My Old Kentucky Home

To quote Bon Jovi, "Who says you can't go home?"  Well, not me, that's for sure.  After swinging past my parent's house in eastern Kentucky last week, I continued on my road trip over to my hometown...Louisville.  I love Louisville!  I was there for a training institute held at my alma mater,  University of Louisville.  Go Cards!

While I was in Louisville, I took advantage of lunch breaks and evenings to see some of my favorite things.  So, I thought I would share a photo tour of my visit.

The Thinker statue that sits on the steps of Grawemeyer Hall is the first full-size bronze cast of the work by French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Rodin personally supervised the casting on Dec. 25, 1903.

The Red Barn!  I spent so many weekends at the Barn dancing to awesome bands or running lights while sitting on a pipe at the top of a ladder.  Looking back, I can't believe I did that! 

Threlkeld Hall...my home for two years.  I have awesome memories of the lobby lizards playing spades, all night study sessions (that may have also included some time spent at the Tetris machine), and the awesome Threlkeld Athletic Club (intramural champions on numerous occasions!)

Delta with a D, with a D-E-L, with a D-E-L-T-A!

Zeta with a Z, with a Z-E-T, with a Z-E-T-A.  DZ, Hey!

 The famous twin spires of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.  Like many native Louisvillians, I went to Derby parties and cookouts rather than to Churchill Downs on Derby Day, but I love the Great Steamboat Race, the Pegasus Parade, and all of the other events that lead up to the Run for the Roses.

The painted horses weren't around while I was growing up, but I saw at least a dozen of them while I was driving around town.  They are all unique and so cool!  The top one here was in the parking lot of a little flower shop near Churchill Downs and the bottom one lives in the U of L School of Business building.

For Southenders like me, Iroquois Park is a great place to play Frisbee golf, attend a musical at the Iroquois Amphitheater, or just cruise around and see and be seen.

While I was in town, I took a culinary trip down memory lane and visited a few of my favorite places to eat.  It definitely wasn't the healthiest way to eat for a week, but it was the most delicious!

I was driving down 7th Street toward Shively and my van turned right in to the Krispy Kreme.  When the Hot sign is flashing, I just can't resist.  Krispy Kreme doughnut runs were a part of life at Butler High School.  I know they aren't unique to Louisville, but there isn't a Krispy Kreme near me, so a hot original glazed is still a huge treat.

Ollie's Trolley on the corner of 3rd and Kentucky, so awesome!  I love the spices they put on their fries and the Ollie sauce and mozzarella cheese on the burgers.  Close to downtown and U of L, but unfortunately only open for lunch on weekdays.  There is an Ollie's Trolley in Washington D.C., but this is the original.

Another Louisville original.  Dizzy Whizz has been operating on West St. Catherine since the 1940s and they still have actual curb service where the server comes out to your car and takes your order and then brings your food on a tray that hangs on your car. The Whizzburger with its secret sauce is definitely the thing to get.

 While in town, I also got to eat at a few of my other favorites: Mark's Feed Store (pulled pork, potato salad and buttermilk pie - Yum!), Tumbleweed (gotta be a chimichanga), Skyline Chili (because you can't get Cincinnati chili in my neck of the woods), and Hubers Family Farm and Restaurant in Starlight, Indiana.

I also found a new favorite when I met my friends, Tod and Teresa, for dinner at Ditto's on Bardstown Rd.  The Thai salmon was fabulous, but the time spent catching up with these wonderful friends that I haven't seen since my wedding 19 years ago was what made this meal unforgettable.

All of this, a great professional experience at the training institute and time with my super fun family...there really is no place like home!  

Hittin' the Road

Sorry that I haven't had a chance to post in a while, friends.  I went back to work and life got in the way (nothing bad, just busy).  For one thing, I traveled down to my parents' house in Kentucky.  It was a really enjoyable trip!  When you don't have to hurry, the traffic is light and the weather is good, a road trip can be a fabulous thing.

Sometimes when you hit the road you have a choice of which route to take.  This is the case when I drive from northeast Ohio to my parents' house in Kentucky.  The first half of the trip is all on Interstate 77, but when I get to the Ohio/West Virginia border I can choose to stay on 77 until I get to Charleston and then take 64 West.  The other possibility is to get off the highway and take Route 7, a smaller road that runs near and sometimes right beside the Ohio River.  Unless weather conditions are too poor, I always choose the much more interesting Route 7 option. 

There is so much to see that just goes by in a blur on the highway.  In the summertime, the flowers and blooming trees add color to the trip.  Black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne's Lace and Sweet Peas grow in abundance along the side of the road and as you travel south you begin to see flowers that aren't often found further north.  On this trip down Route 7, I saw a huge mimosa tree covered with beautiful, feathery flowers.  Even better, it was located on the corner of Honeysuckle Rd.  I also saw pale pink, leafless lilies called Naked Ladies, Crepe Myrtle with dark pink blooms, and Hibiscus the size of dinner plates.  Very cool.

Route 7 goes through several small towns (Marietta and Gallipolis) and a number of tiny ones like Tuppers Plains, Cheshire and Eureka.  Each of these towns offers something unique to see.  For example, the slower pace required while passing through allows you to see the historical markers.  On this trip, I learned that Gallipolis means "The City of the Gauls" and was settled in 1790 by French aristocrats fleeing France after Bastille Day and Marietta was established on April 7, 1788 as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory.

I also encountered roadside stands selling homegrown vegetables (where I got corn, cucumbers and tomatoes) and dilapidated barns with Mail Pouch Tobacco ads painted on the side. Plus, small towns provide signs that you just don't see in a city.  One I saw promoted Chester Shade Days in Chester, Ohio.  Among other things, this celebration includes a community picnic (be sure to bring your covered dish and lawn chair), a pretty baby contest, a dulcimer concert, a pie auction, and the Ohio State Harmonica Championship.  Further down the road, I passed Alligator Jack's Flea Market, which would make sense if it were in Florida or Louisiana, but not so much in Meigs County, Ohio. 

On occasion, what you see along the road is a little more bizarre.  Case in point is this "landmark" in Athalia, Ohio...

...which just goes to show that you can see and experience some strange and wonderful things on a road trip, but you only notice if are open to seeing where you are at the moment instead of worrying about where you are going.  Sounds like a great metaphor for life, huh?  

More to come from my Kentucky road trip in future posts!

Then sings my soul!

I had a really great day!  I went to church and sang today for the first time since my sinus surgery.  I am in no way the most fabulous singer, but I love to sing anyway, especially hymns.  With apologies to our outstanding preacher, I have to say that the song service is often the most moving part of worship for me.

At our church, like at many, most of the music we sing is contemporary, but we have at least one traditional hymn each service.  You can call me old-fashioned, it wouldn't be the first time, but I love the traditional hymns.  I enjoy lots of contemporary Christian artists and their music.  From Newsboys and Sonicflood to Twyla Paris and Amy Grant, there are many groups and singers who have contributed wonderful songs to the modern "hymnal", but for pure inspiration, I turn back to the hymns that have been with us for generations.

Think about it.  Is there anything more powerful than the voices of a congregation swelling together to sing,

Then sings my soul,
My Savior, God to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
(Link to complete lyrics)

accompanied by only a piano, or even better, an organ?  How can your soul not sing in that moment?  The old hymns don't rely on complicated chord progressions.  The melodies are typically simple and accessible to everyone, accomplished vocalist or not.  It is the words that carry the task of inspiration.

Some of my favorites are the hymns that remind us of the glories of God's unending grace -  Old Rugged Cross, Amazing Grace, Blessed Assurance, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, and Love Lifted Me - to name a few.  Hymns like these provide us with the opportunity to sing our praises directly to God.  They are prayers set to music and, even though we are joining our voices with many others, we are communicating our love and devotion straight to Him.

The youth in churches today may not appreciate the classic hymns when they are first exposed to them, but I believe that these touches of tradition should remain in our church services to represent the simplicity and purity of our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Dear Lord,  Thank you for giving us music as a way to express to You our joy, thankfulness, commitment and adoration!  May we always remember that it is the feelings we express through the words we sing, not how well we can sing them, that matters to You.  We will worship You with gladness and come before You with joyful songs!  In Jesus's name, Amen

Psalm 100

1  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2  Worship the Lord with gladness;

    come before him with joyful songs.

3  Know that the Lord is God.

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving

    and his courts with praise;

    give thanks to him and praise his name.

5  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

---

Happiness is a new baby!

I had to write a quick post to share a development that made me so happy today!  Deanna, my fabulous friend and secretary, had a beautiful baby girl today.  Her name is Alexandra Faith, which I think is a simply lovely name. Her picture is below.  Isn't she precious?  The icing on the cake is that Alexandra and I share today (7/7) as our birthday!  Happy birthday to Alexandra and to me!  :O)

Make your hands fly!

In the week since I had sinus surgery, my period of forced inactivity has reminded me that I am not good at not being busy.  Like many people, I am happier when I am accomplishing something.  Of course, there is a point of diminishing returns where the to-do list becomes overwhelming and my stress level shoots up, and I do like a "chill out on the couch day" every once in a while, but on the whole I like to be busy.

When I was a child, I was fortunate enough to spend a good bit of time visiting at my Grandmother and Grandad’s house in Ashland, KY.  My grandmother was one of the most industrious people I have ever known.  From morning to night, she was busy – cleaning the house, working in the yard, and best of all, cooking fabulous food.  If Grandmother saw me or one of the other ten grandkids just sitting around, she would say “get up and make your hands fly”.  Sometimes she would tell us to get up and “gin around”, which I think must have something to do with the cotton gin because it meant get busy and be productive, but my favorite was always “make your hands fly” because of the images it brought to mind. 

My grandmother was a very wise woman who came from a long line of wise women.  I think much of their wisdom came from their longevity.  After all, my grandmother lived to be 93 and one of my great-aunts (her sister) to be 99, another of their sisters turned 100 on New Year's Day, and their mother lived to 103.  So I feel particularly blessed to benefit from their collective wisdom.   

Sometimes when I have a lot I need to do, I hear my grandmother’s voice saying “get up and make your hands fly.”  As a child and especially as a teenager, I didn’t always appreciate hearing these words from Grandmother. But as I look back, I think that she was trying to teach us that tasks don’t get done on their own and reaching your goals requires action. I don’t know that my grandmother would have ever used those words, but that is certainly one of the life lessons that I learned from her – get moving, do what needs to be done, and don’t complain about it. I never heard Grandmother complain about the work that she did. She just knew what had to be done and did it. And the funny thing is that doing what needs to be done not only gets a task completed, it also leads to a strong sense of satisfaction and increases the happiness in your everyday life.

The Bible has many verses that address industriousness (or, in Grandmother's terms, making your hands fly), but my favorite is 

^"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,"  Colossians 3:23

This verse reminds us that everything we do can be for God's glory if we fully commit ourselves to it.  What other motivation could we need to get up and make our hands fly?

Have fun storming the castle!

My last few posts have been kind of serious, so today I wanted to write about something just plain fun.  There are certain movies that I can watch over and over again, mostly because they never fail to make me laugh.  One of my absolute favorites is The Princess Bride.  I watched it last night with my husband, kids and parents and it is a movie everyone can enjoy.

The Princess Bride is one of the most quotable movies of all time.  I have listed a few of my favorites below.  There are links after most of the quotes that go to YouTube videos of the scenes.  If you have other Princess Bride quotes that you love or other favorite quotable movies, click where is says "comments" below and share them here so that we can all have a good laugh!

"Inconceivable!" - Vizzini                                                                        "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo                                                                                 Vizzini and Inigo at the Cliffs of Insanity

"When I was young, television was called books." - The Grandfather       The Grandfather (Peter Falk Tribute)

"Bye, bye, boys!" - Valerie                                                                         "Have fun storming the castle!" - Miracle Max                                          "Do you think it will work?" - Valerie                                                     "It'll take a miracle." - Miracle Max                                                     Miracle Max and Valerie

"Let me 'splain. No, there is too much.  Let me sum up." - Inigo 

"Mawidge...mawidge is what bwings us together today.  Mawidge...that bwessed awangement.  That dweam within a dweam." - The Impressive Clergyman at Buttercup and Prince Humperdinck's wedding                   The wedding scene

 Add your favorite Princess Bride quote or favorite quotable movie to the list.  Click on "comments" below and type your comment.  Below the comment box it says "comment as" and there is a drop down menu where it says "select profile". Click on that and choose how you want to be identified.  If you don't recognize any of the other options, just  click "Name/URL" and then type your name and hit "post comment".  It will move to a screen where it asks you to put in the word it shows you and post the comment. You can ignore the URL box, unless you have your own website and want a link to show up with your comment.

Realistic optimism

I am a self-defined "realistic optimist".  My realistic side knows that difficult times will happen, but my optimistic voice responds that things will be alright in the end.  I might not end up back where I started or anywhere I ever thought I'd be, but I will be OK.  This philosophy has developed through my faith and through my upbringing.

Psalm 27:5 says,

For in the day of trouble
   he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
   and set me high upon a rock.

This verse doesn't say that nothing bad will ever happen in our lives, but it does say that when we do have trouble, God will be with us.  This promise is foundational to my way of seeing life and, ultimately, to my happiness.
 

One of the basic truths found in wisdom literature throughout history is that “life is difficult”.  Little did I know as I grew up that my father possessed the wisdom of a great philosopher.  After all, his response to the many challenges we faced throughout life was consistent - “T'ain’t nothing easy.”  When the car broke down - T’ain’t nothing easy.”  When it took longer than expected to get somewhere - "T’ain’t nothing easy.”  And when the tree fell on Grandmother's garage - "I tell you girl, t’ain’t nothing easy. 

My father is an educated man, with a master’s degree and over 40 years as a high school teacher to prove it, but when life gets tough he turns to an age-old adage to find truth..."T’ain’t nothing easy."

I would like to encourage you to consider the idea that “T’ain’t nothing easy” or if you prefer “Life is difficult.”  On its face, it sounds pessimistic, like the speaker is complaining that all is lost.  But in truth, "T’ain’t nothing easy" is simply a realistic look at life that can see you through the hard times and give you the ability to be optimistic about the outcome.

Understanding that there will always be challenges in life prepares us to address those challenges when they arise.  It also helps us to value the other side of the challenge when we get there.  When my father says "T’ain't nothing easy" (or when I say it, for that matter), we utter those words knowing that we will get through whatever difficulty we are facing.  It is as if acknowledging that we are being challenged gives rise to a certainty that we can meet that challenge.  "T’ain’t nothing easy" sounds trite, but in my life, it has come to be a battle cry that spurs me to put my head down and persevere.

  

My father has another adage that supports my philosophy.  You see "T'ain't nothing easy" is typically followed by "This too shall pass", a clear statement that difficulties are temporary.  Together these proverbs encourage acceptance of the challenges we all will face in life, but also provide comfort with the assurance that things will get better.  In other words...realistic optimism.