A Very Walton Christmas

No this isn't another post about Walmart although God knows, going there always provides fodder for this blog. I donno what it is about that chain but it does seem to attract all the local nutters.

Anyway this post has more to do with those other Waltons, the ones who once upon a tv time lived in (not on) Walton's Mountain in Virginia and if you happen to recite all their names, for some reason you'll find yourself fast asleep.

Set during the first US Depression, folks then would make their own clothes, food and amusement and that last one may explain why they all had large families. Seems they were amused a lot back in the day.

Now that we're in the midst of a 2nd US Depression, where families have cut down on store bought clothes, only eat out 6 days a week and have to settle for a 60" LCD 3D TV for amusement, the expression 'home grown' only remains in folklore and on the USA Network channel.

But hold.......that is not true. No, no, no.

This morning Deb and my good self went a-shopping and ended up at a small farm store twixt Sebring and Avon Park called McCracken Farm Store which sold everything from veggies to ice creams, herbs to preserves, oranges to lemons and, naturally, palm trees to exotic birds.

Normal farm stuff y'know.

What a little gem it was too, run by a little gem of a woman who was presumably Lois, if the website is anything to go by. She wandered along the rows of wholesome goodies like a Floridian Gimli, although with less of a beard, no axe and nothing like as grumpy.

And what rows they were. Full of jars with appealing contents like plum jam, cherry jam and strawberry jam. Now those were the ones I would expect to see on any UK supermarket shelf but there were plenty of ones I would NOT expect to come across in the UK even if I went to M&S....maybe Harrods though. Maybe not.

I like anything to do with the Amish. I'm actually reading a book about them right now. Yes, yes so not RIGHT now as I'm typing this but you know. Currently. At night. In bed.

I've also seen Witness. Oh yes, Amish expert, me. Even been to Lancaster County.

Intercourse ? Been there, done that, got the baseball cap.

So I was delighted to see........

......and even though I didn't buy any, I liked the name. Black Buggy. Cute.

I'm still not sure about the seriousness of this last one but it made me laugh at least. Or groan. Or both. And having it wedged in a line of other more 'normal' jams only added to my feeling that the McCrackens had a sence of humour. Or humor.

And in case you want the ingredients -

It was all very "back in the day" and I half expected a little kid to arrive pulling his radio flyer wagon and picking up a home delivery of freshly picked tomatoes, oranges and strawberries.

When we left the farm store and tried to get to the northern part of Sebring, we discovered we were so far out in 'the boonies' that we couldn't get a GPS signal on the phone.

I think John-Boy would've approved.

Good night Waltons. Every one of you.