PrincessLuceval

I didn't realize that, Batman Beatles. I thought they always had the tea, because WonderPa brought home a couple pounds of it when the stores were running out of things. Ma even praised him for it.

Split Enz is my favorite all time band. They just didn't pick up much of a following in the US, although they're considered a national treasure in New Zealand and Australia. There are a bunch of songs I like of theirs with good videos, but one I remember from the very earliest days of Mtv was this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAzIzmfzN_Q

Well, today starts The Long Winter. I was just looking at the Wikipedia article about it, and it claims that this book is the closest to historical accuracy of the series - that is, that winter was truly a bad one, trains were stranded/frozen in, and the railroad company pretty much abandoned efforts to get the trains moving until spring. Cap and Almanzo did go for the wheat, and the family did twist hay for fuel. There was no Indian warning though. This book contains another Mary-slapworthy passage: when Laura goes to help Pa drive off the cattle that had drifted in after the first blizzard. Their breath had frozen their heads to the ground. Laura was trying to describe it to the family when she went back in the house, and Ma and Mary basically called her a liar. Then Pa came in and told the same story, and they're all like Oh, really, how horrible!

Laura Ingalls: Little Jan Brady On The Prairie. The coat was actually made over from an old coat of Ma's - the collar and cuffs were the swansdown. And I guess after pulling off the feathers, the down was left intact, and then the skin of the swan was tanned? cured? however the skin would have been. It sounded fragile, until it was sewn onto something. "She has never once repined." Yeah, except to be extra prissy and picky to Laura.

No, it was in On The Banks Of Plum Creek, which we just finished. I remember not liking this book as a kid, just because the beginning was so depressing. However, when they're heading out on the train, and then meet up with Lena and the gang, I really liked it. And I agree, the Christmas chapter and the friendship with the Boasts are really cozy and enjoyable to read.

Awww, kikismom! I guess Sharpies weren't used, huh? I'm glad your mom was able to embroider her face back. (And man, that's a weird sentence to type.)

On the Banks of Plum Creek: Ma sucks for giving away Laura's only doll. I hope she felt guilty enough, both in the days after when Laura's mourning the loss, and when Laura finally steals Charlotte back, scalped and frozen. "It had not been wrong for Laura to take back Charlotte. It had been a terrible experience for Charlotte, but Laura had rescued her." It had been a terrible thing for LAURA. And yeah, she got Charlotte back, but it was a different Charlotte after Ma was done with her. Grr.

I always wished the girls knew their fractions better, and each nibbled 2/3 of their cookies from Mrs. Nelson. Then they could each put their leftovers together for Carrie. Yeah, I thought about that stuff.

Oh, my. The whole snark appeal of TWoP's LH thread was indeed, based upon the horror that was the Sylvia episode. This might help you understand it, but it may need to be seen to be appreciated for all of the "WTF was Michael Landon thinking?" that went into it. http://badassdigest.com/2011/08/24/raped-by-a-mime-the-creepiest-episode-of-little-house-on-the-prairie

He liked a country where the wild animals lived without being afraid.....of him! So he could more easily catch them! So this is the one with the Jack Drowns But Doesn't episode. Really, they could've found a spot in the wagon for him.

It was even two meals, if you think about it - the broth from the beans was lunch, with bread. And then the beans were the baked beans for supper. Argh, it's pancake night again. Farmer Boy makes me want pancakes like no other book.

Dean Koontz's Life Expectancy. His books are so hit or miss with me, because they cover so many different genres. But this one is gripping, and charming, and very well done. And Boy's Life, by Robert McCammon. Such a wonderful, rich coming of age story, with a little mystery behind it. It was required reading for my son in school, and he loved it so much he recommended it to me.

It took me a couple of Alex Cross books to realize that he's black. It may have been the clues weren't strong enough for me to catch, or more likely (I like to think) that it didn't seem to matter, so I just populated the book with what I know.

I always loved the expression that Mrs. White used when she and Laura were sewing all the shirts. "We're behindhand!" It sounded somewhat dirty. :)

I may have missed it, but I got the impression that they wore the hoops for dressing up only? So yes, jammed in the sleigh for church they'd be a pain, but around the house, Alice didn't wear them? (The older girls and Mother did though.) Has anyone tried apples n onions? I was tempted to, when the cookbook came out. I'm sure it's an acquired taste, but apples can be savory too, so it's not too much of a weird combination.

I find it a reach to assume Mr. Thompson is Jewish, based on his penurious nature and hook nose. The nose is Garth Williams' illustration/interpretation. And Thompson is a name of Scottish origin (also a group of people known for thrift.)

Thomas Hardy does write scenes very well. Except the first chapter of The Return Of The Native. I think one would have to have been raised on the heath and also love it to read through that chapter. So, so detailed, and so, so uninteresting. Years later I came into a recorded version of the book, read by Alan Rickman, whose voice I love. Even he couldn't make the heath on the moors interesting. The rest of the book is wonderful, such complex characters.

Can't you parse a sentence, sgitt? (*Proceeds to diagram sentence with weird circles and arrows taking up a full page.*) We never had to do that quite detailed in school, but we did have to go through and identify the parts of speech. (And from what I interpret, it's in the unidentified first person - as I was climbing the mountain I saw an eagle circling near the top.)

She may have possibly had post-partum depression. Along with actually hating being in the cold, barren prairie in a one room hovel with only her family and a stranger.

I read where hair was cut to "cool the head" thinking it would keep the fever down.

Pussy in corner Game played during Pa's absence On Banks Of Plum Creek.

Don't be saucy, Sharpie66.

I remember looking up delaine later, to find out exactly what it was:a lightweight dress fabric of wool or wool and cotton made in prints or solid colors.

Yeah, I picture the screwdriver winding up the worms, much like a fork winds up spaghetti noodles. :) Thanks for the laugh.

Right, since it was only in Wisconsin. I realize that Minnesota is the settling place for the Swedish immigrants, but they were in Wisconsin too. I guess in the whole extended family, being a blonde was a rarity?