Ken Bertwell
Well-Known Member
After having already been suckered too many times by all the endless "rarities" and "treasures" that have been offered, I said "enough is enough" and "I am not spending this outrageous amount of money ($180.00) for all this "new" PBS crap. I remained adament for 3 weeks--detesting all my previously regrettable purchases of "compilations" and "never before released" material. Sadly, I must confess: I am happiest when I am anticipating something new from Karen--maybe just a crumb here and there-a slight piano variation or the addition of some strings where they never were originally. Hoping against hope that she will deviate just one note on a familiar tune heard a zillion times before. As I filled out the PBS sales order form on line, I got that same "RUSH" I always had as a kid when I'd buy a new Carpenters 45 or LP and run right home from J.C. Penney's in the Stonewood Shopping Center in Downey---rip off the plastic wrap and smell the brand new record when it came out of the sleeve and put it on the turn table for the first time.
It was always MAGIC to hear Karen sing a new song. Karen gave me one of my very first 45's which of course was her Magic Lamp 45--and from the second I put it on the turn table, I was hooked--I would buy everything--and here I am some 50 freaking years later--still buying everything--just to relive for a moment the thrill and anticipation of what new offering Karen had for me. I only regret that I can't ride over to Karen's house on my Blue Schwinn Sting Ray and have her and Rich autograph it for me.
Dad C. was a wonderful guy--he would always go to a closet and pull something new out and say "did you get one of these yet Kenny?" Mom C. would always have fresh baked chocolate chip & oatmeal cookies and that Newville house smelled like pine-sol and cookies. (I know what you're thinking--but Mom C. was very good to me and my brother--and she's go down to Pacific Savings & Loan and have lunch with my mother. I don't know what she was like behind the doors after I left--but she was always kind and welcoming).
It was a magical time to grow up in Downey--when it really was a wonderful town--and the magic of knowing Karen will never leave me. I can still hear her incredible laugh-the nasty one. She had several but the nasty one was always my favorite. In fact, she would be "nasty laughing" at me right now and saying "Kenny, you would probably buy a pile of dog $#!^ if you thought it looked like Richard". She was amazing--and here I am at 59 years of age--did I really just admit that? I'm 59 and feeling excited like a little kid again--and I just got out my old 1983 CD player which I keep for sentimental reasons--not the least being that it is what I played my very first CD's on--which of course just happened to be The Carpenters CD's (in fact I bought their cd's before I bought a cd player). I'm going to make sure the head is clean and the speakers are wired up properly, get out my old family photo album with all our early, early photos of my family and the Carpenter family and I'll wait impatiently for Mr. Postman to knock on my door!
It was always MAGIC to hear Karen sing a new song. Karen gave me one of my very first 45's which of course was her Magic Lamp 45--and from the second I put it on the turn table, I was hooked--I would buy everything--and here I am some 50 freaking years later--still buying everything--just to relive for a moment the thrill and anticipation of what new offering Karen had for me. I only regret that I can't ride over to Karen's house on my Blue Schwinn Sting Ray and have her and Rich autograph it for me.
Dad C. was a wonderful guy--he would always go to a closet and pull something new out and say "did you get one of these yet Kenny?" Mom C. would always have fresh baked chocolate chip & oatmeal cookies and that Newville house smelled like pine-sol and cookies. (I know what you're thinking--but Mom C. was very good to me and my brother--and she's go down to Pacific Savings & Loan and have lunch with my mother. I don't know what she was like behind the doors after I left--but she was always kind and welcoming).
It was a magical time to grow up in Downey--when it really was a wonderful town--and the magic of knowing Karen will never leave me. I can still hear her incredible laugh-the nasty one. She had several but the nasty one was always my favorite. In fact, she would be "nasty laughing" at me right now and saying "Kenny, you would probably buy a pile of dog $#!^ if you thought it looked like Richard". She was amazing--and here I am at 59 years of age--did I really just admit that? I'm 59 and feeling excited like a little kid again--and I just got out my old 1983 CD player which I keep for sentimental reasons--not the least being that it is what I played my very first CD's on--which of course just happened to be The Carpenters CD's (in fact I bought their cd's before I bought a cd player). I'm going to make sure the head is clean and the speakers are wired up properly, get out my old family photo album with all our early, early photos of my family and the Carpenter family and I'll wait impatiently for Mr. Postman to knock on my door!
Last edited:
