Happy church day, good morning Sunday, it's gonna be a beautiful day I just know it. April showers bring May flowers as the rhyme goes but apparently no one told the Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrushes, Buttercups plus lots more. Our Texas roadsides, Rest Areas and rolling pastures are covered in natures endless variety of fragile geometric shapes decorated in brilliant bright primary colors, or soft pastels . Fibrous green stems hold tight while long shapely leaves, like arms do their best to stabilize God's handy work. So looking at a hillside the ground is various shades of green with a continuous patchwork, similar to a well make quilt, of grouped wild flowers swaying and bowing as birds make bird noises in natures animated symphony. The wonderful world of color but not Disney.
When I was in fifth grade my best friend was Cindy Wilks. We were kindred spirits and instant friends. I don't remember how we met and only hung out that one school year. I think she moved away in junior high and I have not seen hide nor hair of her since.
Night Owls and a bit of a running wild stresk we both had parents that kept us in check. I loved spending the night at Cindy's house. We would dance and sing along to Donny and The Osmond Brothers 33 1/3 album on Cindy's portable record player and talk endlessly about boys. I was full grown by fourth grade( so embarrassing) but Cindy had not gotten her growth spurt yet and she was really little. I have a picture of us at my 11th birthday party and I looked like a giant. By junior high that all changed-Thank God.
Anyway, it is so funny the stuff you remember! One night we were up watching 'the late show'. That is what movies were called in the 1960's and early '70's that came on after the 10 o'clock news. Television was still mostly black and white and signed off every night with the National Anthem. No 24/7 programming like it is now. 3 network channels, ABC, CBS and NBC. Black horizontal and vertical lines rolling through the picture were a constant nuisance requiring the use of 'fine tuning' knobs or adjusting the rabbit ears antennae on top often with added foil as a signal booster. If you had a Mom like mine who was somewhat suspicious of this new technology and prone to they say 'isms' you were forced to watch the 6-12 inch screen a full six feet across the room as 'they say' the television emitted dangerous radiation and was only safe to watch six feet away.
So there we were, past midnight, in our babydoll pajamas, lounging in the radiation free zone watching Friday night's late show titled "Westward The Women".
Maybe we had the television turned a little to loud. We were totally into the movie on this adventure. It was a western about women, specifically mail order brides, traveling in 1850 by wagon train from Chicago to California. These women all had a story. All different kinds of personalities, all ages, strengths and weaknesses. Some small and ladylike, others sturdy and no nonsense but every single one amazing and strong and determined. I was mesmerized. Then Cindy's Dad came in and turned it off. Why did adults do stuff like that back then? It was so jarring. I felt empty inside and like I just had to know what became of those super duper wonderful pioneer women. Did they make it to California? Were the men waiting for them? Were they good men? WHAT ??? So in my 10 year old head I decided I would never forget the title and make an effort to see the ending.
From that night till this I never forgot . I have watched many westerns but those Westward Women seemed to fall off the earth. I hoped the old film had not been forever ruined or destroyed. It is a mystery why it took so long but I finally caught it , late last night on my color television in the same black and white film. No vertical/horizontal knobs but I still use an antenna less the foil. It was just as wonderful as I remembered and the ending, just so you know Cindy Wilks-was worth the 47 year wait. On and on and so it goes. kisses
Movie Quote from Westward The Women
Patience Hawley: [to the awaiting bridegrooms] You can look us over, but don't think you're going to do the choosing! All the way from Independence, I've been staring at two things: one was this picture and the other was the rump of a mule... and don't ask me which was prettier!
