Little House on the Prairie – Santa Claus

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

Illustrations by Garth Williams

This edition published in 1953

Picture two young girls on Christmas Eve.  See the disappointment in their eyes because the creek is flooded and they realize Santa Claus won’t be able to get to their house.  Still, they know they are lucky little girls to be in their warm house with Pa and Ma with a turkey dinner to look forward to.  

Imagine their delight and surprise when through the door bursts Mr. Edwards, their closest neighbor, soaking wet and shivering after making his way through the swollen creek, just so he can bring two little girls their gifts from Santa.  Santa, he claims, is too old and fat to cross the creek.  After running into Santa in town,  young, spry Mr. Edwards offered to deliver the gifts himself.  Pa and Ma understand the risk their neighbor took, but Mary and Laura are just overcome with delight.

And what are the gifts?

“Something was shining bright in the top of Laura’s stocking.  She squealed and jumped out of bed.  So did Mary, but Laura beat her to the fireplace.  And the shining thing was a glittering new tin cup.

Mary had one exactly like it.

These new tin cups were their very own.  Now they each had a cup      

to drink out of of."

That wasn’t all, though.  Each girl also found a candy cane and little cake made of white flour with actual white sugar sprinkled on top.

“Laura and Mary never would have looked into their stockings again.  The cups and the cakes and the candy were almost too much.  They were too happy to speak.  But Ma asked if they were sure the stockings were empty.

Then they put their arms down inside them, to make sure.

And in the very toe of each stocking was a shining bright, new penny!  They had never even thought of such a thing as having a penny.”

This chapter from Little House on the Prairie has long been my favorite Christmas story. (Besides the original Christmas story, of course!)

When I was very young, I was astonished at how thrilled Mary and Laura were to receive what I saw as very humble gifts.  Reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s account of her Christmas memories was the first time I remember realizing how very little some people had, and still have, as far as material goods. 

What impressed me was not only their utter joy at receiving, but also their spirit of thankfulness.  As I go about my preparations for a modern American suburban Christmas, I need to keep this long ago Prairie Christmas in mind!

“Every heart tells a story” ornament

It might seem like a strange hobby for a book-lover, but I’ve been enjoying cutting up old, unwanted books in order to make something new.  I like to purchase books that my library is selling after their circulating days are over.  I get to reuse materials and support the library at the same time! 

This year, an idea for a simple Christmas ornament came to mind, and I’d like to share it with you. 

First, I cut small hearts from scraps of paper.  For each ornament, I used 3 book page hearts sandwiched between two patterned paper hearts.  I happened to have a heart punch to make the job easier, but you could just use a heart stencil, scissors, and a steady hand.  

On the plain white side of one of the patterned pieces, I printed out the phrase “Every heart tells a story” several times.  Then, I made sure the phrase was in the center of a cut-out heart.  

After making my heart sandwich with the printing on the top, I simply ran it through my sewing machine, leaving six inches or so of thread on either end.

After tying a bead or charm onto the bottom of the heart, tying a loop onto the top, and spreading open the pages, my book page heart ornaments are ready for gifting! 

And how true it is: every heart does tell a story!

Put Me in the Zoo

By Robert Lopshire

Copyright 1960

Many of us have a few books, either from our own childhood or that of our children that we can recite word for word off the top of our heads.  This is one of those books for me. 

             Oh!  They would put me in the zoo

             if they could see what I can do.

             I can put my spots up on this ball

             and I can put them on a wall.

             I can put them on a cat

             and I can put them on a hat…

Thus begins the plea of a large, friendly looking bear-like animal that can magically change the colors of his spots and do fun tricks with them too.  He wants to live in the zoo so he can show off his tricks and have a nice place to live, but the keepers throw him out.  Two children he meets outside the zoo listen to all the amazing tricks this animal can do and watch his demonstration.   He’s sure the zoo would let him in if they could only see his talents.  

After watching and listening, the two children convince him that the zoo is not the place for him.  Rather, with his fun tricks, the circus is the place he belongs.  

So much of his time and energy were spent trying to get into the zoo, where he thought he belonged.  Then, it turns out there was someplace even better for him!  The circus is the place for him after all.

This happens often, doesn’t it?  We work and work in vain to get to a place, a relationship, or a job we were sure was meant to be, when our real calling is actually something different.  I guess that’s just a part of life, isn’t it?  If we are open to new ideas, new challenges, new paths, we will eventually find our place in this world.

All-time Favorites

We all have traits, quirks, and abilities that come from our parents and some that are uniquely our own. Two traits I’m sure I have inherited from my Mother.  One I treasure, but the other one I regret.  The first is obvious; a love of books and reading.  The second trait that I could happily do without is sleeplessness.  Although I do have to say that those quiet middle of the night hours can inspire thoughts and recollections that won’t come during the busyness of the day.  

Not too long ago, my sleepless mother told me of a list she wrote during one of her long nights.  Born in 1927, she has had many, many years of reading behind her.  She decided to jot down a list of her top twelve favorite books of all time.  

                                A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Spring Came on Forever by Bell Streeter Aldrich

The Diary of a YoungGirl by Anne Frank

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones

Heaven Tree Trilogy by Edith Pargeter

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Andersonville by Mackinlay Kanto 
The Call of the Wild by Jack London

               

I was happy to see that I’ve read six of those books during my lifetime so far.  I’ve decided to set a goal to read the other six within the next year.  

The first of these three is Ivanhoe.  I checked it out from the library and I’ve started it, but I’m finding the older style of language a little slow to get through.  Sometimes I have to go back and re-read a paragraph so I can grasp the plot.  The impending due date will keep me plugging away.

The second will be Heidi.  I know the story from watching the lovely movie that Shirley Temple starred in, but have yet to read the book.  It’s on my shelf, patiently waiting.  I’ll let you know when I finish it.

The third will be The Call of the Wild.  I’ve noticed that the Kindle edition is only .99.  Maybe this will be the first book I get for my future Kindle.  (Christmas is coming)

Next will be the Heaven Tree Trilogy.  I’ll have to ask if I can borrow this one, but it may be a few months before I get to it.  Perhaps this will be good summer reading?

Another book from the list I have yet to read is Cry the Beloved Country.  After checking out the reviews, I anticipate cherishing this read.

Last, I’ll tackle Andersonville.  This one sounds like it will be a tough but rewarding novel.  Historical Fiction has always been a favorite genre, bringing the past to life.

Besides inspiring me to read some unfamiliar books, this list has got me thinking of my own favorites.  Not having quite as many reading years behind me, I feel like I can only list seven so far.

The Wolves ofWilloughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

               

What are your favorites?  Not just the treasures you’ve read this past year, but your life-long all-time favorites?