Run for the Roses 2015

This weekend many of you will be celebrating a wonderful tradition in my home state of Kentucky, THE KENTUCKY DERBY. You feel the excitement throughout the state, but especially in Louisville and Lexington. I remember a fun time that I had back in the mid-1980s when I enjoyed some of the Derby festivities. I have never attended the Derby, or any horse race for that matter, but that didn't keep me from participating in some of the hooplah. You may not be aware that there is a Derby parade, a Derby breakfast at the governor's mansion in Frankfort, and much more. One Saturday one of my roommates in Louisville had complimentary tickets to the governor's Derby breakfast, so Patti, Paula, and I dressed up and set out for Frankfort where we enjoyed a delicious traditional Kentucky breakfast under a huge tent. We also took our pictures in front of the governor's desk and actually saw her walking the grounds. Yes - that's right - Martha Layne Collins was the 56th governor of Kentucky at the time, and I was so proud that we had a woman as governor. My friends and I saw Collins and her husband walking along, and they were in the company of the well-known celebrity, Gary Collins, and his wife, Mary Ann Mobley. It was a beautiful day and a memory that I treasure. So, although I have never attended a derby, I have celebrated the occasion. I still try to watch the race on tv as often as possible.

If you love Kentucky as I do, or if you enjoy beautiful writing, I recommend that you read some of the books by Jesse Stuart,  the poet laureate of Kentucky in 1954. Born in Greenup County, Ky, Stuart was well-known for his short stories, novels, and poetry about Southern Appalachia. I read several of his books when I was a teenager. I have lived in several towns in Kentucky, but my favorite parts are the rural areas and the state parks. I've lived in Munfordville, Georgetown, Madisonville, Louisville, Shepherdsville, and Falmouth. I played basketball at Berea, Cumberland Univ., Campbellsville, and Kentucky State. So, ask me about Kentucky - I might surprise you with too many details. I can recommend a state park, waterfalls, and more.

I'm still working my way through One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez. It's a classic that I've wanted to read for a long time, and since it was in a bag from my recent Kentucky visit, I felt that I should dig in. It's an interesting novel with a lot of strange happenings, wars, deaths, etc. but its hard for me to focus on who is who. The names of the characters are difficult for me to remember because some of them are so similar. For example, there is a Colonel Aureliano Buendia and a Jose Arcadio Buendia.  There are Jose Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo, also very similar names. It's very confusing to me, but since I'm halfway finished with the book, I'll continue pushing through it. It does have some great quotes. For example, in my last post I discussed great beginnings in literature, and 100 Years has a notable beginning as well. It begins, "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." I can't say that my parents ever took me to discover something as vital as ice.

The next ten books in my card catalog to be noted this week are:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Coffee Rings by Yvonne Lehman
3. If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende (a memoir about life in Alaska)
4. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
5. Mendel's Daughter by Martin Lemelman
6. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
7. Gift From the Sea by Anne M. Lindbergh
8. Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner
9. Mary Slessor by W.P. Livingstone
10. Jewel by Brett Lott

To all of my faithful readers, thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts today. I check the traffic on my blog periodically, so I am aware of how many people are reading my thoughts about books and other topics. Keep on reading!

-Melissa