Blessed

Tonight I wanted to take a few moments to say that I am truly blessed beyond measure! Sometimes I might procrastinate, forget things, or lose my patience but at the end of the day everything will be OK! I am a forgiven Savage Girl, that is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and it continuously washes me clean daily, and I have the hope of an eternal home in heaven one day waiting for me. I am blessed!

One of the toughest challenges for me is to be patient, listen to God, and do as He simply instructs for me to do each day. Sometimes I forget to remember how blessed I truly am because I get wrapped up in everything I have going on in my Savage life. Maybe you have the same challenge! Here are a few things I try to keep in mind each day:

1. Be open to hear God's Word. 
2. Keep in mind that God is all loving and trustworthy!
3. God commands us to follow Him. If we truly are His follower we will do so no matter if our friends and family are following, because God commands it. 
4. Obey and follow God's instruction no matter what challenges and adversity we face.   
5. Be loving and dedicated no matter the cost.

God challenges us and tests us to see if we will be faithful to Him. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him" (Jeremiah 17:7).

Watermelon Festival

Once a year the small town of Tompkinsville comes alive with hustle and bustle. It is awesome to see people out and about! I feel like I am in a metropolis city far removed from small town America in the heart of Kentucky on the Tennessee stateline! Around 10,000 come to “town” for the annual Monroe County Watermelon Festival each year. The local Tompkinsville Inn is booked years in advance leading up to the big day each Labor Day weekend.

Community volunteers, local business owners, and land owners have been preparing for this event by painting, doing improvement projects, and decorating storefronts. “Town” looks awesome! If you want to donate and give back to “town” the Heart of Tompkinsville Foundation would gladly accept your donation to help with downtown projects and events to help revitalize downtown Tompkinsville.  The mission of the Heart of Tompkinsville Foundation to strengthen the economic base of Tompkinsville’s central business district, to foster the restoration, preservation and development of its unique cultural and architectural heritage, and to establish the downtown as a great place to shop, work, recreate and live. Let me know if you need their contact information.

Getting back to the Monroe County Watermelon Festival…If you have never been to the Monroe County Watermelon Festival it is an annual event held each year the Saturday before Labor Day. The event is sponsored by the Monroe County Arts Council and the Tompkinsville Jaycees and almost all local organizations in the county participate in some form or fashion in the event.

Tomorrow Main Street will be covered with Arts and Crafts booths along with Commercial and Non-Profit promotional booths from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Parade officially kicks off the day’s events at 10:00 a.m. then live music will be going on throughout the day downtown. So bring your lawn chair and come join the fun! There will also be lots of food vendors offering a variety of food choices. Monroe County BBQ will definitely be a mainstay at the event! Personally the Savage Girl will be helping the Monroe County Extension Homemakers host the Annual Watermelon Festival Quilt Show in the Old Courthouse Courtroom. We will be accepting entries from 8:00-10:00 a.m. and will let the public view the quilts from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Also in the Courtroom an Acrylic Art Show will be on display for viewing.  The festival will be hosting a “Hoop-Off”, Local Author Visitation, 5K & Fun Run, Rolley-Hole Marble Tournament, Watermelon Contests, Cornhole Tournament, Antique Tracker & Engine Show, and much more!

There is something for everyone!  Come join the fun and excitement of all things watermelon at the 34^th Annual Watermelon Festival in downtown Tompkinsville Kentucky tomorrow. If you can’t make it tomorrow then plan to make a visit next year. Mark your calendar for the Saturday of Labor Day weekend next year.              

Yard Sales

Yes, I am going to blog about a work topic of sorts on my personal blog! Call me crazy, but it is something that I personally have coming up next week and I also know that you might benefit from a little information in the subject. Here is a blog press release of sorts about “Yard Sales”. Continue reading for helpful tips and pointers. I hope that you will join me in de-cluttering your life and ridding yourself of unnecessary items around your household! If you need to contact me about “yard sales” or any work or personal topic my information is below also. 

Do you have a pile of clothes in your closet that no longer fit? Maybe you have an entire wardrobe of clothes like me that are taking up valuable space! Losing 50 pounds has caused my extra closet to become stuffed with clothes I can no longer wear. Or maybe some books piled in the corner that you have already read. Well a yard sale gives you the opportunity to make a little extra cash, and keep these items out of our landfills. And if you are like me it also gives you spending money for a new wardrobe that is much needed!

On average Americans produce almost 3 pounds of waste per person per day. Second-hand items are a great way to reserve space in our landfill for items that cannot be reused, recycled or composted.  Remember the old saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  This Savage Girl now loves shopping at yard sales, consignment stores, and thrift stores. You can get awesome deals! Any items leftover after your yard sale can be taken to a local charity like the Village Shop we have here in Monroe County, or places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army located in nearby towns. Make sure to get a receipt for the items you donated to receive a tax deduction.

Yard sales are also a great place to find bargains. By purchasing second-hand items, you’re not only saving money but also conserving natural resources that would have been used to produce that item if it were new.  Take a pair of jeans for example; to make one new pair it takes approximately 2,900 gallons of water.

Next weekend, September 6 & 7, I will be having a yard sale personally to rid my house of unwanted clothes and clutter.  So if you need a bargain come and see me! Or maybe this blog post will motivate you to have your own yard sale to give me a little yard sale competition!

When shopping at yard sales there are a few pointers you should consider.

1.  Although extremely unlikely, bed bugs could potentially hitch a ride into your home on your yard sale purchase.
2. Wash and dry all clothing purchased at a yard sale as soon as you bring the items into your home.
3. For items such as couches be cautious and inspect the item carefully before purchasing, especially near seams. 
4. Do not purchase a used mattress. For more information on bed bugs contact me at work at the Monroe County  Extension office.

Whether you’re looking to make a few extra bucks this summer like me (because I need an entire "new to me" fall and winter wardrobe) or if you are in search of a bargain, a yard sale may be your answer!

Sources:  National Geographic. Earth’s Freshwater: A Guide for Teaching Freshwater in Grades 3 to 8. n.d. Accessed on May 10, 2013 at http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/file/freshwater_chapter7_v2.pdf.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. December 2011. Accessed on May 10, 2013 at http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw_2010_rev_factsheet.pdf

 Ashley Osborne, Extension Associate for Environmental and Natural Resource Issues, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture

Tompkinsville's Newest Business..."City Cafe" is NOW OPEN

Today marked the opening day for a new business in downtown Tompkinsville, Kentucky! Terin Burgress Coe opened "City Cafe" on Main Street in the former Subway building. Terin asks that everyone please bare with her as she learns about the business and tries to work out all the bugs and kinks that any new business has whenever they first open.

I first met Terin a few months ago when she came into the Extension Office scoping out information for new businesses and the possibility of using local Kentucky Proud produce for her restaurant. We tossed around a few ideas and exchanged contact information. Fast forward a couple of months and today was the grand opening day of her new business! Terin is full of ideas, enthusiasm, and zest which is just what downtown Tompkinsville needs! Her dream came to fruition today when the doors opened this morning! I wish her the very best of luck. Please go support her and her new business!

City Cafe is open Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the possibility of maybe one day expanding hours as their business and customer base grows. City Cafe will be offering breakfast and lunch. Their menu is small for now but once they have their menu items perfected they will be expanding it and will feature seasonal specials.

Here are a few photos of items that my co-worker Susan and I ate for lunch. They all were delicious and we both would recommend them to anyone! This is a must try kind of place for anyone especially the Savage Girl and her blog followers!
 

Chicken Salad on Croissant

Turkey & Swiss Sandwich

Grilled Chicken Salad

 

Top things to do in Louisville, Kentucky

I just got back from Louisville, Kentucky and decided there are a few things everyone should know about...so here are the top things to do on your next visit to Louisville, Kentucky whenever you are in the big city for a few days. And NO they are not in any particular order!

ONE.
Visit the Cheesecake Factory! Yes, I know it is a chain restaurant, but they have awesome desserts that I occasionally splurge on! FYI I worked out twice the next day following when I ate this yummy dessert...I was hoping to compensate for my sinful action! HA! The special currently is Toasted Marshmallow S'mores Galore. This Savage Girl thought she had died and gone to heaven!

TWO.
Visit the Kentucky State Fair, especially 4-H Cloverville and the Monroe County Pride of the Counties Booth! I just spent two days helping judge and prepare for you to visit along with 100+ other County Extension Agents, 4-H Volunteers, and State Specialists. I spent another couple of days meeting with the "Plate it Up" Kentucky Proud Committee and volunteering at the Monroe County booth.

The fair offers fun for all ages! 

 

Clovella (Monroe County 4-H Mascot) hung out a little with me at the fair helping judge the "folk art" and "nature" craft entries.

 

Here is the "Plate it Up" Kentucky Proud Committee at Agriculture Commissioner James Comer's Commodity Breakfast.

THREE.
Eat at Lilly's Bistro in the Highland area. They offer delicious Kentucky Proud cuisine and feature produce from Hart County, Kentucky.

FOUR.
Take in The Brown Hotel and try the official Kentucky "Hot Brown". I didn't make it there on this most recent trip but I ate there on a previous trip...and it was sinfully good!

FIVE.
Last but not least go visit the Christian brothers and sisters at Cedar Springs church of Christ. They are a warm and welcoming church that are worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Ben Giselbach is their minister and Hannah is his wife. If you need a few great blogs to add to your reading list check out "Plain Simple Faith" and "The Heart of Hannah".

So if you have visited the Louisville, Kentucky area before what is your top things to do while in the big city? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts!