Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Many people often ask me the same question.
“Are you from South Korea or North Korea?”
Chances are, every Korean person you have ever met is from South Korea.

Last week, North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Il passed away.
A customer asked me what my thoughts are about this.

The Korean peninsula is a very small piece of land. It has been 66 years since it was divided into North and South Korea. The land has a very sad history.

Today is Christmas.
I understand that there are those of you who celebrate Christmas and there are also those of you who don’t.

However, regardless of what religion we adhere to, this is a season of peace.
My hope is that every person on earth could experience peace.
I’m not talking about something huge like world peace.
I mean that I hope we could all be at peace with everyone we interact with on a daily basis, whether that’s family, friends, or neighbors.
I pray that North and South Korea could experience that same peace.

The reason I am able to clean your clothing and enjoy life is because of peace.

I hope your week overflows with peace.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

We’re coming down to the wire for Christmas — with just a few more shopping days to the big holiday. Counseling4Kids, a mental health program, is collecting gifts for over 500 children in foster care and is still in need of donations.  

“Oftentimes children in foster care receive very little during the holidays.  Foster parents often have several children in their home at one time, and it can be very challenging for them to purchase gifts for all of them given limited foster care stipends.  Providing a gift is one way we can help a child in foster care feel loved at a very difficult time of year,” states Dr. Marianne Callahan, clinical director at Counseling4Kids, in a news release.

Counseling4Kids is a non-profit that provides mental health services to abused and neglected children and youth in the foster care system in Burbank, the San Fernando Valley, and throughout Los Angeles County. Those wanting to brighten the holiday season for one or more of these foster children, can drop off new and unwrapped gifts or money to purchase gifts at the Counseling4Kids local office 601 South Glenoaks Boulevard, Suite 200, Burbank  91502. The collection will continue through the entire month of December.  For more information contact community liaison, Rebekah Miller at (818) 441-7800 ext.121 or rebekah@counseling4kids.org.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles

Shopping for a fresh cut Christmas tree should be a fun and analytical experience. The first two things to look for is (obviously) shape and gaping holes between the branches. A little bit of gap is okay, because when you hang the ornaments the weight will help bring the branches down.

What about the old story about pulling the branches to see if any needles pull off? If some needles come off and are green, you’re okay. It’s when they are brown and it’s still two weeks until the 25th – choose another tree. The most important thing to make sure the trees are positioned in a tree stand with a water bowl combination at the lot.

A lot of times I get customers that want a second cut so the tree is “fresh”. The problem with that is that when the salesman makes another cut, by the time you get it home the cut will “self seal” and you’ll have a dry tree soon. If the bowls are filled up every day at the tree lot, the cut tree should easily last you until after Christmas.

The real trick, is to check the tree once in the morning and once again when you get home from work, or the evening. Cut trees are thirsty. Keep the trees in your home in a place away from the heater drafts.

A very important thing is after the holiday, look up a local tree recycling center. There should be one close to you. They shred Christmas trees up for mulch and you can use it for your gardens in the spring!

I take the bus to work and nothing looks worse than old Christmas trees littering the streets. Sometimes when I’m walking, I have had to jump over some of the dumped trees!

Any questions feel free to write/post a comment here.

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Emilio “Elmo” Telles is a garden expert at Armstrong Garden Center  5816 San Fernando Road, Glendale  91202.

New play opening in Burbank

A live theater production of the Christmas play, “Table of the Heart,” is set to open tomorrow, December 10, at the Media City Church 269 East Providencia Avenue in the Media City.

The production is written and directed by Tatum Shank. The play tells the story of the tragedy and triumph of the Carmichael family who move from Los Angeles to Seattle and quickly are faced with heartbreaking circumstances that they must overcome. The theme, forgiveness leads to healing.

Producer, Jennifer Shank, says this is an exclusive two week run of “Table of the Heart.” Performances are Saturdays, December 10 and 17 at 8 p.m. and Sundays, December 11 and 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door. For more information and special ticket deals go here or call (818) 842-2186.

Photo: Chuck Kennedy/White House -- President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for the cameras in front of the Official White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room December 5, 2010

 Christmas greetings from the First Couple included a joint message to everyone on this special day.

Remarks of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
December 25, 2010

THE PRESIDENT:  Merry Christmas, everybody.  Michelle and I just wanted to take a moment today to send greetings from our family to yours.

THE FIRST LADY:  This is one of our favorite times of year.  And we’re so fortunate to be able to celebrate it together in this wonderful home.

This is the “People’s House.”  So Barack and I try to open it to as many people as we can, especially during the holiday season.

This month, more than 100,000 Americans have passed through these halls.  And the idea behind this year’s theme, “Simple Gifts,” is that the greatest blessings of all are the ones that don’t cost a thing – the comfort of spending time with loved ones…the freedoms we enjoy as Americans… and the joy we feel upon giving something of ourselves.

So in this time of family, friends, and good cheer; let’s also be sure to look out for those who are less fortunate, who’ve hit a run of bad luck, or who are hungry and alone this holiday season.

THE PRESIDENT:  Because this is the season when we celebrate the simplest yet most profound gift of all: the birth of a child who devoted his life to a message of peace, love, and redemption.  A message that says no matter who we are, we are called to love one another – we are our brother’s keeper, we are our sister’s keeper, our separate stories in this big and busy world are really one. 

The full text of the Obamas’ remarks here on the White House website.

Photo: Chuck Kennedy/White House --President Obama gets help from mother-in-law Marian Robinson, daughters Sasha abd Malia, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama in pushing the button to light the National Christmas Tree, Washington DC, December 9, 2010

For the 88th time, the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony took place in Washington, DC last night.  The first family had t he honor of pushing the button that lit up a 40-foot Colorado blue spruce.

Photo: Lawrence Jackson/White House --National Christmas Tree shines bright with lights in Washington DC, December 9, 2010

Photo: Pete Souza/White House --Blues master BB King performed , "Merry Christmas Baby," at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington, DC, December 9, 2010

 The President commented on the history and the resilience of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony:

President Obama:

Often, the ceremony itself has reflected the pain and sacrifice of the times. There were years during the Second World War when no lights were hung, in order to save electricity. In the days following Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill joined President Roosevelt to wish our nation a Happy Christmas even in such perilous days.

But without fail, each year, we have gathered here. Each year we’ve come together to celebrate a story that has endured for two millennia. It’s a story that’s dear to Michelle and me as Christians, but it’s a message that’s universal: A child was born far from home to spread a simple message of love and redemption to every human being around the world.

It’s a message that says no matter who we are or where we are from, no matter the pain we endure or the wrongs we face, we are called to love one another as brothers and as sisters.

And so during a time in which we try our hardest to live with a spirit of charity and goodwill, we remember our brothers and sisters who have lost a job or are struggling to make ends meet. We pray for the men and women in uniform serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and in faraway places who can’t be home this holiday season. And we thank their families, who will mark this Christmas with an empty seat at the dinner table.

On behalf of Malia, Sasha, Michelle, Marian — who’s our grandmother-in-chief — (laughter) -– and Bo — don’t forget Bo — (applause) — I wish all of you a merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season.

The full text of President Obama’s remarks on the White House website here.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Flappers Comedy Club sign on the backdrop of the main stage

Flappers Comedy Club on East Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank is putting the word out that it wants to be party central this holiday season. The Flappers’ staff dished out samples from its delicious food menu and passed around tiny versions of its speciality martinis at a promotional event, held at that club, earlier this month. The tasty Oreo-mint martinis were my favorites – I’d go back for one of those any day.

Also comic, Michael Rayner, took over the main stage to deliver a quickie version of  brand of humor.  Rayner does more than tell jokes. He spins a McDonald’s cheeseburger on an umbrella, turns a towel into a chicken, or balances a chair while juggling a tennis racket in his comedy routine.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Comedian Michael Rayner performs a stunt at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, November 9, 2010

Flappers owners, Barbara Holliday and Dave Reinitz, joined the crowd to spread some holiday cheer about the club’s party plans — for any size office– from less than 10 to whatever.  

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Flappers co-owner, Barbara Holliday and Santa Hollywood share a laugh on November 9, 2010

Also working the crowd, Santa Hollywood aka Timothy Connaghan. A Vietnam War Vet, Connaghan took on the role of Santa Claus for the first time in December of 1969 — with a shaving cream beard — and fell in love with the character.  Now, several decades later, the beard is real and Connaghan has turned his hip Santa gig into a real career.

He’s appeared in commercials, television programs, on “Dr. Phil,” “The Tonight Show,” and “The Today Show.” He makes public appearances and is a holiday consultant and Santa trainer as well. Right now, Santa Hollywood is getting ready for his starring role in the Hollywood Christmas Parade 2010, Sunday November 28 at 6 p.m.

New stats show holiday shoppers spent more this season than last

Some Christmas cheer for retailers and good news for the economy today. Consumer spending during the period of November first through Christmas Eve rose 3.6 percent. That’s a heck of a lot better than what happened last year, when fears of economic disaster had shoppers holding tight to their money and thus sales plunged 2.3 percent, according to a report on Reuters.

For more on those earlier figures, analysts’ reaction to them, and a look at some of the retail winners and losers click here for the full story.

 The money just keeps rolling in for the Hollywood Studios

Is there a recession in Tinseltown? You wouldn’t know it by the way the big studios are making the green at the Box Office. The Christmas weekend turned out to be the best ever, bringing in $270 million, up 34 percent over last year, according to Box Office Mojo. Thanks to a slew of crowd pleasing flicks like “Avatar,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” and “It’s Complicated.”

The previous record for the most profitable weekend was July 18-20, 2008, when “The Dark Knight” and “Mamma Mia!” opened.

 Meanwhile, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group announced today that it reached a ninth consecutive $1 billion-plus year for the distribution of domestic and international films. Warner is projecting a domestic Box Office of $2.13 billion and foreign returns of $1.86 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A whole lot of local folks are hoping see some of that studio cash get pumped into new film productions right here in the Southland, real soon, like in 2010.

On a night like this, the stars seem to twinkle a little brighter. If you’re a believer in the magic of Christmas; well you might just hear the jingling of sleigh bells in the distant sky. 

If your thoughts turn to Jesus, perhaps you’ll look to the heavens searching for that mysterious star that proclaimed the Savior’s birth.
 
On a night like this, the stars seem to twinkle a little brighter. Peace and good tidings to all.
May you be blessed and the deepest wish of your heart come true.

Fronnie

MERRY CHRISTMAS