All that Glitters...

With the Pacific Ocean on the west and the San Gabriel mountains on the east, the natural setting where Los Angeles stands is actually quite stunning.   With its natural beauty and near perfect weather year-round,  it's easy to see why LA has become a magnet for the rich and famous.    

In our drives through Los Angeles, we saw both the glamorous parts of the city, where homes prices are generally in the 7-digit price range, and other parts (not all that far away) where homeless people seemed to abound on the dirty streets.  I frankly wasn't very impressed with either.   The famous "stars" of Hollywood are cracked, dirty and sitting in a part of town where you definitely would not want to be after dark.   

After  two visits there in the last couple of years, I've come to the  conclusion that the best way to keep the glittery image of Los Angeles intact in your head is to see it from afar.    And standing atop a hill overlooking the city of Los Angeles, Griffith Observatory provides the perfect way to do that!   

You can ooh and ahh over the  fact that you can see the Pacific Ocean in the distance.  

You can say that you've seen the infamous Hollywood sign. 

And admire the beauty of the mountains bathed in the golden sunlight. 

Then you can watch the last little remnants of the sun slip down the horizon and paint the skies with shades of a glimmering orange...  

and even a touch of pink….

A few minutes later,  the arrival of the dusk is announced with the striking addition of a deep blue to the sky  that would make my Denver Bronco fan husband smile with a knowledge that God must surely approve of his allegiances.  

The kids were excited for the sunset sky show to be over so they could go explore the observatory. 

We went inside and watched a very cool tesla coil demonstration that had the kids enraptured with its indoor crackling lightning bolts.  

They couldn't resist posing with the statue of Albert Einstein.  

 In a moment of camera fatigue, I completely forgot to take any pictures of the planet exhibit, which was actually very fun, educational, and interactive for the kids.  

As we left, we once more admired the glittering lights of the city from afar.  

And then drove back down to the dingy streets to look for a place to eat dinner.  

 It was a fantastic day, and those stunning views are ones I'll never forget, but when we got back to my sister's house that night, I couldn't help but feel a strong appreciation the peaceful platitudes of family and home.   I truly have no need for glamour and glitz in my life and seeing a bit of it from afar was more than enough to realize that I need look no further than our not quite big enough house to see that it contains a depth of love and comfort that I could never find anywhere else if I looked for a million years. 

On this Valentine's Day, I declare my love not only for Glen, the love of my life for the last 21-years, but also for each of our children.  I love each of them and the natural glitter they add to my life every day!   The glitter that gets me out of bed every day and makes me happy to be a part of their lives.  I am  grateful for every moment of it! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

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