The other night we were at home watching The Wizard of Oz on TBS.  This is one MGM’s classic family films starring the incomparable Judy Garland and a host of other fine actors including the late Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), whom many will also remember as a guest star on Little House playing the role of Toby Noe in two episodes…There’s No Place Like Home” in 1978, and “Dance with Me” in 1979.   As I watched Mr. Bolger’s wonderful performance as the Scarecrow for perhaps the 40th time it flashed through my head that a good part of the Wizard of Oz had been shot on Stage 15 at MGM studios…the same stage that was the home to Little House for seasons 6 - 10 of its run on NBC.  At the time Stage 15 was reputed to be one of the largest sound stages in the world…just perfect to hold the imaginary land of Oz and the idyllic Walnut Grove.   The first time I went through the huge doors of the stage I couldn’t miss the faded remnants of the yellow brick road on the vast wooden floor. It gave me chills thinking of all the extraordinarily talented people who had walked those floors through the years and I was now part of the legacy of that historic space.   Through the years I’ve heard Melissa Gilbert relate stories of Mr. Bolger’s time on the show and how he took her other members of our young cast to a remote spot within the cavernous space and showed them a very special piece of Oz history that still existed there…only findable by people who had actually participated in the making of the movie. I know that working with Mr. Bolger was one of Melissa’s most cherished Little House experiences. Next time you watch Little House or The Wizard of Oz you can know that both of these wonderful family entertainments are forever linked by sharing the same stage space at MGM Studios in Culver City. Just a fun piece of trivia.  Enjoy the remainder of your Christmas holiday… Dean 

Several nights ago I received an interview request from Lennon Parker, the creator of the very popular Prairie Fans web site. He asked me to answer a number of questions for his online interview section.  I did so and sent them back.  Lennon published the interview on Sunday morning and I of course wanted to review it.   As I read back what I had written I was struck by the number of times that I used the words grateful and gratitude in association with my involvement with Little House and our talented cast.  After nearly thirty years of involvement with Little House as an actor, producer and presenter of the Little House legacy I am grateful for all of it.    Since this is my first post in the month of December, in the context of the holiday season, its very appropriate to share thoughts on the subject of gratitude.  Living in the United States of America we all have a lot to be grateful for - we have a beautiful country, enormous natural resources, a stable government, the ability to redirect its energies with our votes, and an abundance of intellectual capability and willingness to improve ourselves and other peoples everywhere.  We don’t do it perfectly of course, but we have the ability to do amazing things because we’re all free to try and we’re encouraged not to give up if we experience temporary set backs.   I’ve lived a very blessed, fortunate life to this point.  Anybody who has had the opportunity to experience the world free of social and financial impediments as I have would have to say the same.  The genetic reality of our lives comes together quite randomly it seems to me, so I can also say with gratitude that I was fortunate to have two parents and a brother and sister who really love me and each other and we have always appreciated each other’s individuality.   Ours was a large, extended family.  It was not uncommon to have 45 relatives for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and 4th of July celebrations.  My summers were spent at our family ranch 45 miles south of San Francisco. We rode horseback everyday…we swam, hiked, played endless games and basked in closeness and safety of our family.  We always had everything we needed with extras to go around.  I grew up in a very safe, small residential community in northern California and graduated from high school with the same core group of kids with whom I began kindergarten. All my family and community experience ended up preparing me better than any acting class for what I would do on TV years later.   My college years were spent at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.  Stockton wasn’t fantastic, but Little House buffs will remember that the beautiful farm land near Stockton was one of the locations for the Little House pilot in the winter of 1974…just months before my arrival in the Stockton area on campus in the fall.  What are the odds of that?  The campus was beautiful…its been a movie location doubling for Ivy League schools for many years.  Pacific’s small size afforded motivated students opportunities to pursue their academic and vocational interests with relative ease.  My biggest interests were the theater and the campus radio station…a 30,000 watt FM NPR affiliate.   After performing in commercials, episodic television, movies of the week, and mini series during my college career I got the Little House job less than one month before I graduated from Pacific and actually finished final exams, received my diploma, celebrated my birthday and reported to my first day on the Little House set in Simi Valley in a span of less than 96 hours from May 18 to May 22 in 1979.    I had a great run on the show…I did some work that I’m proud of, achieved a level notoriety, traveled from coast to coast meeting fans of the show, worked with interesting-talented people and did lots fantastically fun things that never would’ve been possible if I’d been in a more traditional kind of job.  I’m grateful for all of that…but just in case you’re starting to get ill from the sweetness of it all, it wasn’t perfect and neither was I.  I suffered from great insecurity about my abilities which led to overcompensating behavior at times.  I didn’t get most of the other jobs I really wanted, but I got the ones I was supposed to get and I’m grateful for that.  On the relationship front there has been love and fun and heartbreak throughout my life…but we all survived and we all moved on and hopefully found our best partners.  I know I have and am very grateful to have my beautiful, talented Katherine in my life.  I’m also grateful to have a number of good close friendship, which I value greatly.  Interestingly the Little House community has been a very comforting source of life continuity for me.  I’ve gotten so much affection from people I’ve never met all over the world.  With my ongoing Little House work I have a continuing opportunity to participate and give back through things like this blog, Little House DVD bonus content, the Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura documentary and many other upcoming projects.  It just goes on and on and as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and a new year in 2008 I’m unbelievably grateful for all the blessings and the disappointments of my life and I thank you all for sharing your warmth and affection with me and our entire Little House family. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all…Dean