Birds Chirping, flowers blooming, the Easter Bunny making his rounds and delivering those ohh so delectable chocolate bunnies…. Ahhh yes all signs of my favorite season, spring!!!!!

I am one excited chic, as I wait in anticipation for the days that I can leave my windows open all day, wear my shorts and start my annual pilgrimages to the various beaches along the East Coast. Also, like many of you out their I will be participating in that yearly task… Spring Cleaning! And of course, I will have a little help courtesy of daytime. 

As I recovered last week in the hospital, I began to make my lists of spring cleaning items that need to be done: Clean out the closet, get rid of ex-husbands stuff, ask to be let out of my contract with the show? What! Okay, so technically I am not one of the cast members, past or present of All My Children or any daytime show for that matter, so why am I asking to be let out of my contract?

Now that I have your attention, let’s focus on the spring-cleaning tactics that seem to rocking the world of daytime. Even though we are still in the throes of winter, it appears as if the alphabet network and namely, All My Children has already begun the daunting task of spring-cleaning. 

Longtime fans were left in a sheer state of shock, as the news broke of the death of longtime show vet, Ruth Warrick. Ohhh Phoebe! How I absolutely LOVED that character. Maybe it was Warrick's acting style or perhaps it was some of the outrageous storylines that AMC placed her in, but it was not doubt that she touched my heart and life in so many ways. I can still remember Phoebe’s ongoing feud with the mother of current Pine Valley diva, Erica Kane. Phoebe made it her mission to make Mona and Erica’s lives miserable. 

I fondly remember watching the relationship and subsequent marriages occur between the Grande dame and con man, Langley Wallingford. Who could forget Phoebe’s face and thoughts as she interacted with his daughters, Hilary Wilson and Verla Grubbs (played by comedian Carol Burnett). All My Children, knew what a classy lady and brilliant actress they had and allowed Warrick to shine and showcase her talents, as Phoebe battled alcoholism and a marriage to a younger man, Wade Matthews. 

No matter what obstacles stood in her way, or the way of her children (Donna Sago, Kitty Shea) Phoebe was bound and determined to never, ever let it tear her family apart. I was one fan who always enjoyed her interactions with onscreen niece, Brooke English or any character for that matter. As Warrick's health began to fade, we saw less and less of Phoebe and the mentions of the Tyler/Wallingford families became few and far between.

The show certainly has not had that same feeling since, Warrick left and it was such an honor to see her smiling face, among the cast as they gathered for the shows 35^th anniversary photo. I have been told that the show will address Warrick’s death and give fans the closure they closure they need to say goodbye to this classy lady and her character. Since the shows are taped weeks in advance and storylines are planned out even further, these touching and powerful scenes may not air until mid to late spring, but I am willing to wait so that the tribute to Phoebe will be worth it.

The only question is, which Pine Valley residents will not be there to mourn the passing of Ms. Wallingford? Unless you have lived under a rock, then you have probably heard about the impending exits of fan faves Eden Riegel, Elizabeth Hendrickson and John Callahan. 

It is no secret that AMC and ABC for that matter, struck gold when they cast Eden Riegel in the role of Bianca Christine Montgomery, a little over 4 years ago. From the moment Bianca hopped off the plane from Seattle, I could tell that Riegel was going to go far in this business and make the role her own.

And make the role her own, she certainly did. Riegel’s scenes as a scared, yet proud young lady who announced her sexual orientation to her mother and the rest of Pine Valley was powerful, poignant and to this day lives in the history books as one of daytime’s powerful moments. 

It was Bianca’s feelings for rebel without a cause, Mary Frances, aka Frankie Stone, which introduced fans to daytime newcomer, Elizabeth Hendrickson. Fans were saddened and shocked, when the show decided to kill of Frankie and take Bianca in a new direction. For most performers, this would signal the end of career, but not for Hendrickson. Fans saw something in this actress and quickly lobbied the network to bring this actress back and pronto!

ABC listened (unlike today) and Hendrickson was back on the show this time playing the role of Frankie’s twin sister, Maggie Stone. I enjoyed watching the friendship between Bianca and Maggie develop and deepen. In fact, the scenes where Maggie agreed to be Bianca’s prom date, showed two confident young women, who were destined to not let anyone destroy their friendship. 

And boy has this friendship stood rape, other lovers (including Lena), confusion and a change in the writing regime. It was only over the last few months that Riegel and Hendrickson both begun to really shine in their respective storylines, and their true talents have emerged. I am sure that one or both of these ladies will make it big in Hollywood. Who knows maybe they will pay a visit to Pine Valley at least on special occasions unlike their co-star, John Callahan.

I heard that his release came as a shock to Callahan, but my question is why? This is one man, whose storyline has done nothing but languish on the backburner for almost a year now, but he remained one of the HIGHEST paid actors on the show. Why the show never thoroughly educated fans, through Edmund, on what it was like to spend your life confined to a wheelchair I will never know. 

Okay so yes, Edmund has been a pivotal part of storylines and the Pine Valley canvas for many years know, even romancing some of the shows top leading ladies, Brooke English, Maria Santos and even dallying with the lovely young, Mia Saunders, but that was not enough to make this character interesting.

Maybe it was the dissolution of his marriage, or perhaps it was his boredom with nothing to do, whatever the fact, Callahan and Edmund lost his gusto. With his current evil turn, it is obvious that Edmund will soon end up the next resident in the Wildwind mausoleum. It’s too bad that his departure will open the doors and provide meaty material for both Eva LaRue and Julia Barr. 

The show will be at a definite loss without these four cast members, but what I really want to know is who is leaving next? Rumors continue to pick up steam that Pine Valley will be Maria-less and minus a Lavery sometime later this spring or summer. Eva LaRue has made it known how frustrated and disappointed she is with the lack of storyline and the way the writers have written her character.

Perhaps, the recent announcement that her part on ABC’s The George Lopez show has been made recurring and the fact that most of her family and friends live on the West Coast (and her desires to be closer to them) may be foreshadowing of Ms. LaRue’s future plans. 

Could her departure propel others with no true storyline to follow in her footsteps?  If ABC is not careful, we will see a repeat performance of what happened a few years ago with the departures of Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Esta Terblanche, Cameron Mathison, Josh Duhamel and Marj Dusay- the hiring of Barbie and Ken like clones, who look good but cannot ACT THEIR WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG. 

Here is hoping that the show, will beef up the storylines of some of their underused cast members. How I would love to see Simone, Opal, Palmer, Olivia, Derek and of course Brooke front and center and daily on our screens. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Chuck and Donna Tyler return to town, Nina Warner to breeze back in to shake things up in Pine Valley, or Mark Dalton and Tom Cudahy to be more of a permanent fixture again. 

Yes, spring is approaching. How will Spring Cleaning for AMC and ABC turn out?  Stay tuned soap fans.