Hi everyone,

Just a quick note this week as I'm still pretty busy with various things, including school reports. The problem with being a specialist teacher in a school is that you need to write a report for EVERY child in the school, and it can be a very big task!

Many thanks to Beth, who has almost single handedly written this digest herself. I'm glad you've finally caught up with all the digests Beth! :-))Mail can certainly pile up when you're busy. It's nice to find some time to catch up things.

Till next time, Karen.

From Beth.

Hi Everyone! I was so excited I just had to post this right away!!! I got Kami Cotler's autograph this past weekend. She hasn't changed a bit to me since the Walton's aired. Well, not much anyway. She still has that long, red hair. Anyway, my sister-in-law actually got the autograph when Kami was having lunch at a cafe in my hometown of Lovingston (Nelson Co.). I was so thrilled to have it! She wrote: Beth, thanks for watching, Kami Cotler, Elizabeth. Anyway, just wanted to share that with you guys, knowing you'd understand how excited I am to have it! Talk to you again soon. I am still going through the mail I got during the month that my computer was down.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Kami has the most gorgeous hair, lucky thing. She really hasn't changed much from the series I don't think.

From Beth:

Kami's baby & Eric's wife's death: Thank you for answering my questions, Ralph, even though the tragic death of Eric's wife brought tears of sadness while the joyful news of Kami's baby brought tears of happiness for her. It is so strange thinking of little Elizabeth having a baby of her own isn't it? Of course, it shouldn't be, especially to me, as I am the same age as she and I have three! Anyway, thanks again.

Grandpa & Grandma: I like both Grandpa and Grandma; he is the happy-go-lucky, friendly, jolly sort with a devil-may-care attitude and Grandma is the sensible glue that holds the family together. I guess it's really hard to pick favorites, but Olivia and Elizabeth are my other two favorites.........oh well, the more I write, the more I can remember things about each of them that makes them ALL special!

From Beth:

I just wanted to comment on Karen's autumn in Australia. It is so funny to hear you describing fall and the beautiful leaves of autumn when it has just been sunny and 88 here today. We are going to the pool tomorrow and school just let out on June 4th! I read your opening to my oldest children and they were amazed so we did a little geography lesson on Australia. They love geography when it's done in this manner and history too. They also remember it so much better....anyway, enough of that. Let me answer some of these letters!

Mary McDonough on ET: I, too, taped all the specials ET had on the Waltons' specials, especially the one about the museum opening. In that spot, Mary M. is referred to as a "guest reporter" so I am assuming she is just reporting about things pertaining to the Waltons t.v. show and family. I don't watch ET that much, but have never seen her on there for any other reason. She is on one of the parenting shows I've watched recently, as the host or co-host, something like that. Does anyone know about which show I am speaking? Just curious!

The name Olivia: Actually, in the southern Virginia town where I am living now, Olivia is a very popular name with the older and younger generations. One of my best friends just named her baby Olivia after her grandmother who is 78. My daughter's third grade teacher's youngest daughter is Olivia and there are two Olivia's in our church, not to mention the Olivia's you notice popping up in the local newspaper, etc. Just thought I'd let you know.

The clothing the children wore: Karen, I wore overalls during my young years! I even had my first driver's license picture taken in a pair of overalls (even though they were corduroy and not as worn out or big!). I just die laughing when I look back at those pictures now. And I grew up in the 70's and 80's not the 30's and 40's!!!!!! Elizabeth was probably wearing hand-me-downs from all the family members, not just the girls. It wouldn't have mattered as much up there on the mountain. And she ran around a lot with her brothers and Mary Ellen was certainly a tom-boy so it didn't seem odd to me that Elizabeth wore those! children. I also like Jon Walmsley's though.

Judy Norton: I thought she was married to a Taylor. I guess I am behind the times, huh?! :) Thanks for the info Karen. I love hearing what the actors and actresses are up to now. Does anyone have a now and then page with the actors and actresses on it? I'm sorry I've rambled so. I promise I won't be so long winded as soon as I catch up. I've just missed these digests sooooooo much!

The financial status of the Waltons: Just because one has land, it does not necessarily mean that this person is rich. Many people in the mountains of Nelson Co. had land which had been passed down from generation to generation. The same with the houses. Earl Hamner did grow up in a much smaller house than the one shown on TV. I've been there, even when his mother was alive. And there is not much land around that house either. But there are people, especially in the mountains where the land wasn't valued as high, that had big farm houses and were not well off financially. There still are many people like that. Just thought I'd let you know. If you ever go to the museum, you'll see the house; just down and across the road from the old Schuyler Elementary school where the museum is now. And one more thing totally unrelated to this topic I guess: I taught music (beginning band) at the old Schuyler Elementary school when I was just out of college for a time in 1986. I'm glad they didn't tear the school down.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes you're quite right about this Beth. I often think that we judge people's wealth by their possessions, such as their houses and land, but these days, and I'm sure during the depression years, probably much of these assets were probably fairly heavily mortgaged. It's the same in country areas here, particularly at the moment. How old is the school Beth? I really love old schools.

Place Names: Yes, Marie, most of the towns mentioned are real and usually very small. One of my best friends lives in Rockfish which is mentioned quite often. I've been to most of the places mentioned on the show and it's so neat to hear them talked about here. I must admit, I am not sure about Riddleton but will ask my folks next time I speak to them.

Rose: Did you all see the actress who played Rose on "Grace Under Fire" last night? I kept trying to figure out who it was and my husband very calmly says "that's Rose from The Waltons". Just goes to show that the husbands do pay attention to what we're watching, even if they occasionally make fun of our watching so much!

KAREN'S COMMENTS: Well that's it from Beth for today. I'm glad you replied Beth or we might have had a very small digest again!!!! :-))

From Shirley:

Here is the information (birth dates) on the Hamner family:

Earl Henry HAMNER

BIRTH: 13 MAY 1899

DEATH: 1 MAY 1969

Doris Marion GIANNINI

BIRTH: 26 MAR 1904

DEATH: 1990

MARRIAGE: 31 DEC 1921, Schuyler,VA

CHILDREN:

1.Earl Henry (Jr.) HAMNER b. 10 July 1923

2.Clifton Anderson HAMNER b. 02 Oct 1928

3.Marion Lee HAMNER b. 13 Jan 1930

4.Audrey Jane HAMNER b. 17 Feb 1931

5.Paul Louis HAMNER b. 27 Oct 1933

6.William Harold HAMNER b. 17 Oct 1935

7.James Edmund HAMNER b. 21 Jun 1936

8.Nancy Alice HAMNER b. 21 Mar 1940