Redwood's "Main Drag" is County Rte. 37. If you want to find out local news stop into Knorr's, all the local info is a question away

The view from the village of Alexandria Bay is a history lesson in itself. Boldt Castle is located on Heart Island and is part the romantic history of Alexandria Bay, NY

If you blink you will miss it. Redwood, NY, tucked between Butterfield Lake and Mud Lake in Northwest Jefferson county, to me is paradise. Cool mornings and warm afternoons where fishing and easy walks along secluded trails makes one forget the everyday responsibilities we all face.

Sounds like an intro to a tourist pamphlet doesn't it? For the most part the above statement is true, but for this woman, it was a time to reflect and dig as deep as I could into what I was put on earth to do. It made me think about my everyday responsibilities and other concerns I have been hiding from. My life had been in a stalled state of unfinished business for so long and I was afraid to fix. Afraid of the happiness that could be, because in a split second it could all be taken away. I have seen it so many times, happy people with an easy rode ahead of them, with lives shattered because of a health issue, death, job loss or numerous other things that can pull us down from the clouds we were dancing over. So. why even be happy in the first place right? Why not just stay under the radar, never quite satisfied or achieving my goals, that way when something went horribly wrong it wouldn't bring me to rock bottom in a second flat, breaking me in two, because I was always just hovering over it. The higher the fall, the harder the fall. It hurts less when you don't have far to go.

I know, crazy right? So many people are living this way. Why? Studies show that people who don't follow their dreams live shorter lives, more likely to get sick at a young age, or live at the poverty line. Who wants that? I know I don't. I tend to dream big, but my dreams are a matter of helping others, four-legged and two-legged. Why not look into one's heart and soul and find out exactly what you want from life and what you really expect from yourself? How are we to succeed in life without really knowing ourselves?

So this is what I found I wanted in life. There are two goals I want to see achieved. My number one goal is to have a sanctuary for horses and people in Northern New York. A place where horses deemed un-adoptable could live out their lives being doted on by volunteers who cannot afford to own their own horse or are vacationing in the 1000 Islands region and need their horsey fix. My farm would be a sanctuary to those who need some time to get away from the grind of everyday life. Kids, adults, and families who find themselves in need of returning to the simple things, touching the soft velvety nose of a pony, or catching a yellow perch off a lake dock. Goal Number Two? There is a piece of property for sale in Alexandria Bay, NY that would make an amazing Tea Shop and Book Store. The building is old, it needs so much work, but it is a piece of American history. The goal of the shop is to help sustain the sanctuary while promoting the 1000 Island region during the short five month tourist season. The building is large, large enough to sustain a Rescue Shop where items, new and old could be sold to support Pure Thoughts and the sanctuary. My vision for the shop is to educate about rescue and earn a revenue to support needy horses. Is it big crazy dream? Yes it is. Will it take a lot of hard work and some major sacrifice? Yes it will. Do I think it would be worth it? Yes I do.

This is what my vacation gave me. It gave me time to asses my life and the goals I had put on the back burner years ago. My tea shop in Alex bay? A dream I have harbored for close to 10 years. Having a sanctuary? Well my entire life I have put off this dream not believing in myself enough to even consider taking steps to achieve this goal. To be honest I am still not sure where to begin, but did get some advice. I was told Laura, write. Write, a lot. It's who you are above everything else, you are a writer and in order to achieve your goals you must follow your heart and from the time you were able to put a sentence together you have written. So buckle down and get to work. So here I am writing down my dreams, writing my words for others to read. I may fail, but honestly, I would rather try and fail. then fail because I didn't bother trying.