Today’s featured woman is Ginger Silverman. I first met Ginger in 2010 when I needed to make a big hat for our Chickens’ Ball skit. I was directed to Ginger for hat making advice and she will tell you from that first time I met her (and probably to this day) she thinks I am crazy. I wanted to make a hat the size of the ones in Beach Blanket Babylon, which I hadn’t even seen. I described hat I had in mind and was trying to make and she said, “OK, do what I tell you and I think it will work. Maybe.” I did what she told me, made a hat as big as a ship, and have been doing so ever since. She thought I needed a hat for my Chairman dress in 2012 so a red hat just appeared out of thin air, courtesy of Ginger! She now makes little fascinator hats in addition to the big ones.
The first hat Ginger coached me in making.
I am constantly surprised by Ginger and the things I learn about her. For example, she does stained glass restoration. I mean, like real, historic, stained glass restoration. My mom did stained glass for about 5 minutes in the mid-seventies. That stuff takes a lot of skill! Then, when I recently got engaged, Ginger was like, “Hey, you should have your wedding and reception at Filoli (I already knew she volunteered there and does the fancy teas in the café), and I can help you, I was the wedding planner at my church.” Say what? My favorite thing that surprised me about Ginger is that she participates in the live nativity scene in Redwood City – she plays the harlot. We’ve done that a lot in the Chickens’ Ball, which is themed after the Barbary Coast in San Francisco and features lots of villains and harlots. But in the live nativity scene? I might need to go back and do some research about that!
I love that Ginger is a very active volunteer (after all, she just turned 75 and is retired). In her words, she says “doing something for someone else is GREAT!” – Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Belmont Community Players, Redwood City Community Theater (she played a nun recently in Sister Act), San Carlos Chickens’ Ball, and many others. She does everything from event planning, to playing Mrs. Claus, to designing and sewing costumes, to handing out toys, to concessions, to Bingo, to the crab feed. I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to do many, many of these volunteer activities together with Ginger. What, can I say, we like a good party. All kidding aside, Ginger is an amazing woman and has a huge heart! One of the things that I love most about Ginger and that I am truly impressed by is that she is raising her grandsons. I’m not sure my own mom would even want to do that if something happened to me! I am honored to know Ginger and be her friend. She is ALL that!
Who, in your life, “is ALL that?”
Stay tuned tomorrow for the next entry in 90 Women in 90 Days!
#ShesALLThat
#Andyouaretoo
