Hi everyone,

I can declare that winter has officially arrived here in Melbourne. I think out here in the hills we reached a top of about 8 yesterday, and it actually snowed in many suburbs too. That almost never happens in Melbourne. It's been very cold all weekend with buckets of rain too, which we did need but it would have been nicer not to have it all in one day. LOL It's still very cold today too.

As I said last week, here are some highlights from the Blue Ridge Chronicle, the newsletter of the International Waltons Fan Club. This issue was the final one for 1999, and has a double page spread talking about the CD released last year, "A Waltons Christmas...Together Again". There's a very nice article on Martha Nix Wade (Serena) and a a piece on The Kinfolk, where Rose arrives for a visit with Serena and Jeffrey. There's a funny little piece in the Martha article saying that when she auditioned for a commercial she ate chocolate for the first time and broke out in a rash, and then asked the director if he wanted to see her chicken pox. The casting guy was frantically worried that all the other little would be actors might have been exposed to chicken pox too. I can just see this poor man looking around at all the children he had to choose from, and wondering how many of them would turn spotty during the filming of the commercial! Martha is now teaching, and sounds like a really lovely person.

Finally there's an article on the Smithsonian Institute honoring The Waltons. Interesting comments from Jon W, Mary Mc, and Judy N, when they mentioned how they were received at school by the other children. Jon said that when the series became a hit he was admired, but Mary and Judy both said they had problems with other kids. Mary said that "Hey, Walton Girl" was often yelled at her, and Judy said that classmates made fun of different scenes and that bothered her until she realised that they must be watching in order to know and quote those scenes! It makes me wonder about how difficult it must be for some child actors.

On another note, I caught a very good episode of Promised Land, with Michael Learned guesting the other day. She was very good in it. She came across as a really strong and compassionate woman, who owned her own ranch. Wonderful actor. Quite a lot of the Waltons people seem to have guested on Promised Land.

Talk to you all again next time. Goodnight all.

(A very cold) Karen.

<<Olivia Walton...who wouldn't want a mother like Olivia! She was happiest tending to her family, yet was a strong and independent woman in her own way. Patient, understanding and supportive, she nurtured seven wonderful children to adulthood, allowing each one to become their own person.>>

Olivia is my favorite TV mom, well between her and Caroline :) Olivia is a wonderful role model for women I think. She was a woman who truly "had it all." Just not all at the same time. I also agree with your assessment of Cindy being the next "Olivia".

Marni

KAREN'S COMMENT: My apologies Marni, for not including your letter in last weeks digest. It became "lost" somewhere. :-)

Evening Karen:

We have finally got a nice Sunday, after a lot of rain and cool weather, here in Oakville, but it is nice to have since it is Victoria Day (our 1st long weekend of the summer), we have fireworks some today and some tomorrow. This is done to celebrate Queen Victoria's Birthday. One of Canada's last and favourite ties with England. Our celebrating Queen Victoria's Birthday? I do enjoy reading the Walton Digest every week. even though I don't have any comments. So please keep up the good work. And just remember that Canada is still part of the Commonwealth, and different from the United States.

Thank Brenda

KAREN'S COMMENT: Hi Brenda. Yes, I am indeed well aware that Canada is part of the Commonwealth...they are our main gymnastics rivals at the Commonwealth Games! You have some wonderful gymnasts over there at the moment...Yvonne Tousek is one of my favourites. We celebrate Queens Birthday on the second Monday of June so ours comes up in a couple of weeks time. It's the opening of the ski season for us. I used to ask my Mum why we celebrated that day when it really wasn't her birthday. Very confusing for kids to understand that one! Have a great celebration all our Canadian friends!

For Bobbie,

I feel for you and want you to know that no matter what, you are also thought of on mother's day. At church we celebrate mother's and father's on both Mother and Father's Day. You see there are so many different types of parents: single, separated, divorced, step-parents, you name it. Some people have lost children, never-the-less they too are appreciated. You see my children (step, haven't given birth myself), have a lot of adults that help raise them...their grandparents, aunts, uncles, dad, me, and people in my church. You see, it takes more than me to raise my children...it takes caring people like you to help me. I know you are appreciated!!! Thank you so much for sharing your sorrow.. I hope only the best for you.

Cindy

KAREN'S COMMENT: Well said Cindy.

Dear Jim,

I love Early Edition...in fact you will catch a glimpse of Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker) on the show. He plays Lucias Snow! Keep your eyes peeled!

Cindy

KAREN'S COMMENT: It's good to see him popping up on TV again.

Hello, I'm really enjoying your digest . This is only the second time that I've responded , due to the fact that my children keep me busy! Anyway ... In response to the woman who is having a hard time coping with mothers day because of losing her son. As a mother, my heart goes out to her . I truly cannot imagine the pain she is in ... I can also see why a show like the Waltons would make her feel that way . Because , on the whole , it was centered around a very warm and loving family , that did not themselves experience the kind of thing that has happened to her.

But, I must say in defense of the show itself , they did their share of portraying the not so perfect side of life , through other characters . As well as Mary Ellen and Cindy , like you had mentioned Karen . I myself had two miscarriages many years ago ......And while I am blessed to have two beautiful daughters now, I had quite a few mothers day's when I felt a little lost.

One thought that I'd like to end with ..... The Waltons may have not been able to portray EVERYONE'S life experiences that would be impossible ! But it always lifted my spirits , gave me hope , and made me think and feel things that I might not have otherwise . There aren't many shows you can say that about ...aside from Touched By An Angel ..That's a good one !

Sincerely, Judy

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes it certainly was a show which could give hope and it always lifts my spirits, even now when I've seen many of the episodes, many times.

Glad to hear from you We are having more Waltons than usual. At least two a day sometimes I cant see all but I am at least able to see at least one a day.

There were 3 neighborhood block parties last night following the Walton Loop cyberspace baby shower for a loop member Agnes McFadden, It was fun except the gift I sent which was sent on last Monday didn't arrive. I hope it wasn't lost.

Because of the fun and the length of the Block parties I wasn't able to see the beginning of a special movie called Growing up Brady about the Brady Bunch story---the aunt of a classmate of the girl who gave me Erin the cat wrote a review of it in Cable Connection magazine which I immediately sent to an old Brady fan who lives in a Jersey suburb of NYC.

I did see the last hour of it and unfortunately there was some attempts at sex involved between Barry and Maureen--if I had been watching it earlier I might have turned it off Thank heaven for block parties. Some of it was good however reminiscing about the recording (Time To Change).

Will let you know how the plans for the Walton special progress I think I posted that we have more people we can contact -Ray Fiola at CBS Audience Service in New York is another person we can contact.

Yes There are two Leslie Winstons. The Leslie we know is a good girl still I photographed her autographed picture at the restaurant down the road from the museum in Schuyler. I had been told I could buy it but then they said it was the only copy they had So that they would not be Indian givers they let me take a picture of it which turned out very well.

Kami's daughter is named Callan.

Best of wishes,

Donald

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for all the information Donald. I'm an old Brady Bunch fan too, although the episodes are so corny now, but I'll look forward to seeing Growing Up Brady.

Dear Karen,

Were any of the Waltons related in real life or were there any behind-the-scenes love affairs? Also what happened to Olivia Walton for most of the series, was she ill or something?

Great news letter!

Many thanks,

Gertrude

KAREN'S COMMENT: Wouldn't we all love to know this one. I believe that for a time, Richard Thomas and Sian Barbara Allen (Jenny) were girlfriend and boyfriend, and of course, Jon Walmsley and Lisa Harrison (Toni) did end up marrying, but as for the rest, I think they consider themselves to be part of a family, not boyfriend/girlfriend material.

Hello Karen and everyone,

I have not written in a few months but after reading Bobbie's posting in the last digest I just had to write. My husband's daughter (who was 12-1/2) at the time decided one day that she no longer wanted a relationship with us and severed all ties with us. Her reasoning was that when she spent weekends at our house, we had too many rules (curfew, no boys, drugs, alcohol, etc) and she felt that she no longer needed anybody's rules but her own. My husband's ex-wife was absolutely no help. In fact, she encouraged her daughter to "live her own life" because she thought that was the way to be her daughter's "friend". We took the case to court (my husband has joint custody) but the judge would not force her to visit us (he said she was mature enough to make her own decisions...YEAH RIGHT!!!) To make a long story short, my husband had no choice but to accept this (and don't forget to mail the support check!!) This was after a very close and loving 12-1/2 year relationship. She is now almost 16 years old and still will not speak to him.

In the past year alone, she has been expelled from school, expelled from alternative school, spent 6 weeks in alcohol treatment, and is now 3 months pregnant and has a 19 year old boyfriend. Every year on Father's Day, he gets very depressed thinking about their "lost" relationship. It's very hard for all of us on that day. My children think of him as their "second father" and they don't want to make him feel bad so we never celebrate the day. I feel especially bad because he goes out of his way to make Mother's Day so special for me but I know that if I do the same for him, it will just make him feel sad.

I know that our situation is not the same as yours Bobbie, but I just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and I can't stop thinking about what you wrote. There really are no words that anyone can say to take your pain away, but just know that there are many parents out there who for one reason or another do not have a relationship with their children and the only thing we can hope is that we did our best when we did have them with us.

Hopefully, someday, maturity and responsibility will come knocking at my step-daughter's door and kick her in the a** !!! Take care of yourself and I hope everyone didn't mind me rambling on !!!

Did anyone happen to catch the episode of "Judging Amy" approximately a month ago? Mariclare Costello who played Rosemary Hunter Fordwick was on the episode testifying as a child psychologist. Looks the same, just a bit older!! Glad to see she is still acting.

Well, that all for now. Gotta get home by 6:00 p.m. or I will miss "my" favorite show!! Kudos to TNN for putting the show on at 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. Two hours of the Waltons!!! YAHOO!!!!

Goodnight,

Sharon

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thank you for sharing your story with us Sharon. My heart just aches when I hear stories like yours. I guess it's the one thing that we all wish not to happen to our children. It must be so difficult after nurturing her and watching her for 12 years, to have her turn around and just say, "Sorry Dad...that's it!" There is a well known singer over here whose own daughter has done a fairly similar thing and it's obviously tearing him apart too. We can only hope and pray that the time will come that she can make contact with her Dad again...maybe after the birth of her own child.

Richard Thomas (John Boy) sighting!

Have you noticed that Richard Thomas is the host on "It's a Miracle" that comes on PAX TV? Keep up your good work on your Walton newsletter.

Goodnight

Bob

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes, I had been told about this show. What's it like?

Hi Karen & Waltonsers, Waltonians, Waltonsees, Digesters? (We should name ourselves something ).

I was just thinking about why I think this digest is so neat. The obvious reason is digest members enjoy discussing one of our favorite TV programs. In addition to this though it occurs to me we end up having other things in common too.

I am always interested to read when other digest members mention they are from Virginia as I am. It is nice to share that heritage with the Hamners and appreciate the fact that the Walton characters spoke of it with such fondness. I particularly enjoy when folks talk about how the Waltons family abides with faith and the relationships are respectful and held together by moral values. This so valuable an ideal is easy to hold in our minds but so hard to act out in life.

I think those of us who enjoy the show so much may just be hoping the rest of world could share it's inspiration and that we ourselves could live up to it.

Another thing interesting with the digest I find is that folks mention things about other programs that have families which embrace similar ideals. For instance, the letters that mentioned Homefront. My first viewing of this program was its debut weekend on the TVLAND re-run channel. (Do you have this in Australia? A cable station that only airs classic TV re-runs?) This quaint 40's era story does a great job of showing the morals of the day, the problems of living after the war and how the families interacted, emphasizing the integrity of the characters and the faith of the mothers throughout the episodes. This struck me as a sort of similarity and it was neat to see other digest members interested in it as well. Also, I like seeing Little House mentioned and because of you guys I checked into the Apple's Way program.

So in addition to thanking Karen for taking the trouble to make this all happen- Thanks everybody else! it's good to hear from different areas of the world and share enjoyment of this TV program with the great stories, honorable characters, and honest values.

Marabelle

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thank you for your kind comments too. I am never bored with the Digest, because we do talk about so many other things too. I would never have started taping, or even noticed, Promised Land, or 7th Heaven, if it hadn't been for people on this list, and they're now among my favourite shows. Yes, we do have a similar cable channel called TV1, but it is a bit selective in its programming. It shows things like Family Ties, Brady Bunch, Lost in Space, Quantum Leap etc. I'd love to see many other shows on it, but maybe in time they will come.