Ice Storm Remembered

Yes, I know. I haven't been here in forever. I'll explain (give excuses) later, but for now here is an invite to all.

Who: Everyone is invited. Please help us spread the word.

What: Concert by Eternal Vision and Worship Service by Grand Rivers Baptist Church (thank you Mark)

Where: Badgett Playhouse Theater in Grand Rivers (thank you Bill and Sara)

When: Sunday, February 7, 11AM

Why: Community Gathering and Rememberance from the Ice Storm.

Sending you warm thoughts and I hope you join us.

Beautifying Grand Rivers

I know. I know. I haven't posted in a while. I'll catch up soon- I promise. Today I wanted to share with you these pictures of a few of our lovely Grand Rivers volunteers beautifying our town. Oh the things we will do for the love of Grand Rivers. The Chamber is planting bulbs to add beautiful color for a BIG celebration next spring.

Who are the volunteers? Be the first to guess all three correctly and I will send you a $25 Gift Certificate for Patti's 1880's Settlement.

The big celebration? Well, I'm not ready to reveal that one yet- you will just have to wait for the announcement.

I'm Looking forward to a Weekend Full of Stories

Labor Day Weekend may be over but there are still plenty of fun weekends planned in Grand Rivers. This weekend you will find me at the Second Annual Grand Rivers Southern Storytelling Event. This celebration of the traditional art form of the spoken word will take place on September 11 and 12 at the Badgett Playhouse Theater. Scheduled performers for this year’s event include Storytellers Michael Reno Harrell, Mitch Capel, and Kim Wietkamp. All great storytellers (I picked them).

I saw Michael perform at last years Storytelling event and let me tell you he rocked it! Funny. Funny. He now has a new one man play – “My Roots Are Showing”… a southern boy’s bumpy journey to manhood. I’m hoping we get a story or two from the play.

This will be Mitch Capels first time in Grand Rivers. I’m looking forward to his stories. Mitch has an impressive resume and is a storyteller, recording artist, poet, and actor.

I’m also excited that Kim Weitkamp will be with us this year. Kim combines humor with stories of her childhood and a few big whoppers that make a delightful performance.

Join us and remember just how entertaining stories, songs, and southern life can be! Box office number is 888-362-4223.

Girls Rule!

This year our summer fun has included Friday night croquet on the front lawn of Mark and Susan's new Grand Rivers home and I am lovin' it. We now have two croquet sets, shirts (the guys picked them out), and a league name.

Our croquet group (aka the Hard Knocks Club) is more social than competitive, but I must commend the girls for bringing the heat in August. Congrats to Isis, Susan, and Cindy - our winning players of the last three weeks. The girls rule!

A rush shot (that's croquet lingo) by Susan makes the guys look on in fear and awe:

Oh; and by the way, my husband has asked that I quit plastering his face all over the Internet on this blog and facebook. Seems he is shy or private or something. If you see him, will you let him know that I have honored his wishes and that my latest post does not have a picture of his face.

Thanks bunches!

Marina Day Pics

What a Blast. Thank you to Green Turtle Bay and Lighthouse Landing for providing all the fun. Free sailboat rides, kids crafts and activities, free kayaking and paddle boat rides, music, and fireworks. The marinas of Grand Rivers rocked it!

Barbara Atwood Proclaims Marina Day in Kentucky

Barbara Atwood of the Kentucky Tourism Arts and Heritage Cabinet visited Grand Rivers today, and on behalf of Governor Steve Beshear proclaimed Saturday, August 8, 2009 as Marina Day in Kentucky.

National Marina Day is an annual celebration produced by the Association of Marina Industries and recognizes the important recreational, environmental, and social contributions marinas make to thousands of waterfront communities all across America.

Grand Rivers is home to two of the finest marinas in the Kentucky Lake area and I was thrilled that the proclamation was presented here in Grand Rivers.

Green Turtle Bay Resort and Marina and Lighthouse Landing Resort and Marina serve as gateways to boating for thousands of people seeking to enjoy Kentucky and Barkley lakes. To celebrate National Marina Day, the marinas of Grand Rivers have planned a full day of fun. Find the schedule here on the Grand Rivers Marina Day website. Thank you Lighthouse Landing and Green Turtle Bay for serving as our gateway to boating fun.

Money Can So Buy Friends

I've heard it said before that money can’t buy friendship (or happiness, or love...).

I’m here to tell you that it can- if you know where to spend it. This week I mailed a check for membership to the Land Between the Lakes Association; better known as the Friends of LBL. I love to write this check. I love to mail this check. I am buying both friendship and happiness with this check.

As a Friend of Land Between the Lakes, my gift goes to help maintain the wonderful place that is LBL. The Friends help to preserve the natural and cultural resources of LBL. They improve trails and facilities so that you may spend time in the great outdoors making memories with friends and love one. They provide educational programming and teach about the wonder of nature and the importance of conservation. And they can do all of this only through the generous gifts of friends.

Visit the website here. Volunteer your time or become a friend. You can spend as little as $25.00 or as much as $5,000.00 to be a friend. Be generous. It is a friendship that I promise you will treasure.

Calling All Children of the 70's

Here is the skinny; The Friends of Land Between The Lakes are adding Laser Light Shows to the Golden Pond Planetarium calendar for August. Enjoy three different shows every Friday night. The shows feature the music of Pink Floyd, the Beatles, U2, Led Zeppelin and other retro mixes. You can find the full list of shows and ticket prices at the Friends of LBL website here. Seating is limited so make sure you call for reservations; 270-924-2020. Be there or be square. Dudes.

Save This Date

Saturday, August 8 is National Marina Day and Grand Rivers is celebrating BIG. Here are the schedule highlights but check the Grand Rivers Marina Day website often as we add more fun to the lineup.

Lighthouse Landing Marina and Resort Activities
Free Sailboat Rides 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Free sailboat rides leave on the hour and last approximately 50 minutes. You may sign up for time slots on the day of the event. This event is very popular and space is limited. Children must be accompanied by an adult and the adult must also bring with them a child's size lifejacket.

Drawing for Free Sailing Lesson and Sailboat Rental ($270 Value) Enter to win a 2 hour sailing lesson and one day sailboat rental at Lighthouse Landing. Rental boat holds up to four people maximum and damage deposit is required. You must be 21 to enter.

Green Turtle Bay Marina and Resort Activities
Fun for Kids 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Including free kayak and paddle boat rides, bouncers and water slide, rock climbing wall, face painting, arts and crafts, and more.

Free Rides on the River Rat 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Take a ride around the marina on the boat from the River Rat movie.

Grand Rivers Street Dance featuring Southern Fry’d - 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. beside Dockers Grill at Green Turtle Bay Marina and Resort.

Huge Fireworks Show at Dusk. Best place to view is at the courtesy dock area beside Street Dance and the beach area

How Did I Forget to Tell You This?

The NEW Grand Rivers Visitor's Guides are here. I can't believe I haven't posted this news. Maybe because I was busy in June mailing a record 588 guides to inquires. That is a big number for our tiny village; remember only 350 people live here.

Kudos to Mz. Laura K for her design work on the guide. To borrow a word, the guide is fabulous.

An online version will be available on the Grand Rivers website soon.

In others news, Japanese beetles have invaded the rose bushes of the clinic. Of course my bushes (which stand maybe three feet away) are beetle free. Imagine that.

Don't worry about the clinic roses. This morning there were two nurses and an LPN attending to them, and I can tell you those beetles don't stand a chance.

Momma Strikes Again

Momma was here to visit again. This time for nine days. She arrived with three suitcases and we then proceeded to shop all week- and of course we had to wear all the new stuff. Come to think of it, I can't even tell you what was packed in the suitcases.

I can tell you that we found some darling deals. I have two cool new summer outfits from So CooL, new shoes from the Chandlery at Green Turtle Bay, and a new tank from Ashleigh's (who had a 35% off sale). I even bought a dress. Yep, you read this right, a dress.

My sister and her family also came for a visit to enjoy time on the Lakes. And mom's friend Janice joined us from Lexington.

So, these are my excuses for being behind on the blog again and here is a quick update on what is happening in Grand Rivers.

The farmers market has added early hours on Saturdays at Green Turtle Bay Resort. You will also find them starting at 10:00 a.m. at Moodie Tackle Company downtown.

We are enjoying visiting our friends Mark and Susan at their new home in Grand Rivers. They are not only fun to hang out with and the perfect hosts, but also have the perfect yard for croquet.
CYC had a very moving flag retirement ceremony over the weekend of the 4th. Impressive.

And, my best friend Pat had a birthday. Happy birthday Pat!

Hard at Work

According to my friend Mz. Laura K; social media has rules. If you have a blog, you must post. It seems if you don’t blog people will think there is nothing going on. Let me assure you, the opposite is true. Summer is here and in Grand Rivers that means time to work hard and to play hard.

I guess I need to tighten the schedule and make sure I blog or risk being social media shunned. So here goes, to catch everyone up on the highlights of Grand Rivers.

Captain Bill had a Big Birthday (I won't give away his age but it is the birthday that comes with a monthly check from his Uncle Sam).

Terry made the cake (Bill's favorite chocolate cake) and f.y.i.; he will also have the same big birthday this year in August.

The Lighted Boat Parade was as always spectacular.

The Kids Fishing Event was a huge success. Thank you to all that helped.

Friends Frank and Cindy have another new grandchild (I don't have pictures yet so I am cheating and using the picture of the last new grandchild, but I think it is fair since the last new grandchild and this picture are only about 5 months old).

So Mz. Laura, I am hoping this post keeps me on the social media registry. I promise to share the pump out cruise story later this week. Stay tuned.

Breaking News

Memorial Weekend brought crowds of people to Grand Rivers, Canal Campground reopened, and Grand Rivers and all of the holiday events received great press coverage in the region. In the last week, Grand Rivers and our businesses have been featured on WPSD-TV Channel 6 news, WCCK Radio Calvert, and WSRQ Radio Sarasota, FL as well as in the Paducah Sun, the Calvert Lake News, the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle the Henderson Gleaner, Heartland Boating Magazine, and Kentucky Monthly Magazine. Whew. Thank you Gerran Thomas, Greg Leif, Gid Pool, Shelley Byrnes, Loyd Ford, Maria McClure, Chuck Stinnett, Kate DeMay, and Steve Vest for all of the great coverage on Grand Rivers.

And there is MORE. So my news may not be professional publication news worthy, but at my house it is big. And believe me; it will get even bigger. I have done something that I told my husband I would never again do in my lifetime. I was firm in my statement when I made it. Then I saw these baby blues and all reason went out the window. It was love at first sight. We are now the proud parents of a new puppy. Please meet baby Riley (as in the life of). Riley is 12 weeks old and an impressive 34 pounds and 22 inches at the shoulder. It is big news and he is going to be a big boy. Just remember, you read it here first.

A Nurturing Nature

If you have visited the Tourist Information Office in Grand Rivers, then you know that right next door to me is the Grand Lakes Clinic. Since they are my neighbors, I have gotten to know and love the staff there. I also have first hand knowledge of their excellent care when it comes to poison ivy (my husband), rope burns (my nephew), colds, general wellness, and wasp stings (me).

Last year the Clinic and I coordinated new landscaping in front of our shared building. We both planted knockout rose bushes. True to their nature, the clinic staff lovingly watered, weeded and tended to their new plants. True to my nature, I took the tough love approach to landscaping. While I have never claimed to be nurturing I do believe that I have a supportive nature and will give you tons of positive feedback as you do things for yourself. My way works for the strong, but for the times in life when you need nurturing for growth and wellness; thank goodness for the Grand Lakes Clinic my friend. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so let me spell it out for you this way -

NP Denice Lindsay in front of the Clinic's Knockout Rose bushes.

Me in front of mine.

SOS

Yes. I know I haven't been here in a while. In my defense; it is boating season. I'll post pictures soon and let you know what I've been up to and it is nice to know that one or two of you miss me. I did want to share with you this letter from the lovely and talented (and sometimes forgetful) Karen Dodson-

"...SOS...

There is nothing like a small community when a distress signal is sent out. I recently returned from a trip to Berea, KY where I left my husband AND THE KEYS TO OUR HOUSE !!! After calling three locksmiths, to no avail, Del Henson at Lake Realty mentioned that Harry Sayle (of Green Turtle Bay) might be able to help me. I knew Harry from chatting with him during my early morning swims while he was trying to clean the pool around me. Del got him on the phone and I explained my dilemma.

I was sitting on my front porch waiting to be rescued, when Harry arrived along with Mayor Tom Moodie. Those two guys sized up the situation and went to work on a stubborn, heavy-duty, dead bolt lock. My cheer could be heard all across Grand rivers when they succeeded with their mission ! Many, many thanks to Tom and Harry from a grateful Grand Rivers citizen and very happy CYC member. Green Turtle Bay is lucky to have this caliber of men in their ranks and I'm lucky to have them in a beautiful small town where they were easy to find and pleased to help.

Most Sincerely, Karen Dodson"

I loved this letter. And, I do have a call into Karen asking if she found her keys and husband. :)

Sign up for the Sunfish Sailing Fleet- Learn to Sail.

Learn to sail by joining the new Sunfish Sailing Club in Grand Rivers. This new club will offer a quality sailing program for the youth in Grand Rivers and the surrounding Lakes area. The Sunfish is a popular small sailing dinghy that can be easilly handled by one person.

The program will operate out of the beach area at Green Turtle Bay Resort and will be offered on selected Saturdays. Please sign up today and let everyone you think might be interested know it is time to join the Fleet.

Here is the sign up process: go to the Commonwealth Yacht Club site at http://www.cycgtb.com/ Download the membership application from the home page. Complete the form and mail with the appropriate fee to the CYC Treasurer, Pat Jones, PO Box 654, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. You can download the fee schedule, but the fees are $25.00 for youth members, $35.00 for adult members and $65.00 for a family membership.That's it! What could be easier.

Sign up today so the club will have your spot for summer. Get on the water and learn to sail.

Happy May Day

I know that officially summer starts around the 20th of June (summer solstice), but ancient cultures celebrated May Day or May 1, as the first day of summer. I like their thinking.

Friends Frank and Cindy of the Peacekeeper are back from Florida. Here is a picture of their arrival last week at Green Turtle Bay Resort. Friends Joe and Judy are also back.

Every week I see more and more visitors and boaters in Grand Rivers. Temperatures are warming up, even the rainy days are warmer. Flowers are blooming. The trees damaged from the storm are finally leafing out. Happy first day of Summer (unofficially) yall. I love May in Grand Rivers.

Light up the Lakes

The Patriotic Lighted Boat Parade in Grand Rivers has to be one of my favorite events of the year. I guess because it combines so many of my favorite things- lights, boats, the lakes, and a tribute to service.

This year’s parade is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 and the club wants your help in lighting the lake from shore to shore. This event is open to all boaters and vessels.

This year, CYC will award trophies and prize money totaling $800 in two categories; Vessels 20 foot and under and Vessel greater than 20 foot. Each category will include first and second place prizes for most wattage, most patriotic, and best display. There will also be a crowd pleaser award. The trophies are sponsored by Lake Realty and prize money is sponsored by Green Turtle Bay Resort. Judging will occur at the Grand Rivers Jetty by Lighthouse Landing.

So decorate your vessels with simple or complex lighting, and patriotic decorations to honor those who have given us our freedoms. Gather your family, friends, organize your pier or office, call your neighbors. Rent a barge; bring your small or large vessels with a few or many lights. Come by land or water and help light the lake from shore to shore.

Register before May 16, 2009 and be early in the lineup. For more information visit the website at cycgtb.com or contact Dave Rittenhouse, Fleet Captain at fleet captain@cycgtb.com or call 618-322-9312.

Not a boater? Join us Saturday, May 23 to view the parade at the Grand Rivers Jetty. The event time is dusk; around 8:45 or 9:00 p.m.

Quilt Man

Congratulations to Larry Krohn of Princeton, IN for taking top honors in the Grand Rivers Spring Festival and Quilt Show. Larry’s quilt won first place. Here are all the winning entries from the event:

Quilt People’s Choice Winners
1- Larry Krohn, Princeton, IN
2- Joyce Puffinbarger, Symsonia, KY
3-Kelly Culp

Wall Hanging People’s Choice Winners
1- Nancy Wilson, Arlington, KY
2- Joyce Puffinbarger, Symsonia, KY
3 - Bethel Downs - Benton, KY

Other weekend happenings included the opening of the Grand Rivers Farmers Market at Moodie Bait Company. The market features fresh seasonal plants from Local Livingston County Farmers.

And the CYC Blessing of the Fleet at Green Turtle Bay Resort. It was a gorgeous day, and the minister was the Rev. Dr. Evans. He used the historical blessings that were used particularly on the Sea of Galilee and he wore a stole that was handmade in Guatemala and used there for similar blessings.

It was another beautiful weekend at the Lakes.

In My Facebook Paducah Sun

Thank you Shelley Byrne of the Paducah Sun for including Grand Rivers in her article today on cities with Facebook pages.

If you are on Facebook, sign up to be a fan of Grand Rivers, KY. You can connect with Grand Rivers, find out what is going on, and read what others are saying - all on facebook.

Pick up today's Paducah Sun to find out what local cities are using facebook.