West from Home

Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder

San Francisco 1915

Edited by Roger Lea MacBride

Photo of Laura, Michelle, Chelsea and Haley at Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in Mansfield.

About fifteen years ago I had the opportunity to go to Mansfield, Missouri to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum.  Die-hard fans of the Little House on the Prairie books will understand why I got chills looking at Pa’s actual fiddle!  For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved those books.  As a child in the seventies, I was also a fan of the television show.  While the show’s storyline veered far from the books, the spunk of little Laura Ingalls still showed through.  She was bright, strong, and a just a little bit of a trouble maker.  Perhaps my admiration for that little girl is why I named my oldest child Laura.  

West from Home is a book of letters that the grown-up Laura wrote to her husband Almanzo while she was on an extended trip to San Francisco to visit their daughter Rose.  In these letters, Laura details so well everything she saw.  Growing up, she had to be the eyes for her sister Mary who went blind at a young age.  This obviously refined her skill for descriptive language.

At Land’s End I had my first view of the Pacific Ocean.  To say it is beautiful does not half express it.  It is simply beyond words.  The water is such a deep wonderful blue and the sound of the waves breaking on the beach and their whisper as they flow back is something to dream about.

Her letters describe more wonders, such as the first fireworks she’s seen, and the ships from many lands nestled in the harbor.  

What impresses me about her letters is the wonder she feels about what she experiences.  Now that we have HDTV and the internet that can show us video from anywhere in the world, and movies with mind-boggling special effects, it seems we have lost some of our astonishment at what is before our eyes.  Let’s not let that happen.  Let’s not lose our wonder for the simple but amazing things in our lives. 

Little Bear

By Else Holmelund  Minarik

Illustrations by Maurice Sendak

Copyright 1957

Considering its age, this book is in very good condition.  Well, except for the childish printing on the inside.  Apparently, I had just started learning to write and wanted to mark my most treasured possessions.  This book was certainly one of them.  I remember being read to and later, reading it myself.  

The first story in the book is titled What Will Little Bear Wear?  Little Bear wants to play in the snow, but complains that it is too cold.  Mother Bear makes him a hat to wear outside, and off goes Little Bear to play.  Time and again, back inside comes Little Bear to complain about the cold, and each time Mother Bear makes him a new, warm piece of clothing.  All bundled up, Little Bear comes in once again to say he is cold. 

“My little bear,” said Mother Bear,

you have a hat,

you have a coat,

you have snow pants.

Do you want a fur coat, too?”

Mother Bear proceeds to take off Little Bear’s hat, coat, and snow pants.  And guess what?  There is his fur coat!  Now when Little Bear goes outside to play, he is not cold anymore!

It just goes to show you; sometimes we look so hard for what we think will make us happy, when all along we already had just what we needed!

My Vacation at Jack & Jill Ranch

Outdoor vacations were a central, much loved part of my husband Mike’s childhood.  Each summer, the family spent a week at a little cabin on a lake; fishing, swimming, and hiking.  In fact, if it weren’t for the love of the outdoors, his parents, Victor and Madge, never would have met.  Before marriage and children, they each attended week-long vacations at the Jack and Jill Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan.  At the time, the Ranch was intended as an outdoor vacation destination for young adults, ages 18 to 35.  While they never spent a week together at the Ranch, they met at a social group for “Ranchers” who lived in the Chicago area.

This little souvenir booklet is hand dated by Madge, 1955.  In it are a few signatures and addresses of friends just met.  

The lyrics to fireside songs that have been passed on by them to later generations of Litwins are included.  

                Oh, Mr. Moon, Moon, lovely Mr. Moon.

                Won’t you please shine down on me.

                Oh, Mr. Moon, Moon, lovely Mr. Moon,

                Hiding behind that tree.

                Cause when your life’s in danger,

                And you’re on the run,

                There’s a man behind you with a great big gun.

                Oh Mr. Moon, Moon, lovely Mr. Moon

                Won’t you please shine down on,

                Never cease to shine on,

                Moon shine down on me.

According to the calendar page, on Thursday there was a dress-up dance and a beach party, Friday a horse show, and Saturday brought a weinie roast and farewell.

Inside the booklet is a postcard, written and addressed but never sent, in Madge’s handwriting.

“Hi, Having wonderful time, weather is nice”

I imagine she was having so much fun that she didn’t have time to send the card.  I also imagine that once she got back home to her coworkers in the Steno Department, she had plenty to say about her week.  While I’ll never know the details of her summer of 1955, I do remember the smile on her face whenever the Jack and Jill Ranch came up.   

What I picture is a simpler time. One full of fresh air, laughter, and friendship. 

Nobody Listens to Andrew

By Elizabeth Guilfoile

Illustrated by Mary Stevens

Several weeks ago, as I was lying in bed during the very early morning hours, unable to sleep, the memory of this book popped into my head.  I hadn’t laid eyes on the book in many years, yet I still remembered some of the illustrations and a few of the lines.  Once the sun started to rise, I finally got up and fortunately a quick internet search led me to a copy of Nobody Listens to Andrew on Amazon Used Books. 

 

We probably had this book around the house when I was growing up because one of my brother’s names is Andrew.  My mother, a life-long bibliophile, liked to find books with main characters that shared a name with one of her children.  (It wasn’t until I was in high school that she found The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole!)

Nobody Listens to Andrew is a beginning reader with a short, simple text.  A little boy is desperately trying to tell his family and neighbors something very important, but everyone is too busy to listen.  Daddy needs to cut the grass, Ruthy wants to go roller skating before dark, Bobby says, “Don’t bother me, Andrew”, because he’s too busy looking for his bat and ball.  

Eventually, Andrew becomes louder and more insistent.  When the others finally stop to listen, they discover that Andrew did have something very important to say.  There was a bear in his bed!  

After resolving the bear situation, Daddy says, “Next time, we will listen to Andrew.”

A modern version of this book would have Daddy working at his computer, Ruthy texting her friends, and Bobby playing video games.  Mother would be too busy on Facebook and Mr. Neighbor wouldn’t hear him because he would be listening to his Ipod.  

Often, I’ve noticed that parents out in public are paying attention to their cell phones rather than the conversation and cries of their young children.  How often could the phone calls or texts have waited until another time?  

Just like all of us, children want to be heard.  To acknowledge a child with the gift of attentive conversation is a gift that will last their lifetime.