Splash

For those of you who read my column last week, you know I recently got a new pet — my tomato plant, Teddy. Teddy is doing well; however, we recently spotted some leaves that had turned yellow and appeared to have been munched on. My husband noticed some small grubby worms crawling in Teddy's soil. Fearing the worst, he called up the Boyle County Extension Office for advice. They told him there was no need for fear, Teddy would be fine with a few treatments found easily at many local stores.

Samantha Coppedge just turned 7, but instead of presents, the only thing she wanted for her birthday was to help out the animals in need at her local shelter. With the help of her parents, Laurence and Jessica, she contacted the director of the newly built Jessamine County Animal Shelter, Mike Cassidy. Together they planned a birthday party where the guests brought donations of toys and bags of animal food instead of the traditional presents. “I just wanted to do something to help the puppies and kittens that don't have a home,” the birthday girl said.

Without its freshman class, Centre College might not have a women's soccer team this season. And without Erin Menard, the Colonels certainly wouldn't score as much. Menard is the top scorer on a team that has had offense to burn in its first five games. The freshman had half of her team's goals Saturday, and she has half of the team's season total. Menard scored three goals as Centre routed Hanover 6-0, giving her 13 in the Colonels' first five games. That's just two fewer than she scored all of last season in her senior year at Oldham County High School.

“Four different states?” My eyes began to water. As I blinked away tears, I spotted my family. “Thank Goodness,” I said to Dad, “Andy said we were scattered in different states. I was terrified we were separated. I mean, uh, I know how terrified Chloe would be,” I recovered. “Andy’s right,” Dad said. “We are in four different states. I’m in Colorado, your mom’s in Arizona, Chloe’s in Utah, and you’re in New Mexico.

HARRODSBURG - The Mercer County boys are getting meaningful contributions from players in every high school grade, but few Titans have made a bigger splash so far this season than Will Hager. Hager became one of Mercer's most valuable players before he finished his first semester of high school, earning a spot in the starting lineup and establishing himself as one of the Titans' top scorers and rebounders. The freshman said he made the move simply by continuing to work on the things he has worked on between every season.

For nearly a decade, Ellen Stamps traveled the world, hopping from country to country, serving the Lord and teaching. In her wildest dreams she said never imagined her travels would lead her the community of Wilmore, and there she'd pioneer Back Porch Art -  a weekly session where children from all different nationalities could meet, play and learn together. “Life is really amazing, where it will take us,” Ellen Stamps said. “It brought me here, where I'm suppose to be now.” What surprised her even more is that all her globe trotting would maker her the perfect role model for the children in the community of Kalas Village.

I had a recent realization. I am becoming an - gulp - adult. There have been several signs of my metamorphosis. One of the more obvious ones is the fact I watch way more HGTV than MTV. My husband and I recently bought a house and all I seem to be able to think about is what renovation should come next. We've already been busy updating the fixtures from brass to brushed nickel. We recently put porcelain tile down in our kitchen to replace the wood laminate there before.

With a rousing story, gritty cinematography, and the invaluable presence of Terrence Howard, "Pride" manages to make an unlikely splash into the tried-and-true genre of uplifting sports films. Howard stars as Jim Ellis, a former college swimmer, who felt first-hand the racism that plagued mainstream collegiate athletics in the 1960s and '70s. The opening scene takes us back to Ellis' undergraduate days, when a swim meet broke out into a brawl after the other swimmers - all white - refused to compete with him. Ten years later, with racism far from dead, Ellis has trouble finding employment despite his degree in mathematics.

This brings to mind maintaining your automobile: Each spring and fall I have my wheels and brakes checked. In the May issue of the AKC Gazette, Donna Smiley-Auborn writes in the Harriers column "No Foot, No Hound. " Checking your pet's feet is important especially if you are working with him or training. Even those dogs taken out for a daily walk or jog need a weekly foot check. However, this is most important if you have a sporting dog or a hound (the group in which Harriers are placed)

ANAHEIM -- So how is the best way to spend a day in California's warm, sunny weather when you have basically nothing to do but wait for a flight home the next day? For me, it was easy. I went to Disneyland on Friday. I've never been before -- and likely will never have the chance again -- so it was worth the $65 admission to say I had been to Disneyland to see what it had to offer. Now, I did have one worry. What were people going to think about a 55-year-old man wandering around a kids' theme park by himself?