Laura's Little Houses

Movie Review: The Christmas Pageant

2011-12-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

Photo credit Hallmark Channel

Director Vera Parks (Melissa Gilbert) has a career that is going nowhere fast. Labeled as difficult, she gets fired from several jobs in a row. Her manager, Peter (Steve Lawrence) manages to get her a job directing a small town Christmas pageant.

Things go from bad to worse quickly. While some are eager to work with her, others are destined to fight any change Vera suggests. Vera has problems adjusting from her glamorous life in New York City to the simple life in Ashton Falls. Then she runs into her ex-fiancé, Jack Harmond (Robert Mailhouse). Vera is soon considering whether she should return to New York or stick it out in Ashton Falls.

If ever there was a movie that Melissa Gilbert was born to star in, it's The Christmas Pageant. If Little House on the Prairie was set in modern times, then the storyline from this movie would be a perfect fit. A woman whose life centers around her career and posh city life, ends up in a simple town where there is one mail carrier and everyone knows each other. It's not long before Ashton Falls and its people begin to grow on Vera.

A blend of funny and sweet, this is a classic Hallmark romance. With a superb cast and quaint setting you can't go wrong. If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart and remind you of the joys of being home, be sure to catch this movie on the Hallmark Channel in December. The next showing is Wednesday, December 21st at 10/9 Central.

A Christmas Eve Prairie Visit by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

2011-12-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

Photo scene from A Christmas They Never Forgot

This is a poem I wrote a while back. It's my attempt at a bit of prairie humor. Enjoy!

A Christmas Eve Prairie Visit by Cheryl Malandrinos

Twas the night before Christmas,

and out on the prairie,

Not a creature was stirring,

not even young Carrie;

The stockings were hung on the mantle with care,

In hopes that Santa Claus would leave his fair share;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of heart shaped cookies sprinkled with sugar danced in their heads;

And Pa in his nightshirt and Ma in her gown,

Had finished their popcorn and turned the bed down.

When out by the barn there arose such a clatter,

Pa sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the kitchen he flew like a flash,

Looked out the window and then heard a crash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Caused Pa to blink twice at the broken fence down below,

When into his wondering eyes came the view,

Of a miniature sleigh,

and a tiny herd of pack mules,

With a little old driver,

so lively and quick,

Pa knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

Slower than molasses his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

Move Clementine! Step it up Abner!

Get along Myron and Rupert!

Pick it up Gracie! Pick it up Millie!

Faster now Willie and Albert!

Past the rain barrel!

And past the lean-to!

Now make it around to the side of the house all of you!

As slow as a cow chewing its cud,

When asked to come home and they plop with a thud,

So around the house his coursers they sauntered,

With the sleigh full of toys,

and an old man who wandered.

And soon Pa heard on the side of the house,

The scratching and clawing of old man Claus.

As Pa hid behind the tree and was turning around,

Down the chimney Santa came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his toe,

And his clothes were in desperate need of a sew.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like Mr. Edwards just opening his pack.

His eyes were like Mary's!

His dimples like Carrie's!

His cheeks were like Grace's,

his nose like a cherry.

His droll little mouth was drawn up in a pout.

And the beard on his chin covered most of his face, just about;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And Pa thought the tobacco smelled mightly sweet;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed,

Like Ma's bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump,

A right jolly old elf,

And Pa laughed when he saw him,

In spite of himself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon let Pa know

he had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word,

But went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings;

then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh,

to his pack gave a wail,

And away they all meandered like a broken-winged quail.

But Pa heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,

Merry Christmas to all,

and to all a good-night!

Christmas at Plum Creek

2011-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: Carol http://lhotp.editboard.com/t292-christmas-at-plum-creek

Christmas at Plum Creek is one of those feel good, classic Little House on the Prairie episodes. Just like the many Christmases Laura Ingalls Wilder shares in her books, you get the feeling that while the Ingalls family didn't have much to spare, they were happy and felt blessed by what they had.

This episode opens in town, with some not often seen snow piling up around the edges of the buildings and bases of trees. Nellie wants Laura to sell her pony, Bunny, to her, but Laura refuses. Back at home, the family starts talking about Christmas and Charles tells young Carrie what Christmas is all about.

It soon becomes a Christmas of secrets. Each family taking out their secret stash of coins and not coming up with much. The family visits Oleson's Mercantile, where Charles and Laura spy Caroline looking at the cook stove and Carrie is captivated by a foil star hanging from the ceiling. Mary takes on a job sewing with Mrs. Whipple. Caroline works on a special gift for Charles, and Charles makes a deal with Mr. Oleson to refurbish a set of wheels so he will have enough money to purchase the stove for Caroline. He doesn't know, however, that Laura has entered into a deal with Mr. Oleson to sell Bunny so that she can buy the stove for her Ma.

Photo credit: Carol http://lhotp.editboard.com/t292-christmas-at-plum-creek

If ever there was an episode about selfless love, Christmas at Plum Creek is it. Mr. Oleson is so great in this episode as he works to keep everyone's secrets, and how he helps Carrie buy the star that ends up on the top of their tree. My heart aches each time I see the Olesons arrive to collect Bunny. I also love the ending with Carrie putting the star on top of the tree and announcing, "Happy birthday, Baby Jesus!"

This is one episode you need to watch this time of year.

Archive of American Television Interview with Melissa Gilbert

2011-12-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls, LHOP NBC) was interviewed for the Archive of American Television. "Founded in 1997, the Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television has conducted over 700 long-form interviews (over 3000 hours) with the legends of television."

You can find her interview at http://emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/melissa-gilbert

She talks not only about her years on Little House On the Prairie, but her early career, her family, her production company, and many of the special people she's worked with.

Did anyone catch her recent movie on Hallmark Channel? I have it The Christmas Pageant on my DVR, but haven't watched it yet. If you have, what did you think?

New Survey - Which Christmas Episode Will You Be Watching This Year?

2011-12-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

Our annual survey is back. I like to post it each year to see if the results change. There are four episodes that are set during Christmas and there is also a Christmas scene in The Pilot where Mr. Edwards crosses the river to deliver presents for Santa Claus to the Ingalls girls.

Feel free to vote in the poll in our sidebar for which episode you'll be watching this year. You can share your comments in this post.

Blizzard - Little House on the Prairie, Season 3

2011-12-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

With Little House on the Prairie shot in California, there weren't many episodes where viewers saw snow--even though Walnut Grove was in Minnesota. Of the episodes that featured snow--The Pilot, Christmas at Plum Creek (Season 1), Survival (Season 1), Blizzard (Season 3), and A Christmas They Never Forgot (Season 8)--only two portrayed the challenges the pioneers faced on the prairie in the 1870's (Survival and Blizzard), and only one of them (Blizzard) is set around Christmas.

It is well known that Michael Landon often used real life for inspiration when writing episodes, and it is thought that when he wrote this one he drew inspiration from The Children's Blizzard that happened on the Dakota-Nebraska prairie in 1888. The day started out unseasonably warm and many children walked to school without coats and gloves. But that afternoon, with no warning, temperatures plunged and a blizzard ripped through the area. By the next morning, over 500 people had died, many children on their way home from school.

While this might sound a bit morbid, I always enjoyed LHOP episodes that portrayed the difficulties the pioneers faced on a daily basis. It wasn't done all the time, but when the writers and producers decided to create such an episode it was done well.

Blizzard is set on Christmas Eve. Carrie is a guest at school and Miss Beadle releases the children early because it has started to snow. What was only a few flurries when the children left, soon turns into a huge storm. When the women arrive at the the schoolhouse, they are distraught to find the children gone. Isaiah and Charles return from hauling freight and come to the schoolhouse. They organize the men in town to begin searching for the children. The school is turned into a clinic, as children arrive and need mecial attention. One man, Mr. McGinnis, who handles shipping and receiving in town, dies in the blizzard. All the families are back safe and sound except for Mr. Edwards and his children.

When Christmas Day arrives, the blizzard is over, and Charles rousts everyone to look for Edwards. The door to the school opens and in walk Isaiah Edwards and his children, Carl and Alicia. Everyone rejoices, but poor Mrs. McGinnis and her son, Henry, feel the loss of their beloved husband and father. Charles picks up the Bible from Miss Beadle's desk and recites the Christmas story for a dramatic ending.

Even though this is a sad episode, there is much to enjoy about it: the children's joy over the coming of Christmas, the way the town pulls together (Mrs. Oleson even offers coats, lamps and kerosene to the men without considering the cost), and the joyous reunion of Grace with her husband, Isaiah and the kids. Definitely a classic Little House on the Prairie episode.

Melissa Gilbert to Star in The Christmas Pageant on Hallmark

2011-12-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: Hallmark Channel

Melissa Gilbert is starring in a new seasonal movie titled, The Christmas Pageant, on the Hallmark Channel. It premiers this Sunday, December 11th at 8 PM EST.

She visited The Talk (a show where her younger sister Sara is a co-host) yesterday to promote the movie. You can see the full episode at http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_talk/video/2174095228/the-talk-12-6-2011
In addition, she will be on the Today Show tomorrow to talk about it.

You can find out more information on the movie at Hallmark's website http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/microsites/cast.aspx?simscode=419-26631&pageid=3502&castid=3346.

"Home is the nicest word there is."--Laura Ingalls, A Harvest of Friends

2011-11-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

In the first episode of the first season of Little House on the Prairie, the Ingalls family settles in Walnut Grove, Minnesota and builds their little house on Plum Creek. Mary and Laura are asked by their Pa how they like their new room. They have a larger comfy bed to share and even their own window. Laura declares that she has decided something, "Home is the nicest word there is."

That's exactly how I felt after being displaced for a week because of the snowstorm. I can't tell you how comforting it was to move all our belongings back home a week later and settle into life as usual. We have a tendency to take for granted all that our modern world has provided us. After the storm, I could cook on my gas stove, but we couldn't run water or use the toilets. We had bottled water for drinking and plenty of canned goods, but I felt dismally unprepared again. This is now three storms over the past five months where we've lost power, and I still don't think I know how to prepare for them.

As we prepare for winter--hoping it's not as bad as last year's--my thoughts wander to the Ingalls family and how much effort it must have taken them to get ready to endure the cold months of winter while they waited for spring to arrive, so the growing season could start all over again. It certainly does make one appreciate 21st century life.

Book Review: My Life As Laura by Kelly Kathleen Ferguson

2011-11-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

In this witty and candid memoir, author Kelly Kathleen Ferguson shares her journey to follow Laura Ingalls Wilder's travels and how she discovers herself.

My Life As Laura: How I Searched for Laura Ingalls Wilder and Found Myself is at times funny, at times heartrending, and always a reminder that every Laurafan has a story to tell.

This is the second memoir of a woman following the travels of America's favorite pioneer girl that I've read this year. Both have their strengths: they're funny, well-written, and engaging.

What I feel makes My Life As Laura different is that Ferguson was not just trying to reconnect with a role model from her past. She made a decision to leave her previous life behind, get in her car, and drive across the country to start over in Montana, where her pioneering spirit came alive and encouraged her to drive west from the "Big Woods of Pepin, Wisconsin, to the Great Plains of De Smet, South Dakota," retracing the path where Laura comes of age.

The opening scene is probably one of the funniest in the book. Having decided to make her journey through Lauradom in period clothing, Ferguson ends up at the local Goodwill trying on prairie dresses. That dress gets a lot of mileage throughout the book, and her story of finding it, getting into it, and the mishaps with it along the journey are hilarious.

Like many of those interested in the real life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author doesn't care for Michael Landon's television version of things. I've never understood the disdain for the show by some, but the author spends three pages letting the reader know what's wrong with it: television Reverend Alden, Charles Ingalls, and especially Laura were not up to snuff. Nellie Oleson was okay until she was "tamed by Old Testament hot lovin'." Ouch!

Ferguson wasn't too fond of the whole blowing up the town thing; though not many of the fans were either. But at this point, we've heard the story both in Michael Landon's own words in his interview on A&E Biography, and from Kent McCray here, so we just have to deal with it. As I said in a recent article, there might be peace in the Middle East before we can expect it in Laura World when it comes to fans of the show and those who don't even wish to speak about it.

In what I feel is a brave move by Ferguson, she doesn't leave you with all her ducks suddenly in a row. This is no romantic tale, but like Wilder's classic books the author's story displays the optimism that comes from reconciling the past and holding onto hope for the future. I'm glad I have a copy of My Life As Laura in my Laura Ingalls Wilder library.

Title: My Life As Laura
Author: Kelly Kathleen Ferguson
Publisher: Press 53
ISBN-10: 1935708449
ISBN-13: 978-1935708445
SRP: $17.95

Snowstorm Aftermath Day 4

2011-11-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

It has been four days since the freak October snowstorm and we still have no electricity. We could have toughed it out at home if we could have used water and flushed the toilets, but since the sewer ejector pump isn't operational and we already have sewer water backing up into the basement (sounds lovely, hey?) we've been hanging out at the in-laws.

It's times like these that give you a glimpse into how much tougher it was to survive day-to-day back in the time of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Never mind the sun up to sun down litany of chores that kept the farmer and his household busy, being isolated during storms, not being able to get out to purchase supplies, and the cold that seeped in through any nook or cranny sure makes me happy I live in the days of indoor plumbing, electricity, and grocery stores every few miles.

Our hope is that power will return tomorrow night. Then comes the clean up. There are still several trees down in the yard that need to be cut and hauled away. We were able to save a lot of the food, but we'll have to truck everything back over to our house from the in-laws' place once this is all over. Who knows if we'll have Internet or cable once the power is back on. The girls are already climbing the walls after being out of school all week.

I honestly don't think I could have survived on the prairie like Laura did. It certainly makes a person appreciate her life more.

Living The Long Winter

2011-10-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last year, Western Massachusetts got hit with snowstorm after snowstorm. We had record breaking snowfall in 2010, and spring couldn't come fast enough for any of us.

This year looks like it's going to shape up to be the same. As an unusually early Nor'easter blew through here yesterday, dumping 10 inches of snow in our area, downing power lines and falling trees, I couldn't help but think of The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Without power and with many roads impassable, I felt like Laura stranded in her house in town on the Dakota prairie.

Tonight's temperatures are going to drop down into the teens, freezing anything left on the ground. Luckily, daytime temperatures this week will be in the mid-40's or higher, so it should melt quickly.

I don't think I'm ready for seven months of winter.

Can't We All Be Friends?

2011-10-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in the midst of reading a memoir of a person who followed the travels of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I'm enjoying it. Every "Laurafan" seems to have his/her own story and I like learning of how others discovered Wilder and how that impacted their lives.

Spend enough time in Lauradom and you'll find distinct camps of "Laurafans"--those who love the classic family television show, Little House on the Prairie, and those who wish it never happened. At some point, I wish we could all shake hands and get along.

Why do those who don't care for Little House on the Prairie and how Michael Landon and his producers portrayed historical figures and events feel the need to rip it to shreds? Isn't the show just one more way to honor the legacy that Wilder left behind? Despite its historical inaccuracies, didn't the show capture the romantic, little girl view that Wilder portrayed in her books? I feel it did.

The book I'm reading has so far spent two pages decrying how television Laura wasn't anything like real Laura. Reverend Alden, Mr. Edwards and Charles didn't look like the real people any more than TV Laura did, and there was too much "histrionics and tragedy." Maybe the author gets it right about the histrionics, but I'm fairly sure the life in which the historical Laura lived had tragedy up the ying-yang, so is the problem with the show that it's not authentic enough or that it's too authentic? The author compares Little House on the Prairie to a soap opera. I've watched both genres of television. They are only alike in the fact that television allows you to suspend common sense if you're creating a great storyline. Remember in Season 9, Royal Wilder returns to Walnut Grove with a daughter named Jenny in tow and Almanzo tells Laura he hasn't seen his brother in 10 years. I guess he forgot that time right after Laura and he were married when Royal and his wife Millie dropped off their two sons (or should I say monsters) for the newlyweds to watch while they went off on a trip? But, Millie was dead by Season 9 and Royal was dying and they needed somewhere for daughter Jenny who no longer will have any family once Royal passes away (I guess Myron and Rupert died too) to live. Look at all that tragedy.

Perhaps it's because I discovered the books after the show and those books sparked my interest in Laura and Almanzo's real life that it doesn't matter to me that Little House on the Prairie and its creators went off into their own world to celebrate Wilder. Maybe I'm too forgiving of a medium that depends on action more than description and internal thought to propel the plot forward. I think they'll have to figure out peace in the Middle East before we can expect it in Laura World.

Book Spotlight: My Life As Laura by Kelly Kathleen Ferguson

2011-10-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Kelly Kathleen Ferguson needed to know—was connecting with her lifelong heroine the key to knowing herself? She decided to find out. She donned a prairie dress and retraced the pioneer journey of Laura Ingalls Wilder. From Wisconsin to Minnesota, South Dakota to Missouri, Kelly explored Laura’s past and her own. Part travelogue, part memoir and part social commentary, Kelly discovered how an adult relationship with a little girl, who lived in little houses long ago, can give a sense of purpose for today.

Read an excerpt!

I admit that the origin of the dress mandate was fuzzy at best. All I can say is the instant I decided to retrace the pioneer journey of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I knew I would wear a Laura dress. When I first envisioned this costume, my intention had been to browse online, haunt thrift stores, contact a seamstress, research historical garb, etc. What happened: I was leaving the next day and needed a dress.

That afternoon I scouted the local Goodwill, hoping for a miracle in the racks. Nope. I resigned myself to a vintage shop. As a general rule I dislike shopping in a place where a bored employee has nothing to do but stare me down. Help galls me, as I possess a toddlerlike insistence that I can do it myself. A poorling, I do not belong in the specialty spending bracket, and I hate telling people no, so I rank boutique shopping on the comfort par of wool sheets. Waiting until the final hour, I barreled into Mr. Higgins’Vintage Clothing & Costumes of Missoula, Montana, all bluster and little intention

Which explains why I was unprepared for this challenge posed by the owner.

“Do you want to dress like Laura the little girl,” she asked, scrunching up her face and tilting her head, “or Laura the adult?”

The proprietor folded antique bandannas on a display case while I processed. She looked somewhere between forty and eighty, youthful despite the crinkles. I had met her type a few times now, the western woman who could charge an alpine escarpment, dragging her giant dog while I clutched a scrubby tree and panted.

Her unexpected question, and inescapable inflection, made me realize that a thirty-eight-year-old woman dressing like a little pioneer girl was odd. And not odd in a quirky, adorable way, but odd in a Whatever Happened to Baby Jane way.

I inhaled the aroma of antique, steam-pressed sweat and rolled the dilemma around on my tongue, as though contemplating a flavor. This Laura dress issue was getting complicated. A basic getup began with the red calico worn by little girl Laura, but as Laura became a young woman, her wardrobe expanded. Passages detail her outfits—the brown poplin with her ostrich-feathered poke bonnet, her pink lawn, the black cashmere that became her wedding dress, but even if I chose an “adult” Laura dress, I would only be fifteen. At my age the real Laura was a farmer’s wife in Mansfield, and those clothes were not part of the Books.

To my relief, the owner had not asked why I needed a Laura dress, a question way too involved for me to answer right then. She didn’t even blink. As it turned out, my request was routine—in Missoula, Montana, people needed Laura dresses all the time. There were Frontier Days, reenactments of homestead life, and you never knew when Hellgate High might rally for another production of Oklahoma! The more we discussed options, I found myself grateful for professional help. A prairie newbie, I had not considered that I would need a bonnet and apron, or even known that the nineteenth-century style was Victorian. The owner said she was usually buried in calico and gingham, except she had just made a huge donation to the historical society.

Yesterday.

We leafed through her back stock of cowgirl outfits and flapper dresses with fringe. When I saw the rack of clown costumes, I began to panic a little. After an extensive search, we were able to roust out three dresses remotely suitable, not one of them a red calico or brown poplin with an ostrich-feathered poke bonnet. I took my options into the dressing room and drew the flowered curtain

Number One was a tiny yellow calico that had the girth of a sock. Number Two, brown with vanilla piping, looked doubtful (size and style-wise), but I tried anyway. It reached an impasse at my knees. I remembered yet another reason why I dislike vintage clothing stores: nothing ever fits. I confronted Number Three, my last chance—the floor-length, turquoise-blue-flowered dress with a scooped neck trimmed in ribbon and lace, cap sleeves, and a fluorescent-orange dust ruffle. Blue was Mary’s color, not Laura’s, but I rationalized that Laura had always wished she could wear blue. I chanted Laura’s mantra when facing the unavoidable—it couldn’t be helped.

In the end, the primary selling point of the blue dress was this: it zipped.

Read the reviews!

“Hilarious, perceptive and true, a homespun story as genuine as the ones that inspired it.”

—Judy Blunt, bestselling author of Breaking Clean

"You won’t detect any drawl in this Southerner’s voice. Ferguson is witty and edgy in a way that feels entirely fresh. This is stunningly, sharp, pitch-perfect writing."

—Neely Harris Lohmann, editor-in-chief of mental_floss magazine

"Grab your bonnet and plunk down in the sunny grass. Ferguson captures the high spirits and struggles of life on the prairie, then and now. A tribute to Wilder, a search for truer self, a twenty-first pioneer journey, My Life as Laura shows us how the books we love lead us to the life we need."

—Eric LeMay, author of Immortal Milk: Adventures in Cheese

PURCHASE MY LIFE AS LAURA AT:

AMAZON.COM

PRESS53.COM

BARNESANDNOBLE.COM

Kelly Kathleen Ferguson is the author of My Life as Laura: How I Searched for Laura Ingalls Wilder and Found Myself, a humorous memoir in which she retraces the pioneer journey of her lifelong heroine—in a prairie dress. Her work has appeared in mental_floss magazine, Poets & Writers, the Gettysburg Review, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and Brevity, among other publications. She has an MFA from the University of Montana, and is working on a PhD in creative nonfiction at Ohio University. Kelly is a Libra, Cancer rising, Aquarian moon. She is Irish/French/German, lapsed Roman Catholic, and right-brained. Kelly once received a minority scholarship for a machinist certification program at Durham Technical Community College. When she was four, she ate a mothball and had to have her stomach pumped, or she would have died.

Visit her online at www.kellykathleenferguson.com.

Survey Results - Beyond the Prairie

2011-10-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! We had a four-way tie for this last survey question. We asked, "Did you purchase Beyond the Prairie on DVD?" Two said yes. Two said no. Two said not yet, and two others said they hoped Santa would bring it.

I don't know if my review changed your mind for or against. Feel free to let me know.

Movie Review: Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2002)

2011-09-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Prairie, Part 2 continues the story of the Wilder family. Having set out in a covered wagon, they cross the Missouri River and leave Dakota behind.

While optimistic about their new home, troubles plague them. Almanzo's health continues to impair his ability to clear the land and plant the apple trees left behind by the previous owners. They must hire help, but have no way to pay anyone other than in firewood. Rose is bullied at school and begins keeping to herself. She runs away and gets lost in a cave.

As the years pass, things improve for the Wilders, until Laura is called back to De Smet to visit her beloved father on his death bed.

A curious thing happens between the two movies. At the end of Beyond the Prairie, narrator Tess Harper, who plays an older Laura, tells viewers that the Wilders traveled for six weeks and arrived at their final destination in Missouri. Amazingly, Rose Wilder, who was a toddler (probably about 2) when she left De Smet, is school age at the beginning of Beyond the Prairie, Part 2. Now, I love Skye McCole Bartusiak's portrayal of the highly intelligent, moody Rose Wilder, but I thought the rapid aging of characters was reserved for soap operas. This seems to be one of those cases where the storyline dictates throwing common sense out the window.

Meredith Monroe and Walton (Walt) Goggins reprise their roles as Laura and Almanzo Wilder in this movie. Their performances are stellar, despite the inaccurate and somewhat lackluster storyline they are handed. We see the young couple thrilled to discover the new home they hope to turn into a prosperous farm. We ache with them when they believe the $100 bill Laura had tucked into her writing desk has disappeared, just as we rejoice when Laura finds the money that had slid into a crack. We are inspired by all the hard work they do to get their farm up and running, and we feel their anxiety when Rose is lost.

An interesting exchange takes place between Laura and a stranger on the wagon train. A young immigrant stops the Wilders on their way to the river, and encourages them to come into their camp for conversation. This is where the Wilders meet Beth and George Magnuson and their son, Charlie, who is played by a young Cody Linley (Jake Ryan, Hannah Montana). This immigrant approaches Laura at night when she is writing and asks her what their story is. She mentions the death of their son. In The Ghost in the Little House by William Holtz, it is said that the Wilders never spoke of their son's death. Rose didn't even know she had a brother until after her mother died. I find it curious that she would speak of something so personal to a stranger.

A tiny nitpick for the house on the Wilders' new property having a rusted box spring mattress that was left behind. While spring mattresses replaced the timber frames late in the 19th century, it's highly unlikely many pioneers would have been able to afford one, especially if they were living in a house as small as the first one that stood on what would be named Rocky Ridge Farm. It's kind of like spotting a red metal toolbox on the floor when Manly (Almanzo) brings Bessie (Laura) to see their new house under construction before they're married in the first movie. Also, for some reason, I recall there being a scene where Laura asks Rose if she took the $100 from the desk when they discover it missing. That's not on the DVD. It might not seem like an important scene, but just like the tense scenes between Rose and her mother where Laura insists she stop speaking her made up language or when Laura tells Rose she must return to school even if the girls are mean to her, it shows the somewhat difficult relationship they had in real life.

The viewer doesn't get a chance to see all of what happens in the near decade they lived at Rocky Ridge before the new house is built. As the first harvest of apples begins to ripen, Laura imagines for Rose what she thinks their future will look like, and suddenly we have this picture of the new house waiting for its coat of white paint. We get a chance to see the Ingalls family one last time and for Pa and Flutterbudget to share a moving moment.

What I find most interesting in Beyond the Prairie and Beyond the Prairie, Part 2 is how many people encouraged Laura's writing. Her own father toward the end of the movie instructs her not to forget about the pioneering era and not to let Rose forget it either. While poetry and writing articles seemed to come naturally for the real life Laura, it's truly not until she is encouraged by Rose, as a successful writer, that Laura considers penning her now classic books. Perhaps the writer and producers of the movie are attempting to show us that this was who she was meant to be all along, but I didn't get that feeling from the historical information I've read.

Overall, Beyond the Prairie, Part 2 has its place in the world for Laura fans. Those who don't care for the liberties Michael Landon took in producing Little House on the Prairie probably aren't going to be fond of this movie either. For those of us who grew up loving the television show, Beyond the Prairie, Part 2 and its predecessor is another way for us to honor the legacy that Laura left behind.

Actors: Terra Allen, Alandra Bingham, J. Scott Bronson, Courtnie Bull, Lindsay Crouse
Directors: Marcus Cole
Writers: Stephen Harrigan
Producers: Dori Weiss, Robert M. Rolsky, Stephen Harrigan
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010
Run Time: 96 minutes
ASIN: B0042RJWRY

Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder, Little House on the Prairie, NBC) is working on a production of Laura's life. It has been shown at some of the festivals celebrating the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Hopefully it makes it to TV or directly to DVD soon.

Movie Review: Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls (1999)

2011-09-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Beyond the Prairie, Part II were released as TV movies in 1999 and 2002, respectively. These movies have been packaged together and released by Paramount on one DVD (2010) for Laura fans. I will be reviewing each movie separately, as they both cover several years.

Before I go any further, let me state I have one pet peeve about both movies: the title. If you are going to put the word "true" in your title, then you should follow real life events and not exercise creative license all over the place. Now, I have clients who write fictional autobiographies of historical figures, but they clearly place, "A Novel," on the cover, so we all know the book is a healthy blend of fact and fiction. I don't even mind that the writers and producers of Beyond the Prairie opted to exercise creative license. Just don't put that four-letter word in the title, and all is good.

In this first movie, the viewer is introduced to a teenage Laura, living on the Dakota prairie with her family: Ma, Pa, Mary, Carrie, and Grace. A prairie fire threatens their home, and they work together to save it. Laura and Pa saddle up to go help others who might have been threatened by the fire. On the way back, they stumble upon a claim with a house frame on it. A man's jacket is hanging over one of the beams, and a curious Laura lifts an envelope out of the pocket to discover an odd name, "Almanzo." Pa scolds her, but Laura can't get that name out of her mind. She even talks to Mary about it one evening as she is describing the setting sun to her blind sister.

We move swiftly along to where Laura leaves home for the first time for her first teaching job. Then the town of De Smet is cut off from the rest of civilization by the Hard Winter, and Almanzo and Cap Garland travel many miles to find seed wheat to save the town from starvation.

Laura and Almanzo marry and have a daughter. Things won't be happy for long, though. Almanzo and Laura lose their first crop to a hail storm. They have no way to pay their debts. They battle diphtheria. Laura gives birth to a second child, but he soon dies. Then a fire destroys their home.

Now living with the Ingalls family, Laura and Almanzo decide to move to Mansfield, Missouri. The movie ends with a tearful goodbye.

When I first watched this movie on CBS, I truly enjoyed it. Granted, it didn't capture me the way Little House on the Prairie did in the 70's and 80's, but I'm older, and probably a lot pickier since I've learned more about Laura and Almanzo's real life. I have to admit, however, it was challenging to see new actors in roles that had been portrayed on television for so long by others.

This Ingalls family and the townsfolk of De Smet were more serious, sometimes sullen. Charles and Caroline actually have a fight in front of the children about his desire to move farther west. That said, I feel this was probably much more realistic than the romanticized version of events that we got from the classic books or the television show.

I've loved Richard Thomas in everything else I've ever seen him in, but he didn't quite make it as Charles Ingalls. Some of the lines he delivered were totally flat. I also didn't care for how certain aspects of his character were portrayed. When Laura is asked to teach school by Mr. Bouchie, she tells Pa that she won't do it. Charles pushes/guilts her into it by saying the family needs the money, especially with Mary in college. In an early scene from the movie, the devout, religious Charles said the word "damned." Granted, faith did not play a role in this movie at all--something else I have a problem with considering the time period and the people--but anyone who has studied the Ingalls family knows their faith was a big part of who they were.

Meredith Monroe, who I loved as Andy on Dawson's Creek, delivers a good performance here as Laura. I don't care for the fact that we have a blonde Laura, considering how in the books Laura was jealous of Mary's golden hair. In this movie, Mary is a red-head. It's odd. This Laura does not seem as feisty as one would expect, but she's older and that feistiness has turned into a desire to live her life as she pleases.

Laura's love of freedom is a bit warped in Beyond the Prairie. After accepting the teaching position from Mr. Bouchie, Laura tells Almanzo she feels she's been, "sold into slavery." If we consider that this takes place less than twenty years after the end of the Civil War, it's not an appropriate statement. It seems modern-day thinking has wormed it's way onto the De Smet prairie. Though in real life Wilder later admitted she didn't enjoy teaching, she felt a responsibility to her family and paying jobs for women were few. After her teaching time is over, she tells Almanzo her life is going to be her own and no one is ever going to tell her what to do. I feel the not wanting to say "obey" in her wedding vows is a bit embellished here.

Walt Goggins captures the shy, quiet Almanzo Wilder well. At moments he's a bit awkward, but out of all the main characters, I felt his was the most realistic portrayal. I also appreciate that Beyond the Prairie showed how Almanzo's illness permanently impacted his health, which is part of why they decided to leave De Smet.

Having watched Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder for the first time since it originally aired on television, I'm not as enamored with it as I was then. Part of that is because Little House on the Prairie is now available on DVD and I can watch my beloved show whenever I wish, instead of needing a TV movie to give me my Laura fix. I do, however, believe it has its place in Laura fandom, because it portrays a more realistic view of what the pioneers endured. The historically accurate fashion is a bonus, and filming in Utah and Texas made it look more like a prairie than California, where Little House on the Prairie was shot.

In the end, you're either going to like this movie--which I do--or be bothered by the creative license that was taken with Laura's life.

Actors: Terra Allen, Alandra Bingham, J. Scott Bronson, Courtnie Bull, Lindsay Crouse
Directors: Marcus Cole
Writers: Stephen Harrigan
Producers: Dori Weiss, Robert M. Rolsky, Stephen Harrigan
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010
Run Time: 96 minutes
ASIN: B0042RJWRY

Laura's "Sweet Memories" to Feature "All About Laura" Program During Wilder Day

2011-09-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

Laura's "Sweet Memories" will be featuring the "All About Laura" program presented by Little House Researcher, Colleen Ferries during Wilder Day in Mansfield, MO.

Join Reverend Jim and Ms. Ferries on Sept. 17 at noon and again at 3:30 p.m for this special event. Ferries has been presenting these programs for thirty years to school children, civic groups and senior centers.

For more details, visit the Laura's "Sweet Memories" blog at http://laurassweetmemories.blogspot.com/2011/09/special-wilder-day-2011-programs.html

Laura's "Sweet Memories" is located across from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Public Library and next to Mansfield Drug, just off the town square, 107 N. Business 60.

To read my interview with Reverend Jim you can visit http://lauralittlehouseontheprairie.blogspot.com/2011/08/interview-with-reverend-jim-proprietor.html

New Survey: Did You Purchase Beyond the Prairie on DVD?

2011-09-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

In 1999, CBS produced a TV movie titled Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder. A teenage Laura Ingalls (Meredith Monroe) is living on the South Dakota prairie with her Pa (Richard Thomas), Ma (Lindsay Crouse), and her three sisters. This is also where she meets the man she will eventually marry, Almanzo Wilder, played by Walton (Walt) Goggins.

She leaves home for the first time to teach so that she can help pay for her blind sister, Mary (Barbara Jane Reams) to attend school. Eventually Almanzo asks for her hand. The newlyweds' life isn't easy, however. They deal with crop failures, illness, the death of their infant son, and their house being burned to the ground.

Narrated by an older Laura (Tess Harper), this is a reflection of those years in her life.

The second movie, Beyond the Prairie, Part 2, was released in 2002. Also narrated by Tess Harper, this picked up right where the last movie left off. Having struggled in South Dakota, Almanzo, Laura, and their daughter Rose, journey by covered wagon to the Land of the Big Red Apple- the Ozarks of Missouri.

With only $100 tucked into Laura's writing desk, the young family begins their new life. But it isn't an easy life. Almanzo's illness and stroke has left him too weak to tend the rocky land. They must hire help, but can offer little in means of wages. A precocious Rose doesn't fit in well at school and runs away.

Amidst trying to get settled in Mansfield, Laura receives word that her beloved Pa is dying. She journeys back to De Smet to say her good-byes.

Many fans were not aware of these movies when they first came out. As discussions came about on PrairieTalk about them, more fans were looking for copies of the movies. In 2010, both movies were released on a single DVD. While some (like me) are disappointed that these movies claiming to be the "true" story of Laura Ingalls Wilder contain many inconsistencies to her real life, I am still glad to have this DVD as part of my collection.

Have you purchased it or do you plan to? If not, can you tell us why?

PrairieFans.com Celebrates Twelfth Birthday!

2011-09-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

I would like to congratulate Lennon Parker and his staff as they celebrate twelve wonderful years on the Web. Twelve years ago today, they launched PrairieFans.com. This site is "dedicated to honoring the legacy of our favorite American pioneer, Laura Ingalls Wilder."

Bonnet heads around the world are treated to cast interviews, latest news, and a plethora of historical information.

If that's not enough to give you your Laura fix, you can stop by PrairieTalk, their forum where you get a chance to interact with other Laura fans.

Happy 12th Birthday, PrairieFans! May you celebrate many more years of sharing Laura's legacy with her fans.

Jane Seymour Signature Clothing for Sale

2011-09-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Though I haven't spoken about it much here, another of my favorite shows from the pioneering era is Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Filmed in the 1990's, this show featured Bond girl, Jane Seymour, as a female doctor from Boston, who journeys out west to Colorado Springs to open a practice. The prejudice she receives in her early days in Colorado are similar to what she experienced in Boston. Slowly the town warms up to her, and she spends the next several years caring for the townsfolk of Colorado Springs, coping with tragedy and celebrating triumphs along the way.

Jane Seymour has an endless list of talents and is also involved in many charitable causes.

A friend of mine from the Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman forum has recently listed a few items from the Jane Seymour Signature clothing line on eBay. Most of these are new without tags. Please visit http://www.ebay.com/sch/katdawson/m.html to view these items.

In addition, she is selling some books on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AWK8HHU9MSRM9.

Amber is a talented author in her own right. I have read several of her titles and hope to own all her books soon. You can visit her online at http://amberstockton.com/

Happy 126th Anniversary Laura and Almanzo!

2011-08-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do my best to keep this site updated. I might be returning to the workforce, but I'll give it my best shot.

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls and Almanzo James Wilder were married on August 25, 1885. Chapter 32 of These Happy Golden Years tells the story of the preparations that were being made in anticipation of Laura and Almanzo's upcoming wedding. Ma and Laura were sewing while Almanzo was building their house.

They were going to be married on Thursday, so Pa drove into town on Tuesday and came back with a new trunk for Laura. Ma and Laura placed her things in the trunk that afternoon. After Almanzo drove away with the packed trunk on Wednesday, Laura realized she would be leaving home for good tomorrow. The family had a fun night for the last evening that Laura would be with them.

The next day, Almanzo and Laura stood before Reverend Brown and were married, beginning many years together: years of joy and sorrow, tragedy and triumph.

We remember this special couple on the 126th anniversary of their wedding. Laura and her legacy have brought me many wonderful friends, for which I feel blessed. I hope Bess and Manly are dancing together in heaven.

Interview with Reverend Jim, Proprietor of Laura's "Sweet Memories"

2011-08-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

Opening Day

I have a special treat for you today. We're talking to Reverend Jim, the proprietor of Laura's "Sweet Memories," a store in Mansfield, Missouri. I met Jim online when he contacted me to tell me about his blog. I added him to my blogroll here and have visited from time to time. I hope you will too. It's definitely like taking an online trip into Laura's world.

Welcome to Laura’s Little Houses, Jim. It’s wonderful to have you here. Can you start off by telling our readers a bit about yourself?

I’ve lived in Mansfield for 10 years now. Before that I had a 40 acre farm about an hour east of here. I raised fruits and vegetables there for about 5 years, selling them in a farmer’s market. Before that I lived in the big city of Chicago and served as a church pastor. The only thing I knew about Laura Ingalls Wilder was that she wrote some books that were the basis for a nice, moral TV show. So, I was a late-comer to her writings, but now I consider myself a big, big Laura fan!

What’s it like living in Mansfield, Missouri, where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent most of her adult life?

Mansfield is a nice small town, with a population around 1300. I live in the oldest house in town, built in 1881; before the town was even here! Laura was a frequent visitor to my house when she belonged to a Women’s Club. I’ve even met some people who knew her! Living in Mansfield gives you a real close feeling to Laura; like you’d expect to meet her on the street. There are some special perks; like visiting Rocky Ridge Farm during Christmastime. And it’s always great to experience the annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Festival as a “Home Boy”!

What made you decide to set up Laura’s “Sweet Memories?”

Before opening the shop I had run a B&B out of my home for about 7 years. I really enjoyed meeting the people. People come from all over the world to visit here. So, when I decided to move on to something new, I knew I couldn’t give up my connection to Laura. I wanted to give all those 50,000 annual visitors an experience that was much more memorable. So what better way than to open the only souvenir shop in town? And I wanted to offer some old-fashioned confections to meet the desires of the children. But now I’ve found that the grown-ups like that old-fashioned candy as much as the kids!

I’m guessing with a name like that you have tons of sweets for people like me who give into their sweet tooth from time to time. What are some of the special products visitors will find inside?

Besides all the handmade souvenirs, the shop provides its visitors a glimpse into an old-time candy shop. There are buckets of hard candies of all sorts, loose candies in bulk, and handmade fudge from the Ozarks. At last count there were over 100 different flavors and varieties! And there are a few sugar-free candies and varieties of trail mix as well. Candies start as low as 5 cents a piece in my shop, so you don’t have to spend a lot to meet the craving for a taste of nostalgia!

I understand that Laura’s “Sweet Memories” also has historical pictures and displays. Can you tell us about some of those?

Rev. Jim and Doc Baker (Kevin Hagen) at Rocky Ridge Farm

I have put together some 200 pictures covering the combined lifespan of Almanzo and Laura, which covers 100 years of history. The pictures on the “Wall of Memories” show history of advertising, entertainment, personalities and events pertaining to the United States, from the years 1857 through 1957. And there are printed sheets telling what happened to some of the people Laura wrote about in her books. I’ve also dedicated a corner to a historical display, which has old-time tools like Pa Ingalls or Almanzo might have used. Visiting Laura’s “Sweet Memories” is almost like visiting a mini-museum!

The tagline on your website - http://www.laurassweetmemories.com/ – says, “Dedicated to Preserving the memory of Laura Ingalls Wilder.” Since you’re located in Mansfield, I’m sure this is important to the town’s tourism. What does this mean to you personally?

As I see it, Laura’s writing is a national treasure. I think more people can identify with what pioneer life was like because she wrote about her life as a pioneer. And because of the manner in which she described things in her books, we can identify closely with her personality – like we know her personally. It would be a tragedy to lose her to our modern times. She once said, “Looking back helps us see what lies ahead.” Today, with our fast paced lifestyles, we need to learn how to live our lives based on what has gone on before us. We need to learn from the past, so that we don’t make the same mistakes again. Laura’s legacy should be that we learn how to live a simple life from reading her books.

You started a blog this year - http://laurassweetmemories.blogspot.com/. Why did you decide to make that move?

I felt that I had more to offer than just a shop full of good things for people to take home with them. I wanted to share some of my feelings along the way and open a new line of communication with them.

What are some topics readers will find on your blog?

I like to give folks an idea of what it’s like living in Mansfield. In addition to informing people about life in Laura’s hometown, I have begun to include some old-timey recipes. Some of the recipes are from my family’s hand-me-down collection, which spans over one hundred years! I also have links on the blog site to other contributors who have a Laura connection. I hope to expand those in the future.

You don’t sell your products online. Why not? Wouldn’t that help you reach more people?

My main intent is to have people come and visit Laura’s hometown and have a “Laura” experience. Selling products is secondary. It may help keep the lights on for me, but my main emphasis is to have people go home having had a great time visiting us. Anybody could sell candy or souvenirs online! But I am thinking about compiling some recipes into a book form and, if there is enough interest, I may offer that online as well as in the shop. I will decide on that soon and share that decision on my blog. (Interviewer's note: I think that's a fabulous idea. Sign me up for one!)

Where do you see Laura’s “Sweet Memories” in five years?

I hope I’ll still be here entertaining folks. Since my shop is inside my home, I’m limited to the space within the main room that it is housed. So I don’t know how, but I’ll try to cram more things into the shop! I’m always learning more about Laura, Almanzo and Rose and the “Little House” books; so I suppose those things will show up inside the shop too.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I feel a great responsibility to carry on Laura’s legacy and provide a quality shop for people to enjoy. And I hope that many will join me on my blog as well.

Thanks for your time today. God bless you.

Thanks for joining us today, Jim. We wish you much success.

Lennon Parker Interview Now Online

2011-08-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

In case you missed Little House historian Lennon Parker's interview on "Getting to Know You with Susan McCray," the interview now appears on the site's show archives. Visit http://susanmccray.com/Archives2011.html to listen in.

PrairieFans Creator to Appear on Getting to Know You with Susan McCray

2011-08-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Lennon Parker, creator of Prairiefans.com, will be a guest on Susan McCray's "Getting to Know You" radio show on August 16, 2011 at 9:30 PM Eastern/6:30 PM Pacific time at ksav.org. Lennon will talk about his acting career, Little House and more!

Born in Los Angeles, California, Parker debuted in the entertainment industry at the age of 5. He left the business as a teenager to complete his education. Since his return, he has been active in local and national modeling and acting. You can learn more about him by visiting his offical website at www.lennonparker.com/.

The daughter of Academy award-winning composer, Harry Sukman, Susan McCray, was also the casting director for Little House on the Prairie. With experience in various aspects of the entertainment industry, McCray, has worked on some of television's most beloved classic shows: Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, and Hawaii 5-0, to name a few.

Laura Reflects on Freedom

2011-07-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

"...Americans won't obey any king on earth. Americans are free. That means they have to obey their own consciences. No king bosses Pa; he has to boss himself. Why (she thought), when I am a little older, Pa and Ma will stop telling me what to do, and there isn't anyone else who has a right to give me orders. I will have to make myself be good.

Her whole mind seemed to be lighted up by that thought. This is what it means to be free. It means, you have to be good. 'Our father's God, author of liberty--' The laws of Nature and of Nature's God endow you with a right to life and liberty. Then you have to keep the laws of God, for God's law is the only thing that gives you the right to be free."

Little Town on the Prairie

Happy Fourth of July!

Wisdom of Ma

2011-07-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

"If wisdom's ways you wisely seek,

Five things observe with care.

To whom you speak,

Of whom you speak,

And how, and when, and where."

Written in Laura's album after an altercation with Nellie Oleson

Survey Results: The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure

2011-06-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Our readers were almost evenly spread out on when or if they would be purchasing a copy of The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure.

Here are the results:

30% said they didn't plan to read it
25% said had pre-ordered it, while another 25% said maybe
20% of our readers said they would buy it once it's out

The majority of our readers not opting to purchase the book surprised me. The majority of the reviews on Amazon have been favorable. I'm one of those people who usually buys anything to do with Little House on the Prairie or Laura Ingalls Wilder anyway, but I think this is such a new idea in the Laura World that it would be of great interest to many.

Thanks for participating in our survey. We'll have a new one coming soon.

New Book for My LIW Collection: Mary Ingalls on Her Own

2011-06-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

I really shouldn't buy books. I have more books in my office than I can shake a stick at. Yet, when it comes to anything Little House or Laura Ingalls Wilder, I usually plunk down my hard earned cash.

My friend Marilyn reviewed this title for us in 2008 here. Since then I've had the book on my wish list, but never bought it because I had so many other books to read. When I placed a recent order with Amazon, I needed to reach $25 for free shipping, so I picked up the book.

I'm not sure when I'll get to read it, but you'll get a chance to read my thoughts once I do.

What's the latest Little House or Laura Ingalls Wilder purchase you've made?

Vintage LHOP Autographs and Plates up for Sale

2011-04-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

Lennon Parker, administrator of PrairieFans.com and the Little House on the Prairie forum, Prairie Talk, is making available for sale some of his LHOP collection.

Cards were signed during a cast ball game from the 70's. Photos (never been published) also come with the sale. The autographs were signed from the cast as children/teens which make them rare. Signatures include ...Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, Kyle Richards (now on a reality show with sister Kim Richards), Melissa Gilbert, Johnathan Gilbert, Alison Arngrim and Bonnie Bartlet as the only adult. As a bonus a signed picture of Brian Part (Carl Edwards) will be included.

Also available is a set of six Little House plates with hangers.

For more details please visit http://www.pioneerontheprairie.com/prairie_forums/boards.php?topic=683&board=_pc

The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set Remains a Bestseller at Amazon

2011-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Spending time around Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie fans, I've heard some interesting things over the years. One thing that came up recently is the continued popularity of the Little House series with a generation of children whose regular book picks include paranormal and fantasy titles.

When browsing through Amazon's bestsellers over the past couple of weeks, I discovered that The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set can sometimes be found on their Most Wished for list in Children's Books.

If I visit the set's Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Little-House-Nine-Book-Set/dp/0064400409/ it is listed as a bestseller in the Number 1 spot in two categories: Children's Books, Literature, Short Story Collections (that is an odd category for these) and Children's Books, History & Historical Fiction, Fiction & United States, 1800s. It also ranks as #20 in Children's Books, Literature, Classics.

Why is it that the books remain popular when GenYers and GenZers are coming farther and farther away from the times in which Laura lived? Perhaps one of the elements is what Dean Butler spoke of during our interview. He mentioned that Little House was old when it was new. That's one of the glories of historical fiction. But I also have to believe it largely has to do with the way the books are written. Wilder shared the pioneering experience--its struggles and triumphs--but as Dean pointed out, she did so with a healthy dose of romance and optimism. The sense, he said is, "that if we’re together, and if we stick together and work hard, we will survive and we will do well. We love each other so we are going to stand up for each other and help each other."

I know that's what attracted me to the show, and then to the books. Perhaps our children are looking for those ideals too.

What about you? Why do you believe the books remain popular? Do you know children who are reading them right now? What do they say about them?

New LHOP Fanfiction Story Posted

2011-03-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

I uploaded a new fan fiction story to fanfiction.net that takes place during Season 7. It is set on Christmas Eve. The residents of Walnut Grove get stranded at Nellie's hotel and share some favorite memories.

Here's an excerpt:

Mr. Oleson stood and walked over to Percival, patting him on the back. "Where were we? Oh, yes, who would like to share a story of Christmas past?"

In the corner, the voices of a husband and wife rose in discord. The woman was nudging him forward as he tried to convince her he wanted to do anything but what she wanted him to do.

"They hear from me all the time," he said.

"Telling them a story from your childhood will mean so much more than a sermon," she replied.

As they came to stand near one of the two turned up kerosene lamps, Anna and Reverend Alden were lit enough for everyone to see them. His head shook and his hands were raised in protest. One of her hands patted his chest. Her wide smile danced along with the sparkle in her eyes.

Nels waved him over. "We would love to hear a story from you, Reverend."

Reverend Alden shrugged. "I can't guarantee it will be any more engaging than one of my sermons."

The crowd laughed. Some people walked about getting a sandwich or a cup of coffee before settling in to listen.

Reverend Alden felt a bit strange without his pulpit. He didn't seem to know what to do with his arms, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"As some of you know, my father was a minister. While I could never hope to be as good a speaker as he, whatever skills I have in sharing the Word of God came from him."

"We love you, Reverend," said a man from the back of the room.

Reverend Alden's lips curled into a smile. "Thank you." He pulled his hands out of his pockets and wiped them on his black jacket.

"I was at the seminary when I received a wire that my father was gravely ill. School was to be let out at the end of the week for Christmas, but my mother asked that I return home immediately. I knew then that my father couldn't have much time left."

Reverend Alden lowered his head. He breathed deeply and a few moments passed before he continued. "I took the first stage out of town, but I was a few days away. I spent most of that time praying I would make it home before my father passed on."

People around the room held their loved ones a little tighter.

"When I finally arrived in town, I ran all the way home. My mother met me at the door. It was as if she had aged ten years since I went away. She had cared for my father for months. I almost didn't go to the seminary because I didn't want to leave her to care for him alone, but she insisted I answer God's call to the ministry. She told me that it would do my father good to see his only son follow in his footsteps.

"Standing in front of her, seeing her hair scattered about her face in a loose bun, her shoulders bent from exhaustion, I was sure I never should have left.

She embraced me and said I should go see my father right away."

You can find the entire story at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6821882/1/S7_Christmas_Memories

I hope you enjoy it.

Book Review: The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure

2011-03-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

I believe every fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, whether that person is a fan of the books, the TV shows and movies, or both, has a Laura story: the moment when she discovered Laura, connected with her, and how it changed her life. Wendy McClure shares her story with readers in The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie.

A senior editor for Albert Whitman & Company, McClure brings the reader through her journey as an adult of rediscovering these beloved classics from her childhood.

A year after the death of her mother, McClure's eye catches the yellow spine of Little House in the Big Woods in her apartment. She picks the book off the shelf and begins reading. Her boyfriend, Chris, brings home a new set of the Little House books and together they read, explore "Laura World," and embark on a trip by car to visit the many Laura Ingalls Wilder homesites across America.

The Wilder Life is both touching and irreverent. The author's lifelong obsession leads her on this terrific journey into a world that is familiar, yet, altogether new. From tracking down a "crock and dash" churn so she can make butter like Caroline Ingalls, to wading in Plum Creek; from purchasing numerous sunbonnets, to meeting girls competing in the Laura-Nellie Look Alike Contest at the Wilder Pageant in Walnut Grove, MN; and from a surprise during her trip to De Smet, SD, to the meaning found in a visit to the Wilder farm in New York, readers will enjoy following McClure's travels.

This is the kind of book that you have to consider as a whole. There are moments when it feels like McClure is poking fun at the whole "bonnethead" obsession and some of the people she meets along the way. She occasionally uses words that were not made for family TV back in the 70's. She also has her own vision of what faith meant to the Ingalls family versus how it was portrayed on television in Little House on the Prairie and the 2005 mini-series of the same name.

But when you take those moments and blend them into the entire narrative, you come up with a funny, engaging, and moving look into the impact Wilder's books had on McClure's life, and how Wilder's legacy continues to touch the lives of people everywhere. I am thrilled to have The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure as part of my Laura Ingalls Wilder book collection.

Title: The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie
Author: Wendy McClure
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (April 14, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1594487804
ISBN-13: 978-1594487804
SRP: $25.95 (Hardcover)

Will also be available in a Kindle edition and as an audio book.

New Survey: Do you Plan to Buy The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure?

2011-02-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

At the Little House on the Prairie forum I belong to, we've been talking about The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure.

This book is due to be released on April 14th and is already available for pre-order from Amazon.

Here is the product description from Amazon:

Wendy McClure is on a quest to find the world of beloved Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder — a fantastic realm of fiction, history, and places McClure has never been to yet somehow knows by heart. She traces the pioneer journey of the Ingalls family—looking for the Big Woods among the medium trees in Wisconsin, wading in Plum Creek, and enduring a prairie hailstorm in South Dakota. She immerses herself in all things Little House — exploring the story from fact to fiction, and from the TV shows to the annual summer pageants in Laura’s hometowns. Whether she’s churning butter in her apartment or sitting in a replica log cabin, McClure is always in pursuit of “the Laura experience.” Along the way she comes to understand how Wilder’s life and work have shaped our ideas about girlhood and the American West. The Wilder Life is a loving, irreverent, spirited tribute to a series of books that have inspired generations of American women. It is also an incredibly funny first-person account of obsessive reading, and a story about what happens when we reconnect with our childhood touchstones — and find that our old love has only deepened.

Publisher's Weekly gave The Wilder Life a starred review, saying, "Readers don't need to be Wilder fans to enjoy this funny and thoughtful guide to a romanticized version of the American expansion west."

Our new survey asks if you plan to purchase a copy of the book. I will be adding this to my Laura Ingalls Wilder collection. How about you?

Dean Butler is Looking for Feedback

2011-02-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder, Little House on the Prairie (NBC)) is looking for your feedback. As you might remember from our previous conversation with Dean about this Mega Pack, his company produced additional bonus content for this complete LHOP DVD series.

Here is what Dean would like to know:

"Do you or other members of the Prairie Fans community see any difference between the episodes presented in the Mega Pack from the episodes as presented in the separate season DVD collections?"

Prairie Fans is a site dedicated to honoring the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Prairie Talk is the site's forum. If you are a member of Prairie Talk and have comments for Dean, you can leave them in the Announcements section, under the post started for this topic. If you aren't a member, you can leave your feedback here.

Thanks.

Cheryl

Children's Authors and Illustrators Week

2011-02-01T13:31:00.001-08:00

Children's Authors and Illustrators Week is celebrated the first week of February. "During this week, members of the Children's Authors Network visit schools, libraries, and children's shelters all over the country."

For more information, please visit:

Children's Authors Network! (CAN!)
23291 Mobile St.
West Hills, CA 90307

Phone: (818) 615-0857

E-mail: caiw@childrensauthorsnetwork.com
Web: http://www.childrensauthorsnetwork.com/

Survey Results

2011-01-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

And the survey says...

78% of you have watched The Little House Years from Season 6.

15% of you haven't watched it, but have heard of it, while

5% had no idea what I was talking about.

I wish this had made it onto the DVDs somewhere, but I guess I should be glad you can still see them from time to time on TV.

Look for a new survey, coming soon!

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Evening Shadows Fall

2011-01-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

That night the horses were comfortable in their stalls with the smoke outside the door. Ellen lay in the grass in the smoke of her smudge. Inside the house there was not one mosquito thanks to the netting on the windows and the screen door.

The family was snug for the night. Grace and Carrie were already in bed when Pa asked Laura for the fiddle. Ma sat in her chair rocking and the moonlight came in through the window and cast its glow on Pa and the fiddle.

Mary and Laura sat and listened. Laura's thoughts went to the fairy ring where the violets grow. Surely the fairies would love the moonlight of tonight. Soon the girls headed to bed with the smaller girls. As she fell asleep, Laura was still thinking of the fairies, the violets and the moonlight as Pa's fiddle played a song about there being "no place like Home".

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Mosquitoes

2011-01-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

Pa felt that it was time to build a stable for the horses before a severe summer storm came or the colder weather. Laura helped him to build it. Ellen stayed outside though, as he felt that a cow could live just fine outside. But he wanted the horses instide.

The weather got warmer and misquitoes were coming from the Big Slough. Ma didn't like the slough and had wished that they had moved farther away from it. But Pa liked living near the slough. It was filled with good hay that no one else would homestead and it was there for the taking. He was happy to be near it to use. But something had to be done for both man and beast to fix the nasty bugs.

Pa went to the store and bought some netting and some wood. He soon had a new screen door made and hung. Ma put the netting on the windows as well to keep them out of the house at night. For the stock, Pa made a smudge in front of the barn door and another for Ellen to stand in. They were made out of damp grass that would cause a lot of smoke that the misquitoes would not fly through. They all had a more restful night.

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas!

Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder Now Available on DVD!

2010-12-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder is now available on DVD at Amazon.com.

While there is some uncertainty whether this DVD includes the first Beyond the Prairie movie and its sequel, fans have anxiously awaited the release to DVD.

Using Wilder's books as the source of inspiration, Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder finds a teenage Laura Ingalls (Meredith Monroe), Pa (Richard Thomas), Ma (Lindsay Crouse), and Laura's three sisters living in De Smet, SD. Eventually she meets the dashing Almanzo Wilder (Walt Goggins), they marry and set up a little house of their own.

Crop failures, the death of their infant son, a chimney fire destroying their home, and a bout with diphtheria that leaves Almanzo permanently impaired, leads the Wilders to the decision that they must say goodbye to Ma and Pa and leave De Smet in search of new opportunities.

In the sequel, the Wilders end their journey in Mansfield, Missouri, where they purchase a small farm and some apple trees. They meet a man who helps out around the place since Almanzo is still weakened by the effects of his stroke. Their daughter, Rose, experiences some trouble at school, and Laura travels back to De Smet, SD to see her dying father one last time.

I always felt these movies were a nice way to honor Laura's legacy. While they followed the books more closely than Michael Landon's Little House on the Prairie series, I still felt they took a bit of creative license in spots. Almanzo and Laura consummate their marriage in a field. That was a stretch for me. Rose is only a toddler when they leave De Smet at the end of the first movie, but she is at least 5 or 6 at the start of the sequel, which finds the Wilders still riding in their covered wagon to Missouri. The scene between Laura and her dying father is very touching, but it almost seems like they wanted to infer that Charles Ingalls (Pa) was responsible for Laura writing her books so that Rose wouldn't forget about their triumphs and trials. As Laura enthusiasts know, it was Rose, who was an adult and also a well-established writer, that prodded her mother to pen her now classic books.

I plan to purchase this DVD. If this is only the first movie, which seems likely, I hope it sells well so that they release the sequel.

New Survey

2010-11-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while, but I figured I would add a new poll for Thanksgiving. During Season 6, Little House on the Prairie ran what was known as "The Little House Years". Laura and her family are around the dinner table and she is sharing stories from their past.

This is a clips episode and features the episodes like 100 Mile Walk, Journey in the Spring, and other favorites. I always loved this series of episodes because it was way for Albert to learn more about the family he had been adopted into.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this episode in this post.

A quick bit of trivia, these episodes are not included on the Little House on the Praire DVDs. Last I knew there was some rights issue that prevented it from being included in the original DVDs and the Mega-Pack.

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Where Violets Grow

2010-11-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Laura ran and ran and looked everywhere while calling for Grace. She felt very
guilty for not watching her baby sister during the tree planting fun that the
family had been having. Ma and Pa's voices were faint as they called for Grace
in the Big Slough. But Laura tried to think of what she would have done as a
little girl, where would she have gone to. Laura didn't think that Grace would
want to go into the high grasses or in the mud of the slough. Grace must have
come this way.

As she continued to run, her sides began to hurt from the heavy breathing. She
came to a stop and ended up at the edge of a little valley. The bank sloped down and at the bottom was
Grace among a sea of violets. Laura climbed down the bank and Grace happily showed her big sister the "sweet" blossoms. Laura gathered Grace into her arms and hugged her as she caught her breath. Then together they headed toward the house.

After leaving Grace with Mary, Laura headed to the slough to let Ma and Pa know that Grace was safe. It was past lunchtime when everyone was together again in the house. Laura described the violet area to Pa and he told her that it was an old buffalo wallow.

After their lunch, at which only Grace was hungry, Pa headed out to finish the tree planting. Ma helped Grace hold her tree as Pa planted it. Inside the house Pa put a nail into the wall and hung the wooden bracket that Ma's china shepherdess always stood on. Both the bracket and the shepherdess were as beautiful as they had been back in the Big Woods. He also put nails over the door for his rifle and a shiny new horseshoe. Laura brought the fiddle and Pa sang a beautiful song about the horseshoe.

The house was a home. It was a tight squeeze but everyone was together and they were finally on their own claim. Pa promised that rooms would be added later on. He would make a little place for a garden and spend time raising hay and cattle. It truly was a happy home.

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - The Shanty on the Claim

2010-10-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

After the first night in the new house, a new day dawned and promised to be a
busy one. Pa set out with the shovel on his shoulder. He was off to dig a well.
While Mary kept Grace busy, Ma, Laura and Carrie set out to finish unpacking and making the house a home. They pulled everything out of the house. But there
was too much stuff and they were having a problem fitting it all back into place. Pa was back home with a new well dug before the ladies had it figured out. He went off again to build a cover for the top to keep Grace safe.

After trying many different things, the house was finally put in order. Trunks, beds, table, chairs, whatnot and all of the other belongs were finally in place. After dinner Pa and Laura worked on making a window and hanging a front door. They they put tar paper on the outside of the house. Tar paper was not pretty but it kept out the wind from coming in through the cracks in the walls.

At the supper table Ma decided that she needed to do some baking. Pa promised to go to find some firewood from Lake Henry. Laura and Carrie begged to go with Pa. They missed seeing trees. There were no trees to be seen anywhere on the Dakota prairie. Pa assured then that pretty soon there would be plenty of trees because the government was making everyone plant trees on each tree claim. Soon there would be plenty of trees for shade.

Early the next morning Pa headed out to Lake Henry for the load of firewood and Laura took Ellen to drink from the well. She enjoyed her time outside alone. She rolled on the fresh grass until she discovered a grass stain on her dress. Soberly she headed back to the house.

The girls unpacked their pretty belongs and set them on the whatnot to make the room look homey. Ma was just about to put up the shelf for the china shepherdess when she heard Pa outside. He seemed excited and the whole family went out to see what was going on. Pa had a wagon load of little trees. He explained that they were cottonwoods that had grown as seedlings from The Lone Cottonwood that they had seen when they came from Brookings. Carefully he pulled one tree from the wagon.

"This one is for you Caroline, where do you want it? he asked. Ma wanted it right outside the door to provide shade for the house. One by one more trees were planted by each of the family members and those was their special trees. Soon the whole house had a windbreak of cottonwood trees.

"The last tree if for Grace. Send her out to help me plant it Caroline".

But Grace wasn't in the house. They looked around the house and she wasn't there. Where could she be?Soon everyone was running and screaming for Grace. Laura headed for the big slough. She prayed that Grace hadn't gone in there, they would never find her in that tall grass.

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Moving Day

2010-10-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was moving day and every member of the Ingalls family was happy. Ma and Mary were happy that this would be their last move, forever. Laura was happy because she was looking forward to living outside of town. Carrie was happy to see the homestead. Pa was happy to be moving again, anywhere, and Grace sang and was happy because everyone else was happy.

After the breakfast dishes had been washed and dried, Ma packed them into the tub to ride safely in the wagon. Pa had taken the stove and stovepipe, along with the table and chairs and loaded them in as well. He tugged on his beard and decided that he had to make 2 trips to the homestead to get it all there with a place for all of his girls to ride in the wagon. So as he left to unload this trip, Ma and Laura rolled the beds, packed the lamps and prepared for his next load. It was all ready for him when he returned. The last item to be tucked safely into the quilts was the fiddle.

The family climbed into the wagon. They were on their way home. Ma noticed that Laura wasn't wearing her sunbonnet and beckoned her to do so. Laura didn't like wearing her sunbonnet because she couldn't see past the bonnet's sides. Reluctantly she pulled it on and looked straight ahead at the backs of her father's horses who were leading the way.

Carrie noticed a beautiful set of horses in the distance. Pa told her that they were the Wilder boys'. Almanzo was driving and his brother Royal was beside him. The boys had homesteads in the area. Laura looked at the beautiful animals and wondered how much they cost. Pa told her that they must cost nearly $300. That was a lot of money and Laura could only dream of such a matched pair of beauties.

Soon they came to the homestead. Pa had built a rough shack the day before and Ma chuckled at the sight of it. Pa promised that he would finish building it later that day and they would all be moved in soon. There were no windows and no door, but there was a root cellar. It was a very small house, but at least they were there and no one could jump their claim.

By the end of the day, the curtains was put up for the bedrooms, the beds were made and the stove was set in its place. After dinner the family spent the evening enjoying the peace of the open prairie. The stars were twinkling overhead and the frogs in the Big Slough were croaking. Pa asked for the fiddle and played a song. Ma sighed and declared that she would hang the bracket for the china shepherdess as soon as the roof was finished over their heads. When she was safely in her place, it would finally be home.

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Living in Town

2010-10-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

The surveyors had come back to reclaim their house. The Boasts had gone out to live at their claim, and there was nowhere for the Ingalls family to live except in Pa's unfinished building in town. Carrie and Laura walked to town with Mary between them and Pa's wagon following close behind. Laura felt lonely and scared in a new world with so many people in it.

They came to town and to the building. It was a long building with a door in the front, windows on each side, and a door at the back. Sunlight could be seen coming through the crack in the wall boards and the knotholes. Pa noted to Ma that he had much work to do to finish the building but he thought that they would be warm enough now that spring had come. He would soon put up some siding to fill in the crack in the walls. Ma requested a staircase to the loft but then portioned off some rooms with some sheets so they would have a place to sleep until real walls could be built.

Moving in was completed and night fell. There were streams of light coming from the windows of buildings across the street. Sometimes feet walked along the sidewalk in front of the building. At last the night was silent but Laura felt crowded.

In the morning she awoke to Pa singing and she was surprized to feel snow on her face. Pa came over and told her that there was a foot of snow on the bed. Laura and Mary lay still as Pa dug them out and then watched as the did the same for Carrie and Grace. Then they all hurried to dress by the warm stove. BRRR.

Ma moved the breakfast table close to the stove near Mary's chair. She warmed her shawl and wrapped Grace in it. They swept the snow into the corners of the room. Pa promised to make a partition to keep the heat near the stove. Laura and Carrie helped to hold the boards as he sawed and nailed them.

In a few days the snow was gone and the warm weather returned. Birds flew overhead without stopping on Silver Lake. They didn't like to be near a town full of people, and neither did Laura. She wanted to be out on the prairie with the grasses, the wolves and Pa's fiddle. She asked about moving to the homestead and Pa promised that they would move as soon as he sold this building.

Carrie loved living in town. She would sit by the window and watch the things going on outside it. Sometimes Ma would let her go to visit the little girls across the street but mostly the little girls would come to visit Carrie. Ma would rather keep Carrie at home. One day Ma thought that it would be good practice for Laura to teach school if she taught the little girls. So, when they arrived she sat them down and gave them lessons to learn. At the end of the day Ma invited them to return each day for Laura to teach them more. Every day they came but it became harder for Laura to teach because they fidgeted so much.

One day they didn't come. A crowd had gathered across the street. Ma was anxious until she saw Pa coming towards the house. He came in and told them to prepare to move to the homestead. The crowd had just learned of a murder outside of town. One of the local men had moved out to his homestead and was murdered by claim jumpers. Pa headed out the door again on his way to get a load of lumber and someone to help him build a claim shanty so they could move to it tomorrow. No one would be able to jump their claim.

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

International Literacy Day - September 8, 2010

2010-09-02T07:33:00.001-07:00

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cutural Organization (UNESCO), one in five adults is illiterate. Two-thirds of them are women and 72 million are children out of school.

Since its foundation in 1946, UNESCO has dedicated itself to keeping literacy high on national, regional and international agendas.

UNESCO celebrates the power of women’s literacy on September 8, 2010 with International Literacy Day. This year they will, "celebrate women’s empowerment through literacy and pay tribute to the women and men who work behind the scenes who help others acquire literacy skills and enter a world of opportunities."

For more information about International Literacy Day 2010, please visit UNESCO's website.

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - The Building Room

2010-09-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Laura was eager to show Pa the sack of almost empty beans hidden in the
pantry. It was now full of money.

"Caroline, what have you girls been up to?" Pa said looking into their smiling faces. The sack held fifteen dollars and twenty fve cents. While Laura and Ma started supper they filled Pa in on what had happened while he was away. But before they were done talking, a wagonload of seven strangers pulled up to the door. Now that Pa was home the strangers could sleep on the floor near the stove. That next morning there was hardly time to talk because there were so many men for breakfast. Laura could hardly keep up with the dishes. By the time she finished, she had to
begin peeling potatoes for dinner. She didn't care, she was helping Ma and Pa get rich.

One morning she saw Pa driving a load of lumber towards the townsite. Ma had told her Pa was putting up a building for them on the townsite. Lots in town were going fast and Pa thought he could make money by putting up a store building. They still had six months before they must build on their homestead. That week the house was filled with steady boarders, men who were building houses on their townsite or on their homestead claim. You could see Main Street growing up from the muddy ground.
Within two weeks on the brown prairie a town had sprung up. New unpainted buildings pushed up thin false fronts, some even two stories high.

The supplies in the Surveyor's house was starting to run out and Ma had to buy supplies in town. They weren't making as much money now, only a few cents profit from every meal sold. One day at the lunch table Laura overheard a man say he was putting up a hotel. His wife was due on the next lumber haul and he expected to be doing business within the week.

As suddenly as the hurry had begun it ended. One evening it was just Pa, Ma and the girls at the table. It was quiet, peaceful and cool. "Laura and I counted up," Ma said. "We made over forty dollars." Laura was hoping they could save it towards sending Mary to college.

Pa said he expected the surveyors to show up any day now and he warned Ma to be ready to move so he could turn the house over to them. That next morning they washed the bedding and started to pack.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Pa's Bet

2010-08-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Mr. Hinz and the two Mr. Hartbornes boarded at the surveyors house, sleeping on the floor in front of the stove. During the afternoons their hammers could be heard pounding on the framework of their new buildings. Pa seemed to have been gone a long time. Ma would not let any more strangers sleep in the house. It was warmer outside and the rest had to sleep in their wagons. Ma still charged twenty five cents for supper and still lots of men came to eat.

Late in the afternoon on the fourth day Pa came home with the news that he had gotten the claim. He told the girls all about his adventure. He said when he got to the land office he couldn't get anywhere near the door because there were that many people. He had to stand in line and wait his turn. Pa said he had to wait for the second day before it would be his turn. When the land office closed on that first day Pa had gone to get some supper at the hotel. It was there that he overheard one man talking about the very piece of land that he had picked out last winter. Soon after Pa finished his supper he made fast tracks back to the land office and settled down on the doorstep to spend the night. He wouldn't be the only one. About forty others soon joined him and next to him was the two fellows he heard talking. By sun up there must have been a couple of hundred men pushing and shoving against him in that line.

Just as the door opened one of the men held Pa back and told the other to get in. As Pa started to fight back another man jumped in to help. It was Mr. Edwards. Pa said he would have never gotten the claim had it not been for him. Edwards just started that fight and as soon as Charles ducked inside the land office he snuck out. It was some time before the crowd quieted down. Pa tried everything to persuade Mr. Edwards to return back to DeSmet with him, but to no avail. But he did send along his greetings.

"Well girls, I've bet Uncle Sam fourteen dollars against a hundred and sixty acres of land, that we can make out to live on the claim for five years. Going to help me win the bet?"

"Yes Pa" came their jubilant response.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Spring Rush

2010-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

After the hustle and bustle of last night the house was quiet once again. Ma packed a lunch for Pa to eat on the way to Brookins in the morning. Noise outside the window pane alerted them more men had arrived. Five of them to be exact and they were on their way to Huron. Pa knew they had to put them up for the night or they would freeze to death traveling through the night. Ma made them supper and then sent the girls up to bed early with instructions to lock their latched door and not to come down until they were called in the morning.

That next morning they girls laid in bed. Downstairs they heard the strangers talking and the breakfast dishes clatering. At last they finally left, but now it was too late for Pa to set out for Brookins. He would have to go in the morning because he wanted a full day's sun. That night there were more strangers and the next night even more. They felt stuck because they couldn't refuse them shelter. So Ma came up with the idea to charge them twenty five cents a meal and twenty five cents for shelter overnight for man or horse. Every day strangers from Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and even New York gathered around the supper table.

When the last wagon load of men finally left, Ma called the girls downstairs. She told them Pa had left for Brookins before sun-up. Mr. and Mrs. Boast would help keep an eye on things and they would be staying in the house. Ma would sleep upstairs with the girls. That evening they had another wagonload of visiters. The men hadn't finished eating when another wagon brought more men into the house. Again while feeding them a third wagon showed up. Now there were fifteen men. Where on earth would they all sleep? The floor would be crowded. Finally at last they were all fed and the dishes all cleaned. Ma carrying Grace followed the girls upstairs and fastened the hatch door behind them, being sure to lock it into place.

During the night a ruckus downstairs shook the entire house. "It's all right Laura, Mr. Boast is down there," said Ma. Laura soon fell back to sleep. In the morning Ma shook her awake. While the others slept, Laura helped with breakfast. The men got into their boots and Ma and Mrs. Boast hurried breakfast. There weren't enough dishes to feed everyone so Laura had to wash them quickly. At last the men were gone and Ma called up to Mary and then she and Mrs. Boast cooked more breakfast. Laura washed dishes and set the table one final time. Last night's rukus was due to the men bringing bottles and a jug of whisky into the house. With a crowd of fifteen drunks Mr. Boast thought it best to let them fight it out.

That new day brought a man with a load of lumber. He planned to build a store on the townsite. He pleasantly urged Ma to board him while he was building. Next came a man and his son from Sioux Falls. He too brought lumber to build a grocery store. They also begged Ma to board them while they built, to which she agreed.

"If Ingalls doesn't hurry back, we'll have a town here before he comes," said Mr. Boast.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - On the Pilgrim Way

2010-08-25T07:32:00.001-07:00

One Sunday evening Pa's fiddle was singing. Outside the door a strong voice sang along. Standing on the other side of the door were two men covered in snow, one of which was Reverend Alden. Everyone was pleasantly surprised, for the last time they saw him was on the banks of Plum Creek.

"And here are my country girls all grown into women!" Reverend Alden's voice bellowed.

Laura was choked up with joy at seeing the Reverend.

"We are glad to see you again sir." Mary's face shone with brightness.

It was then the Reverend noticed the blankness in her eyes. He looked at Ma and then to Mary again. Ma quickly introduced him to Mr. and Mrs. Boast. The Reverend then introduced his young traveling companion as Reverend Scott Stewart. As the two men stood by the stove thawing, the ladies prepared a fine meal. Pa returned from the stable with two more homesteaders, both of whom were on their way back to settle on the Jim River. Reverend Alden said there's a settlement on the Jim, a town called Huron. The Home Missionary Society sent him out to look it over and make it ready to start a church there.

After the men had eaten supper Reverend Alden came into the pantry where Ma and Laura were washing dishes. He thanked Ma and told her how sorry he was for Mary's affliction. Ma said it was God's will and she was thankful that all her children were spared the worse from scarlet fever. He then told Ma about colleges for the blind and a very good one was located right in Iowa. Ma was interested, so Reverend Alden promised to make inquiries. "We can't afford it, but perhaps later if it doesn't cost too much we might somehow manage. I always wanted Mary to have an education."

"We must trust in the Lord to do all things for our best good," he said, and with that they held a short prayer meeting before saying goodnight. Laura knew then and there that she would be glad to work hard and go without anything for herself, so that Mary could go to college. The Boasts soon went home and once again Carrie's bed was placed down near the stove for the tired travelers.

Tucked away upstairs sharing the remaining bed, the girls talked about the blind school Reverend Alden had mentioned. Mary worried about the cost. "Ma knows," Laura whispered and she then promised, "I will study hard, so I can teach school and help."

The following morning the men enjoyed a good hot breakfast, after which the Boasts were invited back over for another preaching service. Pa played the fiddle and they all sang a hymn. As the team and wagon pulled away, Reverend Alden said, "You have had the first church service in this new town." He then promised to be back in the spring to organize a church.

"What's the name of the town that's going to be here?" Carrie asked.

"It's DeSmet, named for a french priest who came out here pioneering in the early days," Pa answered as they headed back into the warm house.

Pa knew with two homesteaders here already he had better make tracks for Brookins tomorrow morning come rain or shine.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Happy Winter Days

2010-07-28T07:34:00.001-07:00

Day after day the Christmas feeling lasted. Each day after her chores were done Mrs. Boast would come and spend time with the girls. Thus far they were having a warm winter season and Mrs. Boast invited them all to her house for New Year's dinner.

Laura showed up early to help Mrs. Boast rearrange the furniture to make room for everyone in the small shanty. The table sat in the center of the house, one corner almost touching the stove. Mrs. Boast sat there and served the food from its hot top. First there was oyster soup and with this soup she served oyster crackers. The girls had never seen nor tasted anything so good. Next came hot buscuits with honey and dried raspberry sauce. Followed up by a dishpan full of tender salty popcorn. All of which was served on Mrs. Boast's pretty dishes on top of her brand new tablecloth.

"It's a good beginning for 1880," Pa declared. "If this is a sample of Dakota winter, we're all lucky we came west."

Mr. Boast agreed and mentioned he was thankful he had his claim already filed. He only wished the same for Charles. During the upcoming week Pa too would have his claim filed. He figured he'd set out in the morning for the land office in Brookins. That night a wind full of snow was blowing and Ma worried about Charles leaving.

Mrs. Boast would come over almost daily during those winter days and played in the snow with the girls. Late one afternoon she took Laura to her house and gave her a tall stack of newspapers that she'd brought with her from Iowa. When Laura read them all, she could return them and take more back with her. Mary was excited when Laura plopped them into her lap. They couldn't wait for the supper work to be done so Laura could read. Seems neither could Ma. "Never mind the work Laura, read us a story." While Laura read, Ma and Carrie got supper ready. She read stories of a dwarf and caves and where a beautiful lady became lost in the cave. At the most exciting part Laura read the words "To be continued". They scrambled to find the paper with the end to their story. It was a story that continued on and on through the whole stack of newspapers.

On stormy days Mrs. Boast brought her sewing and knitting. One day she told them about whatnots. She taught Pa how to make and adjoin three shelves, each with three corners and of various sizes. All were then pieced together to fit snugly into the corner of the room. When Pa finished the one he was working on for Ma, the women cut pasteboard and made scalloped edges to place on them for a trim. Pa then carefully painted the whole whatnot, Ma just loved it.

Ma and Mrs. Boast talked about homesteads. Mrs. Boast had brought with her enough seed for two gardens, Ma need not worry about seeds. Every evening Pa also played the fiddle and the Boasts sang. Laura had never been so happy. For some reason she was the happiest of all when they were all singing.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion--Merry Christmas

2010-07-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

Laura quickly dressed and hurried downstairs to help Ma with breakfast, but Mrs. Boast was already there helping her. "Merry Christmas," they both said as Laura glanced at the Christmas table. Each table setting was placed as usual, but on the bottoms of the plates were packages of all different sizes. "You see Laura, we didn't hang our stockings last night," Ma said, "so we will take our presents off the table at breakfast."

Laura went back upstairs and told Mary and Carrie about the Christmas table. "We can't have presents," Mary worried. "There isn't anything for Mr. and Mrs Boast!"

"Ma will fix it," Laura answered. She then took Ma's present, hidden in Mary's box and held it behind her back as they headed downstairs. She quickly placed it on Ma's plate and noticed there was a little package on Mr. Boast's plate and another on Mrs. Boast's plate.

It wasn't long before the men came back into the house from doing the morning chores. They were all so happy in the warmth, full of good smells from the cooking and in the presence of good company. Mrs. Boast got to open her present first since she was company. In her package Laura recognized Ma's best Sunday handkerchief. Mrs. Boast was delighted. So was Mr. Boast; his present was the wrist-lets that Ma had knitted for Pa. Pa loved his socks and he admired the necktie Laura had made for him. Ma then unwrapped her apron and complimented the girls on their sewing and stitches. She was even more surprised when she found a new Sunday best handkerchief tucked away in it's pocket.

They then all admired Mary's bed shoes and Carrie loved her red, white, and blue mittens. Then Laura opened her package. Inside was an apron made out of the same calico as Ma's. Each didn't know the other was making an apron for the other and although Mary and Carrie helped make both of them they kept it their little secret. Then came the best part of all, Ma put the blue coat on Grace and pulled the swan's down hood over Grace's golden hair. She looked beautiful, but Ma took it off her right away as she didn't want Grace to be spoiled with all the attention. There was still one more package at each of the girl's plates. They quickly unwrapped them and found a pink cheesecloth bag full of Christmas candy, a present from the Boasts.

Christmas breakfast consisted of golden fried mush, hot biscuits, fried potatoes codfish gravy and a dish full of dried applesauce. After they were done eating, Pa and Mr. Boast went to get the bobsled, which was still stuck in the Big Slough. The girls cleaned up the house while the women washed the dishes and started preparing for dinner. With such good company the morning flew right by.

When the men returned with the bobsled, dinner was almost ready. They cleaned up and everybody took their places around the dinner table. The table once again looked beautiful. There was roasted rabbit, bread and onion stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, johnny cakes, hot biscuits and cucumber pickles. After their meal, Ma surprised everyone and brought a dried apple pie from the pantry.

When clean up was done, Laura and Mrs. Boast put on their outer gear and trudged through the snow to a tiny nearby house. Pa, Mr. and Mrs Boast, and Laura set all of the Boast's possessions inside and helped set up house. Then they all headed back to the surveyor's house for the remainder of the day. While the men played checkers Mrs. Boast had one more surprise. She made them all fresh popped corn. They all sat around eating and talking and laughing till chore time and supper time and the time Pa would play his fiddle.

"Every Christmas is better than the Christmas before," Laura thought. "I guess it must be because I'm growing up."

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion -- Christmas Eve

2010-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

It snowed all day. "Well it's going to be a white Christmas," Pa smiled. The surveyors house was full of secrets. Mary knitted socks for Pa's Christmas present and Laura made him a neck tie. Together in the attic she and Carrie made an apron for Ma and Mary stitched a fine piece of muslin to make a handkerchief to tuck in its pocket.

From an old blanket Ma cut bed shoes for Mary; Laura made one and Carrie made the other. And every morning while Carrie made her bed in the attic, Laura and Mary knitted as fast as they could a pair of gloves for her. Grace's present was the most beautiful and they all worked on it together. From a swan's skin Ma cut a little hood. She then sewed every stitch on the hood herself because of the delicate hide. Laura and Carrie pieced out the lining and Ma sewed it in its place. Then out of one of Ma's old woolen cloth dresses she cut a little coat. Laura and Carrie sewed the seams and Mary sewed it's hem. Ma then added soft swan's down to the bottom and to the cuff of each arm. The coat was as blue as Grace's eyes. They were anxiously waiting for tomorrow morning to come.

Pa had gone hunting earlier and brought home a big jack rabbit. It was now skinned and cleaned and hanging frozen in the lean-to. It would be roasted tomorrow for Christmas dinner. That evening snuggled in the warm house they settled in for a bowl of hot cornmeal mush.

At supper they talked about other Christmases. Tucked away upstairs was Charlotte from the Christmas in the Big Woods. The tin cups from Indian Territory were now gone, but the thought of them made them think of Mr. Edwards and they wondered where he had ended up. "Wherever he is let's hope he's as lucky as we are," Pa said. They then talked about the Christmas when Pa got lost in the blizzard for three days and nights. Only to find out he was no more then a hundred yards from the house. Mary's favorite Christmas was the Sunday school Christmas tree. They all decided this would be the best Christmas yet because Carrie was older and they now had Grace.

When supper was finished Pa went and got his fiddle. He played while everybody sang. Through the music and the roaring storm outside, Mary could hear the faint holler of a man's voice. Ma started up "Charles! Who on earth?"

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert -- Book Review

2010-07-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Melissa Gilbert shares her life in a courageous, edgy memoir. In Prairie Tale, Gilbert tells the story of her complicated life that was very different from the life of the character who made her famous as a child star, Laura Ingalls.

Talking about the loving and often tense relationship with her mother, the death of her father, her time hanging with the Brat Pack, her television career, Michael Landon, and more, Gilbert opens her heart to draw the reader into her life story. Gilbert shares how she met her biological family, dealt with feelings of being unloved because she was given up for adoption, how she buried the pain with alcohol, and eventually overcame her addiction.

Inviting readers into her roles as wife, mother, and actor, Gilbert shares her story with eloquence. Perhaps this is why the many vulgarities caught me off guard. Not because I expect her to be as wholesome as her characters, but because unlike Alison Arngrim's memoir, where the style allowed for the inclusion of some vulgarities without interrupting the flow of the prose, the cruder words in Prairie Tale, seem to be dropped into the middle of an elegant story and leave you wondering if they are placed there for effect. This took away from my overall enjoyment of the book, but I still thought Gilbert did an excellent job with how she brought the reader along her journey.

Little House on the Prairie fans and fans of Melissa Gilbert will enjoy this one, even if the language is a bit shocking.

Title: Prairie Tale
Author: Melissa Gilbert
Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ISBN-10: 1416599142
ISBN-13: 978-1416599142
SRP: $26.00

New Survey Posted in the Sidebar

2010-06-28T11:19:00.001-07:00

I just posted a new survey for the month of July in the sidebar. This one asks if you've read Alison Arngrim's book, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch and what you thought of it. Feel free to expand your thoughts here.

Thanks for taking the time to vote!

By the Shores of Lake Book Discussion --Pa Find the Homestead

2010-06-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

After breakfast Pa took his gun and set out to look for those wolves. It was past noon before he returned and he was late for dinner. Ma kept his food warm in the oven. Stomping the snow from his boots he hung his gun back up over the door and then washed his face and hands. He apologized for being late and mentioned he had traveled further then he intended. Pa figured he traveled better then ten miles tracking those wolves. He went across the lake and found the tracks that the girls had made last night. On the high ground Pa discovered a wolves' den.

"Girls there were two big buffalo wolves at that den last night," Pa told them. He also mentioned it was an old den and they'd likely been living there for some years, but they hadn't been there this past winter. "They only took shelter there last night and from the time they left it this morning they never stopped. I followed them far enough to be sure I couldn't get a shot at them. They left for good," he assured them all. Laura was glad they got away.

"That isn't all Caroline," Pa announced. "I've got some news. I've found our homestead".

"Oh where Pa?" Laura, Mary and Carrie asked.

"It lies south of where the lake joins Big Slough. There's a rise in the prairie that will make a nice place to build. On the quarter section there's upland, hay and plow land lying to the south and good grazing on all of it. It's near a townsite too, so the girls can go to school". Ma was glad. "It's a funny thing, I'd been looking around the country for months and had it not been for chasing those wolves I likely wouldn't have come across it at all. I'll get out to Brookings and file on that claim next spring," Pa promised.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim - Book Review

2010-06-25T20:54:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a book that is funny, irreverent, and courageous, look no further than Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim. In a style you come to expect from the woman who portrayed Nellie Oleson for many seasons on Little House on the Prairie, Arngrim shares her story from her childhood, the years she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a relative, her years on Little House, and beyond. This is a woman who isn't shy about opening up, and you'll love her for it.

I found this great video clip a while back, which you'll find below. Watch this, and you'll pretty much know what to expect for Arngrim's writing style.

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch was a very enlightening read. I must live under a rock because I didn't know Arngrim came from a family of entertainers, nor did I know the identity of the person who abused her for years; both of which seem like fairly common knowledge.

Argrim provided a great deal of behind the scenes stuff and spoke of many of her co-stars. I wish she had been a bit kinder to Melissa Sue Anderson, but overall, I didn't feel she exposed any horrible or damaging secrets. She spoke lovingly of her time on the set, and shared how portraying Nellie helped her deal with the problems at home. She also spent some time talking about the late Steve Tracy, who played her husband, Percival Dalton.

As a fan of the show, I have always felt that Arngrim and Tracy had such wonderful on-screen chemistry. It is such a shame he passed away so young. Argrim speaks of that loss, Michael Landon's passing, her role as an AIDS activist, and her involvement in PROTECT.org.

I read Confessions of a Prairie Bitch in under a day. The minute it arrived, I opened it up, and I pretty much didn't stop reading until the kids cried of starvation. So, I tossed them a loaf of bread and some water and kept on reading. Just kidding. I didn't want to stop reading. I couldn't stop reading. As soon as I was done I was ready to read it again.

Alison Arngrim is a natural storyteller. I can see why her comedy act is so popular. If you're a fan of Little House on the Prairie, Nellie Oleson, Arngrim, or just want to read a hilarious book that you can't put down, pick up a copy of Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. You won't be sorry!

Title: Confessions of a Prairie Bitch
Author: Alison Arngrim
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-06-196214-1
SRP: $25.99

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is on its Way

2010-06-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

I received an email from Amazon yesterday stating that my copy of Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated shipped. I am so excited. Out of the three Little House on the Prairie cast autobiographies--Melissa Gilbert, Melissa (Sue) Anderson, and Alison Arngrim--Alison's is the one I wanted to read the most.

She's been promoting the book for a while. There is word that she was on the Today show this morning. I haven't had time to check. If you're on Facebook or Twitter, you'll find Alison there too.

I'll share my thoughts on this book after I read it.

Prairie Fans Releases Exclusive Interview with Melissa Anderson

2010-06-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Lennon Parker of Prairiefans.com and Prairie Talk (LHOP forum), recently released an exclusive interview he performed with Melissa Anderson (Mary Ingalls, LHOP NBC).

They talk about her book, but she also shares some memories of the show and some of her favorite episodes.

You can read the interview at http://prairiefans.com/. There is a thread at Prairie Talk to discuss the interview.

Enjoy!

Survey Results and New Laura Ingalls Wilder Project

2010-06-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Very interesting survey results this month. We were talking about Melissa (Sue) Anderson's new book, The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House.

I asked if you had read this autobiography. Surprisingly, most of those who voted didn't even know she had written a book. The two Melissas and Alison Arngrim writing books has been such the topic of conversation in our LHOP circles that I figured everyone must have heard about it by now. Silly me!

Most of the people who read the book said they loved it, but some didn't care for it. Others don't have plans to buy it. A couple of readers had the book on order when they voted.

This is certainly the year for Little House fans. The shipping date for Alison's book is listed on my order as June 21st, but I am hoping it will ship early. Out of the three, this is the one I wanted to read most.

Just in case you didn't know, Dean Butler has completed his Laura Ingalls Wilder documentary through the Legacy Documentaries brand of his production company, Peak Moore Enterprises, Inc. Some of my online chums met up with Dean this past weekend in Sioux Falls, SD, where he showed this documentary. They gave it two thumbs up! We'll keep you posted when we hear anything new on this.

My friends also got a chance to see Little House on the Prairie: The Musical while in Sioux Falls. To say I am extremely jealous would be an understatement.

I appreciate you taking the time to pop in here. I love talking about my favorite show and America's favorite pioneer.

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Wolves on Silver Lake

2010-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

One evening Laura grew restless. She did not want to dance to Pa's fiddle but she felt she must move quickly. "Carrie, let's go out and glide on the ice," Laura said. With Ma and Pa's permission they were allowed to go out into the dark, but only for a while per Ma's request. They each dressed warmly and out they raced down the snowy path to the lake. "We mustn't go near the watering hole," Laura warned.

The air was still and Carrie grew afraid. "Let's slide, come on run." Laura encouraged her sister. With hands clasped together they ran a little way, then with the right foot they slid on the smooth ice following the moon path. If one slipped the other was there to hold her up. They soon found themselves at the far shore. Against the moonlight stood a great wolf.

"Let's go back," Laura said quickly. They ran and slid and ran again as fast as they could, Carrie keeping up. There was no sound of running behind them when they at last reached the path by the water hole. Neither looked behind them or stopped running until they reached the back door of the lean-to. Bursting inside they slammed it shut, causing Pa to spring to his feet.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It was a wolf, Pa." Laura gulped.

Pa wanted to know where the wolf was. He was upset with himself. "It was careless of me. I thought those wolves would be long gone by now. I will hunt them tomorrow"

Mary sat still, her face white. "Suppose he had caught you?" she whispered.

But nothing had happened to them. Pa," Laura said in a low voice, "I hope you don't find the wolf."

"Why ever not?" Ma wondered.

"Because he didn't chase us Pa and he could have caught us."

As the girls were getting ready for bed, a long, wild wolf howl rose and faded away on the stillness. Another answered it and then there was silence again.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Discussion - Winter Days

2010-05-27T06:56:00.001-07:00

Silver Lake was frozen now and the winter winds kept the ice clean of drifting snow. In the snug house, Laura and Carrie helped Ma with the housework while Grace played. She was toddling around now and when she tired she would climb into Mary's lap and fall asleep. Ma then placed her in her trundle bed and the others settled in for an afternoon of knitting, sewing and crocheting.

Pa did the chores and set his trap lines. In the lean-to he skinned foxes, coyotes and muskrats. Mary did not go out in the cold at all, she loved sewing and stayed in the warm house. At twilight Mary didn't put away her sewing. She told Laura, "I can sew when you can't see to, because I see with my fingers." Laura admitted Mary did sew beautifully and she would never enjoy sewing as much as Mary did.

Laura often grew restless being cooped up in the house and no matter how cold it was outside she had to go out. She and Carrie dressed heavy in the outerwear and loved to go sliding on Silver Lake. They held hands and slid across the smooth ice, first on one foot then the other. It always felt good afterward to come into the house for a good hot supper.

Pa surprised them one day by whittling a checkerboard and taught them each how to play. Ma nor Carrie cared to play much, so after one game with Laura he would put the board away. "Checkers is a selfish game," Pa would say, "for only two can play it. Bring me my fiddle, Flutterbudget".

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Last Man Out

2010-05-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

The next morning a wagon approached the front door. The driver alerted Pa of an old man whom stayed behind because he was sick and all alone. Pa drove away with the stranger and it was quite some time before he came walking home.

Pa said the teamster was the last man out. Looking for a place to stay for the night he came upon the lighted claim shanty and found the old man by himself. The old man had consumption and came to the prairie for a climate cure. He wasn't in any shape to stay alone in a shanty all winter fifteen miles from the nearest neighbor. The place for him was with his own folks, so Pa and the stranger loaded the old guy up in the wagon to head back to the nearest town.

Laura asked Pa if he had seen any wolf tracks. He told her he had seen plenty and there were quite a few around the stable. "They won't stay where they can't kill anything to eat," Pa assured her. After breakfast Laura went out and had a look at those tracks for herself. She had never seen ones so huge.

That morning she helped Pa reinforce the stable, making its walls more solid. She handed Pa the nails as he pounded each board nice and tight. The winds blew strong and snow began to fall. At supper, in the warm house, Pa stated he didn't believe that the winters here were going to be so bad. After they ate and the dishes were done, Pa brought out the fiddle box. He played everybody's favorites and everyone sang and danced. The faster he played the faster they danced until he finally slowed it down with a waltz. It was long past the girls' bedtime when he placed the fiddle back in its box.

The girls hurried up the stairs and undressed near the stovepipe that came up from the room below. Shivering, they quickly changed into their underflannels and gowns and then cuddled together under the blankets until the blankets finally lost their chill. That night they didn't hear even one wolf howl.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - The Surveyors' House

2010-05-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

There was no need to pack anything because the surveyors' house stood about a half mile from the shanty. Laura could hardly wait to see it and Pa allowed her to run ahead of the loaded wagon. On the stillness of the empty prairie Laura could hear everything. She followed a smooth path warn down by the surveyors' boots. It felt soft on her bare feet. Suddenly the house stood before her.

Laura opened the door and peeked inside. The first thing she noticed was the wooden floors. She tiptoed across the lean-to and opened the door on the far side gazing into a very large room. The surveyors had left their stove behind and it was a big one, with six lids and two oven doors. Beyond it were three doors and all of them were shut. Laura once again tiptoed across the room to open the first door. It was a small room with one bedstead. She then opened the middle door which reavealed a staircase. She went up a few steps and in the big attic was a room twice as big as the one downstairs.

She squealed with excitement as she raced back down the stairs to see what was behind the third door. There before her eyes was a little store, it's walls and shelves stocked with pots and pans and boxes and cans. On the floor were barrels stocked with flour, cornmeal and slabs of salted fish and salt pork. There was dried apples, sacks of potatoes and a near full sack of beans.

Laura ran out to the wagon very excited. Ma looked at everything and, she too, was pleased. Pa built a fire while the rest arranged the house. Ma put Mary's rocking chair near the open oven door. She then made up the bedstead in the bedroom and hung her and Pa's clothes on nails that were aleady in the wall. Laura and Mary carried their clothes and boxes upstairs and made up the two bedsteads that were up there. One was for Carrie and the other was for she and Mary. Laura and Carrie then made up a little bed for Grace in a packing box that Pa had saved. It would slide nicely under Ma's and Pa's bed during the day it was just like a trundle bed.

That evening supper was a feast and Pa's fiddle sang their favorite songs. When at last Pa laid the fiddle in its box, a long, mournful howl caused Grace to wake up screaming and Carrie sat frozen white. It was the howl of a lonely wolf.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Breaking Camp

2010-05-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Fall was here and the birds were fewer, winter's cold was not far away. In the frosty mornings and evenings Laura and Lena wore shawls over their faces. One evening Lena said, "Well I guess we won't be seeing each other for a long time." The next morning Lena, Jean and Aaunt Docia were leaving because the grading job at Silver Lake was nearly finished. Aunt Docia drove away with a load of oats. Lena drove a wagonload of goods from the store and Jean still another big load of scrapers and plows. Uncle Hi would follow as soon as he settled with the company. Pa's orders were to let the contractor take anything he wanted and charge it to him. Charles told Caroline, Hi wasn't stealing he basically took what the company owed him.

Every day men drew their last pay and wagon after wagon they headed back east. One day uncle Henry, Louisa, and Charley started their journey back to Wisconsin to sell their farm. Every building was soon deserted. "We will go east somewhere to spend the winter," Pa told Ma, but he had to wait until the company man came to check out his bookkeeping.

One evening Pa came whistling home from the store. "How'd you like to stay here all winter Caroline?" he sang out, "in the surveyors' house!" The head surveyor thought he had to stay and stocked up on enough coal and provisions to last the winter. He asked if I'd take charge and be responsable for the company tools until spring. There is flour, beans, salted meat, potatoes and lots of canned stuff. We can have it all just for staying there." The whole family was excited over this news. It felt like for a moment that they were rich, not having to worry about provisions for a whole winter.

That evening after supper there was a knock at the door. It was Mr. Boast and he needed Pa's help. He had sold his team to a man named Pete, and it seemed Pete skipped out with the team and only paying Mr. Boast half of what was due. Knowing they would be in for a big fight, Pa and Mr. Boast put a plan in motion. Pa drew up papers to serve on Pete while Mr. Boast found a man to act as sheriff. They were hoping Pete wasn't aware that there were no laws out there in Dakota country.

During the night Mr. Boast and Pa's voice woke Laura. Mr. Boast had stopped by to tell Pa that their little plan worked. Pete was so scared he turned over the money and the team. The fake sheriff, whom was the company surveyor, wouldn't take any pay. He said the fun of it more than paid him. Mr. Boast and Pa then split the money, "the dignity of this court must be upheld," Pa said. When Mr. Boast laughed everybody burst into laughter.

In the morning Mr. Boast came to breakfast. He was the last man to leave camp and he was heading to Iowa to get married. They watched as his wagon faded into the eastern horizon. The whole prairie was empty now.

"Come Caroline, nobody's left in camp but us, and this is moving day!"

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House by Melissa Anderson -- Book Review

2010-05-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

In her new memoir, The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House, Melissa Anderson, who played Mary Ingalls on the classic family show Little House on the Prairie, shares her memories of several Little House episodes and her career during her time on the iconic show.

Taking readers from her initial meeting with beloved creator, actor and producer, Michael Landon, through After-School Specials, Love Boat episodes, The Equalizer, and more, Anderson speaks fondly of the career she temporarily left behind to raise her family.

Out of the three books recently written by Little House on the Prairie cast members, this is the one I wanted to read the most. We still hear a lot about Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim, but Anderson walked away from the business and had maintained her privacy for years. Knowing she was finally ready to discuss with fans her Little House years, found me pre-ordering the book from Amazon as soon as it was posted. Despite the fact that I have over 60 books in my TBR pile, the minute this book arrived on my doorstep, I cracked it open and began reading. Perhaps that's why my disappointment seems so great.

I wanted to get to know more about Melissa Anderson, her relationships with the cast and crew of my favorite show, and how she handled being a child star. It ended with me not feeling I learned much more than when I started.

The Way I See It is mostly recaps of Little House episodes in which the character of Mary played a significant role. In addition, there are spots where the dialogue from the episodes is quoted. Having been a fan since childhood, I could probably recite most of these episodes back from memory.

While Anderson shared some memories of Michael Landon and Karen Grassle, the rest of the cast and crew received minimal nods. She didn't speak ill of them, but I felt after so long on a show, she would have more to share about those people she grew up around. I wasn't looking for dirt on who she might not have gotten along with, but it seems like her need for privacy prevented her from offering anything new to readers.

I admire Melissa Anderson. She's beautiful, she's talented, and I would love to see her back on the small screen again. She gave up her career to raise her family and she's not sorry about it. While I am glad I purchased the book so that I can add it to my Laura Ingalls Wilder/LHOP collection, I wish she had been willing to open up more about the role that defined her career.

Title: The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House
Author: Melissa Anderson
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
ISBN: 978-0-7627-5970-5
SRP: $22.95

New Survey Posted!

2010-04-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while, but I posted a new survey today. This one asks if you've read Melissa Sue Anderson's new autobiography, The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House.

Out of the three recent autobiographies from Little House on the Prairie cast members, Melissa Sue Anderson's (now going by Melissa Anderson) is the book I've looked forward to the most.

I received notifcation from Amazon that my copy shipped, and if the tracking information is correct, I should have it tomorrow. I honestly can't wait. But now I'm wondering if I should read Melissa Gilbert's book first, which is in my TBR pile.

Please vote in our survey and feel free to share your thoughts.

Thanks!

New Laura Ingalls Wilder Documentary Coming Summer 2010!

2010-04-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder, NBC) and Peak Moore Enterprises, Inc. are currently hard at work on a new Laura Ingalls Wilder documentary that will be released through Legacy Documentaries.

Back in November, Dean posted about his amazing trip to De Smet, SD at his blog. Since then he's been very quiet about this project.

Then on April 10th, he posted a link to the trailer for Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder. You can view this trailer on YouTube.

The plan is for a summer release. Hopefully it will be ready when Dean visits Walnut Grove, MN on July 17th. You can find out more about that here. Alison (Nellie Oleson) Arngrim will be in Walnut Grove the following weekend.

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Wings over Silver Lake

2010-04-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

The weather was growing colder and the skies were full of great birds. In the evening they came endlessly from the sky and settled on Silver Lake. At sunset the whole lake was covered with birds. There were geese, ducks of many kinds, herons, pelicans and cranes. The coming winter was driving them from north to south.

One day Pa came home with a swan. He hadn't realized what it was until after he shot it. Another day he brought home a pelican. Much to their dismay, its long bill was still full of dead fish. The smell penetrated everything, including the pelican's feathers. They found out all too quickly that pelicans weren't fit to eat. Every day Laura and Ma plucked feathers from the scalded skins of the ducks and geese that Pa brought home for dinner.

The wings and golden weather made Laura want to go somewhere. "Let's go west," she said one night after supper. Uncle Henry, Louisa, and Charley had earned enough money to head west. They had to first go back to the Big Woods to sell their farm. In the spring along with Aunt Polly, they were driving west to Montana. "Why can't we?" Laura asked. Pa had earned three hundred dollars and now they too had money.

"You and I want to fly like the birds," Pa said to Laura. "But long ago I promised your Ma that you girls should go to school. When this town is built there will be a school here. I'm going to get a homestead, Laura, and you girls are going to school." Another thing Pa went on to mention, "You know Ma was a teacher and her mother before her. Ma's heart is set on one of you girls teaching school and I guess it will have to be you Laura. So you see you must have your schooling."

Laura didn't say anything, but she didn't want to teach. Everyone had thought Mary would teach, but now she couldn't. Laura knew she couldn't disappoint Ma. She must do as Pa said. She had to be a teacher when she grew up.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Payday

2010-04-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Every payday Pa figured out how much each man had earned. He took into consideration the days worked, how much was owed to the store, and then what was owed for room and board. He then subtracted the amounts from each man's wages and made out a time check.

One morning, Laura saw a buggy pull up in front of the store and a man went running inside while two men waited for him in the buggy, keeping a close lookout. Soon the man came out, got back into the buggy and quickly trotted away. Laura ran out of the shanty with Ma hollaring after her. Something had happened she was sure of it.

Her heart beat rapidly until she saw Pa come out of the store heading towards her. When he got into the confines of the shanty he took a canvas bag out of his pocket. The bag carried the men's pay. Caroline wrapped it in a clean cloth and stashed it into an open sack of flour. The man Laura spotted was the paymaster and he was carrying thousands of dollars in cash to pay all the men in the camps around the area. That night hardly anyone slept because that money was in the flour sack.

The following day, men gathered at the store to collect their pay. Some didn't understand the payout method and Pa had to explain the process to them. Though they worked a month, it took two weeks to file the paperwork and receive the money from the paymaster. In two weeks they would receive the previous two weeks' pay and so on and so on. Some were not happy with that answer. That evening Laura spotted a crowd of men gathering outside the store. Ma scooted the girls inside and closed the door. The men banged on the door of the store yelling for Pa to come out. They demanded their other two weeks of pay. Then they yelled for Pa to open up the store. "Come back tomorrow morning and I will let you have all the goods you want on your account," Pa said cooly.

Ma held Laura back as she tried frantically to run to her Pa's defense. It was then that Big Jerry showed up. The crowd now gathered around him as he spoke and he convinced them that in the morning they could all take what they wanted. He then talked a few men into a poker game while the rest dispersed towards the bunk house.

That next morning Big Jerry rallied the men to the neighboring Stebbins camp where a riot was taking place. The men all returned well after dark. Pa found out they roughed up the paymaster and then placed him in a lumber wagon and started him back east looking for a doctor. Ma was upset by all of this and Pa comforted her by setting her down on his knees. "Next summer we will all be settled on a homested," he assured her.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - The Wonderful Afternoon

2010-04-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Early every morning as Laura washed dishes she watched the men leaving the boarding house and heading off to the railroad grade. The days passed by. Mondays were for washing and hanging the clothes to dry. Tuesdays she sprinkled them and helped with the ironing, and Wednesdays were for mending. Even Mary was learning to sew and becoming quite good at it. The winds on the prairie were blowing colder now too and more and more birds were starting to fly south.

One day, Aunt Docia moved into camp and brought with her two cows, one of which she gave to Pa. It would be Laura and Lena's responsibility to care for them. Each and every morning and evening the girls led the cows to drink from the lake, moved their picket pins and then milked them. They enjoyed each other's company and they often sang silly songs. Their chores kept them busy and this was one of the only times that the girls got to see one another.

One day after dinner and also after answering lots of Laura's questions about the workers, Pa said "Laura put on your bonnet and come to the store at two o'clock and I will take you out and let you see for yourself."

Laura was excited. She wanted Lena to go too, but Ma told Laura she wanted her to behave, to speak nicely in low voices, have gentle manners and always be a lady. Even though in the past they had lived in rough places, Ma was strict on these rules. "Remember that a lady never did anything to attract attention. And Laura I do not want you to take Lena. She is a good girl but she is boisterous and Docia has not curbed her as much as she might." So Lena didn't get to go.

When Laura met Pa at the store he was all alone. He padlocked the door and they headed towards the open prairie where the men were working. As they neared the railroad grade Pa stopped and they watched from a distance. He explained to Laura all about the plows and scrapers and how the teams of men all worked in unison. Team after team they worked in circles. "It all goes like clockwork," Pa said. Fred was their boss and he kept everyone moving in sync. Laura would never have tired watching.

The whole afternoon had gone by while they sat and watched those circles moving and making that railroad grade. Soon it was time to be heading back. At the moment there was no railroad, but some day the long steel tracks would lie level on the ground. Laura could see them as if they were almost there.

"What's that house Pa?" Laura asked pointing in its direction. She had been meaning to ask him about it for quite some time.

"That's the surveyors house," Pa said. He then told Laura now that she knew how a railroad's grade is made, she must tell Mary about it.

"Oh I will Pa," Laura promised. "I'll see it out loud for her, every bit."

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

Survey Results

2010-04-06T09:44:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I have to admit the results of the surveys surprise me. As the owner of Dean's Divas, is not a shock that several voters--including me--said they are interested in Dean Butler's autobiography. Matt and/or Patrick Labyorteaux being a top pick (tying with Dean) is also not a huge surprise. The character of Albert is a fan favorite, which might be increased by how Matt has stepped out of the spotlight as he has gotten older.

Some of the other choices, however, were not what I expected. The Greenbush Twins tied with Dean and the Labyorteaux brothers for the most interest. Now, I'm not saying they aren't wonderful ladies, it's just that the character of Carrie was often minimized on the show. She wasn't even really allowed to grow up, as Laura and Mary had been.

The one thing that left me shaking my head, though, was that Karen Grassle didn't garner any votes. Now, it's possible she could have been included by the 12% of voters who said they were interested in several cast autobiographies, but most of the actors still ended up with some votes.

While Grassle hasn't been seen on TV since 1994--other than in Little House on the Prairie reruns--she remained active in theater and co-founded Sante Fe’s Resource Theatre Company. In 2006, she starred as Miss Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her easily recognizable face can be seen in commercials for Premier Bathrooms. In addition, she could provide a perspective of being on the show that is very different from the stars who were children during their time on Little House.

It was very interesting to see how this survey turned out.

Thanks to all who participated in this latest survey. Look for another one coming soon!

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Horse Thieves

2010-04-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

One night at supper Pa was extrememly quiet. He told Ma that there was word out to look for horse thieves and Big Jerry was at the center of that discussion. "Seems every time he's in camp the best horses are stolen."

"I always heard you can't trust a halfbreed," Ma said. Ma didn't like indians not even half-indians.

Pa couldn't believe it was Jerry. He felt the men were just riled because Jerry always beat them in poker every payday and took off with most of their paychecks. Pa also told Ma that Jerry had a kind heart. He told her the story of how Jerry took care of Old Johnny, the water boy when he took sick. Jerry stayed with him through the night, feeding him and keeping him warm. "And Caroline we're beholden to him ourselves." Pa pointed out when Jerry rode up on his white horse during their ride out to Silver Lake.

Charles had to return to the store. "I've got to go sell the boys ammunition for their guns. I hope Jerry doesn't come into town tonight." Pa knew the men would shoot him. It would be dark before he returned again from the store. "There are at least a dozen men with loaded guns and lying in wait." It was around bedtime when Pa had to venture back out. "Don't sit up for me Caroline," he cheerfully said as disappeared into the darkness.

Laura couldn't sleep, so she sat up with Ma in the dark listening. A sharp cry in the distance scared her. It was the cry of a lost goose separated from its flock. Shortly before sunrise they heard footsteps and Pa appeared in the doorway. Laura jumped and Ma went limp in her chair. He was surprised to find both his girls sitting up waiting for him. "Everything's all right," he assured them. "Big Jerry's all right, he won't be coming into camp tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if he rode in on his white horse in the morning. Let's get what sleep we can before sunrise." He then chuckled "There will be a bunch of sleepy men working on the grade today".

As Laura was undressing on her side of the curtain she could hear Pa whisper to Ma, "There'll never be a horse stolen from Silver Lake Camp."

Sure enough that morning Laura caught a glimpse of Big Jerry riding into camp and heading in the direction of where the men were working. There never was another horse stolen from Silver Lake Camp.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Silver Lake

2010-04-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Before the sun rose the next morning Laura was down by the shallow well near Silver Lake. The lake laid like a sheet of silver amongst all the tall wild grasses. The waterfowl beginning to squawk as the sun rose over the eastern edge. Laura pulled the pail up from the well and hurried with it back to the shanty.

Their new shanty stood alone on the shore of the lake. It was just south of the cluster of grader shanties. Ma was waiting for Laura when she had returned. "You should have seen the sunrise," Laura exclaimed as she quickly began helping her Ma with breakfast. She knew she should have rushed along; they had a busy day ahead of them. That morning they aired out cousin Louisa's beds and then stuffed Ma's ticking mattresses with fresh clean hay. Ma purchased yards of calico and made curtains for the windows. She then made a larger curtain and hung it between the beds, creating separate bedrooms for the girls and them. When Pa came to dinner he was very pleased with their efforts.

After dinner Laura made it known that she wanted to go for a walk to look at the camp. Observing Ma's disapproval, Pa warned the girls not to go near where the men were working and told them they had to be back home before the men came in for the night. Pa said there were some rough looking men who used rough language. Everybody but Laura seemed frightened by this; for once she would have liked to have heard some of that language.

On their walk Laura, Mary and Carrie strolled along the shoreline of the silver water toward the wild Big Slough. Thousands of wild ducks, geese, herons, cranes and pelicans were heard all around them feeding and nesting in the tall grasses. Pushing further into the Big Slough their bare feet sank slowly into ooze. The soft cool muck sucked around their ankles and little ponds glimmered amongst the tall grasses. Laura wanted to go further but Mary and Carrie wanted to retreat back to higher prairie ground. "Oh what a wild beautiful prairie," Mary sighed.

It would be late afternoon when they returned back to the shanty. They could see the whole camp scattered along the lake shore just north of where they were. Then for the first time Laura saw a house. They would ask Pa about it and find out who lived there. The railroad men were making a racket as they returned to camp from their work and flocks of ducks and geese were coming down from the sky to sleep for the night on Silver Lake. Ma stood in the doorway watching for them.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - The West Begins

2010-03-29T19:48:00.001-07:00

Early the next morning they climbed back into the still loaded wagon. "See you at Silver Lake," Lena called out to Laura. She and her family would be along soon; that was as soon as Uncle Hi settled his business. Once again Laura began to see out loud for Mary. She described the road winding down to the Big Sioux River; there was nothing but big sky and grassy land. The river was dried up and trickled along from pool to pool. It was enough for the horses to drink from though. In Laura's words to Mary, "the road pushes against the grassy land and then it ends." For beyond the Big Sioux there were no more fields, no houses and no people. There really wasn't a road either, only a dim wagon trail. There was also no more railroad grade; but as Pa called them, there were surveyor stakes for the railroad grade that was not yet started.

All morning as Pa drove, they seemed so small against the vast wide open prairie. When the sun finally reached overhead they stopped to feed the horses and themselves. This prairie felt different. It was enormous and very, very still. Pa talked about his new job and of his excitement about being one of the first settlers and having his pick of the land.

Soon the sun was lowering in the west and they were about ten miles from Silver Lake. Glancing backward they noticed a rider closing in on them. Pa slapped the horses with the lines to hurry them along. Laura looked back again and spotted a second rider on a white horse. This rider overtook the first one as they approached the Ingalls' wagon. "Everythings all right now," Pa said. "That's big Jerry, he wouldn't let anbody hurt us." The riders soon came up beside the wagon and Pa greeted each of them. "Hullo Ingalls," Big Jerry answered. The other man just snarled as he rode on by. Soon after Jerry galloped off behind him. Pa assured them that Jerry would make sure they made it into camp safely.

Wild ducks and geese were honking as they settled down for the night on the lakes ahead. There was Silver Lake and the twin lakes Henry and Thompson. The dark blob between them Pa pointed out was a huge cottonwood tree. "We will get some seeds from it and plant them on our homestead," Pa said. They traveled the last eight miles in the dark aiming for the lights from the shanties in the distance.

When they finally reached the shanty with the lights on, Uncle Henry greeted them in the doorway. Pa surprised Ma and kept it a secret that Henry was there. Cousin Charles, now all grown up, had helped everybody down from the wagon. Charles was not that little boy anymore who always caused trouble and got chased by those bees back in Wisconsin. Cousin Louisa came outside and hustled everybody into the shanty for a warm meal. After they ate, Uncle Henry escorted them to a new shanty the men had built for Pa. In the shanty there was a bunk on one side for Pa and Ma, and on the other side there were two narrow bunks, one on top of the other for the girls. Louisa had seen to it that the bunks were already made. In no time at all Laura and Mary were cuddled on the fresh hay mattress with the sheets and quilts drawn up to their noses. Pa then blew out the lantern.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - The Black Ponies

2010-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

The girls awoke to sunshine coming through their canvas tent. "Hurry up, we're going for the washing," laughed Lena. They didn't need to dress since they hadn't undressed the night before. Breakfast was jolly. Aunt Docia had made pancakes and afterwards there was a huge stack of dishes to be washed, but nothing like Lena was used to. Most days she and her ma would be busy cooking and cleaning, three times a day for forty-six men. This was why they hired out the laundry work.

After their chores were done, Laura helped Lena harness the buggy to the black ponies and the girls took off. It was within minutes that Lena had them running. Faster and faster the ponies flew while the girls laughed and sang. They knew they were safe for there was nothing out there but wild grass to run into. After a while Lena slowed the ponies down to let them breathe, but it wouldn't be long before they wanted to bolt again. Lena promised Laura she could drive them on the way home.

They arrived at the claim shanty and the homesteader's wife came out carrying their basket of clothing. She apologized for her unkempt appearance. Her daughter Lizzie had just gotten married the day before. Lena and Laura couldn't believe it. Lizzie was only thirteen; she was their age. Both girls told each other it would be quite some time before either of them got married. They weren't ready to settle down and they were having way too much playing around.

As promised, on the trip home Laura did get to drive the ponies. She too had them running in no time. When they finally stopped to unhitch the horses, it was then they discovered the top layers of clothing from the basket ended up on the buggy floor under the seats. They quickly straighted out the basket and brought it into the shanty.

After they ate their dinner and finished the dishes they ran back out to the ponies. Jean and Lena rode them bareback, hanging tightly to their manes for balance. Lena then persuaded Laura to climb aboard Jean's pony. With Lena's help Laura mounted the pony before the horse bolted. She hung on to the mane for dear life. An afternoon of scratched up legs, a bloody nose from the pony's head hitting her and falling off twice; Laura had a wonderful afternoon. When Aunt Docia finally called them in for supper, Ma looked at Laura in shocked amazement. She looked like a wild indian. Her hair was no longer pulled back in tight braids, but flowing wildly about her face. She and Lena made quite the pair. It had been a long time since Lena got an afternoon to do as she liked.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Railroad Camp

2010-03-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

Early that next morning they were all in the wagon heading west. Grace sat between Ma and Pa on the spring seat and Carrie and Laura sat with Mary between them on a board laid across the wagon's box. They traveled without the wagon's canvas. During their journey Pa told them that Uncle Hi had finished his contract and was moving to a new camp further west and most of the men in camp had already cleared out. In a couple of day's Pa told Ma, they too would be moving on. He would find a claim for them further west.

Laura did not find much to see out loud for Mary because there was nothing to see but empty prairie. The jolt and jiggles of the wagon came up through the hard board on which they sat. The girls didn't complain but were grateful when Pa finally stopped the wagon to feed the horses and themselves some lunch.

The afternoon was longer than the morning and darkness soon overcame them. Everybody was getting tired but the jolts of the wagon didn't allow for much comfort for sleep. Finally, in the distance Pa spotted the light in one of the shanty windows. Aunt Docia and her children greeted them upon their arrival. With a little nudging from Aunt Docia, cousins Lena and Jean greeted the girls. Laura liked Lena; they were very close in age. Lena told Laura bout her two black ponies and asked her if she would like to go riding. Tired from her journey Laura was finding it hard to stay awake. Of course she would love to go riding but she would have to get that approved by Ma first. Soon they all sat down to a hot supper and that evening the men slept in the bunkhouse while Laura and Lena slept outdoors in a tent. As soon as Laura laid down on the blanket she was sound asleep.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - End of the Rails

2010-03-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

When the train pulled into the depot Pa wasn't there. The brakeman offered to take Ma and the girls to the hotel as soon as he unfastened the engine. It seems he was heading there himself. The girls stood bewildered as they watched the steel rails under the engine slowly turn in a circle. Laura was so amazed she couldn't tell Mary. The unhooked engine then passed the remaining train cars and then backed up to be connected to what was previously the last train car. The entire train was now ready to head back east. The brakeman laughed at them in a friendly way and told them "that's the turntable, at the end of the rails something has to turn the train back around".

Finally after all the rail cars were unloaded, Ma and the girls were followed by the men that worked the rails. Once they spotted the girls though they cleaned up their salty language. They had to hurry along because they had just heard the dinner bell chime.

The man who rang the chimes told Ma he had plenty of room for her and the girls. He then allowed them to wash up in a small room next to the dining area. After scrubbing the dusty soot from their hands and faces, they joined the men in the dining room. They were left spots at the end of the table so they could all sit together. There was all kinds of food and every platter was covered by a wire screen to keep the flies off and at each table setting was a slice of pie. Everyone was very kind and passed each platter around for the offering. There was so much food to eat, but the excitement took away the girls' appitite. The dinner cost them twenty five cents.

After they finished their meal, the young girl clearing the tables offered them the parlor where they could sit and wait for Pa. Ma sat in the rocker with Grace on her lap. Carrie took the chair near Ma and Laura and Mary sat on the couch. The girls were told to be quiet and still, so Grace could take her afternoon nap. Carrie and Ma dozed off for a spell themselves. It was a long afternoon before Laura finally spotted Pa's wagon.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By The Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Riding in the Cars

2010-03-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Laura could hardly believe that the time had arrived for them to board the train and catch up with Pa. Plum Creek and the house they knew so well was now gone. They stood on the sunny platform near the ticket window, all of their clothing packed into two satchels. On that September day they were dressed in their finest as they sat and waited for the train to arrive. Mary could feel Carrie fidgeting, she also sensed and made it known that Laura too was fidgeting. "I can tell it without seeing," Mary smiled. Seemed they were all very nervous. "Pa will meet us?" Carrie asked concerned. Pa had to drive a day from camp but Ma reassured her he would be there.

When the train finally arrived at the station they took each other's hands and proceeded to board the very last car. A man in a dark suit helped them aboard and then grabbed their satchels. The red velvet seats on the train were filled with lots of people. Ma sat with Grace and Carrie, while Laura and Mary took the empty seats in front of them. Laura became Mary's eyes and proceeded to describe the train's interior in great detail. "I see," Mary said.

The engine whistled and the cars lurched forward. As the train built up speed the outdoor scenery flew by their windows. In one hour that train would go twenty miles; as far as the horses would have traveled in a whole day. A man in a dark blue suit with lots of buttons collected their tickets and punched each of them. The hat he was wearing told them he was the Conductor. Laura explained all this to Mary.

"I will see the people now," Laura told Mary. A boy came down the aisle carrying a basket on his arm. People took things out of his basket and gave him money. Ma purchased a little box of Christmas candy for ten cents. "We must celebrate our first train ride," Caroline said and she gave it to the girls to share. They each ended up with two pieces.

It was noon when they arrived in Tracy. "I hope you girls haven't spoiled your dinner with that candy." Ma then told them they would be eating their dinner in the hotel that night.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

A Sad Day for Little House Fans: Merlin Olsen Dies at 69

2010-03-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

What a shock it was to hear of the passing of Merlin Olsen on March 10th. He played Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie.

While many in the sports world knew Olsen as a player for the NFL, and later, a sports announcer, it was as Jonathan Garvey that I, and other Little House on the Prairie fans, got to know him.

The Garvey family, which included Jonathan's wife, Alice, and their son, Andrew, first appeared in Season 4. Like the Edwards family before them, the Garveys were great friends to the Ingalls family. Laura and Andrew, and later Andrew and Albert, got into plenty of mischief together.

Jonathan and Alice did not always get along. In The High Cost of Being Right, Jonathan and Alice argue over her taking a job as the post mistress after their barn burns down. When phone lines are installed in Walnut Grove in the episode Crossed Connections, Mrs. Oleson uses her time on the switchboard to snoop on her neighbors, which leads to her discovering that Alice Garvey had been married before. Angry that she kept this secret from him, Jonathan moves out. It takes an old, tired bartender to get Jonathan to realize just how lucky he really is.

We are devastated right along with Jonathan and Andrew when Alice is killed during a fire at the Walnut Grove School for the Blind. Jonathan takes to drinking, while Andrew is left to deal with the loss of his mother alone. With the help of friends, Jonathan is finally able to accept Alice's death, and he and Andy work on rebuilding their lives. Eventually, Jonathan and Andrew move to Sleepy Eye, which brings with it a new set of troubles for the Garveys.

Olsen left Little House on the Prairie to star in his own short-lived series, Father Murphy. And then the series, Aaron's Way, which only lasted one season.

Whether you remember Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen as a member of the L.A. Rams' Fearsome Four, Jonathan Garvey, Father Murphy, or as the spokesperson for FTD Florist, his distinctive voice and his larger-than-life presence cannot be denied. Many called him a "gentle giant". This is definitely how I have always pictured him.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time of loss. He will certainly be missed.

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Grown Up

2010-03-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

There was a great deal of work to be done before Pa left in the morning. As Pa assembled the bows and canvas cover over the wagon, everyone else pitched in to prepare for Pa's journey. Jack stood looking on. Poor Jack was old and he was worn out and tired. His body was troubled with rheumatism. Laura soon realized what was troubling Jack--due to his age, he wouldn't be able to make the journey beneath the wagon, and he must leave with Pa in the morning because they would be following by train. Pa decided to make room in the wagon for him, but he didn't seem to want to go.

Since Mary, Carrie, and Ma had been sick with scarlet fever Laura had been neglecting Jack. "I didn't mean it," Laura told him and he understood. They always understood each other. Jack was her dog, her protector. That evening Laura fed him a good dinner and cleaned and refluffed his bed. Jack watched while she made it comfortable, all the while smiling and wagging his tail. After turning three times he nestled himself in and held his head high to look at Laura. "Good Jack, good dog," Laura chirped as Jack touched her hand with the tip of his tongue. Then he sunk his nose into his paws and closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep.

The next morning Pa found Jack's stiff body when he went to do the chores. They buried him on the low slope near the path he used to run up and down so gaily. Laura cried for Jack. It was then she realized she was not a little girl anymore. At thirteen, with both Pa and Jack gone, she knew it would be up to her to help Ma take care of the others.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

By The Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Unexpected Visitor

2010-03-13T12:54:00.001-08:00

Laura was washing dishes when Jack's growl alerted her someone was coming. Looking out the window she spotted a buggy being driven by a strange woman she didn't recognized. The house was untidy and both she and Ma were ashamed to have such company now. Mary, Carrie, baby Grace and Ma had all come down with scarlet fever and there hadn't been anybody around that could help Pa and Laura. The doctor had been there every day and Pa worried about how he would ever pay the bills. Far worse, the fever had robbed Mary of her eyesight. Laura described the woman in the buggy for Mary because Pa had said that she must now be Mary's eyes. The woman turned out to be the girls' Aunt Docia.

After a few hours of catching up on news from back home she explained the main reason for her visit--Docia's husband Hi was a contractor for the railroad. He was in need of a good man to be store keeper, bookkeeper and time keeper. Pa could have the job should he choose. It paid fifty dollars a month. Pa knew what that money would mean and he was itching once again to move further west. The grasshopper plague left a meager crop these past two years and the winter months didn't provide much meat to hunt and feed the family.

With Caroline's blessing Pa was able to sell the farm for two hundred dollars cash. It would be enough to square up on what they owed with a little extra left over. It was settled that Pa would leave with Docia in the morning, and in a couple of months when Mary was feeling stronger, the rest of the family would come to him by train.

Synopsis provided by Lorrie

Reading Group and Discussions of By the Shores of Silver Lake

2010-03-05T06:16:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, our group gets together and reads through the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It has been some time since we've had a chance to read, but we are starting with By the Shores of Silver Lake this weekend. Actually, I have over 60 books to review right now, so I won't be joining in, only participating in the discussions with the others using my memory of the many times I've read these books.

I'll be posting a synopsis of the chapters as they are provided to me by the coordinator. I hope you'll offer your insights and thoughts into this pioneering classic.

Vote in Our New Survey

2010-02-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

Take a minute while you're browsing around to vote in our new survey. We ask, "What other cast member's autobiography are you interested in?"

There are several choices and I left the last option for someone who isn't listed. Since these are autobiographies, the person would need to be living. I might also run one on biographies, which would allow us to include deceased members of the cast.

This Week on Hallmark Channel

2010-02-21T18:51:00.000-08:00

For anyone who isn't aware of it, though Hallmark Channel had briefly dropped Little House on the Prairie from its lineup, this channel is now running three episodes of the show back-to-back from 2 to 5 PM Eastern during the week, and from 6 to 8 AM Eastern on Saturday. Even knowing what a great show LHOP is, I'm amazed that it is so popular it can still be seen so many times during the week.

Some of my favorite episodes from the earlier seasons are on this week too:

Whisper County; I Remember, I Remember; A Most Precious Gift; I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away; The Wedding, and on Saturday, Stone Soup. Other episodes that will air this week can be found on Hallmark's website.

Fans of the show probably remember these, but here is a brief synopsis of each:

Whisper County: Mary leaves home for her first teaching job, but education is not highly regarded by the community, especially Miss Peale, with whom Mary has more than a few run-ins.

I Remember, I Remember: While waiting for Charles to come home, Caroline shares memories with her girls of how she met a young Charles Ingalls (portrayed by Matthew Labyorteaux).

A Most Precious Gift: Caroline worries that the baby she is carrying won't be the son she believes Charles desperately wants.

I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away: In the first part of this two-part episode, Mary has a new beau, named Seth and Walnut Grove is struggling to survive in hard economic times. When Mary's eye sight worsens, a trip to the doctor brings devastating news: she's going blind.

In the second part of this episode, Mary is sent to a school for the blind in Iowa. Feeling resentful and alone, her new teacher Adam Kendall, doesn't leave her much time to feel sorry for herself. While Mary is forced to learn to live in a world of sighted people, conditions in Walnut Grove worsen, and some of the townsfolk consider relocating. (Last episode featuring Mrs. Eva Beadle Simms.)

The Wedding: Adam finally works up the courage to ask Mary to be his wife. Caroline and Charles make the trip to Winoka for the ceremony, where Adam and Mary are working as teachers at a blind school. But when Caroline begins talking about how difficult it was to manage children, Mary worries that two blind people can't take care of a sighted baby and calls off the wedding. While on a picnic with children from the blind school, a sand storm kicks up, and one of the students, Susan Goodspeed, is lost, and Adam and Mary must search for her alone. (One of Linwood Boomer's finest performances, in my humble opinion.)

Stone Soup: This is one of my favorite episodes from Season 8. During a drought Almanzo and Charles decide to take a job hauling freight to Arizona, while a pregnant Laura is left home to tend to the Wilder's newly planted apple orchard. The drought only worsens, and Laura is exhausted trying to take care of the farm and teach school. When she suffers heatstroke, Caroline fills in at the school and shares a story with the children, that motivates Willie Oleson and his classmates to help others. (A fabulous episode to see how Willie has grown into a young man.)

All these episodes have the elements of a good story: strong plot, lots of conflict, and a resolution by the end. These are all classic Little House on the Prairie episodes that remind you why you fell in love with the series in the first place, and why we keep on watching.

And the Survey Says...

2010-02-20T22:29:00.001-08:00

It was no big surprise that most of those who voted in our recent survey said they were planning on buying Alison Arngrim's and Melissa Sue Anderson's books when they come out this spring. An equal amount (7%) said either they were not planning on buying them or that they were buying Melissa's book. It looks like none of our readers plans to buy only Alison's book.

I go back to my earlier post about Almanzo's birthday and how we're not quite sure what the future will bring for fans of Laura. It certainly seems like a good time to be a Little House on the Prairie fan, with three of the major stars from the series coming out with books over the past year.

We wish these ladies well. Maybe Dean will start writing down his story soon.

A diva can hope, can't she?

Happy Birthday Almanzo!

2010-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that February 13, 2010 marks the 153rd birthday of Almanzo James Wilder, the young boy whose youth was immortalized by his wife, Laura Ingalls Wilder, in Farmer Boy.

Growing up we read about Almanzo's huge appetite, his love of farming, and his desire to raise his own Morgan horses. We read further on in the Little House series and discovered Almanzo, now as a young man, running a store in town, where he meets his future wife. We learn how that brave young man risked his life to keep the people of De Smet from starving during the Hard Winter. Then we follow Laura and Almanzo's courtship and their first few years of marriage.

Years later, these beloved books would become a television series. Starting with Season 6 of Little House on the Prairie, actor Dean Butler would bring Almanzo James Wilder to life for fans of Laura's books. Through four seasons and three television movies, Dean's portrayal of Almanzo would capture the shy, quiet man who loved farming and horses.

Nearly twenty years later, Walt Goggins portrayed Almanzo Wilder in the two Beyond the Prairie movies. While his portrayal of Almanzo was different from Dean's, I always felt Goggins was able to capture the essence of the Almanzo I had learned so much about over the years.

Who knows what else the future will hold for Laura's fans. Dean Butler has already produced some of the bonus material included with the Little House on the Prairie DVDs. Butler's Legacy Documentaries brand came out with Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura, which is available through the Wilder Homestead, and Butler is working on a documentary about the legendary children's author now.

As we celebrate Almanzo's birthday, we also are thankful for the many people who continue to support Laura's legacy, and hope that the love for Laura's books and the many productions based upon them continues to grow for generations to come!

Happy Birthday Laura!

2010-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

In Chapter 20 of Little Town on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder shares the time she attended a birthday party for Ben Woodworth. It seems Laura didn't like much about her appearance. She wanted to be "tall and willowy, like Nellie Oleson". Her eyes were too far apart and they didn't sparkle. Though her hair was think and long, it wasn't golden like her sister Mary's.

Laura and her friend, Mary Power, went to the party together. They had: oyster soup with tiny oyster crackers, potato patties, codfish balls, and biscuits. They drank coffee and there was cake for dessert. The whole oranges that were cut to look like flowers were eaten with the cake. Then they played games and Laura told her Pa and Ma all about it.

Laura had so much fun that she had trouble concentrating in school. We learn in the next chapter that Laura will turn sixteen in ten months.

When you read chapters like this, you realize not everything has changed for teenage girls. Laura was not happy with how she looked, which is a problem that plagues many girls today. She was nervous about going to the party, but she had fun, and then school no longer held as much of her attention.

We see the young woman that Laura is quickly becoming. Laura meets Almanzo for the first time, though she knew who he was. They exchange name cards and soon Almanzo is escorting her home in the evenings.

Today, we honor the legacy that Laura Ingalls Wilder left us. Her books have touched hearts for generations and show no signs of slowing down. Television series and TV movies have been based upon those books that Laura wrote at the urging of her daughter Rose. Those same books are used by students who are studying the pioneering era, and there are still young girls who dress up like Laura on Halloween.

On her 143rd birthday, we offer our thanks that one little girl growing up on the prairie, many years later, put pen to paper and shared her life with us. With the popularity of the Little House on the Prairie Musical, and Dean Butler and Legacy Documentaries working on Laura Ingalls Wilder related projects, Laura's legacy will continue to play a role in the lives of many families. May we always remember Laura Ingalls Wilder!

Happy Birthday Laura!

New Story at Fanfiction.net

2010-01-27T13:38:00.001-08:00

I wrote a new fanfiction story over the holidays. It is titled "A Father's Heart" and it takes place during Laura and Almanzo's engagement in Season 6.

It is Christmastime, and Charles is struggling with the knowledge that next year at the same time Laura will no longer be living at the little house on Plum Creek. The relationship between Charles and Laura as she becomes a woman and gets ready to marry Almanzo is ripe with so many storylines that I often find myself drawn to this period in the show's timeline.

You can find the story here. I hope you enjoy it!

What Do You Think of the New Look?

2010-01-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

I'm in the mood for change lately. Traveling around the blogosphere checking out new blogs to host my clients has made me want bigger and better things for my blogs. So, with that in mind, I've added a background to this blog.

Let me know what you think of the new look. Feel free to share any ideas you have for what you would like to see here.

Thanks!

New Survey Now Open!

2010-01-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

Our new survey asks if you plan to purchase the upcoming Little House on the Prairie cast member autobiographies by Alison Arngrim and Melissa Sue Anderson.

The polls are open until February 13th. Feel free to share your thoughts in this thread.

Spring 2010 Brings Autobiographies from Little House on the Prairie Cast Members

2010-01-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

It looks like the time for Little House on the Prairie cast member autobiographies is here. Melissa Gilbert's Prairie Tale is a New York Times Bestseller. And this year will see the release of two more cast autobiographies, one from Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) and the other by Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls Kendall).

I own Prairie Tale, and plan to review it at The Book Connection, hopefully before I receive Arngrim's and Anderson's books, which I already have on preorder at Amazon. These books are due to come out around the same time, and I've received notices from Amazon that they will be shipped earlier than originally expected. Anderson's book looks like it will be out about a month before Arngrim's.

There aren't many details out about Arngrim's book, that I could quickly find, anyway, except that the title is Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated, and that it will be released around June 15th by a new imprint of HarperCollins, It Books.

Anderson's book is being released at the beginning of May from Globe Pequot. This is the product description of The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House:

When other girls her age were experiencing their first crushes, Melissa Sue Anderson was receiving handwritten marriage proposals from fans as young, and younger, than she was. When other girls were dreaming of their first kiss, Melissa was struggling through hers in front of a camera. From age eleven in 1974 until she left the show in 1981, Melissa Anderson literally grew up before the viewers of Little House on the Prairie.

Melissa, as Mary, is remembered by many as “the blind sister”—and she was the only actor in the series to be nominated for an Emmy. In The Way I See It, she takes readers onto the set and inside the world of the iconic series created by Michael Landon, who, Melissa discovered, was not perfect, as much as he tried to be. In this memoir she also shares her memories of working with guest stars like Todd Bridges, Lou Gossett, Jr., Mariette Hartley, Sean Penn, Patricia Neal, and Johnny Cash.

In addition to stories of life on the set, Melissa offers revealing looks at her relationships off-set with her costars, including the other Melissa (Melissa Gilbert) and Alison Arngrim, who portrayed Nellie Oleson on the show. And she relates stories of her guest appearances on iconic programs such as The Love Boat and The Brady Bunch.

Filled with personal, revealing anecdotes and memorabilia from the Little House years, this book is also a portrait of a child star who became a successful adult actress and a successful adult. These are stories from “the other Ingalls sister” that have never been told.

I wish both ladies great success with their books. Could there be more cast autobiographies coming in the future? A Dean Butler one would certainly make my day.

Christmas Survey Results

2010-01-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

How a year changes things. Last year when I asked our readers to vote for their favorite Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode, A Christmas They Never Forgot barely beat out Christmas on Plum Creek to take the title.

But this year, A Christmas They Never Forgot took 45% of the vote to the 22% that Christmas on Plum Creek received. The Christmas scene from the pilot came up with 18% of the vote, followed by Blizzard with 9% and Bless All the Dear Children with 3%. I wonder if some snow in that episode would have helped out those votes for the last one. Just kidding.

Thanks to all who participated. A new survey is coming soon.

A Christmas They Never Forgot--Reflections on a Favorite Episode

2009-12-13T12:22:00.001-08:00

Christmas always inspires me to share my thoughts, and this episode of Little House on the Prairie is a favorite of mine.

While the show ran for nine seasons plus three additional movies, we didn't see episodes surrounding Christmas often--and I don't think the last Christmas episode (Bless All the Dear Children) had any snow in it. Most likely because the show was filmed in California, and based upon my conversation with Kent McCray, it seems to have taken a great deal of effort to create those snowy scenes. (Rolled up sleeves around Christmas in Minnesota?)

That the little house on Plum Creek got blasted with so much snow that all their guests had to spend the night, is just one of the many things that makes this episode so special, as does the wonderful music that Michael Landon decided to use.

This is the last time that we see every member of the Ingalls clan together. By this time Mary and Adam are living in New York, and Hester Sue brings them to Walnut Grove as a surprise. We don't see Mary and Adam again, something that always makes me sad, as I wish they could have returned for the final movie.

The family sits around telling stories of Christmases past. Caroline, Almanzo, Laura and Hester Sue each share a bit of themselves with the entire group. We learn about how Caroline came to accept Papa Holbrook, and the Christmas that Almanzo almost stopped believing in Santa Claus. Laura shares the memory of Mr. Edwards coming for Christmas dinner when the Ingalls family lived in their little cabin in Kansas, and Hester Sue shares a Christmas as a black child from the south living during the Civil War.

Each story is touching and every story speaks volumes of what we have come to love about Little House on the Prairie.

One thing that sticks out to me in this episode is how much a part of the cast Dean Butler and his character Almanzo have become by this point. Now, I know I am slightly biased because I am a huge fan of Dean's, but Charles and Almanzo have many wonderful scenes together in this episode. I especially enjoy when Almanzo and Charles are about to go off to fix the barn door and Almanzo says, "Let's go Pop", to which Charles replies, "Follow me son." A far cry from their relationship at the beginning, where Charles punched the daylights out of Almanzo for possibly kissing his young daughter. Watching Charles's feelings toward Almanzo change is one of the best parts of the series for me. That's why I've written several fan fiction stories that involve these two men--including a new one that I am in the process of editing.

Since so many of you have voted for this episode as your favorite, I would love to read your comments on what is so special about this episode to you.

Merry Christmas everyone!

December Featured Books of the Month

2009-12-12T20:50:00.001-08:00

Back in the early 90's--when I didn't have gray hair--I picked up an eight book set by T.L. Tedrow called The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder.I did not know at the time that this series was considered controversial. That Roger Lea MacBride, the heir of Rose Wilder Lane, and Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer William Anderson had come out against the books. All I remember from those days is that I was totally captivated by these eight books that provided a fictional life for the famous children's author and her family.

Released in 1992 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, according to this article, Tedrow was also trying to put together a television deal to produce a series based upon the books.

I haven't read these books since I first bought them; and I wonder now that I have taken an interest in the real life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family, if I would enjoy these books as much as I did when they first came out over 15 years ago.

I am featuring these books in December for a couple of reasons: I would like to know how many people own them or have read them, and what your opinion of them is regardless of whether you've read them or not. Is this pure historical fiction? Is it a rip-off of the original books? After hearing about them would you read them?

Here is the list of books in order:

Missouri Homestead
Children of Promise
Good Neighbors
Home to the Prairie
The World's Fair
Mountain Miracle
The Great Debate
Land of Promise

Wikipedia offers a synopsis of each book in the series and briefly mentions the controversy surrounding the books. Amazon has a few sellers who offer a boxed set of books 1 - 4, and the full set is available on eBay, as are single copies of each book.

New Favorite Christmas Episode Survey

2009-11-19T11:46:00.001-08:00

Well, it's back. I have just posted the survey asking what your favorite Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode is. Though I know I am totally biased, mine will always be A Christmas They Never Forgot. I enjoy hearing about Almanzo's, Caroline's, and Hester Sue's childhoods, and listening to Laura retell the story of their Christmas in Kansas brings back fond memories. It's also nice to have Adam and Mary back in Walnut Grove again, though I wish we had seen more of them.

Make sure you vote for your favorite in our sidebar. I also changed the voice over on the AudioPal so give it a listen.

New Laura and Almanzo Story at Fanfiction.net

2009-10-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

I believe most of you know that I write Little House fanfiction stories. In the beginning, I tried my best to mix real life and the show, but at some point fans of these stories requested I fill in the gaps in Laura and Almanzo's romance that inevitably are created by the limits of television and the need to have a one-hour storyline and provide a season's worth of episodes that focus on more than two characters.

I have taken my task seriously and now have written at least sixty stories based upon Little House on the Prairie, the majority of which use the show's characters as inspiration. Whenever I write a story featuring Laura and Almanzo, I have to admit that I visualize Melissa Gilbert and Dean Butler acting it out. This helps me to create stories that, for the most part, stay true to the characters and the end product is a better story because I can include Beth's and Manly's mannerisms and facial expressions from watching episodes over and again.

My latest story is titled, Finding A Way. It takes places during Season 9, after the episode A Child With No Name, which is where Baby Boy Wilder is born and dies.

One of the limits of television is that you can't get inside a character's head visually. So much can take place in a character's mind--and often does--which is why I feel that Stephen King's books don't always make it to film well. King is the master of internal thought and often uses dreams to relay what his characters are thinking and experiencing. The advantage to this limitation, however, is that viewers who wanted to get inside those characters' heads have created stories that hopefully honor the essence of the show and its characters, and help to fill in those missing elements. That is what I try to do with my fanfiction.

In Finding A Way, Laura struggles to move on even though six months have passed since Baby Boy Wilder's death. At the end of A Child With No Name, a repentant Laura announces happily to Doc Baker that she and Almanzo are thinking of having another baby. As a mother, that doesn't seem possible to me. Laura's grief over the loss of her son wouldn't disappear just because Doc Baker ended up saving Rose's life. But again, the episode is only one hour long, and Landon and his writers certainly came up with the best way to close out the episode by having Laura see the light, making the way for Doc Baker stay in Walnut Grove.

What I attempted to do with this story is show that Laura and Almanzo's marriage and life didn't just go back to normal. There was a time when Laura grieved deeply for her son and was afraid of getting pregnant again. Almanzo struggled too, but in a different way. As he tried to get closer to Laura, she moved further away from him. He felt lonely and isolated, much as he did when he thought he would never walk again (Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow).

I'm not sure how others will feel about this story, but I am truly thrilled with how it turned out. If you are interested in reading it, you can find it at www.fanfiction.net.

Back to School - Season 6

2009-09-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Now that Labor Day has come and almost gone, thoughts turn to school days. My girls actually started last week, but they don't do much during that first week. Homework will start tomorrow--UGH--and the kids will really start getting down to work.

It probably isn't surprising, then, that my thoughts also turned to the first episode of Season 6 - Back to School. Michael Landon began Little House on the Prairie that year (Sept. 1979) with a two-part episode that introduced new characters: Eliza Jane Wilder and her handsome brother, Almanzo. Eliza Jane became the new school teacher and her brother Almanzo got a job working at the Feed and Seed, in addition to taking care of the Wilder farm.

The introduction of Almanzo was important for viewers because fans of the books knew that this character would be the man Laura Ingalls ended up marrying. I can imagine the pressure that put on Michael, and on Dean Butler, who portrayed Almanzo Wilder.

As we discussed last month--though most of that conversation took place at Facebook--the romance that Michael Landon and his writers created is very different from what fans of the books knew. In the books, it is Almanzo who pursues Laura. On the show, however, Melissa Gilbert's character, Laura, had a huge crush on Almanzo from the moment she saw him. Caught somewhere between childhood and womanhood, a growing and changing Laura hoped and prayed that Almanzo would see her as older than she was. This would be the way their relationship played out through most of Season 6, until the episode Sweet Sixteen where Almanzo finally does realize that Laura isn't a little girl anymore.

But I'm moving ahead too quickly; in Back to School we also see Nellie Oleson graduate, leaving the Walnut Grove school, and Laura, behind. This must have been hard on poor Laura, who is already trying to prove to her pa and Almanzo that she's no longer a child. And what makes matters worse is that Nellie thinks Almanzo is dreamy too; not to mention that Harriet is playing matchmaker for her daughter by inviting Zaldamo--as she calls him--to dinner at Nellie's Restaurant--an unexpected and unwanted graduation gift from Nellie's parents.

What results from this matchmaking attempt is one of the best Laura and Nellie fights of the series. Even though it seems that Nellie has it all over Laura, it's usually Nellie who is miserable in the end; and this episode is no different.

The important dinner between Nellie and Almanzo is ruined when Laura agrees to cook for them because neither Nellie nor her mother can cook anything. But Nellie doesn't want Almanzo to know she can't cook, so Laura is kept hidden in the kitchen, which gives her ample time to shake cayenne pepper on the chicken instead of cinammon. One bite of that chicken and Almanzo and Nellie are running for the pump to drink like fish and cool off their burning tongues.

Not one to take losing lightly, Nellie vows revenge; and boy does she get it. Convinced that the only way her father and Almanzo will see her as a woman, Laura decides to take her final exam so that she can graduate. Problem is, Charles has been out of work after being hit by a mill stone, and they can't afford to buy Laura the books she needs to study. Determined to pass that test, Laura begs Nellie to let her borrow her books--which Nellie does. Now, even though Miss Wilder has told Laura that the test will be mostly history, Nellie manages to convince Laura that Miss Wilder is lying to protect her job. Can't have any young, new teachers stealing her school, you know. So, guess what? Laura doesn't pass the test and she is more than upset.

A very satisfied Nellie stumbles upon a crying Laura on her way back from delivering cookies to Almanzo at the farm. Gee, there might have been a bit more history on the test than she remembered. You think! So, Laura proceeds to give Nellie more than a piece of her mind.

Don't you know that Almanzo picks this very moment to be driving back into town and comes upon Nellie and Laura in the watering hole. He pulls Laura off Nellie and brings her back to his place to get washed up. He gives her a robe and something to warm her up, then gets her to realize that not passing the test isn't the end of the world. And what does he get for his gallant behavior? Almanzo gets punched by Charles, who sure isn't happy to see Laura mooning all over the much older Almanzo while dressed in his robe. Seems an angry Nellie finally dragged her muddy body back to town and told Charles that she saw Laura and Almanzo kissing. We all remember what kind of temper Charles has, right?

Everything ends up okay though. Pa apologizes to Half-pint for the misunderstanding and they both blame Nellie for everything that happened. Then Laura makes them a picnic lunch and they go fishing.

Back to School is one of my favorite Little House episodes. It's where my crush on Dean Butler began. We see Laura struggling in that nasty place called adolescence--which we can all relate to; Pa continues his battle against being okay with his Half-pint growing up; and Nellie and Laura still fight from time to time to make things interesting. This is classic Little House at its best; and it still amazes me that after all these years, new generations of fans are discovering and enjoying the show that I grew up with.

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

When the Ingalls family was traveling in their covered wagon from the Big Woods of Wisconsin to Independence, Kansas there was no such thing as Labor Day. Though when you consider the sunup to sundown effort put in by pioneering families, you have to think they sure needed a day off. Perhaps that's part of why keeping the Lord's Day sacred was so important--it not only gave them time to compose their souls, but also to rest their weary bodies.

Charles Ingalls was a farmer--among other things--so the Industrial Revolution might not have meant much to him; but American workers demanded reprieve from long hours and poor working conditions. And thus, the first Labor Day parade was held in September 1882, where workers vocalized the issues they had with employers in the hopes that it would make a difference.

It would be over a decade before Labor Day became an official holiday, but American workers, like the pioneers before them, made their mark on America. Today we celebrate those contributions.

For a brief history of Labor Day, visit history.com.

Happy Labor Day!

New Survey

2009-08-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

The latest survey is tied into the topic we discuss in this post.

Laura and Almanzo's romance was portrayed very differently in the show than in the books. We would love to know which version you prefer. Take our survey and feel free to leave additional comments here.