I have but three words for you. The. Wilder. Life.

Bought Wendy McClure’s new book for the nook. Here it is, all pretty and electronic.


There’s a bonnet, with strings flying in the wind. It is, you see, about Wendy’s love for Laura Ingalls Wilder. A love that I share. Check it.


Not a costume. Actual sleeping gear, made by my grandma. That’s my grandpa there, amused by me. This is one of my favorite photos of just the two of us. I miss him. He rode a Gold Wing up to the night before he died, and check those boots. Grandpa Pete was bad ass.

Pete wasn’t even his real name, and he fixed everybody’s broken Bobcats for a living. He smoked for something like 40 years and one day he wrote the date on his empty pack and quit the old-fashioned way. Cold turkey, babies. Bad ass.

Grandma Ann was quite a seamstress at the time of this photo. She hasn’t been able to see very well in a long time, but my sister and I spent a lot of time with her learning to cook and sew and kick 4-H butt back in the day. Those summers were hot, but Grandma’s house was kept at a brisk 50 degrees Fahrenheit. We stayed inside and sewed while watching Little House in syndication.

That’s right. I liked the show AND the books, and I wore the hell out of that nightgown. I had a pretty wild life myself.

Join the discussion 7 Comments

  • Love this post, and Little House. You look adorable.

  • I recently read "Prairie Tale" by Melissa Gilbert, her autobiography, interesting. Recently I have "hooked" the girls on Little House episodes, I think they are on season 5 or something like that. They love them.

  • Lori says:

    @MA. Thank you!@Carre…are you going incognito there? I'm glad to hear little girls are still getting hooked on Little House. Have they read the books? Not the same as the show, but I think I liked the show before I read the books, so they might as well.

  • Tiffany says:

    Your grandpa was definitely badass…and I like to think that some of his badass-ness is in his namesake. Yeah he had a great name too! Love love LOVE the picture.

  • Lori says:

    @Tiffany–I think some badassness must definitely pass down through the name. Since Grandpa didn't use that name, maybe about a 100 percent is left for your kid. I love this picture, too, but it does make me sadder than I expected.

  • Miz S says:

    Oh God, I loved the books soooooo much. I might have to get The Wilder Life. I have a crush on Grandpa Pete.

  • Lori says:

    MizS: Totally get that book. It was very affecting, but also a lot of fun. And YEAH YOU DO have a crush on my grandpa!

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