Hi everyone,

Hope you've all had a great week. We're half way through term 2 here and the weather is getting colder, although it's not too bad still. Our trees all look wonderful in their autumn colours. I love autumn, but real winter will be here very shortly I'm sure.

It's a very special day here in our house today as our "baby", James has turned 18. He is enjoying a very quiet day though, with loads of schoolwork to do, as he has five work outcomes to do during this coming week. The celebrations, apart from quiet family celebrations, are being postponed until the school holidays which are just a few weeks away now.

Last week I mentioned that Mary McDonough had written and directed a small movie which had received good reviews in some film festivals. It's called "The Love of May" and as Mary McDonough comments about the film:

"May [Patricia Neal] has spent her life dreaming about Edward, the one who got away. May is based on a woman who taught me about waiting for love and MR. RIGHT."

It is also mentioned that the film was shot in just 3 days (it's 15 minutes long) and Michael Learned's own home was used for the dinner scene. Mary hopes to use this short film and develop it into a feature later on. It sounds like something that Waltons fans, and hopefully many others, would be lining up for.

All of this information came from the newsletter of the Waltons International Fan Club. If you are interested in joining, please write to Carolyn Grinnell at Post Office Box 1055, Kernersville, NC 27285. I love getting the magazine. It's especially great for those of us who are Walton-less for some reason or another. Just keeps you in touch and there's plenty of reminiscing going on too.

Talk to you all next week,

Goodnight everyone,

Karen.

Hi from Geri Ann!

Someone asked if Ralph Waite ran for Congress here in the US. Yes, he did. I believe he ran against Mary Bono, Sonny Bono's widow, who took over Sonny's seat in the House when Sonny was killed in a skiing accident. Mary then ran for the seat herself after filling out her husband's term, and Ralph ran against her but lost. (If I'm incorrect, someone please help me out!)

Which Jim-Bob episode is my favorite? I think the one where he discovers he had a twin named Joseph Zebulon who died at birth. I really liked that one; there were some really good scenes with John-Boy and Jim-Bob together in that one. I also liked the episode where Jim-Bob meets a boy his age named Joe (the same name as his deceased twin) who he becomes as close to as if they were really brothers. I can't remember the name of that particular episode.

Geri Ann

KAREN'S COMMENT: You're quite right Geri Ann. Ralph did run against Mary Bono. In fact I was sent a small newspaper picture and article of he and Carolyn Grinnell at the time. They both look wonderful! As for the Jim Bob episode, I also love The Secret which is the first episode you mention. There are lovely moments in it between Jim Bob and John Boy. The other one you mention, I think, and I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong because I have only just received a tape of this one and I haven't watched it yet, could be The Flight from Season 6.

Hello Karen and all!

It's has been probably a few months since I've written, but I guess I'm just lazy. I know I'm late on this, but I would talk to Jim-Bob if I was on Walton's Mountain. He's a good guy. Anyways, I recently was in Virginia, but nobody would let me go to Schuyler. How upsetting. But I did learn that my cousin used to live in Rockfish a few years back. Too bad he isn't a Waltons fan. I haven't seen a Waltons episode in weeks due to having to spend weekdays at 1:00 in school. I have yet to buy some blank tapes. I only have 3 on tape. I think it's only The Gift, The House, and The Quilting. I suppose they will sustain me. I'm excited to hear about this new Walton's special. Now I really cannot wait! Well, I suppose I will end this. I will probably start to write more often, hopefully.

Goodnight,

Hayley in Massachusetts

KAREN'S COMMENT: It's a bit sad to be missing all the episodes because of a tiny little thing called school isn't it. LOL Maybe you can catch up more during your holidays which should be starting soon shouldn't they?

Here's another talking point...what is your favourite James Robert episode?

Hi Karen,

It would have to be "The Secret." This was one Jim Bob episode I could relate to because he learned he had a twin who died. My son James Tyler was also a twin and his twin did not survive. I learned a lot from this episode. I will not keep the fact of my James being a twin from him, only for him to learn too late in life. I guess we can learn a lot of life's lessons watching The Waltons.

Cathy

KAREN'S COMMENT: How true that is. I also knew someone who had a twin die at birth and he found it very difficult during his teen years to think that his twin died but he lived. At least he had known about it for some time though.

Hi to all, To answer a question by Nicole. Ralph Waite did run for Congress in California. Believe it or not Mary Bono(Sonny Bono's widow) won that seat. Sonny was thinking of running for re-election when the skiing accident happened. Mary went ahead and ran in his place. Ralph claimed she won because people were feeling sorry for her.

Beth

KAREN'S COMMENT: I guess we'll never know whether people just felt sorry for her or not. It's certainly interesting though that two such high profile people stood against one another.

My favorite Jim Bob episode? Hard to say.....I liked The Runaway, the one where he finds out he is a twin, the one where he wants to be a preacher, and the one where he falls in love with a nun-to-be. Hmmm. Maybe the Burn Out is the best....he got stole all those ribbons!

Cindy

KAREN'S COMMENT: You've mentioned some fabulous ones Cindy. Out of these I loved The Burnout where he stole the ribbons and the Reverend had to talk to him about it. I also loved the nun to be one...The Calling. He really fell in love with her, and naturally any episodes with the Baldwin ladies are fantastic.