One of the things I really appreciate about the folks who read, contribute to, and write for this blog is the fact that all of us love to share Laura with others.
I have several nieces and nephews, but I have three nieces who are all at the right age to start reading and appreciating Laura. We read the books together. But we also have a wonderful time “playing” Laura. Pancake men for breakfast! Nine-patch quilt pillows! Making butter in a Mason jar! Babysitting sourdough starter for fresh bread! Taking walks in the park, building campfires, singing songs–we do it all.
We particularly enjoy the CD I bought at the Little House on the Prairie Musical gift shop at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, “Happy Land: Musical Tributes to Laura Ingalls Wilder.” It features fiddle-playing of classic tunes from the book, as well as traditional compositions of a number of songs, including “Highland Marry”, “Captain Jinks,” “The Big Sunflower,” and “Captain Jinks.”
We giggle along with some of the lyrics; “Captain Jinks” in particular has some surprisingly naughty verses. “Highland Mary” is sweet and haunting; I can see why it was Mary’s favorite.
In what ways do you “play” Laura?
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For those who might be interested, I’ll be on a live radio call-in show Wednesday, June 24, starting at 1:06 p.m. on WILL-AM. It’s an NPR station, and I’ll be talking about my new book, More than a Farmer’s Wife: Voices of American Farm Women, 1910 to 1960.