Chompin' Chick-o-Sticks

I must go to the store this morning and purchase some Chick-o-Sticks. Grace will be happy to see me when I show up at her Elmira farmhouse door and pull out my usual sweet-tooth offering.

Grace is four going on five. In her young life, she has grown to appreciate some of the finer things. Those include Chick-o-Sticks. I introduced Grace to these chompin' good candies a couple of years ago when my friend and former student Jeff Bock and I started an ongoing project with Grace's mother.

Jeff lives in Los Angeles. He's into films and writing. He earned credits on Sponge Bob Square Pants, the Movie. Dare I say that with all the controversy? Yes, I dare. But, that's a whole 'nother discussion.

Back to Jeff. I told him about a documentary film idea I had conjured up in conjunction with my just-completed book. It deals with the teacher visiting her former students for a period of time and shadowing wherever they are and whatever they happen to be doing in their lives.

He liked the idea. We needed a guinea pig to help us with our prototype. Our subject needed to live in Sandpoint because Jeff would be home visiting during the summer of 2003 for a few weeks. With that in mind, we immediately agreed on one of his classmates and my former students, Jenny.

On our first visit, with camera in hand, we also shared Chick-0-Sticks. The candy quickly became Grace's treat of choice-----at least when it comes to greeting Marianne.

In Jenny's life, for the past five years, cancer has cruelly played a driving force. Like the outstanding athlete she is, though, Jenny has played remarkable defense.

Her story is compelling, to say the least. Her courage is phenomenal, to say the least. The ongoing project of working with Jenny, filming snippets in her life, and interviewing all who surround and love her has affected Jeff and me profoundly.

And, we all chew on Chick-o-Sticks. Today I'll be taking my video camera out to Jenny's new farm at Elmira. She, her husband Jeff Meyer and Grace moved there last summer. She'll keep the camera for a while to provide some commentary for our documentary.

Since then, Jenny has realized one lifelong dream, to own a horse. This spring she'll be taking a ride on her Cadillac----that's the horse's name. And, more than likely, Grace will be climbing on behind.

In the meantime, the documentary project goes on. So today, I offer my camera and a handful of Chick-o-Sticks.