November 2019 | Kentucky Monthly Magazine

NOVEMBER 2019

Ri c ky Ska g gs

Purrfect Day Cat Cafe Quilts of Valor Honor Veterans

WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour Celebrates Its 1,000th Show Memorable Pets Bring Comfort to Dementia Patients

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40 CAL ENDAR OF E VE N T S

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N OV E M B E R featured

15 Faith, Family and Friends A chance meeting with an icon started Ricky Skaggs on the road to becoming the keeper of the bluegrass flame

18 From the Heart Lexington’s beloved WoodSongs OldTime Radio Hour creates a front-porch community around the world

22 Coffee & Cuddles At Purrfect Day Cat Cafe, you can chill with a feline and maybe take home a new family member

28 Comfort Companions Memorable Pets help soothe patients with dementia

30 Four-Legged Reinforcements Distillery backs organization that provides service dogs for veterans

32 A Warm Gesture of Thanks Inspired by a dream, Quilts of Valor brings honor and comfort to veterans

voices 3 Readers Write 36 Past Tense/ Present Tense 48 Vested Interest

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15

departments 2 Kentucky Kwiz

8 Oddities at the Museum

34 Off the Shelf

4 Mag on the Move

9 Music

38 Field Notes

7 Across Kentucky

10 Cooking

39 KTIA Signature Events

ON THE COVER Photo of Ricky Skaggs by Erick Anderson.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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KENTUCKY

Kwiz

Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest.

1. Before Jim Beam was Jim Beam, it was called what?

B. Being the inspiration for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

A. Old Granddad

C. Being the drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd and surviving the 1977 plane crash that killed several members of the band

B. Old Tub C. Old Yeller 2. Kentuckian George Graham Vest coined the phrase “dog is man’s best friend” while prosecuting a Missouri man for killing his neighbor’s coonhound, which was named?

A. Old Yeller B. Old Drum C. Betsy From Pike 3. Who is the detective heroine in Sue Grafton’s alphabet mystery series?

7. NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth, who lives in Ft. Thomas, was born in Ohio and raised in Florida, but his father, “Abe,” was a member of which of Coach Adolph Rupp’s Final Four team?

A. The 1951 team, which defeated Kansas State for the title B. 1958’s “Fiddlin Five,” which beat Elgin Baylor’s Seattle team C. 1966’s “Rupp’s Runts,” which lost to Texas Western in the championship

A. Nancy Drew B. Agatha Christie C. Kinsey Millhone 4. Louisville’s Lincliff, a “crumbling estate begging to be saved,” was purchased by author Sue Grafton and her husband, Steven F. Humphrey. The house was built by William Richard Belknap, whose Louisville-based company one once the nation’s largest producer of what?

A. Hardware

8. The horn that sounds after each University of Louisville touchdown at Cardinal Stadium came from where?

A. It’s a civil defense horn from the Naval Ordinance Station, located 3 miles south of the stadium B. It’s the shift horn from Louisville & Nashville South Louisville rail yard upon which the stadium and its parking lot are built C. It’s the mess hall horn from Camp Zachary Taylor, a World War I training ground

B. Ball bearings C. Batteries 5. In 1917, Sigmund Freud coined the term narzissmus der kleinen differenzen as the cause of feuds, such as the one between the Hatfields and McCoys.

Basically, it means what?

A. The rival groups have virtually nothing in common

9. Callie Khouri, a graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Paducah, wrote, directed and produced Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) and Nashville (2012), but won an Oscar at the 64th Academy Awards for original screen play for which film?

A. Boyz n the Hood B. The Fisher King

B. The rival groups weren’t hugged enough by their mothers

C. Thelma & Louise

C. The rival groups have so much in common that outsiders would struggle to find significant distinctions

10. George Fant, a 6-foot, 5-inch, 322pound lineman for the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks, played which other sport at Western Kentucky University and Warren Central High School?

6. Louisville-born Artimus Pyle, whose father, “Del,” was awarded the Purple Heart after being shot while serving the U.S. Marines in the South Pacific in World War II, is best known as: A. Following in the footsteps of his cousin, World War I hero Alvin York

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

A. Basketball B. Baseball C. Soccer

Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth © 2019, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty Two, Issue 9, November 2019

Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Patricia Ranft Associate Editor Rebecca Redding Creative Director Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor Madelynn Coldiron + Ted Sloan Contributing Editors Cait A. Smith Copy Editor

Senior Kentributors Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Rachael Guadagni, Jesse Hendrix-Inman, Kristy Robinson Horine, Abby Laub, Lindsey McClave, Brent Owen, Ken Snyder, Walt Reichert, Gary P. West

Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist

Advertising Lindsey Collins Account Executive and Coordinator John Laswell Account Executive For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053 KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/ treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Wayne Gaunce, Frank Martin, Lori Hahn, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Dr. A. Bennett Jenson, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton and Ted M. Sloan.

Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.

www.kentuckymonthly.com

VOICES MEMORIES OF MOM

Steve Vest’s great story about his mom really touched my heart (August issue, page 56).

I’ve lived long enough to know that the three most important things in life are your faith, your family and your friends. Steve and I have been greatly blessed by all three.

Terry Faris, Wilmore READING MATTERS

I love Kentucky Monthly and the writers therein and enjoyed Bill Ellis’ article on reading (August issue, page 42). I have never understood people who do not read books. Ever since my first visit to my high school library as a green freshman from the eastern Kentucky mountains and seeing all the books available to read, I have been an avid reader.

I always carry a book to bury myself in and avoid a lot of useless conversations. Even at 85, I still get engrossed.

Keep up the good work!

Marian Burton, Smithfield I always love Bill Ellis’ article in one of my favorite magazines, Kentucky Monthly. I was so pleased to read that many of his favorite authors are mine also.

Thank you for inspiration.

Helen Dedman, Harrodsburg As a retired historian, I not only read history books, but also now have time to read novels. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis is an enormously amusing commentary about the trials and tribulations of an English professor.

I find the books of Julie Schumacher, the winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, to be outstanding. Her books include Dear Committee Members and The Shakespeare Requirement.

From nearly 9,000 miles away, I keep up with my old friend Bill Ellis and his articles in Kentucky Monthly.

We enjoy a 30-year friendship that dates back to his Fulbright year in New Zealand in 1989.

James Watson, retired professor of history and department head, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand I have read all three of Al Patrick’s novels in the Clinch Mountain series and am currently reading his book Hessian Soldier, American Patriot, a novel of historical fiction. The Clinch Mountain books are well researched, well written and hard to put down. At the close of each chapter, I was anxious to see what came next (like the old Saturday afternoon serials at the movies).

Good reading. I recommend all of them.

Dick Carlton, Danville I enjoyed Bill Ellis’ recent article about reading. His description of the Shelbyville library brought back good memories. I can still remember the sound my shoes made on the marble tiles in the entryway as my mother took me to get my first library card. I was 10 years old, and it was my first visit to a library. I thought it was heavenly.

I immediately started keeping a journal about every book I read because I didn’t want to forget them.

Our school did not have a library, so my library card was my lifeline.

Finally, when I was in the eighth grade, Mrs. Lawson and the Bookmobile started coming to our school every two weeks. Bookmobiles were an important contribution to rural life. You should do an article on them someday.

I still read a lot, and I do enjoy holding books in my hand, as Bill suggested, but I could not get along without reading books on Kindle and on my iPad. It has become my modernday Bookmobile of sorts. I use my library cards to check books out of the library online, and they immediate

Readers Write appear on my iPad. No need to drive anywhere.

In addition, this method provides me with tools I have gotten used to.

Whenever I encounter a word I don’t know, all I have to do is touch it and I see the dictionary notation for it.

Foreign word? No problem—it translates for me. I can get audio pronunciations of words as well. If my eyes get tired, I can have the book read to me if the audio version is available.

Tylene Garrett, Shelbyville I keep books several places in the house and in the van, in case I find a few minutes. Just finished one about Sacajawea. Just started John Grisham’s because I’ve always liked his.

The one I’m most into is Anne of Green Gables, which I should have read as a girl. I love L.M. Montgomery’s choice of words and style. My daughter and granddaughter love Anne. I’ve seen the movies. Even studied one carefully, sketched an Anne dress, and made it for my daughter years ago. I’ve visited Green Gables on Prince Edward Island and bought three Anne dolls for granddaughters, so I thought it was high time I read the book.

I’ve resisted reading the Harry Potter series, but I’m considering doing so since I read that J.K. Rowling is no longer on Forbes billionaire list since she has given so much to charity.

I admire that.

I’m volunteering with struggling elementary readers, so I’m enjoying choosing library books that enlighten me as well as the students.

Carolyn Smith, Hodgenville Correction: Debby Allen, whose letter to the editor appeared in the October issue (page 3), is from Madisonville.

We Love to Hear from You! Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@kentuckymonthly. com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.

n Counties featured in this issue N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Even when you’re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you.

And when you do, we want to see it!

Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping! Send your highresolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly. com or visit kentuckymonthly.com to submit your photo.

MAG ON THE MOVE

Don and Becky Harvey SICILY The Flatwoods couple cruised to the Greek Isles and visited Savoca, Sicily. They are pictured at Sicily’s Castle of Capo Sant’Alessio, where the Michael Corleone character was married in The Godfather.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

2 Debbie and

Tom Tinker

NATURAL BRIDGE The Louisville residents took an autumn trip to the scenic state resort.

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3 Richard and Sally Smothermon BRAZIL

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The Frankfort couple traveled to South America, where they visited Brazil, Argentina and Chile. This photo was taken at Iguaçu Falls at Iguaçu National Park on the border of Brazil and Argentina. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4 Moore Family FLORIDA

The Moores of Henry and Oldham counties visited family in Florida. From left, the Moores include Cindy, Beau, Celia, Joe, Steve, Robbie, Jaclyn and Blake.

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5 Linda Campbell GRAND TURK The Viper (Perry County) resident enjoyed a cruise to Grand Turk Island.

6 Eddy and Delinda McDermott ARUBA The couple from Kevil (Ballard Country) explored the Quadirikiri Cave at Aruba’s Arikok National Park.

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• K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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7 7 Roger and Melissa Fischer Collins IRELAND The Lexington natives traveled throughout Ireland after Roger ran in the Dublin Marathon. While on a carriage ride through Killarney National Park in County Kerry, they stopped to get a photo in front of Muckross Abbey.

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8 Jared and Laura Long SCOTLAND The Harrodsburg couple attended the first day of the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland. They wrote, “We received lots of comments about the magazine, and everyone thought it was such a cool thing to do!”

BRIEFS

BIRTHDAYS 3 Phil Simms (1954), television sports commentator and former NFL quarterback, born in Lebanon and raised in Louisville 4 Jordon Smith (1993), Harlan County-raised winner of The Voice (2015) 6 Kelly Rutherford (1968), Elizabethtown-born actress best known for her roles on Melrose Place and Gossip Girl 7 Calvin “Bo’rail” Borel (1966), threetime Kentucky Derby-winning jockey 9 Frank Selvy (1932), basketball player known as the “Corbin Comet” who once scored 100 points in a college game for Furman University 12 Timothy C. Caboni (1970), 10th president of Western Kentucky University 12 Ernie Fletcher (1952), 60th governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, 2003-07 15 Fred Cowgill (1957), Emmy Award-winning sportscaster at WLKY-32 in Louisville 16 Allison Anders (1954), Ashlandborn film director, whose work has been shown at both the Cannes and Sundance film festivals 16 Troy Seals (1938), Madison County-born singer-songwriter best known for “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” (1986) 21 Steven Curtis Chapman (1962), Paducah-born Grammy Awardwinning Christian musician with more than 55 Dove Awards 28 Ben Sollee (1983), Lexington cellist, singer-songwriter and composer 30 Joe B. Hall (1928), basketball coach who led the University of Kentucky to the 1978 national championship 30 Robert Kirkman (1978), Cynthiana comic book writer and creator of the AMC series The Walking Dead

Across Kentucky

HONORING HEILMAN Oldham County native Bruce Heilman, a United States Marine, was stationed in the Pacific during World War II and was a survivor of the Battle of Iwo Jima, following combat on Okinawa. After earning degrees from Vanderbilt University, he pursued a career in higher education. In recent years, Heilman rediscovered his passion for motorcycles, and in 2008, he rode his Harley cross-country from Richmond, Virginia, to San Diego, California, and back. He later rode tens of thousands of miles around the U.S., including a trip to Alaska and another crosscountry journey to celebrate Gold Star Families. Heilman passed away in October at age 93.

To preserve his legacy and honor his accomplishments and those of veterans like him, the Oldham County History Center is raising funds to create a statue of Heilman. Dr. Nancy Stearns Theiss, executive director of the History Center, says the statue will invite visitors to “hop on and ride with Bruce as a tribute to the Greatest Generation.” She sees the project as “a fun and creative way to honor the 16 million veterans who gave so much to our country.”

To donate to this project or for more information, contact the History Center at (502) 222-0826 or info@oldhamcountyhisoricalsociety.org.

MURAL DEBATE Shrouded by white canvas twice in the past few years because of the controversy it has stirred among University of Kentucky students, “The Kentucky Mural” in Memorial Hall on UK’s campus has been the subject of debate, as it depicts African-American slaves working in tobacco fields.

Commissioned by the Federal government’s Works Progress Administration’s Arts Project, the mural was painted by Ann Rice O’Hanlon in 1934.

“The Kentucky Mural” is the topic of a new documentary produced, directed and written by John Fitch III, an independent filmmaker, scholar and professor of film at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.

Painted in Stone: The Kentucky Mural examines the racially charged atmosphere surrounding the mural. It includes a discussion of public art, censorship and student activism, and features interviews with student activists, artists, an art historian, a cultural geographer and a media scholar, as well as footage from the 2019 mural protest and images from the occupation of the UK administration building by student protestors.

The documentary has been selected for screening at several film festivals, including the Mesa International Film Festival in Mesa, Arizona, and the Clifton Film Celebration in Clifton, Virginia. Fitch plans to offer an online, free version of the film for educators to use in their classrooms.

For more information on Painted in Stone: The Kentucky Mural, visit paintedinstone.com. A trailer can be viewed at vimeo.com/354927061?utm_ source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=28749.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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CULTURE

Oddities

Frazier History Museum 829 West Main Street, Louisville 502.753.5663 fraziermuseum.org

Frazier History Museum

BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER

A

ccording to its motto, the Frazier History Museum is “where the world meets Kentucky.” Situated on Museum Row in downtown Louisville, the Frazier is full of artifacts with historical ties to the Bluegrass State and is home to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center.

The museum has an array of interesting items, including a pistol owned by outlaw Jesse James, an arrest warrant for Mary Todd Lincoln, and a massive display of more than 500 bourbon bottles, proudly showcasing all the brands that have been and are produced in our Commonwealth.

For our oddity this month, we are featuring a pair of Bahuykabo, also known as souvenir shoes. These shoes are intricately hand carved, with miniature scenes inside their wooden heels. The shoe was popular in the Philippines in the 1940s, but the style had not reached the United States until American military personnel happened across the shoes while stationed there during World War II. “Most of these boys had never been to other parts of the world or had access to products like these,” said Tish Boyer, collections manager at the Frazier. “So, they sent unusual items like this home to their loved ones.”

The design of the wedge heel became popular during the war as women entered the workforce and needed stylish shoes that also were supportive.

Photo courtesy of the Frazier History Museum.

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The museum got its start in 2004 and was originally known as the Frazier Historical Arms Museum after the museum’s founder, local philanthropist Owsley Brown Frazier, donated his extensive arms collection for display.

Although the museum has changed its focus to Kentucky history, Mr. Frazier’s collection can still be found in the Founder’s Gallery and includes two suits of Samurai armor and a bow and quiver of arrows owned by Geronimo.

There also is an exhibit dedicated to the Southern Exposition, which was similar to a World’s Fair, as it showcased cutting-edge agricultural and manufacturing breakthroughs of the time. It is a massive part of the city’s history, as it drew attention and visitors to Louisville for its five-year run from 1883-1887.

The Stewart Historic Miniatures Collection is one of the largest in the world and includes more than 30,000 figures.

About 10,000 are displayed in beautiful, backlit cases for easy viewing, but others are out, just inviting visitors in for some hands-on play.

While you are there, stop by and see Celebrating the Sounds of Kentucky, an exhibit covering all genres of music. The collection includes instruments, costumes, concert posters and recordings of musical artists with Kentucky ties. The exhibit, which features the sign from Louisville’s iconic independent record store, ear X-tacy, runs through fall 2020.

CULTURE

MUSIC

Special Place, Special Record

BY LAURA YOUNKIN PHOTO BY DANIEL MARTIN MOORE

To purchase the Pine Mountain Sessions LP or CD, visit indiegogo.com/projects/ pine-mountain-sessions#. For information on upcoming shows, follow Pine Mountain Sessions on Facebook.

F

or singer Daniel Martin Moore, music is not only his livelihood but also an avenue to a better world.

Originally from Hardin County, Moore charmed the Americana and folk music world in 2007 with his debut album, Stray Age. Since then, he has become a full-time musician, but he also believes in using his talents to help heal Kentucky.

With friend and fellow Kentucky musician Ben Sollee, Moore released Dear Companion in 2010. The profits from that album and tour were donated to help Appalachian Voices, an organization aimed at ending mountaintop removal mining.

Moore has another project that he hopes will help his native state. Double album Pine Mountain Sessions is a collaboration of approximately 40 Kentucky musicians, poets and writers that was released in July. “The project is aimed at raising awareness about Pine Mountain and is a fundraiser for the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust [KNLT] and the Pine Mountain Settlement School,” according to Greg Abernathy, executive director of the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust.

In 2015, Abernathy invited Moore to Harlan County’s Pine Mountain Settlement School for an artist retreat.

Moore relished the retreat and being able to spend time with other artists.

“We hiked in the mountains, talked about the land trust, ate meals together,” he said.

He enjoyed his stay at the settlement school so much that he returned there

for his birthday with his partner in 2017. While there, they visited the century-old chapel nestled at the bottom of Pine Mountain. “Singing in that chapel and playing piano … It just came to me: ‘What a wonderful place to make a record,’ ” Moore said.

He started making the record in the fall of 2017. “We did four sessions that winter and into spring in order to get all the recordings made there,” he said.

Moore felt the chapel was a special place. “The chapel is what makes the record. The sound of the reverberation in that room is the spark of why these recordings exist.

“The whole process of making this record was powerful. I was trying to hide and let the artists alone … to feel free in the space.” And a powerful place it is. “Anyone who walks in can feel the air change. It’s hard to describe. I hope people hear it in the record.”

Moore’s connections with powerhouse Kentucky artists led to them working on this project. Sollee, Jim James, Wendell Berry, Joan Shelley and Silas House are just some of the gifted folks who contributed.

“The idea was I wanted to make a record, but from the get go, it was a connection with artists who’d participated in the collective,” Moore said.

“The Pine Mountain Collective is the result of KNLT engaging and partnering with the artists. Daniel was one of them,” Abernathy said.

Moore also knew right away that he would want to support the Pine Mountain Settlement School and the KNLT because of the important work they do. “I wouldn’t make it just to make it,” he said. “We need a world that’s alive and vibrant.”

The artists will be touring, with the Pine Mountain Sessions show, making their way throughout Kentucky and West Virginia from the fall and into winter. Moore said there’s no set time limit on how long they’ll provide shows.

“We don’t put this out in the world and move on,” he said. “We’ll be

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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FOOD

Cooking

PHOTO S B Y J E S S E H E ND R I X I NM A N

Pumpkin Spice No Churn Ice Cream SERVES 8-10 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or 2 cups leftover pumpkin pie filling (see note) ¼ cup light brown sugar 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/

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teaspoon sea salt

1 can sweetened condensed milk

FOLLOWING

the Feast RECIP E S PR OVI DE D BY JA N IN E WA S H L E O F C LOVER F I EL DS FA RM & K I T C HE N A ND P R E PA R E D AT SU LL I VAN U N IVERSITY B Y GR AC E A LE X A N D E R A ND BR A N D O N S C H I EF ER L E.

Thanksgiving showcases many iconic dishes of the American kitchen. Typically, leftovers are reworked into a potpie that makes use of the remaining turkey and vegetables, soup using the turkey carcass, and sandwiches featuring stuffing and cranberry sauce. All of these are delicious, but after a day or two, palates become a bit tired of those same old flavors. No need to worry. There are delicious ways to get creative with leftovers.

Combining leftovers with other fresh ingredients, unexpected herbs and spices, and contemporary techniques truly reinvents them into new, appetizing dishes. When you shop for the holiday meal, also have a second list with ingredients to help transform the leftovers into dishes that are delicious and taste bud tempting.

The added benefit of transforming leftovers into delightful, new main courses, desserts and snacks is that we often have guests for a few days after the holiday. These recipes make plenty of servings to go around, and they freeze well.

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1 16-ounce container whipped topping 1. Combine puree, sugar, spice and salt in a medium nonstick skillet (more surface area for evaporation to occur).

Place over medium-high heat and cook for 7-10 minutes to eliminate excess moisture.

It’s done when a spoon dragged through the center leaves a clear path with no weeping liquid. Cool to room temperature.

2. Combine cooled pumpkin mixture and sweetened condensed milk in a freezersafe container. Fold in whipped topping. A few streaks of topping are OK. Freeze 8 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer and allow to soften for about 10 minutes before scooping. Keeps about 1 month in freezer.

Note: If you have leftover pumpkin pie, scoop out filling to equal 2 cups into a medium bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat until smooth. Use in place of puree.

Decrease spice to ½ teaspoon and omit salt. Do not cook. Proceed with recipe by combining with milk and folding in topping.

This recipe uses that extra can of pumpkin puree or leftover pumpkin pie, whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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FOOD

Cooking Uses leftover dinner rolls and extra dairy products

Chocolate Bread Pudding with OrangeBourbon Glaze SERVES 8-10

8-14 yeast rolls (fewer if rolls are large, homemade type, or more if using smaller, freezer-section dinner rolls) 1¾ cups whole milk 1¾ cups half & half or heavy cream 1 cup granulated sugar 6 large eggs ½ cup cocoa powder 2 teaspoons vanilla ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Orange-Bourbon Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2. Slice tops from rolls if they are tough; no amount of soaking will soften them. Slice rolls in half then halve or quarter each slice depending on size of the roll.

Transfer to prepared baking dish. Wiggle each piece in tightly to cover bottom in a single layer. If necessary, cut up more rolls.

3. Prepare custard by whisking together milk, half & half, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla and cinnamon until combined. Slowly pour custard over rolls. Press tops of rolls down into the liquid. Allow to set at room temperature for 25-30 minutes for rolls to absorb the mixture.

4. Cover dish with parchment paper and then a large piece of foil. Place baking dish in a roasting pan, then place the combo—or bain-marie—in the oven and pour hot water into roasting pan to come almost halfway up sides of baking dish.

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5. Bake 40-45 minutes or until custard is set in the center and center appears slightly puffed. Remove baking dish from roasting pan and place on heat-proof surface. Uncover and, using a skewer, poke holes all over the surface of the bread pudding. Immediately pour hot glaze and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes to enable pudding to absorb glaze. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

Orange-Bourbon Glaze Bring 2 cups orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan set over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until syrupy and reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Stir in ½ cup good-quality bourbon and return to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour over hot bread pudding.

Variation: Sprinkle 1 cup dark chocolate chips over rolls before pouring custard.

Uses leftover turkey SERVES 8-10

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13- by 9-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray, and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion, then sauté until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in turkey, tomato and chilies plus liquid, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic granules, salt and pepper.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare cheese mixture by stirring together ricotta, Colby-Jack, mozzarella and egg in a large bowl.

Tex-Mex Turkey Lasagna 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cheese Layer

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 cups ricotta

1 cup chopped onion

1½ cups shredded ColbyJack cheese

3 cups chopped roast turkey 1 10-ounce can diced tomato and chilies (Ro-tel), not drained 3 cups tomato sauce 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon garlic granules ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup shredded mozzarella 1 large egg, beaten

4. To assemble, spread a couple of spoonfuls of turkey mixture in the bottom of prepared dish.

Top half of the tortilla strips over turkey, spreading them out to cover the dish. Top with the turkey mixture, then spread all of the cheese mixture over it.

Cover the cheese mixture with the remaining tortilla strips.

Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over top of strips.

5. Cover with a piece of parchment paper (prevents cheese from sticking), and a large piece of foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges.

6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in a covered container.

4 large flour tortillas, or 6 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack, or mozzarella Chopped cilantro, for garnish

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FOOD

Cooking Uses leftover gravy, potatoes and stuffing

Dirty Potato Soup SERVES 8-10

1½ pounds russet potatoes, washed, peeled and diced 1½ pounds yellow potatoes, washed, peeled and diced 8 cups water 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped bell pepper 2 large garlic cloves, minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic granules 3 cups leftover giblet gravy (see note), or 2 12-ounce jars prepared turkey gravy 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce Stuffing croutons, for garnish (see tip above) 1. Combine potatoes, water, poultry seasoning, salt, thyme and pepper in a large stew pot. Cook 25-30 minutes over medium-high heat, or until potatoes are tender.

Uses leftover or extra canned cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie spice

Cranberry Breakfast Tarts SERVES 4

Like Cajun dirty rice, this soup makes use of giblets to add flavor and color.

Tip: Using a melon ball tool, scoop balls from the prepared stuffing. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in a preheated 375-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until toasted and crunchy. Garnish soup with a few stuffing croutons.

Note: If your gravy doesn’t have giblets, add 2/3 cup finely diced dark turkey meat to soup along with the gravy.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Add onion, celery and pepper.

Sauté until onions are translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook a couple minutes longer until fragrant.

3. Once potatoes are cooked, do not drain. Add sautéed vegetables and giblet gravy to the pot. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 30 minutes.

4. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container. Freezes well.

1 tube original crescent dough sheet ¼ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce (do not use gelatin-based relish) ¼ cup strawberry jam ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper cut to fit a large baking sheet.

2. Press out thick end until dough is evenly thick. Straighten edges by pressing them with the back of a knife.

3. For filling, combine cranberry sauce, strawberry jam and spice in a medium nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Continue to cook until

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mixture reduces, excess liquid is evaporated, and mixture resembles jam, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

4. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough in half. Then cut each half into quarters, for a total of eight pieces.

5. Brush edges of each rectangle with a little cold water using a pastry brush. Put a generous teaspoon of filling in center of four rectangles. Top each with remaining rectangles. Press down

firmly to adhere the dough. Pick up the tarts and space them out on the tray. Then take a dinner fork and press the tines into the edges of the dough of each tart.

6. Bake in preheated oven until tarts are a rich golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool to warm before applying glaze. They are best eaten the same day.

Glaze: Stir together powdered sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle or spoon over the tops of each tart.

By Laura Younkin

, h t i a F Fa m i l y & s d n e i Fr A chance meeting with an icon started

Ricky Skaggs on the road to becoming the keeper of the bluegrass flame

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Im thankful to be a Kent

Country music and bluegrass icon Ricky Skaggs is celebrating 60 years in the music business this year, and he’s only 65.

Born in Cordell (Lawrence County), Kentucky, Skaggs began playing mandolin at 5 and created a name for himself locally. When he was 6, Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, came to town. The crowd convinced Monroe to give Skaggs a chance, and the child got on stage and played Monroe’s mandolin. And so began the working life of a child prodigy.

Skaggs had a stellar 2018 with admission to the National Fiddler Hall of Fame, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Over the years, he has played with Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris, Flatts and Scruggs, Keith Whitley, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless and the Dixie Chicks.

While all the awards—including the 15 Grammys he has won over the years and the 1985 Entertainer of the Year Award from the Country Music Association—are impressive, being 16

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inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is an honor few musicians receive.

How did it feel to be admitted to that rarefied group? “I still have to take the garbage out,” Skaggs said. He credits his wife of 38 years, gospel singer Sharon White, with keeping him humble and grounded. “It’s a tremendous honor. I make light about it, but it truly is a great, great honor.

It’s truly a God thing—the goodness of God.” It’s also an honor he never really expected. “I don’t think any musician goes to Nashville with the mindset of working hard and [being put] in the Hall of Fame,” he said. He does believe his faith has helped him throughout his career. “I’ve been diligent to read, study and live the Word. I always fall short, but not as short as I used to.”

Skaggs also believes growing up in eastern Kentucky influenced his life in music. He said he was related to or knew “a lot of great musicians that lived around Olive Hill and Grayson.”

Skaggs appreciates history and genealogy, and believes all the great music that comes from Kentucky is not a coincidence. He feels that much of the traditional mountain music that so heavily influenced country and

bluegrass derives from the “creativity the Scots-Irish immigrants brought to the hills and hollers” from their homes. “They came and just stayed there,” he said.

Long hunters—18th-century pioneers in Tennessee and Kentucky who spent extended periods of time hunting in the mountains—would travel to hunt, taking their music with them. Skaggs said that his ancestor, Henry Skaggs, was among them. They helped spread music across the region, which he believes helps explain the large number of gifted Kentucky musicians.

“I went to Ireland for the first time with Emmylou Harris, and the whole band was invited to a ceilidh [Scottish or Irish folk culture event],” Skaggs said. “It’s where like-minded people celebrate with music and food. It’s good, clean fun.”

He said he was the only band member who followed up on the invitation, and he was glad he did. “I thought I’d died and gone to eastern Kentucky,” he said. “It looked like Paintsville, Olive Hill or Grayson.”

Appalachia clearly was an influence on Skaggs’ music, but so was his

tuckian...

Far left, Skaggs was fortunate to have an amazing mentor in the father of bluegrass music himself, Bill Monroe; below, Skaggs with Sharon White, his wife of 38 years.

family. “Faith, family and friends are kind of like the triad—the Father, Son and Holy Ghost—of life in Kentucky,” he said. “You need family and good friends and faith. I got all of that from my mother and father.” Skaggs credits his parents with giving him a happy, stable childhood. “[Home] was a place that was safe.

I felt secure, and I knew when I woke up the next morning, my parents would be together,” he said. His father was a music-loving welder, and Skaggs describes his mother fondly as “godly but tough as a boot.” He has three siblings and said his parents were the family anchors. “We’d hook our boats to them.”

Skaggs was close to Keith Whitley, a talented singer/songwriter from Sandy Hook. “I met Keith Whitley later in life.

But when you start playing at 5, 15 is later in life,” Skaggs said. He and Whitley joined bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley’s band in 1971. Whitley was an alcoholic who died of alcohol poisoning when he was just 33 years old. Skaggs was part of a Whitley tribute album in 1994 and performed at a concert this past May on the 30th anniversary of his friend’s death.

“I think he died without hope,” Skaggs said. “I think Keith had hope in

his heart for Jesus, but alcoholism takes away your hope. It was tough to see Keith go that way. It shook up a lot of people in Nashville. A lot of people got sober because of Keith.” He said he hopes that some good came from losing a friend so young.

“There’s no doubt that Bill Monroe has been the most influential musician I’ve ever know in my life,” Skaggs said.

“I still play his songs on the road.”

Not far behind Monroe in terms of influence is Ralph Stanley. “After Carter [Ralph’s brother] died, Ralph went back to the mountains,” Skaggs said. “Not just geographically but the sound, too.”

“Working with Emmylou Harris really helped to launch my country career,” Skaggs said. “She was fully 100 percent in my camp when I decided to leave the band.” He said there were no hard feelings.

“I left when she had a baby, and Emmylou took a whole year off,” he explained. He thought: “If there’s ever a time to get out of the nest, it’s now. I hope my wings are strong enough.”

His wings turned out to be plenty strong. The awards page on RickySkaggs.com is almost overwhelming. The 15 Grammy nominations, eight CMA awards and

13 IBMA awards are just some of the honors he’s garnered over the years.

While he appreciates the awards from the different groups, Skaggs finds the division between bluegrass and country rather artificial. “Back when I was a kid, any radio station that was playing country like Buck Owens and Kitty Wells was also playing Bill Monroe, Flatts and Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers,” he said. He doesn’t buy into the idea that bluegrass music doesn’t market well.

“I still love Kentucky,” Skaggs said.

“I don’t live there anymore, but I’ve still got property in Lawrence County.

I’ve got two brothers in Kentucky.

“I could have been born anywhere.

But He chose Dorothy and Hobert Skaggs. He chose that they lived in eastern Kentucky. I grew up with grandparents and great-grandparents.”

Growing up in a rural setting clearly means a lot to Skaggs. “I love my heritage. I love the Skaggs history of the long hunters coming to Kentucky. I’ve got a lot of heritage that I’m proud of,” he said. The joy he gets from his triad—his family, friends and faith—is evident. “I’m thankful to be a Kentuckian.” Q

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To attend a WoodSongs taping, check out WoodSongs.com for upcoming shows and to make a reservation. Annual partnerships start at $75, and the general public can attend individual shows for $10-$20. Shows are streamed live online, are available in the extensive archives, and are played on affiliate radio and television stations.

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B y K i m Ko bers m i t h

from the heart Lexington’s beloved WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour creates a front-porch community around the world

O

n most Monday nights, a musical phenomenon takes place at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington. An eclectic group of teachers, retirees, students, accountants and musicians faithfully put on Kentucky’s own Grand Ole Opry, the Appalachian version of A Prairie Home Companion. Through the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, two million listeners around the world experience a slice of Kentucky each week.

Though many people make WoodSongs happen, it is the singular vision of folk singer Michael Johnathon. Twenty years ago, he had an idea for a different kind of musical radio show, one that was a conversation as well as a performance, with a live audience that would celebrate the passion and spirit of folk music and art. So he started a scrappy little show with a 12-person audience for a college radio station and called it the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour.

After two decades of steady growth, tapings of the show now often fill the 500-seat historic Lyric Theatre.

The show plays on 537 radio stations around the world— from Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, to Canberra, Australia—and on American Forces Radio Network. The television show is broadcast from coast to coast on public TV and the RFD-TV network.

This month, WoodSongs celebrates an impressive and rare broadcast milestone: 1,000 shows—a feat that takes a level of dedication and passion hard to come by these days. “It is too fun to stop,” Johnathon says when asked how WoodSongs has lasted. “It is an unselfish part of my career supporting the music world that I love.”

The vision and format of the 1,000th show will be almost identical to that of the very first show. It is a unique alchemy that makes WoodSongs work, proof that something precious can indeed be forged from raw materials and hard work.

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This month, WoodSongs celebrates an impressive and rare broadcast milestone: 1,000 shows—a feat that takes a level of dedication and passion hard to come by these days.

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VOLUNTEERS In Johnathon’s economy, WoodSongs is a gift, an offering of love from a whole lot of dedicated people. Every single person involved in WoodSongs is a volunteer—from the sound engineer and sign hanger to Johnathon and the artists. They do it for love, not money, and they do it 44 times a year in a place where they have to put up and take down the staging and equipment each week.

“People will work harder when motivated from the heart than from their wallet,” Johnathon says. The 38 crew members deal in a different type of currency, one of love for the music and for the artists. Johnathon is grateful for the talented and motivated citizens of Lexington who have said yes to his harebrained idea.

One of those is Jack Harvey. He is self-employed as a Thoroughbred bloodstock consultant, but on Monday nights, he is a technical assistant. He has been carving out Monday time for

WoodSongs for more than three years.

“At the 900th show, I got to meet Roger McGuinn and talk with him one on one,” Harvey says. “I have been a fan since I was a boy. WoodSongs is a big commitment, but it is one of the most enjoyable parts of my life.”

Some of the crew have been part of the show for decades. They help the volunteers feel like a family through a strong ethos of mentorship and care.

Stage manager Bryan Klausing has been part of WoodSongs since show 30.

His first job was to hold up the cardboard-on-a-paint-stick applause sign at the appropriate times. He has since mentored a diverse community of hundreds of volunteers, from retired mothers to college students, with his capable and calm demeanor.

“Michael and the long-standing crew have cultivated a great group of people,” says Technical Director Isaac May. “It is a very safe place to learn.

Mistakes are not a big deal.” May’s first exposure to WoodSongs was as a

opposite top The entire WoodSongs crew with the legendary Roger McGuinn after show 900. bottom left Folk singer and WoodSongs visionary Michael Johnathon. bottom right The WoodSongs shows fill the house on Monday evenings at Lexington’s Lyric Theatre.

Photos by Larry Neuzel/ Rachel Aubrey Music

The 1,000th show will be taped on Nov. 19, with Riders in the Sky as the headliner.

Doors open at 6:20, with show time at 6.45. Tickets are $35 general admission; $25 for WoodSongs Partners.

For tickets, please contact the Lyric Theatre box office: 859.280.2218 or WoodSongs.com.

musical guest. His on-the-job crew experience has given him confidence in being backstage, too.

PARTNERS One of the ways WoodSongs fills its live audience is with partners who pay a modest annual fee and attend all tapings for free. These music lovers do much more than attend shows; they take seriously their role in the WoodSongs community.

About once a year, partner Zelma Hack of Leitchfield gets up at 3 a.m. for a full day of baking. She churns out upside-down apple pie and an entire laundry basket full of goodies.

Then, she and husband Martin drive two hours to give the treats to the crew and watch WoodSongs. “At the show, Michael always says to give the crew a big hand,” Martin says. “We thought they needed more appreciation than just a hand. We just love the people here!”

Partner Gary Davis is an ambassador for WoodSongs. He chooses the family partner plan just for himself so he can give away his extra tickets. He loves introducing others to the show—friends and strangers—and has been known to walk around Lowe’s, inviting people as he shops.

“WoodSongs is the best kept secret in Lexington!” he insists.

GUESTS No matter how strong a community, a music show would not last if it didn’t have really good music. By all accounts, WoodSongs does. Johnathon has an ear for guests and lives by the motto, “You don’t have to be famous; you just have to be good.” For him, it is not just about brilliant musicianship. “It’s about the harddriving spirit of the artists. Whose heart is big, and whose story is powerful and will move the audience?”

Famous people have been guests on WoodSongs—household names like Brandi Carlile, Judy Collins, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Indigo Girls, George Winston and Ben Sollee.

But often, real magic happens with a more obscure guest or the weekly WoodSongs kid, a 6- to 16-year-old musician who performs. “I sometimes go to a show thinking I won’t like the music, and it ends up being one of the best ones ever,” Davis says.

The range of guests’ musical styles breaks out of the traditional idea of folk music. Show 990 featured Janiva Magness, a blues singer and one of only two women awarded the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award.

Listeners are treated to international

artists, rock ’n’ roll and hybrids like “gangster grass” (hip hop and bluegrass). Instruments on stage might include a harp, a banjo or Andean flutes.

COFFEEHOUSES & SONGFARMERS A few years back, Johnathon launched two initiatives to share the WoodSongs spirit in local communities.

WoodSongs Coffeehouses are grassroots concerts hosted by listeners like Richard Stewart. He has been a WoodSongs online listener for more than 20 years and was quick to sign up when he heard about Coffeehouses. It has helped him connect with talented artists for his professional concert venue, Garage Ma Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada. While on a cross-country road trip in September, Stewart routed his trip through Lexington and drove a 12-hour day on a pilgrimage to his first WoodSongs taping.

SongFarmers host community song gatherings with artists who want to make a difference in their hometowns.

The idea has struck a chord; there are now 60 SongFarmer chapters from Hawaii to Vermont. One of those is in Cabot, Arkansas, where 200 WoodSongs listeners and friends gather in the local library each month to sing together. The fifth national gathering of SongFarmers was held this October in Berea.

Maybe Johnathon’s greatest work of alchemy is gathering a far-flung group of music lovers and making them a front-porch community through a distinctly Kentucky broadcast. These two stories hint at how he does it: Gary Davis attends nearly every Monday and always sits in the same seat. Recently, he had a lengthy stint in the hospital. Not only did the WoodSongs crew notice he wasn’t there, but Johnathon also made a special visit to see him in the hospital. “That really meant a lot to me,” Davis says.

Richard Stewart’s Garage Ma Hall had hosted several WoodSongs Coffeehouse shows when he got a call from the WoodSongs office. Could Johnathon come play at his Coffeehouse? “He is probably the bestknown person who has played there,” Stewart says. “His visiting our little 60-person venue all the way in Nevada made a big impact on me.”

Johnathon says that love is the greatest transaction of the arts. Yes, it sounds a bit idealistic and folksy. But thanks to the longevity of WoodSongs and the astounding community of volunteers, partners and artists who rally around it, he has proven it is true. Q N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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by jackie hollenkamp bentley

Coffee & Cuddles ne At Purrfect Day Cat Cafe, you can chill with a feli and maybe take home a new member of the family photos by rebecca redding

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IF YOU GO Purrfect Day Cat Cafe 1741 Bardstown Road, Louisville 502.916.5051 A complete schedule of events, hours and more information can be found at purrfectdaycafe.com.

Follow Purrfect Day Cat Cafe on Facebook to view every cat and kitten adopted and their happy new owners.

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Within the first year of the cafe’s opening, 1,346 cats had been adopted.

Etta, age 7, adopted her new kitten last month at Purrfect Day Cat Cafe.

M

elody is sitting on a small couch. The 6-year-old’s face is a picture of bliss as she strokes a blackand-white kitten snuggled up to her leg. A white kitten is curled up next to her back. More than a dozen kittens are dashing back and forth in front of her. A few adults are sitting on the floor—either alone or with their children—playing with the tumbling, running, furry felines.

This is just another day at Purrfect Day Cat Cafe, a new business concept that is popping up across the country, where people can come in, play with kittens, adopt them, grab a beer, or just sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the kitties romp in a glassenclosed room.

Louisville entrepreneur Chuck Patton opened the city’s first cat cafe in August 2018 on Bardstown Road in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood.

Since then, thousands have walked through its doors, many leaving with a new, four-legged friend.

The initial goal was to complete 300 adoptions in the cafe’s first year. From Aug. 8, 2018, to Aug. 8, 2019, 1,346 cats and kittens were relocated to new homes. By October 2019, nearly 2,000 cats had been adopted.

“It’s a testament—not only to our city, but to our state and the support 24

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we’ve been getting,” Patton said. “We get people from all across the state that just come here to visit. We’re changing the premise that cats can’t get adopted.”

All adoptions are processed by the Kentucky Humane Society, the cafe’s sole provider of adoptable felines.

“It’s been an amazing partnership, and we had no idea it would be this successful,” said Andrea Blair, the public relations and marketing director for KHS. “What’s interesting is that we are a medium-sized city. When you look at our market, we are not Chicago or New York or Los Angeles. It’s absolutely incredible how successful this has been and how much our community has embraced the cafe and cat adoptions.”

All adoption fees go to KHS. They start at $85 and go up to $120, based on the age of the cat. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, treated for fleas, administered their first round of vaccinations, and dewormed.

The cat adoptions are the nonprofit side of Purrfect Day Cat Cafe. The business makes its profits from the cafe side as well as the fees to visit the kitten room. Each 50-minute session is $10 Monday through Thursday and $12 Friday through Sunday.

“This is a business model called a

social enterprise model,” Patton said.

“It’s a for-profit business in business to do good.”

Patton said the cafe also donates customer tips to KHS as well as donations from those who don’t want to adopt but still want to help in some way.

The monetary gifts definitely help, but Blair said the partnership with the cafe has had far-reaching benefits.

“One of the coolest things is how the cat cafe has been able to increase the Kentucky Humane Society’s lifesaving ability,” she said. “In the last 12 months, we have helped animals, not only in Jefferson County, but in 21 counties throughout Kentucky.

That has really helped us increase our ability to take in cats that are at risk for euthanasia at rural shelters.”

Even though the cafe completes 120188 adoptions a month, Patton doesn’t see a saturation point.

“The vision of the cafe was not for it to be a place where your traditional cat lover is,” he said. “We want this to be where animal lovers and communityminded people want to go. The reason why is because we knew that the success of the cafe—both for adoptions and for our ability to be around longer—is purely based on how many people come in. So we get a lot of people who come in and say, ‘I want to adopt,’ and then you get a lot of people

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Kayla Moore has been to the cafe twice and loves to spend time with the kittens.

Opposite page, left, Purrfect Day Cat Cafe’s menu items include coffee, bourbon, wine, snacks and desserts.

Far right, Alexa Moore hangs out with a new feline friend.

Middle, Visitors enjoy their time inside the cat room.

Below, Baby Jasper relaxes and watches kittens.

Children under 6 are welcome to visit the cats and kittens every Tuesday and Thursday before 6 p.m.

Otherwise, visitors must be 6 or older.

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who come in and say, ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m ready to adopt,’ but then they meet the forever love of their life.”

Lexi Lou, who moved to Louisville from Lexington last year, is one of the latter people. Though she was a selfproclaimed cat lady with five cats at home, Lou would visit the cafe just to work on her computer and enjoy the sights of kittens playing.

“I never thought I would become a regular at a cat cafe,” she said. “But it was something about when I went for the very first time … I just felt safe there.

I felt welcomed. Yes, there are plenty of places where I can go and use their WiFi, but you can’t go and cuddle kittens at the same time you’re doing work.”

Then she saw Taco, a small kitten with a big attitude.

“I see this little nugget, and on my lunch break, I go into the lounge and love on him,” Lou said. “He would walk up to the big cats and smack them in the face. There was something about his attitude that [indicated] he wanted nothing to do with me, but I wanted everything to do with him.”

Lou’s cat menagerie grew to six that day.

“Now, Taco owns the place and doesn’t pay bills,” she said.

Lou continues her weekly visits to the cafe, utilizing the location’s various common areas—including an outdoor patio—to work on her computer and sip one of many beverages offered at the bar.

Some patrons have cat allergies.

However, the kitten room’s separate HVAC system keeps the air in the common areas allergy-free. So, it’s much like a regular cafe—just with kittens!

“You’re still in a safe environment and still go and enjoy the cafe part of things and look at kittens on the other side of the glass,” Lou said. “You can still go and have a beer. You can still go and have a glass of wine. You can sit on the patio, and you can still mingle.”

The cafe also has space for private parties, trivia parties, and kitten yoga classes, among other activities.

Lou said the cafe couldn’t have opened at a better time.

“It’s been a positive thing for the Highlands area,” she said. “Granted, I’ve only been here a year and some change, but I think it’s been a good impact for that area.

“And where can you go wrong with cuddling some cats? The fact that you can do that for $10 to $20 makes it cheaper than therapy.” Q N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Comfort Companions Memorable Pets help soothe patients with dementia

BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER

W

hen caring for aging parents, adult children often look for help to ease the transition to new living situations. Sometimes, a furry friend can bring the comfort their loved one needs.

When sisters Bettina Dickson Rusher and Frances Dickson, who grew up in Lexington, had to move their aging mother, Betty, to Wilmore’s Thomson-Hood Veterans Center in 2010, they knew she would have a tough time without her beloved calico cat, Caldonia. On a whim, Frances found a stuffed cat that resembled the real one. When they gave it to Betty, she understood it was not a real cat, but she became attached to it and carried it with her at all times.

They saw the security that the faux Caldonia brought their mother.

Betty was one of two women and 40 men who lived at the veterans center, and as residents’ family members started noticing Caldonia, the sisters purchased more stuffed dogs and cats and gave them as gifts to other residents.

Each time, they saw the patient contentedly stroking the pet, talking to it, and generally assuming a calm disposition.

As Bettina and Frances saw the comfort the pets gave the patients, they began to do research and found that studies confirmed what they were seeing.

They decided to create an online business selling realistic-looking pets so they could help others.

They call the company Memorable Pets and feature familiar breeds of dogs and cats to which people with memory problems can relate.

“At the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry’s 2012 Conference, we found evidence that reaffirms what we do,” Bettina said. “They said as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, the need to nurture, love and be loved increases.

It is one of the last emotions to go, and this is exactly what we saw with our mother and with others who received our pets.”

For more information, visit memorablepets.com or call 912.268.2159

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The joys of owning a pet are obvious on the surface, but science tells us that having a furry companion is good for you. From a physical standpoint, stroking a pet has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health and even release endorphins, hormones that have a calming effect. Mentally, it lessens depression and decreases anxiety and feelings of isolation.

All of this supports Memorable Pets’ goal of comforting patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, who sometimes may not recognize the people around them or realize what their situation is.

As research continues to support the benefits of having a real or faux pet, Memorable Pets has grown to serve customers in 46 countries and is supported by family members, hospitals, adult daycare centers and hospice units. The most popular pet is the golden retriever, followed by the white Maltese and the longhair Yorkshire Terrier.

“All of our products have to be a certain size and stick close to the breed, so they are recognizable and not similar to a cartoon character,” Bettina said.

Although the patient usually responds well when introduced to a Memorable Pet, sometimes the patient’s family member or caregiver has misgivings about it. Bettina understands this, as it is uncomfortable to see a grown adult with what seems to be a toy.

“We feel it is important to validate their feelings,” she said. “But then we show them why it works and how happy it makes the patient. It is all about the comfort of their loved one.”

Over the years, the company has introduced new products, including realistic baby dolls—known as Believable Babies—and robotic pets that appear to breathe and move. Family members usually are aware of which product their loved one will respond to. Sometimes, a woman will really enjoy cuddling a baby, or a family member will recall their loved one talking about a brown dog from their childhood. Bettina said the breed sometimes does not matter, but other times, that is what makes the connection.

The Memorable Pets website is full of testimonials from family members and caregivers who have seen the benefits first hand.

Tracy Ragone has seen the transformation both personally and professionally.

Her father, who had a gray-and-white cat named Jack, had to give up his furry friend when he moved to Thomson-Hood Veterans Center. Before starting Memorable Pets, Bettina and Frances had heard about him moving in and decided to give him a gray-and-white stuffed cat to fill in for Jack.

“My father had Alzheimer’s, and getting this gift really helped in the transition to a new home at a time when everything that was familiar to him was removed,” Ragone said. “It had been therapeutic for him to have a real cat, but the stuffed Jack worked too.”

Ragone is the director of social services at The Willows at Hamburg LongTerm Care in Lexington, and, after seeing such positive results for her father years ago, she has seen Memorable Pets benefit many others.

“We have real dogs visit, and it makes the residents happy, but they have to leave,” she said. “We purchased some of the stuffed dogs and cats to have available if we feel someone needs that security.”

She said some people take to a stuffed pet right away, thinking it is their dog or cat, and they love on it and pet it. She has also seen cases in which a patient is agitated and restless, but when given the stuffed pet, they become calmer.

Bettina, who worked in corporate positions throughout her career, and Frances, who lived in California, created the business together in 2010.

Eventually, Bettina handled the day-to-day operations. She and her husband recently moved from Woodford County and continue to run Memorable Pets from their new home in Georgia. Their mother, Betty, was eligible to stay at the Thomson-Hood Veterans Center because she served in the United States Navy during World War II as one of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, also known as the WAVES. In 2009, she was awarded a medal for her service by then-Gov. Steve Beshear, and, of course, Caldonia was in her lap during the ceremony. In 2011, Betty was clutching her Caldonia lookalike as she passed away, and the sisters decided to bury the two together.

“My mom loved her real cat and the stuffed Caldonia, and we learned so much from the experience,” Bettina said. “I felt like I had been given a gift with this experience and had to do something with it.” Q

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Find the Reinforcements documentary on youtube!

Four-Legged Reinforcements Distillery backs organization that provides service dogs for veterans

BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER

A

s a proud ally of the United States military and those who serve, Early Times Distillery in the Louisville suburb of Shively took action to get involved and show their support.

The people at Early Times also happen to love dogs. So what could be a finer union than helping veterans get connected with service dogs?

In 2016, the folks at Brown-Forman Corporation, the parent company of Early Times, produced a documentary titled Reinforcements, which was written, produced and directed by Louisville-based Coury Deeb. The film follows a young man who has recently returned to civilian life after military service in Afghanistan. The man is having a hard time with the transition and is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD. He becomes acquainted with a veteran who has been in his shoes, and the two make a lifechanging road trip. Along the way, they meet other veterans, stop at Early Times, and

eventually make it to K9s for Warriors, an organization that trains service dogs for former military personnel.

The 27-minute documentary, which has won several awards from film festivals, shines a light on the impact a dog can make in the life of someone suffering from PTSD, as well as what it takes to train a service dog.

The cost of training is about $25,000, and it takes three to six months to get a dog to the level necessary to be of assistance to the veteran.

“We train the dogs to retrieve items, alert their owner if someone is approaching, and wake up their owner if they are having a nightmare,” said Tahoma Guiry of K9s for Warriors in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Guiry said that, once the dog has been trained, it is paired with a service member who comes to the facility for three weeks of bonding.

“We have to teach them how to use the dog to help them through,” she said.

K9s for Warriors matches approximately 144

ABOUT K9S FOR WARRIORS K9s for Warriors is an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to providing expertly trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Founded by the mother of a veteran with PTSD, the program has graduated more than 160 veterans, pairing them with rescue dogs trained to recognize symptoms of PTSD and ready to respond by performing tasks that lessen the distress associated with the disorder. For more information, visit k9sforwarriors.org.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

veterans and dogs each year, but Guiry said they train many more dogs than that because about 40 percent of them do not make it through the rigorous program.

She said there are many levels of criteria the dogs must master, and if they cannot accomplish every single one, they are not eligible to graduate from the program.

Over the last few years, Early Times has donated more than $200,000 to K9s for Warriors, but this year, the people at Early Times decided to take it one step further: They actually supplied the dog.

“We didn’t want to just donate money this year,” said Dallas Cheatham, senior brand manager at Early Times. “So we went in a different direction and adopted a dog from the Kentucky Humane Society.”

What they got was a spunky, 10-month-old German Shepherd mix that was found at a rural shelter. They christened him Earl, and Cheatham and her family fostered him for a few months as he waited for his turn to go through K9s for Warriors training program.

Earl made many trips to the distillery, where he proved to be quite popular.

“When he came to work with me, it was a great opportunity for him to get used to the public,” Cheatham said. “Plus, he makes friends everywhere he goes.”

Dallas and her family drove Earl to Florida at the end of summer so that he could begin training.

“As much as we knew what we were getting into, a foster dog just becomes part of your family,” she said. “But we feel so good about this program, we just know Earl will make a great service dog.” Q

Together.

We Fight Heart Disease.

Heart & Vascular Institute

Dermot Halpin, MD, FACS Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Call for a consultation today.

(606) 218-2202 | pikevillehospital.org

Board Certified: American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

31

A Warm Gesture

of Thanks B Y D O N J. DA M P I E R

Inspired by a dream, Quilts of Valor brings honor and comfort to veterans For more information and to support Quilts of Valor, visit qovf.org.

Our Commonwealth is home to nine active QOV groups.

Quilts Across Kentucky Quilts of Valor – Central Kentucky

Golden Quilts of Valor Group

Southwest Quilts of Valor

NICHOLASVILLE

TRENTON

LOUISVILLE

nancy.cann@QOVF.org

Patriotic Patchworkers

nancysnest2016@yahoo.com

Stitches of Honor – Kentucky

itsme0520@yahoo.com

Pins & Needles KY

NICHOLASVILLE

ALEXANDRIA

RINEYVILLE

lhollemb1102@gmail.com

Valor Quilters Kentucky

dtaylor92652@gmail.com

Elkhorn Creek QOV

marcella_goodin_473@hotmail.com

Carter County Quilts for Veterans

LOUISVILLE

GEORGETOWN

GRAYSON

skameagher@gmail.com

earlene.arnett@gmail.com

606.315.3200

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

T

he morning of Nov. 3, 2018, arrived with the welcomed warmth of a sunny day after many days of dreary rain—a good omen. Inside the Scott County Cooperative Extension office in Georgetown, the atmosphere of the large conference room was even cheerier, filled to near capacity with smiling faces, laughter, hugs and pats on the back of family, friends and caregivers. Significantly present at the gathering were dedicated quilters.

All were there for a Quilts of Valor ceremony to honor 13 veterans for their service to the United States. The event was sponsored by the Elkhorn Creek Quilts of Valor, part of the nationwide Quilts of Valor Foundation. Most of the QOV quilters there also are members of the local Elkhorn Creek Guild of quilters, but to sew a quilt for QOV, a quilter is not required to be a member of a guild.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003, sparked by a nocturnal dream of Seaford, Delaware, resident Catherine Roberts. She said it was “so vivid as to be more like to that of a vision!” Roberts’ son, Nat, was serving in the Army at the time and was deployed to Iraq.

She described her dream: “I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over … The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change.”

Originating at Roberts’ home, QOV began humbly with local quilters volunteering their time, materials and expertise to create a quality quilt Roberts called a Quilt of Valor. The idea of honoring a veteran with a handmade quilt soon became a movement that spread by word of mouth and the internet across the nation.

The first Quilt of Valor was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to a young soldier from Minnesota who had lost a leg in combat in Iraq.

The QOV mission statement reads: “The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”

There is a spirituality at work here that results in a

visible and tangible way for dedicated quilters to volunteer their time and creative talents in a cooperative team effort to recognize our servicemen and women and to express to them that we remember them and thank them for their sacrifice and service.

The QOV process begins with a request for a quilt for a veteran who served during conflict. The request form can be found on the Quilts of Valor Foundation website, qovf. org. The national foundation selects a service person as a recipient, and then assigns the veteran to an official QOV group, based on the veteran’s location.

Then, the local quilt-making team gets to work. This team includes a quilt-topper—the primary quilter who selects the design and pieces together the top of the quilt from various fabrics.

Another quilter operates a long-arm quilting machine, which attaches the quilt top and bottom with batting—or stuffing—in between the two layers. The quilting process features stitching in various patterns. Finally, a binder finishes the quilt by trimming the batting and sewing on the fabric that covers the edges of the quilt.

From proudly watching and listening to my quilter wife at work, I realize that this is a complex, time-consuming process, frequently involving several quilters interacting with each other in effectively a “quilting bee” that usually requires months to complete. But the making of a quilt is rewarding, both during the “creative juices flowing” process and the end result.

It was with pride that I sat in the audience that November day as my wife served alongside the other quilters of the Elkhorn Creek Quilts of Valor group. She had nominated—and presented her jointly created quilt, titled “Road to Freedom”—to our backyard neighbor, Adam Warren, who served for 33 years in the Marine Corps.

Adam and I had first met by waving from the seats of our tractors while mowing our adjoining “back 40” acres.

One day, we spontaneously stopped mowing and climbed down for some conversation. Conversations with Adam continued, often lasting as long as an hour, and we became good friends.

Around the time I spoke with my wife about Adam’s military service, she had become interested in the Quilts of Valor program. We conferred with Adam about our desire to create a QOV for him, the rest, and as they say, is a stitch in time. Q N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

33

CULTURE

Off the Shelf

The Aesthetics of Light A Matter of Light: The Art of Andre Pater Edited by Claudia Pfeiffer; foreword by the Duke of Devonshire, Fincastle Publishing, $85 (H)

A Matter of Light: The Art of Andre Pater, much like the Headley-Whitney Art Musuem’s accompanying exhibit Andre Pater: An American Journey, shows the evolution of Polish-born painter Andre Pater. During Pater’s different “artistic periods,” his subject matter has varied from Thoroughbreds to hounds, jockeys to Native Americans.

His paintings of the 1980s have little in common with his more recent paintings—the one constant being his masterful use of light.

The 240-page coffee table book features more than 200 paintings selected by editor Claudia Pfeiffer and photographed and arranged by Lexington photographer Bill Roughen, whose other credits include Collecting Kentucky 1790-1860.

Greg Ladd of Lexington’s Cross Gate Galley said it’s the light in Pater’s paintings, combined with expertly rendered detail, that makes his work so highly sought after over the past 25 years, since Pater moved to his Lexington farm. “Whatever he paints, sells,” Ladd said.

The exhibit of 100 of Pater’s works at the Headley-Whitney Museum continues through Nov. 17.

BY STEPHEN M. VEST

(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback

Family Memories

“Distressed” Views

Notes on Cracker Barrel Napkins

Abandoned Kentucky: Bygone Echoes of the Bluegrass State

By Todd D. Moberly, Old Seventy Creek Press, $14.95 (P)

With interesting stories and familiar characters, Notes on Cracker Barrel Napkins will spark remembrances of life experiences for many readers. Set in rural Appalachia, the book features grandparents, uncles, cousins and friends—all based on relatives and friends of the author—who have sayings, beliefs and behaviors unique to them, but similar to many of the people one might encounter in the area.

The 400-page novel is narrated by a dying man who wishes to pass down family stories, written on napkins from his favorite restaurant. Each story is built around one interesting item from his family’s history, such as a tin whistle, an antique piano or an interesting old screen door. The tales are vividly told, with believable dialog and real, sometimes humorous, outcomes.

Author Todd D. Moberly of Berea is a retired teacher. This is his first book.

BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER

By Jay Farrell. Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, $24.99 (P)

Photographer Jay Farrell sees the beauty of abandoned and mostly dilapidated buildings and other manmade items strewn across rural areas. He particularly likes to capture the essence of his subjects in the southernmost parts of Kentucky, not far from his Tennessee home.

In his 112-page book, Abandoned Kentucky: Bygone Echoes of the Bluegrass State, he has packaged a collection of 174 photos. It’s a combination of color and black-and-white shots that makes the term “distressed” seem romantic. His descriptive captions add to the notion.

Farrell scouts out his subjects with a partner to notice the inherent dangers of snooping around areas that may be unsafe and inhospitable, giving new impetus to the term “adventurous spirit.”

It’s doubtful that his passion will attract legions to follow in his offbeat endeavor; nevertheless, Farrell’s book has an amazing ability to entice the viewer into asking, while in a voyeuristic mindset, “What sort of trashy pictures might there be on the next page?”

But perhaps the best appraisal of Abandoned Kentucky should mention that Farrell’s images provoke the imagination to wonder and embrace the untold stories behind the evidence of people simply living out their daily, but transitory, lives.

Maybe you or I were a part of such … or will be.

BY STEVE FLAIRTY

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

attention, writers...

We are seeking submissions for the literary section in our February 2020 issue. Entries will be accepted in the following categories: Poetry, Fiction and Creative Nonfiction.

for guidelines and to submit entries,

visit kentuckymonthly.com.

kentucky monthly’s annual writers’ showcase

PENNED submission deadline: d e c e m b e r 11

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 9

• K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

35

VOICES

Past Tense/Present Tense

Kentucky Classics: The Believers by Janice Holt Giles

BY BILL ELLIS

O

ccasionally, I intend to write about some the most important fiction in Kentucky history, penned by novelists who are deceased. Some of the books may have been long out of print. For insight, craft, attention to detail and other attributes, therefore, I call them “classic.”

I read modern Kentucky fiction and poetry occasionally, though I prefer in my dotage to delve into authors long dead but whose works I, and others, think have stood the test of time.

I penned a biography of Irvin S. Cobb a couple of years ago and found some of his writings unpalatable to the modern reader. However, some of his other works of fiction were extremely well done, and I only wish modern readers would delve into some of his best writings. For most of his life, Cobb was extremely successful, making a substantial income while not often finding the high mark of critics.

Some of the best fiction of James Lane Allen, John Fox Jr., Elizabeth Madox Roberts, Robert Penn Warren, Harriette Simpson Arnow, Janice Holt Giles and others has stood the test of time, at least by my estimation.

Born in Altus, Arkansas, Janice Meredith Holt (19091979) grew up in Arkansas and Oklahoma, attending the University of Arkansas and Transylvania University. Her first marriage ended in divorce. In 1941, she and her daughter moved to Kentucky, where she first worked at a Frankfort church and then for the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

On a bus trip from Louisville to Texas, she met serviceman Henry Giles at a stop in Bowling Green. They corresponded while he was in the United States Army, including his time in Europe. They met in Louisville upon his discharge in 1945 and married, while Janice continued to work at the seminary. In 1949, they moved to a small farm not far from his boyhood home near Knifley in Adair County.

Janice continued her writing while Henry worked in Campbellsville and farmed. Their main livelihood became a writing partnership that blossomed into numerous books.

The Enduring Hills (1950), a book that, along with Miss Willie (1951) and Tara’s Healing (1952), would be part of the Piney Ridge trilogy, was chosen by Doubleday publishing for its Dollar Book Club and sold 140,000 copies in its first printing. Janice Holt Giles was on her way to becoming one 36

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

of the most prolific and successful fiction writers in Kentucky history.

Next came the Kentucky trilogy: The Kentuckians (1953), Harrah Fowler (1956) and the subject of this review, The Believers: A Novel of Shaker Life (1957). Three later novels were about a region she knew well, Arkansas and the western frontier. They included Johnny Osage (1960), which I think I read about the time it came out; Savanna (1961); and Voyage to Santa Fe (1962).

Janice produced books that were considered well-crafted and “insightful,” according to Bonnie Jean Cox, among others. In The Kentucky Anthology: Two Hundred Years of Writing in the Bluegrass State, Wade Hall declared that Janice came to Henry’s home area as “an outsider” but soon adjusted “to life under the primitive conditions” there. Moreover, “her hugely popular books about Henry’s home county and people made them known around the world.”

Janice and Henry also collaborated on books about his time in the service and their life on a small farm in three books: 40 Acres and No Mule, A Little Better Than Plumb and Around Our House.

Giles’ historical fiction is considered by many to be highly accurate, the result of her painstaking research.

Historical figures such as Benjamin Logan, Daniel Boone, James Harrod and Sam Houston, among others, are intricately woven into some of her books.

The central character in The Believers is Rebecca Fowler, a woman who tried the life of a Shaker, the more common name for the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, or shortened to the Society of Believers.

Founded by Englishwoman “Mother” Ann Lee, the society had settlements that extended from New York to Ohio, with Kentucky enclaves at Pleasant Hill in Mercer County and South Union in Logan County, the most western and southern locations of these religious communitarians. The Shaker communities thrived until just after the Civil War, when their craftsmanship collided with the advent of industrialization.

Mother Ann believed herself to be the second incarnation of the Holy Spirit in female form, continuing

the work of Christ. Though married couples could enter Shaker colonies, they—like all men and women—were required to live chaste lives in separate living quarters, even sitting at separate tables for their meals. Perfectionism was their doctrine. “Put your hands to work and your hearts to God,” was Mother Ann’s watchword. Their craftsmanship is evident to anyone who has visited a Shaker community today or admired their furniture and handicrafts.

The American experience of the early 19th century offered many groups like the Shakers opportunities to strike out in nonconformist, nontraditional paths. Their perfectionism would be spiritual, divine and heavenly, while waiting for the end of the present world and the beginning of the millennium. Most traditional Christians believed the Shakers to be eminently mistaken, mostly harmless and outlandish. Their style of dancing or “shaking out the devil” became an object of ridicule but of local interest to others.

In The Believers, Giles blends a story about the expansion of the western Kentucky frontier in the early 19th century with a readable account of a woman seeking happiness. Written in first-person narrative, The Believers is the story of Rebecca Fowler, the daughter of Hannah Fowler, the subject of a previous Giles novel. Rebecca marries a man named Richard Cooper, and after leaving the more prosperous Green River farmland for that of the Gasper River, they have two stillborn children. Giles draws us into the story after the couple visits a Great Revival meeting, where they hear a Shaker minister.

Richard becomes enthralled with Shaker theology. He believes that God has punished him and his wife and wholeheartedly joins the South Union Shaker community. Rebecca, of course, follows her husband.

Living separately as good Shakers, Rebecca and Richard fall into the rhythm and monotony of South Union. Rebecca accepts the basic goodness, sincerity, freedom for both women and African Americans, and devotion of the Shaker community. By the standards of the times, Shakers lived rather comfortable lives. What she questions is the lack of individuality, human companionship and freedom. Richard increasingly becomes distant and unresponsive, and Rebecca eventually accepts their lives will always be separate.

“Many were the nights, in that wide and lonely bed, heavy hearted and miserable, I wept until the pillow was wet,” Rebecca says, missing the intimate relationship with her husband.

Rebecca develops a rewarding friendship with Permilla, who after being worn out by childbearing and life with a brutal husband, is comfortable with the regimented Shaker life. The contrast between the reactions of Rebecca and Permilla exemplified what many in the Shaker communities must have felt: the conformity and comfort of a commune versus the uncertainty of capitalism and individualism.

Early on, Rebecca keeps a journal of her thoughts and actions. “A flaw in the Shaker organization from the first was too many rules, too much rigidity,” she writes. While Permilla and others relish the freedom from family and children, Rebecca fights against the tyranny of her immediate authority figure, Sister Priscilla, whom even Permilla enjoys tormenting by breaking silence after lights out, calling her “Prissy.” Only Permilla, as the native trickster, always bending the rules and laughing at authority, keeps Rebecca’s spirits up.

Eventually, Rebecca escapes the drudgery of kitchen work and manual labor by being appointed a teacher of Shaker girls. Her individuality is further awakened by friendship with another teacher, Stephen Burke, who is not a Shaker but a learned New York contract educator who is

in charge of the school and teaches the males. She immediately becomes attracted to him as well as to the prospects of teaching.

A meeting with Richard convinces Rebecca that their life together was over. When she pleads to leave South Union behind and recover their marriage, he retorts, “Have you lost your mind?”

Complicating the lives of Richard and Rebecca are three slaves whom they brought with them into the Shaker fellowship. Finally, that issue is resolved but not to Richard’s liking, when the slaves are assigned to Rebecca solely, and she signs papers to free them.

Even teaching becomes a heartache when Rebecca understands that her “life was wasting away. I was teaching the children of others, in the certain knowledge I would never teach one of my own.”

The relationship with Stephen deepens as Rebecca finally decides to leave the Shaker life after reviewing her earlier life as a wife. “Hopelessness is a very terrible and lonely thing,” she laments. The die is cast following the death of a young woman who feels that the Shaker life is not for her and takes her own life. A new Kentucky law allows divorce if one of a married couple decides to leave the Shaker fellowship.

Rebecca leaves her Richard behind, divorces him, and returns to her mother’s home. She is soon joined by Stephen.

They marry and make a new home in the Missouri Territory, where they raise four healthy boys.

The Believers has a happy ending, similar to the romance and marriage of Janice and Henry Giles. They met at a Greyhound bus station in Bowling Green, where they had dinner together in mid-July 1943. It must have been love at first sight. Henry retained Janice’s passage all the way to Texas by claiming she was his wife, because servicemen were the first to be seated.

In an epilogue by Dianne Watkins, editor of Hello, Janice: The Wartime Letters of Henry Giles, published by the University Press of Kentucky, is this closing paragraph: “In his letters, Henry repeatedly wrote, ‘When I’m back Honey, I don’t want you to ever leave my side.’ She has not.

They are buried side by side at the Caldwell Chapel Separate Baptist Church cemetery in Knifley, Kentucky.”

In an introduction to a reprinting of The Believers by the University Press of Kentucky, Cecilia Macheski writes, “Janice Holt Giles offers an appealing fiction that helps us understand our own fascination with the Shakers. Her story renews, at least for the moment, the fading voices of Mother Ann Lee’s children.”

Thankfully, Giles wrote with a minimum of colloquialisms and accents, making the novel flow easily for the modern reader.

Giles did not begin her literary career until the age of 41.

Her novels “were well-received and reached a fairly large audience,” explained William Smith Ward in A Literary History of Kentucky. She wrote about “real people who blunder along like people everywhere else,” he concluded.

The Janice Holt Giles and Henry Giles Society, established in 1996, preserves her literary legacy and maintains the couple’s log home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. There is an extensive Giles manuscript collection at the Western Kentucky University Library.

For more about the Kentucky Shakers, read Julia Neal’s The Kentucky Shakers and Pleasant Hill and Its Shakers by Thomas D. Clark and F. Gerald Ham. For more on Janice Holt and Henry Giles and their Adair County cabin, please see the September 2019 issue, page 40.

Readers may contact Bill Ellis at editor@kentuckymonthly.com N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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OUTDOORS

Field Notes

A Brief History of Deer Hunting in Kentucky

BY GARY GARTH

A

mong the sprawling deer-hunting community, Kentucky has become a destination state, an area to which hunters are willing to travel for a chance to tag a trophy deer.

“Trophy” is a relative term. In my judgment, every deer is a trophy. But to make the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ official trophy buck list, a minimum net 160 typical or 185 non-typical Boone & Crockett score is required. For the 2018-19 season, 26 typical and 13 non-typical reported deer met the minimum. But participation is voluntary; the list includes only deer that state wildlife officials know about.

Big deer are not always reported.

Kentucky’s deer season has been underway since Sept. 7, when archery season, which runs through Jan. 20, opened. Crossbow season also is currently open. A two-day muzzleloader hunt was held in October, and the second half of that weapon-specific season will be Dec. 14-22. But for the bulk of the state’s deer hunters, the season opens Nov. 9, opening day for the modern gun hunt, which runs through Nov. 24 in all zones. (Bows, crossbows and muzzleloaders also can be used during the modern gun deer season.)

Kentucky is home to about a million deer, maybe 1.5 million. No one knows exactly. What is known is that last year, hunters tagged 145,753 whitetails, the second-highest number on record, including at least 39 B&Cclass trophies. These numbers are a measure of the health, size and quality of the herd. It’s destination state size.

This was not always the case. The phenomenal deer hunting enjoyed by about 350,000 Kentuckians—and deer watching, enjoyed by everyone who takes pleasure in seeing wildlife—is a result of numerous factors, good habitat being one. Kentucky has excellent deer habitat, ranging from stands of hardwoods that produce mast (food)

for the deer to grain-producing agriculture fields, with a few wetland areas thrown in, resulting in a varied and wide-ranging landscape. Genetics also are a driving factor in producing big, healthy deer. Kentucky’s deer herd draws from a rich gene pool.

And then there’s the state’s wildlife management, which has not always been great but is usually solid and, at times, has been stellar. A brief review: 1894 Kentucky has no agency overseeing wildlife management, but the state legislature passes a law making it illegal to kill a whitetail buck, doe or fawn from March 1 to Sept. 1.

1912 The Kentucky Game Commission is formed at the request, and with the support, of many of the state’s sportsmen. One of the commission’s early recommendations is that Kentucky be closed to deer hunting, as whitetails are vanishing, due largely to habitat loss and little or no game management. Deer hunting will remain closed for more than three decades.

1946 The recently reorganized Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources offers a limited deer season.

Early 1960s As the state’s deer herd hovers around 35,000 animals, restoration efforts escalate by trapping, relocating and releasing deer. The first implants arrive from Wisconsin and are stocked in four western Kentucky counties. Success is limited.

1973 A three-day firearm deer season is offered.

1973 The Department of Fish and Wildlife commission establishes a mandatory hunter orange requirement for deer hunters.

1976 Deer check stations are established as a management tool; 3,476 deer are checked.

1978 State wildlife biologist John Phillips becomes deer program coordinator for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Among other management innovations, he analyzes deer populations across the state and determines that a county could be opened for hunting if it has a whitetail population of more than one deer per square mile. To help meet this goal, Phillips proposes a 10-fold increase in the number of deer that were being stocked per county. During the next two decades, more than 12,000 deer are trapped, moved and released. The program is enormously successful.

1981 Hunters check 14,983 deer. It is the first time a season kill exceeds 10,000.

1991 Kentucky establishes its one antlered buck per season limit. This remains in effect today and is widely considered the lynchpin in the state’s trophy deer population.

1999 The wildlife agency’s last deer stocking occurs (in Perry County).

2000 Kentucky hunters check 106,263 deer, exceeding 100,000 for the first time.

Nov. 9, 2019 Kentucky’s 2019 modern gun season opens.

This long legacy is not lost on current wildlife stewards.

“It’s hard to imagine that deer were hard to find 50 years ago in many places in this state. As the program leader for managing this wonderful resource, we do not take it lightly.

Kentucky is now renowned in the deer hunting culture as a destination state that provides a high chance of harvesting a large antlered deer,” said current state Deer and Elk Program Coordinator Gabe Jenkins.

Hunt safely.

For more information, check the current hunting and fishing guide or go to fw.ky.gov.

Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

TRAVEL

KTIA Signature Winter/Holiday Events ach quarter, the Kentucky Travel Industry Association spotlights E Signature Events for the season.

Following is a sample of the state’s prime activities for the winter/holiday season.

Gypsy Moon Marketplace, Nov. 7-9, Highland Stables, Bowling Green, gypsymoonmarketplace.com. At this unique marketplace, shoppers find a juried assortment of handmade creations, vintage and antique treasures, original art, home decor, gifts, funky junk, restored and repurposed items, local photography, jewelry, apparel and more.

The event hosts 80-plus vendors and includes live music, food and giveaways.

Veterans Honor Parade, Nov. 9, downtown Hopkinsville, (270) 887-4290, visithopkinsville. com/event/veterans-honor-parade. Hopkinsville pays tribute to those who have served in our armed forces with this special event.

Participating veterans receive a hand-held American flag to carry and take home. A brief closing ceremony follows the parade, with music, refreshments and displays.

Holiday Market at the Art Center, Nov. 15-Dec. 23, Art Center of the Bluegrass, Danville, (859) 236-4054, communityartscenter.net.

Presenting artwork by dozens of the region’s top artists, this inspiring holiday experience features gift ideas for friends, family and co-workers. Plan also to attend the Holiday Market’s opening ceremony on Nov. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Old Fort Harrod Holiday Open House, Nov. 23, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov. The 18th century fort transforms into a festive frontier and welcomes visitors to explore paths lit by candle lanterns. Admire each cabin throughout the stockade, adorned with live greenery and natural decorations for the holiday season. Bring the kids for a special visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, who will be seated near the fireplace in the corner blockhouse.

Christmas in the Park, Nov. 27-Jan. 1, Freeman Lake Park, Elizabethtown, (270) 2348258, elizabethtownky.org/christmas-in-the-park.

Manger scenes, Santa Claus, Disney characters, Christmas trees and more delight visitors as they motor through the park listening to Christmas music on their car radio to “set the scene.” The lake is surrounded by a luminary-lit path where visitors take in the sight of more than 100 lighted displays.

Explore

Twinkle at the Track, Nov. 29-Jan. 1, NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, (270) 7774509, motorsportspark.org. This new drivethrough holiday light experience is on the west track of the NCM Motorsports Park.

Cars, buses and other vehicles can cruise through 25 scenes featuring more than one million bright lights on a 2-mile stretch of racetrack.

Under the Streetlamp, Dec. 6, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com. Let’s get hip to the holidays as Under the Streetlamp entertains with a joyous performance of favorite holiday tunes, plus songs from the American Radio Songbook.

Dance and sing along to tunes from the group’s live PBS specials and new studio album, Hip to the Holidays.

Christmas at The Bend, Dec. 7, Jeffers Bend Environmental Center, Hopkinsville, (270) 8855600, visithopkinsville.com/event/ christmas-at-the-bend. Celebrate the season with homemade cookies, apples, hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Make Christmas cards for nursing home residents, create fun craft projects, learn about wintertime bird-feeding, and have your photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Illuminated Evenings at Shaker Village, Dec. 7, 14 and 21, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, 1-800-734-5611, shakervillageky.org. Delight in life’s simple gifts with family and friends, as lively music, merriment and candlelight illuminate the Village. In addition to the regular holiday festivities, Illuminated Evenings feature holiday music, roaring fires, twinkling lights and special visits with Mrs. Claus. Each Saturday features different performers, programs and tours.

Return to Bethlehem, Dec. 14-16, First Baptist Church, Madisonville, (270) 821-3611, visitmadisonvilleky.com. This annual living, walk-through indoor drama presents the recreated town of Bethlehem as it might have been when Jesus was born.

Visitors view live animals, hear music, smell aromas and watch craftsmen at work. The journey winds through the city past shops for the weaver, baker, basket maker, potter, blacksmith, brick maker and carpenter.

The Kentucky Travel Industry Association names its Signature Events four times a year. To be eligible, festivals or events must be recommended or produced by a KTIA member. A panel of impartial judges selects the winners for each season.

For more information, phone (502) 223-8687, email info@ktia.com or visit KTIA.com.

Illustration by Annette Cable.

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Ongoing Syncopation Exhibit,

MONDAY Ongoing Interwoven,

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

<<<

SUNDAY

Rob Bolson photo

NOVEMBER 2019 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1

2

Guignol Theatre, University of Kentucky, Lexington, through Nov. 3, (859) 257-4929

KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000

Cabaret,

Chris Stapleton,

Pyro Gallery, Louisville, through Dec. 1, (502) 587-0106

University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, through Dec. 8, (859) 257-6218

3

4

8

9

Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, 1-888-560-3976

Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037

The Spotlight Playhouse Theater, Berea, also Nov. 10 and 15-17, (859) 756-0011

Center for Rural Development, Somerset, through Nov. 10, (606) 679-6394

10

Kentucky Book Festival, various locations, Lexington, through Nov. 16, (859) 257-5932

11

Military Appreciation Days, Newport Aquarium, Newport, through Nov. 17, 1-800-406-3474

17

18

downtown Dawson Springs, (270) 821-4171

Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567

Christmas Open House,

Fairy Tale Misfits,

Escape to Margaritaville,

David Sedaris,

12

Goo Goo Dolls Concert, Louisville Palace, Louisville, 1-800-745-3000

Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 821-4171

<<<

Bridal Expo,

13

Vine to Wine, Passalino’s, Louisville, (502) 584-8080

Alias Brass Company, Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, (859) 257-4929

RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2787

Theatre, Louisville, through Dec. 23, (502) 584-1205

Freeman Lake Park, Elizabethtown, through Jan. 1, (270) 765-2175

Christmas in the Park,

16

Bluegrass Bash, Highlands Museum, Ashland, (606) 329-8888

<<<

The Grascals,

Wild Kratts Live 2.0,

27

19

15

20

24

The Santaland Diaries, Actors

14

Sheltowee Artisans Art Fair,

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891

23 28 Thanksgiving

29

Light Up Bardstown, Welcome Center Plaza, Bardstown, (502) 350-6180

30

Small Business Holiday Shopping Event, downtown Augusta, (606) 756-2183

a guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events 40

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

BLUEGRASS REGION Ongoing Interwoven: Joan Snyder, Judy Ledgerwood, Crystal Gregory, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, through Dec. 8, (859) 257-6218, finearts.uky.edu/art-museum Ongoing The Good Earth Exhibit, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, through Dec. 8, (859) 257-5716, finearts.uky.edu/art-museum Ongoing Winter Wonderland Barn, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, through Nov. 30, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov 1 Evening of Worship with Chris Tomlin, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com 1-3 Cabaret, presented by UK Theatre+Dance, Guignol Theatre, University of Kentucky, Lexington, (859) 257-4929, scfatickets.com 1-3 National Horse Show, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, (859) 255-5727, kyhorsepark.com 1-17 Andre Pater: An American Journey Exhibit, Headley-Whitney Museum, Lexington, (859) 255-6653, headley-whitney.org 2 Anderson County Art Trail, various locations, Lawrenceburg, (502) 604-3000, visitlawrenceburgky.com 2 Cobwebber Brooms, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 281-5104, shakervillageky.org 2 Avett Brothers, Rupp Arena, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, rupparena.com

8-10 A Camper’s Thanksgiving, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov 8-10 Fairy Tale Misfits, The Spotlight Playhouse Theater, Berea, also Nov. 15-17, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com 9 Boots and Bourbon: A Nashville Songwriters Festival, The Barn at McCall Springs, Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-3127, visitlawrenceburgky.com 9 Bluegrass History, Raven Run, Lexington, (859) 272-6105, ravenrun.org 9 Quail Dinner, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 281-5104, shakervillageky.org 10 The Godfather: Part II, The Grand Theatre, Frankfort, (502) 875-8687, grandtheatrefrankfort.org 10-16 Kentucky Book Festival, various locations, Lexington, (859) 257-5932, kyhumanities.org/programs/ kentucky-book-festival 15 LexArts Gallery Hop, various locations, Lexington, (859) 255-2951, galleryhoplex.com 15 Alias Brass Company, Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, (859) 257-4929, finearts.uky.edu/ singletary-center 16 Basic Basket Weaving: The Market Basket, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 281-5104, shakervillageky.org 16 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Dinner, Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, (859) 879-1939, woodfordreserve.com

22-30 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Spotlight Playhouse Theater, Berea, (859) 756-0011, thespotlightplayhouse.com 23 Hawktail, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com 23 Chris Young’s Raised on Country Tour, Rupp Arena, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, rupparena.com 23 Craft Fair, Spindletop Hall, Lexington, (859) 255-2777, spindletophall.org 23 Holiday Open House, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov 23-24 Winter Trade Days, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3131, parks.ky.gov 23-30 Holiday History Train Display, Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, Saturdays through Jan. 4, (502) 564-1792, history.ky.gov/events 29-30 Southern Lights, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, through Dec. 31, (859) 255-5727, kyhorsepark.com 30 Little Explorers – History Detectives, Raven Run, Lexington, (859) 272-6105, ravenrun.org 30 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, Lexington Opera House, Lexington, through Dec. 8, (859) 2334567, lexingtonoperahouse.com 30 Blessing of the Hounds, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 281-5104, shakervillageky.org

17 Ariana Grande, Rupp Arena, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, rupparena.com

December 1 Lexington Chamber Chorale – Sing Community, Second Presbyterian Church, Lexington, (859) 317-3353, lexingtonchamberchorale.org

18 Alice Cooper, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com

December 3 A Christmas Carol, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com

4 Allman Betts Band, Grand Theatre, Frankfort, (502) 875-8687, grandtheatrefrankfort.org

18 David Sedaris, Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, lexingtonoperahouse.com

December 3-18 Christmas Teas, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov

7 Chautauqua Lecture Series, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, also Nov. 21 and Dec. 4, (859) 622-1000, chautauqua.eku.edu

22 Joe Diffie Band, The Grand Theatre, Frankfort, (502) 875-8687, grandtheatrefrankfort.org

December 5-31 Lighting of The Trace, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, through Jan. 2, (502) 875-8687, buffalotracedistillery.com

2 Big Green Egg Thanksgiving Cooking Class, Wilson Nurseries, Frankfort, (502) 223-1488, wilsonnurseriesky.com 2-3 Holes, based on the novel by Louis Sachar, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lexington, also Nov. 9-10, (859) 254-4546, lctonstage.org

8 Handel and the Mad King, Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, Lexington, (859) 280-2218, lexingtonlyric.com

22 Lexington Philharmonic: Wind Power, Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, (859) 257-4929, finearts.uky.edu/ singletary-center

December 6 Under the Streetlamp, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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December 6-7 Christmas Tea Room, Harrodsburg Historical Society, (859) 734-5985, harrodsburghistorical.org December 6-21 Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov December 6-28 Holiday Lunch and Tour, Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, (859) 879-1939, woodfordreserve.com December 7 Kentucky Reptile Expo, Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, kentuckyreptileexpo.com December 7-21 Meet Mrs. Claus, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov December 7-21 Tea Time With Mrs. Claus, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 281-5104, shakervillageky.org December 7-21 Illuminated Evenings, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 281-5104, shakervillageky.org

(502) 566-5111, kentuckycenter.org 1-2 Heartland Dulcimer Festival, First Christian Church, Elizabethtown, (270) 765-2175, heartlanddulcimerclub.org 1-3 Arsenic and Old Lace, Angelic Hall at Centre Square, Lebanon, (270) 699-2787, kentuckyclassicarts.com 1-3 All Wrapped Up Gift & Craft Show, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 1-3 Deer Widow Retreat, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 1-12 Ultimate Things: New Paintings by Madison Cawein, B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, (502) 896-6687, bdeemer.com 1-17 The Lion King, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, (502) 566-5111, kentuckycenter.org 2 Chris Stapleton, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com

December 8 Country Christmas Concert, McAfee Jamboree, Harrodsburg, (859) 613-4052

7-8 Festival of Theology, Louisville Seminary, Louisville, 1-800-264-1839, lpts.edu

December 8 Jordana Greenberg & Price Hill Duo, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, (859) 257-5716, finearts.uky.edu/art-museum

8-10 Glory Denied, presented by Kentucky Opera, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, (502) 566-5111, kentuckycenter.org

LOUISVILLE REGION Ongoing KMAC Triennial Crown of Rays Exhibit, KMAC Museum, Louisville, through Dec. 4, (502) 589-0102, kmacmuseum.org Ongoing Celebrating the Sounds of Kentucky, Frazier History Museum, Louisville, through Aug, 28, 2020, (502) 753-5663, fraziermuseum.org Ongoing Evolving Inspiration: The Art and Design of Julius Friedman, The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, through Feb. 28, (502) 635-5083, filsonhistorical.org Ongoing Syncopation Exhibit, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, through Dec. 1, (502) 587-0106, pyrogallery.com 1 Jammin’ at Jeptha, Jeptha Creed Distillery, Shelbyville, also Nov. 8 and 15, (502) 487-5007, jepthacreed.com 1-2 20th Century Blues, presented

by Eve Theatre, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville,

42

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

9-10 Oldham Arts Fall Show, John Black Center, La Grange, (502) 222-3822, aaooc.org 10 Tracking New England Footprints in Kentucky Furniture, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, (502) 634-2700, speedmuseum.org 10-17 Military Appreciation Days, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org 12 Goo Goo Dolls Concert, Louisville Palace, Louisville, 1-800-745-3000, louisvillepalace.com 13 Vine to Wine, Passalino’s, Louisville, (502) 584-8080, passalinos.com 15 After Hours at The Speed, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, (502) 634-2700, speedmuseum.org 15-30 Tales from the Turf Exhibit, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, through March 1, (502) 634-2700, speedmuseum.org 16 Cirquelouis: The Circus Show, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, (502) 566-5111, kentuckycenter.org

23 Holiday Home Tour and Luncheon, Crestwood Civic Club, Crestwood, oldhamkyevents.com 23-30 A Christmas Carol, Actors Theatre, Louisville, through Dec. 23, (502) 584-1205, actorstheatre.org 24-30 The Santaland Diaries, Actors Theatre, Louisville, through Dec. 23, (502) 584-1205, actorstheatre.org 27-30 Christmas in the Park, Freeman Lake Park, Elizabethtown, through Jan. 1, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com 28 Thanksgiving Buffet, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov 29 Light Up Bardstown, Welcome Center Plaza, Bardstown, (502) 350-6180, bardstownmainstreet.com 30 Home for the Holidays Pops Concert, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, (502) 566-5111, kentuckycenter.org December 5 Holiday on the Hill, Bourbon Heritage Center, Bardstown, (502) 331-1000, bourbonheritagecenter.com December 6 Beautiful Music of Christmas, Basilica of St. Joseph ProtoCathedral, Springfield, (859) 481-7094, centralkytheatre.com December 6-8 Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical, Hardin County Playhouse, Elizabethtown, also Dec. 12-15, (270) 765-2175, hardincountyplayhouse.com December 6-7 North Pole Express, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, also Dec. 14-15 and 21-22, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org December 6-21 An Old Kentucky Christmas Carol, My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Bardstown, (502) 3483502, mokhshop.com/an-old-kentuckychristmas-carol December 7 St. Gregory’s Gift & Craft Show, St. Gregory Catholic Church, Bardstown, (502) 275-6731, stgregoryparish.org December 7 Gaither Christmas Homecoming, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com December 7-8 Holiday Home Tour, Old Louisville, (502) 635-5244, oldlouisville.org December 7-14 Santa on the Square, 1

Court Square, Bardstown, (502) 350-6180, bardstownmainstreet.com December 8 Family Christmas Treasures, Watterson Trail, Louisville, (502) 968-6300, louisvillechorus.org December 11 Luke Combs, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com

NORTHERN KENTUCKY Ongoing Telling A People’s Story: Traveling Panel Exhibition, Campbell County Public Library, Newport, through Dec. 5, (859) 572-5035, cc-pl.org 2-3 Tanner Station Rifle Frolic, Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park, Carlisle, (859) 289-5507, parks.ky.gov 2-17 The Carnegie Presents Proof!

Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts, Covington, (859) 957-1940, thecarnegie.com 3 Bridal Expo, Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, 1-888-560-3976, bridalshowsky-nk.com 6-30 Holiday Toy Trains, BehringerCrawford Museum, Covington, through Jan. 5, (859) 491-4003, bcmuseum.org 8 Bob Dylan and His Band, BB&T Arena, Highland Heights, (859) 442-2652, thebbtarena.com 9 Invasive Species Field Day, Big Bone Lick State Park, Union, (859) 384-3522, parks.ky.gov 9 Music of the American Revolution, Scheben Branch, Boone County Library, Union, (859) 342-2665, boone.libnet.info/events 9 ORVAG Empty Bowl Fundraiser, Cox Building, Maysville, (606) 759-4906, orvag.org 11-17 Military Appreciation Days, Newport Aquarium, Newport, 1-800-406-3474, newportaquarium.com 16 Chamber Marketplace Craft and Vendor Expo, Owen County High School, Owenton, (859) 904-3414 16 Buried History, Kenton County Library, Erlanger, (859) 962-4085, kentonlibrary.org

Experience

S N O I T I D A R T N W HOMETO in Western Kentucky

Hunter Hayes in Concert Saturday, November 9 KY’s Largest Veterans Day Parade Sunday, November 10 Return to Bethlehem Saturday, December 14 – Monday, December 16

877-243-5280

www.visitmadisonvilleky.com

22 Old Dominion – Make It Sweet Tour, BB&T Arena, Highland Heights, (859) 442-2652, thebbtarena.com

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22-23 Marjorie Prime, Falcon Theater, Newport, also Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 5-7, (513) 479-6783, falcontheater.net 23 Billy Strings Concert, The Madison Theater, Covington, (859) 491-2444, madisontheateronline.com 29-30 Winterfair, Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, through Dec. 1, (614) 486-7119, ohiocraft.org 29-30 Water Wonderland, Newport Aquarium, Newport, through Dec. 21, 1-800-406-3474, newportaquarium.com 30 Small Business Holiday Shopping Event, downtown Augusta, (606) 756-2183, augustaky.com 30 Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Southgate House Revival, Newport, (859) 431-2201, southgatehouse.com December 6-8 Frozen Jr., Stage Right Musical Theatre, Williamstown, stagerightmtc.org December 6-8 Of Dragons and Dwarves, The Village Players, Ft. Thomas, also Dec. 13-15, (859) 781-3583, villageplayers.org December 7 Frozen Wonderland Day, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov

WESTERN KENTUCKY 1-10 Mamma Mia, Playhouse in the Park, Murray, (270) 759-1752, playhousemurray.org 2 Cirque Mechanics in 42 FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 821-4171, glemacenter.org 4 Escape to Margaritaville, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 7-10 Fall Scrapbooking Weekend, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov 8-10 River’s Edge International Film Festival, Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah, (270) 443-8783, paducah.travel 9 Turkey Time, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov 9 Hunter Hayes Concert, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville,

44

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

(270) 821-4171, glemacenter.org 9 Great Russian Nutcracker, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 10 Kentucky’s Largest Veterans Day Parade, downtown Madisonville, 1-877-243-5280, visitmadisonvilleky.com 11 Vienna Boys Choir, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 12 Yoonah Kim, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 821-4171, glemacenter.org 15 Jeff Dunham, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 16 Drumline Live Holiday Spectactular, RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2787, riverparkcenter.org 16-30 Impressions Art Show, Ice House Arts, Mayfield, through Dec. 14, (270) 247-6971, icehousearts.org 17 National Take-a-Hike Day Family Trek, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov 17 Elf on a Shelf, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 17 Christmas Open House, downtown Dawson Springs, (270) 821-4171 19 Complexions Contemporary Ballet – Bach to Bowie, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 821-4171, glemacenter.org 20 Wild Kratts Live 2.0, RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2787, riverparkcenter.org 21 History of Native Americans in Kentucky, McCracken County Public Library, Paducah, (270) 442-2510, mclib.net 23 The Grascals, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891, bluegrassmuseum.org 23-24 Paper Mache Santa 2-Day Workshop, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov 28 Thanksgiving Day Buffet, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov

29 Oak Ridge Boys, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 30 Dickens of a Christmas, Market House Square, Paducah, (270) 443-8783, paducah.travel 30 The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891, bluegrassmuseum.org December 1 Christmas Parade, downtown Dawson Springs, (270) 821-4171 December 1 Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org December 5 Pulling Back the Curtain on the Columbia Theatre, McCracken County Public Library, Paducah, (270) 442-2510, mclib.net December 6 Christmas Time Is Here, with Jaimee Paul & The MCC Singers, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 821-4171, glemacenter.org December 6-15 A Christmas Story, Playhouse in the Park, Murray, (270) 759-1752, playhousemurray.org December 7 Santa Visits the Park & Gift Shop Open House, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov December 7 The Nutcracker, presented

by Owensboro Dance Theatre, RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2787, riverparkcenter.org

SOUTHERN KENTUCKY 1-3 Battle of Mill Springs National Re-enactment, Mill Springs Battlefield, Nancy, (606) 636-4045, millsprings2019.com 2 Orchestra Kentucky: Paul Simon Songbook, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com 2 Shaker Breakfast, South Union Shaker Village, Auburn, (270) 542-4167, southunionshakervillage.com 7-9 Gypsy Moon Marketplace, Highland Stables, Bowling Green, (270) 782-0800, gypsymoonmarketplace.com 9 Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green,

(270) 904-1880, theskypac.com 9 Veterans Day Parade, downtown Bowling Green, (270) 782-0800, visitbgky.com 9-10 Sheltowee Artisans Art Fair, Center for Rural Development, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, sheltoweeart.com 12 Author R.J. Palacio, Knicely Conference Center, Bowling Green, (270) 784-2182, warrenpl.org 16 Girls Day Out, Knicely Conference Center, Bowling Green, (270) 792-1078 21 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com 22-30 Southern Kentucky Ice Rink, SoKy Marketplace, Bowling Green, through Jan. 5, warrencountyky.gov/soky-ice-rink 29-30 Twinkle at the Track, NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, through Jan. 1, (844) 977-7333, motorsportspark.org/twinkle December 3 Moscow Balletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Russian Nutcracker, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com December 4 Christmas Shopping Open House, Riverview at Hobson Grove, Bowling Green, (270) 843-5565, bgky.org/riverview December 5 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com December 6 Downtown Lights Up, Fountain Square Park, Bowling Green, (270) 782-0222, downtownbg.org December 6-7 Winterfest, Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Jamestown, (270) 343-3111, parks.ky.gov December 7 Holiday Market, South Union Shaker Village, Auburn, (270) 5424167, southunionshakervillage.com December 7 Christmas Parade, downtown Bowling Green, (270) 7820222, downtownbg.org December 13-15 A Christmas Carol, Star Theatre, Russell Springs, also Dec. 20-22, (270) 866-7827, startheater.org December 14 Candlelight Tour, Riverview at Hobson Grove, Bowling Green, (270) 843-5565, bgky.org/riverview N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 â&#x20AC;˘ K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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CALENDAR

Let’s Go

EASTERN KENTUCKY 1-2 Murder Mystery Theater, Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive Hill, (606) 286-4411, parks.ky.gov 2 Miss Direction, University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, (606) 539-4606, ucumberlands.edu 2 Rodney Atkins, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com 2 Appalachian Handmade Craft Fair, Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg, (606) 889-1790, parks.ky.gov 2 Elk Viewing Tours, Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg, also Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, (606) 889-1790, parks.ky.gov 2-3 Fly Fishing Weekend, Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Pineville, (859) 489-1593, parks.ky.gov 9 Dream Night Talent Search, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com 16 Bluegrass Bash, Highlands Museum, Ashland, (606) 329-8888, highlandsmuseum.com 16 Chris Janson Concert, Appalachian Wireless Arena, Pikeville, (606) 444-4406, appalachianwirelessarena.com 16-17 Fly Fishing Weekend, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, (859) 489-1593, parks.ky.gov 22-30 Festival of Trees and Trains, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, through Dec. 1, (606) 547-5077, pacfott.org 23 Santa Train, Shelbiana, (606) 432-5063 29-30 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Artists Collaborative Theatre, Pikeville, through Dec. 15, (606) 432-5063, act.org 29-30 Moonshine and Mistletoe, Appalachian Center for the Arts, Pikeville, through Dec. 21, (606) 444-5500, theapparts.org 30 JBo’s Kentucky Opry Christmas, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, also Dec. 13-15 and 20-21, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com

S H O P K E N T U C K Y M O N T H L Y. C O M

SHOP

30 Diamond Rio Concert, Appalachian Wireless Arena, Pikeville, (606) 444-5506, appwirelessarena.com December 6 Tessa Lark and Michael Thurber, University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, (606) 539-4606, ucumberlands.edu December 7 Breakfast with Santa, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, (606) 663 2214, parks.ky.gov December 7 Huntington Symphony Orchestra Presents Star Wars, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com

For additional Calendar items or to submit an event, visit kentuckymonthly.com.

Submissions must be sent at least 90 days prior to the event.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

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47

VOICES

Vested Interest

A Welcome Detour I am thankful for time spent with family. I ventured to Colorado (a first) with Katy, and stuck my toe in the Pacific Ocean (a first) with Sydney and Molly.

I was thankful to see Syd graduate high school and begin college.

STEPHEN M. VEST Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

KWIZ ANSWERS: 1. B. Old Tub; 2. B. Old Drum; 3. C. Kinsey, a former police officer turned private investigator, debuted in 1982’s “A” is for Alibi; 4. A. Hardware; 5. C. Narcissism of small differences; 6. C. Drummer; 7. B. 1958. Abraham Lincoln Collinsworth was born on the 16th president’s birthday; 8. B. The stadium and its parking cover the 92-acre railyard; 9. C. Thelma & Louise was selected for preservation in 2016 by the United States Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”; 10. A. Basketball. As a senior at Warren Central, Fant averaged 21.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He also blocked 75 shots and was named first-team All-State.

Readers, and those looking for a speaker, may contact Stephen M. Vest at steve@ kentuckymonthly.com

48

T

his month’s dispatch was supposed to come to you from Kanazawa, Japan, a city known for its art museums and regional handicrafts. Representatives of Paducah’s thriving arts community invited me to join them there for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network conference. I was en route when Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm to hit Japan in more than 60 years, rolled ashore.

It destroyed homes, triggered hundreds of landslides, collapsed dikes, and killed at least 70 people (a number expected to grow).

Mike even showed us the boyhood home of Ernest Hemingway, who called his old neighborhood, “a city of wide lawns and narrow minds.”

Thankfully, I had made it only as far as Chicago when news of airport closings rippled through my cellphone. The first alert said my 14-hour flight out of O’Hare International to Tokyo was postponed. Hours later, it was canceled.

While I pray for the people of Japan, I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know Mike and his family and the treasured time with my daughters that I might not have had otherwise.

At the time, no one knew the devastation or the loss of human life that Hagibis would cause. To me, it was an inconvenience, a change of plans. It turned into an unexpected opportunity to spend a weekend with my eldest daughters, Katy and Molly, in the Windy City.

We toured Oak Park, home to the most extensive collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses.

My cousin, Mike, supplied bicycles for our tour and served as our tour guide.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

“I’m guessing he didn’t like it here,” Mike said.

We visited “The Bean,” a stainless steel sculpture by Sir Anish Kapoor in the city’s Millennium Park (possibly the best place for selfies in North America), took an architectural sunset cruise on Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, and ate food from the West Loop to Roscoe Village.

ggg Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. It’s an excellent time to look back—and forward. When I look back on 2019, I’ll think of my 92-year-old mom’s passing and the passing of a dozen of my friends’ mothers, but I’ll also think of the moments for which I am thankful.

Regardless of the outcome, I think we’ll all be thankful when this current election cycle is over. I hope the negativity that comes with campaigns isn’t becoming a feature of everyday life. ggg

I am thankful I witnessed a soccer game in which Izzy, my 4-year-old granddaughter (Christopher’s daughter), scored the game-winning goal (a first) in a 5-4 victory at England-Idlewild Park in Burlington. What made it special was that she and her Panther teammates scored all nine goals—four in the wrong goal and five in the correct one. ggg In my spare time, I’ve been teaching dual-credit communication courses through Campbellsville University. The one lesson I wanted to pass on to my students I learned from Mr. Cunningham in high school, who, I assume, learned it from Mark Twain. It was Twain who said writers should never use the word “very,” because “very” is a clue that you’re looking for a better word.

Twain said: “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be.”

If something is large, it’s large. If it’s very large, it’s huge. If someone is smart, they’re smart. If they’re very smart, they’re brilliant. For eight weeks, I pounded this lesson at my students, again and again. I said, “If something is very important, it’s vital.”

One of my students said in her final speech, “Using words such as vital—V-I-T-A-L—is very important.”

I’m thankful she was paying attention.

10 Consecutive Appearances on Jay Mathewsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; List of Top Performing Schools with Elite Students 5 Straight Years Advancing to the National Science Bowl Competition in Washington, D.C. 136 National Merit Finalists

We come from all across Kentucky to The Gatton Academy on the campus of Western Kentucky University. As juniors and seniors in high school, we enroll in WKU courses, conduct research with WKU professors, and study abroad. While we are challenged academically, we thrive in a supportive environment designed just for us and make lifelong friends. Best yet, our tuition, meals, housing, and fees are all paid for by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You, too, can have a future filled with infinite possibilities.

WEBSITE: wku.edu/academy / EMAIL: academy@wku.edu / PHONE: 270-745-6565

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Class of 2022 Admissions Deadline: January 31, 2020

For the love of the Bluegrass.

Exhibition opens November 15.

Image Henry Stull (American, 1851–1913) Lamplighter, 1898 Oil on canvas 30-1/4” H x 40-1/4” W (framed) Loan courtesy of Hank and Mary Brockman

Exhibition support provided by Ashbourne Farms Roberto Coin / Davis Jewelers PNC Wealth Management Jackson Family Wines Gainesway Farm Justice Real Estate

The first exhibition to examine Kentucky’s relationship to the horse through art, featuring paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings, prints, and manuscripts to tell the story of the horse in the Bluegrass State.

Mr. and Mrs. George Hoskins Austin and Janie Musselman William McMahan Nina Bonnie Susan and Allan Lavin Carol & Charles Hebel Hardscuffle, Inc.

Exhibition season support provided by Dav Fam Art Fund Cary Brown and Steven E. Epstein Paul and Deborah Chellgren Debra and Ronald Murphy Eleanor Bingham Miller