I have been wishing to participate in Kelli's "Show and Tell Friday" for weeks, but just couldn't think of anything to share. And then it happened...I was dusting my bookshelf on Tuesday afternoon, the day I was making the "Little House" Inspired Supper, and I saw my treasure from Rocky Ridge Farm. Aha! - I had found my "Show and Tell"!On our visit to Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, a few years ago, I sat on the stump of a pecan tree in the yard of the home. A sign beside it said that the tree had been planted by Laura and Almanzo around 1900. In 2002 wind claimed the tree. When it was chopped down, the curators of the home and museum at Rocky Ridge prepared pieces of it that were available for purchase inside the gift shop. I was so excited and told my husband that was definitely what I wanted for my souvenir - to take home a little piece of Laura's Rocky Ridge. Inside the gift shop, we searched around but couldn't find any of the tree pieces. We asked the shop keeper and she said that they were out of the mounted pieces. I know she saw my face fall, because she quickly said to hold on while she went to check for sure. Back she came with a piece of tree, apologizing that it wasn't fixed up for sale. I was thrilled, told her I'd take it just like it was, and she gave it to me for free. :-)
At the gift shop my daughter bought a little resin figurine of "Jack" the brindle bulldog.
And I also went home with a CD of the only known recording of Laura's voice, which we listened to in the car as we left Rocky Ridge. :-)
Thank you for visiting my show and tell and thank you, Kelli, for being such a sweet hostess! :-) You can visit more "Show and Tell Friday" at There Is No Place Like Home.
17 comments:
This is a perfect show and tell! What a great post! I would have been after a piece of the tree too!
OH that is really neat....can you imagine what Laura would think...I can't BELIEVE people would even be interested in a TREE that we planted.....lol. That is how I was when we went to Mt. Vernon....just think, we are walking where George Washington stood....actually overwhelming when put into perspective. I don't live too far from Mansfield...and still haven't been able to make a trip there...arrrggghh.
Thank you Sah and Traci! Traci - you have to go to Rocky Ridge! I cried when I stepped into Laura's home. :-) I especially loved her little kitchen. It was built just for her, with cabinets at her height. All the toursists with us looked like they were in a dollhouse. ;-) But, me at 5 feet, felt right at home - I loved it!
That's a great piece for show and tell. I'm also a big Laura fan, and I've been to her home in Mansfield twice (school field trips in the early 80's--lived in MO while growing up) and I loved it each time. I would dearly love to go back again to see how its changed since I last visited. I have a bookmark I bought at the souvenier shop of Laura's favorite bible verses and I still us it for reference to this day.
I just found your blog a couple of weeks ago and I have already saved several of your recipes to try soon. I enjoy the site and look forward to visiting much more in the future. Keep up the good work!!
What neat treasures! I would love to visit Laura's home some day.
Mrs. H.
How fun! I would love to go on a trip and see all of Laura's towns and musuems. I think I would probably cry also if I went into her house. It would be overwhelming becuase she has been such a big part of my life. What a wonderful souvenior.
Great post, would love to visit Laura's home one day :)
That is one place I would really love to go to-thank you for sharing!
What a cool post! My daughter and I always watched Little House and she has purchased the series for her daughter. I love the piece of tree and I think I might like it even better than one prepared for sale!
Kathy
What a wonderful item for your show and tell. If only that piece of the tree could talk eh? I also watched The Little House here when I was young. Thank you for sharing.
I am such a fan of hers. I grew up watching the shows then reading the books. I was shocked at the differences. Oh well that's Hollywood.
The piece of tree is a wonderful sourvenir. I read the Little House series to my girls many years ago, and now my daughter is reading it to my 4 1/2 year-old granddaughter. We've all enjoyed the books so much. Perhaps someday we'll be able to visit Laura's home.
That must have been so much fun! I would have been very happy about the tree peice as well!
As for the brindle dog, doesn't brindle mean dark and mottled? Look it up at picsearch.com or look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brindle
What a wonderful show and tell! I love your special treasures and I hope to visit Laura's home someday, too!
~Kelli
Hi Chattyhousewife,
You are exactly right about brindle. It means "brownish or gray, marked with darker spots or streaks". The books always refer to Jack as "the brindle bulldog". Maybe we should take a paint brush to my daughter's "Jack" and make him more authentic?! ;-)
Thank you to everyone that stopped by to see my show and tell! I'll be visiting yours soon! :-)
It is weird that they sold you a white one, but a paint job might be fun! I didn't mean to rain on your parade, just thought it was an interesting tid bit of info! :)
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