Broadway or Raking

Paul just left to go to Home Depot. A lot of people go to worship on Sunday. Our church is Home Depot. He said the funniest thing on his way out the door. "Honey, can you keep the fire going while I'm gone?". Does that not sound like the lyrics in a country song or what??

A couple years ago we transplanted ourselves in a small town (2,400 people) well off the beaten path. There is a bait shop in town that rents videos, and two gas stations, two churches, 3 cemetarys, one full menu restaurant and one luncheon/breakfast nook, a small but active library, a town hall that keeps odd hours, and hundreds of pick up trucks. Down-town is a literal blink of an eye. The political scene is as close as your next door neighbor.

On a morning like this, brisk and typically November, step outside and the comforting smell of wood burning is all around. The sun is shining on the golden leaves and various bird songs make the melody. Its home. As the day wakes up, we will all start our various yard machines and spend hours fighting back the natural growth of things...leaf blowers, chain saws, log splitters, and even dump trucks and back hoes. The sound of rural busyness will overtake the song birds, for most of the sunlight hours. And then we all put our work away, admire the progress we made keeping the trees and their leaves at bay, for JUST this day. We can never stop because the trees fight as hard as we do for ownership of the land. We go inside to our crock-pot stews and toasy wood stoves. The birds call their good-nights to each other, and the quiet dark night blankets us in serenity.

This life we chose is not always Currier & Ives. We have a large tree wasp nest on the front soffit of our house, carpenter bees eating our garage and a variety of rodents attracted to our wood piles and compost heaps. It is a long drive to anywhere (except the bait and video rental shop) making winter storms serious issues. Our dog nearly died a couple years back because of a disease contracted from a tick bite. It feels safe to us, though. We love to visit the city, shop,take in the shows, art and museums. Each visit I wonder if it would be fun to live there and have all that I enjoy so close and convenient, and if we wanted the country experience we could plan getaways. And for a minute I entertain that thought. Until I get home to my house between the oak trees and the sun setting over the lake and the neighbors waving hello from their hammocks. This is where my soul needs to be, and the city will always be there for a getaway.

Peace.