Flashback for the Jerky Girl

Fall is the season for us to make hay while the sun shines, or in our case, make jerky day and night.  It's hard work.  Driving down to Dana's today I turned the station to the 40's.  No, not top 40's.  The 1940's.  The Andrew's Sisters, Count Basie and my favorite Glen Miller.  So, today while I cut, packed and bagged orders, my mind was in the past in a time when I traveled and sang and danced and cut my performing teeth and expanded my horizons in a way that has sustained me all these years.  Here's a fun little flash back of "way back when".

 

Stage Door Canteen Traveling Show:  Iowa, Chicago, Sun Valley Idaho, Utah, Thailand

 I worked my way through college by earning a performing scholarship.  As a member of the Sunburst Singers and Dancers we were Christmas Carolers and put on a Broadway style Glen Miller tribute show as well as serving as Ambassadors for the University. 

 

Stage Door Canteen Nurses and Clipboard Number

 The actual shows were only a fraction of the experience.  The friends and traveling made for a priceless college education.  We were Nurses, Arabian Princesses, Football Players and Soldiers and even Thai Dancers. 

 Stardust ~ Arabian Nights

 Holiday Cruise Military Tribute

 GI Jive ~ Tuachan St. George

 

 O.K. This photo needs some explanation.  As I mentioned earlier this summer, I have a beautiful and talented friend Dawn who performed at the fair with Lokalgrown.  Well, we met as backup singers for none other than Barry Manilow.  It does not get stranger or more fun.  You can't make this stuff up :-) 

And last but not least, singing and dancing took me all the way to Thailand and back home again.  The back home again part is not always guaranteed when traveling to some of the places we traveled.  It was an amazing three week journey to some of the most beautiful and impoverished places on the planet and I loved nearly every minute . . . maybe the snake kissing not so much.  Singing for the Royal Family, learning a little bit of Thai, wearing my weight in gold every night while tinikling, riding an elephant through the jungle, snorkeling with sharks in the waters off Phuket Island tend to make up for it. 

 

So when I'm up to my ears in jerky, all I'm really hearing is Moonlight Serenade and String of Pearls. And I'm feeling grateful while working all day to have had the chance to dance all night, so many nights.