Pickles Aplenty

I always thought it was cool that Mary and Laura slept upstairs, with a ladder to take them up. I really, really wanted that kind of room when I was a kid. I didn't hate Mary until she went blind. At that point, she became St. Mary and Laura had to work her fingers to the bone while Mary held Grace in the rocker and sewed and looked all blonde and angelic. She didn't bother me nearly as much when I was a kid, but this re-read as an adult made me hate her. Ha! That's exactly what I thought when I read this chapter the second...third...whatever time around. I swear, Pa gets dumber with every book. The house sounded lovely, but they didn't have money for those clean, pine boards, OR the real broom, OR the nice cookstove. Maybe plant something before you buy your family a bunch of shit, eh, Charles?

I don't give a crap about Angie and Brad's wedding, and I think her dress was ugly.

I may be the only person alive who couldn't get into Wicked. I tried reading it, but I couldn't get past the first fifty pages. It was written in a very weird way, and I wasn't quite sure what was going on.

Oh, no doubt. This is why I prefer the later books to the earlier ones. Teenage Laura, working and being courted by Almanzo, will always be more interesting than little Laura, who...helps Pa make doors. Riveting. My husband, though, prefers the how-to excerpts from these books. He's never read the series, but I have read parts of it aloud to him, and he finds the way people used to do things fascinating. He couldn't give two shits about the later stuff that I prefer, LOL.

It would have sounded like this: Laura and Mary woke up and rubbed their eyes. It was finally Christmas morning! Ma started to brew coffee for Pa as Laura leaped out of bed, running to her stocking. "Don't run, Laura!" said Ma. Laura slowed down as Mary stepped out of bed like a lady and joined her at the hanging stockings. Pa took down Mary's, and then Laura's. "It looks like Santa Claus remembered two good little girls," said Pa, grinning. "there is a lump in these stockings!" Laura and Mary took their stockings. Inside, there were two little white cakes, perfect and sweet. "Oh, Pa!' said Laura. "Santa Claus gave us cakes! Oh, they are so white and pretty!" Mary smiled and took a dainty nibble out of her cake. Laura took a bigger bite out of hers. Ma frowned. "You know, girls," said Ma. "Carrie only has one cake in her stocking. It would be very nice of both of you to give her one of your cakes. That way, Carrie will have three cakes." "Yes, Ma." Mary dropped one of her cakes in Carrie's stocking and smiled sweetly. Laura's face grew hot. She did not want to give Carrie one of her cakes. Carrie didn't even have teeth yet! Ma looked at Laura and gave an encouraging nod. Finally, Laura dropped one of her cakes in Carrie's stocking. "Those are my good girls," said Ma. "Well, I'm off to hunt," said Pa. "Maybe I'll shoot us a prairie dog , and we can have a real, Christmas dinner. We'll live like kings!" Pa finished his coffee, took his gun, and left. Ma wished Laura and Mary a happy Christmas and told them to make the beds.

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. I just thought it sucked, and the characters didn't seem "real" enough to pull me into the story.

I feel so dumb right now. Ever since I was a kid, I thought Ma was planning to just put a scoop of white sugar in the stockings. It didn't occur to me AT ALL that she was going to make cakes. :P

Did Ma ever say "The only good Indian is a dead Indian", or was that their neighbor, Mrs. Scott? I can't remember.

Lots of people did back then. Ma feared what she didn't understand.

Carrie was 17 when that photo was taken?! She looks 55!

Yeah, I think Pa pulled this story completely out of his ass. Bet you anything he stayed too long at the nearest saloon, "catching up on the news", and staggered home late. I can totally see him as an alcoholic. Protecting Jack should have been a top priority for Pa. The family had no sons, and Ma and the girls were left by themselves all day while Pa went out hunting. Sure, he left Ma the gun every now and then, but having a good watchdog around made a HUGE difference in terms of their safety. Think of the number of times Jack senses something is amiss before anyone suspects anything; the fact that dumb Pa didn't even think to put him in the wagon makes my blood boil. Because Ma is a persnickety bitch.

I like Cersei Lannister.

Problem by Ariana Grande needs to die. Every time she strains her voice for those high notes I think to myself, "Bitch, you can't sing! STOP!!" I like Wonderful Christmastime. *crickets*

I thought one of the episodes revealed that he wasn't. Hmmmmmm... Not that I can recall, but I could be wrong. Jimmy could always be Nucky's son, if he and Gillian had a sexual relationship. That would be weird.

I liked this book less as an adult. I think RWL's political agenda kind of ruined it for me.

It would be interesting if Jimmy wasn't the Commodore's son, after all. I don't know if a twist like that would have much of an impact on the show, but it's the only thing I can think of, now.

I'll be watching, just because I've been with it since the beginning and need to see how it ends. I agree with you on not caring about anybody left, though. I never cared about Chalky all that much, and they stripped away everything interesting about Gillian. Nucky was interesting until season three (god, how I hate season three), but now he's just a shell of himself. I'm not sure how Margaret still fits into the story. Still not over Richard's death. Yeah, I'll be tuning in, but only out of obligation.

I think some parents are harder on kids of the same sex, which could also explain Caroline being strict with the girls and Mother Wilder being easy-going with Almanzo. If Freddie had lived, I'm sure he would have known a slightly tougher Pa and a gentler Ma.

Eating the way they did, I'm surprised everyone wasn't incredibly fat.

Because FW's friend is robbing the guy of a lot of money using the threat of violence, and it's presented as a good thing. In modern society, that will get you thrown in jail. The old guy was a world-class jerk, but that doesn't mean this level of vigilantism (towards someone who had not physically harmed or threatened Almanzo or anyone else) is justified. I agree, and I suspect that the old "skinflint" in this book is supposed to be Jewish. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but the illustration is of a hook-nosed man, and since nearly everyone was anti-Semitic back then, in some capacity, it makes me wonder. Also, what does Almanzo do that's so wonderful he deserves money all the time? First Father Wilder gives him a half-dollar at the fair, and then this happens. Meanwhile, Laura was jumping for joy over a penny and a tin cup. Such a big difference.

Oh, Farmer Boy...I really do think this is the most boring book in the series, by far. I like the character of Almanzo, but hearing about his oh-so-perfect childhood is too much for me. There is very little conflict or struggle in this book, and it moves at a snail's pace. The only chapters that hold my interest are when the teacher whips the ever-loving crap out of that kid, and when the Mother and Father Wilder leave town for a week and the kids screw around. Other than that? Meh. Almanzo gets much more interesting when he moves to De Smet and starts courting Laura. One thing I found interesting is when Almanzo asks Father Wilder if they should pay for a machine to thresh the wheat, and FW says that's the lazy man's way, when Pa Ingalls did just that in Big Woods. Heh-heh.

Wow...I never noticed how bitchy Mary became in OtSoSL. While they're riding the train, she narcs on Laura for fidgeting, just to show that she can. When they're out in the middle of nowhere she chastises Laura for not wearing her sunbonnet, even though there isn't anyone around to see her bare head for miles and miles. Then, when Laura tells Pa she wants to see the railroad being made, Mary says something like, "I don't know why you'd want to see that, Laura. It's so much nicer in the shanty, making quilt patches." UGH. Drop dead, Mary. I know this sounds crazy, but some people like going outside. Now shut up and make more of your stupid quilt patches. Another interesting thing about the book is the song Pa plays on the fiddle the first night in the surveyor's house: I've traveled about a bit in my time And of troubles I've seen a few But found it better in every clime To paddle my own canoe My wants are few. I care not at all If my debts are paid when due I drive away strife in the ocean of life When I paddle my own canoe Then love your neighbor as yourself As the world you go traveling through And never sit down with a tear or a frown But paddle your own canoe Then Pa says, "That's what we've always done, Caroline!" and Ma says, "Yes, Charles, and we haven't always been so comfortable and so well provided for." Hee!

Ma definitely seems happier when they're closer to family, but I think Laura being so young also has something to do with it.

Oh, god...I had forgotten about that chapter. That wasn't the same one where Pa performed in the minstrel show, is it?

It will be interesting to re-read it as an adult, knowing what I know now about Rose's contributions. The tone is completely different, in an almost unsettling way.