Mary Ann. I’ve known her since 7th grade when we met at a sleep-over at a mutual friend’s house. We’ve been friends for decades and have so many shared experiences from high school romances and marriages, births and deaths.
One of the things Mary Ann and I have in common is a love for the sappiness of The Brady Bunch. Quite a few years ago I wanted to give her the movie A Very Brady Christmas for a gift, but it was way too expensive – over $50!! I didn’t buy it because nothing Brady is worth that much money. But because I had cable TV and she didn’t, I taped a showing of A Very Brady Christmas that aired. You heard me, I said “taped.” Video tape. Remember those? I took great care to delete the commercials and did a pretty good job.
I haven’t seen the movie since that night I taped it for Mary Ann, and she’s watched it every Christmas season since. It didn’t seem fair.
Mary Ann and I had lunch the other day and she gave me a pre-Christmas gift. That’s right, it was a DVD of A Very Brady Christmas. At first I thought she actually bought it for me, but she told me no, she’d taken the video tape I gave her and copied it onto a disc. How’s that for friendship?!
Bobby and Peter discuss the very complicated situations in their lives. Complicated situations are pretty cut and dry to the rest of us who aren’t Bradys.
Homemade gifts are the best, and Mary Ann outdid herself with this DVD. I watched it that very evening. Husby joined me even though he doesn’t have the affinity for The Brady Bunch that I do. Actually, he has no affinity for the Bradys at all, but we both had a blast watching it! The sappiness didn’t disappoint.
Jan and Phillip rekindle their dying marriage and do the nasty while everyone else is downstairs having breakfast on Christmas day.
Bobby quits graduate school to become a race car driver, Mrs. Brady gives Jan and her husband permission to miss Christmas breakfast for sex, Peter decides it doesn’t really matter if the love of his life makes more money than he does, and Alice takes back her husband, Sam the butcher, who left her for a younger woman whose rump roast he seasoned. Above all, Mr. Brady is saved from a collapsing building with a Christmas carol. Oh, what a fabulous mixture of drama and unadulterated absurdity!
Many thanks to Mary Ann who proved to be one of those friends who never fails.
The entire Brady clan singing O Come All Ye Faithful, which apparently gives Mr. Brady the super human strength to save himself from a building that collapsed around him.
Auntie B's Wax 
Christmas is all about sharing the joy, so what kind of a friend would I be if I kept all that Brady Christmas joy to myself! The Holidays just wouldn’t be complete without a little “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” So glad you enjoyed it!
You were so generous to share the Bradys with me. And always remember, “don’t be sorry, just be Wally.” Barf! Thanks again!
Oh the memories Sara, as a child i would race home from school to see the Brady bunch in black and white mind you. I laugh out loud when I see re-runs now, but at the time it was our connection to a bigger world. American food, clothing, music and that amazing white xmas that we only dreamed about. Thanks for the goofy memories friend and a merry christmas to you.
Those kids were the “grooviest.” I was always amazed at how tidy their house was, especially the kids’ rooms. Well, they had Alice to pick up after them I guess. Good to know I’m not the only one who loved them as a kid and laughs at them as an adult. So corny!