Tuesday, September 09, 2008

The Simple Things!

http://hoover.archives.gov/LIW/pioneering/images/mansfieldhouse.jpg
The Farmhouse at Rocky Ridge.
--Photo from the collection of the Hoover Library (RWL #197)
I'm completely immersed in the Laura Ingalls Wilder "On the Way Home" book. For those of you not familiar with it, it's the diary from the trip they made from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri in 1894.

Her words have me captivated, the way she describes the towns they drive through, the streams and creeks they cross and the fields and farmland around them. The journey they endured was a long and treacherous one, imagine a 650 mile trek in a wagon with all your belongings, having to stop along the way to trade for food and sometimes struggling to find clean water to drink.

They went through places like:

Beatrice, Nebraska

Topeka, Kansas
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m66/lalalanutz/From%20The%20Rock%20Blog/keywestpre1894.jpg

Fort Scott, Kansas
http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/king/king191.jpg


And came across people like these:

http://www.archives.gov/research/american-west/images/west-cover-m.jpg

http://mccutchennorthwest.com/tripimages/wagon1.jpg

http://historical-fiction-books.com/index_files/Image28.gif

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I have enjoyed reading the book, it's like I'm being transported back in time and going through this with them.

I think nowadays we all take things for granted, I for one am guilty of that. I know that if I get thirsty I just have to turn on the tap and get clean cold water, if I'm hungry the refrigerator or the kitchen cupboards with take care of that for me. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy these commodities but in a way we have become unaffected by how easy it is for us.

If you're interested in more Laura goodness, check out Discover Laura.

And here's a recipe for you too:

http://www.lincolnminutemen.org/images/johnny_cakes.jpg
Johnny Cakes
From On the Banks of Plum Creek

Supplies:

* 1 cup corn meal
* 1 teaspoon raw sugar
* 1 tbsp. salt
* ½ cup water
* 1 lb. of bacon

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the corn meal with the salt and sugar.
2. Add water and mix until you get a nice paste. Form the paste into patties and set aside.
3. Fry bacon. Remove bacon and fry the cakes in the bacon grease until golden brown.
4. Wrap the patties in brown paper and then again in brown wax paper.

http://z.about.com/d/webclipart/1/0/B/i/1/aholiday1s.gif

It's been a quiet day for me, Curt is off at work and the kids are in school, the bedrooms are clean, the beds are made, the laundry is done and I've just taken a Banana Bread out of the oven.

Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment ON BASE. I'm so thrilled I can't tell you. After all this running around they've had me doing with referrals to off base doctors, they finally got openings for me at the Women's Clinic and being seen by one of the doctors. Turns out that I went for that annual pap two weeks ago and then they called me last week and said I have to redo it because there weren't enough cells. Are you kidding me????????

Anyway, I'm going in the morning to get that redone and take care of the IUD thing. I'm tired of running around, it feels like I've been going full speed lately and haven't had time for anything so I'm glad to get this out of the way.

The rest of the day is going to be devoted to mopping and sweeping, cleaning the bathrooms, putting the last of the laundry away and then tonight we have Jasmine's Open House Meet the Teacher night.

Dinner is in the crockpot, Slow Cooker Snappy Meatball Heroes and let me tell you, they smell DIVINE. I don't know if I can wait until dinner, I'm having a hard time functioning with that yummy scent wafting all over the house.

Finally I need to thank you all for the awards you give me, I've been placing them on my sidebar to display what great friends I have. Just this morning the beautiful Lavinia at The Birdbath Chronicles gave me another one and get this, she thinks I look like Monica Belluci.....Oh I love you Lavinia. That is such a wonderful compliment, I only wish I thought it myself but hey I'll take whatever I can LOL

And so I must be on my way, I have some phone calls to make in order to get ready for the appointment tomorrow and I also need to deal with a naughty pug who thinks that I can't tell she's been up to no good....you go ahead and look at this photo and then tell me what you think LOL

14 comments:

Michelle said...

I can tell by the naughty pug look that she's done something!!!! You've been busy with housework and also making yummy banana bread.Good luck tomorrow how annoying!

Anonymous said...

Oh no you have to go back. I had my horrid 'ladies' appointment last week, I'm praying all is well and I don't have to go back! Lol.

You'd probably enjoy Janette Oke's books if you haven't already read them. I've read a few, I'm reading the Love...series at the moment. I also read the Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring series too. Lovely.

Hugs n' love

Sarah x

Amy said...

Hey girl!

I have to tell you, most people laugh at me, but I have been on a Dr. Quinn kick lately! Thankyou, God, for Netflix! ;) Anywho, I just had to tell you, that me and my honey have watched through the whole TV series these past months and I was getting a little sad. But NOW, I think I might love to pick up Laura Ingalls Wilder books! How wonderful!

Isn't there just something so wonderful and simple about life back then? I find my heart longs for that place of simplicity...

Thanks so much for sharing those pics and about the book!

Bless you today!

Amy

Amy said...

P.S. I think I can smell that banana bread all the way over here! mmmmm.... such an amazing smell! Love it!

Lynn said...

We went to the House on Rocky Ridge in MO a few years ago. It is pretty neat. My girls really enjoyed it.

Pennies In My Pocket said...

Uuugggh that stinks you have to go back to the doctor for that! Fun, huh?

~melody~

threesidesofcrazy said...

Aren't her books just wonderful? You do feel like you're in their life like you've been transported back in time. I also like the Janette Oke series and Anne of Green Gables - such a simpler time and place!

Jen said...

i loved reading Laura Ingalls as a child. Still love reading things on her.

Cheri said...

That little face surely didn't do anything naughty!!
I love the Laura Ingalls books- I should read that one again since we were in South Dakota last year.

justjuls said...

I love the Little House books - and these pictures are fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I love the little house books too. My daughters never warmed up to them. I read her autobiography in 3 days and I would LOVE to go to the house at Rocky Ridge. It always fascinated me that she traveled by covered wagon across the west and eventually flied in a plane by the end of her life. She witnessed so much. Sometimes I wish we lived in those simpler times but then we wouldn't have the internet! LOL! christi from ct.

heidi @ ggip said...

I have never heard of having to redo a pap! Gracious! I love LIW too!

Anonymous said...

But she's such a cute pug....

Renee said...

I didn't know there were more L. Wilder books out there. I'll have to go check them out.

Lola is just too adorable!!