Thanksgiving

Keeping in the spirit of doing new things this year, we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving by running a Turkey Trot 5K and then volunteering at El Buen Pastor/Latino Community Services.
A friend of ours (the trainer for the women’s soccer team) wanted to run this 5K, but didn’t want to do it by herself. We ran the course with her last weekend so she could get a feel for it, but we didn’t really want to fork over $50 for race day. We compromised with the agreement that we would run most of it with her – just skipping the official start and finish. While she didn’t quite meet her goal to finish in under 28 minutes, she did set a personal best, which is awesome!

After the race, we went to El Buen Pastor (where I tutor and coach Girls on the Run). Our church, First Presbyterian, has been involved with this sister church for several years, but just recently began hosting a Thanksgiving celebration to introduce the Hispanic families it serves to this American holiday.

The day began with a short program in the sanctuary with some parts done in Spanish and some in English. A group of kids (including several of my GOTR girls) sang “Dad Gracias” (“Give Thanks”), and a group of fully costumed adults did some readings as William Bradford, a Native American girl, and then Abraham Lincoln (with his initial proclamation of Thanksgiving). As the families moved from the sanctuary to the food line, the children came in the classroom where I was in charge of the hat-making craft where they made either a feathered headband or a Pilgrim hat (or in some ultra-creative instances the two-in-one version: Pilgrim hats with feathers.) I’m not a big fan of promoting the stereotypical fairy tale (often inaccurate) version of the First Thanksgiving, but that’s what I was asked to do, so that’s what we did. (If you’re curious about my stance on that subject, please read the chapter on Thanksgiving in the book, “Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James Loewen. It’s a fascinating book – especially as a teacher of American History.)

Chris helped clear dishes and then sat with a couple of the kids while they ate (because their parents hadn’t come with them). It was precious to hear that the things they were thankful for included family, friends, teachers, and Jesus.

They had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes/gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, and cranberry salad all catered in, while they had asked us to bring pies or “congealed salads.” I assumed that meant anything made with Jell-O, but I wasn’t sure, so I made a pie just to be on the safe side. I had already purchased a bag of pecans (oh yeah, another pronunciation change: PE-can (short a), not pe-CAHN), but on Wednesday, a coworker brought in a bunch of those fresh nuts right off the tree in her backyard. How cool!

Anyway, the youth group made 25 pumpkin pies all on their own, so needless to say, there was an ENTIRE ROOM full of pies (which meant leftovers – yum!)

After the meal, Mary (the woman in charge of LCS) wanted them to play football – the American version with a brown, oblong ball. But, football to them means soccer, so they were greatly disappointed. Chris and another guy had to try to teach them the rules on the go because they really didn’t know how to play. Kids were throwing the ball multiple times on one play, running before anyone said hike, etc. etc. At least it was a perfectly beautiful day – sunny and 60-some degrees.

It was kind of cute to watch them try, but they really love soccer. And it’s no wonder when they start playing at such a young age. I don’t think this little guy is barely two! But, man, is he talented with a soccer ball!

So it wasn’t exactly home-cooking and naps on the couch afterwards, but it was definitely a fantastic experience. I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving with some 200 people (and probably never will again); nor have I had to think so hard about how to translate thoughts and words into Spanish over Thanksgiving dinner either. Hopefully they picked up the message of being thankful more than the storied version of the Pilgrims and the Indians, which I’m sure they probably did. Every family there was so gracious and kind. To know how thankful they are in light of knowing some of their families’ situations is amazing. It truly gives us a new perspective on being grateful for the overabundance in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hollywood, Here I Come!

Of all the things that I envisioned doing during this year in Winston-Salem, being in a movie honestly never crossed my mind. However, I can now cross that off my list!

For the past month or so, the city has been home to film crews and movie stars who are making The 5th Quarter. Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Aidan Quinn (Third Watch, Legends of the Fall, Benny & Joon - and a fellow Illinoisian, by the way), and Ryan Merriman (Final Destination 3, The Ring 2, perhaps more of an upcoming young guy) are the three stars of the show.

The 5th Quarter tells the story of Jon Abbate, a Demon Deacon football player whose brother died in a reckless high speed car accident, and the way that tragedy inspired the team to a phenomenal season, including the ACC championship and Orange Bowl in 2006.

Last Monday, they closed down the Mellow Mushroom (the pizza joint beneath our apartment) to film some scenes in there. They also used our church as the staging/catering area, so people were all over the place. And, the actors also have short-term memberships at the Rush, so I feel more connected to the movie than I really should.

During the football game a couple weeks ago, they filmed some scenes. I cracked up when the people next to me brought binoculars with them - and were shrieking about seeing Andie MacDowell and Aidan Quinn on the other side of the stadium. (They were like ten feet from Chris on the sidelines - apparently, Andie MacDowell is looking really good at 50!)

After the game, they invited anyone who wanted to stay to film some crowd scenes. I was there for a short bit, but I'm sure I probably wasn't really in the captured video. However, I went back this weekend for some more screen time, and if I'm not in the movie, I will be totally surprised. I was in the fourth row, and a scattering of people throughout the crowd, in addition to the entire first three rows were instructed to leave as if it were the end of the game. So by the end of the scene, there's no one in front of me - watch for me folding up my blanket with great dramatic flair! The scene involved a post-game interview with Coach Grobe, so I'm pretty confident that part won't be cut, but we'll see...I was also in the second row in another scene, right behind a very cute three-year old, so if they keep that scene in the film, I should be pretty visible as well.

It was crazy cold out as we were sitting in the shaded side of the stadium (probably 45 degrees), but it was one of the most interesting things I've done. I was so surprised how many people had come from afar as fledgling actors. There were people who had tried out for some of the paid extra positions and didn't get it who still wanted to be able to put this on their resume; There were people who had been taking acting classes and wanted the experience to try out their skills; There were people who were desperate, star-stalkers (no, not me) who have tried to be in every production that's been filmed in a hundred-mile radius; and, sadly, there were kids whose parents are trying to make them the next big thing, complete with acting coaches and portfolios of head shots in tow.

Me, on the other hand, just showed up with my ultra-warm stadium blanket (thanks to a fantastic Christmas present from Gma and Gpa T. some years back), my black and gold headband/earwarmer and gloves (thanks to my birthday present this year from Chris), and my black and gold plastic pom-pom (thanks to Jane, who saved it for us from the Clemson game when they were here in October!)

I wish I would have taken a picture of these other extras because it's probably not what you expect. There were MOST types - although very FEW of what I would consider ACTRESS/MODEL types....if you know what I mean. I'm trying to put this thought in the nicest way possible - but it was obvious to me why many of these people couldn't get gigs. Many of the people there were middle aged women who were not what society would consider attractive. But, darn it, they were trying, and I'll give them credit for that!

Luckily, I thought to bring a book, as we sat around for a good portion of the night. They fed us (although the joke was how many combinations of condiments could you put on a hot dog so that you felt like you were eating something new...) and they had raffle prizes to keep us entertained. One of the women sitting at my table (who fit into the aforementioned category) had been taking acting classes with the hopes to become a commercial actor. (Apparently the Piedmont region is a hotbed for that type of work.) As God can only orchestrate, she won a walk-on speaking role in the casting directors next film - Hallelujah! I was so excited for her. I was also excited that I won $25 cash - a much more appropriate gift for me as I'm not sure what I would have done with the prizes involving future acting...

My brother-in-law, Greg, also got to be an extra in the movie, Empire Falls, when it filmed in Maine. But his involved a WAY cooler cast - Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Ed Harris, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, AND - Aidan Quinn. How ironic! Greg's gig was also WAY cooler because he got selected (and I think paid) for the role. I, on the other hand, just showed up because I had nothing better to do.

Anyway, being an extra in a movie is great fun if you ever get the chance. My previous acting experience consists of my senior year's high school play, but, at my small school, that's not impressive in the least bit. (I can't even tell you what the name of it was...) I think they pick the play based on how many characters there are (to equal the small number of people interested in participating), and it's never anything well-known. People tell me that I have an expressive face - handy for pantomiming, which is all we did as extras. But, unless some casting director comes back to track me down, I'm pretty sure this will be all the acting I'll really ever do.

(**I apologize for the lack of spacing and paragraphs - I have no idea what is wrong with this site right now, but I can't get it to leave the spaces in... )

Grandfather Mountain

Last Sunday afternoon, Chris and I traversed the Blue Ridge Parkway with the end destination of Grandfather Mountain in mind. I'm not really sure how it got its name, but the brochure does say that it is 730 million years old. Though I don't know where that puts it in terms of relative mountain ages...

On our way, Chris and I had a picnic lunch at one of the overlooks and arrived at "the most rugged mountain in eastern America" by mid-afternoon.

At a height of 5,946 feet above sea level, it's famous for its "mile-high" suspension (aka swinging) bridge. I'll admit it freaked me out a little bit more than I thought it would. There was no stopping for pictures in the middle of this one for me - especially after reading the sign and knowing that there was no one even counting!

They had a fantastic visitors' center with exhibits on all of the flowers, birds, reptiles, mushrooms, etc. etc. that lived within the mountain's 3,300 acres. (I just wanted to include the picture because of the cool lighting effects). Apparently this is one of the 531 official Biosphere Reserves in the world, and there are at least 73 rare and endangered species that call this area home.

Just down the pathway from the center were the controlled animal habitats. It seems weird to enjoy "nature" in a zoo like setting, but at this point, there's not much more they can do (because state law requires any animal born in captivity to stay there). Anyway, we got to see river otters, bears, bald eagles, deer, and cougars in their semi-natural habitats.

We did some hiking, Chris climbed Split Rock and Sphinx Rock, and as we were leaving the park, we were treated to some real, up close and personal moments with free-roaming deer on the side of the road.

While it was absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to be, this trip reconfirmed my innate desires to be a flat-lander. Just driving down from the bridge to the park entrance, there were 7 hairpin turns (and that's not counting any normal curves or turns). It was insane! I felt nauseous until we found the best pizza joint in Boone, NC called Capone's. Oh my! Great Chicago-style pizza! (Boone is where Appalachian State is - and just so you know this is another word we've been pronouncing wrong our whole lives. The third syllable is a short a and the last has a hard ch (as in chair not Chicago). While I like the hiking and the beautiful views maybe once or twice a year, it's definitely not somewhere I could ever actually live. I can't help it - I like being able to look across fields and see everything for miles in any direction.

Don't Forget to Vote!

I think we've all heard that there are three things you're NOT supposed to talk about in social conversations ... religion, politics and ?????????? (Chris and I recently had this conversation with some people and some say the third is sex and others say the third is money - feel free to weigh in on this if you know the answer!) Anyway, at the risk of broaching a taboo subject, a quick nod to the realm of politics...


I have never been a hard-core Republican nor Democrat. I'm sure if they looked at my voting record, I think I've probably voted in the primaries of both parties (in different years, of course). Politics was never something that was really discussed in my family when I was growing up. I think my parents were probably afraid my big mouth would announce who they were voting for in the school board election or something - (and in my small town, that could cause an ugly scene!) Plus, I don't like conflict, so I usually can see both pros and cons of different perspectives, so I never really have this firm, decisive opinion about who to vote for. Until now...

I won't go into political-persuasive mode here - please feel free to vote for whomever you feel is the better candidate - but for once in my life, I actually feel strongly about one of the candidates! And that is so exciting for me! For that reason, (and because of the simple accessibility of the opportunity), I volunteered some time in our local Obama Headquarters. (The office is two blocks from our apartment.) It seemed like one of those things that I should take advantage of since the time and the opportunity was right here!

I made phone calls from the "sporadic voter" list (meaning they hadn't voted in all three of the last major elections). Most of the time I just left messages that encouraged them to vote for Obama and informed them about the early voting procedures in North Carolina. I'm not sure what the policy is in Illinois, but North Carolinians could vote anytime between October 16 and Nov 1 at any of the given 16 locations. You didn't even have to be registered to vote - you could register and vote all at the same time!

I also put together lots of yard signs - those little metal stakes are greasy, I'll tell you! And, today, I organized Election Day snacks for the polls. Over 3,500 granola bars had to be taken out of their boxes, counted into big groups of 250, and then sorted into different locations. These will be used to encourage people to remain at the polls even if they get hungry and it's taking hours for them to get through the lines. (Don't worry, there won't be any "Vote for Obama and I'll get you chocolate chunk" bargaining going on. And, they'll even be given to McCain supporters if they become weary as well!).

In any case, I'm excited to have been a part of such an historic presidential election - especially in such a key place. As I'm sure most of you are aware, North Carolina is one of the major toss-up states. They haven't voted for a Democratic president in 30 years, but we're hoping it happens tomorrow. Barack was actually here in Charlotte today, demonstrating how crucial this state's electoral votes really could be! It really is exciting!

As I said, I don't want to get into any political debates with Republicans...(remember, I don't like conflict). I just want people to go vote! Tomorrow is a monumental day! Please don't forget to take advantage of that amazing American right!