What's
New! – by Linda McLean
June 30, 2008
The Little Pearls office will be closed until July 17th
The past six months have been full of losses and major transitions for loved ones in human, canine and feline form. This intense time has also been full of love, guidance and serendipity. It is past time for a rest in the arms of nature. I'll be checking messages periodically....
Our Dog Pearls mountaintop "shoot" was June 19th - photos coming soon!
Pamela Stringer took candid shots of the two older dogs, three puppies and seven people involved in our shoot. At least two new Pearls are in the works, filmed in the exquisite beauty of the Upper Laurel Community in Madison County, on the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. This shoot came together quickly - what fun! Now we need financial support to complete these Pearls.
For the Love of Dogs Help us make Dog Pearls!!!!!
Wild and Free event photos will be up soon!
Thanks to Paul Howey and Jim Stokoe, we can show you a little of what happened that day. Wild and Free event May 2008
Wild and Free DVDs are available
We now have DVDs that include Pinkey's Pearl, the 8-minute compilation, slow motion and wide-screen footage. A few are available from our office and they will soon be available online for $10, plus S&H.
Our newest Board member is Marlisa Mills
Marlisa just joined the Board and is already willing to serve as Secretary. She is a woman of many talents!
Our first-ever intern is Pamela Stringer
Pamela is working part-time this summer. She is a mass communications major at UNC-Asheville and we are so glad to have her and her cute puppy Lola.
June 13, 2008
For the Love of Dogs
The painful yet spiritually rich experience of losing Katie, a much-loved family dog, is evolving into two unanticipated Pearls about living, dying and feeling it all fully:
- leaving this world with ease, knowing love itself never dies
- letting go, moving through loss and learning to love again
In these two Pearls, Linda’s dog Mitch, a gorgeous 12 year young collie mix, will be joined by rescued puppy Gracie and other dog friends to show us how animals can teach humans some valuable lessons. For the Love of Dogs
May 4, 2008
Wild and Free: Connecting with Wonder through Wildlife - May 10, 2008
All of the Wild and Free films, including the 8+ minute compilation, are now done and will be premiered at an event on May 10 that also honors Clyde Hollifield. This event will feature wildlife tales in film, storytelling and song, along with live raptors and other wildlife.
Wild and Free event May 2008
May 3, 2008
Wild and Free wins award in the 14th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival this weekend!
Our Wild and Free: a Screech Owl Named Pinkey compilation won the Western North Carolina Achievement Award 2008 in the 14th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival this weekend in downtown Asheville. What a great surprise!
You can see Pinkey's story yourself at the May 10 event!
Wild and Free event May 2008
April 23, 2008
We now have our Wild and Free and After the Storm compilations posted on their webpages
Wild and Free main page After the Storm page Check them out!
April 14, 2008
An unanticipated new Little Pearl about a beloved dog is in the works
Details will be in a new page soon, linked from Upcoming Pearls.
February 27, 2008
Wild and Free is up on green.tv
Pinkey's 30 second Pearl is just up "live" on green.tv in England and will be in the top spot until they post a newer film. The entry page is green.tv Pinkey's page is searchable by: little pearls, wild and free, owl, screech owl, Pinkey. They have listed it for Itunes and mobile - both areas of outreach we have had on our wish list. The 8+ minute compilation should be up soon, in two parts.
On Pinkey’s main page on our website, we also plan to replace three of the companions with the compilation. Stay tuned!
February
6, 2008
Upcoming Pearls
We hope to make several new Pearls this year. The next likely ones are listed on Upcoming Pearls and cover many inspiring - and unusual - subjects. What's next often depends on timing, available funding and serendipity - and maybe on YOU, too!
Wild and Free:
a Screech Owl Named Pinkey event coming soon!
A debut
party for the community, featuring the one-and-only Clyde
Hollifield, Dr. Willie and a few of their buddies, will be
happening this spring. Pinkey's 9-minute compilation
DID premiere in the Asheville Film Festival, but this will
be its chance to shine, along with the 30-second Pearl and
Clyde himself. As we said
in our e-newsletter, Pinkey will not be there - he is too
busy being wild and free!
Our ALL-Pearls DVD release party will
come later!
This is our first new sampler in five
years, including ALL Pearls, compilations, mini-documentaries,
and the whole 2003 sampler, with a menu that allows you to
see and share exactly what you choose, in any setting, from
home to classroom to public events.
Kat
Williams' Concert was GREAT, and our screenings of After
the Storm and three other Pearls fit right in. Kat
is in the best place, musically and in her heart, that
she's ever been. What a gift for all of us!
Scott
Dobbins
In December,
we lost our friend Scott Dobbins, who died unexpectedly in
December, far too young. Scott and his business, A
New Light Video Productions, were important in the creation
of many of the earlier Little Pearls. We send our best
wishes to his wife Lisa and two sons.
In the
news in November: Asheville Citizen-Times and UNC-Asheville's Blue
Banner
Wild
and Free was profiled
by Barbara Blake in the Ashevillle Citizen-Times (see
the In The News link on this page) and Little Pearls was
profiled by Courtney Willis in the UNC-A Blue Banner (we
do not have a link, alas!) Thank you, Barbara and
Courtney!
GiFT
software from OneWhoServes, Inc.
Late in 2007, we
began to use this contact and fundraising software, designed
for non-profits right here in Asheville - it is so easy,
compared to the things that were a struggle and still didn't
work! Thanks, Gordon Walton and staff!
January
25, 2008
KAT
IS BACK! Kat
Williams' Taking It Back concert screens After
the Storm when she returns to Asheville
THIS Sunday night at 7 pm at Jubilee! Kat
is a powerhouse vocalist with a huge heart. Because
of her strong presence and voice, she anchors After
the Storm and does the voiceovers and
vocals. We're excited to be part of this
concert back home with her new band!
Visit katwilliams.com, Kat
on myspace
Here is the YouTube version of the After
the Storm compilation (not the best quality, but
you can get the feeling): youtube.com/watch?v=g5Kok4JrHro |
December
11, 2007
For now,
as we're in the midst of our fundraising mailing, just one
thing:
We
have a new webpage in formation for our SPONSORS - please
send your suggestions for possible sponsors! Sponsors
October
22, 2007
Well, sometimes it takes awhile
to get used to doing new things, so this is my first update:
After
the Storm to be screened in the Wild and Scenic
Environmental Film Festival
The 4 minute compilation has been
accepted in the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film
Festival, to be held in January in northern California. Director
Kathy Dotson approached us about participating, and we are
so grateful! wildandscenicfilmfestival.org
Wild
and Free: A Screech Owl Named Pinkey to
be screened in the Asheville Film Festival
This 9 minute compilation (the
Pearl and four extra videos in rolling text story) will be
screened in the Asheville Film Festival the
weekend of November 8-11, Asheville, North Carolina. Thank
you, Sandra Travis and Melissa Porter! Festival information
is at filmfestival Pinkey's
link is wild_and_free_a_screech_owl_named_pinkey
Check out our updated descriptors
The "key messages" are
near the top of our Home page and Mission and Vision are on
a link from Home. Though Little Pearls capture the essence
of their subjects, it has been surprisingly difficult to capture
the essence of Little Pearls! Thanks to Debbie Williams
for pointing out the need, and to Board members and friends
who helped.
After the
Storm receives Best 2007 award
nomination from KIDS FIRST!
This four
minute combo was one of four films in competition nationally
for the Kids First! Best
2007 Award nomination as Best Indie Short
Short Age 12-18. The awards were given in
Los Angeles on Oct. 7, 2007 - we did not win but are thrilled
to have been nominated, and thanks again, Ranny Levy! kidsfirst.org
Pinkey
and Clyde in the October issue of The Laurel of Asheville
Thank you Paul Howey,
editor and friend, who wrote the article in this gorgeous magazine
for the issue when many extra visitors are in western NC for
the fall color season. thelaurelofasheville.com
Greenlife
Grocery in Asheville, NC raises money for Little Pearls
Thanks to our friend and advocate
Trish Howey, Greenlife featured Little Pearls in its bag donation
program for September and raised almost $500 for us. Sally
Kehnast and Misty Childs of Greenlife are so nice to work with
- THANK YOU!!! greenlifegrocery.com
July,
2007
(starting with some highlights
of the past year):
Wild
and Free: A Screech Owl Named Pinkey
Pinkey’s Pearl, its four companion videos and Clyde’s
story and e-mails are a real treat! I think they are worth
the long wait to finally get them ready to share. Give yourself
time to savor them and see how deeply they engage and touch
you. Pinkey’s main page
As we have been preparing Pinkey’s
pages and other website changes, an e-mail arrived from Clyde
on July 9:
For the last few nights, Mr.
Pinkey has returned (after an absence of 5 months) and has
been calling from the darkness...he comes about 11 pm. I
am usually in the bed but Adrienne sometimes goes out and
talks to him. I guess he has gotten over the loss of
his sweetie.... seeya, owl dirt
June
2, 2007 - We’re up on YouTube
The first three Little Pearls are up on YouTube and
others will be added a few at a time. Please check out our “greatlittlepearls” channel
on YOUTUBE,
watch the Pearls, rate them, subscribe to our “channel” and
share with your friends. It will take many viewings to
rise above the massive amount of “stuff” there. We’ll
soon be posting specific Pearls on sites relevant to their
topics. Thanks to Sudha Krishna of Vancouver and Allegra
Searle-LeBel of Seattle for helping me get beyond my technical
limitations to make this happen.
June
2007 - KIDS FIRST! Film Festival - Coalition
for Quality Children’s Media
Dr. Willie and the After the Storm combination
were accepted into the KIDS FIRST! upcoming
traveling children’s film festival. Our 2003 sampler
(13 minutes) was part of their festival awhile back. Located
in Santa Fe, their website is kidsfirst.org.
Thanks to Ranny Levy for the great work they do and for enabling
Little Pearls to participate again.
May 2007
- Media that Matters
This deeply meaningful “conference,” held at Hollyhock
on Cortes Island off of Vancouver Island, BC, is more like
a circle, comprised of only 40 or so participants from across
North America and sometimes beyond. Though the trip from North
Carolina is long and exhausting, the experience and the networking
are priceless to me and to Little Pearls. Thanks to
Bill Weaver and Stephen Silha especially, and to the many other
friends I’ve gathered over the past four journeys. mediathatmatters.org/MtM/mtmain.html
February
2007 - Corporate Sponsorships
We have developed our first-ever plan for obtaining corporate
sponsorships, thanks primarily to the guidance, creativity
and efforts of volunteer Vera Struck. struckstudios.com Please
contact linda@littlepearls.org for
details on how this sponsorship plan works and let us know
of particular businesses/organizations you think are a good
match.
January
2007 - Little Pearls Board of
Directors and new Board of Advisors
Patty Levesque became our new Chairperson and Penny Bond our
new Secretary, following Julie Parker’s move to our new
Board of Advisors. Our Board is small, yet it’s a great
group to work with. Thank you, Patty, Harvey, Brett, Penny
and Tim, and Julie, too! We have begun to form a Board
of Advisors, made up of people with particular skills and expertise
of great value to Little Pearls. See
Acknowledgements
January
2007 - After
the Storm combo in the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film
Festival
After our first entry of After the Storm into a film
festival, we realized the formatting should be changed for
future film festival entries. The new combination was entered
into the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival in
Seattle (thanks to Grace Stahre at hazelfilm.org)
and KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. Not yet up on our
website in this form, it can be seen on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=g5Kok4JrHro
December
2006 - Dr. Willie wins
two awards in the MY HERO Short Film Festival in Los Angeles
Willie the dog won a Special Hero award and his Little Pearl Dr.
Willie won an Honorable Mention in this great online
festival. Thanks to Ann Church of KIDS FIRST! for
linking us with MY HERO, and thanks to Wendy
Milette and Geeta Malik for working with us. You can
find out more about Dr. Willie’s awards on the two links
from littlepearls.org/drwillie.html.
For more about MY HERO, see myhero.com/myhero/go/filmfestival/winners2006.asp
November
2006 - After the Storm -
Asheville Film Festival in the shorts competition
Seeing these two Pearls on the big screen as a movie instead
of as separate Internet pieces, we realized the need to format
them as a combination. ashevillefilmfestival.com/pages/home.htm
Summer
2006 - Brainstorming
Session, facilitated by Kathleen Osta of Vital Clarity
With one full-time, mostly volunteer “staff” (me),
a small Board of Directors and a small group of volunteers,
we benefitted greatly from Kathleen Osta’s facilitated – and
fun – session for about 25 friends of Little Pearls. From
that session came several action teams, which have had varying
levels of activity. We will revisit this process soon.
THANK YOU, Kathleen! vitalclarity.com |
