Hi everyone,

Well I'm a bit late this week...I swear that the weeks are getting shorter, but there seems to be tons more to get done! Oh well, only this week to go then school closes until the end of January. Do you know that I still haven't done very much Christmas shopping? I wonder if any of you are as disorganized as I am. I'm usually not one for leaving things until the last minute. Never mind, hopefully I'll be well on the way by the end of the week. I thought about it so I guess that's something. :-)

I said last week that I'd give you some more news from the Blue Ridge Chronicle, the newsletter I get from the International Waltons Fan Club. There's always a short piece on the second page about one of the episodes. It gives a very short synopsis, the cast and credit list and a photo. Well this time it was The Wing Walker, which aired on October 23, 1975. We mentioned this episode a few weeks ago because someone had spotted Tom Bower in this episode at the pilot of the stunt plane. Tom obviously liked Waltons Mountain so much that he returned not long after as Kurt Willard and married Mary Ellen Walton! :-) Lee Purcell played the part of Bobby Strom, the wingwalker, who John Boy thought at first was a young man. I hadn't seen her in anything else, but I tuned into an old episode of Murder She Wrote just the other day, and there she was as a circus performer. I'm not sure what the title of this episode was, but it was a two parter which also had Courtney Cox from "Friends" in it. Jessica was trying to find her brother in law who had staged his own death, but in typical Jessica fashion, she had traced him to the circus. Lee Purcell played the part of Maylene, who became a murder target towards the end of the show.

Well that's just a little of my "Walton spotting" for this week. Talk to you all next week.

Goodnight everyone,

Karen.

From Lee:

It has been a long time since I showed my face, so to speak, around here. I was reading about windows and doors in Grandma and Grandpa's room. I was just wondering if anyone remembered when Grandpa put in the stained glass window for Grandma? This is just a little trivia to see if ya'll are really paying attention. Do you remember where the window came from and why it was so special to them? Well, back to lurking. Merry Christmas!!!! and Happy Holidays!

KAREN'S COMMENT: I love the glass window episode Lee. I often wonder if we get to see it again. I don't suppose it is in the real Walton house set.

Dear Karen,

Just a note to say "thank you" for your 50 Digests (so far) - although, if you take into account the "mini Digests" and "Special Digest" you've done more than 50!

What you have done is bring people together around the world, and I'm sure you must get a lot of satisfaction from knowing that. How true it is that "it is more blessed to give than receive"!

Warmest regards to you!

Arthur D

http://www.surflink.co.uk/users/arthurdungate

KAREN'S COMMENT: Arthur, I wasn't sure if this was meant for the digest, but seeing the message was Christmassy, I thought that I would add it. I appreciate your thoughts very much. As you say, I have gained a lot of satisfaction out of meeting so many Waltons fans, and being able to bring you a new digest each week. It's just nice to know that the Walton message seems to still be so alive and well.

From Cynthia:

Thanks for the update. It was very interesting to read everyone's messages. Keep me on you list and I look forward to getting your next Walton Digest.

I attended both the California and Virginia reunions and they were both great. The CA one had soooo many stars and we got to spend time will all of them. It was a great experience. I got to met Grandma, that is a moment that I will always cherish and she gave me a kiss. She is a very special person and it was a joy to met her and the other cast members. Jon and Toni played music and he had a good time singing and listening to them.

I don't know if you are interested but a video is being put together. It will feature both reunions and I believe it will run about $25. I don't know if you want others to know about this but it will something that all fans will want for their collection. I've seen the beginning of it and it is looking real good. I believe it will be finished sometime this or next month. I've reserved my copy and I can get the details if you want them. Let me know. Well it's time to say goodnight. Take care and have a great Walton day.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Welcome Cynthia to our group. It sounds as though you had a great time at the reunions. I wasn't aware that Toni was also musical, although seeing Jon is, perhaps that was what drew them to each other. I had seen something about a video being available. Would you like to send me the details and I'll add them to the next digest? I'm sure that many of our members would be interested.

From Shirley B.

Hi Karen and Walton Fans,

I was able to see the movie "A Thousand Men and a Baby" last night and I was taken to tears near the end of the movie. Like always, Richard Thomas did a great job as well as actor Gerald McRaney, who plays Russell on the show called "Promised Land".

Speaking about Promised Land, a few weeks ago I was watching the show, when who did I see, Kate McNeil the one that plays John-Boy's wife. She was playing Clara's sister on the show. If one recalls, Richard Thomas had played Russell's brother on the show. I am happy to say, that we are now receiving the mail here in Canada.

Take care one and all :-)

SEASON'S GREETINGS

KAREN'S COMMENT: Another Walton spotting! I'm glad you enjoyed the movie Shirley. I was surprised to see that Gerald McRaney was also in it. Am I imagining things or was he also with Richard Thomas in "Almost an Angel" recently? I'm sure someone mentioned that. I haven't heard about "Promised Land" yet...I suppose that's yet another show that I'll have to wait to see.

Hi Karen!
Thank you for including me on your Walton's List! As I stated before, I am an avid fan since "The Homecoming". I do have an inquiry. An associate of my mothers in Winston Salem, NC claims that he was in Virginia a few weeks ago to decorate the set for an upcoming new Waltons Special. She understood him to say that it would air Thanksgiving which it obviously did not. Is anyone aware of an upcoming new special? Please understand that I'm not asking to dispute the authenticity of his claims but because I want to be sure to not miss anything Walton! I try not to miss the shows but in viewing the websites I have found that I have missed several. Specifically, A day of Thanks on Waltons Mountain, A Wedding on Waltons Mountain, and when Mary Ellen married Jonesy. I don't know how I have missed these and I know that the Thanksgiving show aired this year but unfortunately I was not in a situation to either watch or tape it. Are these available on videotape that you know of? I am so happy to be established with a Walton Lover's group. Please keep me posted!!

Thanks!

Sue Burkhart

KAREN'S COMMENT: Hi Sue, and welcome to you too. What an interesting question! Let me say that, with the success of A Waltons Easter earlier this year, there is talk of another special, but I believe that nothing is settled yet. Perhaps it will be another Thanksgiving one but might air next Thanksgiving, although a lot of people on the list have speculated that it might be the wedding of Elizabeth and Drew. Keep watching and we might have news sometime soon. I hope so!

It's a shame you have missed the three 1982 specials. A Day of Thanks on Waltons Mountain ranks among my very favourite of Waltons episodes. It is still available on video...I've seen it available over the internet at some of the places which sell videos. You might find this one at the Museum too, but I have seen it at CD World on the internet. I have bought a few things from here and have been very happy with their products and the service. I'm sorry I can't give you the address as all of my bookmarks disappeared when we were having computer trouble a few weeks ago. It might just be:

http:\\www.cdworld.com