Meandering Moments by Elsi

            Driving through South Dakota, I could see the land was in flood, with ponds that clearly weren’t usually ponds (clue: tree tops in them). The grass on the edges looked like commas, bent against the wind.

            I used my GPS to find the Surveyors’ House Laura Ingalls Wilder site, passing by the Homestead, which I visited a few years ago. Parked in a large, empty lot and went in. Tour in half an hour; would I like to see the museum while I waited? You bet!

            The surveyors’ house was the largest building Laura had ever seen—four rooms and a second floor. Our tour group, four families and me, jammed into the largest room while our guide, bright and personable, talked about the history of the Ingalls family. Then she pointed out that sixteen men had slept on the floor of the room about 12 of us were standing in … amazing! After we’d looked around a bit, we saw a replica of the Brewster school, Laura’s first.  This was followed by Miss Wilder’s school, which was the first school in De Smet, and which was later used as a home. The LIW Society is in the process of restoring the building.

            I look at the tiny school buildings and think of my first real classroom, in a temporary building at Parmalee in Indian Hills, CO. Lots larger than these, of course, but similarly primitive in its own way, right down to the cracks in the floor you could sweep the dust through! How Laura did it, at 15 … with minimal resources and books … I’m impressed!

            We then piled into our own vehicles and drove to Pa’s house in town, about three blocks away. I had to park around the corner, but the group was waiting; another tour was still in the house. So we were allowed to go up the added-on back stairs to see the second floor: three bedrooms, one of Grace’s stuff, one of Carrie’s, and one of Rose’s. As I struggled back down the stairs, a child on the ground asked, “What are we waiting for?” And another child said, “For that old lady to get down the stairs.” Yes, dear, and this old lady is grateful for your patience—what fun I was having!

            Inside the house—this is where they lived in the Long Winter—we saw (for the first time) things I’d not seen before, including a restoration of the first photo Carrie took as a newspaper reporter (Ma in the living room we were standing in).

            I would never have made it as a pioneer! But it’s fascinating to see what they accomplished. After Pa died, Ma and Mary rented out half the house in order to make a living … imagine it! After Ma died, Mary continued doing that! And she was blind!

            Way too many exclamation points here, but it is exciting.

            Then I drove to Mitchell, got settled, showered, and called Clarence and Lauretta. Fun to see them again; we were together at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in May. Clarence and I talked writing, and we all talked life; it was a good evening.