tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post3282829479412049555..comments2023-04-29T09:45:12.248-04:00Comments on Bear Swamp Reflections: Laura Ingalls Wilder and Me and The Long WinterSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-34556276304923299892011-02-17T07:18:30.779-05:002011-02-17T07:18:30.779-05:00Barb, isn't it wonderful the many generations ...<b>Barb</b>, isn't it wonderful the many generations of children who have enjoyed those books? I need to start reading them to my grandkids soon. <br /><br />I can't say I'm a lover of winter, but at least in CO you have sunshine a lot of the winter, where here it's mostly gray, gray, and more gray. :(Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-13084273034921174982011-02-14T11:21:50.120-05:002011-02-14T11:21:50.120-05:00Hi Susan, My little granddaughter in second grade ...Hi Susan, My little granddaughter in second grade is making her way through the Little House books. I like your snowy photos. I am a lover of winter - and it's a good thing since about 10 months of the year is devoted to it in the mts of CO!Barbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04984171407726520584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-60915166231968871282011-02-10T19:32:23.628-05:002011-02-10T19:32:23.628-05:00Thank you, Bella! Your kind words and support mean...Thank you, <b>Bella</b>! Your kind words and support mean so much to me. I think a lot of people our age grew up similarly. I wouldn't trade it for the world...it made me who I am today. :)Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-16037784395857880042011-02-10T19:31:02.245-05:002011-02-10T19:31:02.245-05:00Thank you, Wanda. When my kids were young we had p...Thank you, <b>Wanda</b>. When my kids were young we had plenty of opportunity to use our pioneer skills as our power was off frequently. One of my favorite things to do was make a game of learning all the states and their capitols.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-78815115482447797132011-02-09T11:34:56.803-05:002011-02-09T11:34:56.803-05:00I just loved this post, Susan. I had a teacher who...I just loved this post, Susan. I had a teacher who read to us everyday and she introduced me to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series. <br /><br />It was so nice to read this today. It brought back many memories. Some of your experiences with storms and houses with no insulation and no central heat were part of my childhood, too.<br /><br />Wonderful post. <br />BellaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-4684239515145520112011-02-09T09:10:00.008-05:002011-02-09T09:10:00.008-05:00I returned as usual to view your replies, but don&...I returned as usual to view your replies, but don't see my comment to you...Lost I guess.<br /><br />Your memories of sugar syrup are similar to early ones of mine, of mornings with my grandmother who lived with us. With my own young family, we too lived in a rather remote area at one time...the power outages left us with some great memories also.<br /><br />Love your reminiscing, Susan!Wanda.....https://www.blogger.com/profile/00551160819558198338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-45652271575813253522011-02-07T07:36:02.514-05:002011-02-07T07:36:02.514-05:00Sanna, that's one of the main reasons for my d...<b>Sanna</b>, that's one of the main reasons for my dislike of winter...the grey, grey, and more grey days. We get a lot of those here. If the sun would shine after a storm passes through (once in a while it does), I would feel a lot more kindly toward Old Man Winter.<br /><br />It's never too late to start reading LHOP. They're as enjoyable as an adult as they were when I was a child.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-2132007316025354162011-02-07T07:32:40.011-05:002011-02-07T07:32:40.011-05:00Stacy, I like your positive attitude about winter!...<b>Stacy</b>, I like your positive attitude about winter! All I can say is, I'm glad it only lasts 3 months! I do have to confess that I like snow much better than mud, which is what we'll have in about a month. Not fun with dogs.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-63975451131735407782011-02-07T07:16:17.514-05:002011-02-07T07:16:17.514-05:00I really don't mind winter, though it can get ...I really don't mind winter, though it can get pretty drab and grey. I used to live in the 'snow belt' and much preferred that to where we just get snow, then slush.<br />I do get rather annoyed when people start complaining of the cold/snow/winter after only a day or so of bad weather. Our winters are not nearly so bad as in the midwest, so shut up, I say.<br /><br />You know I have never read those book and never heard of her until the tv series. In fact it was years before I realized the series was based on real books and a real memoir! (obviously, I didn't stay for the credits...)VioletSkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222821877918680480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-85925637796959963682011-02-04T23:17:09.383-05:002011-02-04T23:17:09.383-05:00As a transplant to the Cleveland snow belt I have ...As a transplant to the Cleveland snow belt I have to admit the harsh winters have grown on me. The snow doesn't bother me, I usually look forward to it. It's not as easy to be cooped up for months now that I have an infant, but soon he'll be excited about the snow too :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-16990357915637238702011-02-04T07:27:33.111-05:002011-02-04T07:27:33.111-05:00Eileen, thank you for visiting and your very nice ...<b>Eileen</b>, thank you for visiting and your very nice compliment! <br /><br />You must be very busy keeping up with your many blogs! Your bird photos are beautiful.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-13159939046525566692011-02-04T07:01:46.689-05:002011-02-04T07:01:46.689-05:00Lovely post and your photos are beautiful.Lovely post and your photos are beautiful.eileeninmdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00070309645796725309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-55431672824754029252011-02-04T06:53:44.706-05:002011-02-04T06:53:44.706-05:00Thank you, Dutchbaby! I think the reason LHOP is s...Thank you, <b>Dutchbaby</b>! I think the reason LHOP is so universally loved is the fact that there is not a false note to be found in those pages. Everything rings true. And no matter how harsh their lives were, there was so much love there.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-61667589117906508112011-02-03T11:22:09.112-05:002011-02-03T11:22:09.112-05:00You sure know how to tell a great story, Susan! Ye...You sure know how to tell a great story, Susan! Yes, more!<br /><br />I read the LHOP books out loud to my kids, from the first one through "Farmer Boy". What was it that made those books so cozy? Yes, we felt fortunate that we didn't have to make do with a corn cob for a doll, but on the other hand, the simplicity in their lives was enviable.Dutchbabyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00844296297519447526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-71456714342385685572011-02-03T08:18:53.077-05:002011-02-03T08:18:53.077-05:00Deb, I thought for sure when I looked at FB this m...<b>Deb</b>, I thought for sure when I looked at FB this morning that you had read this post first! That's awesome! Synchronicity--we has it!<br /><br />The only thing I can say about living a harsh life is that I didn't know anything different, so I never desired anything different. Pretty much everyone around us lived the same way, so we didn't look on any of those people with envy. Of course, I was pretty young when we moved off the farm and probably only remember the good things, and maybe that's the way it should be.<br /><br />Thank you for your wonderful support. I'm so glad you enjoy the way I tell my stories. I write just the way I talk, so I suppose I'm talking my stories.<br /><br />The drive through Provence sounds loverly.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-77869536599201251902011-02-03T08:11:34.947-05:002011-02-03T08:11:34.947-05:00Sweet sister Judy, we need to collaborate on a few...<b>Sweet sister Judy</b>, we need to collaborate on a few stories that I don't remember as well as you do. Those biscuits were wonderful, weren't they? I wish I could eat one right now. David's Grandma Hinkle made them the same way. I've always said that the test of a good biscuit is one that tastes as good cold as it does hot out of the oven. And hers did.<br /><br />I'm so glad you like my memory telling. Love you much.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-49143436351832598732011-02-03T08:07:50.425-05:002011-02-03T08:07:50.425-05:00Char, you are definitely pretty far south to relat...<b>Char</b>, you are definitely pretty far south to relate to this kind of winter, but you've had a little taste of it this year. It just doesn't last as long as it does here. I'm so glad I don't live any farther north.<br /><br />When my mom remarried after my dad died, my step-father's house had a floor furnace. On cold winter days I loved to straddle it and get really warm before I had to head to my cold bedroom. <br /><br />My mom would always make oatmeal and cream of wheat for us, too. I love cream of wheat with buttery toast and crisp, salty bacon. Yum!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-8749386941558891632011-02-03T08:03:18.769-05:002011-02-03T08:03:18.769-05:00Oliag, I don't know if am as tough as Caroline...<b>Oliag</b>, I don't know if am as tough as Caroline must have been, but I'm a whole lot better equipped! :) Now there was a real woman! She had very trying times and still managed to be a lady through it all. That is class with a capital C. <br /><br />I'm so glad you and your girls shared these wonderful stories. The best thing about them is that anyone of any age can find enjoyment there.<br /><br />That is actually our barn in the second picture. I wish our house was that interesting! :)<br /><br />Thank you for that nice compliment. XOSusanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-83916359543121247552011-02-03T07:56:51.608-05:002011-02-03T07:56:51.608-05:00Ruthie, I promise I'll give you more as I get ...<b>Ruthie</b>, I promise I'll give you more as I get my memory jogged. Maybe I'll record some of my stories someday if I can ever figure out how to use Podcast. Even though I hate to hear my recorded voice. Do I sound like that really? ugh.<br /><br />I promise I will look on thriftbooks.com today and see if they have the Moberg books. I believe they would go well with a hot cup of tea in front of a roaring fire.<br /><br />One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't keep a journal all my life. I've forgotten more than I'll ever remember. :(Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-48150880587084923002011-02-03T07:48:05.911-05:002011-02-03T07:48:05.911-05:00ds, thank you! I'm much more of a straight sto...<b>ds</b>, thank you! I'm much more of a straight storyteller than a deep thinker, that's for sure. And that's okay with me. I've tried the deep thinking and it hurts my brain too much. ;-)<br /><br />I never had maple syrup until I was well into my adulthood. I didn't like it at first...didn't like the tang of it, or I just had bad maple syrup, not sure. We have wonderful local maple syrup. Just west of us is a little hilly area with an abundance of maple trees. There are several syrup farmers there and we buy from them every year. Delicious stuff!<br /><br />I love molasses whipped with butter for biscuits, but I've never cared for it on pancakes.<br /><br />Staying warm, hope you are, too!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-21161284767374467592011-02-03T07:27:01.199-05:002011-02-03T07:27:01.199-05:00Molly, my kids and I loved the series, too! In fac...<b>Molly</b>, my kids and I loved the series, too! In fact, you're about the same age as my oldest, I think. My dream guy was a little older though...I went for Michael Landon. :)<br /><br />BTW, the "winter lover lady" (Kathryn) lives in British Columbia, so if she lives in the coastal areas (I can't remember), she probably does have a lot better weather than Boston. Maybe you guys can do a vacation home trade! Now would be a good time...right?Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14201860227400017841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-37009487128431706302011-02-03T05:24:47.720-05:002011-02-03T05:24:47.720-05:00Is this synchronicity or what? I swear I hadn'...Is this synchronicity or what? I swear I hadn't seen this post when I wrote my FB comment to you this morning about your comments bringing to mind 'Little House'.<br /><br />I loved those books too, and was telling MFB about them just two days ago as we drove through the snow-covered Provencal countryside. <br /><br />What struck me about your story is that you could say things like <i>'The closest I came was living on the farm with no inside bathroom and only cold running water that had to be heated on top of the stove. The farmhouse had no insulation and was cold and drafty and we had no central heat, only a coal stove in the kitchen whose heat rose through an open grate to the bedroom above it. </i><br />Well, you might not have been living in a sod house, and you might never have run out of food, but what you DID experience was pretty darn harsh. Compared to my city upbrining, yours was a lot closer to a pioneer way of life. <br /><br />I love your stories, Susie. They're always interesting to read, and you tell them without embellishment. Good humoured and straight up, no complaints. Keep telling them - not just for us, your lucky readers, but for your kids and grandkids. You're living history!Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10892637441668897411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-28742123794813312752011-02-02T23:58:22.439-05:002011-02-02T23:58:22.439-05:00Sis, I remember these memories very well, not to m...Sis, I remember these memories very well, not to mention the perfectly baked biscuits that Mom made every morning in the wood stove oven. You have a real way of telling the memories that makes them come to life. Thank you for helping me remember some of the very important happenings of our childhood. My love alwaysJudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643244941496327022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-48796064025388403372011-02-02T20:56:55.391-05:002011-02-02T20:56:55.391-05:00i loved those stories too but could never really g...i loved those stories too but could never really get the coldness of the blizzard living here in the south. but like you, i have the wonderful memories of how mother warded off what was thought to be cold by us - the floor furnace. on cold mornings mom would hang our clothes over the furnace so they would be warm and toasty when we got into them. we would go into the kitchen where she would have oatmeal (or cream of wheat) in the oven warmed room. at night before bed she would hang our pjs so we could slip into the bed warm and cozy.<br /><br />beautiful memories - thank you for sharing them with us.Charhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03851293154388793520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4587634783902486718.post-26775291080070285472011-02-02T18:17:34.728-05:002011-02-02T18:17:34.728-05:00Hi Susan! I have been thinking of you as I have l...Hi Susan! I have been thinking of you as I have listened to the weathermen talk about the big midwestern storm and wondered how you were faring...I am sure that you could handle any storm as well as Laura Ingalls:) Somehow I never read the little House books until I had my own children to read them to and we loved them! They were our read aloud chapter books that we couldn't put down:) Just knowing that much of it was real made the books all the more exciting. <br /><br />I am happy to say that I have always had the luxury to take maple syrup for granted but pancakes with sugar sounds pretty good to me!<br /><br />Reading this memoir was like sitting by the fire on a cold wintry day listening to stories:)<br /><br />Love that second photo of your house among the protective trees...GailOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09556665956317683667noreply@blogger.com