In the Spotlight: Carol!

One of my favorite things about Fridays has quickly become these Spotlights! I love getting to know more about everyone here! This week's Spotlight features Carol (who was one of the first members to welcome me back on the Bravenet site!). Thank you so much for letting us get to know you a little more, Carol! (And for emailing me the codes! Sure made things faster! ) And now....



How did you get interested in LHOTP?
I discovered the show on my own. I first started watching it around 1995 when I was in High School . I remember it would come on at 6am and so I would get up early to watch LHOTP while I got ready for school. I liked the look and feel of the show, loved the nostalgia. I think I watched only about 20 episodes that way (out of order), because they changed the airing time. I didn't see LHOTP again till the year 2001 when I rediscovered it and that time I was able to watch the entire series from Season 1 to 10 in order.

Which came first for you: the books or the TV series?
The TV series

If you’ve read any of the books, which one do you like best?
I have only read two books (Little House in the Big Woods and These Happy Golden Years). I love "These Happy Golden Years". Since I had seen the tv series, I would just imagine Melissa Gilbert and Dean Butler as Laura & Almanzo. It felt like I was "watching" un-aired episodes of LHOTP! Loved it! :)



How often do you watch the TV series?
Since I own all the seasons, I probably watch one episode per month. I have lent the DVDs to my friends daughters and two young girls have discovered the show. So I relive the episodes when they come to me telling me how much they liked certain episodes. It's funny seeing them become giddy and excited when they start talking about how cute Albert is or how cute Andy is. They love Mrs. Oleson as well.


Have you watched other productions of LH? If so, did you like them?
I watched the Disney version of LHOTP. I am sorry, but I did not like it. I did not like the camera movement and it was hard for me picturing another actress play Laura Ingalls.

Did you get to see the LHOTP musical with Melissa Gilbert?
No. I would have liked to.


Do you have a favorite character?
Mary and Laura but if I must choose only one, I have to go with Laura.


Do you believe that the moral lessons that Little House taught helped to make you a better person?
Hmmm... Well, there is one particular episode that comes to mind when answering this question. It is in the episode 'Country Girls' where Caroline Ingalls says (quoting from the bible) "Pride Goeth Before a Fall". For some reason that saying stuck with me and comes to the front of my brain whenever I feel I may wrongly start to feel too prideful of myself. Her quote makes me pull the reins... sort of speak


Is there an episode that stands out in your mind as a favorite?
"Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow", "I'll Be Waiving As You Drive Away", & "The Hunters". I have a couple of others since the series has 10 seasons... but those 3 episodes really stand out for me and I can watch them over and over.

Do any of the episodes move you to tears? If so, why?
"I'll Be Waiving As You Drive Away" is best to watch with a box of Klenix on my hand lol. The scene that gets to me a lot is when Mary arrives at the blind school and she notices a mirror in her room. She touches it and makes a fist because her reflection is right in front of her... she feels it as her hands move over the mirror and she realizes she will never again see herself or anyone else with her eyes.



Who do you most relate to?
I mostly relate to Mary in the sense that she is the big sister. Also that she seems the book worm type and more reserved.

Where were you born?
I was born in San Miguel, El Salvador (Small country in Central America, a little smaller than the state of Massachusetts). If I had money, I would move back.


My brother Albert & I in San Miguel, El Salvador

How many states/places have you lived in?
I lived in El Salvador till I was 8 years old. My family then came to the United States and I lived in Los Angeles, CA till I was 13. From 14 and up, I've lived in California Central Valley. They have been 3 very different places as far as the surroundings, pace of life, etc.




How many people are in your family?
In my immediate family, it is my mom and dad, one older brother, one younger brother and me.

Have you ever been married? / Are you married?
No, not married. I really don't mind being single but at the same time I hope to find that special guy in my life

Do you have children?
Yes, one black lab hahaha :P


He was little here. He is now 1 year and 2 months old.

Do any others in your family share your affection for Little House on the Prairie and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s work?
Not like me. My mom remembers watching episodes in El Salvador and she had a friend make me a sunbonnet which she would put on me lol. She still likes to watch the episodes on the Hallmark channel once in a while. :)

Have you met any of the cast members?
Yes, I have met and talked to Alison Arngrim briefly during her show in Hollywood, CA. She is really funny and down to earth.

Do you own anything Little House related?
I own the complete DVD seasons and 3 movie specials.


Have you met any of the board members?
Not yet... maybe one day :)

How long have you been a member on the LH board?
Wow... for a long time! From the time we used the Bravenet site. When I first joined I remember Rhonda and Kathy, they were the first ones who reached out to me and made me feel welcomed.

What are some things that you enjoy doing to relax?
Reading, Playing with Shadow (my dog), Surfing the net, taking photos, watching movies. I am most happy when I am lying down in the hammock, the soft sun rays making me feel warm and with a book on my hand. When living in Southern California, going to beach to just sit on the sand and watch people was very relaxing.




What season do you like best? Spring, summer, autumn or winter?
Autumn followed by Spring are my favorite times of the year.



What season were you born in?

Autumn!

What is your favorite holiday?

If I had to choose one... Thanksgiving

What has been your biggest challenge?
The roller coaster ride of weight issues. For once I wish I could just go downhill to my ideal weight.

What are some of your best memories?
One of my favorite memories was when about 20 members of our family all went to San Felipe, Mexico. I was living in Central California and it was the LAST day of my freshman year. Right after the last bell rang, we went home to pack and took off to LA to meet up with the rest of the family, for the final 6 hour caravan of cars ride to San Felipe, Baja California. We camped on the beach for a week. Watched the sunrise and sunsets on the beach. The highlight of the trip was one afternoon when everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. Some were cooking, some were swimming, sunbathing, riding the banana boat, dancing to tropical music my cousin had playing on the boombox & eating. I was buying some mixed fruit from a vendor. I just looked around at everyone and remember feeling sooo happy. That night we had fireworks.


Here is a random pic someone took of my cousin, brother and me early in the morning. We went check out the soft sand... as later in the morning, that would all be filled with water.


What is one of the things you like best about our LH board?
The people in it. The forum can be nice looking but it's the people that make it feel like a place I want to visit everyday

Were you shy or outgoing as a child?
As a child I was in between. I had my moments of both but more shy than outgoing lol

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and did that pan out?
I loved books and I wanted to be a writer. Today I am a legal assistant so no, it didn't pan out for me lol.

What was your first pet?
My very first pet was a gray striped cat named Rolee. I was 6 years old and I used to take him to bed with me but my mom always took him away when I fell asleep. Sadly, I don't remember what happened to the cat after we left El Salvador. He looked like this:

nice to get to know you better.good pics

Neat profile, Carol! I especially like the picture of Shadow peeking at the camera out of the corner of his eye.

Great to read more about you, Carol.

WOW Carol...We go WAY BACK!!! Nice to know more about you....and I miss some of our afternoon chats....Ummm, remember when I called you at your office?!?!?

Thanks everyone! Thanks Savannah

Rob wrote:

I especially like the picture of Shadow peeking at the camera out of the corner of his eye.

Doesn't he look funny there? lol That's exactly what he was doing. I was sneaking behind him and he was too lazy to lift up his head... he just followed me with his eyes

Rhonda wrote:

WOW Carol...We go WAY BACK!!! Nice to know more about you....and I miss some of our afternoon chats....Ummm, remember when I called you at your office?!?!?

YEAH! We almost had a routine... You would first work out in your gazelle machine and then have a light lunch while we would chat
And of course... vent about our work!

This has been one of the best things we've done on here. So glad you thought of it Savannah.
Carol, I just realized you are much younger than me. More like my brothers age....hey, you want him? He's single! Has one daughter thats 12....but he's housebroken.

Its great to read up on how you discovered the show. Isn't it wonderful to have a time when you can just look around and see a beautiful family and surroundings and be happy? Love that memory.

It's really nice to learn more about you, Carol. The pictures are great and really add to the detail of your answers.

These spotlights are fantastic. Even with members we have known a long time, the spotlights give us the opportunity to learn even more about everyone. Thanks for taking the time to do these, Savannah.

Very interesting spotlight Carol; I do love the labbie photo too.

How did i miss this?
Nice to know you better

Oh, Carol! our pictures are great and your profile it's very detailed and interesting. I also knows you since we were in Bravenet hoster and you always kept this Forum alive with your comments, insights, photos and reflections. You are a very possitive person, and when I'm down, I feel much better after reading your posts.

Your cat was lovely...and Shadow can melt the hardest of the hearts with a simple sight of those warm, beatiful eyes of him!

Vanesa.

Thank you everyone!

Gin wrote:

This has been one of the best things we've done on here. So glad you thought of it Savannah.

I agree!!


Carol, I'm so sorry I missed this! I don't know how that happened!!


I really enjoyed reading everything, and the pictures your chose were great! Savannah's right, you were such an adorable little girl.

I know you still love El Salvador so much and, even though I can't imagine wanting to move from California central valley, I really hope that one day your dream of getting back to El Salvador will come true.


*Sigh*, that scene you describe of Mary in the mirror is just so heart-wrenching. I teared up just reading about it!


I can relate with the weight loss ups and downs. 'Challenging' is an understatment! I'll pray for you if you pray for me, how's that?

Thanks Amy

Amy wrote:

I know you still love El Salvador so much and, even though I can't imagine wanting to move from California central valley, I really hope that one day your dream of getting back to El Salvador will come true.

Oh believe me... I'd leave California's central valley in a heartbeat for El Salvador.
My dad never felt quite at home in the US. Even though I experienced some of the civil war... I do have really great memories of El Salvador... the land... the beaches... the lakes ... the culture... the food... oh the food! lol

Check out this Tourism video... I wish they would have put a more traditional music.... but here ya go lol

Oh, Carol! I loved it. Your country is really impressive...those volcanos, those beachs...this FOOD! I wish I could, someday, visit El Salvador . It's a wonderful country.

The video makes me think at the song "Mi país" , by "Los Hermanos Flores". It also reminded me of another song of them called "Guanaquita" in which they speaks about the hard fighter women from El Salvador and about how sad it could be to leave your country. Even if you find everything in another great country, it could not be *totally* yours.

Please: may you send me the direct link to this video? I want to send it to my friends.

Vanesa.

Thank you Vanesa
Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1KGBQ_dLq0

Yes! I like both of the songs you mentioned

Carol wrote:

Thank you Vanesa
Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1KGBQ_dLq0

Yes! I like both of the songs you mentioned

Thanks for the link, Carol! I'll send them now!

Vanesa.