The mother ship has entered the barnyard!

So we brought the traveling Misfit hotel home yesterday! She is parked in the barnyard where I will feed The Misfits to get them used to it, hoping for a smoother departure day.

But here is the thing. Remember how I said the Kickstarter project would evolve? While this trailer is not at all what I first imagined when I put the Kickstarter online and we had not decided to move to Maine, but I realized the design of this trailer has ways to become my Magical Misfit Book and Healing Mobile! The back door has dutch windows on the top, and when opened, I could be standing there handing out pie, with Misfits in tow with me. There is a front room where I could have my books, and it is plenty big for a couple chairs and a Misfit or two. With some creative draped fabrics and Apiferian raggedy touches, I think this is the start of many good things. You all know I love to get creative with fabric.

Here are some pictures of the first Misfits going in the Magical Mobile. Of course, the challenge is figuring out seating arrangements. The biggest challenge is The World's Grumpiest Pig who will need her private area. Everyone else will be easy after that....although I think Itty Bitty is going to be one ticked kitty.

She [I need to listen to her to hear her name] is brand new for safety, and was quite a bit more than I planned, way more really, but we could not have found anything suitable for less money. I'm not messing around with safety for this journey. If you'd like to help offset the Misfit traveling hotel, feel free [and thank you].

[The GoFund budget is almost 50% less than the price]

Misfits to see America!

Details of the move to Maine are formulating, as are ideas about the Misfit Mobile. The busy season for real estate is said to be starting early this year like last, so we are fingers, toes and hooves crossed for a sale soon.

In the meantime, we are hashing out the details of transporting Misfits, dogs and people to Maine. In some ways, we are building a Misfit Mobile - or an arc. We have decided to haul the donkeys and Boone with an expert horse hauler. It's not cheap, but they are very good and that is what is needed. We looked into having the remaining Misfits hauled too, and for the same price range, we can put it towards a bigger, safer trailer and haul them with us. I feel the Misfits should be in my care and there are just too many details to hand over a grumpy pig, crippled goats and a duck, cats, White Dogs...so that is the plan. People wanted to chip in, so, I prorated out what the estimated Misfit hauling fee is [Matilda, Paco, goats, Rosie] and set up a GoFund [Note: The GoFund is only for the Misfits portion of $7500, our entire move including our household stuff is going to be about $30,000]

THE MISIFIT MOBILE: Updates

I talked to someone involved with elders and she made a good point. What about using the horse trailer we will need to buy for the trip, as a hauling trailer for elder visits, but then create a 'setting' outside of it so elders can have better access to the animals. Picture a book shelf with my books, reading items, an old oriental rug, some chairs and a Misfit and me open for readings and healing. Since many will be mobility challenged this made sense.
I thought too, create a double sided pouch for Pino, Paco, or Boone that would hold a few books. Go for a walk at the local farmer's markets, or other areas, and invite people to sit and read and talk to the animals. Crazy? Just friendly.
Invite facilities to the new Apifera and create a shrine of healing for visitors
So, the Magical Misfit Mobile is indeed magical, and healing. And it seems to be coming in many forms-the actual hauling van we will have FULL of Misfits as we drive across America [yes, I'm hoping to make some stops and hand out books, or leave loving Misfit messages on walls and park benches], and once in Maine it will take on another form.

I don't expect any of you to feel obligated to support the GoFund. But its there to help us haul our little Misfits in the safest way we can. What a journey!

The Magical Mobile is getting wings!

I've been busy thanking everyone in the past 24 hours. We reached our Kickstarter goal yesterday, and I am relieved! And thankful. Now the fun really begins. Although there is still 24 hours to support with a pledge if you are interested.

We have a lot of work to do! But I think we are all going to have fun watching this project be birthed, evolve, and see how it expands. I have big plans, and an open heart. Anyone who pledged at a reward level will se those rewards sometime in late October.

I am setting the deadline to have the Magical Misfit {Healing} Book Mobile completed for a June 19th, 2016 launch. We will have a celebration here at Apifera and everyone is invited. There will be Misfits to meet, and the Mobile will be open for people to sit and read to a Misfit.

Stay tuned as details emerge.

For now, I'm kind of relaxing for a day, at least mentally. But I have much to do, including writing that new book!

Raggedy Man has something to say!

Some might be surprised at the depth of his abilities. He's Raggedy Man and he's on board with the new venture. Are you able to help Raggedy ramble?

Post it note from a father

My father, an architect, was hip long before we all knew it I guess. The tiny house trend that has swept the Northwest, especially Portland, has been around fr many years. Many before the current little house people have sought out a simpler life, a small place to call their own, away from all things commercially chaotic, all things related to the daily storms of a normal work or family life. Virginia Wolfe wrote about it, Waldon's book is still popular, some just used their cars to be vagabonds-but many have been building tiny houses for their own inner sanctums for centuries.

So, when I was looking for ideas for The Magical Misfit Book Mobile, I remembered that many years ago-back in the '80's I think, my father had this book called "Tiny Houses". As an architect he really loved it because it had floor plans and was compiled by an architect. It was not DIY by any means, and the houses shown did not cost the whopping amount of money you pay for them today [most in the $60,000 range]-nor did they include extravagant high tech kitchens or facades.

I went to my book shelves in the guest room, as I was sure I had at some time taken the book in my adult years. There was a time in the 90's, before Apifera, before Oregon or Martyn even, when I thought I could find land and plop a little house on it, even if it was just for weekends. I had used the book to dream. I was right, I did have the book and I brought it out last night to show Martyn.

As I opened it up, there was one yellow Post-it Note in the pages, marking a specific tiny house-it was called "Architect's Studio". And on the post it, I saw the familiar handwriting of my father, Bob, and it said,

For me B.D.

It brought tears to my eyes. This was a note to his dream, to have a little studio somewhere all to himself where he could dream and smoke a pipe and be on his own, a vagabond in the woods, dreaming up three dimensional masterpieces.

I knew he never got that studio. He bought small plots of land twice in my years of growing up, to build his dream, but he never was able to afford it, or circumstances changed and other responsibilities of family took over the dream. He remodeled a lot of houses, built us a tree house or two, but he never got to build his own little squatter's paradise.

I was meant to remember that book, and I think my father pops in every time we talk about our plans for the Magical Misfit Book Mobile,


You can do this, there is nothing stopping you, you are unstoppable.

A Magical Misfit Book Mobile is launched!

Imagine this: a tiny red trailer with a teeny tiny dutch door about 2 feet high opens, and there is a little goat greeting you. There is a homemade pie on the shelf above, and beautiful illustrated books to read and buy. You can go inside too, and sit and read to the goat.

I have another dream-to take my books and a Misfit or two and travel about in a little tiny red book shop, plop down at markets, schools, libraries, elder facilities, private parties and more.

A book shop where you can also sit and read to one of the characters from my book-a goat named Raggedy Man, or maybe Professor Otis Littleberry will be there with me.

I looked into have one built, but the prices were over $6,000 so Martyn and I are going to build one-with your help! We think we can do a good job with $3,200 and I've launched a Kickstarter project today; I have 29 days to raise the money, if I don't reach the goal I get no money, and anyone who donated gets all their money back.

We have a trailer bed and the finished book shop on wheels will be tiny-5' x 8' and 6 foot tall. There will be a big open window for me to look out and chat and sell books; a smaller two foot high double dutch door for a small Misfit to poke his head out, a reading chair inside for one or two children or one adult who can read to the animal, maybe a fresh homemade pie as my gift; and lots of love. I'm going to have wood on the outside and paint it red, and inside off white wainscoating. I want it to be intimate [how can it not be?] and people can also enjoy the animal. Maybe even the blind pug!

I am asking for all you Misfitians to come together and help me fund this. I want it to inspire young girls to write and be entrepreneurs, artists and authors to think indie and outside the box, I want people to have fun, read and walk away feeling full of Misfit love.

We have 29 days left- please support us if you can, and share away!