Katarina

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Dear Diary,
===Hi, because this is my first entry in this diary that Uncle George brought me from France I’m going to introduce myself. I’m Bridgette. I am 12 years old and I live in New France. I have a mum, a dad, 4 brothers and 2 sisters. We all live on a farm, which is rented to us by our seigneur. We are one of the many Habitant families in New France.===

===We came to New France because father heard of all the new opportunities it offered and he had recently been fired from his job at the market. He talked some of his friends, who knew about farming, in to bring their families and coming to New France. Once our family had learned how to farm properly, we rented land from a seigneur and started farming. Now that I have explained some about my history, I’ll tell you what I’ve done today.===

===Today I went out and helped mother feed the chickens. Afterwards we went over to our neighbours house (the Johnsons) and while the men went to talk crops and farming equipment, I helped mother and the other ladies prepare dinner. I’m glad that I’m allowed help with the dinner and hear the gossip now, because playing with the younger kids in the barn was sure getting old. For dinner, because it was the Johnson’s wedding anniversary we cooked 3 types of meat, fish, corn (saved from the fall especially for this occasion), 4 loaves of bread, and we made cheese with canned fruit for dessert. Mrs. Johnson had also gotten bullion cider and milk for us to drink.===

===We had a lovely dinner while hearing stories of Mr. And Mrs. Johnson’s marriage then my brothers Jacque and Paul went with William and Alexander Johnson and got their instruments to play music while we all danced! It was great fun and now as I have finished my prayers and I am crawling into bed all I can think of is how I am looking forward to tomorrow.===

Dear Diary,
===I slept well last night so I was able to wake up at dawn and assist mother with feeding the chickens. I feel as if I’m becoming more grown-up everyday! Mother speaks of going to the new church which has been built about a mile from our house. She says that although God is not as important as crops and farming, we should stay on his good side. So, in four days we shall make a trip to the Sunday Mass. Mother says, because I have been so helpful lately, I am allowed to bring a friend! I would very much like to bring Jacqueline Bousquet with me,she is one of our neighbor’s children and she is my age. Sometimes when we are done our chores some times we go down to the creek and play in the shallow pools. I hope her mother Mrs. Bousquet lets her, because sometimes she can be quite strict if it is too cold or too hot for “Young Ladies” to be out. She is very set on having us find suitable husbands.===