The Tanglewood Mansion

By Laurie Bower Epps
On a stifling hot summer day, I opted for a local adventure. Adjacent to the Pendleton Public Library are the ruins of the Tanglewood Mansion. A few years ago, you could balance yourself on the foundation walls. But the former mansion has been enclosed by a fence for visitor safety. 

The Swan House in Atlanta

By Laurie Bower Epps

Many don't know that I'm really from Atlanta. Somehow, as I've gotten older, it just seems to be natural that I'd go home to the place of my birth for my birthday. This year is exciting because it marked my 50th birthday. I'm fortunate enough to still have my dad with me, so I got include my dad in the celebration. My dad is 90 years old, so in a way, it was his birthday too. Dad let me pick where we were going, and I have a running laundry list of places that I'd like to go. My brother was sweet enough to offer me passes to the visit the Swan House which put it on the top of my list.

Pictured in the library

A Tale of Two Sweethearts

By Laurie Bower Epps

Much like the two key cities in the book, A Tale of Two Cities, two people are drawn to each other due to attraction but they're nothing alike. From there, if they fall in love, they move side by side trying to forge a life together. If they can face the good with the bad, they build a future. If somewhere down the road, those differences cause one of them to detour, usually it leads to heartbreak. For love to succeed, both need to submit to facing the good along with the bad but always looking to each other for comfort, or towards common goals.