The Ballenger House in Seneca

By Laurie Bower Epps

When I saw the forecast, I did see a break in the typical thundershower pattern we have in summer last Friday, so I decided to get out there for a blog while the weather was good. The Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. Since I've lived in the Upstate of South Carolina, that usually means fireworks shows are postponed due to the rain. But down here we just roll with it. Lately, I've mainly been straightening my hair, but with all the humidity, I went with a more Bohemian look. It was much easier to achieve with my naturally curly hair. 

Mother & Daughter Date Lavender Picking

By Laurie Bower Epps

As a young woman, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad in France. The beginning of my stay, I was in a study-tour group. My group of 30 American students toured the majority of France in the summer of 1985. One of the stops that stuck with me was touring Provence and Grasse. Grasse is where most of the world's perfume is made. The images and aromas of the lavender fields will be with me forever. Nostalgia got the better of me when I saw a local farm sponsoring a U-Pick on Facebook. Since my daughter is studying environmental science, and the farm is located roughly ten minutes from her house, I couldn't go without her. So my story got to make a full circle, and I got to share my memories with her.