Hollywood, Firewood, Apaches and Honor. A discussion with Jay Tavare.

A few days ago, I sat down for a discussion with Actor, Writer, Producer and Director Jay Tavare and I must say, Redheads, he is a very smart, very perceptive man.

Now, a lot of people know who Jay Tavare is.  Some don't. If not, go to http://www.jaytavare.com. 

And no, he was NOT in The Last of the Mohicans. But I still let him speak to me. (Kidding, Jay, KIDDING!)

Hey, wait a minute..isn't that...?

(Regular readers will appreciate that I snuck in a Magua reference, yet again.)

But, let's change tacks here and focus on a warm heart.

This post re-visits the conversation I had with Jay Tavare about his charity work, including suicide prevention with the Apache Nation and the Warming Hearts Firewood Fund, which is such a tangible, simple way to improve the lives of Dine' Elders and families who need one of the most basic necessities-heat.



But do you know what Adopt-A-Native-Elder is? Go to http://anelder.org.  Is this group not awesome!?

I asked Jay about his involvement with Adopt-A-Native-Elder (ANE). As it was in his article in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-tavare/adopt-a-native-elder_b_831765.html) I could hear the great passion in his voice that Jay has for helping people. Not just "his" people, but people.  When someone so recognizable turns that influence away from himself and toward those who are hurting, he becomes much less of a persona-he's simply a fine and honourable man.

He told me he was hesitant to go to the first ANE Rug Show that he'd been invited to, which surprised me. And yet?  He's now the celebrity spokesperson for ANE. How cool is that? For years, he's mobilized people to come and work at the ANE Rug Show in Park City, Utah (Nov 8th-10th, 2013!) and has helped build the event into a huge success. (http://youtu.be/8IlM-f7umI4)
He's raised thousands of dollars and has brought light and attention to an extremely worthy cause that benefits all involved. Ask him about his very special Spirit Volunteers and you're going to get an ear full of love! 

Jay's very unique and practical Warming Hearts Firewood Fund is under the auspices of ANE and grew out of a simple need.

Simple, yes.
Easy to solve?
No.

Then again...yes it is.

 Hollywood actor Jay Tavare has a great love for the Elders and our Program. His support over the years led to the establishment of this program for firewood donations. Firewood is a critical winter need for many of our Elders. This fund collects donations that will be disbursed to Elders in need of this resource.

A sum of 100$ will provide the firewood needed for one family for one month. I said 'a sum'. Now, this is where YOU come in.

Many Dine' Elders need, need, NEED firewood. Imagine you're 82 and arthritic and worn out from tending your sheep and livestock. You come in from a long, cold day and you're hungry. You have no electricity. And you never have had any.
So you go to your little woodpile.
And there's nothing left.
So you go outside and see that maybe you don't have any outside, either.
And you're in trouble, because it's going down to 15 degrees tonight.

What can we do?
Well, seriously, how much was that most recent copy of Vanity Fair? People? Scientific American? (You can borrow mine...)

Or for the big guns, that triple espresso you sucked back on the way to the gym? Or the app that tells you what time it is on the moon.

The beauty of Warming Hearts, is that you can donate ANY AMOUNT.

5$ 10$ 1000$

Let's do our math. 20 people x 5$ = 1 month of fire wood.
20 people x 20$= 4 months of firewood.

Hey, here's a deal!!! Whoever donates 200$ to Warming Hearts gets a phone call from me and I'll sing Suo Gan over the phone. A cappella. In Welsh. People!
In Welsh!
That's like, tricky!

Think I'm kidding?

I am not.

And yes, I can sing it.

But enough about moi. (Seriously, I will sing that entire piece. For 200$.)

 Hey, I just thought of something...Jay might sing it for 10,000$!! Hey Jay? Jay?
Jay?

Umm....Mr Tavare, sir?

Here's the link for Warming Hearts, have at it, people!

http://www.anelder.org/products/show.php?id=15867&sub=&type=435

Another program that Jay talked about, and he had me choking up as he spoke, is the Honor Your Life program through the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico. I didn't mention it at the time, but I have 4 children, 3 of whom are in the age range of the children he mentioned who killed themselves.

"Honor your life, stop death in its tracks" is the theme of the program. He spoke of going to New Mexico and said "There was not a day my eyes were dry. There's not a single family that hasn't been affected by tragedy." 

He also said "I do not go to preach, but to go and share my own experiences. I do not do these things because I want the credit. Hopefully I can inspire them."

He discussed the growing gap between Elders, who have the time and the stories that they need to pass down, and youth who are dealing with a lack of identity as they function in a world that lives at a the speed of a text. Hope and change are coming, which is fantastic! 

Here is the 2011 article from Huffington Post.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-tavare/suicide-american-indian-reservation_b_821639.html 

The article is fascinating and extremely well written. 

At the beginning of our conversation I told Jay that I wasn't as impressed with his Hollywood career as I was with what he did with it. I realized, in hindsight, that I may have come across as entirely disrespectful of the man's job and accomplishments on a professional level, and for that, Jay, I humbly apologize.

(The "R" in Jennifer is for RUDE.)

I've read through his Huffington Post articles, and some of the discussions on his Facebook pages, and I've seen a bit of the intensity with which he approaches serving those who are weary of this world. 

It is one thing to be famous, but it is another thing entirely to take the power of that fame and fire it toward those the world has ignored and passed by, and bring to them a measure of joy.

And yes, firewood.
Well done.

Thank you, Jay, for taking the time to talk to me, for working so hard to help so many and for giving us the ability to help them as well.



I'll end with a quote from Jay's Huffington Post article on suicide prevention...

As the Apache say "G'u Z'u D'alsh". 

"Let all good things happen".  

~~~~

As I edit this, it's roughly 6:30 am California time. I was thinking the post was too long to include the Jay's involvement in The Apache Freedom Run. But the more I thought about it, I decided that I couldn't NOT include it. 

I'm a writer. I know how to break a heart with words. But those words are fiction. Jay's words at the beginning of his article just about do me in. And I've read this article many times. This happened. This is FACT, people.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-tavare/apache-freedom-run_b_2895280.html



All kinds of people re-enact Civil War battles. Many pretend to be someone from another time, another place. 

But how many pretend to be the prey? The hunted? How many of us could run a marathon with the wind of our ancestors at our backs and pound our feet and body for 26 miles?

He could have easily told the media about the run, asked for some money, waved a few times and gone home. Face it, he's famous. He can leave his involvement at making a call and talking to anyone about what's on his mind. 

But instead? He trained in a 'little race' in Los Angeles. 

And then he went and put his feet to work.

G'u Z'u D'alsh, Jay.


~~~~~~~~~~~


Hey!! Now that you've stared at his...shoes?

Feel free to buy some firewood.

http://www.anelder.org/products/show.php?id=15867&sub=&type=435

Firewood, hogans and WHO?

So, let's step away from the cruise stories and pictures for a few days.  We'll get back to them next week.

On Tuesday, July 2nd, here at TFTR, we're going to dig deep and discuss a very important issue that involves helping those who really need help.

Nope, not my beloved Quechua of Bolivia, but the Diné of the Southwest United States.


Who are the Diné ?

Many of us call them The Navajo. Which is a name the Spanish handed out in the 1600's. 
How nice of those nice Spanish conquerors to hand out a nice name to people who already had one.

Anyway.

But what about them? Don't they make rugs and hang out in the nice warm desert? Where it never gets cold.  

Maybe in the movies.

So, Redheads, what does this stack of firewood?

An Elder like this man who lives in a hogan? Or maybe a house.

And this man...

Have in common?

His name is Jay Tavare. He's a nice guy. He said I could use this photo...seriously, he said I could use pictures of him on my blog. You don't believe me, do you?

I knew it!!

Well, maybe you should come by on Tuesday for the rest of the story?

And The Redhead will explain everything. 

Get ready to warm some hearts.

Europe. Day Dos. TONNES of photos!!

When we last left our intrepid heroines, we were thinking about Roma!

But let's back track, shall we?

We arrived at Barcelona's cruise ship terminal after our lovely stay at Hotel Dante.

The terminal was HUGE!! We made it through all the security and porters and luggage drop offs...

Then...we set sail!! Or "gunned the engines". Whatever. We were leaving port! 

A fortress at the harbour. Totally spelled that properly.

Some flaggy things that mean something.

Maybe they said "Canadian Hillbilly on board! HELLLLP!!"

Sailing past a smaller cruise ship. Waving like maniacs. For some reason, in our culture, making eye contact is frowned upon, but waving like a circus monkey on Red Bull is perfectly acceptable.

I had a song in my head, though. It went something like..."nyah nyah nyah, we're bigger than youuuuuuu!!"

But then it happened...after wandering around and exploring our new digs, it was time to watch the sun set over the Mediterranean. All my life, I dreamed of seeing such a thing. And here we were, mere mortals, in front row seats watching God paint His love for us across the sky. 

Each moment, each second, a new whisper of His glory. 

 Absolutely...

Breathtaking.

Good night, Father...and thank you!

Our first full day at sea was a bit rough, but we were headed to Civitavecchia, the deep harbour port nearest Rome.

By late afternoon, the seas calmed and I took this shot of our balcony.  Yes, the sea is that blue. Yes, Mom said the extra money for the balcony was worth EVERY penny.

Then...it was time to watch God dip His hand in the sun and light the skies with fire. 

Stunning...

Mesmerizing...

But, wait!? Where is this??

ROMA!!

And Gwen?? I bit my lip so I wouldn't cry like a baby!!

The Number One Spot on my life long bucket list??

The Colosseum.

Enjoy.... 

Gwen? When I put my hand on the marble, I whispered "Gwennie, this is for you. One day, my friend, you will see this place." 

Then it was off to the Vatican. Where these nice Swiss guys get to serve for 2 years as guards of the Pope. They carry their duty with great honour. But it was about 100F, we all felt bad for them!! And right before this photo was taken, they'd posed with about 6 kids. Nice young men, even though they're dressed like, well, umm, anyway....

Next?

Hmmmm...come back and see!!

Jennifer and Her Mom's Excellent Adventure!!! Part Uno.

Annnnnnnnnnnd we're off!!!

June 7th, Day One of the trip, took me to Toronto on a fairly calm flight. We landed, I got my suitcase and caught a shuttle to a hotel so far off the beaten path that I was STUNNED the shuttle bus driver knew where to go!!

I got there in the early afternoon, checked in, scanned the room and dropped onto the bed. 

Some college friends and I had decided months ago to have a mini-reunion dinner at the hotel. I was somewhat trepidacious, but I remembered that grace grows, whereas memories fade. It was a fantastic time of story-telling and getting caught up with old friends, seeing how God has shaped them and hearing about theri families was great. And so was remembering that who I was in 1982 bears only a genetic similarity to who I am now. 

Mom was due to arrive at 6:30 ish, so I hovered between conversation in the dining room and looking way over at the front desk and seeing if she'd arrived. I hadn't seen her in two years, so when I saw her at the front desk, I hopped up from my chair and flew to her! It was SO great to see her !!

I got her set up in our room and left her there to chill a bit before she joined us for not bad food, HOURS of lively conversation and lots of laughter.

That night after finally saying our goodbyes to almost everyone at the table, I said to Mom "It feels like we've come to Toronto to visit, and now we're going home."

"I know, dear, it does feel like that, doesn't it?"

It was kind of hard to get to sleep. So I read quite a bit of Beth Vogt's "Catch A Falling Star". Hmmmm. That girl can WRITE!!!

We joined a few of the friends who'd stayed at the hotel overnight, for breakfast, then sent them on their merry ways. Mom and I had a late check out of 2pm, so we hung out in our room, then packed our bags and took a shuttle to the airport. 

Our flight was due to leave at 8:45pm, so we wandered around, then FINALLY went through security and left the real world behind.

After a fairly easy flight and a great time chatting with Vanessa, the awesomest flight attendant EVER, we landed in Spain.

Spain? Say it with me, "SPAIN".  

Thanks to my Kindergarten Spanish, we found a cab and learned that there are honourable cab drivers in Barcelona. Our driver, Juan Carlos, was livid that another cab driver had tried to charge some tourists 100 Euros for a drive into town. The standard rate was 45 Euros. Mom was rather concerned until I explained everything. Score one for Jennifer's very basic Spanish!!

The Hotel Dante was lovely, as was the city. But Jennifer and Mom were WASTED. So instead of touring around on Sunday afternoon, we slept. The hotel dinner was umm, pricey, but what could we do? Nada, that's what. So we ciao'd down on fairly good food that cost an eyeball and used the free Wifi to update our hubbies.

It wasn't too hard to get to sleep, even though we were GIDDY with excitement!!

We had a delicious breakfast and then headed for our ship, the Equinox. 

Okay, look in the middle, where the balconies jut out, go up 3 decks and then go over to the 2nd lifeboat from the right. We were in suite 8227. I highly recommend the middle of the ship for avoiding sea-sickness.

We found the restaurant and had an unbelievable lunch!! 

Which did not include this. 

And guess where our first stop was?

(yes, it technically WAS the washroom at a gas station along the "motorway"...)

But think again...

That's right...The Eternal City herself...

Roma!!

Leaving on a jet plane....but I DO know when I'll be back again...

...Oh Babe, I hate to (tell you this but umm, I'm not exactly busted up that I have to ) go...

My friends, amigos, amis, shik'is....

I fly tomorrow to Toronto, and then Saturday night, my Mom and I will cross The Pond to catch a ride on this...The Equinox.

And this is our itinerary:

Date	Port/City	Activity	Arrival	Departure
Day 1	Barcelona, Spain			5:00 PM
Day 2	At Sea
Day 3	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy	Docked	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Day 4	Naples, Italy	Docked	7:00 AM	6:30 PM
Day 5	At Sea
Day 6	Santorini, Greece	Tendered	9:00 AM	7:00 PM
Day 7	Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey	Docked	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Day 8	Mykonos, Greece	Tendered	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Day 9	Athens (Piraeus), Greece	Docked	6:00 AM	6:00 PM
Day 10	At Sea
Day 11	Valletta, Malta	Docked	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Day 12	At Sea

We return to Barcelona on Day 13 and fly back to Toronto that afternoon. 

I haven't had 2 weeks alone with my mom since, ohhhhhhh, 1989. I have never been to Europe. I've spent the last 4 decades wishing I could see inside the Roman Colosseum. And I've wanted to see Santorini since 1980-something, when my sister went to Greece with friends.And Ephesus??? Ahhhh!!

I'll check in to say hello today, and I'll be updating on Facebook until Saturday afternoon. 

But DO come back in late June, because unless I'm in jail in Europe...there's going to be a few pictures and some awesome stories.

Adios!!

I can't make this white box disappear....and it won't centre, either....

Interview with Carla Laureano, author of Five Days in Skye

All rrrrrrrrighty, I am moving to Scotland!!!

Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she'll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she's sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she'd rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father's dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.

Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

~ ~~~~~~~ ~

Okay, I'm not really moving, but I betcha Carla's book has begun the emigration process for more than one reader!!

When I was given the opportunity to...okay, I begged for it...to read Five Days in Skye, I was already squealing.
When it arrived? I sat down and to read and wasn't just drawn in, ohhhh no. I was whooshed into their world like a kilt pin to Gerard Butler's tartan.
Okay, that maybe was not the BEST comparison, but whatever...I was hooked.
Tight writing, great wit, warm temperatures, relevant 21st century issues and a great ending.
I read it in one day. And folks, I quite happily give Five Days in Skye 5 stars out of 5.


I posed a few questions to the very witty Carla, read along , and then she has something to share with you.

And remember, I FAILED COPYING AND PASTING!!

1) How do you fit in writing while still being actively engaged as a mom of your very adorable boys?
Well first of all, thanks for calling my boys adorable! I think they are, but I’m admittedly biased!
I write whenever I can: early in the morning, during naps, while the kids are at school (though those hours are pretty slim since my preschooler only goes three mornings a week), after their bedtime. I do best with deadlines, but because I don’t have regular work hours, I have to be very “goal-based.” When I’m writing a first draft, I have a daily word count goal that I must meet. Some days I can get it done in two hours; other days, I’m up into the wee hours of the night.
Unless I make writing a non-negotiable part of my day, it’s very easy to push it aside in the demands of being a wife and mother.


2) What has been the most joyous lesson you've learned as a writer, and the most painful?
The most joyous: learning that God’s plans truly surpass my own dreams. I felt like it was time to start writing again, but I’d planned on going back to commercial copywriting for a while to bring in some extra income. Then I felt the nudge to query a completed manuscript that had been sitting on the shelf since my younger son was born. Within six months, I had an agent. Within a year, I had my first book contract. After years of writing, revising, querying, and trying to break into the business, things happened amazingly quickly. It taught me that “God’s timing” isn’t something we just tell ourselves when things aren’t going our way, but really something we need to pray for and aspire to. I’m still amazed.
The most painful lesson: you’re still the same person after a book contract that you were before. I think the temptation is to think when you reach “the next level,” things will be perfect. The same pressures, insecurities, and doubts remain; they’re just magnified. If anything, the transition from aspiring to professional writer has shown me how impossible it is to do this on my own. Realizing my complete dependence on God has been a truly humbling experience.


3) If and /or when you have those "I cannot do this!!" days, what keeps you going?
Good writing friends. I have been blessed with an incredible circle of friends that run the spectrum from aspiring to published to best-selling. I’m humbled by how often God uses them to deliver the message I need to hear at that particular time. Sometimes the message is “go eat chocolate and take a walk.” Sometimes the message is “whose power are you relying on – yours or God’s?” And sometimes they just provide a hug and a listening ear. The inspirational writing community is really pretty amazing.


4) If you had someone who discouraged you from writing, what would you say to them now?
I guess I’ve been fortunate that I have never really had anyone discourage me from writing. Had there been, it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. I was determined to be a writer from an early age, and I knew it was going to take a lot of years of work to get there. I suppose I’d just say that clearly God had His own plans for me.


5)Who makes you laugh the hardest?
My boys. They are total clowns. The older one has a very dry, sarcastic sort of wit that is completely unexpected. The younger one is just plain silly. Whenever music comes on, they do these goofy little dances around the house, and I just crack up.


6)Do you have a favourite Bible verse? Why this one and what does it say to you?My favorites tend to rotate (some past favorites: Romans 8:28, James 1:2-4). Right now, I’m meditating on Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” It reminds me that while I may not be able to see the whole picture, God has a purpose for every experience, whether success and trial.

To celebrate the release of Carla's book on June 10th, she is giving away a fabulous Scotland-themed gift basket including a paperback copy of Five Days in Skye, a beautiful coffee table photography book filled with images of Scotland, CDs of music that inspired the story, as well as plenty of imported British goodies for your own afternoon tea break! Enter below for your chance to win! A winner will be chosen at random and announced on her blog http://www.carlalaureano.com on release day.

If you want to enter the contest, you MUST do so on her website...because I can't figure out how to load Rafflecopter here...

~~~~~~~~

Carla, thank you SO MUCH for joining us at TFTR!

Remember, go to www.carlalaureano.com and click on 'contests' in the upper right  corner of her menu bar. 

Vlog? Did you say VLOG????

Hey minions, hoardes and my Mom.

Grab a warm beverage and let's visit.

3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!

3 weeks and counting!!
And before anyone thinks "Ooooohhh, brag much?"
The only travelling I do is mission trips to Bolivia. And hockey weekends where I sleep in a room with an open hockey bag. Cough gag cough. 

The mission trips to the Andes are exhausting and all about giving until I am cross eyed and wasted. Oh, and sick. Spent. Sun burnt and weary in my heart. But I love it!! To walk the footsteps of heaven? Glorious.To share Jesus with the Quechua? A joy like none other.



But Mom and I have talked about this trips for years. It's our Epic Adventure. She let me choose where we'd go. But not the South Pacific, that's a bit too far. 
So, the Mediterranean???  How awesome is that???

So, in three weeks, my mom and I will be getting ready to go here:

Yup. Rome. The Eternal City. The Colosseum. In which I will take probably 400 pictures and make Gwen Gage a photo album for her book.

The Colosseum is the Number One place on my bucket list. To stand where the martyr's stood?? Where so much history was made? Holy smokes!!

And here:

Santorini, Greece. The second item on the bucket list. Simply for the pure beauty of it.

We're also going to Naples, Athens, Ephesus, Corinth, and we sail out of Barcelona.

Which is in Spain.

So? Enough about me??

Where do you want to go?

My big brother.

This is me and my brother Kevin.

Isn't he adorable?

                               That's him a year or two ago.

Isn't he adorable?

Anyone who is on Facebook with me has seen us pick on each other. ALOT. 

With GREAT intensity.

But I can promise you, if someone else, other than a few select folks, tried to talk to me the way Kevin does when we're in tease mode? 

Get some good health insurance.

Really good. 

Wheelchair good.

When we were little, Kevin was my guardian, my protector and my buddy.

When we got older, he hit a rough patch. It hurt to watch.

But it's all good now.

When our first son was born, his middle name belonged to Daddy.  But when #2 son came along, his middle name belonged to Uncle Kevin.

2 summers ago, I spent a week with my brother and his supermodel wife, who is the sun in his morning and the stars in his night. She is a dream. I love her to pieces.

Kevin and I planned on having a few Scrabble games. We played 16. And he's SO GOOD!!!!

How good is he? He won three whole games.

3.

Sucker.

He's the best brother I could ask for. He is funny and smarter than almost anyone I know.

He makes me laugh so hard I cry. 

Kevin, I miss you more than words.

I love you.

*unless we'replaying Scrabble, then I will smite you into the ground and laugh while you're gasping for air and begging for mercy.

NOT Hawaii 5-0. More like, The Big 5-0.

Today, I turn The Big 5-0.

This is moi at the party thrown for me on Saturday. My friend Merry-Lynne hung photos of my life from helium balloons.

If I had known at 40 what the next ten years would bring? I'd have been stunned.