Call the Midwife

Have you ever watched a TV show that was so good you cried when it was over?

That's what happens to DH and I as each season of Call the Midwife comes to an end.

We sit on either end of the couch, in the dark, afraid to look at each other because we know we will see a few embarrassing tears.

We just finished watching Season 7 of Call the Midwife and can't wait for Season 8 in early 2019.

Call the Midwife, based on the memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth, tells the often heart-wrenching, often funny, stories of midwifery in London’s East End  in the 1950's and early 60's. The drama follows the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House, who travel by bicycle to provide maternity care to some of the city's poorest mothers.

The series is produced by BBC1 and PBS.  Newly qualified midwife Jenny (Vanessa Redgrave) and the  eccentric, lovable community of nuns at Nonnatus House can all be found on Netflix, which is airing all 7 Seasons.

This is the perfect series to binge watch as the fall days grow shorter. I promise that it will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even want to dance.

That's because the episodes of Call the Midwife are accompanied by exactly the perfect music for the times. The soundtrack includes so many favorites from the 50's and early 60's:  Diana, Lollipop, My Special Angel, Here Comes Summer . . . 

Little Darlin', Come Softly to Me, Stranger In Paradise, Dedicated to the One I Love. If you're a Boomer like me, you can fill in the rest of the list (and probably remember all the words too!).

As the Series begins, Jenny is surprised to find herself at a convent -- she thought she was being sent to a small private hospital -- and is initially daunted by her surroundings, most notably the formidable Sister Evangelina and the unconventional Sister Monica Joan. 

But Jenny gradually begins to find her way and develops incredible friendships among the nurses, as they are drawn into the lives and homes of the women and families they treat.

I like that the producers of Call the Midwife are not afraid to address the medical and social issues of the time, including polio . . .

Thalidomide babies . . .

Down Syndrome . . .

and womens' issues like poverty, domestic violence, and the lack of birth control among women who can't afford even one more baby.

Thankfully, truth is mixed with a big dose of British humor that often makes you laugh out loud

As the nuns interact with the families of their East End neighborhood of  Poplar.

Jenny's voice lives on in Vanessa Redgrave’s crackly narration, as an elderly Jenny, who reminds us at the end of each episode . . . 

that love is often the only answer. 

   By then, I'm usually reaching for the tissues and repeating to DH, "This is just so well done". 

I say it every time. 

This post is linked to:

Share Your Cup #310 at Mrs. Olson blog
Sundays at Home #13 at The Little Farmstead
Amaze Me Monday #285 at Dwellings

Mr. Rogers Would Love This!

On March 23rd, Mr. Rogers got his own "Forever" stamp.

What a perfect tribute to a man who provided such a calm, safe "neighborhood" for young children to visit for a half hour every day on PBS. His show ran from 1968 to 2001.

When my two children were little in the late 70's and early 80's, they loved watching Mr. Rogers. Every show started exactly the same way:  Fred Rogers would come in, change his shoes, put on his sweater and sing that "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood". The trolley would CLANG and the kids were swept away to the "Land of Make Believe" to follow the adventures of familiar characters like King Friday and Daniel Tiger.

Each story would have a lesson which Mr. Rogers would impart in the slow, gentle, reassuring voice that was his hallmark.

One of my adult children has disabilities and still enjoys the quiet, daily predictability of a visit to Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. 

For all the joy he brought to our kids, I'm thrilled that Mr. Rogers has been honored with a stamp. I'll happily buy enough to last me for awhile. . . And then maybe I'll pretend that Mr. McFeely will come to my neighborhood to pick them up for "Speedy Delivery"!

Thank you, Mr. Rogers.
'Nuff said.

This post is linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On the Porch