Scotties & Host Homes

On Wednesday, I was in Glasgow to present to the Eastside School of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. They have a teacher named Mrs. Hageman but were disappointed when they learned there was no relation. I signed many autographs there and even signed some of their band books.
Even though I have just embarked on my fall travels, I would like to thank a few special people who have opened their homes and have been wonderfully gracious and hospitable. Lincon, Tracey, and Kylee in Missoula, Hubert and Carol in Whitewater, and Kent and Kathy in Glasgow. I am grateful for your kindness and generosity, thank you.

From Penquins to Raiders & More!

I can now say that I have presented to one of the northern most towns in Montana. Whitewater is less than 20 miles from the Canadian border and has a little fewer than 80 students at the school. The music teacher does a great job of teaching the kids about the National Anthem and when the younger students stood up, they sang it loud and proud – I was very impressed. I ate lunch with the student council and was awed by the many activities every student participates in. In a smaller school, most play in the band, sing in the choir, and play on every team sport.

Continuing on my northern Montana tour, I stopped in Saco and Hinsdale. In Saco I gave two presentations and they requested a lot of songs. Those that I sang for the younger kids were then requested again by the teachers/administrators who also sat in on the high school presentation. I thought that was a little humorous. I had lunch with the grade school students before leaving for my next school. Hinsdale held an all school assembly and somehow the choir was seated in the very front row. When it came time to sing the National Anthem, I happened to stand right in front of them and was surrounded by four part harmony. Talk about one of the most glorious sounds!

Glendive Schools

One of my busiest days yet I spent in Glendive on Thursday, Sept 21. I began with a wonderfully hearty breakfast at the Charley Montana Bed and Breakfast: the home of the Miss Montana portrait room (Sophia’s and Evangelina’s pictures hang in their parlor). After I presented my message to Washington Middle school, I had a few extra minutes for Avice and me to stop at the Glendive Medical Center. She had some quilts and blankets made by Project Linus to donate to the hospital and she thought I might give a few surprise visits to some patients. Spur-of-the-moment acts of kindness can be the most well received and I hope I brightened a few smiles for the day.

From there I spent some time at the Eastern Montana Veteran’s Hospital. I can honestly say that I have never seen prouder faces than when I talked about the National Anthem and its importance in schools. I gladly welcomed lunch at the Carpenter’s Pantry where some of the Miss Montana board members and volunteers dined with me. I am very grateful for the encouragement they give me and am always happy to see their smiling faces.
In the afternoon, I presented at the two elementary schools, Jefferson and Lincoln, and again saw a few familiar “little sister” faces. I decided that I had worked hard enough that I deserved a little Dairy Queen before driving back to Billings. I usually find a good excuse to justify a little ice cream :) However, my day was not yet finished after driving to Billings. I rolled into town just in time to catch a choir rehearsal for the funeral of one of my beloved choir directors, fellow performers, and teachers: Ed Harris. A true Billings celebrity, we celebrated his life and his music on Friday morning. He will be dearly missed.

Andrew's Make-A-Wish Foundation Dino Dig

Sometimes we are given opportunities and put into positions in which our influence is more than we had imagined. I am often reminded of the large effect I am capable of in my year as Miss Montana and it only intensifies my drive to radiate positive change to the lives and attitudes of Montanans. On Wednesday, September 20, I had the honor of taking part in a little boy’s wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. His name is Andrew and his family traveled from New York to Glendive in order for Andrew to participate in a dinosaur dig. In true Montana fashion, the family was welcomed with open arms and became a part of the community. By the amount of hugs that were given, one would think it a family gathering, but that is simply the way we Montanans work. After finding dinosaur fossils at his very own dig site (now named “Andrew’s Site), the family experienced some local attractions and had dinner at the Yellowstone Inn with me as an invited guest. Andrew was quite excited to tell me all about dinosaurs and his first-hand experience with the fossils. As I “serenaded” him, his family, and the entire restaurant, he first sat and listened, then decided to accompany me on the nearby piano :). After many pictures, gift presentations (which included a real fossil of a T-Rex tooth), and another round of hugs, Andrew and his family left with a promise that they would return to Montana again.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a remarkable organization that brings hope and love to the children and families but also to everyone who becomes involved along the way. It was a truly touching event for me.

Montana PTA Convention

Ah, true Montana weather. The air conditioning can be on one day, and the next it is switched over to heat. The same on the roads; for weeks, maybe even over a month, there has not been any moisture (thus the huge fires). Then all of a sudden it is rainy and cold with snow on the hills around Missoula. On my way to attend the Montana PTA Convention, I drove through a lot of rain and had a scare on the interstate 30 miles east of Missoula. A power line was down and the first reports were an entire interstate closure for a minimum three hours if not all night (they all warned me about travel delays in Montana). Of course, after I turned around to take a detour through Drummond, I stopped at a gas station to learn that they HAD reopened the interstate – an hour setback for me but better than the alternative. Once I finally reached Missoula, I checked in with the Montana PTA and learned that I would have a table in the vendor hall and they would introduce me at the opening session to say a few words (I did oblige when they said “few”). I was ready for bed after my longer-than-expected day.

On Saturday, I met with the members of the PTA in the vendor hall and was well received. I met many who were in full support of keeping music in their schools and interested in having me speak at their school. I also sang a half hour of entertainment at their evening banquet. It is always a pleasure for me to share my heart and love for music through song. I believe it is one of the most personal things I can share.
The members of the PTA are very fun and quite humorous. I laughed when one of the hotel employees said, “those PTA ladies are a little wild.” By the end of the convention and after spending some time with the board members, I could see some truth in his statement.

Crown to Classrooms & Beyond Resumes

After one day of rest, I hit the ground running for my fall Crown to Classrooms and Beyond State-wide Speaking Engagements. I began with a quick trip to Glendive to pick up my car for my travels. I am very grateful to Darrell Sackman and ABC Auto who is graciously helping sponsor my automobile. After a short meeting with the Miss Montana board, I drove back to Billings.

I was up early the next morning to drive to Rapelje where I did my first two school presentations. Some of the high school students were missing because of their school-to-work program. Therefore the students just about evenly numbered the community members who came to listen (of which many were my relatives :). From Rapelje my grandmother rode with me on the dirt roads to Broadview so I would not get lost (she thinks I would have found my way fine). I had lunch at the Senior Citizens Center and again was greeted by familiar faces. I sang them a song or two which they greatly enjoyed. Refueled and ready, I headed to the school for two more presentations. Not only did I speak to Broadview, but Lavina brought their students to make a good sized audience.

At both schools I appreciated the staff, teachers, and students who helped me set up and got the technology equipment up and running. I am also thankful that my first presentations were in familiar places and I am happy with how well they went.

CMT Week in LA---WOW!

During the week in Los Angeles, I met all 52 contestants. Imagine a huge group of beautiful girls concentrated in a small area. For some this would be a dream come true while others need a little time to let it sink in as a reality – that was me. At the time I did not realize that at the end of the week I would have many more friends than I thought possible. We shared memorable experiences, heartfelt conversations, and of course…TV secrets. I can hardly believe how much we were pampered and taken care of: make-up and hair perfected by professionals, a star entrance on Hollywood Boulevard, and so much security! I never thought I would be the “important person” with private security, men walking around in suits or bright yellow shirts with earpieces, occasionally talking into a little wire microphone.

The bulk of the trip was spent filming for the two hour contestant special to air on CMT leading up to the final pageant (Monday, January 29 in case you didn’t know :). It was an enlightening experience getting to work with a terrific production crew. I learned how much goes into a television production and how many people are actually involved. They divided the 52 of us into groups for easier filming. My group, the orange team, had a fabulous crew working with us. Our sound tech, Gabrielle, wired us with microphones every morning and we had so much fun with the concept of having an outside ear listening to our conversations. We would send him funny messages or talk to him when he was too far away to respond. Then there was our director, Molly. To give an idea of how well we worked together, SHE also teared-up a little during our final one-on-one interviews. She helped bring our group closer by fostering and encouraging group interaction while truly caring about us as real people. For example, it was Molly’s idea to have us talk about our platforms as a group (which no other group formally did). At first we thought to ourselves, “How staged is this – standing around in a semicircle?” But as we talked, it became one of the most genuine, personal, and emotional conversations we had; an amazing memory and experience. We earned and gave more respect and compassion to each other. I will leave the remainder of our interactions and events to the CMT Contestant special – even the identification of my group mates!

Besides the filming, we made an appearance at the Kodak Theater complex, the Chinese Theater, and had a great party at the Roosevelt hotel. The evening was complete with celebrity guests: Marilu Henner, Doris Roberts (from Everybody Loves Raymond), former Miss Americas, Johnny Grant (the unofficial mayor of Hollywood), and of course, Miss America herself, Jennifer Berry (who is just as sweet, humble, and unpretentious as she looks).

They gave us an incredible week in Los Angeles and I learned so much just by being in the midst of the most well-rounded women in America.