Christmas past

I've been reading some of the 'Little House' books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I think I've read most of them before, but not for many years, and they're quite a good choice for this time of year. There seems to be a lot in them about how the family fared in winter time, and each book that I've read so far has an account of a Christmas. I was really struck by the contrast between their Christmases and today.

I listened to a bunch of kids I work with discussing what sort of laptop they were getting and whether they would get a computer and a new mobile phone. Maybe I should get them all to read a passage from one of these books. Certainly in one of the earlier ones, Laura and Mary each get a pair of red mittens and a candy cane. Couldn't be more different.

I've also been really interested to read all the details about their food, and where it came from. There were certainly no ready meals, but lots of emphasis on preserving what food they had and making the most of every last scrap. I'm missing a few books in the series so think I might try to get hold of them in the New Year. I feel a bit of Ebay-ing coming on!