Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well and still enjoying your digests. Several of you have written to me and let me know that you are. Matt wrote to me during the week and suggested that everyone check out the other Waltons site, if they haven't already done so. The URL is:

http://www.the-waltons.com

This one is Ralph's Waltons page and he has done a fabulous job with it. Ralph is the editor of the Blue Ridge Chronicle. I hope you all enjoy it too. Thanks Matt for the tip. There is also a link to Ralph's page from mine.

Keep well everyone,

Karen.

From Eric:

Well I've been at it some more here. I told you earlier that in The Graduation, where John Boy begins his speech, We the graduating class of 1934, and that I figured that he must be eighteen years old being born around 1916. Forget that. In the fifth season, episode, "The Hero," John Boy is helping to organize Honor Day on Waltons Mountain, the celebration for when WW1 ended for Jefferson County. Lots of goodies here folks. John Boy again tells his brother Ben, "Just remember your Daddy came home but your Uncle Ben didn't." (We also learn that Ben is John's older brother.) John Boy also mentions to his father, "I was all of four years old the first time I saw you."

In this episode they clearly state 1918 as being 19 years ago. So this must be 1937, and from that bit of information it becomes unequivocally clear that John Boy was indeed born in 1914, if he was four years old in 1918, the first time he saw is father. So when he graduated high school in 1934 according to this information he was 20 years old. An old senior indeed for someone as smart as he is made out to be! So you see the time line thing is fun to play with but it is off from the early episodes. But that's television.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes I think you're probably right Eric. I didn't pick up from this episode that John Boy was born in 1914. Well done! Perhaps we should point this out to those commenting on A Walton Easter.

From Eric:

I just received a email tip that next week the Family Channel was airing the episode, The Changeling. This is all I need to complete my collection. So I just spoke with Viewer Relations at FAM, and was assured that this will not air, nor would The Ghost Story ever air on FAM. She also told me that FAM TV is the same throughout the USA.

KAREN'S COMMENT: What a mystery! Perhaps this is one that you could post on Ralph's "Ask Earl Hamner page" which he has just added. I'd love to know the answer. Funny that it's the two about ghosts.

From Barb:

I am really enjoying the Walton newsletters. Always thought I was alone being a closet Walton fan. I record and then watch the shows on the Family Channel twice a day. (With fast-forwarding through commercials and such, I watch 2 shows during my lunch hour.)

I have a few questions about Mary Ellen and Curt's house. Did they get their house from old Doc Vance when he retired? It seems odd that the house is all decorated, not like a newlyweds home and we barely see them in it. Why is Mary Ellen always staying at the Walton house if she has her own home? Did she ever sell it after Curt died? ( I know she rented it to a couple a one point).

Although the time thing did bother me on the Easter Special, I was more bothered by the lack of mention of other family members. "John-Curtis is away at college or Cindy and Charlie are visiting Cindy's mom in Richmond" would have been nice. Or even "Ike and Cora-Beth are finally visiting Europe." I realize these actors are busy or no longer interested but the audience is still interested in their characters. Barb

KAREN'S COMMENT: As you can see Barb, on the Net there are a lot of closet fans! Well everyone, any comments about Curt and Mary Ellen's house. Have you seen the episode The Heartbreaker? We see a good deal of the house in this.

From Beth:

Hi Everyone! My name is Beth and I am 32 years old. I have watched the Waltons ever since the first episode aired (I believe Kami Cotler and I are the same age!). I still watch it every chance I get, on The Family Channel. I was watching it more often, but now the FAM west is digital and I can no longer receive it. With three children, homework, bedtime routines and all, it is sometimes hard to watch The Waltons at 7 p.m. My children love the reruns as well, though, so we try to watch as much as possible.

I grew up in Nelson County which is where the Hamners lived (and some still live!). My parents still live there so I visit usually once a month. I know many people in the small town of Schuyler. I love to hear about Rockfish, Lovingston (the county seat and where I grew up), Scottsville, Charlottesville, and even Lynchburg was mentioned in an episode or two. If I can ever be of help in answering questions about the area I'd be glad to! I have visited the museum on more than one occasion and plan to go back there very soon. I can never get enough! I thought it was very sad when the original "Ike Godsey Store" burned down a few years back. I'm not sure of the exact year. It is beautiful country there, and, even though I may be a bit prejudiced, there are beautiful people there as well!

I am very glad to be able to talk with other Waltons fans and to see that there are many of you! Someone asked about the Columbia House Waltons collection missing some videos. I don't know the answer to that, (even though I am very excited to know such a collection exists and I plan to order it tonight!) but I do know that their "Little House on the Prairie" collection is also incomplete. I wish I could have every episode and special of both shows! Well, that's enough for now. Sorry I got so long winded! I'll try not to do that a lot......

From Jeff:

I've been reading with interest the discussions about the time line and I've decided that no matter how tempted we may be to pinpoint dates, it will only end in frustration. For instance, if John and Olivia are celebrating their 40th anniversary in 1969, that means they were married in 1929. But if John Boy graduated from high school in 1934, he was probably born in 1916. That adds up to something that would have scandalized Waltons Mountain!

KAREN'S COMMENT: You said it Jeff. Can you imagine what Grandma would have said?!? What I want to know is why John and Olivia eloped and was that looked down upon too? Was it simply that they were felt to be too young?

From Shirley:

I was so pleased to receive your latest digest #6 last night. I cannot get over how good a job you are doing and it's nice to read the messages from Walton fans from all over the world. Tonight I was reading about some of the episodes from your guide, when I came across the one called "The Pony Cart". There was the part at the end were it says that Henry and Zeb Walton's father, Samuel, was the one that arrived in America. Based on what I can tell, from "The Homecoming", it was John-Boy's great-great grandfather that came to America. Wouldn't that make it Samuel Walton's, father who came first? Wasn't Samuel Walton's wife's name Rebecca Lee, or would that be Samuel Walton mother?

KAREN'S COMMENTS: Interesting points Shirley. Can anyone add to this? It sounds as if a few of us are family historians!

From Matt:

There were over 200 episodes of the Waltons produced. Columbia House only offers 70 episodes for sale at this time. They are considering whether to release more episodes in the future. Some people who subscribe to the Columbia House video club may not know this.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for this Matt. If there is big demand for them you might see some of the later seasons episodes released at some time.

From Eric:

Just a short one this time. Here are a couple more Baldwin's. Cousin Homer Lee Baldwin from Buckingham County appears in "The Reunion". Cousin Palonis Baldwin from Richmond appears in "The Star."

Here is some Walton information. Zebulon's (Grandpa's) cousin Zadoc Walton appears in, "The Remembrance."

KAREN'S COMMENT: There you are Lee, a few more Baldwin cousins for you. I loved the episode where the Baldwins and Grandma banded together to try to save the old house. Near the beginning of this episode Miss Emily comments that a lot of Papa's cousins stayed in this house, but Miss Mamie corrects her saying "lady friends, dear". Perhaps many of their cousins really weren't cousins at all!