tops june 2013

16 JUNE 2013 | TOPSINLEX.COM

TOPS AROUND TOWN 27 Out & About

28 Dancing with the Lexington Stars I

30 Dancing with the Lexington Stars II

32 Amazing 8 Luncheon, Camp Horsin’ Around

34 Alzheimer’s Making Memories

36 TOPS May Preview Party

38 Rolex 3-Day Event I

40 Rolex 3-Day Event II

156 Women’s Business & Leadership Conference I

158 Women’s Business & Leadership Conference II

160 Education Builds Hope I

162 Education Builds Hope II

164 Expecting Great Things Maternity Fair

166 Heart Walk I

168 Heart Walk II

181 TOP Shots

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24 Up & Coming

46 Sports: Operation Tempered Expectations

55 Posh Paws: Grooming Tools

56 Etiquette & Entertaining: To Stamp or to Click?

58 Dining: Coba Cocina

132 Family: Getting there is No Vacation

135 Gardening: Birdwatching, There’s an APP for That

136 New Businesses

139 Parties: School’s Out! Now What?

155 Finance: The Truth About Cash

176 Weddings: It’s a ‘Snap’ to Turn Photos Into Your Reception Décor

IN EVERY ISSUE

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The views and comments expressed by the authors are not always that of our editors or publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the informaiton in this publication, TOP Marketing Group, LLC accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequernces, including any loss or damge arising from the reliance on information in this publication.

All images contained in TOPS in Lexington Magazine are subject to copyright of the artist or photographer as named, but no limited thereto. Reproducation if any part of this magazine without prior written permission is prohibited.

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7 FRIDAYUK Opera Presents: It’s a Grand Night for Singing!7:30p Singletary Centeruky.edu

KET’S Summer Celebration7p-12a Donamire Farmket.org

50 Years Celebrating the Bluegrass5:30p Keenelandswclex.org

8 SATURDAYUK Opera Presents: It’s a Grand Night for Sinigng!7:30p Singletary Centeruky.edu

Swingin’ on Short Street!7p-11p Court House Plazaluv2swingdance.com

Wild Hearts Fun Run10a Commonwealth Stadiumkerringtonsheart.org

Fur Ball5p Marriott Griffin Gatesc4paws.org

Beer Cheese FestivalDowntown Winchesterbeercheesefestival.com

9 SUNDAYUK Opera Presents: It’s a Grand Night for Sinigng!7:30p Singletary Centeruky.edu

12 WEDNESDAYLexington Legends v Rome Braves12p Whitaker Bank Ballparklexingtonlegends.com

Tim Wilson7:15p Comedy Off Broadwaycomedyoffbroadway.com

13 THURSDAYUK Opera Presents: It’s a Grand Night for Sinigng!7:30p Singletary Centeruky.edu

Central Bank Thursday Night Live: Kenny Owens4:30p-8p Fifth Third Bank Paviliondowntownlex.com

Tim Wilson7:15p Comedy Off Broadwaycomedyoffbroadway.com

14 FRIDAYFree Friday Flicks7p Jacobson Parklexingtonky.gov

Fountain Films Friday8:45p Triangle Parkdowntownlex.com

15 SATURDAYFox 56 5K8a Downtown Midwayfoxlexington.com

Night of the Stars6p Keenelandckrh.org

JUNE15

Our photographers are everywhere! Please check our website for updated event information and please be aware of the changing nature of events. Have an event coming up that you’d like listed on our calendar? Visit us online at topsinlex.com/calendar and click on Submit Your Event!

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Up & Coming


Community Spotlight

by Kelly AdamsPhotos courtesy of the American Red Cross

It isn’t a matter of if a disaster will strike Central Kentucky, it’s when. Natural disasters are a part of this world and most people can’t afford to deal with them. They need help.

That is where the Bluegrass Chapter of the Red Cross comes in. As your resident disaster experts, the Red Cross comes to the rescue when Central Kentucky needs it most.

JUNE 2013 | TOPS MAGAZINE 43

Community Spotlight

When and WhereThe american red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton. Less than 40 years later, Central Kentucky found a need for the organization that had already helped thousands of americans and in 1917, and the Bluegrass Chapter was chartered.

The american red Cross’s mission is to “prevent and allevi-ate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.” You better believe they take that to heart here in the Bluegrass.

“all citizens need the safety net provided by the american red Cross so that they know in the face of a disaster someone will be there to help get them back on their feet,” says Winn Stephens, director of development at the Bluegrass Chapter of the red Cross.

In the Bluegrass, the red Cross provides a slew of services that prepare citizens for any possible situation. not only are disaster services always at the ready, but the red Cross trains local citizens in CPr and First aid, provides emergency mes-saging to members of the military and even conducts the Wheels Program, which is a paratransit program in Fayette County funded through LexTran.

Last year alone, the Bluegrass Chapter of the red Cross pro-vided disaster relief services to over 2,400 people affected by various disasters across the state. In addition, the red Cross has helped many times that by making 165,000 trips through the Wheels Program.

also, over 14,000 people were trained in lifesaving skills last year. That means that the person sitting across from you in any given restaurant around town, could have the skills and certification to be able to assist you in any emergency. doesn’t that make you feel light-years better?

Those military messages? The Bluegrass Chapter of the american red Cross transmitted 943 emergency messages between members of the military and their family back home. even thousands of miles away, the men and women fighting for america’s freedom are able to stay connected to their families when they need to most, thanks to the red Cross.

GeT aLerTWell, the american red Cross is the only organization char-tered by the United States Congress to provide disaster relief to all americans. Likewise, the red Cross is the only organi-zation authorized to provide emergency messaging between members of the military and their loved ones back in the States.

This doesn’t mean the red Cross is a government-funded agency. The organization runs solely on generous donations by those who believe in their cause.


Behind the Lens

sessions, commercial, fashion, performing artists, scenic, fine art, weddings and glamour shoots.

Drawing inspiration from Australian photography, Frank’s im-ages perfectly blur the line between whimsy and reality. One such shot is of an all-encompassing waterfall and just as you are admiring the natural beauty, you catch a glimpse of a man’s figure at the very bottom of the frame who is actually Frank’s son and frequent travel companion, Patrick. At first, you assume this is an illusion, that your mind is playing tricks on you from reveling in the beauty of nature. The water dances to and fro in the frame and just then, you are drawn back to reality upon viewing Patrick in the photograph.

TOPS: Do you have any secrets to capturing the perfect shot?

FTB: You really have to help people relax before and while taking their photos to capture a great shot, particularly with weddings because people are already nervous. You really just try to react to their personality and make it a personable experience for them. We have found that the engagement session before the wedding truly helps to relax the couple and get them prepared for being in front of the camera prior to the day of. Then again, there are couples that love having their picture taken. Either way, we have a good time and the engagement sessions are my favorite photos because I love the dynamic between each of the couples, as they are about to embark on a new life together. One of my recent en-gagement sessions took place in the Dominican Republic on a remote beach and the couple flew us out for the entirety of the trip. The bride is also a photographer and she really let me cut loose, completely open to trying new ideas behind the lens. Af-terward, our team was beyond elated because the shots captured here were just astounding. We were so grateful to experience this

with such an amazing couple.

TOPS: What are some of the high-lights of your career in photography?

FTB: One highlight of my career oc-curred when I was engaged by a Cana-dian adventure travel company to hang out on its ship while sailing to Greenland and Iceland to shoot for their brochures. My nature-photography colleagues won-dered how I got that gig since I am more a portrait and wedding photographer and really, it is because they needed pictures of people observing and reacting to the scenery and wildlife to attract more peo-ple through those brochures, rather than pictures pertaining to strictly said wildlife and scenery. Another high point of my career was shooting a model portfolio for a young lady, a plus-size model, and get-ting her into Vogue. I thought, man, I wish I could have photographed the Vogue


Behind the Lens

To learn more about Frank T. Becker, please visit his websites: thetimephotography.com andbeckerattorney.com.

shoot; but I was still so thrilled and happy for her as she en-joyed the complete Vogue experience in New York from make-up to all day shooting experiences.

TOPS: When you’re not working on photography or prac-ticing law, where can we find you?

FTB: Traveling. I have been to more than forty countries and all seven continents. I also love native plant gardening and have a thriving piece of native Kentucky in my small backyard. Also, much to my fiancée Laura’s delight, I enjoy cooking.

TOPS: Do you have a favorite indulgence?

FTB: Talisker Scotch. I never proclaimed myself a Scotch man until making the journey to Scotland and experiencing the beverage firsthand. Now I quite enjoy it.

TOPS: What is your favorite topic or type of photography?

FTB: Faces. Every face is interesting to me, particularly for-eign ones. The planet has about seven billion of them so it may take awhile to photograph them all, but I think I have gotten a pretty good start.

TOPS: Do you have another photography project in mind?

FTB: I have a notion to immerse myself in photographing the people of a remote culture such as the wonderful people of Laos, in Southeast Asia.

Phot

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Jenn

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Etiquette & Entertaining

by Sue Ann TruittEtiquette & Entertaining Consultant

John Quincy Adams once said, “Common sense and consideration should be the basis of etiquette and good manners.” The older the words of

wisdom, the more they can and do still apply today. In today’s environment, new means of communication are changing almost instantly. Common sense and consideration are nearly squelched by the desire for speed and ease.

In light of keeping current, the practice of the finer points of pushing the “SEND” button can overshadow the timelessness and sincerity of a well written correspondence on appropriate, fine stationery. A simple note to say “thank you” for a gift is so treasured. It speaks volumes to the person who, ever so carefully, selected and purchased the gift. If someone cares enough about you to give a gift then you should show your appreciation with a hand written note. Few acts of gratitude leave a more lasting impression than a kind note on beautiful paper.

This is the busiest season of the year in Kentucky. With it comes Derby parties, Weddings, Showers, Mother’s Day, Graduation, Father’s Day and a myriad of other events. Each of these special invitations requires a reply note, a thank you note, or a note of appreciation for a gift. Being pre-pared for these written expressions is imperative. Your stationery speaks volumes about you. What kind of paper should you use? Stationery comes in many shapes, sizes and colors. If you are just be-ginning your pa-per wardrobe, it is good to begin with a simple, multi-use selection. There are many color choices but white and ecru are the most popu-lar and appropriate. You can purchase many types of sta-tionery. Again, the

two most basic and most versatile types are for writing notes and long letters. How to customize your papers depends on how it is to be used. Following tradition, you could select for the note card, your monogram, initials, family crest or your name. For the letter size paper, most frequently the name and address or a monogram is used.

There are choices for the type of print. Engraving is one of the oldest and most elegant form of printing. It is appealing because of it is three dimensional with incredible detail. The paper is actually raised and the ink applied to the raised portion. Engraved stationery is more expensive than other types of printing but worth it in quality.

Letterpress began as an alternative type of printing. It involves setting type in reverse on a plate, inking the plate, then pressing the plate onto the paper. Thermography is called raised printing. It is created by a resin powder applied over flat ink. Thermography is not as expensive as engraving and can give the paper a similar look. There are numerous options for paper, color and print type. As you select from these choices, remember every letter you stamp reflects you and your own unique personality.

Yes, you can…more quickly push “SEND” for a thank you or a reply to a party. It arrives now and you can cross it off your list. It is just that—no personal-ity, no thought-out presentation, no quality, no repre-sentation of who or what you are. As life whizzes by, do you want to get caught out in cy-berspace with your eyes glued to a flat object? Step out of your quick and easy comfort zone. Be determined to attach some of the “niceties” to every-thing you do.

to stamp or to click?

Photo by Wes Wilcox


Dining

Iam no restaurateur. Heck, I don’t even plan on opening a single dining spot. But I’d be willing to bet the people who have intentions of opening the “restaurant of their dreams” rarely do. They’ve probably had to make compromises—more than they’d like to admit. The space they operate out of may be smaller than they’d hoped for. The menu may have needed tweaking to cater more to their clientele. Budgetary restrictions may have caused them to scale back initially grand ideas for décor.

However, when you walk into Lexington’s newest restaurant, Coba Cocina, a compromise may the hardest thing to spot. The resulting vision may be one of the biggest and most distinctive dining experiences the city has seen in years.

To get an idea how Coba Cocina came to fruition, you have to get into the minds of owners Phil and Lee Greer, founders of Mint Julep Restaurants. They own 35 Cheddar’s Casual Cafes and if you’ve eaten at one in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, West Virginia or North Carolina, chances are you’ve eaten in one of theirs.

Through the Greers’ travels, they’ve picked up inspiration across the globe, but fell in love the cuisine of Latin America, particularly what was coming out of Mexico, Central America and South America. An idea that started a decade ago took another five years to start taking shape.

And that shape is big. When I go to visit other restaurants in Lexington, I usually have to keep my eyes peeled to find them if it’s my first time visiting. Coba Cocina is located at 2041 Richmond Road, but I spotted the restaurant all the way by the New Circle Road overpass thanks to its large golden dome.

I could do an entire multi-page article on Coba’s interior alone. With more shades of blue than a Home Depot paint section, it has two floors and 12,000 square feet of energetic opulence. Almost everything is either imported or custom-made, down to the last tile and light fixture. The waiting list is displayed on a flat-screen TV up front and the hosts, known here as “guiders,” are all iPad equipped. It gets its decorative inspirations from everywhere, whether it’s the Mayan ruins, bars in Switzerland or the Apple Store in China. Oh, and that large tube in the center is just a 20,000 gallon fish tank full of baby jellyfish. You know, typical stuff. I’ve heard Lexington playfully dubbed “Lex Vegas,” but Coba is the only place in the city that may convince you you’re dining on the Strip.

Coba Cocina is a nice place to let your eyes wander, but it’s nothing but an impressive building without good food—and they’ve got that covered in three different ways. Take a trip upstairs and you’ll be in Cobar, which has a lounge atmosphere featuring specialty margaritas, signature Latin-inspired drinks, and hot & cold Spanish tapas. The main dining area is where you’ll find a dinner menu that’s primarily authentic Pan-American and “dressed up Tex-Mex,” but also features steaks, ribs and seafood with a twist.

I was happy to find the restaurant’s handmade guacamole to be chunky and fresh with only a few key ingredients added to enhance the flavor. If avocado isn’t your thing, you should check out their Salsa Passport, where you can get any number of dipping sauces with varied flavors and heat levels to pair with your chips or dinner.

Other appetizers featured interesting flavors. The lettuce wraps had some tasty marinated chicken along with black beans, roasted corn and diced avocado and the nachos with Carolina-inspired beef brisket was a nice change-up from other restaurants.

Actually, the brisket tastes even better in one of the entrees, the brisket tacos, with poblano peppers and sautéed onions. However, if you’re looking for something with flavor that’s a bit more stateside, this is where you’ll arguably find some of the restaurant’s best items.

Coba’s tender baby back ribs glazed with an agave barbecue sauce are unique. The agave also sneaks its way into the salmon. This fresh fish is perfectly cooked and melts in your mouth, and the poblano slaw, roasted veggies and Mexican rice all complement the main attraction. Then, there’s a cheeseburger that’s simply called “The Cheeseburger.” It’s inspired by two of Lee Greer’s favorite burger joints in New York and Houston. Its simple enough, but you can taste the quality of the ingredients, and the homemade potato roll it’s served on is pillow soft but substantial enough to hold everything in place.

Once you finish your meal, you may want to check out the dessert section. No, not the dessert section of your menu, the dessert section of the restaurant! This is where Coba’s third culinary offering, Cocoh! Confectioner, is housed. You’ll have your pick of any number of flavors of gelato, cakes, cupcakes and pastries, or you can warm up with a specialty coffee or hot chocolate.

Coba Cocina is a lot for any diner to fully absorb in one trip. Lee Greer said he knows this concept can flourish in a larger market, but as a native of Lexington, he wanted to build his dream restaurant here as a gift to the city.

859.523.8484 | 2041 Richmond Road | cobacocina.com


TOPS IN EQUINE TOPS IN EQUINE

renowned Argentinian player. Nacho is the face of Ralph Lauren Black Label© polo ads nationally and internationally, and is a great advocate for polo. Nacho will be appearing at “Polo in the Park,” a benefit for the Fayette Alliance that is now an annual Lexington social tradition. At venues such as Aspen snow polo, Miami Beach polo, the Veuve Cliquot Classic in Manhattan and others, Chet wit-nessed successful polo tournaments and plans to bring the best of each back to Lexington for the enjoyment of players, patrons and spectators alike. The focus of the Club, in partnership with the Kentucky Horse Park, will be support of charitable and other worthy causes. Three such events are already planned for the upcoming sea-son, including two memorial tournaments; one in honor of local sportsman, polo player and horseman Hilary Boone and

the other in memory of polo club member, supporter and far-rier, Johnny Collins. A tournament benefiting breast cancer re-search, “Pink Polo,” will also be scheduled. Come out and watch the polo ponies (called that traditionally, they’re not really ponies) who are incredible athletes with love-ly dispositions. Most polo ponies are actually horses (over 14.2 hands high) with the average polo pony measuring on average 15.2 hands high. These ponies are typically thoroughbreds; some former race horses and some bred for polo. They are fast, quick turning, quick stopping, agile athletes. For more information on the oldest organized team sport – exciting, fast, action-packed and physical, played on the largest surface in sport please visit lexingtonpolo.com. Detailed sched-ules of practices, tournaments, social events, membership and other information are available on the website. Up-to-the-min-ute information can be found by following Lexington Polo and Original Makers Club on Facebook. Join in the summer fun!

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE HORSEOf the many, many things to do at the Kentucky Horse Park, one “can’t miss” stop is a visit to the International Museum of the Horse. The Museum is located just past the entrance to the Park. Ad-mission to the Smithsonian affiliate museum is included with a general admission ticket to the Park. A brilliant tour through time and all things horse-related, the Museum contains some gems that should not be overlooked by any resident or visitor to Lexington who has even a passing interest in horses, history or art.The Museum—the world’s largest equestrian museum—traces the history of the horses through time and worldwide. Aside from an extensive collection of artifacts and horse-drawn vehi-cles, the museum also houses incredible photography, fine art, folk art and equine sculpture. However, perhaps the most inte-gral exhibit to the Lexington community is the new permanent exhibit that interprets the history of thoroughbred breeding and racing in Kentucky and how Lexington became the “Thor-oughbred Breeding Capital of the World”. The highlight of this exhibit is the skeleton of the great thoroughbred racehorse, Lexington. Now on permanent loan from the Smithsonian Na-tional Museum of Natural History, Lexington is considered by many to be the greatest racehorse and sire of the 19th century. The Thoroughbred in Kentucky exhibit is housed next to the Calumet Farm trophy exhibit.



tically forced his connections to enter him in the Kentucky Der-by. Jockey John Velazquez was aboard for the last two wins, but was committed to Verrazano for the Derby. The McGaughey camp landed the world’s hottest jockey in Joel Rosario for the “Run for the Roses” and he did not disappoint his backers.

On the world’s brightest stage for racing, with press neophytes and veterans alike recording your every move, Shug was able to transcend his calm demeanor through his horse and seasoned team. He consistently gave credit to his stables success to his hard-working staff and how well they handled the pressure along with him.

“Well, I do think there’s something to it. I think that a horse can sense nervousness, and I think they can sense if you’re a bit un-easy being around them. I’ve tried to take a relaxed attitude to-wards this whole thing. I know a lot of times, if I feel like maybe I might be going to be a little bit nervous and maybe make my people nervous, I’ll just sort of stay away, stated Shug. “On the walkover on Saturday, I was leaving the barn and sort of stayed

in front of them so I wouldn’t be nervous, for one, and then wouldn’t make them nervous, because they’re all staying pretty relaxed, and I’m trying to stay that way, too. When we got into this process I told them, I said let’s make this fun, and so far it has been.”

Sent off as the slightest of favorites in a 19 horse field, Rosa-rio let Orb settle in stride from post 15 and was as far back as 17th down the sloppy backstretch in the 1¼ mile race. Rosario rightly sensed a quick pace by the horses up front and he got Orb to relax with long-striding rhythm. At the precise moment, Rosario urged his handsome bay mount to chase the leaders, and he began picking them off one by one as he rounded the final turn to the roar of the rain soaked crowd. Under a rousing ride and despite the fact he had never raced on a sloppy track, they pulled away to a 2 ½ length victory to give the Phipps/Jan-ney partnership and their dedicated trainer Shug McGaughey their long overdue first victory in “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”

After a few days to digest all that a Kentucky Derby victory meant, we asked Shug if it was a life-changing event. “Yes, it has been,” he spoke humbly. “It’s changed a bit. I mean, for one thing, is it’s a relief to have finally won it and fulfilled the life-long dream. Also, there’s been quite a demand on our time; not only mine, but the people at the barn and stuff, but, that’s all been fun, too. And the other thing that’s much appreciated is, how nice the media has been through this whole thing, and how much the fans and friends, and people who aren’t even friends, the nice things that they’ve said.”

The relationship that McGaughey has formed over the years with the connections of Orb gave him insight to the response of Stuart Janney III and “Dinny” Phipps after the Kentucky Derby victory. ” Well, I think it showed on Saturday, really. They were, in their own way, two pretty excited men. I think that as much as they love racing, and as much as they love the horse racing game, that they were delighted to win—to have won America’s premier race. And, somebody asked me, have you all had a conversation since, and I’m going to answer that, no—or what did they say after the race? I said they didn’t have to. I said we’ve been together for so long that they knew what it meant to me and I knew what it meant to them and just by taking a look at each one of them, I think that pretty much answers the question for me. I’m sure that when everybody gets settled down a little bit, we will talk, but really we don’t have to, because we know each other well enough where we all know what this means.”

Reflecting on the individuals that captured the most coveted achievement in the sport, both human and equine – it demon-strates that loyalty, legendary bloodlines, and rich traditions are still the heart and soul of thoroughbred racing in Kentucky.Jan Patterson working Orb



When finding your way around Keene-land you can thank

Amy Petit for the thousands of signs posted throughout the track. When you pick up a pro-gram during the races, it’s Amy who gets those done every day. If you’re at the Keeneland sales and look through a catalog, you can thank Amy for that informa-tion, too. All the great photogra-phy? Yes, it’s Amy’s job to over-see about 20,000 images per race meet. Getting the trophies to the winners’ circle? Again, that’s one of Amy’s responsibilities. Since 1981, Amy has been respon-sible for many of the important aspects of helping visitors to Keeneland enjoy their experi-ence.

“I feel honored to carry the tro-phies to the winners’ circle,” she said. “And, you are with the hap-piest people ever.”

Amy was working on a degree in architecture when her future father-in-law told her about a job at Keeneland. But it wasn’t a job that someone study-ing architecture might normally be drawn to. The job was in public relations. She started out as mostly an administrative assistant but soon was doing much more. She decided that college could wait, so instead of finishing her architecture degree, she stayed at Keeneland.

In those days, the public relations team was only two people, Amy and her boss, Jim Williams. The two worked together for 28 years.

“I always loved working in the press box,” she said. “I did that for 10 years.”

Eventually her career moved into a related area, and she’s now Creative Services Man-ager, a job that entails overseeing print pro-duction, signage and the organization’s cor-porate identity.

“Yes, I’m the logo po-lice,” she said. “But more than that, Cre-ative Services is the sup-port team for the entire company.”

She strongly believes in the importance of branding and part of that is the consistent use of the logo and other corporate identity elements, such as colors, fonts and email signatures. In the world of social media and other fast moving technology, overseeing the corporate identity has become even more challenging be-cause it’s easy for people to have access.

Fillies in the Workplace:Amy Petit

Keeneland Creative Services Managerby Mary Hemlepp, APR

photo by Keni parks



Another glimpse behind the Creative Services curtain re-veals how far in advance of the horse sales that Amy and her co-workers must be preparing. In July, they are already work-ing on the September sales catalog.

“The biggest sale is the September yearling sale,” she said. “In two weeks, we’ll have 3500-4500 horses go through the sales pavilion. In September, October and November it’s just crazy with sales and rac-ing all going on.”

For the Sep-tember sale, the Creative Services team creates six cata-logs and prints 12,000 copies of each. One of the biggest challenges is getting them all printed in a short amount of time.

“Last year alone we printed about 129,250 sales catalogs,” she said. “Since I’ve been designing covers and getting the catalogs to the printer (about 25 years) we’ve conservatively printed and distributed over three million catalogs.”

The Keeneland horse sales bring in thousands of buyers from around the world. Driving by Bluegrass Airport dur-ing that time drivers might see private planes from several countries.

“The buyers could be the wealthiest people in the world, but here, they are all equal,” she said. “They are inspecting the horses just like everyone else. It’s all business. It’s all very seri-ous.”

Amy grew up in Lexington, one of 12 children, and gradu-ated from Henry Clay High School. Her family was not in the horse business, so she knew very little about it when she began her career in 1981.

“Actually, I’m scared to death of horses,” she said. “They’re just so big. But one of the things I love most is watching the

horses work out in the morning. It’s just so peaceful and beautiful.”

She’s been at Keeneland longer than she’s been married, but she’s been married to her husband, Kevin for nearly 32 years. They have three children, two of which are married. When her youngest, who’s now 16, was in kindergarten, Amy de-

cided it was time to go back to school. She graduated from Midway College with a degree in organizational management.

“My friends inspired me to go back to school, and I loved it,” she said.

Throughout her career she’s seen and been part of many exciting Keene-land events, in-

cluding two anniversary celebrations —the 50th and 75th. She’s worked for four Keeneland presidents and had to learn to change along with the culture under each.

An artist at heart, Amy said she looks forward to the time when she can devote more time to her passion. But for now, she’s happy continuing to do what she does and share her institutional knowledge with younger co-workers.

“Sure, I’ve been a bystander for the glitz and glamour of the horse industry and have witnessed such top events as The Queen of England attending the races in 1984, to horses selling for millions of dollars; as well as many famous people come and go through the gates of Keeneland,” Amy said. “But in the end, what has been the most important to me are all the people that I have worked with every day through the years. They are what really matter and have made a last-ing impression on me. I have been blessed to have been able to make a career at Keeneland and that management has kept me around for so long. Hopefully, they think I still have something to offer for a few more years, because I’m not quite ready to give it up yet.”

Amy (9mo pregnant) with Pete Rose in the Press Box in 1984Also attenting that day was the Queen of England



Gates open at 4 p.m. for each Downs After Dark, with the first post time at 6 p.m. General admission is $10 at the gate. For reserved seats on the third floor of the clubhouse, it’s $20. Or you could experience the famed Millionaires Row on level 4 or 6, both of which are offering a buffet din-ner, reserved seating and a racing program for $59.90.There’s free parking in the Gate10 lot on Longfield Avenue, but it gets pretty full pretty fast, so parking is also available at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, which is within walking distance of the Downs or you can take the shuttle.“People come in from all around the region,” said John Asher, Churchill Downs’ vice president of racing commu-nications. “It’s a great experience.”Under temporary lighting during the 2009 season, Downs After Dark was such a success Churchill Downs installed a permanent lighting system in 2010 at a cost of $4 million. It’s a much larger space than a baseball or football field, but Musco Sports Lighting out of Iowa configured the lights specifically for Churchill Downs to focus on the track, without dispersing bright light into the neighborhood. Musco also did the lighting for nearby Cardinal Stadium.Racing under the lights, built around an entire evening of fun and entertainment, was a way for Churchill Downs to redefine the racing experience.“We could have simply turned on the lights and invited them in, and large crowds would surely have come to ex-perience racing under the lights—at least for a session or two,” Asher said. “But we wanted something more lasting. We wanted to combine the Thoroughbred racing experi-ence under the lights with special dining packages and mu-sic and dancing in areas throughout the track.”New for 2013 is an area called the plaza, located adjacent to the paddock. The plaza is 30,000 square feet of open space with a stage for live music and DJs, plus food and drink vendors.Also new this year is the paddock balcony, overlooking the plaza. “Those celebrating in that venue will get a close-up look at the track’s jockeys as they emerge from the jockeys’ quarters and head to the paddock for each of the evening’s races,” Asher said.Yet another first for 2013 at the track in Louisville is the first-ever September meet, with 12 days of racing at Churchill Downs during the weekends of Sept. 6-29. Two of those dates, yet to be determined, will also feature Downs After Dark.The goal for Downs After Dark is to be special, so it’s in-tentionally kept to a small number of dates each year “to offer a terrific experience for the fans,” Asher said, “and give them something to look forward to next year.”For tickets visit churchilldowns.com.



by Kathie StampsPhotographs Courtesy of WinStar Farm & PM Advertising

WinStar Farm | StableMatesA membership program that grants a behind-the-scenes experience at a horse farm

As horse farms go, WinStar Farm is pretty young. It shares an anniversary date with the current millennium. Purchased by Kenny Troutt and Bill Casner in 2000, WinStar is located on Pisgah Pike in Woodford County. The land, of course, is as old as time. In the 1700s, the Williams family settled on a 450-acre tract that was known as Silver Pond Farm for well over a century. Prior to becoming WinStar Farm in 2000, the property was called Prestonwood Farm.

Today, Troutt is the sole owner of WinStar Farm. He was the founder of Excel Communications and, as an avid horseman, has served on the board of trustees for the Lexington-based Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

Even with its relative newness, WinStar Farm is already a veteran in the horse racing industry. In 2006 Bluegrass Cat, owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, was the second-place Kentucky Derby horse (the year Barbaro won). In 2010, WinStar Farm was in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs when Super Saver won the Derby, another Pletcher-trained Thoroughbred with Calvin Borel aboard. And in 2013, the WinStar-Pletcher-Borel matchup was in the money once again, as Revolutionary came in third in Derby 139.

There are more than 500 horses at WinStar Farm, from foals and yearlings, to broodmares and stallions, racehorses, and retired horses. Some of the name brand stallions on the farm include Colonel John, Speightstown, Distorted Humor, Drosselmeyer, Super Saver and Tiznow.



StableMates was created in early 2011 as the brainchild of Elliott Walden, president and CEO of WinStar, who wanted to bring in more fans to Thoroughbred racing and breeding, and let people have an insider’s view of what it’s like to run a horse farm and be an owner. StableMates is an interactive method of educating people about the horse industry and allowing racing fans to come together and ask questions freely.

Leanna Packard, coordinator of StableMates, is one of 100 em-ployees at WinStar. She is also a bloodstock assistant at the farm.

“That’s our mission, to create more fans,” Packard said of the fan-based program.

Of the 6,000 members of StableMates, many of them live in Kentucky but there are quite a few people in California, Texas, New Mexico and other states across the country, even in other countries like Canada and Denmark.

Once you sign up for StableMates membership, you will be able to read news articles and view photo galleries and videos about WinStar horses. There’s also the opportunity to participate in contests to win some pretty neat prizes. Winners of the annual contests for the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup get tickets to those events.

Another annual contest relies on the creativity of participants. Each November, WinStar staff members pick out some year-lings that need to be named. Of the 40 or so yearlings each fall, five or six will get to be named by fans. StableMates members submit name suggestions in compliance with rules set forth by The Jockey Club—that’s why you’ll see words running togeth-er sometimes.

With typically 400 to 500 contest entries for each horse, it’s tough to choose a winning name. When the WinStar staff does

choose a yearling’s name submitted from a StableMates mem-ber, that member gets an engraved keychain with the horse’s name as a memento.

“It’s fun going through all the names,” Packard said. “They come up with more original stuff than we do.”

Two recent contest winning names were Sweetsoutherndame and Red River Rising. If you see those Thoroughbreds as Derby contenders in a couple of years, you’ll know the names came from members of StableMates.

From February to late April, program members create a “fan stable” of 12 horses. “It appeals to novices and handicappers,” Packard said. These are actual horses that are pointed toward the Derby, and then in fantasy football-style, you set up your team of 12 horses, either as an individual or with some friends or co-workers. In real life the horses earn money for their track winnings; with the fan stable those earnings are translated into points. Whoever has the most points wins at the end of the pe-riod.

“You can’t change your teams or trade your horses,” Packard said, “but we allow that during the add-on period in the spring.” WinStar gives out prizes for the first 10 people who win. The first-place winner gets two tickets to the Derby and the second-place prize is a pair of Oaks tickets. Other prizes include free up-graded StableMates memberships; WinStar gift bags filled with shirts, hats and mugs; and farm tours to see the stallion barn and training facilities.

For the Breeders’ Cup contest, the object is to predict the first three place-getters. The 2013 race is at Santa Anita the first weekend in November, and this year’s StableMates winner will get to attend next year’s race.

There are different levels of StableMates membership, all of which are password-protected on the website. The free version just requires signing up online.

The WinStar Farm Cam membership is $24.95 per year, grant-ing access to 12 cameras throughout WinStar Farm and interac-tion with other StableMates members. There’s a camera in the showing circle and one on the track, two in the barns and three in the training facility. Five cameras in the stallion barn show fans what’s going on with four very popular stallions: Tiznow, a two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner; Bodemeister, who placed at both the Derby and the Preakness in 2012; Colonel John, who won multiple Grade I stakes races and is Tiznow’s son; and the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.

“To let people have an inside look at what we do, what better way than to put up a camera and stream it 24 hours a day?” Packard said. “It is one of our most popular features.”

Jim Reilly, Jeff Brown, Leanna Packard, Elliott Walden (forground), Todd Pletcher (forground), and Rick Hooper. Grade 1 morning on the backside at Churchill Downs

Thursday May 2.



The StableMates Grade III membership, or G3, is $99.95 per year for farm camera access plus a behind-the-scenes tour of the farm with a guest, photo opps with WinStar stallions, entry into a random drawing for box tickets to Keeneland and Churchill Downs as well as certain racing memorabil-ia, plus a 10 percent discount on merchandise at WinStar’s online store.

For $299.95 a year, the Grade II, or G2, membership also includes an official Stable-Mates hat or Under Armour shirt, a horseshoe from a WinStar horse, a 15 percent merchandise discount, and access to the WinStar “Handicap-per’s Edge,” filled with inside racing tips from bloodstock ana-lyst Brian Ludwick.

There are also some cameras in the broodmare barn so G-level members can watch a mare foal. WinStar foaled about 140 horses earlier this year.

“Everybody wants to see the mare foal,” Packard said. “Our broodmare manager is great at trying to let them know when the mare is close, giving people a heads-up if it’s going to be, for example, tonight or tomorrow.”

In addition to seeing what’s going on via farm cameras, G-level members can watch videos of mares in foal, if they missed it in real time, and they can participate in an educa-tional series on yearlings by way of weekly training videos.

Just as the highest level of graded stakes races is Grade I, the G1 is the most exclusive of StableMates memberships, at an annual fee of $5,000. “We tailor it to each individual’s

interests, with unprecedented access to our facility and barn,” Packard said of the concierge G1 experience.

When a WinStar horse wins a race, G1 members are allowed in the winner’s circle, excluding Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown races. They get paddock passes at various tracks across the country if a WinStar employee is also attending a race, and ac-cess to the WinStar suites at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.

“We make sure it’s customized and personalized,” Packard said of the G1 membership. “Some people enjoy the breeding as-pects; others are more race-oriented.”

Packard is a horse lover herself. She started riding when she was in middle school, and after graduating from college wanted to make a career in the horse industry.

“It can be a daunting task at first, but anybody who is deter-mined can break into the industry,” she said. “I was fortunate

enough to get an office po-sition.” From there she has transitioned into helping Gerry Duffy, the stallion sea-sons director. Packard evalu-ates pedigrees and helps out on the WinStar team that goes to the sales and looks at the progeny of stallions.

WinStar offers free farm tours to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. The WinStar store, store.winstarfarm.com,

has merchandise in the form of shirts, jackets, caps and other apparel featuring racehorses’ names.

Most horse farms do a great job providing tours to the public, but WinStar is one of the first to offer a membership program giving access to the goings-on of a working farm. To sign up for a StableMates membership, visit winstarfarm.com.

Grade 1 members Jeff & Angie Brown with Jockey Calvin Borel

Grade 2 members Marsha & Manuel Barreiro meet with WinStar CEO & President Elliott Walden. Calvin Borel speaks with other members in the background.

Grade 2 Member Shanon Shug and friends talk to Calvin Borel



by Lisa Kindel

Every year, The Kentucky Derby evokes images of history and tradition, of refinement and riches. Whether you’re a jockey, trainer, owner, or spectator, tradition plays a tremendous part of the day’s events and activities. Be it a sacred mint julep rec-ipe, a lucky tie, or the tallest hat in the infield, these traditions adds to the excitement and ‘joie de vivre’ that happens Derby Day. One of the most significant of the Kentucky Derby’s most time honored traditions occur after the race is run and the winner announced: the receiving and draping of the rose blanket itself across the withers of the winner of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby tradition of giving roses to the win-ning thoroughbred isn’t recorded until 1896 when win-ner Ben Brush received a wreath of pink and white ros-es. However, reports say E. Berry White handed out roses to all the ladies at a Derby Party in 1883 so impress-ing Churchill Downs track president Col. M. Lewis Clark that he declared the rose the official flower of the Kentucky Derby. The rose tradition continues, wavering between a bouquet, wreath, and garland until 1932 when Samuel Culbertson commissioned Louisville florist shop owner Grace Walker to design and create the rose blanket. Thor-oughbred Burgoo King won the 1932 Kentucky Derby and modeled Mrs. Walker’s Derby blanket for the first time, thus bringing the Kentucky Derby rose blanket closer to the rose blanket we know today. Chris Goodlett, curator of the Ken-

tucky Derby Museum comments “I see them (the roses and rose blanket) as a trophy and as a symbol of victory. It’s be-come a powerful part of the Derby story.”Orb won the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby and re-ceived the Derby blanket. What happens to the rose blanket after the race? The answer is this: Molly Jacobus, owner of Molly’s Flowers and Things in Danville, Kentucky, freeze dries the rose blanket. She knows the Monday after Derby whether she’s freeze drying the blanket, as it is up to the owner if the blanket gets preserved. The freeze dryer can hold up to 1500 flowers at a time and the Derby blanket gets dried in one piece. Over 500 Freedom roses on the Derby blanket takes6-8 weeks to preserve, starting at a temperature of 20 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit, and rising progressively to extract the water from the roses and maintaining the shape of the rose intact. Molly started freeze drying flowers in 1990 when she bought a large freeze dryer intending to sell wholesale but found whole-sale “wasn’t as lucrative as first thought” she says. Molly began her role in Derby history when WT Young, former owner of Overbrook Farm, called her to freeze dry Tabasco Cat’s white carnation blanket from winning the 1995 Belmont Stakes. The next year, Young called upon Molly again when Grind-stone won the 1996 Kentucky Derby. When asked what her favorite part of the Kentucky Derby, Molly says, “It makes us feel like we’re helping preserve a piece of Kentucky history. It’s fun to provide a service that not many can do.”

Lisa R. Kindel grew up in Danville, graduated from UK, and spent most of her life travellingi n Europe and Japan. Lisa gained insight and appreciation for the museums, art, history, and local culture she experienced. After moving back to Lexington in 2006, Lisa turned her attentions to the museums, arts, history, and local culture of Lexington and the Bluegrass that keeps evolving. Lisa blogs about her passion for Kentucky travel on Wordpress at LRGoesLocal.wordpress.com

The Kentucky Derby BlanketA Tradition in Roses

JUN 2013 | TOPS MAGAZINE 107


have been quarrying and selling minerals and fossils for nearly a hundred years. Two decades of excavations on the Lewis ranch property have yielded other fossil finds, but this one takes the Triple Crown and then some. “Dawn” was found in a rock formation known as the “four-inch snail layer” which was embedded in a 400-foot bluff. The fossil was removed with extreme care, and after a yearlong search for the right “preparator” was ultimately prepared for dis-play as a wall sculpture.

Nationally respected paleontologist Dr. Lance Grande, Ph.D., a Senior Vice President at the Field Museum of Chicago, identified the species, its rarity and its relative completeness. It is thought to be the most complete and best naturally articulated find of its kind on record. More than 200 hours of expert preparation by Danny Ulmer of Deadwood helped to render and preserve this rare look into the ancient history of all things equine. The stone plate measures 30 inches by 28 inches and is four inches thick. The fossil is estimated by its finder at 95 percent complete, with the tail portion out of sight (perhaps hidden inside the same limestone plate). It is the most complete fossil of its kind ever found since the first partial specimen was discov-ered about 150 years ago.

“Dawn” is what fossil geeks would call a naturally-articulated fossil, meaning all of the parts of the fossil you see pictured were found in the exact positions on the exact stone in the images. This is an extremely rare occurrence as the normal outcome for an animal like Dawn is to be eaten by a preda-tor or scavenger (regardless of the reason for its death). It is most unusual to find a mammal fossil in a marine environ-ment, but the fish and snails surrounding Dawn are proof of where it was found. Predators often consume some of the bones with the meat and almost always scatter the remaining bones over a fairly wide area. Other very early horse fossils have needed piecing back together because of the scavenging and fossilization processes. Missing bones are replaced by castings in those cases to allow creation of a “complete” skeleton for display. The ordinary standard for museums is to describe a fossil animal as “complete” when the fossils found exceed 50% of the total bones expected for the species. While no one can know for sure, “Dawn” may have been swimming in Fossil Lake at the time (s)he died. (No, we do not know its gender). By sinking into the deep waters of the lake it would have been protected from preda-tors and oxygen while being covered by calcium carbonate that eventually formed the laminated limestone in which the Dawn fossil was found.



The goal of an art dealer is to take the work of a quality artist and get it in front of the people. The formula is the same with artwork as it is with any other commodity; start with a quality product and expose it to the masses; you increase the demand and the price is forced up. You hate to put the business into these simple terms because it somehow sounds sacrilegious—like along the way you miss what it’s all about.The first part of the equation speaks for itself: show quality artwork. A successful dealer has a ‘good eye’ and recognizes quality. There is always a limited supply of quality product. The second part of the formula can prove difficult; which is to raise awareness and gain exposure for the art or artists that you represent. If you are able to succeed in both of these areas, then the simple law of supply and demand will take over and your business will grow. While the recipe for success can be stated quite simply and logically, gaining exposure and raising awareness of one’s product can be a lifelong endeavor.

by Greg Ladd

Featured Artist: Andre Pater



I have been in business approximately 39 years, and I must end-lessly devise or revise the best way to get the work in front of the people. I can easily count 30 locations in 20+ states where we have taken exhibitions. We have gathered up our goods and gone on the road – all over North America, from San Diego to Toronto to Palm Beach – and have exhibited in most of those locations several times.The most memorable road exhibition was held in London, England. In June of 2002 we took the work of Andre Pater to the Sladmore Gallery in London. Edward Horswell, the propri-etor of Sladmore Gallery, was a good friend of mine dating back the mid 1970s during my first trips abroad looking for quality paintings. Andre Pater is considered by many as the top living sporting painter in America. In our incessant quest to broaden our collector base and gain exposure in European markets we took a collection of Andre’s recent paintings to London and hung them at the Sladmore with pride, knowing that his work was second to none.The show came about in an unusual way…We had planned a one-man show for Andre in our new gallery in the fall of 1998. Our new space had tall ceilings which would allow for Andre to work larger, he had just moved into a new studio with plenty of room to work large. We thought we would drop our show between the November horse sales and Breed-ers’ Cup which was in Louisville that year, hopefully capturing a larger crowd. Andre was franticly working, but the new canvas-es were taking longer than expected so we decided to move the show to December. Shortly after we mailed our invitations for Andre’s show, we received a call from Sotheby’s, New York. In early December they were going to have a sale of 10 paintings by the famous British sporting painter, Sir Alfred Munnings (Brit-

ish, 1878-1959). The 10 paintings to be sold had hung in the Turf Club at Santa Anita Racetrack since they were purchased in the 1950s, and were now going on the auction block in New York; expected to bring in excess of $10,000,000. The paintings had been on view in California, and now Sotheby’s was looking for another venue to expose the paintings before they went to New York to be sold. They were in hopes of bringing them to Lexington to take advantage of the November Sales and Breed-ers’ Cup in Louisville (a novel idea). They knew that the new gallery could easily accommodate the ten large paintings, and would I be kind enough to allow them to have a cocktail recep-tion to show them in Lexington’s Cross Gate Gallery. The Munnings show came, and along with the paintings came an armed guard (who lived at the gallery around the clock for 3 days) and Lord Stoker Hartington, Vice-Chairman of Sothe-by’s London, a good friend of Mr. Ted Bassett’s, Chairman at Keeneland. Lord Hartington was sent to America to host the exhibition and talk about the Munnings paintings to be sold. Fortunately, we had the bulk of Andre’s show in the backroom in the racks, and Lord Hartington was overwhelmed. He spent more time looking at Andre’s work than he did schmoozing with the Munnings buyers. He exclaimed “the work was the best he’d seen since Sir Alfred Munnings—and even before, back to the turn of the century—and we had to bring the work to London. We had a sell-out December show and started making plans for Andre’s London show. We felt like the American market was growing and it was time to expose the work to the European market. The London show was an amazing success and a won-derful story in itself, but that’s for another time…

TOPS in Equine, July 2013


Summer Accessories

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rhodium plated 35” necklaces from the

Tamara collection in a twisted “O” design by

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Stainless and white ceramic quartz chronograph Formula 1 watch with a 41mm white dial

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Sterling silver oval opal/blue topaz and diamond

open design pendant with champagne

diamonds by Armenta


Family

We’re in the process of planning a family vacation, and much as I look forward to the destination, the getting-there part always makes me think twice. I would love to meet the person who said, “Get-ting there is half the fun,” and learn the

secret. Because, obviously, she never traveled with my family.

In my world, getting everyone out of the house requires profes-sional logistical skills. And laundry super powers. And a degree in physics to ensure it all gets in the car.

Once it’s all packed in, we engage in the high-stakes questioning to determine if all the things got done. Which is a waste of time, because no one remembers what we forgot until we are halfway to the destination.

And then…the wheels hit the road. And the fun doesn’t begin.

Road trips are not my thing. And my kids would agree.

Gone are the days of the V8 station wagons I traveled in as a child, where the back seats all went flat so my sister and I essentially shared a moving playroom.

My kids have grown up in the buck-led in and locked-down era. A fact that my third child deeply resented from the day he was born, much to my surprise, since I planned a fam-ily vacation when he was just a few weeks old, counting on the car seat to lull him to sleep. His older siblings remember that trip well, since once he finally quieted down, they had free reign of the back seat, so long as they didn’t wake him and kept their seatbelts on. It took an hour to clean out the car once we reached our des-tination.

Over the years, car manufactur-ers have attempted to compensate. Our first mini-van came with a personal headphone jack near one seat—which occupied my children for endless hours, while they deter-mined the best method of taking turns sitting in that coveted seat. Then came the era of DVD players, which broadened the family “con-versation” to include how we decide which movie to watch. I am sure it took longer to select a movie than to actually watch it.

Personally, I believe the iPod is the 8th wonder of the world. And yes, it was worth the beg-borrow-purchase approach to provide ev-ery child with his or her own piece of technological genius. When we get in the car, the ear buds go in, and there is peace.

Until someone gets hungry. Which is usually soon after we leave.

I’ve come up with numerous strategies for eating on the road. Pack-ing our own food doesn’t usually work with the pre-trip chaos. Eat-ing in the car is a messy disaster. Eating in the restaurant takes too long. Going hungry makes everyone crabby. Feeding tubes do not come standard on our SUV.

Once we give in and agree to stop, and get through the process of deciding which drive through to venture through, the ordering process is enough to make us opt for going hungry.

“Everyone know what you want?” my husband asks. He takes the silence to mean “yes,” and pulls up to the ordering station.

And thus begins a 10-minute exchange between the back seat, the driver, and the poor employee who so cheerfully asked, “what can I get for you today?”

And that’s where things get interest-ing.

Even if the kids really did know what they wanted, it changes as soon as they hear their sibling’s requests. Inevitably we have a debate over whether or not they can upgrade to a milkshake if they only get water to drink (even though my rule is they can only have water to drink.)

My husband does his best to get the order straight—and I’m sure the drive-through employees do their best to get it straight—but by the time we are back on the road and ev-eryone’s food is distributed, we are inevitably missing someone’s main course, and it seems like we always have too many fries…which be-come lodged under the seats, show-ing up, dehydrated, months later.

By the time I discover the shriveled food particles, I’ve usually forgotten the most torturous moments of the trip. After all, if I can endure the road trip, there is always a destination!

GETTING THERE IS NO VACATION

by Hallie Bandy

Motherboardoverv


Gardening

My interest in bird watching is blossoming. I spent the winter keeping my bird feeders filled and it has paid off. Word is spreading among my feathered friends. I started keep-ing tabs of what types of birds visited in December. So far, I’ve documented twenty different species.

It’s migration time, which means my list is growing. I spotted a Rose-breasted Grosbeak for the first time last month. I feel like a child, being able to get so excited over something so simple. Nature is naturally bringing in more birds, and I’m doing my part to make sure while they’re in town, my yard is the hot spot to congregate. I am planting flowers that will attract a bevy of birds for my summer enjoyment. As babies are being born, they will find mealworms in my yard. A tasty treat, as their parents lead them from the nest to their food source.

There is so much beauty in birds. Each species is unique in color, mark-ings, shape, size and behavior. There’s a lot to learn and thankfully there’s an app for that. Armed with my iPod, National Geographic’s “Birds Lite” allows me to sit in my yard and look up birds by their appearance. The app gives an overview with fun facts. For instance, did you know the male and female Carolina Wren pair for life? Talk about commitment. Also, the male of each species is almost always more colorful than the female. The neatest feature is a recording of the distinctive calls each bird makes. Eventually it would be neat to identify birds by sound, for now I’m sticking with sight.

And what a sight it is to see. So far my list includes the Black-capped Chickadee (a cutie), Downy Woodpecker (only one sighting), Tufted Titmouse (a dainty little fella) and the Golden-crowned Sparrow. I am struck with the Red-bellied Woodpecker. A female visits from time to time, but not nearly enough. I am still working to pinpoint which feed keeps her coming back more often. Her markings are simply striking with the splash of violet red on her head; her feathers remind me of a hound’s-tooth check.

In addition to the beauty birds add to the garden, their behavior can keep you entertained. Some birds are bullies. Blue jays already have that reputation. In fact, their reputation precedes them, so as soon as they are heading towards the feeder, the other birds scatter. What I did not know was that Mockingbirds strong-arm their way around the yard, too. They are something else to watch. They come charging in! Out of nowhere they swoop right in, seemingly attacking the little guys, bless their hearts. In spite of that behavior, which I frown upon, I do like the Mockingbirds, with their clean lines, flannel grey feathers and variety of calls, (mocking) other species. The bright yellow Finch are a delight to watch as they flutter playfully in the air with one another.

Adding bird watching into the mix with my gardening is rewarding. I’m learning something new. I enjoy the process of spotting a new species and turning to my app and handy-dandy birds of Kentucky book to make a positive I.D. It’s among the simple pleasures found in the con-fines of my backyard.

BIRDWATCHING—THERE’S AN APP FOR THATby Michelle Rauch,Gardening Enthusiast

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak Male Tufted Titmouse

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Male Yellow Finch

Male & Female Carolina Wrens

Male Black-capped Chickadee


Parties

“Mom, I’m booooooored.” A couple of weeks into summer break, do you start to hear this phrase around your house? It seems that every year, the excitement of summer break only lasts a couple of weeks. Once the exhilaration of being

out of school wears off, it may be time to start looking for hassle-free activities. A few easy to plan, fun summer party activities can liven up any ordinary summer day. The following seven ideas can be executed without a lot of work, but will provide an afternoon filled with fun!

Ice creAM PArty – Ice cream parties are an easy way to en-tertain because they don’t require any cooking or baking. Simply purchase a couple of types of ice cream, edible waffle bowls, and a selection of your favorite ice cream toppings. Kids will love having lots of choices to make any flavor combination they desire. If you want to make your Ice cream Party a little more put together, you can set out the toppings in matching all white dishes on a serving table with matching labels and table linens.

SIdewAlK chAlK PArty – during the summer, even a drive-way or sidewalk can turn into a party venue. Start by simply pur-chasing a few boxes of sidewalk chalk. For refreshments, pick up popsicles and lemonade for the kids to snack on while drawing. This is a great idea for a party with kids of varying ages because tod-dlers to tweens enjoy creating their own masterpieces.

leMOnAde StAnd – lemonade stands are a good way to teach kids about money and charitable giving. The local Salva-tion Army hosts a lemonAid days drive each summer to raise money to support pro-grams for homeless children. encouraging your children to set up a stand to benefit this cause gives you a chance to talk to them about giving. It’s an activity they will enjoy and will also make them feel good about helping others.

wAter BAllOOn FIght water balloon fights are a ex-citing activity for any outdoor party or gathering, especially for school-aged children. Kids will enjoy both filling the ac-tual balloons with water and throwing them at each other. A few ground rules, such as no throwing at the face or head,

will ensure everyone has a good time. After the fight is over, have a race to see how many broken water balloons kids can pick up.

MOvIe nIght – you can recreate the fun of a drive-in theater at your home more easily than you might think. to set up viewing for the movie, you’ll need speakers, a projector, and a screen. Movie snacks are also a must. Popcorn, movie size candy, nachos, and soft drinks are movie favorites. A few blankets or lawn chairs can be scattered around the lawn for easy seating arrangements.

BAcKyArd OlyMPIcS PArty – games like relay races, discus (frisby) throw, shot put (bocce ball) throw, long jump and other games are the key to a cool Backyard Olympics party. Kids will love being awarded inexpensive medals purchased at a party supply store. Assign kids a country to represent, then play the country’s national anthem, easily found online, when they are on the medal stand. Snacks like gold medals, made out of vanilla Oreos and red fruit rope, and Olympic torches, made with ice cream cones filled with popcorn, will be a huge hit.

PIcnIc PArty – Sometimes a simple change of location can turn an everyday lunch into an extra-special meal. By simply pack-ing up lunch into a basket and grabbing a blanket, you can head off to a new destination for lunch. Parks, local college campuses or even your own backyard make perfect locations for picnics.

These hassle-free ideas are great boredom busters for the summer. Just don’t tell your kiddos how simple it was to plan something so fun!

by deanna talwalkarParty Planner extraordinaire

SCHOOL’S OUT! NOW WHAT?

Photos & Styling by Mirabelle Creations


Tour of Homes


Tour of Homes

Ray built a spectacular outdoor entertainment area that offers sweeping views of the property. Guests enjoy cooking and dining under the pergola as they congregate around the beautiful, yet functional bar space. This outdoor paradise is one of Linda’s favorite places on the entire property and she loves retreating here for a little rest and relaxation.



Finance

The point of investing, and there is only one point, is to grow and main-tain the purchasing power of the money you invest. It’s not to own

cool companies although that may be an enjoyable side effect. It’s not even to make money, because there may be circum-stances of deflation where you didn’t actually make money by investing but kept your purchasing power intact.

And there’s one ugly little truth about cash. It will almost always lose purchasing power and value over time. Cash is a long-term loser.

Today’s Federal Reserve Bank has decided that we will have nearly zero percent interest rates. This penalizes the savers, the moms and pops who have faithfully rolled CDs at their lo-cal bank for years. Now they are getting what amounts to zero on their savings at the bank. But inflation isn’t dead; it’s just muted. It’s still there.

This means that your cash buys approximately 2% less than it bought last year. Carry that over 10 years and a dollar equals about 85 cents.

If you think bonds and bond funds will get the job done, you may want to think again. As interest rates stay low for an ex-tended period, their bond investments roll over and must be reinvested at lower and lower interest rates. This means their returns to investors must inevitably decline over time.

Dividend paying stocks offer an alternative. If you’re afraid of investing in the “stock market,” consider this. The subset of the stock market that represents companies that have paid and raised their dividends over ten years or more is very small. It is probably less than three percent of all stocks. So you aren’t just pitching your money into the S&P 500 when you buy carefully selected dividend stocks. You are making a very specific kind of investment in very specific kinds of stocks. And historical analysis shows this to be a highly dependable way to invest that has tended to outperform the stock market with less risk.

Which sounds a lot better than zero!

THE TRUTH ABOUT CASH

by Tom Dupree, The Money Man

Listen to “The Tom Dupree Show” Saturdays from 6-9 a.m. at News Radio 630WLAP or wlap.com.


WOW Wedding

The bridesmaids wore light pink silk tea-length dresses and pearl necklaces. The flower girls wore white tulle dresses with pink satin ribbons, handmade flowered tiaras and pink slippers. The ring bearer carried an embroidered lace pillow, handmade by Jeremy’s aunt, and decorated at the corners with broaches belonging to the grandmothers of the couple. The groom and his men wore grey tuxedos to round out the elegant look of the bridal party.

The reception decor followed the romantic theme, with tall silver vases and julep cups filled with pink roses and greenery. The rooms carried a soft glow from the floating candles on the tables and mantles. A memory table held photographs of loved ones with candles to represent their presence. Guests enjoyed Southern-inspired cuisine, a signature bourbon drink “The Saremy,” and champagne wedding cake with butter cream frosting served with chocolate covered strawberries.

Two moments stood out as favorites for the couple. Sarah’s father sang and played guitar for their first dance number, Forever by Chris Brown. They also were overwhelmed by the feeling of love from family and friends when they were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Enlow.

The couple exited the reception to the chant “C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats!” and “Saremy!” as they left in a white limo.


WOW Wedding


Weddings

A significant wedding expense you will take on is the pre-wedding photography, your engagement photo sessions and brid-al portraits; unfortunately many of your friends and family never get to see them

unless they visit later and look through your wedding album. A fabulous idea is to utilize these photos (and even vintage family wedding photos) as part of your reception décor, thus repurposing your pre-wedding pho-tos and replacing another expense you may have to incur for decorations. Here are some ideas on how to use those images to make your reception your own, and to get the most mileage out of your wonderful wedding photography.

The CloThesline: A simple and inexpensive way to dis-play your engagement photographs for a shabby chic wedding is using old-fashioned clothespins, clipping your photos on a clothesline – draped in front of the bridal party table or along the walls of your venue. Very fun and very affordable.

The CenTerpieCe Display: Incorporating small pho-tos in your table centerpieces is a unique way to personalize your tables. Actually replacing flowers with photographs as your focal point, hanging them from twisted willow or interesting branch-es, is interesting and a great way to stretch your dollar.

The arT Gallery: If you enjoy the mingling of patrons at an art gallery show, you can duplicate this effect at your reception by displaying a mixture of your engagement photos, vintage fam-ily photos, parents’ wedding portraits, your baby pictures and more in a clever duplication of a gallery. Surround your recep-tion table area with easels, each displaying one of your precious photos, preferably 8x10’s or larger. This also gives guests another thing to do while waiting for your arrival, and is a great way to get them to mix, mingle and reminisce.

TableTop phoTos: As part of your centerpiece display, you can surround your table arrangement with beautifully framed or cleverly displayed photos. These photos shouldn’t be too large or they could overwhelm your décor, and depending on the image could also double as wedding favors. Mix the pho-tos up, encouraging guests to move from table to table and spark conversation.

phoTo boarD: An easy way to display photos is a photo board, basically doing a collage of photos and memorabilia. You can do this on anything clever like rustic shutters, cool doors – just think outside the box, or in this case the board! It’s very im-portant to be creative on this one. The last thing you want it to look like is a science fair project.

The GuesT reGisTry MatteD phoTo: This is the tried and true way of using your favorite engagement photograph; matting and framing it, then having guests sign the matting with their good wishes. It makes a great memory that can be displayed as wall art in your new home, instead of a guest book that may be shelved and never looked at again.

Be creative when considering how to display photos at your venue. Your guests are there to celebrate the two of you, so you really can’t overdo the use of your photography. Guests will appreciate the chance to see you and your bridal party enjoying yourselves and will include them in your pre-wedding preparations. Your shots will have a great effect on the flow and intimacy of the event!

It’s a ‘snap’ to turn photos Into your receptIon Decor

by Marsha KollerWedding Consultant

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tops june 2013

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