Nina-
Sometimes on The Land of Hatchy Milatchy Miss Judy would read the mail. I sent her a letter once, and probably a picture, right after my little brother came into the world. I think she read it on the air; though I only heard second-hand tell of this. I may have been out in the kitchen making peanut butter toast or out in the greenhouse looking for early strawberries or something. If you missed it on TV you missed it until VCRs came along.
I rarely watched TV but I watched Hatchy Milatchy and thought Miss Judy would be pretty cool to hang out with, not just after school but like all weekend; more so than Mr. Rogers. I loved Mr. Rogers too but a visit for tea and cakes would be enough, not all weekend in his neighborhood because sweaters make me itchy, even if I’m not the one wearing it, and I wouldn’t feel like changing shoes every time we go in. I suppose it’s good practice tying laces. But still, we could take tea in the garden.
I missed Miss Judy reading my letter on TV that day but I may have been in more of a Captain Kangaroo kind of mood anyway. He was just as fun as Miss Judy but more stern, he was a Captain after all and had a ship to run and even back then I knew the moon wasn’t made of strawberry ice. The Captain kept me in line.
Then there was The Magic Garden. Man, those hippy chicks and pink tree squirrels could sing. I’ve always loved mushrooms, mainly because of pizza but also thanks to Carole & Paula. So Thank You, Carole & Paula! And Sherlock & Flapper! I could do tea in The Magic Garden any time.
If only I could imagine again like a child maybe I could imagine what that letter may have said. I bet it was a good one.
-Ret
Raf’-
Send it when the greenhouse is red and the window’s square. That’s what she said. That’s all it says on one side with no address on the other. It was down at the bottom of the messenger bag in the dead letters but I figured someone somewhere may need it. And please remember, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m running a little thin.
Love,
Nia
Photo by Tom Wheatley on Unsplash