Bright Lights, Prairie Dust by Karen Grassle

Growing up, I have memories of heading downstairs on Monday nights to watch Little House on the Prairie. Given my age and the show's run from from 1974 to 1982, I must have picked it up in the 5th or 6th season. Likely, it was shortly before I started reading the books that I started to watch the show. I caught the older episodes in reruns (syndication) and was totally into the show. Of course, it romanticized the life of a family on the prairie, showing some of the hard work and hardships but mostly focusing on the family and the great times that they had together.

Of course, as with most shows that run that long, you become attached to the characters and you begin to identify the actors as those poeple. Sure, there were lots of celebrity guests that there was no problem coorelating them to other roles. I remember the first time I saw Melissa Gilbert in another role and how strange it was to see her in a modern day setting.

When I read a few months back that Karen Grassle was releasing a book, I decided that I wanted to read it and promptly placed a hold on it at the library. I started reading it last month and finished it up a few days ago, coincidentally on Karen Grassle's 80th birthday (February 25th). I was scrolling Facebook and there was a birthday wish to Karen Grassle - how did it know that I was reading that book, that is one of many things that always surprise me a bit.

Grassle lead a very interesting life, far differnt than the character I knew from the show. Obviously, that is to be expected but still there were so many things in her life that I didn't know about. She struggled to get where she is and overcame a lot of obstacles on her journey.

I had in part expected that there would be more about Little House on the Prairie in the book but really, the focus was on Grassle's life - the challenges and obstacles that she faced, how she dealt with them and eventually overcame many of them. The book was engrossing and reasonably well-written, although there were times where it followed a path to tie up a loose end and then returned to the time that she went off on the tangent. She tells her story with honesty and perspective.

I enjoyed learning more about her parents, her childhood and her sister. You could feel the love for her parents and knew that she was raised in a loving home - "All they wanted was to have a family, give them a good education and be able to tell anyone to go to hell" - even though it was troubled with addictions and her parent's coping methods were not always ideal. I found it interesting that as a child she studied ballet, and was pretty good at it, before moving into acting. I enjoyed learning about her growing up, her college years and the time that she spent in England on a Fulbright Fellowship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

She brought the reader along for the journey as she pursued her dreams, with financial support when needed from her parents, in the tumultuous era of the 60s and 70s. She found her fair share of trouble and actively sought counseling to help her through things. She was a participant and supporter of the activism that was part of coming of age in that era, and there was evidence of the influence it had on her as she continued to be an advocate for change. Her experiences working in the theatre and her classical training were influential in how she approached acting throughout her career. It was interesting to learn about the shifts that she had to make in approach as she moved into television and the schedules that they keep in television series.

When we first meet Michael Landon in her book, I totally expected a great relationship but as I continued I learned about several struggles that she experienced. I was not aware of those issues, like her struggle to acheive fair compensation. and never would have guessed it based on all my years watching the show, both while new and in reruns. It was interesting to learn more about some of the other actors and which she was friend's with off the set. I was not aware of the other side projects that she had worked on while filming Little House on the Prairie, including a show that she helped research, write and act in about abusive relationships. A show that impacted a lot of people and drove change for the good.

In the last bit of the book, she shared with the reader about finally recognizing that she needed help with her alcoholism. The efforts she made, the support she needed and the struggles as she sought to overcome it and move forward. She talked about the life that she was able to start to live. About finding love and having a family.

All and all, I enjoyed getting to know Karen Grassle for who she is and where she came from. She did a good job telling her story; honestly sharing with the readers about her life, her values, her challenges, her mistakes and her achievements. I liked learning about her life experiences and the people that crossed her path and how both impacted her life and the person she became. She faced many struggles and challenges and wasn't proud of some of the things that she had done but as she turned 80, I think she is good with where she is and who she ultimately is. In my mind, she will always be Ma living on the Prairie with Pa and the kids but now I feel like I know the rest of her story.

No compensation was received for this review and I got the copy I read through my local library. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Rainy Day Entertainment

When my kids complained one day a few years ago of being bored, I built them a fort. I can remember building forts with my brothers as a child. The forts were never super fancy, built out of blankets and cushions, but they were special because they were a space all our own. I figured it would be something that my kids would also enjoy, so I used several afghans and throws to construct a fort in the open space between our sofa and our recliner. Then, to create a more roomy fort, I added the easel and a kitchen chair to help expand the covered area.

It was an instant hit. There is something so magical about a fort. Suddenly the same books and games and toys that we have are more interesting, because they can be played with inside the fort, a space all their own - where Mom and Dad can't come in.

They will move stacks of books and games into their fort after it is built. Some are for playing and others are for constructing internal "walls" to divide their space. They also like to take in flashlights to help light the darkened play area and blankets and pillows for pretending it is nap and bedtime (the same two that dont' want to take a nap or go to bed). It is fun to be outside the fort listening to their conversations. It is great to hear their imagination hard at work during their play.

I frequently have to repair the fort as they bump into the 'roof' and it gapes or falls. Despite building it in the same area each time, the fort is never quite the same. Each time though, it is sure to please and entertain.

At the end of the day, or before we head out for errands, we tear down the fort - they get so upset, as if we can't just rebuild it the next day or later when we are ready to play again.

When we visit my parent's house, my mom builds a fort using her dining room table with the chairs pulled out and covering it with a couple of afghans - giving them a large fort area with a secure roof. They each take their own flashlight and create a play area all their own.

We tend to build forts when it rains or snows and to bridge the mid-day in summer, when it is too hot and the sun too intense to spend the time outside. It is easy and cheap entertainment for the kids and brings back memories of my childhood.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Ultrabuilt Play Systems

A few weeks ago I shared about how we made the decision on what play system we wanted to get for the kids. We have now had our play system for a couple of weeks and are pleased with the decision that we made.

As you may recall, we selected the Ultrabuilt Play System for our children. We liked the modularity and the ability to configure it to what works best for our family. We also liked many of the design features, including the swing beam that is rated for 1000 pounds.


Rather than building it ourselves, we elected to have the team from Ultrabuilt install our play system. The pieces for the play system come partially assembled (rails are built, etc) and I think that we probably could have built it ourselves, but watching our children anxiously await the completion of the play set, it was good that we opted to have them build it. We were at least able to keep them occupied while it was built, if we were building it, it would have been very difficult for us to keep them occupied and I think there would have been a lot of frazzled nerves and flaring tempers before construction was complete. In addition, since our yard has a slight slope, it was nice having them install it. They were experienced and were able to balance between digging out some dirt and shimming one side to make sure that we had a level installation for the forts and didn't lose anything on the angle of the slides. They adjusted the swing beam to ensure it was level as well. I'm not saying we couldn't have figured it out, but their experience made it quick and easy for them to get a level installation. The team of four installed the play set in about 4 hours. For my husband and I to have done it on our own, certainly it could have turned into a multi-day installation. But, again, it was nice that we had the option to pay for installation or to install it ourselves.

The kids were ready to play as soon as it as the installation was complete. They both really are enjoying climbing, sliding and swinging. My daughter, who struggled with navigating the rock wall at the sales lot, quickly mastered the rock wall and now is a pro. I still have trouble convincing her that flip flops are not designed for climbing a rock wall and that she should be wearing tennis shoes when she climbs, so we have had a few slips, but nothing more than a scraped belly.


Both kids are becoming better at swinging too. Of course, with the higher swing bar, they can go higher, so even though they can now both pump and maintain a swing, they still want me to push so that they can go higher. My daughter has also decided that swinging on her belly is another great way to swing. She walks forward with the swing at her chest and then lifts her legs and swings back.

I really love that I can swing. When I get a break from pushing, it is fun to climb on a swing and feel the wind in my hair. It used to be that I had to go to the park if I wanted to swing and I always had to watch, so I wasn't taking a swing away from a child. I really must say that having a swing beam that supports 1000 pounds is a huge selling feature of the Ultrabuilt Play System from my perspective. I love that I can act like a kid again. Yesterday, my daughter was swinging on her swing and I decided to swing on the trapeze bar. Of course it is set to a height for the kids, so I couldn't swing hanging from my arms because my knees were on the ground, but I was able to hold the handles and pull my legs in and swing them up over top of the bar. My daughter thought it was funny to see Mommy swinging upside down. It was a blast (and reminded me just how much upper body strength it takes to get yourself up on a trapeze bar). I didn't go so far as to pull myself up to sitting on the bar, I'm not sure I could do it without some added strength training!

One accessory that we added to our play system was a picnic table (courtesy of Ultrabuilt) and it has been a huge hit. I had always wanted to get the kids a picnic table, but never knew where we would keep it. Now that we have a picnic table her size, my daughter can't get enough of eating there. We used it Memorial Day weekend for a picnic we hosted, giving the kids their own place to eat. This was a nice change, since they always ate at the table on our deck at recent picnics. My daughter has also dined alone at her picnic table during regular meals and has shared snacks with the neighbors at the table. What's nice too, is that with it positioned below the tower, there is a good amount of shade for the table area and the kids will sit down and visit there when they need a break.


I love having the play system in our yard. Not only does it allow the kids to get out and play while I prepare dinner (couldn't do a trip to the park in that time), but it also has resulted in the kids and their friends playing more in our yard. I like having the ability to look out my window or sit on my deck and watch them play with their friends - no need to worry abut what they might be up to at the neighbor's or three doors down. It is entertaining to listen to some of their pretend play too. One frequent start to their tale is "let's say that you didn't see me here and you climbed up the tower and..." - it is great to know that they are exercising their mind and their body while having fun.

After installation, we noticed some concerns with a few of the steps on our ladder and we had questions about some cracks in the posts. A quick call to the company and things were resolved. They sent us two new steps to replace the ones that had issues. This excellent response time is a sign of quality customer service to me. As to the cracks we saw in the posts, we learned that these were due to dry checking and were assured that this is normal for the treated lumber and not a structural concern. Again, an informed team that is aware of what is normal and what to worry about is an important part of customer service, especially for a product like a play system that is an investment.

If you are considering getting a play system for your family, I highly recommend checking out Ultrabuilt. You can visit their website to explore the many options they have - they seem to have a set for every budget and yard size, from a simple swing set with slide to the "Space Station Ultrabuilt" a play system with everything. Discover the accessories that you can add to make your play system all your own - from picnic tables to forts to monkey bars. You can design your own system online and submit it for a quote by your local dealer. You can even print it out to plan how it would fit in your yard. A visit to your local dealer is a great opportunity to observe your kids at play and help you make decisions on what accessories will get the most use.

No compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed are strictly my own. Ultrabuilt did provide as an addition to the play system that we purchased, the picnic table accessory, so that we could further experience their product line and share our experiences.

What was old is new again

As a mom, I have found that so many things that were popular when I was a child, have either had some staying power or have returned to popularity. That is a bit hard for me to gauge, I didn't shop much in the toy aisle between my childhood and having children.

Remember Cabbage Patch Kids? I can remember wanting one so bad that first year that they were available. I didn't get one that year. I remember hearing tales of people waiting outside of the store for hours upon hearing a rumor that there would be a delivery. I did eventually get one. One thing that always struck me were the names that they gave to those dolls. There weren't any Elizabeth or Kate or Charlie or Nick dolls, no they had unique names. Mine was Fayette Rory. Fayette was certainly a name I had heard before but I didn't know or know of any. Rory at the time I had never even heard of it. These dolls with their signed bottoms are still on store shelves (or back on store shelves). My daughter has my doll, so I haven't gotten close enough to see if they still have unique names or if they have just made so many that they had to start using traditional or popular names.

What about Strawberry Shortcake? I loved my Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I had a few of the figurines, Lemon Meringue, Lime Chiffon, and Lem 'n Ada (they were twins). My dad fashioned two beds for me out of some trim and a thin board. He stained them and gave them to me for my figurines. I still have them. Strawberry is back on shelf again. She has movies and books and one thing that I have noticed is that the figurines have changed - the dolls are larger and softer than those from my childhood.

Remember the Smurfs? I can remember countless Saturday mornings watching the Smurfs. I had a lot of the little collectible figures and even a homemade pillow that was a Smurf. My son enjoys the Smurfs. We check the DVDs out from the library occasionally for them to watch. It brings back a bit of my childhood. I have even seen stuffed toys and Smurf village toys at the store.

What about Rainbow Brite? I have to confess that she was a little after my time. I remember her and I know some of my younger cousins had Rainbow Brite things, but I never actually did. She's back. Again, they have modernized her a bit. I remember this young girl:

You can see the new Rainbow Brite here. As you can see, in the animation, she is taller, thinner and more grown up than the Rainbow Brite of my childhood. You can learn more about the relaunch of Rainbow Brite on the Hallmark official Rainbow Brite website. They have a line of toys for the updated characters that are available at Target and soon will be available at Toys'R Us. I wonder if they will bring back the cartoons or relaunch them to DVD? You can also watch some animation shorts here.

Giveaway!

Thanks to MomSelect and Hallmark, I am able to offer a giveaway for two readers to receive one Rainbow Brite activity CD. These CDs contain games, puzzles, a picture maker, coloring pages, the Rainbow Brite theme song and much more.

Primary Entry:
Which Rainbow Brite doll was your favorite or which do you think that special little girl in your life (daughter, niece, granddaughter, neighbor) would like best? You can find them all here.

Additional Entries:

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Giveaway will remain open until February 24th at 6 pm. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine. I received some interactive CDs from Hallmark and MomSelect to experience for myself and to share with friends, family and readers.