Karens Road

Here is your chance to check out BluFrog, the new energy drink with better-for-your-body ingredients, and try your luck at winning some great prizes. Do you like to travel? If you answered yes, this is the contest for you! Four of the prizes are trips and the other prize is a fantastic gaming package.

The first prize entails a three night stay in New York City on New Years Eve! This includes luxurious hotel accommodations, and a helicopter ride for two over the city. Imagine yourself on New Year eve, bringing in the new year in such a fantastic mode. I can hardly fathom how exciting that would be.

The second trip is called Blullapalooza. This trip centers around Lollapalooza, which is being held in Chicago August 7-9. Have you seen the lineup for this year’s Lollapalooza? Jane’s Addiction, Beastie Boys, and The Killers are the only names this old person recognizes but I am sure the rest of you know all the big names. This trip includes two tickets to the event and a two night stay in a luxurious hotel.

The third trip is called BluStreak. I was recently watching ESPN and saw a participant in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Well, guess what? The winner of this trip will get two nights in a luxurious hotel, and two tickets for the driving experience. I could be the next Danica Patrick!

The fourth trip is the one I want to win. We went to Breckenridge this past March and I want to go back! This trip is for a trip to Aspen, which is close enough to Breckenridge for me, and is named ExtremeBlu. Why the extreme you ask? Because you will be awarded, as winner of this prize, two tickets to the Winter X Games and three nights in a luxurious hotel.

The fifth prize is a gaming package, BluGamer. You get an XBox360 Elite package, Rock Band 2 bundle, Call of Duty: World at War Complete Package, and a wireless adapter. Wowzers!

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Go to their contest page and leave a comment, letting them know which prize you want to win, and why. Don’t forget, I want to win the Aspen trip. Just kidding. Go ahead and name that one as your prize wish. Pout

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Tony Tasset-All Things Must Pass
While driving through St. Louis a few weeks ago, I saw signs for Laumeier Sculpture Park and wondered about the historical aspect of the park. Laumeier Sculpture Park was born from a gift made by Mrs. Henry Laumeier of her 72-acre estate to the people of St. Louis County and the greater metropolitan area. With direct support of a group of innovative community leaders and many generous friends, Laumeier has developed into what it is today – an internationally-recognized open-air museum. The ninety-six acre outdoor museum is designed to encourage creative thinking through exhibitions, educational programs and contemporary art.

In 1968, Mrs. Matilda Laumeier bequeathed the first 72 acres of the future Laumeier Sculpture Park, together with a large story-and-a-half house of cut stone, to the people of St. Louis County in memory of her husband, Henry H. Laumeier, for the benefit of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. In 1975, the park was proposed as a possible site for the exhibition of sculpture and the concept of Laumeier Sculpture Park emerged. Catapulted by a collaborative of citizen leaders in the arts, education and business communities, Laumeier Sculpture Park was incorporated in September 1977; over the years it has grown to 105-acres. Laumeier Sculpture Park today has over 300,000 visitors annually.

Throughout the years, Laumeier has been the beneficiary of a long list of generous individuals and corporations who helped develop Laumeier into what it is today.

The park is located at 12580 Rott Rd, St Louis, MO. Check out the Music + Movies series at About.com. Music + Movies pairs performances from local musicians with popular movies. The music begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Laumeier Outdoor Music Amphitheatre, followed by the night’s featured movie at 8:30 p.m. You are going to love the price: FREE! There is also free parking available next to the park.

I was reading through My Document’s folder and ran across a post I had written about our trip to the Indy 500 last year. I never posted it! So, this is a year old but I want it in my blog so I will always have it. Sorry it is so late.

I had not realized it but I had never sat in the grandstands for the Indy 500. I have attended but always wandered around the infield. It must have been 30 years since I had attended the race. I had no idea it had been that long. When we were in our twenties, Lynn and I went down the night before and spent the night in a friend’s yard. I cannot imagine doing that now. Oh the carefree days of our twenties. LOL
We left Sunday morning and our first quest was to find Krispie Creams. Do you know that some convenience stores do not receive donut deliveries on holidays? Well, it is true and a travesty if you ask me. Having that Krispie Cream is what starts the day off right. After finding donuts and coffee, we headed toward Indianapolis. Traffic was not as bad as we expected until we neared the speedway. I kept thinking of the price of gas as we inched our way toward the parking area. We passed a high school that was earning money by parking cars in their lot. I would have gone in but hubby said it was too far to walk. I could see the track and thought it surely wasn’t that far but he has done this the past few years so I trusted his judgment, thank goodness. We traveled on and parked in a field. The field was full of campers and tents of those who had come down the day before. They had grills set up and were playing Frisbee and lawn darts. Oh, and drinking whatever tickled their taste buds. We walked past many inebriated souls.
Some of the campsites were cozy. They had all the conveniences of home. There were many large motor homes. There was a tragic event because a motor home’s exhaust went into the vents of a nearby camper and asphyxiated the occupants. One man died and the rest of his family is still in the hospital.
We walked quite a distance to get through all those campers. We arrived at the road leading into the grandstands and joined the others wading their way toward the gates. It felt like we were cattle being herded toward the slaughter house. Thank goodness the weather was beautiful. If it had been hot, I’m sure I would have felt claustrophobic. Our wait to get up to the gates was long. Each bag had to be checked for contraband. Some folks did not know of the size limit on coolers allowed in the seating area and so there were coolers left along the road.
Scott Dixon, winner of the 2008 Indy 500 race.

Do you ever wonder about homes and how they came to be? While in Paducah, I passed a beautiful mansion on the way to our hotel. Whitehaven Mansion is out by the interstate and is now the state visitor center. It is a very elegant mansion, with a big southern style columned portico out front. I wondered if a family had lived there. Were they wealthy from working the soil or did they inherit this beautiful home? I did some research.

I stumbled across an article at Discover Our Town that gave even more information as to what the stately home is used for these days. “This historical landmark is a classical revival Victorian home and features a second floor room filled with memorabilia of Alben W. Barkley, Vice President under Harry Truman. It now serves as the official Welcome Center. Tours are available.”

Whitehaven Mansion (circa 1860)
1845 Lone Oak Road
Paducah, KY 42003

That was terrific information, but I want to know the history of the place. I resumed my search.

Eureka! I found out how the house came to be built and other interesting historical facts.

From essortment.com Written by Sheila Guevin – © 2002 Pagewise

Rescued from possible destruction in 1981 by Paducah Community College, the estate home survived and in March 1984 was listed on the National Register of Historic Placed by the United States
Deparment of Interior.

Whitehaven is open for tours from 10 to 2, but open 9 to 9 as a Visitor Center.

This restored home houses a collection of donated artifacts that belonged to the former Vice-president Alben Barkley. The collection includes the Vice-Presidential desk and chair, walking canes, senatorial shaving mugs, the first Vice-President flag, the 1948 inaugural Bible and other momentoes.

Whitehaven’s original brick structure was built in the 1860’s by Edward L. Anderson. The house remained in the Anderson family till 1903 when it was sold for a sum of $4,000 to a local bank clerk named Ed I. Atkins. Mr. Atkins commissioned A.L. Lassiter to do a complete remodeling of the home and as was the common practice of that time, Lassiter added the Classical Revival architectural additions including the six Corinthian pillars, which now hold up the massive front porch.

At this time, stained glass and interior plasterwork were also added to the house. An inlaid stained glass piece with the name Whitehave 1903 was installed over the stairway landing.

The home changed families again in 1908 when it sold for a sum of $7,000 in cash to then Mayor of Paducah, James P. Smith. At this time, the house gained an additional structure of six bedrooms to house the family’s six children. In addition, the home was redecorated with silk wallpaper and heavy damask gold draperies.

Whitehaven was renamed Bide-A-Wee which is Scottish from “Come Rest A While.” It remained in the Smith family till 1968. The family moved believing the home was going to be torn down due to the construction of I-24, which now runs just fifty yards from its front door.

Between its abandonment in ‘68 and its purchase in ‘81, it was subject to large amounts of vandalism, none of which is evident today. The restoration has been honored on the local, state, and national level.

This lovely mansion is by far the most exquisite visitors center and rest stop. It is a must stop rest stop.

What do you like to do when you go on vacation? I like to ride the roller coasters at amusement parks but I really enjoy relaxing more these days. I think that is why I like Kissimmee, Florida. There are a wide variety of things to experience when visiting in Kissimmee. There are many water parks where you can take the family and enjoy a day in the sun. There are also many ways to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

The way I want to enjoy my vacation is to relax. I want to take my favorite book, prepare a snack and plop into a comfortable lounge chair beside a small lake. There are still places around Kissimmee where you can get close to nature and get to know Florida without all the traffic.

It makes no difference the type of vacation you plan. Fast pace or slow, Kissimmee has something for everyone.

Would you like to get away to beautiful Florida? Check out the Kissimmee Freedom to Enjoy Sweepstakes. By simply filling out an entry form, you have a chance to win a fun vacation. They have already had two drawings and the last one is 6/1/09, so be sure to enter.

We took a different route on our way home from our son’s home in Oxford, Ohio yesterday. He graduated with his master’s degree in communications and we attended the beautiful graduation ceremony. Our different route showed us a few things I had not noticed before. Richmond has a beautiful statue in the Glen Miller Park. In commemoration of pioneer mothers of the covered wagon days, this statue is the ninth link in the Great National Shrine erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution along the National Road Trail. There are only 12 statues linked along U.S. 40 from Cumberland, Maryland, to Upland, California. The Richmond statue stands at the entrance of Glen Miller Park, at U.S. 40 East and North 22nd Street. This statue was restored in 2005 and commemorates the westward flow of pioneers along the Cumberland Road through the city.

I am in awe of the pioneers and how they overcame the magnificent struggles to conquer an unknown land. Their struggles have given us so much as we are now a diversified country. Can you imagine being a mother, traveling with a baby and toddlers across a vast unknown land? Many families died along the way. The ones who made it were able to start a new life, full of hope and dreams. I only think I would have been one of the ones to reach the new land. Do you think you would have made it?

You can find more pictures and information about the Madonna’s of the Trail statues by visiting Route 40 Net.
Source: Waynet, Inc.

While in Paducah, Kentucky last week, I noticed the beautiful artwork along the flood wall that protects the city from the Ohio river. This artwork is amazing and I wondered how it came to be that we were lucky enough to look at beautiful scenes instead of just cement. I did some research.

In case you are wondering where in the world Paducah is, Paducah is about halfway between St. Louis, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee.

The “Wall to Wall” murals are by muralist Robert Dafford. The murals have been painted over 11 years by Robert Dafford and a team of artists who work with him. Robert Dafford is a current resident of Lafayette, Louisiana. Dafford has painted over 300 murals across the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and England. He has been painting murals, signs and fine art paintings for 35 years. In the past fifteen years, Dafford has concentrated on working along the Ohio River, painting over two hundred large historical images of cities on their floodwalls, using trompe l’œil, advanced perspective, and realist technique. Many riverboat tours make stops along the Ohio River specifically to see his murals. Dafford is best known for his murals in Paducah, Kentucky; Portsmouth, Ohio; Covington, Kentucky; and his giant ‘Clarinet’ in New Orleans.

The 60+ consecutive Portsmouth murals stretch over 2,000 feet (610 m) and cover 44,000 sq. ft. Dafford’s murals are created with the purpose of boosting downtown development in small communities.

The murals in Paducah span several blocks and depict the history of Western Kentucky. It’s worth a visit just to see these beautiful murals, but Paducah has much more. It is also the home of the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society, the Paducah Railroad Museum, the River Heritage Museum and much more. I love Paducah!

Sources: Roaming Times Travel

I am leaving in the morning for the Paducah Quilt show. I hope to have lots of stories to tell and new projects to make. I cannot wait to see the quilts that won the Old Favorite contest, sponsored annually by The National Quilt Museum of Paducah. I am signed up to attend a seminar given by Eleanor Burns. She introduced the first Quilt in a Day book and changed the way quilts were made. She hosts a television show and is always fun to watch. This trip is going to be fun. Lots to do in a short amount of time!

I’ll leave you with a picture of the quilt my mom made me for my birthday a few years ago.

See ya on Monday.

Yesterday was a whirlwind day spent at a huge quilt show. It was held at the Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. What a place! The convention center looked very new and piqued my curiosity. I had to find out about this place. New, spacious hotels are located within walking distance. The O’Hare airport was across the highway. This looked to be the place where people from Chicago and surrounding areas would spend their time and money. In fact, more than a million visitors a year pass through the doors. Fountains, elegant landscaping and LED lighting effects capture attention when Stephens Center guests experience the $3.3 million update to the improve the facility’s main entryway. The convention center is convenient, easily accessed and elegant.

The quilt show that I attended yesterday was only one event being held at the center. The police were guiding tour buses and other traffic as people were unloaded to attend jewelry shows, quilt displays and other venues.

Another property that caught my attention when we drove by was the 101,000 square foot Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18. This venue offers an amazing digital viewing experience and 4,227 reclining stadium-style seats. Other luxury features include a 300-seat VIP Theater and a total of 502 premier VIP seats throughout, VIP free popcorn, VIP valet parking and a full-service restaurant and bar. Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 offers movie fans a breathtaking visual and audio experience.

I hate lighting. Ask my husband and he will tell you that I don’t even like to turn the bathroom lights on when I am getting dressed in the morning. It isn’t because I am afraid to look in the mirror. It is that I feel insulted by all the light assaulting my senses.

The Dark Sky Festival taking place on Saturday, April 25th, 2009 in Harmony, Florida is in agreement with my findings. The festival encourages everyone to turn off artificial lighting if just for one night. By turning off the lights that insult and take away from our beautiful sky, we will see the true beauty of the night. We will be able to actually see the stars!

Many of us do not realize how beautiful the sky is because we are accustomed to all the artificial light all around us. It is important to protect the dark skies. The dark sky is one where we can marvel at the wonders of astronomy. Another advantage to implementing a dark sky is the effect it has on wildlife. Light pollution has driven our wild creatures into hiding and out of their natural habitat.

Check out the family friendly festival to see all the events that will be taking place. Perhaps it is time to implement a festival here in the midwest!