The Ingalls Album is now online.... and here's the Diary Journaling!

Well-- it is finally finished! I know you have been waiting patiently!! At least it didn't take as long as a Harry Potter release!... and now, without further ado...I present-

The Ingalls Family Album...

otherwise known as: "Laura's Travels"... from Little Houses to the World Tour
or...
"The Ingalls Girls Search for Pa"...

Thanks to: Nancy & Derral; Caroline; Simone; Mary, Cameron and Cole; Doralisa and Phil; Stephen & Christopher; Richard, Cindy & Mae; and many others!!

See the album here:
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/arkyangel/Ingalls/

Read the journaling here:

July 21, 2004
Dear Diary,
We began our search for Pa near where we last saw him. We know he likes peaches so we went to Amity. The peaches were great, and these nice women, Cindy, Sally and Nancy offered us a Coke (and a smile) and the matriarch of the family, a very sweet lady named Mae, even made us a peach cobbler. They were quite entertaining, and would start fits of giggling for no real reason. Reminds me a lot of the happy times spent listening to Ma and the aunts. They told us that they had seen Pa, and all they knew was that he was headed for Texas. So we leave again in the morning. Ma found us a nice little red convertible car- it's got plenty of horse power- I'm sure Pa would appreciate that!

August 8, 2004
Dear Diary-
We’ve arrived at a “Little Town on the Prairie”, Abilene, Texas. No hot leads for Pa yet, but we’ve stumbled on to quite a few adventures. We got stuck in a cactus patch, which I was not too happy about. Ma and Mary didn’t seem to mind so much, they pretty much smile about every pickle they get into. We did get a horse ride, stopped at Senior Day at the Fair and Rodeo, met a nice man named Derral; flirted with a cowboy or two and ate some good BBQ and a deep fried Snickers bar. At least these West Texas folks know how to eat. The scenery around here reminds me somewhat of being “By the Shores of Silver Lake” what with all the railroads and all. Wish Pa could have been with us- he would like West Texas.

August 23, 2004
Dear Diary-
We headed to south Texas to look for Pa, and somehow ended up in the Mexican Caribbean- that’s Ma’s navigation for you. But while we’re here we searched high and low for Pa anyway- he could have made the same mistake traveling. We didn’t find him floating in the sea, but we did find one nice conch shell for a souvenir. You can even hear the ocean when you hold it up to your ear! I have to say that I could get used to this beach resort life. Maybe once we find Pa, he will come back and enjoy this on vacation- buenos noches.

September 1, 2004
Dear Diary-
We were headed back for Texas, but veered off course again. Ma and Mary should let me read the map. I told them to take a right at Albuquerque, but they didn’t listen. So, we ended up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. While there, we visited the Indian market at the Governor’s Palace and found some incredible deals on turquoise jewelry. You know Mae- she just goes bananas over the stuff- kinda reminded me of the excitement of our Saturday market days.

We ended up spending the night at the Baca B&B- a lovely home at the base of the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. Our hostess, Carolyn, her husband Fernando and children, Gabriel and Daniella, served us melt-in-your-mouth enchiladas with green chilies and we all enjoyed margaritas by the pool. You can literally see forever up here- Pa is missing a great view. Looking west, it’s almost like the view from our “Little House on the Prairie”.

September 27, 2004
Dear Diary-
Well we’ve not made it back to Texas yet. Ma and Mary had a hunch that Pa may have tried to go back north to the Great Plains. So we set out and ended up back in familiar country-Wisconsin- that’s a super long drive! We are staying in the Hauser House; a boarding house run by a nice scrapbooking lady and her family. Mr and Mrs Dave (Mary) are very nice hosts. Fortunately, we’ were well fed as this is cheese and bratwurst country- there are 3 cheese companies in Sheboyhan County- Borden, Sargento and Sartori, as well as Johnsonville Sausage. We met Elsie''s cousin and then the Hauser boys, Cameron and Cole, took us to the lighthouse on Lake Michigan to look for Pa to get a better look. It’s lovely here, a little nippy- but, not as cold as "The Long Winter" and still no sign of Pa. Next, we’re going to head west to find him.

"How easy and delightful life might be if...when we had attained the position we wished, we might rest on our oars and watch the ripples on the stream of life."
--Laura Ingalls Wilder

October 10, 2004
Dear Diary,
Well we were headed out west, but with all the hassles at the airport, somehow we found ourselves in merry old England. The big expanse of water we flew over was so much bigger than a view from "On the Banks of Plum Creek"- at first I thot it was a river- then realized it was just a big pond. A very nice British expatriate named Simone is serving as our travel guide. So we’'re staying for a few days to enjoy the countryside here and the palace gaurds look like so many little toy soldiers! Stonehenge is nearby to the village we’re staying in. We’ll check it out before going stateside again. Pa used to call me "Half-Pint" when I was younger-- over here all the pints in the pubs are full-pints and kept at room temperature.

November 8, 2004
After another flight delay- Ma got us some extra frequent flyer miles and we are finally back in the U.S.... and, on the west coast! We’'ve arrived in Portland Oregon, and Pa'’s not here either. Another scrapbooking lady- Doralisa Palomares, has generously offered to look for him. We'’ve searched the market, and boy do they have some funky looking cows here- not at all like in Texas or Wisconsin. I don’t think I’ll try the BBQ or the cheese here, but you know Ma and Mary are still saying that I need to lighten up. We even checked the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Living Monument - Pa feels really strongly about patriotism. Doralisa and her friend, Phil, drove us down to Stockton CA and back just to make sure that he Pa hadn't gone searching for gold in them thar hills. We drove behind the snowplows right thru the Pass and saw Mount Shasta. The camera began to have some "issues" so all our lovely pictures are like Mae's fond memories of the day at the World Fair-- well framed and probably the best she ever took... only to discover that there was no film in the camera. :(


Dec 10- We are headed back home to Arkansas, just hoping and praying that maybe Pa will be home by Christmas. My fondest dream is to find him playing some of our favorite tunes on his fiddle. Ma thinks I need to compile all my journal notes from my Big Chief pads into books and tell the story of "These Happy Golden Years". I may just have to do that- life hasn't all ways been a bed of roses--, it's like I've always said...

"...but, at long last, I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all...I believe we would be happier to go back to simpler living and more direct thinking. It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest and living close to nature. There are no hothouse blossoms that can compare in beauty and fragrance with my bouquet of wild flowers."
--Laura Ingalls Wilder; from "A Little House Sampler"

December 23, 2004
To Whom It May Concern:
From: Keyton’s Bar & Lodge, Mr Keyton- Proprieter

Now, the rest of the story:

The Ingalls family had gone to pay their taxes and had reserved a room in the Inn. When they arrived, the hotelier announced: "The Inn is over booked and all we have left is small cave out back." Now that they had gotten a raw deal on the hotel reservation and were in the outback, they just went ahead a cooked supper. This was the first OUTBACK Restaurant.

Now as why they are there by themselves, it is very simple. Mary and Joseph don't arrive for another two days.

Now that they have a couple of days to sightsee - they are talking about going to Hot Springs to take the baths. While there, they want to walk on Central and have a picture made in front of the National Park sign. They are planning to eat at Stubbies. No pork, you understand!