the best time was had by all...

what an event....what glamour...what talent...and note that red carpet...and to think i was there standing right between my two heroes!

yes, we had such a wonderful time, my bff diane and i... for i have always said, if i were ever to give an interview (which i would NEVER do, for i'm far to shy)...it would only be to her..., and that's just the fact of it...i am an admirer of the voice of creme brulee...

the feeling of getting all glamed up and wearing a beautiful gown...is like a cinderella story...for all of you know my real life, and the real me... p.j.'s until carpool time arrives...chaos at every turn...boys and dogs...an ordinary life...

i was a little bit unnerved though when christiane approached me...for if you remember i at one time offered to be her bff too...but my offer went unnoticed, and diane snatched me up... when christiane approached me, she was well aware that i had made this offer to her and told me that she wasn't able to get back to me, for she was in the middle east...she said she checked my blog later, and to her sadness diane had already replied...i felt just horrible...it was a heart wrenching moment for me....for i just love her. what a story she has lived. what a brave woman she is...

ok...ok...ok...

so i am a stalker...i guess i have to admit it...this is the force of photo shop and my admiring little mind.... yes, that's my head...thinned out a bit...stuck on top of nicole kidman's beautifully gowned body...and look i am so tall, and that is the most fun of all! yes dad, i will get back to work now....and no mom, i am not embarrassed...think of david letterman and oprah, ellen and tom cruise....just add me to the list...

but on a more serious note:

diane sawyer has a special feature on tomorrow night about children of the appalachia's...which is so close to my own heart...

"Hidden America - Children of the Mountains -

20/20 - ABC at 10:00

this has been a 2 year project for this ABC crew following 4 children from 4 different families in the appalachias of kentucky... if you are not already aware, many of the areas in the appalachia's are the poorest in the nation... this is an in depth look at the lives of these children, the limited opportunities and lack thereof...

several years ago ms. sawyer won an emmy for her work on the feature "Waiting On The World To Change," - a firsthand account of poverty among children in america...congrats. for that...and through this feature many children were extended the help that they were in need of...

children are our future...and i do believe the more exposure that is given to areas that need the country's help, the more chances these children will be given... when something touches our heart, as i'm sure this documentary will, it is our responsibility as not only a nation but as an individual, to rise to help with the needs of others, strangers, children - ensuring that they are given the opportunities that many of us take for granted...

this link is provided by ABC to help you research ways that you can help the children of the appalachias...sometimes the help that is needed is a strong back...so you don't have to rich or famous to do something tremendous...

ABC - help children in the appalachias

it happened!!!

well... all i can say is if you dream big enough and hope strong enough, something might just come true!

i heard back... you might want to hold on to your chair.... from..... (drum roll please)... diane sawyers peeps! yes, it's true.

the story goes... i blogged as you know about diane and christiana (certainly we must now be on first name basis), back in march. rene, who is one of my readers, and lover of game boards, just so happens to work there and be a friend of diane's... rene, you are so funny! her email to me was sooo funny.... so,

rene let diane know of my blog with the best friend request. diane's peeps wrote back to me and this is what they said:

This is Kristen from Diane Sawyer's office-- she wanted me to pass along that she saw your blog and loves what you wrote!!
Have a great day. And the game boards look really great.
Take care, Kristen

WOW! hubby said the other day that the world is connected by 6 people, he had heard that somewhere... and so it is so.... me connected to rene connected to diane sawyer... that is a really small world we're living in...

well that was truly some excitement for me this week, and for my mom too, who holds the number one position, but is willing to play with diane if invited... (she's hopefully going through her closet looking for something to wear)... and diane, if you do read this again, just FYI my mom will be in NY in September.... around the 8th i believe if you want to play....

and back to my life, my reality.... i'm sitting here in my robe covered with paint drinking cold coffee and wondering in the back of my head where eli's baseball pants are for the game in less than an hour and if i was to bring snacks for 10 boys....

spirit of the entrepreneurs....

my mom just emailed me....commenting on her competition with diane sawyer and christiana amapour to be my best friend... you are so funny mom! they haven't called yet!

i had mentioned the heifer organization in the blog below and mom said that i should look into kiva... and that she had just lent money to Rose Nakato in Uganda. my mom and i are supporters of heifer so early this morning i am looking up kiva and reading the amazing stories that surround the organization (started by a husband and wife), and the entrepreneurs and the dreams that the people have.

after looking at kivas site i see that they have had great support in getting the name of their organization out there through the media, and one can never thank the media enough when they give you this helping hand. so i am sure many of you have already been introduced to them, but if not i am adding them to my "give" column that you can find on the left of my blog.

the dreams of an entrepreneur are the same, resulting in the same ending hopefully. success at their ideas, self sufficient and able to help others along the way. another trait of an entrepreneur is their belief in their idea, their energy and hard work to make it happen. you've head the words "american dream" a million times i'm sure.... but if you break it down, the dream is the same as all entrepreneurs... making something out of nothing...

and yes, i have the heart of the entrepreneur....starting my first home business when i was 20. and to this day a "no" will never stop me, i will just keep putting one foot in front of the other marching on. but we are looking at our $'s in other countries with kiva... where an opportunity can make the difference between poverty and self sufficiency... no esteem to wonderful esteem... and of course, the success of one will benefit many... instead of a donation, they are asking for small amounts to be made as loans...

last month, sara, my assistant, gave up flour for 40 days for her religious beliefs... if you new sara her entire diet consists of flour, so it was a huge struggle for her. i figure if i give up my ice cream i will be able to help fund someones dreams.... i give up something negative in my life and create a positive in somebody else's life.... that's a win win....

i've added a video if you are not familiar with kiva org., it's an amazing story....here is a direct link to their site too... today, i feel good, i'm helping Chhoeun Smaunh in cambodia buy a horse and silk...and i know the feeling of his heart... thanks mom!

this is a link to the video.... it is 13 minutes long, and so inspiring...

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=604752752

here is a direct link to the kiva site...

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=home

don't forget, heifer and kiva are great gift ideas for those people who have everything... i have given my dad bees and my mom eggs to help people in south america...just to name a couple...

i've been tagged...

well i don't know if i should actually thank jennifer lanne for tagging me... but you know how the world is always new and ever changing... this is a game of blog tag... would you have ever thought of something like this years ago as you were playing tag in your neighborhood? be sure to check out jennifer lanne's blog, art on the farm...you will certainly get lots of feel good smiles and laughs. her site is listed under the artist section to the left...also, earth angels has a large selection of her work available...

i am to tell you 5 unknown and maybe interesting facts about myself...

well as i sit and think about this for days, no kidding, i find myself going back in time to my high school days... that says to me, i'm old now and grasping at my youth of accomplishment... as silly as they were at the time... and they've grown in size too; walking 10 miles through the snow to school....etc.

so i've decided to tell a little from the past, a little of the current, and a little of my dreams...

i has a highland dancer in high school....what is that you ask?

Sword DanceThe "Gillie Callum," or Sword Dance is an ancient dance of victory and war, dating back to the days of King Malcolm Canmore. The story is that the King danced over his bloody claymore after vanquishing his enemy, one of Mac Beth's generals. It was considered a bad omen for the following battle if the blades were touched during the dance.
Today's Sword dancer "addresses" two swords, performing the first steps outside their crossed blades. Subsequent steps are danced over the blades, but once inside their field, the dancer never dances with his back turned to the swords - only a fool would turn his back on a weapon. It requires tremendous skill not to displace the swords. Toward the end of the dance, to prove their skill and endurance, the dancer will clap hands together to tell the piper to increase the tempo.

i was born in iowa and lived in des moines until i was 9, sarasota florida until i was 23, houston texas until i was 24, birmingham alabama until i was 25, san diego california until i was 29, new lenox illinois until i was 31, dallas texas until i was 37 and have lived in boone north carolina for 11 years now... yep, that makes me 48... and i am all of those places combined...from the people to the places.

outside des moines there were buffalo, introducing me to the magnificent beast that i still love.

sarasota spoiled me with the white baby powder beaches...the pelicans, and ringling brothers.

birmingham was wonderful, hills and green, enough snow to enjoy...

san diego...blue waters, cliffs and seals...best subs in national city and old town were my haunts.

new lenox, outside of chicago...the natural history museum and farmland, small town and big city, antiques galore.

dallas. there isn't enough space, still has my heart. good people, good everything.

boone, north carolina - good people, mountains, music.... home...

ok, that is 2 things.....

if i could be anything in the world (already have what is necessary to do it with) and of course, would be extremely successful at these...

district attorney or fbi agent

novelist

documentary photographer

united nations - humanitarian affairs

heifer - train people around the world to grow and raise food

work with the gorillas and elephants....

well, i'm running out of time for the above so if any of you are from the above maybe i could shadow you?

i would like diane sawyer and christiane amanpour to be my best friends... (but mom is still #1)...if any of you know them, maybe you could let them know and they will come over!

ok....i'm really really reaching back .... and some of you will know what i'm talking about, and some will have no idea at all....

i was able to take 110 words a minute in shorthand... i told my youngest about this and he looked at it as a secret code and that it was really cool that i new this.... maybe i should write some letters in this "new" secret code to all of you that can remember your shorthand.

and that is it.... and i'm thankful to say...