Haiku to Elly May

Growing up, my family was quite the television family. The most memorable night for tv was Friday. After our dad came home, we would go grocery shopping at Meijer's Thrifty Acres and we kids were allowed to pick out our TV dinners. Then, we got to look at the treasures in the toy department. At 8 o'clock or so, we would plop in the living room and watch the Friday night lineup, which included The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. Other than Friday night, I don't remember much else of evening television. The real tv fun with my family was in the array of reruns after school, before dinner, and at times, during dinner. Yes, we surely watched lots of tv!

One of our favorite syndicated series was The Beverly Hillbillies. All of us loved this show. This morning while driving home from dropping the kids off at school, my favorite Clampett, Elly May, popped into my mind. I absolutely loved Elly May! She was fun. What young girl wouldn't adore her tenderness toward "critters?" She had all sorts of neat pets--horses, ducks, chimps, skunks.  Elly was a very nice person.  Elly May loved her family and was kind to everyone--unless, Jethro "riled" her up. Even then, Elly May had good reason to clobber him. And that leads me to another attribute I admired: Elly was one strong gal! She protected herself against boys that came "courtin'." Wow, what 10 year old wouldn't admire that? She was a tomboy, doing things boys typically did, climb trees, shoot a gun, "rassled" Jethro to the ground for fun. She even used her bra as a double barrel slingshot! Elly May was so pretty. Her wardrobe included jeans, floppy hat, shiny sequined gowns, petticoat-ed dresses, and don't forget the rope belt!--all appealing to the prepubescent me. Elly May was great. Adult me thanks the creators and producers of this show for not exploiting her beauty and making her a one-dimensional pretty blonde.

Here's to Jed's daughter, who visited my thoughts out of nowhere this morning and brought a smile to my face! 

Elly May Clampett

Oh, what a fun friend you are

to my inner child!