Wow, it's been a long time since I've written on here; almost two years! Where does the time go? I'm going to try my best to keep my blog updated. I really enjoy writing and would like to keep an account of the things, both big and small, that happen in my life. When I'm gone, I'd like to be remembered; not necessarily by millions of people, but I want my great-great-great-great-great-and-so-on-grandchildren to know who I was and what my life was like. My husband, Bradley, has a family tree (more like family orchard) book with hundreds of names and dates recorded in it. I don't think people realize that each of those names was a human being; a life lived, a story told. But the story was lost in the telling. No one wrote it down and it became forgotten. What I wouldn't give to hear those stories. Each and every one of us has a purpose on this Earth. Each life is filled with love and loss, sadness and hope, downfalls and triumphs. Each story is important just as each life is important. I intend to share my story with the world with the hope of it being read for generations to come.

Here's some pictures of my first doll! She's a cute kitty whose name has not been decided yet! I still have to make her an apron but couldn't resist sharing her! Thanks to Frannie from Cabin Creek Farm for providing me with the inspiration to start making dolls and the instructions from her Cabin Fever Doll Class posts on Mary Jane's Farmgirl Connection!

Here are some pictures of my kitties! I had to leave them behind when I moved out and I miss them! Luckily, I'm only an hour or so away, so I can still visit! The first picture is of Bear Bear. He's 13 or 14 years old; I can never remember exactly! We've had him since kitten-hood. The next one is Chester. He's the biggest of his four siblings shown below. Next one down is Harry, followed by sisters Peanut, Baby, and Taylor. They're all 6 years old. Their mom was a beautiful black cat named Mya. She was our neighbor's cat but when they failed to care for her, we took her in. Actually, it was more like she invited herself in! Not long after, we found out she was pregnant. And the rest is history! Sadly, Mya passed away 5 years ago from an
unknown illness. Shortly after Mya's passing, we brought home Biscotti from the local animal shelter we volunteered at. The Blond Bombshell, as my dad calls him, cried in his cage until he was hoarse. We couldn't resist! At about the same time, I convinced my mom to bring home Sarah. She had a bad eye injury, probably as a result of an animal attack, and would have to have surgery. Now she's our little one-eyed princess, the kitchen being her castle. The latest addition to our feline family is Patches. She was being used as a mouser in a barn where my uncle rented space. She was a sweet little kitten, definitely not cut out for mousing, and went as far as hitching a ride home with her previous owner. After much begging and pleading, Patches came home with us. She lives in my old basement room because the other cats don't get along with her. She was my roommate for a few years and it was difficult leaving her! But I still get to have patch-ama parties with her! I can't imagine life without kitties! I now have a whole new family of furry and feathered friends at my new home! I'll let you know about them a little later.

Shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. It was well over a week ago, yet I haven't recovered. Let me recount to you this tale of horror... 4:45...IN THE MORNING! The journey we prepared for all night began. My boyfriend and I were doing the unthinkable. We were standing in a line to shop at Target at 4:45 in the morning. It was cold. We hadn't slept the night before. Oh, and did I mention it was 4:45 in the morning? We had every intention of only waiting for 15 minutes. But we were terribly mistaken. Target didn't open at 5. No, it opened at 6! But the real horror didn't begin until the doors opened. Was the world coming to an end? Did Target start handing out vital organs to those who needed new ones? No, they simply had a great deal on these chairs you sit in to play video games. What I witnessed was like a pride of lions racing to get the last antelope on the planet. The way these people ran and grabbed and fought literally made my jaw drop! I immediately went into one of my "Look what's become of society; I've lost all faith in the human race" rants. Had people already forgotten what day it was 6 hours ago? Thanksgiving: a day to give thanks and show appreciation for all that we have in this life. Once Christmas rolls around, I'm sure the children of my fellow shoppers will be very pleased with their presents. But what matters more is the time spent with loved ones and the traditions carried out during the holiday season. When I look back on past Christmases, I realize the things I hold dearest in my heart are not material objects. I remember my favorite songs, watching the Micky Mouse Christmas Carol, driving around after Christmas Eve dinner to look at the lights, the smell of homemade cookies fresh from the oven, leaving some of those cookies for Santa, feeding the reindeer special food that was really oatmeal and glitter, sitting on the couch after dark just to admire the Christmas tree in all its glory, the annual Christmas Walk in town where I sang Christmas carols with my girl scout troop, eating bacon waffles for breakfast Christmas morning, having Christmas Day Monopoly tournaments, and most importantly, sharing these things with the people I cared about most in the world. Things are changing for me now. I'm not living with my family anymore, but these small and seemingly insignificant traditions will continue to live on in me. And now I have the love of my life and his family to share the holidays with. Even more wonderful traditions to experience and be a part of. I'm looking forward to the day we start our own family and begin new traditions, as well as celebrate those we've carried out in the past. Of course my children will get their dolls and trains and trucks and plenty of socks and underwear, all of which will get lost and fade and tatter and tear. But they will also receive the gifts of love and family and tradition and learning to give in a world that constantly takes; and these will be the gifts that will live forever.

Thanksgiving already? I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday I was roasting in the July sun. Now the only thing that will be roasting is turkey! I'm not a big fan of winter. The short gray days, the long dark nights, and the cold weather all make me want to make like a bear and hibernate! Unfortunately, hibernation isn't a possibility. There are jobs we must attend, chores we must do, families we must feed, Christmas presents to buy, cars we must shovel out of the driveway. No, hibernation would not be a good idea. But just because sleeping all winter isn't an option doesn't mean we shouldn't slow down and smell the hot chocolate. Maybe we were designed to hibernate, not in the way bears do, but in a different way. I think winter is a time for rest and reflection. It is a time to look back on the harvest and look forward to the sowing of new seeds next spring. There is still enough daylight to attend to our jobs and daily routines; but the long nights give us ample time to cuddle on the couch with a loved one, pop popcorn over a blazing fire, wrap up in a blanket and read a book, play board games with our video game addict children, and enjoy the feel of hot soup warming the body. Yes, winter can have its perks. Whether you enjoy them or not is up to you. I used to look at the lack of color in the landscape and think thoughts as dreary as the overcast sky. No sunshine? No green? No flowers? How terrible! But now I realize that those things don't die in the winter. No, they simply rest. And after they rest, they come back better than before. The trees have new growth, the flowers stretch their roots in all directions, the increasing daylight is appreciated by all. So don't dread the winter; embrace it, and you will bloom brighter than you ever imagined.

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! Let's see if I can keep it up for more than a few days! Let me introduce myself for those of you who might not know me. My name is Laura and I'm 21 years old. I live in Kankakee, IL with my boyfriend Bradley and his family. Before moving here, I spent most of my life in the once small town of Oswego, IL. I have two sisters, Amanda and Jessica. Amanda, 18, just went off to college a few months ago. She's studying music education. Jessica, 16, is the only one left at home, along with the nine cats, of course! If you hadn't guessed yet, I love cats! When I was younger, I wanted and pleaded and begged for a dog. But as the years went by and the number of cats in my house went up, I fell in love with my feline friends. There's just something about them I find irresistible! Maybe it's their independent spirits, yet love of companionship; their soft and furry faces; their gleaming glowing eyes; their easiness to take care of; their wildly distinct personalities; the fact that they were worshiped as gods in ancient Egyptian times. Whatever it is, I love them! But that doesn't stop me one bit from loving other animals! Other than the mosquito and other itchy bugs, I can't think of an animal I don't like! I'm in love with chickens and horses make my heart skip a beat! I can't wait until I can adventure out into the country with a menagerie of animals! Well, that's all for today! Check back later for more! P.S. The picutre is of my aunt Donna's cat Alice strolling around their courtyard in New Orleans.