Heather C. Watson 10/26/12 Heather C. Watson 10/26/12

Pumpkins and Witches!

I love decorating for Halloween. There are just so many fun pumpkins and witches to choose from!

I recently ran across some Louisville Stoneware pieces that I just love for the holiday this year:

This black pumpkin lights up a room or porch and saves all the carving mess.

This pumpkin serving tray is a great way to serve treats. Pumpkin whoopie pies are always a hit!

And this witch pitcher is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Maybe you could stir up a spooky cocktail, a la Martha, although I'd recommend serving an artisan bourbon instead.

What kind of Halloween decorations do y'all have this year?

Heather C. Watson 10/25/12 Heather C. Watson 10/25/12

The HerKentucky 60 Things Project: Prestonsburg/ Floyd County

Coal in my parents' backyard.

1. Jenny Wiley Theatre: A unique outdoor theater located in Prestonsburg's Jenny Wiley State Park. While the summer stock theater crowd pads their resumes, Eastern Kentuckians enjoy high-quality productions. I've seen more revivals of Annie, Grease, and Steel Magnolias than I can count, along with the signature Jenny Wiley Story.

2. Billy Ray's: Originally a pool room, Billy Ray's has evolved over the years into Prestonsburg's favorite diner. The decor serves as a museum of Floyd County history, commemorating elections, the historical landscape, and the tragic 1950s school bus crash. Billy Ray's hamburgers are THE quintessential Floyd County food.

3. Route 23: The Country MusicHighway. The Road to theNorth. It's also the main highway through Floyd County.

The New Martin

4. Coal: Energy source,political bellwether, source of the local economy. Coal is everywhere in Floyd County, and we all have some pretty intense feelings about it.

5. "The New Martin": A few years ago, the town of Martin was slated to be moved from within the flood plain. And then it wasn't. The old town remains.

6. Jenny Wiley State Park: The Boat Dock, the Golf Course, Dewey Dam -- the park holds so many memories for everybody who's ever lived in Floyd County.

7. Stonecrest Golf Course: It's located on top of a mountain. You can't get any more Floyd County than that.

8. The schools: With eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools,

Floyd County's public school system is the county's largest employer.

9. Basketball: We love us some basketball in Floyd County. We follow our high school teams. We follow our grade school teams. We obsess about our beloved Kentucky Wildcats every day of the year.

The School's been closed for 20 years, but Wayland is home of the Wasps.

10. Lizzie B's: Although it's only been open for about a year, Lizzie B's has transformed the landscape of Floyd County dining. You can get a craft beer or a glass of wine with dinner. You can get a sandwich garnished with avocado and sprouts! Revolutionary stuff that I never expected to see in Floyd County.

Emily Ho 10/24/12 Emily Ho 10/24/12

The HerKentucky 60 Things Project: Lexington

In last Sunday's Herald-Leader, Cheryl Truman, with the help of many readers, listed 50 things that define Lexington. We thought it would be fun to make a similar HerKentucky list, with 10 things that define our respective hometowns. Today, Emily shares her take on 10 things that define Lexington.

In choosing things to include on my list of 10 things that define Lexington, I opted to go for things that are top-of-mind for me right now. There is a lot of history (and I'll fully admit I know very little of it) behind lots of places in Lexington, and were covered well in Cheryl Truman's Herald-Leader piece. I'm just sticking with what I know (and love) about my city.

1. Interstates 75 and 64. Lexington is located in a prime sweet-spot of I-75 and I-64, which will set you off in whichever direction your car needs to go. It's so convenient to have both north-south and east-west interstates right at your back door. Whether you're heading away on a vacation or are traveling for work, there are many destinations within a one day driving distance. Today, I hit the road for Knoxville - a short drive straight down I-75 that took less than 3 hours, and was smooth sailing (hooray for no construction!)

2. The seasons. Also related to today's drive along the interstate is the seasons. Lexington has all four seasons, but without too many extremes. We get bright, warm summers but without the humidity of our friends further south. We get fall and these AMAZING colors all around on the trees. If you squint your eyes, the colors seem as vibrant as they are in a crayon box. Winter brings enough snow to build snowmen and go sledding a couple of times, but not so much that it shuts down the city (usually). Spring brings with it some rainy days, but also delivers pastel-colored blooms that will snap your winter blues.

As seen on my drive down I-75 today.

3/4. Coffee Times Coffee House/Street Scene. These two are lumped together because they are right next to each other and you can't possibly go to one without going to the other. In high school, Coffee Times was my favorite hangout spot, where I could act all cool because I was drinking coffee and being all philosophical (ha!). These days, I go there to meet with friends to have brainstorming sessions, and use it as my second office if I need to get out of the house. Also, if I ever need a funny greeting card, this is where I go first. Street Scene is a vintage store right next door, which has awesome items from jewelry to furniture to lighting to clothing to Toms shoes. It simply makes you happy to go there, even if you're like me and have no idea how to use vintage items in modern decor.

5. University of Kentucky football. Since hubs is a loyal UK football fan and we got married the day UK beat #1 LSU, UK football is embedded into my life. Every fall, I listen to disgruntled fans call into talk radio shows demanding for the current coach to be fired. Even during the bowl games times, you'd hear people wanting a change. It's never ending, and kind of funny.

6. University of Kentucky basketball. You can't escape it, nor do I really want to. The juggernaut of UK basketball brings energy, life, and unity to the city (although not to the state... sorry Cards fans). One look at Big Blue Madness and you'll realize that this NBA-size production is unlike anything else in college basketball. Further evidence? The ESPN All-Access Kentucky series currently running. Craziness.

7. Keeneland. Until you go yourself, you'll never understand the magic of Keeneland. Between the people watching, horse gazing, food/beverages, and pretending like you know how to bet, it's just an amazing experience that seems even better since we can only experience it in April and October.

From Keeneland last Wednesday

8. Good Foods Co-Op Hot Buffet. Yes, I'm going straight for the cafe/buffet and not for the grocery-part of the store. The by-the-pound hot bar has a menu that changes daily, save for the Good Foods Kale, which is like healthy green crack. With vegetarian, vegan, and carnivore options, everyone is satisfied with this tasty stuff. On the weekends they have brunch items, of which my favorites are the chorizo burritos and the grits - always a different flavor (cheddar jalapeno, smoked gouda, basil, etc). Not so great for my waistline, but oh-so-yummy.

9. Lexington Cemetery. I've written about the cemetery before, which you can find here. Every time I enter the gates it's like I'm being transported into both history and into a secret garden. The least creepy cemetery ever!

10. The people: There are some good peeps in Lexington. Yes, there are some douchenuggets, but the awesome, honest, beautiful friends I have outnumber them by far.

Megan Whitmer 10/23/12 Megan Whitmer 10/23/12

The HerKentucky 60 Things Project: Lancaster

1. Every town has that perfect local diner, and Burger House is ours. It's right off US 27 before you reach the Lincoln County line, and if you're passing through I simply insist you stop there to eat. Be sure to try the onion rings, and when you leave get yourself a peanut butter milkshake for the road.

2. I always smile when I see Mom Blakeman's Candy in stores around Lexington, because the business is family-owned and based in Lancaster. The original creamed pull candy is great, but the peanut butter flavor is my FAVORITE.

photo courtesy of the Garrard County Historical Society

3. It seems like so few towns have a traditional town square, but we do. The courthouse , library, and local newspaper office can be found there, as well as a few banks, shops, and restaurants. The picture above shows the historic town square, with a circular park right in the middle of the intersection. Plans were recently approved to renovate the square and rebuld the park there.

4. Known for it's great fishing reservoirs, the 3600-acre Herrington Lake is also the deepest lake in Kentucky and spans Garrard, Boyle, and Mercer counties.

5. Like any self-respecting Kentucky town, we're proud of our football team. The Garrard County Golden Lions played in their first ever state semi-final game last year, and a huge crowd turned out for the game. Alumni from all over came in, wearing their letter jackets and cheering for the boys. It was a heartbreaking loss, 34-27, and the crowd gave the team a standing ovation at the end of the game.

6. The Grand Theater was originally built in 1925, and used to show films as well as plays. It eventually closed, and the building was rented out for various housing and commercial purposes. In 2007, renovations began to restore the building, and many of the original furnishings were returned to the theater. The project is expected to be completed in a few months.

7. Retired teacher Jean Turner runs Hammonds Hall Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Lancaster. Hammonds Hall hosts themed tea parties throughout the year, including murder-mystery teas and princess teas. I've been to a couple of them, and there's not a more perfect person for her job than Ms. Turner. She provides costumes, will help you adopt a foreign accent if your part calls for it, and serves the BEST food.

8. The Owsley House, also known as Pleasant Retreat, was the home of Kentucky's 16th governor, William Owsley. For the longest time, the house stood off US 27, abandoned. When I was a little girl, I always wondered what it looked like inside. (My fascination with abandoned homes is probably worthy of an entire blog post all by itself.) In 1991, several forces joined together to rescue the property, including my great-aunt Rose Holtzclaw, and restored the home. The home is now open for tours, and the carriage house can be reserved for special events.

9. Peninsula Golf Resort in northern Garrard County has been ranked as one of the best 200 courses to play in North America. The 18-hole course was designed by world-renowned designer Pete Dye.

10. Lancaster has had a few notable residents and other random claims to fame:

Country music stars John Michael Montgomery and Eddie Montgomery grew up in Lancaster. John Michael even filmed a couple of music videos here. (He also performed at the Garrard County Fair in 1994. I got there hours early so I'd be in the front row. It was all worth it because HE TOUCHED MY HAND while he sang I Love The Way You Love Me. I'm sure he thought I was the cutest 14-yr-old EVER.)
The 1957 movie Raintree County starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift was filmed in the area, and a few scenes were shot in Garrard County just a few miles from the house I grew up in.
Carry Nation, whose radical stance against alcohol was one of the factors that contributed to prohibition, was born here in 1846. Because of this, Garrard County is known as the "Birthplace of Prohibition."

Sarah Holland 10/22/12 Sarah Holland 10/22/12

The HerKentucky 60 Things Project: Paducah

1. Rivers. They don't call it River City for nothing. Paducah sits at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers - just upstream from where the Ohio joins with the Mississippi and just downstream from where the Cumberland meets up with the Ohio. There wouldn't really be a Paducah without them. It defines industry in Paducah, with the barge business being a major employer in town. It has shaped our history, with floods being the events that mark time. It has truly shaped our town.

2. Quilts. I've covered this before. Paducah is the Quilt Capitol OF THE WORLD. The city's calendar revolves around the Quilt Show in May, when the entire town shuts down to welcome quilters from across the globe. We have a Quilt Museum, quilt shops, quilt societies. Quilts are our thing.

3. The Arts. Our official tagline is "Distinctively Creative" thanks to the strong and ever-growing artists community in Paducah. In the 1990s, the city government began offering artist real estate in our LowerTown for CHEAP (as in $1 cheap) if the artist pledged to fix up the real estate and make his or her home in Paducah. The Artist Relocation Program was a huge success (even got written up in the New York Times!) and now we have a town that truly values the arts ... not to mention a truly cool regional arts festival.

4. The Market House. The centerpiece of our downtown. The Market House originally housed the town's market. Now, it is home to the Market House Theater and Museum, as well as the Yeiser Art Center. Surrounded on both sides by cobblestone streets, it was recently named one of the Top Five Most Romantic Main Streets in the U.S.

5. Barbecue. Again, I've covered this before. We love barbecue in Western Kentucky and particularly in Paducah. I know other places have barbecue. It's just not as good as our's.

6. Maiden Alley Cinema. Our local non-profit art house cinema would be awesome enough on its own but it also hosts the state's second oldest film festival every fall, which gets better every year!

7. The Downtown Food Scene. We've got the only other family owned and operated Doe's (a Southern institution). We have one of the oldest and BEST bakeries in Kentucky. We also have the best seafood, Italian, and Mexican - all within a couple blocks of each other. Not to mention, every Saturday in the summers the streets are shut down to cars and fill with people, performers, and music.

8. The Lake. Kentucky Lake with all its splendor is only a half an hour away, which means it is an indelible part of most Paducahan's lives (and history).

9. Whitehaven. If you roll through Paducah on I-24 (as most people do), then you this historic mansion will welcome you from high atop a hill above one of the main exits. Built in the 1860's, it is now a welcome center and houses memorabilia from the life of one of Paducah's most famous citizens - Vice-President Alben Barkley.

10. Noble Park. 135 acres of playgrounds, ponds, and trails. I like to think of Noble Park as Paducah's own little Central Park. It is a popular place for picnics and play dates all year round but it really sparkles in December when the city lights up the entire park for the holidays.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Heather C. Watson 10/19/12 Heather C. Watson 10/19/12

Southern Festival of Books: Sunday Recap

This weekend, I went down to Nashville for the Southern Festival of Books. I wrote about the Festival for Ace Weekly magazine, describing the sense of "place" that arose time and again during the festival's programs and events. I also wanted to share a more informal "travelogue" with y'all. We had such an amazing time taking in both the festival and one of my very favorite cities. Here's my recap of Saturday’s events. You also can read recaps of Friday and Saturday, if you'd like. – HCW

I wasn't really feeling any of the Sunday sessions at the Southern Festival, so I opted instead for brunch at my very favorite spot in Nashville -- Provence. Oh, y'all. Their food. Their coffee. And Hillsboro Village -- just the cutest little neighborhood imaginable. It was among our very favorites when we lived in Nashville, and I love going back there!

Not sure what this means, but Lordy I've missed hipsters!

After we ate, we moved to the sidewalk to enjoy our coffee and dessert. I had a cinnamon macaron that was simply heavenly. We sipped our Dancing Goats coffee (our very favorite blend anywhere!), and took in the sights of our old 'hood. The people-watching in Nashville is fantastic; I've always said we play a game we call "Hipster or White Stripe?", and Sunday didn't fail us. In the most Nashville moment ever, a bespectacled hipster walked past our table. When he was safely out of earshot, I asked my beau "hey, was that Ben Folds?" We finally decided that the actual Ben Folds would probably have been dressed a little better.

Vandy Children's Hospital

We walked around our old 'hood a few more minutes, remembering funny stories of walking Max through the neighborhood, the hours of training I put in while training for the half-marathon, and the joy I got from volunteering at Vandy Children's Hospital. It was really wonderful to revisit so many fond memories.

Then we undertook the journey home. I was pointed toward the mountains to retrieve the dogs. My beau had to get back to work. I strongly wished that I'd planned to stay down another day; I'd seen on Facebook that they were looking for people to sit at the Bluebird all day Monday as extras for that Nashville TV show.

On the way home, I was amazed by how much the fall foliage had popped out over the weekend. I stopped to photograph some amazing trees near Somerset. I hurried on home, because I knew that my dogs would take "grandparent rules" a little too far. But, most of all, I thought about the lessons of place that the Southern Festival of Books provided me. I felt a little more ready to tackle some writing of my own.

Heather C. Watson 10/18/12 Heather C. Watson 10/18/12

Southern Festival of Books: Saturday Recap

Thai Food Truck at the Capitol.

Last weekend, I went down to Nashville for the Southern Festival of Books. I wrote about the Festival for Ace Weekly magazine, describing the sense of "place" that arose time and again during the festival's programs and events. I also wanted to share a more informal "travelogue" with y'all. We had such an amazing time taking in both the festival and one of my very favorite cities. Here's my recap of Saturday’s events. You can read about Friday's adventures here. – HCW

I don’t know why, but the Central Time Zone kicks my behind every single time. Every. Single. Time. I lived in Nashville for two years, and I never got used to Prime Time television starting at 7 p.m. This day was no exception. I gotup really early for a Saturday, and yet somehow I was still running late.

Now, I've always jokingly called the strip of I-65 from Southern Kentucky past Nashville "The Cracker Barrel Corridor" because it seems you can find one at every exit. As we pass the signs for a few of those, it felt like a good excuse to avail ourselves of some biscuits and hashbrown casserole. At first, I was a little concerned that we'd miss the session on the politics of SEC football, but then I realized that we were surrounded by that very topic. From the Volunteers dog collars and baby clothes in the gift shop to the Gators fans who've driven up for their game against Vandy, the politics of the Southeastern Conference were everywhere, so we just sat back and enjoyed our carbs.

We arrived downtown, surveyed the vendor booths, and headed in to an auditorium a few minutes early for the Grit Lit panel. As we sat down, we realized that we'dcrashed another session. Turns out, we were sitting in on a Q and A session with Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, who talked about how she chooses settings for her work. It was neat and unexpected.

The panel I was really there to see was comprised of the editors and featured authors of the anthology Grit Lit: a Rough Southern Reader. It was a funny, gritty, and real presentation. I was transfixed by the stories told by Rowan County native Chris Offutt. He's from nowhere, Kentucky, just like me. He's written for some of the smartest shows on TV. He was also as funny and offbeat and fascinating as I expected. I reached for my phone to tweet about the awesomeness, and found that Southern Living staffers were in the Grit Lit audience as well. Around the same time, the panel members started talking about the articles they've written for Oxford American. People who write for the very publications I read most closely -- the ones for which I dream of writing -- were are all around me, participating in the same conversation. It was a great feeling.

After the panel discussion, my beau and I walked around the booths of some of the University Presses exhibiting at the Festival. We talked with booksellers and lit review editors. We discussed interesting books. We got some ice cream. (Jeni's, to be precise. Salted caramel, which is okay, and whiskey-pecan, which tastes like some sort of fantastic milky Christmas punch made with Early Times.)

After we took in more booths, musicians, and authors, we headed back to the hotel for a nap and some college football. It is a Saturday in the South, after all. Between the nap and the evening's big games, we headed out for some low-key dinner. There, in a suburban chain restaurant, I found my confidence bolstered by the day's events. I'd spent the day among writers who, as is often said, started out with an idea. I began to tell my beau the story of the novel I want to write. I'd never really discussed it with anyone before, but now it's out there. It's real. It was a terrifying and liberating moment.

Back in the hotel, I fell immediately asleep. Les Miles had to coach without me. I had big dreams of first drafts and the fantastic cup of coffee I'd be drinking in the morning.