Idlewild Cottage

I hope you had a lovely Easter and that this season’s signs of life continue to bring you joy, beauty, and encouragement. One of those signs of life is the marked increase in the bird population! Today’s episode is what I call a Wee Cuppa - a bit shorter than usual, but just as cozy . . . and today, somewhat fluffy, too. For today, we will find joy in the soft, downy feathers of the ducks and geese that make their presence known in farmyard, wayside pond, and other favorite literary haunts.

Works Shared:

"Anne's House of Dreams" by L.M. Montgomery

"The Diary of a Goose Girl" by Kate Douglas Wiggin

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame

"The Tale of Tom Kitten" by Beatrix Potter

"Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey

"The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck" by Beatrix Potter

"The Story About Ping" by Marjorie Flack

"Petunia" by Roger Duvoison

"Tasha Tudor's Mother Goose"

"Angus and the Ducks" by Marjorie Flack

"Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm" by Alice and Martin Provensen

Psalm 104:10-12

Spring carries with it numerous possibilities: rows on the river, picnics in shady glens, seeds tucked into fertile soil. As I explore favorite books, I see that spring also welcomes another form of adventure: as the earth warms and muddy paths gradually dry, our friends eagerly take to the open road. Now, Walt Whitman’s lines  invite the traveler to take to "the open road" on foot, but today we’ll travel "the long brown path" by wagon, horse and carriage - and finally, the automobile.

"Song of the Open Road" poem by Walt Whitman

"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Little House on the Prairie" television series, Season 6, Episode 25

"Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy Maud Montgomery

"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" by Kate Douglas Wiggint

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame

"The Selected Journals of Lucy Maud Montgomery" Vol. 2

"Betsy in Spite of Herself" by Maud Hart Lovelace

"Summer Magic" (1963 film)

"By the Light of the Silvery Moon" (1953 film)

"Cheaper by the Dozen" (1950 film)

Irish Blessing

Welcome back to Idlewild Cottage, where the daffodils are nodding, the earth is warming, and the winds are as fitful and fickle as ever! It is a joy to be with you, my friends, as we step into this new season. Early spring is a time in which the stage is set for many adventures and activities, from planning a garden to simply enjoying more time outdoors. Throughout our time together today, we’ll enjoy literature, art, and a few movie scenes where spring is stepping into the spotlight, setting the stage for all sorts of possibilities.

Works Shared:

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame

"Heidi" by Johanna Spyri

"Mary Poppins" (1964 movie)

"Anne of Green Gables" (1985 movie)

"Anne of Ingleside" by Lucy Maud Montgomery

"The Lilac Fairy" art by Cicely Mary Barker https://flowerfairies.com/the-lilac-fairy/

"Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

"The Yearling" by Marjorie Rawlings

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954 movie)

"Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944 movie)

Many of our favorite movies and stories end happily ever after with expected matches: we expect Anne to marry Gilbert, and we expect Laura to marry Almanzo. But what about the love that blossoms unexpectedly? In today’s episode, we’ll wrap up a month of love - and our winter season as well - with the unlikely romances found among several literary and cinematic couples.

Works Shared: 

"Fiddler on the Roof" (1971 movie)

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

"My Fair Lady" (1964 movie)

"Little House on the Prairie" (Season Six, episodes 23-24)

"Anne of the Island" by L.M. Montgomery

"Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen

"The Sound of Music" (1965 movie)

"The Music Man" (1962 movie)

"The Philadelphia Story" (1940 movie)

"Sabrina" (1954 and 1995 movies)

Psalm 100

Valentine’s Day may be behind us, but here at Idlewild Cottage we’ll keep love at the center of our hearts for a couple more episodes, wrapping up our series next week. So far we’ve explored the love between sisters and the love shared among kindred spirits. This week we’ll shift our attention to next of kin. It’s not an uncommon theme in literature for a child to be brought up by an aunt, uncle, or grandparent. Though the relationships may begin on rocky ground, they ultimately end in newfound love and gratitude.

Works Shared:

"Pollyanna" by Eleanor Porter

"Pollyanna" on Librivox: https://librivox.org/pollyanna-by-eleanor-h-porter-2/

"Summer Magic" (1963 movie)

"Eight Cousins" by Louisa May Alcott

"Emily of New Moon" by L.M. Montgomery

"The Secret of Roan Inish" (1994 movie)

"Rowing With Grandpa" (painting by Frederick Morgan)

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte

"The Inheritance" by Louisa May Alcott (also a 1997 movie)

Psalm 121

Happy Valentine’s Day, kindred spirits! This month we are celebrating loving relationships, both in literature and in our favorite movies. Because Idlewild Cottage is a community for kindred spirits, I thought it would be most fitting to step into the world of Anne Shirley for Valentine’s Day. Anne is the most kindred of kindred spirits, and she takes her relationships seriously. We’ll take a look at four significant female friendships throughout Anne’s life and draw some connections from those to other favorite stories and movies.

Works Shared:

"Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery

"The Sound of Music" (1965 movie)

"Beauty and the Beast" (2017 movie)

"Betsy-Tacy" by Maud Hart Lovelace

"Anne of Avonlea" by L.M. Montgomery

"Christy" by Catherine Marshall

"Anne's House of Dreams" by L.M. Montgomery

"Miss Potter" (2006 movie)

As we step into a month that is traditionally set aside as a tribute to love, we’ll look at a variety of loving relationships, both in literature and on the silver screen. If you’re listening to this episode on the day of its airing - February 7th - then today is the birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder. And so, I thought it would be fitting this week to celebrate the love shared between sisters. For, as 19th century poet Christina Rossetti wrote, “there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather.”

Works Shared:

"Little Town on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

"The Parent Trap" (1961 Movie)

"Lisa and Lottie" by Erich Kastner

"Green Dolphin Street" by Elizabeth Goudge

"Louisa May Alcott: Dreamer and Worker" by Belle Moses

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

"Cranford" by Elizabeth Gaskell

"Lark Rise to Candleford" by Flora Thompson

"Meet Me in St. Louis" by Sally Benson

"The Sisters" painting by Ralph Peacock

Psalm 116

As we wend our way through the winter series at Idlewild Cottage, we’ll center our thoughts this week on the many indoor entertainments that kept evenings lively in an age when parlor games, artistic pursuits, and plays were all the rage. Children and adults alike called upon a creativity and ingenuity that just might inspire us to have an electricity free evening this winter, as well. 

Works shared in this episode:

"Sense and Sensibility" (1995 movie)

Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (magic lantern slide illustrations)

"Invincible Louisa" by Cornelia Meigs

"Jack and Jill" by Louisa May Alcott

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte

"Kit Kittredge" (2008 movie)

"Anne's House of Dreams" by L.M. Montgomery 

"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Heidi" by Johanna Spyri

I hope you are warm and cozy following last week’s episode, because it’s time to bundle up and head back out into the winter wonderland to enjoy a medley of merry scenes, from winter walks to snowy snacks! Here at Idlewild Cottage, January is always dreamily filled with just enough snow and ice to make the out of doors both fun and magical.

Works shared in this episode: 

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis 

"The Snowy Day," by Ezra Jack Keats 

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte 

Poem: "February Twilight" by Sara Teasdale 

"My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George 

The Journals of Lucy Maud Montgomery (Vol. 1) 

"Little Women" (1994 movie)

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott 

"Mother Carey's Chickens" by Kate Douglas Wiggin 

"Heaven to Betsy" by Maud Hart Lovelace 

"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Psalm 119 

For the past couple of episodes, we’ve soared and sailed, slipped and skated over snowy and icy landscapes. This week, we’ll take a few minutes to come in out of the cold and cozily tuck ourselves indoors. Our literary and cinematic friends will do the same. This episode is what I like to call a "wee cuppa." It will be a bit shorter than a full length episode, but will still carry the warmth and nostalgia that -- I hope -- is characteristic of this space.