Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[debraran]

19 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

I find it funny when Nels said the Ingalls can provide more like that, than the Oelson;s can

 

Like what? A father who breaks his ribs, and always screws up?

Yes, Nels was a good dad, Harriet spoiled the kids, but he didn't. They really weren't "bad" most of the time and Willie turned out to be more mischievous than a bully etc. Albert did some not so nice things, wasn't Charle's fault per se. He smoked, caused havoc with that, lied about the bees, put in ad so Nel's would lose items in his store he paid for, got on drugs. I think Willie was much less stress. 

[Blergh]

On 5/4/2024 at 6:29 AM, debraran said:

Yes, Nels was a good dad, Harriet spoiled the kids, but he didn't. They really weren't "bad" most of the time and Willie turned out to be more mischievous than a bully etc. Albert did some not so nice things, wasn't Charle's fault per se. He smoked, caused havoc with that, lied about the bees, put in ad so Nel's would lose items in his store he paid for, got on drugs. I think Willie was much less stress. 

Yeah, Willie  purloining the Mercantile's candy supply and occasionally echoing the maternal prejudices he heard annoyed Nels but he was much easier to raise than Albert wound up being for the Ingallses!

 Also, it was interesting to see Willie actually become a popular kid with both genders by the time of his teenhood  and even become friends with Albert despite their elder sisters' warring history!

Towards the end, one somehow wondered if he deliberately said/did things to get sent to the schoolhouse corner just for old times' sake instead of seeking to cause any trouble (although I wished he'd piped up about himself having vandalized Mr. Applewood's briefcase instead of letting Mr. Applewood be ready to use her as his literal whipping girl before Charles beat him out of it)!

[Blergh]

Anyone around who still wants to hash over this series?

IIRC, at least one of the last episodes in which the Ingallses were in Burr Oak, somehow they had a telephone in their apartment. Did I imagine this? How could they have afforded a telephone. .or for that matter Albert's intended medical school tuition?

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm still here. I don't remember a telephone (or Burr Oak) but didn't Albert get a scholarship? Remembering, of course, that Albert both died and became a doctor. 

In my mind, Season 9 and the movies have very little to do with the rest of the series. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Looking at google maps, Walnut Grove is a freakin' Metropolis compared to Burr Oak! 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, Blergh said:

Anyone around who still wants to hash over this series?

IIRC, at least one of the last episodes in which the Ingallses were in Burr Oak, somehow they had a telephone in their apartment. Did I imagine this? How could they have afforded a telephone. .or for that matter Albert's intended medical school tuition?

I do remember Carolyn talking on a phone to her aunt and how Charles didn’t really want to see her and what a nice place they had with rooms and doors and all that. They never brought up how anything was paid for although they supposedly got better money in the city, their children seem to win things or get scholarships in the past    I know there were only a few shots in their city place, but it was nice with furniture and I always thought that Carolyn must’ve been lost having so many rooms ;) 

[crazy8s]

Totally unbelievable Charles went from farmer, mill worker  miner, nitro hauler, gold miner, woodworker, freight driver, only to finally afford a decent house with rooms and a phone by becoming a sales person for upscale men's clothing.

Did that job last, or did he move on right away? I don't re watch season 9 or the movies much at all so I can't remember

[jason88cubs]

2 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Totally unbelievable Charles went from farmer, mill worker  miner, nitro hauler, gold miner, woodworker, freight driver, only to finally afford a decent house with rooms and a phone by becoming a sales person for upscale men's clothing.

Did that job last, or did he move on right away? I don't re watch season 9 or the movies much at all so I can't remember

Didn't he quit the clothing store when he went BACK to Walnut Grove due to Albert and the morphine

[crazy8s]

5 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

Didn't he quit the clothing store when he went BACK to Walnut Grove due to Albert and the morphine

I thought there was a spat with the boss and charles maybe quit. But his plan seemed to be dump Albert on Laura in WG and go back to the rest of the family. If he quit the clothing store job and did something else when he went back, I have no idea.

[jason88cubs]

31 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

I thought there was a spat with the boss and charles maybe quit. But his plan seemed to be dump Albert on Laura in WG and go back to the rest of the family. If he quit the clothing store job and did something else when he went back, I have no idea.

I just remember the owner telling Charles he would have to work late...again and Charles threw a fit then a police officer came to the door and told Charles and Charles said he had to leave then he and the boss argued and Charles stormed out.......but he kept his shirt on

[Zella]

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

but he kept his shirt on

Will wonders never cease!

[Mr. Sparkle]

2 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

Didn't he quit the clothing store when he went BACK to Walnut Grove due to Albert and the morFEEN

ftfy

But yes, the comically mean owner of the clothing store said Charles shouldn't bother coming back if he left that night. As far as I know, they didn't show the store again. I don't know what they showed in the movies because the only one I can stomach is Bless the Little Children or whatever it's called. 

[jason88cubs]

Charles probably came back talked to the town about how awful the store owner is and they ran him off.

[kav]

13 hours ago, debraran said:

I do remember Carolyn talking on a phone to her aunt and how Charles didn’t really want to see her and what a nice place they had with rooms and doors and all that. They never brought up how anything was paid for although they supposedly got better money in the city, their children seem to win things or get scholarships in the past    I know there were only a few shots in their city place, but it was nice with furniture and I always thought that Carolyn must’ve been lost having so many rooms ;) 

Do we know if the aunt is Lydia (Charlotte's sister) or one of Fredrick's or Lewis's sisters?

[debraran]

6 hours ago, kav said:

Do we know if the aunt is Lydia (Charlotte's sister) or one of Fredrick's or Lewis's sisters?

I wish I knew what episode, but they were permanently there (and I don't watch later ones often) and she was on phone and later told Charles who called and he was not pleased in a sarcastic way of seeing her. I think phone was in living room near stairs and you might have gotten a quick shot of the kitchen. It was like seeing her at the Olesons in a way, out of place but I wish we saw more. Kids must have had bedrooms and there was a lot more to clean than the kitchen/dining/bedroom area she had with little house.

I don't think it was Albert on drugs but maybe a later one.

Edited May 17 by debraran

[Lisa418722]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I wish I knew what episode, but they were permanently there (and I don't watch later ones often) and she was on phone and later told Charles who called and he was not pleased in a sarcastic way of seeing her. I think phone was in living room near stairs and you might have gotten a quick shot of the kitchen. It was like seeing her at the Olesons in a way, out of place but I wish we saw more. Kids must have had bedrooms and there was a lot more to clean than the kitchen/dining/bedroom area she had with little house.

I don't think it was Albert on drugs but maybe a later one.

I think it was the final episode.  Karen Grassle wasn't in any episodes until the final one. She agreed to come back when they blew the town up.  

IIRC when Caroline told Charles her aunt was coming and he wasn't happy about it. One of them suggested the aunt stay with the kids and they go back to WG for a visit.  

[debraran]

Wow, I will try  to post some pics, I haven't watched that episode in a LONG time. I forgot how well they were doing, nice place, Pa got 4 weeks paid vacation, he's taking Caroline out to eat, and "did she get his suit out of the cleaners" : )

I'm not too savvy when it says pic is too big, how to make it smaller but just watching the first 10 min on Amazon I caught so much. They even had light bulbs in their chandelier that looked like mine but I guess they were invented in 1800s. They had nice furniture and kitchen, wish I saw the bedrooms. lol  They had a victrola and nice stove  I swear they seem to be living better than when he thought he had an inheritance

 

Edited May 17 by debraran

[debraran]

Mistake 

Edited May 17 by debraran

[Blergh]

On 5/16/2024 at 6:40 AM, Mr. Sparkle said:

Looking at google maps, Walnut Grove is a freakin' Metropolis compared to Burr Oak! 

True that! It's main claim to fame has been being the birthplace of RL Carrie Ingalls -and I'm sure the folks in that  community (which has always been tiny and rural)  had a good laugh seeing it portrayed as a big bad metropolis in LHOTP!

12 hours ago, debraran said:

Wow, I will try  to post some pics, I haven't watched that episode in a LONG time. I forgot how well they were doing, nice place, Pa got 4 weeks paid vacation, he's taking Caroline out to eat, and "did she get his suit out of the cleaners" : )

I'm not too savvy when it says pic is too big, how to make it smaller but just watching the first 10 min on Amazon I caught so much. They even had light bulbs in their chandelier that looked like mine but I guess they were invented in 1800s. They had nice furniture and kitchen, wish I saw the bedrooms. lol  They had a victrola and nice stove  I swear they seem to be living better than when he thought he had an inheritance

 

Maybe the 'lightbulbs' were for gaslights as opposed to electric lights. Yes, coal gas was a popular form of illumination for the mid- to late- 19th century city folks even inside their own homes, though of course one had to pay a utility for it.

[crazy8s]

On 5/17/2024 at 6:14 AM, Lisa418722 said:

  IIRC when Caroline told Charles her aunt was coming and he wasn't happy about it. One of them suggested the aunt stay with the kids and they go back to WG for a visit.  

aunt tess, who charles disliked because she talked a lot and was into health food that "tasted like grass"

so hey let's leave foist her off on the kids while we take a trip and blow up walnut grove.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

True that! It's main claim to fame has been being the birthplace of RL Carrie Ingalls -and I'm sure the folks in that  community (which has always been tiny and rural)  had a good laugh seeing it portrayed as a big bad metropolis in LHOTP!

Maybe the 'lightbulbs' were for gaslights as opposed to electric lights. Yes, coal gas was a popular form of illumination for the mid- to late- 19th century city folks even inside their own homes, though of course one had to pay a utility for it.

He might have been thinking of that, but they looked like big white 60 watt bulbs and they were facing down, not the way gas lights looked in pics I saw. Those were smaller. But I didn't expect them to be accurate on LHOP in the 70's. They had cleaning solvents but picking his suit up at the cleaners seemed odd too but just a way for us to know they didn't have money worries right now.

I didn't like the later episodes but it was nice to see in her later years in fictional show, Caroline would be warm and protected in her home and not out getting the animals in blizzard and they probably had inside plumbing.

 

[Egg McMuffin]

People, please. Charles was a huge success in the men’s clothing biz because of his charm and sparkling personality. He even came up with the idea of idea of putting a little horse logo on men’s shirts, inspired by Laura’s late horse Bunny.

As for Albert’s medical school tuition: college is tuition free in heaven.

[jason88cubs]

How many times did Charles try to take off his shirt while selling clothes? lol

[Zella]

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

How many times did Charles try to take off his shirt while selling clothes? lol

Boss had to keep telling him that the customers try on the shirts, not him. And Charles's defense is he's not taking off his shirt to put another one on. LOL

Edited May 21 by Zella

[QQQQ]

Someone needs to put together a resume for Charles. Jobs, dates of employment, accomplishments, reasons for leaving, activism, volunteerism, interests...

Edited May 21 by QQQQ

[jason88cubs]

Just saw "Back to School" Caroline asked Charles to help with dishes and he said that's not a man's job

 

A brand new season and a brand new bad boy Charles!!!

"Honey I thought you like my apple fritters"

"No, they suck!"

 

"Honey can I have money to get some spices"

"Get a job and pay for your own!"

[Egg McMuffin]

2 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

Just saw "Back to School" Caroline asked Charles to help with dishes and he said that's not a man's job

A punch to the ribs would have been an appropriate response from Caroline.

[jason88cubs]

3 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

A punch to the ribs would have been an appropriate response from Caroline.

"You know Chris the handyman helped me with dished and when I say handyman I mean he was handy with those hands and he was for sure a Man (sigh)"

(cut to Charles)

9 hours ago, QQQQ said:

Someone needs to put together a resume for Charles. Jobs, dates of employment, accomplishments, reasons for leaving, activism, volunteerism, interests...

and injuries

Edited May 21 by jason88cubs

[debraran]

Chris helped build a room Charles didn't have time for, help with the chores, play with the kids, make Carrie a toy and "see her" and make Caroline feel seen. (and he was never paid)

I'd take Chris any day.  : )

[Mr. Sparkle]

10 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

"You know Chris the handyman helped me with dished and when I say handyman I mean he was handy with those hands and he was for sure a Man (sigh)"

(cut to Charles)

and injuries

Alright the picture was freakin' funny. 

[Blergh]

On 5/20/2024 at 7:46 PM, jason88cubs said:

How many times did Charles try to take off his shirt while selling clothes? lol

I imagine the customers might have asked if the store could throw a blindfold so they wouldn't have to look at Charles's shirtless state while trying on shirts!

On 5/21/2024 at 4:07 PM, jason88cubs said:

"You know Chris the handyman helped me with dished and when I say handyman I mean he was handy with those hands and he was for sure a Man (sigh)"

(cut to Charles)

and injuries

Charles' OK, but good luck trying to ring him up again since I don't think the phone directory has any 'Chrises' listed!'

[debraran]

Two photos I was able to make smaller to show the lightbulbs (re post to Blergh) and Carolyn talking to aunt Tess.  I still marvel how she lived with one room for most of her life and now she has a dining room with lights and lace tablecloth and everything most people in WG had. I wish we could have seen her more there because seeing the Carter's in their home never felt right and I wonder if it would have seemed odd to see them all in a moe modern home.

Edited May 24 by debraran

[debraran]

The ONLY time Charles had a month off and pay,,,,,, But we all know how that turned out

Edited May 24 by debraran

[Blergh]

9 hours ago, debraran said:

The ONLY time Charles had a month off and pay,,,,,, But we all know how that turned out

A whole MONTH vacation with FULL pay?! I've never gotten more than two and a half weeks in my entire working life and I only got PTO instead of FULL pay (and this covers from the 1980's to the '20's so how could someone in the late 19th century have pulled that off)!

Could Pa have had compromising pics of some big wig?!

Makes about as much sense as everyone in town  blowing up their houses and businesses then winding up homeless JUST to stick it to a railroad company.

[debraran]

Last picture I unfortunately had a crop way too much to fit here, shows a beautiful Victrola that Carolyn had and I thought would lessen the violin playing they had to hear every day lol  

I agree, Re the vacation that even on the little house on the Prairie set, anyone would have trouble getting a whole month off with pay   But Charles did have a way of getting things and losing things in the same day

Edited May 24 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

6 hours ago, Blergh said:

A whole MONTH vacation with FULL pay?! I've never gotten more than two and a half weeks in my entire working life and I only got PTO instead of FULL pay (and this covers from the 1980's to the '20's so how could someone in the late 19th century have pulled that off)!

Could Pa have had compromising pics of some big wig?!

Makes about as much sense as everyone in town  blowing up their houses and businesses then winding up homeless JUST to stick it to a railroad company.

A full month??!

 

Caroline realizing Chris the Handyman will have to stop making those afternoon trips over for some apple fritters for  a month

 

 

 

[Egg McMuffin]

To enjoy anything about season 10 (the post-series TV movies), you first have to accept that nothing in the season 10 universe makes a lick of sense. Charles and Caroline are wealthy, summer starts in December, and the Wilders are allowed to award custody of stray orphans to emotionally disturbed kidnappers.

[debraran]

53 minutes ago, Egg McMuffin said:

To enjoy anything about season 10 (the post-series TV movies), you first have to accept that nothing in the season 10 universe makes a lick of sense. Charles and Caroline are wealthy, summer starts in December, and the Wilders are allowed to award custody of stray orphans to emotionally disturbed kidnappers.

LOL So true. Nothing makes sense, even Albert. They moved to the city before but geez, a job at a store, Caroline doesn't work, and they live in an up and down 2 floor home with nice furniture, fully stocked kitchen, nice stove and everyone has a room. And Charles gets more time than any of us to take off with no lack of pay. And they didn't move before because??? I want a job in THAT store. 😄

[Blergh]

14 hours ago, debraran said:

LOL So true. Nothing makes sense, even Albert. They moved to the city before but geez, a job at a store, Caroline doesn't work, and they live in an up and down 2 floor home with nice furniture, fully stocked kitchen, nice stove and everyone has a room. And Charles gets more time than any of us to take off with no lack of pay. And they didn't move before because??? I want a job in THAT store. 😄

Yep, especially considering that most workers back then felt lucky if they got any days off besides Sundays and Christmas Day!

[debraran]

On 5/25/2024 at 9:21 AM, Blergh said:

Yep, especially considering that most workers back then felt lucky if they got any days off besides Sundays and Christmas Day!

yes some quick googles had me find

How many vacation days did people get in the late 1800s?

In the late 1800s, workers generally did not receive vacation days. During this period, workers commonly toiled ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week. They often worked even longer hours and had very few breaks or days off.

The period from 1894 to 1915 was one in which workers in the United States began to have more leisure time than their predecessors. One reason for this was that industrial employers began to decrease working hours and institute a Saturday half-day holiday, which gave workers more free time for leisure activities. (Other types of workplaces would soon follow suit.) Vacations began to be regularly offered to workers, although they were usually unpaid ones. The monotony of specialized industrial work and the crowding of urban expansion also created a desire in the worker to have leisure time away from his or her job and away from the bustle of the city. The Progressive movement was another factor which contributed to the increased value of leisure time for workers, as their health and well-being received more attention. Yet another factor was the installation of electric lighting in the city streets, which made nighttime leisure activities less dangerous for both sexes.

What was the average number of work hours per day in the late 1800s?

Hours were long, typically ten to twelve hours a day. Working in fields was longer. Sunday off. No pd vacations.

Really I didn't know that until Great Depression did people get paid time, but of course that started with upper class.

So a MONTH, paid vacation was reserved for Ingall's who "deserved it" as Caroline said, because he did sell a good hat. lol

 

[Blergh]

20 hours ago, debraran said:

yes some quick googles had me find

How many vacation days did people get in the late 1800s?

In the late 1800s, workers generally did not receive vacation days. During this period, workers commonly toiled ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week. They often worked even longer hours and had very few breaks or days off.

The period from 1894 to 1915 was one in which workers in the United States began to have more leisure time than their predecessors. One reason for this was that industrial employers began to decrease working hours and institute a Saturday half-day holiday, which gave workers more free time for leisure activities. (Other types of workplaces would soon follow suit.) Vacations began to be regularly offered to workers, although they were usually unpaid ones. The monotony of specialized industrial work and the crowding of urban expansion also created a desire in the worker to have leisure time away from his or her job and away from the bustle of the city. The Progressive movement was another factor which contributed to the increased value of leisure time for workers, as their health and well-being received more attention. Yet another factor was the installation of electric lighting in the city streets, which made nighttime leisure activities less dangerous for both sexes.

What was the average number of work hours per day in the late 1800s?

Hours were long, typically ten to twelve hours a day. Working in fields was longer. Sunday off. No pd vacations.

Really I didn't know that until Great Depression did people get paid time, but of course that started with upper class.

So a MONTH, paid vacation was reserved for Ingall's who "deserved it" as Caroline said, because he did sell a good hat. lol

 

Very good summation! BTW, who was watching the younger Ingalls kids while their folks returned to Walnut Grove? Aunt Tess. ..Carrie? 

[crazy8s]

44 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Very good summation! BTW, who was watching the younger Ingalls kids while their folks returned to Walnut Grove? Aunt Tess. ..Carrie? 

They were ditching the kids on chatterbox and healthy cooking aunt Tess.

Wasn't the reason he got the vacation because he had no time off in 2 years? He was back in Walnut Grove multiple times since they left Walnut Grove.

[jason88cubs]

I found it weird Charles left Walnut Grove in the first place when no one else did

 

He finally gave up

[debraran]

17 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

I found it weird Charles left Walnut Grove in the first place when no one else did

 

He finally gave up

Yes, but they went from fairly poor money wise to upper middle class it seems from lookng at their place. It was like the Oleson's. I spent more time looking at the dining room and knickknacks and lace table cloth  victrola, etc. That was very odd. Sadly I didn't see the sheperdess anywhere. ; (

Edited June 4 by debraran

[Blergh]

OK, but I wish they'd at least touched on what new job Charles DID get after he'd returned from Walnut Grove after Albert's morphine withdrawal. I mean, I seriously doubt that his initial Burr Oak employer would have hired him back - much less that Charles would have sought work with him. And that's not counting on doubting that the salary would have paid for so much as a victrola.

Then,too, Caroline had initially worked outside the home after their move but it seemed she no longer did so. Hence that new position must have paid LOTS of money for Charles to provide for the seven of them!

[debraran]

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

OK, but I wish they'd at least touched on what new job Charles DID get after he'd returned from Walnut Grove after Albert's morphine withdrawal. I mean, I seriously doubt that his initial Burr Oak employer would have hired him back - much less that Charles would have sought work with him. And that's not counting on doubting that the salary would have paid for so much as a victrola.

Then,too, Caroline had initially worked outside the home after their move but it seemed she no longer did so. Hence that new position must have paid LOTS of money for Charles to provide for the seven of them!

I listened on Amazon to the first 5 minutes again and he said he expected 2 wks but got 4. Caroline just referred to the mystery job as "nice of them" Then he said while asking for his dry cleaning, that he wished the kids were out of school so they could take a trip together. Geez...they never really had one of those. Money for trains was hard to come by Then he said he wanted to take her out to dinner and don't say we can't afford it, we can. . I really want to know who did the data on jobs and pay for this show. lol

Then he acts like an idiot with Caroline about Aunt Tess coming and "rearranging their furniture" (now that they have so much)and a guy asks him to "step outside" Later he gives in to aunt Tess and asks her to watch his kids while they go off together alone. But again, things sour of course.
But on a high note did find her 😉 Blurry shot on top of a clock on one of many fireplaces.

Edited June 5 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

I'll be honest I dont recall anything of the later episodes. I block them out lol

[debraran]

7 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

I'll be honest I dont recall anything of the later episodes. I block them out lol

Yes, watching it on prime, I only got to the part going to WG and I forgot most of the beginning. I get it, it's pretty painful on many levels.

[Mr. Sparkle]

At this point I can watch Bless All the Dear Children because it's so comically over the top. I can have Look Back to Yesterday on and watch with one eye. If I think about it, nothing really happens other than Albert dying. 2 hours of weeping and inspiration. 

For whatever reason I can't stomach The Last Farewell. If it comes on, I'll put something else on. It's pretty much the same plot as The Empire Builders without the last minute save. 

[jason88cubs]

In "Ma"s Holiday" did they leave the trip early to get home becuase MA was worried? or was that the Waltons