The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

[Kell]

IT IS ASSUMED YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK BEFORE READING THIS THREAD,
THEREFORE SPOILER TAGS HAVE NOT BEEN USED

IN ORDER TO FACILITATE EASIER AND MORE OPEN DISCUSSION

 

The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Synopsis:

The author's own life furnishes the background for this story of a pioneer family in Wisconsin in the 1870's. Inside the little house in
the big woods live the Ingalls family: Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura and baby Carrie. Outside the little house are the wild animals: the bears and the bees. the deer and the wolves. This is the classic tale of how they live in harmony mostly, but sometimes in fear... This is the first in
the very famous "Little House" series (Little House on the Prairie probably being the most famous).

 

SOME BASIC QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
1. Who was your favourite character and why?
2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?
3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

FURTHER QUESTIONS:

6. What did you think of the certain jobs for certain days?
          Wash on Monday

          Iron on Tuesday

          Mend on Wednesday

          Churn on Thursday

          Clean on Friday

          Bake on Saturday

          Rest on Sunday

7. Food plays a large role in the story. Was there any particular recipe or dish you would lik to try? Or any that turned your stomach? And what did you think of the pig slaughtering?

8. Without any television or radio, and with no neighbours living close by, the family had to rely on themselves for their entertainment. Music, games and storytelling play a huge role in their lives. Was there any particular form of entertainment shown in the book that appealed to you, and why? How do you think you would cope having to make your own entertainment in this way? Is it something you'd like to try?

[Kell]

I hope everyone has been reading and enjoying this wonderful book. I look forward to discussing it with everyone. Over the coming wee while, I'll post extra questions, and I hope you will all start discussing things you found interesting/puzzling/confusing etc too - don't be afraid to post!

 

Let the discussions begin!

[Janet]

I didn't reread this as I read it a couple of years ago and didn't want to pay to reserve it from the library, so these answers are taken from my review of it. 
 
1. Who was your favourite character and why?
I don't think I had a favourite character - I couldn't help comparing them with the TV show and found I preferred the TV portrayal to the real people in the book!

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?
I loved the parts about food, and how they survived the winter when there was little food to be found outside the house!   I didn't like the punishment aspect (more of that in Q4)

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
It's the first 'Little House...' book I've read.  I would maybe read more, but with so many others on my shelves I won't actively seek them out.

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
Yes.  Several times being whipped is mentioned and it happens to Laura once after she slaps Mary - “Then he [Pa] took down a strap from the wall, and he whipped Laura with the strap”. Kind of horrific thinking of a child who has only just turned five years old (and she was allegedly three but was asked to age herself a couple of years by her publisher) being whipped.  

 

I suppose that was just a sign of the times, but as someone who has never laid a hand on my children I find the idea of whipping a defenceless child absolutely abhorrent.  

 

Of course, Laura could have been exaggerating this. 

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

Yes, although there wasn't much depth to the book.  I'd have preferred it if one of the others had won! 

[Kell]

I think a "whipping" was pretty much common practice back then - it certainly seems to have got the kids to toe the line! However, I guess that any good parent would have tempered the severity of it depending on the age of the child and the seriousness of the transgression. Of course, there were, and still are, those who would have beaten their kids bloody in order to keep them in line, but I honestly don't believe that was the case with the Ingalls family, as they appear to have been a very close knit and loving family with a father who had quite progressive ideas (in the later books, it's Pa who stands up for Native Americans when others are saying things like "The only good injun is a dead injun." He fully acknowledged that the Native Americans had a right to feel more than a little disgruntled at being moved off their land (even if the Ingalls family were some of those taking up residence on it!) and seemed to be quite openly friendly towards those who weren't causing the family any bother at all - that's pretty progressive for the times and it strikes me that a man who was considerate of other peoples in a time when those with darker skins were looked down upon as practically being animals, would stay his hand a fair bit when it came to punishing his daughters.

 

I just want to add that I completely disagree with using any kind of implement in beating a child, but the occasional smacked bottom or slapped hand, well, I'll freely admit Xan has had one or two of those in extreme circumstances (however, never hard ones - just enough to give him a short, sharp shock!).

[Kidsmum]

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

I liked Pa Ingalls the most because of his stories & his fiddle playing. I also liked Laura but i think that was because i remember liking her the most in the TV series
2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

 Like Janet i really enjoyed the parts about food the cooking, eating & storage of food for winter. I also liked the story of when Pa mistook a tree stump for a bear.
3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

This is the first book i've read by this author & as i also have the second book Little House On The Prarie i'll probably read that at some point but i don't think i'll be rushing out to buy the others.
4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

No there were no parts of the book that i had any difficulty with but i do wonder if children today would find it interesting. I know it wouldn't hold my daughters interest.
5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

I can't say that i was really bowled over by the book. I thought the story was very basic, for want of a better word & although i did enjoy reading about certain aspects of their life like Janet i thought it lacked depth. 

[Janet]

To me, hitting a child just teaches that problems can be solved with force - but I realise it's an emotive subject so here probably isn't the place. Whipping though? *shudders* It really put me off Pa.

[Peacefield]

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

 

I'm not sure I had one favorite character - really the whole family I loved reading about.  The story of the midwest pioneers is just so fascinating to me that I just ate it all up

 

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

 

Any time the family or Pa had to do something from 'scratch' I loved.  I mean, they had to do everything.  Dig for water, build a house, sew clothing, you name it.  There wasn't anything that I disliked about the book.  'Whipping' was very much something that happened back at that time so it didn't seem to bother me when it happened.  I'll admit I was spanked on more than one occasion as a child in the 70's but that's because I could be a pretty obnoxious kid if I wanted to be!

 

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

 

I've read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books before - once in high school and again last year.  I'm sure I'll re-read some of them again in the future.

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

No, I enjoyed everything

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

Very enjoyable, and if it were up to me I'd make it part of our school's curriculum!  I think that it's important for kids to read about the founding of one's country and that 'pioneer spirit' that our ancestors had, especially here in the US. 

 

I hope this is okay, but I visited the site of the 'Little House in the Big Woods' last summer and I wanted to post a picture of it.  Obviously most of the trees on the site have been cleared away to make room for crops and this is not the original cabin the Ingalls' family lived in, but it's a replica of what Pa built

[Janet]

That's a lovely picture.    What a cute looking cabin - it's not really like I imagined it in my head when reading - I had the thing entirely built from wood! 

 

ETA:  Maybe those roof tiles are wood, but look more seasoned?  Hmmm!

Edited June 4, 2013 by Janet

[Kell]

Wow! The house really IS tiny, isn't it? I can't imagine having 2 adults, 2 small kids and a baby in such a small house, but they did it, and still had plenty of room to store food to last the entire winter!!!

 

1. Who was your favourite character and why?
I think Ma was a particular favourite of mine this time round. She's so gentle and ladylike and always manages to get the girls to do what they should just by saying their names in a quietly admonishing voice. She never seems to raise her voice. I also loved Pa's stories and Laura's pluck. The only one I was never too fond of was Mary - she's just too goody-goody for words ALL the time - LOL!

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?
The "sugaring off" party and Grandma's house. I loved the description of the clothes, the people, the food, the dancing - everything. And it struck me how skinny Ma must have STILL been, even after having THREE children! Apparenlty, when they were married, Pa could span her waist with his hands. Now, even if he had very large hands, that would still be a very small waist! The dress she wears to the party was a very special dress she'd kept for, obviously, quite a while - possibly having it made just before or around the time she got married, as Ma was apparently quite the lady about town and it's specifically mentioned that the dress was made for her. That it STILL fit after having 3 kids is pretty awesome!

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
I've read all the Little House books multiple times as a kid and teenager, but I'm trying to re-read them all again now. I no longer own the books, so I'm having to wait till my local library gets the copies they're missing (I'm currently on the 3rd book), but I'm remembering all over again how interesting and exciting the pioneer life must have been.

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
Like many others, I don't really like to hear about small children being "whipped" but I know it was commonplace back then, and judging from the kind of person I believe Pa to have been, and from the stories themselves, I really do believe that their "whippings" would have been few and far between, and that they would have been tempered so that they were a shock and an embarrassment at being naughty, rather than painful to the children. I hope that's the case.

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

I very much enjoyed revisiting this book. Going back to a childhood favourite is like visiting an old friend I haven't seen in years and catching up with them again. I'm very interested in history anyway, and looking at how families lived so simply back then in comparison to how easy we have things these days is pretty awesome!

[Janet]

Did you hear the voices and picture the TV characters when reading it, Kell?    I did!   After I'd finished it I spent an entire afternoon watching clips of it on You Tube!

[Kidsmum]

Peacefield - Great picture - it's not much more than a shed really is it. I wonder if the inside is as it was in the stories, that would be really interesting to see how they all managed to squeeze in to such a small space 

 

Kell - i must admit i disliked Mary when i watched the TV series for the same reason. Laura was by far my favourite character in the show.

 

Janet - I never thought to check out youtube for clips. Do you remember when Laura let Nellie Oleson roll down the hill in the wheelchair when she found out she'd been faking her injuries - one of my favourite scenes 

[Janet]

I loved feud between Laura and Nellie!  I don't know if their relationship was really like that - or if Nellie only exists in the TV series!

[Kell]

Did you hear the voices and picture the TV characters when reading it, Kell?    I did!   After I'd finished it I spent an entire afternoon watching clips of it on You Tube!

 

Totally! I especially hear Ma's very gentle tones.

 

 

Peacefield - Great picture - it's not much more than a shed really is it. I wonder if the inside is as it was in the stories, that would be really interesting to see how they all managed to squeeze in to such a small space 

 

Kell - i must admit i disliked Mary when i watched the TV series for the same reason. Laura was by far my favourite character in the show.

 

Janet - I never thought to check out youtube for clips. Do you remember when Laura let Nellie Oleson roll down the hill in the wheelchair when she found out she'd been faking her injuries - one of my favourite scenes 

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who disliked Goody-Two-Shoes Mary. Especially once she'd gone blind and was still just so angelic all the time. Honestly, I would have at least railed a bit at my misfortune before reconciling myself with my condition, but she just took it and was so sickeningly sweet ALL THE TIME!!!

 

And I loved to hate the odious Nellie Olson and her annoying mother (although Nils Olson, the father, was rather common sensical and a lovely man).

[Kell]

6. What did everyone think of the certain jobs for certain days?

Wash on Monday

Iron on Tuesday

Mend on Wednesday

Churn on Thursday

Clean on Friday

Bake on Saturday

Rest on Sunday

 

Personally I rather like the idea of only doing certain jobs on certain days, in this day and age of modern conveniences such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, it might mean a lot less faffing about on the housework. I can see, however, that when people had to do everything by hand, it would make sense to allocate days to certain tasks, and in a certain order, e.g. washing, followed by ironing, when you'd then be able to see if anything needed mending and then do that. I love the whole idea of self-sufficiency so the thought of churning your own butter is a lovely idea to me, even if it would be hard work. Not sure I'd like the milk sitting around unrefridgerated for a week till I did it though! I also love baking, and remember my Grom always did her baking on a Saturday - I loved helping her! Pies, cakes, scones and biscuits, all manner of goodies would be made in her kitchen each Saturday! And I guess with such a small house you really could clean it from top to bottom in one day, even without a vacuum cleaner!

[Peacefield]

Mr. Olson was definitely the only wise one of the bunch!  It was clear that Mrs. Olson passed on her 'loveliness' to Nellie and Willie

 

Kidsmum, the inside of the cabin was very cute.  It had a large fireplace on the one end by the front door, and in the middle of the room was a big table with benches on either side. On the end of the cabin opposite the fireplace was an enclosed kitchen area and Ma and Pa's bedroom. There was a loft above those two rooms which is where I presume Laura and Mary slept . 

 

I like the idea of doing things on certain days too, Kell.  It must have been the only way they could get things done without killing themselves!  Life must have felt very empowering to them, knowing they and other families in the area were the first residents and everything they did they did to sustain themselves and survive.  Of course there were a lot of people who didn't make it and had to go back east or worst, didn't live through the winter. 

[Kell]

7. Food plays a large role in the story. Was there any particular recipe or dish you would like to try? Or any that turned your stomach?  And what did you think of the pig slaughtering?

 

I was particularly enamoured of Johnny Cakes. On looking at a recipe (on http://www.laurasprairiehouse.com) they seem very similar to cornbread, but served as flat pancakes. Either way, they sound delicious! I also loved the whole idea of the maple candy the children made at the sugaring off party - sounds like very tasty fun to me!

 

Head cheese was one recipe that made me feel sick to my stomach. I know another name for it is brawn, which I can't stand, but the description of making it didn't make it sound any more appetizing to me! I thought maybe it was because I'm pregnant and a lot of things turn my stomach, but looking back, I always found that idea pretty gross as a child when I read these books too.

 

I found the whole slaughtering and butchering thing quite interesting though. I don't think I have the stomach for actually watching any of that happening (it's quite enough to imagine it, thank you - LOL!) but I can see how it was quite an exciting time for Laura and Mary, how there was so much to see and do during butchering time, to get everything ready to tide them over the long winter months. And having fresh sausage that you know you made yourself with your own hands, knowing every ingredient that went into it and where each ingredient came from, must be very satisfying too.

[Janet]

I don't really remember the foods mentioned (although now you've mentioned them they come back to me) and I agree that brawn sounds vile!  When I was little my Granny used to cook tongue (maybe Ox tongue - I'm not sure) - I didn't actually realise it was a real tongue I was eating! 

 

Also, regarding Johnny Cakes - I remember the from the Boney M lyrics of Brown Girl in the Ring but I didn't know what they were until I read this and Googled them! 

[willoyd]

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

I didn't have one.  The characters were all fairly simply drawn, fairly typical of a younger child's book, with Pa and Ma fairly archetypal parents, and Mary subject to a younger sibling's viewpoint.

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

No one part.  It would be hard to have actively disliked any particular section, given the nature of the book, but for the same reason, hard to get particularly excited about any either.  Overall though, it was an interesting read, not least in showing quite how everything was done from scratch, and how nothing was wasted: they really did eat all the pig except the squeal!  Pa even made his own bullets!

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

Certainly the first by this author (unlike others here, I didn't watch the TV series either).  As for genre, it depends what is meant.  It's not the first children's book I've read (!!), but the first I've read for such a young audience for a long time. I'm in two minds about being encouraged to read more. Bearing in mind it only took an hour or so to read, it was to some extent quite dull in a gentle sense, with language much more geared up to that young audience (I can't really see why an adult would want to read this other than for nostalgic reasons).  On the other hand, the content was interesting, giving a child's perspective on a very different period of history and place from any I've ever experienced!  I'm certainly intrigued to learn more about Laura Ingall Wilder's life, but whether I've got the desire to plough through the books, I'm not certain.

 

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
No, other than it was so simple that I found it hard work to keep going at times.  As for the ideas - again no, which surprised me.  The whipping has been raised as one issue here - by the mores of the time, Pa came across as a very gentle, caring parent.  More than anything I felt respect for Laura's parents - what they achieved was quite remarkable, certainly something that I would not have been up to with my modern day upbringing.

 

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

It wasn't unenjoyable, but I can't say that I would have chosen to read this book, and can't say that I am glad that I have read it, other than I was interested in the content (but wish I could have read it in more adult language).  I'm a bit mystified as to why it's regarded with so much affection, but then I am not, and have never been, part of the target market.  I suspect that it's so in the States because of its harking back to the pioneering days, something that Americans (understandably, in spite of the issues it created) regard with some awe and no little national nostalgia.

6. What did you think of the certain jobs for certain days?

I'm not quite what this question is getting at - what was there to think?  But then, I grew up in a household where a similar routine was fairly standard: Monday was washday, certain rooms were cleaned on certain days, Friday was baking day, etc etc.
         

7. Food plays a large role in the story. Was there any particular recipe or dish you would lik to try? Or any that turned your stomach?

Again, sorry if this sounds indifferent (I'm not - this was one of the most interesting aspects of the book), but none that desperately appealed (although I was intrigued by the use of snow with maple syrup!), and none that turned stomach.  By the way, I love brawn, but then I love most offal, preferring it to standard cuts of meat.

 

And what did you think of the pig slaughtering?

Something that we could learn from ourselves!  One thing I respected and to some extent envied those in the book was how closely connected they were to the world they lived in.  How many children nowadays know where their food comes from, or value it in the way Laura and her family obviously did? Not a lot if recent surveys are to be believed! It may sound horrible, but a bit more pig slaughtering might create better understanding of, more respect for, and less waste of food!

Edited June 8, 2013 by willoyd

[Kell]

Like you, Willoyd, I love that the family had a "waste not, want not" attitude about everything (which, I suppose, was essential for survival back then!), and especially admired the use of every single part of the pig they raised and slaughtered. I also loved that the children got involved in it to the point tha tthey actually got an element of entertainment from it (the pig's bladder and roasting the tail). Which brings me to the next question...

8. Without any television or radio, and with no neighbours living close by, the family had to rely on themselves for their entertainment. Music, games and storytelling play a huge role in their lives. Was there any particular form of entertainment shown in the book that appealed to you, and why? How do you think you would cope having to make your own entertainment in this way? Is it something you'd like to try?

 

Personally, I love the lack of technology and less-than-secretly hanker after a far simpler lifestyle. In my family, we sang songs together and played board games regularly (we very often had a "family games night" where we'd haul all the games out the cupboard and play all evening. Sometimes we'd even invite friends round to take part). As children, we played in the garden, the street or the park, or went to each others' houses to play indoors - dressing up, role playing, more board games, and a whole host of imaginative physical games. We never had computers and it was unheard of to sit and watch a film or TV programme with friends (you had to go to the cinema if you anted to do that!). A simple stick could provide hours of entertainment by becoming a pirate's sword or a lion tamer's whip or a fishing rod. Some old bits and bobs could be stuck or tied together to make all manner of creations, and a box large enough to sit in became a space craft or a ship or a house or whatever we wanted it to be. And books. Well, books were always a love of mine and I could while away many a happy hour visiting Narnia or the Big Woods of Wisconsin.

 

One of my favourite moments in the book is the sugaring off party at Grandma's house. I loved that the whole family came together to get the work done and then kick up their heels together. Such an event must have been incredibly exciting to people who hardly ever saw another soul.

 

I've actually been thinking of instituting an "analogue day" one day a week, where we don't have any TV or radio or computer and just get out (or stay in) and DO SOMETHING together. It would, in effect, be harking back to that simpler time. Perhaps at some point, with enough "analogue days" under our belts, I could persuade the family to have an "analogue WEEK" or even longer at some point, That would be my idea of bliss!

[Kell]

Anyone else fancy jumping in? Anyone still reading the book? Anyone loved or loathed it? I'd love to know!

[chesilbeach]

Me!  Sorry, I'd completely forgotten to come in and share my thoughts, even though I read the book last month.  I read the whole series of books when I was younger as I enjoyed the television series, although I wasn't a dedicated fan of it, but I remember enjoying the books far more.  I've still got almost all my original copies from when I was little, all except this first book, so had to borrow this one from the library.

 

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

Laura has always been my favourite, partly because the story is hers to tell, but also because she's very much a Daddy's girl, and I identify with that, as well as her tomboyishness, something I still feel applies to me!  I was always a bit of a goody-goody like Mary though, so I think I lived vicariously through Laura's hotheaded and mischievous nature.

 

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

This time around, I loved reading all the cooking, baking and confectionery from Ma and I was fascinated by the homemaking skills of the time.

 

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

As I mentioned above, I read the whole series of books when I was younger, although I don't remember them being so short!  I'd been thinking about re-reading them since peacefield read them a little while back, and this first book certainly hasn't put me off reading the rest.

 

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

Not really, the writing itself is very straight forward and aimed at children, so there wasn't anything challenging from that point of view, and whilst I know some have been concerned about the discipline used by Pa, I always felt this was just how it was historically, and that we've developed as a society to realise that this is no longer acceptable.

 

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

Yes, undoubtedly.

 

 

I'll come back and do the rest of the questions later.

[Kell]

Thanks, Chesilbeach. Like you, I loved that Laura was such a little tomboy and a Daddy's girl (I was a Daddy's girl, but like you, was more a Mary - always trying to be good and quiet - LOL!). I also loved all the cookery this time round. I think because I love cooking so much myself, whereas when I read them as a child, I wasn't bothered about cooking at all - that was just something the grownups did so we could eat - LOL!

[Ooshie]

Anyone else fancy jumping in? Anyone still reading the book? Anyone loved or loathed it? I'd love to know!

 

The book is at my mum's house, and I keep forgetting to look for it when I'm there!  I hope to join in before the end of the month though

[Ooshie]

Sorry to be so late - it turned out that my mum couldn't find the book, so I had to order it.

 

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

 

I liked Ma and Pa best; it must have been such a worrying and hard life, but they seemed to get through it all with a good heart and make sure their children enjoyed life.

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

 

I liked the descriptions of night times with the girls cosy in their beds and enjoying ma and pa close by.

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

 

I have read quite a few 'wilderness' books, and usually enjoy them.  It is the first I have read by Laura Ingalls Wilder and would have happily read more if my mum still had them - I'm not quite sure I enjoyed it enough to buy them, so I might look in the library.

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

To start with I found the book much more simply written than I had expected and found that a disappointment, but as the book went on I was able to imagine the life they were living and enjoyed it much more than I had thought at the start.

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

Yes, as mentioned above at first it wasn't what I was expecting and thought I wasn't going to enjoy it, but that changed as as I read more.  It helped that I began 'reading it out loud to myself in my head' as if I was reading it to a child!

 

6. What did you think of the certain jobs for certain days?

 

This was quite common even when I was a child - in fact, for my elderly parents, Monday is still wash day even though they have an automatic washing machine and tumble drier and could do it any time they liked!

 

7. Food plays a large role in the story. Was there any particular recipe or dish you would like to try? Or any that turned your  stomach?  And what did you think of the pig slaughtering?

 

I would have loved to have tried some of the sweet maple syrup dishes, they sounded lovely!  Head cheese?  Oh, my that definitely turned my stomach.  I didn't have a problem reading about the pig slaughtering; I think a lot of us are very removed from the realities of the food we eat and would maybe sometimes make different choices if we could actually see the conditions animals are reared and slaughtered in nowadays.  My husband grew up with animals around that they slaughtered and ate, and I have a great respect for that - every bit was used, hooves etc.

 

8. Without any television or radio, and with no neighbours living close by, the family had to rely on themselves for their entertainment. Music, games and storytelling play a huge role in their lives. Was there any particular form of entertainment shown in the book that appealed to you, and why? How do you think you would cope having to make your own entertainment in this way? Is it something you'd like to try?

 

I loved the descriptions of storytelling and Pa playing his fiddle.  I guess we got the chance to try and make our own entertainment earlier in the year when we had no power for 5 days at one of the coldest times of the year - I would love to say we made the most of it, but I was too busy trying to keep warm and just spent most of the time desperate for my lights and heating to come back on!  I might love reading about the pioneers, but I obviously just don't have the pioneering spirit at all!

[Kell]

It's OK for latecomers to leave posts too - the thread will stay open indefinitely (as with all the reading circle threads) so that members can comment far into the future.

 

My hubby is like you - we had a power cut of maybe 5 hours one evening about 2 years ago (in the winter) and he was at a complete loss as to what to do without his computer, TV and music for entertainment. Whereas I was quite happily setting up candles and settling down with a god book, thankful for the peace and quiet - LOL! I couldn't live the pioneering lifestyle permanently, but I could certainly do it for a short while, just for the experience. Or at least a pared down version of modern life, with lots of "modern conveniences" removed - I know I could handle it for a week or two without going completely mental - LOL!