Before we get too carried away with the behind-the-scene antics, let’s admit that it was for a very worthwhile program. As former first lady Laura Bush (pictured) explained to a small group in the lounge of the library, the importance of vision must become a priority for parents. A child’s whole life can be changed dramatically depending upon his/her ability to see properly. Thanks to the good folks at Dallas-based Essilor Vision Foundation, KVF not only provided eye exams for over 600 kiddos, it also provided glasses and assistance for families in financial need. And by the looks of Tuesday morning’s turnout, it is obvious why the 2-year old Essilor Foundation is picking up awards and accolades for its work. Bravo to Jacques Stoerr (pictured) for getting the ball rolling for and having people like board member Patrick Esquerre and President Ed Fjordbak who kept that ball moving.

Now, wanna hear what happens when you have 600 kids with parents, the usual library “day residents”, the media, and the First Lady’s entourage cohabiting on the first floor of the library?

In the days preceding the event, missives were issued to the media regarding the typical credentialing, timetables, orders, placements, etc., that are standard operating procedures for anything involving Bush/media get-togethers.   No big deal.

Showing up promptly for prepping, the media discovered the first floor of the library looking like Chuck E. Cheese meets The Bridge, with Doug Chesnic on the sidelines. Hundreds of very well-behaved children with parents lined up for registration, vision tests, games, entertainment, etc.  Amid the inward flow of children and parents were Dallas street people who usually check into the library first thing in the morning. Some looked a little wary that their space was being invaded by little gremlins. Others appeared a bit agitated at all the giggling, laughing, and youthful exuberance that had turned their sanctuary into Candyland. But they quickly moved upstairs to areas of the library that were not part of the festival.

In the background, very stealth Secret Service people were looming. (Side note: Don’t you wonder what they’re actually saying to each other over those earpieces?)

A half hour before the Bush Bunch arrived, the herd of cats, or rather media types, was marched through a preview of the day’s exercise. (Another side note: When working the media pack, you learn certain lessons. For instance, the shortest and tallest camera folks usually get the best shots. And always watch the 180 degrees around you. If one of the TV videographers whips around, you can find yourself with a nasty headache or in need of serious dental work. Those cameras are weapons of wipe-out destruction.)

Nanny in charge of the media was blonde Shaylyn Hynes from Mrs. Bush’s staff. Looking more like an SMU sorority gal after the last rush party, she met the challenge without a single moment of hesitation. In painfully high heels, she led the legion of press from one station to another pointing out where they could and could not be. With one of the SS fellas nearby, no one was going to challenge her choices of location.  She marched them through the mosh pit of children outside, inside, and all around the library, showing where they could set up and show photo opps.

After all arrangements were locked down, the media was told to regroup in 15 minutes outside to greet Mrs. Bush. As the media dissembled to take photos of the kids being tested, one media member advised a young media recruit, “Once it gets started it’s every man for himself.” Young recruit giggled, “He is kidding, isn’t he?” No one answered.

During this break time, the Essilor folks like Patrick and Ed were in high-energy drive making sure all the final preparations were neatly locked down. On the other hand, Essilor Founder Jacques was keeping a low profile, but a very natty and French low profile it was. No wonder he’s in the vision business. He makes glasses look oh-so-good.

Then 10:30 came. The media assembled on the Wood Street sidewalk with equipment ready next to the mobile vision clinic. Nothing happened. Word went through the group that one of the VIP’s, not Mrs. Bush, was late. While the media waited, the six-foot-plus-tall WB33 photographer gallantly lifted a 5’6″ female journalist high atop the five-foot embankment for a better view if and when Mrs. Bush arrived.  The female journalist looked a bit in awe of his power. The male videographer looked proud. Who says it’s a dog-eat-dog media world?

Five minutes later, Bush advance wrangler Greg Gorman raised an eyebrow and gave Shaylyn a look as the SS started looking around. There was a feel in the air that something was going to happen. Two SUV’s were seen from a distance. Success! It was Laura and her posse. How the heck does the woman ever go to the grocery?

Laura emerged from the SUV looking trim and worth the wait. She (pictured with Patrick Esquerre) went through a receiving line of VIP’s as the media photographed and taped from their place farther up the sidewalk. Then, as she passed the media island, she gave them a money shot of a smile and was whisked into the mobile clinic.

The media couldn’t crowd into the clinic, so they headed to the next stop on their itinerary in the library. By this time, the old-time library residents were starting to figure out that more was going on than kids’ day  out.

Then all heads turned in one direction as Laura’s parade walked to the second stop on her KVF journey.  As Fjordbak pointed out to Mrs. Bush the various stations available for the children, cameras flashed and tapes rolled. Laura, who has fine-tuned the art of looking genuinely interested, was the perfect poster girl for the occasion.

Within two minutes, the parade started up again with the SS smoothly but firmly clearing the path. Laura visited with one group after another for photo opps.

It was all going according to plan. Shaylyn and Greg were looking relieved.

Then something happened.  At the last station, Ricardo Mier (pictured with Laura Bush) asked a friend to take his picture with Mrs. Bush. In first family handling, this was an “OMG” moment.  Unruffled, Mrs. Bush smiled for the photo. A bit ruffled on the other hand were the handlers. This was a protocol no-no. Sorta like the present First Lady putting her arm around the queen of England. What if everyone in the library wanted to have their picture taken with Mrs. Bush? What about the professional photographers who had wanted just one solo photo that they could take back to their newsrooms?

Ah, but the parade had to move on. Get a grip!

By now the Bush entourage included the media, the handlers, the VIP’s (Dallas First Lady Laura Leppert, Judge Cheryl Shannon, Director of Dallas Public Library system Laurie Evans, DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, and State Senator Royce West), friends of friends who had friends who could wangle their way in, and, of course, the SS. Somehow this caravan of people managed to squeeze into a lounge area for the Laura Bush reading-to- the- children event. This was the reason that all the media had gathered. No sooner was the growing-in-number group settled in with the media in their assigned places, than a bunch of adorable students were trotted in to sit on the floor. The only empty space in the room was on the ceiling.

Once again Laura handled her role flawlessly. Reading (pictured) the book “Read All About It!” that she co-authored with daughter Jenna (“She’s also a teacher!”) and telling the children about the illustrations, Laura’s charm had everyone enthralled — everyone except the SS. They aren’t allowed to look enthralled.

After a photo session with the children engulfing Laura, who looked like she was a veteran of such kids engulfings, the children departed and Laura got down to business.

She warned the assembled group and the media audience of the vital need for vision. She told of one of her first teaching assignments at Longfellow Elementary School, where she had witnessed a student named Linda whose vision dramatically hampered her class work.

Laura also shared a personal story about how her mother, who had worn thick glasses, blamed herself because she hadn’t taken her daughter to the eye doctor as a small child. When she did, she learned that Laura needed glasses.

Like the CEO of a corporation, Laura reeled off facts and figures about undiagnosed vision problems affecting adult criminality, literacy, and labor productivity.

Then the rest of the VIP’s took their turns agreeing with Laura’s assessment. But, quite frankly, the media didn’t care. They had come to see and hear Laura.

Afterwards, the group departed with the media filing their stories and a select number of VIP’s having a private lunch with Laura upstairs.

But long after all the VIP’s, media, and Bush Bunch were gone, there were still hundreds of children who were having a sight-changing experience thanks to the Essilor Vision Foundation.

Shall we set up a pool to bet on her landing her son as one of the authors? When is his book due out? Let’s also hope that he’ll behave himself this year.

Then it was on with the big show!

First, there was the singing of the national anthem by Captain Michele Matthews. Now, co-chairs Gene Jones (pictured) and Charlotte (Jones) Anderson  are well aware of Dallas’ flag issues so they nipped that problem with flags everywhere — paraded around the room and shown on three humongous screens.

Check that one off the list. Whew!

Next on the list was SA’s success story of Delora Evans’ rise from crack cocaine addict to graduate school student with a position as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with Metro Care Services in Dallas with Delora being presented. Bravo!

Then SA Major Ward Matthews (also Michele’s husband), who had just moved here four months ago,  introduced Advisory Board Chairman Judy Gibbs. But before he turned the podium over to Judy, he announced that the event had earned $2,582,828 on the tote board. That’s nearly $200,000 more than last year’s take. He attributed this amazing figure to luncheon chairs the Jones girls and Jan Pickens, and underwriting chair Charles Wyly.

Judy then took over and introduced Brit.

For the politicos in the audience, the choice of speakers was great. For those seeking heart-wrenching inspiration, Brit’s only brush with that was during the first few minutes. He told the group how he truly enjoyed hearing Amazing Grace because it reminded him of his days at an Episcopal boys school.  He then went on to say how much “I appreciate and respect this organization.”

Then it was on to his forte — today’s political scene. He talked with a recurring frog in his throat about the country’s still being center right on the political scale despite the election of a Democrat president, a brief analysis of the most recent elections, the priority list of concerns facing the country (the economy is still #1 with health care farther down the list), the reason for the Democrats trying “to ram through” the health care package, etc.

He described this past year’s stimulus package as “the second worse thing I ever saw Congress do. The worse thing I ever saw Congress do was to pull the plug on the support for South Vietnam in the aftermath of the American pullout from South Vietnam, which had devastating consequences for that country.”

Gee, Brit, don’t hold back on your opinions. Let us know what you really think.

Two comments that got chuckles from the audience were

• Global warming: “Now they call it ‘climate change’ because there hsn’t been any global warming in the past 11 years.”
• Ross Perot: “the little guy with the charts and graphs” and “he quit the race and was claiming that President Bush 41′s administration was trying to make a mess his daughter’s wedding and he was behaving sorta in a way that is not normally the precursor to being elected.”

Brit’s parting comment was a question for the group to mull over: “What will President Obama do if he and his party suffer major losses in next year’s election?”

Didn’t notice, but did Laura Bush looked relieved that her husband wasn’t going to have to worry about that question?

Major Ward then returned to the podium with eyes to next year, but not about the election. Rather, he told the group to put November 18th down for next year’s lunch. As you know, it’s always held the Thursday before Thanksgiving, which kicks off the annual kettle campaign. Ring, ring!

And did we mention that this year’s $2M+ results from this year’s lunch were largely due to the following sponsors:

Diamond — Anonymous

Crystal — Bosque Foundation, Jack Furst, Judy and Jim Gibbs, Gene and Jerry Jones Family, Dr. Bobby B. Lyle, Anonymous, Alice and Erle A. Nye, Sarah and Ross Perot Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt  Jr., Rowling Foundation, Anonymous, Cheryl and Sam Wyly, andDee and Charles Wyly

Titanium — Anonymous, AT&T Inc., and Morningstar Family Foundation

Platinum — Anonymous, Ruth Altshuler/Susan Sharp, Carreker Family Foundation, Ginger Murchison Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Frank King, Chase, Old Mutual, Margot and Ross Perot, Boone Pickens Foundation – A Communities Foundation of Texas Fund, Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Pickens, Dottie Thompson – Thank Heaven Foundation, Jean and Tom Walter, William Noble Rare Jewels, and Kim and Evan Wyly

Gold — American Contractors / Mr. and Mrs. William S. McIntyre IV, Anonymous, Ashford Hospitality Trust and Remington Hotels, Marilyn Augur Family Foundation, Faye C. Briggs, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O. Chesnut, Sandy and David Cole, Mollie Allen Crow, Linda and Bill A. Custard, Joy and Ralph Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Farrow,The Gayden Family Foundation, Hunt Consolidated, Inc. / Hunt Oil Company, David B. Miller Family Foundation, Estate of Alva Mae Moore Foundation, Vin and Caren Prothro Foundation, Carolyn and Karl Rathjen, Mardie and Alan Schoellkopf, Charles E. and Sarah M. Seay Charitable Trust, Peggy and Carl Sewell, Harold Simmons Foundation, The Ted and Shannon Skokos Foundation, Michelle and Phil Swatzell, Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Troutt, and John and Susan Wilder Foundation

Silver — Lana and Barry Andrews /Natalie and Mike McGuire, Anonymous, AT&T, Mrs. Shea Boscamp and Mrs. Tiffany Willeyon behalf of Granite Advisory LLC, Broadview Security, Jim and Gayle Caldwell, Nancy and Clint Carlson,Ann and David Carruth, Central Market / H.E.B., Governor and Mrs. William P. Clements Jr., DAVACO Inc., The Robert and Nancy Dedman Foundation Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas, Heather and Bill Esping,Jacqueline and Joe Fojtasek, Mr. and Mrs. James B. Francis Jr., J.M. Haggar Jr. Family Foundation, Carol and Jim Hailey, Elizabeth and Joseph W. Harris, Sally and Houston Holmes, Stacie Hyatt,Dorothy and Don Iglehart, Carole M. Lee, Lincoln Property Company, Denise and William Lindquist, Robert L. Mason,J.D. and Anne McCaslin, McGuire Craddock and Strother P.C., Anonymous, Lydia and Dan Novakov,Mark Oetting, Mr. and Mrs. W.M. C. Pickens, Plains Capital Corporation, Judith Scott,Shelle Sills/Muffin Lemak/Claire Emanuelson, Mersina and Phineas Stubbs, Target, The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, The Rosewood Foundation, Thompson and Knight Foundation, Dorothy (Dee) Collins Torbert, and Billie and Wayne Watts

Bronze — Anonymous, BenefitMall, Susan Brown and Sally Stout, Comstock Resources Inc., Cooper Aerobics Center, Dallas Mavericks, Dean Foods Company, Essilor Vision Foundation, Godwin Ronquillo PC, Patricia and Steven Haworth, Haynes and Boone LLP, Jennifer and Doug Houser, Vester Hughes, Libby Hunt/Sharon McCullough, JCPenney, Luther King Capital Management, A.K. and Monica Mago, Sara and David Martineau/Linda and John McFarland, Northern Trust, Parkland Foundation, Robertson Griege and Thoele/Financial Advisors, Carol and William Ross, Sammons Enterprises Inc., Kathleen and Wayne Sanders, Annie and Lou Schaufele III, Southern Methodist University, Stallings Foundation, The Biggers Law Firm P.C., and The Hockaday School and St. Mark’s School of Texas

So, she pulled a rabbit out of her hat, or make that the Erma Bombeck of Texas — Louise Bayless Parsley. Haven’t heard of her? Well, check with the 1,000+ that attended the Monday night event. By the time this never-had-a journalism-course author had had her way with the Dallas book lovers, Mary’s absence was totally forgotten.

But let’s start at the beginning of the evening.

First on hand were too-adorable-for-words and too-good- looking-to-be-real Mandi and George P. Bush (pictured) who warmed up the crowd with the earlier day’s activities and introduced former President George W. Bush.

 As he entered the stage, the audience gave him a SO. He said that he had just left his job as a greeter at Elliot’s and had nothing to do, so his mom invited him over. Evidently former First Lady Laura Bush was out of town, so the poor guy really was looking for something to do. He then introduced Barbara and former President “Big George” Bush(pictured), who with the assistance of a cane ambled on in and the crowd leapt to their feet again. Barbara then revealed that the event had earned $900,000 for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. This figure joins the $34M that over 700 organizations have received to help literacy in this country. Read it and weep with happiness!

(BTW, if anyone is keeping score, there were three George Bushes in the room. So to make things easier, we’ll describe them as Big George, W, and P. If you need further assistance, grab a grownup.)

Then Barbara introduced one of the thousand beneficiaries of the Foundation’s efforts — Johanna Betancourt, who eloquently told of her growing up in Columbia, a child of activists. Her family came to the U.S. in 2005 with nothing. Unable to speak English or get a job, the family started volunteering. Through this relationship, Johanna learned of a local family service group (one of the organizations supported through the BBFFL) and “My life changed.”

Today she reads to her 2 1/2-year old son, Santiago, and admitted that when he sits in his rocking chair reading a book, he “looks like a little old man.”

Quite frankly if that had been the whole program — three generations of Bushes and Johanna — everyone would have gone home thrilled.

But those were only the warm up acts. The authors were in the bull pen getting ready to razzle dazzle the crowd.

First up was the delicious Julia The House on First Street Reed (pictured), that Mississippi gal who cut her teeth with such publications as U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek Magazine. After covering former Gov. Edwin Edwards re-election, she decided to buy a house and moved to New Orleans just in time for a lady named Katrina to take over the Crescent City. With a true-blue southern accent the former Vogue writer managed to take this catastrophic event and make a sitcom out of it. Hearing Julia talk almost made you want to pack up the family and move to NO just to have her as a neighbor. For instance, her story about her friend “Bob” who weathered the entire storm. Wanna hear about it? You’ll have to get the book.

Next was Jeff  The China Diary Engel who admitted to the crowd that he and Big George had had an ongoing change of minds about his role in the Bush’s journal during his tenure in China. The former president insisted that Jeff was the author and Jeff claimed that he was simply editor. He went on to explain how presidents’ journals are fairly commonplace while they’re in office. However, it is a rare find to have a diary of a president before he took over the Oval Office. The Bush diary was not  just kept during his assignment in China and before he was president, but also at a time when the U.S.’s place in the international theater was on the front row — the fall of Vietnam, the opening of China to the rest of the world, etc. At one point with Big G sitting on the front row, you sorta felt like you were observing a conversation between Jeff and his diarist writer.

Then Bar stepped up to the mike and notified the assembled group of Mary TM’s not being able to attend the event. Her delivery was to the point and her audience didn’t quiver. There was not an “aw, shucks” heard anywhere. Perhaps a couple of raised eyebrows, but this group was too gracious to let their hosts know of any disappointment. Then the white-haired Bush matriarch explained that she had been fortunate to get a writer from Houston to sub in for MTM. “That was nice,” thought the Dallas gathering — a Houstonian writer. Hmm, wonder if she’s going to go on about how great Houston is and how the city was named the #1 Texan a couple of years ago by a Dallas paper? The audience prepared itself to be polite with this Houstonian chattering to them.

Well, that line of thinking lasted a big old 15 seconds. They almost gave the keys to the city to Louise Bayless Parsley, author of Revelations in the Rearview Mirror: One Mother’s Hard-won and Hilarious Epiphanies on the Road to the Empty Nest. The woman is the 21st century Erma reincarnated. Quick example: She said that the problem with her marriage to “The Bob” (another Bob) was due to a breakdown in communication which started at the wedding when he said, “I do.”  Just as she prepared to walk off the stage, she pulled out a hat and tossed in the air as well as Mary would have done it.  Could someone tell Mayor Tom Leppert that instead of getting major corporations to move to Dallas, he needs to hop on Southwest down to Houston and cajole the Parsleys to relocate up here?

Next on the agenda was David True Blue Baldacci, who realized that he had a tough act to follow, but he mustered up the courage and endeared himself by telling about his fear of talking to another group — his five-year old daughter’s class. The tale resulted in his having a five-year old describe in uncomfortable detail a very personal story about her mother. Then the author of Absolute Power shifted the evening gears to a more serious note — the importance of literacy in this country. “We’re losing the battle against illiteracy.”  The Washington-based attorney-turned-author went on to say that ignorance and intolerance go hand in hand. It was a telling point in the evening and the whole reason for the event.

The final featured author was A.J. The Year of Living Biblically Jacobs who delivered a knock-out punch to the audience with stories about outsourcing his entire life for a month, a month of being radically honest (“The worst month of my life.”), following the 100 rules of life by George Washington (#2 on the list brought down the house), and a year of living according to biblical teachings. He admitted this last one was a bit of a challenge since, “I’m Jewish in  the same way that the Olive Garden is Italian.”  The audience was nearly falling out of their chairs at this point. They were already so sucker punched by the earlier authors, there just was no way to fend off the hilarious Jacobs.  He described his walking around NYC in biblical garb complete with walking staff and untrimmed beard for a year. A.J. advised them that there were certain parts of the Bible’s instructions that weren’t too bad. For instance, to be fruitful and multiply. With a grin, he confided that during that year he did just that and the Jacobs had twin boys. Then he admitted that he couldn’t figure out why the Bible instructed people not to wear mixed-fiber clothes. The final story was about his meeting an admitted adulterer in the park and providing him with an opportunity to follow the Bible’s teaching of stoning.

He concluded his talk with a gentle reminder that one of the most important Bible lessons that he took away from that year was the importance of giving back to the community.

Bar was back at the podium to introduce a surprise author — W. Like a dutiful son, he took to the stage and explained that his “memoirs” were still a work in progress and his publishers did not take kindly to his sharing them with the public at this point even if his mother wanted him to. So he read a brief tale of being born to college sophomore and a college dropout. Bar’s eyebrow raised. He went on to tell how he hadn’t been raised in a log cabin but rather a double wide complete with pink flamingos in the front yard. Bar was now looking around the room as if she didn’t know who the character on stage was. Certainly, no son of hers. He completed the segment with revealing that as a child his mother’s book reading to him had gotten rather slurred and her breath no longer smelled of Pepsodent but rather bourbon. . . straight from the bottle. Looking up from his notes, he looked at Bar and said, “Gotcha!” Mother Bear Bar nearly took her husband’s cane to thrash her son.

Gathering her composure after delivering a verbal slap on the wrist to W, Bar thanked the audience and invited them to a “light supper” in the lobby. Now, light in our household is half an apple, a wedge of cheese, and some saltines. But we’re talking the hospitable Bushes. It was a delicious salad of sliced steak and a jumbo shrimp and veggie but no broccoli!

As the 1000+ left the Meyerson, bookworms and book browsers felt like they had celebrated Thanksgiving just a wee bit early with Barbara Bush setting a feast for the mind, heart, and soul.

Now, go out and read a book!

Within a half hour at Arlington Hall, he put The History Channel to shame. Not only was he full of tidbits that he had gleaned from years of research, but he was obviously a man who loved what he did. For instance during the Q&A, someone asked which president was his favorite. It was the only time that he showed any hesitation. It wasn’t due to his trying to pick, but rather he was trying to find the right words to say he found each one unique. In other words — no favorites!

Here is just a smattering of the factoids that he shared with the group:

• The Lincolns were the first presidential family not to bring their servants to the White House.
• The family quarters had one water closet for the entire group to share.
• Lincoln was considered more a celebrity than a statesman when elected and much of his financial backing came from Chicago. He captured a “romantic following” due to his humble beginning. (Hmm, does this description sound like a present WH resident?)
• One of the members of the Lincoln staff was a chap named Elmer Ellsworth. He was muchly beloved by the entire Lincoln household. So much so that he moved into the White House. Dr. Seale’s description of his untimely death and the loss to the Lincolns made the group feel as if they had just lost a dear friend, too.
• Poor Mary Lincoln “lived in a state of petty controversy.” That one brought a chuckle from the audience.
• The presidential salary in the 1860′s was a whopping $25,000. So, when Mary went on a spending spree for “things,” she had the bills hidden from the president. When he finally found out about the unpaid bills, like any husband, he hit the ceiling.
• However, one of the things that Mary bought was the legendary Lincoln bed. Only one of the Lincolns ever slept in the bed — in February 1862, Lincoln son Willie died in it.
• Because of Mary’s Confederate relatives, many felt that the White House was rife with southern spies.
• When asked about his concern of being shot from neighboring buildings as he walked the grounds of the White House, Lincoln responded, “Ah, one gets used to it.”

Just as the group was settling back for more and more, the talk was over. Alas, Dr. Seale’s stories, like the Lincoln administration, ended too soon.

But never fear, the good folks at LP&AHC are already coming up with plans for the future. For instance, President/CEO John Williams reported that

• a new websites should be up and running within the month,
• discussions are underway with Turtle Creek area associations to improve the creek’s well being, and
• “Canine Conservancy” has been established to allow pooches to support the LP&AHC efforts. For $30 members get a Lee Park leash, invitations to parties (they may bring a human), etc.

One guest who lingered afterwards to talk with Dr. Seale was local White House authoress/historian Jennifer Pickens (pictured), who is doing gang buster business with her Christmas at the White House. While Jennifer was having Dr. Seale’s autograph his latest book, The White House — The History of An American Idea, husband Bryan admitted that he was very proud of his wife’s ability in researching and putting the book together, as well as getting every living first lady to contribute to the it.

Next time you see Jennifer, ask for her business card. Instead she’ll give you a card with a White House gingerbread recipe. Now that girl’s cooking!

It all benefits The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy. Their goal is a whopping $900,000 in one night!

ADMISSION: One of our favorite memories from a past read-athon was when the former President (Barbara’s husband George) sat on the side dangling his legs over the side of the stage risers. Perhaps this year the other former President Bush will join him in dangling.

Hate to tell you, but this one is a sell-out faster than a start at Texas Motor Speedway.  If you can’t get a ticket, don’t blame us. Also, be one of the smart ones and check the books out between now and then.

Committee Chairs Amanda and George P. Bush are joined by co-chairs Emy Lou and Jerry Baldridge, Julie and Louis Beecher, Paulett and Michael Eberhart, Sally and Forrest Hoglund, Caroline Rose Hunt, Joan and Elvis Mason, Margaret McDermott, Dee Ann and Marshall Payne, Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones, Mary and Bob Wright, and Dee and Charles Wyly.

Committee members are Kelly and Todd Abernathy, G. Bradley Alford, Cynthia and Louis Beecherl, Angela and Tim Berry, Sandra and Michael Brown, Linda and Bob Buford, Mary and Bill Ceverha, Rita and Bill Clements, Janet and Phil Cobb, Penny and David Cook, Janie and Paul Cooke, Millie and Ken Cooper, Jeanne and Berry Cox, Margaret Crow, Lee Cullum, Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich, Nancy Hamon, Nancy Ann and Ray Hunt, Carol and Butch Johnson, Gene and Jerry Jones, Merrie Ann and Frank King, Teresa and Luther King, Gail and Bill Madden, Kathy and Ross Mason, Betsy and Scott Matheson, Tracy and Jeff Matthews, Barbara and Fred Meyer, Elise and Burk Murchison, Gena and Chuck Norris, Alice and Erle Nye, Susan and Gene Palma, Jeanne Phillips, Jan and Bob Pickens, Deedie and Rusty Rose, Charles Simmons, Virginia and Ken Sloan, Fran and Tom Slone, Marianne and Roger Staubach, Catherine Taylor, Carolyn and Jere Thompson, Debbie and John Tolleson, Patty and Marty Weiland, Donnell and Phillip Wiggins, and Cheryl and Sam Wyly.

Don’t you just bet they’ll make their goal and then some?

The Think Ahead Group (TAG) celebrated its launch last night with an informative and enjoyable event at the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth. TAG is a group of young professionals who are committed to raising awareness about the center’s work through “engagement, education and enlistment of a new generation”. Board chairs Ginna McLanahan, Molly Soper, and Steven Owen gave moving speeches about personal experiences that led them to this cause. The group has passion, energy, and determination. Expect great things from them.

Laura Bush (pictured), who sadly lost her father to Alzheimer’s, spoke about her commitment to research and treatment in this field. She applauded the great work being done by Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, who founded the Center for BrainHealth in 1999, and Debbie Francis, its board chair and Laura’s longtime friend. Mrs. Bush presented Debbie with the 2008 BrainHealth Legacy Award for her role in increasing the center’s funds seven-fold.

The Center for BrainHealth currently has 50 funded, cutting-edge research projects, and guests got a taste of them after the program. Among the demonstrators was the great Dr. John Hart Jr., the center’s medical science director from John Hopkins University.

For more information about the Think Ahead Group, or to learn how to become a member, visit www.thinkaheadgroup.org or contact Maggie Flagg at Maggie.flagg@utdallas.edu.

Attaway, Gillea!

But to sweeten the event, Allie Beth clinched the deal with a surprise in the escort for the lady of the hour: none other than former President George W. Bush.  

Oh, but you read all that in our previous post. Let’s get down to the pre-conversation action: While the masses checked in at the reservation table, Candy and Jeff Peterson of Richardson stood away from the crowd while their beautiful, blonde five-year old daughter, Marit, looked angelic. You would have thought they were waiting to see NorthPark’s Santa. While many youngsters at that age either would be throwing temper tantrums or acting very precocious in such a public, grown-up environment, this one was perfect. In fact, everything about this trio was perfect. Little did anyone guess that this threesome had been through two separate battles for life. Marit had been diagnosed with the killer shark of skin cancer, melanoma, when she was 18 months old. A couple of years later, while Marit was being treated at M.D. Anderson, Candy learned that she herself had breast cancer. In the meantime, Jeff and the rest of the family took up the banner for fighting cancer by creating The Marit Peterson Fund for Melanoma Research at Anderson, which has raised nearly half a million dollars. Today, Marit is not only happily in remission (high-five M.D. Anderson’s Dr. Jeff Lee), but she was waiting with her folks (pictured)for a private meeting with the former First Lady before the luncheon began.

Once in the room the action included M.D. Anderson President/Dr. John Mendelsohn, who was looking  like Christmas had come early, reporting that this year’s luncheon had raised a record-breaking $918,000 thank to the likes of Andrews Distributing Co. (ah, sweet Lana and Barry Andrews), AT&T, and a slew of other sponsors.  . . .Unsung hero/husband Pierce Allman humbly stayed on the sidelines to let the day’s glories shower on Allie Beth. . . . Luncheon founder Lyda Hill took a bow for having created the unique luncheon 20 years ago. In her mind, she thought it would be a one-time event to raise funds for the work done at M.D Anderson. Now, 20 lunches later, there’s no end in sight. . . .With yellow roses in the centerpieces and throughout the room, one guest declared, “There isn’t a yellow rose left in Texas.” . . . Jenna Hager looked fresh despite a 4 a.m. call to work at Cowboys Stadium as a reporter for NBC’s Today show. . . .Former Bush White House associates Harriet Miers (ex-White House counsel), Ken Blassingame (he helped Laura redo the White House’s Green Room), Charity Wallace (Laura’s chief of staff), Mike Meese (W’s chief of staff nowadays), and others seemed to be having a class reunion. We’d name all the Secret Service members, but then they’d have to kill us and you. . . .M.D. Anderson’s Sarah Watson seamlessly coordinated the event with local fundraisers and Secret Service. She even managed to find a table for the photographers to have lunch. Oh, she’s a sly one and knows how to keep the stealth media powerhouses happy. . . .Yoga doyenne Louise Applebome discussed with tablemates the pros and cons of power yoga vs. traditional yoga. . . . A contingent of Allie Beth’s former TCU classmates were in awe of what their college chum had pulled off. . . .Gene Jones headed out ASAP to make final checks on her rumored black-tie party of the decade Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium. Did you hear that invitations were large see-thru bricks hand-delivered? Instructions advised guests that no cameras would be allowed and invitations could not be transferred. What have Gene and dotter Charlotte Anderson and that mischievous Steve Kemble been up to? After Friday’s lunch, it’s going to be interesting to see how Gene and Jerry beat the Bushes in the surprise department.

The next came in the form of a surprise when Living Legend/former First Lady Laura Bush entered the ballroom escorted by none other than her live-in former president/always husband George W. The crowd immediately sprang to their feet applauding.

The third test was the singing of the national anthem. No one had to tell this very civilized crowd what to do. It was a sea of people standing with right hands over their hearts.

The final test came when the former president introduced his wife. Just his taking the podium created another flood of standing applause. Because W is known for being very considerate of timelines, he knew that the show could not be delayed by this outpouring. With a firm voice, he said, “Sit.” Just like a room full of Barneys and Miss Beazleys, they all sat. And, boy, were they rewarded!

GWB admitted that he was glad to “get out of the house. It sure beats taking naps on the couch and playing shuffleboard.”

Without a teleprompter in sight, he continued to say that when he and Laura returned to Dallas, they were especially touched by all the welcome home signs in area yards, “but we did get a little sign envy when we saw all the Allie Beth Allman signs in yards.” Then he introduced the “love of my life.”

Now for some highlights from the conversation between Laura and her interviewer/friend Cokie Roberts, who just happens to be an author and leading expert on First Ladies:

The backdrop for the stage was a rendition of the White House’s Green Room, which Laura refurbished in the summer of 2007.

• Cokie directed one of her first comments to Bush daughter Jenna Hager, who was in the audience, on her new job reporting for NBC’s Today Show. “Congratulations on starting a career in a dying business,” she said.
• Laura caught the guests up on her in-laws “George” and “Bar”, who had taped a congratulatory message played earlier. Yes, Papa/former president George H.W. Bush did another parachute jump on his 85^th birthday, much to Bar’s chagrin.
• Earlier this year, Bush Matriarch Bar had her heart valve replaced with a pig valve. “Bar’s been craving corn ever since then,” said Laura. Laughter from the crowd. “I stole that joke from President Bush.”
• One of Laura’s projects has been helping the women of Afghanistan in battling breast cancer. She graciously gave M.D. Anderson the credit for vigorously and successfully working in a society in which “80 percent of the women diagnosed die from breast cancer, and they seem to develop it earlier than most women.”
• Sen. Ted Kennedy’s recent death was especially poignant, since Laura was in his office when 9/11 occurred. She attributed Kennedy’s ability to handle the numerous tragedies in his life to knowing how to deal with the immediate situation: “He kept a continuous stream of small talk.”
• The National Book Festival that Laura launched on the National Mall in Washington just days before 9/11 now has an attendance of more than 100,000 people.
• It startled many when the “Prim Mrs. Bush” arrived in the White House briefing room (a first for a First Lady) and called for the overthrow of the Burmese government.
• In 1968, when Laura was a co-ed at SMU and dresses and loafers were the rule of the day, she and a girlfriend heard that the hippies hung out at Lee Park. So the gals put on jeans and moseyed on over to the park to discover nary a hippy anywhere. Instead, passerbys thought that the future First Lady and her pal were hippies.
• Laura’s memoir is scheduled to come out next May.
• Yes, the Bushes are going to the Cowboys game against the Giants Sunday.  
• With Gene Jones just a table or two away, Laura laughed that Cowboys Stadium is huge. “It makes our stadium [the Ballpark at Arlington] look like Little League.”

Prior to the luncheon, Laura met individually with members of the press and privately with children like Marit Peterson, who was diagnosed with melanoma when she was 18 months old. But more about that in a later post.

Must take a break. The keyboard is worn out from finger-pounding. More about the action among the guests and the total amount of $$ raised in the next post. Whew!

It shouldn’t be a surprise, since Laura was the founder of Genesis’ Alliance Auxiliary in her pre-White House days.

Behind-the-scenes workers include Luncheon Co-chairs Daffan Nettle and Kimber Hartman; Underwriting Chair Angie Kadesky; Raffle Chair Jennifer Dix; Host Committee Chair Amy Ford Prestidge; and Genesis Executive Director Jan Langbein.

Start getting those sponsorships and orders for tickets in now, because you know it’s going to be a sellout.