On this Eve of The New Year, I want to wish Everyone a Very Happy New Year....A Very Healthy New Year, and a Very Prosperous New Year filled with love....the love of family, the love of friends...weather they be of the human persuasion or the animal persuasion having more than two feet....

And, if you are on the road tonight...please do drive carefully....

I thank all of you out there in the Blogesphere with all my heart, for enriching my life these last few months and for reminding me that there is kindness and loving generosity of spirit out there in the world. And more often than not, I think....loving strangers hold out their hands to other strangers making of them, friends.

Anne Frank, wrote in her Diary almost every day when she and her family were attempting to survive in an attic during World War Two...and in one of her entry's she said these words....these very touching and profound words....even though all of them were virtually imprisoned in this attic because of the atrocities of the Nazis...and then of course, unfortuneatly, the Frank Family were captured by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps, where Anne Frank died. But her beautiful diary, lives on. And in that diary Anne Frank wrote in her own hand, these words:


"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart..."


And I say....Amen. Amen.

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SECRET SANTA A HUGE SUCCESS!

Someone loved their "Secret Santa" gifts....Yes, lucky boy that he is...he got two gifts! One is the toy he is watching over in these photo's and the other was a great eating-type treat..."Feline GREENIES"....Chicken Flavor....Yummmy...his favorite!)




In these pictures Sweetie is resting for a moment on his favorite spot....coveting his toy....and making sure that he is the only one who gets to play with it...I'm not sure what he has in mind because I'm the only other person who lives in this house and I stopped chasing his toys about a week ago!
(It's true, he knows I love the Valentine Heart Shape....so maybe he's worried I'll pounce on his toy and scurry away with it and try to hide it from him....he needn't worry...I stopped sniffing catnip about two weeks ago!

'Secret Santa' was a very fun thing to participate in and I would urge anyone who didn't do it this year, to think about doing it next Christmas. I know, I know....it's really too soon to be thinking about next Christmas when no one has truly recovered yet from this Christmas...but...it was a very special thing to be a part of and as far as Sweetie is concerned he enjoyed both parts to it....the giving of a gift and the getting of a gift....who could ask for more....

Here's another example of the friendships that can happen in the Blogesphere...see, my lovely's, these friendships can include our dear four footed friends as well as ourselves!

Amazing, the wonderful benefits of blogging, isn't it?

It's almost the New Year of 2006!

How could we be more than halfway though this decade already when it was just finally the year 2000??....

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

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I won't be doing a Thursday Thirteen, cause I just don't have the time...I am racing against the clock to see as many of these movies as I can before the voting deadline...which is the end of this week! (Help Me!)

I promise, I'll do one next Thursday...
Meanwhile....


KUKLA, FRAN & OLLIE

I was watching the Game Show Network one day and in particular, Match Game...I always liked Match Game because there were people on it who were friends of mine and it was really off center, which I liked....and they were all really pretty silly which I love....

The way it worked, if you have never seen it, there are six 'stars' who are on each week....and two contestants competing against one another...and the wonderful Gene Rayburn, who had an early morning radio show when I was growing up...yes, my lovely's, it was before television, and it was wonderful...and HE was wonderful...he had what I used to call a "breakfast voice"...which was a great thing to me...anyway, Gene (the 'breakfast voice') Rayburn was the MC of Match Game....and 'Questions' would be asked like...."Dumb Dora was so dumb....(and the audience would all scream....'How Dumb Is She?'....)
and then Gene Rayburn would read the rest of the question and the rest of the question would be something like this..."Dumb Dora was Sooo Dumb that when her husband asked her to cook something for dinner, she cooked a...BLANK...!

Then the six stars would write their answers on a card, filling in that 'blank', and when they all were ready, the contestant who's turn it was would be asked by Gene Rayburn to give his or her answer...
and the hope was that all the stars would have written down something that matched that contestants answer, and when and if all six stars matched that contestant, he or she was the winner and then went on to the next level where that one contestent was asked to fill in the blank on a short phrase, like...BLANK Sucker. (the possabilities included:All day; Blood; and Sear..)

Then, picking out three of the six stars to win one of three levels, $100, $250, and $500....trying to match the most popular answers to this phrase that had been asked of 100 people. THEN, the contestant would choose one answer that one of the 3 stars gave or choose an answer of their own...and depending on if they got a 'Match' with one of those stars, continue on for the BIG money which was 10 times the 'correct' answer given, and once again choosing ONE star to go head to head with on the final question..(such as: Shelley Blank) which had to be an exact match. Nobody ever won a huge amount of money because it wasn't there to win (though it looked pretty good back then though, didn't it?)...but a lot of laughs were had by everyone....it was a very simple easy fun game that was very benevolent in it's competativeness...nothing ruthless here, whatsoever.....it was a different time...

Of course the draw here, were the 'stars. There were two "regulars" all week, every week for all the years it was on...
Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly. I just happened to know both of them...I had met Brett back when we were doing "Spoon River" on Broadway..and she was a lot of fun and a very good actress, too....
And Charles, who is a wonderfully funny, clever, and an extremely talented actor-director....and they sat next to each other on the 'Match Game' panel and always sparred in jest, (they were very good friends) which made for a lot of laughs...Then there were the semi regulars...in the first chair on the top tier it could be anyone from Nipsy Russell to Pat Morita ....but it was always a 'man' in that position...And in the 4th position it was always a female star of some television show...Eva Gabor, Lee Meriwether,
(another old friend) or Barbara Eden, etc...women known for their beauty as well as their talent...

In the fifth position usually always a man of humor...like Richard Dawson or McLean Stevenson or
Dick Martin...and in the last position it was always a female associated with humor.... and there were a couple of 'Semi' Regulars..Betty White, Marcia Wallace and Fanny Flagg
....So this made for a wonderful mix of silly clever people and it is great fun to watch the re-runs...

So....all this is by way of getting to Kukla, Fran & Ollie.
I don't know if any of you will remember them or if you don't, will even know who they were....They were, in a word, SUBLIME! Clever, Witty, Funny, Talented, Quick as Quick-silver, and so sweet and filled with love. KF&A, which came from Chicago and was broadcast "live" every day--no tape, no film-- started out as a kids show, but adults loved them a lot, because what they did trancsended age...their fun loving humor was ageless....
Kukla and Ollie were puppets....'voiced' by and held and moved by, as well as having been created by Burr Tillstrom....coming from the mind and heart of this brilliantly and uniquely talented man....and Fran was an actual 'human' who was in front of the little proscenium, where Kukla & Ollie performed while Fran stood in front of them talking with them or singing with them or many times, laughing with them.

Kukla was the heart of the show...a sweet, kind, loving little guy...Ollie was a 'Dragon'...and he was adorable looking...
he had along neck and this Dragon Fur on the top of his head, and this one-single tooth, (adorable!!) and he could be somewhat selfish and slightly mean..(Never really seriously mean, mind you...) and he was often rather narcissistic, where as Kukla was completely without ego...They played off of each other so beautifully...and their love for one another was undeniably clear and these relationships were the basis for all the humor that would ensue each day; and Fran's love for both of them and all the other Kuklapolitan Players was at the heart of this innovative very dear show, too, coming into our living rooms, every day...early evening really...through the magic of this then pretty new medium, television.

The thing is: They never seemed like puppets...they were, 'People'. As sure as you and I are flesh and blood people...THEY were flesh & blood people..so when Fran conversed with them it was 'people' talking to people, and it didn't matter that Ollie looked like a Dragon...he was such a whole personality, as was the very dear Kukla, too...your imagination made that 'leap of faith'...and they were as real as you and me
....you just wanted to hug both of them!

A miraculous thing to have done, at that time....Burr Tillstrom was a true innovater and pioneer in the Television field....and their fans were legion and loyal, beyond words. This show was a little bit of 'love' in your day...a day that might have been very very hard...but would be eased by the simple humanity of these wonderful people who just crawled into your heart...and stayed there, forever...look, I'm still talking about them....and I still love them just the way I did when I first 'fell in love with' them.....you see, they captured my heart, and they still have it.

I was reminded of Burr Tillstrom's brilliance the other week when Kukla & Ollie were in 'The First Chair' in The "Match Game" re-run, for that week....the only thing missing on Match Game was Fran, and of course some of the other characters that Burr Tillstrom had created for the "Kukla, Fran & Ollie" show all the years before...Some of the other Kuklapolitan Players were, Madame Ooglepuss, Beaulah Witch,
(A hilarious character, that I truly love, love, loved!), Cecil Bill, Colonel Crackie and Fletcher Rabbit. There were a few other characters, too...like Dolores Dragon...Oliee's relative...They would put on plays and do special songs written especially for them...and as I understand it, they never used a written script, as such...but talked about many every day things, like paying your taxes...Tillstrom always said: "...you don't need a script when talking to friends"...Oh, how right he was. And this show had a very great influence on all the other 'Puppet Shows' that followed, like Sesame Street and The Muppets...without Burr Tillstrom and Kukla, Fran & Ollie there would have been no Sesame Street or Muppets....Tillstrom paved the way for them....

Kukla, Fran & Ollie crawled into the hearts of their viewers and generated an incredible amount of fan mail, plus never changing the basic way in which the show was presented, using that little proscenium with Kukla & Ollie behind it and Fran Allison in front of it....I think the thing I remember most about them was the love that was always present in all that they did...they loved each other in spite of their differences, and we, the audience LOVED them, with all our hearts....a love that went on for decades and here, for me, still goes on, watching a rerun of a show from the late 7o's when they were already considered 'nostalgia', then!

Amazing...simply amazing. Now here it is almost 2006, and Kukla, Fran & Ollie can still fill me with this warm soft loving feeling that makes me smile whenever I think of them. That's longetivity, in a career. Burr Tillstrom is gone and so is Fran Allison...so, therefor, that means Kukla & Ollie are gone, too...never to be heard from again...except in old kinescopes or tapes of there classic performances, or on The Game Show Network, in reruns of "Match Game".....these are the true treasures of a lifetime.....

(I read the following about the incomparable Stephen Sondeheim,
our greatest living Broadway composer, who said, about the song, "The Two Of You", which he wrote in 1952 on a whim for the Kukla, Fran & Ollie Show, which he greatly admired:)

"I sent it, they rejected it," Sondheim remembers. "Burr Tillstrom, the show's creator, never even knew of it; his executive producer sent it back without even listening to the song. I finally gave "The Two of You" to Burr, though. When he did 'Side By Side By Sondheim' in 1978, he sang it with the spotlight very tight and Kukla on his arm and then, I think for the first time in his career, the spot came up and you saw his arm inside the puppet. He'd never revealed the puppets as puppets before. It was very moving." (Available on "Unsung Sondheim)




Burr Tillstrom and Kukla, Fran & Ollie made 'magic'.....True, memorable magic.....

And this was how....

For a special treat, go to the comments and scroll down to Danny's comment and click on the word HERE, or click on the name just below here and see some hilarious clips of Kukla,Fran & Ollie....My two favorites are the "Mikado" clip with Madame Ooglepuss, and Beaulah Witch in The Spanish Dance Clip...

Thank You Soooo Much Danny, for this....I've just spent a truly delightful hour back-in-time, with these very dear dear people....

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YOU'VE GOT TO BE TAUGHT

I've been thinking quite a lot about this particular 'lyric' this last week or so....The GREAT Oscar Hammerstein wrote this particular lyric for the song of the same name, with music by Richard Rodgers, for their now very famous Broadway musical, "South Pacific".
This was written almost 60 years ago, and the above lyric is still as current as if it were written yesterday, I'm sorry to say....and of course it doesn't just apply to the color of one's skin, or the shape of one's eye....it apply's to almost anything that your parents might have believed or that you believe that you pass on to your children or, in the case of your parent's, prejudices that they passed on to you, that became part of your belief system because that is what they believed and ergo, you now still 'feel' that way about...whatever....(Looooonnnnng way around saying: This is how racism of any kind is usually passed on!)

I hope your Holiday continues to be filled with love for your family and friends and, in the spirit of the season, for your fellow man....

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I WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY CHANUKAH & A HAPPY KWANZA, TOO

Enjoy every moment of this weekend, one and all.

And for those of you with darling four footed friends who purrrrr, this might amuse you...A friend sent this to me today and I thought I would share it with all of you....I hope it will give you a smile....and a bit of a laugh, too.

Enjoy Everything......this moment is just as important as the next!

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ROPER AND EBERT AND OLDOLDLADY....

Because of my affiliation with The Screen Actors Guild, I am getting to see a lot of NEW Films, at home, on DVD's. I was chosen by the computer along with 2,200 other SAG members to be on the Film Nominating Committe this year...which then will be voted on by the entire membership (over 60,000 or more, now)and the winners announced on the televisied Screen Actors Guild Awards Show on January 29th, 2006.

Here are a list of the filns I have seen, so far...in alphabetical order...with a little tiny review of sorts, for each...remember, my lovely's, just my opinion....!

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - This is a BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL love story of a film....very touching and moving...wonderful performances, superior writing...a MUST SEE...it breaks your heart and is a true 'experience' which is what I want in a film...(weather it is a comedy or a musical or a drama or a love story)...Keith Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall are both utterly brilliant!

CAPOTE - An astounding performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman...it's the story of how Truman Capote came to write his most famous book, "In Cold Blood"....Another absolutely 'must see' film...

THE FAMILY STONE
- Wonderful cast, including Diane Keaton and Sarah Jessica Parker...both actresses always worth watching...this is a film about a large family and the outsider, (Sarah Jessica P.) that comes to spend Christmas with them because her fiance is one of the many children of Diane Keaton & Craig T. Nelson.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK - Really important film about Edward R. Murrow and the tv show, 'See It Now', where Murrow exposed Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (through the original video tapes of McCarthy) for the terrible man that he was....David Straithern is magnificent as Murrow and McCarthy is pretty frightening as McArthy....and the ever surprising George Clooney directed and co-wrote the film as well as appearing in it, too. Another 'Must See'....

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE - Hard film to watch but an imporant statement about violence begetting violence....wonderful performances in this film, too...But, not for children....

"IN HER SHOES" - Cameron Diaz, Toni Colette and the always fantastic Shirley MacLaine in a BEAUTIFUL understated and moving performance...very much worth seeing...it wouldn't surprise me if MacLaine recieved some awards in the Best Supporting Actress catagory this year...(Golden Globe, anyone?)

MATCH POINT - The most recent Woody Allen film that in my view is his BEST film since 'Crimes And Misdemeanors'.... a serious film about murder and it all takes place in England and there isn't one character in it who is supposed to be Woody Allen.....Very worth seeing...

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
- The always superb Judi Dench and the always fabulous Bob Hoskins, in a story based on truth that takes place in London just before the 2nd World War...fun and serious, too...a lovely lovely performance by Ms. Dench, but then, when isn't she wonderful?

NARNIA, THE CHRONICLES OF
- BEAUTIFUL, IMAGINATVE, SWEET AND SCARY....(Incredible Fantasy Creatures Come To Life in this film like I've never seen before)...all these things and more...Do Not Miss This Film!

NORTH COUNTRY - Another very good performance by the Oh so stunning Charleze Theron....and a beautiful Supporting Actress performance by Frances McDormand...I've never seen her be bad, have you?

PROOF - Beautiful Beautiful performance by Gwyneth Paltrow...this film is based on the Play of the same name...Great writing and another terrific performance by Anthony Hopkins....(I LOVE HIM!!!)

RENT - An Ensenble Musical Film, very very well done and ALL the performances are uniformally excellent...a serious musical about serious things, but certainly with some humor, too. Very worth seeing....

SHOPGIRL - I didn't get it. A very slim slim story with good actors but...why? I mean...I just didn't care about anyone...and if you don't care, what's the point...Someone else certainly could feel very differently about this film...

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
- A terrible name, (that doesn't really tell you much about what this film is really really about...which is too bad) for a truly wonderful film with terrific performances by everyone in it! Most particularly, Jeff Daniels, and these two young actors named Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline. You might need your handkerchief for this one, though it is terribly funny, too....Laura Linney is also extremely good, as always....

SYRIANNA - A fascinating espinage-type story that keeps you on the edge if your seat, and also makes you hide your eyes from some horrificly violent torture scenes...Not for children! George Clooney, WONDERFUL, as always...The whole cast is excellent...with many outstanding performances including but not limited to: Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Christopher Plummer, and Amanda Peet...(this woman has a GREAT career ahead of her...)

TRANSAMERICA - An Astounding and thouroughly believable performance by 'Desperate Houswife' Felicity Huffman, based on a true story of a man's struggle with gender re-assignment surgery and all the emotions that go with this life changing act....

"WALK THE LINE - Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in roles that could bring each of them multiple Awards...The beautiful Joquin inbody's Johnny Cash in an almost scary way....and the same with Ms. Witherspoon as June Carter Cash...AND, they do all they're own singing, too! Another must see fillm....

THE WHITE COUNTESS
- The last Merchant-Ivory film to be made with all the careful attention to detail and much beauty that they are known for...Remarkable performances by Natasha Richardson and Ralph Fiennes, with the added bonus of Vanessa Redgrave, (Natasha's mum) and Lynn Redrave, (Natashasa'a Aunt and Vanessa's younger sister) carrying on the remarkble 'Redgrave Family Business' now in their 3rd generation on film....in their always most 'truthful', real and remarkably complete performances.

More to come as I see more films....there is a deadline so that's why I'm not out there on the Blogesphere as much right now, as well as the all consuming almost-here-Holidays!

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THURSDAY THIRTEEN

1. I can't believe it's Thursday again..how did that happen? It was just Thursday, last Thursday...I think it came around quicker than usual!

2. I reallly don't have very much to say cause I'm real real tired...too much going on, too little time, you know?

3. I did finish wrapping my presents, sort of...and now I'm trying to get my house ready for New Year's....and my 'Annual' gathering....a 'Tradition' I began about ...well....Let's just say, a v-e-r-y looooonnngggg time ago, back in 'The Dark Ages'....

4. It's a Dinner party and a Game party, too....And it's pretty much the same wonderful sweet friends each year, with the possability of one or two other people who happen to be 'in town'.

5. The game we play is "The White Elephant Game"....each person brings a wrapped-for-Christmas package with them, (they can bring more than one if they are trying to rid themselves of stuff they don't want, or that they think is soooo terrible, that everyone will want it...you know what I mean?)

6. Everything goes over in one place, (usually on the floor), in my Living Room...where, as people arrive, the pile of goodies gets bigger and more interesting with each new arrival!

7. We have lovely things to eat for starters....LOVELY....(Food is a very important part of this night)...Good Yummy Food...and the meal itself is served Buffet style because I don't have a Dining Room Table that seats 16!

8. We eat, we tell jokes as we eat, and generally share much frivloity, as well as getting up to date with everyone...there is a lovely comfort level because we've all know each other for a very long time.... most have worked with each other at one time or another, if not more than one time...and I tell you, once you've shared a dressing room with someone, you really know each other very very well, and pretty much have no secrets...

9. Desert is always a Highlight, cause being a Chocoholic I have to have an AWESOME something in that flavor, sometimes two awesome somethings.....there is always another fantastic desert...A Lemon Cake that is indescribable it's so damned good....and you know, if I say that, seeing as how if it's not chocolate, it's a vegetable to me...this Lemon Confection must be incredble....Well, it is.

10. Then, after coffee, tea, or whatever...we are ready to play 'The Game'. I supply the dice and we sit around in a circle and each person gets to roll the dice and if they get a 7 or an 11, they get to pick out a goodie from the now HUGE pile if presents and they must show it to everyone and keep it where it can be seen by everyone as there is a second part to this game after ALL the presents have been opened. They get to roll the dice again and again, because each time they come up with a 7 or an 11 they can open another present; same rules applying, as before.

11. Some people don't ever get to open a present because they don't get a 7 or an 11....well, it doesn't actually matter, cause that's not when those numbers really really count. So.....after everything has been opened, a timer is set because the group has agreed on how long the second part of the game will last....and then the further fun begins. Now, if you get a 7 or an 11, you get to take anything you want from anyone else in the game. (of course, they can take it back if they get a 7 or an 11...are you getting the fun part??) It's not really a terribly mean game because everyone has many chances to roll the dice as we go around in the circle, and so the chances of getting something you want are pretty evenly divided, but of course the chances of it being taken away are pretty evenly divided too....and the great fun of it is, is when there is something that everyone wants! (Over the years some things have returned to the game once again tempting everyone or repeling everyone...and that's fun, too)

12. There are often very very good things in this game; things that a lot of people want. And then, there are the awful crappy things that no one wants, but which are reason for lots and lots of laughter. Then, as we get closer to the 'time' running out, a fever pitch begins to happen and the dice go around the circle, faster and faster...and then, finally the game is over. (One of the rules of this game is, no one may leave anything they won here in my home...cause I have enough crap of my own!) And now, it's close to midnight...and Peach Champagne and Sparkling Apple Cider are served; We go out onto my deck that has this 180 degree view of the city, and as the clock creeps up to Midnight, we can hear Shouts and Booms and often we see beautiful Fireworks....and if it's a very clear night, like tonight, for instance, we see even more firworks, of course. Everyone hugs each other and kisses each other and wishes each other a Very Very Happy New Year....then we go back inside and usually the last of this lovely crowd of people leaves around 2am.

13. It makes for a very 'family like' New Years that everyone seems to look forward to each year and we all certainly enjoy the evening and each other, and our White Elephants or our Treasures!
Having eaten more than we all want, having enjoyed every morsel, each of us is ready to begin the new year, having spent the Eve of it with a loving group of friends and relatives....I'll try to take pictures this year, if I can get my Digital Camera to download them again. A new problem every time you turn around when there are all these toys to play with...but such fun!

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WRITE A TINY REMEMBRANCE FOR THE HOLIDAYS



I found this on Bhakti the other day and thought it was a lot of fun! I have edited it a tiny bit because it is Christmas....but, don't let that stop you from being as creative as your dear little heart desires....

RULES:
If your eyes are passing over this right now, (even if we don't speak often) please post a comment here on my blog with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL CHRISTMAS MEMORY of you and me. It can be anything you want - good or bad - BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE. And, if you feel like it, when you're finished leaving your comment, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) with the memories people create....(isn't this fun?)

Oh my, I can't wait to read what each of you remember....and as always,anything goes, my dears....

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A CHRISTMAS LETTER

The Christmas Letter to end all Christmas letters. It describes the year that The Kreagal Family experienced in probably more detail than you ever wanted to know...but here it is, anyway.


CHRISTMAS LETTER FROM THE KREAGALS


Hi Everybody,
It's that time of year again and we hope you will understand that we are writing this 'generic' letter because it's the easiest way to bring all of our friends up to date on the happenings of us Kreagals during 2005. It's just been a fantastic year for everyone. As you remember from last year we were moving to our new house in Spring Corners just 200 miles from our old house. And although we are all just crazy about the new house, the move was quite traumatic for all of us but especially for Granny Kreagal, because while cleaning out the attic on Dorvin Street she tripped and fell down the stairs breaking both legs. But ever the optimist, Grans is walking incredibly well with her enforced hip replacement sockets, the Doctors having discovered that her arthritis had degenerated her bones to the point of no return. She gets around absolutely perfectly using her walker for the long trips around the house, and she has become the whiz of the wheel chair brigade down at the Senior Citizens Center, where she won the Blue Ribbon, Special Mention-For Trying. Grans is quite a remarkable woman, having rallied back almost to her normal self after the untimely death of Grandpa Kreagal, who had a severe heart attack to say the least, and died on the way to St. Aloysius Mercy Hospital, a grand place if ever there was one, where the paramedics rushed him having answered our 911 call quicker than you can say, 'Bring me a Budweiser, please'. It is truly remarkable that Gramps died at all.

In March, Glenn and I took a fantastic vacation, and well deserved too, white water rafting on the fabulous Monongahela River. It was kind of a strange time to run the rapids what with the cold weather not quite behind us but it was the only time Glenn could get away from the Lumber Yard, and to tell you the truth I don't think two people could ever have had a better time. It was truly grand. We took oodles of photographs which some of you will get to see at the next Clambake party at The Mercers, (some new friends here in Spring Corners). My very favorite photo is of Glenn being dragged from the river looking like an icicle, but smiling. Unfortunately he developed a terrible frostbite in his big toe on his left foot and the doctor had to perform what he called, a minor amputation. They did not have to remove Glenn's whole toe, luckily, just up to the first knuckle. He praised God all the way home.

Little Suzy, who is not so little anymore,(Ha Ha) gave birth to quintuplets in April--my was she ever big. She and Percy had been trying to conceive for about a year and a half and finally went to the Jeppsom Fertility Clinic here in Spring Corners where they eventually performed artificial insemination into a Petri dish, and then did the embryo transplant on Suzy. The results being, 5 pounds 3 ounces, 3 pounds 1 1/2 ounces, 4 pounds 2 ounces, 3 1/2 pounds 6 ounces, and last but not least, 3 pounds 4 1/2 ounces. We were all terribly thrilled. My, my, my, to have five grandchildren all at once is quite something. Unfortunately, Brenda Sue didn't make it. She was the littlest and the incubator failed when there was that awful statewide blackout and the emergency generator at St. Als Mercy, turned out to have a major defect. Suzy and Perc were thinking seriously of suing the hospital but I said, well at least you still have the other four. It was somewhat of a comfort until Baby Lucy suffocated while nursing from a bottle. I told Suzy she mustn't blame herself, after all, she only has two breasts and she is not a milk machine. Of course we were devastated when Baby Marvin passed away from crib death, but thank God, all that is behind us now and the remaining two are just grand, Baby Gaylord, named after that dashing character from 'Show Boat', you remember I went to see that show while carrying Little Suzy? And dear little Baby Tracy. Suzy and Perc named him in honor of my great great grandfather who fought in the second world war and had his arm blown off in the battle to save France or was it Spain, well anyway he's buried somewhere over there on foreign soil. I guess we will never find his remains. You remember he was the one who discovered a toothpaste that could clean toilets as well as teeth.

Now, for our biggest news of the year. Young Glenn Jr., who moved to Los Angeles three years ago, you recall, has been given a raise at the Computer Store, 'Software Is Us'. They have made him Manager, and because of his raise he is moving into his first real home. He says it's in this lovely area called West Hollywood, and that he and his friend Jeffrey have found this darling little house which they are re-decorating. He is so talented! And I guess they are even doing some major construction. He says it's the first time he's felt at home in a place since moving to Los Angeles. Of course we miss him terribly and wish he could have stayed here with us, especially now that we are in this wonderful Spring Corners--it is nice to have your children near you, you know? But he's happy in California, and that's all that matters to Glenn and me. We know he will have great success wherever he lives. He is doing some modeling on the side and he’s so funny he won't send us the magazines because he says the pictures really don't look like him. I'd love to see them anyway, of course, so would Glenn Sr. Our only son, and such a handsome boy! Both Glenn and I are so very very proud of the fact that he has struck out on his own, even though he was terribly young when he left us, but we also have great pride in the fact that his awful drug addiction problems are all behind him now. And he did it all on his own. What a grand boy he is.

The only sour note in the whole year was our youngest, Violet, poor darling, has had a very difficult time adjusting to her new school. You all know how hard it is to leave all your friends when you are just sixteen, and she had gone all through grade school and junior high with most of them. But she is in therapy and her stutter has decreased almost 50%. The only thing Glenn and I are concerned about is that she seems to have practically stopped eating and of course is terribly thin, but outside of that, she is very very healthy and we are both sure she will be happy again very soon, praise the lord.

Glenn and I have found this wonderful church here in Spring Corners. It's rather old fashioned and I guess you might say, straight laced but we like it very much and they were absolutely wonderful to the family when Suzy and Percy's house burned to the ground in July. Luckily no one was hurt badly except Baby Tracy, who suffered third degree burns on his little backside. But he's such a wonderful little soldier, that he's taking the colostomy extremely well.

And other than the above mentioned this has been an absolutely serene and wonderful year. Everyone will be here for Christmas, except our middle girl, Rita. At the moment, we are just not sure where she is. We think it's somewhere between Nairobi and Kenya, or something like that, having taken a sabbatical from her work at the refinery to commune with nature, and see the world. We will miss her of course. We thank God every day for all the blessings he has bestowed upon us, in fact Glenn and I are off to a prayer meeting shortly, to give God our Blessed Thanks for the wonderful year he has given us, and we pray that all of you will have as wonderful a year in 2006 as we have had in 2005.

With Peace and Serenity,

Marva and Glenn


What is your feeling about getting Christmas letters?

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BOBBY LEWIS, ANNE BANCROFT

AND OTHER STUFF


(This was posted on my old blog and at that time I was VERY new to blogging and so it was all text, and it had no pictures and, was read by maybe 3 people...I have since edited it, added photo's and am now re-publishing it...so, here it is, and for those few who might have read it before, do give it another read...the pictures add so much to the whole thing)

This is a pretty long post so maybe you should go to the bathroom, now! Many years ago, Bobby Lewis, who was one of the greatest acting teachers and theatre Directors ever, began teaching a sort of Master Class for actors, here in Los Angeles. One could audit the class, and I really wanted to experience the genius of Mr. Lewis, not only because I was an actress, but more because I am a writer and an occasional Director, too. I had gone to Drama School in New York, and then studied further with a wonderful teacher named Mary Welch, a superb actress and a member of the Actors Studio.

So when this opportunity arose regarding the possible auditing of Bobby's class, I jumped at the chance. He proceeded to interview eveyone who was a prospective member of the class, weather auditing or actively particiating, so he could get the feel of the seriousness of your involvenent. After talking with me, he told me I was accepted.

Bobby had known Betty Garrett from her early New York-Broadway days, and through the connection to her, he chose to rent Theatre West on the mornings that he was going to hold his many acting classes.
(Theatre West had begun, basically, as an Actors Workshop, though it grew to encompass Writer’s, Directors and Designers as time went on, and Betty G. had been one of the founding members, along with about 12 or 13 other professional actors. I came into the group about the 8th month of its existence….and, have remained a member ever since, as has Betty G.)….I have done just about everything one can do in the theatre, Act, Compose, Direct, Produce, Sing, Stagemanager, Write, and anything else I may have forgotten…


Theatre West is one of the oldest Producing Actors Workshops in L.A., and over the years has had some very illustrious people as members---quite a number of these people joined TW at the very beginning of their careers, like Richard Dreyfuss. Rick worked his tail of at TW and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this young man had 'it', whatever 'it' is...HE had it, but good.
Richard has always said that those years at Theatre West were probably the most exciting years of his professional life in the theatre. He remained a member until only a few years ago when he moved his residence to England. Many many of the original people kept their memberships up even after great success came there way, not just out of sentimental reasons, but as Carroll O’Connor said in “The History Of Theatre West-Part 1” (a Video that I created back in 1982 to commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of Theatre West)…..but for "...professional reasons, as well,….you never know when I might want to come back and do a play….", said Carroll. He spoke of the community of theatre people and said that we spoke a different language than other people and said that he found it comforting and stimulating to "be with your own kind"…his words, exactly. I do agree that theatre people, or show people, in general, do seem like a different breed….and there is definitely a comfort in the short hand that comes with the shared experience that ‘civilians’ cannot understand, not having had those experiences or even, I'm sorry to say, sometimes not understanding why anyone would go through those experiences, in the first place....

Getting back to Bobby Lewis….because of Theatre West's history, it was the perfect theatre for him to be holding his extraordinary classes. This man was an icon in the theatre community….everyone wanted to study with him, young beginning actors and seasoned pro's. So, his ‘Master Class’ was for working actors of a certain reputation and stature, who’s experience and many years of working in the theatre, films and television, uniquely qualified them for a ‘master class’ as apposed to his 'beginning actors' class. All of the people in this ‘master class’ felt the need to, once again, hone their skills with a great teacher and director such as Bobby.…and Bobby had a particular way of approaching a play that had come from years of experience, starting with the famed Group Theatre, and the directing of many many Broadway plays.
He was one of the founding members of the Actors Studio, and like Stella Adler, another great great acting teacher, split from the Studio and began teaching his own ‘Method’. Three wonderfully interesting books that many consider the bibles of acting, "Method Or Madness?"; “Advice To The Players” and "Slings And Arrows: Theatre In My Life" (his Autobigraphy) were written by Bobby and are treasured by anyone who knew him or worked with him and by all those who had an awareness of the stature of this complete theatre professional. He was treasured also by the younger members of the profession, because of the esteem in which he was held by his peers and by the theatre community, in general. He was a giant of a man, and it was indeed an awesome privilege to be allowed to audit his classes. Over a period of two years, I audited 2 different classes; One running for 9 weeks for two mornings each week, and the other one running for almost 3 months, once a week on Saturdays. Incredibly talented actors worked on scenes chosen specifically by Bobby for each person and including partnering each person with an appropriate partner in these scenes from plays that were classics….weather Shakespeare, or Ibsen or Tennessee Williams, or Arthur Miller or Pinter….Often these actors worked on material that they were never ever hired to do, though they were extremely qualified and capable of doing these plays to stunningly exciting results---the material Bobby chose for each person was chosen to stretch their view of themselves as well as stretching their skills which were rarely if ever used 'for hire'--- most all actors being pretty much typecast by the so called powers that be.....Betty G. was in her early sixties at the time, and she had had and was continuing to have, a very successful career in the theatre, films and television
---and I tell you, I saw her do work in that class of Bobby’s that was extraordinary beyond words, and unbelievably thrilling, too. One of the scenes that Betty did was from Robinson Jeffers’ ”Medea”. And, for those unfamiliar with this frightening woman--she kills her two children, among other atrocities…though that alone would qualify her as a Major Monster, for sure! As an actress, we got to see Betty reach inside herself and touch things that none of us had ever seen her do before, nor thought her capable of doing if we were to be honest, including Bobby!
Well, were we ever wrong about that, and what a thrill it was to be that wrong!

The wonderfully talented actor Karl Malden, who many people only remember from those American Express commercials or “The Streets Of San Francisco” TV show--forgetting that he won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor in “Streetcar Named Desire” having been in the Original Broadway cast of that play, and was later nominated in the same category again, for “On The Waterfront”---played, Medea’s husband Jason, in that same scene from “Medea”, and he too, was extraordinary! These are not easy roles to do; the language of the play alone was difficult and it goes without saying that the very terrifying subject matter was deeply challenging, to put it mildly. But you see, that’s what made this class so bloody exciting!

In that first 9 week session, Anne Bancroft was in the class. And I remember the first day she got up, Bobby asked her why she was there….and she said, (and I am paraphrasing slightly, here...), “Oh Bobby, I don’t know what I’m doing. I just feel lost and I’m not sure I can act anymore…..I haven’t worked in such a long time…so I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore!” She was very serious. I remember sitting there and thinking …'Lord, if this truly great great actress can feel this way, than it’s no wonder we all feel so damned insecure….!'. She was very humble and very anxious to get to work on something, and couldn’t wait for Bobby to assign a scene and a partner for her.

As it turned out, Anne Bancroft was unable to complete the classes because she got a movie that took her on location and whatever those feelings were for her of not being sure she could act anymore, completely disappeared, at least it did for us in the class; I have no idea if they disappeared for her. I hope so because the body of work that she created after that time continued to be top notch and unique in every way,
(Rent: “Garbo Talks”---she is wonderful in that, so touching, and vulnerable---she has a monologue that is a film-treasure---it is one of those rare brilliant pieces of acting that is memorable in every way.)

Art—The Arts—Books, Music, Paintings, Acting, Films, Theatre, Photography, etc. truly can illuminate our lives and transform our lives---it can move us, it can change how we feel about something---how we think about something—touch us in ways that stay with us for all of our lives in the deepest most effecting manner---it can give us hope and it can dash our hopes, too by the truthful illumination of life as it was, is, and/or may be again. This is an amazing thing to me. And I hope that I will always approach everything I am exposed to in the creative world like a child seeing something for the first time. To be excited, stimulated, and thrilled by an artistic experience can be truly life-transforming.

As an artist myself I have had some small measure of success…(that was never why I did any if the things I did, but a bit of success has come my way, I’m happy to say.) No, I am not a household name and never have been, and further, I have never been able to actually “earn a living” with anything that I have created----oh yes, I’ve been paid for my work, weather it was my paintings, photography, plays, song I've written, acting, etc…..but “earn a living”? No.
But the need to create; the need to express oneself in some form of artistic communication has been a part of my life since I was a child. Along the way, I know I have touched people because they took the time to communicate that to me, I’m grateful to say; or, they put their money where their mouth is, so to speak…and, in the case of my art work, bought a painting or two, even when they couldn’t afford it and had to pay it off—month after month—for years, sometimes, (that’s needing something as desperately as needing breath for life---I know, cause I’ve done it myself---buying other people’s paintings)….Why am I even talking about this? Well, I think I’m evaluating my life with this blog, in some strange way, and at this point in my life I'm attempting to see if in truth, my life has any meaning; I mean that ‘means’ something to me. I don’t have any answers and quite frankly, I’m not even sure I have the correct or appropriate questions…(there may be 10 questions or 100 questions or even more? I don’t know yet.) But I do know that in going over just a tiny bit of my history here, on this blog— that that in itself has made me value it more, at this point in time.….

So far, this has been a very good life for me---the creative life, I mean. There may be a lot of things that I regret about my life, but the years and years and years that I have spent ‘creating’---- I don’t regret one millisecond of that time. In retrospect nothing I have ever done as an expression of my creativity do I regret----
even playing the bongo drums on a very bad album a singing-friend recorded umpteen years ago, I do not regret---And I approached that non-paying job with all the professionalism and care that I have always given to every creative project I have ever been a part of, paying and non-paying….it's just the way it is for me...and as far as ...what has this all been about?'....Well, hopefully more will be revealed to me, as they say, as I go along here, in these ruminations and revisitings….

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THURSDAY THIRTEEN


1- Wednesday seems to be my day for Blogging Frustration.

2- Last Wednesday it was Blogger that was giving me fits, if you remember….

3- Today, I couldn’t get on my favorite Blogging site…Michele.

4- Every time I went to ‘My Favorites’, and clicked on Michele I got that page that says….Can’t Find This Site….(GIVE ME A BREAK, please….)

5- I was able to go to almost everyone else, but at one point, I couldn’t go to my own blog…that same exasperatingly little annoying page came up….(I feel I am being tested, here, by the Blogging God’s, you know?)

6- As I sit here pecking out these words, I still cannot get on to Michele’s site…and the two times I was able to do that today, many hours apart, I might add….It was because I happened to go to Aginoth’s Ramblings and Michele had made him the site of the day….and he had a link to her blog which I clicked on and lo and behold, I got on!!! Hooray!

7- And I was so happy to be on Michele’s and participate in the many fun things Michele gives us all to do each day….that I forgot how for most of the day, I couldn’t get there. I had my fix....And all I could do was truly enjoy it.

8- So, then, I went back to Aginoth’s and clicked on his link to Michele, again, and this time it didn’t work…help, help, help…..

9- Is it a problem in my computer, folks?

10- So, I emailed the wonderful Michele. But that came back….and it came into me little teeny tiny paranoid mind, that The Blogging God’s are out to get me…yes, “GET ME”!

11- So then, I went back to my Michele connection, (the wonderful Aginoth,) and clicked on the link to Michele’s one more time and ..Aha! This time it worked!

12- So there I am on Michele’s site, for only the second time today…suffering terrible withdrawal symptoms….and I see that Michele has written something about problems with Typepad, (her Blog Host…if that is the correct name for what Typepad is…) and that it had caused problems with her site, including her email address not functioning…(Aha, again…), and she gave a NEW Email address to use…..Well, I thought, this explains my problems….But, in fact, it didn’t and doesn’t.

13- So, here at 1:ooam, I am still unable to go on to Michele’s site and haven’t a clue as to why! I did email Michele at the new address hoping she will be able to tell me if I need to do something to get me back on her site, or what….it’s too soon for her to have answered me and I pray she does, and that she can solve this dilemma for me. And, anyone who has any ideas, feel free to pass them on to me….And, just so you know…I checked ALL my settings in case the Internet Gremlins screwed them up…but they are just fine. Now, you may ask, why is it soooo important that I be able to get on to Michele’s site? Well, anyone who needs to ask that has not visited her and become hooked by the most inclusive fun site I know. Agreed, all? (For the uninitiated: Go to Aginoth’s and click on his Michele link….and have some ‘fun’ for me!)

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SHAMBALA

At this time of year we all get so many things in the mail asking for money...it's almost obscene, in a way. I know all of these Charity's are very worthy and all are in great need, but....but....this end of the year thing is overwhelming. I probably get 10 of these kinds of letters a day, and most I just toss, because either I have given what I can already, or, I'm just not able to give to everyone...I mean, who is?

But I find that I lean towards all the Animal one's almost more than any other at this time of year....especially, the smaller organizations that really need my help more than some of the huge one's. Shambala Preserve, is just such a one...I don't know if any of you are familiar with this but the actress, Tippi Hedren started this preserve in 1972 and it's on eight acres of land out in an area about 40 miles north of Los Angeles called Acton. Miss Hedren lives right there on the property and this preserve is a habitat for endangered exotic big cats. There are African Lions, Siberian & Bengal tigers, leopards, servals, mountain lions, bobcats, a lynx, a Florida Panther, a snow leopard and an amazing cheetah...Shambala is maintained by the Roar Foundation, Miss Hedren's Foundation. This is truly an amazing place and the animals there are protected and live out their lives in an environment close to what would be a natural environment. None of them could survive in the wild, and almost all have been rescued from sure death. This place is maintained with funds raised in a number of ways, but the bread and butter way is from people such as you and I, giving, or adopting, or going on Safari there, or just generally supporting with donations throughout the year. If you are able to visit this fantastic place, it is an experience that you will never forget.

A few years ago I did the Weekend Safari. You make reservations either on the Saturday or Sunday of Safari Weekend, and then all the people are given an extensive tour of the entire preserve. It's really awesome. Here is a picture of a couple of the lions about to get a treat...You can see the guy in the photo is just about to throw this big bone over into their very very large living area...And they know it! These animals are not petable at all. Only the people who work there are able to feed them or see to their medical needs. But they are fascinating to visit and enjoy from a safe distance.

They have a wonderful program there where you can adopt an animal. What that means is, you send a certain amount of money for one month's care, or if you can afford it, for one year's care. And, you can go visit your Lion or Tiger, or whatever you choose, on one special Saturday a month, set aside just for adoptive parents....and you bring your Lion a BIG BONE, as a treat. (The meat counter guy in Ralph's market had quite a time getting his mind around me needing a femur bone...) For two years I adopted a Lion named Nigel. I wish this was a better picture..but it's all I could get....He was a very noble fellow. And he wasn't the prettiest of all the lions, but I decided on him because he had never been adopted....and that touched my heart.

That was about 5 years ago. And I recived the Shambala Newsletter a few months ago and learned that my Nigel had died. I cried. These animals crawl into your heart just like your little kitty's do. But, he lived a good life at Shambala and it was a life he never would have had, without this wonderful place.

Do go read about Shambala because I cannot possibly do it justice. You may just decide to send them a small donation for this end of the year Christmas Season-2005.

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Just what do you suppose the people who put this brochure together were really thinking when they decided on this photo?

This arrived in my mail on Saturday....and I took a look at that girls tush and thought, 'What the hell.....' and then I saw that this was a weight loss advertisement!! HUH??????

What great mind's sat around and thought this up, do you suppose? I mean, I'm ALWAYS interested in Weight Loss products....(interested, but rarely do I order them....), but this is the first time I've ever gotten something like this in the mail that was so...In Your Face, and basically looks like an ad for Hooters, I mean, it's like an advertisement for a Pole Dancing Bar!.....Well, you know what I mean...

The most frightening part is, there isn't one word about what the ingredient or ingredients are in these tablets....just that you only need four of them. And you mean, if I just use 4 of those tablets my buns will look like the girl in the photo? Notice how this young woman has no face....!

Do I really want to look like that?

Nooooo, on second thought, I don't think I want to be all buns, with no face.

Nevermind.

If you were going to name this product, what would you call it?

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TRUTH TIME


So I said I wanted to put the fun back in my blogging life, and I surely did with the Liar Liar Pants On Fire post.....

There was a great response to this and I urge you all to try it cause it really is fun....so, now, after being so very patient, here are the facts!

Almost one third of you voted for one answer, and the rest were pretty much divided evenly between the other three. So....

#3, was the answer that most people gave as the lie.......The affair with the NFL Football Star, remember?....Well, dear readers, you were wrong! And, it actually was much more than an affair, and though it was a very long time ago, this was very much not the lie....And as some of you may have noticed...I am a very private person when it comes to certain things....and remember, I've only been doing this blogging deal since October....so, I'm not excatly comfortable yet sharing certain things, and I have never been one to kiss and tell, (I consider myself extremely discreet....),anyway....so, suffice it to say, I fell in love with this very beautiful man and was pretty much obssessed with him for over two years....we did have some very wonderful times together, but alas...it was never going to be more than it was....

What was interesting to me about some people's logic was: they didn't see how I might even know a Famous Football player....well, I certainly can understand that, but dear readers, he was and is much more than a football player....he always was an Artist first, and he played professional football because he was very good at it and it paid the bills and subsidized his art. And by the way, he retired as soon as he could afford to do so....And Dak-Ind, he was a Ram,
but it was way over 20 years ago. And just on a very lovely note: he was and is one very handsome sexy man! So, the majority of you got that one wrong! And by the way, no name will be forthcoming...

The next most popular answer was #4- The Dead Body. And yes, I actually did find a dead body...and this was a really really long time ago! It's a long story and I'll tell more of it some other time, but for now, here's the bare bones; I was traveling with my mother and we had stayed at a small Summer Hotel near Stroudsburg, Pa. just on edge of the Pocono's, for just one night. We had parked the car in this little 5 car garage, which belonged to the Hotel and was right their on the property, but was a seperate building entirely. That next morning when we were leaving, we saw that the door to the garage space next to ours was open, and I just couldn't help but look in....when I did I saw right away that there was no car inside, but that there, on the floor was this very neat blanket, and as I moved where I could see more of the banket, I then saw that there was this man lying on top of the blanket. He was lying on his left side in a slightly fetel position, and he was very very still.....and in fact, on closer inspection, it was pretty obvious that he looked like he was dead. And he was in fact dead, having killed himself early that morning, shooting himself in the temple. That was a pretty gruesome and traumatic discovery, to say the least.

The least popular answer, but just by a tiny bit, was #2-The Brassiere.
That I took my brassiere of in a play, is also true. Yes, I did indeed have to take my Brassiere off in a play and as a matter of fact, I was the first woman to ever do that on the stage of The Mark Taper Forum, at the famed The Los Angeles Music Center. It was not in any way gratuitous nudity or I do not think I could have done it. It was a very important part of the play and it was there to illustarate the sexual wanderings of a husband's mind during a small dinner party of just three couples, where the husband of the main character named Lenore Adler, imagines the two other women at the dinner table are disrobing and then that the three of them, (the two woman and L.A.'s husband, that is,) are having a three-way orgiastic thingy on the floor, and this ALL happens in his mind, (but is illustrated by the actors....) and all the while they all continue to talk about the salad and the main course, etc, as if everyone is still eating dinner at the dinnertable, which in fact the other three characters---Lenore, and the two other husband's---still are!...It was a really wonderful play called L.A. Under Seige, by a brilliant writer named Mayo Simon. And because the play took place in Los Angeles, the title had the double meaning of Lenore Adler and Los Angeles, too.

So, now you know, dear people, that the lie here was Marilu Henner giving me my kitty. No, she did not. But she could have, because she is my next door neighbor. But here's the best part of this whole story, another next door neighbor DID give me my kitty Mooney. This neighbor lived in the same house as Marilu lives in now, before Marilu of course, and he and his wife were the most wonderful neighbors and truly the dearest sweetest people I've ever had as neighbors, ever ever! They were just sweet dear peope, period!
I remember the first day I met him; my doorbell rang and I went to see who it was, and when I opened the door there stood this incredibly dashing looking attractive man who said, "Hi, I'm Pierce Brosnan, and I'm your new neighbor, and I just wanted to introduce myself....".
He proceeded to write down his wife's name as well as his, and his phone number, on a pad he was carrying "....just in case you ever need anything...."; what a lovely lovely man....what a lovely lovely couple. And when my 20 1/2 year old cat was dying, Pierce came over to see her....I'll never forget the sweetness of that gesture...and the day after she died, the Brosnan's two older kids brought this darling little kitty over to me, which was such a thoughtful and feeling thing to do. It was and still is, deeply touching to me.


Eventually Cassie became quite ill with Ovarian Cancer and they moved to the beach in Malibu....I truly missed them a lot! It wasn't that we were in each others face all the time...not at all. It was just knowing that he had made that very first gesture towards me and to other neighbors too... right after they moved in...and he lived up to that first gesture like the very dear gentleman that he is.....and you knew, that if anything came up, you could call on them, and they would be there.


Here is Mooney!

I ran into Pierce in a restaurant a couple of years after they had moved to Malibu and after Cassie had died. He couldn't have been more gracious. Among other things he asked after Mooney.."How's Maugey?" And I said 'Oh...no her name is Mooney'....and he said, "Yes I know, but Maugey is the Irish name for Cat."
How dear is that? And how dear is Miss Moon?

So there it is my fellow bloggers...do try this one, it is a whole lot of fun!

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LIAR, LIAR,
PANTS ON FIRE!

Today, I'm putting the fun back in my Blogging life. About a week ago or so, I saw this one over at the very talented Colleen’s blog…and loved it, so I stole the idea from her, but I know she won't mind.

Below I have written out four things about me. Three are true, and one is not. See if you can figure out which one of these four things is not true! I will reveal the Lie, after everyone has tried to guess it. This one really is a lot of fun!

1) Marilu Henner gave me my kitty.

2) I had to take off my brassiere in a play.

3) I had a serious affair with a famous NFL Football player.

4) I once found a dead body.

Can you guess which of these things is a lie?

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THURSDAY THIRTEEN

I'm going to try this Thursday Thirteen thingy...


1. I started blogging around October 6th, 2005. At that point, I knew only one person personally, that is--- Danny Miller, that had a blog. I had no idea what I was going to write about or anything else...but, write, I did., and a lot!

2. It is interesting to go back and look at these first posts and read them. They were, at that time, all text...in fact dense with text, you might say. And I like a lot of the things I wrote about and at that point, I had almost no readership, shall we say, but Danny Miller and his lovely wife, Kendall. I've known Kendall, since she was a little girl, because her parents were/are good friends of mine, and that's how I met Danny Miller, her then to be husband.

3. When they became engaged, Kendall---having converted to Judism and knowing that I am able to legally marry people explained to me that if I were a Rabbi, I could marry them, but since I am a non-denominational Reverend of The Universal Life Church...(in actuality, no Church at all...) and not a Rabbi, they would not be calling on me to perform their wedding ceremony, though they would love to.....I tell you this, only by way of telling you, that's how well I know Kendall and Danny....And that is why when Kendall suggested I read Danny's blog, and in fact, said I should have a blog, myself....well, I did and I do....and as they say, the rest is history.

3 1/2. So yesterday I worked ALL day, gathering pictures for a future post for HERE IN THE HILLS, that was on my old Blog....which most of you have not read....and it is a post that I always wished I had pictures for, to illustrate many of the things I was writing about.

4. At the time I wrote this post, I didn't have a clue as to how to put pictures anywhere on this--new to me thing called a 'blog'.....I didn't have any pictures and I had no scanner or digital camera, and I had no idea that there was a thing called Google Images. I know...hard to believe, but true....and quite frankly, I had seen pictures on Danny's blog, but didn't know I could put them on my blog.
And, now that I know how to get some of these photo's, I find it great fun looking for images to illustrate my posts, especially since discovering this treasure trove of visual goodies that are here on the Internet. It's like picking out candy at See's Candy's, or choosing yummy things from a buffet brunch at one of the upscale hotels here in Los Angeles. And now that my scanner is working, and I can call upon all the thousands of photographs I have taken myself, it has been even more exciting to create posts where photographs are essentual, to my way of thinking...most exciting and great fun!

5. So...I was having a terrible time finding any photo's what-so-ever for one of the people I had written about in this post: Bobby Lewis. I do not undertand how Google cannot have images for this man. He was one of the great great Theatre Directors of The Golden Age Of Broadway, and a very famous Acting teacher, too! I mean...VERY FAMOUS! He worked with almost all the most talented actors of that generation and mine, too, and so it is completely astonishing to me that not one photo of him could I find on the greatest of search engines, Google!

6. This is so frustrating to me because there are umpteen photo's of all sorts of Bobby Lewis' that may be known to other people, but not to me...I tried a couple of different ways: Bobby Lewis and The Group Theatre...(One of the most influential theatre groups in the 1930's that ultimately influenced acting, directing and writing in America probably more than any other theatre group, ever, and it spawned The Actor's Studio, which was a further incredibly important part of the road that actors took in the '40's & '50's, and had, again, the deepest effect on all acting methods in this country that still exists today....well, Bobby was one of the founding members of both these entity's! And Google has no pictures of this man???? Well, I was so very frustrated, I began talking out loud to Google!!!

7. So, finally, after finding photo's of the other people referred to in this post and giving myself somewhat of a choice of each to choose from when I get to that part of the 'posting process'....I decided that, because I now have a working scanner, I can scan in the photo's from the book covers of two of Bobby's three books, which I own....HOORAY!
I did that and was extremely pleased with myself for coming up with this fabulous solution to the Google failure.

8. And they came out pretty good, I thought....so, I did all my copying and pasting of the text of the post itself; edited mistakes I could see now which I did not see back when I originally posted it....and began the tedious process..,(Blogger does not make it easy...or maybe I just STILL don't know how to do this the correct way)....the tedious process of getting my pictures into this post.

9. Blogger would not let me upload the first image of Bobby. It said "done" but when I went to 'compose'...no picture was there....now, that has happened before and then finally after many attempts and changing positions of the photo, it will be there. Not last night. I finally thought to myself, perhaps the photo is too big. That thought had not occurred to me before....(are you getting the thought process here...first, I never knew about pictures; then, I don't know how to 'get' pictures; then I DO know how to get pictures, but don't know how to get them on Blogger...etc., etc., etc.....and NOW, I'm thinking...maybe this photo is too big...! Such an evolution!)

10. So....I attempt to take the photo and put it in Adobe Photo Shop and start to try to learn how to re-size this picture....many hours later....now around 2 am....I have learned how to re-size the picture, I think...saved it, I think, but when I go back to 'My Pictures' the photo is still the BIG one...(much screaming and gnashing of teeth followed...) No one told me there would be these frustrations! No one told me I would want to pull my hair out! No one told me that I could get sooo caught up in all this blogging shit, that it would take over my life!

11. I practically don't DO anything else! I practically don't think about anything else! This has become a deep obsession keeping me up till 4am or later!!!! This is not a good thing. No good at all. I worry because I haven't posted anything in 12 hours; I worry that people will be bored with my posts. This is sick.

12. What started out as a fun thing, for me, and I mean, for Me...has now become this out-of-my-control obsessional horror! I actually fell asleep this morning, sitting in front of my computer in my chair, staring at this fucking Adobe Photo Shop Tutorial...I mean, I can barely sleep at night in my bed....so to fall asleep sitting in my computer chair staring at my computer, is truly sick!

13. I'm sooooo far behind in everything else in my life, that I feel completely overwhelmed and want to just go to bed and pull the covers over my head! Is this the typical blogging routine? Do we all start out having fun and then quickly get to where we want to pull the covers over our heads, or, is it just me? (it woudn't surprise me if it was just me...) The other day when I couldn't get my computer powered up and therefor couldn't do anything..I was relieved! Yes, I was truly relieved and the next day, Sunday, I spent the day mostly sleeping and looking at DVD's I had committed to watch as a Screen Actors Guild Nominating Committee Voter...falling asleep three times in one film...not because it was bad, but because it relaxed me and I could then rest....Jane, of janelovestarzan had written me an email and in it she had said, '...don't you find blogging like having a job, sometimes?...'. Oh yes, dear Jane, I surely do! And I am going to quit this job, and try and go back to having fun again!


Is this what a Thrsday Thirteen is? I hope I did this right.

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REGENTS PARK, AGAIN


These two gorgeous Roses are from Queen Mary's Garden in Regents Park, London.
(No, we are not done with this Cotswolds/London trip, yet....at least I'm not...(lol)

The Rose Garden there is very very beautiful....and here is another picture to give you just a little bit more of a feeling about the specialness of this garden....unfortunately, pictures do not do it justice, but, at least it gives you a little bit of an idea of how very spectacular and special this garden really is....




I love the way this Rose Garden is circular, and I also love those Garlands of Roses, (if that is what you call them) and the way they are hugging the outer part of the circle over to the right there in the photo.

Everything is so beautifully manicured in this Garden, yet it is friendly and inviting and doesn't make you feel that you have to be 'formal', though it is stunningly formal. A true treasure!


One more picture from Regent's Park....


I had never seen Black Pansy's before, in my life. And, have never seen them since I saw these, there in Regent's Park. Pretty Amazing, isn't it?

I don't know if Black Pansy's are terribly rare, or possibly just not popular and that is why I've never seen them before or since....

All I do know is, they were absolutely stunning!

Have you ever seen a lot of Black Pansy's?

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A FEW THINGS....



I have not been able to be on my Computer since Saturday night, because of a failure...THANK GOD, it was not my new Computer, but an OLD Surge Protector...so I'm very behind in my blogging and in my visiting, too...
I'm so naive that it never occurred to me that a surge protector could fail! Hello, Oh, Nurse???? Thus....this picture today.

Second, here's a picture, taken with my digital camera!!! Yes, I finally have it....well in all candor, I have had this camera for a while, just did not know how to use it till
recently. Oh, Nurse! Again!

This was taken not quite a week ago....this is just a teeny tiny view of my Front Cactus Garden, with a touch of Bouganvilla....and for the sake of accuracy, that plant is not a true cactus...it's a Senico, and is a gorgeous person! And yes, the Bougenvilla is still blooming wherever I have it, and, I might add, BEAUTIFULLY, BEAUTIFULLY!

And,
Third, to catch up a bit, I have been wanting to tell you all about a Fantastic Post I read a few weeks ago which made me laugh and made me cry, too...I think anything that can do that, is Genius!
It is, to me, very profound. It's an essay on "The Wizard Of Oz", written by Danny Miller, who I have spoken about a few times before on my blog. Danny is a very very wonderful writer and many of his posts are fascinating to read....I hope you will take a look and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. I have wanted to share this very brilliant piece with everyone since I read it, and today was a wonderful opportunity to do so, given how far behind I am. Sharing this today because I did not get to write anything myself, doesn't take anything away from what Danny has written, because I've been looking for just the right opportunity to post about this very brilliant piece, and here it is. (If the link above does not work, go to dannymiller.typepad.com, and look for Schlepping Over The Rainbow, in his list of recent posts.)


(Hope the Blogger problems clear up soon....Lord, if it isn't one thing, it's ten! LOL....NOT!)

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A

MEME


(Not sure what this drawing has to do with anything but it was on Google Images, under MEME...so, what the...I didn't have anything better....)



I saw this on Tan Lucy Pez, and thought it was a good one! So, here it is I and thank you very much, Tan Lucy…,


WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO?

I was writing, painting, and composing and engaged in lots of activities out in the world.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING 1 YEAR AGO?

Recovering from a very very bad Bronchitis, and beginning my confinement to home due to related health issues.

5 SNACKS YOU ENJOY.

1- Seedless Grapes.
2- A Few Roasted Almonds.
3- Dried Tan Figs.
4- Scharffenberger Bittersweet Chocolate (in my dreams…!)
5- A little bit of Cheese (if it’s in the house)

5 SONGS TO WHICH YOU KNOW ALL THE LYRICS

Here’s That Rainy Day
Every Time We Say Goodbye
The Party’s Over
In The Wee Small Hours
Silent Night


5 THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU WERE A MILLIONAIRE

Pay off my existing mortgage.
Invest in safe income bearing things.
Give to a lot of charities.
Help all my family and friends who need it.
Have dinners and party’s for small groups of friends where everything is catered, and I would do this at least once a month.


5 BAD HABITS

Eating too much fat & sugar
Watching too much television
Being a perfectionist
Expecting too much from other people
Spending too much time on the computer


5 THINGS YOU LIKE DOING

Eating Chocolate
Blogging
Watching television
Spending time with friends
Creating, anything and everything


5 THINGS YOU WILL NEVER WEAR AGAIN

High Heals.
Girdles…. (Do they still make girdles?)
A Size 6 Anything!
Slinky Evening Gowns
Silk Stockings


5 FAVORITE TOYS

The Computer
My DVD Player
Any and All Paints Color Pencils Crayons, etc.
My Cat Sweetie… a dear “living” toy
The Digital Camera

That was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I LIKED IT!

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THE COTSWOLDS/LONDON-

PART 7

We had been on-the-road, at this point, for about 13 hours, and now it was time to head back to London….But, before we leave The Cotswolds I want to share a few more photo’s from that day….Here is our driver, Ray… All of us were so very grateful to him for everything he brought to us and for helping to make this the magical memorable day that it was….

These are in no particular order….

A Field Of Rape...

Some Sheep In The Meadow















John M. looking at a lovely old building.












Betty, sitting by the water...













Some lovely horses by the roadside...






And so, we returned to London, tired, but sated and happier than any of us dreamed we could ever be….


After returning to the Hotel, Cousin Carol took this next photo of me with my NOW two special bears, and the Beautiful Birthday Bouquet sent to me by friends in the states while sitting in my lovely room, on my lovely bed, with my lovely bears!










Before I started this Cotswolds saga, I began by talking about why we all came to London in the first place….(if you remember back that far,) it was dear Betty Garrett, the catalyst for so very many group happenings over many many years….I knew I had a picture of her performing at Pizza On The Park, but could not find it….Well, here it is! With her is the wonderful late John Mosher, her then beau and bass player, too!













I found some other photo’s that had eluded me, too…One of the wonderful things that Charley Berliner and Cousin Carol and I did to celebrate my London/Cotwolds Birthday was to go to Harrods for lunch…(Good to do, even if it isn’t your Birthday!!) where, if asked, the Pipers come by and play Happy Birthday to you….LOVELY, LOVELY AND MORE THAN LOVELY! In fact, it is a FABULOUS thing to do!
















In that first post I mentioned a lot of things we did during this trip….one of those things was going to Regents Park. I had a specific reason for wanting to go to see this particular park….a very talented painter---a modern master, really, named Morris Broderson, who is a very dear friend as well as a painter that I have been collecting forever…had, many years before painted a particular view of Queen Mary's Garden, which is a large circular area in this beauitiful Park, and is, in fact, this truly gorgeous garden….I so wanted to see what he had painted in actuality, and then, take a picture of it to show him that I had actually been there! This is the view, and then, the opposite view, as well....













I love all these many species of birds living together in harmony....







More to come....probably the last of the Saga of The Cotswolds.....(maybe....and then again....maybe not....lol....)

I thank everyone for visiting yesterday and leaving such touching and heartfelt comments....it meant a great deal to me; more than I can say. And I thank Michele with all my heart, too, for sending so many of you here who might not have dropped by, and to all those 'regulars' that come by just because they feel like it, I thank you too, with all my heart, for your very loyal and constant support....blogger friends, all!

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