I’m five chapters into Little House in the Big Woods and I still don’t know Ma’s name. The animals continue to meet disastrous ends. (I’m looking at you, panther. Also bears, deer and any pigs that might happen by.) And, as expected, Laura did receive a rag doll for Christmas. Huzzah!
Reading this book makes me feel like the most jaded, selfish, materialistic person in the world. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how much you like me), I’m kind of okay with it and don’t plan to make any big changes. But c’mon! The kids get a pair of red woolen mittens and a stick of candy for Christmas and they think it’s the greatest thing ever!
Let me tell you how mittens and a stick of peppermint candy would go over with my own seven-year-old: Not good.
Over at the eHow site, you too can learn how to “Have a Little House on the Prairie 
Christmas“. According to the article, the difficulty of this activity is only Moderate, however, I don’t think the author has taken into consideration how hard it would be to get the average kid (or my kid, in particular) to give up actual gifts in lieu of “pioneer era luxuries” such as hard candy or an orange. And I can’t really think of anything worse than a “family songfest” of all the Christmas carols we know. We’re not exactly musically inclined (even if I do rock the mic hard at karaoke from time to time). I would much prefer to listen to a CD of people who actually know how to sing, although I do understand that wasn’t an option for Laura and the gang.
Reading this book also makes me feel incredibly lazy that I’m able to lounge around reading a book and not busy making my own butter or clothes or bullets. I don’t even have to wait until Sunday! But with the purchase of this book, I could change that. I could even make my own corncob doll!
Maybe you noticed that book was for sale on a Christian book site. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it’s amazing to me that I didn’t seem to notice that Pa was a gun-happy conservative Christian the first time I read this book. Reading this as an adult, he seems to have too much in common with most right-wing Republicans for my liking.
And don’t even get me started on what PETA would think about that poor panther!
Join me next week when I try to shake off my cynicism and we finally learn what happened here:
That can't be good.
Kelly
JennyExiled
gingersister
thebassplayerswife
tomzone
trishc1812
I know, right? I wouldn’t be too thrilled with mittens and hard candy, either.
(Well, maybe mittens. It gets cold here.)
The fact that our LHOP blog isn’t more wildy popular disturbs me a bit. Currently concocting plans that will gain us web infamy. Or at least a “Freshly Pressed” nod. Hmm…
I would just like to say that I am 15 and I would be THRILLED to have a Little House on the Prairie Christmas!! For Christmas 2011 I asked my parents for a bonnet or something for cross-stitching (More fancy than mittens, candy and an orange, I know) and what I got instead was a DVD, a noisemaking machine for better sleep, and a calendar. I know I sound ungrateful when I say it like that, but those things are unneccesary, and an outright waste of money. But thanks anyways, Ma and Pa!
I’m just saying this, because if that kind of Christmas is what you are used to, it would seem better. Instead, the current population only wants unneccesary things, and everything there is tainted with unwholesomeness and environmentally-mean things.
Thanks for reading!
You are definitely a better person than I am.
I don’t need many things but I do have to say I am strongly in favor of anything that will help someone sleep better. 