Hi there everyone,

Finally a new digest! My apologies for not getting it out earlier, but as I said in my email during the week, life suddenly became very hectic and I haven't even had time to get on the computer. :-( Although I regularly only work 2 days each week, the library at my son's school, where I do some relief work, suddenly had a lot of staff away and asked if I could fill in.

Add to this the fact that both Tim and James have been involved with their school musical production, and needed rides to and from rehearsals and performances last week as well. It's no wonder that I don't know if I'm coming or going at present. :-)

However it is Saturday here now, and the house is pretty quiet, so I'm taking the opportunity to put a digest together. There is only one more week to go before our school term break of two weeks. I think we are all looking forward to that immensely.

On another note, the Waltons mail has been a little slow of late so if there is only one digest sent out for the week please don't think you've missed one. I imagine that with school returning recently for the year, many of you are pretty busy.

Until next time,

Karen.

From Marie:

Just checked the TV listing on the Internet and now it says the evening episodes for this week on the Family Channel will be The Yearning, The Boosters, The Conscience, and The Obstacle. They are from the seventh season! This listing site has never changed like that. The morning episodes didn't change, they're from the ninth season and were just on the last week of June. Maybe after the Walton 8-hour marathon on the 14th of September they will start with the first episodes. Let's hope!

KAREN'S COMMENT: I've just re-read Marie's email and I'm glad you will all get this before the 14th. Have your tapes ready. :-)

From Marie:

My visit to Walton's Mountain Museum in Schuyler, Virginia on Monday, September 8, 1997!

The drive from Interstate 64 in Charlottesville to Schuyler takes about 30-35 minutes. The 18 miles on US29 are beautiful with ridge after ridge of forested hills tucked behind one another. And no billboards! US29 is a very nice two lane divided highway but with unlimited access (that means roads, parking lots, driveways enter anywhere). After turning east on State Route 6 which is a smoothly paved primary road, very wooded with a few houses, it's about 7 miles to Route 800. About halfway is the town of Faber which we passed before I realized it. Route 800 is a secondary road, still paved but more narrow, take that 2 miles to Schuyler.

Route 800 ends where it intersects with another small road marked 617. Across the road slightly to the left is the Baptist church. As soon as you turn the corner to the right, you'll recognize the Hamner family home on your left. Go past the post office on your right and the Walton's Mountain Museum is just a few car lengths beyond. There's a big parking lot in front of the old school building.

Inside is a small table where you pay admission. They ask your zip code and how you heard about the museum. You are in a large room with a stage at the far end. The curtain has the initials SES on it. Schuyler Elementary School. This is also the town's community center. There are historical photographs of local interest on one wall. Another has many, many newspaper articles about the museum, the Hamner family, the Walton TV show, and the actors. There are several displays in miniature - one of the Walton house, Ike's store as it looked on the show, the original Ike Godsey store and others.

There is a 30 minute film about the museum, the show, Earl Hamner, and the actors' thoughts about the characters they portrayed. The rooms are a curious blend of the Walton set, a bit of the Hamner house, and what works for the museum. All the furniture is authentic. Someone donated a wood stove that had been sitting on their back porch for 30 years. A tour guide takes you through the rooms then you may revisit everything at your own pace. My leisurely visit was two and a half hours.

John Boy's room. The crocheted spread on the bed was made from tobacco twine which had to be separated like embroidery floss. A typewriter sits on a desk in an alcove - was that ever in his room? In front of a window is a desk with a pair of glasses, a pad of paper and an ink bottle. There is a Boatwright pennant on the wall and a dresser with a mirror and much more. As you walk down the hall to John Boy's room, there are many photographs, awards, plaques, even a blue print dress Erin wore. In glass display cases is Walton memorabilia - lunch box, books, games, dolls, and more. Many magazines that featured the Waltons. There are two Emmys that the show won. And so much more that I can't remember it all.

Living room. You can easily imagine yourself sitting down as one of the family in this room. A young couple asked and received permission to be married here. Two items that jarred were the front door that opened the wrong way and the Walton piano which isn't a piano. It's a beautiful, ornate organ that was brought to Schulyer in 1820 by a young bride.

Kitchen. You can almost smell the cooking that must have gone on in that room. The tour guide said Jason carved his initials in the bench at the supper table in one episode, does anyone remember which one?

Ike Godsey's Store which is the gift shop has the old and the new delightfully mixed together. Among other things, I purchased a book called "The 25th Anniversary of The Waltons: A Book of Trivia - Over 2700 Questions" by Mark A. Jones which was published in 1997. I've already read the first 35 pages with about 20 questions on each page - 2,000 more to enjoy! I've come across quite a number of interesting tidbits.

Schuyler Family Restaurant is right next door to the museum in a large building which was Schuyler's first school. Jeannie and her husband, Charlie who seems to be the real Walton fan, are the owners. Before, during, and after lunch, we visited with Jeannie and Cathy Miller, partner in the gift shop at the restaurant. These two were very easy to talk to which we did for almost two hours! They had many interesting stories about the Hamner family and the Walton actors who have eaten there while visiting Schuyler. Without exception, they feel the cast members and family are really nice, down to earth people.

Do take 617 west out of town back to US29. Though narrow and twisting, it's worth the 20 minutes. It's very scenic and gives you an idea what the area is like now. Imagine what travel must have been back in the 1930's and the 1830's! You pass through the town of Rockfish and the road follows the Rockfish River. If you turn south for just two miles when you reach US29, you'll come to Walton's Mountain Country Store. One item they sell is a good map (50 cents) of the area with information and 16 points of interest. A visit to this area is highly recommended even if you're not a Walton fan.

From Walton country, goodnight, everyone!

KAREN'S COMMENT: Sounds like you had a wonderful time Marie. Thanks for sharing it with us all. Actually someone from Schuyler (every time I spell that I leave the "u" out) wrote to me and told me that some of the proceeds from the museum are used to provide scholarships for people from the town to attend University. What a great idea.

From Logan:

Hello Everyone, I have been meaning to write to the digest and just kept saying that I would do it later. Well, we all know that if you put something off till later, it almost never gets done. So this time after reading the last digest, I decided to sit down and write to you all while everything was still fresh in my mind.

First, I would like to say how sorry and sad I am about the death of Princess Diana. I never knew her, but I feel as though I have lost someone close to me because I have seen her picture so much. It still seems unreal to think that she will no longer be with us. I pray for her children and hope that she rests in peace.

I have enjoyed all the comments and info that have been in the past digests and I say to everyone " Keep up the good work". I have a question that has been bugging me for years. Does anyone know what room is behind the door in the living room?

The door that I'm speaking of is just past the front door and can be seen very well if you are standing in the entrance of the kitchen looking into the living room. I remember one episode where Grandma comes out of the door and looks as though she was straightening her hair. Is it another entrance to her bedroom? Is it a closet?

Please help me!!! I know that it is not all that important but it has been bugging me for years! A few years ago I had the chance to meet Jon Walmsley and I meant to ask him this question and I got so tongue tied that it slipped my mind and I have been kicking myself ever since.

I look forward to the next digest and hope that everyone is doing well.

Take Care Logan : )

KAREN'S COMMENT: Any suggestions about the room Logan mentions?

Hi Everyone, Kaz in Oz here. To Marie who welcomed me to the digest and to everyone, I just want to say this is a great list to be involved with. I look forward to them each week.

Shirley, I found your family history discoveries very interesting. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Thanks Brian for your info on Cindy. I missed the episodes that introduced her. Melody Thomas (Nicki on YaR) played Ben's girlfriend Darlene centered around a beach house owned by the Baldwin sisters. They family was having a vacation at the beach house while John was doing some maintenance to the house for them. Ben stayed at home hoping to spent some time with Darlene but Maryellen came and ruined his afternoon with her.

A little observation I made........We have just had the screening of the Walton wedding here in New South Wales a week ago. I only realized that at the time of John boy marrying Janet, he would have been least in his early to mid 40s by the time he married (1963/64) which makes it late in life to be considering starting a family.

When Janet's father asked Janet how many children she and John boy were thinking of having Janet's reply was "well he is a Walton"!

Goodnight everyone, Kaz

KAREN'S COMMENT: I don't remember seeing the episode with Melody Thomas, although I probably have seen it. I can just imagine Mary Ellen coming in and ruining their time together though.

From Rae:

Who watched the Family Channel tonight (Tuesday the 2nd). Wasn't it great to see the very first episode. How different they all look, the theme song is even a little different(as is, I think the exterior) I was so excited. Some of the things I noticed, Jason's voice sounded so YOUNG! They were all so young! (Elizabeth was six!) One of my favorite quotes comes from this episode. After they found the little girl outside and talked about where she came from, Elizabeth looked at Daddy very seriously and asks "Daddy where DID you find me?" he answers "Hiding behind one of your Mama's smiles" That was so great! I cant wait to watch them all grow up. Anyway, that's my .02 cents. Good night everybody!

Rae(aka Raeski on Waltons Chat)

P.S. For those of you who haven't joined us on the chat, its so much fun. Tonight Marion and James Hamner (aka Mary Ellen and Jim-Bob's real life counterparts) joined us. It was so much fun.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Hi Rae, thanks for sharing this with us. It's a great episode. The children really do look so very young don't they? They really did do such a lot of growing up on TV. It's certainly a different opening during this first season. I think I like the sepia type openings though of the later seasons. It's nice to see John Boy at his window though, writing and looking so fondly at what his family is doing. What do others think?

From Arthur:

Hi Karen, I always thought that name should be pronounced with the "ough" as in "dough" (as in bread making)? I could be wrong, "though" (after all, English is SO logical - tough, bough, though etc...)

KAREN'S COMMENT: I had to laugh when I read your email Arthur. It's no wonder the children in school get confused about English! Even in different countries you find English words pronounced differently. I notice that here in Australia we pronounce Elle McPherson name so that it rhymes with "person", yet in the USA they always pronounce it as in "fierce-son". Who knows!?!

Hi Karen and everyone! Just a shorty from me this time. Currently the BBC here in the UK is rerunning the Quincy series (with Jack Klugman) from the late '70s to early '80s. Yesterday was the episode "Flight of the Nightingale" and in it, as a fractious hospital patient was none other that Mary Jackson, so endearing to us as one of the Baldwin sisters (which one? - no prizes for the answer.....). I think this episode was made around 1980-81. Also, I've joined Brenda's Waltons WebRing. Let's give it a go!

Arthur

Hi Karen, another from me. - Just as I sent you the last short message, the BBC showed another Quincy, this one a two-parter called "Slow Boat to Madness" in which Leslie Winston (Ben's wife "Cindy") appears with a fake Russian accent!

I believe someone some Digests ago mentioned she'd been seen in a Quincy episode. Who's next to appear, I wonder?

Arthur

KAREN'S COMMENT: We'll have to keep our eyes open. Actually I have spotted the actress who plays Miss Mamie on at least one episode of Get Smart too.

From Shirley:

Hi you wonderful people. There is only one September birthday that I could find and it is for Tony Becker (Drew Cutler) b. September 14th.

On another note, I just read in the TV Guide that Richard Thomas has a TV movie coming out this season called "1000 Men and a Baby". It is unknown at this time when the movie will be shown on TV, but I will keep a look-out and in inform you the minute I find out.

The leaves are just starting to change color over here and the weather has been pretty cool at nights. The children are now back at school. take care :-)

KAREN'S COMMENT: Only one birthday in September! And his birthday is being honored with a Waltons Marathon too. :-) Probably not with one of his episodes though. Speaking of the weather, it is just lovely here now. Still quite chilly but with lots of sun. The trees are blossoming and the spring flowers are blooming. It reminds me of The Easter Story.