I’m really grateful that Sandra and Connie agreed to help coordinate audience participation for Pa’s Fiddle by members of our Little House community.

For those who are able to be there it’ll be a great chance to be part of the show…we’ll make sure we see your smiling, happy faces as you listen to some of the best music Pa played on his fiddle during his family’s timeless adventure on the prairie. Our house band will be five to six players led by musical director Randy Scruggs…together they will be supporting some special guests from the worlds of country and bluegrass music.

Laura mentions 127 different songs in her books…we’ll hear 10 to 15 of them at the Loveless Barn. The performances will be edited into a 1-hour Pledge Special for PBS that will premiere nationally in June of 2012.

We only have about 100 seats available…they’ll all be good…you’ll be part of the show. I know i’ts short notice, but you’ll have fun. We’ll need to know who’s coming by Friday, Dec 16. Details on the show time will be made available at that time…you should expect the performance to be shot over a four- to six-hour period during the afternoon and evening of January 6, 2012. I’ll hope to see you there.

Edited to add:

People have been asking about children attending the performance. We’re glad you reminded us, as we would love younger fans to be in the audience! Any child 8 years and older is welcome to come, but please keep in mind that this will be a long afternoon/evening and we will need everyone who chooses to attend the event to stay from beginning to end in the interest of continuity.

Dean

We want YOU to be there.

The event is part of a PBS pledge special and will be recorded for future use on television.

According to Dean, “Pa’s Fiddle will feature some of the best known tunes called out in Laura’s Little House books played by some of the finest players in Nashville. Historic details related to Laura will be provided by our friend Dale Cockrell, as only he can do it.”

The event is free, with reserved seating. “We’d like to have up to 100 of our Little House friends on hand to listen to and enjoy the music,” says Dean. “This is a unique opportunity for those who love Laura to be present for and participate in a uniquely authentic celebration of the music that inspired the books.”

We realize this is short notice, but if you are sure you can make it, please email Connie Neumann at macneumann@aol.com to reserve your seating. Please put “Reservation” in your subject line.  The numbers are very limited at the Loveless Barn and Connie will need to know for sure that you are coming no later than Tuesday, Dec. 20th. In your email, please send your full name, how many in your party (no children under 8 – sorry), your telephone number and state of residence.

UPDATE: Watch it here!

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?

Laurapalooza Day 5 Part 1

Laura Ingalls Wilder Documentary, Wendy Corsi Staub, Barbara Mays Boustead, John Fry, Ann Dahl, Gayle Keresey, and Loving Laura panel.

Laurapalooza Day 5 Part 2

Judy Green, Tin Pail Luncheon/Spelling Bee, and Farewell Mankato.

Laurapalooza Trip – Sleepy Eye, Minnesota

Well known to TV fans. Sleepy Eye is right on Highway 14 – The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway between Mankato and Walnut Grove. The video should also prove of interest to people who collect Sleepy Eye pottery and Peanuts fans. I took a quick look around Sleepy Eye on my way to Walnut Grove.

Laurapalooza Trip – Walnut Grove, Minnesota Part 1

Laurapalooza Trip – Walnut Grove, Minnesota Part 2

What was going on in Walnut Grove after we got their complete with guided tour.

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 1

Part 1 of the first full day of the conference includes, in order, a look at registration; words from Amy Lauters and Sandra Hume;  samplings of presentations by Kelly Ferguson and Ann Weller Dahl;  museum staff greetings from Burr Oak (Steve Luse), Walnut Grove (Nicole Higgins Elzenga) and Pepin (Suzanne Ebersold); more presentation sampling by Michelle McCellan; LauraPalooza designer Kristina Sukalski; and a bit on Dale Cockerell’s presentation.

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 2

Part 2 of today’s video features author/illustrator Cheryl Harness; snippets from presentations/speeches by John E. Miller, Jenna Hunnef, and Jim Hicks; the Harvey Dunn Plein Aire Event; and the Manchester Tornado.

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 3

Pepin contingent with Kitty Latane, Barbara Mays Boustead, Lynn Urban, Homesite Panel, Author Panel, and Dale Cockerell.

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 4

Connie Neumann at Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association Booth, Sue Duggan, Author Reception with Nancy Cleaveland and Penny Linsenmayer.

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair

Beyond Little House was set up with the idea of promoting the conference, but we weren’t sure what to put up during the actual conference. I had already decided to give my Flip camera a workout by filming highlights and they proved very popular as way to share the conference with people who couldn’t be there and for people attending the conference to help organize their thoughts about the day. This week we are going to reshare those videos with you. Unfortunately there are some issues with sound, for which we apologize, but efforts to improve it with the equipment then at hand were not successful. I hope you will enjoy them anyway. You’ll probably want to adjust the volume on your computer all the way up for some sections.

Also as part of the buildup to the conference I posted a series called And One More on the Way which were places which mostly didn’t have a direct connection to Laura, but were tourist spots that you might want to add on your trip. I heard from several people who did exactly that. I hope to repeat that next year as part of the build up of the conference and while I have some already on my list I would welcome your ideas on what I might want to include.

The link to the post will include a link to the video on YouTube, a short summary of what is included on that day’s video and links to websites of things, people or places mentioned in the video. The first video covers my trip to Mankato with stops at two Laura homesite towns on the way.

Laurapalooza Trip Day 1

This first day of traveling to LauraPalooza includes Decorah and Burr Oak, Iowa; Spring Valley, Minnesota; and former longtime Burr Oak director Ferneva Brimacomb.

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair

Ma's House on Ingalls Homestead

July tends to be a busy month for Laura fandom. Get caught up with the July Update on Trundlebed Tales Radio. Check back for a new update each month during Laura season.

Before heading out, also catch up on the radio shows from Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, and the 40th Anniversary of the De Smet Pageant.

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair

Full dates for the Pageant are:

July 8, 9, 10

July 15, 16, 17

July 22, 23, 24

Note these dates coordinate with the Walnut Grove Pageant  which is scheduled for the Friday and Saturday of each of these same weekends so you can do both pageants in one weekend. I recommend seeing both. Also, be aware that both gate opening and the start time of the De Smet Pageant have moved up one hour this year. So the gates open at 6 pm and the pageant will start at 8 pm.

Recently I interviewed pageant board member Ann Lesch about the 40th Anniversary of the Pageant on the Trundlebed Tales Radio Show. Find it on this website or you can download it and take it with you on iTunes under podcasts.

Learn more on the official De Smet Pageant website.

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio