Barbara Niven Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

I have truly enjoyed sharing all my experiences with you, my lovely readers. Feel free to revisit my time on the red carpet and my lunch with Brennan Elliott. But this is yet another monumental visit that I could never have conceived in my wildest dreams.

Let me begin by going back a few years to Hallmark’s first season of Cedar Cove. As I have stated previously, I knew none of the actors from this series before I dove in and watched. But the role of Peggy was one that always made me smile. It wasn’t until the second season that I learned the name of the actress playing Peggy–Barbara Niven. While I was unfamiliar with her career, the last name made me think of a favorite old actor of mine, David Niven. (Interestingly enough, I learned later on that she was married to David Niven Jr at one point in her life.)

Barbara Niven Credit: Copyright 2014 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Katie Yu

When I began to connect with Barbara during that second season of Cedar Cove, I was motivated to learn more about her both professionally and personally. She was an early supporter of my writings and almost always made it a point to respond to my posts on Twitter. I absolutely adored her, and I followed her career all over Hallmark. From Cedar Cove to Murder, She Baked to Chesapeake Shores. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The season two finale of Cedar Cove included a scene that truly jolted me and even forced me to deal with the remnants of my divorce. I often referred to Peggy’s “slap that was heard around the world,” and that storyline helped so many women come to terms with the emotional, physical and sexual abuse that they had endured at the hands of men in their lives that they had misguidedly trusted. I remember Barbara opening up a conversation that so many women joined in, including me. For some time after, I could not think of Barbara without remembering that dramatic storyline. It was one time I was able to connect with women on an authentic level.

In truth, I had been a loner and sometimes an outcast for most of my life. For whatever reason, I struggled to connect with women I encountered day-to-day. I always felt more accepted by the men in my life. I had a few select female friends, but most women saw me as a threat or decided I was too weird to get to know and understand. I didn’t have a lot of male friends, but those I did have were willing to listen to me and understand me. That is, until they got what they wanted from me and wrote me off. Needless to say, making friends was something for which I didn’t seem to have a knack.

I honestly don’t know when or how Barbara and I really connected as we did. I guess she was always the safe person in my life with whom I could share anything and I knew she’d understand and only want the best for me. I guess she also saw me expanding my horizons and taking risks to accomplish my dreams. She observed my potential and she always encouraged my endeavors, especially in those early years.

Barbara Niven Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss

Well, we discussed doing an interview for some time. But it wasn’t until she was filming the first season of Chesapeake Shores that we were able to make that discussion a reality. So many of us were still reeling over the unexpected way Cedar Cove ended, and I was one who wanted to do all within my power to ensure that this new series did not suffer the same fate.

I remember our first interview. We covered so much territory and went deep with some of the questions I asked. She adored chatting with me after all this time, and writing up that special interview was such a labor of love for me. I did a lot of prayer and profound thinking as I composed that interview post, and the biggest reward I received was Barbara’s massive stamp of approval. In fact, if I recall, I touched her so deeply that I brought her to tears with my words. For weeks, I found myself smiling and reliving the glow I experienced from that special interview.

Photo: Treat Williams, Laci Mailey, Carlo Marks, Barbara Niven, Diane Ladd, Brendan Penny, Jessica Sipos, Meghan Ory Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

Following that momentous interview, I began to champion Barbara’s work even more than I had previously. And usually when I least expected it, Barbara would read one of my interviews and tweet it out with high praise. For a woman whom I’d never met and who was not related to me to believe in me so much…unbelievable. Most of my friends who have believed in me that strongly over the years were men.

There have been a couple of follow-up interviews with Barbara and it seems like even when she was super busy, she made time to respond to me and show real interest. In turn, I found myself internalizing so many of her beliefs and even an occasional saying of hers. In fact, when I heard Barbara say, “Don’t give up five minutes before the miracle,” I essentially adopted that as one of my motivational mantras. So many times, I would find myself at the end of my rope, and God would bring Barbara’s words to my recollection. In short, I do believe that those words often gave me the wherewithal to remain tenacious just a little while longer.

Barbara Niven Credit: ©2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Brendan Meadows

I think Barbara was the first one who mentioned the eventuality of our meeting one day in the future. Barbara made the comment that it seemed like whenever I was in LA, she was in Vancouver and vice versa. For some reason, I placed my LA “friends” in a different category. Even if they were originally Canadian, some of them were just too much of a celebrity for me to even think about meeting one day in person. Or I was worried that even asking them would be too scary. I mean, what if they said “no”?

I remember going to the Hearties Family Reunion in 2018 and meeting Michelle Vicary and Bill Abbott. Barbara had mentioned both executives in such glowing tones when we had chatted in the past. Sure, Brennan Elliott and others had stated similar things, but with all due respect, until someone receives the “Barbara Niven” treatment…if you’ve experienced this phenomenon, you know exactly what I mean.

Shortly after meeting Bill and Michelle, I texted Barbara about the experience and figured at some point I’d hear back. Well, Barbara wasted no time! In the middle of one of the panels of the convention, my phone went off (thank God it was on mute), and I saw that it was from Barbara Niven! I listened to the message later on and found it so ironic that I had a message from Barbara Niven that came in while I was at the When Calls the Heart convention. She raved about Michelle and Bill again and gave me a sweet message to pass on to the Hearties, because, as most of you know, Barbara is one of the self-proclaimed Hearties herself.

Kavan Smith, Autumn Reeser, Barbara Niven Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

I have continued to watch and support Barbara as much as I possibly could, but sometimes fitting in an updated interview with her was a bit of a challenge. Most of the time, it was just easier to promote her works and get the word out about all the good she was doing in the world. Furthermore, I regularly felt as though there was a genuine understanding between us. She and I both were single parents who had raised a daughter on our own, and we both had men in our lives that attempted to squash our dreams and hopes for the future. Moreover, both of us have had to overcome tremendous hurdles throughout our lives and then emerge triumphantly.

Barbara Niven, Brennan Elliott, Lacey Chabert Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alexx Henry/ Alexx Henry Studios, LLC

Well, this year–2019–has been one incredible year for me. I remember that when I went to LA this summer for Paul Greene‘s concert, Barbara was up in Canada filming (as were Brennan Elliott and Andrew Walker), so seeing her was not an option. And to be honest, I just decided that as much as I wanted to meet Barbara in person, unless I became a member of TCA (an organization that had rejected me due to the fact that I did not work for a major publication), meeting Barbara may just be one of those ideas that sounded nice but wasn’t going to happen. And I was okay with that.

Barbara Niven Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Marcel Williams

As many of you know, I had two trips back to back earlier this fall, and I met some incredible people that I’ve mentioned here previously. While I was making plans, I decided to reach out and see if Barbara might be available. I didn’t hold out much hope, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. She responded quickly saying that she would be in LA, but she wasn’t sure if we could squeeze it in since she was going to be working on a play. (Actually, one of my friends had mentioned this play that Barbara was going to be doing, and I expected that response.) She just asked me to contact her once I was in LA to see if we could set something up.

Barbara Niven, Larissa Wohl, Brennan Elliott, Lacey Chabert Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alexx Henry/ Alexx Henry Studios, LLC

As some of you know, when I was in Vancouver, I reached out to Brennan, and we began to foster the idea of a meeting once I was in LA. I have to admit that I was so busy that I nearly forgot to reach out to Barbara. I did not think of it until I was in the airport preparing to fly into LA. I sent Barbara a text, figuring she wouldn’t get back to me right away. I knew she was busy. But she did respond, and she was very open to the idea of our meeting. We texted back and forth, and we came up with a tentative plan. I knew it could still fall through, but I began to cultivate a sliver of hope that I might at least get a quick meeting with Barbara Niven.

As has become my “thing,” I get to be the one to try to figure out the schedules for meetings, and I am grateful for the fact that I thrive on doing that kind of planning. Brennan and I figured out a date and time to meet, and so that next day, I was beginning to make plans to meet Barbara. I had no idea what amazing thing was about to occur and how it would unfold, but this is definitely when the “magic” happened.

Barbara sent me a text that absolutely rocked my world in a good way. I had mentioned when I was available and all that, and we were trying to work things out. So Barbara sent me a text asking if I could drop by her house. Okay, this was when I literally yelled out in disbelief and dropped my phone! Barbara was asking me to stop by her home? I mean, how was that even possible? I remember thinking, “I should just answer and say, ‘Sure, Barbara, I drop by actors’ homes all the time!'” In reality, I never had been to the home of anyone in the entertainment industry. There’s something personal about going to a person’s home, and the idea of meeting Barbara in her home really blew my mind.

The only problem we were having was the scheduling. Both Brennan and Barbara wanted to meet me at exactly the same time. So Barbara adjusted her time, and we thought it was set. But then Brennan had a conflict, and literally while I was at the red carpet event for High Strung Free Dance, I was attempting to rectify the scheduling conflict. I kept praying that I wouldn’t have to choose who I was going to disappoint, and thankfully, God answered my prayer.

I still remember the day of that meeting and all the plans I made to ensure that everything would be perfect. I had a meeting earlier that day (I’ll mention that visit in another post.). But the afternoon was drawing near, and the anticipation was growing. I kept making sure I was not going to arrive late. In fact, I planned to get there early because I wanted to make sure I didn’t keep her waiting. I knew she had a meeting that ended a half hour before I was set to arrive, but I have always learned that being a little early is considered a good thing and shows a great deal of respect to that person. I know that tardiness cannot always be avoided, but I do the best I can to make sure I am not late.

The time was upon me, and I arrived at the place where her home was supposed to be. I was about ten minutes early, and I didn’t want to rush her. So I waited patiently.

Well, as it turns out, I didn’t have to knock at all. Her dogs saw me and began making a ruckus. I thought, “Well, this is a great way to announce my arrival.” It wasn’t long until I heard Barbara come to the door and wonder why her dogs were barking. She opened the door, and to be honest, I was not even nervous. It was just like meeting a friend, which she definitely is. I remember that she apologized because she was still putting her makeup on, and I apologized because I was early. But we both sensed that there was nothing strange in our meeting. We were so comfortable with each other. We went in for an embrace, and in truth, the rest is history.

The question on everyone’s mind is, “What was Barbara’s house like?” Well, first of all, realize what it wasn’t. It is not one of those celebrity mansions that people envision whenever they think of actors. I’m not saying it is not a nice house. Of course, it is. It is a lovely home that is reflective of who Barbara is. I had the grand tour, and I adored seeing all the accommodations that had been made to the house to help her dogs get around better.

Speaking of her animals, I adored playing with her dogs, Norma Jean and Brando (I knew who those dogs were named after). And let’s talk about her cat, George! I treasure animals anyway, but cats have become my specialty. To know that George made up to me when he doesn’t ever do that with strangers was something that made me smile.

The couple of hours I spent with Barbara are moments I shall cherish always. I connected with Barbara in a real way, and as we shared stories and talked about everything under the sun and then some; I was uplifted and filled with joy. The same manner that Barbara presents herself on social media is exactly who she is in real life. She is caring, attentive, thoughtful, intelligent and sweet in every way. Most of what we spoke of would be considered chit-chat and even confidential, so I will not be revealing the contents of our conversation. As I have mentioned many times, an extensive variety of people trust me with their secrets, and betraying a confidence is something I refuse to do.

As I was preparing to leave, we did take a photo. And I was able to see Barbara go into her “instructor mode,” which is something quite extraordinary. I will admit that taking selfies is something that I am still learning to do. I’ve often approached it the same way that I do my interviews. I want the other person to look good, and I don’t care how I look. However, two of my friends will NOT permit me to look at it that way. Paul Greene taught me a few pointers this summer, but I admit I am still learning and have not mastered it as of yet. And Barbara taught me a few things as well. And I admit in the case of taking selfies, I’m a slow learner. I am improving, but it will always be a step outside my comfort zone. Oh, I don’t know…maybe after a few thousand selfies, I’ll get better. I am trying, and usually, I’m not as bad as I once was. But regardless, I appreciate the fact that two of my friends feel so strongly about this that they refuse to let me just “get by” when it comes to selfies.

Barbara waited with me until myride arrived, and we embraced, and so ended my celebrity home visit. As I reflected on this time, I was amazed to think just how easy and natural it was. And it truly astonished me that she thanked me for taking the time to stop by. That’s the thing that always surprises me. I continuously look at these meetings from my perspective and the fact that I am asking them to take time out of their schedule to visit with me. I see them as the busy professional. I’m the one who desires this meeting above all else. However, they want to meet me too, and there is something about that face-to-face meeting that absolutely changes the friendship…hopefully, for the better.

I often find myself regularly evaluating and revisiting so many of these exceptional meetings within my ever-active intellect, but I can now say that the first actor home I ever visited was in October of 2019, and it was Barbara Niven’s house. And I couldn’t have asked for a more affable hostess, attentive friend, and beloved confidante. I will state yet again what I have often remarked in the past. “When I grow up, I want to be like Barbara Niven.” If I can accomplish even half of what Barbara has done in her lifetime and impact even one-quarter of the people she has impacted for perpetuity, I believe when God comes calling for me to leave this world, I will close my eyes with a smile, knowing that I have not wasted a millisecond of my time here on earth. Thank you, Barbara, for one of the most wonderful memories I have ever had thus far on this planet, and know that our time together will stand as one of the loveliest memories I have ever known.

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