Beech Tree News Network

The United States isn’t the only government that’s had its credit rating lowered. Two agencies also recently downgraded Kentucky’s bond rating.

In reducing the commonwealth’s rating, Moody’s Investors Service pointed to two major problems: too much debt and underfunded public pensions.

Enter the latest news that in addition to Kentucky’s current $31 billion worth of unfunded pension liabilities for government retirees, the commonwealth’s pension-fund stocks are taking a beating on Wall Street, losing $1.7 billion since July 1.

Ah, fall break! Many public schools have a fall break built into their calendars, usually in October. In Kentucky, about 78 percent of the public school districts have a fall break, whether it’s a long weekend or a week. In my opinion, fall break is a good addition to the school calendar.

Grandfathering - One late afternoon, I stepped out onto a friend’s porch and heard the sound of a neighbor’s voice.  He was singing an old folk song in that forlorn, mournful tone that reminded me of my Papaw Mattingly and the way he used to sing as he rocked me.  I was barely three years old when he died, but I have always held onto the impression of him.  That’s the way it is with a grandfather memory and the absence of a grandfather memory as well.  I had a grandfather just long enough to know what those who never had one missed.

Paying for Higher Education takes Center Stage During College Savings Month - As we conclude this month, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the importance of college savings since Congress has declared September “College Savings Month.” While it’s true that our current fiscal situation may not seem like the ideal time to think about financially planning for college, it’s important to remember that tuition costs are constantly rising and, therefore, investing in education is a financially smart and responsible move.

Although far too few Kentucky 2011 high school graduates were ready for college, our students did improve their performance on this year’s 36-point ACT college entrance test – going from an overall composite score of 19.4 in 2010 to 19.6 this year.

Warning, this will make you hungry. About two years ago, I was introduced to a new burger joint.  I was in Nashville for CMA Fest week.  We had gotten tired of festival food. I was taken to a place called Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  Remember the episode of How I Met Your Mother when the gang was looking for the best burger in New York? Marshall’s first burger in New York was so good but he never could find the place it came from.  That’s how I felt about this place. Each burger I had after that Nashville trip I was thinking, “If only I could get one of those burgers again”.

Have you seen the commercials for the fall television lineup? If not, you’re either not watching TV or taking breaks during commercials. I confess that during the first couple of weeks of the fall season, I watch more prime time TV than normal. I like to choose my favorites for the season.

NBC has one show that I enjoyed last year, Harry’s Law. Harry is a female attorney, and the show is entertaining. FOX has a couple of good shows, too: House and Bones. Both shows have strong characters and involve solving mysteries.

Food and Feelings - Last night, before I sat down to read, I fixed myself a cup of GoGoGoji tea.  My daughter, Nikki, bought a set of hand-painted oriental tea cups, complete with steepers and saucers, for me for my birthday.  She bought some Earl Grey tea and the afore-mentioned GoGoGoji tea as well.  In my card she wrote that the teas were two of her favorites.

As I write this, September 11th, 2011 has drawn to a relatively uneventful close.  Uneventful, that is, outside of the pair of flights that were escorted into their terminals as a precautionary measure.  I am sure I’m not the only one who almost expected something of terroristic significance to occur today on the tenth anniversary of what will continue to be known for decades as simply, September 11th.

My eight pink ‘surprise lily’ blooms are fading. For the past few years, I have enjoyed a surprise lily blooming in my back yard. When Larry and I added a row of plants to our back yard, we didn’t know we had one of these unique lilies until it bloomed. I believe it was a transplant that my oldest daughter gave me.