Behind the Scenes at Extreme Makover: Home Edition

When I first heard that I was being asked to assist in the production of a segment of Extreme Makeover/Home Edition, I thought it was crazy. As it turns out, it was crazy, but in a very different way than I had first thought. I was only on the location for about five hours, but I got a crash course on what these people do and the lengths they go to get it done. It is a truly amazing concept and requires a Herculean effort on the part of literally thousands of people.

When I first met Ty Pennington, he looked as though he still had his finger in the light socket, and one of the first things he said to me was that his mother was a psychologist and that he had extreme A.D.D. I was there to catch some horses and load them on the trailers to clear the way for the craftsman to go to work. I didn’t even get to see them tear the house down, but the entire process was explained to me.

These people choose, as in this case, a family that raises children using horses as a principal part of the rearing process. How perfect it was for me to work for something that involves horses and children. When I first saw Ty Pennington, he was running around the 40-acre field with a battery-powered megaphone pleading with the horses to come into the catch pen and load themselves into the trailers. He looked wild and acted even wilder, but it was the perfect format for me to emphasize the value of working with horses in a cool and calm manner.

While on location of the Extreme Makeover, Home Edition I was told that the first job the crew undertakes is to set light poles to create an environment for twenty-four hour round the clock work. It’s an amazing feat, but they do it time after time with unbelievable results. They set up teams of skilled workman who undertake to build a quality house in seven days.

In a conversation with our son, Marty I mentioned what I was doing. He was over the moon and told me that companies had been used to furnish the homes and that it had literally put them on the map overnight. Marty and his wife, Heather have a company that does just that sort of thing called Cowboy Living. Marty asked me to take a brochure with me to show the team there in Colorado. The designers there were overwhelmed at the appropriateness of Marty and Heathers western-theme products.

I called Marty back and said load up the trailer and get to Colorado as soon as possible. Marty thought that he’d throw a couple of Pat’s sculptures in as well and suggested that she should donate one to the show. Pat was in Russia at the time, but I gave Marty the go ahead anyway. He put two of her sculptures in and lo! and behold! They wanted both, and she ultimately agreed after arriving back home.

In the end, they used Marty and Heather’s furniture and household items, two of Pat’s sculptures and four of Eve Armson’s watercolors. Eve is Heather’s artist mom who designs the paintings on plates, cups, etc for Heather and Marty. It became a real family affair!

Subsequent to the shoot, I had spoken by telephone with Billy Jack Barrett and Pat has communicated with Mrs. Barrett. They seem like wonderful people dedicated to the effort of raising several children formerly in crisis. The Barrett’s are now living in the house, and they told Pat and I that it was absolutely fantastic.

I am proud to have been associated with this effort, and I send to the Barrett’s my best wishes for a long and a happy life in their new home. I consider it one of the more fun things that I have done in the past ten years or so. I hope to meet some of these kids in the future.