Thanks, Rachel! V well done, as usual. Wilder is a unique part of upper midwest lore. As a child I eagerly checked out her books from our school library, comparing her stories with what I heard first hand from my ancient great Aunt about her days as a little German girl pioneer on the wild prairies of western Minnesota, with her "daddy" breaking the prairie sod, visits from hungry native Americans, and bitter winter winds without fuel.

My late wife and I read these stories to our children and grandchildren and visited several of the Wilder homesteads in MN, SD, and MO. My niece played Laura and her boyfriend played Almonzo in the annual pageant near De Smet, SD. Living close to the land is living close to the God who made us, in my opinion. Finding the Creator's footprint in the creation is a path toward meeting him as he comes incarnately among us in Word, water, and meal.