Cache of the Day - World Equestrian Games

Like the Olympics, the World Equestrian Games showcases horse athletes from throughout the world, and we had a chance to experience them on Saturday, October 2 in Lexington, Kentucky.

I've been waiting for this event for years and they finally arrived!  I purchased my tickets for the Cross Country segment of the "Eventing" event six months ago, and the day finally arrived!

The horses were MAGNIFICENT and the jumps were spectacular, like nothing I've ever seen before.  And there was much more to do - visiting exhibits and seeing the Hall of Champions and browsing through the museums.

I wish I could have seen all the games, but this small taste was well worth it.

Cache of the Day - Horse Mania

I LOVE Lexington, Kentucky.  I love it because it is The Horse Capital of the World and I LOVE horses.

My trip to Lexington was for business - I was conducting a Leadership training course for a client nearby - but I made sure we got some time to enjoy,well, horses.

Next weekend we'll be going to the World Equestrian Games, something I have been waiting for for YEARS!  More on that to come soon.  In the meantime, the city is preparing with Horse Mania, a public art project that decorates the streets of Lexington.  Throughout the city are life-size fiberglass horses, decorated by artists.  There are nearly 100 throughout the city, and we got to see a small portion of them.

So exciting and a great preview to the Games next weekend!

Cache of the Day - Trail Run

I've never shied away from a good 5k, so when I saw the advertisement for the first run of the "Vines, Pines, and Inclines" event, held at the Creekbend Vineyards and sponsored by Oliver Winery, I eagerly got to the page to register.

The "Inclines" moniker did give me cause to pause, but I've done other hills in other runs, including "Dead Man's Hill" through the cemetery on the Catfish Run.  How bad could it be?

And then I realized that this was NOT a 5k, but rather a 4.3 mile trail run.  Another cause to pause.  But the idea of running through vineyards was too appealing and I knew the weather would be gorgeous.  So I signed up.

I usually set 3 goals for each run:  (1) do not finish last, (2) do not get beat by a walker (or a dog - both of which have happened), and (3) do not stop running.

Because of the length - and the fact that the race was for runners only - I only set one goal:  not to finish last.  I was determined to enjoy the run - which did sound absolutely lovely - and not stress about the competitive standing.

I didn't finish last.  But let's just say it was a good thing that in fact there were no walkers.  I clearly would have been among them.  There were in fact inclines - plural - including the "Hill of Death", a 23% grade.  Just about killed me.  Not only did I walk, I also had several moments during the climb of just...standing. 

But, all in all, it was a great run.  I loved the course.  The grapes on the vines looked just about ready to harvest.  I loved the "bird deflectors", which included electronic bird-in-distress sounds, as well as a real-life "guard hawk" that showed his feathers at the sign of any potential grape-aviators.  The forest was lush and green, and very cool, and this made for good running indeed.  Stacy ran with me and offered encouragement and competitive demands ("The walkers behind you are catching up."  "Kick it!"  "Make it a strong finish!").  And the after-party, complete with a great band and wine-tasting, made it feel good everywhere.

Will I do this next year?  Or will this event have the same demise as one of my previous adventures when I said, "I will never go sky-diving again".  Too soon to tell.  But the 5k I'm running next week - the Bloomington 5k Breakaway - looks so tame compared to this, I know I won't have any problem reaching my goals.

As long as my body recovers before then.

SCIHRA Wins the Chapter of the Year Award at the Indiana State SHRM Conference

There's no place like first place!  And it's even sweeter when it's your first win!

The South Central Indiana Human Resource Association, where as serve as a member and the president of the Board, was recently awarded the Chapter of the Year award at the Indiana State SHRM Conference.

This is the first time we have won in our history.  We submitted the nomination based on the work we have been doing to advance the profession of human resources, and to serve the human resource professional in our community.  Our vision is to be the recognized authority on HR in the south central Indiana community...and this award goes a LONG way to help us achieve that vision.

Of course none of this happens without the dedication, creativity, persistence, and talent of an AMAZING Board of Directors, the support and resources that the Indiana State Council provides to us, and the amazing organization SHRM, which we are affiliated with.

We were awarded this great honor at an Awards banquet during the Indiana State SHRM Conference, and then our video submission (which had nothing to do with our winning the award) was played for 1100 participants at the Wednesday luncheon.

What a whirlwind we've been through this past year and it is great to recognized for this achievement!

Cache of the Day: The Best Seat in the House

We all want the best seat in the house when we go to an orchestra concert. Front row of the balcony. Center of the orchestra section. The box seats. We assess the acoustics. We look for the “stereo sound” that can be created by sitting in just the right spot where we get the bass of the cellos and lower brass and the highs of the violins. We want the ultimate experience when we listen to that grand symphony.

But sitting in the audience – I don’t care what seat you’re talking about – can in no way compare to sitting directly in the center of a symphony orchestra. And that’s where I sit.

I play flute and all you orchestra aficionados will know that the upper woodwinds sit just about directly in the middle of the orchestral seating chart. Directly behind the strings, we sit just in front of the clarinets as the “bridge” to the brass.

I’d always played in bands during my formative years, not having the benefit of attending a school district with a strings program. Not until I attended college did I even have an opportunity to audition for an orchestra, but I did so at the first chance I had, and I was asked to sit second flute with the Phoenix College Orchestra, a community orchestra not unlike the BSO.

First rehearsal I was seated in The Best Seat in the House, but I didn’t even realize it until…..the downbeat. I heard the clarinets directly behind me. The trumpets just in the center at the back. And, for the first time, I heard…..strings. I had never experienced that sound so close and it caught me off guard. I had to fight the urge to put down my flute and just….experience. There was no going back. I staked my claim to that seat and I wasn’t leaving. I couldn’t believe how this surround-sound touched my soul.

That feeling has never let up. Sure, I can listen to an orchestra and have heard some of the best, live and in person. I still play in the occasional concert band or the pit for a musical. I’ll even do flute solos when asked, or play as part of a chamber ensemble. But nothing – NOTHING – will ever compare to that sound of sitting where I sit.

One time – and this is a true story – I was engrossed in the amazing music that I was hearing during a concert. I seemed to forget that I actually had a part to play. I think I was supposed to be counting rests but instead I just listened. ….until I was jolted from my reverie when I saw the conductor cueing me – several times - for what might have been five or six measures. I realized that I had missed my entrance (which was a piccolo solo) when I saw my conductor mouth the words “Yes, I’m pointing at YOU”. He didn’t seem to appreciate my enjoyment of the musical interpretation.

Of course I don’t blame my conductor for being mad and disappointed and I was really upset that I let him and the rest of the players down. As much as sitting in the Best Seat is enjoyment beyond compare, playing in an orchestra can’t be about me. It’s about the glorious sound we make when we are all committed to creating the music that the composer created with their talent and their gift. It’s about the contrast between what the audience hears as the orchestra is warming up – an interfusion of seemingly random sounds that become a focused driving force once that first downbeat is conducted. It’s about a group of talented, well-trained musicians who have come together, from a variety of experiences, and have chosen to play together because they love it. It’s about transmitting that feeling , by the way that we play together and the way we interpret the music with the unparalleled guidance and direction of our conductor, so that our audience can feel what we feel, in some small way. It’s what we create together.

But every time we play, I still feel I’m a little bit more privileged than any other member of the orchestra.

Because I’ve got the Best Seat in the House.

Cache of the Day - Woman of Promise

Taylor adds another honor to her list as she was nominated and won the "Woman of Promise"award for Lawrence County.  Here are some pictures of her award.  The event was held on May 4.

The Walk With Excellence Program helps recognize deserving Lawrence County women, raises scholarship funds for returning women students and grows the Walk with Excellence Scholarship Endowment for future scholarships.

She gave a great acceptance speech as well, recognizing all the nominees and the future that each of them as.

Momma's proud again!