TJ Time: the Sacred Monday Night Ritual Growing Up

Monday nights were sacred.
"Little House on the Prairie"
Pizza (Chef Boyardee crust mix and a can of sauce in a box) and a big bottle of Coke (never Pepsi)
Lights out - - TV on
Matt or I in the official position as the "giver of the foot rub" to Mom (Rose Milk lotion, always)

About 7 minutes before the end of the episode came "Tear Jerker" time, when all would be resolved and made right in the little town of Walnut Grove (or Winoka during that exciting season when they moved to the "big city").

TJ time meant Mom would cry, and bedtime was minutes away.

LHOP is as prolific to Matt and me as "I Love Lucy."

Years later, Mom and I used to get on the phone with each other when it was about to start and see who could name the episode the fastest. One or the other of us would usually be able to name it based on the name of the episode, if not the opening shots.

I still stop if I am flipping channels and come across it, and have been going through it sequentially via Netflix.

In an interesting twist of fate, we ended up meeting and becoming good friends with a real-life bit player from episode #78, "Meet Me at the Fair." Hal Hundley played the pickle judge presiding over the fierce competition including entrants Ma Ingalls and Mrs. Oleson (Ma won).

This makes Hal our six-degrees-of-separation link to Michael Landon and Half-Pint and the rest! :) I found this article about him, with a photo.