Laura Ingalls Wilder Day

We enjoy going to this each year!  The first year it was "Nellie", last year it was "Caroline-Ma", and this year it was "Almanzo".  But that is just one reason we enjoy going.  It is no secret that we love going to the Genesee Country Village and Museum, with all the hustle and bustle of life it is so nice to just step back in time and stroll through the historic village.  We turn the cell phone off, take a picnic lunch, and go from house to house and learn something new each time.

I must admit I was more excited about this than I think the kids were.  It just so happened that our daughter, Katrina was volunteering at the museum and our son Andrew was away at camp so Hannah had us all to herself.  She got to see and do what she wanted.

Katrina heading out to her post in the Livingston Backus house.  She was helping with the "knead the bread" station.

I had to take a picture of these museum made pottery pitcher and mugs.  We have a couple of the mugs, a pie plate.  I would love one of the pitchers! Hint hint hubby!!

I just love the dress of this interpreter.  There is a reason the stair case banister has the decorations carved in it.  I plan on doing a whole post about that at a later date.  It is extremely interesting!!  But from a cleaning standpoint...very hard to clean...LOL!

Door knocker on the front door of the Livingston Backus house.  I absolutely LOVE the detail in this door.

Hannah washing up before making bread.

Hannah kneading her bread...Katrina is in the picture as well.

We even got to try Plum Preserves just like that in "Farmer Boy".  YUM!

Hannah enjoying the preserves...I can't tell from this picture if she really liked them or not...LOL!

Laura Ingalls Wilder impersonator.  I never got a chance to talk to her.  I didn't even see her out and about in the village either.  It would of been nice to see her in the village and get a picture of her in front of say the pioneer cabin, or the Jones Farm house.  Oh well better luck next time.

William Anderson, author and well known researcher of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  He has written many books about Laura and her family, as well as about the Wilder family as well.  I have enjoyed them all!!  It was nice to finally be able to meet him. 

Then there was Dean Butler the reason most people were at the museum Saturday!!  He is by far the most down to earth "Hollywood" type person.  You could really see he enjoyed himself at the museum....talking with fans and talking about his time on the TV show Little House.  We could of sat there all day listening to him talk.  I had to laugh tho...Our daughter Katrina who is a very big fan of his, saw him walk out and go in a tent behind the stage.  She walked right up to him and started a conversation with him.  I was shocked...I said Katrina!!  He just smiled and kept talking to her.  He said she was a very delightful young lady and said he said she looked a lot like Laura Ingalls.  He also told her she (Laura) probably had as much spunk as she did....LOL!

Hannah listening to Dean Butler talk.  She really did enjoy herself...LOL!

Ted and his oxen.  They stroll through the museum all the time.  They are HUGE animals but pretty well trained. 

Next we went on a horse drawn wagon ride!  This was so much fun.  These horses are so beautiful!!

View from the wagon.  We really enjoyed this...Hannah was pretty disgusted when the horses "relieved" themselves....LOL!!!

Collection of Laura's books translated into different languages.  She was truly loved by people all over the world.

Photos of Charles and Caroline Ingalls...I would love to find some frames like these for our pictures.

Letter written by Laura to school children.  This is truly a piece of Laura.  Your handwriting is the only thing that is a piece of you to carry on.

Hannah making her paper doll.  She carries it all over with her now.  It has even gone to church with us!

One of my favorite things about all of Laura's books is the time she always spent with her Ma in the kitchen.  Baking bread, molasses cookies, or whatever they were making at the time.  The smell of gingerbread is something I absolutely love!!

Hannah churning some butter.  She said she wants us to get one of these to make all our butter with....a girl after my own heart.  She loves the simple life as well as I do.

We even got to taste herbal butter.  This one has chives in it.  The other one had something else.

Finished butter....I would love the wooden bowl and paddle in my kitchen!!

One of the Museum's turkeys....we came to the conclusion after watching these turkeys...they are much more appealing on a platter!!

Broom corn.  We are thinking about growing this next year.  Brooms are actually made this.  It is amazing to watch.  I have decided to do a post each week on a different area of the museum.  The broom maker is one of those posts I have planned.  I just need to make sure I'm there when he is.

This was a dyeing demonstration.  It totally amazes me how they do this.  If i were to volunteer at the museum this is one thing I would like to learn how to do.

See the steaming bag on the ground?  It was marigold flowers used to color the yarn.  How neat!

More of the same.

Kind of reminded me of the Olsen Mercantile.  Hannah and I were talking about what it would of been like to live back in the 1800's and having a store of our own.  We talked about what we would of had in it.  It was a great conversation.

Thank you for spending this time with me as I take you back to the 1800's.  Come back next week as we will discover more about this time era.  I will pick a house or 2 in the village and take you through it step by step.  Almost as good as seeing it for yourself.  IF there is anything you would like to see please leave me a comment on what you would like to know or see.  Cooking, gardening, farming whatever it may be.