The Great State of Kentucky

I have lived in the state of Kentucky for over six and a half years. I have loved seeing its beauty in its nature and people. It is full of kind and thoughtful people and I will miss it when we eventually leave; though we still have three more years to go. I think we could stay forever if we just had some family close by. I thought it would be fun to jot down a few things that make this state different and unique. You could call it: You know you are in Kentucky when.....

You can see bright red Cardinals at your bird feeder.

The rain can last for hours and soak you in a matter of seconds.

The Azalea bloom in the spring and the Hosta bloom in the summer.

There are fireflies on summer nights.

You can hear the ringing of the Cicadas.

There are miles of black wood fences.

There are gorgeous horse farms and stables.

Tobacco plants are growing in the fields.

They sell Derby Pie and Mint Juleps glasses at Wal-mart.

They sing "My Old Kentucky Home" before the running of the Derby.

There is a sign boasting: "Horse Capital of the World."

Graeter's ice cream is sold by the pint at Meijers.

You have a wild rabbit living in your neighborhood.

You see dead possums on the side of the road.

You don't need a sprinkler system for your lawn.

You can buy Ale8 at every grocery store.

The license plates read: Unbridled Spirit.

You live in one of the few Commonwealths.

You can watch the Largest Firework Show in North America. (Thunder Over Louisville)

You can come home from an outdoor event smelling of cigarette smoke.

You can walk through the longest cave in the world. (Mammoth Cave)

You are not far from Lake Cumberland or Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

When your glasses fog up when you get out of the car because of the heat and humidity.

You hear the tornado sirens blare on the first Tuesday of every month.

Your neighbors say: fixing to make, travel on the interstate, go to the grocery, or have a cook out.

There are streets named Man-O-War, Pimlico Parkway and Bold Bidder.

There is a Speedway, Thorntons or BP every mile.

Where you can REALLY eat Kentucky Fried Chicken!

Your cereal and chips go stale and soggy if opened in less than a week.

You can eat at Mark's Feed Store, Juicy's BBQ or Claudia Sanders restaurants.

Where you have Thoroughbred babies and not quarter horse ones. (That is an actual quote!)

There are two medical and two dental schools in the state.

Children refer to you as "Miss Cheryl".

Every kid plays YMCA sports.

Your kids can take swimming lesson at a university founded in 1780 (Transylvania).

You can do "Drive Thru Betting" at Gate 2 at Keeneland.

They sell glass ice cube Christmas ornaments filled with Maker's Mark Bourbon at the mall.

You can buy "Pork Butt on a Stick" at the State Fair.

They break into regular programing for Live Doppler and storm tracker coverage for all the severe weather.

Everyone is fiercely red or blue and I don't mean politically- for U of L or UK and there are not many undecided around.

Rick Pitino's hiring at U of L and Tubby Smith's leaving UK is headline news for a good month.

There is a store called CatBird at the mall.

You live near the UPS headquarters.

You are only an 1 1/2 hour drive from Cincinnati, 2 hour drive from Indianapolis, 3 hours from Nashville or 4 hours from St. Louis. (from Louisville)

You are just two airplanes away from Utah.


Thanks Kentucky for being a truly amazing place to live and raise our family!