Wellfleet

Gird thy loins, fellow posters...

Keeping your brother, you and all your family in my thoughts and prayers. Please update us when you're able...

Good grief, what a family. The Borgias without the fashion sense. These Gothard sibling stories have me wondering two things. What type of twisted, goofball tree did these 3 acorns fall from? And how much $$ did Boob fork over to old Bill over the years? Who, BTW, I'm officially referring to as "old Bull" from now on.

Nope, you probably won't. Tip - get your coffee ready to go tonight. You'll be glad when AM comes and you're so bleary you're conking into things. And may the Force be with you... :>)

And you're off! Wonderful news. It's great that everything fits well. Of course, there's going to be a period of adjustment, especially when you think of the nice, sedate, quiet cocoon Maisie has become accustomed to til now. But you're on your way!

Wow. Grandma Mary, the Ma Barker of the gang... What'll be next?

Maisie is a little dolly girl, and needless to say, perfectly beautiful. It's great to have an image to go along with the stories now. Truth be told, I've been imagining Maisie to be a bitty version of the Campbell's Soup Kid Girl. So at least I got the cheeks right! :>)

Well, it would certainly be interesting to see how long this could last. Not too awfully long is my own guess, because it would depend on the leghumpers to ante up. Put their $$ where their righteous indignation is, so to speak. Will the humpers plunk down cold hard cash to continue to see this poor, persecuted family?

100% agree. I think the silence is primarily because Boob simply has no idea what to do or say. He confirmed what I have believed for a long time - that he has been much luckier in his life than he is smart. He was not bright enough to sign on with a PR firm, regardless of the cost and regardless of what the firm would want him to do. Maybe he wasn't even bright enough to check out some PR firms in the first place. So now he is well-and-truly-stumped.

If the WWII draft officially ended in 1947, something similar took its place because my Dad was drafted in 1950 at the age of 20, and his younger brother in 1960, for required military service. Their middle brother was married with a child in the early 50s or he would have served also. Both my Dad and uncle served 4 year stints and both were very fortunate with their assignments. Dad was in the Army, an MP in Berlin during the Occupation, instead of being packed off to Korea. My uncle joined the Marines, serving mainly in Georgia and not in Vietnam, though his unit was temporarily in Florida for a stretch of time during and after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Oct 1962. However I completely agree about Gothard. I'd be stunned to learn he actually served in any service branch at all.

Me too. I am intensely curious about Gothard's family background, history. There HAS to be a connection of some kind between his upbringing and all these off-the-wall antiquated concepts coming along 40 years later - or whenever. Something mighty significant occurred somewhere in this man's past. I hope someday we'll find out exactly what.

Maybe, like Me-chelle, ole Bill - who I'm very tempted to refer to as ole Bull, also suffers from "missing muscle syndrome" and got his military service deferred, excused - whatever. This would surprise me NOT AT ALL.

Gee Boob, looks like some of the kids may need to work for a living. Maybe going extra-lite on edumacation wasn't such a brilliant idea after all?

Yes, this was exactly the way I read him too. Mini-vans were way too square and Soccer Mom for him. Can't say I blame him. I have the feeling he'll have an absolutely awesome mid-life crisis car. A red Miata or something...

OMG, this is an ongoing discussion in our family, mostly around the firepit on my brother's terrace, sometimes at beach fires. Has been for years. Who do you want at your table on your first night in Heaven?? My list changes frequently but currently contains George Carlin, Winston Churchill, Jacqueline Kennedy, Beethoven and Teddy Roosevelt. Plus my Mom and Dad of course...

Honeycocoa - one of the 5 best posts I've read here in the last week, and I have read a boatload of really excellent posts in the last week. From your keyboard to God's ears...

Their "seasons" seem longer than other TLC shows too. I guessing The Little Couple was only 6 or 8 weeks - before you know it their season finale is being promoted etc - but it seems like 19 Kids was 10-12 weeks. Or is it just my imagination?

Maybe the first question should be - who would publish Smuggar's book?

Oh yes, Bill made his feelings about mini-vans very clearly known, right after they got Will home. I could easily understand him not wanting one if he was in his 20s and dating etc. But he and Jen were shopping around for a vehicle they could use for the family, something that Jen would be able to get both kids into - by herself - and he was still adamant. No mini-vans. The poor salesman, and I think even Jen, seemed a little frustrated, since it was pretty clear to all that a mini-van with some extra equipment would be perfect for their needs. Oh well, whatever they have now seems to work. They have new vehicles each season, or seem to, which is a little odd IMO. Even people who lease get locked into 2 or 3-year committments.

When I first thought of what they'd need to do if the show was cancelled, I immediately thought of the McMansion and that airplane. Boob will actively have to try selling the house now, maybe ALL the houses among his properties, maybe even all his properties period. Derick and Jill will need find themselves a little starter home somewhere. And it looks like it's the end for Duggar Aviation, which I'm sure Boob was imagining as the next TWA.

Personally I'm guessing Josh is up to his eyeballs with real manual work - for a change - packing up every stick they own in the Maryland house and attending to moving-out details. Hopefully Anna and the kids are in Florida with her parents, or away from the Duggars in any other state for that matter. I kind of doubt that they are, but I do hope it.

I think the reason why it never occurred to Boob and Me-chelle that this would come out is actually quite easily-explained. They are clueless about the real world. And I don't mean this in a snarky "Aren't they just the dumbest hillbillies ever?" way. The isolation in which they have placed themselves and their family, in order to protect themselves from all the world's many and sundry evils, in which they have lived for close to 30 years, is the very thing that also prevented them from learning things that would be good - even valuable - for them to know. The Duggars' whole 'keep away' philosophy throws out the proverbial baby with the bath water.

OMG, I roared laughing at this!! Thanks, happy - for the much-needed chuckles... :>)

Quote from the AdWeek article: TLC has a history of ignoring the many red flags surrounding the Duggar family, but the network canceled Here Comes Honey Boo last October after yet another child molestation controversy. "Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority," the network said at the time. "TLC is faithfully committed to the children's ongoing comfort and well being." Someone needs to show this quote to TLC now - and ask why the Duggar children apparently did not deserve the same immediate response.

You're right. Sorry there Boob, you're done.