In A Little House

 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, 

Eccle. 9:10 NIV

Has cabin fever set in yet? It sure has around my house. The winter has been wet, very wet with rain upon rain then cold, bitter cold, then more rain. We needed a little bit of a diverson. That's when Annette Whipple's new book arrived. 

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Campanion book is filled with activities, photos, and Family Talk. Come investigate with us for a few minutes. 

The Dig Deeper section is filled with explanations of terms and tools that are unfamiliar to most children of the 21st century. You'll also find photos of the houses where Laura and her family lived in Wisconsin and on the prairie. New York farming is explained in the section about Almonzo. There's also a section about Laura's writing years. 

In the activities section, there are games like Who's Got the Thimble and Cat's Cradle, preserving food such as drying apples, and craft activities where learning to cut paper dolls and make molasses candy is turned into winter fun. The snow may have covered the window, but Laura and her sisters seemed to lack no activities to make the long winter pass. 

In the Family talk section, there are items for family discussions, such as the time Almonzo thought it neighborly to lend the tools, but Laura thought they needed to keep the tools for their work. Your family can discuss when it is best to keep and when you should lend. 

In The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion, Mrs. Whipple gives a wonderful list of resources to explore. I hope you enjoy exploring Laura's books and activities as much as we have this winter. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the winter days to explore history, activities from past days, and new recipes from the old. Thank you, we can anticipate the coming of spring and the renewal of our hearts and minds. In Jesus's name. Amen