Sesquicentennial Celebration

My hometown of Olive Hill, Ky is celebrating 150 years!

Last night they kicked of the Sesquicentennial Celebration with a flag raising ceremony and a very unique dining experience. It was called "Dining with the Past" and was initially supposed to be held outside in the cemetery, but the torrents of rain we were experiencing caused it to be moved inside the local elementary school.

The food was nothing extraordinary, it was good, just simple.  Pulled-pork BBQ sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans and cole slaw. Although, I do need to give some props to the fudge brownies. They were mighty delicious.

During the dinner, we were visited by "ghosts" from Olive Hill's past.  Several important figures were represented, such as Governor William Jason Fields (aka "Honest Bill from Olive Hill") who served as Governor of Kentucky from 1923 through 1927, and Matthew Sellers who, among his many aeronautical accomplishments was the first  to patent retractable landing gear and was also commissioned in 1915 to serve under Thomas Edison on the Naval Consulting Board (which is what later became known as NASA).

Other ghosts from our town's past passed through during our dinner. Some discussed the tragedy of the town's floods, the fire of 1917, closing of the local brickyard and the loss of the railroad, while others reminisced of of educational achievements, sports triumphs and the strength of the community as a whole.

It was an excellent experience and I am so thankful that I was able to attend. It helped to serve as a reminder that although Olive Hill may be a small town, we certainly have a rich history. My history.

I am so pumped over some of the other events we are having in town over the next few weeks.
** SOMEDAY - A Civil War Outdoor Drama
** Rusty Bird Concert
**5K Run (& 1 Mile Fun Walk for those who are less ambitious)
** Talent Contest
** Art Show
** Parade & Fireworks

And these are just a few of MY favorites!

After the two devastating floods this town experienced in 2010, I am so happy to see the community coming together to celebrate. We Need This. We need to be reminded of who we are and what we as a town has already overcome.

For more information on these or any of the other Olive Hill Sesquicentennial Celebration events you can visit the event's website at olivehill150years.com

10 Reasons I Love My Small Town....

#10 The commute time is awesome. I reside smack dab between two small towns. The one where I work and the other where my son goes to school. It takes me approximately 35 minutes to travel from my house to town number one, drop my son, off, and then backtrack to town number two for work. (I lived and worked outside of D.C. for over two years, and that was hell.)

#9  I know the people.  I like knowing who is in contact with my son.  Out of the 24 children in his class, I know over half of the parents fairly well.  The class teacher's aide was a close friend to my Dad when they were in high school. The school secretary as well as one of the custodians, worked with my mother for years. The principal is an old family acquaintance. I have known his karate instructor since I was 14. His Sunday school teachers were my Sunday school teachers. etc, etc.

#8  It's cheaper. I order two x-large multi-topping pizzas for dinner one evening. Less than 16 Bucks. Delivered.

#7  People still help People.  I had a flat tire a few months ago and three different people stopped to see if I needed help. One was a woman.

#6  I can actually see the stars at night.

#5  Crime is negligible.   The cat burglar I thought I heard on the front porch was actually the horses loose again.

#4  I can be friendly.  Have you ever smiled at strangers while walking down a street in New England?  Bet you'll only do it once.

#3  You can't get lost.  With only 3 stoplights in town, directions are a cinch.

#2  Neighbors are Neighborly.   I'm sure my neighbors hate to see me coming.  They're thinking, "Geez, what can she possibly need now?" but for people who don't live near me and my ______ (fill in blank with dead battery, low tire, can I borrow your phone because I can't find mine) problems; they will gladly loan you a cup of sugar AND remember to ask how that pie turned out.

#1  Camp in my backyard.  If I really want to be away from it all I'll just drive 5 minutes to my uncle's farm.

All of these things. These beautiful, wonderful things. I will repeat over and over again. They will be my mantra.  As I drive 35 miles one way to restock Ty's school lunch supplies tonight. 

Small town grocery shopping sucks.