Prairie Fires

Warning:  Do not read this book if you expect to be lulled to sleep with sweet stories of an idyllic life on the prairie.  That is not to say it is a book full of gratuitous or shocking details.  It is, however, an honest portrait of what the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder was really like.

Think about Pa.  He could never stay in one place for long. (The stops in Wisconsin, Plum Creek, Silver Lake, and Kansas, detailed in the famous books, only represent about half the places where the Ingalls family lived.)  Usually men who have difficulty putting down roots have a reason for that.  And one of the reasons Pa moved so often was that he was usually one step ahead of debt problems.  When Caroline finally said "Enough! she truly had had enough, and refused to follow Pa's wandering foot anywhere else.

That's just one example of the information in this well-researched biography by Caroline Fraser, winner of a 2018 Pulitzer Prize, information given here.

Since many reviews giving details are available about this book, I will only give my reaction as a reader:  I loved reading it.  I loved learning more about my favorite childhood author and her life, finding out many new details not available in the other books about Wilder.  And though the book is realistic, not glossing over the grittier details, at the same time it does not dash the reader's views of the Little House books entirely.

As one who greatly appreciates a well-researched and well-presented biography, I highly recommend Prairie Fires to anyone who enjoys reading about Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Friday's Fave Five, 5/26/18 - a day late~~

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Big shock - Blogger let me on this morning!!  It has been three months since something happened, I don't know what, and I could not log on.  I have opened a WordPress account but had no time to learn how to use it.  But if I can continue to use Blogger, I prefer it.  So - even though this is a day late, here is a Friday's Fave Five!!

1. School is over.  Finished.  Done.  I have never been as tired at the end of the school year as this year - a combination of having major surgery during the year, having to add a sixth class due to the loss of a teacher, and extra activities at the end of the year.  It may take me a few days this year to get energy back.  But school is done!!

2. Because of barely making it to the finish line, I have had neither the time nor the energy to make strawberry jam this spring, and berries are about over here in the southeast.  But my mother bought, hulled, mashed, measured out, and froze the exact amounts for me to make three batches now that the school year is done.  I appreciate that so much.  My family thinks the world has come to an end if I don't have strawberry jam in the freezer; plus, it makes great small gifts.  So now all are happy.  

3. Mike is doing much better.  Two weeks ago he caught a bad cold; he was improving daily when he got very sick, very fast.  Fever (unheard of for him), wheezing, crackles, short of breath even without exertion.  I took him to the urgent care that night, where the doctor called it a bad bronchitis.  Based on his symptoms, and the fact that these things may not show up on x-ray right away, another doctor said it was pneumonia.  Either way, he was very sick, and it's great to see him up and around.  His shoulder is also improving greatly.

4. A new tropical bird.  We went to see a rare bird reported in the area that usually doesn't make its way further than Miami, Florida.  It was exactly in the location reported, and we got to see it.

5. Yesterday Mike had a doctor's appointment in Greenville, and we ate lunch at a new restaurant for us, Tupelo Honey.  It's called upscale southern cuisine.  Very good and a very nice lunch.

It's nice to be back!!

Makes No Sense

Well, I'm up early and doing some computer browsing.  I randomly decided to try to sign in to Blogger, which has told me for months that I am unable to sign in and need to get an administrator's assistance.  And it let me right in!!  Who knows what the problem is/was.  Anyway, if I can continue to get on here, I will continue using Blogger instead of going to WordPress, which so far does not seem nearly as user friendly as Blogger.  Either way - I hope to do more blogging this summer.

Moving

I am having problems with logging into Blogger.  Therefore, I am in the process of starting a new blog on a new platform. It's time for a change anyway.  So--since I can only post on here from my phone or very old iPad, this will be the last post here except for one: the URL of the new blog (when it gets set up). Thank you!

Friday's Fave Five, 12/29/17

LINK to Friday's Fave Five host blog - Susanne's Space

1. A quiet Christmas - both children were with their spouses in their respective homes, so Mike and I had an enjoyable meal with my folks and my sister.  

2. In the morning, we went to one of our favorite bird haunts, which have been very quiet for the past few weeks.  However, I got several good pictures on that trip:

Eastern phoebe - a common bird even at our house, but not easy to get a picture of.

Immature red-shouldered hawk.  Immatures are difficult to identify, but this is what someone on a bird forum told me.  I'll take his word for it.  :-) 

Cropped photo of a male belted kingfisher. 

 I dub the above picture, the pic of the day.  Someone wrote on a bird forum that a kingfisher sounds like "a playing card clipped to bicycle spokes."  Great descriptive phrase.

3. Daughter gave us a duck-stamp jigsaw puzzle for Christmas.  It's all metallic browns and golds, which is not easy on our OLD eyes.  But we've had fun putting it together this week.  Mike says we will frame it.  :-)

4. Recent work:

One scarf on the left is mine; one I gave to my sister; the hat is in the "not sure yet" pile.  The scarf in the right hand picture went to my daughter in law.









5. Two whole weeks of rest.  I've needed it.  The recuperation from this surgery takes longer than re-entry into society.  I have really enjoyed this break.

Friday's Fave Five, 12-15-17

LINK to Friday's Fave Five Host Blog

BIRTHDAY EDITION  :-)

This will be a little different FFF due to the events of the past week.  :-)

1. Today, by the grace of God, I celebrate having lived on this earth for six decades.  I am very thankful for all that He has done in my life.

2. Last Saturday, our children and their spouses (and my folks) pulled off a big surprise.  Mike's birthday was a week ago Thursday, and he had a milestone birthday also.  So our children planned a surprise party at a local restaurant.  ML and her husband drove four hours to be here for this special event.  Several good friends and family members were there, and we were very surprised.  It was a great evening!!  It was especially nice because of our recuperations from surgeries, from which he's faced limited activity and I've faced a lot of ongoing fatigue.  So the party was a great diversion.

The six of us.

2. Of course, this is also the last week of school before Christmas break, so last night was our beautiful school program.  I'm not supposed to post pictures of students on private blogs or FB pages, but suffice it to say that that program was a true worship service.  Our music teacher does a beautiful job of planning a program that gives glory to the true reason for Christmas, and makes it enjoyable also.  It was a great night.

3. Before the program, my dear friend of many years, Nancy, took me out for my birthday. 

4. Then today, after I got home from a half-day of school, our son drives up and brings me this, from both children and their spouses.  Beautiful!!

5. And a half hour after that, the doorbell rang, with another flower arrangement from my dear friend Gretchen!  I have felt greatly celebrated this week.

Just to keep my feet on the ground, precious husband reminded me, "Just think - you're halfway to 120."  :-)

Friday's Fave Five 12-1-17

 LINK to Friday's Fave Five host blog

1. A good week overall.  I am still tired by the end of the day, and have pain when I push, pull, or lift anything that is too heavy, but this week was not exhausting like some of the previous ones have been.

2. Helpful parents.  It's still very wearing to do much shopping, and I needed printer ink this week - the nearby Wal-Mart was out.  Dad stopped and got what I needed while Mom was at an appointment.  I appreciate their help!

3. These birds.  Terrible picture but fun experience.  The bird on the left is a blue morph snow goose (a lifer for Mike and me), the two in the middle, along with another that is not seen in this picture, are greater white-fronted geese; and the white one is a Ross's goose.  All three rare for this area, feeding together in a field in the area where we like to go.  Rare bird alert websites are very helpful in finding such things.

4. It was nice to be with this lady on Sunday night.  She and her family were often good to my son when he was in China.  Any time he had to go to Beijing, they hosted him and basically played substitute family to him.  They also hosted me for three nights at the end of my trip there.  She and her husband were at our church Sunday night, and we took them out afterward.  Very thankful for the work that they are doing in China - and also thankful for their kindness to Andrew.  A mother doesn't forget when people are kind to her kids!!

 5. These are this week's yarn efforts.  The scarf on the right is actually from last week; however, I added the hat to go with it.  Working with yarn has become so relaxing to me.

And a bonus!  A good friend, whose daughter will be joining two of my classes in January, stopped by so that we can make sure her daughter is at the right place in her studies.  She happens to be a very, very good baker, and she brought two of these (I guess I have to give one to Mike!!!).  We will have a treat this evening.  They smelled wonderful all day!!

Friday's Fave Five, 11-24-17

LINK to Friday's Fave Five host blog

1. Thanksgiving at Mike's sister's (and husband's) house.  A lovely meal at their lovely home.  Always nice to be with family.  It was a beautiful day and we spent part of it in the yard.

Son and nephew.  Proud of them both.

These two below were a big help to us today, working in the yard and helping with housework.  It was very much appreciated!!

 2. Last Saturday night I was able to leave Mike long enough from his surgery recuperation (two days out by then) to go to see our school's musical.  For a small high school (approximately 85 students), the drama and choir teachers put on a great production of Christmas Carol.  The student shown below is enjoying towering over me.  Briefly.

 3. I brought this home a few days ago - it had been at school.  My second banner made by the students - the first one was a "We'll miss you" poster; this one was a "Welcome Back."  I'll enjoy it for a few more days and then take it to the trash - can't hang onto everything forever.  But it was very nice of them!

4. The last couple of weeks' worth of crochet work.  When I have to spend a lot of time resting, it's nice to have something to do with my hands.

5. We are doing OK.  Mike is recuperating from his second shoulder surgery in three months.  He's having the expected amount of pain.  And I have discovered that the doctor is right - the fatigue from this surgery lasts much longer than when the patient has to get back into the mainstream of life.  But we will make it!!  And we have so much to be thankful for.  Doing OK is one of those things.

Friday's Fave Five, 11-3-17

LINK to Friday's Fave Five host blog

1. Today marks the end of my six-week surgery "sabbatical." I was supposed to return to work full-time on Monday; however, things have worked out well for me to teach just one class on Monday and Tuesday of next week.  I'll start back full time on Wednesday.  That gives me a three-day week for the first week, which is much more manageable for working back into things.  I'm thankful for a substitute who is willing to teach two more days, a boss who is agreeable to this arrangement, and also a husband who insisted on my working in gradually.

2. The lady who used to help me with my house occasionally no longer cleans houses; however, she is willing to come next week to help me get it good and clean.  That is such a relief.  I can't pick up much weight at all, or push a vacuum or mop (what a shame!!) :-) -- and my husband's shoulder is giving him problems, so he can't clean very well either.  So I am grateful that this super-duper lady is willing to come help me this time.

3. This week's blanket.  Not real thrilled with how the colors turned out; however, it's a good way to use up yarn.  I have way, way too much yarn.  Acquiring yarn may have turned into an obsession? 

4. Caramel apples.  My precious aunt sent me some from a store near her home that is known for them.  They were delicious.

5. I went with Mike for his orthopedist appt. this morning, and we stopped by a new place for us for breakfast.  I had sweet potato pancakes with pecans and cinnamon syrup.  Very autumn-like and very good!

Goodbye October

Why is October always in such a hurry to go?

My friend Kristin Waite Smith took this photo and captioned it perfectly.  I asked permission to post it because it is so beautiful.  And true.