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Melissa Gilbert turns 59 today on Monday May 8, 2023. Best known for playing Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, Gilbert’s life looks a lot different these days. She’s hung up her Hollywood heels for a pair of boots she can get dirty in the chicken coop. Her birthday this year fits in perfectly with her new life. “This is heaven,” she said of the day. 

Melissa Gilbert photographed outside.
Melissa Gilbert | Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Melissa Gilbert moved to the Catskills with husband Timothy Busfield in 2019

Gilbert and her husband Thirtysomething actor Timothy Busfield bought a 14-acre property with a rundown cottage in the Catskills in 2019. The couple was craving open space and an escape from city living. When they bought the home, it was moldy, bug-infested, and filled with musty furniture. But that didn’t scare off Gilbert and Busfield, who became DIY pros throughout the course of fixing up their new little slice of heaven. Today, they live there full-time, with their chickens, dog, and luscious garden. The Little House on the Prairie actor says she’s never been happier. 

Melissa Gilbert’s 59th birthday was spent with family 

Looking at the Instagram post Gilbert posted on her birthday, it seems the actor spent her special day with family. 

The photo shows Gilbert sitting down, hair up in a messy bun with glasses on, holding a sleeping toddler. 

“This is 59,” she wrote. “This is heaven. Thank you all for the wonderful heartfelt birthday wishes. This Nana sends you oceans of love. Xoxo #lastbirtdayinmy50s #lovinglife #proudgrandma #nana #nanapint.”

Gilbert has two biological children — Dakota Brinkman (who she had with her first husband Bo Brinkman) and Michael Boxleitner (who she had with her second husband Bruce Boxleitner). Between herself and Busfield, the couple have several grandchildren: Ruby, Ripley, Rosemary, and Eli. 

What the Little House on the Prairie alum is up to these days 

Melissa Gilbert sitting in her former home.
Melissa Gilbert | Nick Hagen for The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Besides living in her newly renovated cottage, tending to her garden and chickens, and enjoying being a grandmother, Gilbert is still keeping plenty busy with work. She has a lifestyle brand called Modern Prairie, which is “centered around modern, mature women and their needs, focusing on empowering them to regain their confidence through aging.” Gilbert and co share recipes, kitchen tools, clothing, and houseware with their audience. She also conducts interviews with “Modern Mavens, who have come from different backgrounds and life experiences.”  

“At Modern Prairie, we want to […] create a space where women can share their stories, ask questions and learn from each other,” reads the website. 

Additionally, Gilbert has a podcast (that is sponsored by Modern Prairie) called The Knitty Gritty podcast, which she hosts with Susie Shubert. The podcast explores “all the good things and the wisdom and freedom that come with growing older. Okay, they may touch on some of the bad… and quite possibly the down-right ugly…after all, knit happens. No matter what–aging gratefully, unapologetically, with laughter, and celebrating it together is what matters most.”

Gilbert is also close enough to New York for acting projects. Besides the theater she’s taken part in over the last few years, she’s acted in the TV movies: When We Last Spoke, Hometown Christmas, and Tenure.

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