Reason #3,459 to come visit

Meet Speedy. One of Paducah's most famous citizens.

Speedy was a poor African-American laborer in Paducah during the 1920s. In 1928, Speedy went fishing and never returned. His body was turned over to the Hammock's Funeral Home for a pauper's burial. Instead, the owner A.Z. Hammock used an experimental super-preservative to turn Speedy into a type of statue.

Speedy spent the next several decades in a closet of the funeral home (except for a quick swim during the great flood of 1937) from which he would be pulled out occasionally for the entertainment of tourists and school children. He eventually became a bit of a celebrity appearing in Jet Magazine and Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Eventually, someone took mercy on old Speedy and finally buried him in Maplelawn Cemetery in downtown Paducah.

Now, if that's not a reason to come visit, I don't know what is. I'm going to get y'all here one way or another!

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Kentucky Crafted: The Market

We are thrilled to welcome Lydia Powell to the HerKentucky Team.  A Transylvania alumna (and Sarah and my Phi Mu sorority sister!), Lydia crunches numbers by day and indulges her many creative urges in her downtime.  Lydia., a Frankfort native, is a devoted Kentucky Wildcats fan, a quilter, a runner, and a photographer.  And did I mention that she made her own wedding dress? 

Lydia will be writing the new HerKentucky Crafts column, which spotlights her own crafty interests, tutorials and more!  -- HCW

How many of you have a DIY or craft-related board on Pinterest? Is it full of awesome crafty goodness that you hope to replicate or draw inspiration from for your next bridal shower or gift-giving opportunity?

If you are anything like me, you pin and pin and pin ideas for home decor that you love. You know it would be fun and more economical to make it yourself, right? How often do we ever put those grand pinboards into action, though? I've always been a crafter, but I rarely find time to make every project that is in my head. A lot of times, I have to turn to the professionals.

Of course, almost everyone is aware of Etsy as a great alternative when you just haven't found the time to make that chevron-striped throw pillow for your front porch swing. Etsy is a great handmade marketplace. While the site does have some location-specific searches so that you can support local artists and makers, I've got an even better option for you. This weekend, in Lexington Kentucky, the Kentucky Arts Council will host the 30th annual Kentucky Crafted: The Market event.

On Saturday and Sunday, March 3rd and 4th, at the Lexington Convention Center you can browse through the award-winning market for Kentucky art, craft, music, books, foods and more.

Kentucky artisans are known the world over for their exquisite traditional crafts and Appalachian art but you might be surprised at the contemporary art and design going on within the Commonwealth's borders. Very often, I think Kentucky residents take for granted the beautiful art available to them. The quilts on our beds or the basket we throw our car keys in were gifts from talented aunts or grandmothers. Each of us likely knows someone who is a maker of traditional crafts. Perhaps we are makers ourselves. This market really celebrates that strong tradition that goes back centuries in Kentucky's history but is so very alive and thriving today.

Tickets for the market are $10 for one day or $15 for two while children under 15 enjoy free admission. Children and adults, alike, will enjoy hands-on opportunities to create at booths sponsored by area institutions like the Living Arts & Science Center and The Carnegie Center for Living and Learning. Additionally, workshops are held throughout the weekend to provide more in-depth discussions of Kentucky art and craft.

What I am most looking forward to, though, are the retail booths. Shell-Bee’s Homemade Gourmet Sea Salts & Spices is a booth I am definitely marking to visit (you can preview the market program). I could do all my shopping for upcoming birthdays with some key purchases of pottery, jewelry and handmade baskets. With more than 200 exhibitors, I'm pretty sure I could easily find everything I wanted and more I didn't even know I wanted! The Boone Creek Creamery's handmade artisan cheeses, alone, could keep me happy for hours.

Supporting local artists is important. The Kentucky Crafted Market is an excellent place to do that!

Everybody's Got a George Clooney Story.

It's George Clooney. With a pug.  Cue swooning.

We talk a lot about George Clooney here at HerKentucky. He's one of our Favorite Things. He

isn't the only famous person from Kentucky, but he sure is famous.

via Kentucky for Kentucky

Why shouldn't we talk about George Clooney a lot? He's handsome and charming.  (Or, as the

Kentucky for Kentucky guys would say, "George Clooney is a beautiful man."  He's one of the most recognizable actors in the world.  He's nominated for Best Actor in this weekend's

Academy Awards.  And, he's from Augusta, Kentucky, a charming river town located just a stone's throw away from Maysville.

Dreamy.

The HerKentucky girls aren't the only ones who talk about George Clooney a lot.  It's been my experience that anyone with ties -- even the most tenuous -- to the Maysville area has a George Clooney story for you.  I once had a co-worker who'd grown up in Cincinnati; she never failed to tell you that George was the clerk who sold her shoes at Dillard's.  (I strongly doubt that she'll make it into the final draft of George's acceptance speech, but stranger things have happened...)  A secretary at one of the law firms in my old office building had been George's high school prom date; she was always extremely gracious when this fact was dredged up.  

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival with some friends who are Augusta natives.  A charming, tuxedoed George was the master of ceremonies at the festival which honored his late aunt.  Even though I was never closer than 100 yards from the stage, I finally got why George Clooney leaves such an impression on everyone he meets.  He is just as charming and charismatic as Danny Ocean, , Doug Ross , or

Everett McGill. Even if he weren't George Clooney, Serious Movie Star, you'd always know that this guy was in the room.  He just has a presence.  It wouldn't matter if he were a prosecutor, a football coach, or a TV anchorman, you'd always pay attention to him.

Over the weekend of the Clooney Festival, I got a mini-tour of George Clooney's Augusta.  I saw where his parents lived, and where George himself keeps a small home.  I also realized why it is that everybody from that part of the state has a George Clooney story. The Clooneys are Maysville royalty.  George's aunt, the singer and actress Rosemary Clooney, was Maysville's most famous daughter.  His father, Nick,  is a beloved regional anchorman.  It seems that the entire town was devoted to George's success.  Stories still circulate about viewing parties for his Facts of Life and Golden Girls episodes.  It's as though the entire town was invested in George's future success.  There's a really sweet sense of hometown pride that emerges along with everyone's George Clooney Story.

Here at HerKentucky, we wish George the best of luck on Sunday.  (Even if The Descendants led to an unintentional yet inspired revelation for Sarah.)  And, we'd love to hear some George Clooney Stories from y'all.

In Photos: Snow Day

This weekend, I had the good fortune to be visiting my parents in the mountains when we got ourselves a good, old-fashioned Snow Day. 

Snowflakes.

Now, even though both of my parents are retired from our county school system, the promise of a Snow Day still connotes a day of fun -- an escape from everyday worries and routines.

Sophie didn't see what all the fuss was about.

The old joke goes that Southerners storm the grocery store whenever even a hint of snow is in the forecast.  I find that we Kentuckians do fall into this pattern, even though snow isn't a rare occurrence for Kentucky winters.  I certainly saw a guy buying three gallons of milk  at my hometown grocery store on Saturday afternoon, and briefly wondered if he had himself a neat little speculation/profit scheme.

This weekend, we got four beautiful inches of snow, which might be a joke to my friends in Chicago or a blizzard to my friends in Atlanta.  Here, it was just enough to celebrate!

Do y'all still love Snow Days?

More Favorite Things!

Last week, we asked y'all to list some favorite Kentucky things.  My sorority sister Becca -- an ordained Disciples of Christ minister and Trimble County native -- provided a thoughtful list that I thought I'd share.  Thanks for the beautiful list, Becca!! -- HCW

Cane Ridge Meeting House

1. Transylvania University (of course)


2. The Cane Ridge Meeting house, near Paris Kentucky-- this is the birthplace of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), my denomination. 


3. Mary Ann Saunders Chapel at Lexington Theological Seminary


4. Central Christian Church (seriously has the most beautiful sanctuary)


5. That moment right before the Run for the Roses when everyone sings My Old Kentucky Home. I cry every time.

Calumet Farm

6. The Horse Farms-- 3 chimneys is my favorite, Calumet is my 2nd favorite


7. Bray's Orchards in Bedford Kentucky-- they have THE BEST PEACHES.


8. US 42. This is the oldest highway in the area and was originaly the primary route between Louisville and Cincinnati-- there are so many neat little towns along the way. Bedford, Carollton, and Ghent being my favorites.


9. The Ohio River-- there is NOTHING as beautiful as driving across the rickety old bridge from Madison Indiana to Milton Kentucky and crossing over the river-- It's the last step on my trips back home to Kentucky from Chicago and it's my sign that I'm home.


10. Sweet Tea

HerKentucky Entertaining: Kentucky Cookbooks

Mark Badgley and James Mischka's KY Farmhouse, via Elle Decor.

I collect cookbooks obsessively.  This is odd, because I'm notorious for freestyling recipes.  I tend to line two or three recipes for the same dish out onto the kitchen counter, then compare ingredients and techniques before deciding how to independently proceed.  Sometimes, this technique produces unique and inspired recipes.  Other times,I'd be well-advised to find a recipe and stick to it.  Personal cooking style aside, though, I've found quite a few lovely Kentucky-themed cookbooks over the years.  Here are a few of my favorites, and a few I want to try.

Tried and True Favorites: 

• What's Cooking In Kentucky -- The author, Irene Hayes, was my hometown's postmistress and a member of my parents' church.  In my town, "Irene's Cookbook" is a traditional gift for brides or others who are setting up housekeeping.  I love to see this 1960s favorite proudly displayed at State Parks and local bookstores!!
• Bluegrass Winners -- The original Bluegrass Winners and its companion volume, Entertaining with Bluegrass Winners, contain classic recipes from the kitchens of central Kentucky horse farms.  Excellent recipes and stunning photography.
• Splendor in the Bluegrass -- The Junior League of Louisville's signature cookbook. I sure have had to sell a lot of these, so I can certainly assure you that there are some wonderful recipes.

On my to-buy list:

• Home Again, Home Again -- Junior League of Owensboro's current volume, as well as their classic To Market, To Market.
• How to Throw a Great Derby Party -- Herald-Leader Lifestyle writer Sue Wylie's suggestions for celebrating Greatest Day of the Year.
• The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook -- Because I'm always looking for more ways to use bourbon.

What is your favorite Kentucky Cookbook?

Where I'm From.

iPad, Guinness and holler.

This afternoon, I went outside to walk my dogs. As I looked down at my outfit -- an Under Armour base layer, faded jeans, well-worn rain boots and my fiance's cast-off winter jacket -- I realized that I could be geared up for many places. Dressed for muck, and with a bottle of Guinness in my hand, I looked every bit the Scots-Irish girl that my genealogy chart would present. I could be in my mother's family's native County Quinn, or I could be on a horse farm in my beloved Central Kentucky, or I could be dressed for countless outdoorsy places other than my parents' Eastern Kentucky home, where I'm visiting for a few days. In fact, the beer made my hometown less likely, as I'm from the kind of town where any alcohol is suspect, let alone a lady drinking on a weeknight. 

Max explores a creek,.

I've always had a complicated relationship with my Appalachian heritage. Now, I find that most people I know tend to fully embrace or summarily reject their mountain roots. Neither path has ever felt quite right for me, though. There are certainly times when I wonder what it would have been like if I'd spent my formative years on the Upper East Side, or in a subdivision, or dozens of other places. There are other times when I'm overcome by the beauty of the place where I was raised -- times when it seems that I am really seeing a creek or a tree for the very first time. Most of the time, though, I've come to realize that I was born to that particular little plot of earth not by fortune -- be it good or bad -- but sheerly by fate. It's not something I love or hate; it simply just is. 

My grandparents, father and aunt, Easter 1957.

I've recently undertaken the archiving of my father's family's photographs. As eight decades of Watsons have come to life from yellowed, often-crumbling photos, the Appalachian landscape has emerged alongside them. Rocky hills in the background. Farmhouses. Tall, majestic pine trees and their scrub brethren. As central a character to our family history as any ancestor. 

I grew up here.

 Maybe that very familiarity has led to the complexities in my relationship with my homeland. Perhaps that is why I feel perfectly entitled to cringe a little when James Still's lost manuscript is reviewed in the Oxford American (I've always secretly considered Still's work to be the worst form of hillbilly-gothic). Maybe it is akin to a familial relationship. And, like most complex family relationships, maybe that is why I can be completely flummoxed by "the way we do things around here", then nearly moved to tears by the beauty of the rocky stream at the back of my parents' land only minutes later. The trite old saying goes that you don't pick your family. And, in a very real way, for good or for ill, I suppose that don't pick your homeland either.