A FRIGHTENING STORY FROM PIONEER GIRL BY LAURA INGALLS WILDER

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Yesterday I reviewed Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder and edited by Pamela Smith Hill.

Pioneer Girl was to be a story for adults, but no publisher picked it up. Later, it became the basis for the Little House series of children's books.

One of the stories told in Pioneer Girl that was too adult for the Little House books––although supposedly I'm an adult and it scares the crap out of me––is that of the Bender family.

You must keep in mind that not all of Wilder's recollections about her childhood can be traced as fact, but she remembered that as a little girl living with her family on the prairie in Kansas, Pa had to make the long trip to Independence more than once. On his way home from such a trip, he considered staying at the Benders. Kate Bender asked him to have supper there and spend the night. He felt it was better to hurry home.

Wilder writes: One night just about sundown a strange man came riding his horse up to the door on a run. Pa hurried out and they talked a few minutes. Then the man went away as fast as he had come, and Pa came into the house in a hurry. He would not wait for supper, but asked Ma to give him a bite to eat right away, saying he must go. Something horrible had happened at Benders.

It seems the Benders welcomed travelers loaded down with goods to eat with them and stay the night. The travelers sat with their backs to a curtain. The "guests" were attacked from behind the curtain, killed, and buried. Of course, the Benders kept their possessions.

Then Pa said, "They found a little girl, no bigger than Laura. They'd thrown her in on top of her father and mother and tramped the ground down on them, while the little girl was still alive."

It was easy for the Benders to carry on their grisly business because settlers who came to Kansas were out of the reach of their families. It was difficult to so much as send a letter.

Wilder also wrote that when she was older, she spoke to Pa about the Benders because he had been one of the vigilantes who had ridden after them. Pa assured her that the Benders would never be found.

As frightening as this story is, according to the annotations, it's not likely that Charles Ingalls would have stopped at the Benders. It wasn't close enough to the route he took. Wilder stated in a Book Fair speech that her family stopped at the Benders for water, and she saw Kate Bender in the doorway. But the Benders did not yet live in Indian Territory when the Ingalls family arrived.

Moreover, Wilder was two years old when they arrived in Kansas and four when they left. The terrifying stories of the Benders may have confused her, or perhaps she wanted to associate her family with a notorious name in order to excite interest in her work.

At any rate, the Benders existed; they had an inn and grocery store; and eight to eleven bodies, including a young girl, were found buried in the orchard behind the Benders' cabin––although some newspaper accounts placed the number of bodies higher.

The name Bender becomes a very frightening one because of the realistic way in which Wilder tells the story.

Kate Bender
The Bender family consisted of an older couple and
a younger one, who were thought to be brother and sister
but might have been married.

For another account of the Bloody Benders, see https://goo.gl/A9CPv2.

I don't know how much of this information is correct, but it will give you a post-Halloween fright. Pretty obvious why the story didn't make it into the Little House books.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

BOOK NOOK: PIONEER GIRL: THE ANNOTATED AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Whether you're a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books or interested in the evolution of a manuscript into a series of autobiographical novels, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a beautifully conceived and carefully researched book.

As the book states, "The Pioneer Girl Project is a research and publishing program of the South Dakota State Historical Society, working since 2010 to create a comprehensive edition of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Pioneer Girl." The editor of the book is Pamela Smith Hill, but it involves the contributions of an untold number of people.

When I was growing up, my favorite books were those in the Little House series. I read Laura Ingalls Wilder's books over and over. I admired Laura's strength and sympathized with her fears. I cried when Jack the brindle bulldog died. I was shocked when Laura's sister Mary became ill and lost her sight. I sighed with joy when she became engaged to Almanzo Wilder and allowed him to kiss her goodnight. Every episode, every moment in the books, was a treasure to me.

When I was twenty-two years old, I visited the home the Wilders built in Mansfield, Missouri. I'm not sure when I learned that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote a manuscript titled Pioneer Girl. It was intended for adults, and in spite of a great deal of work on it by Wilder and her daughter––Rose Wilder Lane, who was already a successful author––Pioneer Girl was never accepted for publication.

However, Pioneer Girl led Wilder to write her famous series of children's books, and perhaps it was twenty years ago when I learned that I could purchase a copy of Pioneer Girl from The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, which houses a collection of Rose Wilder Lane's papers. I had to have that manuscript.

When it arrived in the mail, I read it with fascination. It included so much information that Laura Ingalls Wilder [LIW] did not use in her books because the stories were not appropriate for young readers or because facts were eliminated to further promote the books' overarching theme of independence.

Now we have this annotated version of the autobiography. It is a work of art––a large hardcover book with a beautiful illustration on the cover, illustrations from the Little House books throughout, and best of all, the scholarly annotations that illuminate the choices LIW made when she wrote her books.

One of the most interesting examples to me is that the Ingalls family did not live alone during The Long Winter. A young couple and their baby lived with the family. The man of this family was quite unpleasant. Rose Wilder Lane argued that they should be included in the book to provide a greater variety of characters. LIW decided they would be eliminated because it was important for the family to face the elements alone, even though they moved from their claim shanty into town. Living in town served little purpose. It was the Ingalls family against the blizzards, the howling winds, and the need for food.

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography earns The Janie Junebug Seal of Greatest and Highest and Amazingest Approval.

I must warn you that the annotations are in sidebars and they are numerous. It took me many hours to read this book, but they were hours filled with delight.

Happy reading!


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

P.S. Tomorrow I'll tell you about a frightening incident from Pioneer Girl that was excluded from LIW's children's books.

A FORK IN THE ROAD

Please forgive me if it takes me a couple of days to visit your blogs and especially you Band-Aids who participate in the Battle of the Bands.

I have a problem to solve and it requires a lot of attention.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: DO YOU HAVE FAITH?

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

It's time for the November 1, 2016, Battle of the Bands.

Our host, Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy, provides us with this information about the bloghop:

The whole thing is really quite simple: You select two different versions of the same song (versions  you feel might give each other some competition in the voting) and you post them on the 1st and the 15th of each month. On the 7th and 21st of each month, you add your own personal vote to the mix, total up all the votes and announce the winner on your blog.

Beyond that, just try to have fun with it and let your readers/voters have fun with it.

All righty, then. Let's have fun!

Do you remember this guy?

Hot-cha-cha-cha
It's George Michael before he got into a
wee-wee bit of trouble.

Faith, from George Michael's debut album, was 1988's top selling single in the U.S. George Michael wrote the song, so he is our first contender: 

And now for something completely different, it's Limp Bizkit (my son told me to use this version so if you don't like it please blame it on him):




Limp Bizkit's version of Faith, with heavier drumming and guitar playing, was popular in their live performances, so they decided to include it on their 1998 debut album because they like to "cover cheesy pop songs."

Now it's your turn. Please tell us in your comment if you prefer George Michael's or Limp Bizkit's Faith, and why. I'll return on November 7 to add up the votes and announce the winner.

Please visit Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy to get a complete list of the participants in this bloghop so you can visit everyone. Perhaps you'll even decide to join us.

Now, do you know who this guy is?

Righty-roo, it's George!
He's younger than I am, but I'm
quite certain I look better.
He needs to get my Sam Sam to do
something to his hair.

Infinities of love and joy,

Janie Junebug

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: HEEEEEEEERE'S FRANKLIN

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Although Flashback Friday no longer has a host, I intend to flashback when I'm in the mood to do so, whether it's the last Friday of the month or every other day. After all, my current blog is the culmination of every post I've written in the past.

Can you believe it's been six years since Franklin came to live with me? He has become an indispensable part of our lives.

This post is the first one I wrote about him. I published it on October 28, 2010. It's had sixteen page views and two comments.



Here’s the story

Of a dog named Franklin

Who was living with some very lovely folks

But Franklin was too much for these older people

And he felt all alone.

Then on Sunday Franklin’s daddy met a doggy mommy

And Mommy knew that it was much more than a hunch

That Franklin should join her doggy family

And that’s the way we all became The Franklin Bunch!

The Franklin Bunch

The Franklin Bunch

That’s the way we became The Franklin Bunch!

And now together again for the first time on any blog, we present the stars of 

The Doggy Show

Our Cast

Lola (now Janie Junebug) as 

Mama

Scout as 

Scout

Harper Lee as

Harper

And Introducing

                           FRANKLIN

Back Story: Someone breaks into a woman's home. She has seen two stray dogs hanging out in a field, so she takes them home. She keeps one to be her watch dog and gives the other, a border collie mix, to her parents. They name him Franklin Jr. But Franklin Jr., who is only two years old, proves too much for this older couple to handle. Franklin Jr.'s dad announces at church that he's looking for a home for the dog. Mama raises her hand and says, "I"ve always wanted a border collie." And here's where our story begins.

Pilot Episode: Mama and her Favorite Young Man arrive at the home of Franklin Jr.'s parents. They go to the backyard to meet Franklin, who is so frightened that he flies over the fence. His dad has to go after him and bring him home, where Mama approaches him slowly and cautiously. Soon she and Franklin are acquainted, and he agrees to go home with her. F.Y.M., who serves as the show's Dog Wrangler, gets a nervous Franklin into the car, drives him to Mama's house, and carries him to the backyard. Franklin takes off faster than a speeding bullet to find a place where he can leap the tall fence in a single bound, but returns quickly when he discovers that Mama's entire fence is seven feet tall. Franklin is afraid to go up the steps to the deck, so Mama lets Scout and Harper outside. They encourage Franklin to join them on the deck and then in the house.

That evening, Franklin and Harper become fast friends as they run in and out of the house together. Soon, a Bromance develops between them.

Scout, who is a little jealous but accepting of the new guy in town, lets loose with an occasional growl (Scout secretly believes he is a grizzly bear cub).

Franklin is afraid of Mama. He starts every time she moves. Mama knows that Franklin had a hard life as a stray, so she speaks to him in a soft voice and moves slowly. She tells him how much she admires his rather large paws.

Before long, Franklin begins to relax. By the end of the evening, he has reciprocated by licking Mama's toes. Franklin goes to bed in his own comfortable crate on a soft bed with a bowl of kibble and a bowl of water. His new life has begun.

Good night, Franklin. 

A GIVEAWAY THAT WILL MAKE A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

The Chubby Chatterbox would like to have three hundred followers, but he's stuck at two hundred sixty-eight. To that end, he's having a giveaway.

Follow The Chubby Chatterbox, or if you already follow him, then leave a comment on his blog to have a chance to win a beautiful painting. It's The Chubby Chatterbox's (Stephen Hayes') own work, an oil painting based on a work by Phillip Wilson Steer.

Stephen, I hope you don't mind that I lifted this image from your blog. I think seeing its beauty will help you get more followers.

Isn't it gorgeous? The giveaway ends on December 3, so the winner can have it in time for Christmas. You can give it to someone you love, or keep it for yourself.

I would not mind having this beauty and her kitty hanging on my wall.

Even if you don't win the painting, you'll love following The Chubby Chatterbox. He's an excellent writer whose stories about his life and his travels have enthralled me for quite some time now.

Please tell Stephen that Janie Junebug sent you his way.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

THALIDOMIDE BABIES: A SAD FOCUS ON CALL THE MIDWIFE

Warning: This post includes information about babies born with severe defects because of thalidomide. I've also included photos of thalidomide victims. If this information and/or the photographs will upset you, then I encourage you not to read my blog today.





Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

During the most recent season of Call the Midwife (Season Five), the healthcare workers of Poplar face a series of traumatic events during 1961. Some babies are born with "flippers" instead of limbs, and some have even more serious birth defects.

Sister Julienne is appalled when she's sent to work in a hospital for a short time. A doctor delivers a baby only to exclaim in disgust that it's another "monster." In spite of Sister Julienne's attempts to save the child, he––or she, the genitalia does not provide a clear indication of gender––is placed naked, next to an open window during cold weather. Sister Julienne is informed that it would be for the best if the infant simply slipped away. The parents are then told that their child died.

Dr. Turner finds a link between the birth defects and the thalidomide given to pregnant women to ease their morning sickness.

I had heard of "thalidomide babies" before, so I set out to do some research. A documentary on Netflix Streaming provided me with the information I needed. It's called Attacking The Devil: Harold Evans and The Last Nazi War Crime (2014, Available on DVD, and Available Online at https://goo.gl/A9NioB).

I don't want to go into all the details I learned from the documentary, especially the association with Nazis, because you might want to watch it yourself. It's very well made. But here are a few facts about "thalidomide babies":

• By 1960, sales of thalidomide were on par with aspirin in some European countries. 
• The babies' "flippers" were often amputated so the children could be fitted with prosthetic devices.
• About ten thousand cases of deformities were reported around the world. Of these, approximately fifty percent of the children survived.
• The FDA refused to grant approval for the drug, but it was distributed for testing and caused deformities in some babies in the U.S.
• Most countries banned thalidomide by 1962.
• Survivors have brought lawsuits against the company that created and marketed the drug. The cost of raising a disabled child is substantial, as is the cost of living as a disabled adult.

Thalidomide: The Fifty Year Fight tells us that "the severity and location of the deformities depended on how many days into the pregnancy the mother was; thalidomide taken on the 20th day of pregnancy caused central brain damage, day 21 would damage the eyes, day 22 the ears and face, day 24 the arms, and leg damage would occur if taken up to day 28. Thalidomide did not damage the fetus if taken after 42 days gestation."

The sad story of thalidomide makes for worthwhile learning. Perhaps it will lead us to question the side effects of the medications we receive, and to recognize that pharmaceutical companies don't exist to serve us.  

They are companies that seek to make billions of dollars.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

Update: I apologize for using photos of thalidomide survivors without permission. I did a Google images search of "thalidomide" and found photos that didn't appear to be copyrighted or have any attribution. I should have done more research. A thalidomide survivor tweeted me that I should not have used the photos. I appreciate her kindness for approaching me without anger.