Hi there everyone,

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend, wherever you are. There's really not a lot of Waltons news around at the moment but I hope that you're all enjoying the re-runs of The Waltons on the Family channel. I hope that you'll let us all know as any interviews with Waltons stars pop up, as was suggested. Marie has actually told us a bit about one of the interviews in her letter. Have you all caught up with the interview chat with Earl Hamner which can be found at the Family Channel web site? Don't miss it...it's very easy to find.

By the way, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the Internet Movie Database has a "WASHED-UPdate" and would feature The Waltons. I received mine during the week so check it out at: http://www.imdb.com/washed-update.html. Nothing on it is really terribly new, apart from some of the credits for Richard Thomas but it did make interesting reading all the same. Their one oversight though, was not mentioning Kami AT ALL!

Until next time, take care,

Karen.

From Michael:

I read, in the most recent digest, the question as to whether the Walton house was ever used for other shows. There is an episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard" that has the house in it. They had changed a few things around the windows, doors, and porch, but it was the same house. The barn was seen in this episode too. The episode had something to do with Bo & Luke Duke trying to find a home for a orphan child. The little boy ran away and Bo & Luke finally found him near the house.

P.S.: If anyone can lead to a place where I can find the episode of "The Waltons" titled "The Changeling", I would appreciate it. The episode is from the 7th season ( 1978-1979 ). "The Family Channel" has never aired the episode and I'm not sure if they plan to air it once that season begins airing again.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for this Michael. Good luck finding this episode as I know that it is one a lot of people are looking for. Check through our old digests for more information about this one, and The Ghost.

From Marie:

Hi, Karen, and everyone on the mailing list! Thanks, Jim, for the information about Verdie and Harley's courtship. I thought my memory just went blank about their wedding. There have been quite a few weddings on Walton's Mountain. Ike and Corabeth's, Uncle Cody Nelson and Cordelia Hunnicut, Mary Ellen and Curt, Yancy Tucker and Sissy, Olivia and Bob Hill, Rosemary Hunter and Reverend Fordwick, Rose and Stanley Perkins.

Do we actually see the following weddings? Curtis Norton and Ann Harris, Sheriff Ep Bridges and Sarah Griffith, Jason and Toni. In the specials: Erin and Paul, Mary Ellen and Jonesy, John Boy and Janet. Any others?

Shirley, I vaguely remembered that Mary Ellen was caught smoking with someone of dubious nature. So I checked The Dust Bowl Cousins and there they were! But it was in the shed. An interesting sidelight from that show - the actress that played the mother of the poor family visiting is the same actress that plays Matt Sarver's very rich wife in The Empty Nest! Talk about rags to riches! Back to the basement conundrum, do you remember what episode Olivia and one of the girls are down in the basement talking? Livie is taking care of a plant and weaves it into her comments. It's a plant that needs to put be in the dark for a while in order to bloom. She says it's the bad times that make the good times in life seem all that much better. I can't figure out which episode. I think it's either Erin or Mary Ellen who are dissatisfied with their life right then and she gives them good advice. Maybe it's someone else entirely. This is really getting to me - I can almost see and hear them!

Arthur, one of the interviews with Michael Learned went like this: "We were going on hiatus and I said goodbye to my Walton's children and they were children. When we came back, they were no longer children. They were young adults. David Harper's voice had changed. Mary Beth had grown about a foot. Kami was a young woman. It was quite a shock but a lovely shock." Another interview with Ralph Waite was a repeat from the 8-hour marathon in which he talks about the Walton Christmas album.

I'm so glad they are showing the shows all over again. I've missed only one so far - The Calf. I'm noticing all kinds of little things. It's fun!

Good night, everyone! Marie

KAREN'S COMMENT: Just going on from Marie's comment about all of the weddings...do you have a favorite Walton wedding? Jason and Toni's would have been interesting! Erin and Mary Ellen both seemed to want to move from the mountain as they were growing up, yet both ended up staying put. Interestingly it was Elizabeth who became the wanderer, yet she seemed to be most content at home.

From Marilynn:

About the basement: I am not sure; but I don't believe Olivia was going to a basement. They did go just outside the side door to the kitchen and proceed to get jars from the storm cellar. The storm cellar is covered by those two slanted doors on the side of the house. Some people called them "root cellars".

About "mason jars": Here's something that may clear things up:

Home Canning: Home canning became an important method of preserving food after the American John Landis Mason invented (1858) a practical glass jar and lid, now called the mason jar. The preferred method for home canning is the hot-pack method, in which precooked, hot food and part of the liquid in which it was cooked are placed in a clean, hot mason jar. The mouth of the jar is covered with a metal disk that has a rubber ring seal. A screw-type lid is then partially screwed onto the glass jar. After the jar has been processed in boiling water for the length of time required for the type of food, the screw top is tightened completely. Heat and pressure during processing force most of the air from the jar and minimize the danger of multiplication of disease-causing organisms. Jams and jellies are usually prepared by the open-kettle method. The jam is cooked to the proper consistency, then poured into hot, sterilized jars, which are then sealed. Further heating is not required; the sugar used in preparing jams and jellies acts as a preservative.

"Canning," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. (c) Funk & Wagnalls Corporation. All rights reserved.

(Hey, to get this I had to reinstall Encarta. What is truly amazing(?)....the computer is still running!!! Will wonders never cease!)

KAREN'S COMMENT: I can't believe how much we learn about customs etc. from this show! Thank you. The other thing you mentioned is the "storm cellar" which is also called a "root cellar". I never knew what a root cellar was either. Now if the family had a storm cellar, which I presume would have been big enough to accommodate them all during a storm, couldn't they have used this on the night of the fire? Perhaps I'm being too practical. :-)

Hello Group,

Is there anyone else out there who is has mad as I am about the FAMILY CHANNEL cutting up the waltons as I am. I watched the Boy From The CCC and they sliced it like carrots. It is simple they practice censor ship pure and simple..

Eric,

KAREN'S COMMENT: Nice to hear from you Eric. I hope you're well. What sort of cuts are they making? Is anyone else noticing them? You could always drop a line on the Waltons forum on the Family Channel page Eric. You might get an answer as I notice quite a few queries being answered there.

From Arthur:

Hi Karen and everyone! Just another "shorty" again from me this time on "spot the character actor" (I hope it's not getting boring). Again, from the "Quincy" series. In "Ghost of a Chance" Jonathan Frakes (Ashley Longworth Junior) appeared once more, this time as a hospital resident doctor without the experience of the chief surgeon. Only a small part, at the start and end of the episode. This one dates from 1982, only a week or two since I saw him before, but, as the BBC is showing them 5 days a week, it was probably a year or two between appearances when the series was made. Then, two days later I saw Lyn Hamilton (Verdie Grant/Foster) as the mother of a young delinquent. This was in the episode called "Baby Rattlesnakes". Again, only a small part, but I find it enjoyable to see them in other roles.

Talking about anomalies in studio sets (i.e. Grandma's bedroom), I'm reminded of another very curious one, not actually in The Waltons, but in Happy Days. If anyone's interested I might say more...?

'bye for now!

Arthur

KAREN'S COMMENT: Definitely NOT boring Arthur. :-) I still can't understand how you manage to pick them all up. I never do. I'm wondering if your anomaly for Happy Days would be the one I've noticed in the first season. Yes, please let us know!

From Shirley:

Hi Karen and Walton Friends. Just like to fill you in on some information, that I found on Shivarees. The word "shivaree" is derived from the French charivari, which, loosely translated, means "headache". A shivaree is when a group gathers outside the house of some newlyweds and begin banging pots and pans, blowing horns, ringing cowbells, setting off firecrackers and singing. After enough noise was generated to rouse the "lucky" couple, various pranks ensured. Often the newlyweds would be paraded down the street in their nightclothes. Later, refreshments would be served. Some of the pranks would be to kidnap either the bride or groom and make the couple spend most of their wedding night apart. The real highlight of the evening came after the guests had gone home. The honored couple often discovered such shenanigans as a short-sheeted bed or a layer of cornflakes under the bottom of the sheets. The bed may be moved into another part of the house, the dishcloth in the coffee pot, salt in the sugar bowl, labels taken off canned goods.

Good night Karen girl

KAREN'S COMMENT: Like I said earlier in this digest...I am learning so much about old American customs. :-)

From Larissa:

Hi Karen. I am just sitting here reading the latest digest. A couple comments for you (although I'm sure others will make the same comments). Wal-Mart is a national chain of stores, carrying the same kinds of things K-Mart does. (It's just a little younger - at least they became widespread more recently.) They're doing better than K-Mart overall nowadays because they buy in larger bulk from their suppliers and can sell for a little cheaper.

Mason jars are exactly what you thought they are. Squarish looking glass jars with screw on lids - mostly used for canning and preserving, but also used for drinking out of in "country-style" restaurants.

Shirley sent in these birthdays for October and now I learn that Eric Scott has my husband's birthday! How cool!

Thanks also to everyone who sent my information on the episodes - I appreciate it!

Ever since I went to the Walton's Museum in Schuyler a few years ago I have wanted to see the episode(s?) where Erin wore the blue flowered dress that is now on display. It's not a full-sized dress (for an adult) so it must have been an older episode. Well I was watching the (first season) episode last week with the carnival people who put on the special show for the family. In it, I think Erin may have worn that dress to the special performance. Does anyone know for sure when she wore it (it's possible they said when at the museum and I just don't remember)? Just something that's been at the back of my mind for a few years.

Thanks, Larissa

KAREN'S COMMENT: Put on your thinking caps everyone...where did Erin where this dress? Do they have any other costumes on display there?

From Steve:

I never did watch the Walton saga consistently, although we had a large reason to do so at our house: my father attended the University of Cincinnati with Earl Hamner, and knew him well for years. But we saw at least one episode in three over the years, and caught the dramatic high points.

Recent repeats from the beginning of the series, in order, on the Family Channel in the U.S. have bewitched me again. I'd like to hear from others who admire it.

It's been a sad day here, with the sudden passing of John Denver ... he was so right in singing about "Almost heaven, West Virginia [well, Virginia too] / Blue Ridge mountains, Shenandoah river ..." as well as a host of other facets of life.

As was true with what was shown for many years on "The Waltons," despite those who scoffed at it. Hamner did find a strong pulse of life and art in the television wastelands. I was reminded of that in seeing, this evening, the classic first-season "Love Story," with John-Boy's first deep love, Jenny Pendleton, and how they parted. (Whatever became of the captivating Sian Barbara Allen who played Jenny, I wonder?)

Best wishes to all from the Midwest, in central Iowa, near the famous Bridges of Madison County ...

KAREN'S COMMENT: Welcome Steve and also our other newer list members. I hope you will all enjoy being part of the Waltons Mailing List. :-) As you can see we talk about all sorts of Waltons related matters. Sian was lovely as Jenny wasn't she? She pops up again in a few episodes so you still have some to look forward to. Does anyone know if she is still acting?

I, also, thought of The Waltons and Virginia when I heard the sad news of John Denver's death. I loved his music and must confess that some of his songs make me cry every time I hear them. I think "Perhaps Love" is one of the most superb songs. The music industry will miss him greatly, as will we all.