Thursday, August 25, 2016

Happy Anniversary to Almanzo and Laura!


Do you think Almanzo and Laura ever thought that long after they were gone there would still be people talking about them?

Do you believe that Mama Bess could even fathom that nearly sixty years after her passing people of all ages would be celebrating her legacy to children's literature? 

If it were not for Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic books would Bess and Manly simply be known as the parents of Rose Wilder Lane? 

In many ways, young Laura and young Almanzo are no different than kids are today. They grew up under the guidance of their parents and moved on to create lives of their own. Similarly, as young adults and then parents, they struggled to find their place in this great big world, to raise a daughter, and worked hard to survive. 


Just like their TV counterparts would portray decades later, they experienced joys and sorrows and health and sickness. Life on the prairie, just like modern day life, is not always a cup of tea. 

What Wilder's books and the film adaptations based upon them have always meant to me is that family and faith is the focus of all we do. In the end, it is our family and our faith that will carry us through the good times and the bad. That is what I see as the essence of what Wilder attempted to portray while giving readers a glimpse into what life on the prairie was like. 

May Laura and Almanzo continue to live on for new generations of fans across the world. Happy Anniversary! Thanks for sharing your life with us. 

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Book Review: Pioneer Mixology: Switchel, Sack Posset, and Shrub by Robynne Elizabeth Miller


After reading Robynne Elizabeth Miller's book titled, From the Mouth of Ma: A Search for Caroline Quiner Ingalls, the author contacted me to let me know another one of her books, Pioneer Mixology: Switchel, Sack Posset, and Shrub, was available for free in April. Having enjoyed From the Mouth of Ma, I downloaded the free book.

If you're interested in the history of the pioneers, then Pioneer Mixology is a book you should add to your e-library. The author explores the numerous beverages of the times. They are broken down into three major categories: hot, cold, and alcoholic.

What is so neat about this book is that each section explores the different types of drinks in each category, explains how they were made, and even offers recipes. You could easily use this book for a home schooling lesson or just for an experiment of what it was like to make things the way the pioneers did.

From buttermilk to eggnog to mulled cider and more, you'll enjoy learning more about the liquids consumed back then and how resourceful pioneers were considering the limited availability of ingredients.


File Size: 926 KB
Print Length: 102 pages
Publisher: Practical Pioneer Press (March 11, 2016)
Publication Date: March 11, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01CVKX8CI

I downloaded a free digital copy of this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.