Magic in Missoula

I sat in a dark auditorium staring starry-eyed at a stage full of 180 talented teens from all over the world. There were singers, actors, musicians, and... the one teen that I came to see.

I knew what was coming, I just didn't know when. As I sat in the audience, a familiar sound hit my ears. It was coming from my right, from the back stage. The sound of Clogging taps. I could hear his taps, and it nearly brought me out of my seat. A few seconds later, Graham strutted into the spotlight and proceeded to tear up the stage and make the crowd roar. He was Clogging. Clogging! A skill that I had played a part in helping him develop! One of my former students, my current dance partner, and my cousin was on stage making the audience, including myself, go nuts. Over the past five years, I had watched him grow and watched him develop this skill, and now I was blessed enough to see him use that skill on a stage as grand as this! It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was watching Graham giving it his all for his dream.


Graham traveled to Missoula, Montana to the Missoula Children's Theatre Performing Arts Camp for the first time when he was 13. He, of course, took his Clogging shoes with them. It's a good thing he did because when he got to the first rehearsal the dance choreographer told the cast that they would be learning a southern dance called (you guessed it) Clogging. Graham's response was "Well, do you want me to go get my shoes?" After the choreographer and the director of the show saw Graham dance, they all agreed to give him a dance solo in the play. And, he's had one ever since.

This was Graham's fifth and final year as a participant in the Missoula Children's Theatre Performing Arts Camp, and I count my lucky stars that I was there to see him perform in his final show. Not only did he show everyone there what Clogging was all about, but he got one of the lead acting roles in the show, and did an AMAZING job!


As a dance instructor, that is the greatest part of my job - seeing my students and, in this case, my dance partner do amazing things and follow their dreams. I consider myself blessed to be a part of their lives!

Why I Love Highland County

I am blessed enough to live in a place that is not littered with tall buildings, honking horns, and constant sirens where the air is fresh and the grass is green. A two-lane black top leads north and south out of town and also east and west. At their crossroads hangs a flashing traffic light.... no one really knows why it's there since there is probably only 75 vehicles a day that cross its path, and half of those are repeat customers.

My house sits right next to that two-lane blacktop that leads north out of town. Even though I am right next to the road, I still get to experience the splender and inspiration of this area.

I was working at my desk one day this summer with the window up. A nice breeze was blowing on a warm summer day. I, then, heard a rustling in the grass outside of my window. I looked up and this is what I saw:

The fence in this picture is about six feet from the window at my office. She just decided to come by for a visit and pose for a picture. She looked in the window at me as if to say "Hello. How are you?" As she chewed on the grass in her mouth, she turned and wandered carelessly through the pasture looking around and taking in the nice summer day.

Today, as I walked outside to deal with the chore of doing the laundry, I looked up through my pasture. Flying high above the creek in our pasture were three bald eagles. The cooler air of the day must have made them feel good. They were screaming and screeching as they fluttered around. They were diving and twisting through the air as they played during this cool, but sunny afternoon. Just one more reason to love beautiful Highland County, Virginia.