Eight Things I Learned in March

Oh, March, where did you go? You went by so fast. Before you’re completely gone, I do want to document what you taught me.

1. “The West Wing” characters have Twitter accounts. And they’re funny and relevant.

I happened upon President Bartlet’s Twitter account when someone else I follow retweeted one of this tweets about March Madness. When I clicked on it, I discovered Josh Lyman, Sam Seaborn, and Donna Moss. And I’m really glad about that for several reasons – most importantly because I already miss them even though Greg and I just finished binge watching the show earlier this week.

You’re welcome.

2. Picking out paint colors makes me indecisive, and I’m usually decisive. 

But I managed to pick out colors for the kitchen, living spaces and hallways, and three bedrooms in the house we bought last week. We aren’t moving right away because we are doing some cosmetic improvements and having a fourth bedroom added on.

(Also, could Joanna Gaines please come to Kentucky? Speaking of her, my daughter and I are in love with “Fixer Upper.” Yes, I’m a little late to the bandwagon, I know.)

3. We’re moving to the country. Well, you know, 10 minutes from town, where we live now.

So we bought a new house that sits on 33 acres. Living on some land has been a long-time dream for Greg and I’ve slowly gotten on board. This house and land fit us and we’re excited for our next adventure there.

(Read more about that – and how I learned dreams can change.)

4. When changes are on the horizon, I hesitate and then embrace change in multiple areas of my life at once.

Moving is the change theme right now. In addition to moving our family to a different house, I’m also working with a professional to move my blog to WordPress and redesign my online space too. Plus I got a haircut this month.

5. I can cheer for Austin Peay State University.

The background on this one is we’re hardcore Murray State fans and APSU is our rival. It’s also the school where my sister went on a soccer scholarship and ended up meeting her husband, who played basketball there. We always rooted for them, and it’s easier to do in soccer than basketball. But we still always preferred Murray State to do better.

Well, Murray State had a rough year, at least by its usual standards, and was eliminated earlier than we liked in the conference tournament. Meanwhile, Austin Peay barely made the tournament and then ended up winning four games in four days to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Yes, we cheered for the Governors. (They ended up losing to overall No. 1 Kansas.)

6. Murray State’s two previous coaches made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen – and that’s why I love March Madness.

If you’re a college basketball fan, you probably saw Steve Prohm dance – literally – after his Iowa State team advanced and then heard about Billy Kennedy’s Aggies erase a double-digit lead in less than a minute. With Murray State and Kentucky out, these have been my teams.

These two coaches are perfect examples of why I love sports. They’re the good guys. Kennedy gave the glory to God after Texas A&M stunned Northern Iowa. He’s living with Parkinson’s disease, but believes in building a team and leading men.

(And here’s another article about Coach Billy Kennedy from a local writer.)

And, yes, I wish these two teams were still playing because I feel like I don’t have any rooting interest.

7. Sometimes the kids who have been arguing just need to put on their bathing suits and do a science experiment in the bathtub. 

A friend let us borrow “Bathtub Science” and I earned some cool points by letting them put on their bathing suits and make colors with food coloring and water in the bathtub. And all the mamas said, “Whatever works!”

8. I was excited to caucus at the beginning of the month and now get stressed out thinking about the presidential election.  

Kentucky Republicans had a caucus (Thanks, Rand Paul!) for the first time ever. I went in with high hopes for Marco Rubio, but that all quickly went down hill. Now I’m keeping up with the presidential primaries from a distance and hoping what seems to be happening isn’t actually happening.

How was your March?
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I'm linking up with Emily Freeman, like I do at the end of every month. 

My April newsletter is going out tomorrow! In it will be a fun giveaway opportunity just for subscribers, so subscribe now. Plus I'll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable. 

{Maine} Kennebunkport

While driving from Ellsworth, Maine, to Boston, I wanted to stop at a coastal town. A couple different friends recommended a few different towns. Being the conservatives we are, we chose Kennebunkport.

Good choice, really. And, no, we didn't see George and Barbara Bush. But we did see their house.

Perfect location, if you ask me. And it seems huge. There appears to be a guest house, windmill and tennis court next door. And then on up the driveway toward the street were multiple SUVs and a house that I would bet is for the workers who drive those vehicles.

Plus, if you can afford it, who wouldn't want to look at that shoreline all day? The town itself is quaint and what I pictured a Maine coastal town to be.

Plus sharing the beauty of the beach with my daughter is always a good time.

I'm posting about our vacation as I have time. I'm sure you're not surprised I took a lot of pictures in Maine. You can see them here. And the posted blog installments are here.
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Primary Election: SUCCESS!

Greg's first political campaign went well. He finished sixth among the 26 candidates for Murray City Council. Two were eliminated and the remaining 24 move on to November, when the top 12 secure two-year terms on the council. The five people ahead of him in vote totals yesterday are currently on the council and have been for several terms.

Here is the vote breakdown ...

Danny Hudspeth - 1,825
Dan Miller - 1,372
Jeremy Bell - 1,334
Jason Pittman - 1,291
Robert Billington Jr. - 1,258
Greg Taylor - 1,256
Linda Cherry - 1,122
Pete Lancaster - 1,114
Pat Scott - 1,058
Jay Morgan - 992
Martin Milkman - 918
Don Elias - 918
Jane Shoemaker - 910
Jane Brandon - 897
Amos McCarty - 878
Debbie Nance Griffin - 643
Brad Darnell - 602
John Mark Roberts - 594
Jeremy Boyd - 580
Richard Reed - 547
Mark Randall - 485
Billy Gene Pritchard - 468
Ron Gladden - 431

Thanks, friends, for your support and encouragement. We're looking forward to resuming the campaign in the fall.

Elect Greg Taylor ...

... seems officially underway now that I ordered yard signs and helped publish his Web site. Spread the word, especially if you live in Murray, Ky., and are registered to vote!

There are 26 people (I know, seriously!) running in the May 18th primary. Two of those will be eliminated. Half of the 24 who continue on into the November election will be elected to at-large seats. Greg is #10 on the Primary Election ballot.

Five parties ...

Yes, just this weekend.
1. Our 3-year-old friend Malaika had a birthday party Saturday afternoon. Cate loved decorating the pumpkin with stickers and swinging balloons at her friends. Then she seemed to think she was in a parade when the kids went on a hayride in the backyard.

2. The local Republican Party had its annual fall picnic, complete with its Ronald Reagan theme. Cate liked climbing on and jumping off the speaking stump. Maybe that's her idea of making politics even more entertaining. I enjoyed the jelly beans.

3. Continuing the autumn entertainment, our church had its annual fall party. The chili was delicious. The hayride was fun, especially because despite the fact the trailer tire went flat nobody had to walk. I actually neglected to take a single picture. Probably because talking with friends and keeping up with my 2 1/2-year-old near the bonfire and in the dark was plenty of multi-tasking for me.

4. The parties continued into Sunday. My two sisters-in-law and mother-in-law organized a fun, family baby shower for Ben. Thankfully, my mom and (nearly) sister-in-law, Laine, came down from Louisville to join in the baby fun. [That's Laine and me pictured together.]

5. We had a quick 30th birthday party with Charles, Angela and Christine later Sunday. (That's my brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, for any new blog readers.) Basically, we gave them their presents and ate leftover goodies from the baby shower. But remember this hat? Oh, yes, it made a pass-it-on reappearance!

Now it's the beginning of the new week ... I need to go to the grocery store, wash some clothes and finish packing boxes.

Election Night

We went to what ended up (thankfully) being a victory party for Ken Winters last night. I know, I know, most of you were clued to your TVs for the presidential results, but we were interested in this local race. Ken is our state senator and was elected to a second four-year term last night. I had helped him with some publicity, so it was fun to be involved with the conclusion.

Ken did lots of interviews ... I did spend a moment thinking about how I like covering elections, but I like that I found a way to be involved even though I'm not working at the newspaper anymore.


Kentucky gave John McCain his first (and only ...) lead. So I took a picture.


Cate was into the elephants. She already knew how to make an elephant sound, but last night Gran-Gran and others taught her about the trunk. As you can see, she's trying to have a trunk of her own! She was also into "I Voted" stickers + listening to the election returns on the radio.

4. Politicians with integrity

This election has made me thankful there are good people willing to run for office. While I certainly hope for certain outcomes, I'm also thankful that my life will go on, regardless of who is elected, locally or nationally. I believe in a God who is bigger than anything, even government.

Reasons

Church + lunch afterward prompted some thoughts, ranging from Election Day to parenting. So in an effort to free my mind of too many thoughts, I'm going to touch on parenting this afternoon ...

Everybody has their ways of doing things. Even not doing something is doing something. This is particularly true with parenting. I definitely don't claim to be an expert because I've only been doing this for 18 months. But I know I have my opinions and philosophies, some of which were developed before Cate was ever born and others that have been added as we realize we need to do something.

I have dear, dear friends who do things differently. They have their reasons. And that's completely fine. (Actually, that's the same idea I was thinking about regarding the election. Voting is good. As long as you have reasons for your opinion, I don't care if we disagree. But if you're an uninformed voter and say "eenie-meenie-minie-mo" in the voter booth, don't even bother. That's not the point of the process.)

Anyway, some of friends who are parents do things differently. And I've just recently been realizing how that can be a challenge when our kids are around each other. So far it's only be small things, but I've been thinking about how one day it will probably be bigger. I don't know what this bigger challenge will be, but as parents I'm sure we'll face a conflicting parenting style among people we love.

All of this to say: I pray we have wisdom as we make little + big parenting decisions, confidence to stand by what we've decided (because, you know, we have our reasons ...), and faith to realize God is bigger than us (and this election, by the way ...).

Who says?

My sister, who I'm certain will be voting for a different presidential candidate than me, sent me this quiz. I rather enjoyed taking it and seeing the results. You should try it, and then comment about what you think.

Sarah Palin

I admit, I like that she's a woman. But I wouldn't vote for a candidate -- at any level -- just because she's a woman. Hillary, for instance, wasn't at the top of my personal presidential hopefuls. I don't vote just for a party either. I like to think I vote for the person. In fact, one time I didn't vote for the candidate with whom I agreed with more when it came to social issues and tax philosophy because I didn't like the way he treated people.

Anyway, politics. It's an interesting game.

And this presidential election is getting even more interesting, to me, thanks to John McCain's pick.

Sarah Palin was a mom first. Then she was a council member, then small-town mayor and then governor. As an Alaskan, she thinks we should drill in her home state for oil. She may not have a ton of "experience," but she does run a state and has a family. While I can't imagine doing those two things, I applaud her for trying to make a difference.

And she has more "experience" than Obama. He is running to be commander-in-chief of our military during war time (among other roles). Palin just MIGHT have to fulfill that role.

But she will help shape policy and set a tone for our country. I like how she comes across. And I like how she isn't a veteran politician who has grown comfortable in a D.C. home.

Oh, and, so what if her teen-age daughter is pregnant. I learned a long time ago you can't judge a person by the actions of those they love. At least the family values the life of a baby, who isn't at fault for parents' not-so-smart choices.

What do you think?

Celebrating in St. Louis

Greg + I enjoyed celebrating our sixth anniversary in St. Louis ... without Cate. Mark it down as a successful first overnight trip without Cate. Our goal is to do one trip like this a year. And I'm certain Cate had a great weekend with Grandmom + Angela, my mom's best friend. We left Saturday morning and got back late last night, well, this morning. It was a good amount of time because we enjoyed ourselves but were still ready to get home to Cate.

First we went to Six Flags, something we obviously haven't done in awhile. We rode several roller coasters, cooled off with a couple water rides + talked about how fun it will be to go to an amusement park as a family once Cate is tall enough, like 36 inches, then even more fun when she can ride roller coasters, like 48, then 54 inches.

In the background is Mr. Freeze, a pretty fast + loopy roller coaster. It shoots out of the building + goes through some loops, including that rather large one in the background, and then goes up that straight part you can see. Then it repeats it all ... backwards! The lady in front of us in line said it lasts 37 seconds. I believe it. Fast. But a fun 37 seconds.

I mentioned the water rides ... Well, this is after the first one we went on. It was that rafting one where the signs warn riders that you will get wet, maybe even soaked. Let's just say I was among the half of the raft that got SOAKED. And Greg barely got wet! I don't know if you can tell how wet I am. Let me just say, my wallet is just now dry. And we're talking two days later!

We slept in comfy Marriott bed with lots of pillows that night, and didn't wake up until 9 a.m. Once we got around, we went to see "Swing Vote"; ate at Chevy's, where we last ate while on our honeymoon in Lake Tahoe; and shopped at St. Louis Mills, including Archiver's and Carter's, and then Target.

Then we went to watch the Cardinals. They played the Phillies. It was a pitching dual through the first seven innings. 2-1 Cards. Then the Phillies had a couple homeruns and other runners on base, so it was 5-1. Then 5-2. Then 5-3. Then 5-4. The Cards just couldn't quite do it, which was frustrating because they had the bases loaded in both the eighth + ninth innings. Stranding runners is irritating. So is a bullpen that is quickly building a reputation for blowing games.

We got there about an hour early and watched the grounds crew get the field ready. Have I ever told you I want to spend a summer traveling across the country, stopping at all the baseball stadiums to write about people? But not the players. Rather then grounds crew, official scorekeeper, the guy/girl who plays the organ, ticket takers, etc.

So while we were riding roller coasters Saturday , Cate went to the annual Fancy Farm Picnic. For those of you unfamiliar with the western Kentucky tradition, it's a picnic with lots of tasty BBQ + old-fashioned political stumping. It's a very partisan crowd, like literally Democrats on one side and Republicans on the other during the speaking. Before + after (+ even during) the speaking, there's much heckling + campaigning. Some people wear clever shirts like this ...

Cate apparently enjoyed her ice cream cone at Fancy Farm. Mom was going to feed it to her with a spoon. Then she remembered Cate prefers to feed herself!

All sorts of angles ...


While we were rooting on the Cardinals on Sunday, Cate enjoyed some time at the park with Grandmom + Angela.

She likes the wood mulch as much as anything!

(Thanks to Angela for the pictures of Cate!)

Who is this?

A Hill-Billy!

(One of the better e-mail forwards I've gotten recently!)

Remembering Benazir Bhutto

"Every baby girl has the same rights for a future as every baby boy. ... I don't believe Pakistan can stabilize ... until dictatorship is replaced with democracy."
--Benazir Bhutto during a speech at Murray State in March

My faithful blog readers may remember me writing about Benazir Bhutto. Well, in addition to that column, I covered her speech on Murray State's campus. Since then, reading news about her and Pakistan in general has been easier for me to follow and hits a little closer to home. So you can imagine reading about her assassination yesterday was a bit surreal to me.

My story from March ...


Click on images for larger view.

Eric, the editor at the Ledger & Times, interviewed me yesterday to localize the international news for today's paper. Like I told him, when I listened to her speak in March, I kept thinking I was listening to history. Her words about not choosing this life but vowing to help Pakistan experience democracy are a bit haunting now.

This story today also quoted my story from March.

UPDATED at 3:03 p.m. Just got my paper. (A little later than usual, but the Ledger is an afternoon paper.) Anyway, here's the story ...