Little Trailer in the big Provo

As most people who know me have figured out, I am a huge fan of the Little House on the Prairie books. I love them. I read The Long Winter at least once a year (usually when I can feel the first winter chill in the air). Recently I decided to go back and read some of the earlier books when, much to my dismay, I realized that my collection was missing its copy of Little House in the Big Woods. I searched high and low but to no avail. Luckily, a run to the public library solved my problem temporarily and I now have in my very possession the book that started it all. Sam just laughed when he saw me reading, asking me if I had now taken to reading Amber's books. Aw, who cares! Who wouldn't want to read a book that details how pioneers used to smoke venison, butcher hogs, collect maple sap, churn butter, treat bee stings and make cheese? Totally awesome! I must admit, however, that I have been somewhat skeptical about whether Laura Ingalls Wilder could really possibly have retained such vivid memories of her early childhood. So, I decided to go through my childhood memories and see if I could drudge up as many as she has. The answer was absolutely not. However, I was surprised at some of the memories that did come back. Here are some that I thought I would record (although probably not for children worldwide). :)

What foods did I especially when I was very little?

Laura used to particularly like Ma's cheese curds and pork cracklings. When my mom wanted to give me a special treat, she would make barbequed spare ribs, white bread spread with butter and sprinkled sugar. My favorite donut was an apple fritter and my favorite cake was chocolate with blue frosting. (I think I had that at some kind of church open house in Blanding and believe me, the frosting makes all the difference).

What games did I play?

Laura and Mary used to play house under the trees or jump from tree stump to tree stump. My sister and I used to bury toys in our half of the garden and then dig them up the next year and pretend we had discovered a leprechaun's buried treasure. We also used to take cups of grape juice out to the side of the house (which we called the grape juice restaurant) and drink it while eating little pieces of cheese that we called carrot candy. The best, of course, was when we used to remove the drawers from our dressers, climb inside the dresser frame and pretend we were riding in a stage coach. Good times!

What did I do in school?

Laura only went to school intermittently when their family lived near a town. When she did go, she did her lessons on a slate and liked to play games with boys at recess. My first memories of school were at Joaquin Elementary. I remember eating jello jigglers, watching Frosty the Snowman, singing “The Farmer in the Dell” and going to an awesome school carnival where there was a plastic duck shooting booth. I also remember a girl named Allison getting her head stuck in a hole in one of the playground toys. I only went to Joaquin for one semester of kindergarten and later when I was in college, I was driving down the street with my roommates when I came across a Joaquin elementary. I laughed and thought that's the name of the school I used to go to but that school was in Provo. Then, I thought, “Oh wait a minute, we are in Provo. That is my school.” Incidentally, my kindergarten teacher at Joaquin was Kim Breinholt's aunt Renee. Small world.

Did I have a favorite toy?

Laura's favorite toy was her rag doll, Charlotte. I had a beautiful doll named Chatty Kathy who talked when I first got her. One day I was making crafts with a neighbor at our BYU trailer park and when I came home, my sister and her friends had given Chatty Kathy a bath. She never talked again. Incidentally, Laura's doll also was badly treated by a neighbor child who dropped her in a puddle.

What did I like to do with my mom and dad?

Laura liked to help pa make hay, set fish traps and listen to him play his fiddle. She liked to read Sunday School magazines with Ma and help her with her household chores (at least when she was little). I loved to hang out with my mom and dad. I remember sliding through the hole made in my dad's lap when he crossed one leg over the other. I also loved going with him to the apple orchard, singing on the window sills of his law school building and listening to him play the piano. I also remember watching my first LHOP episode with him at the trailer park. I liked to help my mom make cookies and read books with her. I also loved to play a game with her where I would lay on a towel on the ground and my mom would pour water from her shoulder height and try to get it into my mouth. We would laugh and laugh.

Did we see our grandparents and cousins?

Laura say her extended family when they lived in Wisconsin. They helped each other at sugaring time and harvest time and they even had a dance. I loved to see my grandparents and cousins. We saw my dad's family more often because they lived in Utah and that was closer to us. We loved to explore my grandpa Hurst's coal bins, underground cellar and workshop. We also loved to climb his apple tree and ride on his merry go round (I'm not sure what it was actually used for, but it did turn round and round). I loved to watch my grandma make rolls, plant petunias, sew and do her laundry. She had an old washer that washed the clothes by running through a ringer that Grandma put each clothing item through. Then she would hand the clothes on the clothes line. I don't even think she had a dryer. We also loved to go to the gas station or the nursery when she was working there. At the store, she would let us have two toned sweet tart suckers if we were good, Yummy! When we visited my grandma and grandpa Woods in Nebraska, we would first run to the attic and try on my mom and Aunt Julia's old prom dresses. The attic had a peaked ceiling and you could hear the pitter-patter on the roof whenever it rained. It had as closet that ran the whole length of the room and was filled with fancy dresses that Grandma and the girls had worn. Next, we would run down to the basement. That room was filled with a doll house and all of Grandma's costume jewelry. Grandma and Grandpa had an enclosed porch where we would sit in the evenings and wave at the neighbors. The screen door had a big metal “W” on it that I used to love. The porch also has a record player and we loved to listen to Debbie Boone records. Neither of my grandparents ever locked the doors at their house. My mom and dad both grew up in very small towns. Whenever we were there, we could come and go as we pleased. As long as we were back in time for dinner, no one cared.

So, those are some of the things I remember. I'm not sure I could write a book but it's still fun to think about the old days – even if they aren't quite as old as Laura's old days.