In the heart of South Ashland, Ky., a log home is nestled among tall oak trees. Quaint at first glance, with its black logs, white chinking and red front door, it stands as a reminder of times long ago. Once inside, it is apparent the home is full of history. In some rooms, you know you are standing in a historic log home, while other rooms have a traditional feel. Each nook and cranny is filled with collectibles – family heirlooms and treasured finds from travels abroad. No wall is left bare, and unique artwork can be found throughout the house. Rita Kauffman loves to tell the story of how she revived a run-down 1800s log home. What she may not realize is this home tells the story of Rita Kauffman just as well.

Rita Kauffman was born and raised in Ashland. After graduating from Ashland High School, she became a stewardess for PanAm, which had her jet setting around the globe. “I went to Paris, Germany, Budapest – most of Europe and some of the islands. After that, I went on to nurse’s training at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia.” She has lived in Miami, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, where she finally settled. In Philadelphia Rita was surrounded by historic buildings, including the Betsy Ross House. “The townhouse I lived in, and still own, in Philadelphia is over 200 years old, so I’ve always lived in history.” Through all the moves, Ashland remained home.

During a visit “home” in fall 2005, a “For Sale” sign in the lawn of a log home caught her eye. She immediately made an appointment with a realtor. “You never know what you’re going to do when you retire, so I thought I might come home, back to my roots.” What she found inside might have been a deal-breaker for some, but Kauffman saw the potential through floors that were caving in, out-dated everything, and a fireplace that would surely have to be replaced. She bought the home and started renovations. “Nobody in their right mind would tackle this!” Kauffmann recalled. “When my oldest son walked through it for the first time, all he could say was ‘Wow! Wow!’”

Tri-State Construction (part of Tri-State Enterprise in Flatwoods, Ky.) was contracted for landscaping as well as renovations, which proved advantageous as Kauffman was still living and working in Philadelphia. “My sister Dalia would oversee the progress, and I took the train down two to three times each year to check everything out and make the big decisions.”

For five years the house was a work in progress. “The first step was lifting the house off of the foundation and digging out a basement. This saved the house from collapsing.” This process also revealed large hand-hewn stones that formed the original foundation of the home, thus assuring Kauffman that the structure was in its original location. These stones were re-purposed to create a natural border around the home’s back yard.

Once the new foundation was in place, “We had a big trash bin delivered and just started ripping everything out,” Rita noted. “The floors were in terrible shape. There were layers of tile and glue. John Morrison refinished the floors. It was hard to do over the phone. I would say, ‘I want the floors to be dark honey,’ and he would be looking at samples trying to figure out what I meant. It took a lot of time, but they turned out beautifully.”

The drywall and ceiling in the dining room and kitchen were replaced. “What is now the dining room was most likely the living room and dining area originally. We finished the ceiling with a wood grain effect that I think blends nicely with the rest of the house.” The white ceiling and dove grey walls of the dining room provide a clean frame for white built-in bookshelves and a replacement antique fireplace.

The original finishes of the wood walls and ceiling beams in all three bedrooms were maintained, with the exception of one wall in each second story bedroom, which was pulled into the room to make way for closets that span the length of each. “None of these rooms had closets,” as was customary at the time, Kauffman explained. The knotty pine walls of a sitting room on the first floor were left alone as well. A hallway was closed off to create two closets, one of which houses a washer and dryer.

“We remodeled this bathroom (on the first floor) and replaced a tub with a shower. That made the room a lot more spacious. Then we knocked out the roof on the back side of the house to add a bathroom to the second floor.” The second story bath is roomy and more luxurious than one would expect in a log home. “I probably have the only bidet in this part of Ashland,” Kauffman said with a laugh.

The kitchen was completely refurbished. “D&H Kitchens installed all of the cabinetry and appliances.” Square, beaded cabinets adorn an island, and matching cabinets span the rear wall of the home. Both are accessorized with charcoal glass hardware and a dark slate countertop. “It’s nice because we can use the island as a dessert buffet and my antique yellow oak buffet as a meat station when we have big family dinners.”

Most recently, the home’s chinking was replaced. Chinking is a grout, of sorts, made of sand and concrete, used in historic log homes. “Stacy Nelson chinked the house. He was involved in moving the Poage Landing House (the home of Ashland’s founders) and works with Wolfpen Woods (pioneer village in Rush, Ky.). He is very particular about which houses he does. He works with his brother and nephew.” Nelson was also able to give Kauffman information about the home’s history. “As far as I knew, the home was built in the 1860s. Mr. Nelson believes that the home dates to the 1830s or 1840s. I discovered that all records were kept in Greenup County until Boyd County began keeping records in 1860, so if I wanted to know who owned the house prior to 1860, I had to visit the Greenup County Courthouse.” The first known owner of the home was Cyrus VanBibber, 1867.

Kauffman retired in 2010, returning to her roots and filling her home with her collections. Her style is eclectic, evidenced by the variety of items she has acquired over the years – original paintings of Jesus and Mary from a historic Philadelphia church, Russian nesting dolls featuring former U.S. presidents, pewter plates, antique toys, porcelain teapots, mercury candlesticks, and a tinted photograph from the 1800s that she likes to tell people is of her grandparents, though she just picked it up at an estate sale. Each piece of Kauffman’s collections tells a story…where she’s been, what has caught her eye. Her appreciation of history is apparent, with her home serving as the perfect showcase.

In 2010, the Kauffman family spent its first Thanksgiving in the log home. “I hosted 17 people including my children, sisters, their kids and their kids. The heart of the family is eating. I wanted to have a big dining area. I didn’t want to have to pull in lots of furniture. I only have to add leaves to the table. It was nice to finally spend a holiday here.”

A lot of time and care were taken to make sure the home was revived without detracting from the historical nature of the log structure. It is apparent that Kauffman is proud of her decision to complete this restoration. “This house was really about me returning to my roots. She is a grand lady and I’m letting her stand beautiful.”

A pilgrimage is described as a long journey, often to a sacred place, made for a specific purpose. For Dr. Ho and Jae Jung of Ashland, Ky., their quest to hike the entire El Camino de Santiago (also known as the Way of St. James) this fall was the definition of a pilgrimage. Their 35-day, 500-mile journey was an adventure that ultimately changed their lives.

“It was the most wonderful experience,” Jae said. “We understood it was going to be a big commitment, one that would take patience and time, but it was so rewarding it was worth it. After we finished, I felt like everyone should do it. I want my children to go; I want to encourage everyone – both young and old – to do it. It’s an amazing adventure.”

The El Camino de Santiago has existed for thousands of years; it’s a tradition that began when the remains of St. James traveled by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain, where he was buried in what is now Santiago de Compostela. Since that time, many have traveled what was historically considered a religious pilgrimage in an attempt to pay homage to this famous saint. The path now begins at the St. Jean Pied de Port, located on the French side of the Pyrenees, and finishes in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. This route, which is more than 780 kilometers long, is the very route the Jungs took this fall.  “We had visited the region last year and hiked for five days on the trail – you’re always free to do as much or as little as you would like,” Jae explained. “We enjoyed it so much, we wanted to come back this year and do the entire thing. We left in mid-September and returned in mid-October.”

Jae and Ho prepared for the excursion by hiking eight to 10 miles at a stretch, often locally at Greenbo State Park. During the pilgrimage, Jae says they walked approximately 20-25 kilometers a day (roughly 12-15 miles). “It was definitely easier in the mornings,” Jae shared. “I would wake up with a lot of energy and hike the first few hours quite easily, but it was definitely harder in the afternoon after lunch.” The Jungs walked from 8 a.m. to about 2 p.m. daily, and they had the extraordinary luck – it didn’t rain once during their stay.

For the couple, the journey wasn’t necessarily about completing a religious requirement, but Jae finds it hard to deny that the experience wasn’t spiritual or uplifting. “It is a physically grueling thing to do, I lost a toenail and had some major blisters throughout,” she added. “You really had to meditate, pray and give thanks the whole time to keep your focus. And the scenery is so beautiful – we passed mountains, vineyards, expansive fields of wheat – it’s hard not to see the spirituality in it all.”

Jae explained that the trail wasn’t entirely walking; the couple had the pleasure of staying in multiple hostels along the route and dining at restaurants filled with local flavor. “When you begin the journey, you’re given a credential, it’s basically your pass as you travel,” Jae noted. “Accessing the credential allows you to stay at any hostel and eat at any restaurant along the El Camino. As we walked, there would be villages with lodging and food every 10-15 kilometers (approximately six – nine miles), so you were never far from accommodations. Jae found the food to be wonderful and the hostels great. “It was really nice to sleep in a bed after a day filled with walking.”

Last year, more than 100,000 people traveled on the El Camino de Santiago, and Jae said their experience made her and her husband feel a kinship with each one of those individuals. “While you’re traveling, you definitely create relationships with other travelers. We would see people, talk and connect, lose contact with them, and then catch up to them several days later. It was an amazing thing. Not a lot of Americans know about this tradition, so we encountered mainly Europeans. Europeans love to walk!” Jae has found a way to stay connected with their friends, even after she returned home. “Facebook has been a great way to stay in touch with Camino enthusiasts. There’s a whole page dedicated to the El Camino and the people who have made the pilgrimage. It’s a great way to share photos and talk about your journey with others.”

One of the most memorable parts of the trip for Jae was the magnificent scenery. “The landscape was everything from fields of wheat, then fields of flowers. There were miles of vineyards, eucalyptus trees and you would pass tiny villages – some with only 10 or so houses.” The Jungs hadn’t had enough sightseeing following the completion of their 500-mile hike, so they traveled by bus to the village of Finnistere in northern Spain. Finnistere was once thought to be the end of the world in medieval times and some El Camino travelers hike to the location, but Jae said, “We were far too tired to do that, so we took a local bus and had a day trip. We got to walk to the ocean there and it was a great way to end the journey.”

For this couple, and Jae especially, the pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago is something they can’t stop talking about. “It’s all I’ve wanted to share since we got back,” Jae said. “I had the most incredible time. And I loved hiking with my husband. I would honestly love to do it again alone. It was that special.”

El Camino de Santiago Hollywood Style

The pilgrimage that the Jungs undertook also is the subject of an Emilio Estevez film titled The Way, released in March 2011. The film follows the story of an American doctor, Tom (played by Martin Sheen), who travels to St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to collect the remains of his son (played by Emilio Estevez) who was killed in the Pyrenees during a storm while walking the El Camino de Santiago. Tom decides to trek the pilgrimage in his son’s honor. As an inexperienced hiker, Tom relies on several other pilgrims from around the world and eventually learns the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose.”  See a clip of the movie on www.YouTube.com. It also is available for rental.

About the Author:

Kelsey Grizzle is a writer born and raised in Ashland, Ky., who now lives in Louisville, Ky. She has worked as an assistant fashion editor for the Courier-Journal’s quarterly fashion magazine, HerScene Magazine, and at Southern Living Magazine in Birmingham, Ala. When not writing or re-decorating her apartment, Kelsey enjoys spending time with friends and her adorable yorkie, Jill.

The history of WSAZ television is one of firsts: the area’s first station (going on air Oct. 24, 1949), first in color, and the region’s first two-city broadcast (two separate and distinct news programs air at the same time…one in Charleston, W.Va., and the other in Huntington, W.Va.). It is no surprise then that WSAZ is the area’s first station to give residents with high-definition televisions a reason to gawk at those wide-screens.

WSAZ’s high-definition story begins in the middle of the last decade when a demonstration of the still-new technology was given at the station’s Huntington office. “We were all just blown away,” Rob Serey, WSAZ director of marketing, remembered. “We knew we’d be going HD. We knew it was the future.”

That future would not come cheaply or without major planning. Yet one thing never in question was WSAZ would be first. “We expect to be first,” Don Ray, WSAZ general manager, said. “I think we’ve been fortunate to have owners that keep putting money back into the station and the market. We probably invest more back into the communities we serve than all the others (television stations) put together.” Serey added another reason WSAZ wanted to be first: “Research indicates the station that goes high definition in the market first receives a significant ratings bump,” he said.

Gray Television, owners of WSAZ, began the station’s move from standard definition to high definition by replacing the sets used for the daily newscasts so they would look correct on wide-screen televisions broadcasting high definition. The former sets were designed for the squarer 4:3 aspect ratio of standard televisions. A high-def broadcast on a 16:9 aspect high-definition screen would reveal the sets were not wide enough to fill the space of the wider screens.

More than two years ago, WSAZ completed the first phase of the transition process…broadcasting the high-definition signal of NBC so that network programming like The Office and The Tonight Show could be received locally in high definition. The more costly and time consuming second phase was the transition of local news programming to high definition.

WSAZ and Gray Television representatives worked with vendors that supplied HD equipment to figure out how the WSAZ studios should be equipped for the most efficient flow. “We had to rewire the entire station,” Serey said. “Anything that was used to create a picture had to be replaced.” Directors and production technicians received training in the new equipment as well as new titles: technical media producers. It was a monumental shift that saw the station, which since its beginnings had relied on tape sources such as video and film, go completely tapeless.

“Bye, bye tape,” Bill Murray, WSAZ anchor, said. “The video we shoot is now done on a SD card, very similar to the SD card used in a digital still or video camera that you would use at home. That video card is then uploaded onto a hard drive and sent to my computer at my desk. My desk is now my editing work station and everything is put together from my seat. With a few computer strokes and mouse clicks, I can take video and move it around on a time line to help tell stories that make a difference in people’s lives.”

More than $3 million was spent transitioning WSAZ into a completely digital high-definition station. “You have to picture miles and miles of wiring under the floors that connect all the many parts of a TV station,” Ray said. “Then, picture many different pieces of sophisticated computers that do a variety of functions that have to talk to each other. The new equipment caused a steep learning curve, but we’ve got really good, proud people who got through it in good time.” The station’s former equipment, thousands of dollars of cameras, editing machines and more, was donated to West Virginia State University in Institute, W.Va., to support the school’s communications curriculum.

In addition to equipment, high-definition news and weather graphics were purchased and the green screen used during weather segments was widened to fit the wide-screen ratio. Prior to launching local programming in high def, WSAZ conducted two weeks of test runs. As soon as regular news broadcasts would finish, the crew would practice by repeating the same broadcast using the new equipment. “You would notice things you would have never noticed in standard definition,” Serey said.

One of WSAZ’s largest obstacles in the HD transition was the conversion of not just one, but two studios and control rooms. The station maintains both control rooms in WSAZ’s Huntington offices, one that controls the Huntington studio and one that remotely controls the Charleston studio. Another time-consuming aspect of the transition that continues over time is the retrofitting of archival footage with “wings,” the narrow, vertical strips that appear on the left and right of video shot in 4:3 aspect so that it can be displayed on 16:9 screens. “If a murder trial took place last year and suddenly the guy is getting out of prison, we’ve got this old footage and now when we air it we have to have something going on there (on the sides of the screen),” Serey said.

WSAZ was proactive by providing education to those who might be confused by what a transition to high definition might mean and how to receive a high-def signal. The station established a call center to help viewers following the conversion. The lack of calls indicated the station had succeeded in its education efforts. Still, WSAZ management is aware many are not HD ready. “When I first started at WSAZ in ’79, we would produce commercials and the production manager would make us watch them in black and white because of how many people still had black and white TVs,” Serey remembered. “Now, here we are 30 years later and we are having to keep in mind not everyone has a high-definition TV. You still have to stay in 4:3 (aspect ratio). Anything happening outside that can’t be important to see.”

On Sunday, June 26, 2011, WSAZ’s transition culminated in the broadcast of the 6 p.m. news in high definition. “We celebrated with some high fives and some big smiles, but we still had hours of news to prepare and more work to do, making sure all the little things were being taken care of,” Ray said. “The pleasure comes over time, like anything worthwhile, in seeing all the good things that have come of it.”

The reviews in the community have made the conversion worthwhile. “The HD transition has been exciting because it’s like putting on a new pair of prescription glasses and seeing all the stuff you’ve been missing over the years after ‘just getting by’ with that old pair,” Murray said. “The clarity brings a new depth and perspective of things we take for granted every day. Ask anybody who’s a fan of Football Friday night…those highlights make it seem like you’re right there on the sidelines, without leaving the comfort of your living room.” Ray said he is approached regularly by viewers eager to talk about the transition. “Of course it looks great, but I’m always surprised at how much people really pay attention,” he said. “They tell me in great detail about the things they notice.”

WSAZ earned its reputation as a leader by not resting on its laurels. The conversion to high definition may have been among the largest changes in the station’s history, but now that the future is here, the future once again becomes tomorrow. “The next thing is going away from traditional TV,” Serey said. “People are consuming media in different ways.”

For this reason, WSAZ has invested in its web channel and digital platforms. Ray sees this change as the next frontier. “People will want access to everything they have on a computer, television, or whatever device, on the go,” he said. “People will want what they want when they want it. We’ll have to create avenues to get it to them.  In a market like ours, that will be quite a challenge.” It’s a challenge WSAZ management intends to meet…and they intend to meet it first.

Why HD & How Can I View it?

So what exactly is high definition and why is it better? The main reason HDTV looks better than standard definition is resolution. A high-definition TV displaying a high-definition source combines a million or more pixels to create sharper and more realistic images than TV has ever had before.

To view high definition, several things are required. First, your television must be capable of receiving a high-definition signal either by having a built-in digital tuner or being “HD-ready” (capable of displaying a high-def picture when connected to an external digital tuner). If you use a cable or satellite box that attaches to the television, it must also produce a high-definition signal. The best method to connect the box to the TV to acquire both high-definition picture and sound quality is an HDMI connection. While component cables (you will recognize them as the three-prong cables with yellow for video and white and red for audio) will work, they are analog and can not provide the HD picture and sound clarity of digital HDMI cables.

Finally, the broadcast must be from a station, like WSAZ, that sends a high- definition signal of programming filmed in high definition.

Unless you haven’t made it out of bed since Christmas, you’ve most likely heard about the three-night stand America’s Got Talent (AGT) winner and Logan, W.Va., native Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. headlined at Ashland’s Paramount Arts Center. Landau – channeling Sinatra, Martin, and the rest of the Rat Pack – was voted as the winner of NBC’s AGT back in September. Since that time, he has set out on a whirlwind of publicity appearances, recorded his new album That’s Life, and performed before crowds at some of the most notable venues in the world, including Caesar’s Palace and Madison Square Garden.

While in town for his multi-night performance, Landau managed to find a break in the frantic pace of his meteoric rise and sat down with Bridges to reflect on the events leading him to this point as well as to ponder what the future may hold.

It’s hard to imagine how someone is expected to go from complete obscurity to instant celebrity. But when you talk with the 37-year-old, dreadlocked, African-American male, famous for his renditions of Sinatra and Great American Song Book classics, you realize this is a person who is no stranger to remarkable life changes.

Bridges: What’s it been like going from relative unknown to giving interviews on a daily basis?

LM: It’s been a dream come true. I used to practice interviews in front of the mirror, but I always imagined that I’d be famous for basketball.

Bridges: I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about Motown and how Barry Gordy would have his entertainers take media classes so they would be prepared to deal with reporters. Have you had a PR crash course?

LM: They had a lady come in and meet with me. But, honestly, I don’t fear anything. People can ask whatever they want…I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ve been through so much at this point…my life is an open book. I expect people to ask crazy things, but it’s never that bad. I enjoy sharing with people.

Bridges: Any problems with old acquaintances coming out of the woodwork, selling stories to the tabloids, that type of thing?

LM: You know, I really haven’t. But I wouldn’t have a problem if they did. They’re out there trying to hustle too. If someone wants to pay them $5,000 to tell something about me, then I can’t blame them – they’re trying to put food on the table and support their families. People who know me know who I am, so if someone wants to go out there and make up stuff, that’s fine. I’ll be me regardless.

Bridges: Your first album was recorded at Capitol studio “B” where some of the greats like Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole recorded. What was it like recording on such hollowed musical ground?

LM: Amazing. Walking in there, you can feel their presence. I would just sit there after we were finished and listen, and it was like they were there in the studio with me. There is just so much history there, it’s unreal. They still have the same sheet music and microphones around. You just can’t experience that anywhere else.

Bridges: The producer on your album, David Tyrell, has produced for some music royalty in the past including Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart and Mary J. Blige. How was it to work with such a prominent producer?

LM: It was sort of strange. I’ve always done everything on my own, so having a producer tell you what to do was weird. I basically told him [Tyrell] what I wanted to do and he made suggestions. By the end, he told me to do what I needed to do…which, for me, was to stay true to who I am and to the fans who voted for me on AGT. I didn’t want to record something completely different. There will be time for other stuff. I need to give the fans exactly what they wanted. This was about paying respect to everyone who has been there and everyone I look up to.

Bridges: Are you introducing your music to a group of people who may not otherwise have heard of Sinatra or Nat King Cole?

LM: Absolutely. You may see three or four generations of families at my shows. That’s what I’ve set out to do. I picked it up as a teenager from some of the older folks and just want to keep it going. I was always singing. I could be playing basketball, and if I hit a shot, I’d be singing while running back down the court. Sometimes that bothered people, but I just kept doing my thing.

It’s amazing for me to know that kids are singing along with my songs. When parents come up to me after a show and tell me their kids are singing “Fly Me to the Moon” instead of Lil’ Wayne…it’s unreal. Nothing against that music, I love all types of music – rap, R&B, classics – it’s great to see kids reacting in that way to something they normally would never hear.

Bridges: To what do you attribute your success in being able to reach youth?

LM:  It depends on who you are, you know? I mean, Michael Bublé is out there making these records, but you don’t see kids singing his songs.

Bridges: Which brings up an interesting issue. People obviously make initial assumptions when they first see you because of your skin color, combined with the stories we’ve all heard about you being homeless in Detroit, working at a car wash in Logan and the circumstances you’ve endured. That’s a very sharp contrast to the “typical” perception of a Sinatra-style crooner. Has that dichotomy been an asset to your success or hindered it?

LM: I think it’s definitely helped. You’ve got a 6’4’’ man with dreadlocks and black skin singing Frank Sinatra…that’s the wow factor. It blows minds everywhere I go. It’s just not on the show [AGT]; I’ve been doing it for years. It doesn’t matter if I’m singing in front of a room of black people or white people or whoever…people have dropped their forks and turned around to figure out what is going on. They don’t expect it. They think there’s a CD playing in the background. They see me standing there and they think Hip-Hop or Motown is going to come out of me. I do all those things too. But don’t ever place me in a box. I’m not just a singer; I can draw, I cut hair, I play sports, I write poetry and I write a lot of my own music.

God has given me a lot of gifts. It was tough early on not being able to make a living, not being able to profit from those things. I’d be sitting up in my room thinking, ‘What am I doing wrong? When is someone going to notice?’ Or I’d be performing at a charity event and people would tell me how much they enjoyed it, but when I walked off stage I’d still be left wondering, ‘Why am I not successful?’ In my heart I guess I knew it just wasn’t my time. God still needed to take me down, down to nothing…took everything I had – my home, my car, everything I owned. That’s what lit a fire under me and got me to go out there and just focus on my music.  He wanted me to go through that first because it all helped prepare me for everything I have going on now.

It now seems clear that Landau Murphy Jr.’s time has unquestionably arrived. The humbleness and measured outlook he exudes though make it apparent his time on the way to the top was time well spent.

INFO: Landau’s album, That’s Life, is available through iTunes and amazon.com as well as at various national retailers. If you missed Landau’s award-winning performance on America’s Got Talent (or, if you’d like to see it again), visit www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/

What’s not to love about a romance novel? For about the price of a movie ticket, you can curl up in your most comfortable chair with a mug of hot tea and quickly get swept up in a compelling world of devilishly dashing heroes, lovely leading ladies, snappy dialogue, intrigue, twists and turns – and, ultimately, a very satisfying ending.

According to the Romance Writers of America (RWA), romance fiction is the most popular, best-selling genre in North America, commanding a 13 percent share of the total U.S. consumer book market and also gaining fans around the globe.

While producing a much sought-after product, the romance publishing industry has been ahead of the curve in terms of technology and adapting to market demands.

Publishing giant Harlequin Enterprises has offered e-books for several years and provides downloadable audio and mobile phone applications. Products are distributed to brick-and-mortar stores such as Walmart, Kroger and Target as well as to online retailers like Amazon and available from its own website, www.harlequin.com.

In response to reader feedback, Harlequin® has added new specialized categories to the mainstay romance, including inspirational romance, medical romance, suspense, spicier lines, historic romance stories and books for the teen audience, to name a few.

The romance fiction industry has cemented its success by fostering close and trusted relationships with its readers through online forums and podcasts as well as live events like the Romantic Times Convention, where readers can meet and talk with hundreds of their favorite authors.

Meet Kay and Jules

Our region is home to numerous successful published romance authors, including Kay Stockham and Jules Bennett, who write for Harlequin Enterprises.

Published in 2005 with the Harlequin Superromance line, Kay Stockham’s first release was a Waldenbooks bestseller. She has been a HOLT Medallion, Book Buyers Best and RITA Award finalist and has contracted 14 books with Harlequin Superromance and a novella with Berkley Publishing. Her works have been translated into foreign languages and released in France, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Iceland, and Norway, as well as throughout Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Jules Bennett has been a published author nearly seven years. In that time, she has released 11 books with four different publishers and has contracts with the Harlequin Desire line for three more novels, due out in 2012 and 2013. A national best-selling author, Bennett has won numerous awards from booksellers, librarians, fellow authors and readers. Her books have sold thousands of copies in such countries as Greece, Portugal, Egypt, Spain, Italy, Australia, and Turkey as well as the United States.

It takes more than Cupid to create a great romance book

Stockham and Bennett agreed to share their insights on what it takes to write the kind of story readers simply can’t put down.

“Readers expect to be taken on a journey along with the characters – to experience the fun, the ups and downs, and all the emotions that come with falling in love,” Stockham said.

“My job is to touch people’s lives with believable characters and a story that will sweep them away from their daily lives,” Bennett said. “Sometimes we all need an escape. If the reader gets caught up in the story, that tells me I was able to take every aspect of fiction and turn it into a reality for the reader.”

The writers absorb story and character ideas from everything around them.

“Ideas are everywhere,” Stockham said. “Music, television, things right outside my front door.”

“I get inspiration from songs…watching people at the mall,” Bennett mused, “and I always put some aspect of myself in my characters.”

“Creating believable and likable characters is all a matter of making them into people we would want to be around if they WERE real,” Stockham explained. “No one wants to be with someone who gets on your nerves, and it’s the same situation on the page. Creating characters who enhance a story and that readers remember when the story is over is all about bringing their personalities alive and making them memorable.”

Besides creating interesting, three-dimensional characters, authors thoroughly research the venues in which the characters play out their love stories.

“If I’ve never been someplace I’m writing about, such as Miami, Fla., (the setting for a recent book) I talk to people who live there,” Bennett said. “Real estate agents can be very helpful,” she added. “Their job is to notice details and use descriptive words.”

“The research aspect of writing can be overwhelming,” Stockham admitted, “but I’ve found so many wonderful writers groups online that if I have a specific question I can’t answer through my own research, I’ll post a note to the groups. I never have to wait long, and a writer from that area or with a certain expertise, almost always responds with the information needed.”

Both writers belong to “critique circles” to help them improve their skills. Stockham has been with her same group for nine years. Bennett’s group includes writers from different parts of the country who take part in a lengthy phone conference each month. “We help each other when we get stuck and are honest with each other about becoming better writers,” Bennett explained.

Not your grandmother’s romance novel

If you haven’t picked up a romance novel recently, expect to find some changes since the genre’s early beginnings.

First of all, romance fiction comes in many shapes and sizes nowadays, from a fast-paced story contained in 200 pages to a more elaborate, slower-moving tale in a thicker book.

Secondly, romances are tailored for dozens of categories to suit different tastes and moods, from extremely sultry to deeply emotional or spiritually uplifting.

In the contemporary category, the female leads have evolved into more confident, capable, goal-oriented women, while the heroes have grown away from overbearing stereotypes into the kind of guys women see, date and work with in real life.

Books also can delve into serious issues such as ethical problems, domestic violence, dysfunctional families, financial hardship, adoption/fostering, or health conditions such as diabetes and breast cancer, to list a few.

Happily Ever After

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the way a romance book ends.

“Romance books always have a happy ending and leave you feeling good,” Bennett said. “Who doesn’t want to see love win in the end?”

“I love writing romance,” said Stockham. “What’s more complicated, more intriguing or more exciting than falling in love with someone? I write about love, hope, faith and more. How great is that?”

INFO: To find out more about these authors, including past and upcoming books and speaking engagements, visit www.kaystockham.com and www.julesbennett.com.

Want to order books, learn more about romance writing or find out how you can submit your love story?  Go to www.rwa.org (Romance Writers of America) or www.harlequin.com.

At every game, a young girl with cerebral palsy gets the chance to shoot the basketball. Parents from the team help lift her up for the shot, and spectators cheer whether the ball sinks through the basket or not.

Jay Hutchinson, commissioner of the Upward sports programs at First Baptist Church in Ashland, Ky., likes to tell the story as an example of what the sports program is all about.

“We don’t turn anyone away; we’ll find a way for them to play,” Hutchinson said. “That’s one thing we’re very proud of.”

First Baptist has offered Upward sports programs to the community for about 12 years, one of the longest-running programs in the area. Upward is a Christian ministry based in Spartanburg, S.C., that provides sports outreach programs to religious organizations across the country.

The old saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game,” comes true every day in church gyms and soccer fields as hundreds of local children play in Upward sports leagues. Nearly 30 churches in the Tri-State area offer Upward sports programs as an outreach ministry. Depending on the sport and the church, teams are offered for four-year-olds through fifth graders.

The Upward approach to competition is different than in many leagues, according to Dan Bartlett, children’s minister at Bridges Christian Church, in Russell, Ky., which has partnered with First Baptist Church of Russell to jointly offer programs.

At the start of each season, each child is evaluated and ranked on his or her skill level. A computer program assigns players so that each team has the same number of players with the same skill levels. However, the athletes are not told their rating. Then, for each game, the coaches follow a system that substitutes players by skill level. That way, players face opponents at the same skill level. By doing so, there’s no stacking the teams with the best players and no blowout scores. In some leagues, the teams don’t keep score at all, depending on the age groups. Each coach must follow the substitution schedule. Over the course of the season, each player will be on the court the same amount of time, and every player will get to start in some games.

“It takes the coaching out of the hands of the coach, so their main role is as an encourager and enforcer of the rules,” Bartlett said. “They’re not out there coaching and coming up with different plays.”

The Upward organization provides coaches with a guide for coaching the sport. The emphasis is on learning skills and giving encouragement.

“We tell our parents, ‘it’s nothing like the basketball you know,’” Hutchinson said. “We tell them we’re all in this together, so when somebody on a team makes a basket, everybody cheers for that kid.”

The athletes’ families appreciate the emphasis on sportsmanship rather than the scoreboard. “There aren’t any massacres during the game like you might find in a school game; we like it that it’s really fair,” said Amanda Rowsey, whose three sons participate at Bridges Christian Church.

At each practice and game, time for devotions is built into the schedule. After every game, each coach hands out stars to his or her team based on their performance. Every player gets a star for every game. Each team practices one hour per week and then has one-hour of game time each week. The program is very careful to minimize the time commitment families and volunteers have to make.

At Bridges Christian, the teams can count on having a consistent schedule for practices and games. “When you practice, you practice at the exact same time and place the same day of the week; it never changes,” Bartlett said. “That keeps it so it’s not a huge strain on the families.”

It’s difficult to say exactly how many children participate because many kids play more than one sport. At First Baptist more than 100 volunteers manage the program for about 140 children each season. Bridges Christian and Russell Baptist expect about 400 athletes for the winter basketball program and more than 200 for other sports.

Many of the churches subsidize the cost of playing in the Upward program. Each child receives a high-quality uniform and accessories such as a water bottle or a duffel bag.

At Bridges, the church leadership saw the number of requests for scholarships and decided to subsidize the cost for every athlete. “Our leadership saw that Upward was one of our major outreach ministries to the community and decided to really get behind it,” Bartlett explained.

The churches definitely see the sports program as a way to introduce families to their church and the Christian message. Hutchinson counts himself among those who were drawn to church after being involved in the sports program. His grandson was playing basketball and “One of the members invited me, and that’s how I got back in church,” he said.

Frank Jeffrey tells a similar story. He and his wife Rachel had moved to Russell from Virginia and saw the marquee at Bridges advertising flag football signups. “We called the church to sign up my son and got involved, and now we go to Bridges,” he said. He values the low-key approach to competition for his son and daughter to be exposed to sports without a lot of pressure.

“The kids learn discipline, they learn about the sport, and they learn about Christ,” Jeffrey said. “All the kids get to play equal time which means a lot, especially at their age right now.”

Families don’t have to attend a particular church to participate in the program there. Anna and Chad Rogers have been involved in the basketball program at First Baptist for seven years with their two sons, but attend another church.

“It’s a great family atmosphere, with the parents cheering for all the kids, not just their own,” Anna Rogers said. “You want to see everyone succeed and everyone have a good time and that’s pretty much what it’s all about.”

INFO: Upward offers programs in the following sports:

Soccer

Basketball

Flag Football

Cheerleading

For more information: www.upward.org or visit fbcashlandky.com or bridgeschristianchurch.org

It seems that “decking the halls” isn’t quite enough for Dave and Sue Stultz when it comes to adorning their Greenup, Ky., home for the holiday season. They “deck” not only the halls, but also the living room, dining room, kitchen and just about every other room in their recently constructed house along Riverside Drive. Not to mention their elaborate outdoor display, which has grown so large they have had to call in some of Santa’s helpers to aid with the festive decorations. Their efforts are a 20+ year  labor of love that keeps the Christmas spirit alive for family, friends and neighbors in this tight-knit community.

For Dave and Sue Stulz, owners of Stulz Pharmacy in Greenup and Flatwoods, Ky., decorating for Christmas at their picturesque new home on Riverside Drive in Greenup is a dream over 20 years in the making.

“We lived up the street for 30 years and never wanted to move, but when we had the opportunity to buy a larger lot, we took a chance and built a new home. We have always decorated for Christmas in a dramatic way, but since moving into the home two years ago, we’ve really done more and more decorating,” Dave explains.

Which means come Christmas time the walkway to their new home is lined with lights, and the lawn boasts eight Christmas trees and a Santa Claus figurine. And it all leads to the most festive element, two toy soldiers who stand guard at their double door entryway. Dave says the soldiers were found by one of their purchasing agents from the pharmacy on a trip to Atlanta, Ga. “We loved how unique they were; they’re not something you see at every house at Christmas time. And they’ve been so popular with our neighbors and friends who’ve seen the house.” All outdoor decorations are installed by Christmas Décor by George Essman, of Portsmouth, Ohio, because as Dave says, “I had always done it myself until five or so years ago, but as I got older, it got harder. We love the job that Essman does and it still allows us to display our decorations for the neighbors without all of the hassle of putting them up and taking them down ourselves.”

The Stultzs’ started the tradition of decorating their lawn for Christmas over a decade ago and each year Dave says, “We have added more and more with the intent of never getting too gaudy.” The family had no idea how much their decorations impacted the community until they scaled back about six years ago, “And people were so upset. They missed driving by to see what we had done to decorate for the big holiday. So we knew we couldn’t stop.” Their reputation as a must-see destination during the holiday season culminated with a feature in the Greenup County Women’s Club Christmas Walk Through last year. “It was so special to be included, almost 400 people attended the event on a Saturday night,“ Dave said. Even after 10 years of decorating, Dave says they’re always trying to incorporate new elements into the lawn. “We would love to install decorations that play music when people walk near them. It’s a consideration for next year.”

Not to be outdone by the lights and colors of the festive outdoor display, the inside of the Stultz home features no fewer than nine Christmas trees, the largest of which is a 24- foot stunner trimmed to match the décor of their tastefully appointed great room.  This will be the third Christmas in the house and Dave says each year several employees of the pharmacy have gathered to help assemble the tree and enjoy the start of the holiday season. “The tree looks large and daunting, but it’s actually really easy to assemble – we always have a great time.” Once it’s up, Dave says the big tree is where Christmas truly happens. “It’s tradition to open presents under the big tree. My mother’s birthday was Christmas and she used to have the whole family over to open presents and celebrate both the holiday and her birthday. Since she passed away, we’ve taken on the celebration of her life and of Christmas. So now we have the whole family over to our house the Saturday before Christmas, we open presents Christmas Eve, and then of course Santa comes that night and we open his presents Christmas morning.”

Sue has taken full advantage of the numerous, wonderful views of the Ohio River when decorating the house for the holidays, and the result is a lively collection of Christmas trees that give the home a festive feel. The dining room features a tree covered in lavender and cream garlands, colors that coordinate with their gorgeous gold Christmas china and matching linens, a set Dave says was acquired five years ago.  Dave says that Christmas is a time when the family gathers in their home and at their table to celebrate the season. “I have one child who lives just down the street and a daughter who lives in Western Kentucky. And they’re kind enough to bring their children – I have grandchildren who are 10, 9, 8, and 7 – here to spend Christmas. It’s such a special time.”

The big tree may get the most action on Christmas morning, but the most talked about trees in the house are the ones that actually snow. Dave says that these trees, which incorporate thousands of magnetized “snowflakes,” were also found in Atlanta, Ga., last year and were a big hit with his grandchildren. “It’s really fun to see and it’s obviously very different; our only disappointment was that you couldn’t quite see the trees snowing from the lawn.”

For this year, the third Christmas in their home, Dave says he’s so thankful to spend the holidays in what was one of the couple’s biggest labors of love.  “My wife had 20 years to design her dream home when we lived down the street, so when we finally got the chance to build it, it was really important for us to do it right. So many people say that building a house is the most stressful thing you can do as a married couple, but I have to say it was the most fun we ever had. And when I get tired after each Christmas and say we’re never going to decorate again, I just know that come after Thanksgiving next year, I’ll find myself in the Christmas spirit and I’ll be ready to do it again. We owe it to our dream house to do it big every year.”

Tim O’Toole was concentrating on his breathing. He carried a pack more than a third of his body weight and had to will himself to take another step. He was thousands of feet above sea level in a land of ice, avalanches and earthquakes, and he began to wonder if he was going to make it off this mountain alive. Yet, when he did, he began to wonder when he could make the journey again.

How did O’Toole find himself facing demise on the mountain? The story actually begins with his youth in Pittsburgh, Pa. Yet, it’s no child-of-the-outdoors tale. O’Toole’s life as a mountain-climbing adrenaline-junkie, in many ways, was a rebellion against his more sedate youth.

O’Toole, now 46, is director of Rehabilitation and Community Wellness at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, Ky., where he helps people improve physically. Yet, when O’Toole was attending physical therapy school, he became dissatisfied with his own condition. “I didn’t like how I felt, so I bought a bicycle,” O’Toole said. “One day I was out riding and a kid passed me and I thought, ‘No way…it’s impossible to go that fast.’” O’Toole had a new purpose.

Not content to leisurely ride a bicycle, O’Toole became a competitive cyclist, a hobby that took him across the western hemisphere. Though cycling is his favorite activity, it became the gateway to adrenaline-stoking hobbies such as motorcycle racing, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and target shooting. O’Toole’s interest in mountain climbing began during a 1998 business trip when he looked out at the clouds from an airplane and decided, “I want to climb to that level.”

O’Toole’s first climb was 18,491 feet on Iztaccihuatl in Mexico, the highlight of which was seeing the lights of Mexico City in the predawn hours. Subsequent climbs took him to exotic locales, including his highest ascent of 19,347 feet on Cotopaxi in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. The more he climbed, the more O’Toole began to think about a particular mountain in the United States…Mount Rainer. “It’s always been in the back of my mind,” O’Toole said. “It’s one every climber has to mark off his bucket list.”

Situated just south of Seattle, Wash., Mount Rainer is the largest mountain in the continental U.S. At 14,411 feet, Mount Rainer is a massive volcanic mountain covered in glaciated ice and other hazards for would-be-climbers. As many as 13,000 people attempt to conquer the mountain annually, with only half successful due to factors ranging from weather to avalanches.

In late 2010, O’Toole began training for Mount Rainer five to six days a week by weight lifting, cycling, running and climbing the stairwell at his work with a weighted pack on his back. He began ordering and collecting the gear he would require on his trip; then his plans nearly were derailed.

During a family vacation to California mere months before his climb, O’Toole woke up and had difficulty standing. He began having night sweats, insomnia, numbness, pain and trouble walking. Even moving on flat surfaces became difficult. For someone with such an active lifestyle, O’Toole could not explain his alarming loss of energy.

O’Toole returned home and visited his physician whose diagnosis was mononucleosis, an energy-sapping condition that can linger for months. O’Toole was still determined to make his climb, but there were times he considered canceling. A great training day could be followed by a day of sluggishness. “I could barely get off the couch for entire weekends,” he said.

O’Toole traveled to Mount Rainer in June and, as part of an 11-man team, began the four-day climb, three for ascent and one for descent. His backpack weighed 53 pounds and contained his clothing, tent, stove, gas, food and water. A typical day saw the team up by 6 a.m. to organize gear prior to six or seven hours of climbing. The team established a low camp and a high camp with the progression being to travel from low camp to high camp, from high camp to summit, from summit back to high camp and then off the mountain.

With 26 major glaciers and 36 square miles of permanent snowfields and ice, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. Temperatures reached the low teens, but O’Toole was generating so much heat he only became cold when he stopped moving. In addition to cold and glacier crevice dangers, climbers must contend with Mount Rainer’s common avalanches, volcanic mudflows and the five or so earthquakes recorded monthly near the summit. However, it was the daily grind that most took its toll. “Everything is laborious,” O’Toole said. “To eat. To sleep. To open your pack. Everything you do takes effort and energy. You think about breathing. You only have so much energy, so much food. You learn to conserve everything.”

After three days, the team summited the mountain at night – the time when the ice is most stable. Due to the conditions, time at the summit is limited, so the team celebrated their accomplishment when they returned to camp. While sitting on an outcropping of rock admiring the summit, the team members were looking at the Kautz Icefall, a large tower of glaciated ice more than 100 feet tall. As the team watched, they were awed and nearly deafened when a large portion of the icefall collapsed. “It was amazing –  the noise and the sound,” O’Toole said. “We were just there three hours earlier. Had it happened then, we would have been dead.”

After the long struggle that is the ascent, it was O’Toole’s descent day that became his toughest challenge. “When I stood up that morning, I knew I was in trouble,” he said. His mono had flared up at the worst possible time. “That last day was hell. My goal was to take a step. After I did that, my next goal was to take another step. I thought my legs were going to collapse.” O’Toole was forced to remove his pack and drag it (with a teammate’s help). O’Toole worried he would not make it off the mountain. “When I hit the bottom, I don’t think I could have taken another step.” O’Toole had difficulty walking for nearly two weeks.

“You don’t appreciate what you’ve got till it’s over,” O’Toole explained. “There were several times during the trip when I thought, ‘I’ll never do this again,’ but as soon as I got back, it was ‘how soon can I go again?’”

O’Toole once dreamed of conquering Mount Everest, but that trip requires three months, an investment in time and money he no longer believes he’s willing to make due to family. O’Toole might forgo his Everest dream, but he has unfinished business in the Pacific Northwest. “I’m going back to Rainer, climb it, and have it not almost kill me,” he said.

The hottest new hair trends have hit our area, and talented stylists at local salons are embracing them with gusto. These hair artists are collaborating with their clients to create dramatic, eye-popping looks – some for everyday wear and others for special occasions or events.

Fun with Feathers

Although feathers were proudly worn by Native Americans hundreds of years ago and have adorned hats, hair ornaments, earrings and jewelry for decades, it was American Idol judge and rocker Steven Tyler who inspired the latest feather fad appearing on the show last spring sporting feathers in his long mane. The look immediately caught the attention of the hair industry.

An Internet search shows the first beauty salons to offer feather hair extensions were in Colorado, where fly-fishing with feather lures is extremely popular and where the nation’s largest rooster farm is located. The trend sparked in California and New York City, and then quickly swept through the rest of the country.

While rooster tail feathers are most commonly used, exotic and distinctive plumes, such as peacock, pheasant and emu, add volume and texture. Natural earth tones look great, but salons also started dying feathers in vivid hues, from turquoise and vermillion to violet and flame. Yet, the striped rooster feather, known as the “grizzly,” remains one of the most popular types of feathers.

It only takes a few minutes to add semi-permanent feather hair extensions. The feathers are inserted into a metal bead and then clamped onto a piece of hair at the base. Some want a single plume placed under their hair for a peek-a-boo effect, while others desire a more playful or edgy look, with several clusters of differently colored feathers placed on the top layer of hair.

Feather hair extensions can be brushed, curled, flat-ironed, washed and blow-dried, remaining in place and looking great for several months.

“Feathers are naturally resilient, so they make a fantastic addition to hair styles,” said Daria Cummings of Daria’s House of Style in Portsmouth, Ohio. The younger set in her community is clamoring for feathers in their hair, especially in school colors. She hasn’t seen many adults asking for feathers.

At Identity Salon & Spa in Ashland, Ky., however, owner/operator B.J. Burcham is seeing people from age four to 74 demanding feathers. “It’s been phenomenal,” he said. “Everyone who has gotten feathers has been very happy with them.”

Heather Hoptry-Queen at Ambiance Salon in Ashland combines her love of jewelry making with her passion for styling hair. By adding leather cords with beads and charms to the feather extensions she creates a “Bohemian, free-spirited” look.

Kim Fitch at JC Penney Styling Salon at the Ashland Town Center said they offer versatile clip-in feathers. “You can wear different colored feathers every day to match your clothes and makeup,” Fitch said. “You can have a bright pink feather for day and a sophisticated black one that evening for a totally different look.”

Hair Bling Adds Glamour

Bling string, hair tinsel, hair shimmers – different names for a fashionable new product. First becoming popular in January 2011, when Hair Flairs creative director Trina Marr wore them on the Oprah Winfrey Show, these shining, glittering strands have been seen on A-list celebrities like Beyonce Knowles as well as cadres of ordinary tots and teens.

Made of polyester and available in a spectrum of colors, the strands feel soft and silky like real hair and can be washed and styled. The strings are knotted into the hair and last about two weeks. The more strands added to the hair, the more dramatic the look.

Crystals, Airbrushing, Extensions

Other exciting new trends include hair crystals. Burcham recently demonstrated how the gems are applied. Available in a rainbow of colors, the crystals are packaged on a thin piece of plastic coated with adhesive. The crystals are placed strategically on a piece of hair, then sealed with a flat iron. After a brief cooling period, the plastic is pulled away, leaving the stones bonded to the hair.

“Crystals are great for special occasions,” Burcham noted. “They don’t stay in very long, but they’re secure enough that you don’t have to worry about losing them at an event.”

Another stunning look is hair painting. Using vibrant colors, a template and an airbrush, stylists at Identity Salon can create animal print patterns or bands of color on the head. The paint easily washes out with ordinary shampoo.

Brandy Ward at Studio 21 Salon & Spa in Ashland is introducing a new seamless hair extension technique that adds volume or length without metal bands or glue – and can be completed in about 30 minutes to an hour.

“Other methods typically attach 100 hairs in a cluster and take three to five hours to complete,” Ward said. “This system can bond 900 hairs at a time using a supporting adhesive strip that’s gentle on your hair so it won’t cause damage or breakage.”

Ward said the hair extensions last about three months and can be washed and styled as usual. “These hair extensions lie flat against the head and look extremely natural,” Ward continued. “A lot of clients are tired of that ropey, clumpy look you usually get with extensions.”

Ward also uses a new thickening powder made of micronized cotton that sticks to the scalp and hair to temporarily cover thinning areas for both men and women.

The Dancing with the Stars television show has rolled out a line of hair products, including braided hair bands and clip-on extensions, available at the JC Penney Styling Salon. “The braided hair bands are so cute,” said Robin Roark, salon manager. “They add texture and appeal to your hairdo.”

The clip-on extensions are available in different pigments, from natural-looking shades to shocking pink and other attention-getting hues. “You can clip in a brightly-colored extension and either show it off or blend it in with the rest of your hair so it’s more subtle,” Roark said.

If You Go:

Ambiance Salon

www.ambiancesalonky.com

3045 Winchester Ave.

Ashland, Kentucky

606.324.6171

Daria’s House Of Style

1033 Kinneys Lane

Portsmouth, Ohio

740.354.6600

Identity Salon & Spa

www.identitysalonspa.com

121 16th Street

Ashland, Kentucky

606.325.2213

JC Penney

www.jcpenney.com

Ashland Town Center

500 Winchester Ave.

Ashland, Kentucky

606.324.0168

Studio 21 Salon & Spa

www.studio21spa.com

2048 Winchester Ave.

Ashland, Kentucky

606.329.9648 or 606.325.0001

or Bellefonte Pavillion

2000 Ashland Drive

Ashland, Kentucky

606.327.1171

In the weeks leading up to my 10-day trip to Italy this past summer, I grew increasingly excited about the wonders of Rome and Tuscany that my favorite travel partner and I would encounter.

It wasn’t the ancient ruins or the fields of sunflowers or the artistic masterpieces that had me so stoked. It was the food.

In my opinion, Italian food should be the eighth wonder of the

world – right up there on the list with Rome’s Colosseum. The variety of pasta alone is magnifico. There’s spaghetti, fettucini, ravioli, tortellini, fusilli, and their close relative, gnocchi. And those are just ones that end in the letter i! There are literally hundreds more, in all shapes and sizes, with a seemingly endless array of sauce options. My mouth was watering months before we boarded the plane.

We debated signing up for a one-day Tuscan cooking school, but then figured we could spend that $300 much more wisely – on more food and drink for us.

We trained for the trip (athletes do it; why shouldn’t we?) by sharing a few pre-departure, full-course meals – wine, bread and coffee included. Our taste buds were primed and ready.

Less than an hour after landing in Rome, we found a bar just around the corner from our apartment and savored our first cappuccinos – espressos laced with hot milk and steamed milk-foam. Of course, we needed a pastry to go with it – that whole parental rule about spoiling your dinner by eating dessert first is nonsense (don’t tell my kids).

We quickly unpacked and then headed out to nearby Piazza Navona to exchange some dollars for euros. That made us hungry again. So, we split an open-faced tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella sandwich.

That evening, we took in the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps – such breath-taking scenery, such awe-inspiring views, such beautiful people wearing wonderful shoes.

But, where should we eat?

We did what all good tourists should do – we asked other tourists. After throwing our coins in the Trevi Fountain to ensure our return to la bella Italia, we paused on the marble bench and chatted with the happy couple sitting next to us. They advised us to go to nearby Sora Lucia – they’d been in Rome five days and had enjoyed it so much, they’d eaten there twice. Done! Andiamo!

We toasted the happy couple with wine as we enjoyed our appetizer plate of peas, yellow and red peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and spinach, followed by our dinners of pasta with black pepper and cheese for my friend and pasta with bacon, peas and goat cheese for me. Oh, and espresso. And more wine.

I must pause here to say a few words about gelato. This Italian treat figured prominently – dare I say daily? – into our eating adventures. For those who have never experienced the joy of gelato, it is a taste sensation akin to ice cream – with a higher sugar and lower fat content. While my ice cream tastes tend to lean toward anything containing chocolate, I was pleasantly surprised to become enthralled with the fruity versions of gelato – particularly amarena, a cream-based version with a sauce of sour cherries mixed in.

Day two of our Roman adventure took us to Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and the Mouth of Truth. Enough about that. I know you’re wondering, where did we eat? Breakfast was pastry and cappuccino a porta via (to go) from the corner café. Our lunch of grilled panini and snack of fresh watermelon were both eaten while meandering through the Eternal City. Dinner at the Restoranta della Rampa included risotto with shrimp and artichokes and salmon pasta along with wine, cappuccino and gelato, of course.

We ventured to the neighborhood grocery store the next morning and purchased lunch supplies of bread, cheese, salami, and fresh fruit. These helped fortify us before and during our train trip to southern Tuscany, where we were spending a week with friends. Our villa had a fully equipped kitchen, so we each pitched in 50 euros and bought enough groceries for the week.

The Italians, like most Europeans, tend to shop several times a week, buying only what they need in the way of fresh produce, bread and meat for a day – maybe two, tops. We did the same thing, but since we were buying for 15 people, we loaded up the back of the rental car with our

re-usable canvas bags each time. Our dinner menu for the week consisted of whatever specialties we villa residents felt like making – spaghetti and meatballs, steak, sausages, roasted vegetables, fresh salads. We traveled to a vineyard one afternoon and stocked up on wine for the house – a case of red and a case of white. I’m pretty sure that lasted most of the week – it’s a bit of a blur.

The group dined out a couple of times during our stay in Porto

Ercole – I had spaghetti with swordfish one time and grilled prawns another. Oh, and wine, cappuccino and gelato, ‘natch.

One of our days under the Tuscan sun was spent in Siena, where I met up with a friend from college at a pizzeria on Il Campo (Piazza del Campo). We lunched, of course, on some marvelous pizza loaded with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and a variety of other toppings (the crust on Italian pizza is very thin, so you can get filled up on the toppings and not the bread), accompanied by a bottle of Chianti. Side note: my friend’s husband had a bit of trouble ordering iced tea, but we managed to communicate well enough to get a pitcher of ice cubes and hot tea brought to the table.

Our incredible trip ended with one day back in Rome. The hotel desk clerk recommended Il Padellaccio for lunch, where we enjoyed another plate of roasted vegetables, some spicy pasta with tomatoes and peppers, and ravioli stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and ricotta.

The neighborhood near our hotel was home to Rome’s first gelato factory (we didn’t even plan that, honest). So, of course, a visit there was a must. Then we hit an indoor market and a grocery store to spend some of our remaining euros on coffee, chocolate and other gifts for the folks back home. That reminds me – do not try to take pickled zucchini or jelly through airport security.

There was one dinner left. Only one. We decided to return to the scene of our first wonderful meal near the Trevi Fountain, and for the first time, we ordered carne – roasted lamb for Pam and veal with lemon sauce for me. And since we both adore cheese, we decided to order a whole plate and see if we could polish it off. No problem.

It’s a good thing we got a bit lost that evening and walked a few extra miles. That helped create room for a final cappuccino and cannoli at a sidewalk café near our hotel.

When we said arriverderci to Italy the next morning, our wallets were a bit emptier and our clothes a bit tighter, but our smiles were much wider.