So yesterday after unpacking more boxes (will it never end?) I had an amazed thought. I'd not been away from the house since Monday and here it was Thursday. 

Not ages, just a long time for me. So I ran upstairs to get out of my 'play clothes' (as I call them here) and, because Tom was sleeping after having worked night shift, I had access to our car. I'd never even driven around town by myself since finding this house in March. In fact, here is a rather comprehensive list of our town's businesses, most of which are on Main Street:

Rite Aid
An old convenience store-type place with gas pumps, a tiny video rental 'closet' and hamburger stand with a few tiny tables.
True Value
Three restaurants, one summertime frosty shack
One bar

A pizza take-out , a deli
Three hair salons
An antique shop
A teeny clothes shop
One bank

A funeral home
The post office
The library
An elementary/middle school combo

... and well, that's about it.

But I love it. Of course, an honest-to-goodness supermarket would make it perfect, but how often do we get perfection? We're around nine miles from the nearest real supermarket, seven or so miles from a small-time grocery.

Anyway, so I was going to turn into the Rite Aid parking lot, but a truck blocked most of the driveway, so I decided to cruise down Main Street a bit farther. And that's when I remembered the library! 

We'd lived here a whole week and not once had the library entered my brain. There's something wrong with that.

I pulled into the library's parking lot and realized I'd been unbalanced again. Too much concentration on unpacking boxes, planning my garden and attempting to decorate this house to completion in, like, seven days.

Of course, moving and going from city life to country life is a big deal and moving is high up on everybody's Top Stresses List. But still, forget the adventure of a new-to-me library? Moi? There was a lesson in that and I think I learned it. 

Slow down. In its correct time, all will get done so enjoy it and remember variety!

I loved talking with the librarian (who reminded me of Tom's mom), had a sweet hour wandering through the few shelves getting acquainted with the books, finding old friends like Elizabeth Enright, Eleanor Estes and new friends as well, three of whom I carried home.

Oh, it's like I'd walked into a vintage summer-time book, myself.

I drove back down to Rite Aid, browsed their shelves (and gasped a lot--ah, tiny town prices. I remember them well from having lived in teensy Chester, CA for 11 years).

Then, after over-shooting our street and having to turn around (it's an easy street to miss, trust me), I ate my little tub of strawberry yogurt and began a library book, rather than returning to the boxes (which will someday be unpacked). 

I breathed slower, deeper, and stared out our huge dining room bay window (the dining room is my favorite. Soon I'll try getting photos to you, I promise). There's an ancient, sprawling crab apple tree which fills the three windows and yellow finches visit our thistle feeder all day long--they hang upside down to eat and Tom and I smile at them.

Country life is incredible. I recommend it.



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