A Farm and Throwed Rolls

Booklist 91-100

91. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
92. Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery
93.Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery
94.West From Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder
95. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery
96.Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
97. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (10/27/2007)
98. Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride
99. Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBride
100.In the Land of the Big Red Apple (11/5/2007)

A few years ago, after I had read the Little House Series, but before I read the Rocky Ridge books we took a trip to Mansfield, Missouri.  Mansfield is the home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum...http://www.lauraingallswilderhome.com/.  On the way there we stopped in Sikeston, Missouri and ate at Lambert's Cafe: The Only Home of the Throwed Roll...http://www.throwedrolls.com/.  And they're not kidding.  They really do throw the rolls.  They come out of the kitchen with the rolls, you hold up your hand and they throw it to you.  My daughter was beside herself with joy, and needless to say she ate a lot of rolls!

Lambert's in Sikeston, Missouri
Source:  My Photo

Number 89 on my booklist is On the Way Home.  It tells of the Wilder's journey from South Dakota to their farm in the Ozarks that they would name Rocky Ridge Farm.  Rocky Ridge Farm is the setting for number 99 and 100 on this portion of the list.  It was neat reading these books after we'd been there because I didn't have to imagine what it looked like.  I knew!

Source: My Photo

The Farm House on Rocky Ridge Farm
Home of the Wilder Family
Source:  My Photo

Front View of the House
Source:  My Photo

Laura's Library in Mansfield
Source:  My Photo

Near Mansfield, Missouri
Source:  My Photo

Alley Mill
Source:  My Photo

Alley Spring and Mill
Source:  My Photo

Alley Spring
Source:  My Photo

Story Creek School
Source:  My Photo

Oh Anne...My Best Literary Friend!

Booklist 81-90

81. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
82. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (5/7/2007)
83. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
84. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
85. Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (5/24/2007)
86. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
87. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (6/5/2007)
88. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (6/11/2007)
89.On the Way Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder (6/13/2007)
90. The Story of the Ingalls Family by William Anderson

Oh Anne....my best literary friend!

Once again, I know these are children's book and I'm an adult, but I absolutely adore the Anne of Green Gables series.  I read it over and over again.  Anne's world is a safe, familiar place that takes me back to my childhood, and just plain makes me happy.

Anne of Green Gables Series
This is the set I own.
source: http://www.amazon.com/



This is the version of the book I first read.
It's the first chapter book I owned.
source:  http://www.thosecrazyschuberts.com/


Anne of Green Gables and the series that followed was written by L.M. Montgomery and first published in 1908.  Montgomery was born on November 30, 1874 in Prince Edward Island, Canada.  She Died on April 24, 1942.

Lucy Maude Montgomery

Anyone who likes the Anne Series will also like the Emily Novels.

Emily Novels Source:  http://www.amazon.com/

The Books Are So Much Better

Booklist 71-80

71.Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
72.Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
73.On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
74.By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
75.The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
76.Young Pioneers by Rose Wilder Lane
77.Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell  (2/14/07)
78.Little Town on the Prairie Laura Ingalls Wilder
79.The Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
80.The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I am 34 years old.  I have a laptop and an Iphone.  I love my dishwasher, my washing machine and dryer, but I am absolutely in love with The Little House Series and most anything written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I never read these books as I child.  I mean I've always liked the television show, Little House on the Prairie, but having read the books I can say that it is only loosely based on the books.  The books are so much better!

I'm in love with that time period.  Pioneers, prairies, the Civil War, and the old west fascinate me.  I know that Wilder's writings are a romanticized version of her life.  I get it.  I know life was hard back then, and maybe if I had to work like a dog sun up to sundown just to survive I might not like it so much.  But it's the simplicity of life back then that draws me in.  I admire the hard work, resilience, integrity, and bravery of people in this time period.  They appreciated the little things in life, and it took so little to make them happy.

Little House Series
Source:  http://www.amazon.com/

Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls
Source: http://www.pamelasmithhill.com/

Laura Ingalls Wilder didn't write the Little House books until later in her life.  She wrote the books from her little study at a roll top desk on her farm in Mansfield, Missouri.  At the time she and Almonzo were living in the "rock house" which their daughter, Rose, had built for them.  They eventually moved back to their farm house later deciding they liked it better.




Laura Ingalls Wilder
Source:  http://www.the-spearhead.com/

The Rock House on Rocky Ridge Farm.
This is the house where Laura began writing the books.
Source:  My photo

Grave of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almonzo Wilder in Mansfield, Missouri
Source:  My photo

My Favorite Coal Miner

Booklist 61-70

61.The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
62.Jazz by Toni Morrison
63.Dracula by Bram Stoker
64.Gulliver's Travels by Johathan Swift
65.Danger in the Dark by J.E. Wood
66.Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
67.Night by Elie Weisel
68.Heidi by Johanna Spyri
69.Miracle in Seville by James A. Michener
70.Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Number 65 has a special place in my heart becasue it's about coal mining, and it was given to me by my father-in-law.  My family has always been coal miners.  My grandfather was a coal miner.  His father was a coal miner.  My husband is a coal miner.  His father and grandfather were both coal miners.  It's in the blood!

Danger in the Dark: A dramatic story of heroism in the Western Kentucky coal field by J.E. Woods was written in 1965.  It sold new for $3.  It takes place in a coal mine and coal mining town in 1928 and tells the story of what happens when an underground explosion traps twenty miners.  It tell of the courage of these ordinary men who risk their lives everyday just to do their job.

Jacket Painting by Vachel Davis 1946



 Although Wood was born in Dunmor, Kentucky, he grew up in Beech Creek, Kentucky along with Merle Travis.  Travis is probably best know for his song "sixteen tons".  Travis actually worked in the mine that Wood uses as the setting for Danger in the Dark.

Merle Travis
Source:  http://www.nndb.com/

J.E. Wood attended Western Kentucky State College and the State University of Iowa.  He taught at and was principal of two schools in Kentucky, and served as Muhlenberg County Judge.  He was a Navy Lieutenant and commanded a Division of Amphibious ships durring World War II.   He was very active in civic affairs, and married with three daughters.



J.E. Wood
Photo by Bryson's Studio



I'll end this post with a photo of my favorite miner...

My Husband
Thank you and I love you!

Talk About Variety!

Booklist 51-60

51.One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
52.Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell
53.Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
54.The Source by James A. Michener
55.A Painted House by John Grisham
56.Family First by Dr. Phil McGraw
57.The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
58.The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
59.The Davinci Code by Dan Brown
60.Only Twice I've Reached for Heaven by Dawn Turner Trice

Talk about variety...look at the authors from this part of the list:



Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Source:  http://www.ct.gov/



Tawni O'dell
Source:  http://www.literati.net/

Christina Schwarz
Source:  http://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org/

James A. Michener
Source:  http://www.thisbelieve.org/

John Grisham
Source:  http://www.bandp-book-dealers-int.com/

Dr. Phil McGraw
Source:  http://www.drphil.com/

Oscar Wilde
Source:  http://www.sciencecontrol.com/

Pearl S. Buck
Source:  http://www.nobelprize.org/

Dan Brown
Source:  http://www.hollywood.com/

Dawn Turner Trice
Source:  http://www.brotherpeacemaker.wordpress.com/