I won't be on here tomorrow because we'll be heading over to a hotel near the airport tomorrow.  We have to get up early on the 21st to leave for Washington D.C.  So here's my tribute because I can't miss it!

Tomorrow would have been my favorite person's 70th birthday. She came and went before my own time but that doesn't make a difference. She had it all. I've only been exposed to her work for about two years now but it feels like forever. I first saw her in Miracle on 34th Street when I was younger but back then I didn't know anything about the actors. I just remember loving that movie to bits. I then picked up West Side Story one evening because I remember my mom telling me that she just adored it and plus, I was going through the "i love musicals" phase - which I have never left. I didn't think much of Natalie in that until after I checked the credits and made the connection that Maria was little Susan Walker. I couldn't believe it was the same person! Then I went out on a limb and bought Rebel Without a Cause because 1) I heard it was a classic 2) It would be my 1st James Dean film 3) Natalie was in it and 4) it was on sale! I was hooked from that point on.

Despite only being 5'1" more or less, she was one strong lady. She was in the movie business for practically her entire life, was raped, and had the stage mother from hell. She tore the wings of butterflys to make Natalie cry on cue, told her that everyone was out to poison her, pushed her into the movie biz, refused medical treatment when Natalie broke her wrist - leaving a slight deformity that she covered for the rest of her life with braclets, and made her fear nearly everything - especially dark water. Supposedly before Natalie's birth, a gypsy predicted that Natalie's mother would drown and that her second child (Natalie) would become a world famous beauty. Thanks to her mother, this fear got passed to Natalie. She went through several years of analysis and came out stronger than ever. I always think about her mother whenever I get angry at my mom. In comparison, I have no reason to be angry, lol. She was one tough cookie and I really admire her strength. So thank you, Natalie.

Happy Birthday Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko aka Natasha Gurdin aka Natalie Wood!
July 20, 1938 - November 29, 1981