7 Sept 2009

Preparing for the Dance Concert...

One must suffer to be beautiful...

That night, though it was the middle of the week, Ma bathed Mary and Laura all over, and she put up their hair. She divided their long hair into wisps, combed each wisp with a wet comb and wound it tightly on a bit of rag. There were knobby little bumps all over their heads, whichever way they turned on their pillows. In the morning their hair would be curly...

In the morning...Ma took the rags off their hair and combed it into long, round curls that hung down over their shoulders. She combed so fast that the snarls hurt dreadfully...

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods

9 comments:

  1. Since we read Little House in the Big Woods last winter (I think it was) I showed your pictures to my six year old. She was thrilled that it "worked". :)
    She sends her greetings to Jemimah, "the girl who lives with the kangaroos". :)

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  2. Beautiful curls! *Sigh* I wish my girl would let me do that. My mom used to put the pink foam curlers in my hair every Saturday night so that I would have lovely curls (rather than frizz!) for church on Sunday. Good memories.

    I loved seeing Dad's hands helping out in the photos! Very sweet.

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  3. They're my mum's hands, Sue - Daddy was photographer!!

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  4. I remember my mother doing rag curls for my first Communion. I really should do it to Amelia's hair sometime.

    We have little house in the big woods. I think I will read it when we have finished Trixie Belden.

    Can you believe I have never read it.

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  5. Beautiful curls! What type of dance does Jemimah do?
    I can't wait to read the book -it's on our list for when Rebekah is a little older.

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  6. Therese, the Liile House books are great to buddy read with 'emerging readers'. Do you think that would work with Amelia - either now or soon?

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  7. Beautiful curls Jemimah!
    We are reading through Little House in the Big Woods again too - this time for the little girls (ages 7 & 3). Ruby did a lovely "narration" for me the other day, I wish I had written it down!
    Oh - and I'm sure we used to have sheets like that too ;-)

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  8. Jemimah, you looked exquisite. I hope your recital went well.

    I remember my sister and I taking turns winding each other's hair up for rag curls. A lot to sit through but worth every bit of it.

    I also remember receiving the Laura Ingalls Wilder series as a girl. We read them over and over.

    Last year we started on them here when we were all sick in bed. We ended up not stopping until we'd read through them all (I didn't read "The First Four Years" to the boys but read through that one myself again).

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  9. Love that from the Little House books! Love Jemimah's curls!!

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