Saving and Preserving Historic buildings.

I love the Gilmore Girls. Recently I have been thinking about the episode right after Lorelei bought the Dragonfly. She is feuding with Taylor about renovations the building needs. She wants to tear down the porch and replace it. The porch isn't original to the building, but Taylor doesn't care and makes a statement about how we won't have historic things if we tear them down when they are only a few years old. Yes I am going somewhere with this ramble. A feud is taking place in the next county over from the Wandering Wonderful Homestead. A year ago a historic 86 year old church that has been a landmark of this town was purchases with the intent on being made into the towns new library. The board paid over 470,000 for the building and lot. That may not be a lot of money where some of you come from (I watch house hunters) but here in the hills of Appalachia that is an astonishing amount of money. The board didn't see fit to have a building inspection before plunking down nearly half a million in tax payer and coal severance money. Always get an inspection, always. They are now behind schedule and have realized that the beautiful brick building will not work for their intended goals. Their plan now? Raze the build, and build a new, similar structure on the lot. Many people are outraged by this, you can watch the board meeting here and here and see the original idea for the library here The building is eligible for a place on the historic registry. 


 I love old buildings, on my travels I always seek out historic buildings that are available for tours, I love the creak of hard wood floors and banisters shined by a hundred years of hands. I love the worn charm of history. People around the state have been buying up historic buildings and converting them into works of beauty. Dr. John Pellegrini bought the old Whitesburg post office and plans to convert the space into a art gallery. Whitesburg is already home to the world famous Appal Shop, a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts and education center. 

Morehead State University's Folk Art Center is housed in a beautiful old store front that was

generously donated by  Lovena and William Richardson when they closed their business. 

Breaking up is hard to do...

This has been a roller coaster few weeks for relationships. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have called it quits amid cheating allegations. Country music power couple Reba Mcentire and Narvel Blackstock are divorcing. Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog have ended their romantic relationship. The last one was probably most shocking of all. If a pig and a frog can't make it work what chance does the rest of us have?

Relationships are hard work. Mr. Wanderer and I have had a share of rough patches, we have broken up a
few times. There have been times we didn't think we could work things out, didn't think we wanted to try. But fate and love keep pulling us back together. He isn't the same person 13 year old me fell in love with, and I am not the same person he fell in love with. But that is okay. We have grown up, and at times grown apart. Even in our worst moments he has always been the man I wanted to grow old with. I have dated a lot during our break ups. The grass isn't any greener on the other side of the fence.

When he is away I miss the little things, sharing a sink and mirror while getting ready in the morning. He is tall enough to see into the mirror over my head. I miss waking up to him, falling asleep with him. I miss walks to the chicken coop holding his hand.

And that's love, or at least as close to love as I have ever gotten.

The Ouija Files

A good friend of mine and I have been discussing ghosts and the paranormal for some time. We attended a ghost hunt put on during a Civil War reenactment last year. A few weeks ago he took the plunge a built a

Ouija board. This man doesn't do anything half way, so when he said he was working on a board I new it was going to be something special. 

A few nights later me and a few others met at his house and settled in for an evening of Ouija. Nothing scary happened, no demonic possession. But whatever was in control of the planchette did know that I had a poem written by my grandmother and a picture of my great great grandmother in my wallet. No one in the room could have known that, nor could that have guessed my great great grandmothers name, it isn't a very common name. 

I believe I have mentioned the poem here on the blog before. It was written for me by my grandmother and we found it with her things after she passed away. None of my friends know I blog, my sister, who is also a blogger doesn't know about this little space of the web I call my own. 

Is it real? Who knows. We do plan on using it more, and seeing what, if any, results we get. I will be sure to keep you informed of any Ouija excitement that may happen. 

Waverly Hills...

Confession time. I love all things dark and spooky. I live for a good ghost story. Once upon a time I ran a pretty successful Paranormal message board. I wouldn't make house calls and kick a ghost out for you, but I would put you in touch with experts in your area that could and would. 
Tonight will be a special night. Tonight I will cross a haunted location from my bucket list. Waverly Hills Sanatorium has long been touted as one of the most haunted places in the United States, possibly the world. 


It was opened in 1910 to treat the tuberculosis epidemic. It originally started as a 2 story, 40 bed center and by 1924 it had grown to 5 stories and 400 beds. Urban Legend claims that 63,000 died at Waverly. The former medical director puts the actual number closer to 8,500-9,000. 


In 1962 a year after the tuberculosis center closed its doors the building reopened as a geriatric center. The geriatric center would be closed by the state in 1982 due to patient neglect. 

Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted, all have filmed episodes in Waverly Hills, all obtaining various amounts of evidence to prove a haunting. 

Is it really haunted? Are ghosts real? Will we see or hear anything paranormal? 

The Serial Killer Next Door.

At any given moment there are between 35-50 serial killers active in the US. This is a conservative estimate made by former FBI Criminal Profiler and author John Douglas. Douglas has worked on many high profile cases. Have you read the books Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs (or watched the movies)? The character of Jack Crawford is based directly on Douglas.


Why is this important? Because serial killers can strike anywhere. Starting in November of 2014 women started disappearing in and around Chillicothe, Ohio.  by June of 2015 6 women in all had disappeared, the bodies of 4 of them had been recovered. Slowly word started slipping out, a Serial Killer may be preying on young women.When police arrived they made a shocking discovery. In his car was a list of names, phone numbers and addresses of 10 other women in the area. His trunk was a serial killers tool kit, hatchets, shovels, knives, sledgehammers, handcuffs. He could very well be the person who murdered those women in Ohio, investigators are currently working to find a link between him and disappearances in Illinois, Kentucky and Nevada.
Ladies, be safe. 


On July 18, 2015 an escort in West Virginia's capital city of Charleston meet a man on Backpage.com. The John asked her "Live or Die?" before he began choking her. The escort managed to grab his gun and fired one shot over her shoulder, striking and killing him. 

Elsewhere, or Not?

I initially had a completely different post scheduled to go live this morning. But the world of Facebook intervened. 
A couple days ago my news feed was in a frenzy over a blog post someone had found, shared and re-shared. Plans where made, adventures planned. All of my friends wanted, needed to find this place of legend and terror. The killjoy in me knew I had to get to the bottom of this and it didn't take me long. I didn't have to drive half way across the state, dig through my impressive collection of books on Kentucky history, or even venture to the library.

Elsewhere, Ky according to the story, is a ghost town in Calloway county where a school teacher poisoned all of her students, and many years later the town was abandoned. If you venture into the old school house you may never come back. I love a good ghost story, love abandoned buildings, and discovering lost things. This story had a little bit of everything. Its no wonder why all of my friends forwarded links to the story. Some wanted me to verify its existence, other wanted me to help plan the trip there. 

A quick google search lead me to the original story, posted May 15, 2015 on Reddit.com titled Elsewhere, KY. Go read it, it a hell of a good story. The subreddit it was posted to is for original horror stories. So while this story is a work of fiction, there are very real places of mystery and legend. I hope this story has inspired people to hike off the beaten path, and look for legends and mysteries in their own back yard. They exist. While this story is fiction there are according to Ghost Towns, 5 ghost towns in the state of Kentucky that still have buildings. Numerous other ghost towns now sit under various Kentucky lakes. 

Randomness

1. Every single piece of plastic ever made, still exists today.

2. The Nazis considered Native Americans part of the Aryan Race. (pretty sure we are not)

3. Diamonds are not forever. Under very high heat they turn into graphite, the stuff in pencils.

4. The man who founded Alcoholics Anonymous, demanded alcohol during his last few days of life.

5. GPS is owned & controlled by the US government and can be switched off at any time.

6. The average adult in Switzerland has a net worth of $513,000 US.

7. 2 F16 pilots went on a suicide mission to take down flight 93 on 9/11, but the passengers ended up bringing the plane down.

8. Harvard offers free tuition if your family makes under $65,000 per year.

9. There is a "Gospel of Judas" not found in the Bible that says that Judas was the only one of Jesus's disciples that fully understood Jesus teachings. And he turned Jesus over to the Romans because Jesus asked him to.

10. In 80% of rapes the victim knows the attacker, and he exploits the trust or rapport.

11. One third of Leprosy cases in the US come from contact, direct or indirect, with an Armadillo.

12. You are more likely to die as a drug dealer in Chicago than a death row inmate in Texas.

13. During his time as a Congressman and then later as a US President, John F Kennedy donated all of his salary to charity.

14. The Vatican has its own radio and TV stations, money, stamps, and phone company.
15. The mortality rate of a black mamba bite is almost 100%.

16. One of Bolivia's oldest silver mines has killed over 8 million men in the last 500 years and is known as, "The mountain that eats men". It's still mined with pickaxe and shovels today.

17. 2% of people have armpits that never smell due to an unusual genetic variable.

18. One third of the world's adult population smokes.

19. Mankind has left 96 bags of feces, urine, and vomit on the moon.

20. There is a coast to coast hiking trail that stretches from Delaware to California. American Discovery Trail

How can I help?

When disaster strikes human compassion kicks in, closets and cupboards are emptied. We all want to do our part to help those in desperate need. Most organizations who offer disaster relief will publish guidelines on what to donate. The Red Cross wants money, and your blood. Local charities will have varying guidelines for what to donate. I personally believe donating on a small community level is often better than donating to a big charity. While the Red Cross is helping with the local flood, the bulk of the charity work is being done by local organizations. A local homemaker society is feeding hundreds of people a day, local fire departments have set up shower stations, and our local Johnson County Long-Term Recovery Group has been working hard to ensure the needs of everyone has been met. Check with your local charities to see what the need is, and how you can help meet that need. Here is a list of some of the items, outside of the commonly donated clothes, water, and food, that local charities have found themselves in need of during this most recent disaster.

Laundry detergent
Large adult diapers

Child size Diapers

Feminine hygiene products (probably bone of the least donated items)

Towels

Razors

Plastic totes

Bug spray (especially important during water disasters)

Garbage cans

Heavy duty Garbage bags

Shovels

Wheelbarrows

Extension cords

Brooms

mops

Bleach

Paper plates/cups/utensils

Money

East Kentucky is blessed with an over abundance of talented musicians. The local boys who make up country music duo Sundy Best hosted a free concert that drew thousands of people and raised $50,000 to help flood victims. 

A lesson in starting over

I live in a magical place where neighbors help neighbors. A place where when disaster strikes whole communities pull together. A land where communities and cities dig out from the rubble and rebuild bigger and better.

The weekend of July 11th I took my oldest niece on a whirlwind road trip, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. It was raining when we left. Flood warnings followed us across the state of West Virginia. When we crossed the line into Maryland we hit prefect weather that would stay with us throughout the weekend. Sometime after Midnight Monday morning we crossed back into West Virginia and ran headlong into another awful storm.

I pulled into my driveway sometime after 6am and went straight to sleep. I slept through a monster storm.

When I awoke we were getting the first few reports of people and homes being washed away in my county, near the where my mother lives.  Slowly my facebook newsfeed filled up with pictures, and stories of devastation. Twenty mobile homes were swept down stream from a trailer court. 150 homes in all where flooded or washed away in the storm. It took the flash flood 3 minutes to wash over the bank and fill homes to the roof line with murky, muddy water. My the paternal aunt and grandfather of my nieces lost everything as their homes were located near the creek. They made it out alive, but four others would not be so lucky. One was a wheelchair bound boy with cerebral palsy, whose mother watch helpless has the water pulled him from her grasp. Another was an grandmother and grandson. The grandson had already pulled several other family members to safety, he was fighting the flood water with his grandmother on his back and a young boy under his arm. The boy was found alive in a tree.

International news outlets have picked up this story. A German foreign exchanged student shared with us a news clipped from his local papers report on this flood.

Everyone is doing their part to restore order, dig out and rebuild. Neighbors helping neighbors, communities rebuilding. One local Sheriff's Deputy has even started carrying pet food in his car so he can find pets displaced by the flood and reunite them with their owners. No one carries the burden alone.

Chicken Explosion

At the start of spring we had somewhere around 14 chickens. I counted our flock today and we have 50 birds. Most will go into the freezer. We have added 3 PVC mobile runs to our set up. These are super easy to make, and very easy to move. A single person can easily move one of these runs around the yard. We still have 2 brooders full of baby chicks in the kitchen. Very exciting times here on the homestead.

 We have added some Ameraucanas and Cochin's to our flock. Some of the new chicks came from an egg swap with a neighbor who also raises chickens. The white and black spotted chicken is one of our mutts, a Australorp/Tetra mix.

This is the garden. We got a late start on the garden this year. We had to run an electric fence around the perimeter to keep the neighbors HUGE St. Barnard out. This is not as big as the garden we grew last year. Part of this was because we were a month late getting the garden planted, and partly because we were overwhelmed last year trying to can and freeze everything.

This cute little bunny likes to hang out in our backyard near were we have planted our asparagus bed, and a few Hillbilly Tomatoes.

Chirp, Chirp

Chirp. Thats the sound you hear when you open our front door. Our quaint little home in the hills has been over ran by chicks. As many of you know we several weeks ago we set up an incubator and filled it with eggs from our hens. Thursday the 23, we started seeing our first pip, just a few ours after our first pip we hatched out our very first chick. This is a sweet moment for us, when we bought our chickens last spring I had a little experience with chickens, and the Wanderer had no experience. In a years time we have grown and learned so much about chickens, and now we have hatched off our very first. Does this make us chicken grandparents?

 Later in the evening another hatched out. The second one is bigger than the first, and more yellow-white in color. With the exception of the Silkie eggs, the chicks hatching out in the incubator are mutts. Can chickens be mutts? Our rooster is a big Australorp and our hens are Golden Comets, Tetras and Barred Rocks. We have a breeding pair of Silkies and they live in a separate coop and run from bigger chickens. The picture to the left is of our second hatchling, resting after breaking free of its shell. 



We also bought more chicks today. We have been wanting Ameraucana chickens for some time now, and we finally found a few chicks. By a few I mean 10. In the course of the day our flock has nearly doubled in size. I really don't know what we will do with so many chickens. I hadn't planned on buying 10, but was excitement got the better of me and I ended up buying way more than I needed. 

Today will be an interesting day as the rest of the eggs hatch out. We have a second batch in an incubator that will hatch out in about a week. So many chicks! 

The second chick, working its way out.

Life, or something like it.

The Wanderers aunt and uncle officially became our neighbors last week. They arrived several days early with a Uhaul, a truck and a car loaded down with their worldly goods and 4 dogs. Yes 4, ranging in size from a tiny, 3 month old Shih Tzu to a St. Bernard. The farm has been overran with dogs, and we are loving it. Inigo has finally found a dog with as much energy has him. Him and Sandy the puppy have became fast friends. No worries folks, Inigo is altered and Sandy will soon be altered. 

Their new home will be just on the other side of were we garden, so they are close. I honestly couldn't imagine trying to move several states away with 4 dogs, especially one the size of a St. Barnard. Have I mentioned I am terrified of St. Barnard? Well I am, but I am managing well. 

We haven't planted the first thing yet, this spring has been very wet and rainy. We have experienced many road closures due to mud and rock slides. My yard is a riot of blossoms, the apple and cherry trees have budded out. Soon the petals will fall covering the yard with their frothy white beauty. I love spring in the hills.

Unique Rentals

Sometimes we don’t want the boring practicality of a hotel. Vacations are an adventure, your rental should be more than just a place to crash for the night. I love finding unusual or unexpected places to stay.

If you are near the Mammoth Cave, Ky area looking for a spot to rest pull into Wigwam Village Motel #2. Technically they are not Wigwams, they are tipi’s. These fun, conical shaped buildings allows you the feel of sleeping in a tipi with little luxeries like bathrooms, and locking doors. www.wigwamvillage.com

Tipi’s not your style? Instead want to sleep in the back of a 1948 Ford pickup or go on safari without the pesky trip to Africa or risk of getting ate by lions? Wildwood Inn at Florence, Ky may just be the place for you. Aztec Jungle, Utah Canyon, Pirate Ship, Country suite, Cave Suite. With over 25 rooms and suites to choose from Wildwood will have a room to fit whatever theme strikes your fancy. www.wildwoodinnky.com

Did you have a treehouse as a child? Did you dream of one? At Out ‘n’ About Treesort you can be a kid again. Currently they have 5 treehouses available for overnight guests, and 10 open for day use (when the permits are approved these will be overnight rentals). With whitewater rafting, ziplining, horsebacking riding and a variety of seasonal events, if you are bored while staying at the Treesort you only have yourself to blame. The owners of Treesort have fought a long (23 year), hard battle just to keep their 36 acre bed and breakfast open. Give them a call, reservations must be made over the phone. These are old fashion people and like to have a connection to their guests. http://www.treehouses.com/

I grew up in a mining town, seeing big coal trains rolling by was a common sight. I love trains, I

don’t always love getting caught at a crossing waiting for a train. My next usually vacation rental happens to be located in one of my favorite spots on earth. Natural Bridge, Va. This 1926 C&O caboose has been lovingly restored, outfitted with a double bed, bath and galley style kitchen. There is also a daybed for extra guests. http://www.guestcaboose.com/

The Chicken and the Egg

You see that picture right there? That's the future of Wandering in the Wonderful, well at least the future of the farm aspect of WW. Monday I went to the farm store and picked out an incubator. This Little Giant Still-

Air wasn't the model I wanted, but it was the only one left in the store. I didn't want to wait even another second, let alone the 3-5 business days to order one online. Our Almanac told us that the best days for setting eggs would be the 2 or 3rd. We chose the 2nd as the date we would set our first round of eggs, ever. We have never done this. We don't know if any of these eggs will be viable. We had saved them up and sat them first under our Silkie hen Cottonball. She wasn't interested. She would keep them turned, the nest clean, everything she was suppose to do as a good brooder, except sit on the nest! I have already started saving back eggs to replace these if they fail their candling on the 8th. 

We had chickens when I was very small. I remember how exciting it was to watch through the incubator window as the little baby chicks broke free from the shell. This is the first time as an adult I have had an incubator, and the first time I have been in charge of monitoring the temperature, and humidity levels. Its exciting, and challenging and it will be so worth while. 

The incubator is set up on our kitchen table. After they hatch they will be moved to oh so fancy homemade brooders that will be in my kitchen floor. How do the dog wonders handle this? Scarlet ignores their existence. She doesn't go near the brooders. Inigo loved having chickens in the house. Every morning he would run into the kitchen and look into the brooder to check on the baby chicks. Even now he loves trips to the coop. Him and Godzilla the rooster do not get along, but the hens love him. 

I am not ashamed to admit that Youtube videos taught me how to candle. I didn't spend money on a fancy candling system, just a simple LED flashlight and piece of poster board cut to funnel the light. Candling is basically the chicken egg version of an ultrasound. At different points of incubation you illuminate the inside of the egg with the flashlight to check for development. If you don't see any development after the first week, or if you stop seeing development at any point its time to throw out the egg as it is not viable. 

Treasure Hunters

I live in a magical place, full of mystery and real life buried treasure. From time to time a clue is found, a silver bar, a marked rock, a coin. Leading us ever closer to Kentucky's El Dorado, except ours is silver. If legend and old diaries are to be believed Johnathan Swift preceded Daniel Boone into Kentucky in 1760. Here he found a rich vein of silver. He hid large portions of his wealth in various places around the area. Tragically he was struck blind before he could collect. Various versions of his journal, and purported maps have popped up through the years. Some doubt not only the existence of the silver mine, but of Mr. Swift himself. Johnathan Swift cannot be found in the historic record, and if his journal is to be believed he lived to the ripe age of 112!

Forrest Fenn's Treasure 
Swift's lost treasure may not actually exist, but Forrest Fenn's treasure is real, and waiting to be discovered. Art dealer and author Forrest Fenn has hidden approximately $2 million dollars worth of gold nuggets, rare coins, jewelry and gemstones, and a copy of his autobiography. Over the years he has released clues as to where the treasure may be, or may not be. We know the treasure is somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and we know it is at an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level. Fenn also released a poem that contains clues to the location his buried treasure. 

As I have gone alone in there

And with my treasures bold,

I can keep my secret where,

And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt

And take it in the canyon down,

Not far, but too far to walk.

Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek,

The end is drawing ever nigh;

There’ll be no paddle up your creek,

Just heavy loads and water high.

If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,

Look quickly down, your quest to cease

But tarry scant with marvel gaze,

Just take the chest and go in peace.

So why is it that I must go

And leave my trove for all to seek?

The answers I already know

I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak

So hear me all and listen good,

Your effort will be worth the cold.

If you are brave and in the wood

                                                                I give you title to the gold. 

On June 26, 1876 members of the US 7th Calvary ran into members of my family at a little place we call the Greasy Grass, you were probably taught in history class to call it the Little Big Horn, or Custer's Last Stand. The fighting was horrific and devastating in the end the US Calvary had lost 268 men and another 55 were wounded. They had to arrange a quick way to get those wounded men out of harms way and into the hands of skilled medical professionals fast. Enter riverboat pilot Grant Marsh. Marsh had a cargo bay loaded down with $375,000 worth of gold bars. Bars he was holding for miners fearful of attacks from Natives. Marsh knew his boat couldn't handle the weight of both wounded soldiers and gold. Before he made his record setting 710 river miles in 54 hours trip from the Bighorn to Bismark he unloaded his cargo of gold, buried the treasure somewhere along the banks of the Bighorn river. Marsh died penniless in January 6, 1916, having never recovered his buried treasure. 

The Colorado Desert is an unlikely place to find a ship loaded down with black pearls, but Yuma legends, and a few adventurers have claimed to have seen the infamous lost ship of Juan De Iturbe. Sometime in 1612 De Iturbe, mistakenly thinking he was still in the  Sea of Cortés had actually sailed up the flooded Colorado river basin. When the flood water began receding quickly, De Iturbe realized his mistake. At this point it was to late to escape into deeper water. The ship, loaded down with pearls was abandoned in the desert, De Iturbe and his men made the 360+ mile trek to the Mission at San Luis Obispo.  

Sometimes X doesn't make the spot, and we find treasure in unlikely places. There have been countless ships lost at sea. Cargo holds filled with precious goods lost in the murky depths of the worlds oceans. Family stories of grandparents, great grandparents, weird aunts hiding their fortunes in jars in the backyard or walling it up in their homes. There is treasure, waiting to be discovered. 

Travel Beautifully

Minimalism isn't for everyone. Some women love products, makeup and the ritual of getting ready in the morning. When you travel space is at a premium, especially if you are roadtripping. Over the years I have became an expert at applying make up in rest stop bathrooms, the passenger seat, and gas stations. The lighting can be bad, the counter-space non existent, but you learn to adapt and overcome.

At a rest stop in Virginia I once knocked my makeup bag into the sink, triggering the automatic facet and filling my bag. Two things saved this moment from being a makeup disaster.
1. I keep my makeup brushes together in a separate, smaller bag. I put this into the makeup bag last. Lucky for me, and my brushes I had already pulled them out and had them balanced precariously on the small ledge under the mirror.
2. When I travel I always put powder products (blush, eyeshadow, etc) in a small ziplock back. If a product breaks, I don't have to clean the entire makeup back, and in this case it saved my products from getting wet.

I have a makeup brush collection that rivals many Youtube Beauty Gurus. I don't pack them all for trips. I put just a few favorite go-to brushes for the trip. You really don't need 10 eye brushes, highlighter brushes, etc. Pack a few favorites, use a makeup wipe to clean them after each use. Always remember the most versatile makeup tools are at the your fingers!

Pack less than what you think you need. You may put on a full face the first day or so, but it won't last.

Don't be this person

When you get caught up in the adventure makeup will be the furthest thing from you mind. Why waste time putting on your makeup, and keeping it fresh throughout the day when there is much to see and do? Try to avoid packing bulky products, and glass bottles. Save room for all of the things you find along the way and decide to bring home. If BB Creams or tinted moisturizer works for you then great, pack that instead of foundation. I have yet to find a BB or a tinted moisturizer that was worth my money or time. I pack a moisturizer with SPF and a good lip balm, and a few basic makeup items. I love taking just a eyeshadow quad, 1 blush/bronzer duo, my go-to mineral foundation, and mascara. Less really is more.

Or this person.

Learn the art of styling your hair with out bulky tools and gadgets. Buns, braids, twist braids are all great ways to get curl and bounce in your hair without the added bulk of curling irons or blow dryers. Sleep in it, and in the morning take your hair down and fluff. Crown braids are cute and effortless styles, prefect for nearly any adventure your travels take you on.

Pack clothes you feel comfortable in, and throw in a few key pieces that shake everything up. Shorts,
relaxed dresses, items that travel well and are versatile. You do not need to bring your whole wardrobe with you on a roadtrip. I do recommend a change of shoes. I travel with a pair of casual slip-ons in a neutral color, and my favorite pair of leather sandals. Those sandals have seen me through countless roadtrips and adventures.

Just right. 

Top 5 Libraries

If you live in Missouri, your public library is being threatened. Under the current approved budget Public Libraries in the state were allocated $6.6 million. Governor Nixon has only released a fraction of that, $724,000. He proposes to cut the budget next year to $724,000 for Public Libraries. Lets do a little math, there are 6.06 Million people residing in the Show Me state, with a budget of $6.6 Million, each person is paying $1.10 per year for access to a public library. A buck and change for unlimited access to books, media, special collections, lectures, etc. Most libraries offer computer and internet access to those who cannot afford a computer of their own. I am a proud and vocal supporter of the Public Library system. I am lucky to live in a town with an amazing library staffed by knowledgeable and passionate people. Here is in my opinion the 5 best Public libraries in the US.

5. McAllen Public Library, McAllen, Texas

McAllen Public Library takes pride in providing resources that help young minds grown. Their Tumblebooks E-book library offers read-a-longs, interactive games, quizzes, and puzzles, designed to strengthen reading comprehension. They offer homework help for all grade levels, and special college preparatory programs for high school students. The main branch offer's access to 128 computers. Best thing about McAllen Public Library? Their main branch is located in an old Walmart. This town took an eyesore of consumer excess and created something grand. 

4. Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri

You have probably seen pictures of the Central library floating around the interwebs, on lists of unique or unusual buildings. The Community Bookshelf, spines of 22 books ranging from Goodnight Moon to Catch-22 dominate the parking garages south wall. The books were chosen by Kansas City residents. ESL and community Spanish classes are offered, in addition to career workshops, movie nights, E-books and digital media. You can even use the library as a venue for your wedding and reception. 

3. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

3D printing has the world intrigued. By joining a Techconnect class at the Carnegie Library you can learn how use this amazing new technology. Instructors will show you how to design and print 3D projects, free of charge thanks to a special grant the library received. In addition to books, the library offers a variety of classes, research tools and cultural events. 

2. Library of Congress, Washington D.C.

You may not think of the Library of Congress when you think of public libraries, but it is America's library. A place to not only preserve our history, but a place to inspire the creativity of a nation. The library houses not only the Congressional Research Service, but the Copyright office, Folklife Center and the nations law library. Special events, concerts, lectures and exhibits makes this Library one of the best. But what in my mind is tops?

1. Your local library,

If its been a few years since you last visited your public library I suggest you go, soon. Join the email list, and discover all the exciting opportunities your library has to offer. I have a friend whose children attend weekly music lessons at her local library. My library brings in guest speakers, authors and performers from Kentucky Chautauqua. 

Discovering Spring and Basketball Riots

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Spring has officially sprung in Kentucky. The state is in the period of chaos known as March Madness. An area of downtown Lexington has been declared an Emergency Zone. Why, you may ask? Well here in Kentucky some more energetic fans of University of Kentucky Basketball like to take to the streets after burn couches, cars, themselves. I am not much of a sports fan, and don't see the point of burning perfectly good furniture, or people over a basketball game. With UK poised to win the NCAA tournament, law enforcement and the city of Lexington is taking steps to control the chaos that will ensue. Win or lose there is nothing like a UK fan, and sometimes I don't know if that is a good thing.

major wins,

In now sporting news my sweet little Silkie hen Cottonball is setting on a nest. Most of the eggs are hers, but we slipped a few from our Barred Rocks under her. I love the sound of little baby chicks. I get excited in the spring when I walk into the farm store and here the little peeps of freshly arrived biddies. This is Cottonballs first time sitting. If all goes well I will be posting pictures of our little flock additions soon.

The dog Wonders are enjoying the lovely weather. We have taken a few hikes around our local lake enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

The Wanderers Aunt and Uncle are set to arrive any day now from Georgia. After many years away his aunt has decided to move home and is settling down on property adjacent to ours. When they arrive they plan on buying goats. I LOVE goats, I have been trying to talk the Wanderer into letting me have goats for years!

Discovering Gypsy Life

I have always loved travel, the open road and adventure. But the concept of living on the road full time, living the travel lifestyle was very foreign to me up until a few years ago. I do not travel full time yet, but I can dream and plan.

I stumbled upon her blog by strange twist of chance. I was a regular poster on a message board. We were discussing creating less household waste. The topic of reusable toilet paper came up, and I went on a mission to discover if reusable toilet paper was a thing. The is how I met the Happy Janssens, at the time they traveled full time on the road with their 2 lovely daughters. Now upgraded to 3 cute little girlies they limit their travel to part time. Currently the Jassens reside at Nesting Gypsy where you can follow renovations to their Colorado mountain home. Matt is amazing at home and RV remodeling, and Sara has strong style.

The Happy Janssens blog introduced me to Sparkling Adventures I have followed Lauren and her family on their journey across Australia, New Zealand and Europe in a small housebus. Life isn't always sparkling for this single momma. She provides a raw, up-close glimpse of her personal tragedy, including the unexpected death of her only son and the imprisonment of her husband.

The Janssens sold one of their old rigs to the Maison family who embarked on an Eco Womb tour of the US fueled by Love, Peace, and Veggie Grease. 

I would love to say the Wanderer latched on to the idea of travel and freedom easily. But like gardening and homesteading he was slow to come around. Now we are actively planning for our own adventure and to finally start living the life we want to live. Its never to late to run away from home and become a gypsy.