Caramel Cake

I never had Caramel Cake until today, but ever since I read "The Help" I've wanted to try it.  In that book, one of the main characters "Minny" is said to make the best Caramel Cake anywhere.  It kept coming up throughout the story, and every time I read about it - my mouth began to water.

It was not something I'd tried, but I was sure I'd be a fan.  After all, I love caramel and I love cake.  But after I finished the book, I kind of forgot about my interest in this seemingly yummy confection.

So today when we were watching America's Test Kitchen, and they featured Caramel Cake - my interest was instantly renewed.  Hubby offered to bake it for me, and I said you betcha!  He baked the two cakes, and then I whipped up the frosting and iced them.

This cake is good.  We're far from being professionals, and this was our first attempt.  Doesn't matter.  This cake is REALLY good.  The cake itself is a fairly basic yellow cake, and it's a buttery, moist yum-fest.  Honestly though, the cake is nothing more than a delivery vehicle for the frosting.  Oh dear.  That frosting could maybe bring about world peace.  It's just so GOOD.  Ridiculously sweet, buttery and richer than Bill Gates... this is a cake to love.

So of course that's what we're doing.  I highly recommend giving the recipe a try. 

Urban Gardening Books

I am fascinated by the idea of gardening.  I want to feel warm earth between my fingers, and bite into a juicy tomato right off the vine.  I want to preserve my crop and line the beautiful jars in rows that I can admire, and 'shop' from.

I think it all started when I was little.  My parents have always had a garden.  Like all other families: they had good years and bad.  Sometimes we had issues with pests or drought or flooding.  Gardening is always a gamble, but it was one that we won big with most of the time.

Hubby and I don't have the square footage my folks do though.  Our house is on a small-ish lot which is almost totally shaded by enormous maple trees.  There is a patch of the deck/patio which gets a good amount of sun daily, but it is a small patch to be sure.

For the past few years I've delved into container gardening, and it's been great fun (though with mediocre results).  I keep trying though, because I know that someday I'll get it figured out.

not my garden.  pic via bing! images.

I recently ordered two books from Amazon.com about Urban Gardening.  The first is "The City Homesteader" (Self-Sufficiency on Any Square Footage) by Scott Meyer.  The second is "Urban Homesteading" (Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living) by Rachel Kaplan with K. Ruby Blume.

Both books offer a lot of wonderful information and ideas for making the most of small spaces. 

The "Urban Homesteading" book is a bit heavy-handed with the political aspect of gardening and spends a lot more time than I felt was necessary detailing things like Global Warming and Carbon Footprints.  I don't choose to garden or preserve my own food out of a desire to be kind to the planet, or whatever.  I do it because it's smart, frugal and tradition.  But I digress.  This book is full of great pictures and some wonderful ideas.  I don't have the space (or the accommodating neighbors) needed to grow animals, but the sections on goats and chickens were especially great.  This one won't be my go-to book, but it will serve as a handy back-up.

I fell in love with the second book "The City Homesteader" almost from the first page.  Filled with whimsical illustrations, it keeps to the basics.  There are a lot of well thought out and detailed projects in this book, as well as a lot of general information that will be very helpful.

After reading the section on berries, I realized that we should plant raspberries (and I now know just the place to do it).  I also learned how to make a potato barrel, a compost pile, and a rain barrel.  I discovered why my heirloom tomatoes didn't produce much last year.  I now want to get a strawberry pot and make some of those upside-down tomato planters (the book tells how to make your own).  There are tips on growing indoors as well as all the helpful outdoor tips.  I also found the edible plant identification section to be very informative.  I know that I'll be using this book a lot.  It is full of wonderful illustrations and great information.  It's a fun read even if you have lots of room to plant, but I'd definitely  recommend it to anyone with a space problem for sure.

Note: Review based upon my own opinion only.  I was not compensated in any way.

Book Sale Success: Joy Wilt Books

Hubby, the boys and I went to our local Book Sale.  We love book sales like this one... great books at great prices.  You really can't go wrong!
As I've mentioned before, I collect children's books - so that's always the section I head to first.  Little Guy was quickly on the hunt for train books, while I looked for whatever might catch my eye.  I found some great Little Golden books, a Jackie Robinson picture book, a stack of vintage Tell a Tale books, some workbooks (art and puzzle activities), two little Bible books for Baby Boy as well as several board books and some awesome puzzles.

But, the best find of the night?  A stack (seventeen, to be precise) of Joy Wilt books from her "Ready-Set-Grow!" Weekly Reader series (1978 copyright).

This series of books is awesome!  Each volume deals with an important aspect of growing up: personal care, sibling rivalry, money management, making friends, diversity, family issues, etc.  They are great.

I had one as a kid.  It was "Saying What You Mean", and I remember liking it a lot.  A year or so ago, I found a copy at a garage sale and snatched it up. 



The funny thing is that until tonight I didn't even notice it was part of a series.  The full series includes 24 volumes, so I still have six I'll have to find eventually to have the full set. 

I sure am glad that we went tonight and that I came across this awesome stack of books!  Oh!!  I almost forgot - these were only 50 cents each, so a total bargain too!  Woo Hoo!

The Joy Wilt books I got tonight:

• Mine & Yours
• You Can Do It
• A Kid's Guide to Managing Money
• Handling Your Ups and Downs
• A Consumer's Guide for Kids
• May I? Please? Thank You!
• Checking 'Em Out and Sizing 'Em Up
• Danger!
• The Nitty Gritty of Family Life
• A Kid's TV Guide
• Keeping Your Body Alive and Well
• A Kid's Guide to Managing Time
• A Kid's Guide to Making Friends
• Making Up Your Own Mind
• Surviving Fights With Your Brothers and Sisters
• You're Either One or the Other
• You're All Right

Revisiting Mr. Darcy

I’ve been going through a bit of a Jane Austen phase lately (Pride and Prejudice, in particular).  It started rather innocently enough.  I’d picked up a copy of Me and Mr. Darcy at our local discount book store, and it was a quick read.  This book is not a life changer, but it was fun and it kept me entertained while on a road trip with the family.  There is a whole world of Austen-lite fiction available.  There are prequels and sequels and based-upons.  There are stacks of re-workings, especially of Pride and Prejudice.  I’ve read a few good ones, and a few bad ones.  This particular book was okay, but I won’t tell you to run out and buy it.  The only reason I’m even mentioning that book is that the heroine in this novel kept talking about these two….

Mr. Darcy (as played by Colin Firth in the P&P BBC mini series):

and Mr. Darcy (as played by Matthew MacFayden in the Kiera Knightly P&P version):

The frequent references to these two versions of Pride and Prejudice inspired me to re-watch the DVD of the 2005 movie (oh how I love the sheer beauty of that film - it takes my breath away), and then I ordered the mini series from NetFlix and watched it too.  (I suggested Hubby might watch that one with me, but he mumbled something about pulling his eyes out with pliers, so I didn’t pester him about it).  I enjoyed watching both versions over the last week, and now think I’ll have to re-read the book as well. 

I first read Pride and Prejudice in 1987.  I was thirteen, and my Aunt Mary gave me a copy.  Even at that age, I saw the beauty in the romance between Lizzie and Darcy.  It’s one of those stories that grips you and won’t let go.  Here I am twenty-four years after that first reading, and I still adore Lizzie and her Darcy to this day.

The story is such a classic, and  I imagine they’ll be re-making and re-tooling and writing even more sequels for generations to come.   This is good news for me (and probably for you too).  It means that if/when we have a Jane Austen phase, there will always be something (a movie, a book, etc) to help us through it.  

Memories of the "Little House"

There’s something about this time of year….this space between Christmas and New Years in particular, that always makes me think of my childhood.  Not just generic thoughts of childhood, but in particular listening to my Dad read me the first few Little House on the Prairie books.  He read them to me after I received the series for Christmas (the yellow paperback versions – oh how I loved them!).  The weather was cold and my Mom was working the evening shift as a nurse.  Dad was recovering from a minor surgery and needed something relaxing to do that would also keep an ornery daughter corralled.  I was old enough to read myself at that point, but hearing him bring the characters to life was really quite perfect. 

Those books offer a glimpse into many of Laura’s relationships throughout her life – not the least of which was that between her and her Pa.  My own “Pa” has a really deep voice, and did the stories justice in his animated reading of them.  The wind howled on the outside of our small farm house, but inside it was cozy – the fire burned and the adventures of long-ago prairie life danced through my head.

Those memories are sweet and comforting.  They warm my heart even when the temperature beyond our walls is frosty.

I am the mother of two small boys, and I adore them both more than life itself.  The only time I half wish for a little girl is when I think of those books which meant so much to me.  The boys can read them of course, but I somehow doubt they’ll get the full-on joy from that particular series that I did as a young girl.

It’s okay.  I may not have a daughter to share the “Little House” books with, but there is still a little girl that lives deep within me - and she will always enjoy re-reading and reliving the adventures of that particular pioneer family. 

Later tonight (once the boys are sound asleep in their snug little beds) I’ll open my favorite of the series - On the Banks of Plum Creek.  As I begin to read it (for what will seem like the hundredth time), I’ll revisit the characters as if they are old friends – which of course they are.  As I turn the pages, and become once again engrossed in the story; I’ll remember the first time I fell in love with it all those years ago. 

Those childhood memories (as well as many others where my Mom was doing the reading) are a mish mash of happiness, featuring lovely time spent with loved ones as we read by the roaring wood stove.   Maybe I won’t share the Little House series with my young sons, but I’ll find some books that we can share and which they’ll be able to enjoy just as much.  For though the stories may wind up being different – it is the memory of precious time spent with a parent that means the most. 

That’s something I can pass on, and pass it on – I will.

Tessy & Tab

Last year my folks got Little Guy his very first magazine subscription for Christmas.  The magazine is called "Tessy & Tab" and it comes twice a month.  Each issue is printed on heavy paper that makes it more of a paperback booklet, than a traditional magazine. 

They each follow the adventures of a duck (Tessy) and her best friend Tab (a kangaroo).  Each story is written in simple text that will be perfect for early readers, and works very well for pre-readers (as our Little Guy is) as well.  At the end of every issue are a few pages that encourage reading comprehension.  Overall, the magazine is a big hit with LG.  When he gets a new one, he immediately has to read it through.  Many bedtime reading sessions include a stack of Tessy & Tab issues.

If you are looking for a children's magazine, I'd recommend this one.  For the record, I've not been asked to review this publication.  I just wanted to share how wonderful its been for us.

Bookworm



Not Me, but not far off.  See photo note at bottom of post

 I Love Books

I love the feel of pages worn from multiple readings. I love the smell of old bookstores and brand new paperbacks. I love re-reading old favorites and making notes in the margins. I love running my fingers along the spines of the books in my collection. These books are my friends. They have kept me entertained, distracted and motivated. They’ve taught me new skills and exposed me to intriguing ideas.

This growing fascination with electronic reading gadgets (yes, Kindle, I’m talking about you) has me stumped. I just don’t get it. If you are a fan of this format, please don’t take offense. It’s just that I can’t imagine replacing my old books with a cold tablet.

I first fell in love with books as a child. From early picture books to the Little House series and Anne of Green Gables, they opened a new world for me. The content of each book was of course the crux of the appeal, but I was also always intrigued by the way it felt to hold a book in my hands. I loved to imagine the others who had held that same tome before me. I remember reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. It was an old copy (1940) that my Great Aunt Mary had given me. She had been a librarian herself, and wanted to share this old favorite with a new generation. The book still holds an honored place on my shelf. I was fourteen when I finished it the first time. I know this because I wrote my name and the date in the front cover when I was finished. Over the years, I’ve kept up this habit. It helps me to keep track of how long its been since I read a favorite. That book is one I’ll always cherish, but it’s not where it all began.

We didn’t have a television for many years in my childhood and during that time trips to the Library were precious. Our local library allowed six books at a time, and those could be checked out for two weeks. So, every two weeks our little family trooped off to the Library for new reading material. In addition to those wonderful library books, I also had a small collection of picture books and chapter books. Over the years, they got lost or damaged. About ten years ago I decided to attempt to recreate my childhood collection.

And so began a quest which opened me to a whole new (exciting) world….the world of children’s book collecting. Even in the beginning, I knew that I could probably find them all on eBay, but that seemed like cheating somehow. So, I began to scour garage sales and flea markets for titles that I remembered. Whenever I found an old favorite, it was like being reunited with a childhood friend, long forgotten.

Early findings included Just for You by Mercer Meyer, Where Did the Baby Go by Eloise Wilkin, and Disney’s classic illustrated Bambi. As the stack of picture books remembered from my childhood grew, I began to branch out even more. I began to search for the chapter books (Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, and as many of the Happy Hollister mysteries as I could find) that brought such warm memories. Later I started looking for some of the young adult fiction I had also enjoyed as well. Favorites by S.E. Hinton and M.E. Kerr joined the ranks of Judy Blume.

There came a point when I honestly couldn’t think of a book I’d read in childhood that I hadn’t tracked down. So I started buying different children’s books that appealed to me, new and old.

By the time Little Guy was born, I owned well over a thousand children’s books. Almost three hundred are Little Golden Books alone. So to say our little fellow will have plenty of reading material handy is an understatement. Of course, like most book lovers my complete book collection doesn’t end with just one genre. I have many bookcases full to bursting with all of my favorite grown-up books too (my guilty pleasures are mysteries and chick lit, but honestly I'll read just about anything).

Lately, Little Guy has been choosing his own books to read at bedtime, and I just can’t really express how excited I’ve been to see his choices, to know that these are the books he’ll hopefully remember fondly when he’s an adult – it makes me smile. Lately he’s been picking a lot of Mercer Meyer’s Little Critter books, and his favorite (without any prompting from me) is also “Just For You”. Every time I read him that book, I can vividly remember my Mom reading it to me. It makes my heart sing. It makes me very glad I decided to track down that childhood collection, and it makes me happy that he’s picking real books off shelves instead of choosing some file from a cold computer screen.

Call me old fashioned. I don’t care. I love my books!

Photo Note: I found this pic on Bing Images.  Originally posted on the Marian Wright Edelman Library home page.  Site

Lucinda

So, my parents bought a donkey.

Initially the justification seemed to have something to do with Little Guy and how much he might enjoy seeing one in real life, and maybe eventually even go for a ride. They were right. Our son does indeed love the donkey.

Her name is Lucinda (named after a lovely little book that my Dad had as a child, and which I have now in my collection of children’s books). Real Life Lucinda is a pale grey and noisy and altogether entertaining.

My folks live on a little acreage and have space for a creature such as this one. Dad did have to modify one of his out buildings a bit, but overall it worked perfectly.

We went to their place for a visit this weekend. We petted her and led her around the yard a little bit. We had lots of fun.

Here are some photos of the lovely Lucinda:



Lucinda with Dad

and with Mom



Puppy GLove

Recently I told you about a fun book by Miyako Kanamori that I'd found titled "Sock & Glove". It is a lovely book. The pages are filled with adorable pictures of fun little stuffed creatures. Tucked in the back of the book are very well written instructions for making each. I fell in love with the cover model, and felt compelled to start with him.

It took me a few hours total to finish this little guy, but I must say I was quite pleased with the end result.

I bought a pair of simple work gloves for $1 at a flea market. I had all of the other supplies on hand, so this ended up being a very budget-friendly little project, in addition to being terribly fun. I did all of the stitching by hand, but I think I might dig the machine out for the next one I make. This glove fabric tends to unravel and a quick machine stitch might work out better. I didn't exactly like the way his neck turned out either, so I'll do that a little differently next time also. Otherwise, I think it was a successful trial run.

This sweet little fella now lives at my parents' house. My Dad was under the weather recently, and I thought a new puppy (which requires no walking or feeding) might be just the ticket to help him feel better quickly. For the record, I think it might have helped! :)

Next on my list is the cat. I have a pair of grey work gloves that I think will be just PURRRfect!

Sock and Glove

So, I recently stumbled upon a reference to this book, and immediately felt that I needed it. My husband of course just wonders when I'll have time for another project.

Do not fear - I will find the time! I bought the book on eBay, and got it in the mail this week. Already I can't wait to get started. The little critters on these pages are just too adorable for words. And, since socks and gloves aren't terribly expensive... this will be a fun and frugal craft that I can enjoy.

I feel that I must start with the adorable dog featured on the cover, but then I think I need to make the lamb and the elephant too.... and then maybe the little bunny. And I think that Miyako Kanamori has at least one more book along the same lines, so eventually I may have to track that down also.

This book isn't new, so I may be one of the last crafty gals to discover it. I'm wondering... have you tried making any of these? I'd love to see what others have done, or hear if you have any pointers...

Eventually, I'll take pictures of the little sock and glove animals I end up with, and share them here. Hopefully, there's a special little boy I know who will fall in love with them. If not, I might have to just make them for friends or even put a couple in my cubicle at the office.

Regardless of where they end up, I do look forward to working on them.

Market Day

We had the pleasure of visiting an enormous outdoor flea market over the weekend. The booths and tables were scattered across a pretty large area, so we spent a lot of time walking and looking. Here are a few snippets of what we saw there:

and since you are wondering what we came away with...

We found a boatload of children's books (most are Sesame Street - a current favorite of our little guy). A few cookbooks and misc ones are in there too. I have to admit I'm a bit of a book-o-holic. "My name is Christy, and I am addicted to buying cheap books!"

We also found these two oldies. One is a home economics text book from the 1920s/30s. The other is a 1926 edition of Washington Irving's Sketch Book. Both are in pretty great shape for $1 a piece!

We love to snap up vintage toys too (we put them away for when they are age appropriate for Little Guy). I found the Lincoln Logs for $4 and Dan found the Peanuts View Finder (with a bunch of reels from the 70's) for $7. We were very excited about both of these discoveries.

THEN, I came across what was maybe my favorite find of the day. Some vintage fabric pieces in all these wonderful prints. Aren't they fun? I'm no pro, but I think the teal one with little flowers is feed sack. Not sure how to tell, so I'm going to hold on to that one until I can figure it out. The rest will be incorporated into some future project as yet unknown.

So, weren't we Lucky? What a fun FUN day (even if we did get bogged down in big ruts of fresh mud - Note that an "all terrain stroller" is not always so "all terrain").

Weekend Recap

I apologize in advance for the brevity of this post. The last few days have been crazy here in the Wicked Happy House….

Saturday morning, we three went to some Garage Sales. It was a very successful morning. Among our many treasures of the day, we came home with a stack of vintage children’s books for my collection. My favorite being a mint copy of “Good Little Bad Little Girl” for a quarter. I collect Little Golden books illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, and was super excited by this find.

We also found several gently used pieces of clothing for our little man (mostly in the size he’ll be wearing next year). I even found a couple of dresses for myself. I don’t wear dresses often except for church, but always like having new ones to choose from. There were several other goodies too, but these are the highlights.

Sunday morning started off with Willie getting sick at the breakfast table. Poor little guy has really had some bad luck with stomach viruses this year. He was sick off and on all Sunday and Monday. I stayed home with him yesterday, and Dan took today off to be with him. He’s doing much better, thankfully and will be back to daycare tomorrow.

Hopefully I'll have something new to post by then as well. Hoping you all had a lovely weekend.

Stories from Clara's Kitchen

Have you met Clara Cannucciari yet? She's the spunky 94-year-old chef who has become a Cooking sensation thanks to her Web series "Depression Cooking With Clara" and her book on the same topic, "Clara's Kitchen".

Clara is not your typical celebrity chef, her videos and book are quite unique. Each recipe is introduced by a short story from her own life. Most of the stories center around the painfully lean Depression years. Clara tells the stories in a way that is straight-forward and endearing. Clearly her family struggled a lot (example: they once had pasta and lard for a meal!), but she doesn't seem to regret those hard years much. She does get a tad emotional at times as she relays the stories in her videos, but who wouldn't? Though life was often hard, she has taken those experiences and learned lessons from them. This book and these videos are a wonderful way for her to share those lessons with us.

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The recipes are pretty basic, as you can imagine supplies were very limited. Most have only a hand full of ingredients. Spices are mostly salt and pepper. Almost everything calls for olive oil, and hardly any include meat. Simple recipes, yes - but when put into context I think they are amazing in their complexity. How difficult it must have been to plan meals for your family with an all but empty pantry? Meals that would nourish, and satisfy?

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"What are we going to eat tonight? Pasta with garlic. What are we going to eat tonight? Pasta with peas. What are we gonna eat? Pasta with beans. That's all we ate was pasta and a small vegetable," Clara says in one of her You Tube videos as she watches over a steaming pan of frying onions.

I had not heard of Clara prior to seeing her book featured on Amazon via one of those "based on your recent purchases, you might like" messages. I got it in the mail just yesterday (a late birthday gift for myself) and read it this afternoon. It's a short little book, but a very fun read - especially if you enjoy reading cookbooks and/or memoirs of the Great Depression. I happen to love both, so it was perfect for me.

As soon as I finished reading Clara's book, I went to the computer to see her in action on YouTube. What a fun lady!

See a collection of her YouTube videos here.

I'm personally fascinated by the concept of living frugally. I know I'm not alone these days. Though (thank God) we are not in a depression, we are facing a time when we may best be served to take note of money saving methods perfected by our Grandmothers. In fact, Clara mentions that she's written this book (and starred in the videos) to share her experiences with folks who want to live a simpler, more frugal life.

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I won't ever make"pasta with lard", but I do think I'll try Clara's recipes for Biscotti, "Eggs and Peppers Sandwiches" and "Pasta with Peas". They each sound like comfort food to me, and I do love my comfort food - even more so when it can be made on the cheap!

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I'll close today with a tidbit from the closing page of "Clara's Kitchen":

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"I also hope that learning how we survived the Great Depression will help you survive your own tough times. What will get you through is just what got us through - family and friends, and finding joy wherever you can." - Clara Cannucciari

A Tale of Two Winters

These past few weeks of snow and ice and winds have inspired me to re-read an old childhood favorite. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a great book to read (or re-read) when the snow in thigh deep and the temperatures are sub zero.

It's a good little book to pick up for several reasons. First of all, it is simply lovely (as are all of the books in the "Little House" series). It gives us an eye-opening glimpse into what Pioneer life was like, and most importantly, it helps us to understand just how good we have it these days in a world full of modern convenience!

Humor me while I compare....

From Our Current Winter...
It is early in the morning. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and blueberry muffins swell through the little kitchen. Christy reaches for her small weather radio and turns the silver knob to hear the robotic weather report for the day. "High today of 0 degrees," says the robot. "A wind chill advisory warning is in effect until 9pm." Christy frowns as she realizes there will be no errand running today. Going out alone in the freezing cold is one thing, but there's no way she'll risk taking the baby out unless its absolutely necessary. "Oh well," she grumbles. "Maybe I can get out of this house tomorrow." And with that, she returns to her hubby, who is reading the morning paper, and her giggling boy. They finish breakfast and start the day warm and snug (even if a little stir-crazy).

From The Long Winter:
"Her mittened hand was so numb that it hardly felt Carrie's hand. She was shaking all over and deep inside her there was a shaking that she could not stop. Only in her very middle there was a solid knot that ached, and her shaking pulled this knot tighter so that the ache grew worse."xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

From Our Current Winter...

The refrigerator door is standing wide open. "We're about out of milk," Christy calls from behind the open door. "Would you mind running to the store to get another gallon? Might as well pick up a loaf of bread too." Dan says he will, bundles up and heads out to brave the chill for a quick grocery store run. Little Willie stands at the window and watches his Daddy drive away. Big tears streak down his chubby cheeks, "Daa Daa?" he asks sadly. "He'll be right back Sweetie, the store is just five minutes away."

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From The Long Winter:
"Laura tried to think of the good brown smell and taste of the beef for dinner tomorrow, but she could not forget that now the houses and the town would be all alone till spring. There was half a bushel of wheat that they could grind to make flour, and there were the few potatoes, but nothing more to eat until the train came. The wheat and the potatoes were not enough."

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From Our Current Winter...

When she gets home from work one day, Dan greets Christy at the door, hands her a cheerful red-cheeked baby and says, "There's something wrong with the furnace. Watch him and I'll check it out." Christy takes the squirming tot to his room where she layers on an extra sweater and some thick socks. They go to her room where she puts on her slippers and an extra sweatshirt. She takes him to the hall and they look at the thermostat. "Yikes... it's only 59 degrees in here!" They go to the family room and play with blocks so that they won't think about the crisp air. Within the hour, Dan has fixed the furnace and the heat begins, once again, to fill the little house with its cozy warmth.


From The Long Winter:
"In the morning Laura got out of bed into the cold. She dressed downstairs by the fire that Pa had kindled before he went to the stable. They ate their course brown bread. Then all day long she and Ma and Mary ground wheat and twisted hay as fast as they could. The fire must not go out; it was very cold. They ate some course brown bread. Then Laura crawled into the cold bed and shivered until she grew warm enough to sleep."

And so it goes... there is nothing I could even think to complain about that would come close to what those brave pioneers went through that terrible winter when SEVEN months worth of blizzards pounded the prairie. I am reminded how very thankful that I am for heat and insulation and warm clothes and modern medicine and plentiful food.

I finished re-reading The Long Winter just last night, and I think I'm going to make it an annual requirement for myself. It never hurts to be reminded of one's blessings, and this book certainly does that well!

Compare & Contrast

A classic illustration by Eloise Wilkin....

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And my darling Wills.... looking every bit as adorable (at least to me).