Thanksgiving on the Prairie

 

Thanksgiving is upon us, and that makes us think of family, friends, and all of our blessings. Little House on the Prairie didn't feature traditional Thanksgiving Day episodes. A recent article by Michael John Petty, appearing on Collider, discusses why. You can check out his article here.

During Season 6 (1979), a two-part clips movie titled, "The Little House Years" featured the Ingalls and Kendall families sitting around the table on Thanksgiving. Laura goes through her remembrance book and shares stories covering the joys, sorrows, trials, and triumphs of their life on the prairie, like coming to Walnut Grove, the birth and loss of Baby Freddie, when Grandpa Ingalls came to live with them in Walnut Grove after the death of Grandma Laura Colby Ingalls, and some of Nellie Oleson's shenanigans. 

Though this two-parter starts out with a blooper--Laura says she wrote, "We go today," in her remembrance book when they left the Big Woods, while in the pilot Laura's narration says if she had a remembrance book she would have written down about leaving the Big Woods--this is a great episode that featured some of the best and most dramatic episodes from the first five seasons.

Due to a rights issue, "The Little House Years" does not appear on the DVD sets. Not sure if that will change in the future. 

Have you seen these episodes? Which stories were your favorites? 

Do You Remember "The Little House Years?"

How many of you remember the three-part clips episode, "The Little House Years?" It's easy to forget, since it isn't included on the DVDs. I spoke to Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder) about it once. He eluded to a rights issue, but didn't know the exact nature of the issue.

Sitting around the table at Thanksgiving with Mary and Adam Kendall, Laura shares some of the family's journeys and memories. This is one great way to share the history of the Ingalls family with adopted brother, Albert.

I don't remember all of them, but scenes from when they left the Big Woods, when they bought the house on Plum Creek, when Charles lost his crop and had to travel to find work with the railroad, when Laura ran away, and several others are included. You also catch a glimpse of a young Shawna Landon in the library picking out a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder's book.

It is my sincere hope that this part of season 6 is one day released. Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.

The Little House Years

How many of you recall "The Little House Years," which was a clips episode where Laura shares the Ingalls' journeys around the Thanksgiving table? According to the IMDB, this episode takes place in 1882. I would have to dig out my old tapes to see if that date is mentioned. Any idea if that is true?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Thanksgiving dinner was good. Pa shot a wild goose for it. Ma had to stew the goose because there was no fireplace, and no oven in the little stove. But she made dumplings in the gravy. There were corn dodgers and mashed potatoes. There were butter, and milk, and stewed dried plums. And three grains of parched corn lay beside each tin plate.

At the first Thanksgiving dinner the poor Pilgrims had had nothing to eat but three parched grains of corn. Then the Indians came and brought them turkeys, so the Pilgrims were thankful.

Now, after they had eaten their good, big Thanksgiving dinner, Laura and Mary could eat their grains of corn and remember the Pilgrims."--On the Banks of Plum Creek

Wishing you and your family and happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving!