Things I've learned from Laura

Little House in the Big Woods

 We just finished this book last week.

It's not the first I've read it, and won't be the last!

What I've learned from Laura this time through:

*Chapter 2 Winter Days - "Ma sat in her rocking chair, sewing by the light of the lamp on the table. The lamp was bright and shiny. There was salt in the bottom of its glass bowl with the kerosene, to keep the kerosene from exploding, and there were bits of red flannel among the salt to make it pretty. It was pretty."

I've never heard of this and don't remember 'catching' it before. Thought that was really interesting. Did they really use salt?

*Chapter 4 Christmas - "One morning she boiled molasses and sugar together until they made a thick syrup, and Pa brought in two pans of clean, white snow from outdoors. Laura and Mary each had a pan, and Pa and Ma showed them how to pour the dark syrup in little streams on to the snow. They made circles, and curlicues, and squiggledy things, and these hardened at once and were candy."

Really? The girls want to try this this winter. Has anyone done this successfully? 

*Chapter 10 Summertime - "Somebody must kill the calf, for cheese could not be made without rennet, and rennet is the lining of a young calf's stomach."

Hmmm. Never knew that.

Bug wants a feeder pig now. She was fascinated by the story in Chapter 1 about the pig bladder ball and the roasted pig tail! lol.

I loved the story in Chapter 6 where Ma and Laura went out to milk the cow and found "Sukey" outdoors...

I love Laura. 

I loved her as a child and even more now.

I'm so glad that my kids also love her stories. 

COUNTRY GIRL