MEETING MISS BEADLE

 52 years ago today, the television series Little House on the Prairie debuted. It was NOT my favorite TV show. That would be The Waltons.  Those of you who know me understand how passionate I am about that show. But I could say that LHOTP was a close second of third. Haha! I diligently wrote to many of the cast members during the original run of the series, and I received replies from some of them. I also tried to submit a script for consideration, but that is a story for another time. Perhaps it is ironic that a series about serving as kind neighbors, avoiding racism, living out faith in practical ways, and taking a stand for justice would debut on the same day of the year that 27 years later we would watch the events of 9/11 enfold on our screens. Yet, perhaps it is the very values embodied on LHOTP that remind us that hope can arise from the ashes of tragedy. 

In September 2024, I attended a fiftieth anniversary event in Lancaster, PA, to commemorate the premiere of the series. Several cast members attended. Today I will share about meeting Charlotte Stewart, who played Miss Beadle. Charlotte, who also appeared in the first episode of The Waltons, "The Foundling," has a very upbeat personality and welcomes all of her fans with joy and grace. She wrote to me years ago for the first time and a couple times since then. She wrote a gripping autobiography, Little House in the Hollywood Hills, that outlines her relationships with personalities such as Jim Morrison and Ralph Waite as well as details her struggle with substance abuse that, thankfully, she overcame to rise triumphantly. A picture of God's grace. Today, she attends cast events and tells fans her story. She hand sews Beadle Bags, totes with photos from the show. Scheduled to attend an event in Nashville this weekend, Charlotte cancelled after an emergency visit to the emergency room produced a diagnosis of pneumonia. Please pray for a speedy recovery.

 I enjoyed meeting Charlotte. In these pictures she told me about her time on The Waltons and wishing that I was not shocked by the revelations in her book. 

As Dean Butler, who played Laura Ingalls' husband Almanzo Wilder, likes to say, "Little House forever." God bless you, Charlotte Stewart. Get well soon!