Mailbox Monday - Apr 27

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Oh, my, what a week!  I'm finally crawling out of the dark hole of loss and grief to get back into my regular routine. Well, the new regular routine anyway. I could actually get used to ordering my groceries online and having them delivered.

I enjoyed a nice, long bath yesterday and some reading. This review will appear at The Book Connection on Thursday.

My physical and digital mailboxes held gifts for me this past week.

Ketty Lester's autobiography arrived, and I am so excited. I knew she sang, but I first saw her as Hester-Sue Terhune on Little House on the Prairie.

I bought these for my Kindle.

What was in your mailbox? Has your reading increased since the pandemic, decreased, or stayed about the same? What are you most looking forward to once life resumes to some semblance of normal? For me, it's got to be going out to a family dinner again with everyone.

Take care. Praying you stay safe and healthy.

Mailbox Monday - Aug 19

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

We arrived home from the Outer Banks on Saturday, but the post office appears to be holding my mail hostage. I don't think I am expecting any books, but who knows.

Right before we left, this book I had on pre-order arrived. I'm so excited. Can't wait to read it.

What was in your mailbox?

Mailbox Monday - January 15

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday. Hope you had a great week. After that cold snap, we had a ton of rain, so no more snow for now. Looks like a bit more on the way for Tuesday, but not enough to matter. Farmer's Almanac, however, has predicted a major storm for the week of the 20th.

Planning to start reading The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse this week.

Mary Elizabeth Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 as a Separatist seeking a better life in the New World. William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter looking for opportunities to succeed—and he may have found one when a man from the Virginia Company offers William a hefty sum to keep a stealth eye on company interests in the new colony. The season is far too late for good sailing and storms rage, but reaching land is no better as food is scarce and the people are weak. Will Mary Elizabeth survive to face the spring planting and unknown natives? Will William be branded a traitor and expelled?

Last week I was excited to receive the following:

Ask people who Kent McCray is and the question will draw a blank stare. Ask people if they remember Bonanza, The High Chaparral, Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven, and a smile will invariably come to their faces as they recognize the titles and share how these beloved shows influenced their lives. In fact, all four series are still being broadcast 30 to 55 years after their original debuts. They are more than historic; they are iconic because they continue to reach out to new generations of viewers on a global scale.

It all started in 1951. The world was no longer at war; peace-time technology focused on the new medium of television; and AT&T connected the East and West Coasts via coaxial cable creating an explosion in television programming and broadcasting. This was the stage Kent McCray entered in that same year. A live stage. One that put the young NBC production specialist among the likes of Red Skelton, Milton Berle, Ralph Edwards, Groucho Marx, and Bob Hope. He became part of the history of television as it evolved from live TV to videotape to film, from black & white to color.

Kent McCray shares stories that span 50 years of television including production obstacles and solutions, his extraordinary collaboration with Michael Landon, and his legacy of philanthropy, all against the backdrop of current events that helped shape the television industry.

Join Kent McCray as he revisits his incredible life and works that live on to this day.


I also picked up these two Kindle freebies....

When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability to see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

Ellis Wydell is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity put an end to the disturbances. But soon Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms.

There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn't above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?

When celebrities need a crime solving quickly and discreetly they call in the experts – the CCIA, otherwise known as the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency…

Stalkers, shootings and sexy special agents. All part of being famous, right?

Well, they are for Oscar-winning actress Amelia Kingston when she starts getting deeply disturbing and threatening notes left by a stalker – in her bedroom!

When her boyfriend Ty is shot she calls in the CCIA. The agency sends their newest recruit Amber and her sexy special agent partner Charlie undercover to Amelia’s luxury mountain chalet to track down the person terrorising her.

But circumstances force the agency to pull Charlie off the case, meaning Amber has a new crime fighting partner to try and catch the stalker with – and he’s trouble with a capital T! He throws Amber’s life into chaos, making her question herself and her abilities as well as her relationship with Charlie.

When events in Los Angeles involving Charlie are splashed across newspapers around the globe Amber’s world comes crashing down.

But before she can even attempt to sort herself out she has to team up with her rogue co-worker and solve this case. Can the two of them manage to pull together and stop the stalker before anyone else gets shot?


What arrived in your mailbox? Anything you're looking forward to reading?  Hope you have a blessed week.

Mailbox Monday - July 24

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday! I was so bummed last week when I was too busy to post Mailbox Monday. My son's father had a heart attack while we were away and last Monday morning he suffered a stroke. Praise God he is finally home resting and recuperating.

Vacation was wonderful and it gave me a chance to catch up on some overdue book reviews.

Books I read from NC

While we were away I had a few arrivals too.

Through her interview series, The Conversation, Amanda de Cadenet talks with some of today's most badass women--from Hillary Clinton to Lady Gaga--in as-honest-as-it-gets conversations that speak to what it means to be female. Now, in It's Messy, Amanda shares her own story: a portrait of childhood fame, A STINT IN JUVIE, teen motherhood, a high-profile marriage (and divorce), and the sexism that threatened to end her career--all before she turned nineteen.

With the raw honesty and intense passion for which she's known, Amanda tackles uncomfortable yet familiar topics: ambivalence about motherhood; marriage; sex; body image; and the cultural influences that shape unrealistic expectations for women. Part manual, part manifesto, this intimate, hilarious, and insightful collection of essays challenges stereotypes and social norms, and examines the universal experiences relevant to women today.

When Reagan Summerside turned the first floor of her old Victorian home into a consignment shop, she never imagined she’d be harboring a fugitive in her attic. But after a dead man is found in a bathtub and local lawyer Walker Boone is accused of doing the dirty deed, she suddenly has a new houseguest.

Having the lawyer who took her to the cleaners in her divorce settlement—and who has been getting under her skin ever since—in close proximity is enough to drive Reagan to distraction. For the sake of her sanity—and Walker’s freedom—they need to put their heads together to find out who is trying to get the lawyer out of the picture . . .

For fans of the beloved TV show Little House on the Prairie, a self-help book by Melissa Francis, bestselling author of Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter and child star of Little House, revealing important life lessons inspired by a childhood on set.

Melissa Francis was only eight years old when she won the role of a lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on the world's most famous prime-time soap opera, Little House on the Prairie.
Now in Lessons from the Prairie, she shares behind-the-scenes stories from the set, and lessons learned from the show's dynamic creator, Michael Landon, that have echoed throughout Melissa's adult life. With novel insights on hard work, making mistakes, and even spirituality, Francis shares inspirational and practical life lessons that will appeal both to her current TV fans, and fans of one of the most adored TV shows of all time.

I bought this book from Downton Books in Manteo, NC...

In 1886, a young woman becomes the sole survivor of a disastrous shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina's treacherous Outer Banks. She is rescued by the brave surfmen of the Life Saving Service at Little Kinnakeet Station and is suddenly forced to make her own way in the world... One hundred thirty years later, a young widow moves to the Outer Banks of North Carolina seeking a peaceful place to build a new life and somehow come to terms with her own tragic loss… The lives of these two vulnerable yet remarkable women unexpectedly intertwine in what becomes a moving, must-read story of peril, friendship, newfound strength and love.


What was in your mailbox? Hope you have a blessed week.

Coming this Fall: Kent McCray: The Man Behind the Most Beloved Television Shows

A behind the scenes look at the world of the production and producing for some of the television legends of yesterday and today. The book chronicles the illustrious career of Kent McCray from his days at Hartt School (University of Hartford), running the Central City Opera House , working in Live Television then into film.

During the apex of his career McCray has worked with television greats as Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Groucho Marx, Ralph Edwards, Michael Landon and many others. McCray shares his experiences which led to his being head of the production and producing his caliber of television entertainment still being aired today to an ever-growing vast audience around the world.

Will be available September 18 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Visit Kent's book website for more news at http://kentmccray.com

Mailbox Monday - Dec 26

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Welcome to the final Mailbox Monday of 2016. I hope you had a nice Christmas. Hanukkah and Kwanzaa have started too. I love this time of year.

The family spoiled me with some great book gifts this year.

Charlotte Stewart is known by millions of fans worldwide for her role as the beloved schoolteacher, Miss Beadle, on the iconic TV show, Little House on the Prairie, currently broadcast in syndication in more than 100 countries around the world.

Here for the first time an adult cast member writes about the experience of making the show --the challenges, the joys, and the sometimes-turbulent behind-the-scenes relationships. Charlotte, with Andy Demsky, reveals fifty years in film and television offering a backstage pass to Hollywood's cocaine-fueled 1960s, '70s and '80s, including Charlotte's celebrated work as Mary X in David Lynch's cult classic film, Eraserhead, as well as her later work as Betty Briggs in the highly-rated television series, Twin Peaks.

Charlotte recounts stories of working with leading men from Jimmy Stewart and Elvis Presley to Kevin Bacon and Kyle MacLachlan. She details off-stage friendships with Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, as well as relationships and flings with some of TV, film, and music's biggest names, including Jon Voight, Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Considine, Bill Murray, Jim Morrison, and more.

Ultimately, Charlotte's story is that of a survivor. Six years after her career-making role on Little House on the Prairie, she lost everything. Yet through the darkest periods of her life -- divorce, drug-use, cancer, financial ruin, the death of a spouse, and alcoholism -- she never lost her humanity or sense of humor.

Charlotte's story is far from over. She is set to reprise her role of Betty Briggs in the new Twin Peaks series to be seen on Showtime in 2017. Throughout the year, she is a featured celebrity in fan events and festivals for Little House on the Prairie and Twin Peaks both in the U.S. and abroad.

Co-author Andy Demsky is a writer and journalist, whose work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times magazine and Better Homes & Gardens, and he co-wrote Doug Shafer's critically acclaimed memoir, A Vineyard in Napa.

I also received "The Mistletoe Collection." This is a boxed set of Richard Paul Evans' Mistletoe books.

Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.

Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:

1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day

The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.

At thirty-two Kimberly Rossetti, a finance officer at a Lexus car dealership, has had her heart broken more times than she wants to remember. With two failed engagements, a divorce and again alone with no prospects, she hardly seems the type to dream of being a published romance author. Dreading another holiday alone, she signs up for The Mistletoe Retreat, a nine-day writing retreat in Savannah, Georgia. Deep inside Kimberly knows she's at a junction in her life and it's time to either fulfill her dream or let it go. The other reason she decides to attend the conference is because famed romance writer, H.T. Cowell, once the best selling romance writer in America, and the author whose books instilled in her the desire to be a writer, will be speaking in public for the first time in more than a decade.

In one of her breakout sessions Kimberly meets another aspiring writer, and one of the few men at the conference, Zeke, an intelligent man with a wry wit who seems as interested in Kimberly as he is in the retreat. As Kimberly begins to open up to him about her stories and dreams, she inadvertently reveals her own troubled past. As Zeke helps her to discover why her books fail to live up to their potential she begins to wonder if he's really talking more about her life than her literature. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes that Zeke has his own darkness, a past he's unwilling to talk about.

The theme of The Mistletoe Inn is that like literature, relationships must be lived with passion and vulnerability to succeed.

Dear Universe,
Is anyone out there?

Thinking no one is reading, a blogger who calls herself LBH writes about her most personal feelings, especially her overwhelming loneliness. She goes from day to day showing a brave face to the world while inside she longs to know how it would feel if one person cared about her.

Alex Bartlett cares. He’s reading her posts in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nursing his own broken heart and trust issues, he finds himself falling for this sensitive, vulnerable woman whose feelings mirror his own. Following a trail of clues LBH has inadvertently revealed, he discovers that she lives in the small town of Midway, Utah. He makes his way there just after Thanksgiving, determined to find LBH. Maybe she’s a Lisa, Lori, or a Luanne. Instead, he finds a woman named Aria, a waitress at the Mistletoe Diner, who encourages Alex in his search while serving his pie along with some much-needed sympathy and companionship.

Alex finally finds his LBH, a woman who is as beautiful and kind as he imagined she would be. How can he tell her that he knows her secret? What’s holding him back? Could it be his feelings for Aria?

I also received two coloring books for Christmas. I don't have a picture of the one I picked up at the office Yankee swap, but the one my hubby gave me is something I requested.

Immerse yourself in a world of coloring classics!

Go back in time to Victorian London on Christmas Eve, where you'll encounter the formidable Ebenezer Scrooge and witness his incredible transformation after a harrowing spiritual journey with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

Filled with handpicked quotations, festive patters, and traditional scenes, this beautifully detailed book perfectly captures the history and holiday atmosphere of Charles Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol.

That's it for now, I hope you have a happy and healthy new year. Let us know if you received any books for Christmas.

Wordless Wednesday

Little House on the Prairie Cast Reunion This Thursday on Hallmark Channel's Home & Family

This Thursday, October 8, on Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" the cast of "Little House on the Prairie" is reuniting! The cast including Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls), Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder), Matthew Labyorteaux (Albert Ingalls) Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) and Lindsay Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls) will be featured throughout the episode. Segment highlights:

- A guided tour of the show's original filming locations with Alison Arngrim
- A tribute to Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls) by his children Michael Landon Jr. and Leslie Landon with never before seen family photos

- Melissa Gilbert will share a recipe from her cookbook (gingersnap pumpkin pie) and discuss her decision to run for congress

- Dean Butler shares a Christmas DIY from his own family traditions
- Home & Family's Debbie Matenopulous talks about Laura Ingalls and offers travel tips to trace the cross-country journey of the Ingalls family

Home & Family airs Weekdays at 10/9c on Hallmark

Melissa Gilbert (who just announced her Congress run) talks first kiss EVER with co-star Dean Butler 

https://youtu.be/WTIHeXDDvAs

Rachel Linsday Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls) talks about the fun way she met her husband on set. 

https://youtu.be/7a0ARUWNzEA

Melissa Gilbert makes her gingersnap pumpkin pie from her cookbook and talks about her decision to run for Congress

https://youtu.be/0cHAGmiOAKQ

Mailbox Monday - September 22

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday everyone. I received a nice surprise last week in my mailbox. I had pre-ordered My Prairie Cookbook months ago. It arrived in a box underneath a new apple parer-corer that I purchased and I didn't even know it was there until I bothered removing the contents of the box several days later.

In My Prairie Cookbook, Melissa Gilbert, star of Little House on the Prairie, offers fans comforting family recipes and childhood favorites. From prairie breakfasts and picnic lunches to treats inspired by Nellie’s restaurant, the 80 simple and delicious dishes—crispy fried chicken, pot roasts, corn bread, apple pie, and more—present Bonnet Heads (die-hard Little House fans) with the chance to eat like the Ingalls family.

Gilbert’s personal recollections and memorabilia, including behind-the-scenes stories, anecdotes, and more than 75 treasured scrapbook images, accompany the recipes. With answers to the most-asked questions from fans—on topics including the biggest bloopers, on-set romances, and what Michael Landon was really like—My Prairie Cookbook is a cherished memento for Little House fans and fans of simple prairie cooking alike.

I also received the following unsolicited book. I hope I get to read it soon. It sounds like a good one.

After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa "appear lunatic," using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected? As Uncle Sherlock would say, "there are no coincidences." It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay.

I downloaded this freebie on the 18th. Looks like it's $9.99 now.

Orphaned in Iowa, Annie Kennedy moves to Boston to stay with her spinster aunt. She longs for romance to fill the void left by her parents' death. But when she falls hard for Steven O'Connor, the man who broke an engagement to her sister, Annie is worried. Will he break her heart too when he discovers who she really is?

With heart-pounding romance, intense family drama, and emotional twists and turns, A Love Surrendered is everything Julie Lessman's many fans have been waiting for.

What did you find in your mailbox?

Prairie Memories by Patrick Loubatière Now Available!

Prairie Memories
$19.99
Magazine - 68 pages - Glossy Coated Paper - 8.5 x 11 Inches - English Language -
Published July 2014

• Exclusive in-depth interviews with four actors from Little House on the Prairie: Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls), 14 pages; Richard Bull (Nels Oleson), 14 pages; Dabbs Greer (Reverend Alden), 14 pages; Katherine MacGregor (Harriet Oleson), 21 pages.
• The interviews with Richard Bull and Dabbs Greer were made shortly before their death.
• All pictures published in the magazine are courtesy of the actors. Most of them are very rare and previously unpublished.

Magazine available only through http://prairiememories.bigcartel.com/product/prairie-memories Can be dedicated by the author upon request.

Payment by Paypal or check.

Patrick  Loubatière is a French writer, stage director and high school teacher. He is the author of the book "Little House on the Prairie from A to Z", which accompanied the complete series on DVD, in 2006. He also interviewed the actors on the bonus segments, plus created the trivia quizzes. 
Since 2006, he has co-starred with Alison Arngrim in France in two comedic, interactive shows based on Little House on the Prairie. 

Aside from Little House, he has published interviews with most of the actors on the series Lost, NCIS, The Mentalist, Desperate Housewives, Criminal Minds, Revenge, Castle, Dallas, etc.

PURCHASE HERE!

I'm Back!

So, what was I doing while I was away? I attended the Little House on the Prairie 40th Anniversary Cast Reunion in Walnut Grove, MN. Yes, I am a bonnet head. I landed in Wisconsin last Tuesday to meet up with my chums: Beth, Dorothy, and Lorrie (USA), Marilyn (Canada), and Martha (Austria). We drove to De Smet, SD where we stayed at this beautiful bed and breakfast that has housed TV actors Melissa Gilbert and Dean Butler. Then we spent three days in Walnut Grove, MN before driving to Spring Valley, MN and finally to Burr Oak, IA--all places that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived--before driving back to Wisconsin and saying our goodbyes.

It was a blast! I have never done anything like this before in my life. I had known most of these women for more than a decade, but this was the first time we met in person. Great thing we all got along, because the quarters were tight. I'll share more from my trip as time allows.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Gifts for this Busy Mom

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. My son and daughter-in-law joined us today, along with my in-laws. We all had a great time and enjoyed some yummy food. I am so full I don't think I can eat another bite.

Books must have been on many minds, as I am now the owner of nine new titles thanks to my family and my Amazon Wish List. Here is what I received:

• The Alpine Path by L.M. Montgomery (Lucy Maud Montgomery's autobiography),
• Inside Laura's Little House: The Little House on the Prairie Treasury by Carolyn Strom Collins and Christina Wyss Eriksson,
• The Twelve Clues of Christmas: A Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen (recommended by a literary agent whose blog I follow),
• White as Snow, Rock of Refuge, and In Green Pastures by Donna Westover Gallup. These are the three books in her Mysterious Ways series,
• The Christmas Cottage by Samantha Chase (Kindle version),
• Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley (Kindle version), and
• Christmas Carol by Michele Gorman (Kindle version).

My son and daughter-in-law bought me a new 4-quart slow cooker. I have a larger one, but it's old and difficult to carry around to church potlucks. I can't wait to try it.

I also received The Bonanza Collection, a five -disc set of the series starring Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Pernell Roberts, and Dan Blocker. I can't believe all of the stars are gone now. Did you know the Bonanza theme song actually had lyrics? The original version was sung by Greene, Landon, and Blocker. It was--well, to put it kindly--awful, so they went for the instrumental version for the rest of the show; though Greene recorded a version of it changing the lyrics. Johnny Cash also sang his own version with different lyrics.

The family also bought me Gettysburg and Stories of Valor, a Civil War Minutes™ III DVD. It is narrated by Keith Carradine and features interviews with Michael Kraus and David M. Neville, bonus trailers, and commentary. Other nice gifts were a Yankee Candle votive sampler pack and a gift certificate to the local spa.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas. What are some of the special gifts you received?

Little House on the Prairie's Nellie Oleson Interview Tonight at HuffPost Live

Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson, Little House on the Prairie NBC) will be interviewed tonight at 4PM Pacific at HuffPost Live.

Nellie Oleson was the girl everyone loved to hate. She caused trouble for the Ingalls girls, most notably Laura. Who could forget how Nellie abused Laura's beloved pony, Bunny, or how Nellie feigned being paralyzed after being thrown from Bunny, turning Laura into her slave? How about the time Nellie secretly recorded Laura with her talking machine and then revealed Laura's secret crush to the entire class? And it was Nellie who convinced Laura that the test for her teaching certificate would be all vocabulary instead of history.

Come learn more about Arngrim and how playing Nellie Oleson saved her life. For more information visit this link: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/#r/segment/alison-arngrim-little-house-on-the-praire-/513f7f272b8c2a0bc50000db

You've Got Mail Monday

I figured if I didn't share the contents of my mailbox pretty soon, you might be thinking the mail carrier doesn't love me anymore. Actually, that's far from true. The holidays will quickly be upon us, which means the arrival of catalogs galore from places I've never heard of or ordered from before.

One of those unknown places catalogs came from HearthSong®. They have some neat things, like this Putter Pool Game. I want one of those! I'm thinking of getting these Sno-Paints to put in the girls' stockings. Another new catalog in our house came from FrontGate®. I am seriously considering this iPad Caddy for the hubby. It looks stunning.

In addition to the plethora of catalogs that seem to arrive every day--so much for the world going paperless anytime soon--I received three books:

• The Proxy Assassin by John Knoerle, which I'll be reviewing at The Book Connection for his tour this month,
• Cartwheel: A Sequel to Double Eagle by Sneed B. Collard III, 
• Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter: A Memoir by Melissa Francis, which I had pre-ordered as soon as I heard about it.

I read the second book of Knoerle's spy trilogy and was thrilled to learn the last book was out. My father-in-law has read the first two books and loved them. I haven't read the first one yet.

Melissa Francis was a name I heard from the years I watched Little House on the Prairie. She and Jason Bateman were brought onto the show late in the series run, becoming the adopted children of Charles and Caroline Ingalls (Michael Landon and Karen Grassle). I hadn't heard the name for years, until I spotted Francis on the Fox Business Network, looking much different than her LHOP character, but still with those huge, beautiful eyes. I haven't had a chance to dig into it yet, but I'm trying not to overload my review schedule in the new year, so I might have time to read it before too long. I've purchased the memoirs of three other Little House on the Prairie stars: Melissa Gilbert, Alison Arngrim, and Melissa Sue Anderson. I knew I wanted to add Francis's book to my collection.

That's it for now. I hope your preparations for Thanksgiving are going well. It will be here before you know it.

TV Show Review: Father Murphy, Season 1

Father Murphy was created and produced by TV great, Michael Landon. It tells the story of frontiersman John Michael Murphy (Merlin Olsen), who partners up with prospector Moses Gage (Moses Gunn) to mine for gold. Having met orphan Will Adams (Timothy Gibbs), they take the boy on to handle domestic chores like cleaning and cooking while Murphy and Gage pan for gold.

Schoolmarm Mae Woodward (Katherine Cannon) came to the mining camp with a local priest to provide schooling for the children. When a large gold nugget is discovered, the man who owns most of the town, Mr. Garrett (Burr DeBenning), blows up the mining camp, leaving the priest dead and most of the children, orphaned. When Miss Woodward, Moses and Murphy attempt to set up an orphanage to care for the children, they soon find Mr. Rodman (Charles Tyner) and Miss Tuttle (Ivy Bethune) knocking on their door. If the church doesn't take over financial support of the orphanage, Rodman will see the children are sent to the workhouse. Unable to wait for word from the diocese, Murphy poses as a priest, which temporarily saves the day. But the worst troubles are still ahead of them.

Father Murphy ran for two seasons. Michael Landon, who made pioneering western era TV famous with his roles in Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie (LHOP), created and produced this series, which starred Merlin Olsen, who worked with him on LHOP. Anyone familiar with both series, will see many actors played roles in both.

While LHOP had a somewhat romanticized view of the pioneering era, focusing more on the love of family, how pulling together could make anything possible, and the importance of faith, Father Murphy portrayed an edgier side to the 1870s. While both shows had similar themes, it is how they approached them that made them different. Charles Ingalls didn't drink, but Murphy is seen visiting the saloon in the first episode. He's not opposed to the occasional beer for refreshment. Charles is a man of deep faith, but Murphy, who was orphaned as a child, is not one who will be quoting Bible verses left and right. The latter is also not opposed to using his brawn when it's helpful. When Charles got into a fight, it was usually to protect or defend a family member. Charles never seemed to have a problem expressing his feelings, but Murphy can't find the right words or wonders if he should pull up stakes when things get rough.

In addition, the towns are very different. Walnut Grove is this nice quiet place. There's no saloon. The townsfolk are happy. They all love their little town with the grove of trees that gave the town its name. Jackson, on the other hand, is a rough place. Not only does it have a saloon, night time there means, fights and guns. The number of good people in Jackson are definitely outnumbered by the not so nice ones. They don't even want a church in town, because then the saloon would need to be closed on Sundays.

I remember being more enamored with Father Murphy when it aired in the 80s, but it's still quality family television, which doesn't exist much today. I'm glad I purchased both seasons last year.

Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 6
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 26, 2004
Run Time: 1175 minutes
SRP:  $49.99

I purchased this DVD set from Amazon. I received no monetary compensation for my review.

Taking Time for Mom Thursdays

I haven't watched a prime time television show in years. I'm not into reality TV, and I have little time to watch anyway. I'm sitting here typing and watching How I Met Your Mother on Netflix. I had heard it was hilarious. I guess I left my funny bone packed in my dresser drawer. Some of it made me laugh but a lot of it was just vulgar. I also find Neil Patrick Harris's character, Barney, annoying beyond words. I made it through two episodes before I had to shut it off.

I've watched a few episodes of Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck and Bones with David Boreanaz. I liked them, but not enough to set the DVR and make sure I saw them each week, and the new Hawaii Five-0 has way too much angst.

I guess not much appeals to me these days, so I don't bother turning the set on when the family isn't around. What I enjoy are older shows like The Golden Girls, Little House on the Prairie, Quantum Leap, The Rockford Files, and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. I've been known to goof off for a morning by popping in a DVD around breakfast time and watching until I feel guilty about not working.

What are some of your favorite shows? Do you watch a lot of prime time TV? What is one show you used to watch that you miss?

Free for All Fridays - Is Family TV Extinct?

Many blogs run a Free for All Friday, so this feature isn't unique by any means. Even Rush Limbaugh has Open Line Fridays, where his listeners help dictate the direction of the show by sharing what is on their minds. For this blog, Free for All Friday is going to start off being about whatever is on  my mind at the time. It could have to do with family life, books, television, religion, politics (Did I just mention those two never talk about subjects?) or who knows what else. If this feature becomes popular enough, I would like to see readers directing our Friday conversations. We'll see how it goes.

Today's topic is spurred by two things:  my inability to find anything I can sit and watch with my kids on a regular basis, and an article about Collingswood, New Jersey (the home town of TV legend Michael Landon) misplacing a plaque that was dedicated in his honor.

I grew up with shows like Happy Days, Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Bunch, Diff'rent Strokes, and The Waltons. What do these shows have in common? They have strong family units with caring parents--or in the case of Diff'rent Strokes, a caring parent--who deal with the triumphs and tragedies of daily life. On a regular basis these shows provide viewers with some type of lesson. Modern-day counterparts seem more concerned with highlighting the total dysfunction of their families. Even on networks that are family oriented, some shows have self-centered parents who are so concerned with their looks or fulfilling their own dreams that their children are negatively impacted. Though the issues are resolved by the end of the show, why are parents portrayed this way?

One can't help but wonder what messages about authority figures are relayed to children when often times the children manage to outsmart the adults in their lives. There are cases where teachers are seen as argumentative kooks. Fathers are dumb as boxes of rocks--except on those few occasions where they dole out useful advice and declare their love of home and family.

Granted, our world has changed in the past thirty years, and in some ways we wouldn't want to reverse the clock. I still can't help but think, however, that highlighting dysfunction only leads to more of it, because children see this as the norm. They learn to challenge authority when their TV heroes manage it on a regular basis. A tiny part of me also believes that if quality family television from the '70's still existed, the plaque honoring Michael Landon never would have been mislaid.

What do you think? Does quality family TV still exist? Are there shows out there you feel comfortable watching as a family?