Green House

In the early 70’s, there was a half-hour children’s PBS show called Hodgepodge Lodge. It was no Mr. Rogers or Sesame Street, or even Reading Rainbow. But it was an introduction to the wonders of nature. Each week the host, “Miss Jean” Worthley, would introduce a different topic, like birds, trees, aquatic animals, or stinging insects. Miss Jean was a kinder, gentler Bill Nye the Science Guy with a shoulder parrot (except she was an actual scientist). Hodgepodge Lodge is a “lost” series. Many of the master tapes on which it was recorded were erased and reused to save money, and many more were destroyed in a storage fire. The series ran before home video recording became popular, so it’s unlikely there are copies out there, saved to share with children and grandchildren. But the theme song is indelibly etched in my head: “We’re off to the forest to see Miss Jean. She lives in a house that is mostly green…”