My Papaw, Walter Lile

This picture was taken ten days before he died on July 19, 2007. The lady next to him is my Aunt Carla. Tomorrow he would be 96 years old. I can still hear his voice, but I know he's happy where he is. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. I love you, Papaw.

Fifth month is going...going...

I can't believe it's already the 5th month of 2009! So much has happened in that short amount of time that I have to catch my breath. Last weekend I had a garage sale and did pretty well. We sold movies, collectibles, books, purses and clothing. I have three tubs of clothing left but I think another garage sale may take care of that.

This weekend is BBQ Festival weekend and a friend of mine who I haven't seen in ten year will be here! He's guest vocals for a band, to which the name eludes me, and I hope to have a nice visit with him. He was in the band at Campbellsville University. During these ten years he has played for different venues all over the country and has had a successful wrestling career. Now he's back at C'ville trying to earn his bachelors in music and then venture on to FSU to get his masters. Talking to him last night on the phone brought up alot of memories.


Sunday, May 10, is special for two reasons. For more obvious reason it is Mother's Day. I salute each mother for their hard work, love and dedication to their children. My mom is my hero. She is smart, funny, is strong in her faith and was a great role model for me. She was diganosed in her early 30's with multiple sclerosis. I can't imagine how she must have felt trying to understand why she was sick and trying to raise my brother and me. But MS hasn't stopped her. She lives a very active life and sells Avon. If you need an Avon representative, just let me know!


May 10 is also my dad's birthday. He will be the big 60! I don't think of my dad as his age. I'm a daddy's girl, so to me he is timeless. My dad is a leader at my home church and is a member of our local American Legion. He served two years in the Marines in the 1970's. Dad was also the one who would make sure I went to bed and said my prayers. He also taught my brother and I how to play basketball.

May 17 is my Papaw's, Walter Lile, birthday. He would have been 96 years old. He grew up in Bullitt County, KY and had only an 8th grade education. He was a plumber who worked for Ft. Knox and when he was a teenager he worked on a turkey farm and til the day he died would not eat turkey. You can imagine how strange it was having ham at Thanksgiving. His favorite hymn was How Great Thou Art and he had beautiful white hair. I loved to talk to him on the phone and send him cards for every occasion. When I go home to my parents and see his house empty it makes me very sad. This time of year Papaw would have had his garden planted and his flowers would've been blooming. He could also pray very beautifully.

I've been very blessed to have such a wonderful family. Although it seems the time is going by so very fast, take a minute to think of the people you love by honoring them with your memories. I miss you, Papaw.

May--Kentucky's Month of Events

The month of May is approaching very quickly, and three events happen that keep us very busy. If you like horses, food or history, keep reading!

May 1, 2009, 135th Run for the Roses, or the Kentucky Derby, Louisville.

According to Wikipedia, on May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. The first winner was the horse Aristides. As an almost Louisville native, I have never been to the Derby. It is tradition in my family to go to our local American Legion's derby party and watch the races all day. Highlights for me include stories from the in-field and celebrity watching on millionaire's row. But to witness the race is like nothing else. You hold your breath until the horses cross the finish line. It is the most exciting two-minute race in history.

May 9-10 is Owensboro's BBQ Festival.

People from all over come to the BBQ capital to sample amazing mutton, pork, beef, chicken and burgoo. I love the smell of the food, the friendliness of the people, and the view of the river, which this year happens to be under construction. Thinking about watching those church teams cook their bbq for glory makes me hungry!

May 15-17 is the Battle of Sacramento in McLean County, KY.

According to the McLean County Civil War Driving Tour of Sacramento, Confederate forces, under Lt. Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest, were active in the Green River area during the fall and winter of 1861.

They were protecting the Confederate base and capital at Bowling Green and trying to maintain control of the Green River and the surrounding area, a long time source of food for the lower South. Ten thousand Union soldiers under General Thomas Crittenden were stationed in Calhoun protecting Lock and Dam No. 2 and maintaining the security of the Union’s Ohio River supply lines as the campaign for control of the Mississippi was developing.

Control of the Green River was crucial to both Union and Confederate goals during the maneuvering for position in late 1861. This made McLean County a focal point for both sides.On Dec. 27, 1861, Forrest assembled a force of some 300 men in Greenville to scout Union positions in the farming country between there and Calhoun. Union Major Eli Murray, only 18 years old, led a scouting party out of Calhoun to reconnoiter the area around Sacramento.

The two forces collided on December 28, with Forrest emerging the victor, in what came to be known as the Battle of Sacramento. The Union forces reported 11 killed and 40 missing, while Forrest lost only 2 men. Confederate success was fleeting, however, and by February, they had withdrawn from Bowling Green and conceded control of the Green River valley to the Union - losing access to one of the South’s traditional sources of food.

To all mothers, Happy Mother's Day!

A funeral customs museum in the land of Lincoln

When I was doing research on funeral cards (y'all know how I love anything weird), I came across an article that talked about a place called the Museum of Funeral Customs. Located in Springfield, Illinois not far from Lincoln's tomb this museum houses a collection of interesting items dealing with this subject. Items include a replica of Lincoln's casket, a horse-drawn hearse, embalming tools and burial robes. The focus on this article from the New York times talk about how the museum is struggling to stay open. It has reduced it hours to appointments only. It also has a myspace page that has not been recently updated. They do not have a functioning website. Here are the links to the article and the myspace site:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/us/09funeral.html?_r=1

http://www.myspace.com/funeralmuseum

Photograph available at www.everystockphoto.com. "The final journey" by TheLizardQueen.

Myspace and Facebook

I have enjoyed using Myspace and Facebook for quite sometime now. I enjoy messaging my friends, updating my status, uploading pictures and just having fun. Kevin and I started the library's Myspace and Facebook page. I have to agree with him that I do like the Myspace page better because it seems for the library this is the better tool. With Facebook you can create only a fan page for the library, which really limits you to what you can do with is regarding content. Myspace gives you free reign on any page you create. I really enjoy blogging about library events and I try to include some thought prevoking questions. I wish we could get more feedback from our patrons in regards to the blog. I want to know what they are talking about, what they're reading and if I could do something to enhance their library experience. My other favorite feature on the Myspace page is that you can create bibliographies using the myspace tools and show the covert art of books and cds. I like the colors of the page because I think they're complimentary and easy on the eyes. I will try to do a better job blogging about library items.

I Promise it's not Totally Morbid! Listen to me, then Listen to Yourself

(Photo by Tom Curtis www.freedigitalphotos.net)

I was looking through blogger's blogs of note when I came across this one by Lover of Life called Life in the Second Half. http://lifeinthesecondhalf.blogspot.com/. In one of her posts she talks about how a professor asked her to eavesdrop on her own funeral. Lay down on your back in an empty, quiet room. Cross your arms over your chest and pretend you are dead. Then envision yourself at your funeral. What will people say about you?

"The idea behind this exercise is not to be hard on yourself . It's not a popularity contest. If you don't have many people in your life, then use the people you come in contact with. Be totally honest with what you might be hearing. Were you a kind person? Happy? Sad? Honest? Charitable? Are people saying how much they will miss you? That your generosity of spirit will be missed? Are people saying that it is sad you are gone, but you really weren't a very good person. You were successful, but at the expense of others. Anyway, this is your funeral - you get to pick the conversations.

"The point is to really look at where you are in your life. And maybe where you want to go for the rest of it. The impact that we have on others is very real and far-reaching. It's rippling effect is powerful."

So where are we in our lives? Do we know where we stand? These are the questions that keep some of us up at night. The author of the blog is right--you only get one chance to live this life. Live your life well.

Squire Boone, Old Episcopal Burial Ground, Lexington, KY

I have used Youtube before to watch all the videos I like! I love watching old music videos and I also like to search for library videos. When I was doing my search for this assignment I wanted to find something about Kentucky. So I picked out something about Squire Boone. Hope you enjoy it!