thanksgiving dinner. It was tradition, and besides, there were so many leftovers to take home I wouldn’t have to cook for the rest of the…
The Outreach Farm: Feeding the Hungry
For almost two decades, a local non-profit has been substantial in helping feed those in need along the Grand Strand. Founded in 2003, Michael “Mike” Luvollo, a retired cattle farmer from New England, moved to our rural area and quickly…
Hot Roll Hotline
“Traditions are like a love note from home that your children and grandchildren will take with them into their future”~Janet Hondrka Mom always made the best homemade yeast rolls, but whenever I asked her for the recipe, she insisted the ingredients…
Our Little Turkey
Each year, we bring her out and she takes her place on top of our kitchen counter. It’s the smallest turkey you’ll ever find, but it’s hugely important to our household. The little turkey is a craft our daughter made…
Cover Artist: Camelia Berberich
Born and raised in Romania, Camelia Berberich has lived in Germany for 28 years. Although she has a graduate degree in chemical engineering, art has also played a significant role throughout her life. She always had a special interest in…
A New Shade of Me
During the pandemic, my social calendar screeched to a halt, which made postponing hair appointments very easy. Stories such as how actress Sarah Jessica Parker embraced her gray tresses or how pewter-haired supermodels walked the Valentino runway helped ease the…
Sasee Get Personal with Alex Uhas: Custom Outdoor Furniture & Restrapping
Q: When did you join Custom Outdoor and what is your role? I moved to the Grand Strand after graduating from college and started working for Custom Outdoor Furniture in August 2019. As the logistics manager, the work I do…
Why Heavy Furniture is an Awful Idea
My husband and I decided to move an “Elvis Presley” designed headboard. This queen-sized bed had to be disassembled and removed by workers to the garage when a new vinyl, wood-looking floor was installed in our sleeping quarters. Rather than…
Cover Artist: Elena Filatov
Born in Astana, Elena Filatov discovered her passion for colors at an early age. During her design and art studies associated with studies of classical music, she was able to expand her skills and develop her individual style. She puts…