visiting rocky ridge farm

last weekend we took a very delightful trip to Laura Ingalls Wilder Days in mansfield missouri. it was such a blessing in so many ways. B really enjoyed dressing the part of young laura ingalls and i had fun sewing the prairie dress (except when i couldn't find the directions for the bonnet and had to make it up as i went along, and when the pleats on the pantaloons didn't come out right, and the pattern made a simple dress waaaaay more complicated than need be...other than that, i really enjoyed getting back to the sewing machine). ;o) but i digress...

...while B was busy imagining the life of a 9 year old girl in a covered wagon, i was so pleased to learn more about the woman/farmer/wife/author she became. i have been enjoying two new books that i purchased at the gift shop: On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894 and Laura Ingalls Wilder: Farm Journalist. both of these books reveal the true character of a woman who faced and overcame many hardships. a woman whose determination and courage are the epitome of the american pioneering spirit.

barefoot country girl!

B as laura ingalls

"The Little House Books are stories of long ago...the way we live and your schools are much different now. So many changes have made living and learning easier. But the real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful: to be happy with simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong."

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

standing before the judges. she was very brave!

and to this mama's eye, she was the cutest prairie girl around! *smile*

making friends with one of the other "lauras"

B made friends with a girl just her age at the contest and it was a highlight of the trip! together they played, chatted, and twirled their dresses while they waited through the long procession of laura and almanzo look-alikes. they had decided to become pen pals, but sadly, she slipped away with her grandpa afterwards before addresses could be exchanged.

B in her prairie dress, apron, bonnet, and pantaloons. however, she ditched the stockings and shoes and went barefoot for the look alike contest.

B and grammy waiting for the play to begin in the outdoor theater

the ingalls family portrayed by the ozark moutain players

in the presentation of "Laura's Memories"

we visited the grave site of almanzo and laura ingalls wilder.

stepping back in time

i loved this little window

B sitting on the porch of the rock house

the three of us, my mom, B and i, standing in front of the rock house,

it was a really special time for just the girls to be together.

i know we will treasure the memories of this trip!

rocky ridge farm, mansfield, missouri

"When I look around the farm now and see the smooth, green, rolling meadows and pastures, the good fields of corn and wheat and oats; when I see the orchard and strawberry field like huge bouquets in the spring or full of fruit later in the season; when I see the grape vines hanging full of lucious grapes, I can hardly bring back to mind the rough, rocky, brushy, ugly place that we first called Rocky Ridge Farm. The name given it then serves to remind us of the battles we have fought and won and gives a touch of sentiment and an added value to the place.

"In conclusion, I am going to quote from a little gift book which my wife sent out to a few friends last Christmas:

'Just come and visit Rocky Ridge,

Please grant us our request,

We'll give you all a jolly time-

Welome the coming; speed the parting guest.' "

A.J. Wilder, July 22, 1911

everyday gift: celebrating an american treasure, laura ingalls wilder

lessons from Little House on the Prairie

this historic stone house makes the perfect setting for the park district classes about Little House on the Prairie. it was built in 1860, about the same time that laura ingalls was living out the pioneer adventures she wrote about in her books. B has had a wonderful time with the
projects they have done: making butter, molasses snow candy (with snow saved in the freezer from this winter!), and soap. and then learning to do laundry... the old fashioned way! she thought it was great fun, although i suspect she would tire of it really soon if was not a game!

a cake of homemade soap

Wash on Monday

Iron on Tuesday

Mend on Wednesday

Churn on Thursday

Bake on Saturday

Rest on Sunday

laundry day

putting the clothes through the wringer

B carrying water for laundry day




scrubbing on the wash board

swing your partner!

the kids had a great time learning some dance steps

and imagining pa playing his fiddle!

everyday gift: living history lessons

Little House in the Big Woods

this summer B and i had the nicest time with laura ingalls! before it gets too far behind us, i wanted to post the last pictures of our projects. the one project that we did not accomplish was to sew a rag doll like charlotte. but i have a simple pattern and some muslin set aside. we will have to fit that in when we begin Little House on the Prairie later in the year.

this little log cabin belonged to my dad when he was a boy. (i wish i knew who built it.) i thought it made the perfect bookend to our little house books.

B with Grammy, sharing about her first week of school



B made a corncob doll just like laura's. here is the cob drying and the corn silk for her hair. she decided that the husks did not make a suitable dress for susan, though.

"Laura had only a corncob wrapped in a handkerchief, but it was a good doll. It was named Susan. It wasn't Susan's fault that she was only a corncob.

"For breakfast there were pancakes, and Ma made a pancake man for each one of the children. Ma called each one in turn to bring her plate, and each could stand by the stove and watch, while with the spoonful of batter Ma put on the arms and legs and the head. It was exciting to watch her turn the whole little man over, quickly and carefully, on a hot griddle. When it was done, she put it smoking hot on the plate."

~Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods

to see pictures from our special little house trip click on the the 'little house' label.

little house wayside

while mark and the boys were away last week at another boy scout camp (more on their adventures later), we decided to take a little road trip, a girls' get-away! we set off for the birth place of laura ingalls wilder and the site of the little house in the big woods. it really brought our reading of the book to life and gave us some special time together.

although the original cabin has not survived, the replica sits on the foundation of the cabin charles ingalls built for his family in the early 1860's. it was charming.

"The 'Little House' books are stories of long ago. the way we live and your schools are much different now; so many changes have made living and learning easier. But the real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong." ~ laura ingalls wilder

B and i at the Little House in the Big Woods

this old carriage stood outside the great river amish inn, where we stayed.

"Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs."

i loved the big stone chimney

B at laura ingalls wilder park

pepin railroad depot museum

everyday gift: living out our history lessons

scenes of pepin, wisconsin

B and i had a lovely time walking through the quaint little town of pepin, wisconsin. it seemed everywhere we looked we saw a picture. i think wading in lake pepin and collecting pebbles and shells was a highlight for B. when we got home we stitched up a little calico pocket to hold her pebbles. they were selling them in the gift shop, but we made our own in about 10 minutes! :o)

trains rumbled through town quite frequently between lake pepin and first street. i loved the potted boats!

a cafe along first street with a view of the lake

the gray building is The Pickle Factory, a fun little restaurant right on the lake.

" But Laura and Mary ran along the lake shore, picking up pretty pebbles that had been rolled back and forth by the waves until they were polished smooth. There were no pebbles like that in the Big Woods."

the shore of lake pepin

secret message in the sand

a calico pocket of lake pepin treasures

"The heavy pebbles tore her pocket right out of her dress. The pocket fell, and the pebbles rolled all over the bottom of the wagon box."

everday gift: having B all to myself on a special trip

honey wheat bread and fresh churned butter

honey wheat bread

2 pkgs. active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

1/3 cup honey (ours came from a local beekeeper! thanks, chris!)

1 T salt

1/4 cup shortening (i use butter)

1 3/4 cup warm water
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour (up to 4 cups)

in a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. stir in honey, salt, shortening, 1 3/4 warm water, and the wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the all purpose flour to make the dough easy to handle.

turn dough onto lightly floured surface. knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. place in a greased bowl and turn once. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

punch dough down; divide in half. roll into loaves., place seam sides down in 2 greased loaf pans. brush lightly with butter. cover and let rise another hour.

heat oven to 375*. bake until loaves are golden and sound golden when tapped, about 30 - 40 minutes. remove from the pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.

kneading the dough

didn't it rise beautifully?!

B with her fresh loaves of bread and homemade butter. she did such a great job! (i realize she needs a comb run through her hair, but i like to think that the real laura ingalls was not worried about combing her hair either!)

everyday gift: fresh bread baked by a little prairie girl