First, I stopped at St. Jude's Elementary in Cedar Rapids to practice a piano/vocal duet with my princess, Carmella. We were scheduled to perform later in the afternoon, and wanted to make sure everything was just right :) During that time, I also set up a school visit to St. Jude's for next week. I will be presenting my Snacking Smart from A to Z cookbooks and eating lunch with Carmella. She has been my princess for the past three years, and what fun we have had!
Next up was Iowa City, where I volunteered for the fourth year in a row at the Star 102.5 Children's Miracle Network Radiothon. Miss Muscatine, Elizabeth Davidson and Miss Henry County, Abigail Carr were both answering phones as well. We were able to witness a couple of interviews with CMN miracle children.
I met a woman who lost her daughter to cancer, saw a boy whose dad saved his life with a kidney transplant, and witnessed in action the child life specialists who make patient stays at the hospital as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. It was great receiving calls from first-time donors. I speak from experience when I say they will be calling back next year. What a joy it was to be able to help.
From there, I visited the Oaknoll Reitrement Community in Iowa City, where I met my princess Carmella and her mom Kim. We performed We are One from the Lion King 2. Carmella has been taking voice lessons for three months now, and she has such a beautiful voice. It has been incredible seeing her blossom.
I performed one of my favorite Lorie Line pieces, Nevada Skies, and finished with Liberace's rendition of Chopsticks, which I will be performing this year at Miss Iowa. The residents loved it!
Afterward, one of the residents, Mary, shared her talent with us. She taught piano for 50 years, and though she does experience health challenges on a daily basis, her fingers can fly.
After our performance, Kim, Carmella and I headed to Applebees for a quick dinner. Carmella's mom is very health-conscious, and we mentioned how much we like Applebees for its tendency to offer more nutritious options than the typical dine-in restaurant. More and more eateries are doing this, which is exactly what we need in Iowa and across the country today.
I cannot wait until next week. I have several more fun appearances planned!
Hugs,
Jennifer
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