Hi all!

Before I get into this week's newsletter, I'd like to say a few words about the one I will be sending on June 7th.  It's a big departure from the usual.  I had a really good time writing "Nor Iron Bars a Cage" and "The Uninvited Guest."  So I knew I wanted to write another story.   What I ended up with was a project that spanned at least two months between the research and the writing.  The result was "For Thou Art with Me."  It's a story about Andrew, two of his fellow angels, and their assignments during the era of witch trials in America. What sets it apart from the rest of JABB is its very serious subject matter.  I really wrestled with whether to use it for JABB or just go for straight fanfic.  But the Dyelanders became such a part of the story I knew it was JABB material.  So, I just wanted to give everyone a heads up.  I actually made up a "trailer" like I did for "Nor Iron Bars."  It's pretty simple and kinda drab but I was mostly just checking to make sure the program I use still worked.  It did!  (I think...)  Anyhow, if you're interested you can view the trailer here:

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?alb=104275
Password: labyrinth

It's the one entitled "JABB 194." 

Anyhow, back to the present!  With my co-president Karen still with out a computer, I’ve really missed having a regular co-author.  So I decided to start looking for people to write with in the meantime.  You may remember my babysitting charge’s stint as co-author.  Well, this time I’ve decided to look even closer to home for help.  I opted to co-write this issue and possibly later installments with… myself from the past!

Yep!  So I’ll be presenting actual passages from my relevant journal entries dated 1995 (when I saw the bulk of TBAA’s first season in reruns) and on.  Then the current me will respond.  I hope this is entertaining and not *too* embarrassing.  In this first installment of “Jenni and Jenni write JABB” I present July 1995 (Season One’s reruns)  to August 1997.  I’ve kept all errors cause they’re kinda fun.  I put clarifications in brackets [].

God bless,
Jenni of 2006

Okay, so for a while I sound pretty much like I’m vying for a job at TV Guide.  I wasn’t originally going to include some of these but decided they were kinda amusing in their brevity.  Plus they show how *not* obsessed I once was.  Here goes:

July 16, 1995
“Not much happened today or yesterday.  ‘Touched by an Angel’ was on yesterday.  Monica helped a teenager decide to keep or let her baby be adopted.”

And in 2006:
A rather inauspicious first entry concerning TBAA.  Who woulda thought 11 years later this would be the show I’d end up obsessed with?!  Also, weird that neither Tess nor Adam get a mention.  That episode was “Cassie’s Choice,” by the way.

August 2, 1995
“Last weekend was coincidence week.  ‘Touched by an Angel’ was about a woman who meets the woman her husband had an affair with.”
2006:
I then launch into a list of coincidences in my own life.  With out any transition of any kind (much like most of my early journal entries it seems).  Again no mention of Adam or Alexander or Tess or even Monica!  But this was the very day I’ve talked much about when my Dad was taken to the hospital after taking a baseball (possibly softball) to the face during a game with his buddies.  I was freaked and watching “An Unexpected Snow” kept me calm and laughing.  Especially Adam, Alexander, and Tess.  So, despite my journal’s vagueness, this was the first time TBAA ever really helped me.  Aww.  

October 30, 1995
“Clarissa starred last week as a radio talk show host’s daughter.  Monica’s been working with AIDS patients.”

2006:
?!??!  I mean I get that “Clarissa” refers to Melissa Joan Hart who starred in the show “Clarissa Explains It All” which I enjoyed as a kid.  But why I pushed “Angels on the Air” and “In the Name of God” together as if they were one episode?!  Again, horrible, HORRIBLE at transitions.  This entry is fun, though, because it marks the first TBAA episodes I saw on their original airdates.  Near as I can tell, anyhow.

November 9, 1995
“Touched by an Angel- Monica volunteered for an AIDS hospice.  Tess got in trouble.  Some guy filled in and the devil actually showed up.”
2006:
Ha.  That cracks me up.  I love that Sam is “some guy.”  I can’t figure out, though, why I mentioned “In the Name of God” again when it aired on the 28th and I mentioned it all ready in my journal as stated above??  I should write CliffsNotes…  People would fail.

November 17, 1995
“Touched by an Angel- Monica helped the mother of a child with facial deformities.”

2006:
Dear TV Guide,
I am 13 years old and very good at describing TV episodes in a single sentence.  In fact, that’s pretty much all I do in my journal.  Please hire me.  I need money to buy more stuffed animals and books.  Thanks.
Your friend,
Jenni

November 29, 1995
“Touched by… Monica and Tess were trapped in a bombed bank with a robber and pregnant woman.”

2006:
Musta been lazy and opted to leave out “an Angel.”  Also, what exactly was I doing?!  What was the purpose of these lil one-line synopses?!  I have em for “SeaQuest”, “90210”, “Dr. Quinn”, “Sisters” and many more!  Sheesh.  Well, definitely makes me feel better about my current journals which at least have *some* substance.  It is interesting, though, that I seemed to have been watching TBAA fairly regularly during the 2nd season.  This is contrary to what I always thought which was that I watched it regularly starting 3rd season.

December 11, 1995
“Touched by an Angel was cool!  She actually flew and looked like an angel.  It was a X-mas pageant.”
2006:
Huh, guess I missed “Fear Not!” when it originally aired.  Interesting that it was only by flying that Monica made me think she looked like an actual angel.  Times have changed!  Also, I think she hovered more than flew but I won’t nit-pick. 

January 9, 1996
“On Touched by an Angel Margaret was on.  She caused 2 suicides and attempted to kill a guy.  Everytime she’s on a Saturday Christy isn’t on the next.  Its a curse.  It happened four times.  Bye.”

2006:
Oh my gosh…  I was talking about “The One that Got Away” and didn’t even mention Andrew!  OMG!  Instead I went on about “Margaret” (aka Susan Diol who played the scheming Susan in the episode).  “Margaret” was her character on the short-lived show “Christy” which I adored.  She also played a scheming character on that who faked her own death. 

I just can’t believe that Andrew premieres and all I could talk about was flipping Margaret!  I am so disappointed in myself!

February 11, 1996
“Touched…Angel- Monica was in jail!  She met another angel in the asylum.”

2006:
Another TV Guide moment.  Nice that I opted to leave out “by an” that time.  

My journal then goes silent on the matter of TBAA for over a year before resurging.  And then, boy, does it ever!

July 6, 1997:
“Newsflash!  B&B [“Beauty and the Beast] is over, 90210 is stupid, & Dr. Quinn is old.  Touched by an Angel is the best & ‘the new guy’ (Andrew) is now your favorite male character & actor.  The show [is] #1.  ‘Angel Boy’ & the others have taught you a lot.  Check out 8-2-95 entry and remember what John Dye (Andrew)’s mother says ‘Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.’”
2006:
::clunks head on desk::  Wow…  Before I focus on the obvious nerdiness, I want to clarify I meant the show “Dr. Quinn” was old.  Not the person.  Just so that’s clear!

Wow… the first mention of the name John Dye.  Fun, though, that I felt the need to designate he played Andrew.  Ya know, in case I’d forget.  ;-)  Then I end with a quote from Mrs. Dye…  I was all ready far gone on Andrew (or John or both, it’s confusing at this point) and only, well, just shy of 15.  Sheesh.

August 10, 1997
[Here I’m writing about my most recent babysitting charge at the time.]

“She’s also a TBA-fanatic so we watched that and made angel dolls in [it] was fun.  This past Thurs. I baby-sat for her again.  Along with TBA we watched Pooh & Veggie Tales.  We also made angel dolls that I’m attaching to the letters for the ‘Angels.’  I’ve painstakingly began writing the letters.  Andrew’s is really hard.  I don’t know if its b/c he’s a guy or what.”

2006:
I about fell off my bed reading that.  First, it’s funny cause it’s the first evidence of my preaching the good news of TBAA, so to speak.  Also fun that it’s TBA and not TBAA.  Finally… hilarious that I seem to either have forgotten John Dye’s name or am consciously trying to ignore the fact that he’s not really Andrew.  I also think it’s funny that I blame my inability to write to him as “he’s a guy” and not, say, that I had an increasingly crazed crush on him.  I sooo wish I’d kept a record of the contents of that letter.

Well, 4th season was about to start at that point but I’ll leave that for another issue.  Let’s just say things had only just begun…

JABB 194
JABB TOC

(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions.  They are not being used to seek profit.)