The Pony Cart

"The Pony Cart" is one of the best episodes of a show I've ever seen on television. Beulah Bondi is the main reason. As Olivia Walton's irascible Aunt Martha Corinne, she brings an engrossing believability to the story of how one woman struggles to tie up the loose ends of a long life and leave a meaningful legacy. Helping young Ben Walton repair and decorate an old wooden cart brings forth a flood of warm memories that help offset the disruptive impact her opinionated presence has on the family. It is a moving, meaningful slice-of-life from a time in America that has long-since passed, and is a fine example of "The Waltons" at its best. The show aired in 1976, but it lingers in my memory because of the talented Beulah Bondi.