Olivia Fowler

One the Way

By Olivia Fowler

Now let me see if I have this straight. All of our phone calls, emails, Facebook pages and any other forms of communication are being stored digitally by our government to keep us safe from terrorism.

We are told not to be concerned about any violation of our privacy, because nobody is actually listening to us. We are told everything is being loaded into a sophisticated database.

Should we be worried? Admittedly the technology involved in all of this is beyond my level of understanding. But this, if in fact true, and who knows really, raises questions.

If it’s true that this will keep us safe from terrorism, why didn’t we know about the Boston Marathon bombers? And if nobody is actually listening to the conversations, then how will they know if something “dangerous” is in the works? Why do it at all if the conversations are not being monitored?

Nicole Daughhetee

Life As I Know It

By Nicole Daughhetee

When I was a kid, my immediate family consisted of my mom and I. Often my grandparents made us a family of four, but either way, it was a small nuclear family unit.

I had (have) aunts, uncles and cousins in Colorado and even closer by in Miami, where I spent my childhood; my dad, step-mom and half-sister are out in Montana. There was never an occasion when we all came together as one large family unit.

There were many times when I would imagine how exciting it would be to have a huge family Christmas — all of us coming together from different places in the country — to celebrate en masse. Because I never had this experience as a child, I have created them in my adulthood.

Olivia Fowler

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

We had a wonderful vacation at the beach. Beautiful weather, congenial people and stress-free activities. In truth, we were so thoroughly exhausted when we finally got there we would have had a wonderful time just sitting by the ocean, staring into space.

Life is never dull. That’s one thing you can always count on. And no matter how much you prepare for an event, the things you are prepared for never happen. It’s the other things you never dream of that derail the train.

Ben Robinson

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

It happens every summer. I guess it’s God’s way of reminding me that I really should not be carrying this much weight. It gets to be June, it starts getting hotter, and I sweat.

I would use the phrase “sweat like a pig,” but the swine community has threatened legal action if I do so. “We sweat, but nothing like you do,” said the letter from the pig lawyer that I received.

The extra weight I carry does not do me any good throughout the year.

Sure, each December I have dozens of young ladies offering to sit in my lap if I grow a white beard and dress in a red suit. But they never follow through, so that’s no good for me.

Nicole Daughhetee

Life As I know It

by Nicole Daughhetee

It is officially summer in my house: Emerson announced this weekend that she is bored.

Already.

No other statement (well, I suppose this isn’t entirely true) makes me want to jump up on my soapbox more than when my children whine “I’m bored.”

Every time “I’m bored” listlessly rolls off out of the mouths of one of my girls, a part of me feels as though some part of me has failed as a parent. Em and Ella have more toys than they need; technology that I never imagined when I was a kid; wide open spaces; and each other.

Olivia Fowler

Life As I Know It

By Olivia Fowler

There are times when extra help is needed to complete a project on Fowler Farm. Usually Fowler can drum up assistance, but sometimes his go-to man isn’t available. That’s what happened last Saturday.

The cool spring and extra rainfall delayed planting this year until the latter part of May. So every daylight hour of the past two weeks has been dedicated to all the tasks necessary to produce a decent crop.

Meanwhile, things have been happening in the yard. Broken branches have fallen from trees, weeds have popped up and plants have needed transplanting or dividing.

Ben Robinson

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

The family was in disarray this weekend. We were excited, and downright nervous, about a special visitor we were expecting. But finally Sunday around noon, Karson Brick Hamilton came into this world.

Karson is the son of my nephew Kevin. They wanted to keep up the (Hamilton) family tradition of having father and son have the same initials. That way things like monogrammed shirts can be handed down from father to son.

Olivia Fowler

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

A couple of years ago Iva and I had a great time interviewing Pickens resident Francine Bryson while she demonstrated step-by-step how she baked her upside-down apple pie, the renowned pie which won the grand prize at the North Carolina Apple Festival.

She sent one of these incredible pies back with us to the office, and everybody had a slice. It was something to write home about.

Baking is clearly Francine’s passion, and her warm and bubbly personality flavors everything that comes out of her oven.

It was a real thrill to see her on CBS Sunday night at 8 p.m. competing with cooks from all over the country in The American Baking Competition.

Nicole Daughhetee

Life As I Know It

by Nicole Daughhetee

Having two smaller middle schools in Easley is certainly ideal; however, if the money isn’t there — it simply is not there!

Before I make anyone in Easley angry with me (definitely not my intention here) you all have to know by now that I am nothing if not a proponent of education. As a perfectionist and overachiever, it is my hope that these attributes of character are being passed along to my daughters, albeit in a healthy way.

Ben Robinson

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

Sunday afternoon, it was time for me to perform my duty by taking my nephew Kevin to work at a local restaurant.

“My duty” is actually rather sarcastic. About three years ago, I injured my arm falling down a flight of stairs and had to let Kevin drive my car back and forth to work for a while. Kevin proceeded to wreck my car one morning by pulling out in front of another car.

Kevin was all right, but the car was totaled. The insurance company, quite understandably, did not want Kevin driving, or attempting to drive, my car any more, and set out to regain the money they had paid me through raising my rates and starting to charge me for two cars I no longer owned.