Life in a Little House

This past week, I have thought a lot about Little House on the Prairie. Pa and Ma, Mary, Laura and Carrie all lived together in a very small space. Visits from neighbors were few and far between in the early days...not another soul but the Ingalls there usually...especially during long, hard winters. Pa worked the fields on their property, Ma and the girls spent their time keeping the household running and occasionally taking odd jobs to bring in egg and pin money... 

Watching the television show as a kid, and even watching reruns as an adult, it seems so idyllic. Sure, they had their issues. Kids did not always get along, and sometimes hail ruined the crops. I am sure Ma burned a dinner or two, and although the work was rewarding, it was difficult. But at the end of the day, Pa took out his fiddle, the girls sang and clapped and danced until it was time for washing up and prayers. Then they all fell into bed and slept peacefully until dawn.

Perusing social media, I have seen the desperate posts of mothers trying to work with littles underfoot and fathers in just the next room over doing the same. It has made me wonder, more than once, about the similarities to pioneer life. How many of us are confined to our own, small houses and property with only our families for company? Is this the first time it has been like this for us? Can you imagine the pioneers of our country living like this without the Internet, Zoom meetings and social media? How did they not lose their minds???

I suppose they were just used to it, as we are all getting more used to it with every passing week. I miss church gatherings and visits with neighbors. I miss getting together with my knitting group. I MISS HUGGING MY GRANDCHILDREN!!! Even with the Internet, Zoom meetings, social media and blogging, I can feel my mind slowly slipping away many days!

As the Ingalls girls grew, so did the towns on the prairie. Eventually we see kids going to school most days, and Ma even gets a job as a school teacher for a short time. It doesn't happen overnight, and the adjustments to more people always seem difficult. But the joy of having other people nearby, and the opportunities to "pick a little, talk a little" with other moms, dads, kids...well, it was certainly something to look forward to! Church social? Yes, please! 

I am looking forward to the day we have a vaccine for this virus. I am looking forward to the time when gatherings of more than 10, no masks required, are once again upon us. I am looking forward to picking up my grandkids and hugging them as tightly as they will endure, possibly kissing them all over their little faces (yes, even the 9-year-old, if I can hold her down), and I am confident that day will come. I am looking forward to more time outside the 1,054 sq ft of my own Little House. 

In the meantime, I am thankful for our jobs and for kids and grandkids who reach out via video chats, text and phone calls. I am thankful for Essential Workers who keep healthcare, safety and commerce going so that I can be confident that we will have what we need for our time in this Little House. And I am thankful to know that this is not all there is...I am thankful to have hope in Jesus, and a place in heaven when my race here is finished.

I am also thankful for the knitting, and my massive yarn stash! I mean, what are the people without hobbies doing right now to stay sane??? What are YOU doing to keep your sanity close? Do you need some yarn? I could drop it off on your porch...

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!