In this issue...

• Huell Howser Shares Gold at University Village
• The REAL Cost of Homeownership
• 6-Word Memoirs — A Fun Read!

Huell Howser Shares Gold
at University Village

Huell Howser shared his simple technique to finding interesting stories for his "California's Gold" PBS television show with packed audiences of more than 500 residents and guests at University Village Thousand Oaks on May 5.

Much like the show's host, the "California's Gold" approach to entertaining viewers is more straightforward than fancy. Huell asks questions and pays attention when people tell him their fascinating stories. No hype or over-production, just Huell listening and a cameraman capturing life.

"We've had amazing adventures, all of us together, and that's the beauty of the program. People ask, how much research do you do? Obviously, if you've watched the show, you know we don't do any research," Huell told the crowd with a chuckle. "We just go into a place and ask the same types of questions that anybody would ask in that situation. 'What is this? What's going on here?'"

Huell's appearances at University Village didn't stray far from what viewers have been tuning in to PBS several nights per week to watch for nearly 20 years. The down-home, upbeat Tennesseean-turned-Californian regaled the audience with stories from his life and travels, laughed along with the crowd, then let questions lead to interesting tidbits about Richard Nixon's childhood home being a kit house ordered from a Sears catalog; an old family-owned restaurant in Burbank named the Tally Rand that will never become a chain; and a baby warthog in the LA zoo named Huell.

And in his trademark fashion, Huell poked fun at his favorite target — himself.

"Dick Clark use to have that Bloopers show," Huell told his University Village audience. "Dick Clark called us one day and wanted to know if we had any bloopers. I said, 'Dick, we use them, that's our show! We don't have any outtakes. If it happens, well that's it.'"

In talking about his show and his success, Huell also dispensed advice that attendees could apply to enjoying their everyday life, especially in a social community setting like University Village Thousand Oaks.

"This is psychology 101, this ain't brain surgery," Huell said. "Showing interest in other people's lives and their passions, acknowledging that they exist, and taking the time to ask question and interact. It's just as basic as it gets. And that's basically what our television show is about."

Find your own personal piece of California's Gold in the people, amenities and lifestyle University Village offers. With everyday events, ongoing entertainment and occasional guests (such as Huell Howser), each episode of your life will be a big hit.