Well, I promised to blog about what I am reading, and I did just finish Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, which was a really good book. It spanned the lives of a bookgroup over the course of 40 years. It was actually our bookgroup selection, and we have been together for about 12 or so years, so it was a fun one. You could see bits and pieces of our members in the story's members too.

Now, I am reading Farmer Boy. Yep, the part of the Little House series that I refused to read as a girl because it was about some smelly boy. I had no need to read it, and I had the support not to read it as a charter and creating member of our own "Laura Ingalls Wilder Fan Club." The bylaws were quite specific, and did in fact address Farmer Boy.

1. You had to like Laura

2. You had to try to braid your hair...which was tough in my 70's pixie cut, but I would pull a turtle neck up on my head and the arms dangling down my back would give me that "braids feel."

3. You had to like her dog Jack...of course I would have liked ANY dog, I was so desperate for one in my suburban existence.

and finally...

4. You had to read all of her books, with the exception of Farmer Boy of course since it wasn't about Laura anyways.

Well, at that time in my life, that bias made sense, but now, raising my own son, and teaching a boisterous bevy of boys in my 4th grade class, I am loving it. Even more so, I am, quite seriously, embarassed that as a veteran teacher I have never read this book. It is a wonderful snapshot of early America, and as a fourth grade teacher, for goodness sake, the book is SET here in UPSTATE NY! It is a fabulous teaching tool! OK, so true confessions are over. I am making amends. I am cozying up with this book, and seriously considering re-reading the whole Little House series. I bought a boxed set for Gwynn for her 10th birthday. I hope she loves them as much as I did. It is good and comforting to think of how much I still love Laura. And now, I am satisfied as I have the dog, and my daughter can wear the braids.