Pie a Day Give Away

This weekend approximately 1,143 students will receive degrees at Southern Oregon University’s 85th Commencement exercises. I remember how excited I was the first time I graduated from SOU in 1990. My husband and I both received Bachelors degrees that year and we had our daughter in tow at the ceremony which, at that time, was held in Lithia Park. I was equally thrilled to earn my Masters in Management in 2008.

What is especially nice about a small university such as SOU is that the faculty and staff are able to connect with their students. That was the case when I was an undergraduate and it still holds true today. When I was an undergraduate student at Brooklyn College a million years ago it was almost impossible to get an appointment to see your instructor. At SOU, the faculty are willing to make the time to see you and offer assistance whenever possible. For my family, attending SOU has meant finding friends in many arenas and also finding a second family – and that has been a tremendous gift.

Dr. Mary Cullinan has been President of SOU since August 2006. She earned her Masters and PhD in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin and spent many years at universities in California and Texas before taking the helm at SOU. Since then she has had to face a number of challenging issues, but yet she continues to lead with an emphasis towards the positive.

Today I delivered a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie to Dr. Mary Cullinan to thank her for her friendship, for her dedication to our community, and for her strong leadership. I also want to wish her continued success at Southern Oregon University. I know that she feels that is as special a place as we do.

If you are following along, you will know that yesterday I attempted to bring a pie to an actress neighbor only to find out that she had moved. Even though I missed my “intended” recipient, I was able to bring a gift of pie to a new neighbor, so all in all, things worked out pretty well.

Today I tried to find out where the young actress from yesterday had moved to. After having no luck with the phone book, I called Ashland High School and asked them to please have Lisa’s Mom Catherine get in touch with me. A little while later, she called and I told her about my adventure yesterday. Catherine then gave me their new address and we agreed upon a time for me to bring a pie to Lisa.

Lisa-Marie has just finished her sophomore year at Ashland High but she has been acting in plays for a long time. My husband and I saw her recently in “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” by Salman Rushdie. Lisa had such presence on the stage and her energetic performance really kept our attention. Lisa has also acted in a number of other plays including Chicago at Ashland High School and Rags and Grapes of Wrath at Camelot Theatre.

As the mother of a child that loves to act, and knowing the dedication that is required to do well, I wanted to recognize Lisa-Marie for her willingness to work so hard to pursue her dream. Tonight I brought Lisa-Marie a Chocolate Cream Pie to congratulate her on her fine performance in “Haroun” and also to wish her many happy years in the theatre.

With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it’s just not acting. It’s lying.
Johnny Depp

As I prepared today’s pie, I contemplated today’s pie recipient. Who would that be? I was not certain. And then when we left for our walk and passed a street nearby I thought of a young actress that we had recently seen in a play at Ashland High School. I decided then that the pie would be for her.

One day, when I was in fourth grade, my teacher, Miss Sorola, asked the girls in my class, “Who would like to play the role of Snow White in our play?” I raised my hand but was sure that my friend Diane would get the part. Diane looked like Snow White with her pale skin and long, dark hair. When Ms. Sorola asked, “Karen, do you really want to be Snow White?” I was stunned. I couldn’t believe that she had picked me!

In reality, I think it was a good move because it was a way for her to channel my “Chatty Cathy” behavior. Apparently she was pleased because I also got to play Florence Nightingale and a Spanish Senorita. I don’t remember much about those plays (it was a long time ago) but it was a boost to my confidence to have been chosen to play the leads.

When I went to the young actress’ house I was surprised to find a young child in the yard. Was this actress babysitting? But wait, that man mowing the lawn is not her Dad. And the woman who has just come out of the house is not her Mom. What is going on?

And then Michelle, the new owner of the house, tells me that the young actress moved a while ago and that her family is now living there. She sees the pie that I have brought and jokingly says, “I’ll take the pie!” And I glance at the pie and then back at her and say, “Yes – you should have the pie. You are a new neighbor and this is a good thing.”

And because my pie journey is about giving, today’s Triple Berry Pie was delivered to Michelle, Jeff and Elia. I am very glad that I was able to welcome them to the neighborhood.

Lemon Curd and Raspberry Tart

Try as I might, when I think back to my high school days the term “literature” is not prominent. The song, by Sam Cooke comes to mind – Don’t know much about history, don’t know much biology… Though I took the required “English” classes, I don’t remember my teachers trying to make the books that we read come alive for me. I can only wonder how my life might have been different had I really been inspired to delve into the book lists that we were given.

My son took an Advanced Placement Literature class at Ashland High School this past year. At times he would want to discuss the books that he was reading (Moby Dick,for example) but I had to tell him that I had not read it. While I knew bits and pieces of the stories, I had not spent much time in high school reading the classics. I am impressed that my son immersed himself in his books. Even when he had a lot going on, he would stay up late to finish his reading.

While part of the reason for that has to do with his own work ethic, there is another important contributing factor. I want to recognize his teacher, Ms. Healy, for challenging her students to truly understand the various works that they read and for bringing the characters to life. How wonderful for her students that she put forth the effort to do that. I am so grateful to her for giving them that gift.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Rene was a new instructor at Southern Oregon University when I first met him. My husband and I saw him regularly in the halls of the School of Business. At that time we had a young child and we tried to schedule our classes in such a way that allowed us both to attend the courses we needed to without the need for daycare. Sometimes that meant that we switched the backpack with our baby girl in the hallways. She became a familiar sight to the staff and it was wonderful how they fawned over her.

After graduation our family moved to Portland for five years. When we decided to return to Ashland, Rene contacted us. He was getting married and asked us to cater the reception. It was held at the Mt. Ashland lodge on a beautiful summer’s day.

Putting the finishing touches on Rene’s Wedding Cake

Fast forward to 2007. Our “baby” girl graduated from Ashland High School with the hopes of leaving Ashland behind. Instead, she found herself taking classes in the same buildings that her parents had studied in 20 years earlier. And as luck would have it, Rene is still teaching at SOU, though now he has a few more letters after his name. Our daughter was the first student of a former student that Rene had taught. I am delighted to know that she is in good hands.

With Rene’s help our daughter left Ashland for two years and has been studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. During her first year she attended CBS – Copenhagen Business School. During her second year she has been an intern with e-conomic, a Danish online accounting business. She plans to come back to Ashland in September to finish her final year of studies. Her path at SOU has been unique and she is proof that this university offers incredible opportunities.

This afternoon I delivered a pie to Rene to thank him for his friendship and for helping our daughter achieve her dream of leaving Ashland while keeping a part of herself firmly rooted at SOU. We are truly grateful for his support.

Since today was Sunday, I called upon Caroline, one of the great ladies from the congregation at First Presbyterian Ashland, and asked if she would be at church today. She told me that there was a good chance that she would be there – and now that I was sure that she and Bill were in town, I proceeded to make them a quiche.

What I admire most about Caroline and Bill is their long-standing relationship. They’ve recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary and they still really care for one another. There is a tenderness that they show towards one another that is so precious. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all were able to sustain a relationship for that long?

Today I brought them a simple gift of a quiche. It is my way of saying to them that I love and and admire them. They are courageous and continue to be connected to the world around them despite challenging circumstances. I hope that I have the good fortune to follow in their footsteps.

About five years ago my son had his first experience with LEAP camp. LEAP is a camp where kids spend time in the wilderness while also learning to trust their own capabilities and their fellow campers. My son had a great time at LEAP and I can give two reasons why that happened: Erica and Josh.

Erica and Josh are down-to-earth and rock solid. The kids that spend time at their camp know that they are in a safe environment but also know that they are in a place where they can test themselves. It was at LEAP camp that my son took his first “leap” into space. The image you see when you google “LEAP” camp is of my son. How wonderful that he felt comfortable and confident taking that leap.

A few years ago I met Erica in a writing class. Once I knew who she was, I wondered what she might think about me, knowing that my son was able to speak his mind at LEAP. I needn’t have worried; Erica had nothing but good things to say about my son or me. What a blessing.

In the last year my son told us that he was not sure what he wanted to do after graduating high school. I saw Erica and shared my concerns about him. She told me that since he’d returned from a rotary youth exchange he was sort of holding up many threads – student body co president, senior, returning exchange student. Erica explained that my son might just be tired and looking forward to a break. It seems silly to think that it took someone else to tell me that he’d already accomplished so much and might need time before moving on.

Erica and Josh are very busy people. Today I gave them a quiche to thank them for the love and energy that they have given my son. He is surely a better person for their efforts.

Today my son will graduate from Ashland High School. To say that we are proud of him is a bit of an understatement. And while we know that we did all that we could to help him get to this point, there were many others who motivated and guided him along the way. Among this wonderful support group are friends, neighbors, teachers and community members. Mr. Huard is one of the teachers that made a real difference and I’d like to share his story with you.

We first met Mr. Huard when our son enrolled in Advanced Placement U.S. History. We sat in the classroom as Mr. Huard described the course and what was going to be expected of each student. He held up the large textbook for the class and told the students that by the end of the school year they were to read it – and that meant many hundreds of pages of reading in all. He told them that there would be writing assignments every night. When Mr. Huard was done I wondered if my son would think about dropping the class. Instead, he seemed excited. It was as if he was eager for the challenge that was presented.

Over the course of the year, my son did read the entire textbook and wrote several pages of homework each night. We talked about the lessons he was learning and I was amazed at his grasp of the material. He was not memorizing dates and places as I had done many years before; he was gaining an understanding of the world. What a wonderful gift.

Apple Almond Pie
Today I brought an Apple Almond Pie to Mr. Huard to thank him for demanding so much of my son (and his fellow students). It helped him grow quite a bit. I know that my son was very pleased to score well on his exam because it was a grade he worked hard to earn and that made the victory sweeter.

I would also like to thank all the parents, teachers and administrators that have worked so hard to give our students such a wonderful education. Sometimes it is easy to take this for granted but I know that we are truly blessed.

Apple Pie with Cranberries

Today I would like to express my gratitude to Dan and Joan for their many contributions to our youth and to our community.  Dan has been a coach for the Nordic Ski Team at Ashland High School for what seems like forever.  He is energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated.  And the kids on the team love him.  I don’t know how this song came to be associated with the team but I am pretty sure that Dan had something to do with it.  It is called “King of Bongo“. Just try to listen to it and not dance!

Joan is a snow queen in her own right – but she has a stronger connection to alpine skiing for her many years of teaching young skiers at Mt. Ashland. What a graceful woman she is! And in her “real life” she is a gardener extraordinaire! She is the owner of Le Mera Gardens and has supplied many restaurants and flower shops with beautiful blossoms over the years.

Tonight, when I brought Dan and Joan an apple cranberry pie, Joan called me a pie angel for she had dinner guests and had not made dessert. I feel that it was a lucky coincidence that I was able to bring them a sweet treat – for they have been generous in their gifts to our community for such a long time.