“Oh there’s no place like home for the Holidays . . . . ”

Unless, you want to carry your Christmas celebration to Israel and help the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, there is no more brilliant celebration anywhere!  Eight gifts for kids – spread out over eight days in as they light the Menorah. Personally, I think this is far more effective than heaping all the gifts under the tree on kids at once.   Because no matter how much they have, their next question seems to be:  “Is there anything else?”

No place like home for the holidays . . .  unless you want to find a Kwanzaa Celebration honoring the African-American culture.  Once again, those who understand the heart and soul of singing and drumming outshine their white brothers.    Their recitation of the African pledge, or their recap of African History, is stirring!

No place like home for the holidays . . . unless you land in Japan on New Year’s Eve, for Omisoka, the New Year’s Eve celebration.  Japanese families share dinner just before midnight, and when the clock strikes midnight, they visit shrines or temples.  Many of the homes have a cast iron bell which is ceremoniously struck 108 times to relieve or prevent human suffering.  Oh, that it were that simple!

No place like home for the holidays . . . unless you’re in France, where Christmas is known as Noel. Father Christmas Pere Noel, visits each home filling the childrens’ shoes with toys and trinkets.   And the focal point of Christmas is the Nativity Scene, which is just as it should be!

No place like home for the holidays . . .unless you are a traditionalist from Alaska. Children go caroling in the streets carrying a long pole topped by a colored star.   They carry other traditions beyond mainland, caroling with a long pole topped by a colored star. Songs sung in Aleut (the Eskimo voice) include familiar greetings:  “Gristuusaaq suu’uq,” which means “Christ is born.” The closing words, “Mnogaya leta,” means, “God grant you many years.”   Try saying those fast three times!   And bad weather or not, Alaskans’ still know how to party, with cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and good old fashioned fish pie!  At that point you may WISH you were home!

Celebrate!

Dawn

The American Film Market, in Los Angeles, seemed like the last place I wanted to use my “y’all.”

I was convinced the sophisticated, seasoned producers, lawyers and investors I would meet in Hollywood, were of the mind that anyone from the Bible Belt is illiterate and barefooted, lives in a double-wide and drinks sweet tea from a Mason jar.   Not that I’m against any of those things, but I didn’t want my introduction of “Dawn from Alabama” to classify me.  And I had no intention of lugging around my college degrees.  So I put on my “fancy clothes and shoes,” put together by my stylist friend Meredith Tracy, and set out to impress ‘em.

That worked for about five minutes, until I let out my first ‘down home’ slip on the phone:  “Yessir, I’m fixin’ to take an Uber to the Lowes Grand.  See y’all soon.”  It was out!  I was  labeled.

On the way to the first appointment,  I remembered a quote from the Dr. Seuss book I had read to my sons:  “Today you are you!  That is truer than true!  There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”   Though I was in Hollywood on my way to a fancy hotel conference, my roots were in the South.  And that’s where I drew my strength.

 I met lots of different people during those four days and I presented to them  our television series, Our BackPack, in the simplest, least pretentious way I could.  From my heart, I shared our story, our film, our vision, and our restoration.  I didn’t monitor or modify who I was or what I had produced.   I am so proud of our series pilot which is a   perfect fit for everyone who is a bit sick of blood, guts and zombies.

Results?  A couple of the ‘greats’ we met were not interested.  But the majority of them embraced the idea and it’s creator!   I had as many hugs as I did fist bumps.

As I continue my search for the right network, lawyer and distributer I will remember another Dr. Seuss Quote:

“You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” 

Y’all have a great weekend!

Dawn

Is ‘happy Voting Day’ an oxymoron?  How about ‘feelin’ the love in LA’?  (and no this is not some soft-porn blog.)

Sometimes you just have to go where you don’t feel you belong, and stand up for something you do feel belongs regardless of the ridicule.  I was intent on coming out to Hollywood to show the television series I had put together, confident that “Our BackPack” would soften hearts and be  a home run in the family-viewing stadium of entertainment.  But frankly, this chick from Alabama had to put on her defensive garb to deflect the barbs that would come from the hard-edged agents, producers, distributers and lawyers.  It took more than ‘grits’ to get out here.  Beside the obvious cost factor ($75 for four salads, $4 bottled water), I had to consider those seasoned hard-asses who would also be pitching their ‘babies’ to networks and lawyers.

Apologies to those who presented their authentic heart-wrapped  ‘babies,’  when I tell you about the guy who gave his movie pitch to an panel of critics (think Shark Tank) in front of an audience of 650:  “My film is about a group of cannibal Texans who were capturing those who escaped to America — cooking and selling them as fast food.  It’s a way to deal with illegal imigration,” he said.   So much for Tex-Mex – these guys  were serving authentic Mexican! 

But amidst the film pitch deliveries were a few really good films of drama, heart and comedy that would make for good entertainment.

To say Our BackPack, the television series, has been overall ‘embraced’ here,  would be an understatement.  I have been hugged, patted, encouraged and inspired to go forward with my vision – a program for television network, streaming or video-on-demand -that would show our adventure to  a world of cynics who believe marriage and family is on the way out.  There still remains a heart for good family fare.

Regardless of what happens, we love and defend our families – close and extended, fractured and diminished.  There are no clear guidelines, despite the weak attempt to classify viewing with G, PG, PG-13, R or M ratings.  It’s difficult to be accountable for what our families take in.  But we can stand up and make a statement as to our beliefs.  I have taken my stand for family value here at the American Film Market in Hollywood.  And I have taken my stand by casting my vote.  It all boils down to values.  And I’m not casting my vote for somebody who thinks ‘treason doesn’t apply to them personally.”  Nor will I offer my treasure to someone who promotes classless entertainment.   “Yuk” to both.

I’m so proud of our show, but it takes a strong woman to stand against the odds.  Somebody said it better “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

Another note:  Never eat a burger on the Tex-Mex border.

Dawn

it’s off to LA I go!    Happy, peppy, perky little song doesn’t quite match my mood; I’m going to war and will be standing on the front lines at the American Film Market in Hollywood this week.  Studios, producers, distributors — take your best shot!

When we came up with the idea of a family world trip, we thought of every reason imaginable why we shouldn’t leave home. Keeping your kids safe is always on a parent’s mind, especially after one has been taken away.  But Ron and I wanted our sons to learn to live courageously.  And courage starts with us.  Life is tough — horrid sometimes — but in order to get through it, you have to JUST DO IT!

I will never regret the money we spent on this experience, six-months of 24/7 time with my family, in a love ‘em, hate ‘em, but don’t leave ‘em-atmosphere.  Hiring a cameraman to capture the good, bad and ugly of Hirn life was a huge expense.  But what we have put together is a slice of life – real, real life –  a family rising from loss, facing joys and sorrows, boredom and anxiety as a unit.

I’m going to LA to try to sell the idea on behalf of those who believe the American foundation falls more closely in line with Family Values than blood and guts.  Not that I am too sensitive for blood and guts:  As a mother of boys–I’ve seen most all of it.   But we could surely use programming that draws a family into a room for one hour at a time, without dummying down to parents or having to cover eyes of younger ones, or explain why two men would be kissing each other.  Political correctness is not a battle I choose to win.

My hope is the show will inspire those who have gone through losses in their lives, who are struggling to keep marriages together, who wish they had more time with their kids before it’s too late, and those who are afraid to step out of their comfort zone.  Laugh at us, laugh with us – we don’t care.  Learn from us and develop a desire to spend more time with your family – we do care.  And so should Hollywood.

“Cover me,  I’m goin’ in”!

Dawn