Trundlebed Tales

Ep 54 Laura in the Classroom with Nancy Westlake

Join host Sarah Uthoff when Nancy Westlake joins her to talk about Laura Ingalls Wilder in the classroom. Westlake is the one behind the highly used teacher/student pages on the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library's Laura Ingalls Wilder section of its website. She was also involved with the popular ICN sessions they did as classroom outreach. Call in and share your Laura in the classroom story.

Ep 20 Travel Times Amana

Join host Sarah S. Uthoff as she gives an insider's account at eating in the Amana Colonies of Iowa. Named the top tourist attraction in Iowa multiple times, the Amana Colonies offers a unique experience that anyone living in Iowa or just passing through ought to experience.

Ep 53 National Read Aloud Day Millbank

Back in 2012 we first celebrated National Read Aloud Day with a selection of poems from one-room school readers. This year we thought we'd do something a little special. There is only one novel mentioned by name in the "Little House" series, Millbank by popular 19th century author Mary J. Holmes. The mention is in On the Banks of Plum Creek when Laura tries to "prove" she can read by reciting word for word what she had heard Ma read aloud from Millbank so many times. Have you ever wondered wh...

Ep 52 Laura Ingalls Wilder's On-Air Birthday Party

Welcome to our fourth annual on air birthday celebration for author and pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder. We started out with informational episodes, one year sharing the history of Laura's birthday in particular and one about the history of 19th century birthdays, but last year we tried a different format. Laura fans were invited to call in and share either the story of how they became a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan or their favorite Laura Ingalls Wilder related experience. I was very pleased with t...

Ep 51 Looking Ahead Laura Ingalls Wilder in 2014

Another installment of previewing the year in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom. There are a lot of events and some new projects coming out in 2014. Get a heads up for books and get a heads up on Laura events you might want to attend.

Ep 50 Sarah Uthoff Interview

Tonight is a little change of pace. Guest host actor Jordan G. Kessler interviews Laura Ingalls Wilder, historic foodways, and one-room school authority Sarah S. Uthoff. Tonight we'll find a little bit more of behind the scenes of Trundlebed Tales.

Ep 49 Laura Ingalls Wilder Fandom 2013

Join us as we review what went on in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom this year. We mark four years of Trundlebed Tales podcasts with this episode. The first episode was broadcast Dec. 19, 2010 and also featured a round up of Laura fandom. Please look at it as an opportunity to check in with us. Think about calling in, commenting in the chatroom or sending me an e-mail with a comment before the broadcast.

December 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she shares the Christmas events at the various Laura Ingalls Wilder homesites.

Ep 48 Thanksgiving from Pilgrim to Pioneer

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks with the poster girl for Thanksgiving Kathleen Wall of Plimouth Plantation. We'll talk about the history of Thanksgiving what comes from the Pilgrims and what comes from the Victorians and Pioneers. We'll especially focus on the food of Thanksgiving, but we'll talk about lots of traditions.

Ep 47 Passenger Pigeon Project

Everyone has probably heard about the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon. Some of you have probably heard about more Martha the last known of her species who died in a zoo. But do you know the whole story about how this bird whose massive populations once darkened the sky was so totally exterminated that it came down to one? How did this bird effect American culture and what's going on with the Passenger Pigeon Project that marks the 100th Anniversary of Martha's passing and the end of a spec...

Ep 45 Laura Party at Burr Oak

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she shares about attending a Laura Ingalls Wilder kids party at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa.

November 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

November tends to get a little uptick in Laura Ingalls Wilder related activity but for the most part things are quieting down. I'm going to go over the homesites, Christmas shows, and the start of Christmas presents.

Ep 46 - Walnut Grove Hosting 40th Anniversary Event

Join host Sarah Uthoff and Walnut Grove museum director Amy Ankrum as they talk about the major event the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and the Walnut Grove Pageant are planning for next July in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV show. We'll talk about what's happening, who's coming, and what to expect. Ankrum will be coming off the five site meeting and will give us all the latest Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum news. Tune in with your questions.

Travel Times Couponing

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks with Mary Potter Kenyon author of Coupon Crazy: The Science, the Savings, and the Stories Behind America's Extreme Obsession. We'll talk about the history and culture behind couponing and how to get started getting the most from your coupons.

Pepin Laura Days Roving Report 3

Our host Sarah Uthoff spent a busy day in Pepin, Wisconsin for their Laura Days celebration. Check in with her and what's going on in Sept. 2013.

October 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

October is when Laura Ingalls Wilder season tends to start slowing down, but we're not completely done yet. Join host Sarah Uthoff as she catches you up on everything that's happening this month in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom from homesites to Christmas Shopping and everything in between.

Ep 44 - Mary Ingalls and the Iowa School for the Blind

Join host Sarah S. Uthoff as she talks to Iowa School for the Blind and Sight Saving School alumnus and historian Robert Spangler.  The ISBSSS is the second oldest school in the state of Iowa and sits on a beatuiful campus in Vinton, Iowa. The school's most famous alumnus is Laura Ingalls Wilder's sister, Mary Ingalls. Spangler is the force behind a very impressive website dedicated to the school's history and is part of the new Mary Ingalls Society. If you've ever wondered about the school's...

Pepin Laura Days Roving Report 2

Our host Sarah Uthoff spent a busy day in Pepin, Wisconsin for their Laura Days celebration. Check in with her and what's going on in Sept. 2013.

Pepin Laura Days Roving Report 1

Our host Sarah Uthoff has travelled thru Burr Oak, Iowa to Pepin, Wisconsin for their Laura Days celebration. Check in with her and what's going on in Sept. 2013.

September 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she catches you up on everything that's happening this month in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom from Laura Days to Wilder Days and everything in between.

Travel Times Guatemala

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks to Kirkwood Community College President Mick Starcevich about the service learning trip he took to Guatemala with Kirkwood students. This service learning trip gave something to both sides the Kirkwood students and staff who traveled there and the people they helped build a new home.

Travel Times Historic Baseball

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she interviews Betsy Urven, manager of a historic baseball team. Historic baseball is where modern teams play by 19th century rules and it's a growing movement. Whether you're just interested in watching a game or you want to learn how to play yourself, take a listen and find out about this new old sport.

Ep 43 All's Fair

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks about the history of agricultural fairs and how those traditions continue today.

August 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

August has been an increasingly busy Laura Ingalls Wilder events. Catch up with the activities here at Trundlebed Tales and around the country. Events range from De Smet SD to Mansfield MO and beyond.

Travel Times Archeology Dig

Join host Sarah Uthoff and Lynn M. Alex, recently retired Director of Education and Outreach for the State Archeologist of Iowa as she shares with us what happens on an archeological dig and how you can be involved. Alex has conducted research in the Midwest and Plains for 35 years. Her second book entitled Iowa's Archaeological Past, was published by the University of Iowa Press, 2000. Her particular interests include the late prehistoric cultures of the Plains and Midwest, archaeological ma...

July 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

July, as always one of the biggest months for Laura Ingalls Wilder events. Catch up with the activities here at Trundlebed Tales and around the country. Events range from Malone NY to De Smet SD to Mansfield MO and beyond.

Ep 42 - Projects Update

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she catches everyone up on several of the research projects she's been working on about Laura Ingalls Wilder and One-Room Schools.

June 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Update

A round up of what's going on this month in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom.

Travel Times Conferences

Have you ever attended a conference? How about one outside your professional focus? Attending conferences can be a lot of fun and interest. Learn conference jargon, what to look for, what it’s going to cost, and what attending a different conference can mean for you.

May 2013 Wilder Update

A round up of what's going on this month in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom.

April 2013 Update

A round up of what's going on in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom.

Episode 41 - Vinnie Ream Pioneer Artist - Take 2

Join host Sarah Uthoff when she talks with Paul Juhl who wrote the book on Vinnie Ream. Ream was the first woman and the youngest artist to ever receive a commission from the United States Government for a statue (the one of Lincoln that still stands in the Capitol rotunda today) and those were only the beginning of the firsts in her career. She married into a long time Iowa City family and spent time her the family home that is still standing in Iowa City. She strengthened her ties by creati...

Ep 41 Vinnie Ream Pioneer Artist

Join host Sarah Uthoff when she talks with Paul Juhl who wrote the book on Vinnie Ream. Ream was the first woman and the youngest artist to ever receive a commission from the United States Government for a statue (the one of Lincoln that still stands in the Capitol rotunda today) and those were only the beginning of the firsts in her career. She married into a long time Iowa City family and spent time her the family home that is still standing in Iowa City. She strengthened her ties by creati...

Travel Times Disney

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks with Richard M. Simms one of the biggest Walt Disney World fans on the planet as he gives the inside story on how to have the most fantastic Disney World vaction. From running a marathon to attending a food festival, travelling with adults or with a family to having a special Twitter account just to share his Disney adventures Richard's done it all so listen in for the full scoop.

Travel Times Project Aware

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks with Seth Zimmerman about Project A.W.A.R.E.. A statewide program in Iowa where volunteers devote time to cleaning up Iowa's waterways. This will be the 11th year of the project and Zimmerman has been involved for most of them. Find out about how to give back while you're enjoying some of Iowa's waterways on this episode of Travel Times. http://www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/ProjectAWARE.aspx

Ep 40 Laura Ingalls Wilder's On-Air Birthday Party

Welcome to our third annual on air birthday celebration for author and pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder. Last year we talked about the history of celebrating birthdays, this year we want to talk about how Laura Ingalls Wilder effected our lives and our favorite Laura related memories and experiences.

Ep 40 One-Room School Equipment

What was it really like to attend a one-room school? Join host Sarah S. Uthoff and guest Pam Stover as they talk about the equipment you could expect to find in one-room school. What did they have art and music equipment? How did they get a drink of water? Was there really a dunce cap? And the question Laura Ingalls Wilder never answers where did they go to the bathroom? All that and more on the next episode of Trundlebed Tales.

Ep 39 Laura Ingalls Wilder Fandom 2012

Join us as we review what went on in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom this year. We mark two years of Trundlebed Tales podcasts with this episode. Please look at it as an opportunity to check in with us. Think about calling in, commenting in the chatroom or sending me an e-mail with a comment before the broadcast.

December 2012 Update

Listen as host Sarah Uthoff gives a round up of Laura Ingalls Wilder events this month. Christmas events and plays aplenty are going on and I hope that you can enjoy them.

Ep 37 L.M. Montgomery and the Bala Museum

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks with Linda and Jack Hutton about how they came to start the Bala Museum. We'll talk about the connection that L.M. Montgomery has to the area which inspired her adult novel "The Blue Castle", Linda's L.M. collection and the museum's connection to the Sullivan Producation "Anne of Green Gables" movie. Linda and Jack have done incredible things to bring the 1919 "Anne of Green Gables" movie once completely lost back to life and we'll talk about that project a...

Ep 38 Thanksgiving History

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she talks with food historian Sandra Oliver about her book on the history of Thanksgiving, Giving Thanks, and on the history of Thanksgiving.

November 2012 Update

Check in with host Sarah S. Uthoff for what's going on it Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom this month.

Ep 36 Dr. George Tann

Join host Sarah Uthoff and Susan Thurlow as they talk about Dr. George Tann. Dr. Tann was a real life doctor who saved the Ingalls Family when they were sick with malaria in Kansas, Indian Territory. Laura Ingalls Wilder describes the incident in "Little House on the Prairie." However, there is much more to Dr. Tann's life than that. Thurlow has done extensive research and will share her results.

October 2012 Update

What's going on in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom during October 2012. Including reports on Independence KS and Pepin WI in addition to season closing dates for all the homesites.

Ep 35 Quilts and Laura Ingalls Wilder

Join host Sarah S. Uthoff and quilt historian Linda Halpin as they talk quilts. We'll explore trends in quilts during Laura Ingalls Wilder's lifetime and how quilts changed over time. We'll talk about how quilts were sewn and how they were used. Halpin is the author of "Quilting With Laura."

September 2012 Update

Join host Sarah Uthoff as she catches everyone up on everything that going on in Laura Ingalls Wilder fandom this month, includling events at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, Pepin Wisconin's Laura Days, Mansfield Missouri's Wilder days and the Laura's Memories Pageant.

Walnut Grove Roving Report 2012

Host Sarah S. Uthoff will give an update of her trip to Walnut Grove this summer. She'll cover the changes at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant. Be sure to keep up with the Ingalls in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

August 2012 Update

LauraPalooza 2012 Roving Report

This is the roving report that I didn't get to make from LauraPalooza, the national conference of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association. I'll take you through the conference and what it was like for me to attend. I hope it will make you feel like you have a front room seat.

July 2012 Update

Come check in what's going on with Laura Ingalls fandom this July.