Hi everyone,

It's been another absolutely superb week here, but very busy, as you can imagine with Christmas coming up so quickly. I really don't know where the year goes.

This coming week is a huge week in the lives of our Year 12 students, as they get their results via the Internet on Monday, or via the postman on Tuesday. That's their final results for secondary school. James has just finished Year 11 but will be waiting anxiously for the post on Tuesday for the results of his year 12 subject...International Studies. I'm sure he's done just fine.

Now a couple of you contacted me about the photos of Eric Scott's wedding that I mentioned in the Blue Ridge Chronicle from the Waltons International Fan Club. If you are interested in getting copies of these photos, then I suggest that you contact Carolyn Grinnell, PO Box 1055, Kernersville, NC, 27285 and inquire about joining this fan club. Their magazine is always very newsy and has some great photos in it. Well worthwhile being a member...plus you get all the news about the reunions in October.

Many of you have written about your favorite Waltons Christmas moments this week. Please keep them coming in until Christmas. Their are some fabulous episodes to choose from: The Homecoming, The Best Christmas and A Children's Carol. I've probably forgotten some but I know The Best Christmas is a real favorite among fans. Put it on your list of things to do before Christmas. I'm waiting to hear from you.

Speaking of Christmas movies, don't forget that Richard Thomas is in The Christmas Secret next Sunday December 17th at 9pm (CBS). I trust you'll all watch it and let me know what it was like.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/movies_specials/spe_holiday_christmas_secret.shtml

Goodnight everyone,

Karen.

Karen,

Wow what a newsy letter!!!!!!! I am slowly getting ready for Christmas. My Dad is again with his Cancer so we are spending a lot of time together when I can in between work and other stuff. I have some of my shopping done but, need to finish after this weeks pay cheque.

Tomorrow the tree is going up. The lights are up already so the place is just about decorated. My Menorah and candles are all ready for Hanukkah on the 21st too as I am Jewish. My roommate has the day off tomorrow and his Nephew is helping him put the tree as he is staying with us. My boyfriend Gary moved in so this 2 bedroom apartment is a little crowded and with one bathroom and people always visiting or staying it reminds me of the Walton's!!!!!! I am having a holiday party next Saturday and people are all bringing stuff as I supplied the place. I am having about 40 or so people over. It is an open house so not all at once....Thank goodness.....

Now for my fave Christmas moments.....Patricia Neal in Homecoming as I really like her.....The whole episode of The Children's Carol is my fave Christmas episode. I cry every time Kami Cotler's (Elizabeth) real life little brother who plays the boy orphan speaks for the first time!!!!!!!!! Then I ball when Jason plays the song The Children's Carol for everyone.....

Cally....

KAREN'S COMMENT: It's lovely that you can spend some time with your Dad, Cally. I hope he's comfortable. We fall over each other here, with just 4 of us all trying to use the one bathroom and toilet...how must the Waltons with their family and friends have coped? I love A Children's Carol too, and Jason's music makes it an extraspecial episode.

Hi Karen It been awhile since I posted a letter but wanted to share a few things. This week end I was sick in bed with a cold spent all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday watching my Waltons tapes. I watched The Homecoming the other day. I really enjoyed it. When the video store in town went out of business I got The Homecoming for three dollars. I also watched when Grandma comes home after her stroke. That was last show Will Geer was in. The next one on the tape was when he had died and that went to his grave. Boy what tear jerkers... Saturday night I watched a movie called Little Women. It was the old one with Liz Taylor in it. Well guess who else was in it? I've watched it many times and never noticed the name in the cast...Ellen [grandma] Corby. On Sunday the movie Christmas Without Snow was on. Mama Walton was in that one. ..... well got to go. Good night everyone.

Nancy

KAREN'S COMMENT: I hope your cold is better now Nancy. Wow you certainly watched some good movies/shows over the weekend. I didn't know that Ellen Corby was in Little Women so I checked it up in the Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com and sure enough, there under the 1949 version of Little Women was Ellen Corby who played Sophie. I have a copy of that one so I'll have to watch it and find her. Well spotted.

Morning Karen:

Thanks for all the hard work that you put into the Digest. I did have a television station that was running The Waltons, but now has stop running the shows. There are so many Christmas Shows that I enjoy, the two that stick out in my mind are: the 2 part episode when the Baldwin Sisters take in 2 English children during the London Blitz the 2 young ones end up at the Walton's home and help Olivia come to terms with the war. (This one was before the United States were involved in the war). The second one is when Mary Ellen is planning to join Curtis at Pearl Harbor and then the Japanese bombed the harbor on December 7th the family was trying to cope with the possible loss of Curt, Mary Ellen shown such strength in teaching John Curtis the true meaning of Christmas, the family even use one of the trees that Grandpa planted himself.

Good Night Everyone

Brenda

KAREN'S COMMENT: Now I think this episode may be one of the ones I'm missing, unfortunately...the Pearl Harbor one. A real tearjerker I'm sure.

Hello Karen and All,

Happy Birthday, Karen! I hope you have a great birthday.

Yes, we are very Christmassy here. The outside is just as fun. We have put up a large train with Santa driving, and Elves trying to get Santa up to the roof. The kids love those. I have also decorated my mail box with a Santa sitting on top. It is very festive as well.

I also forgot to mention that I also have a village set up, of the Glen Close TV movies Sarah Plain and Tall. So, we are getting to the point of no place to move. I guess I'll have to buy a bigger house just for Christmas.

My favorite Walton's Christmas is the Best Christmas. Olivia is so happy having all her children around. It is neat how they all struggle to be together on that special day.

Ebay has been having a lot of the CDs for sale for anyone who still doesn't have it. I love mine, and I am thinking of buying another, just because I might wear this one out. I really feel like I can see them singing in the living room together. It really is wonderful. I hope they decide to do another again very soon.

Must run, it is getting close to dinner time and the stew is almost ready. It will be great for a cold night.

Goodnight all, -----Jennifer

KAREN'S COMMENT: I had a very relaxing birthday thanks Jennifer. I don't work on Friday so I could just laze around all day, then tonight (Saturday) we went out to dinner, which was lovely. I watched Sarah Plain and Tall just last week...a beautiful book and a lovely film. :-) Our tree and decorations go up tomorrow.

It's always a great week when I receive something from any of the Waltons Fan Clubs in the mail, and this week's post was no exception. I received the Blue Ridge Chronicle from the Waltons International Fan Club (contact: Carolyn Grinnell, PO Box 1055, Kernersville, NC, 27285). I hope that's all the details anyone needs, as I'm not at all sure what all the letters, numbers etc mean!

Dear Karen,

Besides all the good Walton news it's terrific hearing from someone in Australia.

The meaning of all those letters and numbers in the Blue Ridge Chronicle address: PO Box means Post Office Box which is a small box in the Post Office where people get their mail if they don't want to get it delivered to their home. I suppose some people do it that way because no one can steal it. I'm sure there are other reasons. So the Chronicle has box #1055 in the Kernersville Post Office.

NC stands for the great state of North Carolina right next door to Walton land.

27285 is the zip code which allows the mail to go through special sorting machinery that gets the mail sorted and then delivered much faster then people reading the envelope.

Hope you didn't get dozens of these replies. Have a great day.

Barbara

KAREN'S COMMENT: Not dozens Barbara, just yours...but I thought I'd add it to the digest because I'm sure there are other people who live outside the USA who also wonder about the addresses. The PO bit I got because we have them here too, but the NC I would never have guessed. We have post codes, which you call zip codes, which tells you where the mail is being sent. Mine here in Ringwood is 3134...the 3000 bit is for Victoria, our state and the rest just for our suburb. All are only 4 numbers, rather than 5. Phone numbers are just as confusing! Ours are 8 numbers only, but there is a code you add if you are ringing interstate.

What are your favorite Waltons Christmas moments?

I love the beginning of The Best Christmas when Elizabeth is giving Chance some water... Jim Bob throws a snowball at her then Jason throws one at Jim Bob...of course this is war! Also, The Homecoming is my favorite movie of all time...The whole movie is great.

It was neat to hear about some of the Christmas traditions that others have. I loved the 3 Christmas trees story! We have only 1 tree but it has a lot of interesting ornaments. Of course we try to purchase the ones from the Waltons museum when we visit.

Cindy

KAREN'S COMMENT: I would love to have a real white Christmas. Maybe one day. It is fun to compare Christmas traditions. We only have one tree too, but some lovely ornaments...naturally with some made by the children when they were younger. We have an artificial tree though, which is a pity because there's nothing like the smell of a real pine tree, but in our hot weather they drop the needles terribly and very early.

Hi Karen and everyone!

How is everyone? Amazing how I can drift away form posting so easily. On my other mailing list, a friend's daughter ran away and came back, which always teaches me, like the Walton, the value of family. (but I won't lecture) Plus I'm also working on a Birthday website, and of course the work i get paid for! That keeps me way too busy, and tired at the end of the day. ;)

Thanksgiving was wonderful here is NJ, the USA- the next day! lol The whole family got together, but celebrated one that Friday, for my father had to work. But in the end it all came together, and it was our day, and flipped- shopping Thursday! LOL But I am happy to report my shopping is done.

I got to see a little Waltons, then was also happy to catch a younger Ellen Corby on I Love Lucy. <g> Topped of my night you could very well say. And I will use my efforts to keep TNN with the Waltons.

Funny that someone mentioned the Christmas CD! I just got mine out yesterday and was reminiscing in the pictures, and everything. It's kind of funny knowing that 'John Boy' and Mama are within 3 blocks from each other (in New York) and just about half an hour from me! lol I kept the music on during my work, and after a long day, it got me a little more into spirit.

Although I like the instrumental theme at the beginning, I like the original better. I too, only knew about two songs, but I think I like "twas the Night before Christmas" the best. Besides the fact that it's a classic that many people all share, it was always one of my favorites, and if up to me, I would have picked RT to read it too. And the openings, and goodnight at the end all show how in a way, the cast's bonds did stay together.

Well, a short update from Broadway- Looking at the reviews for "Tiny Alice" and "The Best Man" are very good! As you may know, Gore VIdal is a very intelligent and complex author, and many critics are saying that she pulls off the role very well, and in an article found in Playbill, she said it was one of her proudest works, to experience the thrill of stage. Is this her first time I think? I wonder about RT. When going to the theatre for tickets, I got to speak to a man, who met and worked with RT, and I appreciated sharing some thoughts with him. He said that (as we all know) that for this play, RT is the best actor he has seen for it yet, so amazing, dramatic, and powerful, and that teens and adults were coming out thrilled by the mystery. - there's your critic's (good) corner folks!

And lastly, (but certainly not least) My compliments and congratulations! To Leathea- WOW!!! That's great news, all the happiness to you, your daughter, and new to - be son in law.

And of course Karen! What can I say? We all know you've done it again- A great job on the mailing list! I am proud to have you as one of my friends in the online Waltons world! Technology is amazing huh? (in all perspectives!)

Well, I think I've said enough. Back to Karen;) Hope you all are having a fabulous week. Goodnight John Boy, Good Night Mama, Good Night Grandma and Grandpa, Good Night Karen, good night and take good care all.

Love,

Viv

KAREN'S COMMENT: I've said it many time Viv, but it's everyone like yourself who do contribute who really make the digest happen. Walton fans really are lovely though aren't they?

Hi everyone, and a very Happy Birthday to Karen!

As promised a while back, here is the transcription of Grandpa's Christmas Wish from the old vinyl recording of 1974. I was going to send it next week, nearer to Christmas, but I see that you all are in a Christmas mood already and it was mentioned in the Digest #46-2000 this week. At our house we don't decorate or do things for Christmas (except gift buying) until after December 15th. We keep everything in place until Epiphany, as in the old tradition.

Grandpa's Christmas Wish - from The Waltons' Christmas Album in 1974

(Only Grandpa's superb vocal emotions, pauses, inflections, tones of voice and manner of speaking can do justice to this soliloquy. He had a way of clipping the final g from words ending with ing, which are written as he said them, using an apostrophe to note the missing letter g. In two places he pronounced the g on the end of the word giving, so it is there. In one place he said 'em for the word them, and in another he said ya for the word you. The second sentence of the last paragraph was said in a stage whisper. The punctuation is what is heard in his voice.)

In the author, Earl Hamner's voice: "And finally it came Grandpa's turn to say what Christmas meant to him." Then, all of the following is in Grandpa's voice:

What is Christmas? It's a time when some of your dreams come true. Every year it rolls around and takes you by surprise some of the time. Especially when you are as close to a hundred years old as I am. You think, "It can't be time for another one!" But there it is with all it's hope and joy, and the promise. The wishes granted. I bet you wonder what I wish for. What could an old man wish for?

Maybe you think I'd wish to be young again. But I don't want that. Being young is a painful thing. Being young and in love to boot, which most young people are, is even more agony.

I'll tell you what I wish. I'd wish for the power to return some of the love that's been given me. I wish the time and place of all that giving could be commemorated like the heart I carved on the tree around your grandmother's and my initials.

I wish, too, for more days to my life. Time. Time to give to children some of the beauty of this earth that has been revealed to me. A drop of water is a wondrous thing. A spade full of earth is a kingdom in itself. A cloud is worth watchin', 'til it passes from one horizon to another. A bird buildin' its nest is as wondrous as men buildin' the pyramid. And any green thing that grows is a proof that God exists.

It all comes into focus at Christmas. It's a tender time. We grow cautious because we open ourselves to love. We exchange gifts, but what those presents really say is, "I love you."

It makes some folks uncomfortable to say or hear these words. Maybe it's because they never learned the secret of the givin' heart. There are more takers than givers in the world. People, communities, even countries, spendin' their time grubbin' and rootin' for the goods of this earth like pigs after acorns in the fall of the year. This is a country with a givin' heart, and I pray it will always be so.

It's a good country and it's part of our strength. Somethin' we brought with us as pioneers that we can share with the fellow who's down on his luck; with those who've suffered calamities, the loss of their homes and land, or their hope.

This is a family with a giving heart. You children may squabble and bicker among yourselves, but you've been taught to give and to give. And that's the greatest present your mamma and your daddy could have given you.

So take pleasure in the trappin's of Christmas. Be merry like the songs say. Revel in the tinsel and the glitter and the sparkle, and sing the old songs for all the joy that's in 'em, and the memories they bring back. But to touch the real Christmas, to feel the true spirit of the season, look to your own heart and find all the secret treasures that are there to give.

There is one wish I make every year. I never said it aloud before, but I tell it to ya now. I wish for all the seasons I have known -- endlessly to come and go. The dogwood spring. The watermelon summer. The russet and gold of autumn. I wish for Christmas to come again. And for each of us to

be here again next year at this time. Together. Safe. Warm in love, as we are at this moment.

-End of soliloquy.

His wish is still timely for those who are together, safe, and warm in love. My wish is that all people in the troubled world of today could be the same and feel it as we do! Then we would have true peace on earth!

Christmas love to all. "C. J."

KAREN'S COMMENT: C.J. thankyou so much for transcribing this for us. It is a beautiful message. I like where he says "sing the old songs for all the joy that's in 'em" because I think there is nothing more Christmassy than having music around the home. I really can't imagine a world or a place where no Christmas songs where sung. They're a lovely part of our Christmas tradition. Maybe someday I'll learn to play my piano well enough like Jason so that we can have Christmas singing around the piano too. :-))