Fortune Telling
Today I read the first chapter of Little House in the Big Woods (which, for those of you who don't know, is the first Laura Ingles Wilder book - the Little House on the Prairie Series) aloud to a seven year old friend. Let me tell ya, this seven year old has really been taking me back to my sevenyearoldhood lately. I mean, on Saturday we played lava monster. And then today we read about Laura and Mary. On Saturday I remembered recess with Autumn. And today I was thinking about all the make believe Autumn and I played. One of our favorites was playing Laura and Mary. Autumn was older (still is, in fact) and so she got to pick first. And even though she's older and Mary is older she always got to be Laura - the not blind one. (Sorry to ruin it for any of you who happen to be beginning those books and aren't to the part when Mary goes blind yet. She does.) So I was Mary, the blind one. Autumn and I did a lot of chores together - washing dishes, cleaning my room, taking out the trash. And that was perfect, because Laura and Mary had a lot of chores to do too. I have such fond memories of standing at the kitchen sink at the house my family lived in at the time, washing dishes with Autumn. I see a common thread here. Reading those books, getting older and reading the Babysitters Club Books (I know, a bit less classy. But, yes, I'm totally a BSC fan), watching ER with my mom in high school, writing "newsletters" with my friends in college, watching Sex and the City. It's that yearning for continuity and connection - in a variety of manifestations.
posted by toni @ 8:32 PM
6 Comments:
At 4/05/2005 8:49 AM,
Autumn Hoverter, MS, RD said…
I was a bit of a bear about the Laura/Mary thing, wasn't I? In my defense, you were always taller and blonder so you technically made a better Mary;) And, one should note, I was helping you with all your chores! But we did have some good times though.
At 4/05/2005 10:31 AM,
toni said…
Well, I don't know. I think you may have been just as blond as me. But I was taller, that's true. I think I'm over it. I don't remember minding too incredibly much at the time. And, yeah, you WERE helping me with my chores. Often. You did that really often. THANKS! It sure was fun though. Especially the fortune telling.
At 4/05/2005 1:38 PM,
Autumn Hoverter, MS, RD said…
The fortune telling is one of my favorite memories, along with marble races and pencil collections. I remember going through tons of matches, though I don't recall your mother minding that much. I loved your house too. I wish your family still lived there (silly I know). I always go by and see your house and want to go knock on the door, but of course you don't live there anymore.
At 4/05/2005 2:51 PM,
toni said…
seriously? you go by there? when? does your dad still work right by there?
every now and then i go by that house. if i'm in the neighborhood i drive by on purpose. and i have the same urge. to knock on the door. maybe one day you and i can do that, autumn, k? i really want to be in there again. to walk around. to see it from an adult perspective.
At 4/05/2005 10:02 PM,
toni said…
what's amazing is that tonight i walked by that house. after blogging about it all day. i was on a walk with a friend, and she led. and i followed. and we ended up there. amazing. what's even more amazing (and i actually already knew this, but i'd forgotten) is that her friends live in that house! so she said she'll take me.
At 4/15/2005 7:02 PM,
Anonymous said…
So what about these matches. I think it's time to fess up.
Also, I clearly remember the two of you REQUESTING chores sometimes when you were playing Little House on the Prairie.
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