Hi everyone,

I hope this finds everyone well and enjoying their days of autumn, fall or spring according to wherever you live in the world. It is just glorious over here at the moment, although it turned a bit chilly again yesterday. We even had some hail. Mostly though, the holidays have been wonderful, with really warm weather. Just right to be lazing around in. We really haven't done very much, although I've caught up on a lot of little things that I just don't find time to do during term time. The boys start back at school on Tuesday, and I go back on Thursday.

Well back to matters of The Waltons...there is a lovely long letter from Dot who has just returned from the reunion. I notice that The Waltons Web Ring continues to grow which is great. Remember that information on the web ring can be found on Brenda's page. Just go to:

http://www.oocities.org/Heartland/Meadows/7604/webring.html

It's very easy to join...just follow Brenda's simple instructions. So if you have a homepage, or a Waltons related page, why not give it a go.

Well that's it from me now. I'll talk to you all again soon. Keep the mail coming in.

Goodnight everyone, Karen.

From Larissa:

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to mention another occasional character - Harley Foster's older son, Jodie. I believe Josh was mentioned in the very first list as well as Verdie and Josh. The episode where we left for the service and the one when we came back were very good. I liked them a lot.

Also can someone tell me, when the repeats begin from the first episode o October 6, if they'll be on the morning (9am ET) or evening showings? I want to make sure I don't miss it and my "green sheet" doesn't show episode titles.

KAREN'S COMMENT: I always get confused...is Jodie the older son or the younger one? Did we viewers ever see Harley and Verdie actually get married on the show? I can't remember.

From Vince:

I've noted that a few people have commented about the door on the ground floor that no one appears to ever use (the one near the front door).

Yesterday I was watching 'The Sermon' (When Rosemary and the Rev get married and go on Honeymoon), Grandma and Grandpa went to their bedroom through the normal door (halfway up the stairs), as one of them went through the camera moved through the other door to pick them up coming down the steps! The camera did go through the door as you could see the door frame.

Please don't ask me why someone would want two doors going to their bedroom! All we need now is an inside shot of the bedroom but the only shots I can remember is either looking at the window, the bed or the steps coming down from the other door.

KAREN'S COMMENT: That's all I can remember seeing too Vince. Incidentally, Grandpa put the stained glass window into their bedroom after the episode where the old house was to be demolished and Esther was trying to save it. Does anyone ever recall seeing a shot of that window again? I always try to look but can never see anything.

From Alison:

Hi there, I have enjoyed the mail on the lay out of the house. My pet wonder was always the stair cases leading out from the downstairs. The is one beside the stove in the "kitchen" and another set to the left of the fire place, opposite the front door, in the lounge.

Yesterday was the episode where Rosemary Hunter and Rev. Fordwick get married. Olivia stands in as teacher ( was she qualified I ask myself) and John-Boy agrees to take the sermon, so that Rosemary and Matthew can go on their honeymoon. ( I certainly was not allowed time off teaching to go on my honeymoon :-))) ).

Well at one point John-Boy rushes in to find Grandma waiting eagerly for him. She goes off to her bedroom and he follows. They both go up the stairs next to the stove, the camera pans across John's desk , over the photos on the fireplace and the looks up the second stair case, we see John-Boy appear and go through the door into his grandparents room. Clearly there is a half landing behind the chimney.

The camera carries on panning round and looks through THE DOOR at the end of the living room, and we see John-Boy coming down the steps into Grandma's bedroom. So, yes the door leads into the grandparents bedroom. I am pleased to have sorted this out, in at least my mind.

Good night all Alison

KAREN'S COMMENT: Another house comment...how often do we get to see their cellar. It is used in the movie The Homecoming, and I remember (I think!) seeing it in the very first episode, but do we see it again? The family don't seem to use that kitchen door very often, only their front door.

From Logan:

Hello Everyone, It has been so much fun for me to read all the wonderful thoughts and comments that have been in the digests. I really want to thank everyone who answered my question about what was behind that door in the living room. If I ever get the chance to talk to a cast member again.....this time I will not get tongue tied and I will ask what they thought was supposed to be behind that door.

I think that I have a piece of trivia that I have not seen brought up in any of the digests lately. My husband and I rented a movie called " A Family Thing" and I'm pretty sure that I spotted Mary Jackson ( Miss Emily ) playing the role of the dying mother in the very beginning of the movie. The movie stared James Earl Jones and another really famous actor who's name escapes me at the moment, but the story was about a white man finding out that he was born to a black mother, but never knew it. The rest of the story is how he deals with this information and then goes and finds his " brother" James Earl Jones. I am almost positive that Mary Jackson is the dying mother in the beginning. Has anyone else seen this movie and can confirm that it is Miss Emily. I think that she did a wonderful job and I think that it is great that she is still working after all these years.

The one other little bit that I wanted to add was that when I was growing up Richard Hatch was one of my favorite actors and it was so very neat to see him in one of his very 1st roles in the Waltons. Thanks for everything and hope everyone has a great week.

KAREN'S COMMENT: That's interesting Logan. Thanks for pointing it out. As you can see, there are a few more comments on the layout of the house to help you sort it out further. :-)

From Julie:

Kaz mentioned in Digest 40 that Ellen Corby was seen in an episode of the Addams Family. This led me to remember of two other shows I have seen her in in the past...I wonder if anyone else remembers?

She was in an episode of "I Love Lucy." She played Lucy's old high school drama teacher Miss Hannah, in the episode with Orson Welles. Lucy meets Orson Welles, who invites her to take part in his magic show. Lucy mistakenly thinks he has asked her to play Shakespeare with him, and invites Miss Hannah down to see the show. When Lucy finds out she is merely to be the assistant in the magic show, she cannot bear to tell Miss Hannah and break her heart, so she manages to work a few soliloquies in as she is levitated in the show!!

The other episode was "The Andy Griffith Show" and she plays the head of a con ring who sells old cars. Barney, I think buys one, and it goes bad on him after a few days because there was sugar or sawdust or something put into the transmission, which covers problems for a few days, but then runs out. They catch and arrest her in the end! Fun to see her playing a "baddie!"

Well, anyway, just thought it would be fun to share those with everyone! Still enjoying the digests, Karen, keep up the good work!!

KAREN'S COMMENT: The head of a con ring?!? :-) That would have been fun to see, and for her to play I imagine.

Hi Everyone Dot P CANADA:

Well we are back from our trip to California. I do not know where to begin. My husband Glenn and our daughter Glennanne went. We left on Sept9th and returned on Sept 18th. We arrived at ll.45am to a heat wave they were having. l05 degrees. It stayed that for two days and then it cooled down to 95 degrees. That was just great. We were able to sit outside the restaurant and talk to all the Walton Fans. Most nights we would talk to about 2.00am in the morning. It was great talking to all the fans. Every day more where arriving. It all was so exciting.

By Friday everyone was there and ready for our trip to Warner Bros. Studio Ranch. This was our first sighting of Earl Hamner and when he walked up the drive way of the Hotel and came towards us. All I could do was hold my hand out and say hello. My husband and my daughter still can't believe I was so tongue tied. They are still laughing at me. Well we all drove out to the Lot in our cars and anyone who had room took those who did not have cars. When we got there we were walking up the hill to the house and Earl came along in his car and stopped and pick my husband and I up. I said to him I do not know if you will remember me or not, but I am the lady you told to save her pennies to come to California and he turn around and said Oh! Dorothy it is you. He told me he had received Lance instructions about programming the chat line. He read it all and said he threw up his hands. He is not a computer whiz.

Well we wandered around the house for quite awhile and it was so strange to be there after seeing it so many times before. I don't know how many of you know that the house had been moved, a few years ago from the Warner Bros. Studio Lot to the Warner Bros. Ranch. He expanded that and that they had moved some big trees over to the new location and introduced the man who had thought of doing that. He said it was sad for him and the cast members, because Will Geer had put his own rose garden in and the children had grown up on the old site and had marked the inside walls.

While we were their Lynn Hamilton and Eric Scott showed up to surprise him and us. It was really great because we had lots of time to talk to them both. They were both such nice people. Eric talked about his daughter Ashley and Lynn was so surprised at the number of people who were there and the interest that people still have in the show. She kept saying isn't this marvelous. Earl seemed so very pleased that they had surprised him with there visit.

He then took us to the Baldwin Ladies house down the road a piece. and when he was going to his car he called my name out and said Dorothy you come with me. I am going to give you a ride down. I sure felt special at that particular moment. Everyone wanted to know who I was. (my fifteen minutes of fame). He also showed us a set being built in a building. He told us what show, but I can not remember what it was. He then showed us the house that Jimmy Stewart lived in when he was making movie for Warner Bros. It was all so interesting. I took lots of pictures there and my husband took lots of video, which turned out great. I have not seen my pictures as yet as I have not picked them up from the store. I hope to send Karen some and I am pretty sure she will be able to forward them in her digest. If it cannot be done that way. Those who would like me to send them some. Just email me.

Well it is Saturday and time for the big banquet. Everyone was dressed up and we all looked good. We arrived at 6.00pm and mingled with everyone. Then Carolynn Grinnell spoke and she said grace and we all held hands the Walton way. We had a lovely dinner and we were assigned to different tables by number. We were really fortunate to be the first table to the left of the head table. I could sit there and stare a Earl Hamner and his lovely wife Jane. Still not believing I had made it to California. All of the tables had one Star or two. We had two. May F. Nutter who played Bobby Bigilo. Which I have only seen the first one of where Jason went with John Boy for his Audition, to join his band. He was such a neat person. He had his son with him, a real cute blonde. He was so interested in the chat line and says he will try and come on. Lance had made up some copies of the instructions for me to pass on to everyone. Stars and fans. Well are other star was Michael Learned. Gosh what a super person she was. I felt like I had known her a long time. She was so easy to talk to. She told us that it if it had not been for Earl Hamner giving her the part of Olivia. He absolutely saved her life. She was left with three children to raise and did not know how she was going to do it. When Earl offered her the role of Olivia.

I will give you a list of all who where there and if I make any mistakes in names and parts please forgive me. Michael Learned, Ellen Corby, Jon Walmsley, Lisa Harrison & their daughter. Eric Scott & daughter Ashley, Mary McDonough, daughter and her Mother. David Harper was a surprise quest, he had said he would not be coming. Paul Winn? He played the Charlie Snead I believe in The Homecoming and the Doctor in Murder she wrote. Joe Conley, Lynn Hamilton & her husband. Hal Williams played (Harley Vernon) Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker) Peggy Rea (aunt Rose) and Serana all grown up Martha Nix. (Roses grand daughter) Martha came from a wedding that she was at. Just to see us all. How nice of her. John Huddlestone? The Literary Man and played The Sheriff in The Homecoming. Morgan Woodward (Boon Walton) and he also played in Dallas. Another Blonde lady who I could not hear who she played and did not recognize. She said she was only in a few episodes. but which she had been in more. When I find out who she was and who she played I will pass it along. also another young lady I did not know. will enquire who she was also. When I watch my video I will check again to make sure I have not left anyone out.

I have a little story for most of these people and if you think you can bear hearing me go on. I will only be to glad to past them on.

What was nice Carolynn called on each one of them to speak and tell what the show meant to them. and there was so much love in that room it was overwhelming. There is much more to tell but I will leave it for the next digest if you do not mind? My Daughter made a speech and told everyone that she had just come for the trip with her parents and she thought she would have a good time, but she never dreamed it would be so much fun.

I will close now as it is 3.14am. and I should go to bed. I just wanted to get some of the trip off to digest. I still can not believe that my dream has finally come true and I have met and talked to Earl Hamner.(and rode in his car, LoL,) So if you would like to hear more let me know. Thank You. Good Night all you Walton Fans. Come chat on our Chat line some time.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Dot, please tell us some more. I have really enjoyed reading about it all. It just sounds so wonderful. I'm sure that everyone else would love to hear some more from you...and if they don't...TOO BAD!!! :-)))