Old Haunts: The Ghost Up In That Attic
By MAGGIE BEAMGUARD || Editor, Seven Lakes Insider My inherited copy of “Charleston Ghosts” opens with a story about “Old House” on Edisto Island, South…
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Old Haunts: The Ghost Up In That Attic
Confessions From A 50-Year-Old Freshman
Gatekeeping: Performing Rituals At the Threshold
Only God Can Make a Tree, But Its Memories are Mine
The Sloppy Kisses, Snuggles: In the ‘Purr’-est of Valentines
Beyond the Headlines, Newspapers Live On
Leaving Behind What It Takes To Cut Through Life’s Patterns
Summer Getaways and The Joy of Coming Back
Insomniac Musings in Seven Lakes
By Maggie Beamguard | SLI Editor As a person prone to bouts of insomnia, I’m intimately familiar with the sounds of the night. I may…
Little Things Matter In Those Big Times
By Maggie Beamguard Insider Editor I recently found myself on numerous unexpected cross-country flights. While I wish I could say the trips to California were…
Don’t Wait for a Special Occasion
BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD || Insider Editor I recently found myself singing the old ear worm of a drinking song. “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the…
Whether Merry or Muddling, a Holiday Song that Covers All
By Maggie Beamguard Insider Editor Since Nov. 1, everywhere I go, it’s been Christmas music everywhere. I’m not complaining. I’m one of those people who…
Manners and Memories Come From Our Childhood Tables
BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD Insider Editor During my childhood, we ate our family meals around a picnic table set up in the kitchen along a double…
New Look Shows Pride in Seven Lakes
Every now and then, it’s good to freshen up our lives. Maybe we treat ourselves with a new haircut or outfit; our homes with some…
A Homegrown Hankerin’ For Summer’s Goodness
By Maggie Beamguard Insider Editor The other day I had a hankerin’. That’s the word you use when you strongly desire something distinctly Southern. And…
Hand Signals and Communication with Your Pets
By Neil Copeland Special to the Insider Many of us use gestures to signal to our pets when we intend for them to respond with…
Less Baggage Makes for More Room, More Fun
BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD, Insider Editor As I write this column, my mind is in two places: my print deadline and my packing deadline. I’m pausing…
Dog Owners Face Choices for Training
BY NEIL COPELAND Special to The Insider Pet obedience training has become one of the top trades that people give a try. A common practice…
One Moment Contains Multitudes
By Maggie Beamguard Insider Editor Graduation season has arrived. I’ve attended a few commencement ceremonies through the years — my sisters’, a few friends’, my…
May Comes At You Fast. Don’t Miss It.
BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD Insider Editor Here comes May with its darling buds in brilliant bloom and ending in patriotic and memorial notes. It’s brim, fresh…
Learning About Neighbors and An Abiding Spirit of Generosity
I had the good fortune of growing up next to a fun neighbor. Her name was Winnie. She shared her gummy bears with me. And…
No Business Like Snow Business
BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD || Insider Editor I try to steer away from controversial topics in these slice-of-life columns, but I’m ready to declare a position….
Around the Table, Making Memories
BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD, Insider Editor On a good day, Great Aunt Hattie topped out at four feet, eleven inches. She fascinated the little cousins. Here…
Training Furry Friends is Matter of Balance
BY NEIL COPELAND Special to The Insider How many times do we hear there must be a balance to life? Everything in moderation. Well, the…
Neil’s Training Tips: Make the Most of Puppy Walks
BY NEIL COPELAND, Special to the Insider How many of you use the walk with your pet as a potty break? This topic is probably…
Achieve Success in Puppy Classes
By Neil Copeland Special to Seven Lakes Insider Once you get a puppy and have established you need some help, there are many options available….
Training Tips: Street Shenanigans
Contributed by Neil Copeland at Seven Lakes Kennels. We should think about the cues we are giving our pups and how we set them up…
Chris Metzger’s Farewell
It Was More Than Football. It Was Love and Family. Editor’s Note: On May 10, longtime Pinecrest High School football coach Chris Metzger announced his…
Training Tips for Your Eager Puppy
Contributed by Neil Copeland at Seven Lakes Kennels. During those first initial weeks after you bring home your puppy, he learns quickly and is eager….