Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Farmer Boy is my favorite of all the Little House on the Prarie books (except maybe tied with The Long Winter) and it always has been. I think it is an amazing description of what life was like. When I read it now though, it gives me slightly different feelings. I now feel lazy, without useful skills and that I am a terrible housekeeper. Not only do I not sew all of the clothes my family wears, I don't raise the sheep, shear them, spin the wool, and weave the cloth! I am totally useless!
Similarly, unlike Alamanzo's mother, when I have a little downtime at the end of a hard day of cleaning, baking, weaving, spinning, cooking, etc - I don't sit down to listen to my eldest daughter read the newspaper while I knit my husband socks. I don't ever knit anyone anything (because I can't) and also I would rather read myself or watch tv. Also I don't do all that work in one (or 100) days. Also if I decide to crochet (something I can do) I don't make anything as useful as socks. I am a failure.
Despite the negative feels of self worth I now have, I am going to keep reading this series even though I know that Ma (of Ma and Pa Ingalls fame) works pretty hard to and is happy with a heck of a lot less. So that will make me feel greedy, selfish and whiney. But whatever, I love this series anyways!
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