PennyPlain

And if it's a PI or anyone from law enforcement you'd think they'd know better than to make themselves so conspicuous!

I'd say Doug but only because I was more sympathetic to the reasons why Carrie could be manipulative. Well at least sometimes anyway!

Agreed. I think we have to remember that both Mary and "Ma" died before Laura started writing the Little House books. The Wilder's may not have been starving to that point but they were far from financially secure. I think the problem for a lot of us is we read the books that show a loving and united family and we assume that they must have remained a single unit all their lives - without looking around at most families we know and acknowledging that lots of times siblings go their separate ways and get together rarely - sometimes never. Especially if they live any great distance. Doesn't have to mean there was any real reason, any estrangement. Just building your own life.

The channel I get ELR on is running the (IMO) best years right now - just saw the episode where Ray overhears Debra's parents talking about going for marriage counselling. Love this whole episode but Debra's speech to Ray "If my parents burned down an orphanage on Christmas Eve they still wouldn't be as bad as your parents" just kills me no matter how many times I see it. Hate Patty Heaton's politics but she is a wonderful actress!

She talked about it somewhere because I know she talked about her older girl pledging a sorority and it wasn't hers. Just curious but is not talking about being in a sorority a point in her favour or yet another point against her?

I was wondering about this too. I saw some adverts for a new show she's judging and she looked the same to me - different hairstyle but that was about it.

I've wondered this too and I noticed in an episode the other day on Giada Entertains when she and her friends all share their hidden talents that one of the "friends" is Alie Ward, who I see all the time on Henry Ford's Innovation Nation. Now she could actually be a friend of Giada's of course but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that she and most of the other friends are paid to be on the show and aren't personal friends at all.

Absolutely agree! I liked the earlier seasons when Marie still had a soft side and Ray actually wanted to be around his wife and kids!

I don't think the writers changed - they may have added more writers but the core group that were there when the show started were still there when it ended. I think basically what happened is the show lost its sweetness and (with the exception of Amy) all the characters became defined by their worst characteristics. Someone upthread commented that the show got funnier as the years moved on - and I think that's true - but the characters certainly stopped being as likable.

Women can't win. Someone will notice and make cracks when they try to hide their age and someone else will notice when they don't! Growing older gracefully isn't something we (royal we) seem to accept with female celebrities.

My favourite part of her show is when she shows "life on the ranch". Sure they are raising cattle for beef but since I'm not vegetarian I figure I can't be sentimental about it. Only thingI don't like is the stupid practical "jokes" - fake snakes? Please 🙄.

I thought that as well. Could be he's just not comfortable being on TV but it really seems to me more that his mom drives him crazy. He doesn't seem quite as bad now that he has a girlfriend. Still doesn't come across to me as a particularly nice person though.