My Miniature Farm

When I was a girl, we moved a lot. My dad was a career army officer. It's a hard life for kids. We saw tons of amazing things, but were torn from our friends on a regular basis. We weren't allowed animals because it was hard to take them overseas. I dreamed of having a cat and a horse. I also wanted to marry a farmer and to live in Kentucky. Instead of a cat, I had a miniature farm on my night stand. It was completely imaginary. There was a horse, dogs and cats, and tiny chickens and ducks. I don't think I kept cows, but I did have some sheep. I would lie in bed and imagine a white farmhouse that I lived in, with a red barn behind. I would go out into the yard and feed the animals, pet the cats and dogs, and ride on the horse. It was my whole world.

This is the beginning of my love of working small. My work may be tiny, but it can hold the entire universe, like my night stand.