Meg O'Riley/Treasures

The following is an incomplete list of all of the treasures associated with Meg on the Purple Moon Place website.

Meg's Family Picture
My dad took this picture of Missy and me…

''My dad's a commercial photographer, and he usually takes pictures of buildings and gardens and houses and all that. But he likes photographing people as well. And Missy is a six-year-old girl who lives with us. She has Downs syndrome, which means she's more like a three-year-old in some ways, and needs a lot of help on stuff. We're like her foster family, because my mom's a special education teacher. The great thing about Missy is that she's almost always happy and loving -- even when I'm in a bad mood. So she helps cheer me up. And even though she can't do a lot of things, boy can she draw! We don't know how long Missy will live with us…but if it works out, we might adopt her. I think that would be cool.''

Meg's B.F.F. Card
This card came from Rockett!

Dear Meg:

''Doesn't it seem like it's taking 4EVER for school to be over this year? Yuk, I can hardly stand to sit in class ONE MORE DAY -- especially Biology, which is really disgusting when it starts to get warm outside and you have to catch and dissect gross things like worms or beetles! I just keep marking the days off on my calendar, cuz I know when I'm finished, we'll be at CAMP TOGETHER! YAY!!! There is just SO much to tell you…Well, see you SOON, okay?!''

Your best faraway friend,

RM

Meg's Gytrash Charm
This gytrash is my lucky charm…

''When I was little, my gran used to tell me stories about magical creatures and places. One of them was about the gytrash. It's a spirit that haunts lonely roads and usually scares travelers. But sometimes, if you're lost, it appears as a dog or a horse and leads you back home. My gran said she met one when she was ten years old and got lost on the moors. She said a great black dog came out of the mist and showed her the way back to the road. It never barked or whined, and its feet didn't make any noise. That's how she knew it must have been a gytrash. She gave me this charm so I wouldn't ever get lost.''

Meg's Cat
My favorite kind of cats are the fluffy ones…

''This is Sweep, our cat. We call him that because he looks like he has soot all over him from sweeping out chimneys. We got him from the animal shelter when he was only three months old. Someone left him and his sisters in a paper bag behind a grocery store when they were just babies. I think that is the meanest thing! Luckily, they were all rescued and taken care of until they were old enough for adoption. Sweep sleeps on my bed every night. I love the way I can feel him purring through the covers. It totally puts me to sleep.''

Meg's Puffy Stickers
I don't like puffy stickers…

''Okay, you might think this is weird, but I don't like puffy stickers. I started collecting stickers when I was eight, and I have like six binders full of my favorites. But not puffy ones! I don't like the way they feel -- that sort of squishy vinyl -- and they're so thick they don't fit inside the binder pages. Maybe I'm getting a little old for stickers, now -- but if they're really cool, I'll still buy them. Collecting isn't the same as just buying stuff for no reason.''

Meg's Broccoli
''Broccoli? I don't think so!''

''Green vegetables are something that I hate… Roasted, baked or fried, or laying on a plate… Over rice or under gravy, buttered, creamed or sauced… Should I let one touch my tongue, my appetite is lost! Squash and carrots both are yummy -- but broccoli's GROSS inside my tummy!''