During a recent trip home, I met up with a group of ladies from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. We stopped by to visit with the elementary students at Earlywine Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma. I had already planned on a visit to present the school with a signed dolphin figurine for their trophy case. You see, they are known as the Earlywine Dolphins. A lot of the kids became huge fans of my new movie Ring of Endless Light that aired on the Disney Channel this summer. So I decided to stop by for a visit.
It was great. I had a chance to sit in the auditorium with about 400 students and just let them fire questions at me. They wanted to know everything. Later a smaller group of us went into the library where the team from DHS shot a video of me working with and interacting with the kids. The purpose of the video is to promote volunteerism in the state. It’s important to let young people just like you and me know that it only takes a little time to make a big difference in the life of a child. Remember, we can all do it. It’s fun and the rewards are great. You can tutor a kid, read to them or just be a good friend. Sign up today to be a volunteer in your home town and get in on the act.
Working with the ladies of the State of Oklahoma DHS to put together a video to promote volunteering.
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| Working in the library with two students from Earlywine. Wow, it’s been a long time since I cracked those books! | I read to some of the kids and we just talked a while in the library. I shared Oh the Places You’ll Go with them. |
When ever I can I try to stop in and share a smile and a hug with some very special ladies in my life. It’s a double win when you share time with someone special. This past summer I dropped in on a lot of ladies to share lunch, celebrate or just hang out.
I got to say thanks to Michelle DeLong , my first acting coach who taught me everything I needed to know to succeed in the biz. We shared lunch, some laughs and a hug. Later I caught up with Amanda to celebrate her graduation. Amanda and I have known each other since we were eight years old. We started out singing and dancing together at Stagestruck Studios. Amanda stayed in music and I followed my star to Hollywood. But, Oklahoma always brings us home. I stopped by the birthday party of a little girl, but it was Lori, one of the mom’s, who got the hug on this visit. Lori is the friend of my Aunt Heather and even visited me once on the set of my first series The Mommies. She may be thirty something but she sure is hot! Later, just before heading off to Toronto, I was asked to make a special delivery to a young lady who was celebrating her sweet 16 birthday. Jordan Bookman was surprised to find me at her door hiding behind a huge bouquet of roses. The best part of the whole surprise was getting to give Jordan the keys to her first car. We went for a ride to a local restaurant, shared some cake and blew out candles with a few of her friends and had a great time. Happy sweet 16 Jordan and drive safe. Then there is Miss Grace Fulton, any day that I get to see Grace with her bright eyes and beautiful smile is a special day for me. How cute is that face! Once I made it to Canada, I got to catch up with two very special ladies. My Great Aunt Pat and her granddaughter Maddie live in Canada and it’s great to know that I have some family in my home away from home here in Toronto. I know I can always get a grandma fix from Pat and just be a big kid again with Maddie and her brother Luke. I affectionately call Aunt Pat the crazy lady...that’s crazy fun, not nuts. She shares my zest for life and makes me smile. I think that you are uninhibited as a child and then again in your senior years when you just enjoy life and don’t give much thought to what people think. In between are the responsible years. I plan to never stop having fun and living life with heart. Like I always say, “Smile and live life with heart.” Check out page four for pics of me and the ladies.