Things I Missed When I Lived in Town

Living in town for six months was convenient, but there were things I didn't even realize I missed until I got home:

-Absolute silence
-Fresh air
-Birdsong
-Quaking aspens
-Space
-Stillness
-Solitude
-My kids enjoying playing together outside(okay, I did notice this one!)
-Peace
-My propane stove--it cooks so much better than electric.
-Driving to town and back with my dh. This is one of the only times we get to sit together and talk. The kids are strapped in the back so they don't inturrupt too incessantly.
-Looking out the window


Things I Don't Miss About Town:

-People's stuff everywhere, what kind of view is that?
-Trash burning--people did it all the time, in town!
-A road in front of my house
-Dogs. We named our town Dogville.
-Electric heat
-Having to get dressed every day(you know, get out of my pajamas!)


I'm sure there must be more things that I haven't thought of. Suffice it to say, this place definitely still feels like home.

Newspaper Surprise

I opened up the local paper today to see if they ran my library news article. They didn't. But, to my surprise, there I was sitting with my fellow authors at our booksigning the week before(It's a small weekly paper so week before stuff is newsworthyish). There wasn't even a reporter at the signing so I suppose my friend at the Corner Shelf is a good promoter. She took the pictures, called the reporter and gave her an interview. I think I could take a lesson here and stop writing all the library's promotional articles and just call the reporter. Of course, then things that are "happening" will have already happened by the time they get in the paper.

I was on the cover of the paper last week with my daughter at kite flying day. Here's a link just for fun.

Beard Demographics

We went out last night to listen to some music and have dessert at our local library at a yearly fund raising series called Java Live. It's really nice, especially since there's not much art going on around here usually. No galleries, no music venues, no theater.

Java Live brings the locals together and makes us aware of the many different artists in our midst. This year local photographers were featured along with the painters. Every week featured two singers/bands. There's been pianists(the local doctor and his wife), folk singers, a trio doing harmonies, a fabulous opera singer, a one man band, and a sing along. In-between music acts there was belly dancing, poetry, and slideshows. Lots of nice people.

It's funny, as I was sitting there looking around I noticed that alot of men in the room had long beards. Not just unkept for a few days long, not ZZ Top long either(well maybe one or two), but somewhere in-between. I counted about eight in a room full of forty people(half women) before I was distracted. Seems like a high proportion to me. Is it just where we live? Is it mountain men who grow their beards long? But I know for a fact that some of these guys live in town. Is it winter? Could be. I'm sure that the last time I was in California I didn't see one long beard. I barely saw a beard at all. Not trendy I suppose. Things are different here.

I'm all for beards(on guys only of course). My husband looks really hot when he's sporting a beard. Sometimes I wish he'd grow one back. Sigh.