I’ve never been to Washington, D.C. It’s always been on my “bucket list” of things to do before I depart this world. I’m happy to say, if all goes according to plan, this time next year I will be in our nation’s capital on Memorial Weekend. And what better place--so rich in history and so devoted to honoring those who’ve served in the military. I’m looking forward to touring the many monuments, visiting the national cemeteries, observing the wreath-laying ceremony and concert at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, watching the annual parade, and participating in the other events honoring our armed forces.

Since I can’t be in D.C. this year, I will observe Memorial Day in my own town, as many of you do. Remember to fly the flag, attend the parade, participate in the memorial services if possible. You can also pay tribute to the members of our armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice by honoring those who are still with us. Thank those you see in uniform at the airport, the mall, in a restaurant. Offer to buy them a cup of coffee or pay for their dessert. Instill a sense of patriotic pride in your children and grandchildren; sing patriotic songs together. Read or watch the news and remain informed about our current military involvement. Affix an “I Support The Troops” bumper sticker to your car, wear a flag pin on your clothing. Volunteer at a veterans’ hospital or retirement home. Donate to charitable organizations that support military personnel and their families. Contact your local American Legion or VFW for more ways you can show your appreciation for their service to our great country.

Did you know that your jeans are 140 years old? Well, not YOUR jeans per se, but May 20th marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of one of these world-famous garments! In San Francisco in 1873, Levi Strauss had a thriving business selling work clothes and other dry goods during the gold rush days. One of his regular customers, Jacob Davis, contacted Strauss about reinforcing his work pants with copper rivets at the stress points, just as Davis had successfully done with horse blankets. Davis and Strauss applied for and received Patent #139,121 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings,” an innovation that led to the design of the jeans we wear today. Known as waist overalls back then (they weren’t called jeans until much later), denim pants were tremendously popular with miners, farmers, railway workers, cowboys and other laborers; by the 1920s, they were the top-selling men's work pants in the US. A whole new market opened up when gals began wearing them as fashion in the mid-30s. Here is a detailed timeline for those of you who want to know how it all unfolded:

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/bluejeans.htm

Fourteen decades later, there is hardly a person in the world who doesn’t own at least one pair! Colors and styles have changed with the times. We’ve worn them beaded, embroidered, sequinned, studded, painted, bleached, distressed, torn, cut-off, bell-bottomed, flared, skinny, baggy, high-waisted, hip-hugging, and more, but the classic original 501 button-fly design is still around. Now, go put on your favorite jeans and celebrate!

Ray Harryhausen, special effects pioneer, passed away this week at the age of 92. You might not recognize the name, but most certainly you've seen and enjoyed his work. Considered the father of special effects, he was the innovator behind the stop-motion technique later known as Dynamation.

Harryhausen fell in love with the sci-fi genre at age 13, when he first saw King Kong. He experimented with stop-motion photography for years on a small scale until 1947, when he was hired by Willis O’Brien as an assistant animator for the film Mighty Joe Young. Their work won the Academy Award in 1949 for best special effects. After that, Harryhausen became widely renowned for his talents, seen in such classics as The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The Voyages of Sinbad, Jason & The Argonauts, The Valley of Gwangi, One Million Years BC, and the last film to showcase his special effects, the original Clash Of The Titans. Remember those sword-wielding skeletons, the Kraken, Medusa, the Cyclops, the Hydra, the Centaur & the Griffon? All came to life onscreen at the hands of the immensely-talented Ray Harryhausen--and he did it all without a computer or a team of CG artists. Check out this gallery and see how many creatures you remember!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ray_harryhausen/pictures/11029830/#11029830

On June 10, 2003, Harryhausen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An entire generation of animators and sci-fi royalty credit him for inspiration, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, James Lasseter, and Tim Burton. George Lucas said, “Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no Star Wars.” Perish the thought! James Cameron probably summed it up best when he remarked, “…we’re standing on the shoulders of a giant. If not for Ray’s contribution to the collective dreamscape, we wouldn’t be who we are.”

On Monday April 22, the world lost a defining voice of the Woodstock generation. Richie Havens passed away at age 72 after a long and illustrious career. Even if the veteran folk singer had done nothing else before or after 1969, his performance at Woodstock was enough to firmly anchor his place in music history. He was the first act to take the stage that weekend, where he sat on a stool and performed for nearly 2 hours. His improvisational spiritual, “Motherless Child/Freedom” became a highlight of the Woodstock documentary and introduced his talent to audiences worldwide. Haven went on to record for more than 40 years, covering songs by Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Marvin Gaye, Bob Seger, Sting, Steely Dan, and many more popular artists from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, as well as his own compositions. He showcased his favorite artists in his 1987 album entitled “Richie Havens Sings Beatles And Dylan.” Havens was always on tour, retiring from the road just 3 years ago. He once told an interviewer that he never planned his performances except for the opening and closing songs. Undoubtedly, that very spontaneity--combined with his penchant for improvisation and letting us feel the music as it flowed from his heart--is what will always set this musical legend apart from the rest. Thanks Richie--we really enjoyed the show.

As kids, my sister and I would jump off the school bus each day and run into the house to catch reruns of The Mickey Mouse Club Show. Since my mom had dibs on the living room console TV for her soaps (“Shhhhhhh!”), my sister and I were relegated to the small rabbit-eared TV in our parents’ room. We sang and danced along with the Mouseketeers, wishing we could be one of them—especially Annette! So cute with her bright eyes, curly hair and sweet smile—who wouldn’t want to be her?

If we were envious of her then, we were downright green with jealousy when she appeared years later, full-figured and gorgeous, alongside the equally-gorgeous Frankie Avalon on the beach! The movies were impossibly corny and predictable but we didn’t care! The charming Miss Funicello could have read to us from our arithmetic book and we would have watched her! She really did embody the cheerful, all-American girl-next-door.

Annette maintained her sunny disposition her entire life, even after being diagnosed with MS in 1987. Always aware of her connection to the Disney name and her squeaky-clean persona, she chose to go public and announce her disability rather than take the chance that people might mistake her difficulty walking for drunkenness. It was important to Annette that she maintain her image and positive outlook for herself and for her fans. She never gave up, handling each stage of her illness with grace and dignity. Sadly, after years of fighting her disease, her ability to walk and speak stolen from her at the relatively young age of 70, Miss Funicello succumbed to MS on April 8th.

In an industry that all-too-often chews up its young stars and mercilessly spits them out, Annette Funicello not only survived—she thrived. She left this world with her own happy memories AND her squeaky clean reputation firmly intact. She may have lost her battle with MS, but in the eyes of her ever-adoring fans, she won the war.

Each week when the new movies come out in the theaters, I read Roger Ebert’s reviews to see what caught his eye. With Ebert’s recent passing, alas, I’m on my own. As a baseball fan, I’ll probably check out the movie “42,” which tells the history-making story of Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson. He was just one of the many greats who played at Ebbets Field, which has a unique history of its own.

The Dodgers (also called Trolley Dodgers, Robins, Superbas, the Grays,and the Bridegrooms at different times!) spent their early years in a rundown, wooden venue named Washington Park. In 1908, the time had come for a new field, so owner Charlie Ebbets began buying up properties until he owned an entire city block. Construction began in 1912, and just a year later, the Dodgers played their first game at Ebbets Field on April 9, 1913. It would be their home for 45 seasons.

Besides being integral to the Jackie Robinson story, Ebbets and the Dodgers can lay claim to other history-making events. In 1938, Babe Ruth was hired as first base coach. He quit after one season, but his stint with the Dodgers was the Babe's first and only coaching job in major league baseball. Another milestone: the first major league baseball game ever to be televised was played at Ebbets on August 26, 1939--a Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds double-header.

In the mid-50s, Ebbets Field had become too small to house the throngs of fans who wanted a seat, and there was inadequate parking. It was time to build another stadium, but the team’s owner and the city building commissioner could not agree on a new location. After a 2-year standoff, The Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field on September 24, 1957, and headed out to California to become the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ebbets was torn down in 1960, putting an end to the once-great venue and closing an interesting chapter in baseball history.

It was no joke. Back on April 1, 1970, the Beatles held their last recording session for a group album. But that was by no means the last time we would hear from them, as we all know. Even though they went their separate ways, each of the lads enjoyed their own successes, big and small. Just 2 years later in 1972, all 4 former members were back on the UK charts: Paul with a Wings single, John with “Imagine,” George’s “Concert For Bangladesh,” and Ringo’s “Back Off Boogaloo” single all held spots in the Top 30.

As fans, we were happy they were still recording, even though sometimes the music seemed very far removed from what we were used to hearing from The Fab Four. Secretly, we were hoping they would somehow get back together. With John Lennon’s death in 1980, all our hopes for a reunion were dashed, leaving us to mourn what could have been. It was truly the end of The Beatles, but thankfully, they left an amazing legacy: 13 albums, 30 top-ten singles, and a lifetime supply of memories built around tunes we still can’t get out of our heads.

Can you believe it? Barbie just turned 54 years old! Seems like only yesterday my neighbor and I were pretending that our dolls were best friends, housewives, brides, teachers, and movie stars. We were so proud of our vinyl cases, filled with her pretty clothes hung on tiny hangers, and little drawers that held her shoes and handbags. Back then, we could never have imagined what was in store for her--or us!

Barbie (full name Barbara Millicent Roberts) has gone through many changes since 1959. Her hair styles have gone from ponytail to pageboy, bubble cut to bouncy curls, feathered bangs to sun-streaked mane. Her bevy of friends and relatives includes Midge, Ken, Allan, Skipper, Scooter, Stacie, Francie, Todd & Tutti, and too many more to mention. She's owned a dream house, motor home, Corvette, ski cabin, beach cruiser, hot tub party bus, and over 40 different pets. Since beginning life as a snooty, high-fashion model with a boyfriend, she's become a smiling, independent woman who is successful at everything she does. So far, Barbie has tackled about 130 careers, including figure skater, Olympic gymnast, rock star, teacher, doctor, veterinarian, astronaut, paleontologist, ballerina, firefighter, Army medic, chef, NASCAR driver, superhero, and even made a few runs for President! I thought I had a good-sized Barbie collection until I read about this guy:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/barbie-man-florida-man-owns-2000-dolls/story?id=18691681

The secret of Barbie's longevity? She's always at the forefront of change, embracing her dreams and chasing her goals. No matter what the generation, little girls will always relate to having dreams and goals, so we wouldn't be surprised to still see Barbie around in another 50 years.

In early March of 1966, Ford celebrated the production of its 1 millionth Mustang, officially introduced just 2 years earlier at the World's Fair. More than 400,000 Mustangs were sold that first year.
As it was being introduced, the iconic car made the covers of Newsweek and Time, and was heavily promoted in TV commercials on all 3 major networks. Within 3 years, approximately 500 Mustang fan clubs had sprung up, no doubt helped along by appearances in the James Bond movie "Goldfinger," and Steve McQueen’s action movie "Bullitt," which upped the Mustang’s “coolness factor” and reputation for speed. In 1999, the US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring the 35th anniversary of the original Ford Mustang.
Still in production after undergoing numerous changes over the decades, the Mustang remains hugely popular, with vintage models in high demand by collectors everywhere. Fan clubs all over the world are devoted to collecting, restoring, driving and just plain enjoying the American classic. Although the enthusiasm for the car remains the same, one thing has definitely changed: back in 1964, you could walk into a dealership and buy yourself a new brand Mustang for just $2,300! Let's see you try that today!