strange but true...

Why would I post this Mah Jongg hand? Because it's strange but true. I play Mah Jongg once a month with my Mah Jongg buddies and we played three games and I won all three of them...stranger still...with these tiles!
What does it mean?...2 flowers, 4 dragons,NEWS, and 4 more dragons. (You can see the hand in the right hand corner of the card.) To win all 3 games was strange enough...but with the same hand?
I just had to post it so I remember it!

This will make you smile...

goin' on a sentimental journey...

You are right Judith Ann! (referring to the question at the end of the January 12th post) Judith Ann commented "a friend is someone who likes you" is the title of an old book by Joan Walsh Anglund, published in 1958. You really tweaked my memory when you mentioned it. She wrote very sweet, gentle books for children." That's right Miss Judy from the West Side (I know who you are...)....The book "A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You" was one in a series of books by Joan Walsh Anglund that I loved as a child. The simple stories, the enchanting illustrations won my heart and still evokes emotions to this day.

Ms. Anglund wrote over 90 childrens books and I still treasure my original copies from my childhood. My parents would give me one of Joan Walsh Anglund's book whenever a new one was published. What a lovely tradition that was...Now being the sentimental fool I am it brought tears to my eyes when I scanned a few of these for my blog and I looked at the inscription inside the front jackets...
It is amazing that these illustrations can evoke such emotion even without noses and mouths, isn't it?

When I was about 7 I appeared on a Dinah Shore special titled "Children Are People". I hosted the show with Jay North and Teddy Rooney and the entire cast was made up of kids. (Dinah was taking a week off I guess). I remember the show was a kick to do and during one segment I sat in a big ole chair and read the entire book"A Friend is Someone Who Likes You".
ending with:

Some people have lots and lots of friends…
Some people have quite a few friends…
but everyone…
everyone in the whole wide world has at least one friend.
Where did you find yours?”

It makes me smile to remember that...

Many of Anglunds books are out of print books now, but some can be found at Alibris...or on EBAY
The Silver Edition of A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You is available on Amazon. And Love Is A Special Way Of Feeling, is available there too...just in time for Valentines Day...
all illustrations by Joan Walsh Anglund

freeze frame...

Last night Heather Menzies (Louisa) and I headed to the opening reception of an exhibit at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, called "Freeze Frame: 5 Decades of Photographs by Douglas Kirkland." The renowned photographer had taken this photograph above of us in Salzburg, Austria while we were filming "The Sound of Music." At our mini reunion there was also Charmian Carr (Leisl) and Kym Karath (Gretyl) posing here with Douglas Kirkland.


Here we are at the premier of The Sound of Music...we haven't changed that much have we?

The exhibit is really fantastic with 125 color and black and white photographs by Kirkland that represent a literal 'who's-who' of the film world in the last half-century. It showcases images of such classic and current screen stars as Audrey Hepburn, Robert Redford, Julie Christie, and the list goes on and on. Well worth seeing, it opens today, January 18th in the Academy's Grand Lobby Gallery, 8949 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills. Admission is free.

As an added bonus, on the Academy's fourth floor is another exhibit "Casting A Shadow - Creating the Alfred Hitchcock Film." My sister Veronica played 'Cathy' in this Hitchcock classic and there are film clips, sketches and photographs from many of Hitchcock's classics...

Sis Veronica in "The Birds" with Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren...
Click here for a cool link to The Birds and other Hitchcock Films


If you have never seen "The Birds" it is one scary movie...
Here is a picture of my brother Chris when he visited Veronica on the set of "The Birds".
Isn't this a great photograph? I don't know who took it, but it's classic.

All for now...

a place to bark loudly...

I don't usually post stuff like this because I know we all have our own personal charities and organizations that we hold dear and contribute to, but I wanted to make you aware of this organization "A Place To Bark" because I know how tirelessly my artist friend Bernie works for the salvation of these animals. A Place to Bark has a chance to win a 50k grant with a guaranteed 25k matching grant for any donations made. All it takes is a $10.00 donation to increase their chances of winning 50k grant money and Bernie is on her way to seeing her dream of an animal shelter come true. However, time is of the essence. for the grant, January 31st is the deadline... All you have to do is click on the link below to donate... I know that some of you are animal lovers...and if you can help you will...If you donate, you will receive a receipt immediately, all donations are tax deductible.

For more information, click on Bernies blog below. Thanks in advance to any of you who can help!

http://www.aplacetobark.blogspot.com

mixed emotions....

That's right...even though the book signing was for my book Mixed Emulsions and In This House the whole event brought about mixed Emotions. There was a terrific turnout and I loved meeting and signing the books for everyone who came by.
I must say it was exciting to see all the books lined up in the window of Barnes & Noble...These are the payoffs for hours and hours of blood, sweat and tears. Ok...so maybe that is a bit dramatic...but there are physical demands on writers and artists...and with the mind bending and tight deadlines, stretching and walking and taking the self time can quickly fly out the window.

The talented and prolific artist Kelly Kilmer dropped by with her son Tristan. It was cool that during my discussion I was able to share the house she had created for In This House with the group. Kelly had used her house template to create a journal of her childhood and to explore her Irish roots. Just one of the many way this house template can explore the journey we're on. I had brought several of the houses to the event because they are so wonderful to see in person and Kelly's was one of them. I was moved when I saw my parents faces in the crowd, and the smiles on my families faces ...and I was touched to see some of my closest friends had dropped by to wish me well...or was it for the wine we shared afterwards... ? It was just cool...what can I say...

A friend is someone who likes you....
Anyone out there know who wrote that line?

meet me at the grove...

I hope you will come out and see next Thursday at my
Book Signing at Barnes & Noble.
I'll be signing both "In This House" and "Mixed Emulsions" and
I hope you will come up to the 3rd floor to say hello.
January 10 7:30 pm
Barnes & Noble at the Grove at Farmers Market

sliding into 2008

Welcome 2008!

Yep, that's me with a snowman, one of the corner pieces from the gameboard of the game "Buttons & Bows" that my friend Kevin Burns gave me for Christmas. He found it on EBAY and it is pristine condition. Even the spinner is all shiny and new. It's never been played with. Pretty cool for being almost 50! I found this picture of me wearing and balancing some of the merchandise they came out with during the "Danny Thomas Show" days. I had a whole line of clothes, hats and games. I'll be posting some of those old pix throughout the year...when I'm feeling nostalgic.

ART PARTS:

There's a new magazine out by Stampington & Company called
They printed two pictures of mine in it that I took of my parents hands. It's a cool concept in a picture book of photography. These pictures were shot with my Canon EOS film camera. This magazine has just been released. Click here for more info about it.

Stampington also came out with a magazine called Artist Cafe.

They reprinted my first article in Somerset Studios magazine that appeared in March/April 2005. But the magazine has lots of great articles that they reprinted from some of the best artists around. It is truly inspiring, and worth picking up.

There's lots on the horizon for this year and I better get started. Stay tuned for the latest news in my realm. A peaceful new year is my wish to all.