Through thick and thin, good and bad, my father has been the silent rock standing behind me, waiting to act as a safety net if the winds of life blow too hard and cause me to stumble. 

He held my hand when I was learning to walk and he lifted me up when I wanted to climb. He sat in the passenger’s seat of his truck without breaking a sweat when I was learning to drive. He was there to eat all the eggs with broken yolk when I was learning how to cook them over medium. I can recall him beaming with pride after my high school and my Eastern Kentucky University graduations. When my dad says “I’m proud of you,” I know I’m doing something right, and when I disappointed him, it was worse than any amount of time being grounded. I have learned so many life lessons from my father ranging from fishing to how to drive and, most importantly, how to love. I can remember as a kid just enjoying my dad’s company. We didn’t have to do anything special, as my favorite memories with my dad involve camping, four-wheeling trips and driving through the Red River Gorge with the crisp clean country air pouring in our open windows as we listened to music. My dad is the reason I feel at home in a mud puddle with the birds whistling in the trees.

Every year around this time, I am bombarded with advertisements about tools, grilling sets and the overall “perfect” Father’s Day gift. Luckily, I already know what the perfect gift is for my dad, mostly because I do it almost every year and he hasn’t complained yet. A bag of beef jerky, followed by some ice cream and a lot of father-daughter time.

I was so fortunate as a child to have a dad who cared enough to do all those big and little things for me and now that I’m older, I cherish those moments even more. I love you, Daddy!

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My craving for beer cheese was greatly satisfied over the weekend at the Beer Cheese Festival where I tried every sample that was offered to me. After such a cheesy weekend, a congratulation is in order. Out of 11 beer cheese pros, Nicholasville’s Kentucky Beer Cheese took home first place at the festival! As I said in my last column, this is not the first year they have placed. In 2011, they took home first place, and in 2013 they claimed the first runner-up. Those interested in trying the local award-winning beer cheese can find it at many retail stores including Kroger, Walmart, Fresh Market and Liquor Barn. If you missed it this year, don’t worry, the 10th annual Beer Cheese Festival has already been scheduled for June 9, 2018.

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Another congratulation is also due to a Nicholasville native who visited the stage and was shown some love at the CMT Music Awards last week.

TK McKamy directed the recent award-winning video H.O.L.Y, country artists Florida Georgia Line.

He was called to the stage by the band’s frontmen, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, after the video took the prize for duo video of the year.

I was fortunate enough to have the pleasure of congratulating and talking with McKamy over the phone about his experience.

I was very surprised to learn that the video made by the East Jessamine High School graduate featured the actual wives of the performing artists, and this was not the first time McKamy had made that move in his music videos. I also found it interesting that the video was created around the same time McKamy proposed and married his wife, Marielle McKamy, which helped fuel his inspiration for the project. I learned several other interesting facts and stories about McKamy’s life and career, which will be featured in our upcoming summer edition of Jessamine Life.

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All in all, this was a very interesting week filled with beer cheese, bears and celebrities. Don’t forget, Father’s Day is this Sunday, and chances are, the perfect gift is just spending time together.