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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 6, 2015 21:18:08 GMT -5
Here are some 'notes' from my trip to Lynchburg Virginia for The Waltons Homecoming 2015. Mr. Forever and I was planning on leaving out on Thursday morning (2/26) and arriving that night. We had a change of plans though because Alabama was put under a winter storm warning. We left out a little before 5:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday morning (2/25). It's a good thing we did or we would have missed this event because at home it started snowing a little after noon on Wednesday. We received 8 to 12 inches of snow. Everything was shut down until late Friday evening.
I spent some time with Carolyn Grinnell while she ate breakfast at The Kirkley Thursday morning (2/26). It was really nice having her all to myself for a little while. Forum member Ryan James arrived safely last night. All of the celebrities were going to be at the reception last night from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. but all of their flights were delayed because of weather. David Harper (Jim Bob) made it here somewhere around 9:30 to 9:45 p.m. and he came to join us at the reception. They had crab cakes, jumbo boiled shrimp (which was delicious), ham, asparagus, veggies and dip, assorted fruit, lemonade, tea, and 'fruit' water. Ray Castro and Tim McAbee are here (they are two of the producers for "Earl Hamner: Storyteller Documentary"). Ray is also the Director of it. I brought my poster from the movie that I bought at Carolyn Grinnell's reunion back in October and got both of them to autograph it for me. I plan on getting Michael McGreevey, Eric Scott, David Harper, Judy Norton, Mary McDonough, Kami Cotler and David Harper to sign it too.
Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) arrived a little after 10:00 p.m. I saw her briefly in the lobby and then she got on the elevator. She did not come back down. I guess she was tired from being on an airplane for most of the day. By the time David Harper (Jim Bob) made it to the reception it was supposed to be over so most people had left it. Ryan, Kathy Lee and her hubby, Marge L and her hubby, Carolyn Grinnell, Michellet, Mr. Forever and myself hung around with him. Carolyn left after a little bit. The main table was like the Walton's kitchen table with a bench on each side of it. David sat at Grandpa Walton's spot and I sat at Grandma Walton's spot. He hung around for nearly two hours talking to the few of us who remained about politics, religion, the civil war movie he was in and several other subjects.
patriciaanne I gave him your message but I couldn't bring myself to kiss him for you. They finally booted us out of the reception room a little before midnight. Everyone headed up to their rooms except for Ryan James, michellet, David Harper, myself and another man and woman. David continued talking to us in the lobby about politics, his sister, 8 track tapes, vinyl records, cassettes and that he is working his way through all of "The Dark Shadows" episodes on DVD. He hung around for nearly another hour with us before retiring to his room. Then Ryan James, Dan (who's behind this convention), two other women and myself hung out in the banquet room talking for over two hours. I then got a shower and came here to the forum. It's now 7:00 a.m. and dummy me hasn't had a wink of sleep.
There are several people who did the same as us, they came earlier than planned to get ahead of the weather. There are quite a bit of people who are delayed because of the weather (mostly those flying in). I volunteered and helped them put goody bags together this afternoon. They have an archway welcoming you to Walton's Mountain. On one side of it they have my picture and on the other side they have Mr. Forever's. The jail is really neat (I will post pictures after I get back home). The man behind this event told me that at inauguration I would get a 'sash' that I would wear for the remainder of the convention and that I could go to the head of any line at anytime.
We ate lunch and supper with Kathy Lee and her hubby. We are planning on meeting them in the lobby at 8:30 a.m. to go eat breakfast at Bob Evans.
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 6, 2015 21:19:45 GMT -5
Mr. Forever and I was talking to Ray Castro (Director of and one of the producers of Earl Hamner's Storyteller Documentary) at the reception Thursday night (2/26). During our conversation my hubby let Ray know that our ten year old son is crazy about the show "The Rifleman" (1958 - 1963) that stars Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford. Mr. Castro let us know that he was going to see Johnny Crawford in a few days and that he would get our son an autographed picture from Johnny.
Today Mr. Forever received a text from Mr. Castro along with a picture that he took of the autographed picture he got for our son. It is a gorgeous black and white photo of Johnny and Chuck as Lucas and Mark McCain on The Rifleman. The inscription says: To (our son's name) Stay out of trouble Yer friend, Johnny Crawford. Mr. Castro said he would get it in the mail to our son. We are going to have one happy excited little boy. I am so grateful to Mr. Castro for doing this for him.
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 6, 2015 21:54:58 GMT -5
I did end up kissing David Harper (Jim Bob) on the cheek for you today patriciaanne. I got several questions answered:
1. During Grandma and Grandpa Walton's 50th anniversary celebration, Will Geer fell down while dancing, then Grandma helped him up and they started dancing. Was the fall scripted or unintentional and they just kept filming?
2. How many Recklesses were there?
3. During the Graduation episode when Chance (their cow died) how did they get Chance to lie there like she was dead?
4. Did Ellen Corby regain more of her power of speech in real life than we saw on TV?
5. How did Judy Norton feel about the episode that had Curt come back from the dead and living in Florida with a war injury?
6. In the Carnival episode did Judy Norton really walk the ridge of the barn roof with an umbrella? Did she wear a safety harness/wire of some sort if she did?
7. What about the Changeling episode that had Elizabeth's 13th birthday with weird happenings?
8. For Clyde - Why did Miss Emily's dog Dickey just up and disappear?
9. How did Eric Scott feel about the Ceremony episode that had Jim Bob and a friend accidently sling a stone through a Jewish family's window and they had Ben asking What is a Jew? What about the Beginning episode that had Ben snubbing Toni (Jason's girlfriend) because she was Jewish? Eric Scott ended up answering this question on the forum today (3/6) under the thread: "Ben and Judaism".
10. For Sharon (sdw) Would you do Dancing with the Stars? I started a thread on this with the answers. "Would Mary, Kami, Judy, Eric or David Do Dancing w/the Stars?"
11. How did you feel about recasting John Boy with Robert Wightman?
12. Question posed to Eric Scott - On the show whenever you got into a fight with Jim Bob or Jason, did any of you ever really 'try' to fight each other?
13. What was Mary McDonough's (Erin) favorite scene in an episode? What was her least favorite?
14. What two things did David Harper (Jim Bob) not like in two different episodes?
15. What did Mary McDonough (Erin) think about Jonathan Frakes as Ashley Longworth, Jr.?
16. What episode did Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) really enjoy filming? The Wager (Season 8 Ep. 12). This is the episode that has Mary Ellen and Erin as the only women in a horse and foot race against men.
17. How did they find out that The Waltons was canceled?
I will answer all of these questions when I get back home. I never got a wink of sleep last night. I stayed up enjoying the company of David Harper and other people and I need to get some sleep tonight. It's 12:45 a.m. right now and I have to get up at 6:30 a.m. to get a shower. Mr. Forever and I are meeting Kathy Lee and her hubby in the lobby at 7:30 a.m. to go eat breakfast together.
Mr. Forever is now officially the Sheriff of Walton's Mountain and I am officially the Mayor of Walton's Mountain. The Sheriff of Bedford County gave us each a beautiful shadow box frame with an official certificate in it. I will let you know later what the certificates say. They are absolutely stunning and it means a lot to me because the Sheriff took it upon himself to have them done.
I have met three more forum members that I had never met before on this trip: Marge L, pabby6060 and AllAboutTheWaltons. Not bad for a country gal from Alabama who never would have thought any of this Waltons stuff since 2012 would of happened to her.
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 6, 2015 22:10:51 GMT -5
I asked Judy Norton another question: How did you feel about Tom Bower (Curt Willard) being twenty years older than you? Did you know before hand that he had been cast as your future husband? Asked Eric's wife Cindy - Did you know about The Waltons already when you first met Eric? How do you feel about all of these Walton events that Eric attends? I watched Channel 13 ABC interview Kami, Mary, Judy, Eric and David. The interview took place at the "Welcome to Walton's Mountain" arch. They knocked down the picture of me as Mayor. I was only one of three or four people taking pictures before, during and after the interview. After the interview was over, Kami bent down to pick up my picture and hang it back up. I jumped in and told them that they had 'knocked me down' and could I get a picture of them together? They let me take one so I got a 'photo op' out of them 'knocking me down' (my picture that is). Mr. Forever and I stayed on the same floor as all of the Walton's cast, so we saw them from time to time in the hallway. On Friday (2/27) I had just purchased a CD of Judy Norton's and went to get on the elevator. Judy and Mary was getting on the elevator with me and I showed them the CD and asked them if they had ever heard of the person and did they know if they were any good. LOL! The next day I rode the elevator again with Judy.
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Post by pabby6060 on Mar 6, 2015 22:37:48 GMT -5
By the time David Harper (Jim Bob) made it to the reception it was supposed to be over so most people had left it. Ryan, Kathy Lee and her hubby, Marge L and her hubby, Carolyn Grinnell, Michellet, Mr. Forever and myself hung around with him. Carolyn left after a little bit. The main table was like the Walton's kitchen table with a bench on each side of it. David sat at Grandpa Walton's spot and I sat at Grandma Walton's spot. He hung around for nearly two hours talking to the few of us who remained about politics, religion, the civil war movie he was in and several other subjects.
David continued talking to us in the lobby about politics, his sister, 8 track tapes, vinyl records, cassettes and that he is working his way through all of "The Dark Shadows" episodes on DVD. He hung around for nearly another hour with us before retiring to his room.
I am so jealous that you got to spend so much time visiting with David! We were originally due to arrive on Thursday, so I'm really regretting that we were delayed until Friday morning! I spoke with David for about 10 minutes Friday night, but others were waiting to have their photo taken with him, and I didn't want to monopolize his time. My husband and I got to visit with him and another guest for a bit on Sunday afternoon in the lobby but, I wasn't able to talk with him as much as I'd hoped since we had to "share" him with the other gentleman in the conversation. David is very interesting and well-read, and I hope I get another opportunity to speak with him again!
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 7, 2015 2:30:55 GMT -5
I am so jealous that you got to spend so much time visiting with David! We were originally due to arrive on Thursday, so I'm really regretting that we were delayed until Friday morning! I spoke with David for about 10 minutes Friday night, but others were waiting to have their photo taken with him, and I didn't want to monopolize his time. My husband and I got to visit with him and another guest for a bit on Sunday afternoon in the lobby but, I wasn't able to talk with him as much as I'd hoped since we had to "share" him with the other gentleman in the conversation. David is very interesting and well-read, and I hope I get another opportunity to speak with him again!
pabby6060 - I hate to tell you this but...I spent even more time than that with him as well as outside the hotel on several occasions. At the Thursday night reception and later out in the lobby David had a book with him that I can only assume he was in the process of reading: "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey in the Afterlife" by Eben Alexander. www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195
David was one of Carolyn Grinnell's guests at her reunion back in October 2013 and Mr. Forever and I spent quite a bit of time with him then both outside and in the lobby after the majority of people had retired to their rooms for the night.
David is interesting to talk to and very well-read. He keeps up with current affairs and Mr. Forever and I pretty much feel the same way as he does about politics and what's happening in and to the world. The last time I spoke to him on Sunday (3/1) was about Common Core in schools. David is against it and I am too. The whole "no child left behind thing" just isn't working.
I love your keeper banner by the way pabby6060. Did you notice that on David's name tag he had: Grizzly Adams? For those who haven't seen pictures of him yet...he has a full beard and mustache.
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Post by Marge L on Mar 7, 2015 5:42:42 GMT -5
I am so jealous that you got to spend so much time visiting with David! We were originally due to arrive on Thursday, so I'm really regretting that we were delayed until Friday morning! I spoke with David for about 10 minutes Friday night, but others were waiting to have their photo taken with him, and I didn't want to monopolize his time. My husband and I got to visit with him and another guest for a bit on Sunday afternoon in the lobby but, I wasn't able to talk with him as much as I'd hoped since we had to "share" him with the other gentleman in the conversation. David is very interesting and well-read, and I hope I get another opportunity to speak with him again! Love your signature tag. You can really see his dreams take flight. Beautiful.
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Post by patriciaanne on Mar 7, 2015 9:51:31 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, Kimberly...I am dying of curiosity....please start posting answers to the questions!!!!!
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Post by MrsOliviaWalton on Mar 7, 2015 11:32:14 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, Kimberly...I am dying of curiosity....please start posting answers to the questions!!!!! I second that, I'm dying to know what the answers are too... With baby due any day really, hope you post them soon
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Post by pabby6060 on Mar 7, 2015 11:39:11 GMT -5
pabby6060 - I hate to tell you this but...I spent even more time than that with him as well as outside the hotel on several occasions. At the Thursday night reception and later out in the lobby David had a book with him that I can only assume he was in the process of reading: "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey in the Afterlife" by Eben Alexander. www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195
David was one of Carolyn Grinnell's guests at her reunion back in October 2013 and Mr. Forever and I spent quite a bit of time with him then both outside and in the lobby after the majority of people had retired to their rooms for the night.
David is interesting to talk to and very well-read. He keeps up with current affairs and Mr. Forever and I pretty much feel the same way as he does about politics and what's happening in and to the world. The last time I spoke to him on Sunday (3/1) was about Common Core in schools. David is against it and I am too. The whole "no child left behind thing" just isn't working.
I love your keeper banner by the way pabby6060. Did you notice that on David's name tag he had: Grizzly Adams? For those who haven't seen pictures of him yet...he has a full beard and mustache.
OK, ForeverWaltons, now you're just showing off! LOL, I'm just kidding, keep it coming! I love hearing of your experiences with David. We found him very interesting to talk to and, like you, we also feel much the same as he does about politics and what's happening in the world today. I very much appreciate and respect his honesty and genuineness. He doesn't try to present a false persona, and I like that very much. Although he said he doesn't do a lot of traveling, I could tell he must be a voracious reader. And, yes, I did see the Grizzly Adams name tag. Someone was smiling down on me last weekend, as we found ourselves seated at David's table for the Friday night banquet! Unfortunately, the tables were so huge that it was very difficult to converse with anyone other than those seated immediately next to you. I did tease him about, though, and asked him to remind me which season of The Waltons that Grizzly Adams appeared in. Thank you for liking my keeper banner! I've been hesitating to use it, because I first requested this last April, but was never added to the official list of keepers. I posted about it again several days ago, but still have never received a reply. So, I hope it's OK to go ahead and use it.
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Post by pabby6060 on Mar 7, 2015 11:43:52 GMT -5
Love your signature tag. You can really see his dreams take flight. Beautiful. Thank you so much, Marge L!
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 7, 2015 11:59:49 GMT -5
David is interesting to talk to and very well-read. He keeps up with current affairs and Mr. Forever and I pretty much feel the same way as he does about politics and what's happening in and to the world. The last time I spoke to him on Sunday (3/1) was about Common Core in schools. David is against it and I am too. The whole "no child left behind thing" just isn't working.
I love your keeper banner by the way pabby6060. Did you notice that on David's name tag he had: Grizzly Adams? For those who haven't seen pictures of him yet...he has a full beard and mustache.
OK, ForeverWaltons, now you're just showing off! LOL, I'm just kidding, keep it coming! I love hearing of your experiences with David. We found him very interesting to talk to and, like you, we also feel much the same as he does about politics and what's happening in the world today. I very much appreciate and respect his honesty and genuineness. He doesn't try to present a false persona, and I like that very much. Although he said he doesn't do a lot of traveling, I could tell he must be a voracious reader. And, yes, I did see the Grizzly Adams name tag. Someone was smiling down on me last weekend, as we found ourselves seated at David's table for the Friday night banquet! Unfortunately, the tables were so huge that it was very difficult to converse with anyone other than those seated immediately next to you. I did tease him about, though, and asked him to remind me which season of The Waltons that Grizzly Adams appeared in. Thank you for liking my keeper banner! I've been hesitating to use it, because I first requested this last April, but was never added to the official list of keepers. I posted about it again several days ago, but still have never received a reply. So, I hope it's OK to go ahead and use it.
It's just fine for you to start using your keeper banner. Brenda or Daniela will eventually add it to the official list of keepers.
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 7, 2015 12:01:09 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, Kimberly...I am dying of curiosity....please start posting answers to the questions!!!!! Do you want me to answer one question per month? Or one per week?
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Post by Forum Administrator on Mar 7, 2015 12:33:02 GMT -5
Love your signature tag. You can really see his dreams take flight. Beautiful. Thank you so much, Marge L! I just added you to the keeper list, pabby6060. I'm sorry we overlooked you, but you don't have to be added to that list to use your keeper image. It's just a way for us to keep track of them. I saw your post on the keeper thread the other day, and I was going to do something about it, but we lost our electricity for a couple of days, and I don't remember anything I had planned to do before that. Everything is taken care of now, though. By the way, I like your keeper image.
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 7, 2015 12:34:52 GMT -5
It surprises me that there is not much commentary on the forum about the Walton's Convention. Did not many of the regular Forum go? Mostly newbies, or non-posters went, perhaps?
The only forum members that I know of that attended were: Kathy Lee, Marge L, pabby6060, AllAboutTheWaltons, Carolyn Grinnell, michellet, Sharon Holmes, Ryan James and myself.
I'm pretty sure with time Kathy Lee, Marge L and pabby6060 will post their notes and pictures from the Walton's Convention. I am working on trying to get my pictures posted. Mr. Forever has put them on the computer for me and I have culled them. Next step putting them on Snapfish or Photo Bucket and adding captions under them.
AllAboutTheWaltons hasn't posted on here since November 2014, michellet and Sharon Holmes have pretty much become non-posters, Ryan James was busy being a volunteer, pabby6060 has just started back posting in the past few days and Carolyn posts pretty much just info about her reunions.
I did like the Mayor's sash that I received on Friday night (2/27). Plus the Sheriff of Bedford County Michael J. Brown took it upon himself to present us with a fancy certificate in a beautiful framed shadowbox. My certificate read:
It is with a great deal of honor and pleasure that I, Michael J. Brown High Sheriff of Bedford County, Virginia name (Insert my name here) The Honorary Position of Mayor of Walton's Mountain. As honorary Mayor, you promise to "hold high" this special position and serve the citizens in attendance with a pleasant attitude and a "rock solid" commitment to making this event an event to be long remembered by all attending this Walton's Mountain Homecoming 2015. Presented the 27th day of February, Year of Our Lord 2015. Then it has his signature and below that: Michael J. Brown, High Sheriff, Bedford County Virginia.
Mr. Forever's said the exact same thing except it had his name on it and "The Honorary Position of Sheriff of Walton's Mountain. As honorary Sheriff, you promise....
The 'perk' that Mr. Forever and I got for being Mayor and Sheriff was on Saturday (2/28). Just before time for the autograph session the man over the convention told me that as Mayor and Sheriff we would lead the autograph line. He showed me where he wanted us to go and how to form the line. Mr. Forever's job was to get everyone into the lobby to wait for the autograph session to begin. I was the first one in the autograph line and Mr. Forever was second - that was nice. Their hands were nice and rested for the autographs we requested from them.
The man over the convention had told me earlier that my Mayor's sash would get me to the head of any line at any time. He never announced that publicly so there was no way I was going to 'jump' in front of any line at any time...I waited my turn like everybody else. The only exception was the autograph line because they let it be known that the Mayor and Sheriff would lead the line.
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