Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Waltons

We have been enjoying


This is a show that I loved as a kid.

My grandmother loved it, too.
She would call me MaryEllen and my brother John Boy.
When we slept over her house, she would call out,
"Good night, John Boy!"
"Good night, Mary Ellen!"

For my fourth birthday, in 1976 {yes, I am OLD!}
my grandma bought me the Walton's house.
my grandma & I playing with my Waltons house, circa 1970s
My mom took great care of that house and the other night she brought it over for my girls to play with it.

My mom still had it in her attic and she sent my dad up to get it.
Well, actually when she heard that we were watching The Waltons 
and that the girls LOVED it, she asked very considerately and politely if I wanted it,
knowing how I am in fierce de-cluttering mode.
But I could not decline this offer.


It is just cardboard and plastic.
With furnishings made of cardboard.


This, I think is John Boy's room,
the bed where all of the children would gather,
as he wrote at his desk late into the night.


My grandparents had given me all the dolls:
John Boy, Mary Ellen
Grandma and Grandpa
Livy and John

Those I believe were/are in with my old Barbie dolls, but I think we cleaned through that and I think I thought we would never want them and trashed those old dolls.
:(

I looked and they are $50 or more on ebay.
:(   :(


So my girls use the dolls from their Fisher Price doll houses and pretend.
Nothing wrong with that ;-)


They sometimes re-create scenes from the show,
like Mary Ellen walking on the roof with a parasol 
when the circus performers were in town.


We have learned SO much from watching The Waltons,
lessons about 
family,
integrity,
humility,
growing up,
hard work,
being content with what you have.


We have learned about rural life in the 1930's,
events leading up to WW2,
the Dust Bowl,
the Great Depression.


I often find myself thinking that we need more shows like The Waltons now.
Shows with family values,
shows that encourage us to be happy with what we have,
shows that encourage us to be there for one another.