Trundlebed Tales

This month I have a couple of presentations this month. We've got events in Walnut Grove, MN; Mansfield, MO; and with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association. Plus, we have a new book on Rose Wilder Lane. 

October is also an unusually busy month with things happening not only in events, but in the news. Find 2 events at Malone that just recently popped up, information about a TV show documentary, word on an on-going display, tours in Simi Valley, and a class at the Newberry.

This is a couple of extremely busy months this year. Between the two months pretty much every Laura homesite has had an event. 

There are a lot of Laura events every July. There are events scheduled this month in Pepin, WI; Walnut Grove, MN; De Smet, SD;Mansfield, MO; Malone, NY; Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI; Simi Valley, CA. Dean Butler's "Prairie Man" has rolled out.

A roving report to what happened in Burr Oak, Iowa during Laura Days. This year the event was June 22, 2024. Get a report on what changes they'd made since my trip in 2019. Get a report on a new place to eat - Mabe's Pizza. Get a report on where I stayed and learn about a new untitled documentary in the works. 

A group of friends went to the big 50th anniversary cast reunion site tour for "Little House on the Prairie." Scott Smith and Micky Thompson went on a friends trip to one of the major events of the year in Simi Valley, California where most of the TV show exteriors were shot. Listen to Scott and Micky's report on what it was like to attend and visit both indoors and outdoor sets and meet the actors at one of the two biggest reunions of actors scheduled for all year. They urge you to attend and got for the upper price tickets if you can whether they have another reunion in Simi Valley or at one of the other events. They had a great time. Come and listen to their stories.

Since this is late we'll go through some of the big events this year and what we're still looking forward to. Whether you're interested in the TV show, the museums, or books, there is a lot going on.

Today I'm going to be doing a reading from my favorite of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. An early major plot point in the book the Yankee uses an eclipse to get out of being held hostage and to gain power in the court.

I have two programs in April and there is a lot of stuff going on. There is another production of Little House on the Prairie: The Musical. There are two cast reunion events and Malone is starting a new event.

What happened in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom during 2023.

In honor of Read Across America we're going to get another story from Thornton Burgess. His stories were originally published in magazines and in most of them they set up the next chapter. This particular one those is short stories. We're going to start with "Mr. Toad's Old Suit."

March is the start of the year's Laura Ingalls Wilder season. It's still pretty quiet. However, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri is the first of the Laura homesites that close for the season to reopen each year. Walnut Grove and De Smet are both at least partially open all year, but with Mansfield's opening it means that the Laura Ingalls Wilder season has officially begun! We've got an event in Burr Oak and a production of Little House on the Prairie: The Musical. This month will also be the long awaited 50th Anniversary event in Simi Valley.

My friend Kelly Pelzel and I headed down to Mansfield, Missouri for Wilder Days. We didn't get a roving report done at the time. We set up a time to record it and..... BlogTalkRadio wasn't doing live shows so I recorded it instead. Listen to all our tips as we get you to take a trip with us to Mansfield, Missouri, Wilder Days, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum.

What do people talk about? Normally people tell their Laura story. We all have one. How we discovered Laura and her booksWhat your favorite story is from the booksWhat's the best thing in your Laura collectionWhat's your favorite edition of the booksWhat's the craziest thing did you do because it was a “Little House” thing (place visited, craft tried, book read) I hope to either hear from you live or…. Give Laura a Call and Give a Listen Call in (714) 242-5253 or toll free 1-877-633-9389 to call into the show.

February in Laura's birthday month so for a winter month we get a lot of action this month. A lot of it is online so you can participate. We'll have an online birthday party on this podcast and there will be one for the Walnut Gove Pageant where they celebrate with people who played Nellie in the pageant over the years.

My friend Kelly Pelzel and I headed down to Mansfield, Missouri for Wilder Days. We didn't get a roving report done at the time. We set up a time to record it and..... BlogTalkRadio wasn't doing live shows so I recorded it instead. Listen to all our tips as we get you to take a trip with us to Mansfield, Missouri, Wilder Days, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum.

January has an astonishing number of family dates. There are annual meetings for members in both Burr Oak, IA (Zoom link available for members) and Malone, NY. There basically weren't any Laura Christmas plays in production in December, but January is making up for it with 2 Little House on the Prairie: The Musical productions. 2024 is the 50th Anniversary of the Little House on the Prairie, the NBC TV series. Expect all sorts of events in its honor this year and they are starting to roll out.

December is not the busiest Laura month, but it does have several events restart with a Christmas theme. We have events in De Smet, SD; Spring Valley, MN; Mansfield, MO and a cast event. There are also events coming up with Trundlebed Tales and I am looking for your input for several questions.

Josh Gates, host of Destination Truth and Expedition Unknown and Josh Gates Tonight plus other Discovery channel shows, gives in person speeches and tours around the country. His current show is called AN EVENING OF LEGENDS, MYSTERIES, AND TALES OF ADVENTURE. It covers his time during the pandemic when Josh Gates Tonight gave us something of a lifeline. It tells about how he got the job he has now. He looks into how do science and the supernatural intercect. What's it like to attend one of his shows? Listen up and I'll tell you. 

We have events this time from The Newberry in Chicago, online with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Mansfield, MO, Cast Reunions at Non-Homesite Towns of More than 3 Cast Members, and looking ahead to Little House on the Prairie: The Musical.

This month two homesites are having their big Laura Ingalls Wilder event; Pepin WI and Mansfield MO. There is a smaller event in Malone/Burke NY. The larger fan events for the TV show have started up again. Find the complete list here: September 2023 Laura Ingalls Wilder Events – Sarah's Notebook (wordpress.com)

My friend Kelly Pelzel and I took an quick trip up to Walnut Grove to see the new pageant in July. After 45 years they have changed their pageant. They are taking the story and dividing it into three parts. The first one will have the most of the original pageant so they started with what will be the second of the trilogy. It's called Chasing the Dream, 1875-1876. We also took a little time to hit some of the other places in town. This was Kelly's first trip to Walnut Grove. It wasn't a complete trip, but we saw a lot including getting in a good visit with William T. Anderson and Cindy Wilson.

August is growing as Laura Ingalls Wilder event month. Look for events in Pepin, WI: De Smet, SD; Spring Valley, MN; Malone/Burke, NY; and NBC Little House on the Prairie TV reunion events. 

July is one of the biggest Laura Ingalls Wilder event months. We're going to look ahead to events to Pepin, WI; Independence, KS; Walnut Grove, MN; De Smet, SD; Mansfield, MO; Malone, NY; Burke, NY; Old World Wisconsin; Eagle, WI; Nelson Pioneer Farm; Oskaloosa, IA; Project Archeology; and the Wilder Podcast.

June brings us into Summer and it's a big Laura month. Get the news from Pepin, WI, Independence, KS, Burr Oak, IA, De Smet, SD, and Spring Valley, MN.Then what's going on with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association and the South Dakota Historical Society Press. Are you going to an event this June?

Since this is late we'll go through some of the big events this year and what we're still looking forward to. Whether you're interested in the TV show, the museums, or books, there is a lot going on.

I didn't get a roving report episode although I didn't get to do it live. Instead I'm going to give you a full report of what it was like to attend this cast reunion and how it was different from other cast reunions. I'll include some ideas about what you should plan on if you make a Little House cast reunion trip. The cast included: Alison Arngrim (Nellie Olesen)Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle)Wendi Lou Lee (Baby Grace)Patrick Labyorteaux (Andy Garvey)Jennifer Donati (Baby Rose)  

Every year I do some reading in honor of World Read Aloud Day. It's every March 2nd in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday. Sometimes I do something Laura specific, but lately I've been doing Mother West Wind's Children by Thorton W. Burgess. For awhile I was doing short episodes as I tested various microphones, but today's is going to be my standard equipment. Learn more about Burgess and find a list of links to the other stories. Today we're doing "Why Peter Rabbit's Ears Are Long."

Laura Ingalls Wilder season is really getting started. The Laura Ingalls Wilder sites that haven't opened yet for the season will open at the end of May. There is an event in Pepin and a fundraiser in Burr Oak. There is a Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association homesite updates online program about what's happening with the homesites this year. It's Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival and 3 more events with "Little House on the Prairie" TV show cast members that are close to Iowa. There is even an event at the Gene Autry Museum of the West. Check out this episode and my blog post for more.

March is the month when the museums that closed down for the winter start to reopen. We have several events and a couple pieces of news.

I know what it means to miss New Orleans.... or rather I don't. I've never been there, but it's one of my friend Kelly Pezel's favorite places to visit. She's going to join me so we can learn about what to visit in New Orleans, how and why. Tracy Vozar is going to call in, too. Tracy is going to talk about going to the Big Easy for Mardi Gras and how you can actually participate in a Mardi Gras parade.

Find out everything that happened in 2022. Get updates about what's gone on at the homesites. Find out about new books to buy. Learn where to tune in for on-going programs. Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest.   Attend one of her programs,  schedule one  yourself,  watch her videos,  listen to her podcast,   look at  her photos, and find her  on   Facebook ,   Twitter ,     LinkedIn ,     SlideShare,   and  Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.

What do people talk about? Normally people tell their Laura story. We all have one. How we discovered Laura and her booksWhat your favorite story is from the booksWhat's the best thing in your Laura collectionWhat's your favorite edition of the booksWhat's the craziest thing did you do because it was a “Little House” thing (place visited, craft tried, book read) I hope to either hear from you live or…. Give Laura a Call and Give a Listen Call in (714) 242-5253 or toll free 1-877-633-9389 to call into the show.

February in Laura's birthday month so for a winter month we get a lot of action this month. A lot of it is online so you can participate.

We normally don't have an update this month, but we've got enough going on that I wanted to. Most of that stuff is online so I want you to know in enough time to get signed up for it and to prepare questions. We also have a bunch of birthdays this month and no one much mentions them so I'm giving them a shout out, too.

In 2019 I was driving down to Mansfield, Missouri for their Wilder Days event. I was going to be traveling by myself I decided to swing over to Marceline, MO on my way down. Disney - YouTube It wasn't very long after I got back that I was looking up something about Rothville, Missouri and discovered it was right by Marceline and I somehow had missed it. That means I had to go back. My friend Kelly offered to go back with me and this is what we saw in Marceline. Ep 133 Roving Report Chariton County Missouri Take 2 06/18 by Trundlebedtales | History (blogtalkradio.com) Marceline Tour https://www.downtownmarceline.org/tour

December is an even busier month than usual. We've got Christmas events at De Smet, SD; Mansfield, MO; Malone/Burke, NY. We're also checking in on Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas themed plays and events connecting with the NBC Little House on the Prairie TV show.  Laura Ingalls Wilder Events December 2022 Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas Events – Sarah's Notebook (wordpress.com) Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas Plays Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas Plays 2022 – Sarah's Notebook (wordpress.com) Dean Butler Reads for Almanzo Wilder Dean Butler Reads for Almanzo Wilder Farm – Sarah's Notebook (wordpress.com)

We'll look back on Veteran's Day with a special focus on "In Flander's Fields" by John McCrae and poppies. 

November used to be a slow Laura fan month, but we've seen some developments this year. Learn about events at Mansfield, MO and a future TV show event. 

I've already done episodes with touring plans - how to visit a site and what to see - and with everything going on we're going to check in and see if they are still valid. Today we're going to talk about our visits this year to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa and Midwest Old Threshers in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

September tends to be another big Laura Ingalls Wilder event month. Learn about events in Pepin, WI; Mansfield, MO; Malone, NY; West Branch, IA.

Today is Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder's wedding anniversary. In honor of that we're having a special Laura Ingalls Wilder basic questions episode. We'll do another special episode so be sure to ask questions for the next one.

This month's birthday girl is Carrie Ingalls. Join us for events in Pepin, Wisconsin; De Smet, South Dakota; Spring Valley, Minnesota; and Malone, New York.

This is the last day of my Walnut Grove trip. I visit the dugout site and get two nasty surprises. Then I have a happy surprise at the museum. Finally, I drive home and talk about videos you can look for. 

This is the second day of my trip. I hit several places I hadn't made yesterday. I do my In the Kitchen With Laura (Pioneer Version) and check out the rest of the Family Festival. I visit the Wheels Across the Prairie Museum in Tracy, Minnesota. Then I end the night with "Fragments of a Dream" the Walnut Grove pageant.

The return of my live reports from a Laura trip. These were recorded live, but live none the less. I drive up to Walnut Grove, learn about changes around the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, and end up in Marshall, Minnesota.

July is about the biggest month in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom. There are lots of homesite events and it's the heart of summer vacation season. Learn about events in Pepin, WI; Walnut Grove, MN; De Smet, SD; Mansfield, MO; Malone, NY; Keystone, SD; the Nelson Pioneer Farm; LauraPalooza; and the Hollywood Show in Burbank.

I recently took a trip with my friend Kelly Pezel down to Chariton County, Missouri to visit the place where the Ingalls family bought land near the town of Rothville. I hadn't ever been there before so I was glad to get a chance at visiting one of the last places the Charles Ingalls family visited that I hadn't visited yet.  This is the brochure the Chariton County Historical Society puts out: rothville-brochure.pdf (keytesvillemo.com) For a more historical view: Little House on the Prairie – historical perspective (pioneergirl.com)

I recently took a trip with my friend Kelly Pezel down to Chariton County, Missouri to visit the place where the Ingalls family bought land near the town of Rothville. I hadn't ever been there before so I was glad to get a chance at visiting one of the last places the Charles Ingalls family visited that I hadn't visited yet.  This is the brochure the Chariton County Historical Society puts out: rothville-brochure.pdf (keytesvillemo.com) For a more historical view: Little House on the Prairie – historical perspective (pioneergirl.com)

Since this is late we'll go through some of the big events this year and what we're still looking forward to. Whether you're interested in the TV show, the museums, or books, there is a lot going on.

This episode is the second in a series of episodes this month that are going to talk about Laura Ingalls Wilder travel. This first episode is full of questions that you should ask yourself as you start planning a Laura trip. People think there is a one size fits all kind of Laura trip. There isn't. People are interested in different aspects of the story. Some people are more interested than others. Others might be limited by travel issues or time on a particular trip. This episode will be questions you should ask yourself before you take off on that trip to the Laura Ingalls Wilder homesites, Pepin, Wisconsin; Independence, Kansas; Walnut Grove, Minnesota; Burr Oak, Iowa; De Smet, South Dakota; Keystone, South Dakota, Mansfield, Missouri; Spring Valley, Minnesota, and Malone, New York.