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Simple wisdom from Laura Ingalls Wilder
Home | Books | There’s No Place Like Home

There’s No Place Like Home

Books, Little House on the Prairie

The stories that Laura Ingalls wrote about her life on the prairie are packed with wisdom for us today. Thank you for joining me in this blog series on The Wisdom of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura wrote often of the pleasures of home, and the joy found in simple pleasures, and that’s what I want to explore today.

Did you know that Laura  began her first school teaching job at the age of 15? She was hired to teach in a school 12 miles from her home; that was a long trip, with horses and wagons or buggies. This meant that she must be boarded at the home of the Brewster family near the school for the two-month duration of her term.

She wound up with a terrible family; today we would call them dysfunctional. The lady of the home was either yelling or silent, but never friendly. The toddler screamed constantly. The man of the house was either gone or brooding in a corner. It was nothing like the cheerfully family Laura had at home. She had to sleep on a narrow couch in the same room with the family.

She didn’t know how she would ever survive two whole months of this. She secretly hoped Pa would come get her for the weekend, but she knew it was a long drive for Pa’s horses.

What a wonderful surprise it was when, on Friday afternoon of the first week, Almanzo Wilder showed up with his fast team of horses and a small cutter, or sled. He had driven the twelve miles to take her home! She would have a short break from the dismal home she was staying in!

The next morning:

“Good morning!” Carrie said from her bed, and Grace bounced up and cried, “Good morning, Laura!” “Good morning.” Ma smiled when Laura entered the kitchen, and Pa came in with the milk and said, “Good morning, flutterbudget!” Laura had never noticed before that saying, “Good morning,” made the morning good. Anyway, she was learning something from that Mrs. Brewster, she thought.

Breakfast was so pleasant. Then briskly, and still talking, Laura and Carrie did the dishes, and went upstairs to make the beds. While they were tucking in a sheet, Laura said, “Carrie, do you ever think how lucky we are to have a home like this?”

Carrie looked around her, surprised. There was nothing to be seen but the two beds, the three boxes under the eaves where they kept their things, and the underside of the shingles overhead. There was also the stovepipe that came up through the floor and went out through the roof. (Taken from the book These Happy Golden Years in the chapter entitled Sleigh Bells)

Laura knew then that it is the people that make a home. She didn’t have a fancy home. She shared a bedroom with her 3 sisters in the attic of her father’s store in town. There were no fancy window treatments, no pictures on the wall; just a stovepipe and three boxes.

Downstairs was the same. They had homemade wooden furniture, a cook stove, a braided rug, simple tin plates and cups, and plain curtains on the windows. But to Laura, it was the best place in the world.

After supper, when Laura and Carried had done the dishes, Pa said as Laura had been hoping he would, “If you’ll bring me the fiddle, Laura, we’ll have a little music.”

He played the brave marching songs of Scotland and of the United States; he played the sweet old love songs and the gay dance tunes, and Laura was so happy that her throat ached.

Laura knew that home could be anywhere: in a covered wagon on the wide open prairie, a log cabin in the woods, a house made of dirt, a claim shanty in the Dakotas, or a store building in town.

It’s not the house, or the furnishings, that make a home. It’s the people, the smiles, the kind words, the hugs, the music, the laughter, and the time spent together.

Today, a fashionable home is a thing to be desired. We all want one. Most of us dream of a new sofa, or a nicer bedspread, or the perfect flower arrangement, or the latest window treatments. A beautiful home is a good thing. But let’s not forget what makes it truly special. It’s the people who live there, and the love they share.

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam – Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.

 
Simple Wisdom from Little House on the Prairie

I love living history, and learning from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books are a fun way to homeschool! Check out some of the things we use, and other blog posts:

  • Laura Ingalls Cursive Copy Work (Free Download)
  • Breakfast on the Farm
  • There’s No Place Like Home
  • Old Fashioned Prairie Medicine
  • Gracious Living on the Prairie
  • Fish for Every Meal
  • Learning to Read on the Prairie
  • Cooking With Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • A Laura Ingalls Education (Nicki Truesdell at the Great Homeschool Convention)
  • The Power of Story During Hard Times

Laura Ingalls Wilder Products in my Shop

  • Laura Ingalls Wilder BLACK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    Laura Ingalls Wilder BLACK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    $29.99
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder Coffee Mug
    Laura Ingalls Wilder Coffee Mug
    $12.99
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder Floral Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    Laura Ingalls Wilder Floral Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    $29.99
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder LAVENDER Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    Laura Ingalls Wilder LAVENDER Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    $29.99
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder PINK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    Laura Ingalls Wilder PINK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
    $29.99
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder Script Water Bottle
    Laura Ingalls Wilder Script Water Bottle
    $24.95
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder Typewriter Font Mug
    Laura Ingalls Wilder Typewriter Font Mug
    $12.99

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July 5, 2016 · 1 Comment

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  1. Amanda says

    July 14, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    I am so intrigued by these books but I had to give up reading because that is all I would do…all day, every day! I especially love old books! It makes me want to go back in time so bad. I have read the Anne of Green Gables series so many times 🙂

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I have two very different sons. One has been an extrovert since he could talk. The other has been an introvert for just as long. The thing about home education is that it doesn’t have to happen at home. What it really means is “not public school.” Not stuck in a classroom all day. Not confined to a government calendar. Not a slave to the system. 23 years ago I helped my aunt Kari start a homeschool co-op. At that time, I had one child and she was three years old. If you have a child that struggles to read, read to them. Read aloud every day. That’s the best advice I can give. New year. New house. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: How do I homeschool with babies and toddlers in the mix?? Don’t let people tell you that “you can’t shelter your children.” Yes, you can. And you absolutely should. Mothers have a crucial role to play in society, although their job doesn’t always feel very “crucial.” Wiping baby faces, repeating instructions, settling squabbles, and making food is repetitive and doesn’t always seem important. For 2023, I’ll be preaching the same ol’ message that I can’t stop saying: “education is discipleship,” and “you can do it” homeschooling encouragement. Not gonna make the message easier to swallow when the world is attacking children on a grander scale every day. I’m also not going to tell you that homeschooling is a breeze, but I will keep saying that it’s worth every minute.

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