NO time for boredom today

Tag: American culture

  • The Ultimate Christmas Extravaganza – Trees of the Decades at the Ronald Reagan Library

    The Ultimate Christmas Extravaganza – Trees of the Decades at the Ronald Reagan Library

    One of my favorite places to visit during the holiday season is the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley California. The library staff decorates the property so well. The highlight is always the collection of Christmas trees that are so creative and beautiful. The 2025 display includes 26 trees decorated to represent each decade in our country’s history.

    I have included a photo of each tree. My personal favorites include the trees from the 1770, 1870, 1920, 1930, 1950 and 1970.

    The 1770 tree includes the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Lantern, George Washington and the fife and drummers.

    The 1870 tree is especially fun because so much happened in this decade – including the establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park. American football and tennis were developed and the typewriter was created. In addition, Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.

    The tree representing the Roaring Twenties includes film star Rudolph Valentino who starred in The Sheik in 1921 and died in 1926 at the young ages age of 31. The 18th Amendment banning alcohol became effective in 1920 so this tree dramatically features speakeasy signage. Also, the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was ratified in 1920 so the tree is adorned with Votes for Women buttons.

    The 1930s tree includes baskets of apples, the Great Depression, the Hindenburg blimp and Shirley Temple.

    The 1950s tree includes a beautiful lit-up Wurlitzer jukebox as well as Elvis memorabilia, a tribute to the Korean War and a photo of President Eisenhower.

    The 1970s is especially important to me because it was the decade of my childhood. So much happened in this decade and the tree reflects it with: the bar code creation, the start-up Apple Computer Company logo and the movies Jaws, Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Watergate, President Jimmy Carter, the Bicentennial and the short-lived eight track are all included on this tree.

    The trees are on display until January 4 so you still have time to schedule a visit to the library.

    1770
    1780
    1790
    1800
    1810
    1820
    1830
    1840
    1850
    1860
    1870
    1890
    1900
    1910
    1920
    1930
    1940
    1950
    1960
    1970
    1980
    1990
    2000
    2010
    2020
  • The Ronald Reagan Library Is An Absolute Must!

    The Ronald Reagan Library Is An Absolute Must!

    I have visited approximately half of the presidential libraries and the Ronald Reagan Library located in Simi Valley California is my favorite one – so far. Both the permanent and traveling exhibits are impressive. Plus, it is located in a beautiful area of Simi Valley with spectacular mountain views from every direction. In addition, the library has the most friendly and helpful staff.

    First, the library has the Air Force One plane that Reagan flew on as president. The plane was in service from 1973 to 2001 and Reagan flew on it the most out of the seven presidents who used this particular plane. It is impressively displayed in a glass structure and visitors can walk around and through the plane. One year, we even enjoyed a fun lunch during the Christmas season where the tables were set under Air Force One. The food was delicious and the table settings and decorations were perfect.

    Speaking of Christmas, every year the library showcases an impressive number of beautifully decorated Christmas trees. This year, we enjoyed looking at 26 trees representing each decade in American history. Last year, the museum displayed trees for each Country that Reagan visited during his eight years in the White House.

    The rotating exhibits are wonderful as well. Currently, the library is curating a fun cowboy themed exhibit. Past exhibits include: the FBI, Pompeii and Auschwitz.

    Finally, no visit is complete without a visit to the gift shop. I never walk out empty-handed. I usually pick up a few fun Christmas tree ornaments. One year, I picked up a great book regarding the White House gingerbread houses.

    Front Entrance
    From the Front of the Library
    Front Entrance
    Front Entrance
    The Current Exhibit
    Statue Outside the Front Doors
    Buffalo Coat
    Congressional Gold Medal for Louis L’Amour
    Chuck Wagon
    Typical Western Saddles
    Chaps
    The Evolution of the Cowboy Hat and Birth of the Stetson
    Wild Chair
    Cattle Car
    Branding Irons Including the One Used ByWill Rogers
    The History of the Branding Iron
    Barbed Wire Was Patented
    Modern Cattle Ranching Utilizes Helicopters
    Rodeo Attire
    Reagan’s 1960 Jeep
    The Exhibit Has a Rifle Demo
    Yellowstone Television Series Costumes
    Wagon
    Trigger of Roy Rogers Fame
    Christmas Tree in the Gift Shop – Ornaments for Sale
    A Piece of the Berlin Wall
    Inauguration Clothing for the Reagan’s
    Nancy’s Second-Hand Rose Costume
    Clothes Worn by Nancy
    Sinatra Was a Huge Supporter
    In High School Nancy Starred in Her High School’s Play First Lady
    Air Force One
    Another View of Air Force One

  • Frogtown: From Factory Town to Artist Colony

    Housing Overlooking the L.A. River

    Over the years, I have heard so much about Frogtown and the Los Angeles River. Recently, my husband and I opted to sign up for one of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s tours of the area – also known as the Elysian Valley. The tour of the area was done in partnership with Friends of the Los Angeles River. Our tour met at the Lewis MacAdams Park, named after the founder of the Friends of the Los Angeles River. MacAdams, who passed away in 2020, was a huge advocate for restoring the river to a more natural state. The park and surrounding area has been designated a protected butterfly habitat with lots of milkweed planted to encourage butterfly activity. Consequently, beautiful butterflies are everywhere within the park and nearby homes.

    After a massive flood in 1938, the Army Corps of Engineers created a 51-mile waterway encased in concrete to prevent future devastating floods. The area we visited is one of the few areas with a dirt basin. A nice walkway with a bike lane, adjacent to the park, has been built. We were warned in advance about speeding cyclists and the warnings were valid. We stayed on the far left side closest to the river and managed to avoid a collision with a few Lance Armstrong wannabes. Future plans include new parks, recreational areas and restored habitat areas for wildlife. Unfortunately, the plans are moving at a snail’s pace due to conflicting goals and concerns from the multiple government agencies involved.

    The surrounding area started as a working-class neighborhood of affordable housing near industrial facilities, including the Kruegermann Pickle and Sauerkraut factory and the massive Hostess Bakery facility. The pickle factory site is now a dance studio and the bread factory is now an amazing film industry prop house. As part of our tour, we spent some time exploring the prop house. The place has furniture, lighting and dishes from every decade. Based on the hold tickets I saw, every major studio is renting items from this place.

    In addition, a nearby automotive repair shop called Salazar’s is now Salazar’s Mexican BBQ restaurant. Our tour guide mentioned this restaurant and we met a friend there for lunch. The food and atmosphere were amazing. Salazar’s serves a delicious salsa made with tomatoes that they roast on the grill. The tres leche cake was phenomenal, too. Our waiter was an actor originally from Argentina. Apparently, he grew up primarily eating Italian food in Argentina and was relatively new to Mexican cuisine. He and the rest of the crew were incredibly welcoming.

    The neighborhood dates back to the late 1800 and the streets are extremely narrow. Parking is limited with street parking at a premium. With all the cars parked on both sides of the streets, the remaining street space is too narrow for cars to pass going in opposite directions. We found ourselves frequently waiting for a car going in the opposite direction to pass before we could continue driving.

    Additional fun business have opened up in the area including Bauer Pottery. I have been buying dishes made by Bauer online and was really excited to have the opportunity to see the company’s showroom.

    LA River and Bridge
    LA River
    LA River
    LA River
    Gallery Adjacent to the LA River
    LA River
    LA River
    LA River Walkway
    Interior of Bauer Pottery Showroom
    Salazar’s – Former Automotive Repair Shop and Now Mexican BBQ Restaurant
    LA River Walkway
    Former Wonder Bread Bakery – Now a Movie Prop Business
    Interior of Gil & Roy Props
    Boarding House Built in 1917
    Historic Home Near the River Park
    Local Graffiti at the Freeway Underpass

  • Homemade Mac ‘N’ Cheese Versus the Boxed Stuff

    My mother and I have a running joke/argument regarding macaroni and cheese.

    She loves Kraft mac & cheese; she admits that her love for it goes back to her childhood. I should add that she was born in the 1930s. Kraft mac & cheese came out in 1937. At 19 cents a box, it was a great success. Between the depression and WW II food rationing, Americans were looking for cheap ways to feed their families.

    I prefer homemade macaroni and cheese. Over the years, I have perfected my recipe. My key tip is to undercook the macaroni. Otherwise, after you combine the cooked macaroni with all the other ingredients and bake the dish – you can end up with overcooked mush. Also, I like to use a good quality macaroni. For my latest effort, I paid an extra dollar for Italian macaroni. The result was a delicious dish with great texture.

    As far as the cheese mixture, I normally use a combination of a really sharp cheddar, parmesan and either smoked Gouda or smoked mozzarella. Other key ingredients include: Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, sweet hot mustard, nutmeg, dry Sherry, butter, heavy cream and milk.

    When I make the roux, I immediately add the Dijon mustard to the butter and flour – before I add the milk and cream. I then add in the cheese, spices and so on. I like texture in my macaroni and cheese. After combining the macaroni and cheese sauce, I fold in additional grated cheddar and cover the top with extra grated parmesan.

    My mother considers herself a Kraft purist; she likes her Mac ‘n’ cheese exactly as the box directions state. My husband and I just seem incapable of following the directions. We usually add additional cheese and replace the milk with either cream or half & half. My mother will protest if we make too many additions.

    I did notice that the other night, Mom ate her entire serving of my homemade macaroni and cheese. She grudgingly even admitted that the pasta texture was perfect. My husband and I just laughed as soon as she left the table.

    Dinner with My Homemade Macaroni and Cheese.