Dancing With the Stars Finale

Picking a Dancing with the Stars winner wasn't about fame, or favorites, it came down to the underdog who learned how to dance, gave 110 percent at every dance and worked to win over the crowd in the end. I believe that the Final Dance competition on Monday night, November 26th, is what propelled Helio into winning form. Had Mel and Max and Marie and Jonathon danced something other than those disappointing final dances the competition might have crowned a different winner.

The Dancing with the Stars is done for another season with the rightful winners It's over! finally! For the last ten weeks my entire household have sat on the edge of their seats with each elimination. Some eliminations were fair, others were shocking. I haven't felt this much of a building climax in a television series since all those years ago when television audiences everywhere watched and waited to see who shot J.R. Ewing on the popular television series, Dallas.

~Valley Girl~

10 Things to Know About the Griffith Observatory

Here’s my pick for an afternoon of fun with the family that won’t have you reaching into your children’s college fund.

10 Things to Know About the Griffith Observatory;

1. Admission is FREE. If you visit the food café or the gift shop it can be costly.
2. Recently renovated the observatory showcases more displays on science, and space.
3. The parking situation is not so great. There is a small lot outside of the observatory, but other than that there is free parking along the hillside. You will be walking up a hill to enter the observatory, so wear some walking shoes.
4. The Observatory came very close to being burned down in the fire of October, 2007
   and the charred hillsides are still evident of how close the fire came.
5. There are picnic areas and trails that provide an afternoon of fun. Dogs are welcome
   on the trail, but must be leashed.
6. The observatory sits on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood and the land mark HOLLYWOOD sign and view of the L.A. basin is visible from the terrace of the observatory.
7. A feature attraction is to see how much you weigh on other planets. You might be
   pleasantly surprised by how little you weigh on the Moon, Mercury, Mars and others.
8. If you’re in the science room you can have your picture taken with a bronze statue of Albert Einstein.
9. The view of the neighboring towns below the observatory is breathtaking. On a clear day one might be able to see to the ocean.
10. As dusk settles the lights come on from the L.A. basin below and as darkness descends the
    view is absolutely amazing, truly a city bathed in lights.

Some Historical Facts about California Observatories • Observatory builders looked to the western states to find places with good observing weather in the 1800’s.

• California was the perfect spot. It had coastal mountain ranges rising into dry air blowing off the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean. These conditions combine to provide the calmest air in the country.
• Griffith Observatory is 1,050 ft above sea level, opened in 1935

• Other Observatories in California include;
• Mt. Wilson Observatory, established December, 1904 in the San Gabriel Mountains of
  Southern California
• Lick Observatory, opened June, 1888, in San Jose County
• Palomar Observatory, opened November, 1949, in Northern San Diego County

Stars Among Us

I've heard it said that there are movie stars living among us in the San Fernando Valley, but they are elusive in their disguises and while they might turn up at any moment I wonder if we would even recognize them if we were face to face with them?

Not to long ago a friend went to dinner and she recognized a voice from another table. The lady was much older than her televison days, but it was her. It was the actress Rose Marie who played Sally Rogers on the Dick Van Dyke show.

The Dick Van Dyke show is an American television situation comedy created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It aired on CBS television from 1961 to 1966.

~Valley Girl~

Dogs Rule Cats Drool

Read about the adventures of two dogs and their attempt to get rid of the housecat, in the Dogs Rule Cats Drool blog at http://dogsrulecatsdrool.wordpress.com/

See what Sassy the cat is thankfull for on this Thanksgiving.

Happy Reading!

~Valley Girl~

Thanksgiving Memories!

Memories of the celebrations with friends and family become so blended together that it becomes harder to remember one from another. Thanksgiving, at least for me, seems to be the holiday that is the least set in tradition and it's an ever changing holiday and no two have ever been the same. It's probably why it's also seasier to remember some of the most funniest moments.

This year in the San Fernando Valley there were no pickets lines to cross to buy my turkey. A few years ago there was a five month long strike with the food commercial workers union, Local 770. The days on the calendar continued to pass and there was no end in sight to the strike and I still neeeded a turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner I promised to cook. Oh! there were frozen turkeys to be had, but I never cook frozen, I mean it must be a tough a rubber when it's done cooking. Fresh never frozen is the only way to make a turkey. So, I went to a store where no-one would recognize me and made sure it was dark outside. I apologized profusely to the strikers standing on the picket line and told them that I totally supported the strike and what it stood for, but I was terribly sorry that I had to cross the picket lines to buy a turkey. But, get this dinner came out great. Isn't that the coolest?

Our first Thanksgiving in our first house sort of unfolded like the children's story The Night Before Christmas. Twas the night before Thanksgiving when all through the house we were settling in to a long winters nap when what to my wondering eyes did appear, but water pooling on the kitchen floor. I sprang from my chair, threw open the kitchen cabinets and found the pipes sprouting water. Do you know how hard it is to pull off dinner for over 20 with no kitchen plumbing?

The strangest Thanksgiving I ever had was at my in-laws house and a turkey was cooked in one of those foil pans. When the turkey was lifted out of the oven the flimsy aluminum pan buckled in the middle and the turkey flipped out of the pan and slid like a bowling ball across the floor. No-one really cared that the turkey had hit the floor we were all too excited waiting for the phone to ring. Halfway through dinner we got the call from the hospital that a new member of the family had been born. That new family member is 17 years old today.

No matter what your memories are for today, remember to be thankful for what you have.

Happy Eating!

~Valley Girl~

Don't Squeeze the Charmin

Mr. Whipple a television commercial icon won't be squeezing any more rolls of Charmin tissue. Mr. Whipple, actually the actor Dick Wilson quitely passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Monday, November 19, 2007. Wilson was 91 and his acting career featured both onstage and dozens of television show and movies. He had guest rolls in Westerns and sitcoms and he was a regular on "Bewitched" and "McHale's Nacy". His film career spanned more than 30 years.

The Charmin television commercials had to be the best example of grown ups having fun and getting into as much trouble as kids. Featured on television during the late 60's, 70's and 80's The commerical featured a group of women squeezing the soft rolls of and Mr. Whipple chasing them away from it, however, he as soon as the woman were gone he couldn't resist squeezing the Charmin.

Thanks for the Memories.

A Mothers Network

Long before parents bought kids cell phones to keep track of them during the day, our mothers knew what we were up to without ever leaving the house. How did they know when we were up to no good? Did they have eyes in the back of their heads or were they actually following us throughout the day? But, we never saw them following us because we thought we were always covering our tracks. By the time we sauntered in for dinner acting cool like nothing had happened dinner was already on the table.

All mothers had this inquisitve way of unveiling our evil deed even though, a few minutes earlier we thought we had the upper hand and had successfully pulled it off. As soon as mother spoke we began to shrink in her presence. Her inquisition usually started with "Well, did you kids have fun running through the Mrs. Palmer's garden and cutting off all her rose blooms? Just what were you thinking? Did you think I wouldn't find out? You know it wasn't like I was born yesterday. I know what you're up to even before you do it."

We were left stunned and the realization that we had been caught red handed settled upon us. "But, but, how did you know?" we stuttered in unison. We were usually sent to bed after a lot of chores and those chores continued for days.

Years later we discovered that mother had it in for us the minute we left the house. She would get on the phone and call the network of other mothers in the neighborhood and have them report back to her if they saw that we were up to no good.

~Valley Girl~

Nobody Writes in Los Angeles

As the writers strike continues the Veterans Building in the North East San Fernando Valley has become a ghost town. It used to be a bustle of activity in the morning with the filming of the many television shows that use these grounds. Television stars trailers are delivered right after the first rays of sun become visible in the east part of the valley. A few hours later crews are busy with setting up food tents for the people involved in the days filming. On the streets yellow signs with black arrows and the name of the show are always posted on nearby light poles. Some days the signs have a code name for the television show and at other times the code name is forgotten and the name of the television show is on the sign. It totally makes for an interesting drive in the morning.

~Valley Girl~