Of course, you all do. And that’s what makes this conference special. We all have an opportunity to interact with others who share that very same obsession in different kinds of ways.

Next summer, we’ll meet again, July 12-14, 2012, in Mankato, Minn., on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato. We’re keeping on the schedule some of our favorite things–the ice cream social, the author’s reception, the spelling bee–and adding some things that you requested, such as breaks and break-out sessions for discussion. We’ve also been discussing a variation on our theme for next summer: What would Laura do?

That means we’re going to try to put in a few more sessions that are hands-on workshops devoted to playing Laura. I’m working with other departments at MSU to see if we can use the kitchens in the Family and Consumer Science area, the recreation center, and other spaces to give us all a chance to play Laura.

We’re also looking forward to a fresh batch of speakers, researchers, and workshop presenters. Our call for papers will go out in August, and we’re looking for researchers who want to present their work about Laura’s life and legacy or an aspect of it, as well as panel proposals from folks who have ideas for discussions, and workshop proposals from educators or others who have something Laura-related they’d like to share. We’re hoping for a variety as fun as we had last summer, but our programming depends on what you want to share with us!

Finally, we’ve heard from you that the Walnut Grove field trip is a MUST. I will never forget watching all the women on my bus running forward to Plum Creek, squealing as we raced to take off our shoes and put our toes in the water. It’s these kinds of experiences that we can’t replace, and we’re not going to try. But we will book a bus to help our dorm-dwellers get back from Walnut Grove to Mankato without falling asleep on the long, dusty road of Hwy. 14.

So, ask yourself, as you think about how you might contribute to next summer’s gathering: What would Laura do?

Kesinee has been my companion in Laura adventures for several years, since she was first old enough to understand the first stories. When she lived near LaCrosse, Wis., I could scoop her up for a few days to play with me, and we stopped at the Pepin site several times, as it was on the way from her house to mine.

In the summer of 2009, I took her with me to De Smet for the planning meeting that led to LauraPalooza. We stopped at Walnut Grove, camped in a covered wagon on the Ingalls Homestead, and generally had a great time. The only hitch in our get-along? A fear of prairie animals that my father, her “Papa,” had accidentally instilled in his warning to us about camping on the prairie.

My husband provided us with a baseball bat.

Kesinee never had to use it. In fact, she slept through the major thunderstorm event we had on our night on the Ingalls Homestead. Additionally, Kesinee took notes at our meetings, made suggestions about young people activities, and helped to coordinate the crafting activities that later did take place at LP.

So as Kesinee turns 15 today, I reflect on her willingness to jump in and help, share my interest, and be my Laura companion. I can’t help but be proud of her gumption. And even though she won’t be traveling 12 miles one way in a sleigh to a lonely schoolhouse next winter, I have no doubt she could handle the task if she needed to.

Happy Birthday, Kes!

It might be a little sacreligious; after all, most of us associate that phrase with the popular “What would Jesus do?” I believe that’s an infinitely better question in most circumstances.

But throughout my regular day, when my decisions have less to do with weighty matters and more to do with questions of the every day, my thoughts do drift to lessons gleaned from Laura. What should I eat for lunch? Fresh food, in season. Should I go wading in the creek? With every possible opportunity. What about trying to cross the river on foot today? Remember the spring freshet, and stay on the plank. (We’re flooding here in Minnesota right now.)

Unexpected company is coming; what do I serve? Whatever is in the pantry; it need not be fancy as long as the company is good. I MUST NOT hit Nellie Oleson–even if she is trying my patience beyond all measure. No matter what comes, bravely accept and do your best to make the best of it.

“There is no great loss without some small gain.” Cows go dry in the winter. Tend your animals and you will reap rewards from them. Love your family. Handmade gifts make the best presents–because the gift isn’t just the object, it’s the love and care and time that went into it. Harvest what you plant–but be wary of grasshoppers, gophers, and blackbirds.

When the world is getting the best of you, go home. Singing can be like praying, and both can be done out loud, in company. No one will notice if I’m wearing pink ribbons or blue. Manners apply in all circumstances, and any who have manners can adapt to any social situation.

Let’s add to the list. What lessons have you gleaned from Laura that you apply in your life?

As I started out from Mankato, I couldn’t help but notice the temps were way below zero. And I decided it would be fun to keep a log of my trip, following the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Highway east toward her roots, to those of her parents, in the spirit of On the Way Home.

At each stop along the way–and never while I was actually driving–I sent a text message to update my Facebook status. I noted where I was, what I was up to, and the temperature. It stayed below zero until I got into Wisconsin; by the time I was in Wisconsin Dells–stopping at Exit 92 for a Dunkin’ Donut and cup of coffee–it was well above zero. And I realized I had another Laura opportunity: I could stop in Concord, armed with new general directions for finding the original farms of Charlotte Quiner Holbrook and Lansford P. Ingalls.

I’ve been to Concord before. At one point, I lived in Milwaukee for three years, and I took advantage of that opportunity to seek out these roots of Caroline and Charles. But at LauraPalooza last summer, in talks with John Bass, I got more specific directions to the original farms. I decided to go off the freeway at County Road F and drive out that direction.

The problem, however, was that I couldn’t be sure I was in the right space. Some of these sites felt familiar–the Groose area, for example, rang a dim bell–but because this was an impulse stop, I wasn’t armed with the right maps to make sure I was in the right spot. Naturally, I sent a text message to Facebook noting my dilemma, as part of the log, before moving on.

And got a wonderful lesson in the power of the social network and the generosity of the Laura community.

Nansie Cleaveland, who is a dedicated Wilder researcher, happened to note my problem, and she had the maps! She scanned them and posted links to them for me on Facebook. I retrieved the maps on my phone, and on the way back from Milwaukee, easily found the right spot. (Nansie since has written post of her own about this experience, and included those links for anybody else wandering through Concord at her blog, Pioneer Girl.)

My problem had been that I was looking for the farms south of the Oconomowac River, and south and east of Concord. The farms are actually north and east of Concord. They adjoin at a specific spot:

The spot where the Lansford Ingalls and Charlotte Holbrook lands adjoin.

Parked on that corner, I took pictures to the north and east of the intersection.

The Lansford Ingalls farm.

This sweeping cornfield, with the farmhouse just up the street, was original Lansford P. Ingalls land–where Charles spent most of a his youth.

It’s easy to see, with as close as the two farms were, how three different couples evolved from the numerous young people who lived there. Henry Quiner and Polly Ingalls, Eliza Quiner and Peter Ingalls, and Caroline Quiner and Charles Ingalls all married.

The Quiner/Holbrook land lays kitty-corner across the street from this intersection. This is the sweep of field and stream that exists there now:

The Holbrook farm land.

I just barely missed shooting an image of my vehicle in the foreground of this one.

If the farmhouses were located in roughly the same spots as they are today, the young people living on these farms only had to walk about a half a mile to go visiting. There would have been many more trees than exist today; the farm land has been cleared and planted, and these farms look to be successful and self-supporting.

As we drive down the road south, with the Holbrook farm on the right, a delightful surprise awaits:  When we approach the river, which apparently once wandered through the Holbrook land, several houses have sprung up on the right, a mini-village of sorts. The entire site is still in the Town of Concord, but one would have to cross the river–and today, Interstate 94–to get to the village crossroads.

Much easier, today, is to turn right at the river, and go to Concord General Store just off the freeway for gas and an ice cream cone or coffee. Even if the owners didn’t know, when I asked, that they were just down the road from Little House history.

The quintessential LIWLRA pink T-shirt:

The hunter green Farmer Boy T-shirt

The totebag:

The lanyard: And the flour sack embroidery kit:

We also have assorted button string kits that include a variety of vintage buttons and the string to put them on–just like Carrie’s.

All funds raised go toward managing expenses for and from the conference and for web site maintenance, as well as to promote the mission of LIWLRA in supporting the work and research of scholars and volunteers at Little House sites.

Ordering and pricing information available here.

As always, LIWLRA members get 10 percent off!

All designs created by the amazing Kristina Sukalski.

Amy Lauters displays the award given to LauraPalooza by the Greater Mankato Convention and Visitors Bureau.

When Anna Thill, the director of the GMCVB, called to tell me we had won this award, I was stunned. I didn’t even know we’d been nominated. But then Anna explained to me that the award goes to a community body that has gone above and beyond to bring visitors to Mankato. And we certainly did that.

You all came, followed us, or watched Sarah Sue’s amazing videos of the event. We had more than 180 people each day, with 152 pre-registered for the full event. We hosted Dean Butler, William Anderson, Pamela Smith Hill, John Miller, and many more scholars and researchers who shared with us their thoughts about the world and legacies of Laura and Rose.

So on behalf of the city of Mankato businesses, I thank you for your support. And this award goes to all of us.

Laura’s Long Winter: Putting the Hard Winter of 1880-81 into Perspective
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
6:30 p.m. “Earth from Space” Tour
7 p.m. Presentation
Location: Kirby Science Discovery Center, Washington Pavilion

Was the winter of 1880-81 one of the “worst” on record in the region? Barbara Mayes Boustead, a forecast meteorologist and climate focal point at the National Weather Service office in Omaha/Valley, NE uses available weather records to place the historically known “Hard Winter” into perspective, looking at factors such as temperature, amount of precipitation, number of snow days, and wind information. Boustead’s study determines the extent of literary license in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Long Winter which chronicles the Ingalls family’s survival of the brutal winter of 1880-81 in DeSmet, South Dakota. The book includes stories of multiple blizzards lasting multiple days, with little separation between events, and with blizzards occurring from October through April of that winter. The “Hard Winter” had a significant impact on not only the Ingalls family and DeSmet, but on families and towns across the Plains.

Join us prior to the presentation for a tour of Earth from Space, a traveling exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution that will be on display at the Kirby Science Discovery Center from November 8, 2010 – January 9, 2011. The exhibition consists of 41 large-scale banners featuring spectacular satellite imagery collected over the past 30 years, allowing visitors to see our amazing planet from the perspective of orbiting satellites. Tracking the weather is one of the most important applications of remote sensing. Weather satellites in geostationary orbits provide the most well-known satellite images, familiar from their uses in television weather reports. Satellites are also used to track changes in sea surface temperature, which has important effects on global climate.

Earth from Space was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The exhibition has been made possible by Global Imagination. Additional support has been provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.

]]> http://beyondlittlehouse.com/2010/11/08/the-hard-winter-in-context/feed/ 2 http://beyondlittlehouse.com/2010/09/23/little-house-surprises/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://beyondlittlehouse.com/2010/09/23/little-house-surprises/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:30:55 +0000 Amy Lauters http://beyondlittlehouse.com/?p=4075 Two weekends ago (and yes, I’m late in posting, sorry), I went camping at Beaver Creek Valley State Park in the southeastern corner of Minnesota, just north of the Iowa border. The plan? To tour the Niagara Cave in Harmony, Minn., because we’ve all become amateur rock hounds.

We arrived late in the afternoon on a Friday, to discover the state park offered much more primitive accommodations than we expected.

Pit toilets.

Ugh.

But, since everything else was booked up, we set up our tents and resigned ourselves. We built a big fire, making shish-ka-bobs on a cast iron grill over the pit. We warmed water in the kettle to wash hands and dishes with, then made s’mores using our nice, metal turning sticks. Our friends arrived shortly after dark, and we helped them get set up before turning in for the night.

Temperatures dipped for the first time all summer. We were cold, but we’d planned ahead and brought wool blankets. Somewhere in the early morning, wolves howled from the top of the ridges that surrounded us. Owls called to each other all night. And in the blurry dawn of morning, I hustled myself to the pit toilets to confront a sign: Watch out for timber rattlers.

I shuddered for a moment.

We set up our Coleman propane camp stove, rather than starting a fire, and fried bacon and eggs for breakfast. My good friend at the site next to us, Shawn, had brought her Keurig cup-at-a-time coffee maker, but we found its electrical plug didn’t fit the one in her van floor. We toted it down to the toilets, where we found one three-prong electrical outlet, and took turns making our coffee, giggling as we noted on the way back that one enterprising camper had set up a picnic table with an extension cord. It was loaded with a coffee maker, a waffle-maker, an electric skillet, and a hair dryer.

Back at camp, we put all traces of food away, to keep it from raccoons and bears, and loaded up to go to the Niagara cave. My foster daughter spent the entire trip–all thirty minutes–mapping our cell phone coverage. We had cell phone coverage for maybe five minutes of that ride, but we know exactly where that five minutes was. Her new call was–”There’s a tower!”

I fretted as we got into Harmony, 22 miles away, that I didn’t have enough cash on hand; I’d forgotten to stop at an ATM. Fortunately, the cave people took credit cards.

The Amish quilt store and ice cream shop, however, didn’t. So I trekked up the street to an ATM to get cash to get ice cream.

As we left Harmony, I took a closer look at our map.

Burr Oak was less than 10 miles away.

Score!

A quick ride later, we pulled in at the visitor’s center in Burr Oak, with the Man of the Place rolling his eyes only slightly at my giggly excitement at visiting a Laura site–an unexpected treat in the middle of the trip. The only other time I’d been in Burr Oak, the Master’s Hotel, where the Ingalls had stayed, was closed for cleaning. This time, I got the full tour, with my foster daughter enjoying the tour with me, and saw the room in which the Ingalls family lived while Caroline cooked and served in the adjoining dining room. It struck me then, how tiny that room was for five–going on six–people. How did Caroline manage, pregnant and serving 75 people per meal per day? Or Laura and Mary, who had the horrible job of cleaning chamber pots?

It was only on the way back home that the irony struck me.

Pit toilets seemed a little less inconvenient.

Keurig coffeemakers didn’t exist a century ago.

We had lighters and matches to get our fire going, and propane when we couldn’t get it started.

We could travel 100 miles, round trip, in well under a day.

Cell phone coverage? The Ingalls wrote letters as often as they could, but mail was sparse, hard to come by, and hard to get to the people who wanted it.

And when wolves howled for us, we were awed–rather than terrified–because we had the safety of our tents, our vehicles, and park rangers within shouting distance.

We talk about the pioneer experience in terms we understand, but I don’t think we twenty-first century people really get the full magnitude of the conveniences we enjoy until we see these spaces, and face our own ironies.

Still, I think I’ll probably ask for an electric campsite the next time I go.

It will be easier to plug in the coffeemaker.

I’m trying to process how I feel about the event. It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun. I think it successfully bridged the academic and popular worlds–and that was a fine line to walk. We have many ideas for the next event, which will be held in July, 2012, but for now, I want to talk about what I got out of this first-of-its-kind gathering.

First, fellowship. I think sometimes we all internalize our interests. For me, Laura has been a private kind of interest, or the interest that others have teased me about. My husband, thankfully, gets it, and he has, on more than one occasion, driven out of our way on a long trip just so I can see something related to Laura. (How many of you have spouses that “get it”?) But how amazing it was, last month, to be able to cite chapter and verse on Laura and know that I didn’t have to explain myself further? At LP, I was among friends who all got it–and who could keep up!

Second, inspiration. What marvelous food for thought our speakers provided this year! The academic discourse thrived, and the chief complaint received was that we needed more time for people to connect with those who spoke, to discuss, disect, and interact with their contributions to this growing body of knowledge. To me, that says we had amazing folks who inspired that thought. I know I’m ready to tackle my next project now.

Third, play. Play is often absent from academic conferences, but at this one, because we wanted to bring everyone together, play had to be an essential element. So we had a spelling bee; we ate popcorn and watched great documentaries; we offered handwork and crafts; we gave people an opportunity to splash in Plum Creek. (And that’s a sight I’ll never forget–a bus full of Laura fans shrieking and kicking off their sandals and shoes to wade in!)

Finally, legacies. We picked that theme for LauraPalooza 2010 because we saw the impact of Laura everywhere. I leave the conference thinking that we haven’t yet fully explored these legacies. And we need to reconsider the impact not only of the books, but the tv series and all its permutations. It’s time.

One more thing I take away with me? LauraPalooza merchandise. If you want a piece of LauraPalooza to take home with you, here’s what’s left:

Brown-on-pink LIWLRA t-shirts; mediums, XLs, XXLs, and XXLs, $22 (includes shipping);

Wheat-on-Hunter Green “Laura’s Farmer boy” t-shirts; all sizes, $22 (includes shipping);

Green-on-wheat Laura Ingalls Wilder tote bags, $10 (includes shipping);

Wheat-on-green LIWLRA lanyards, $5 (includes shipping);

LP 2010 FlourSack Towel Embroidery kit (pre-marked towel, needle, red floss): $5 (includes shipping).

And don’t forget: LIWLRA members get 10 percent off.

Thanks for being such amazing people. I look forward to hosting LauraPalooza 2012, July 12-14, 2012.