| WALTONS DIGEST 41-99:
Hi everyone, After a busy week it's now a long, long weekend for us here in Melbourne. The Melbourne Cup (horse race) is on Tuesday and many schools close on the Monday as so few students usually arrive anyway. Aquinas College, where my boys go, will be mostly closed, so James has the day off, but they still schedule the VCE exams for that day, so poor old Tim has to go to school to sit one of his exams. At least he gets to have a bit of a sleep in before that one. I imagine the Year 12 teachers are not all that thrilled to find they have to go to school that day either! I have finally had the opportunity, thanks to a friend and list member in Australia, to catch up with some of the later episodes which I have missed. After seeing the early seasons so often, its now rather nice, but strange, to catch up with the Walton as they are growing up during the later seasons. I'd forgotten how pretty Kami Cotler as Elizabeth became when she got older, and David Harper as Jim Bob, really did develop into a fine actor. There's lots of news in this digest, from some of you who were lucky enough to attend the reunion last weekend. It sounds as if a great time was had by all of you. Well that's it from me for this week. Until next time, Goodnight everyone, Karen.
Hi Everyone, To clarify the use of the "recipe" in making applesauce cake, the "recipe" is an ingredient in the frosting, not the applesauce cake itself. Anyone who would like to try making it, the recipe can be found in the "Recipes from the Heart" cookbook, a collection of recipes by the Waltons International Fan Club. The cookbook can be purchased at the Waltons Museum. I submitted 5 of my favorite recipes and all 5 are printed in the cookbook. My husband and I were able to attend the autograph signing session at the Waltons Museum on 10/23. Walton fans filled the little town of Schulyer by the bus load. "Yancey Tucker" was very personable, posed for pictures, and seemed to enjoy himself. JF KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes I remember that the frosting had the recipe added to it. If I recall, there were strawberries placed around it too? Perhaps I'm imagining things. You must be a great cook to have had all 5 recipes selected for the book. I think I'd be going to get one printed! Perhaps I could suggest a quick recipe for when Olivia went back to College :-) Anyway, here is the promised recipe from one of our list members, and it includes the frosting with the recipe in it!
Dear Karen, First of all, let me thank you for your wonderful website. I truly enjoy all the Walton input inasmuch as it is my favorite program. Thanks for all your hard work.
I'm listing Olivia's Applesauce Cake recipe for your contributors who would like to have it. Incidentally, I made this cake last week and it was a huge success. OLIVIA'S APPLESAUCE CAKE l cup of butter 1 cup of sugar 2 cups applesauce 2 cups light raisins 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon baking soda 3-1/2 cups flour (sifted) 2 eggs 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground cloves 2 teaspoons nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Sift together: Flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Take 1/2 cup of flour mixture and stir into the nuts and raisins. Set both aside. Cream butter until whipped soft. Add sugar a little at a time until mixture is smooth. Beat in eggs vigorously. Alternately, stir in flour mixture and applesauce. When all mixed together add nuts and raisins and mix well. Pour batter into a well-greased cake mold. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool ten minutes, then turn out on cake rack. Frost with Whiskey Frosting when cake is cool.
JANE'S WHISKEY FROSTING 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon cream 2 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons whiskey (bourbon)
Pinch of salt Cream butter, add sugar and salt, then cream and whiskey. Whip until smooth. Frost cake. Decorate with a sprig of holly. I hope everyone who tries it enjoys it - I certainly can see the Waltons having this holiday cake. Thanks again Karen, Annette KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for the recipe Annette. If anyone is interested in the cookbook that JF mentioned, it is only $14 and also includes recipes from Earl and Jane Hamner, and Marion Hamner Hawkes. Please email the museum for further information. <waltonmt@cstone.net> They have several other cookbooks available too, including one by Marion Hamner Hawkes, called Mary Ellen's Recipes at $10 and another by Ronnie Claire Edwards called Sugar and Grease at $19.50. They'd make great Christmas presents so perhaps you could leave the information out for your loved ones to see!
Someone asked about the Christmas CD. I just got back from the Waltons reunion in Schuyler, VA. I am in the international fan club, so I got to go to a banquet and eat with the stars that were there. Kami (Elizabeth) and Mary (Erin) talked about the new Christmas CD. Yes, I did buy one and it is great! Anyway, the very first one that they did years ago had the Waltons picture on the front, but Kami said none of their voices was on it. This one, everyone met in Los Angeles (Erin's living room) and made the CD. Everyone's voices are on this one. They told about how much fun they had making it. Susan KAREN'S COMMENT: I'm pleased to hear that it's ready. Nice to hear that it now is really a true Waltons Christmas CD.
Hello Karen and everyone, I was also surprised that Grandma Comes Home didn't come first in the poll. I thought this episode was made all the more poignant for knowing that Ellen Corby was struggling to overcome the effects of a stroke in real life. Her tremendous courage certainly shone through. This was also Will Geer's last episode, as he died during the break between seasons six and seven. I think it would be an excellent idea to discuss episodes featuring other characters. All the Walton children have had strong storylines of their own as they have grown up. Also, the Baldwin sisters and the Godseys have featured regularly. Regards Sue KAREN'S COMMENT: You're right of course, that this was Will Geer's final performance. I'd forgotten that, but what a performance. His Esther came home, but she wasn't quite the same until the end. Beautiful writing, directing and acting. I would like to talk about each of the characters and discuss their episodes. Donald has started with an episode on the Baldwin sisters, so what is your favorite Baldwin episode? They did have quite a few episodes where they featured predominantly. Have a look through the episode guides, either on my site, or better yet, the more detailed ones on Ralph's site <www.the-waltons.com>, and write in with your views. I'll publish them over the next couple of weeks.
Hello to you all! No doubt you read Bill Atkins' posting to last week's Digest concerning his recent trip to Schuyler. I visited his website and looked at his two pages of the trip and thought that they were very descriptive of the place, and that for those, like me, who probably will never be able to go there myself, a very worthwhile "substitute". I don't wish to embarrass Bill, but I do urge you to see his pages! Just go to - http://www.galesburg.net/~atkins/waltons.html A "progress report", I see amongst the e-mails I have just downloaded, that Bill has just sent me his latest Waltons synopsis - the one for The Medal. So Season 8 is not far off completion ( actually only two more episodes to do) and I should have added it to my site by the time you read this. Happy reading! at (please excuse this blatant plug) - http://www.bbctv-ap.freeserve.co.uk/season8.htm Sincerely, Arthur KAREN'S COMMENT: I agree with you Arthur. It's nice to be able to visit these faraway places via the internet. Have a look at Bill's site and Brenda's too (the URL is in her letter) and thank you to them both for sharing their visit with us all.
Dear Karen and all Waltons fans, I had a great time last weekend at the Waltons Mountain Museum in Schuyler, VA, and the banquet in Charlottesville. When I arrived at the museum on Saturday morning, the place was crowded with tour buses and the line to get into the museum extended out the door and into the parking lot. I decided not to stand in line for autographs, and chose instead to look around the museum and shop in the gift shop. One of the highlights was the presentation of Erin's wedding gown by Mary McDonough's mother, Betty McDonough. She presented her own wedding gown, which she wore when she was married in 1951, and which Mary wore in Erin's wedding in "A Wedding on Waltons Mountain" to the Waltons Mountain Museum. The dress is beautiful, and I thought it was a very nice gesture on her part to do this. My husband and I drove over to Scottsville for lunch at the Dew Drop Inn. Saturday night we attended the banquet in Charlottesville, and I had a great time. Robert Donner was hilarious. Mary McDonough and Kami Cotler were charming and very friendly. They patiently answered everyone's questions, posed for photos, and signed hundreds of autographs. I also got the new CD - A Waltons Christmas, Together Again - and it's great! In fact, I am listening to it now as I write this. It was a wonderful weekend, and one of the best parts for me was the opportunity to meet other fans of The Waltons, especially some of my online friends. It was great to put faces with names. Anyway, I took lots of photos, and some of them can be seen on my webpage, Brenda's Tribute to The Waltons. If you want to see them, go to http://web.mountain.net/~waltons. Brenda in WV KAREN'S COMMENT: I often feel sorry for performers, as they must get asked the same questions over and over again. I'll have an extra special look at Erin's wedding dress the next time I look at that episode. What a lovely idea to allow Mary to use the dress in the show, and a lovely gesture to display it at the museum.
Hi Karen, I was reading the wonderful stories about people's travels to VA. Sharon from PA stated that her husband bought her the New Waltons quilt for her anniversary? I would love to her about this quilt? I was wondering if it was locally made or if there are any more available. Can you ask Sharon in PA to tell a little about it? Also can you share when the CD is available, is it only going to be at the museum? I loved the episode when Grandma comes home. Ellen Corby is just such a strong and endearing actress. She played that role so well and left such an impression. I loved her in the episode with the gypsies. I can't recall the name of it, but she tries to take care of their sick baby. Thanks for the great newsletter.
Kathy in CT KAREN'S COMMENT: Sharon may like to write herself and tell us about the Waltons quilt her husband bought. There is more information about the CD elsewhere in the digest. I had thought that it would be available elsewhere, but I haven't heard definitely from anyone yet.
With The Baldwin Sisters it is easy to say that one of the best is the Statue where Ike blabs to the Baldwin ladies that John Boy is writing the story of Ashey Longworth's romance with Miss Emily. Donald KAREN'S COMMENT: I really liked the episode of The Statue too.
I really enjoyed getting to see my all time favorite episode 'Day of Infamy' again last week. To me, it is the most powerful episode that was made. Not too long after I saw that episode for the first time last year, I got to go to Hawaii with my best friend and his family. One day we visited Pearl Harbor and the memorial to the battle ship Arizona. I'm really interested in ship wrecks like the Titanic and stuff so at first I just thought that an old sunken world war 2 battle ship was pretty cool. Then my friends mom reminded me of the 'Day of Infamy' episode and that even though it was just fictional, a lot of real people were killed and injured that day when Pearl Harbor was attacked. After that I started to think about it differently. I think seeing 'Day of Infamy' made me understand better what happened back then an how awful it was for the families of people that were over there at that time. I also liked the episode last week where Jim-Bob gets an Air Corps tattoo and then tries to get rid of it by putting liver on his arm. I think it's good the way the Waltons deals with serious stuff but they also put some funny stuff in the show too. Kurt KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes I like how they varied it all too. You know, some serious moments and some quite light and funny moments. I love how they incorporated real events into the show. I never knew about the Hindenburg explosion until I saw it in one of the episodes.
Someone was asking about the Waltons Christmas CD. I have the original record album that came out a couple decades ago. It's excellent. The "Holiday Singers" are the cast members singing Christmas carols; Earl Hamner narrates most of the album between songs, but Will Geer as Grandpa narrates a lot as well, and it's a beautiful Waltons keepsake. I'm so glad it's coming back out on CD! Geri Ann in AZ KAREN'S COMMENT: I hear this was available for the reunion which is good news.
Hi Karen and everyone, I read the last digest and particularly enjoyed Sharon's note about her trip to Schuyler. I am so envious!! I've always wanted to meet Earl Hamner, Jr. I was at the Museum at the Grand Opening when he was there, but it was so crowded that I didn't get a chance to meet him. What a special thing to be able to listen to Earl narrate "The Conflict". Today is the Reunion at the Museum....and it's sunny and chilly here in Virginia. I won't be attending the Reunion, but will be wandering down towards Schuyler tomorrow instead (family obligations got in the way today!). For all of you that do get to attend today, I hope your trip to Schuyler is wonderful! Nancy KAREN'S COMMENT: Wouldn't we all have loved to have been in Sharon's seat at the performance. :-))
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