There's no use running...

There's no use running from your past, it'll catch right up with you again.

I'm surrounded by mine everyday.

And I like it.  For the most part.

You see, I grew up in a SMALL town.  And I've moved away, and moved right back again.

The town has gotten slightly bigger since I first lived there, but it's no metropolis by any means.

We're not talking Gotham city or anything.  (Gee, you think we've been watching too much Batman around here lately?)

My town boasts my old school, just around the corner from the new school where my kids attended.

It has the same post office building...

and the first church I ever attended, and where I now work in the preschool three times a week.

It has added some businesses like the quaint little country store...and a new Dollar General around the corner...

but it's still my same small town.

I was very much reminded this week of how small town I really am.

I was filling in at a preschool this week, and I was with a speech therapist who I work with everyday.  I was meeting her at the school, (a school I've never been to,) to help her with a class for the afternoon.  I walked into the school and said hi to the nurse who was a sub that day, the principal, a mother of a student in the class and the helper on the school bus that the kids arrived on.  The teacher was with me each time, and remarked, "I can't take you anywhere...you know everyone!"  We laughed about it...but she's kinda right.  I had went to college with 2 of the people, the bus aide was a relative, and the principal was the brother of one of my good friends.

Growing up, my youth group at church was filled with my friends from school, and a couple of cousins.  I went to school with some cousins, some friends of my cousins, my friends, etc.  I was related to alot of people, and we had small classes in school.  Nothing like they are today.

When my husband and I moved back to my small town, we built a house on farm land owned by my family, who lives just around the corner from us.  My grandparents also live two houses away on the same road.

This community is close.  Maybe TOO close sometimes, but it's nice to feel familiar.  It's nice to just KNOW who you'll see when you go to the small bank in town, or the post office, or the country store.  

The past has a way of catching up with you.  I'm reminded of mine everyday.  How about you?

A little excitement

I'm so glad it's Friday.

It's been a long week.

I was looking forward to some down time when we got home after school today.

Did I mention it's been a long week?  I can't put my finger on just why it wasn't so great, but I'm extremely excited that the weekend is here.

Earlier in the week Brent and I had talked about going to the next town over for their First Friday celebration.

We had never been there before, but heard sometimes there is a lot of excitement.

Shops are open late into the evening.  Food booths are open on the street.  People frequent the outdoor tables at the coffee shop, and mill around talking to friends on the street.  It happens the first Friday of every month, year round.

After the week, though, I thought I didn't want to go, so I got busy making supper.  Hamburgers with all the fixings, roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes, and cottage cheese and applesauce.  The kids and I had even hunkered down and started watching a movie.

After supper, Brent decided maybe we needed to head out and see what all the hype was about.  Our town has nothing like it.  We've only got about 1200 residents, and a town that seems to be stuck in the past.

The next town which hosts the First Friday celebrations has about 32,000 people and has fixed up all their storefronts to look as they would've back in the time when the town was first established.

It took us awhile to find a parking spot, and  the kids really were not that thrilled, but off we went.  Up and down the streets....

taking in all the decorations...

people watching...

and doing a little shopping ourselves.

First to the candy shoppe where we know the owners, and Brent got a sample box....then off to the bookstore, which is owned by a former classmate of his.
This was my pick, and I had a great time looking...and buying.

Just looking around at the bare brick walls, and funky lighting and all the books, made my heart happy after such a long week.

What ended up being an afterthought, really was ok after all.  Brent even hung out with some high school buddies at the bookstore while the kids and I looked around.

I'm glad we went.  Now we know what it's like.  Maybe when the weather is better we'll go back.