Ma & Pa Ingalls (and Miss Beadle)

Flashback: March 1991; my (then) fiance & I stood in front of the furniture store, peering in to the windows. We'd spotted the most beautiful furniture carved out of logs. It was a perfect fit for our country dreams. "One day we'll be Ma & Pa Ingalls," we said as we chuckled.

Fast forward to today (Saturday, September 15, 2012). After a year of living the pioneer life, just as rusticly as the Ingalls, I found myself pulling up to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home in Mansfield, Missouri for an annual town celebration. As we pulled up to the museum tears started welling in my eyes & emotion briefly overtook me. I had no clue I'd react like that. My mind flashed back to that moment my husband & I had joked about being Ma & Pa Ingalls ... and then I searched my memories and the trails we've drivenm searching for our dreams. It dawned on me a few years ago, that we'd actually followed the Ingalls trail as far as where we've lived. None of that was planned, by us any way. We have spent our entire marriage searching and pining for a simpler life; one that would bring our family closer to each other (if that were even possible), utilize the old (almost disappearing) skills such as Blacksmithing, farming without machinery and trading with neighbors. This life is not for everyone. Some times I've wondered if it was for me. I've always joked that I was Laura Ingalls, but out of recent frustrations decided I didn't want to be any longer. Well, today's visit to Laura's Mansfield, Missouri home rejuvenated that dream. I have spent my life wishing I was her ... so onward I go. Living the dream ... working harder and loving every minute of it.

We were at this celebration because a sweet friend of our family's was singing there. One of the songs she sang was "Home On The Range" ... and in the midst of it she paused and asked if the audience had ever considered the line, "Not a discouraging word was heard." She went on to state that now-a-days discouragement was almost all that was shared. That was one of the reasons my husband & I longed for simpler times. In simpler times, people helped each other, built each other up and loved thy neighbor.

I cried again as we entered Laura's home. Her kitchen, living room, bedroom ... every room was perfect and would work for us. The house truly is little but every inch was space wisely used! Because this home was later in Laura's life, it wasn't as rustic as the others before then were. I'd eventually like to visit every home she's ever lived in. I enjoy designing floor plans and would love to use a combination of each floorplan to build a dream home on our land.

Before our adventure ended, we were blessed to listen to a young man play Charles "Pa" Ingalls actual fiddle. As the strings poured out their beautiful sound tears slid down my cheeks. I closed my eyes and pictured Pa sitting in his chair and his daughters dancing wildly between him and the fire place. The more I pictured, the more that fiddle bow plucked at my heart strings. It's amazing feeling to reach a dream.

As we spend the next year or so fulfilling our dreams, I will hold on to today and use it as fuel ... as hope ... and as a reminder; nothing worth having ever comes easily ... but it is worth every ounce of blood, sweat & tears.
On a side note ... we met the woman who played Miss Beadle. My girls were so excited to get a picture with her!