We attended the Christmas production of "It WAS A Wonderful Life" at Forest Lawn Cemetery. It was an adorable production depicting some of the permanent residents interred in the cemetery and highlights they referenced when then were living. If you are in Buffalo, NY or any driving distance I encourage you to take in the show. It's approximately an hour long and you will leave with a warm heart and smile on your face. There are two shows every Saturday and Sunday through New Year's Eve. You can get ticket information and availability on their website. Forest-lawn.com

I have been to several sprawling Victorian Cemeteries in the eastern part of our country, but Forest Lawn seemed like the largest yet. I visited on a rainy day. My friend suggested driving slowly through the grounds and stopping when I saw a monument that interested me. Like the proverbial child in a candy shop, I saw so many wonderful monuments that I wanted to photograph that I kept walking further and further into the grounds while my friend just parked and wondered when I would return to the car. The most impressive monument was the Blocher Mausoleum with it's four life size marble figures which was within the first area inside the entrance way. There are several other graves marked with life size or larger figures. There is an extensive section devoted to war dead from various American wars. There were several mausoleums and towering statues for a variety of groups such as firemen and members of the Elks. Unfortunately for me, it started raining again. So I was left to scan the site from our car. I'm not one who is as much interested in who is memorialized as to the work of art that marks their grave. Every direction I looked I saw something that attracted my attention. I do hope that I can return to this Garden of the Dead with its numerous sculptures sometime in the future.

This trip has been on my bucket list for ages. It did not disappoint. After a welcome and brief history of the site we climbed aboard a bus. There were about a dozen or so other people. The tour was lead by a costumed actor who was our guide as we drove through the beautiful setting. Along the way we stopped to ‘pick up’ other ‘costumed residents who had come up from below’ for the day. Each had their own story to tell. They were full of humor. Interacting with the group. They really enjoyed their jobs, saying there was plenty of room if anyone wanted to stay. There are an amazing number of well known people there whose works had a positive impact on America. I will most definitely go again!! Highly recommended.